Zerothin: A Nerve-Activating Poison Liquid

"Because sometimes, when strategy is silenced, the only thing left is honesty. And in today's world, honesty can be packaged with powerful emotions. That becomes the highest currency in marketing."

Mr. Gerald fell silent. Then he leaned back in his chair and exhaled deeply.

"Interesting," he said quietly. "Really interesting."

As the door opened, Alaric paused for a moment and looked out the window. He knew that, while the path ahead was still unclear, one thing was certain. He was now ready to carve his own way.

No one knew where he was headed, but what was important was that he was no longer afraid to take the first step.

The world might be full of dead ends, but from there, he knew a new road would always appear as long as he was brave enough to create opportunities out of challenges.

A few participants clapped softly, others nodded. And just then, the system appeared again.

[Skill Ended]

[Duration finished. System reverted to passive mode]

[Note: Emotion without data will fade. But emotion with the right narrative can shift market direction. Good job, Alaric.]

Alaric simply nodded. He wasn't sure just how strong he really was. But one thing was clear...

The young man would not be knocked down just because the scenario was closed off from all sides.

Because it was precisely from there that a path, once unseen, could be created.

..

That afternoon came with a sky that was starting to darken, accompanied by thin clouds and a mild breeze that wasn't too strong. Alaric walked leisurely along the sidewalk leading to a small restaurant. It was a place he often visited when he wanted to fill his stomach after a packed day.

His walk was never hurried, his gaze empty yet calm. As if his mind was drowning in many thoughts. Even though none of them were important enough to make him stop.

The sound of a phone notification briefly broke the small silence in his head, but he didn't pay it any attention. He simply looked at the restaurant door from afar, imagining a bowl of warm ramen or the black pepper chicken rice he usually ordered.

But everything stopped the moment he looked up and saw a familiar figure standing on the other side of the street, right in front of the restaurant door. His ex-girlfriend, with whom he had recently made amends.

Clarissa.

She had just come out of the mall with her two friends. Her hair was neatly styled, and a smile briefly appeared on her lips when she saw Alaric, but then it faded again like before. Especially as the distance between them grew smaller.

Alaric felt the awkwardness forming between them, but no. He could push it away with the walls of trauma he had built.

Her friends quickly glanced at Alaric and whispered to each other, but Clarissa had already stepped away from them and stood facing Alaric, only a few steps apart.

"Alaric," she called, her voice soft but clear.

Alaric paused. He stopped walking and slowly turned. "Clarissa," he replied, greeting her quietly.

"I... I just wanted to say thank you," said Clarissa, her voice now more hushed, as if afraid to be overheard.

"For everything you've done lately. Even though we... well, you know what our relationship is like now\... but you still... care."

Her eyes had been opened by the real truths, and her heart had come to see the real character of a person.

Now, the contrast between Alaric and Edward was clearly visible to Clarissa. It turned out Alaric was the better one after all. He was responsible and didn't like to act recklessly toward others. Not like Edward, who was more prone to mood swings like a child.

Alaric took a deep breath. His eyes briefly looked at Clarissa's friends who were now walking away, then his gaze returned to Clarissa.

"No need to exaggerate, Clar," he said in just a few words.

"If Edward sees you talking to me, it'll only make things worse between you two. And I don't want to be the reason your relationship gets even more broken."

But Clarissa didn't step back. Instead, she stepped closer.

"It's already broken, Ric," she said, this time softer, but her tone was full of sincerity that Alaric could feel.

"Not because of you, but because of him. Because of the way he treats me. Because he never understands..."

Alaric was silent. His gaze didn't avoid hers, but it also didn't meet Clarissa's fully. He knew that if he stayed quiet too long, he might start to soften. Just imagine, he had been in a relationship with the person in front of him for more than a year. But he couldn't.

"Sorry, Clar," he finally said, nodding slightly. "I'm in a hurry."

And with that, Alaric started walking again, closing the remaining distance toward the restaurant door. Clarissa could only watch his back slowly move away, with an uncertain feeling weighing on her chest.

But just before Alaric actually stepped into the restaurant. There was the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

Something in his instincts immediately sent an uncomfortable signal, but before he could turn around... someone ran past him from the side.

The figure was dressed all in black from head to toe. Even their face was covered by a dark fabric mask. Their movements were fast, leaving no chance to be identified.

In a split second, the person brushed against Alaric's shoulder and seemingly by accident spilled a clear liquid from a small bottle gripped in their left hand.

The droplets stained the lower part of Alaric's jacket sleeve and a small section of fabric on his shoulder. The liquid didn't look strange, until Alaric caught a sharp smell creeping into his nose. Acidic. Bitter. Almost like an overly strong chemical.

It was clear now, this wasn't ordinary liquid. Nor was it water.

Alaric was startled and instinctively raised his hand to look more closely at the stain. But Clarissa's voice stopped him first.

"Don't, Ric!" Clarissa called out as she quickly approached, her face turning serious.

Alaric turned to her, his breath racing, "What does that mean?"

Clarissa stopped in front of him, then pulled out a tissue from a small purse slung over her shoulder. Her two friends followed behind, their faces showing panic and curiosity mixed with fear.

"I don't know for sure, but I've seen this liquid in a crime investigation report," said Clarissa while quickly pressing the tissue against the stain on Alaric's jacket. She was panicked, but still kept her movements controlled.

"This could be a nerve toxin in liquid form, Ric. It's called Zerothin. It's liquid and doesn't knock the victim out right away, but it can absorb through the pores and weaken the motor nervous system. The effect is gradual. If you don't realize and touch it, then eat or rub your eyes, it could be really bad."

Alaric froze upon hearing that. He could only stand still, letting Clarissa carefully wipe the affected part of his jacket. "So I was the target?" asked Alaric, his tone now tense.

One of Clarissa's friends spoke while frowning in fear, "This is so scary... who was that person? Where did they come from, it was so sudden…"

The other chimed in, "Seriously, this wasn't just an accident. The way they walked was suspicious. All in black, completely covered, like a criminal in a drama. Oh my God!"

Clarissa wiped off the last part of the stain. She gathered all the tissues into a small plastic bag so they wouldn't touch anything directly, then sighed. "Do you know that person, Ric?"

Alaric slowly shook his head. His eyes narrowed, thinking before answering. "No. But that person clearly wasn't random. The outfit was too covered, even their face was hidden. Their intention was clear. This wasn't unintentional."

The scent of that strange liquid still lingered, though not as strong as before. Clarissa looked at Alaric for a moment and asked,

"Do you have a change of clothes? If you do, it's better if you go to the restroom and change. I'm afraid the leftover toxin could still get into your skin."

Alaric looked down at his jacket, now damp from the wet tissues, and nodded briefly. "I have a spare in the car, luckily."

"Alright," said Clarissa. "Go get changed first. After that, just head home, okay? Don't eat here for now. Seriously, Ric."

Alaric took a deep breath. His head felt heavy, not because the toxin had entered his system. But because of the fact that someone had once again tried to hurt him. With such a strange appearance, and worse... so openly.

"Thanks, Clarissa. Sorry... for troubling you," he finally said.

Clarissa only gave a faint smile. "If something happened to you, I wouldn't be able to stay calm, Ric."

Alaric glanced at her briefly. Their eyes met. But there were no more words or conversations. He simply walked away toward the parking lot, one hand pulling at the damp jacket on his shoulder. While his steps headed to his car.

Even though his mind kept asking and asking. Who? Was it those people involved in the black market again? Were they still not satisfied?

"Thinking about it, it does make sense... They don't want my name to grow. So they won't stop until they hurt me. Or—until I disappear completely, the very outcome they truly want."