From the shadows of the mortal world... your gaze has awakened something.
Do you dare to keep reading the scriptures of this forbidden novel?
Then listen well, curious soul.
I have opened a digital temple on Ko-fi.
With a simple offering of $1, you will help me summon sacred illustrations:
authentic portraits of the beings that inhabit this story.
But every pact deserves a reward:
The faithful will receive personalized, unique images... and perhaps, a secret reserved only for the chosen ones.
[Make your offering here]
https://ko-fi.com/gremory0zero
-----------
[Thursday, April 25, 2028]{4:45 AM}[Valderrama Mansion]
Barely waking up, Javier's sharp eyes widened at the sight of a wet snout so close.
—Polaris—.
Calmly, he looks at Polaris, who had climbed onto his chest, to look around.
—I slept in the room, ahh, I would rather be on Yami's lap, but I can't ask for something so selfish, although if I could, besides making his legs numb—.
-Wow-.
Letting out a puppy bark, Polaris happily began to lick Javier's lips and cheeks, causing him to push her away.
—...dog saliva as soon as you wake up. You're staying here!—.
Standing up from the couch, he throws the quilt that had been wrapped around him over Polaris, who remains under it. Seeing the bundle moving to leave, Javier, not even interested, turns around to leave, but the sharp sound followed by the wolf pup's cry makes Javier stop and turn back.
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
—... Damn, if you cry I won't be able to leave you...—.
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Picking Polaris up from the ground he begins to lick him again, but preventing him, he put his hand on his snout.
—... you'll leave my whole hand wet with your saliva, leave it, hahaha, you're tickling me, Polaris!—.
Wow!
Stopping Polaris's advance with a weak voice, Polaris simply stopped licking and curled up between his arm and chest.
—Let's go outside, I'm sure you'll want to run around.
Walking through the mansion with no one awake and no moon to keep them company, Javier, who had climbed out the window, dropped Polaris on the ground and began walking.
—Come on, run, I'll be watching you—.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
—Ahahaha what are you doing, hahaha—.
Trying to run after being released, Polaris flips over to shake herself off and keep running. Javier, who was watching Polaris try to run without tripping anymore, was amused.
—You really are stupid, come on, Polaris—.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
Responding to the call, he immediately runs into open arms.
—I'll have to do a lot of things today before I start... cough! cough! cough!
Kneeling, unable to even put any strength into his legs, he fell to his side, failing to calm the cough that was making him wince. Polaris could see Javier's sickly state, with blood spurting out every time he coughed, leaving him with a deathly pallor, as if all the blood had been drained from him.
Scared and worried, Polaris started running around Javier barking and licking his face, but nothing worked.
Wow! Wow! Wow! Wow!
With no one around, Javier had to endure it alone until the cough subsided and he could finally breathe more calmly, and after a few gulps of air, the blood would subside.
—I-I'm fine, it's just a simple cough... Seriously, I don't like dogs... they bark a lot, it seems like I have an alarm in my ear all the time—.
Betraying his sickly appearance with his lonely smile, he calmed Polaris. Javier, unaware of the presence of Polaris until he was very close.
—...Yami? What have you been doing here at this hour, outside?—
Yami's arrival surprised him in a swirl of miasma that disappeared behind him. He saw Yami with his eyes focused on the adorable appearance of wearing bunny-patterned pajamas.
(Are you OK?)
—I'm fine, nothing to worry about, take Polaris, I'll take a bath in my room—.
Transporting himself past Polaris and Yami, arriving at the bathtub in his room, without even being able to muster the strength to stand up, Javier leans against the shower wall, taking off his clothes one by one.
—I would prefer... that Yami didn't ask anything... but... ahhh... if I show her my health status the only thing I would achieve is to worry her... I am the Hentai God, I don't intend to die from a damn disease that is nothing—.
With that thought in mind, he turned on the shower, the water being cold.
---------
Being a morning like always, Javier now stayed a little longer at home to teach Shio how to write while Rinka and Sayaka went ahead to school.
[7:34 AM]
—Now, where I'm going, it's still early, let's go to the library before classes start—.
Arriving without problems at the library that was already open, Javier enters and greets the sensei who was arranging some books on the shelves.
—Good morning, sensei—.
—Oh, but it's you, Javier, as early as always.
—Ahaha, I live a little far away, that's why I'm early, let me help you—.
-Thank you-.
—... Sensei, can I ask you a question?
—Don't be reserved—.
—Do you know of any distance learning programs for people who didn't finish high school due to force majeure?
—Has something happened? It's weird that you ask something that isn't related to books.
—He's a friend—.
—Hmm, what was your last year?—.
—Senior year in high school—.
—... I'll tell you the truth, there are almost no programs for those who didn't finish compulsory education.
—And if it's an intensive course, you only have to take exams to pass the year and be able to prove that you've completed your studies.
—Mmm, let me talk to some friends, so I can help you—.
—Seriously! Thank you, sensei.
Excited, Javier couldn't help but hug the teacher to let go and continue helping to sort the missing books.
—This guy, ehehe—.
---------
—Chief Mantiz, why do we have to take care of that girl? We're babysitters now.
—Don't make me remember it—.
Hidden at a close distance, but at the same time far away, where they could react immediately, Mantiz and his men were present watching over an Aoi school, where Rinka studies.
—Chief Mantiz, what do you think, don't you think all this is strange?
He pointed to one of Mantiz's men.
—Idiot, you want to end up like yesterday's group, remember what happened—.
Recalling what happened last night, all the men trembled and Mantiz, who had mentioned it, frowned.
-------
[Wednesday, April 24, 2028]{22:06}[Northwest Highway]
Having left the grounds of the Valderrama mansion, Matiz got into the first van with his men and the others into the second and third.
While on the highway returning to his lair, it all began in the second van.
—Don't you think all of this is a farce?
A thickset man with a horrible burn and cut mark running down his neck to his half-open ear confidently commented.
—Are you saying that everything we saw and felt was a lie?—.
In a mocking tone he glanced at the burly man.
—Exactly, because we must believe him.
Showing a face that looked like a fool and didn't even hide it, the little man just closed his eyes as if he hadn't heard anything.
—You say that, but you can't deny anything, not even the treasure that this place represents—.
Another thin man, who stood in the corner with a dagger in his chest and a distinctive piercing around his ear, commented.
—Tch, you don't have to state the obvious. What he said is that even though that woman is strong, the rest are weaklings.—
—What nonsense are you talking! That man's thirst for blood isn't enough for you.
—It's you, 008, not entities! That guy is just a bluff! He may have been powerful in the past, but he's not anymore. We don't even sense any arcane energy; the only problem is that woman.
—Shut up, 34! All you're saying is nonsense and that shitty breath of yours. And if that were the case, no present would make that woman quit, not even Chief Mantiz himself.
—Tch, tch, you don't understand, right?
Mockingly, he crosses his arms and addresses 008 with arrogance.
—When I said that we were the ones who had to defeat that woman—.
—Oh, stupid, I thought your bird brain had grown to a raccoon's, but I see my expectations were too high.
—Ahahaha! Say whatever you want. If I sell this information to the goldfish, I'll make way more money than I could ever spend in my entire life, hahaha!—
—Oh, oh, what a good idea—.
Similar to 34's idea, a man with a cap and no eyebrows joined in.
—You, if you seem to understand 23, once we achieve flight, we can leave this miserable life—.
Whether it was because they had like-minded ideas or simply because of the greed that unites their kind, the rest of those with a level head saw 34 and 23 as idiots.
—Ignorant—.
—What did you say!—.
Touching a sensitive nerve, he stands up, grabbing 008's shirt, who remains unfazed.
—What you and your nonconformist group heard is annoying.
He expressed annoyance at the mere thought of hearing it.
-Damned!-.
34 pushing him to crash against the fuselage, 008, like a skilled expert, grabbed him by the shirt, pulling him in, and followed up with an elbow straight to the corner of his eye, a bone cracking and blood spurting. But it still wasn't enough to defeat the men Mantiz had chosen. He kicked the chest, that was 34's idea, but the experienced 008 grabbed the toe of his shoe, spun around, and his elbow hit the shinbone.
Howling in pain as his bone snapped, with the reasoning of an animal trapped, arcane energy began to envelop 34's forearms.
Inside the second van, feeling the bloodlust rising like foam, like experienced men preparing to kill if attacked, a furious voice echoed.
—Don't fight in the truck, if you destroy it the Boss will have no mercy!—.
—...—.
—Tsk, I understand, I understand—.
Heeding the driver's warning, the 34-year-old was taken by both arms by two men and sat down, allowing him to drink a vial of black contents, fixing his fractured eye and leg.
"Pathetic. If you're afraid of Chief Mantiz, how can you even think of negotiating with some of the oldest clans in Japan? Don't make me laugh when all you're good at is gambling and prostitutes."
Falling for 008's provocation, 34 got up despite the pain of a broken bone.
—Now you really screwed up 008—.
—I'm waiting for you, squeal, you fucking bastard who doesn't think beyond his own nose. Tell me seriously, do you think some 'Eight Golden Fish' clan, upon learning such information, won't kill you and anyone else who knows, staying among them?
Under 008's words, everyone there nodded in agreement, that a treasure like the terrain with thick arcane energy would be coveted not only by the Japanese, but also by outside forces, causing a larger scale war, but 34 put aside those thoughts and said with confidence.
—Ha, since you know what I'm thinking, let me tell you that once this information spreads to good clients, I'll leave this country.
I couldn't even hear 34's nonsense anymore, the arcane energies of 008 and 34 collided, rocking the van.
—Hey, stop fighting, you're making the car rock!—.
—Stop!!—.
With the others interposing themselves between the two men who did not back down as their arcane energies began to gain ground 008, no one noticed that the mark Javier had left on their arms was flickering until it disappeared.
—Hey! 34 your arm—.
—What are you talking about...?—.
—Not just 34, 26, 17, 40, you too!—.
Barely realizing that they had been thinking of a plan to benefit themselves, they noticed that their marks had flickered faster until they disappeared and a crystal began to sprout from their skin.
—¡¡¡ahhhhhhh!!!—.
—It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!!—.
—It spreads too fast, cut off his arm quickly!!—.
—W-wait don't do it... ahhhhh!!—.
—Call the Boss! Stop! Stop!—.
Bringing the three trucks to a halt, Mantiz, who had heard the entire argument in the second car on the radio, got out as soon as it stopped, smelling burning rubber.
Seeing her men getting out of the trucks in fear, realizing that she wasn't the only one, she approached and saw four corpses covered in different colored crystals coming out of their bodies with an expression of agony.
—What happened, 003, tell me what you saw—.
—I-I don't know, he suddenly fell in pain and those things started coming out of his body—.
Uncomfortable to see how several of his men died from unexplained causes, a fatal error in assassins like them who shouldn't fear death, but now they were like spiders trying to hide.
—Tell us what happened—.
Approaching 008, he pointed to the dead 34 without an arm after having it cut off.
—While we were discussing, one of our men noticed something starting to appear on 34's arm, and then 26, 17, and 40 did the same thing, only we saw the mark on their arms flicker and disappear...—.
Listening carefully to 008, he entered the van, touching the crystals that protrude all over his body, piercing his clothes, especially 34, where his eyes and mouth protrude bright red crystals, making his deaths look that much more terrifying.
—A horrible death and these strange crystals... they look like...—.
—Do you know what happened to them, Chief?—.
—There's no doubt that what our new boss put in them was the cause of these deaths... 008 and 003, come with me, the rest of you, go to everyone who died in the second van... we'll see "plant". There's no further warning of what happened... go to the base and wait for us to arrive.
Following Mantiz's orders, they took the 11 bodies covered in glass into the second van, leaving only with 003 and 008.
---------
Stopping in front of an old Japanese village, Mantiz is the first to get out, followed by 008 driving and 003 in the back.
—003 informs him of our arrival at the Plant, tell him about this little introduction—.
—Understood, Boss... Excuse me!—.
Entering the small village, Mantiz lies down and takes a pack of cigarettes from his jacket, lights it and takes a big drag.
—Fuu, there are strange things in this world, but since the encounter with that Maid, nothing seems to make sense like his master—.
—You're right, that boy doesn't have the aura of a warrior, nor residual energy, but he has that something that... I don't know what it is.
—Jo, you understand me, 008, you want a bite—.
—I had left it, but I'll have one tonight, thanks.
Taking the cigarette, 008 and Mantiz just wait for the one they came for to come.
—Sorry for the delay, but in this job you don't have time to rest—.
An ethereal male voice came from the entrance, a man with a simple-looking yukata; olive-green eyes, long magenta hair tied back with a wooden stick, a small nose, pink lips, and a moist nape of his neck, giving him an attractiveness that attracted men and women alike. He was 1.70 cm tall with his chest exposed.
—As always, your appearance is strange—.
—I'm flattered by your comments, Mantiz, but when do you come to pay me a night visit?
Planta, as Mantiz had referred to the androgynous man, approached and then moved away immediately, showing a stinking expression, covering his nose.
—You stink of cigarettes—.
—That's why I smoke it when I come here.
—Huh, how bad—.
Not bothered by Mantiz's cold attitude, he smiled mischievously at him, before quickly changing his mood, and Mantiz throws the cigarette to the ground to step on it.
—They're in the back... but first, look at this.
Pointing to the spot, Planta moved to open the door, but Mantiz threw the small red crystal at him.
—Ho, a fire elemental crystal with small fragments of corrosion... but examining it more deeply, it's of poor quality, it has too many impurities, let me tell you, if you want to sell it, they'll give you at most three hundred purple crystals... By the way, where did you get it? You must understand that, although the quality isn't the best, it's a great product if you auction it off.
—Your answer is inside—.
Not understanding what Mantiz was referring to, he opened the doors.
—This is... Hey, what did you get yourself into?! This... umu, umu, I see, and with this... I understand... it was absorbed... and if we check here and here, oh wow... This is fabulous!—.
Examining every inch of the bodies, his gaze is intoxicating, his breathing is labored, and he has a bulge in his lower body, as if he had seen the most beautiful woman before his eyes.
—Hahaha, this is fantastic shade! Tell me!—.
Like a madman, he lunged at Mantiz, who dodged him, causing Planta to fall face first onto the asphalt.
—No! I'll pay for any information to know how they ended up like this.
—...—.
—Come on, answer, don't leave me in suspense.
Smiling lovingly at him, to the point of wanting to hug Mantiz's arm, she pushes him away while her eyebrows tremble.
—My Boss—.
—Oh, that's a surprise—.
-Because?-.
—Knowing you for years with your lone wolf personality that despises being bossed around and wants to boss around—.
—In the past, I found myself with something that I can't get over, how I am, plus the person who has a rope around my throat so to speak, look... you know how it works—.
Taking off his coat, he shows his arm to Planta.
—A stamp, and one I've never seen before, what does this do?—
—You've seen the results, now tell me what you discovered.
Leaving all the antics behind, Planta licked the blood on his finger.
—Huh, like you said, the energy in his arcane modus operandi is dry, or rather, it's gone. What you see is just a husk of human skin, its organs, blood, and flesh; everything inside has turned into a fire elemental crystal sculpture.
—I knew it—.
—Mmm, you knew it—.
—A hunch... But I didn't imagine that her body had been changed like that.
—Hey, can I keep these bodies? I want to examine them thoroughly.
—I don't care, more importantly, where my man is—.
—Ara, ara, ara, sorry, I forgot about him—.
More of a mockery than a true apology, a huge stalk sprouted from the front door to spit out a greenish slime.
—Mn, ah, uh, ah—.
Covered in drool, unable to speak, eyes rolled back, an unusual face of happiness while having no pants.
—Sorry, my little one abused your subordinate a little, but don't worry, he'll be as good as new in a few days. Now my boy takes that and don't eat it.
Dozens of vines sprouted from the mouth of the stem, which ended up wrapping around Mantiz's former subordinates to return the plant to the house.
—Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll have a lot to entertain... Cough, cough, I mean research all night.
Closing the door with a happy expression, 008 frowned, showing discomfort from the man called plant, look how 003 looked.
—Huh, I don't like coming to this place—.
—Me neither, but he's good at what he does, take 003 and put him in the back.
—Hua, the worst job—.
Grabbing him by the neck, he throws him into the back of the van and immediately wipes the sticky fluid off his hand, ready to drive off.
--------
[Present]
Playing with the small red crystal that was the only one Mantiz had from one of his subordinates. Determined, he puts the crystal in his pocket and looks at his subordinates.
—From now on, they're going to separate us into a team of 5, they'll form a double fence around the school, our boss is special and we can't fail in a job of this level—.
Knowing what to do and where to stand so as not to be noticed, no one bothered to ask pointless questions, but 008 asked.
—Leader Mantiz, if you leave the perimeter to us, where do you plan to go?
—We've had the biggest layoffs since I formed this group, I'm going to head out and recruit the 11 capable men—.
—Chief Mantiz wouldn't be counterproductive, seeing how things turned out.
—You don't have to think about anything else but doing your job.
Mantiz responded as he jumped off the building.
---------
On the other hand, without caring what Mantiz's group was doing, Javier, in the middle of history class, not paying attention, kept looking at Setsuna and writing on the last page.
(Kiyoura-san you are angry)
Setsuna who didn't even pay attention, even if Javier's notebook hit her notebook or her elbow.
(Kiyoura-san, you're upset, if you want I'll give you a pass to KFC)
Again refusing to speak, Javier attempted several conversations on the page to fill half the page.
—Uhg—.
Growling at being ignored, he approaches Setsuna.
—Set-chan, what can I do to stop you from getting angry?
And Setsuna, already harassed for wanting to ignore him, whispered to him sharply.
—Stop bothering me, otherwise I'll tell Sensei—.
—Set-chan—.
—You uuuu...—.
Covering his mouth before he could raise his voice, Setsuna removes Javier's hand and taps Javier's notebook, writing.
Setsuna: (Again and I'll scream louder)
Javier: (Don't you forgive me?)
Setsuna: (What is there to forgive?)
Javier: (It's my fault you're angry)
Setsuna:(If you know the reason why you keep talking to me, and you're acting strange)
Javier: (Strange)
Frowning at what Setsuna wrote, she retracts her notebook and returns to her original position, but still not paying attention to the class, she rests her chin with her hand, forgetting about her surroundings.
"Is my behavior strange? I don't think so. It's become normal, if you take out the equation that I'm a hentai god and sick. On the other hand, if I look back at my original behavior from when classes started, I was more active and thought a little about my future, but now I feel more melancholic, maybe because of the illness... I think there's a condition called bipolar disorder; it tends to cause sudden mood swings."
Inside her own world, Setsuna glances at Javier, who doesn't even bother to pay attention to the class.
"What's he thinking? He's acting weird today."
When recess arrived, most students ate with their friends, either in the courtyard, on the steps, in the cafeteria, or in the classroom. But even as the outside world continued as it was, Javier would sometimes lie motionless.
—Hey! I'm talking to you, Javier.
—Hey, ah, oh Makoto, you need me for something—.
—I was telling you to go eat at the cafeteria with us—.
Pointing to the entrance, he sees Ryuto waiting.
-Cafeteria... but I'm not hungry-.
Turning his gaze to Makoto after thinking about it, he apologized.
—Sorry, but I'm not hungry.
—Are you okay? You're sick.
—I'm fine, I just don't have any appetite, you two go.
Watching Makoto and Ryuto leave, Setsuna returns and sees only Javier leaning back at his desk with no intention of getting up, his face dull and listless.
—Uuu, kiyoura-san, did you forget something? !... Did something happen?—.
Taking by surprise, Setsuna approached, touching their foreheads.
-Setsuna's forehead feels so cold, or am I really sick, but that doesn't matter now, ehehe, it smells so good, so sweet-.
—You don't have a fever, you've been acting strange today, why don't you go to the infirmary to get checked?
Stunned by the sudden softness with which Setsuna spoke, Javier shook his head.
—Why do you say I'm acting strange, I feel fine—.
—You're usually much more active, to the point of being a nuisance. But today you seem more subdued.
—Oh, ehehehe, so you're watching me all the time...—.
Falling silent at the sight of her frown, he changed the subject.
—... I know my body better than you think, only when it spits blood will it be the moment when I have to worry, ahahaha...—.
—Don't joke about that.
Noticing the melancholy and sadness reflected on Setsuna's face, Javier could only bow his head.
—Sorry, I didn't think when I made the joke—.
—...okay, but don't make that kind of joke again, it's in bad taste—.
Turning around, Setsuna picks up a stick of chopsticks from her backpack.
"Idiot!!! How could I say that kind of thing to her, knowing that when she was little, her friend got sick and died? Stupid, idiot, imbecile!"
Wanting to pull out the hair on his sideburns, he dropped his head onto the desk with a dry sound.
—This is deplorable... I'm leaving—.
He said and left the classroom to the library.
—Mmm, or Yuki-kun is holding down the fort today—.
—Something like that, and what are you doing here?—.
—I can't—.
—I wouldn't say that, but how did you come this morning?—.
—Huh, how do you know I came?
—By sensei, she holds you in very high regard.
—Really? Well, I think we're both book enthusiasts... by the way, I brought a book from home today, I'll be in the back.
-Okay-
Yuki said, going back to reading her book. Javier, who now had a special area all to himself, went to the back corner of the library where he sat on his airbag to open the book Ryuto gave him.
{Udaka Nara Encyclopedia}
Made of dark green paste with gold lettering and 20 cm thick
-The best weapon is knowledge-.
He thought before staying on page 111, where a flower of different colors was drawn, the description and use.
Rainbow Flower: Named for each petal with elemental properties. Appears in the Seregat dungeon. Located in Africa. Used for medicine.
Wlof Cocoon: It opens every eight days, at the beginning of the first moon of the year. It appears in the Ñuñu dungeon. Located in Poland. Its seed is widely used for combat gear.
Gold Lotus: Its golden pustules change to a milky color after the third lunar eclipse, creating one liter of sap per pistol. Appears in the Fuorrr dungeon. Location: India. Widely used as medicine, to attract life.
Urgas Stone: Appears in the Utur dungeon. Location: Italy. Used as the main ingredient for weapon crafting.
Sea vine: They grow in the deep underwater caves of the Mediterranean, hence the rumor that the place where sea vines grow is where the god Mer slept. Mediterranean location. It is widely used for medicine, especially poisons.
Monkey Tail Feather: Blooms on thousand-year-old trees. Location: Madagascar. Appears in the Yiruc Dungeon. Widely used in the crafting of arcane energy stabilizers and scrolls.
Dream Flowers: They bloom abundantly on corpses with different flowers and scents. Located in China. Appears in the Cicada Wing dungeon. It is widely used as a neutralizer of poisons and hallucinogens, and at the same time a sedative to stabilize and heal the soul, making it an important resource that does not appear outside of China.
.
.
.
.
-Ehehe these plants will be perfect to make a beautiful garden unique in the world-.
Moving on to the next section after marking more than 200 types of flora, he reached the animal kingdom.
Honey bee: Extinct. Its habitat was swamps, traveling about 3,000 kilometers a day. Its population was small, but counted about 8,000 per honeycomb. The last remaining specimen was found in the Sahara Desert, believed to have been collecting honey from the plant; the red akua, which became extinct 200 years later. Its function is no different from that of modern bees, pollinating and producing honey.
Yur Caterpillar: Extinct. Their habitat was mountain ranges with abundant minerals. The lifespan of a yur caterpillar consisted of 15 years, consisting of three phases. In some cases, the yur caterpillar only reached the end of its life in the second phase, as it depended on ingesting minerals. The last living specimen was seen in Asia, 3,000 years ago. Many of the magi and clans of that time depended on the excrement of a yur caterpillar for the high purity of the minerals it ingested.
Cognac Dragonfly: Extinct. Cognac dragonflies and honey bees have a close relationship, as their habitat was swampy and jungles with high humidity. Unlike honey bees, they collected honey in their hives, which contained a high level of crazed arcane energy, which was consumed by the Cognac dragonfly, causing its wings to secrete threads to create its hive and protect the honey bees. There is an ancient saying that if you find a Cognac dragonfly, you will have a feast of riches and another of sweetness.
Nir Snail: Extinct. They inhabit lagoons and rivers with a high concentration of vegetation. Their feeding habits consist of eating plants with aquatic attributes. Nir snails were also hailed as river royalty, producing elemental pearls with dual attributes: earth and water. They were also protective, as the slime they left behind was a stimulant for both the flower and the land. The last time one was seen was 1,000 years ago.
Mord Snail: Extinct. Although their habitat was desert regions, feeding on dried coconut palms, they were widely transported to yards and farms because they were a pest exterminator and repelled harmful insects with their slime. Their last recorded appearance was 2,056 years ago in the cultivated fields of Rome.
Silver Thread Spider: Extinct. Their habitat, for the most part, was in damp caves and semi-humid valleys, but thanks to their silver thread, they were able to resist attacks from a high-grade Arcane power (Terrenun). Thanks to this, most lived in captivity, but it wasn't until the world's energy began to wane that they became extinct, and the few, even in nature, changed.
Night spider: Extinct. A close relative of the silver spider, its habitat was tropical forests and jungles, its life is that of a born predator, capable of ending the lives of its prey with its cursed threads. It is known that they were the prized pets of the God Unir, the patron saint of punishment. The exact date of their extinction is unknown, but after the fall of the God Unir, night spiders were never seen again.
Metallic Toad: Extinct. Despite being the size of an adult's head and thought to have inhabited coastal areas, its habitat was actually closer to volcanoes, spending most of its life within magma. They were widely woven for their skin, which was hardened by common iron, eventually becoming runic armor. It was also widely used in arcane scrolls due to its conductivity with arcane energy.
Moar-web snake: Extinct. They inhabited forests and plains, and were worshipped by tribes in what is now America. Upon the death of the Moar-web snake, its skin was used to make clothing and armor. According to some hieroglyphics and totems, the Moar-web snakes were created by the Goddess Moar; the Goddess of the weaver. Like the Night Spider, their existence is linked to their God.
Firewater Pelican: Extinct. Their habitat was rocky areas, cliffs, and beaches. They create flammable water in their pouches, which has been compared to small dragons; they breathe fire. They were a high-quality product for cooking and Arcane experimentation, serving a wide variety of purposes. Their last specimen lived 1,832 years ago, when the Arcane energy disease was at its lowest point.
Burial Toad: Extinct. They live in areas of death and abundant corpses. Their very existence was one of death. Innate scavengers, unable to move, they die when the area they lived in no longer has food to eat. Their bodies serve to neutralize rare poisons like that of the Death Slime for a short time. This species became extinct when its counterpart, the Death Slime, became extinct, the exact time of which is unknown.
Milkweed Moth: Extinct. They live in dense forests and mountainous areas. Milkweed caterpillars were widely trapped and kept captive until they emerged from their cocoons. Upon emerging from the cocoon, the milkweed moth sheds a milky drop throughout its life, which, when consumed, cured all illnesses and curses. Its extinction was due to the early Arcane Energy Disease.
---------
Not stopping until he saw about fifty plants with different animals that were marked and checked the time on his cell phone, getting up to stretch.
—Uuuuuuu, I finished part of the book... She didn't come, well, I can't blame her either, since I didn't expect her to come either. Being the hentai God doesn't make a girl sit on your lap like it's nothing either.
Muttering to himself.
Saying goodbye to Yuki who was also preparing to leave, opening the sliding door, Javier finds a kotonoha with her hand outstretched.
—Katsura-san, you came—.
Surprised to see that Kotonoha had come, not knowing what to say in this situation, Kotonoha spoke first.
—S-sorry for taking so long, but I was eating with my friend—.
Tin ton, tin tan.
As the bell rings for the end of recess, Kotonoha lowers her head in dejection.
-I'm sorry-
—No need to apologize, I almost forced you to come in the first place, and I'm glad you came.
—I-it's really not that annoying—.
—Not at all, I'm grateful to have made friends with a kind-hearted girl like you, Katsura-san.
-Friend?-.
Feeling mixed emotions at seeing Kotonoha confused by the word 'friend', Javier takes a step back from his words.
—Hehehe, sorry for my boldness, but you could be my friend Katsura-san, of course it's fine if you don't want to—.
—... hehehe, you're so weird, Javier.
Seeing her laugh, Javier laughs with her embarrassedly.
—So, we are friends—.
—Yes, I hope to get along with you from now on.
-Likewise...-.
Stiff and unable to find a topic to talk about, they both laugh at how clumsy they were at exchanging numbers.
----------
[Home Class] [2:43 PM]
Entering the eighth period, the entire 1-3 class switched classrooms to a kitchen classroom.
—Okay, guys! Like I told you last class, I hope you brought your ingredients to make the cookies... Here on the board, I've left the recipe you should follow. If you have any questions or concerns, just give me a call.
After the teacher's easy-to-follow explanation, Javier, in his work module, looks at his colleagues.
—Kuroda and Kanroji brought the ingredients—.
—Eggs, sugar, salt—.
—Butter, chocolate bar and vanilla essence—.
—Here are mine. I think we said we were going to make vanilla cookies with chocolate on top. But don't you think it's that simple?
—Hm? It's because they're just cookies, there's not much to it.
—Nanami is right, we're just going to make some vanilla cookies, I don't see why it should be complicated.
—Tch, tch, you don't understand, since we are making a cookie, we can vary the recipe if we can't compare the flavors later.
—Where are you going?—
—Hey, besides the flour, I also brought chocolate chips and lemon. How about three kinds of cookies? Butter, two-color, chocolate chips, and if we hurry, we can make the cookies we were originally going to make.
—You do—.
—Ehehe—.
—Why not? My parents own a bakery and they helped out, so it's easy to make the cookies.
—Okay, I'll make the butter cookie.
—So I'll do the two-tone one—.
—I don't mind joining the challenge, but the materials—.
—I have everything thought out and I brought quite a few—.
With Hikari and Nanami in agreement, Javier started with the shortbread cookie: mixing the butter and sugar in a bowl, beating it vigorously at the same pace as a mixer, then adding the vanilla extract and egg until combined. Then, gradually adding the flour, placing it on the counter and kneading it by hand.
While Javier kneaded with his hand and added the flour with the other, Hikari Kuroda watched him.
—Hey, stop being so obvious and move your hands.
—!... W-what are you trying to say, it's impossible for me to feel anything for this idiot—.
Suppressing the scream that almost escaped her upon hearing Nanami Kanroji's comment, with a red face she began to beat the eggs, butter, sugar and, little by little, the vanilla essence.
Manami Kanroji laughed at Hikari Kuroda's reaction as she tried to calm herself down with the sound of the mixer.
"That's not being sincere, Hikari. And neither is the person in question."
-Hmph, what's so good about that guy, if all he does is bother me... although he doesn't do that anymore since I warned him to report him to the professor-.
------------
Finishing the eighth hour of (Home Class) being the end of classes, Nanami Kanroji, Hikari Kuroda, Setsuna Kiyoura, Sekai Saionji, Makoto Itou, Ryuto Miyake and Javier Valderrama had stayed to taste all the cookies.
—Who wants to start?—.
He asked them, Javier, seeing that no one decided, looked at Ryuto.
—Let's go with mine—.
He said, pushing the plastic container in front of everyone.
-... Normal-.
—...There's nothing special about it—.
—... Seriously, they seem good to me.
—Wow, as always with a man's stomach, everything seems the same to him.
—That's not true, Kuroda.
—Yes, yes—.
—But he certainly doesn't stand out in anything.
—This is my first attempt.
Sekai and Setsuna were the first to give their opinions, followed by the two quarrelsome Hikari and Makoto. Finally, Nanami ate her cookie. Ryuto, pleased, could only shrug, missing Javier.
—Ryuto, how much vanilla essence did you put in?—.
—Hug, I didn't put—.
—I expected it, they're fine, but if you want to give it to her, try putting all the ingredients on the other one.
-Certainly-.
Picking up her plastic tray, Makoto held out her own.
Everyone taking one suddenly spat it out, all except Javier.
—Puff, uag, you want to kill us, Ito!—.
—Don't be violent, Kuroda, how strange, I did as the recipe said, but it's salty.
—How salty is very sweet—
Hikari, who was the first to jump at Makoto, grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him. This time, Makoto couldn't renege on his treatment either, and everyone preferred to rinse their mouths out with tap water, leaving no comments other than the obvious.
—Makoto, you kneaded the ingredients well.
-Yes of course-.
—Liar, if you had kneaded them they wouldn't have turned out like this—.
Sekai pointed out.
—Well, I think with the mixer.
-Silly!!-.
They all shouted at them, finally shrinking in their seats.
—Okay, let's put the fool aside, who's next?—
—Sekai you—.
-That-.
-Nothing-.
Makoto, even though he wanted to fight out of pride, knew better than anyone what it meant to back down when everything was lost.
—Then, Sekai and mine, eat—.
Taking out the plastic tray that the two cousins had made, Javier sees that it was vanilla with a chocolate coating on top.
—Are they good?—.
—...—.
A little nervous Sekai, Setsuna waits for everyone's response.
—Very good, they are delicious, with a glass of milk they would taste better—.
—Who wrote the recipe, tell me—.
—It was Setsuna, the one who investigated last night—.
—Oh, Setsuna, how you made them—.
Hikari and Nanami wanting to know Setsuna doesn't answer yes or no, that her gaze was on Javier.
—How was it?—
—Delicious, like Kuroda said, it tastes great with milk, can I have another one?—.
-Forward-.
With those few words out, a smile barely visible to the others, Setsuna says the recipe.
—An egg, half a cup of flour, half a cup of self-rising flour, by the way this flour is for making flour tortillas, a third of sugar, 80 ml of oil, two tablespoons of vanilla, a little milk if necessary and one hundred grams of chocolate... after putting it in the oven, make a bain-marie with the chocolate, to remove it with parchment paper, put them on top and drizzle as you like on the cookie—.
Writing down the steps Hikari, Nanami and Ryuto had to follow, Javier just had to remember it.
—Okay, now follow ours, try it—.
Excited, Hikari gave hers vanilla and chocolate.
—Oh, it must have been a bit difficult to make them... They're good.
—Thanks, we have a family business, so it's not a difficult thing to do—.
Blushing at Sekai's compliment, Setsuna frowned as she tasted the cookies.
—Delicious—.
—Thanks, Setsuna, you guys liked it—.
—Very rich, compared to mine, it needs more flavor. Hey, Javier, how can I make it sweeter now?
—Mmm, put powdered sugar on them or soak them in white chocolate or any other kind, I would say it would be very good, since your cookie doesn't have much sweetness.
—Oh, that's it, thank you.
—Hey, you won't say anything, Makoto—
—They are delicious, better than mine, happy—.
—Hi, hi, very much—.
Hikari, who never missed a chance to tease Makoto, Nanami took out her cookies.
—Try it—.
—Oh, chocolate chip cookie...—.
-How are you doing?-.
Sekai, who was the first to try the cookies, gave her opinion.
—They're okay, not too sweet or too plain, medium, medium.
—They're good, in my opinion—.
—And, Nanami, Javier, I'll help you too—.
—Hehehe, I'm new to baking, I let myself be guided.
Laughing shyly, Setsuna further shows some annoyance in her eyes.
—Okay, now it's my turn, try it—.
—What's up with all that confidence?... hhhh, delicious!—.
—What is this? We made it, with the same materials, right?
—Mmmm, melts in your mouth—.
-Delicious-.
—Hehe, you really are good at baking—
—Hey, stop it or I'll be left with nothing to take with me later!—.
Taking the plastic tray away from them, afraid they'd run out, Javier looked inside and found only half of what was there.
—Hehehe, sorry, I liked them too much—.
—Hug, since... kiyoura-san, what did you think of my cookies?—.
Javier, who looked at her with expectant eyes, Setsuna took another cookie to answer.
—They're good...—.
He responded by wiping away the drool that he skillfully hid.
—I'm glad you liked them—.
Javier smiled happily, Setsuna distracted herself and so that he wouldn't notice her blushing cheeks, she continued eating the cookies she made.
—And what's the secret, Javier? We saw you make them, but maybe you added something to the mold.
Digging deeper into her knowledge, Hikari kept repeating the same thing.
"I didn't do much, I just followed the recipe for the shortbread. But if I have to give her credit for anything, it's that she mixed it really well."
—Now that I remember you mixed with your hands—.
—Ehehehe, hands never lie unlike the mouth, Kanroji-san. Another thing I would highlight would be...—.
-I would be...?-.
Expecting to know, Javier smiles.
—Love! If there is no love involved, the taste will change; for that person without love, the taste will be different from normal.
—Huag, how ridiculous—.
—Ridiculous or whatever, the power of love never fails—.
Declaring firmly, closing the lid of her tray. Setsuna, no longer able to stop herself from blushing, quickly leaves.
—Ah! Setsuna, where are you going?—.
-Bathroom!-.
Without looking back, even when Sekai called her, Javier left, who also having nothing to do, leaves before saying.
—Okay, I'll go clean the classroom, bye.
—I'll go with you, I still have to pick up my suitcase—.
—I'll go pick her up too—.
Leaving behind Javier, Makoto and Ryuto, leaving Nanami and Hikari.
—I-I have to go too, wait for me in the classroom, Hikari—.
Nanami runs out, Hikari is left alone and sees her plastic tray and eats a cookie.
—Where will he go? He even took his cookies, it doesn't matter.
Not giving the matter much importance, Hikari left the kitchen.
While the hearts of two maids were beating like crazy, Javier looks at his phone for a moment, leaving it with his eyes open, calming his surprise, turns off his cell phone and puts it away.
-And to think that things wouldn't turn out the way I expected, hehe, but it doesn't matter, that's how things are-.
—What are you laughing at? he says.
Makoto, noticing Javier's laughter, weakly punched him on the shoulder.
—It's nothing, I just remembered that life is very interesting—.
—You're weird, Javier—.
Ryuto added.
—I think so too and that's great if it weren't boring, hahahaha!—.
Enjoying the uncertain future, Javier moves forward.
[Setsuna Kiyoura: 87 friendship... 1 love.]