Ingredients

Chapter - 37

Then he stepped outside, having received the information about the ingredients for the herbal concoction for free, even though he knew he would have to pay when the seller mixed it.

"Fine powder from the Xie animal? Have you ever heard of that animal?" asked Zavi as he walked towards them across the street.

Moreira was surprised.

"Why is he asking that? Could it be that he's going to make the potion? I don't know what you're thinking, sir."

The two looked at each other, silent for a moment, then a few seconds later Esvalen, who knew what animal it was, immediately told him.

"It's a mutated sea creature. Its meat is edible, but not as tasty as other meats. I can take you to a seller who sells powder made from that animal."

Noticing Zavi's frown, Esvalen knew that he was aware that the fine powder made from that animal was very expensive. Perhaps this year, ten grams would cost one hundred and fifty Zen.

"Don't worry about it! I'll take care of it," added Esvalen with an upward curve of his lips.

A slight smile appeared on Zavi's face after hearing that.

"Not bad, I can save some money," thought Zavi.

He felt happy, unaware of the fatal events that would unfold afterwards.

After they decided to leave the market, they walked through the district. They arrived at a row of large buildings where merchants sold various sea creatures, both ordinary sea creatures and sea creatures that had mutated into monsters.

The location was about a kilometre from the market in the Luand district, located at the southernmost part of the city and close to the sea with its tidal waves. When they first arrived there, they were greeted by a fresh breeze from the sea, the chirping of birds nesting in tall trees, and the stunning view of the streets where the residents were going about their activities.

The residents there had adapted well. Some of them dared to sell the sea creatures that had mutated into monsters, knowing that these creatures were sought after by some people and fetched high prices, processing them into fine powder. Not only did they have to fight their fear when catching the creatures, but at night the townspeople also had to face their fears and survive in a terrifying world threatened by monsters from outside.

"This place is a bit terrifying and has an unpleasant smell," said Moreira, his face full of concern.

Descending the small staircase, they continued their journey until they reached a shop building in a narrow alley.

They turned the corner and found dozens of men and women queuing in front of the open entrance, waiting for their turn to enter.

"Just as I thought. Are they all like me?"

After muttering to himself, Zavi thought that these people had done what he had done before. Ritual. Successful. Herbal potion. Receivers. These words began to fill his mind.

"You're blocking my way, you bastard!"

A burly man with a cold face and dark glasses muttered irritably, nudging Esvalen with his muscular shoulder.

Esvalen was pushed aside, his head hitting the wall. From the impact, his left forehead began to bleed, the purple-tinged blood trickling down his white cheek.

He growled in annoyance. But Esvalen chose to suppress his anger, following the instructions from the fifth level and keeping them until he could be here.

"Are you okay?" asked Moreira, extending his hand, thinking that the man who bumped into him would be killed immediately. But that thought was wrong. A slight smile appeared on his face.

"Thank you for helping me stand up," said Esvalen in a weak voice.

'Ah, people like that always have something up their sleeves.'

Zavi thought in wonder, feeling that the world and Earth had not changed.

Then he looked at Esvalen standing in front of him with fear spreading through his body.

"That woman...! Her blood is purple, isn't it? An evil spirit, following Moreira wherever he goes. What is her real purpose?"

Mysterious questions flashed through his mind, making his brain work twice as hard to process the answers. Lately, Zavi had been thinking a lot about the strange phantom on his shoulder that day. He hadn't noticed it before, but Ren was the first to see it and immediately told him about it in the bathroom, and since performing the ritual, the phantom had never been seen again, as if it had been thrown into a fire.

Zavi chuckled, walking closer and trying to ease the tension in the narrow alley. "What do you think of someone like him?" he asked, rubbing the revolver in his trouser pocket with his thumb.

Today was the first time he had put the revolver in his trouser pocket. Unlike previous days when he had kept it in his coat pocket, but for now, he had chosen to put it in his trouser pocket.

"Just leave it..."

After answering the question with a smirk, Esvalen turned her body, stepping closer until her chest was almost touching Zavi's body.

"I... want to follow you. I will follow your orders no matter what happens to you..."

A thin, yet terrifying smile was etched on her beautiful face.

Zavi furrowed his brow, his body suddenly shivering.

Moreira, who was standing behind them at the time, could only rub the back of his head.

After the conversation ended, they decided to walk closer to the shop. They stood leaning against the wall, waiting for their queue number to be called.

"No. 23..."

Two minutes passed.

"No. 24... No. 24."

There was no answer, and no one entered the shop.

"Nothing?" he muttered in surprise. "Next, No. 25."

The queue continued smoothly for twenty minutes.

"Queue No. 30."

The three of them looked at each other, then straightened up and prepared to enter the shop because they were too bored waiting.

After purchasing twenty grams of fine powder for two hundred Zen, Zavi felt his self-worth had diminished. He didn't know how to respond and could only thank Esvalen for the payment.

Zavi even cried with joy, embarrassed by his previous cold and indifferent attitude during his earlier visit.

Exiting the narrow alley, he returned to the husband and wife's stall to prepare the mixture. Upon arriving, Zavi was surprised to find that the other ingredients were not yet available.

"Ckk. How are we supposed to find the other ingredients?" Zavi asked, his veins and muscles clearly visible on his face, showing his frustration.

The stall owner raised both hands straight above his head, palms facing them.

"Don't worry, maybe. I know you can get some of the ingredients at the market, but let me buy them. And the other half you might have to look for in other places like the forest, caves, even in the valley."

After a long explanation, he described the map showing the location of half the materials, their shapes, and the need to fight the silent type of Chalog. If unlucky, they would have to face the fierce hunter type in the deep forest and valley.

Hearing this explanation, Zavi was a little worried about continuing. On the other hand, he was lucky because there was Esvalen, who was a level three evil spirit, as he already knew.

But to continue the search, he first sought the approval of the two people who had been following him since yesterday.

"What do you think about this search?"

Moreira was a little anxious, not knowing if he would die later without his three friends knowing and afraid of causing them trouble.

"I will carry out this collaboration until the end; my resolve is firm to eliminate that influence," said Moreira confidently.

Esvalen smiled slightly at him. "Aren't you actually scared?" she asked, patting her own body gently.

"Watch your mouth, you damn woman!" said Moreira irritably, then turned his gaze away.

Twenty minutes later, they had begun to enter the forest. Unlike the road they had taken the night before, which was in the far corner of the forest, there were still Chalogs roaming around there.

In the darkness of the forest, filled with branches and leaves of trees that covered everything, there was something—something far beyond human imagination, waiting and ready to emerge in the future.

"Be careful, everyone. There are many thorny branches, and I don't know what will happen to us next."

The voice was filled with nervousness and shock as they first entered the forest full of supernatural monsters. Their presence was enough of a threat to humans with their large numbers, but as long as they did not disturb the area, they would not attack.

The same applied to humans. However, some of them needed something from within the forest, such as food and animals to eat or sell.

But the monsters were mistaken, thinking that the humans would threaten their habitat and attempting to kill them.

That is what is happening to the two of them right now; their lives are in the hands of the forest and the aggressive monsters.