Chapter 84

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 84: Is It Poison?

The fire in the fireplace burned brightly, and Lin Lin took off her thick sweater, revealing the shirt underneath.

The cuffs of the shirt were rolled up to her elbows, and she fanned herself with her hand. Lin Lin saw Caligo feeding a green pill to a little white mouse in the glass box. After the mouse ate it, it twitched a couple of times and then lay still.

How should she put it? Although it shouldn’t come from her, Caligo looked like a modern person.

The former modern person Lin Lin had a subtle expression.

Lin Lin’s gaze did not disturb Caligo’s experiment; he was observing the clock and recording the mouse’s condition. During the wait, he relaxed a little.

"Aren’t you going to sleep?" Lin Lin asked.

In her memory, when she was seventeen or eighteen, even though classes were tiring, she would fall asleep immediately, and could even dream for ten minutes between classes.

But after starting work, on weekends she would sometimes try hard to sleep yet would still be awakened by her body’s clock.

"That’s enough, Lin Lin, stop overthinking. You’re just feeling stressed from work; it’s definitely not because you’re older and sleeping less," Lin Lin told herself.

Clearly, Caligo misunderstood what Lin Lin meant. The red ponytail moved through the air, and the boy’s gaze shifted from the little white mouse to meet Lin Lin’s eyes.

"You can sleep in my bed," Caligo said calmly, "I don’t use it much."

No, it’s not just that he doesn’t use it much.

Lin Lin forced a smile, "Where do you usually sleep then?"

Caligo replied, "I don’t sleep."

At least owls rest during the day, but this kid seems to have completely evolved past the need for sleep!

"Aren’t you tired?" Lin Lin asked hesitantly, while Caligo pointed to a bottle of light pink potion on the table. Without needing to think, Lin Lin knew what it was.

Scary! So scary! Caligo really does seem like a modern person!

Like those people who wake up early every day just to keep themselves going with a cup of bitter coffee! And they even choose to wake up early!

Lin Lin’s eyes widened in shock; the last time she felt this way was when Orion worked for twenty-four hours without pay.

Is this world full of people who go to extremes? Extremely busy and extremely lazy?

Lin Lin thought of Safir and the Demon King, and she could only say that they really are good students, who first learn to take care of themselves well.

"If you’re tired, just take a nap," Caligo said, "an hour or two is enough."

Lin Lin pointed to the bed, "You need to go to sleep right now."

I thought he was a diligent student who loved learning, but it turned out he was a crazy person who loved learning.

Caligo shifted his gaze slightly, confirming that Lin Lin didn’t look serious, "I won’t follow that order if it’s not yours."

Lin Lin said, "This is my order."

Caligo paused, his gaze once again drifting towards the little white mouse fainted in the glass box.

To Lin Lin’s surprise, the little white mouse stood up again after a few minutes and looked even more lively than before.

"What did you do?" Lin Lin leaned closer to the glass box.

Caligo wasn’t used to being too close to others; he slightly turned away, creating some distance, "I helped it recover from its illness, for now."

Lin Lin raised her eyebrows, clearly not understanding the meaning of "illness."

Caligo sighed softly, realizing that since Lin Lin was a woman related to time travel, it was understandable she didn’t know the term "illness."

"In this world, besides the areas clearly ruled by countries, races, or beliefs, there are also chaotic and disordered places. Most of these are on the outskirts, and because they lack management, they are even more chaotic. At the same time, these are the places most likely to be infected by ‘illness.’"

"I’ve told you before, my left eye, left arm, and leg bone were all used in a deal with a devil," Caligo looked at Lin Lin, "so what about my right arm?"

Devils are very greedy creatures; why would they give up the right arm?

The boy rolled up his right sleeve, and Lin Lin saw red patterns like thorns winding around Caligo’s right hand.

Lin Lin suddenly realized that Caligo’s flame-like red eyes and red hair might not be natural; they could be influenced by something else.

Lin Lin saw the red patterns shining like they were breathing, then fading away.

Lin Lin gently pressed her finger on the red thorns, and Caligo’s skin bounced back normally, but the red glow of the thorns became noticeably brighter.

"Will it hurt?" Lin Lin asked.

"Pain is the least of my worries," Caligo said, "It can even dull my senses, so I feel less pain than most people. Its goal is to infect the brain and turn me into an uncontrollable beast."

Caligo said, "I can’t sleep carelessly because I don’t know when I might not be awake enough."

"The deal you made with the devil is…" Lin Lin asked, sensing that living was already hard enough for Caligo.

"I am not allergic to sesame paste," Caligo answered.

Lin Lin: …

Lin Lin, "Huh? I think I just misheard that. Can you say it again, please?"

It feels like hearing a somewhat sad story and getting ready to show true sympathy, but then the other person suddenly mentions dinner, and that feeling gets stuck in your chest without being expressed.

"Because sesame paste tastes good and is easy to find," Caligo said, "it’s in many fast foods, and it would be troublesome if you’re allergic."

Then just eat less fast food!

"Can’t the devil extend your life a little, or cure this illness?" Lin Lin asked.

"That has been mentioned," Caligo nodded honestly, "but that noble said that the changes in the illness are also things Your Majesty the Demon King is trying to change."

"Instead of believing in demons, it’s better to rely on your own hands to save your hometown and yourself," Caligo recalled what the devil had said, "and then I became a temporary worker at Demon King Castle."

Lin Lin: …

Lin Lin, "How old were you when you heard these words?"

Caligo replied, "Twelve years old."

Lin Lin, "They really deserve to be punished."

When a child is twelve, they are easily touched by dreams and the future.

When Lin Lin showed a frightening adult face, Caligo tilted his head, looking confused.

Caligo asked, "Your Majesty the Demon King works hard every day; this is just a small event. It’s normal if you haven’t heard of it."

Lin Lin, "Hehe, yes, he is very busy every day."

"Can you sleep after taking the temporary medicine?" Lin Lin still very much hoped Caligo could get a good night’s sleep, especially since he would need to change his leg bone tomorrow or the day after, which would take a big toll on his body.

"I took it, but it didn’t work well because I need to wake up before the glow on my arm returns; I can’t guarantee how long the medicine will last for me."

Oh, when those red thorns keep shining, someone needs to wake him up.

Lin Lin raised her hand, "I can watch you sleep."

Caligo was clearly surprised.

Lin Lin said, "Don’t worry, I’m also good at staying up late as an accountant, especially when it’s time to fill out monthly reports."

The guy from another world is really strange, Caligo thought.

In his hometown, no one cared that much about sleep, and compared to a chaotic life, good and enough sleep did not hold an important place.

But Lin Lin was clearly very enthusiastic about this matter.

To give Caligo a good sleeping experience, Lin Lin even used a spell to make the bed soft.

Then she reached out and tapped the blanket, but the effect was not as good as she originally thought.

Caligo reached out and touched the bed, amazed by how soft it felt against his hands.

"From now on, your carriage seat should at least be this soft," Lin Lin took the chance to request.

She now completely understood that both the hard seat that hurt one’s bottom and the dizzying teleportation circles were not a problem for Caligo because he was a person who made do with life.

After throwing the boy onto the bed and covering him with a blanket, Lin Lin revealed the arm covered in "thorns," which glowed from within, showing red patterns even in the darkness.

Caligo’s ponytail was undone, and his long, red curls spread out on the pillow; he lay on the bed, looking a little helpless.

However, his legs were weak, so he couldn’t struggle much more.

And allowing him to sleep was Master Lin Lin’s request.

Decisions made by important people should not be disobeyed.

Caligo squeezed the blanket’s edge and then quietly let go.

"I don’t know if your hometown would say it like this," Lin Lin’s bedside lamp turned off, and the whole room became dark and quiet.

Lin Lin said, "Sweet dreams."

Caligo closed his eyes in the dark. Even though he had rested before, not setting an alarm made him feel uneasy.

After a while, he opened his eyes again and looked at his arm, confirming that the red thorns on his arm were still dim.

His eyes closed again.

Sleepiness came faster than he expected.

But Caligo felt his arm was a bit warm; maybe his red thorns had started to glow again, so Caligo prepared to open his eyes once more.

Then, in the dark, a soft pair of hands held his right hand.

A gentle and steady strength flowed into his palm; perhaps it was Lin Lin’s energy as a sorceress.

Her hands were a little smaller than his, but since she had two, they could still somewhat hold his hand.

She was still awake, and someone was watching over her.

It seemed like she could rest a little.

Not setting an alarm felt very unsettling.

But she could rest a little.

Caligo’s breathing gradually became calm.

–

A beam of light shone on his face, and Caligo opened his eyes.

The morning birds were singing outside the little house.

Caligo suddenly woke up, raised his arm, and looked at the patterns on it; its glow was very dim.

"The medicine you took before bed last night was helpful," Lin Lin said, sitting on the chair beside the bed and resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.

Caligo pushed himself up on his arm, undisturbed by the illness; his mind was still clear.

In fact, because of the good sleep, his mind felt even sharper. Caligo hadn’t enjoyed such a peaceful feeling in a long time, as if he had been washed clean by fresh water.

"Did you dream?" Lin Lin asked.

She asked a question that wasn’t very meaningful.

Lin Lin always seemed to care about these little details.

Caligo thought carefully and realized that at one moment, his mind had indeed captured some blurry fragments of a dream.

They floated away from his thoughts like a butterfly.

Caligo’s mind was filled with numbers and formulas, but there was a small space left for this illogical piece.

"It feels like a dream," Caligo said with a slight frown as he looked at his palm, "but I forgot."

The soft touch still lingered.

Caligo even felt oddly that perhaps some power healed and purified him last night, making his legs feel a bit more comfortable.

Lin Lin smiled, "It’s very common to forget what you dreamed about."

While Caligo was waking up and getting organized, Lin Lin went to open the window, letting the fresh breeze into the room.

Lin Lin looked very lively and felt quite happy, even more so than yesterday.

Lin Lin waved to the owls in the forest through the window. The owls glanced at each other, and one or two of the more outgoing ones called softly in her direction as a response.

Lin Lin hummed a few notes from her throat.

Lin Lin suddenly heard Caligo’s voice coming from behind, "Where is my potion?"

Lin Lin paused in greeting the owl.

Lin Lin heard Caligo’s calm voice again, "I left it on the table, remember I told you it was a pink potion to help you feel awake?"

This question was too specific.

Lin Lin suddenly understood why others said she looked most frightening when she had no expression.

Lin Lin gave Caligo a bright smile she learned from the Demon King, "I felt a little sleepy last night, and remembered it was a potion to wake me up, so I decided to try it."

"It’s my fault, all my fault, I should have reminded you," Caligo said with a worried look, watching Lin Lin’s face to see if something was wrong.

Lin Lin’s smile froze on her face, "Is it poison?"

Caligo replied, "If you mean the effect of that potion on an ordinary person, then yes, it is poison."

–

Heavy rain, muddy roads, and a broken town.

The downpour hit them like a waterfall, and even though Lin Lin wore a waterproof cloak, she could still feel the cold raindrops splashing on her face and hands.

She pushed Caligo’s wheelchair through the pouring rain.

"We should teleport closer to our target," Lin Lin said, quickly spitting out two mouthfuls of rainwater she had swallowed.

"Yeah, if we had time, we wouldn’t have to use the makeshift magic circle we prepared earlier," Caligo’s voice came from under his hood, "What do you think? Drinking potions in the home of a mage who made a deal with the devil?"

"Because I’m also a terrible person who made a deal with the devil!" Lin Lin replied.

The heavy rain made the ruined city look even more desolate, and there were no other living souls in sight besides them.

Caligo directed Lin Lin to push him to a dilapidated little house.

Lin Lin squinted to avoid the rain and read the sign above, "You are mistaken! This is a store that sells food."

"I am not mistaken!" In the heavy rain, Caligo had to abandon his usual calm tone and raise his voice so Lin Lin could hear him clearly.

"Alright," Lin Lin went to knock on the door.

After knocking three times, the door finally opened from the inside.

"Damn it! Which idiot is knocking on the door in this terrible weather!" A strong man in a brown shirt spoke gruffly, a deep scar running across his left eye.

The man frowned when he saw the soft and unfamiliar face of the person knocking.

Lin Lin was always someone who feared the strong, "Caligo, is there any secret phrase we need to say?"

Caligo said, "Just think of any."

Lin Lin forced a smile at the strong man, "Open sesame?"

Caligo laughed out loud, the boy took off his hood, letting his flame-like red hair fall wetly over his shoulders, and he bumped fists with the man.

"What you just said, ‘Caligo,’ is the secret sign."