A miserable Deal

The Perception skill could be used on anyone. But there was one restriction. They needed to be in his line of sight. That was why Roy was still to Perceive information about himself. The Perception skill might tell him things he didn't know about.

Without a doubt, Roy, who had settled down in his nest, inspected himself after finding the mirror.

[You used Perception on yourself.]

[You acquired information about yourself.]

His eyes thinned to the size of needles. What he saw utterly shocked him.

[You're the "Biological" son of Count Badulf.]

'The system highlighted the word "Biological." Could it be it's trying to tell me something? Wait, wait, wait. Body possession is possible in this world. The count might not be more than a sperm provider.'

[You were born with a fully opened Magic Gate and Aura Gate. An attack led to the death of your mother. In the same attack, your Aura Gate was fully sealed. The attack happened when you were born. You were saved by Arlo and brought home. Then, your Magic Gate was sealed. This led to a stagnant in your mental age.]

'So… I was born talented. No… With a fully opened Magic and Aura Gate, I was nothing short of a miracle. Others couldn't bear to see me exist. They didn't kill me, but they sealed away what made me special and also killed my mother, huh. Pathetic bastards. I will find out who they are and make them regret it."

[At a young age, you ingested a blood worm and started drinking chrysalis tea. It's good for one's mental health. But if consumed by a person with a blood worm in his body, it's nothing less than a poison that creates Fake Mana Fat. The blood worm has made you insensitive to Mana. It hates Mana and reacts violently when coming in contact with it. Your Mana Fat will explode when you reach 17 years of age. The torrent of Mana will surge to your Mana Gate, where the blood worm has taken root. The Blood Worm will clash against the Mana. When that happens, you'll bleed from your seven offices, dying a painful but certain and fast death.]

"Fuck… my suspicions weren't wrong. The fat in my body is as fake as the love of a plastic woman. I am already this useless, but I am… I am still being targeted. I did expect underhanded means to be used against me, but this is… is too much!"

Roy was shocked at the ruthlessness of this family. He was in pieces since young, but they continued smashing him.

He had heard about the Blood Worm. It was a poisonous insect cultivated by the Achlys. It was a family far greater than the Baldwin's. The Baldwins had one famous Count, but they had many powerful Mages. Not to mention, it had existed for several hundred years.

It was a legacy family. It had many branch families. Because it planted Blood Worms on the Magic Gate of the talented youths of the Branch Family, eternally enslaving them, its position has never been shaken. The blood worm would be put to sleep using a special drug. Only the Main Family knew how to create it. They would distribute it to the branch families. If the drug weren't taken within 24 hours, the blood worm would awaken, making it impossible for the mage to use magic. If magic were used, the blood worm would react violently. Instead of magic, blood would shoot out the mouth.

Basically, Blood Worm was a vicious poison the Achlys used to enslave the branch families.

The protagonist of the novel was also suppressed by them!

Only when the War began did he manage to run away from his cruel fate.

Even then, he wasn't able to utilize Magic and was forced on the path of a Weapon Master!

And this vicious blood worm that had ruined the protagonist's life had been sitting happily on Roy's Magic Gate.

He went through his memory. He saw a cloaked figure forcing it into his mouth and down his throat. Sadly, he didn't get a good look at the person's face. But he saw them walking away. Their body was built slim and petite like a woman.

"Maybe it is one of my stepmothers or their maids…."

It was too soon to make speculations. He worried more about the Mana Fat and the blood worm in his body. The Chrysalis tea was rumored to treat retardation. That was a lie. It soothed the nerves, at most. But that in itself was beneficial. That was why he had been allowed to drink it.

However, there was a blood worm in his body. Chrysalis tea was its favorite food. It was bound to take a dump after eating. Its dump was the Mana Fat that had piled up in his body. How unusual for a worm that hates Mana to discharge a sack with Mana inside. The Mana was trapped in a layer of thick skin. That was why the Blood Worm was so Far.

But that thick skin had weakened over the years. It was like a dam. If one crack weren't mended in time, another would appear. The cracks would increase in number due to the pressure acting on the Dam. It would one day reach a breaking point. The dam would burst, and water would come rushing out. And Roy's Dam was also about to burst. He only had three months left!

Surprisingly, Roy wasn't feeling pessimistic. "Blood Worm… the protagonist had found a way to kill it later on in the novel. I have read it all the way to the end. I know a way to cure it."

There was an elixir that could burn the roots of the Blood Worm and force it out of the body. The protagonist had used it to free the slaves of the Achlys, winning their support. The main family was short-lived. They weren't big in number from the very start. The branch families outnumbered them. They didn't have many loyal to them. After all, they have only ever used Fear and Force to control others.

"Amelia…"

"Yes?"

"A pen and paper, please."

The thing Roy requested was handed over to him. He used all his brain power to recall the recipe of the Parasite Killer. It took him a while, but he did end up jotting down everything about it. Now, he just needed to hand their prescription over to a competent alchemist. And viola... He would be free of his chains.

"But… there is still a problem…"

The Parasite Killer was very violent. A normal human would burst after taking it. Like a balloon. Body tempering beginners wouldn't fare any better. He needed to be at the seventh stage of Body Tempering before taking it.

The amount of EXP he needed to reach that level, however, was 500!!!

…

Someone knocked on the door.

Roy and Amelia looked at each other. Who could it be at this time of the day?

"Like it or not, I'll be barging inside in a second. So if you're doing something messy, now's the time to sort up."

The voice sounded familiar. But what the heck was the person talking about?

Roy didn't say shit.

Yet, the locked door opened up violently, and in came a shiny bald head. Too blinding!

It was Arlo. And he came in expecting something. He didn't get to see the erotic play he was expecting, only a maid serving her master tea.

"You're better than your brothers. One is a ruthless Marauder. The other is a psychopath. I expected you to be a deviant too. But you proved me wrong. Congrats."

The look he was giving them was enough for Roy to understand that he was expecting to catch him taking advantage of his loveable maid. This sick pervert!

"What the heck is wrong with you? Don't you know a noble's privacy shouldn't be invaded?

"What noble? You're my nephew." Arlo said as he walked in, making himself comfortable.

There was an underlying meaning to his words. Roy understood it.

Amelia stood close to him protectively.

Roy took a sip of his tea. It was hot. He brought the cup down and eyed Arlo. "You've neglected me so far. What made you change your mind?"

"… A pawn supposed to sit still and die did the most unexpected. It made one move after enduring for years. It was just one move, but it flipped the board, surpassing nearly everyone's expectations. The Kings and Queens lost to the jester once again."

"This jester you're talking about, is it me or… you?" Roy questioned.

Arlo chuckled. "Pfft! You're just a fledgling. I am the jester. You were born under an auspicious star. But your glorious fate was stolen by the Kings and Queens. I made a bet with a king that you'll make a comeback when everyone thought otherwise. They laughed at me, but I still went on and pawned away my Relics. I was betting on you. Of course, they put a ban on me from helping you since it wouldn't be fair. You changed… you changed for the better without anyone's help. So I won the bet. So here I am… by the way, sauced wings are my second favorite. And piping hot sauced wings are my most favorite. Don't mind me helping myself to them."

Roy's eyes twitched. This guy was a commodity. He lacked a sense of shame. He really did what he said—one by one, the chicken wings he wanted to try vanished. Only one last piece was left. Even that was picked up by Arlo. Maybe Arlo's senseless also affected Roy. He acted like a kid and yanked the chicken wing that was infinitely close to Arlo's mouth.

"You…"

"It's covered in my saliva. You still want it?"

"Damn kid…"

"Ol' fart…" Roy cursed back while munching on it. His expression lit up. Thousands of flavor bursts into his mind. He fucking saw a rainbow.

Looking down at the bones in his hands, he thought, 'This really lived up to its reputation. They know how to keep their wings saucy and hot. Not only was sauce covering it, but it was also injected into the chicken. Eating it was a wonderful experience.'

Amelia wasn't the servant of the family. She was Roy's maid. She didn't help Arlo, only staring at him suspiciously. This man was coveting her master. How shameless. Arlo helped himself to the tea. Roy looked at him and said calmly, "Surely, you haven't come here to steal my chicken wings and drink my tea, right?"

"Haha, of course… not." Roy's grip on the teacup tightened. Arlo understands one thing. If he had no better reason to be here, it would come flying at him. His nephew was a kid but very threatening. So he changed his mind, not teasing him and being direct. "You must be feeling sore after all that training. I got medicinal herbs for that. Soak with them in mild water for 15 minutes. You'll feel rejuvenated. Make sure the water is not too hot or cold for the best effect."

There were many who had seen Roy training recklessly, but only two who had taken time out of their day to take care of him.

"Thank you…"

Roy accepted it. Arlo wasn't too bad a guy, just like he thought. His own father was against him. But this uncle of his had sacrificed too much for him. First off, he saved him when he was a newborn. Roy didn't know from what. But if he hadn't, he would certainly be dead. Secondly, the treasure he mentioned were bound to be extraordinary. Yet, he gave them away for a mere chance. If he hadn't transmigrated over, Arlo would've lost his treasures!

"You are a herbalist?" Roy questioned.

Only a herbalist knows what effects herbs have. Either Arlo went to a herbalist to get them for him, or he was one.

Arlo shook his hand as if in refusal. "Your uncle isn't that great. I am an alchemist."

Cough! Roy choked on the tea.