A night of unimaginable terror took place for a certain man. The details were something Zane didn't want to see for himself nor remember. Despite this traumatic experience, he did learn something and it was the limit to the human body.
Though it was as traumatic as this, Zane still stood by his words and stood beside Eve as she continued on. Regardless, he did learn more about Eve than before. Despite Eve was taking it out on that certain man, Eve's lips loosened and she divulged more information that was even more disturbing than what she told Zane earlier.
As the rising sun started to illuminate what was left of that certain man, it could be said that it was something the light of day should have never touched. His skin turned into wings, his organs misplaced, his heart barely beating but the one thing that Zane couldn't stop thinking about was his eyes that kept looking at him.
Zane left right after Eve finished what she wanted to do. Eve soon followed right after she took out a certain fruit from a nearby tree and squished it within her hands. She then splattered the fruit juice all over the man and immediately left. A being similar to ants came out from the ground.
Zane was sitting down on a faraway log when Eve came up from behind him.
"Just think of it as your second lesson from me. Adam told you to be ruthless and you did become that after that pseudo-kingdom in Bran but you only became like that after you lost people who were important to you."
"I'll have to give you a star though, you didn't throw up this time."
Zane deeply sighed and tried to shift the conversation, "Where do you think Abel and Gabe went? Are they having fun?"
Eve then sat beside Zane and said, "At least Gabe should be. Why don't we go have fun for ourselves later?"
Zane looked at Eve and saw her brightly smiling but from his perspective, it was simply a mask she was using to hide her own self, just a-
Eve's suddenly tugged him up and cheerfully went back to the Kingdom of Luxury. Just like the day before, the stalls were just as cheerful and bustling. People were constantly on the move seeing everything they could buy and acquire.
Just before they managed to get there Zane stopped Eve by grabbing her back.
"Eve, aren't you forgetting about something?"
Eve innocently said, "No? I don't think so?"
"Don't you smell that at all?"
"Nothing smells off."
Zane just looked at her hands which led Eve to look down at where Zane was looking at. She then put her hands behind her back and slightly fidgeted.
"Let's go to a bathhouse. That seems like a place that'll be fun."
Zane didn't say anything and just went along with it. Smelling like blood is something one wouldn't be able to notice in that place.
They went to the nearest one but each went to the private ones, going to a public one was too incriminating and was something they couldn't risk at. Right after that, they continued exploring where they left off yesterday.
Just like before they went on going from stall to stall buying what they wanted, even Eve. She was starting to buy products not just because it furthered her own goal but instead to ease up from her usual self.
When it reached noon, Eve felt a little stifled so she decided to drag Zane to a nearby clothing store to buy something for themselves. As Zane and Eve entered the store, the store clerk welcomed them and introduced them to a few prized items.
Eve's eyes slightly glimmered and enthusiastically bought it, she immediately changed to it and showed herself off in front of Zane. From everyone else's perspective, she was the epitome of innocence and sweetness. From the frills to the gown, even to how the white gloves hid her little hands, it looked like a weak girl.
The store clerk nudged Zane and said, "You got yourself quite the girl. Don't let her go to anyone else's hand now, you hear?"
"I won't. There's no one else who could handle her."
"Hahaha! That's the spirit, boy!"
Eve tugged Zane's clothes and said, "Sir, his clothes are pretty worn out! Is there anything fitting a man like him?"
The clerk huffed and puffed out his chest, "And I thought you'd never ask! Come here, boy! I just got the thing for ya!"
After changing out his ragged clothes to a much more refined one, the entire atmosphere around him turned from a deviant to a man of status. His clothes really made the people inside the store that they were looking at someone entirely different.
They paid for their clothes and immediately left to go to other places. They continued on with their day just completely relaxing. Eve got even closer to Zane and eventually, rumors started that two children who had near-infinite wealth were browsing through the streets.
Night eventually arrived but this time, Zane and Eve didn't discreetly go out of the kingdom since there were too many eyes on them right now. Instead, they went to one of the more well-renowned inns and stayed there.
Living up to their name they rented out one of the most expensive rooms that they could offer for 1000 gold coins a night, this just gave Zane and Eve a perspective on how much Adam gave them.
Sitting back atop the inn and looking over the Kingdom of Luxury, they could say this was one of the most relaxing and stress-free days they ever had since the beginning. From the calming drinks on their sides and the live performance right beside them setting the mood, they could tell that this kingdom really did have the qualifications to have this title.
Zane decided it was time and sent the live performers outside the room to leave them both. After being ordered so, they left without any hesitation only leaving behind a complimentary bell to call them whenever they wish.
Under the invasive silence of the night, Zane decided to start a conversation with Eve.
"Is this really how luxurious this place is? Compared to what you said last night this is nothing."
Eve relaxed and stretched out her limbs while reaching out to the snacks right beside her, "Of course this is only for the commoners who have no real power but have money. If we want to get into the real Kingdom of Luxury then we need to-"
"It's not yet time, is it? We can take our time for the time being. I think I just heard that the next one is in a few more days."
Zane then looked at one of the few establishments that are still open. A few muscular, warrior borne and, scarred men walk into it yet a place where beautiful ladies, young maidens and, mature and well-developed women entered another establishment.
Zane genuinely asked, "Where do you want to go? There are so many specialties that you qualify for that I doubt that you'll have any trouble entering."
Eve casually replied while biting down on the biscuit, "I'll go to where ever you wish. I won't have any trouble in entering in any way."
Zane then looked at another spot where a few caravans are entering and leaving constantly, with his enhanced senses, he could barely smell blood. If he could smell it all the way over here then what about the people closer there?
"It's as if you guys don't even mind the smell of blood anymore. I wonder how used you have to be to do that."
Eve then stopped for a moment then continued eating, "Quite observant, you're learning more and more. Eventually, you'll see your own path. I just don't know how long it'll take you."
Not knowing what Eve's ominous words meant, he continued on taking a break from making a move. Now that Zane felt the atmosphere ease down a bit more, he started asking a few more questions.
"Since you're pretty well versed on how expensive things are, how long will this 100,000 gold coins take me?"
"Roughly a few hours if you're going to be spending as much as we are right now."
"That expensive, huh? I barely made a dent here."
"Of course it is, you get what you pay for, there's nothing money can't buy, apparently."
Eve seemed to reminisce about something at the end of her sentence.
"Then how much was-"
Zane stopped as soon as he felt a piercing gaze directed at him from his side. Eve was looking at Zane menacingly with a look that said to stop this question right now.
Eve then changed, or one could say reverted, to a more dangerous personality, her warm tone made Zane uncomfortable, "It's good to ask but learn when to stop. Sometimes you don't want to know the answer."
The previous Zane would've backed off but now he had gained confidence in himself with how last month had turned out. His personality changed too fast in such a short amount of time, rendering him lean in this new ideology.
"I was just asking, if that hurt you then I apologize. I thought someone as ruthless as you could handle it."
Eve scoffed but ignored Zane's tone, a strain started to appear within their relationship.
Eve just retorted with a few words, "Believe it or not, I wasn't this way at all, this kingdom was the thing that changed me."
"No, I believe that you're not as ruthless as you seem to be. I still remember the first time we met, how much fun you had in making that teacher suffer."
Zane laid his arms behind his back and looked at Eve. He was trying to do something that might help or might not Eve deal with what was about to happen.
"You had the same expression when you were making that guy's life hell last night. Despite all this, you didn't strike back at your bullies at school and you only took action in that village when you saw the children suffering."
Eve looked back at Zane and fiercely threw the biscuit she was biting towards him, aiming for his neck.
Zane didn't move an inch and just let that reach him, getting deflected from his body once it reached the mana covering him.
"Then again, I'll still keep my word, Elizabeth. I can tell you're traumatized by what happened here but you're gonna have to face it eventually. You still haven't told me the whole story but eventually, you will."
Eve's expression then turned sour, "Don't call me Elizabeth."
"Why, Elizabeth?"
Eve stood up from her seat and clenched her fists, "I said don't call me that! Adam calls me Eve for a reason, you better stop now if you don't wanna know why."
Zane also stood up, becoming unexpectedly arrogant, "But I do want to know why. Guessing from your reaction, this must mean it's tied to this kingdom, right Elizabeth?"
Eve suddenly went berserk, she brought out her real daggers, the ones that Adam gave her to kill. She imbued her mana inside and dashed forward against Zane aiming at his vitals. Zane also started to gather mana from his surroundings to reinforce his body, creating a small barrier just a bit away from his skin.
As soon as Eve's dagger met Zane's body, she couldn't pierce through at all, the difference between them was an extremely scary 20%. Eve was stuck at 30% completion but Zane just passed through 50% and reached 51%.
Eve then gritted her teeth and used her inclination to disappear and Zane finally managed to see Eve's potential as an assassin. Disappearing right in front of her eyes and not even being to sense her existence with his mana sense, this was someone he was glad was on his side.
From time to time, Eve appeared like a ghost and struck Zane's vitals but she couldn't pierce through at all. Zane just stood there finding an opportune time to do something.
Eve's disappearance did give Zane a bit of trouble but it wasn't enough to turn the tides to her side. Zane used something he had learned from fighting Garan, it was Exhaustion. He used this technique to prevent Eve from hiding behind a veil of mana.
As soon as Eve appeared, Zane wasted no time and immediately grabbed her by the throat and slammed her to the ground.
"Calm down, Elizabeth. You're going to going to have to face this eventually. Now, tell me."
On the ground, Eve still had her fierce gaze directed at Zane but a tear started to flow down from her eye.