Dancing rays of light dapple the ground in an ever-shifting pattern. The leaves above stained the sunlight green, and everything around me took on an emerald hue.
I heard the buzz of lady insects from the nearby bush. The birds call, and lazy leaves float down from the rich canopy above.
The bump of the wagon against the rocks and the horses' hooves against the mud echoed through the forest.
With my [Evil Eyes], I saw no one traveling in the Shadow Forest like always. No one would think of traversing this shortcut for fear of the Old Hag.
But not me. It's high time to visit Dementia and look at her brews for today. I have payments now. A total of twenty noobs. Dementia would be please.
From them, I acquired ten B-grade Tokens and a couple of C-grade. Nothing noteworthy, but it was enough to finish that dam.
During this trip, I also acquired an A-grade token so another builder would make Daedalus happy.
Muffled cries stole my attention back to the wagon. Sitting on its wooden floor were twenty people, gagged and shackled and crying their hearts out while Florin was tickling them with whatever her hands found. Twigs, stones, leaves, and something that I didn't want to find out.
"Be easy on them. I want them alive," I said before I placed my eyes on the road again. Being a coachman was no easy task. Especially when traveling with this big of a crew.
Good thing that I have that [Acid of Despair]. Just one drop from that potion and a big chunk of the wall melted for me to take out this many players without a problem.
I wonder if they already noticed that hole in their thick white wall? I thought to myself and laughed.
I wanted to bring a lot of players with me, but I was afraid that the wagon couldn't fit their numbers. Twenty players and the wagon I stole was already giving in. And that [Evil Pocket Dimension] in the System Shop was too expensive for my taste.
I closed my eyes shut. I will not pay five hundred Evil Points for it.
I'm not vain like my other self . . . but maybe if I'll need it in the future . . .
Like if I need to manipulate someone.
"My Lord," called Florin, face, and voice bored. "What are we doing in this forest anyway? And why do we need to bring this many players with us?"
"I thought I told you already? We're going to visit another minion of mine. These players are my gifts."
"Oh . . ."
Even if my back stared directly at her face, I felt Florin's fever stares.
"Is that minion a girl?"
"A woman," I corrected.
". . . Is that so . . .?"
Why was her voice sounded threatening all of a sudden? I had shivers all over.
Then I felt her arms hugging my neck from behind while her face crept to the side of my cheek.
"My Lord . . . which of us do you like best?" she said, arms tightening around my neck.
Are you questioning me or threatening me? "I like whoever is useful to me."
". . ." A good ten seconds that Florin was quiet before I felt her hands loosening around my neck.
"Is that so?" she said, tone laced with irritation before I heard a sound like someone forcefully sat on the wood.
"Then I'll make sure that I'm the most useful from all your minions.
"I'm counting on you then."
I was not worried about Florin since [Evil Accessory of Doom] was already on her head. However, I found her needy and constant affirmation of affection troublesome.
< She's starved of it when she's a little girl. So she's demanding it now. Though I like her forceful ways of getting what she wanted~>
She'd be a good farmer. I heard plants reciprocate the love you gave them a hundred times over.
I was going to tell the System my reply when I saw Dementia's House just ahead. And the woman was already at the door, expecting me with a seductive smile on her face.