Book 5: Chapter 58

Book 5: Chapter 58

Excuse me, Guild Master?

Alice raised her head. There were dark circles around her eyes, and her skin was unusually pale. What is it?

The messenger cleared his throat. The skeleton leader was concerned about how much time you were spending inside this dungeon, so he sent someone here to solve your problem. The messenger stepped to the side, revealing a dwarfs figure. The dwarf waved his hand at Alice and grunted.

Solve my problem? Alice asked. She glanced to her side, where the researchers cell was located. The bald man was doodling on the walls with his food. There were too many numbers and symbols that Alice couldnt make any sense of what he was doing, but she didnt stop him because it was better than letting him pester her while she was working.

Thats right, the dwarf said and butted the messenger out of the way. I heard you had a prisoner you wanted to keep locked up. Luckily for you, we recently developed something that you might find useful. The dwarf bent down and pulled on a rope, dragging a box into the room. It wasnt that big, only reaching up to the dwarfs hips. He opened the box and pulled out a white garment.

Pajamas? Alice asked, her expression darkening. Is Nate telling me to get some sleep?

No, no, youre not the one whos going to wear it, the dwarf said and raised his hands, lifting the garment up. Despite his best efforts, the lower half of the garment remained on the ground. This is a containment jacket. We developed it for the ongoing berserker issue.

Alice raised an eyebrow. How does it work?

The dwarf glanced at the prisoner. You stuff him inside this jacket, insert some of your mana into it, and thats it. He wont be able to move, and the only person that can free him is you.

What about food? Alice asked. Or what if he needs to use the bathroom? From what she could tell by looking at the jacket, only the prisoners head would be exposed. Whats to stop someone from taking him away?

Wait, Leila said, raising a paw. Sealed evils cant be killed? She glanced at Grimmy. What happened to the ones we ate? Im pretty sure they were dead.

Oh, theyre dead but not really dead, Grimmy said and licked his lips. I sealed their souls. If theyre unsealed, their physical forms will manifest again in a few hundred years.

All sealed evils are immortal? Tafel asked.

Not all of them, Gren said. For example, this clam isnt immortal; in fact, its already dead. It was sealed in the first place because it emits an extremely toxic poison. Nothing will happen immediately if you touch the clam, but after several years pass, your body will inexplicably fall apart. Your skin will fall off your flesh; your flesh will fall off your bones; and your bones will dissolve into a puddle of goop.

Ramon gulped and took his paw off the translucent crystal. But its dead now, so its not poisonous anymore, right?

Were not sure, Gren said and shrugged. Its safer to keep it locked up and away from civilization. The poison it emitted filled the air, and even the plants that didnt directly touch the clam had melted too. Grens expression dimmed. In fact, the clam was already dead by the time it was sealed, but the curse dragon that had sealed it also died in the same gruesome manner as all the other creatures several years later.

Grimmy glanced at Vur before raising an eyebrow at Leila. Do you think Vur could learn how to use that poison if we tossed him inside?

Leila smacked Grimmys snout in response. Sera will murder you.

Grimmy, if you another bad idea comes out of your mouth, Im going to send you back to your room, Gren said and narrowed her eyes at her son. This is the evil-sealing tower. Save your shenanigans for somewhere else.

Grimmy raised his front paws off the ground and put them in front of himself to show he meant no harm. Fine, fine, he said and rolled his eyes. It was just a joke. Sheesh.