Venomshade.
The moment those two words were spoken, everyone froze in shock.
Venomshade-something that often appeared in zombie movies. When someone was bitten by a zombie, they’d contract Venomshade. The same trope appeared in apocalyptic films-once a person was bitten, they’d turn into a zombie.
It was clear that the girl in front of them exhibited all the symptoms of turning into a zombie. She had lost all rationality and attacked anyone she saw, trying to bite them.
“Ah!” The crowd cried out in panic.
“Venomshade? What’s going on? Is she a zombie? She just bit Julie. Does that mean Julie will turn into a zombie too?”
“If she’s a zombie, does that mean there are more of them? Could the city already be overrun with zombies?”
“It must be! The city must be crawling with zombies, and soon we’ll be surrounded! The apocalypse is here!”
“…!”
The group’s imagination quickly spiraled out of control, leaping to dramatic conclusions about a zombie apocalypse. Their anxious chatter left Kayden feeling speechless.
Mrs. Rocco frowned and asked uneasily, “Mr. Scott, are you sure this is Venomshade?”
Kayden shook his head. “It’s not what you’re thinking. Don’t panic before anything has even happened. This is a different kind of Venomshade, a standard one used by Cedar Ridge sect. It’s not caused by a zombie bite, nor is it contagious. It’s a toxin that muddles the mind, and it’s administered through an injection, not a bite.”
Relieved by his explanation, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
Kayden took a red-hot knife and carefully slashed the girl’s wrist. Black, tar-like blood began oozing from the wound instead of the usual bright red.
“Are you detoxifying her?” Mrs. Rocco asked, her lack of understanding evident.
Kayden nodded, then grabbed the girl’s wrist firmly. Using his internal energy, he began extracting the poison from her body.
After about three minutes, a pool of blackened blood had formed on the ground. Only when the blood flowing from her wrist turned back to a normal color did Kayden release her hand and bandage the wound.
When he finished, he exhaled and said, “It’s done. She’ll wake up in half an hour.”
“Mr. Scott, what’s this all about? How does Venomshade even exist? Is it real?” Mrs. Rocco’s confusion deepened.
Kayden nodded slightly. “Yes, Venomshade is real. It’s not too different from how it’s portrayed in movies. Those affected often experience strange symptoms-losing consciousness, wanting to bite anything they see. It’s the result of a dark art, and she’s likely a victim. When she wakes up, we’ll ask her more about what happened. This situation is suspicious, and it might help us uncover who’s been targeting your family.”
Mrs. Rocco nodded thoughtfully. The two of them stayed nearby, waiting.
—
Half an hour later, the girl stirred. Her name was Clara, the same Clara who had come here with Tony Scott.
When Clara opened her eyes, her vision was blurry. She saw a shadowy figure in front of her and thought she was hallucinating. After blinking a few times, she realized it was real-it was Kayden.
Finally regaining her senses, she stared at him in disbelief. “Why are you here?”
The shock in her voice revealed her confusion. Why was Kayden here?
Had she died?
The thought startled her, and she asked hesitantly, “Am I dead?”
Kayden looked into her eyes, shaking his head. “No.”
“I’m not dead?” Clara sat up, still puzzled. “But… you’re supposed to be dead.”
In her mind, Kayden had been surrounded by so many people that his survival seemed impossible.
This idea had been planted by Tony Scott, and although Clara had felt sorry for Kayden, they were nothing more than passing acquaintances. Her sympathy for him hadn’t gone beyond that.
“You know me?” Kayden asked, surprised. He didn’t recognize this girl at all.
Clara nodded. “Yes, I’ve seen you on television. I’ve even heard you lecture.”
Clara introduced herself, and Kayden finally understood what had happened. Professor Flores had once invited him to give a lecture, which had been recorded and later shown in university classrooms as an example of an ideal teaching method.
At the time, Kayden hadn’t taken it seriously, but it seemed Professor Flores had put that footage to good use.
Not that it mattered to him. Kayden didn’t care about fame or reputation.
Clara suddenly winced, noticing the pain in her body. She looked down at her hands, shocked to see the injuries. “What… what happened to me? Why am I covered in cuts? And… why is there so much blood?”
Clearly, she had been unaware of what had transpired while she was under the toxin’s influence.
Kayden explained everything that had happened, from the previous night to the moment she woke up.
As Clara listened, her memories started to return.
The previous night, Clara had gone to a hotel with Tony Scott. She had known what Tony wanted from her, and while she was resistant, she couldn’t figure out how to refuse him.
After all, Tony had traveled a long way with her from Zlando to the Western Frontier. To reject him outright felt wrong.
While she was wrestling with her thoughts, a middle-aged man had suddenly entered the room.
The man had first asked if they were interested in buying some kind of aphrodisiac, but Tony had angrily cursed at him. In response, the man had slapped Tony hard across the face, knocking him to the ground.
After beating Tony senseless, the man had thrown him out of the room and turned his attention to Clara.
He had stared at her for a moment before grinning and saying, “Still a virgin, huh?” Then he knocked her unconscious.
That was the last thing Clara remembered before waking up here.
When she finished recounting her story, Kayden frowned. “A middle-aged man? What did he look like?”
Tony Scott’s actions didn’t interest Kayden. To him, Tony was trash who deserved to die. The moment Tony had drugged Georgia, he had forfeited his right to live. If Kayden hadn’t been preoccupied, he would have dealt with Tony long ago.
Clara thought for a moment. “He was well-dressed, looked sharp, had dark skin… like a successful businessman.”
After a brief pause, she added hesitantly, “Oh, right. I think he said something about being from the Venom Sect.”