LBF Chapter 32 Granny Corrosion

"Pantheon city is everything that you can dream of...but that's not all. Its also a place where you could be subjected to your worst nightmares. Even among my siblings, there are some who take part in vile acts. You just have to thank your lucky stars that you didn't fall into their clutches." Nino said.

"If they are that vile, why isn't there someone to stop them?" Damien asked. His voice had gotten colder. What he detested the most were those people capable of acts purely filled with evil.

"Who would dare touch the descendant of a god? Even the other descendants who have clans within the Purple domain wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Its a sort of tacit understanding." Nino explained.

Damien frowned heavily at the implications. He was an advocate of mild rightiousness but even he wasn't dumb enough to offend the gods.

"Does Pantheon city really lack a domain which is free of such malicious atrocities?" He asked with hope.

"The Diamante domain." Nino commented offhandedly, upon which Damien's eyes brightened.

"Those people abhor everything evil. If you are caught, its basically death, even if you are a descendant of a god. The goddess who rules the domain administers the punishments herself. That's why it has been termed as a 'Pure domain' in private."

"Anyway, let's leave such things at that. Here in the Purple domain, try to act very low profile if you want to keep your life." Nino stopped that conversation thread at that.

Days passed in such a manner as the car sped along the road. None inside felt sleepy or even the least bit tired since they had already evolved beyond mere mortals.

"Finally? Next time I should probably take my private jet." Nino stretched when the car slowed down.

Damien could see a building resembling a cottage in the distance. It had no signs of being built with concrete. Everything was build using wood, from the walls which were made up of logs to the roof which was made from a sort of glistening wood.

"This place is a very good spot to relax once in a while." Nino commented upon making his way out of the car.

"How long has it been since you last stepped here?" Damien asked after noticing the nostalgic gaze with which Nino was eyeing the cottage.

"A little bit over a hundred years. This place didn't change even a bit. Its still the same...giving off a homely welcoming feeling." He answered while his legs were taking him to the cottage. Damien took a look around before following. This place was very silent except for the occasional chirping of little critters and birds.

The time was just after noon, and the undergrowth was waving due to the caress of the gentle breeze. Damien took in a very deep breath, feeling the scent of moisture filled soil and fresh grass.

'Grass! I don't see any grass anywhere.' He wondered.

"That was the scent of nascent treasure, the yellow grass." The driver said upon seeing his puzzlement.

Damien nodded in understanding. As they were making their way towards the cottage, the door creaked open, causing Nino to pause in his steps, the other following after his example.

"I thought I heard the voice of a guest. How rare..." A voice came from the person opening the door. Damien could make out that the voice was that of a woman. It appeared old as if the person hadn't spoken for a long time or was simply old.

'The latter must be true.' Damien came to such a conclusion which was proven right when the figure came into everyone's vision.

It was a woman who appeared to have one foot in the grave, his hair very white and sparse in her head. Wrinkles covered almost every inch of her face and her eyes had whitened as if she was blind. Damien was taken aback at her current appearance as it was just too shocking. Under normal circumstances, someone who was as strong as her, judging from the signs, Damien judged her to at least be at the level of a demigod, shouldn't be this...unsightly. Even normal old demigods with just a year left in their lifespans would still keep their body in prime appearance, so what was this old appearance?

"Granny Corrosion, its nice to see you. Its surprising that death hasn't claimed you." Nino's words caused Damien to raise an eyebrow as they had just been too rude.

"So its you cheeky brat Nino. I used to change your diapers, how can you be this rude?" The woman asked without taking offense. Her voice seemed to contain a dose of amusement within.

"Well, what I am saying is the truth." Nino said with a grin before walking towards the woman and hugging her, which she reciprocated.

"I guess they are close." Damien mumbled under his breath.

"I see you didn't come alone this time. The Butler I know, but who is this red haired vigorous young man?" The old woman asked.

"I am Damien Okoye, temporarily his servant." Damien introduced himself calmly. There was no need to grovel as they were at the same level. Her talking to him as if he was younger than her was also normal, since he had the intuition that she was older than him.

"Damien, what a good name. Seeing that you still have spunk, it seems that this brat Nino laid the poison trap on you." The woman said causing the expression of Damien to change. Only Nino and the Butler didn't change their expressions as they knew her personality.

"Don't worry though. If he says that he will release you, then he will do it. If I am not mistaken, you must be here for the yellow grass, right?" After reassuring Damien, he directed the inquiry towards Nino.

"You must have been notified of it, right?" Nino asked while they headed inside the cottage.

The interior causes Damien to feel a very warm feeling. It was crude and attuned to nature in such a way that he couldn't see any technological devices. The room they had entered into was large, with a fireplace built into be of the walls. Currently it wasn't lit since the temperature wasn't cold. The fire place was facing a wooded table constructed out of brown wood. The table wasn't exquisite, instead seeming as if the log had been felled and turned into a table without any prior processing. There were also some skin paintings on the other three walls of the cottage. The skins appeared to have come from demigod level lifeforms, giving off a faint pressure of the elements. The paintings were composed of landscapes. They were very realistic to the point that if you stared at them for too long, your mind would be sucked inside. Damien stared at one which was composed of a mountain with a bunch of exotic colored flowers only for his mind to be sucked inside. He could have resisted, but since he hadn't felt a threat to his life, he hadn't resisted. Inside, the painting felt even more realistic as he felt a breeze caressing his spiritual manifestation, causing the flowers to sway. The entire mountain was covered in flowers, obscuring the ground.

"A painting gifted to me by the Painting Demigod, Kifananyi, a very talented and celebrated painter. His nascent divinity is related to painting." A voice entered Damien's ears causing his consciousness to return to his body.

At some point while he wasn't paying attention, the old woman had moved to stand by his side.

"You know, I also participated in that large scale war..." The old woman started causing the butler and Nino to grimace. Damien knew right away that the old woman was probably someone who liked to brag about her past glories.

"The lord of our Butwa clan even praised me for my achievements. Those were some good times." The old woman's gaze became distant as if she had just started to relive the memories.

"Granny corrosion, we have heard that story, like a million times!" Nino complained. He and the Butler were seated in the leathery sofas which were facing the fire place.

"You dug the pit for yourself by bringing along a new addition." The old woman chuckled playfully. He voice caused Damien to grimace. It was very unpleasant.

"We are here for the yellow grass. I am not interested in past glories." Damien said bluntly, cutting off any attempt the old woman could try. He even moved away to join Nino on the sofa. She was just a demigod...even though she deserved respect for her age, he wasn't that familiar with her to care. Not to mention, he had no intention of getting to know the old woman.

"Boy, it seems like you want to have a very Very short life!" As that sinister voice rang out, the atmosphere within the room shifted, becoming sinister and chill bringing.

Damien, who had just sat down next to Nino felt a chill down his spine!

'Poison!' He exclaimed within his mind and instantly unfurled his aura which resembled blood red waves of blood to content with the sinister aura. As they say, once bitten twice shy. Since he had been poisoned by Nino once, he had decided to become cautious of the entire Butwa clan.

As the two auras collided, the room took on two color hues which separated the room into two different territories, one red like blood, while the other dark like the night.

"Old woman, since I don't sense any killing intent, it is better that you stop here. My battles are always ones fought to the death...not useless aura flarings like this." Damien's voice had lowered in tone. Even though the two domains were in contention, his back was to the woman and he was still nonchalantly seated on the sofa.

"Hahahahaha...I was just joking." The old woman withdrew her nascent divinity aura as if everything before had been a joke, a prank. Damien was so shocked that he even failed to control his aura, almost enveloping the entire room with it.

"I take it that you are someone who comes from outside this dimension?" She asked.

"...yes." Damien answered after getting his bearings, his eyes now looking at the old woman, trying to gauge what was up with her flippant attitude.

"People from the galaxy outside are the only ones who still carry the vicious air blatantly. Here in Pantheon city, such an air is always hidden behind the mask of hypocrisy." She said.

"Oh, do you prefer this city or the galaxy outside?" Damien asked in curiosity.

"Of course I prefer the straightforward galaxy outside." Granny corrosion answered without even skipping a beat.

"Aren't you hypocritical too? You are still in this city after all these years." Damien scoffed at her answer.

"I am old...not young and full of energy. Of course I would prefer here. Though, I don't really interact with people most of the time. As you can see, I live in a cottage in the middle of nowhere." She chuckled after answering.

"Anyway, it has been such a long time since these old eyes gazed at someone outside of this dimension." She continued.

"Granny corrosion, it will be better if we complete the task at hand first." Nino finally found a chance to interrupt.

"Yeah...you are absolutely right. I have lost a lot of drive. If I was still somewhat young, I would probably have also participated in the vying of those two fruits. Right now all I want is to enjoy the last of my years in peace." Granny corrosion sighed as she led the way further into the cottage. Seeing Nino and the butler at her heels, Damien also decided to follow after them.

They had entered a corridor which was somewhat dark, only the light from the windows in the previous room managing to brighten the first few meters before it weakened, causing the rest of the journey to be in partial darkness.