Green dragged his eyes away from the liquid in the bottle. The undulating black held a strange fascination for the eye, as if anyone could use it to glimpse some irresistible, hidden secret.
"Truly a terrifying thing."
"Indeed." Kraft agreed. There were hardly any things more dangerous. This less-than-five-milliliter sample of Black Fluid could be diluted to perform nearly a thousand general anesthetics—or, without anyone knowing, gradually send the residents around a water source into the Deep Layer.
Now it had seeped out of a soulless corpse, seemingly proving the theory that "Black Fluid represents stillness and an end."
"I have an idea about what caused it to liquefy completely, but I can't think of how to test it just yet."
"Then don't test it. I don't want to know." The Priest reached for the bottle. By rights, such a dangerous substance shouldn't be left lying around unless absolutely necessary. The best place for it would be in a box known only to a select few.
The fingers clasped around the bottle didn't budge. "Really? Usually, knowing the principle makes it easier to prevent."
A rare look of self-doubt shone from Green's narrowed eyes as he examined his reflection, stretched into a thin line across the round glass. Damp, cold air slipped into his collar, chilling his back. Sweat beaded at his temple.
"Truly terrifying." He repeated himself, took one last look at the black liquid, and withdrew his hand.
"I'm glad you trust me so much. I promise you'll see it again." Kraft nodded, wrapped the bottle in cloth, and put it away in his pack right in front of him, beside the Snail. "Now, let's see what else we can find among the scraps."
The table that hadn't been damaged still held a selection of equipment. Kraft found