Berserk

The first problem arose when the goddess updated her status. She had felt a little feverish from the start, but she hadn't realized it would get this bad.

"Oh, Ruofeng's Endurance went up a lot today. It's already at H199, and your other abilities have all reached H, too. Your progress is unbelievably fast." As the goddess happily stroked Zhang Ruofeng's back, he suddenly felt a rush of heat surge up from his abdomen.

"Mm..." Zhang Ruofeng hurriedly got up and put on his clothes. His body was already heating up, and he figured his face must be turning red, too. This was the most awkward part. He'd been warning himself the whole time that this absolutely couldn't happen, but the raging fire in his abdomen kept roiling. He just wanted to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

"Hmm?" Xin Mu could tell that Zhang Ruofeng was acting very strangely. He seemed to have lost all his usual composure and grown restless. Even Xin Mu, who knew him well, couldn't understand what was going on.

"Do you have a fever, Ruofeng?" the goddess asked, looking at his flushed face.

"N-no." Zhang Ruofeng backed away step by step. "I just feel a little hot and stuffy. I'm going out for a walk." But just as he tried to bolt through the door, Xin Mu was already blocking his way.

"If you have a cold, you should come out..." Xin Mu reached out to touch his forehead. How could Zhang Ruofeng let her touch him now? If she did, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to suppress the burning inside him.

"I'm fine, really." Zhang Ruofeng could only hunch over a little. If they noticed, the two women might laugh at him. Even if neither of them did, he'd never live it down.

"Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" the goddess asked in surprise, watching Zhang Ruofeng try to hide himself as he attempted to escape. From her observations over the past few days, he was usually a calm person who handled most things in the most rational way.

"Huh?" At her words, Zhang Ruofeng immediately understood what had caused his awful state. It had to be the two bottles of high-grade potion from the captain of the Evan Familia. If he and Xin Mu had eaten or drunk anything different today, it was the one-third of a potion he'd consumed that she hadn't.

"Mm, I know what's wrong with me. Just let me out first..." Before Zhang Ruofeng could finish, the goddess Fura grabbed his shoulder from behind. He shook her hand off in an instant, and the potion bottle he'd kept in his pants pocket rolled out.

"This color and shape..." Fura stared at the bottle on the floor, feeling as if she'd seen it somewhere before. "I remember now! Isn't this the best work of that Potion Master in the Evan Familia—the high-grade healing potion called Dragon Blood?" The goddess picked up the bottle and set it on the table.

"Bright red, thick, and potent. It's usually applied to wounds by high-level adventurers to treat serious injuries. It's excellent at stopping bleeding and regenerating tissue." The goddess explained. After all, she knew Evan well, and Perman had been in the Evan Familia for over ten years, so she knew Perman well, too. Thinking of Perman and then looking at Zhang Ruofeng, she started to feel a headache coming on.

"I didn't expect you to get one of her finest creations so soon. But Ruofeng, do you know this adventurer, Perman Aisilusi?" the goddess asked, lost in memory. When Zhang Ruofeng shook his head, Fura smiled wryly. "This female Familia head, who seems so calm and composed now, used to be called 'the coveted Witch.' She was an utterly shameless troublemaker. She was sweet-looking, could make potions, and had learned healing magic. Back when the Evan Familia was just starting out and she was its only member, almost every low-level adventuring party competed to invite her along. People would even switch Familias or openly duel over her because of her antics. She was so shameless that even high-level adventurers were taken aback."

"..." Zhang Ruofeng and Xin Mu didn't know how to react to such an impressive history. The person they knew was a playful but kind captain who treated newcomers well and took her responsibilities to her Familia seriously.

"Things kept escalating until two Familias that had never gotten along finally began a divine game that would end only when one side was utterly defeated. Perman was at the center of it all, and she had to leave Orario for several years before things finally died down. After she returned, Perman had become much more mature and composed, almost like a different person. But her strange personality hadn't changed. She soon rose to Lv. 5, learned to make Dragon Blood and Rage Potions, and became famous among adventurers again. This time, though, she started going after women. Many adventurers ended up having to indulge her antics because they'd received her Falna. I can't believe you came into contact with Perman without taking any precautions, and she even gave you Dragon Blood, which is produced in extremely limited quantities." The goddess ran a finger around the bottle's mouth. As she looked at Zhang Ruofeng's flushed face, she suddenly giggled, then smiled slyly, though a little bashfully. "There's a reason Perman earned the title of Witch. Her potions have always been incredibly effective, ever since she first started making them, but most come with side effects. They're fine if you use the right amount in the right way. Her Dragon Blood and Rage Potions are also coveted by nobles. Most nobles are Lv. 1 or aren't adventurers at all. They buy Perman's finest potions because they have an aphrodisiac effect on men."

"Damn!" Zhang Ruofeng had already guessed, but hearing his goddess spell it out made him mortified. He felt even hotter, and steam seemed to be rising from his back. Xin Mu could clearly see sweat pouring off him, and wisps of white steam slowly rose from his back. Even high-level adventurers used this potion externally, but Zhang Ruofeng had swallowed a big gulp right in front of her. From his reaction, it seemed that even after healing all his wounds, the potion's effects were still coursing through him. Being in the same room as her and Fura made his body's reaction even more obvious.

"Ahh..." Zhang Ruofeng felt his body slipping completely out of his control. Blood seeped from his palm, and he'd already bitten through the tip of his tongue, but the wound healed in just a few seconds. The potion was coursing through his body without restraint, and its intense side effects were pushing him to the brink. He could smell the faint fragrance of the goddess and Xin Mu even without getting close to them. He couldn't even tell whether the scent was real or just a strange hallucination brought on by his mind.

The goddess Fura and Xin Mu stood awkwardly in place, unsure what to say. They both knew what kind of person Zhang Ruofeng was. Although he shared a roof with two women, he was very careful around them. Once night fell, he would silently curl up in bed without making a sound and never open his eyes, doing his best not to see or hear anything. His behavior could even seem a little warped. But Fura knew that the deep wound in Zhang Ruofeng's heart kept him from developing feelings for any woman. Judging by his expression now, he was in terrible pain, and the slightest misstep might deepen that wound all over again.

"Ruofeng..." Xin Mu wanted to go to him, but the goddess caught her by the arm. The goddess knew Xin Mu liked Zhang Ruofeng, but even if Xin Mu was willing, the two of them absolutely couldn't just give in to their desires now. Their relationship might deteriorate beyond repair.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!!" Heat poured off Zhang Ruofeng's entire body. He dropped to his knees, and because his blood was racing so fast, fine threads of blood began to appear all over his skin. He was beset by vivid, sensual illusions, erotic fantasies, the ache in his heart, and the burning sensation scorching his body—all at once. It felt as if ten thousand ants were crawling over him and biting into his blood vessels, while his mind was consumed by desire and an endless, tearing heartache. In his delirium, Zhang Ruofeng had even begun to think about killing himself. The pain was driving him close to madness.

"Bang!" Zhang Ruofeng had just started to stagger to his feet when he felt someone rush up behind him. He turned around, and through his bloodshot eyes saw Xin Mu charging toward him. With her so close, his desire and heartache both intensified again, and black spots began to appear in his vision.

Then he saw Xin Mu raise her right hand. Before Zhang Ruofeng could react, a sharp smack rang in his ears, and he blacked out.