"Fuck, each one was crazier than the last..."
In the cramped cabin, Lorne jolted awake from his sleep. He sat up, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"So I was affected after all..." Lorne took several deep breaths, trying to calm his pounding heart, but the strange agitation deep inside his body refused to subside.
Sure enough, after being corrupted by that mutated Trojan Horse of Destiny characteristic, there was no way he could have escaped completely unscathed.
Several Worms of Time had indeed burrowed into his body back then. Although he was certain those things were dead, the effects of that high-sequence corruption on his mind and spirit body were unavoidable.
The residual spirituality of the Trojan Horse of Destiny had forcibly invaded his consciousness... To some extent, this had made Lorne briefly experience what the characteristic's original owner had felt.
"Urgh-" Lorne suddenly turned pale. He clamped a hand against his throat and leaned over the edge of the bed, dry-heaving violently.
A moment later, he weakly wiped the corner of his mouth, then slumped back onto his pillow, utterly drained.
"Swallowing characteristics from different pathways indiscriminately is definitely asking for trouble..."
"But... I remember that feeling not being nearly this nauseating..." Lorne frowned slightly, recalling the chaotic fragments of his dream.
The original owner of that Trojan Horse of Destiny characteristic was most likely Mr. Ace, who had founded the Society. In his dream, Lorne had experienced scattered fragments of Jowes's past-or, rather, his impressions of it.
At least judging by what he had felt, Jowes had not suffered as much as expected after swallowing the Trojan Horse of Destiny back then. In fact... on the brink of madness, there had even been a trace of indescribable pleasure and satisfaction.
Was this the deceptive power of a Swindler...?
*Could