Being guided by Jacob felt to Alex like soaking in a hot spring—warm, comfortable, and oddly refreshing.
About half an incense stick of time later, Jacob finally withdrew his palms.
A thin trickle of blood slid down from the side of the mouth.
His breath came in heavy gasps, his face pale and his body weak with exhaustion.
The boss's foundation is a bit hollow, Jacob muttered inwardly.
Alex, who had been tense all this time, suddenly felt a surge of ease spreading across his body.
His sore waist was no longer aching, his stiff neck loosened, and warmth flowed steadily through his limbs, filling him with unexpected new found strength.
But when he looked down, his skin was covered in patches of grayish-black filth that oozed with his sweat. Curious, he leaned closer to sniff—
"Ugh!"
The stench nearly made him vomit. The foul odour was so overpowering that it seemed to reach the nerves of his nose.
