Chapter 60
No matter how much Hera tried to convince him, Nash remained indifferent.
Frustrated, Hera stormed out of the door, her eyes red with anger.
Nash sighed, helpless. Seeing that it was still early, he grabbed his ID card and decided to head to the bank to apply for a savings card. When he arrived with his checks totaling 300 million for deposit, a commotion erupted in the back. To his surprise, the president of the bank came out in his pajamas to personally greet him.
By the time the transaction was completed, night had already fallen.
After grabbing some fast food, Nash returned to the villa. He reached into his pocket and took out a bloodstained napkin. Carefully, he unfolded it to reveal two motionless white bugs inside—two Longhorns he had secretly hidden during the surgery on Mrs. Watson.
They were the largest of the bugs. One had feelers, and the other had a single horn.
Nash took out his push-button mobile phone, located a contact, and dialed the number.
“Oh, Nashy, did you call me because you miss me?” a sweet, feminine voice answered, light and melodious. It was a voice that could easily intoxicate anyone who wasn’t paying attention.
“Cassie, do you know about the Longhorn bug?” Nash cut straight to the point.
Cassie Morkov, the daughter of the leader of the Mallefic tribe, was an expert in raising parasites. The Mallefic tribe had once suffered a catastrophe when a breeder failed to properly raise the parasites. Nash’s master had been traveling the world at the time and had passed by the tribe, rescuing the survivors. The tribe’s leader had valued Nash’s potential and wanted to marry his daughter to him, but when Nash’s master revealed that Nash was already promised to another, the matter ended there.
“The Longhorns, huh… You’ve come to the right person. My dad just taught me how to recognize them!” Cassie chirped, her voice as lively as ever.
Nash quickly asked, “How do you tell the male from the female? And how do you raise them?”
Cassie didn’t hesitate. “Longhorns are shaped like rice grains. The females have feelers, and the males have a single horn. When the males court, they emit faint energy waves from the horn, which can attract a female from thousands of kilometers away. Then, they mate.”
Nash quickly interrupted her. “Ahem…”
“You asked me how to raise them!” Cassie giggled, clearly enjoying herself.
Nash couldn’t help but feel awkward. The last time he’d seen Cassie, she was only 11 years old. Now, she was 17, and this conversation about mating habits wasn’t something he needed to hear.
“Hehe. Still shy, huh, Nashy?” Cassie teased.
“Anyway,” she continued, “the main food for Longhorns is fungus and bacteria found in blood. They’re very adaptable and can live off any kind of blood, which ensures they never die.”
After a pause, Cassie’s tone shifted slightly. “Nashy, why are you asking about them? Could it be that you have some?”
Nash quickly brushed it off. “No, I’m just helping a friend. It’s fine now. Bye!”
Hanging up the phone hastily, Nash reflected on the power of the Longhorns. These creatures had the ability to preserve the last breath of a dying person. In situations where someone was fatally injured and no medicine was available, a Longhorn could put the person into a state of suspended animation, preserving their life for a time.
Nash found an empty bottle in Hera’s dressing cabinet, cleaned it thoroughly, and placed the two bugs inside. He added two drops of his own blood. The bugs began to wriggle, and the blood bubbled up.
To allow bacteria to enter the bottle, Nash poked a few small holes in the cap. Satisfied with his work, he placed the bottle on top of the closet, then clapped his hands in approval.
At six the next morning, as the sky began to lighten, the doorbell rang.
Nash’s voice called from inside. “Come in!”
Stellar pushed the door open and entered, punctual as always.