Chapter 656: Misfortune is No Excuse for Evil Deeds

“When I was young, my family was desperately poor. We lived in a slum, rats like all the rest. There was a trash dump outside of our front door. If we went outside the smell would make you gag. Eventually I began to think the smell was getting into my pores. I’d smell like garbage forever.” The Astral Phantom idly stared out of the window, her words soft and thoughtful.

“For years afterward I had this phobia of getting dirty, a vestige of those dark days. I have this memory… me, with a piece of bread in my hand. I asked my mother ‘how much bread do I need to eat to feel full?’ I remember the tears that streamed from her eyes and dripped onto my face. They were hot and slick. I asked her why she was crying, but she only shook her head and said nothing.”

“My father was disabled and couldn’t walk. He could only manage...