ã€ŠMonster Healer [A BATTLE HEALER LITRPG]ã€‹


 Chapter 1: Just A Bread Roll

    It was market day¡ªthe last day of the week, Yupochalsp. As a result, stalls and tables lined every corner of the town¡¯s market square.

    My "father," Caren, stretched his back with a grunt. "It¡¯s getting dark."

    "Right... let¡¯s start packing up."

    "Yup," he muttered, still stretching, his groans deep and pained.

    "You might want Marvin to check your back. It seems to be getting worse," I said while helping him gather the remaining produce into two massive bags so we could fold the plastic table.

    Last year, he got into a fight with the neighbor over a crude comment about Natasha¡ªCaren¡¯s wife and this body¡¯s biological mother. That scuffle had left him with a lingering back injury.

    I was so disappointed. I had expected him to beat the guy up, to use that fat-man strength for something, not run out of breath in just twenty seconds.

    "When he gets a better reputation, I¡¯ll think about it," he replied.

    Hmm.

    He had a point. Marvin¡¯s reputation was in the gutter. A frail, toothless physician with a gambling addiction, constantly burning through his wife¡¯s money. Worse, he had been abusive¡ªuntil her brother stabbed him.

    Before that, almost every weekend, shouts and crashes came from their house.

    Once we finished packing up, Caren hefted the two heavy bags of unsold produce, while I carried the folded table.

    We left the small town of four hundred and fifty houses, making our way home.

    I had barely even started walking, yet the thought of trekking for nearly an hour already weighed on me.

    We rarely encountered adventurers/vlandos on the road, but every time we did, Caren stared at them. And when they noticed, his hateful glare vanished, replaced by something else¡ªanxiousness, like a child caught stealing money.

    ¡°Lil Verni,¡± a green-skinned man with floating hair locks called as he passed by.

    Oh, him.

    "Yo! Thanks for the gift again!" I called out.

    He merely waved a hand above his head, dismissing my gratitude without a word.

    Rude.

    Caren raised an eyebrow, suspicious. "Gift? What gift?"

    "A wristband. Don¡¯t worry, I lost it." A lie.

    "Vernisha. Why do you interact with those people?" His voice was tight, like he was holding back anger.

    "I don¡¯t see why I shouldn¡¯t. I¡¯ve met nice vlandos, and the ones I talk to aren¡¯t bad."

    "This bullshit again," he muttered, coming to a stop as he adjusted the bags on his shoulders. "Are you human or not?"

    "What kind of stupid-ass question is that?"

    "Language. Answer the question."

    "Human, obviously."

    "Exactly. We¡¯re humans. We don¡¯t interact with vlandos. We have nothing to do with them."

    "But¡ª"

    He grunted, reaching for his back, no doubt feeling the pain flare up again. "Forget all that propaganda your mother tells you about vlandos," he said.

    "Those notebooks I have¡ªa vlandos gave them to me."

    His face stiffened. "What...?"

    "Miss Apala. She says I¡¯m smart and should go to school and whatever. So, she gave me those books."

    "And you kept that a secret from me..."

    "I didn¡¯t want you to burn them." I folded my arms. "Anyway, the point is, they¡¯re not all bad. And... if you keep saying things like that, then if one of your children became a vlandos, it would just drive them away from you."

    "I don¡¯t want to think about that."

    "But what if... Ulah did awaken the system?"

    He turned to me with an unsettling glare. "I¡¯d hope it¡¯s a bluff. That¡¯s my only son. I wouldn¡¯t want him to become a damn vlandos."

    "B-but you could just raise him to be good."

    "A good vlandos... is one that stays the hell away from society. Or better yet, dead."

    "You¡¯re being absurd."

    He sighed. "Vernisha, this is a world filled with people who look like you, think like you, talk like you¡ªbut secretly wish for your extinction. In the blink of an eye, they could punch a hole through your head. You could be chatting with someone, falling in love with them, and maybe you hurt their feelings a little. The next day, against your own will, you could ¡®willingly¡¯ pick up a knife and slit your own throat."

    I had heard stories of that happening. Too many stories.

    His expression darkened, exhaustion heavy in his eyes. Perhaps he was thinking, What if my child did become a vlandos?

    "I had a brother who was a vlandos. Bet you didn¡¯t know that," he said.

    "Did your parents kill him?" I asked, my voice void of emotion.

    "No. They couldn¡¯t stomach killing their own child, so the village did it for them. It was a hard choice, but necessary to protect us."A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ...

    "Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s insane?"

    "It is. But sometimes you have to make ''insane'' decisions."

    I chose not to respond. What was there to say? Nothing.

    If he found out about me...

    I glanced at my bandaged palm, thoughts swirling in my head.

    He must have noticed my cold expression because he attempted to shift the mood. "What do you want for dinner?"

    I frowned. "We can afford to have dinner? Damn, we must be rich."

    "Well... your mother caught a lot of fish last night..."

    "Didn¡¯t she sell all of them? She and Palia were talking about selling them to Portrum."

    Portrum lay east of where we lived, far from any water bodies, making fish highly valuable there.

    "She must have saved a couple."

    I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head. "I doubt it."

    "Maybe we can go out and catch some."

    "I¡¯m tired."

    "That¡¯s... fair."

    And so, we walked on.

    No matter how hard I tried to brush off his words, they lingered. What made it worse was that his friends had said even worse.

    Night fell, but we were accustomed to traveling in the dark. Still, we had to stop multiple times due to Caren¡¯s back pains.

    He sat down, taking deep breaths, while I wandered around.

    "Don¡¯t go too far," he muttered.

    "Yup, yup," I replied, proceeding to do exactly that.

    Above a small hill stood a Balash temple. Natasha always told me never to enter one, but I had always been curious.

    Besides, I¡¯d heard they gave food to kids and those who looked poor.

    I want food.

    The leftover produce in the bags amounted to mere fruits. In other words, they did nothing to fend off my hunger.

    Reaching for my sheath, I took out my knife and gripped the handle between my teeth.

    [+4% Strength]

    Heh. I got this from an adventurer by begging really hard. The same punchio (green-skinned guy) adventurer I met on the way here.

    Although, I think he gave it to me because he was annoyed and wanted me to stop crying. After all, what adult gives a ¡®kid¡¯ a knife?

    I glanced around to see if anyone was watching, and once I was sure the coast was clear, I made a meter-long bound and grabbed onto the stones poking out from the hill.

    I climbed quickly, hopping from stone to stone like an amateur rock climber.

    After a minute, I finally reached the top.

    Damn, that was tiring...

    I wiped the sweat off my face and spotted people dressed in long white habits entering the massive golden temple.

    Lowering myself to the ground, I crawled to the side of the temple and leaned my back against the wall. Voices drifted through the air, and I perked up, listening.

    "Little boy, do you know why Balash is important to us?"

    "Um... so that monsters wouldn¡¯t... win?"

    "Yes, that¡¯s one of the important reasons. And another important reason is..."

    I didn¡¯t care about this. When was someone going to knock and ask for food so I could slip in and join them?

    If Caren wasn¡¯t so anti-vlandos, we¡¯d be stuffing our stomachs right now. And Natasha didn¡¯t like the temple or Balash, so she had never brought me here.

    I kept listening, hoping food would be handed out, but that never happened. Instead, I heard Caren shouting my name.

    He didn¡¯t sound too worried. I used to run away a lot¡ªignored his frantic calls when I was drowning in frustration, forced to live as a peasant in another world.

    No shade to my fellow peasants, but I only tolerated mediocrity because I had no choice in this bullshit.

    Digging holes just to take a shit? One meal a day?! That had been hell to adapt to. And I was just glad my menstruation cycle hadn¡¯t started yet. If the cramps were anything like what I had back on Earth...

    Ugh! Just thinking about it makes me want to scream.

    Actually, now that I thought about it, it was a damn good thing only the very wealthy could afford guns. Because if I¡¯d had one at age three? My brains would¡¯ve been decorating a wall.

    Movement caught my eye¡ªa temple worker placing a basket of hot bread rolls on a table.

    Natasha told me not to enter the temple, but she never said I couldn¡¯t take food from them. Besides, wasn¡¯t I a vlandos too? If these people saw vlandos as a blessing from Balash, they should treat me¡ª

    Scratch that idea.

    Sorry, Natasha, forgive me, but I¡¯m starving, and there¡¯s barely any food at home.

    I stood and tiptoed toward the entrance, pressing myself against the wall like a thief in the dead of night.

    The warm scent of freshly baked bread filled the air...

    Saliva pooled in my mouth as I envisioned sinking my teeth into the soft crust. I just wanted... three. One for today, one for tomorrow, and¡ª

    Damn. I¡¯d need to give Ulah and Natasha one. Maybe Caren too? But he¡¯s been pissing me off, so I¡¯m not sure.

    Okay, decision made¡ªI was stealing a ton of them.

    But what about the other hungry people?

    Damn it!

    I shoved the thought away and bolted for the table. The second I reached it, I grabbed as many rolls as I could, stuffing them into my shirt. Five. That was my max. Then I turned and ran at full speed.

    Sweet¡ªI wasn¡¯t spotted!

    I was halfway back when my foot caught on something, and I slammed my head against a rock. Pain exploded through my skull, but I scrambled up, frantically checking my shirt.

    The bread was still there. Thank Balash or whatever.

    Reaching the edge of the cliff where I had climbed up, I hesitated. Climbing down with only three limbs was going to be a nightmare. I glanced around for onlookers, and when I saw none, I activated my healing power.

    A red glow flared over my skin¡ªan obvious giveaway¡ªbut after a few seconds, my forehead was good as new. Then I started my descent, nearly slipping six times.

    Caren complained when I returned, but I shoved the bread in his face and told him I sold my knife to a merchant to buy it. That shut him up.

    As we entered the village, we exchanged good nights with a few villagers before reaching home¡ªour small, weak, shaky excuse for a house. One strong sneeze, and it¡¯d be in pieces.

    I was still praying for a good harvest so we could stop being so disgustingly poor.

    Or for all the other farmers in our territory to DIE! Since they basically forced us to lower our prices to compete in the market.

    Not gonna lie, I had tried to sabotage a couple of farmers'' carriages to cut down the competition. Don¡¯t worry¡ªI only targeted the rich ones.

    Why would rich farmers even live in a dirt-poor village?

    Uh¡­

    Stop being classist. Anyway!

    I stopped after learning that one of their fathers used to traffic little kids to the Holvious Queendom.

    After that, I spent weeks having anxiety attacks, wondering if I was going to be next.

    It never happened.

    If I had access to real alcohol¡ªred cap, vodka, anything like what I had back on Earth¡ªI would have celebrated my luck by getting drunk as hell. Yes, I used to enjoy torturing my taste buds with dog shit-tasting liquor and setting my chest on fire.

    Caren opened the door, greeted by the dim glow of a candle and the sound of Ulah scratching my pencil against one of my notebooks.

    I forced myself to stay calm. It¡¯s just a notebook, just lined white paper¡ªoh wait, those cost a fortune in this world!

    I exhaled through my nose and asked, "Where¡¯s Mom?"

    Caren rubbed his chin. "She left you here by yourself...?"

    "Nah, Mom fell asleep over there." He pointed to Natasha, sprawled out on the floor. She must have been exhausted; she hadn¡¯t even changed out of her stained blue shirt, its sleeves torn up from the tails of razor fish.

    Ulah¡¯s eyes locked onto the bread rolls tucked into my shirt. I tossed one to him, and he caught it with his oil-burned hand.

    "Thanks," he muttered.

    I walked over and peeked at what he had been scribbling. Another song.

    "Planning to get rich with that one?" I asked.

    "Yeah, and buy us a huge house."

    "Wow!" I faked enthusiasm. "How big?"

    He stood up, stretching his arms as wide as they would go. "Bigger than¡­ the sea!"

    "Damn. That¡¯s pretty big."

    "Yeah!"

    Smirking, I moved past him and placed a bread roll into Natasha¡¯s sleeping hand. That left me with only two.

    Biting into one, I headed toward my so-called room¡ªa tiny, cramped space with no bed, just blankets on the ground. I flopped onto mine and stretched my limbs out.

    As I chewed, I thought about the temple.

    I did what Natasha asked¡ªI never stepped inside. Hopefully, standing near the entrance didn¡¯t count. It shouldn¡¯t have.

    I took another bite. The bread was warm and chewy, but the texture was¡­ odd. Almost like meat. It didn¡¯t taste like meat, though. Or bread.

    It was just¡­ bland.

    After a while, my eyelids grew heavy.

    I fought to stay awake, but it was no use.

    **

    Vernisha¡¯s grip on the bread roll loosened. It tumbled onto the blanket, rolled to a stop, then¡ªslowly¡ªrolled back toward her hand.

    The shape squirmed, shifting, writhing like a mass of maggots moving in unison¡­

 Chapter 2: Cannibalism

    POV: Ulah

    My stomach hurts¡­

    My stomach hurts so much¡­

    I rolled inside the outdoor bathroom, writhing in pain. It wasn¡¯t just the pain¡ªI felt an unbearable thirst clawing at my throat, an emptiness gnawing at my insides.

    So hungry¡­

    Forcing myself upright, I clutched my belly as a fresh wave of agony rippled through me. It felt like something inside was moving.

    Lifting my shirt, I inspected my stomach. A few scars remained from when I¡¯d fallen as a child, faint white lines against my dark skin. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The sensation was still there, shifting beneath my ribs, yet I saw nothing.

    Was it the bread roll?

    Did I eat something bad?

    ¡°Mommy¡­¡± I tried to call out, but even that hurt.

    Gritting my teeth, I struggled to my feet and pushed against the wooden door. It creaked loudly, the sound sharp in the quiet night. Bugs skittered away, startled.

    I staggered toward the house, each step slow and unsteady, like an old man leaning on a cane. The bathroom was just behind the house¡ªonly two meters away¡ªbut it felt much farther.

    My feet dragged through the low-cut grass. It was longer than usual. Did Mom forget to cut it this week?

    She always used a machete for that. I could picture her gripping a handful of grass, slicing it cleanly¡ªover and over again¡ªunless the cutlass was too dull.

    A sharp pang twisted my gut. So hungry¡­

    My breath came in shallow gasps as I stepped on something small and hard. A wooden toy pyramid.

    I recognized it immediately¡ªit looked like a pyramid communicator.

    I stepped past it. Once my stomach stops hurting, I¡¯ll ask Mister Paul if it¡¯s Jenny¡¯s. He had made one just like it for her.

    Maybe he¡¯ll make one for me too¡­ this time?

    I hesitated.

    ¡°Tell your father to give me my damn money!¡±

    That was what he had said last time I asked.

    I thought my father had hired him to build a cabinet, but he never paid him. It didn¡¯t make sense. Dad usually built everything himself. Why ask for a cabinet?

    I remembered when Paul had come to the house, machete in hand, demanding his money. People had gathered, watching, whispering.

    "Caren, just give the man his bloody money."

    "Paul¡¯s too nice. If it was me, I would¡¯ve fucked you up already."

    "Paul is too stupid to do a job for Caren of all people."

    Mom had said nothing. She never did when drama unfolded. Her face remained blank, unreadable. She only checked on Vernisha, then left to fish with Palia and sometimes Mary.

    A wave of dizziness washed over me. So hungry¡­

    Mom had told me she didn¡¯t bring back any fish because it sold well in Portrum. But she was probably lying.

    Maybe she saved some¡­

    Maybe she preserved some for tomorrow¡­

    Maybe¡­

    Right now, I would eat anything. Drink anything.

    I reached the back of the house and slumped against it, leaning heavily on the wooden wall. With what little strength I had left, I forced myself along the side, dragging my feet toward the front.

    ¡°Mom¡­¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    As always, I floated in shifting darkness, a fog that pulsed and twisted like something alive.

    I hated this dream. I wanted something better¡ªsomething like the ones I had back on Earth.

    The clean ones this time.

    So weird¡­ I wonder how this brain works. I had been around twenty-one when I died back on Earth. Or rather, when I took my own life.

    I hadn¡¯t had a good reason to, I supposed. I was sure that when my family and old friends found out, they would have reacted with shock and disbelief.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying¡­ No way Nelle took all those pills.¡±

    ¡°But why? She was never involved with anything weird. Had no children, no abusive boyfriend, no drugs, nothing.¡±

    Funny.

    I had nothing to look forward to. Not even something as simple as interacting with others.

    You know how life goes. In high school, you''re close with all your buddies, excited over the prospect of going to the same college. But different majors mean never sharing the same classes. Never sharing the same classes means spending less time together. Conversations on WhatsApp slow down and eventually die.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    Friends become acquaintances. Acquaintances become strangers.

    Make new friends? That¡¯s the obvious thing to do. But I hadn¡¯t had the drive for that. I hated economics, and that led to me hating everything about that damn college. So once a class was over, I moved to the next. Once all my classes were done, I got the hell off campus.

    I would take a taxi home, throw my clothes onto the couches in the living room, maybe consider cleaning that Kool-Aid stain on the armrest, then collapse onto my bed¡ªsweaty, dirty, not caring. I would turn on the AC, maybe nap, wake up, do some homework, scroll through TikTok, get bored, switch to Webtoon to read my favorite series but suddenly feel nothing for it. I would check Royal Road, Ronobes, or whatever pirate sites were available for novels, only to realize I had no energy to read.

    So I would put on Invincible, give up, try a random anime, give up, then try rewatching a nostalgic series¡ªAdventure Time, Teen Titans, something.

    Nothing stuck. Nothing brought joy. Nothing made me excited.

    Food I used to love tasted bland. My favorite YouTuber, MoistCr1TiKaL, seemed unbearably dull.

    I had no desire to look forward to anything.

    I thought it was just a bad day, but the feeling lingered for weeks. Months.

    I couldn¡¯t think of anything worth living for.

    So I overdosed on painkillers.

    I cracked the pill cap open, poured some into my hand, stared at them, got anxious, tried to think myself out of it, gave up, threw them into my mouth, and lay on my bed, waiting.

    The slowed breathing.

    The sluggish, erratic heartbeats.

    The loss of consciousness, then cardiac arrest.

    A pathetic way to go out, I supposed. But what do you know? For some reason, I got reincarnated as a baby in a fantasy world.

    I didn¡¯t believe in random luck, but I also didn¡¯t care enough to question it.

    Anyway, the dream finally faded. The shifting darkness dissolved, and I woke up.

    I stared at the ceiling. I couldn¡¯t see it in the dark, but I knew I was facing up.

    My stomach hurt.

    I sat up, but the pain surged, forcing me to stop. It felt like I was being kicked from the inside.

    What the hell?

    I paused and looked around. ¡°Ulah?¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to use my healing skill just to find out he was secretly awake, watching.

    No response. As expected if he was fast asleep.

    I lightly kicked the space behind me¡ªhis usual sleeping spot.

    He believed that if a monster ever sneaked in, sleeping behind me would let him escape while I got eaten first. A cruel child.

    But it had been funny when he explained his reasoning.

    I moved blindly through the darkness, reaching for his blanket. At least it wasn¡¯t wet from sweat¡ªor worse. But where the hell had he gone?

    The stomach pain worsened.

    Holy shit! Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have said I was glad I didn¡¯t have my period yet. Is this karma?

    This was worse than anything I¡¯d felt back on Earth. And back then, the pain had been so bad I always needed painkillers.

    I coated my left hand in a red healing aura and pressed it against my lower abdomen.

    A faint glow illuminated the room, like a firefly in the void.

    The pain dulled.

    That meant the source wasn¡¯t something natural. Years ago, I had tested this power and learned it only caused recovery¡ªit didn¡¯t stop muscle contractions. Unless the contractions were caused by some kind of damage or malfunction, I supposed.

    I left the bedroom and moved toward the kitchen. The wooden floor creaked under my steps. My foot caught on pens and notebooks Ulah had left scattered across the floor. The room was dark, but I relied on memory.

    There were five decent wooden chairs. One rested against the right wall of the living room, another against the left.

    The three others¡ª

    I slammed my shin against the dinner table¡¯s leg.

    Hissing through my teeth, I reached out and ran my fingers over the faded red table runner. Its color had nearly disappeared, worn by time and use.

    A merchant from Laskdar City brought this here, selling off old junk to the villages. Caren bought it for cheap¡ªtwo bronze pints kind of cheap.

    One bronze pint less than a hamburger from Sundawn, the capital.

    I used the table as a guide, moving toward the kitchen. The woven oil-treated basket near the edge signaled my destination¡ªwhere all the dishware was kept.

    Stretching up, I felt along the face of the small cabinet mounted above the basket. My fingers traced the wood until they met the knob at the center. With a small swing, the cabinet door creaked open. I reached for the last shelf, searching for a small, airtight wooden bottle containing grated Hula fruit¡ªdried for preservation.

    Unscrewing the cap, I sprinkled a light amount into my palm and threw it into my mouth.

    Gross!

    The bitterness was immediate and overwhelming. My stomach twisted as I forced myself to swallow, suppressing the urge to gag. A violent cough escaped me, sending flecks of spittle flying.

    That bread. Some fucker must have poisoned it. Or maybe it was just made with shit.

    Hopefully, it¡¯s just my piece that was spoiled.

    A sudden creaking sound broke the silence¡ªa door opening.

    I turned toward it, ears straining. Footsteps followed.

    Someone going outside to use the washroom?

    I reached for the bludust on the second shelf. It rested on a small metal plate, and I carefully held the edge to keep from tipping it over. Spitting onto the blue sand, I watched as it reacted, sizzling like water on hot oil. A few sparks flickered before a small but steady blue flame flared to life.

    The dim light stretched shadows across the room, warping them into eerie, elongated figures. In its glow, I saw the figure that had entered¡ªUlah.

    He was hunched over, clutching his stomach, groaning in pain.

    ¡°Your stomach hurts too?¡± I grabbed the container of grated Hula fruit and moved toward him.

    His voice came out weak, strained. ¡°Who¡¯s that¡­? Vernisha?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think the bread was spoiled. My stomach felt like shit too.¡±

    I hesitated, remembering how he always reacted to Hula. He wouldn¡¯t just spit it out¡ªhe¡¯d vomit.

    ¡°Give me a second.¡± I turned, heading for the basket of fruit sitting in the middle of the dinner table.

    My fingers found the largest pink-terra, half-ripe. There were other fruits¡ªmoonpaes, C-shaped grapes that tasted like a mix between watermelon and cherry¡ªbut those wouldn¡¯t help.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Ulah asked, his voice tight with discomfort.

    ¡°Getting something to make you feel better.¡±

    He fell silent for a few seconds, then groaned. ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­ and thirsty.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. You¡¯ll get something to eat soon.¡±

    As I walked back, I split the pink-terra in two. A thin stream of white juice trickled down my fingers, dripping onto the floor. I steadied the dried Hula container in my armpit, freeing my hand. Scooping a thumbnail¡¯s worth of grated Hula, I pressed it between the halves before closing them together.

    ¡°Eat this. It¡¯ll help.¡±

    Ulah snatched it greedily and devoured it without hesitation.

    Strange¡­ he usually asks why it¡¯s already open. Or at least complains.

    Pink-terra was his favorite¡ªmostly because he liked being different. Wow, you guys hate this? But it¡¯s so good! Its bitter taste masked other flavors well, making it perfect for slipping in medicine.

    A new sound cut through the quiet.

    ¡°Why are you two up?¡±

    Natasha. She and Caren slept in the living room.

    I turned slightly. ¡°Ulah¡¯s feeling sick, so I was just¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry¡­¡± Ulah¡¯s voice was hoarse, like a man with a wounded throat struggling to speak.

    ¡°Eat everything first, and¡­ I¡¯ll get you something else.¡±

    That was a lie. There was nothing left to eat except vegetables and fruit.

    Natasha approached. ¡°Since when is he hungry at night?¡±

    She shifted her gaze to him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat all your lunch?¡±

    Ulah hugged his stomach and squatted in pain. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. I¡¯m hungry¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey. Hey.¡± I rubbed his back, trying to calm him. ¡°You¡¯ll get something to eat soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so just wait a little.¡±

    He said nothing for a while, then grabbed my left arm, staring at it.

    ¡°What is it? You like my fingernail paintings?¡± He was the one who had done them, bored one afternoon.

    Instead of answering, he sank his teeth deep into my forearm.

    Pain shot through me.

    Sharp. Sharp teeth!

 Chapter 3: The Local Doctor

    I yanked my hand back with all my strength, tearing my flesh in the process.

    Blood streamed from the wound, dripping onto the floor. I stared at my mangled hand, then at the crimson staining his sharp teeth.

    Teeth like a shark¡¯s.

    He panted heavily, like a man who had just run an entire marathon. His tongue slithered along his teeth, tasting the blood.

    Once again, he rasped, ¡°I am hungry¡­¡±

    What the hell is going on?

    I hid my injured hand behind my back, soaking my shirt in blood.

    He turned toward me, his gaze unsteady, predatory. ¡°I am¡­¡±

    ¡°Ulah, stop!¡± Like that was going to work. Whatever was happening wasn¡¯t normal, and I had no idea why.

    The only explanation that came to mind was that a monster had used a body skill on him, altering his biology.

    As I tried to make sense of it, Ulah lunged. I barely managed to sidestep, narrowly avoiding him.

    ¡°I will break your jaw if you don¡¯t stop!¡± I shouted, but my words didn¡¯t reach him.

    Was it the bread? But I had eaten some too. I had been in pain, but I hadn¡¯t undergone any body changes or this overwhelming hunger.

    Ulah moved like a rabid, staggering goat, but he tripped over a chair and crashed to the ground with a heavy thud.

    Even the frail wooden floor trembled slightly.

    I hope that didn¡¯t hurt him too much.

    Natasha stood frozen, her expression unreadable. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Just what the hell is going on?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to eat me!¡±

    She hesitated, then said, ¡°Hold him.¡±

    I didn¡¯t question her. Ulah had barely made it onto his knees when I grabbed him from behind, locking his neck in a tight hold.

    Natasha crouched beside us, leveling her gaze with his. Ulah clawed at my arms, desperate to break free.

    She studied his bloodied teeth. ¡°Ulah, do you recognize my voice?¡±

    He groaned in response.

    ¡°Pink-terra love bird?¡± She tried the nickname Caren had given him.

    Another groan.

    I swallowed hard. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s something to do with that bread I gave him when I got home. Maybe eating it made him a target of a monster with a body attribute?¡±

    ¡°He would be dead or in a monster¡¯s stomach if¡ªwait. Bread?¡± She turned to me, her expression demanding an explanation.

    ¡°Yes¡­ I put a roll in your hand too, while you were asleep.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I thought it was from your father.¡± Her voice was flat. ¡°Where did you get it?¡±

    I hesitated.

    Ulah thrashed, jerking his head back into my chin. I gritted my teeth and endured the pain.

    ¡°A¡­ Balash temple,¡± I admitted.

    Her expression didn¡¯t shift. ¡°Why were you near one?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go inside. You told me not to, and I thought¡ª¡±

    ¡°You thought what? Don¡¯t go inside, don¡¯t go near, don¡¯t have anything to do with it. Why did you twist my words when you knew exactly what I meant?¡±

    ¡°I know, I know. I just thought it would be different if I didn¡¯t actually go in. I just wanted something to eat. I didn¡¯t think it would lead to this.¡±

    She bit her lip, shaking her head in frustration. ¡°Whatever. What about you?¡± She arched a brow. ¡°You want to start eating people too?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I woke up in a lot of pain.¡± I gestured toward my hand, then my stomach. ¡°But after eating, the pain mostly stopped.¡±

    ¡°I see. What about your father? Did he eat any?¡±

    Shit.

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah. I completely forgot about him.¡± I had been too focused on Ulah.

    ¡°I see¡­ It¡¯s weird. He¡¯s just been sleeping.¡± She turned toward the corner where the mattress lay. ¡°You think he¡¯s just holding in the pain?¡±

    She looked at me.

    So that was a literal question.

    ¡°Probably? But I doubt it. He never had a high pain tolerance.¡±

    She shifted her weight onto her left leg, the way she always did when deep in thought. ¡°He probably thinks it¡¯s the usual gas pain.¡±

    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t he be chewing on some Kuger herbs?¡± Unlike Hulas, it tasted like normal spice. He always had one in his mouth at night and in the morning.

    ¡°Who knows what that man thinks.¡±

    Ulah was still struggling, even trying to stand a few times.

    I hope whatever this is can be reversed.

    Natasha sighed, and I heard movement¡ªheavy, deliberate.

    She abruptly grabbed the table runner and yanked it off, sending baskets of fruit crashing to the floor.

    ¡°Your father is up. Get to the door,¡± she ordered, balling the fabric in her hands. In one swift motion, she gagged Ulah, gestured for me to release him, and took hold of him herself.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°I need something to drink. Fuck¡­¡± Caren¡¯s voice sounded cracked, like shattered glass.

    He clutched his throat with both hands, his hunched form radiating exhaustion. Each step he took was labored, yet filled with a growing urgency.

    I grabbed a nearby bottle of grated dried Hulas and backed toward the door, keeping my eyes locked on him.

    I asked Natasha, ¡°If we give him water, would he¡ª¡±

    He lunged like a massive, enraged zombie.

    Shit!

    Natasha snatched the back of my shirt and sprinted toward the door, dragging me along.

    We burst onto the wooden steps outside, the house elevated just enough to give us an edge. A second later, Caren¡¯s heavy footfalls thundered after us.

    Natasha shoved me forward. I hit the dirt hard but scrambled back up instantly.

    ¡°I am dying of thirst!¡± he bellowed, charging down the steps. But before he reached the last one, he groaned and collapsed, face-first into the ground.

    The impact rattled through me.

    That back injury must have hit him like a truck.

    I turned to Natasha, heart pounding. ¡°Do you think they¡¯re different enough to survive it?¡±

    ¡°It?¡±

    ¡°Healing.¡±

    Her eyes never left Caren, but she answered, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Tch.

    It¡¯s not.

    Caren stirred again. His movements were sluggish at first, but his pace quickened. He lifted his bloodied forehead, crimson trickling down his chin.

    His forearms were bruised, but he ignored the pain and forced himself up. The moment he tried to steady himself, his balance gave out, and he staggered backward. His foot slipped, sending him tumbling toward the stairs. He barely had time to react before his back slammed hard against the edge of a step.

    A sharp cry tore from his throat, but that was all. Lucky for us.

    Natasha turned to me. ¡°Get Marvin.¡± She hesitated, then asked, ¡°You remember where his house is?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I can barely see anything.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t pitch black like inside the house, but the only things I could make out were large shapes in the murky darkness.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go for him then.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow. You can see in the dark now?¡± I muttered sarcastically.

    ¡°I have a good memory.¡± She handed me Ulah. ¡°Keep an eye on them. If your father starts causing trouble, hit him in the head with a rock if you have to.¡±

    ¡°What if I accidentally kill him?¡± I asked, adjusting my grip on Ulah, who squirmed against me, trying to sink his little teeth into my arm like a ravenous zombie.

    ¡°Then you¡¯d be a father killer. My little psycho,¡± Natasha said, already making her way down the grassy slope.

    ¡°Nice,¡± I murmured. So, in other words, I¡¯d be like the Queen of the Holvious Queendom.

    I¡¯d always wanted to be royalty rather than a peasant.

    POV: Natasha

    As I walked, I glanced back a few times to check on Vernisha.

    Her grip on Ulah was firm, and I could hear her humming a song he used to sing with the neighbors.

    Right now, the sky is clear. I want to fly through the sky like a bird. I want freedom. I want¡­

    Of course, it wasn¡¯t working.

    I reached the bottom of the slope and made my way toward a decently sized wooden house with a garden on the right. Or rather, a failed garden. Red cabbages were supposed to be growing there, meant for sale, but they had been half-devoured by pests.

    Well, that¡¯s how it was earlier. Who knows? Maybe a miracle happened, and the garden is thriving again.

    The fool should¡¯ve listened to me and used rotten pink-terra sauce to keep the vermin away.

    I climbed Marvin¡¯s narrow, steep stairs and knocked on the door.

    A ridiculous talisman was stuck to it.

    It belonged to his wife. She believed it would bring good luck and ward off Darsean cultists. I could say with certainty¡ªit was a load of bullshit.

    I knocked again, harder this time. Finally, I heard movement inside.

    ¡°What the hell¡­ Who the hell¡ª?¡± Palia¡¯s voice was thick with exhaustion. ¡°Mervin.¡±

    A pause. Then, louder: ¡°Mervin.¡±

    And finally, a shove.

    ¡°Wh¡ªwhat? What the hell are you waking me up for?¡± Marvin¡¯s groggy voice joined in.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s at the door. Go check.¡±

    I decided to make myself known. ¡°It¡¯s me. Natasha. I have an emergency. My son and husband are terribly sick.¡±

    ¡°Natasha?¡± Palia sounded startled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡±

    Thought I¡¯d wait until you got your bearings.

    ¡°Good question,¡± I muttered.

    I heard Palia get out of bed and shuffle toward the door. The handle rattled, but the door didn¡¯t open.

    ¡°Shit. Give me a second.¡±

    She tried to open the door without the key¡­?

    Marvin groaned. ¡°What did you say? I just woke up, my brain¡¯s tired as hell, and whatever.¡±

    Palia snapped like a teacher who¡¯d explained the same thing a thousand times. ¡°Get your lazy ass up. Her family is sick!¡±

    ¡°Oh, give me a damn break!¡±

    Light footsteps dragged across the floor toward the door.

    ¡°You found the fucking key?¡± Marvin grumbled.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to find anything when you have to move in darkness,¡± Palia shot back.

    ¡°I¡¯m not buying any more blu-dust. Shit¡¯s too damn expensive. I swear, when I meet that ¡®Light for All¡¯ boss, they¡¯re gonna hear a piece of my¡ª Oh. Palia, you dropped the key on the damn floor!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I stepped on it. I think I did.¡±

    I exhaled sharply. ¡°Can you please make haste?¡±

    ¡°All right, all right. Give an old man a break.¡± The door lock clicked.

    I stepped back down the stairs as the door swung open in an arc. Marvin stood there, partially naked, a bedsheet barely covering his privates.

    He squinted into the darkness before spotting me. ¡°Where¡¯s your lamp? Are you trying to trip and break your damn neck?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t have the time,¡± I said. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    ¡°Put some pants on, at least.¡± Palia tossed a pair of brown trousers and a large bag at him, both smacking him in the face.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± He pulled the pants on quickly, still fumbling with the fit as he asked, ¡°So, what¡¯s the issue with them?¡±

    ¡°They ate something that made them grow fangs and attack both me and my daughter,¡± I said flatly. ¡°And if we stand here talking, they might come after you next.¡±

    Marvin stopped adjusting his pants mid-motion.

    He didn¡¯t say a word, but Palia suddenly bolted past him, shoving him aside so hard he almost tripped. Of course, he panicked.

    ¡°Did you just say fangs?¡± she demanded.

    I nodded. ¡°They want to eat flesh and drink blood.¡±

    Marvin blinked several times, his expression unreadable. Finally, he muttered, ¡°Ha¡­ drink? Drink what? Drink blood¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, for fuck¡¯s sake.¡± He exhaled sharply. ¡°I want you to know¡ªif you weren¡¯t Palia¡¯s good friend and Caren¡¯s wife, I¡¯d have shut my damn door.¡±

    He muttered under his breath, ¡°Fucking scary shit. Did you piss off one of those gum-skins¡ª¡±

    Palia elbowed him hard. ¡°Stop being so disrespectful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not! Didn¡¯t you just hear what she said? Gum-skin shit.¡±

    ¡°I did.¡± She stepped down from the porch, nudged me forward, then shot him a glare. ¡°Hurry up.¡±

    The entire way back, I had to endure Marvin¡¯s ramblings about Caren and Ulah being cursed by some angry gum-skin priest. I ignored most of it.

    The first thing I heard as we neared the house was Vernisha singing softly to Ulah while rolling a fist-sized stone around with her foot. It almost sounded like a distorted version of a song she shouldn¡¯t know.

    Palia lifted the lamp she¡¯d borrowed from Mary a month ago, casting a flickering glow over the scene.

    Marvin took a deep breath and gestured at Caren, who lay on the ground groaning, his hands twitching in the air like a dying man trying to grasp something just out of reach.

    ¡°Why the hell is he bleeding from the head?¡± Marvin asked. ¡°And why¡¯s he moving like that?¡±

    You¡¯re the doctor. Shouldn¡¯t you be telling me that?

    Of course, I didn¡¯t say it out loud. Instead, I replied, ¡°I told Vernisha to use stones if he threatened her.¡±

    ¡°Hell¡­ How hard did she hit him?¡±

    I turned to Vernisha. ¡°How hard?¡±

    She rocked Ulah from side to side, avoiding my gaze. ¡°Really hard. The first time, he got a sudden burst of strength, so I went for his chest. The second time¡­ I thought he moved, but it was just a sharkcrow.¡±

    I sighed. ¡°And it hit him in the head?¡±

    She still wouldn¡¯t look at me. ¡°Head. But that was an accident. It¡¯s dark! I had to rely on my ears.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I¡¯m not angry.¡±

    Marvin pulled a bowl, a spoon, and an assortment of herbs from his bag. ¡°Looks like you did more than just make him sit down. He¡¯s probably brain-dead.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so negative,¡± Palia scolded.

    ¡°Look at the man!¡± Marvin gestured in exasperation. He could barely glance at Caren for more than a second before shaking his head.

    Funny. I didn¡¯t expect him to be this affected, considering they stopped being friends a long time ago. Maybe they still hung out in private? Not that I ever cared to check.

    He muttered, ¡°Poor bastard looks like Sonza now.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you fucking dare talk about my brother like that!¡±

    Before the two could tear each other¡¯s throats out, I interjected, ¡°Can we please focus?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­¡± Marvin grumbled. ¡°What¡¯s their weight? I don¡¯t want to go back inside for the scale.¡±

    ¡­ Okay then.

    ¡°Two seventy-eight and ninety pounds,¡± I answered.

    Palia nudged me. ¡°Damn, you have a better memory than me.¡±

    I chuckled.

    Her smile faltered into something more serious. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nash. Marvin¡¯s gonna fix them up. Somehow.¡±

    She nodded, as if trying to convince herself. ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m sure.¡±

    I smiled at her. ¡°Certainty.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stronger than me. If it were my son in that state, I¡¯d be on the ground crying.¡±

    She glanced at Marvin. ¡°Him, though? I¡¯d be laughing my ass off.¡±

    Marvin grumbled.

    He started mashing herbs in the bowl. ¡°We¡¯ll have to put them to sleep before I can do anything.¡±

 Chapter 4: Asking Trash For Help

    POV: Vernisha

    I tightened my hold on Ulah, shifting into a headlock.

    Natasha pulled the rag from his mouth, and he immediately snapped like a wild dog, his saliva spraying as he growled.

    "Be careful," she warned. "That could hurt his neck."

    "I know, I know," I muttered through gritted teeth, wincing as his nails clawed at my skin. Thankfully, they weren¡¯t sharp.

    Marvin approached hesitantly, his eyes filled with unease. He stared at Ulah¡¯s sharp teeth and the spittle flying from his mouth.

    "You¡¯re holding him tight, right?" he asked, voice unsteady, like Ulah might lunge at him any second.

    "Yes."

    Natasha wrapped the rag around her hand like a makeshift glove and positioned herself at my side.

    "I¡¯m going to hold your mouth open, okay?" she told Ulah.

    Ignoring the fact that his teeth punctured her fingers, drawing blood, she pried his mouth open and held it wide. Marvin moved quickly, pouring the greenish-brown liquid into Ulah¡¯s throat. The moment he finished, Natasha yanked her hand back and clamped his mouth shut, applying firm pressure to his jaw and head.

    Her blood trickled down Ulah¡¯s skin.

    "He should fall asleep in a minute or two," Marvin said.

    I narrowed my eyes. "You¡¯re sure it¡¯s potent enough to work that fast?"

    "I¡¯m certain. And no, it won¡¯t kill him."

    Just as he predicted, Ulah became sluggish after a minute, his struggling slowing until he finally collapsed into unconsciousness.

    I think he¡¯s asleep.

    I whispered in his ear, tickled him, even poked his shoulder. No response.

    He was still breathing, his heartbeat steady.

    "You¡¯re sure it wasn¡¯t too strong?" I asked, frowning. "He¡¯s alive, but he seems half-dead."

    "He¡¯s just really asleep," Marvin reassured me.

    Caren was next, though he barely put up a fight. The process was over quickly.

    While Marvin checked their temperatures and took saliva and blood samples, Natasha gestured for me to follow her to the side of the house. I complied.

    "Yes?"

    She lowered her voice. "You weren¡¯t malicious, right?"

    I raised a brow. "What?"

    "With the stones to his head. That¡¯s what I¡¯m asking about."

    "No. I already told you what happened."

    She studied me¡ªnot with anger, but with something close to scrutiny. "I see."

    She doesn¡¯t believe me.

    "I honestly didn¡¯t," I insisted. "Sure, he pisses me off¡­ and he says things to you that piss me the hell off, and you never reacting pisses me off even more¡ªbut I didn¡¯t hurt him more than I needed to."

    She nodded. "Okay."

    I crossed my arms. "So¡­ do you believe me or not?"

    She casually glanced into the darkness, as if watching an animal pass by, before finally answering, "Of course I do. Besides, his skull isn¡¯t even fractured. He most likely just has a concussion, nothing more."

    I believed that too. He hadn¡¯t bled that much when I hit him with the stone, so I hadn¡¯t been too concerned.

    Natasha draped an arm over my shoulders as we walked back toward Marvin.

    "Also, you shouldn¡¯t worry about what your father says to me," she added.

    "That''s bullshit."

    "If it doesn¡¯t affect me, it doesn¡¯t matter."

    "You¡¯re just saying that. Everyone says that. But I know you¡¯re bothered by his words, like when that fucker said¡ª"

    "Be quiet." Her voice was firm. "I couldn¡¯t care less what he says. As long as you¡¯re okay, I¡¯m okay. Happy even."

    I clicked my tongue and looked away. "I know."

    "Remember our promise, little missy."

    "I think it¡¯s a dumbass promise. The dude is abusive."

    "A couple of insults and loud rants aren¡¯t abuse. They¡¯re just annoying."

    You poor soul.

    I sighed. "The man once called you a ¡®vlandos cocksucker¡¯ just because you didn¡¯t like how he was talking shit about vlandos."

    And he had said far worse things than that. When it came to being disgusting, I had to give it to him¡ªhe was disturbingly good at it.

    "I told you not to say that disgusting word."

    "It¡¯s two words."

    "See? You¡¯re playing semantics with me again."

    "My bad."

    She kissed my forehead. "I¡¯m messing with you."

    Being treated like a kid despite technically being over thirty mentally sure was something. Cringy as hell.

    We returned to Marvin.

    He was standing there, staring at Caren with a bewildered expression.

    "What is it?" I asked.

    "No idea. I don¡¯t have the right equipment to analyze his blood, see how his cells are changing, and all that. The best I can do is observe what I can see with the naked eye." He cleared his throat. "His blood is getting darker. His fingernails too."

    He exhaled sharply. "You need to get him to a doctor in Sundawn. Someone with the right equipment to help them out." Then, muttering under his breath, "If they can be helped."This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Natasha frowned. "How are we supposed to get to the capital? It¡¯s over two hundred and forty miles away."

    "Bahmos. Ask him."

    Natasha and I exchanged disgusted looks. That was the same guy who had been trying to get with Natasha¡ªand who had nearly broken Caren¡¯s back.

    She grimaced. "There¡¯s no one else?"

    "You seen anyone else with a green lizard? Because I haven¡¯t."

    She exhaled slowly. "I see."

    Palia glanced between Natasha and Marvin before turning to Natasha with a determined look. "I¡¯ll come with you. To him."

    Natasha shook her head. "No. It¡¯s okay."

    "Are you sure? I know how he gets, and if I¡¯m there, I¡¯ll make sure the fucker knows his place."

    "I appreciate it, but trust me, I can handle myself. You worry too much."

    Before leaving, she turned to me. "Get everything we¡¯ll need."

    "Yeah."

    <hr>

    POV: Bahmos

    Knock.

    What the hell¡­?

    Another knock. Louder this time.

    I grunted, yanking a pillow over my ears. Whoever it was could go fuck themselves.

    Beside me, Mary shifted, her knee pressing against my back as she changed position. She let out a sleepy mumble. "Ain¡¯t you gonna check who¡¯s at the door?"

    "No. They can go fuck themselves."

    She made a sound that was half-laugh, half-yawn. "You invite another woman over?"

    "This late at night? The fuck do I look like, a sex maniac?"

    She snorted, the kind of laugh someone gives when they hear some serious bullshit. "I¡¯m still sore, so yeah, I¡¯d say so."

    I groaned. "I didn¡¯t."

    The person knocked again, pissing me off even more.

    I threw the pillow to the side of the wall, where I kept my shoes.

    On the shelf at Mary¡¯s side of the bed, the lamp flickered to life, casting a dim glow across the room. She leaned over the bed, reaching for her bra and underwear.

    ¡°You¡¯re going?¡± I asked. ¡°Thought you were staying until morning.¡±

    She raised an eyebrow as she slid on her undergarments. ¡°You paid for the night, not the wife''s experience.¡±

    ¡°No bonuses for me?¡±

    ¡°Not for free.¡± She pinned her bra and ran a hand through her long hair, trying to tame it. ¡°Maybe this one will give you that experience.¡±

    She stood, and I caught sight of the whip scars on her back.

    Mary slipped into her dress, sari, then grabbed the thirty bronze pints from the shelf and tucked them into her chest pocket.

    Before taking the blu-fire lamp, she turned with a crude smile. ¡°Give me twenty more, and I¡¯ll stay ove¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good night, Mary. Sleep well and tell your husband I said hi.¡±

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Same time?¡±

    ¡°Same time.¡±

    She took her fake earrings from the shelf and put them on¡ªthree on the right ear, two on the left, a family tradition.

    The knocking continued. I got up, pulled on a tunic, and was about to head to the door when I stopped.

    I glanced at Mary¡¯s ass and shook my head, smiling. I know for certain Paul can¡¯t handle all that ass, not with his crippled ass.

    With everything settled, she walked past me, and I couldn¡¯t resist. I gave her a solid slap, feeling the satisfying jiggle.

    Like always, it was perfect.

    I put my hand on my waist, watching as the ceiling darkened in the absence of the lamp¡¯s glow.

    I love having money.

    I pulled a cigar from my tunic¡¯s pocket¡ªalways kept one there¡ªspat in it, and waited for the blu-dust to ignite the Jile leaf. Then I made my way to the front door.

    Mary opened it first, grinning wide before pulling the person into a hug. ¡°Holy shit. You told me you weren¡¯t interested!¡±

    She pulled back, then pointed at me. ¡°You better pay my friend right.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± I asked. My hand was already going for a knife, but now I was just confused.

    Then I heard the person¡¯s voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m not here for anything like that.¡±

    Natasha¡­?

    Mary gave her a skeptical look. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll keep your little thing a secret. What made you change your mind anyway? Ah, that fat fuck was being an asshole again, wasn¡¯t he? The audacity of these ungrateful men. He should be glad you didn¡¯t decide to fuck some guy and make him watch. I would do it. I¡¯d make the bastard eat the nu¡ª¡±

    ¡°Mary. I¡¯m here because I need to head to the capital immediately.¡±

    Mary¡¯s eyes widened in surprise. Embarrassment flashed across her face as she nervously licked her lips.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Money reasons? Job opportunity?¡±

    ¡°Doctor. Family¡¯s sick.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Mary glanced at me, then back at her. ¡°Sorry. When you get back, tell me everything.¡± She made a motion as if to pat Natasha¡¯s shoulder, then turned and went about her own business.

    Emergency, huh? That¡¯s a nice lie.

    That Caren bastard must not have made enough money this time. Not enough food on the table, starving kids, stress.

    Desperate times always call for desperate measures. That¡¯s how the world worked.

    I smiled to myself and stepped into the kitchen, ignoring the sink filled with dirty dishes streaked in red, yellow, and blue sauces.

    A foul smell wafted from one of the metal cups¡ªmonkeygoat meat, rotting. A cup my father had given me after returning from his Holvious expedition. Shit¡¯s light as a feather.

    I opened the cabinet and grabbed some canned snailcrabs¡ªpreserved in salt, enough to sustain her family for about six days.

    Yeah, that¡¯s a good trade. I got no sex drive, but what the fuck, mind over body. If I gotta stab it awake, then so be it.

    I showed up at the door, leaned against the frame, and smiled at the beautiful Natasha. Long black hair, brown eyes.

    Her eyes flicked over to me, barely registering my presence. Typical, I thought, brushing off the cold reception. I forced a smile, trying to keep the mood light. "What¡¯s a beautiful lady like you doing here in the middle of the night?"

    ¡°Get me to the capital. My family is sick; they need a doctor urgently.¡±

    ¡°Please.¡±

    ...Was that supposed to be a code word?

    I frowned, confused. ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s not to understand? I need your help. Well, transportation.¡±

    Oh. She was literal. Man, what the hell? I got excited over nothing?

    I let out a single laugh and shook my head. It was like what Uncle Joe always said:

    "Never get too excited to get ya dick wet. You could invite her over, and she shows up and doesn¡¯t wanna do anything. Instead, she starts talking about her mother abusing her and shit. So, you''re just there on the couch, ¡®listening¡¯ to her rants, feeling stupid."

    I asked, ¡°So what? When do you need the help?¡±

    ¡°Now.¡±

    ¡°N¨Cn¨Cnow?! Are you out of your fu¡ª mind?! Now?! Do you¡­¡± I inhaled deeply, pressing my fingers to my temple in frustration.

    Right now, she hated me. If I was going to get a shot at her, I needed to get on her good side.

    I struggled to put on a fake smile. ¡°Absolutely¡­ I would love to help a beautiful mountain fairy like you.¡±

    ¡°But,¡± I said, looking up and down at her fine body, her nicely shaped tits, perfect hips, and the thighs she tried to shield with her dress. I wasn¡¯t certain of their exact size, but I could imagine it. I have no idea how the hell she keeps all that fat (the sexy kind) on their family¡¯s diet, but her husband exists. They gotta be eating that diabetic shitty plant to maintain all that weight.

    She asked, annoyed, ¡°What? But what?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s in it for me?¡±

    ¡°Get us to the capital, and we can decide afterward. I don¡¯t have time now, as you can imagine.¡±

    I nodded. ¡°That can work.¡±

    Yeah, that can work very well.

    I rounded my shoulders and told her, ¡°Give me a minute. I¡¯m going to get dressed and call over my boys.¡±

    ¡°I see. But for what? Your boys.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only person with business to do in the capital,¡± I replied.

    ¡°Oh. Drugs.¡±

    I cracked a smile at her. ¡°Drug money is divine money.¡±

    My version of what those money-loving goblins say: ¡°All money is divine money.¡±

    Things moved fast. I covered my hair with a bright green headscarf that matched my pants, then I threw on a simple knee-length tunic black shirt.

    To finish it, I added white stylish gloves¡ªbrand name, ¡®Fairy Hands.¡¯ Expensive as hell for no real reason other than gatekeeping, trying to keep the prestige.

    I knocked on three small houses around me, waking those inside. They complained and groaned.

    I twirled my finger in a circle at the sky. ¡°Make haste. Make haste.¡±

    The youngest one really annoyed me.

    The little shit had the nerve to come out of the door with his arm around his girl¡¯s shoulder, both half-naked, trying to convince me that he was ¡®sick.¡¯

    ¡°Uncle, my stomach hurts like hell. I was running to the toilet like it was my lifesaver.¡±

    His Julioes girlfriend added (with her shitty, barely understandable accent) while rubbing his back, ¡°He nearly even shat himself.¡±

    I ignored her and told him, ¡°We move in ten. Be by me before then.¡±

    Sick. As if I hadn¡¯t heard the moaning sounds when I knocked on the door. Loud as hell. The little fuckers exaggerated it when I knocked.

    ¡°But¡ª¡±

    ¡°In ten or less,¡± I said before leaving. Got stomach pain, but you can afford to moan like an orgasming woman?

    My green lizard was pulled from its stable, and a carriage was lined behind it. I pointed at it, getting Natasha¡¯s attention. ¡°You know, they don¡¯t make them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yep. Some animal government department thingy. Apparently, their heart is too close to their lungs or something. They don¡¯t get tired like that. A damn Fermuia breed. The guy who named it was actually a distant relative of mine. When my father told me that, I believed it. Genius runs in the family.¡±

    ¡°Good to hear. So, you¡¯re done preparing?¡±

    She didn¡¯t believe that relative part. Damn.

    I answered, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Julan, the same young guy who tried lying, sat behind the carriage, looking at Natasha in confusion.

    He gestured at her with his finger. ¡°Yo, Miss Natasha.¡±

    She nodded at him.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so calm? If Bahmos was wasting my time and my family was dying, I think I¡¯d be livid.¡±

    His cousin, who was near him, elbowed him. ¡°Man, shut up. You know you¡¯d be waiting patiently like a little pup.¡±

    ¡°Just because I play it smart doesn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t get serious when I have to.¡±

    I looked at him in the eye. He smiled and said, ¡°I mean that in a cool way.¡±

    Whatever.

    Natasha waited for them to stop talking before answering, ¡°That¡¯s just the way I am.¡±

    Julan and Merkerthy both nodded.

    Julan said, ¡°I respect that.¡±

    I wiped my nose and said, ¡°Let¡¯s get on board. We¡¯ll go to Natasha¡¯s home, collect them, then we move.¡±

 Chapter 5: Journey To The Capital

    I had three cloth bags filled with clothes, money, and residence papers for all four of us, since those were needed to enter the city.

    It was taking her forever to return. I found myself kicking a round stone like a football to pass the time.

    Every couple of seconds, I would glance at Ulah to make sure he was okay. He was fast asleep.

    I asked Marvin, who sat with his arms crossed, ¡°You¡¯re sure the dosage was right?¡±

    ¡°Well, no. I didn¡¯t use a scale. But seeing that they¡¯re still alive, I¡¯d say it was close enough.¡±

    Hm...

    Palia, who had been watching me for a while, said, ¡°I¡¯m sure your mom¡¯s okay.¡±

    Hm?

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I know. I¡¯m just annoyed it¡¯s taking her so long to return.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She sounded taken aback. I guess she thought I¡¯d be anxious or scared.

    Ironically, it seemed like she was the one who needed the comfort.

    I told her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s nothing to worry about.¡±

    She nodded slowly and then quickly changed her expression to a smile. ¡°Of course!¡±

    Five more minutes passed, and my frustration built. I kicked the rock as hard as I could, sending it onto some guy¡¯s roof.

    There was a loud bang as it hit the galvanized roof.

    Tch.

    I sat near Ulah and took his hand, watching his fingernails. They had a darker shade...

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I whispered to him.

    But... we¡¯d get him fixed. At least him.

    He was young and impressionable, like all kids. So, because of Caren and basically everyone, he too feared and hated vlandos.

    There was one time when I had been teaching him how to gut fish, since he preferred fishing over farming. According to him, farming was too much work, especially when the silo was so hot.

    Anyway, he had randomly started a conversation with me while opening a small fish¡¯s belly with a knife. ¡°Do you sometimes have dreams that you¡¯re a vlandos? Like, just randomly, you¡¯re really tall, super pretty, and can lift buildings?¡±

    Then I had gotten excited, thinking maybe I could make him like vlandos instead of fearing them.

    So I had lied, excitedly saying, ¡°Hell yeah. All the time.¡±

    He had frowned and asked, ¡°Do you think¡­ that means we should die? But I don¡¯t want to die, and I don¡¯t want you to die.¡±

    It was confusing, so I obviously had asked him what he meant. And he had anxiously explained, as if he was guilty of something:

    ¡°Well... Dad always talks about how vlandos are evil, and why they¡¯re useless... And my friend told me that a vlandos beat his father up for no reason. A-and his father was angry.¡±

    I had listened to him and understood his feelings. He had been having dreams about being a vlandos because he was afraid of becoming one.

    Afraid that everyone would hate him, including his own family, especially his father. He had been closer to him, far more than Natasha.

    But that was probably because Caren was much softer on him and took him everywhere except market days.

    It didn¡¯t matter to me how nice Caren was to him; I still hated him. Perhaps I hated him more because his love for Ulah could switch on a dime. Not because of actions, morals, ethics, or values, but because of something he had no control over.

    Caren would go from seeing him as his precious star to the devil, someone he would cry for as he sent him to his death.

    I knew why Natasha stayed with him¡ªbecause of me, not simply because she had a child. But because of those powers of mine, it was better for me to have an incompetent father, one who would probably never find out what I was.

    But I never understood why Natasha had married him of all people. For one, he was dirt poor.

    What part of your brain thinks it¡¯s okay to tie yourself down to someone who makes you live in a house that couldn¡¯t withstand a category-one hurricane?

    ¡®Love¡¯ bullshit. If he were at least attractive, I could probably understand. But he wasn¡¯t.

    Even if he were handsome and had money, it wouldn¡¯t be worth dealing with someone as hateful as him.

    And if his views were ever questioned, he¡¯d always get angry.

    I remembered a time when Natasha had been interacting with some guy. I had been there, so I knew it wasn¡¯t anything flirtatious.

    The conversation had been about the best seasons to harvest red cucumbers and how certain farmers inflated them with water, and so on.

    When the interaction had been done, and she came inside, Caren had been angry.

    He didn¡¯t stop accusing her of cheating on him. Heck, he even tried telling her to not talk to other men when he wasn''t around. Obviously, she didn¡¯t care.

    I didn¡¯t get his point either. If she had been cheating or flirting with any men, I could have understood the issue. But I was certain that wasn¡¯t the case. Not Natasha. She didn¡¯t care about that stuff.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    He tried threatening her with divorce, but again, she didn¡¯t care. And it quickly became clear that his threats had no weight.

    Unlike him, people were constantly showering Natasha with both romantic and sexual interest.

    He stayed, though. At the end of the day, a beautiful woman had taken an interest in him for reasons no one understood, and she never offered a clear explanation beyond the fact that she liked something about him.

    He asked his friends, but none of them could figure it out. Except for one, who suggested, "Maybe she thought you were cool to talk to?"

    There were some bold assholes¡ªsome seemed pretty chill, but still, confessing love to a man¡¯s wife, right in front of his face? That was insane. They brought flowers to her, acting like Caren was nothing more than a bug. Insignificant.

    If she said, "I already have a husband," they¡¯d respond, "But you hate him."

    And if she replied, "I have two kids," they¡¯d say, "I¡¯m good with kids."

    Natasha was stunning. Beautiful enough for some to call her:

    A mountain fairy¡ªa type of fairy that lures men and women deep into mountains because of how beautiful they are.

    Or a cloud maiden¡ªspirit-like beings said to be mirages of the most beautiful people in history, returning to land.

    She had Julioes'' folktales written about her.

    All that beauty, with no makeup. Impossibly beautiful. Unnaturally beautiful. Vlandos-like beauty.

    And yet, she chose to be with a man who was below average in everything¡ªexcept height. He was 5¡¯10. Some people even thought she was a monster in disguise and that for some reason, she wanted to eat Caren.

    The fact that she had human children disproved that fear. So, people just thought she was very stupid, and Caren promised her great deeds.

    And Caren heard it all. From his friends, brothers, sisters, cousins, and even his parents.

    ¡°What the hell does she see in him?¡±

    ¡°Does he have a rich father or something? Is she trying to get some of that family¡¯s money?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she likes her men ugly?¡±

    ¡°Probably thinks he wouldn¡¯t cheat. Well, uglier men cheat more.¡±

    ¡°Ha. He definitely has her hostage.¡±

    I remembered a time when Natasha and I had slept by the sea bay, about a year ago. There, she told me about the first time she met Caren¡¯s parents.

    They hated her because they were convinced she wanted to use Caren. Use him for what? They didn¡¯t know. Maybe for some ritual.

    The sound of a moving carriage interrupted my thoughts, and I stood up, trying to peer through the darkness. The lamp wasn¡¯t bright enough.

    Palia and Marvin turned their attention to it.

    He said, ¡°I think that¡¯s Bahmos. Took them long enough.¡±

    Palia wasn¡¯t convinced yet. ¡°I hope so.¡±

    It turned out it was them. A massive, horse-sized green lizard pulled the carriage right up to us. Natasha and four men climbed out.

    I recognized them all.

    Bahmos looked around and said, ¡°Why is the blu-fire so dim? I can barely see anything.¡±

    Julan replied, ¡°Must be Qura ones.¡±

    ¡°Doubt it. Qura quality is okay at least, this one¡¯s absolute trash.¡±

    Natasha jumped off the carriage and said, ¡°Those two are asleep.¡±

    Bahmos squinted at Caren. ¡°He¡¯s bleeding?¡± He turned to Natasha with a sly smile. ¡°What the hell did he do to make you so angry?¡±

    ¡°Just get them into the carriage. Please.¡±

    Bahmos gestured to Caren. Julan and Merkerthy grunted as they walked toward him.

    ¡°I already got fucking back issues.¡±

    ¡°Damn, same.¡±

    I picked up Ulah and handed him to Natasha. ¡°Why did you take so long?¡±

    ¡°He had to prepare some stuff.¡±

    ¡°I see...¡±

    ¡°What did you think?¡±

    ¡°No idea. Maybe you got lost or something?¡±

    She looked at me for a while, her expression blank. ¡°I see. Either way, did you get everything that¡¯s needed?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Residence papers, money for the city gate¡¯s foreign entrance, extra clothes, and... a couple of fruits.¡±

    ¡°Fruits? Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Why not?¡±

    She half-shrugged.

    ¡°Step aside... we¡¯re coming in.¡± Julan and the other guy held Caren by the leg and back, moving like crabs, grinding their teeth as they tried their best to get him into the carriage without their intestines popping out.

    We stepped aside, as they requested. The two men switched strategies several times to lift Caren into the carriage, but kept failing.

    Then, another man¡ªTom, the oldest Tom in the village¡ªcame to help them.

    He was tall, skinny, maybe 6¡¯0, and covered in acne scars. Unlike most men in public, he didn¡¯t cover his hair. Instead, he had a rag-like scarf draped over his shoulders.

    It felt weird, but whatever.

    He removed the cigar from his mouth and stuck it in his shirt pocket. ¡°Jul, get in the carriage. Me and Merk will push him up.¡±

    Julan hastily nodded. ¡°G-got it.¡±

    Palia was trying to get Marvin to help, but he just kept saying, ¡°I¡¯m an old man. What the hell do you want me to do? Break my back trying to help?¡±

    The good news was that they eventually got Caren in. Once they were done, they all basically collapsed on the ground, gasping for air or wiping sweat from their faces.

    Tom tried to call Natasha, but every time he got half of her name out, he had to take another breath of air.

    He stopped and recovered. Once his breathing returned to normal, he turned to Natasha and said, ¡°No disrespect, and I know I¡¯m out of line for asking, but¡­¡± He glanced inside, frustration evident. ¡°But how the hell do you be fucking that?¡±

    Julun muttered, ¡°That¡¯s rude, man.¡±

    Natasha responded coolly, ¡°None of your concern.¡±

    ¡°Damn. Sorry,¡± he muttered, his gaze dropping.

    Julun nudged him with his foot. ¡°This one of those love-don¡¯t-discriminate kinda things?¡±

    Tom rolled his eyes. "Sure."

    I couldn¡¯t help but think Julun had some kind of fetish for Julioes. I¡¯d overheard him and his friends talk about them a few times, and his enthusiasm was... notable.

    It usually went something like this:

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Julioes women are better than what we have. They¡¯re sexier, they got that pink skin, and their skin¡¯s soft as hell.¡±

    ¡°Watch this. You ever see a human chick stretch her breast double its length? Triple her ass size with just a snap of her finger? No. You. Haven¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°A¨Calright, y¡¯all stay outdated. Yeah, I¡¯m a gum fucker, so what? Man, I embrace that shit. I wear it like a badge. I¡¯m happy as hell while y¡¯all are stuck dealing with these nagging-ass bitches.¡±

    Bahmos came over and checked on Caren, nodding in approval. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    We all climbed into the carriage. Palia waved us off. ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting for you!¡±

    Natasha waved back, her smile warm. ¡°Stay safe.¡±

    The moment we were out of their sight, her smile dropped, replaced by a neutral expression¡ªfocused, almost as if she were a student locked in deep concentration.

    She laid Ulah down beside her, and I sat nearby.

    The guys were up front.

    Tom asked, ¡°What happened to them?¡±

    I replied, ¡°They ate some bad bread, basically.¡±

    He nodded slowly, looking a bit concerned. ¡°Did your father fall or something?¡± He asked, eyeing the blood.

    ¡°Yeah, a lot of falls,¡± I said, keeping my voice level.

    The others asked a few more questions, but the conversation fizzled out. They began chatting among themselves about things I didn¡¯t care for.

    Bahmos eventually spoke up, saying the trip would take about eight hours. I didn¡¯t like the sound of that, but there was nothing to be done about it.

    Natasha tapped my shoulder. When I turned to her, she pointed at my bandaged left hand.

    I glanced at it. ¡°Need a new round?¡±

    ¡°I know. That¡¯s why I pointed it out,¡± she said, pulling a roll of bandage from the backpack I¡¯d packed.

    She took my left hand and ripped the old bandage off, adjusting my palm so it wasn¡¯t visible to the others.

    Julun spotted us and asked, ¡°She got hurt?¡±

    Natasha replied, ¡°It¡¯s just the same left hand.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Is the disfiguring any better or the same?¡±

    ¡°Same,¡± she said with a quick glance.

    Bahmos, who had been lying down, suddenly sat up and stared at Julun, clearly confused. ¡°Did you just ask if the disfiguring got any better? The disfiguring?¡±

    Tom chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s why I tell these guys to get their asses into school. A bunch of fucktards.¡±

    Julun shot Tom a glare. ¡°Dude, shut up. You see anyone here who can afford school?¡±

    ¡°If you start working hard, you might be able to,¡± Tom responded, lighting his cigar.

    ¡°Fuck off.¡±

    Natasha finished wrapping my hand, inspecting it several times before nodding in satisfaction. ¡°Once we¡¯re in the capital, try your absolute best to not wear it out.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± I replied, feeling a strange calm settle over me.

 Chapter 6: Guilt

    ¡°Yo, Tom.¡± Julun called him.

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°Pass those cards. I¡¯m feeling like robbing you.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re playing with silver?¡± He pulled out his wallet and drew a silver pint.

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be fucking bronze.¡±

    Merkerthy raised an eyebrow. ¡°Raise that shit to the onyx level.¡± (A thousand silver pints = one onyx pint)

    The other two looked at him like he was stupid before laughing.

    I sat there, listening to their gambling and nonsense. I did that a lot when I wanted to learn as much as possible about everything. There were so many different dialects, cultures, taboos, languages, accents, animals, types of technologies, and terminologies. It felt frustrating at first.

    For example, in Retuia, on the edge of Terrafall¡¯s eastern border, it was apparently a custom for parents to show their children the expenses spent on them ¡ª and go into detail about it ¡ª especially as they neared adulthood. The idea was to make them feel indebted, loyal, and teach them the value of money. I heard it was a tradition among Julioes.

    Then I also heard it was based on Punchio¡¯s culture, but that was probably just racism due to the money-loving stereotype. But I don¡¯t know.

    Tom drew the last card, losing. ¡°One of you guys set me up.¡±

    ¡°Or you just suck.¡± Julun grinned as he picked up all the money. ¡°But I¡¯m glad you do. I¡¯m glad indeed.¡±

    Merkerthy yawned. ¡°I¡¯m done. Pass one of those magazines.¡±

    Julun replied, ¡°Don¡¯t have any.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Rets-agyi-meui made me burn them.¡±

    The two stared at him. ¡°Tell that girl of yours to get a proper fucking name instead of that brain-dead shit. ¡®Agyi...¡¯ How do you even pronounce that?¡±

    ¡°I think with two ¡®r¡¯s and... a ¡®e¡¯, then...¡± Tom thought.

    Julun cut them off. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®a,g,y,i.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Why the hell does it sound like it doesn¡¯t even have an ¡®a¡¯ in it?¡±

    Julun shrugged. ¡°Ask her when you see her.¡±

    Tom shook his head. ¡°Whatever. Anyway, lucky for you Merk, I got the EX DEL 1536 SEXY SHOTS. Give me twenty-five silver for it.¡±

    He flipped a thick magazine, showing a naked blonde woman lying in the sand with vanilla ice cream covering her nipples¡ªand neither region.

    ¡°Wait, 1536 sexy shots? In that small thing? They scammed your ass.¡±

    ¡°No, dumbass. It¡¯s a compilation of everything that came out this year.¡±

    ¡°Oh... You got the Vlandos one?¡±

    ¡°Fuck no. Why the hell would I want to see those damn giants naked?¡±

    ¡°But you only bought it to sell the shit, so why would you care? And why are you reselling it for so much?¡± The original price tag of two silver pints was still on it.

    ¡°Work smart, not hard.¡±

    ¡°Motherfucker, you said¡ª¡±

    ¡°Shut up. You only want it to resell outside of the city anyway.¡±

    Bahmos said, ¡°Shut up already. You all are loud for no reason.¡±

    ¡°Kay, kay.¡±

    Yeah, absolutely nonsense.

    Their talking faded out when a loud shriek passed over us.

    A sharkcrow. Vernisha, who was sitting near Ulah, jerked her head up and looked through the window above the carriage to watch it.

    It was a feathered, winged shark the size of a full-grown bull. It flapped its wings and flew away.

    It was one of those animals that had been driven to near extinction three hundred and four years ago¡ªhunted for food during wars on the continent and for stupid ritual purposes.

    Vernisha returned to holding Ulah¡¯s hand, comforting him. She said he was going to be okay.

    She even did something similar for her father. So I guess she honors our promise.

    Still, I was surprised she could honor it.

    I actually thought she probably chose to poison them. I didn¡¯t get why she¡¯d want to kill Ulah, though. Her father, I understood. That made sense.

    I think it does. But it didn¡¯t make sense with her personality. If she wanted him dead, she would have tried to make it look like an accident, like she did in the past.

    If I were more sensitive, I¡¯d have done it myself.

    He was so descriptive and explicit with his words, and so quick to anger. Everything made his blood boil. It was like he was always bothered by something, and if he got a little more agitated, he burst into flames.

    But he only showed that anger in the house. He must have thought of me as a verbal punching bag.

    That really does something to my ego. Him thinking I was his. His words? Like I¡¯ve said a million times, I wasn''t affected.

    But whenever I thought about how he thought he could treat me however because he thought he ¡°owned¡± me, a type of anger boiled inside me.

    If I weren¡¯t a mother... and for other reasons... I would have definitely killed him.

    Sigh.

    I am a mother. I¡¯ve been one for twelve years, but it doesn¡¯t change the weird kind of happiness I feel when I think about it.

    A slight cold chill ran down my spine and a knot formed in my stomach. I¡¯d carried a child for nine months¡ªnot once, but twice¡ªand given birth, nursed them.

    I saw them go from being incredibly stupid to learning to speak and function semi-independently, alongside the changes in their bodies.

    It was an interesting thing to go through.

    Tch.

    How did Vernisha just come across some weird mutative bread in a damn Balash temple?

    ¡°Ma¡­¡± Ulah woke from his sleep, but unlike before, he could communicate.

    I rested my hand on my chin.

    I wonder¡ª

    Vernisha looked at me expectantly. ¡°I think¡­ he wants you.¡±

    ¡­The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    My heart skipped a beat, and I moved over quickly. ¡°Yes, I was just in shock.¡±

    I sat near him and cradled him. He made expressions of pain while saying random things:

    ¡°Two times three¡­ is five? No¡­ six.¡±

    ¡°Vernisha, what¡¯s division¡­¡±

    She said, ¡°It¡¯s weird that he is thinking about such things right now.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just his custom.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He was somewhat excited to learn about division.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯ll have to remember to teach him when he recovers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for sure.¡±

    Caren made slight movements and even sleep-talked. ¡°Benji¡­ listen to me. If we all put our money together, we can buy it¡­¡±

    Benji¡ªhis brother.

    He continued, ¡°Come on¡­ Granddad meant that land for us! How can we just let someone else keep it?!¡±

    Oh, that. He had told me about that. His parents sold a lot of land passed down in the family. He thought it wasn¡¯t fair, and the land was only meant to be held by Holinestones.

    Julun said, ¡°You think the head wounds made him¡­¡± He tapped his head.

    ¡°Crazy?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yeah, something like that. Thought it would be rude to say it since he¡¯s your husband and all.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I doubt that¡¯s the case. He¡¯s probably just sleep-talking. Relieving memories,¡± I answered.

    Tom joined the conversation. ¡°Was he talking when they fell sick?¡±

    None of them knew they¡¯d turned into cannibals.

    Vernisha answered, ¡°Somewhat. But nothing like this. It almost seems they are mentally getting better.¡±

    Or the opposite.

    Tom replied, ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case. Growing up without a father is hard. I wouldn¡¯t wish that on anyone.¡±

    Merkerthy nodded in agreement.

    I asked him, ¡°You don¡¯t have one?¡±

    I¡¯d known him since he was a teenager, one of those annoying ones who would try their best to get with women twice their age (unlike most, he didn''t grow out of that), but I didn¡¯t recall ever seeing his parents.

    He shrugged. ¡°You saw him a couple of times. He¡¯s just a druggie now. Only knows me when he needs money to get a fast high.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand it. He clearly had a father¡ª Oh. I got it.

    ¡°I see. Sorry to hear that."

    He shrugged. "It''s whatever. Little Verni did meet my mom at a market square once, though."

    ¡°Oh. How¡¯d that happen?¡±

    He started smiling, holding back small laughter like he was remembering an embarrassing moment.

    He gestured at Vernisha and said, "She tried to sell her a pink-terra for triple the market price."

    Vernisha shrugged. "I needed the money. And I got the money."

    I half-smiled. "Interesting to hear."

    More time passed, and I found myself staring into nothing.

    Vernisha got up and sat near me.

    She didn¡¯t say anything, but I could tell she was uneasy.

    Then she started tapping the floor like she often did when bored or worried.

    After about five more minutes, she asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you angry with me?¡±

    What a weird question.

    ¡°Why would I¡ª" Oh right. "¡ªIt was an accident.¡±

    ¡°When I get into accidents, you get angry. Ridiculously angry.¡±

    ¡°The difference is that¡­ It¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°How is it different? Isn¡¯t this worse?¡±

    ¡°Vernisha.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Stop worrying. You¡¯ll give yourself high blood pressure.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard not to when I can remember how you always reacted when I badly injured myself. Like when that boulder crushed my legs. You were angry, angry that I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Angry for something you didn¡¯t warn me about, that I didn¡¯t know about. Something I wasn¡¯t responsible for at all.¡±

    ¡°If Caren was the only one who got messed up because of me, I would understand your calmness. We don¡¯t give a fuck about him. But Ulah? You love him.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to scream at you? Call you foolish? I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re complaining. I see that it was an accident, so I accept it was an accident. What¡¯s your problem?¡±

    ¡°I just felt uneasy.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t.¡± I scoffed.

    She didn¡¯t reply. Instead, she appeared sulked, harmed by my words.

    I ran my hand through my hair and said, ¡°Look, I understand why you did it. I can relate to it. When I was much older than you, maybe fifteen, I brought a fruit to my sister. It looked nice and smelled good too. But I didn¡¯t know those fruits held a lot of parasites. My sister died because of me, a painful death, and my parents blamed and hated me for it.¡± I looked her right in the eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to feel that kind of pain. To feel like you are responsible for the suffering of others because your kindness betrayed you.¡±

    Vernisha¡¯s lips pursed open, and she found it hard to get the right words. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had a sister."

    ¡°I don¡¯t like to talk about my family.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Unfortunately, the three had been listening, but all they did was offer words of comfort.

    After an hour, the Lizard¡¯s movements became slower. Then it became still and was panting.

    The three younglings were fast asleep, but Bahmos woke up. In his hand was a pyramid communicator.

    He forced his tired self up and reached for the carriage walls for balance like a drunkard at a bar.

    ¡°Dreamy?¡± he called.

    The Lizard responded like a small cat.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    I asked him, Is it tired?

    His eyes snapped open in surprise, as if an intruder had just entered his house. When he realized it was only me, the tension melted away.

    ¡°Damn,¡± he muttered, ¡°Forgot you were there. Yeah, it¡¯s tired. Give it about twenty minutes.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    He slid the carriage door open and hopped out. ¡°I¡¯ll be out for a while.¡±

    Vernisha, leaning against my shoulder, spoke up, ¡°I want to go outside.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I feel like my bladder is about to burst.¡±

    I exhaled, then stood up. What if the Lizard didn¡¯t stop?

    Vernisha grabbed my waist to help herself up. ¡°I would just die holding it in.¡±

    You were that afraid to ask them to stop? I asked as I climbed out of the carriage and stood on the paved dirt ground.

    I looked at the tall grasses and white flowers among them.

    ¡°A bit so,¡± Vernisha muttered, hopping out but nearly tripping before catching her balance.

    ¡°Stop being so reckless...¡± I muttered under my breath.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry, need to pee, and sleep-deprived.¡±

    Vernisha yawned before walking deeper into the grass field. I followed to make sure she was safe, ignoring her complaints about me treating her like a child.

    Her movements were cautious, like a blind person¡¯s, each step hesitant.

    She complained, ¡°It¡¯s so damn dark¡­¡±

    I smirked. ¡°So you ¡®can¡¯t see¡¯?¡±

    She paused, clearly trying to process my joke. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. Explain.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Whatever.¡±

    Once she was done, we walked back. She stepped on something soft and quickly moved her feet away from it.

    ¡°I hope it¡¯s just a fruit¡­¡± she muttered as she aggressively dragged her sandals on the grass, trying to rid them of what she suspected was animal waste.

    I stared at what she had stepped on.

    A bloody human hand with a fresh bite mark.

    I asked her, ¡°Does it smell like shit?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t smell like fruit either.¡±

    I shrugged and walked forward, motioning for her to follow. ¡°Oh well.¡±

    In the distance, Bahmos was talking, ¡°You¡¯re joking, right? What do you mean she quit?¡±

    He paused for a moment before asking, ¡°So you¡¯re working on fixing this? We need a vlandos by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Well, work on it!¡±

    The vlandos was probably meant as a bodyguard for some illegal dealings¡ªmost likely drug-related. That would explain why he¡¯d hire one. A vlandos mercenary was not only expensive but also highly illegal.

    Bahmos returned shortly, stomping the ground, his cigar billowing blue smoke.

    He saw us and asked, ¡°Getting fresh air?¡±

    ¡°Something like that,¡± I replied.

    He nodded, gazing up at the moon. He then looked down at Vernisha and said, ¡°You know, monsters originate from the moon.¡±

    ¡°Stop spreading such myths,¡± I told him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a myth. I learned that in school, Brightmore school.¡±

    ¡°You should sue them for teaching you such lies.¡±

    He rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s start moving again.¡±

    We boarded the carriage, and the Lizard began moving again.

    I leaned against the wall, considering sleep. I didn¡¯t feel tired, but I didn¡¯t want to think too much at the moment.

    So, I closed my eyes and relaxed.

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    I checked the map to see how far we were from the capital. Interestingly, we were near a small monster zone.

    An hour passed, and I struggled to stay awake. For some reason, Bahmos was still up. I suspected smoking was keeping him alert.

    He started a random conversation. ¡°Why are you still up?¡±

    ¡°I think everyone should stay up when you¡¯re around.¡±

    His eyes widened a little. ¡°Must have heard rumors.¡±

    ¡°A lot of them.¡±

    Rumors about his father trafficking kids to Holvious.

    Unlike Holvious, child marriage was legal here, so the black market in Terrafall didn¡¯t have much demand for it.

    ¡°Is that why you tried to sabotage my carriage a while back?¡±

    I paused.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to do anything to you. If you weren¡¯t a child, it would be a different story,¡± he continued.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re not going to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a ¡®child¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I just said?¡± he replied.

    I found that hard to believe.

    I asked, ¡°So it isn¡¯t because I¡¯m Natasha¡¯s child and you so badly want to get into her dress?¡±

    He blew out a large puff of smoke. ¡°My fucking God. I may be a piece of shit, but I¡¯ve got some damn morals. Also, don¡¯t talk like that. You¡¯re a kid.¡±

    Him telling me not to talk like that, and calling me a ¡®kid,¡¯ really annoyed me.

    I stared at him. He stared back and said, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me how to talk. I am not a... I am not your child or one who wants advice from you.¡±

    It was annoying. But, until I turned twenty, I was considered a child. A big child, but a child nonetheless.

    He leaned forward, wearing an expression that suggested he thought my request was absurd. ¡°Were you never taught manners and respect?¡±

    ¡°I was being respectful. I said ¡®please.¡¯ Or do you think it¡¯s because you¡¯re an adult I should do as you say?¡±

    He looked at me like I was something hateful, then shook his head.

    He grumbled, ¡°You little¡­¡± He stopped himself, then muttered under his breath. ¡°I swear to the stars... I¡¯m glad I no longer have a kid.¡±

    He angrily puffed on his cigar and coughed. ¡°Fucking ungrateful little shits... Always so fucking ungrateful.¡±

    He went on like this for a while, before adding, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you probably wouldn¡¯t even be with your family. Some fucking dumbass would¡¯ve come here and bought you off your father when you were ten or something.¡±

    He bit down on his cigar, crushing it. ¡°Or maybe they would¡¯ve bought you for their deformed sons or daughters. Forced you to live your sad life with a fuck who can barely form words or even fucking move. Like a slave, wiping their ass every day. And you know who prevents that shit from happening to all you kids in this village? Me.¡± He took a deep breath, then whispered, ¡°Fucking... me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t say anything. I chose not to believe it. Even if it were true, it wouldn¡¯t change how much I disliked him.

    He threw the cigar down and went to lie down, muttering, ¡°Ungrateful¡­¡±

    That rage was definitely meant for someone else. It felt like pent-up frustration.

    I tried to stay awake but ended up falling asleep on Natasha¡¯s side.

 Chapter 7: Monster Casualties

    I was jolted awake by the chatter of the three men.

    For some reason, the carriage door was wide open, despite the lizard still moving. I was certain one of them was responsible for it.

    They huddled together, leaning out to catch a view while exchanging nonsense.

    "You think you can beat a vlandos in a fight with a knife?" Merkerthy asked.

    "Would they be weaponless?" Tom inquired, rubbing his chin as though considering it carefully.

    "Yeah. They also can''t make the first move."

    Tom nodded, deep in thought. "Depends. Is it a chick or a dude?"

    "What difference does it make?" Julun asked, confusion evident in his voice.

    Tom grinned, as though he was revealing some secret technique. "If it''s a chick or a gay guy, all I gotta do is take off my shirt and start doing the Cha ma la dance and song. Gonna be singing like, ''She/he got my heart in her/his trap. I wanna break free. I wanna break free.'' And they¡¯re gonna love that. So while I¡¯m singing, I¡¯ll move toward them in a sexy way. And then, I¡¯ll make them fall in love with me. I¡¯ll spend, like, three weeks love bombing them. Then, when they¡¯re asleep, I¡¯ll slit their throat¡ªor hope it can be slit."

    Julun nodded, grinning. "What if they kill you as soon as you start singing with that rusty voice of yours?"

    Merkerthy burst into laughter. "I can¡¯t even imagine him getting those giants to find him sexy. Might as well go all out and drop to your knees, ask them if they want a free sucky-sucky at that point."

    Julun shook Merkerthy, laughing. "That reminds me. You ever seen that mag, Lost Fert Gets Seduced by Lost Vlandos Maiden?"

    Merkerthy began smiling even before hearing the punchline. "Yeah, yeah?"

    Tom, seemingly already knowing where the joke was heading, muttered, "Un-fucking-believable."

    "Remember when he was on his knees, locked on her crutch like it was a sacred relic? Then she dropped her panties, and the smell hit him so bad, he started having vivid memories of his ancestors going to war. That¡¯s gonna be Tom! He¡¯s gonna be running away, screaming, ''Abort mission! Abort... Quaa!''¡± Julun collapsed to the side, laughing uncontrollably, slapping the ground.

    Merkerthy joined him, chuckling. "I forgot about the PTSD thing. Holy..."

    The crude humor reminded me of the random mean jokes my friends and I used to make back in high school on Earth.

    I wiped the saliva from the corners of my mouth and groaned inwardly at how tired I felt. It really seemed like I¡¯d only gotten an hour or two of sleep.

    The silo ahead began to rise, signaling morning was approaching. It was about five o''clock, judging by how little light there was.

    Natasha shifted to the opposite side of the carriage to get a better view outside and gestured for me to follow.

    I did, asking, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    She pointed at the distant ruins of what must¡¯ve been a massive building, maybe a hundred meters away. "See it?"

    "The ruins? Yeah. What about it?"

    "It was a factory for ether batteries."

    "So, an accident happened?"

    "Monsters were drawn to all the ether. They ran out of their zone and trashed the place to absorb the sweet, sweet nectar."

    "Damn. The Governing Trustees must¡¯ve been fuming."

    The Governing Trustees were basically the world¡¯s version of a ''board of directors.''

    "Probably. Anyway, I thought you might find it interesting."

    "It is."

    As we passed by a village with around thirty small buildings, some with small gardens or animals, the carriage suddenly jolted and began moving erratically.

    A powerful voice bellowed from ahead, "Run!"

    What the hell was going on?

    Suddenly, the lizard cried out, a monstrous, deafening sound filling the air.

    Claws ripped through the front of the carriage, and a red, shark-like beast with six limbs stared at us, its eyes full of pure malice. It looked at us as if contemplating how it would make us suffer.

    Bahmos stumbled back, trembling. "No fucking way..."

    The beast''s mouth opened wide, and heat rippled through the air around its jaw. Then its eyes snapped to Natasha.

    It just stared.

    Did it want to kill her first?

    Unfortunately for it, it was met with a massive black war hammer to the face, jerking its head to the side with a guttural growl.

    A three-meter-tall crab, made of wood and grass, clamped its pincers around the beast''s neck.

    "Kill it!" the war hammer-wielding man demanded.

    Without hesitation, everyone scrambled out of the carriage.

    I picked up Ulah, while Natasha grabbed Caren¡¯s hand, quickly adjusting her grip before using all her strength to drag him out.

    The carriage lurched and swayed as the monstrous shark continued to thrash.

    It fixed its scornful gaze on the adventurer before unleashing a screech that sent a burning, blinding light flashing across the space.

    My eyes!

    I instinctively dropped Ulah, my hands shielding my eyes from the searing pain.

    The four guys screamed, but I heard no sound from Natasha.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Then, I heard him again¡ªhis voice unmistakable.

    ¡°SHIT!¡±

    It was the war hammer-wielding man. The same one I had met in the market yesterday.

    His voice, thick with rage, followed. ¡°Come back! Come back and fight me!¡±

    He continued yelling, his words cracking under the strain, before muttering with disdain, ¡°What a coward¡­¡±

    Then, a voice came closer. ¡°Give it an hour or two, it will clear out.¡±

    ¡°Holy shit, you¡¯re an adventurer?¡± Tom cried, rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°Yeah. Lucky you, right?¡±

    Bahmos groaned, still in pain.

    The Vlandos spoke again, his tone laced with surprise. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you two. Didn¡¯t expect to meet you so soon.¡± He shouted in a different direction. ¡°Jer-kal-thuli-mal, it¡¯s the farmer girl!¡±

    Natasha¡¯s voice dripped with passive aggression. ¡°How do you know her?¡±

    I reached for her hand to calm her, whispering, ¡°I met them in the market square. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I bought some pink-terras from her and saw¡­ um, that man on the floor.¡±

    He continued, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re adventurers sent to deal with this monster, so you can relax a bit.¡±

    I held Ulah with one arm, retreating behind Natasha for some semblance of safety.

    ¡°Damn, I guess I scared you¡­¡± the guy said.

    No, I¡¯m hiding behind her to heal my eyes without drawing attention.

    I touched my eyes with my glowing left hand. After a short while, the darkness receded, and my regular vision returned.

    Of course, this would raise questions, but what conclusions would he draw?

    No Vlandos had the ability to use skills¡ªnot even through the system, which could grant all manner of powers.

    I was an exception. Unless he was senile, he would have to come to some other conclusion about my sudden recovery.

    I stepped out from behind Natasha¡¯s protective shield, rubbing my eyes as I spoke. ¡°I think my eyes are getting a bit better¡­¡±

    I took in the sight of him: clad in black iron armor, standing confidently. Behind him, the massive, tree-based crab monster remained completely still.

    He asked, ¡°You covered your eyes already¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°I turned away from the flash and closed my eyes in time.¡±

    He nodded slowly. ¡°Quick. Anyway¡­ how are you?¡±

    His voice carried the tone of a student trying to distract a teacher.

    But from what?

    ¡°Please¡­ kill me,¡± came a faint voice from behind him.

    The adventurer muttered a curse under his breath as I instinctively looked behind him.

    Did the monster do all this?

    Corpses were scattered across the ground¡ªbodies torn apart, intestines spilling from gaping wounds, some torsos split in two, others with only heads, their bodies nowhere in sight.

    I swallowed hard, the knot in my throat growing tighter.

    I saw the Punchio guy¡ªthe one who had given me the knife¡ªmoving from corpse to corpse, draping them with a black blanket pulled from his air-water eclipse device.

    And then...

    My stomach churned. Why did I look?

    Everything I had eaten came up in a rush, and I vomited on the road.

    One of the bodies being covered was burned down to the skeleton, the ground blackened beneath it.

    Jer-kal¡ªthe woman, the Julioes¡ªwas running from one mutilated body to another, attending to the injured.

    A massive, fairy-like monster, about my size, hovered beside her. Its glowing yellow hands touched those with missing flesh, and new tissue formed, healing them.

    She could heal. That means... she can probably heal Ulah.

    And Caren.

    The Punchio guy barked, ¡°Jim, get your ass back to guarding!¡±

    Jim, the one who had spoken with me earlier, sighed. ¡°Sorry to you all. But for¡ª¡±

    I rushed to ask, ¡°Can your friend heal my brother and father? They¡¯re really sick, like, badly sick.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Um, yeah, once we¡¯re done here.¡±

    I want to tell him it''s urgent, but I held back. What was happening here was more pressing.

    Jer-kal stood, her face grim. ¡°Lo¡¯jul, this one just died on me.¡±

    She moved to another wounded person, and Lu¡¯jul, the Punchio, covered the newly deceased body with his blanket.

    Lo¡¯jul shook his head, his voice heavy. ¡°This is going to be a lot of work for the cleanup crew.¡±

    Jer-kal moved toward a man, his lower body bleeding heavily. His eyes were fixed on the sky, his face stained with tears. Despite the slow blinking of his eyes and the faint rise and fall of his chest, it seemed like he was already dead.

    Jer-kal spoke gently, ¡°You¡¯ll be okay in¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kill me,¡± he interjected, his voice weak and desperate.

    Jer-kal showed little reaction. ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t do that.¡±

    He repeated, ¡°Just do it¡­¡±

    Biting her lip, Jer-kal responded, ¡°Give me a second.¡±

    She tapped a small pyramid communicator near her ear. ¡°Operator ¡®Sharcoi,¡¯ answer.¡±

    There was a brief delay before she spoke again. ¡°The monster victim here is a fifty to sixty-year-old human male. He¡¯s requesting assisted suicide due to the psychological harm caused by the monster¡¯s assault. He¡¯s mortally wounded, but I can save him.¡±

    Jer-kal nodded slowly. ¡°Understood.¡±

    With a detached, almost inhuman tone¡ªlike a professional receptionist¡ªshe relayed, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t have permission to assist with your suicide. However, an adventurer is on his way to erase your memories of what occurred today. You will forget it all.¡±

    He didn¡¯t respond, but the fairy hovering nearby began to sing a strange lullaby, coaxing the man¡¯s eyes closed before healing him.

    Jer-kal glanced around, hearing more moans of pain. That¡¯s when she saw me.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Great, she didn¡¯t hear Jim. I blinked a few times, struggling to find my words. ¡°My¡­ my¡­¡±

    Damn it, Vernisha. Just say it! But all I could think of were the blood, the chunks of flesh, the intestines.

    Jim interjected, ¡°Her family¡¯s sick. I¡¯m guessing they were heading to Sundawn for professional care.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡±

    As Jer-kal moved toward me, an injured man shouted, ¡°Where are you going? My leg is still fucked up!¡±

    She called back, ¡°I¡¯ll be with you very soon, sir.¡±

    ¡°What? Then¡­ at least make your monster heal us while you go talk to your friends!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s against protocols.¡±

    ¡°Oh shut the hell up! We¡¯re dying here! You get paid to help us! Our fucking tax money!¡± He pointed at his leg. ¡°It¡¯s broken, and you don¡¯t want to help me?! You know what¡¯ll happen to you once I report this to the adventurers¡¯ guild?¡±

    He breathed heavily. ¡°Jail. Fucking jail.¡±

    Jer-kal¡¯s hands clenched, and beneath the friendly expression she wore, I could sense her simmering anger.

    Jim walked over to her, his arm around her shoulders, whispering something in her ear, but she didn¡¯t react.

    She was still staring at the man, who seemed to be feeding off her intensity.

    ¡°Look¡­ I¡¯m speaking the truth. You¡¯re in Terrafall, and you work for our government. You have to follow our rules. That¡¯s just how it is.¡±

    When in Rome, do as the Romans, huh?

    Lo¡¯jul, who had been observing from the side, spoke up. ¡°Do us a favor and shut up. You don¡¯t like us, fine. We don¡¯t like you either, that¡¯s understood. So just let us do our job. My friend here was just going to help someone who¡¯s just as much of an emergency as you¡­ But now you went and pissed her off. You pissed off a Julioes, of all people.¡±

    The man took a shaky breath, his eyes darting around nervously. ¡°Okay, okay. Sorry. I went over my head.¡±

    Natasha muttered, ¡°Good luck with that.¡±

    She¡¯s probably referring to Jer-kal accepting apologies, I thought. There¡¯s this stereotype¡ªor is it?¡ªthat Julioes don¡¯t know forgiveness. They choose to ignore hurt if there¡¯s something to gain from doing so.

    Whether it¡¯s a biological trait or a product of social engineering, I didn¡¯t know. And frankly, I didn¡¯t care.

    Jer-kal brushed Jim¡¯s hand off her shoulder and walked toward the man, who now seemed full of fear. In all fairness, she was huge¡ª6¡¯9¡± and armored.

    ¡°Hey, hey. Stop your friend!¡± he shouted.

    Jer-kal responded coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you. Damn Prerfamaetgsquan.¡±

    What was that? Must be Juriop, her native language.

    Jim groaned in disappointment. ¡°You know the operator¡¯s going to write you up for that, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll call him one in his face too.¡±

    Jim made several facial expressions, as if to ask, Are you senile? But he gave up with a resigned sigh¡ªlike someone appeasing an angry partner. ¡®What the¡­ yes dear, whatever you say¡­¡¯

    Anyway, Jer-kal healed the man, though he resisted at first, thinking she was going to kill him.

    Now, the people around were staring at her oddly, but she walked over to me.

    She asked, ¡°Him?¡± referring to Ulah, who I was still holding.

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    Without a word, her fairy monster drew near, and then¡­ nothing.

    The fairy¡¯s fingers tensed, and it began to groan in pain. Jer-kal, too, seemed to be in agony, her eyes wide as if she was in incredible pain.

    Natasha grabbed me and pulled me away quickly.

    Jer-kal kicked the monster, and suddenly it transformed into a white mass of light, absorbed into her shoes¡ªor whatever was inside them.

    She gasped, falling to her knees, sweat dripping from her face. ¡°Fuck¡­ me. I¡¯m tired.¡±

    Jim approached, concern in his voice. ¡°Take your rest. You did well.¡±

    Jer-kal sighed. ¡°I think you¡¯re going to need to carry me. My brain feels like it¡¯s going to split.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got you.¡± Jim lifted her onto his back. ¡°Lo, how many more minutes you got left in you?¡±

    ¡°Maybe thirty?¡± Lo¡¯jul answered, his gaze on the humanoid monster in the sky. It had four faces, each facing a respective cardinal direction. Below its neck, it looked like it wore a black religious habit¡ªbut that was likely part of its body, considering how it moved.

    Jim then turned to me. ¡°Sorry, kid.¡±

    My luck really is bullshit.

 Chapter 8: Just A Bread Roll?

    Tom, Bahmos, and the two other men¡¯s vision finally returned after about an hour and a half.

    Bahmos had been standing by the lizard corpse for quite some time. I couldn¡¯t read his expression, but he looked like a teacher lost in thought.

    He was silent for a moment before randomly instructing the men to assist him in burying the creature. Jim offered to dispose of it, but Bahmos declined.

    Together, the four of them dragged the body to a grassy field, densely packed with trees and bushes. They didn¡¯t go far, exhaustion quickly setting in, their heavy breaths betraying their lack of strength.

    Tom asked, ¡°Want me to ask one of the villagers for a shovel?¡±

    Bahmos shook his head. ¡°After what they just went through? No.¡±

    Julun, confused, inquired, ¡°How¡¯re you going to bury it without a shovel?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a small one in the carriage. Bring it.¡±

    Julun retrieved it, and Bahmos started digging. I didn¡¯t watch much of it. My thoughts were elsewhere, boiling with anger at the lack of transportation and the looming threat of the monster returning at any moment.

    We should stick close to the adventurers¡ªthe monster seemed to fear them.

    From atop Jim''s shoulders, Jer-kel spoke, his gaze fixed on Natasha. ¡°I need to talk to you in private. It¡¯s about that boy of yours.¡±

    ¡°Ulah? What is it?¡± I asked, anxiety gnawing at me.

    Jer-kel didn¡¯t answer directly, instead saying, ¡°Your mother will tell you if she thinks you should know.¡±

    Is he¡­ dying?

    I couldn¡¯t hold it in. ¡°Please, tell me,¡± I urged.

    Natasha gently touched my shoulder. ¡°Vernisha, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. Don¡¯t treat me like I am.¡± My voice was sharp, louder than I intended.

    Natasha hesitated, clearly conflicted, before turning to Jer-kel. ¡°Just tell us both. She can handle it.¡±

    There¡¯s no way Ulah is dying... We¡¯re not even at the damn capital yet. He was just sleep talking... I was with him the entire time, keeping a close watch. There was nothing out of the ordinary. He hadn¡¯t seized, hadn¡¯t grown cold. Nothing.

    Jer-kel spoke slowly, his words heavy. ¡°I didn¡¯t have enough time to heal him, but I managed to analyze his body for a few seconds. It¡¯s... strange. Too strange. My monster¡¯s and traditional healing won¡¯t work on him. I thought you should know.¡±

    What?

    I almost shouted, ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense! What do you mean he can¡¯t be healed?¡±

    Jer-kel''s voice remained calm. ¡°I didn¡¯t say he can¡¯t be healed. I said normal healing won¡¯t work on him. He¡¯d need something more... advanced, like gene editing surgery.¡±

    Jesus Christ.

    I was shaking now. ¡°But why? Why can¡¯t he be healed normally? What¡¯s happening to him?¡±

    Natasha¡¯s eyes shifted, as if searching for the right words. She seemed unsure of how to explain, her gaze darting around like she was preparing to speak in front of a large crowd.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain. His body... it thinks it¡¯s something else. Healing won¡¯t restore his original form.¡±

    Her eyes widened as a thought seemed to strike her. She tapped Jim¡¯s eyebrow and said, ¡°His hair is black. If I pull one out, another black strand replaces it. But if he were born with white hair, a white strand would replace it. It¡¯s not damage. His body is changing.¡±

    I get it. He¡¯s becoming someone else.

    Shit. The more time we wasted, the more irreversible changes he would undergo. The changes... they wouldn¡¯t be easy to reverse.

    Natasha reached into her pocket and pulled out the same bread roll I had given her earlier.

    She asked Jer-kel, ¡°Have you seen this before?¡±

    Jer-kel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that just a bread roll?¡±

    Jim squinted at it. ¡°Yeah, looks like a stale one to me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of a bread roll,¡± Natasha corrected, her voice serious. ¡°It¡¯s what these two ate... and what¡¯s causing them to be so... ¡®different.¡¯¡±

    She turned to me. ¡°Where did you get this?¡±

    ¡°In front of a Balash temple, on the Hill of Vaera.¡±

    Jim glanced at it, then said, ¡°Jer-kel probably wouldn¡¯t know, but Lo might. He used to study Balash history and all that.¡±

    Relief washed over me. I called Lo over.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, coming closer.

    Jim explained the situation, mentioning the bread''s role in what was happening to us. Natasha handed it to Lo, who twirled it in his hands, examining it carefully.

    He stroked his chin, deep in thought. ¡°But why didn¡¯t you ask one of the scholars at the temple? They¡¯d know more than anyone else.¡±

    I had thought of that, but we were rushing to Sundawn for immediate help. Those scholars might have knowledge, but they didn¡¯t have the power to do anything miraculous.

    Besides, a darker thought nagged at me: What if what happened to Ulah wasn¡¯t supposed to happen? What if they wanted to kill him?

    Maybe the bread wasn¡¯t meant to be eaten at all, and it was forbidden.

    ¡°I did think of that,¡± Natasha said, ¡°but I figured a temple that kept something so suspicious wouldn¡¯t be entirely honest with me.¡±

    She broke the bread in half, dropping it to the ground.

    The two pieces hit the paved road and tried to roll away. The three of them stood in confusion as Natasha stared at it.

    ¡°Give it a minute,¡± she said.

    I watched, my heart pounding. The bread... it moved. Just slightly, like a wilting plant shifting its leaves.

    What the hell is going on?

    Lo picked it up and, after a pause, asked, ¡°Can I keep it?¡±

    Jim asked, ¡°Are you suicidal?¡±

    ¡°No. I just want to see how my monster would react to it.¡±

    Natasha gave him the heads-up. He thanked her and threw half of the bread high into the sky for his monster, which snapped at it, caught it, and sniffed it. The creature chewed but didn¡¯t swallow immediately. It chewed some more before finally swallowing. The three of them were slightly surprised.

    Jer-kel asked, ¡°You made it eat it¡­?¡±

    Lo shook his head. ¡°No. I only wanted it to taste it.¡± He grimaced as if he''d just eaten spoiled meat. ¡°It tastes like monster flesh.¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ...What the hell?

    Natasha didn¡¯t show much of a reaction.

    Jim asked Natasha, ¡°You¡¯re sure you found this at a Balash temple, not a Darsean congregation?¡±

    Natasha responded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°And how are you sure about that?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m not stupid.¡±

    Lo looked at her, his expression suddenly filled with anger. He shook his head, as if dealing with an ignorant elder. ¡°I¡¯m just saying, they like to take over Balash temples to mock them. It¡¯s easy to be fooled by them. I¡¯ve been tricked before.¡±

    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but I¡¯m certain it wasn¡¯t one.¡±

    Lo sighed, giving up. ¡°Sure, whatever. When you get into the capital, go to a Vlanods doctor and a Balash scholar. The scholars may know something.¡±

    She nodded.

    He took a deep breath and said, ¡°I hope it works out well. Losing a kid and a partner hurts like hell.¡±

    Natasha glanced at me before answering. ¡°I imagine so.¡±

    Jer-kel clapped her hands, breaking the tension. ¡°Anyway, we still have a monster to catch, so we can¡¯t be here talking about your family issues.¡±

    Lo responded, ¡°You want to take a more direct approach?¡±

    ¡°I think so. If we stick with your method, we¡¯ll be waiting for hours.¡±

    Lo clicked his tongue. ¡°I¡¯ll switch monsters. I want to get the hell out of here in an hour.¡±

    Jer-kel responded, ¡°I think you should just tell your wife you¡¯ll be late.¡±

    ¡°Or I could just say, ¡®K chertu etu missiyu.¡¯¡±

    Jer-kel shrugged. ¡°Nub¡¯ol wouldn¡¯t want you going to jail. Not over a date.¡±

    ¡°But I wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± He smiled, earning an eye roll from her.

    <hr>

    I was told what had happened here by Jim.

    A monster had left one of the monster zones for an unknown reason, running toward the area with the most life to kill and consume. The three of them were sent to deal with it two days ago. At first, they gave up, assuming it had returned to the monster zone after failing to find it.

    But then, this happened.

    The monster attacked a couple of houses, forcing the inhabitants to flee, only to be hunted down. They believed the monster knew they were trailing it, so it focused on killing and eating, growing stronger as fast as possible.

    He didn¡¯t tell me this part, but with the monster having been on the loose for so long, it most likely ¡®mated¡¯ with many creatures to produce offspring. So, sooner or later, they might have to deal with more than just one of its kind.

    Fortunately, all the offspring would start at level 1, making them easy targets, but annoying nonetheless.

    I sat in the grass, waiting for good news, though it didn¡¯t seem like any would be coming soon.

    Lo reached his time and stamina limit with his monster and called it back. The others weren¡¯t as trained in tracking as he was, so he had to use other methods to search for the monster.

    Jer-kel and Jim were guarding the villagers and helping them as best as they could.

    Jer-kel had been carrying many of them to a single house¡ªthough not inside, just outside, on the dry grass. But many of them were being a pain.

    ¡°That¡¯s not my house! Take me to my home!¡± a middle-aged woman, being carried by Jer-kel, complained.

    Jer-kel was clearly fed up with her since she had been repeating the same thing: ¡°Once it¡¯s safe to, I will.¡±

    If he returned them to their homes, protecting them from another monster attack would be difficult.

    Of course, many tried to flee as soon as he set them down. Jim made sure that wouldn¡¯t happen, moving ridiculously fast and blocking their escape with his chest.

    Naturally, that only pissed them off even more.

    People hated being forced to do something. Combined with their disdain for Vlandos... yeah.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t fucking right!¡± a skinny man in ragged clothes shouted. ¡°If the monster comes back, we¡¯ll be easier targets! You know that. You fucking know that!¡±

    Jim shook his head. ¡°You all being in one area means we wouldn¡¯t need to worry about everyone being scattered everywhere.¡±

    I also thought it was probably meant to be bait. Like, ¡®Monster, here¡¯s a massive plate of food and easy levels for you.¡¯

    ¡°And you don¡¯t think that being in one place means it¡¯ll be more eager to come back to kill us?¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re here, no.¡±

    A woman glared at him. ¡°When the guild hears about this, I hope you know you¡¯ll suffer for it.¡±

    Jim¡¯s lips curled into a sneer, and I saw his fist clench. He took a deep breath before asking, ¡°Would you like me to inform my operator about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    He pulled out his pyramid communicator and did as she asked. Once finished, he told her, ¡°He said to make sure you¡¯re all safe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. Let me talk to him!¡± She stepped forward.

    He put a hand out, making it clear that her approach was unwelcome. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You fucking valuzaaa.¡±

    Jer-kel, who had been moving about, came to a sudden stop, and Jim started staring at the woman.

    He asked her, ¡°Can you repeat that?¡±

    ¡°Rarthar,¡± a young man, perhaps her son, tried to calm her down. ¡°She didn¡¯t mean that, sir. It just¡­¡±

    ¡°No, no. She definitely meant that.¡± Jim stepped forward, his expression firm. ¡°I just want to make sure I heard it properly.¡±

    Unfortunately, the woman, clearly lacking any sense of restraint, started screaming, ¡°Valuzaa! Go meet Valuzaa! Die like Valuzaa!¡±

    Valuzaa was one of the most infamous figures in Vlandos history. A Vlandos who hadn''t made any mark during his life, he had simply supported Yer-oli-pon, along with other Vlandos who sought a better life under human rule. He was seen as an easy target, tricked by a couple of humans, tortured, killed, and his body was paraded around as a message to all Vlandos.

    That wasn¡¯t even his real name. It was a twisted, mocked version of it, one that had been forgotten over time. Calling someone a "Valuzaa," especially to someone who knew the history, was more than just an insult; it was a threat. The name conveyed a clear message: You and all your kind will meet the same fate as Valuzaa.

    Jim stood directly in front of her, and she stared at him in fear. He gently touched her shoulder, offering a smile that didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°Please, be careful with your words.¡±

    He kept his hand on her shoulder a moment longer than necessary before letting go. I couldn''t help but wonder what he would have done to her if his communicator hadn¡¯t been on.

    Meanwhile, Natasha continued to observe the people around her, particularly the couples and those with children. Some complained bitterly about their loss of freedom, while others clung desperately to the bodies of their children, crying and begging Jer-kel to somehow bring them back to life.

    It reminded me of the sick and the poor begging a god for food and medicine.

    ¡°Please, just heal him again! Just try again!¡± One woman, her face streaked with tears, held a boy no older than five. The child¡¯s body was horribly mangled, the left side missing, including his heart.

    Jer-kel''s face softened with sympathy, but all she could do was shake her head. She could do nothing more than apologize and try to move away. However, the people surrounding her wouldn¡¯t let her pass, nearly blocking her path.

    There were easily thirty people around her, and the one clutching the dead child looked elderly.

    ¡°Please try again! You saved so many people here! You can try again, please!¡± The boy¡¯s father cried, his voice desperate.

    Jer-kel shook her head again. ¡°He¡¯s dead. There¡¯s literally nothing I can do.¡±

    The father¡¯s voice cracked as he pleaded, ¡°Can¡¯t you exchange lives? Take mine for his!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have that skill yet. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Jer-kel replied, her voice tight with sorrow.

    ¡°You just don¡¯t want to!¡± he shouted, pointing at her in anger. ¡°If you try¡ªat least try¡ªhe can be healed! He can come back to us!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fucking hell¡­ what does it take from you to try¡­ huh?¡± His breath came in ragged gasps, like he had run a marathon. ¡°Nothing. It takes nothing. But you probably enjoy this, don¡¯t you? Seeing us humans suffer.¡±

    Jer-kel¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but her voice was unwavering. ¡°I do not take joy in this.¡±

    ¡°T-then... do you have a kid?¡± he stammered.

    ¡°And what if I do?¡± she replied, her voice steady.

    ¡°If something like this happens to him, wouldn¡¯t you want the healer to try everything she can to save him?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say that to make me understand your situation¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then how the hell are we supposed to make you sympathize?!¡± His voice cracked with desperation.

    ¡°He¡¯s already DEAD!¡± Jer-kel snapped, pointing at the missing half of the boy¡¯s body. ¡°I told you, I can¡¯t bring back the dead. Why the hell wouldn¡¯t you listen? Do you just want the other half back? Body intact, but without life?¡±

    ¡°That would be better than nothing...¡± the father muttered, his voice trembling.

    Jer-kel shot a glance at Jim. He shook his head.

    ¡°Regrowing half of that body would require too much ether,¡± she explained coldly. ¡°My monster used up almost everything it had today. I can¡¯t. Why do you think no one is fully healed? They only had their fatal or life-altering wounds fixed. It was all to ensure I could take care of everyone. Now, when the monster attacks again, I have no damn clue how I¡¯ll heal anyone. So no, I can¡¯t waste¡ªI can¡¯t use it on a dead kid.¡±

    The parents stared at her, their eyes filled with betrayal, as if she had promised them the world only to rip it away.

    The father¡¯s voice was thick with rage. ¡°I hope to the future that this happens to your fucking child.¡±

    Jer-kel gave him a mocking smile and continued walking forward, brushing them aside with ease.

    Natasha turned to me, her expression somber. ¡°What do you think about all this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s sad,¡± I said, my mind drifting to Ulah¡¯s death.

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    ¡°Do you think you would react like that?¡±

    She hesitated, her voice quiet when she spoke again. ¡°If Ulah died? Yeah, maybe. What mother wouldn¡¯t?¡±

    She looked at him with a complex expression, then added softly, ¡°And I¡¯m afraid of how you would react.¡±

    ¡°What about Caren?¡± I asked, unsure of where the conversation was headed.

    ¡°If Caren dies, imagine how heartbroken Ulah would be.¡±

    ¡°He would hate me...¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Yeah. That boy only sees the good in his father. Perhaps I¡¯m also at fault for telling him the same things I tell you about your father. Unlike you, he believes it.¡±

    ¡°Just so you know, when he gets older, he¡¯s going to treat the people in his life the same as Caren.¡±

    Her expression turned confused, as if my words had come out of nowhere. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°He sees and learns that this behavior is acceptable. His father did this and that, and his mother never complained, so clearly, there was nothing wrong with it.¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re being... ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°No. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if all your learned behavior came from how your parents interacted.¡±

    She stared at me, clearly surprised by my words.

    ¡°I never saw my father, so no. I just realized you and my mom are a tiny bit similar. You both would kill your fathers if given the chance.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± she asked, baffled.

    ¡°He abandoned her in her time of need. At least Caren isn¡¯t like that, I guess.¡±

    I twirled my left hand, dismissing my own thoughts. ¡°I take that back.¡±

    Then I glanced at Ulah, his unconscious form resting not far from us. ¡°I really hope we can save him. And when we do, please give him more attention. Please love him like you love me. Even if he loves you, I don¡¯t want him to grow up and realize how much you favored me.¡±

 Chapter 9: That Song

    Ulah sang while deep in sleep.

    It wasn¡¯t a song I understood.

    But it was a song I had always heard him practicing in private. He practiced all kinds of songs, but that one¡­ he always approached it differently. Like it was the most precious thing in the world. Like, for the world to hear it, he had to perfect it.

    It was a song Natasha always whispered in private, or when she thought she was alone.

    Her eyes shot wide open, like she couldn¡¯t believe what she was hearing.

    I don¡¯t think it''s good enough to get that kind of reaction.

    She asked, ¡°Where did he hear that?¡±

    ¡°From you. I heard it from you a long time ago.¡±

    Back in the village, when she was returning with Marvin, I had been somewhat singing a trash version of it.

    ¡°Oh. I see.¡±

    ¡°Is it a bad song?¡±

    ¡°It just isn¡¯t one others should sing.¡±

    ¡°Does it cast curses¡­ or talk to demons?¡±

    ¡°I am not some witch.¡± She sighed. ¡°Is he just saying whatever comes to his mind?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s thinking of you. He always practiced it. I think he wanted to show it to you when he perfected it. Maybe to impress you.¡± Or make you show him more attention.

    I couldn¡¯t understand her reaction, but it was complicated.

    She ended up looking at Ulah with exasperation, as if she couldn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I am surprised.¡±

    Favoring a child was one thing, but finding out that the less favored child desperately sought more love from you¡­ it must hit differently. But it didn¡¯t seem like she was too impacted by hearing that.

    She gazed at Ulah.

    I stood up and told her, ¡°I¡¯m going to check on those adventurers, see how close they are to stopping that monster, and so on.¡±

    She grabbed my left hand¡ªthe bandaged one¡ªand said, ¡°Be careful.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    She nodded and then said, ¡°I¡¯m going to rest in that carriage then. It¡¯s too noisy here.¡±

    ¡°Stay safe.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for me to say.¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Ulah.

    I stood in a field of wheat. The wind bent them left and right, making them brush against my skin.

    The strangest thing was that on top of the wheat were loaves of bread, as if it were a bread plant.

    ¡®I can finally get something to eat.¡¯

    That¡¯s what I thought.

    But every time I broke one of the wheat plants to get the bread and bite into it, it would burst into brown smoke.

    I had been trying to eat for over an hour. It was so painful. My stomach hurt so much. It felt like a rat was chewing its way around my stomach.

    It was sick. It was painful¡­

    It was¡­

    Ugh.

    I hunched forward and vomited brown and white paste onto the ground. My eyes watered, and I desperately tried to lick the tears away.

    But it did nothing to quench my thirst!

    I¡¯m going to die. But I don¡¯t want to die.

    I wanted to play with Jake and Gola.

    I wanted to learn division. I wanted to become smart, smarter like Vernisha. I wanted¡­

    It hurt so much.

    I bit my lips and folded my trembling hands. Then I sang. I sang to distract myself from the hunger.

    It wasn¡¯t perfect, but I sang it: ¡°Balash wed filaen. Swe wjurden schweien, ske windan wyanen, jber iah wuide ihee Tr?ebeu gopie?en. Iah weyude iur Lad genuiken, da¨¹r, wve sa mah vuten hin.¡±

    It made me think of Mom. I wished I could hear her sing it more. I¡¯d only heard it twice, but when she sang it, it sounded so beautiful.

    I heard it maybe when I was eight, two years ago.

    She always had Vernisha with her on her lap, sitting or standing near her. Obviously, I wanted that too.

    So I left my blanket and wandered to her. She didn¡¯t see me and was singing quietly while staring at the ceiling.

    It was like she was remembering good memories or tragic ones. Ones that made her completely immersed.

    When she did notice I was looking at her, she suddenly stopped singing, almost startled, and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡±

    I was shocked. But at that time, I thought, to sit on you, hug you, be by you. But before I could say any of that, she seemed even more surprised at herself, like she¡¯d done something wrong.

    Mom apologized and smiled gently while moving to pick me up. ¡°Sorry, I was having bad thoughts¡­ You look like you¡¯ve grown taller!¡±

    I liked the song even if I didn¡¯t hear much of it. Even when she acted like she was singing something else when I asked about it. I wanted to learn it. I wanted to make her proud.

    I wondered what her reaction would be when I could sing it. I wondered how surprised she would be. How proud she would be.

    I swallowed the saliva in my mouth, but it only made me thirstier. The only thing I could do was try to sing that song to comfort me.

    I will get better at it. I will. I will¡­

    ¡°Hi.¡± I heard an unfamiliar voice behind me and turned towards it.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    The field of wheat that had been behind me was gone, replaced by dry ground. Sitting on it, looking at me, was a black cat.

    The cat had blue eyes and clean black fur. Its fur was so clean. It probably had a servant to always tend to it. There were no scratches or bruises from hunting or escaping from predators.

    Is it the one that¡­? No, that sounds silly. What am I thinking? A cat? Really?

    ¡­Can I eat it? I want to eat it.

    It smiled. ¡°No, you can¡¯t eat me.¡±

    I blinked in surprise. ¡°But I didn¡¯t¡­ Did I say that out loud?¡±

    It replied, ¡°No. Did you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re weird¡­¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re weirder.¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t want to know too.¡± I backed away and started to flee.

    I¡¯d only heard of legendary monsters being able to talk, which meant it must be one!

    ¡°I want to know. Do you want to live?¡±

    I stopped running almost immediately and turned to the cat.

    Is that a trick question?

    It asked the same question again.

    I answered, ¡°Yes. I just want something to eat and drink. I feel like I¡¯m starving. I am starving.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could soothe your hunger, but I can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Are you¡­ a monster?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Do I look like a monster?¡±

    ¡°No, but you can talk. So you must be one.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps I¡¯m just a ¡®moon cat.¡¯ You know, that¡¯s a popular Julioes folklore.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. So, no need to fear me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about a lot of things in the world, especially the people of it.¡±

    ¡°What does that even mean? You¡¯re curious about me?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­Am I dying?¡±

    ¡°Are you dying?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m asking you.¡±

    ¡°I also don¡¯t know. That¡¯s why I asked you.¡±

    I don¡¯t think I like the cat.

    It continued, ¡°If you were to live, what do you plan to do with your life? Why should you live? What grand purpose does your life have?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°What don¡¯t you understand?¡±

    ¡°The questions¡­ I want to live because I want to live.¡±

    ¡°Well, what do you plan to do if you live?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°Then do know. So, what do you plan to do in the future?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to answer your questions. You¡¯re creepy. So go away. Go!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to go.¡±

    I rushed and kicked, but my leg passed through it like a stone through smoke.

    It ignored my kick and said, ¡°Does that song have something to do with your purpose?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not answering your questions!¡± I kept trying to kick it, hoping for some kind of luck.

    It was terrifying. The hunger returned, worse than before.

    It¡­ hurt.

    I dropped to my knees, clutching my stomach in agony. The pain was so intense I began to sob uncontrollably.

    I wanted Dad to comfort me. To tell me everything would be okay. But he wasn¡¯t here. Why isn¡¯t he here?

    Whenever I needed him, he always came running to me¡­ Like how Mom always runs to Vernisha.

    Like how Mom always comforts her, treats her like she¡¯s a star, the most precious thing. I wanted Dad to come to me like that now, because¡­ Mom wouldn¡¯t.

    She wouldn¡¯t do it the same way.

    The cat stared at me, and I asked, ¡°Am I going to die?¡±

    ¡°You could. Or something worse could happen to you.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡±

    ¡°Becoming a threat to your family.¡±

    ¡°Why would I hurt my family?¡±

    ¡°Because you¡¯re hungry and thirsty. And perhaps because this is the fault of your sister.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I wouldn¡¯t, and stop lying! It isn¡¯t her fault!¡±

    ¡°But she gave you that bread. She isn¡¯t sick, but you are.¡±

    ¡°It must have been an accident.¡±

    ¡°And what if it wasn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°It was. Vernisha loves me! Why would she ever hurt me?!¡±

    The cat blinked at me a couple of times, then said, ¡°I see.¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Village Chief

    The chattering and worrying of everyone echoed around me. Many were mute, staring into nothing, unable to process what they had seen and heard today.

    I should be planning with them on how we would recover, but¡­ I didn¡¯t think anyone was ready to move on right now, not while they were still processing their trauma.

    Even I¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do anything but dig a hole and hide in it, never to reveal myself to the world again.

    I had seen things I would trade my only child to forget.

    Before the monster attacked, my assistants and I were discussing how we would allocate 10% of the village¡¯s budget to acquire better materials to reinforce the walls and protect us from bandits.

    The idea of a monster attack was foreign to us. In my fifty-six years of living here, this was my first encounter with one.

    Most of us only knew the dangers of monsters through stories, but that was all.

    Three hours ago, at 6:30 in the morning, it began.

    There was a sudden, strange voice, barely human: ¡®Hana¡­ where¡­ are you¡­?¡¯

    It sounded like when twin-tailed cats try mimicking the chirping of birds to lure them, or the echoing of burnnight flowers, which repeat whatever they hear.

    That monster clearly had no understanding of those words; it was simply something it had heard and tried its best to mimic.

    When I heard it, along with the three men in my office, we all froze, confused. But staying frozen meant nothing.

    The first victim was Daren¡¯s daughter. His eldest son told me what happened. The family had been planting red cabbages in the garden.

    Daren''s hands had been deep in the dirt, setting the seeds. That was when half of his daughter¡¯s body was suddenly ripped apart by the fangs of a red shark-like creature that had the feline legs of a tiger. Six legs.

    Blood spurted everywhere. The screams of his eldest son and wife were drowned out by the sounds of his daughter¡¯s flesh and bones being torn apart and devoured.

    Daren tried to make his family run, desperately attempting to retrieve the mangled remains of his daughter.

    Then, Daren became the target. The monster¡¯s claws ripped his legs from their joints. He screamed in pain, and the monster cruelly mimicked that sound with a chilling laugh.

    It wasn¡¯t just eating them; it seemed to be enjoying their suffering, but not enough to keep them alive for long.

    It ripped open his stomach, exposing his guts to his wife, who couldn¡¯t tear her eyes away from his mangled body.

    Then it devoured him alive. Once Daren stopped making sounds, a fire shot from the creature¡¯s mouth, turning his body to ash.

    His wife was split in two, vertically, by its aquatic tail. Her sides fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Her bodily waste followed, painting the earth brown and yellow.

    The monster didn¡¯t care. Her left side was devoured first, and then the right followed.

    The only thing left behind was half of her jaw.

    The daughter wasn¡¯t even eaten.

    By then, chaos had already erupted. People were running, trying to escape. Of course, I was no different. I tried to grab the only green lizard in the village and flee alone.

    The monster screamed loudly, and that was it.

    It moved like a blur.

    In an instant, a man¡¯s face was reduced to paste, his eyes flying in every direction. The next moment, a beam of fire turned someone to dust.

    It was a torrent of blood, flesh, brain matter, and broken bones.

    Even the lizard couldn¡¯t withstand it, throwing me off. And for some reason, the monster ripped off Jackson¡¯s genitalia.

    I was confused, but then I remembered that monsters were also capable of reproducing with anything. When pressed for time, female monsters would use different methods to harvest reproductive organs.

    Well¡­ What a fucking way to die. I nearly started to cry. At least the pain would knock me unconscious, and I¡¯d die from blood loss. I¡¯d take that over being fucking violated by a monster. That was the thought I had.

    I did nothing. I wanted to run. I thought:

    I just want to live.

    How the hell am I going to survive this?

    Fucking hell¡­ I don¡¯t want to die.

    I... I... And I...

    That¡¯s all I thought. And then, those giant armored figures fell from the sky.

    They were like heroes. Legends.

    I saw them summon monsters that seemed connected to them on a supernatural level. Without a word from them, their monsters would attack, defend the village, and act as a third hand to them.

    They overwhelmed the wild monster in no time.

    These memories...

    I folded my hands together and muttered, ¡°May the stars bless me.¡±

    May the future be kind to us. May the request I am about to make be agreed to. May they not think I am trying to trick them.

    I exhaled, feeling like I had just given a speech explaining why fathers and mothers should be happy to gift their children to wealthy men and women for a ¡®gift¡¯ of money.

    I took a deep breath, licking my lips, also tasting my white beard. Tastes like blood.

    Then, I walked over to the man. By his side were the little girl and the Julioes woman.

    It seemed they knew her before.

    He noticed me and I heard him click his tongue.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± he asked.

    The Julioes woman said something in her native tongue. By the tone, I felt like it was a threat.

    I stood before them. Holy shit, are they big.

    Calm down. Calm down.

    I forced a professional smile and said, ¡°I want to say I appreciate your hard work and sacrifice, first. If it weren¡¯t for you all, we¡¯d all be dead.¡±

    The man replied, ¡°Sure, but we get paid for it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cut the bullshit and get to the point,¡± the woman snapped.

    This was hell itself. Why the hell do I have to be the village chief at times like this? Nothing was scarier than talking to a pissed-off adventurer.

    I swallowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I request permission for us to get to our houses¡ª¡± I noticed the anger in his eyes. He was probably pissed that someone was asking him a stupid question again. So I hurriedly finished my sentence before he could respond. ¡°¡ªSo that we can gather food ingredients to make something to eat.¡±

    Shit. I talked way too fast.

    The man¡¯s anger seemed to dissipate and he said, ¡°Oh. Yeah, I guess.¡±

    He¡­ AGREED!

    My heart slowed, and I slumped to my knees in relief. ¡°Thank you¡­ sir.¡±

 Chapter 10: Nighttime Discussions

    <div>

    POV: Jer-kal-thuli-mal

    That had gone smoother than I¡¯d expected.

    Vernisha turned to Jim and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say no?¡±

    He turned slightly towards her. ¡°Why do that?¡±

    I spoke with a touch of aggression. ¡°Because fuck them.¡±

    Jim shot me a disapproving look.

    I sighed, meeting her gaze. ¡°Excuse my language.¡±

    She asked, ¡°Is it always like this for you all? That seems like hell.¡±

    ¡°Not always,¡± I replied. ¡°But if a mission doesn¡¯t go smoothly... yeah. It becomes a lot of complaining and things like this.¡±

    She tilted her head, considering it. ¡°Hm, is it any different in your country?¡±

    ¡°In a way, yeah. It¡¯s very different. How much do you know about Kmew-hul?¡±

    ¡°Not that much. I¡¯m guessing vlandos are treated better there?¡±

    Eh?

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that a trick question?¡±

    ¡°What? No, no.¡±

    ¡°Really now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡±

    I studied her for a few seconds, trying to understand what was going on in that child¡¯s mind.

    But she seemed serious.

    ¡°You¡¯re serious?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­? I am guessing that vlandos aren¡¯t treated better back at your home?¡±

    ¡°Not really. Which is funny, since we¡¯re the only major nation to have predominantly vlandos rulers.¡±

    Both the Sharlac and Keryui were vlandos. They were the equivalents of queens and kings, but each functioned as a representative of their respective families. Royal-like families.

    ¡°How bad is it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Segregation and forced monster combatant service for life. That bad.¡±

    Vlandos were forced into Gyuinjio¡ªthe names of the monster zones inhabited by individuals in Kmew-hul.

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m still here.¡±

    She seemed deep in thought. ¡°I don¡¯t get why your people would treat vlandos so badly. That would just build hatred and develop their desire for revolt.¡±

    ¡°Because the vlandos there understand the reason. They know it¡¯s to create a society that keeps functioning.¡±

    ¡°They educate us on the great power we possess. That because we are of a proud race and country, we must learn to use this power to protect our people, our country, and help it prosper.¡±

    ¡°And until we become monster combatants, we shouldn¡¯t leave our homes¡ªthe monster zones¡ªbecause we¡¯d endanger everyone.¡±

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t disagree with it. It¡¯s not like regular people treated us badly. Hell, they respected us, like we were heroes.

    ¡°But¡­ isn¡¯t the segregation thing annoying?¡±

    ¡°Not being able to walk the streets of the regular cities is annoying. I mean, we can when we become monster combatants, but that¡¯s stupid. Terrafall might be a shitfest, but the freedom here is nice.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised. The way people treat you never made you want to go to another country?¡±

    I gestured at Jim. ¡°This boule de viande doesn¡¯t want to.¡±

    I clicked my tongue. ¡°Sorry for that.¡±

    Swearing was second nature to me, but it wasn¡¯t like she knew what boule de viande meant.

    She looked at Jim and asked, ¡°She always calls you that?¡±

    Oh, maybe I was wrong.

    He shrugged. ¡°When she¡¯s angry.¡±

    Vernisha made a slight ¡°yikes¡± expression. It wasn¡¯t like the word was really charged. It was just ¡®flesh ball.¡¯

    I decided to ask her, ¡°Why are you here? Shouldn¡¯t you be with your mother or something?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s tired. I just wanted to¡­ do some networking. You never know when I might need one of your guys¡¯ knowledge or whatever.¡±

    That¡­ seemed fair.

    Jim seemed impressed. ¡°You¡¯re really smart for a kid. How old are you, by the way?¡±

    ¡°Twelve,¡± she replied.

    ¡°Thought you were a little older.¡±

    ¡°How old do I look?¡±

    I joined in. ¡°Your exact age. I have no idea what Jim is on about.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she look thirteen? Or is it the hair?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because she¡¯s the same height as James.¡±

    ¡°You actually may be right.¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    She asked, ¡°James is¡­ his son?¡±

    ¡°Our son,¡± I said. ¡°But his biological son.¡±

    ¡°Oh. You guys are lovers?¡±

    Oh, what a surprise. Many would respond in shock or disgust if they heard that one of their fellow humans was involved with a ¡®gum skin¡¯ (I hated that word more than death itself). But she seemed just genuinely surprised.

    ¡°For a while now.¡±

    Actually, it had been about four years.

    ¡°Damn, you two really don¡¯t care about what people think. Wait¡ªwait.¡± She turned to look at Jim suspiciously. ¡°How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Why are you asking? Especially with that look.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t look that old, and I just really understand that your son is a year older than me.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I¡¯m twenty-nine.¡±

    ¡°And you got a thirteen-year-old?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s weird.¡±

    ¡°But why¡¯d you have a kid so young?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    She was too young to understand anyway. A Starlight liked him¡ªa little too much. His parents were more than thrilled about the ¡®relationship,¡¯ seeing it as their ticket to live like high nobles because of her heritage.

    That Starlight had a child with him, but she had to get rid of it because the family only reproduced with other Starlights to keep their traits in the family. And other stupid reasons that boiled down to: We don''t want your dirty blood mixing with our divine blood.

    She didn¡¯t get rid of the baby, though. She dumped it on Jim.

    Vernisha seemed to understand he didn¡¯t want to talk about it and accepted it. ¡°I see. Um, so how did you two meet each other?¡±

    <div>

    I asked, "Why are you so curious?"

    She shrugged. "Sounds interesting. Could have cool drama."

    "Drama, huh." Yeah, a lot of that. Jim¡¯s family, his own son.

    I always knew I was prejudiced against humans, for petty reasons¡ªaccents, languages, handwritings, cuisines, and more. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just me. We all hate those our country wars with, for the same reasons: they harm our friends, families, and society, and we hate them for doing the same. Which country¡¯s the victim doesn¡¯t mean jack shit when everything goes to hell and the other country¡¯s responsible.

    Dealing with the bullshit in Jim¡¯s life only turned my prejudice up a notch. I was starting to think like Falsker, a punchio emperor who once tried to conquer the whole continent just to rid the world of every single human.

    Jim¡¯s mother... The way that dusty old whore used to look at me, like I was lower than a rat. Like I was something to pity as long as I kept my distance from Jim. Telling her son in front of me that he shouldn¡¯t be around me so much, that people would think he was a gum fucker.

    We were merely friends at the time. I came to this country after escaping from trafficking when it got busted by the vanquishers. I found refuge in Retuia, a small piece of land that borders kmel-hul and has a 50 percent julioes population.

    Anyway, time passed, and my anger shifted. It¡¯s hard to wish for the death of an entire group of people when you¡¯re dating someone who belongs to that group, when you make friends who belong to it, and sympathize with some who belong to it.

    Obviously, I still hate a lot of them just because they¡¯re humans, but it¡¯s mutual.

    Jim spoke, "You¡¯re a bit too nosey, kid. How¡¯s your family holding up? Anything looking better for your father and brother?"

    She made an annoyed expression. "Same thing for now... Until we get to the capital to see a doctor, things are just going to get worse. It¡¯s not like we can walk to the capital, even if the monster wasn''t out. It would take us so many days to get there."

    "As soon as we''re done, you''ll all get a ride to Sundawn. I promise you that."

    "Thanks, that¡¯ll mean a lot. Can I ask some more questions?"

    "Depends," Jim answered.

    "Why did¡­ you two become adventurers? And stay adventurers, when people treat you like shit?"

    That wasn¡¯t a question I expected, and even Jim was a bit surprised. I chose to remain silent, letting Jim tell her whatever noble lies he wanted.

    ¡°They may treat us badly, but we¡¯re important. We come across treasures like you and the chief who appreciate our work. And we just have the calling for it. To help others, no matter what."

    "Even if they slur at you, wish death upon you, wish death on your child?"

    He maintained a fake smile. "Yeah, even then."

    "Be honest with me. You still have the heart of a human, of a regular. You must hate those who treat you terribly. Sure, maybe you had those feelings in the beginning, but eventually, all the hatred must eat away at your mental health. I¡¯m always hearing how much people fear and hate you all. You, a vlandos, must feel similar to regulars, whether they¡¯re humans or not."

    I was surprised. The kid was smart. She sounded like she had experience.

    That noble bullshit¡ªit was nothing but a fairy tale. There wasn¡¯t a single vlandos who became an adventurer because they wanted to do good. We did it because it was one of the few legal jobs we could get. Because we¡¯d been socially engineered to believe that was our purpose. If you were a vlandos, you should be killing monsters. Why not get paid for it?

    What other jobs were there for us but ones that weaponized us? They looked at us¡ªseven feet tall or taller¡ªand immediately thought, "Fuck¡­ one of them."

    Of course, there were exceptions. Adventurers who actually believed in the noble ideals (or a version of them), those who were new to adventuring, those who lived in sheltered communities, those who wanted to make a ¡°difference.¡± They were the most annoying ones.

    The type that made you want to beat them to a pulp. They always agreed with regulars, always ¡°understanding¡± their point of view.

    If a human told them to beat up a fellow vlandos to prove they cared about humans, they would probably do it.

    "Look! I¡¯m one of the good ones! You want me to lick your boots too?" They¡¯d probably suck off a homeless man¡¯s dirty dick to prove it.

    They were more annoying than hateful humans. At least it was expected for them to hate us, to distance themselves from us. It was them or us, like cats versus dogs.

    But a sucker on the same side as us, desperately seeking validation from the other side¡ªthe same side that talks shit behind their back and would kill them in an instant? That shit made you want to do more than break their neck.

    It was a kind of rage that barely felt normal. It was disgusting.

    I stopped thinking too much and tuned in to what Jim was saying.

    "You know what, you¡¯re smart. I¡¯ll keep it real with you. It¡¯s the same damn reason your father does farming. Does he like it?"

    <div>

    ¡°No. I don''t think anyone does,¡± she answered.

    ¡°Exactly. It¡¯s just the only job available to us. The only job that isn¡¯t too morally disgusting or humiliating. The money isn¡¯t worth this. It¡¯s never worth the stress. It¡¯s never worth knowing when you¡¯re going to screw up and mess someone up.¡± He continued to mumble, ¡°But you know you will. One day you will. You just don¡¯t know when, or why you''re going to finally lose self-control.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s scarier than dealing with monsters?¡±

    He answered, ¡°Sometimes, yeah.¡±

    One¡¯s anxiety was caused because you didn¡¯t know when the day would come. The other was scary because you knew it would happen one day.

    She slowly nodded and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s say¡­ my brother is a vlandos. Hypothetical, of course. If he was one, what advice would you give me to give to him?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Lucky him, he lives in a faraway village, so he could live a free life. But¡­ since he¡¯s going to a doctor, his blood will be tested, and he¡¯ll be added to the database.¡±

    I noticed her surprise. They register vlandos?

    ¡°Yeah, how don¡¯t you know that? You never heard of people going from village to village, checking kids for vlandos signs?¡±

    ¡°No. Never happened in mine.¡±

    ¡°True that, kinda why I said your brother is lucky. These Government workers are lazy shits.¡±

    ¡°I see. Now what if he wanted to become an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t. He¡¯ll hate it.¡±

    ¡°But how would he get a job?¡±

    ¡°Maybe the circus? He might get lucky and meet people who don¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°How about Knights and Vanquishe¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d strongly advise against that,¡± I cut in. ¡°Better someone kills themselves than become one of those.¡±

    Vanquishers were disgusting enough, but a fucking Knight? Absolutely disgusting.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Jim kindly told her, in a way I couldn¡¯t, ¡°Let¡¯s stick to the simple stuff. If your brother hypothetically becomes a vlandos and doesn¡¯t get lucky and needs a job, let me know. I think adventuring is a shitty job, but it¡¯s the best of these options. Knights and Vanquishers¡­ They¡¯re more painful. I¡¯ll give him all the tips and tricks to make sure his adventurer career isn¡¯t too hellish. Got it?¡±

    Vernisha nodded with a little smile. ¡°I will. Thanks. You¡¯re a really nice guy.¡±

    ¡°So are you. It¡¯s really cool that you feel comfortable around us.¡±

    I added, ¡°It¡¯s pretty okay. You¡¯re better than most kids.¡±

    She told me, ¡°I suspect you¡¯re very nice too.¡±

    ¡°No. And no, me healing people doesn¡¯t count as niceness. Not when I¡¯m on the job.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. How¡¯s the monster hunting going? Still no sight of it?¡±

    ¡°No¡ª¡±

    Then, in the distance, a bright fire illuminated the sky, and a cruel, disgusting voice followed: ¡®Ma¡­mmy... run¡­ me!¡¯

    The monster was back.

 Chapter 11: Run.

    POV: Vernisha

    Jim shot up with a serious expression. Without saying a word to Jer-kel, he drew his war hammer and summoned a pink shark-ray monster with a turtle shell, its skin covered in sharp, layered teeth.

    He mounted its back. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it away from here,¡± he said, casting a quick glance at Jer-kel. ¡°You know what to do.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, her voice low.

    With a swift movement, Jim took off toward the source of the sound.

    Is Lo going after the monster too? I thought, anxiety creeping in.

    ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s coming back!¡± someone cried.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to die. We¡¯re going to die!¡± another voice screamed.

    The crowd panicked, scattering in all directions.

    Jer-kel clicked her tongue in frustration. ¡°Don¡¯t run!¡±

    But, of course, they didn¡¯t listen.

    With a swift stomp, Jer-kel sent a massive cockroach monster with lobster-like pincers scuttling forward. The pincers, glowing a deep brown, plunged into the earth, digging furiously. The ground seemed to cry in response, dirt rising to form a protective barrier around the panicking people.

    ¡°Let us out!¡± someone shouted.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to get us killed!¡± another person yelled.

    The dirt wall was thin, but strong enough to make breaking through impossible.

    Jer-kel turned to me, her eyes narrowing. ¡°You too should¡ª¡±

    Before she could finish, she grabbed my hand and leapt back. The air around us suddenly grew hot, and where I had been standing moments ago, the ground was scorched.

    That same monster¡ªit''s here again?!

    Jer-kel was equally confused. ¡°Why is it here...? The Sharfeline shouldn¡¯t be¡ª¡±

    The monster emitted a strange sound, its voice garbled, ¡°Get... the shovel for the... apples... bathe the apples¡­¡±

    What?

    Jer-kel¡¯s expression darkened. ¡°Stay by my side. If you run, it¡¯ll be harder for me to protect you.¡±

    ¡°Got it,¡± I whispered.

    Jer-kel threw a spear, which flew through the air with precision, but the Sharfeline easily dodged it by leaping several meters into the sky.

    She yanked me by the hand, and we rushed toward her cockroach monster. The creature, now hurling rocks the size of soccer balls at the Sharfeline, managed to land a few hits. Each strike made the monster roar in pain, but it didn¡¯t stop there. In retaliation, it shot fireballs at the cockroach monster.

    Once we reached the creature, Jer-kel kicked it, sending it back toward her.

    Suddenly, the Sharfeline¡¯s legs split open to reveal a vertical mouth lined with shark-like teeth, and a disgusting stench erupted from it. I immediately vomited, my eyes watering from the overwhelming smell.

    Is that some sort of skill?

    Jer-kel stomped the ground, summoning a humanoid woman with the lower body of a massive black spider. Her upper body was strangely beautiful, though her hair¡ªif it could be called that¡ªwas made up of blue, bleeding tongues writhing and dancing in the air.

    This is... disturbing.

    The humanoid spider grinned, its spider legs enlarging and shifting to pierce the Sharfeline. The legs were like spears come to life. One hit the Sharfeline in the shoulder, and another in its stomach. The monster¡¯s head grew three times its size, and its neck stretched out, whipping toward us like a deadly wrecking ball.

    Staying near her is going to get me killed.

    The humanoid spider moved quickly, blocking each of the Sharfeline¡¯s neck slams with its arms. Each impact echoed with a sickening thud.

    Jer-kel gritted her teeth, her arm trembling with the effort of absorbing the blows. Damage-sharing...

    The spider¡¯s arms began to shake, but the Sharfeline grinned. It was enjoying the fight.

    Jer-kel moved her hand to grab thin air. But just before her fist closed around it, the humanoid spider sliced off one of its legs at the joint, kicking it toward Jer-kel. The spider leg landed in her hand just in time.

    She hurled the leg into the Sharfeline¡¯s eyes. Distracted by its efforts to overpower the humanoid spider, it didn¡¯t see the attack coming.

    With a screech, the Sharfeline reared up onto its hind legs. The humanoid spider responded by pounding the ground with both hands. From its fingernails, a swarm of spiders scurried toward the Sharfeline.

    The Sharfeline quickly regained its composure. It lowered its front legs and let out a breath of fire, sending it roaring toward us. The fire didn¡¯t just incinerate the spiders, but it came at us like a speeding truck.

    ¡°Stay behind me!¡± Jer-kel shouted, moving swiftly in front of me.

    The humanoid spider raised its hair in defense, blocking the incoming flames. Everything in front of us was consumed by fire¡ªuntil the Sharfeline leapt through the flames, aiming for Jer-kel. Its legs targeted her head, but in a split second, its own leg slammed into Jer-kel''s body, sending her soaring through the air.

    No... No, she can¡¯t¡ª

    Jer-kel hit the ground hard, skipping like a stone across water until she crashed into a tree.

    She has to be alive. She¡¯s an adventurer!

    The ground around her erupted in fire, but she remained in the center, unyielding.

    ¡°Get¡­ pints¡­ food¡­ dying¡­¡± the Sharfeline rasped from the mouth in its stomach.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    ¡°How... are you here?¡± It focused on me now.

    My heart pounded, and a cold wave of fear washed over me. I need to get out of here.

    The humanoid spider¡¯s mouth twisted, its eyes rolled back in its head, and its face split open into a grotesque, massive mouth. It lunged, biting down on half of the Sharfeline¡¯s body.

    The fire died down, and Jer-kel rose to her knees. Her face was horribly burned, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. She looked around, searching for the Sharfeline.

    With a ferocious cry, she charged at it, grabbing its torn abdomen and ripping it wide open.

    Blood poured from the wound, thick and heavy, leaking out in grotesque, liquid-filled sacs. And within two seconds, small, alternate versions of the Sharfeline emerged from the sacs, struggling to break free.

    They were no taller than a dog, roughly the size of a husky. They lacked tails and mouths, but their eyes shone with an odd, animalistic charm.

    ¡°Drink... sky... dirt!¡± the Sharfeline screeched before charging at Jer-kel.

    Twelve of its newborns rushed toward the wall Jer-kel had built, their glowing white auras crackling with energy. They slammed into it, one after the other.

    The wall shuddered, but it didn¡¯t fall immediately. The monsters¡¯ attacks seemed to hurt them too. At first, I thought they were the ones getting injured by the impact.

    But as cracks formed in the wall, I realized that the monsters were relentless. Each strike brought the wall closer to breaking. After ten more hits, the front wall cracked in half. Five more and the wall collapsed completely.

    The villagers stared at the small monsters in fear. The creatures moved slowly, like predatory hyenas.

    Even if I wanted to help...

    In the corner of my eye, I spotted a newborn staring at me.

    Oh, shit.

    I quickly reached for my knife, my heart pounding.

    It lunged at me.

    It was like a damn arrow¡ªtoo fast for me. I barely registered the mistake I''d made when I tried to run, but the moment I turned, I felt a sudden weight on my shoulder.

    Then pain. Blood. More pain.

    The monster had torn off a large chunk of my shoulder. I slashed at its face, but it parried my knife with its claws, and the next thing I knew, its claws sliced halfway through my wrist.

    It moved for my neck, but then, thank god, Jer-kel, the humanoid spider, caught it with one of her legs. The monster resisted, scratching at her leg, but she slowly dragged it toward her mouth. She fit the entire head into her mouth and ripped it off, chewing on it like it was a snack.

    Thank god... wait, something feels off.

    Why did Jer-kel take so long to kill such a weak monster when she could''ve done it in an instant?

    The newborn monster went limp and fell to the ground. Jer-kel was hunched forward, staring at it, her movements stiff, like a zombie that had just regained consciousness.

    This is bad.

    I gave my shoulder a healing touch, the pain easing a little, and ran.

    Something didn¡¯t sit right. Jim and Lo were missing. Had the creature used some trick to deceive us? Or had the tear in its abdomen meant it spawned offspring to keep them busy?

    I glanced at Jer-kel. She was struggling, and now the monster she killed seemed to be acting strangely. I don''t know what''s going on, but at least it''s not rampaging.

    I wanted to help, but how? Healing her would only kill her¡ªshe wasn¡¯t a monster.

    A barrage of spider legs shot toward the sharfeline, and just like that, it seemed to snap back into action.

    But one of the stakes hit Jer-kel in the chest, denting her armor, knocking her back a considerable distance.

    Screams pierced the air, not from her, but from the villagers, who were being slaughtered by the newborns. They weren''t eating them; they were killing them, tearing through flesh in a frenzy. Their claws burned with fire as they ruptured heads, shredded stomachs, and bit off necks.

    Hell, they were even turning on each other, stabbing each other in the back to secure kills or, seemingly, for no reason at all.

    They were truly... monsters. Embodiments of pure evil.

    Natasha had never described them like this. She always told me to avoid them, but she¡¯d talked about monsters like they were natural disasters for humans, delivering justice for our sins. She must¡¯ve been out of her mind.

    Two of the monsters fought over the body of a toddler, pulling her in opposite directions like some sick game.

    Then there was a tearing sound, and no one cried for her as her parents¡ªwho had tried to defend her¡ªlay headless at her side.

    I felt sick. And even worse, I felt disgusted with myself, because not only couldn''t I help, I didn''t want to.

    While all this chaos unfolded, I hadn¡¯t just stood there, watching. I¡¯d sneaked into an open house, hiding behind the window.

    My heart raced in my chest. My hands were slick with sweat, and blood wasn¡¯t the only thing dampening my clothes. My whole body was soaked in fear.

    I hadn''t pissed myself, but with how terrified I was, I wouldn''t be surprised if I lost control.

    Fuck my life.

    I gripped my knife tightly, but what good was it? I couldn¡¯t even touch one of those monsters.

    If I stayed here...

    One of the monsters stopped chasing the villagers and began sniffing around, moving closer to the house I was hiding in.

    Shit!

    I dropped to the ground, covering my nose and breathing through my mouth.

    It didn¡¯t see me. It didn¡¯t see me... but it can smell me.

    I trembled as I heard it mumbling to itself, ¡°My... daughter... Dad! San... I am... Mammy...¡±

    It was fusing words it¡¯d heard, trying to make sense of them.

    It was getting closer. Fuck.

    The only thing special about me was my healing ability. But I was still just a vlandos. Maybe now was the time to use everything that came with being one.

    Augment speed.

    Inefficient modification points. Please gain more levels to earn modification points.

    Please bind with a monster to gain levels.

    Fuck!

    I gripped my knife tighter and crawled toward the kitchen, glancing at the pots hanging by the counter.

    I grabbed a frying pan, hoping to use it as some kind of shield¡ªeven if it could only take one hit.

    I could hear Jer-kel fighting the sharfeline outside. The noise of their struggle drowned out the footsteps of the newborn approaching.

    I was anxious. Terrified.

    I needed a plan. I didn¡¯t need to kill it¡ªI just needed to¡ª

    The wooden walls shattered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t... kill... see!¡±

    Shit!

    The newborn rushed at me, its stomach tongue lashing out and its twisted smile widening.

    Too fast. Too fast!

    I wanted to close my eyes, but I couldn¡¯t. Not if I wanted to survive. I moved the frying pan to protect my neck.

    The claws smashed through the pan like it was paper, but that wasn¡¯t all I was doing. My knife followed a low arc, moving just as quickly, aiming for its stomach.

    It struck.

    The monster looked down in shock, seeing my knife embedded halfway into its stomach. Its fury erupted.

    ¡°QUA!¡±

    It slashed at me, raking its claws across my chest, and blood poured from the wound.

    Then, its tail wrapped around my arm, swinging me through the air before throwing me into the ceiling.

    My nose cracked. Hurts...

    I fell back to the ground, gasping for air.

    The same claw it had used to rip my chest open¡ªsoaked red with my blood¡ªbegan to heat up, turning into fire.

    I released the pan and clutched my chest, desperately trying to regenerate the flesh that had been stripped from the bone. I poured almost everything I had into it, and that everything was draining me, making me feel more and more exhausted.

    The monster leaped at me, its mouth and stomach stretching open like the jaws of a hungry lion. I raised my arm to shield my face, but fuck that.

    I slapped its face just as its filthy tongue reached for my shoulder. The tongue moved like a snake, tightening around my arm, trying to rip it off.

    Well, whatever. It¡¯s not like I slapped it instead of stabbing it for no reason.

    Then there was a flash¡ªblack, unlike the flashes vlandos used when sending out monsters. It came from me.

    The monster turned into black energy, sucked into my left palm.

    I breathed hard, heart pounding. Ha... it worked.

    Hahaha, it fucking worked¡ª

    But then my hand burned.

    Shit, shit, shit!

    It felt like lava coursing through my veins.

    Against my will, another black flash erupted. The monster reformed, and the pain was even worse.

    It twitched. I couldn¡¯t let it kill me.

    I moved fast, taking advantage of its disorientation. I grabbed the monster by the neck and threw all my weight onto it.

    It crashed onto its back, and I hovered over it, stabbing with all my strength. Not once, but repeatedly, rapidly.

    Die. Die. Die!

    It squealed, its claws tearing at me, ripping flesh from my back and sides. I bled a lot, but I didn¡¯t stop.

    However, if I kept going, I¡¯d die first.

    I grabbed it with my left hand, and another black flash burst from my palm.

    I breathed hard, feeling the blood running down my back and legs, dripping onto the ground. I could feel all of it, the pain rising like a storm, just before the horrible bone-crunching pain slammed into me. The monster launched back, but I took advantage of the moment, stabbing it again.

    I stabbed and stabbed, because my life depended on it. And it clawed at me because its life depended on it.

    It thrashed violently, like a chicken with its head cut off.

    Finally, its movements slowed, growing weaker. Almost as weak as mine.

    Then, it stopped moving.

 Chapter 12: Monster Enslavement

    I grabbed its face with my left hand, unwilling to let it die.

    My hands glowed red, and the small amount of healing I could muster stopped it from slipping away. With my hand still on it, the monster turned into black energy and was sucked into my palm.

    It hurt like hell, but this time... it was bearable. I guess it¡¯s because it¡¯s too weak to fight back now.

    But, damn, I was tired... So tired. It was a strange kind of exhaustion, one that only came after using my healing skill.

    I collapsed forward, my body heavy. I can¡¯t heal anymore. I¡¯m too drained.

    If I tried to heal even a little more, I would run out of ether, faint, and risk dying. I know that from experience. The last time, I almost died trying to regenerate my legs after losing them to a boulder.

    That attempt had ended with me experiencing cardiac arrest for the second time. I got lucky then.

    But this... this hurt so much.

    My ribs were exposed, and I was sure many of them had been ripped away.

    I needed more ether. But Jer-kel couldn¡¯t help.

    The pain was unbearable. I didn¡¯t want to move, didn¡¯t want to do anything. But I couldn¡¯t just stay here.

    Walking wasn¡¯t an option. Crawling? Almost impossible.

    Oh wait. I have a monster now.

    I sent it out, and with a flash of black, it took form. But that wasn¡¯t all.

    I could see through its eyes. Hear, smell, feel¡ªeverything.

    That meant I could ¡®hear¡¯ its thoughts, too.

    Kill¡­ Plunder, take, devour, rip the guts, feast on the muscles, drink the blood, play with the brain parts, breed, have a million descendants, grow stronger, become the strongest.

    Over and over, those thoughts echoed in my mind.

    It made me nauseous. The monster¡¯s thoughts were so immersive, it felt like I had a second brain.

    If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll think those thoughts are mine.

    But, guh¡­ With the amount of blood I¡¯ve lost, maybe that¡¯s the least of my concerns.

    The monster''s thoughts still buzzed in my mind, but the will behind them was weak, drained.

    The red and purple blood I was lying in was becoming more blurry by the second.

    What can I do?

    Think. Think.

    I needed more ether.

    I¡¯m going to do something insane.

    "Bring me the corpse of your brethren. Or the ether organ in it."

    The monster near me struggled to move. Every shift of its body sent pain through me, especially the stab wounds in its neck.

    It hurts so much.

    I breathed heavily, my body too weak to make any more movements.

    I was so weak that controlling the monster felt nearly impossible, but it was weak too, so maybe it balanced out.

    Jer-kel was still fighting. I could see her through the monster¡¯s eyes. She was bloodied, but the Shafeline she was fighting was in worse shape. Its tail was cut off, half its face was gone, and most of its body had spider legs sticking out like spears.

    And yet, it was still moving, still trying to kill her.

    Breathing was becoming harder. I could barely pull in air, my chest tight with every attempt. I was making gurgling sounds. Blood¡¯s in my mouth. I didn¡¯t even realize until now.

    The monster under my command tore through its sibling¡¯s abdomen, digging until it found a wrinkly, ball-like organ, beating like a heart¡ªthe ether-processing organ, or EPO.

    It brought it to me. I couldn¡¯t really make it out with my own eyes, but I knew it was covered in blood and fat.

    I wasted no time. I bit down on it. Lucky for me, I can¡¯t taste shit.

    I tried to chew, but the meat was too tough, like a toddler trying to bite a rubber toy. I gave up on chewing and tried to swallow it whole.

    But I couldn¡¯t swallow it!

    Shit!

    I made my monster push the organ down my throat with its claw, forcing it into me.

    There was only one problem¡ªI didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to absorb the ether before I died.

    But... Oh... things are getting dark. Really dark.

    I tried to move my arm, but there was no strength behind it.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Put my left hand on my back.

    The monster obeyed. It coated its hand with my healing skill, hoping that the aura would stay active as I fell unconscious, fueled by the ether in the EPO.

    Hope... it must work... it must...

    And then everything went black.

    <hr>

    POV: Jim

    I jumped to the side as Treecra¡¯s leg¡ª the giant crab made of trees¡ªpierced through the Shafeline¡¯s head with ease.

    Its body dropped to the ground, purple blood pooling around it.

    What is going on here?

    I turned to Lo¡¯jul. "Are they just weak clones?"

    It wasn¡¯t the only one we¡¯d killed so far. All around us were exact copies of the Shafeline.

    Lo¡¯jul answered from atop his massive, four-legged creature, which had the body of a dog, gorilla arms, and a shark¡¯s head. "Since when are clones this weak? It¡¯s like we¡¯re fighting level 1 monsters."

    "So what¡¯s this all about?"

    He hopped off his creature and walked over to one of the corpses. His monster followed, probably under his mental command.

    Its eyes glowed green, and Lo¡¯jul made an annoyed sound. "It has some kind of active skill, but I don¡¯t know what it does."

    "I¡¯m starting to think this is just a distraction."

    "Yeah, me too. It¡¯s trying to make us focus on the villagers."

    "And we fell for it."

    It wanted to level up quickly, but it knew it couldn¡¯t take us all on. God, I hate monsters.

    "I hope Jer-kel-thuli-mal is okay. She should be. Yeah, she¡¯s fine."

    "Let¡¯s head back now."

    **

    POV: Bahmos

    Julus, Merkerthy, Tom, and I lay still on the dirt, not making a sound.

    We could hear everything around us, but thankfully, we had positioned ourselves near Dreamy¡¯s burial, far away from the chaos unfolding.

    The screaming from the villagers had faded significantly. There were still occasional cries, but they likely meant the monsters were running out of easy targets.

    We were probably next.

    Anxiety gripped me like a vice. Breathing was a struggle¡ªeverything felt manual now, and my body trembled uncontrollably.

    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Natasha. I had heard some faint sounds from the carriage¡ªhums, maybe¡ªbut once the screams began, there was nothing. But I was sure she hadn¡¯t left it either.

    Am I going to die here?

    Suddenly, I heard the crunch of leaves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ my¡­ run¡­¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    Gasp!

    I inhaled sharply, only to cough up blood.

    Am I alive? It worked¡­ It actually worked!

    I wanted to laugh, but instead, a crooked smile tugged at my lips. I hadn¡¯t thought about it, but there was a real chance the other monsters could have come for me while I was unconscious.

    Lucky me, huh?

    I felt the roughness of my back, but there was flesh. I could move¡ªweakly, but I could move. It seemed I was mostly intact.

    That EPO I¡¯d consumed must have been packed with ether. I wondered if there was a chance my own EPO could have exploded inside me.

    Well, whatever. What now?

    I needed to find Natasha and get out of here. But running out in the open? That was asking to get killed.

    What were the chances she was alive?

    I had no idea. I just had to hope they were high.

    I moved cautiously and peered through a gap in the wall. I saw Jer-kel still fighting with the shafeline.

    Her monster was in bad shape, just like her.

    Nearby, the bodies of newborn monsters littered the ground. Had Jer-kel killed them, or had the shafeline sacrificed her young to empower herself?

    If Jer-kel falls, I¡¯ll be next.

    I needed to heal her monster fast and run¡ªif I could.

    But if I was spotted, I wouldn¡¯t stand a chance. No amount of healing could save me from losing my head.

    I called over my monster, who struggled to move, and healed it. It wasn¡¯t much, but enough to make it act like a tired soldier instead of something near death.

    I need to save the rest for Jer-kel¡¯s monster¡­ but I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll have enough.

    No, wait. I could gather enough.

    I gripped my knife tightly and muttered, ¡°Go.¡±

    Mon dashed forward, moving swiftly across the battlefield. It weaved through the corpses of monsters, ripping open their abdomens and consuming their EPOs. Then, it returned to me.

    System, what are its skills?

    A strange sensation ran through my mind, and suddenly I knew everything I needed to.

    [Flame claws] [Strong charge] [Fire spit]

    It was also level 8.

    Mon made its way back into the house through the hole it had torn in the wall when it attacked me earlier. I kept to the other side to maintain stealth, and Mon came over to me, vomiting up the EPOs it had consumed.

    I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m about to do this.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if the gods of this world did the whole prayer thing, but I couldn¡¯t help but silently beg, Gods, please bless my stomach with the will of a rat.

    I held my breath, picked up two EPOs, and began eating them like they were meatballs.

    It was¡­ awful. The texture, the taste¡ªit felt like I was chewing on rotting dog meat.

    I fought to hold back the urge to vomit, my eyes watering as my hands trembled.

    The shafeline roared and swung its claws down at Jer-kel. The humanoid spider lunged in front of the attack.

    The claws tore into the spider. Both it and Jer-kel grunted in pain.

    Shit.

    I shouted to Mon, Distract your mother!

    Mon rushed forward just as the shafeline was about to breathe fire on Jer-kel. It slashed at the monster¡¯s legs with [flame claws]. Normally, the attack would¡¯ve only scratched, but the shafeline already had deep wounds there.

    The shafeline kicked back in response, but it misjudged the target, thinking it was something larger. It missed.

    I bolted from my position as fast as I could, hoping the shafeline was confused about why its own child was attacking it. It probably no longer saw Jer-kel as a threat.

    It¡¯s right, though. She can barely stand.

    Why didn¡¯t Jer-kel use her fairy monster to heal? Oh, right¡ªher fairy had run out of ether when healing the others.

    The ether-processing organ only absorbs ether from the air, but the air here was of terrible quality.

    Jer-kel caught sight of me, her expression clearly one of disbelief: What is she doing here? It quickly shifted to Oh no, this kid is going to get herself killed.

    She pointed away, aggressively trying to tell me to leave.

    I¡¯ll leave, once I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t die.

    I reached her, and she grabbed my shoulders¡ªprobably to whisper, Get out, but I dropped three EPOs into her hands. ¡°Use these for the fairy.¡±

    Healing her humanoid spider in front of her would have been dangerous, as Natasha had warned me. The last thing I needed was for Jer-kel to realize what I could do.

    If I had no chance of survival, I might¡¯ve risked it. But I wasn¡¯t there yet.

    Jer-kel took the EPOs and nodded.

    She pointed at her humanoid spider. ¡°Bring me to Shtyui. Quickly.¡±

    So that¡¯s its name.

    I grabbed her, pulling her along quickly. She seemed surprised. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ unnaturally strong.¡±

    Please think it¡¯s just a coincidence.

    ¡°Thank you. It¡¯s from working out a lot. Are your friends coming soon?¡±

    I should¡¯ve had Mon level us up¡ªdamn it. But at least it was skilled enough to evade the heavily injured shafeline.

    ¡°I assume they¡¯re busy fighting its children. But I¡¯ll call them now.¡±

    She said that, but I hadn¡¯t noticed the pyramid communicator on her. She went silent, maybe using one of her monster skills.

    We reached Shtyui. It could barely stand. Jer-kel approached and said, ¡°You did well.¡±

    She tapped it with her foot.

    There was a flash of white, and through Mon¡¯s eyes, I saw the shafeline stop and turn toward us.

    Jer-kel sent the fairy out. In an instant, the fairy went from being unharmed to bleeding from its nose and mouth, writhing in agony.

    Yikes.

    Jer-kel apologized to the fairy, then fed it the EPOs.

    ¡°Harve¡­st run!¡± The shafeline bellowed as it charged toward us.

    The sound caught Jer-kel¡¯s attention, giving me a brief moment to pull her monster away from our shared vision and heal as much as I could in one go. It was enough to stop the nosebleed and get the fairy back on its feet.

    ¡°Shit!¡± Jer-kel panicked and looked at me, her face filled with worry.

    The air whistled sharply. I saw the shafeline¡¯s claws closing in, heading straight for my neck.

    Oh. I¡¯m dead.

 Chapter 13: Heroism or Extreme prejudice

    Oh, I was dead.

    Before the claws could reach my throat, Jer-kel practically threw herself in the way. Her chest plate cracked, and she flew back, her body crashing into the ground.

    I was caught by her moving form and was sent tumbling along with her. I landed hard.

    Instead of crying out in pain, she adjusted her hands to cover my ears, blocking the sound.

    Wha¡ª

    I didn¡¯t need to wonder long. The answer came immediately. Her monster flew high into the air and screamed. The sound was so powerful that the ground trembled beneath us, the very earth vibrating with the force, while the shafeline howled in pain.

    Good. If she could keep that up for long enough, maybe she''d force it to faint.

    But then I noticed the fairy¡¯s ears were bleeding, and not just hers¡ªJer-kel¡¯s ears were bleeding, too. The pain must have been unbearable, and after a few moments, the fairy stopped her sonic assault.

    The trembling of the air and ground ceased, dropping from intense to nothing in a matter of seconds.

    Jer-kel muttered something under her breath. Frustration. It was clear¡ªthe fairy hadn¡¯t had enough time to absorb the ether from the organs, not nearly enough.

    I wasn¡¯t sure exactly how much time was needed, but it was certainly less than I had. She¡¯d barely gotten anything.

    Jer-kel tried to push herself up, but her movements were erratic, as if she had no sense of balance. Her eardrums were destroyed, and she stumbled like a drunk.

    The shafeline, meanwhile, was coating its body in fire and pounced like a wild cat.

    The fairy barely managed to evade it. It became a game of tag, and with every passing second, the shafeline was getting closer to catching her.

    Meanwhile, I focused on Mon, trying to direct it to fire at the creature. The little fireballs shot out, but they were too slow, barely even registering as a threat. The shafeline didn''t even look at them.

    I tried to lift Jer-kel, to drag her to safety, but¡ªholy shit, she was heavy. The armor alone must¡¯ve added over four hundred pounds. There was no way I could do this.

    But I had to.

    My muscles strained, and my legs trembled under the weight as if I were about to collapse. Come on¡­ Come on¡­

    I slid on a pebble, crashing forward. My chin slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave of pain through my skull.

    That hurt... Oh god, that hurts so much.

    Jer-kel¡¯s bleeding ears suddenly stopped, and I saw many of her wounds begin to close up.

    I snapped my attention to the fairy. Its body was coated in white energy, shimmering like a protective shield. Why doesn¡¯t it just fly higher up? I wondered. It could easily avoid the shafeline, but maybe it¡¯s worried the monster would target us instead.

    Well, whatever. The healer was back online. That was good news.

    Jer-kel pushed herself up and said, "Get to cover..."

    "What about you?" I asked.

    "Don¡¯t worry about me."

    "And the villagers?"

    ¡°There should be some alive. I made sure of that¡­¡±

    Her voice wasn¡¯t cold, but I could sense a hint of worry beneath her tough exterior. Maybe she wasn¡¯t as hardened as she let on. There was a difference between hating someone and thinking they deserved a painful death.

    There were definitely other monsters alive. A monster could be lurking around any corner.

    I had a way to fix that.

    I focused on Mon¡¯s senses¡ªits hearing and its sniffing.

    The scent of blood, feces, urine, and sweat flooded my senses. Then, I heard the low growls of monsters, too faint for a human ear to detect. About three of them, closing in.

    They were probably hunting the villagers.

    I know what I have to do.

    I made Mon lead the way toward the monsters and followed it closely.

    The first time I fought a monster, I almost died. To anyone else, my actions might seem irrational, even heroic.

    But it wasn¡¯t about heroism. I wasn¡¯t foolish enough to risk my life for some noble cause. I had once killed myself, indifferent to what the future held. That lack of regard for life made it hard to value my own.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    But now, there was a spark of something in me. I was excited, but also terrified, about what my future in this world might look like.

    The reason I was taking this risk? Because I hated these monsters. I wanted to see them suffer. I wanted to kill them, torture them, make them regret their very existence.

    And, of course, I wanted to save these people. It wasn¡¯t just about revenge.

    I spotted a monster perched on a house rooftop, looking down at a little boy hiding behind a house with his father and another person.

    The monster lunged at the boy.

    Go!

    Mon dashed forward at full speed, kicking up dust as it sprinted. My eyes locked on the monster, its every movement frantic as it closed the distance to the boy. Just as it was within a meter, a fireball, the size of a tennis ball, hit it square in the face.

    ¡°Quaa!¡± the monster screeched, its pouncing form faltering, and it crashed to the ground in front of the three hiding figures.

    ¡°What the hell?!¡± the father¡ªat least, I assumed he was the father¡ªyelled in shock.

    The monster clawed at the ground, desperately trying to bury its head to extinguish the fire.

    I didn¡¯t waste any time. I made Mon bite down on the monster¡¯s throat with all its strength. There was a sickening crack, followed by the frantic panicking of the monster, its life slipping away as it struggled.

    I was making my way toward them, running around the building to reach its blind spot.

    My ribs hurt.

    The monster¡¯s claws were embedded deep in Mon¡¯s body. I moved quickly, finally arriving at the back of it. It had no idea I was there.

    With both hands on the hilt of my blade, I struck its spine, aiming to paralyze it. I couldn¡¯t go for a throat cut, as Mon was blocking my way.

    The blade sank deep into its back, but the bone was tough, and the monster struggled fiercely, trying to break free. I kept stabbing the same spot¡ªwell, I tried to. My aim wasn¡¯t great.

    Just die!

    After a few more stabs, its lower back finally stopped moving. Mon, at last, ripped its brother''s throat open.

    Personal Level: 4

    Shuralene, Level: 9

    This was my first time feeling this. Suddenly, I knew I¡¯d gained levels.

    My whole body felt stronger. I guessed that was the result of gaining three levels at once.

    I glanced at the family. They seemed slightly terrified of me, as if they hadn¡¯t just been saved by my actions. Maybe it was because of my violent approach, or because I was covered in blood¡ªboth fresh and old, from eating raw monster organs.

    Or maybe it was simpler than that. I was working with a monster, the very same kind that had likely killed many of their friends and family.

    I left without saying a word. I¡¯d preferred to keep my identity as a Vlandos hidden, but it didn¡¯t really matter.

    I moved quickly again.

    Now that I could upgrade my body, I wasn¡¯t sure about the potential drawbacks, like fatigue from the energy required for the changes.

    I should only use what I¡¯m confident in.

    I made Mon rip open its brother''s abdomen and take its EPO. I held my breath and ate it.

    The taste and texture were still revolting. My stomach churned terribly, and my eyes teared up again.

    It¡¯s whatever. I can handle this.

    We found another monster in a house. It was sniffing the ground, moving toward a room like a hungry doctor. This time, we didn¡¯t catch it off guard.

    It turned to face us and gave chase. Mon rushed forward to meet it, and the two clashed. Both of their claws were on fire, digging deep into each other¡¯s chests and backs.

    I moved fast¡ªfaster than I¡¯d ever moved before. Probably twice my previous speed, though that wasn¡¯t saying much since my body was still twelve years old. I dug my blade into the monster¡¯s hind legs, rendering them useless, then went for its neck.

    Level: 5

    Hm. That one must have been low-level. But it''s impossible to tell anyway.

    I healed my monster, restoring it to full health and¡­

    Kill¡­ kill... SLAUGHTER.

    Ugh¡­

    Mon¡¯s thoughts were getting loud, as if the barrier between our minds was breaking.

    I can handle it. I know my thoughts from Mon¡¯s, but this is starting to strain me.

    I felt tired, a headache beginning to form.

    I left the house, moving toward the next target, but that didn¡¯t seem necessary anymore.

    Wait. I can no longer smell the third monster through Mon''s senses. That means the last thing to do is check on Jer-kel.

    Ah, who am I kidding? I can''t really help.

    I looked at her fight. It was still bad, just like before.

    The Shafeline¡¯s tail was wrapped around the fairy¡¯s leg, swinging it around with violent force. The air whistled with every swing.

    That was affecting Jer-kel. Her footing was unstable. Even if I couldn¡¯t help directly, I had to do something¡ªanything. A distraction would be enough.

    Mon, [fire spit]¡ª

    A massive cone-shaped rock hit the Shafeline in the chest. Its body contorted with the impact, and it was thrown to the ground with a loud thud.

    Lo, Lo¡¯jul, and Jim arrived atop their monsters¡ªa giant tree-crab-like creature and a four-meter-tall dog with gorilla and shark features, though not in a Frankenstein way.

    Jim turned to Lo¡¯jul. ¡°Nice shot.¡±

    ¡°Always.¡±

    It took them forever.

    The Shafeline lost its confidence, no longer attacking but instead raising its head to the sky. Its mouth glowed white.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to use that flash again!¡± I shouted.

    The tree-crab monster swung its pincers up, causing massive vines to explode from the ground. One of them struck the Shafeline¡¯s jaw with enough force to make a resounding bang!

    It screamed, trying to leap back, but Lo¡¯jul¡¯s monster slammed a gorilla fist into the ground, causing the earth beneath the Shafeline to disappear, swallowing it into a hole. It tried to escape, but the ground closed in on it with crushing force.

    Jim dismounted and approached Jer-kel. ¡°How bad is the bleeding?¡±

    ¡°Bad, but I¡¯m okay for the most part. Damn, I almost thought you wanted me to die.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about it,¡± he grinned.

    She rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure my death traumatizes you for life.¡±

    Her fairy flew above the Shafeline, which was struggling to breathe, and began to sing a chaotic but not unpleasant sound.

    It¡¯s boiling rage in me. A weird rage.

    I wasn¡¯t sure what its purpose was, but seeing how the Shafeline suddenly fixated on it, seething with rage, I guessed it was a taunt.

    The Shafeline broke through the rock walls, charging at the fairy. But as it leapt into the air, the gorilla-dog jumped after it, catching its leg and slamming it to the ground.

    The tree-crab monster ejected an open pincer, pinning the Shafeline¡¯s neck to the ground. Its other pincer secured its waist.

    Jer-kel clasped her ears. ¡°Blow its head off.¡±

    The other two also covered their ears. I did the same, sealing my monster.

    The Shafeline struggled against its restraints. The ground cracked beneath it, and the pincers were being forced upward.

    But it wasn¡¯t fast enough.

    The fairy was inhaling deeply, as though charging up a powerful exhale. As soon as the pincers were forced off the ground, the fairy unleashed a sonic boom.

    This time, the force was so intense that the air vibrated violently, the ground cracked, and houses crumbled.

    It¡¯s too much!

    My hand warmed with blood.

    ¡­

    I felt¡­ shaky, like the world was spinning. Oh, this is...

    I collapsed forward, unable to move. My ears¡ªthey hurt. They hurt so much.

 Chapter 14: Strange sighting

    POV: Lo¡¯jul

    The shafeline lay on the ground, half-dead and bloodied. It screeched, a dying bird¡¯s desperate attempt to hold on to life, but the sound was so weak that anyone except for us probably couldn¡¯t hear it.

    Jer pulled a spear from her pocket space (a watery air eclipse¡ªinventory) and drove it into the creature¡¯s throat.

    Jim muttered, ¡°Sorry we came so late.¡±

    She spat on the ground, her voice sharp, "There are still little monsters around."

    I asked, ¡°What about survivors?¡±

    ¡°Check,¡± she replied, her gaze already scanning the area.

    ¡°You lost something?¡± I pressed.

    ¡°Help me look for the kid. She¡¯s a vlandos,¡± Jer said, before walking off.

    Jim raised an eyebrow. ¡°She is¡­? Oh, that makes sense. But what about the survivors and the little monsters?¡±

    Jer was already dashing away, not bothering to answer him. I turned to Jim, irritation creeping in. ¡°Look around, man!¡±

    He shook his head in annoyance, then pulled out a mark-stone¡ªa portable touch-screen device. He snapped a picture of the monster¡¯s corpse, preparing to send it to the operator to confirm the mission¡¯s completion.

    I¡¯d almost forgotten about that. It was a good thing Jim had remembered, since I was the one appointed as team captain for this mission. Not that I was really functioning as one.

    Jer-kal-thuli-mal, a fairy, soared high above us, scouting the skies. I sent out my Goryu¡ªmy dog-gorilla-shark-like monster¡ªto search for Jer while also keeping an eye out for any monsters.

    Goryu began mapping the area, scanning a wide range. I could sense everyone¡¯s presence here¡ªno monsters were alive.

    Wait¡­

    There was a foreign smell, unfamiliar and not human. Nothing I could recognize.

    Do you know it?

    The growl Goryu made indicated uncertainty. Damn it.

    I froze, concentrating on the scent. It was strong, but fleeting¡ªappearing for a moment, then vanishing.

    But I couldn¡¯t pinpoint its origin¡­

    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s safe. T-that¡¯s good to see. I¡¯m glad she¡¯s safe.¡±

    I turned to find Jer talking to Natasha, who was holding a sleeping but very bloodied Vernisha in her arms.

    Jer didn¡¯t seem fazed by the gore around her. She was unharmed. Maybe she had experience with this kind of thing.

    Move your fucking ass! These survivors ain¡¯t going to help themselves! Jim¡¯s loud-ass system call broke my thoughts.

    Give me a break, I responded mentally, a groan escaping my lips.

    It felt like a waste of time and energy to focus on whatever strange thing was going on here. I had more important things to worry about, like giving Nub¡¯ol an excuse for why I couldn¡¯t make it for the date.

    Fucking hell. Everything I¡¯d planned for tonight was gone.

    Whatever. Time to focus on the survivors.

    <hr>

    POV: Lo¡¯jul''s Partner, Nub¡¯ol

    Men and women moved up and down in the luxurious restaurant, guided by employees dressed in all white.

    Almost everyone here was human, except for two elf employees. I respected their ability to adapt. They were hard workers, and you could find an elf in almost any job.

    I¡¯d spent most of my time requesting wine whenever the waiter came to ask if I was ready to order.

    The green beverage sitting in my glass was hot garbage compared to the alcohol back home. Even if I drank an entire barrel of this ''Jumbie,'' I wouldn¡¯t feel so much as tipsy.

    They really needed to start ordering some Mal¡¯quisha. It¡¯d probably kill most of them, but at least the taste would feel like godhood. Or maybe just poison. I wasn¡¯t sure.

    I tapped the edge of my glass. I¡¯d reached the limit of entertaining myself.

    Where the hell was that man?

    I glanced at my watch. Thirty minutes to 14:00.

    Sigh. Of course, on the day I¡¯d taken work leave¡­

    I guess he¡¯d gotten caught up with work again, like always.

    Sometimes work was slow for him. Those days were the best. Even though we didn¡¯t fuck like rabbits anymore, like when we were younger, it still felt good to cook breakfast and lunch together. We¡¯d go out to the garden, disappointed to find that the birds had stolen the ripening fruits, and just be around each other.

    Not talking. Not doing anything. Just sitting next to each other with my legs resting on his chest or lap, of course.

    But when work was busy, it was busy. He¡¯d be gone for days. When he was really unlucky, weeks.

    It didn¡¯t help when you heard about how many cheating scandals adventurers got themselves into.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.

    You don¡¯t hear, ¡®Hey, your man might cheat on you while he¡¯s deployed.¡¯

    It¡¯s: ¡°Oh, what does he do for a living?¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s an adventurer.¡¯

    They¡¯d get this surprised look, followed by pity. Then they¡¯d say, in the nicest way possible, ¡°From one woman to another,¡± they¡¯d say.

    <ul>

    <li>

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely going to cheat on you.¡±

    </li>

    <li>

    ¡°Think about it. He¡¯s gone for days, weeks, sometimes months, with only a few people. At least one of them is going to be a woman, and you know no one is turning down a goddamn vlandos. So, it¡¯s gonna start with some flirting. Some joking. Some bonding. Then... oops, some fucking.¡±

    </li>

    <li>

    ¡°There are stats on it. They fuck a lot, all the time. Hell, probably more than those in the military.¡±

    </li>

    </ul>

    It was enough to drive you crazy, to make you second-guess everything. But sometimes, you just had to say, ¡°No, my man is different.¡± Even though you felt like shit inside. It hurt worse when I remembered that Vlandos women were all insanely beautiful and, more often than not, fucking bitches.

    If you were a regular and your partner was Vlandos, it was like someone had painted a hot target on their head. The sexual advances¡ªand the pictures of them in bed, naked, with someone else¡ªweren¡¯t about the other person. It was about breaking the relationship. Proving, ¡®He¡¯s messing with a regular person.¡¯

    I¡¯d tell myself, Sorry, I believe in him. But even diamonds could crack under pressure.

    I missed the days when I was a teenager¡ªbefore I knew how common such behaviors were, before I understood why people did it.

    But damn, here I was, overthinking again.

    A waiter came to my table. ¡°Miss, I think an hour has passed¡­¡±

    I sat up straight. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry for wasting your time.¡±

    ¡°Hopefully, you¡¯ll be back. Maybe buying an extra hour will be in your husband¡¯s best interest.¡±

    I adjusted the gem-spotted white fur coat around my shoulders. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him that.¡±

    I was pissed, annoyed, and embarrassed. Everyone had seen me sitting there, waiting forever, like some elderly lady who¡¯d lost her husband and visited their old favorite spot to reminisce.

    But whatever. It¡¯s not like he¡¯s at fault. If he could be here, he would. I was sure he was thinking of ways to make it up to me.

    The thought, What if he¡¯s with another woman right now, flitted across my mind, but I kicked it away.

    As I made my way toward the exit, some people¡¯s attention was drawn to my unique piece of jewelry¡ªa nose chain. A gold chain circled the crown of my head, with the centerpiece extending to my nose and holding an emerald.

    Hm.

    I took a deep breath, letting go of the intrusive thoughts people tried to plant in my head, and pushed my own insecurities deeper into my heart.

    I just hoped he was alive, and that the mission was going smoothly.

    <hr>

    POV: Lo¡¯jul

    Jim and I found all the survivors. Only twenty. Five men, eight kids, and the rest were women. One didn¡¯t even have family. The kids explained that their fathers had been the first to die, trying to give the others a chance to escape, then the mothers died, and finally the older siblings.

    It was a total shitshow. These guys needed their minds wiped. All of them. I wondered how many would even protest.

    What choice did they have, anyway? Go see a therapist? With what money? The hospitals wouldn¡¯t pay for it, especially when the guild was footing the bill for mind erasure.

    One little boy, no older than eight, trembled with every breath. His fingers shook, though not as badly as his father¡¯s. He was scared of everything¡ªthe sounds, the world around him.

    I felt for him. Trauma wasn¡¯t something to joke about. I¡¯d never experienced anything truly traumatic as a kid, or as a teenager. Maybe my parents¡¯ divorce? Or how my mother¡¯s mother always treated my father like shit because he wasn¡¯t wealthy?

    My upbringing had been good enough that those things were the worst I¡¯d ever faced.

    The first time I saw real horror¡ªthe first time I fought a monster as an adventurer¡ªI was sure there had to be devils, evil gods, or something just as awful. I just knew it. As cruel as nature could be, monsters couldn¡¯t have come from it. I¡¯d said it before and I¡¯d say it again every time I saw shit like this: the mother of monsters myth had to be real.

    Some truly twisted bastard had to have created them, thinking, I¡¯m going to make these evil fuckers because I hate people with a passion.

    Yeah, I get it¡ªit¡¯s punishment for humanity¡¯s sins¡ªbut fuck off. Every living being had to pay for what humans did? That shit was crazy.

    These monsters could tell when you were new, when you didn¡¯t know what the hell you were doing. They¡¯d target you, tear you apart, eat you alive just for the fun of it.

    Being an adventurer either gave you balls of steel or sent you to an early grave, or left you a shell of your former self. Sometimes the fear never really went away. The body remembered it, maybe because of some monster skill or something.

    I know the first time I met a monster, I wanted to run. No amount of money could make that worth it.

    Anyway, I left Jim to tend to the survivors. I¡¯d done what I could, but I was a punchio. It was better for them to get comfort from someone they could relate to more.

    When I reached Natasha, I found Vernisha standing by her side. There were bloodstains on the sides of her face, her ears must¡¯ve been bleeding.

    ¡°How¡¯s she doing?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Alive,¡± Natasha replied, her voice flat and emotionless.

    She was stressed¡ªno surprise there. Nub¡¯ol always acted the same way when something was bothering her.

    ¡°Sorry we couldn¡¯t keep her safe,¡± I said, meaning it.

    ¡°As long as she¡¯s alive, I¡¯m happy.¡± Natasha turned toward Jer. ¡°Thank you, again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m grateful to Vernisha, too. She saved my life.¡±

    ¡°She did, huh? That¡¯s good to hear.¡±

    I left them to talk, then remembered they¡¯d come with others.

    ¡°Where are your other friends?¡± I asked.

    Natasha looked into the distance where the dense grass and trees met. ¡°One¡¯s alive.¡±

    I followed her gaze. Damn, I¡¯d been hoping to avoid this, but whatever. I walked between the towering trees, stepping over wild vines and dead branches. Then I came across¡ªwhat the hell?

    The trees in one direction were completely gone. The soil was bare, no leaves, no sign of aging. It looked like something had blown the trees out of existence and replaced everything.

    I saw a man, unconscious but alive. I walked over and shook him awake.

    He blinked in confusion, his body slumped, tired. I wanted to ask, What the hell happened here?

    But then I thought, Do I really want to deal with this? To lose more time with my wife? To get involved in whatever this is?

    I didn¡¯t want to, but leaving it unchecked could come back to haunt everyone. Since I was already here, I might as well get some answers.

    I asked him what had happened. He tried to speak but couldn¡¯t. After a moment, he gave up, staring blankly ahead. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Can¡¯t remember anything. Julus!¡±

    He forced himself to look around, panic setting in. ¡°Julus!¡±

    I figured that was one of his dead friends. Maybe his son, since he looked older.

    I pointed to the three corpses nearby. Their stomachs were exposed, their bodies half-eaten.

    When the man saw it, he was shocked. I didn¡¯t say anything to him.

    He didn¡¯t break down or cry, though. He just stared.

    How strange, I thought. He couldn¡¯t remember what had happened, not even a little. And somehow, this bizarre event had only occurred here. Since he was alive and the other three weren¡¯t, something must have been protecting him, or perhaps he was saved by whatever had killed the monster for reasons unknown.

    I tried to gather some clues, but there was nothing.

    Asking him questions seemed pointless. My monster couldn¡¯t detect anything else related to the strange smell or the odd circumstances here.

    Maybe I really shouldn¡¯t press further, I thought. This is risky. I¡¯ll report it to the guild.

    I returned to the others, bringing the man with me, of course.

    Jer was still standing by the woman and the little girl, while Jim wasn¡¯t talking to the survivors. Honestly, they probably didn¡¯t want to talk at all.

    The wind blew and the air whistled. The mission was done.

    Normally, I would¡¯ve called Nub¡¯ol and told her when I¡¯d be home, but I had forgotten my personal pyramid communicator at home.

    So, for a while, I just stood there, waiting. Then Jer looked up at me.

    ''Take the family to the capital,'' she told me, her lips not moving.

 Chapter 15: Sundawn

    POV: Lo''ju

    "And what about you?" I asked.

    "I''ll stay with Jim. It doesn''t make sense to leave him here alone," Bahmos replied.

    "Got it."

    I didn''t waste time. I quickly filled them in on what was going to happen. The man, Bahmos, agreed without much hesitation. Natasha, of course, agreed too.

    I pointed at the ground and sent out my triver. A massive bird monster, with two heads and black feathers. Its eyes stretched from the front of its face down to its chin, like a stack of neatly arranged books.

    I helped them onto the monster. I got her son and husband on as well. Once everyone was settled, holding onto my creature, I prepared for the flight.

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    Everything was dark. Once again, the darkness seemed to move around me, as if it had a life of its own.

    I floated through the space for what felt like forever. I knew this wasn¡¯t death. Unless, in this world, dying meant experiencing the same thing as my dreams.

    Gradually, things started to clear. The bright sky appeared.

    Nice. I¡¯m really alive.

    I had no idea what I was lying on, but it felt¡­ animal-like. I turned my head to the side to get a better look.

    Feathers...? And¡­ we were high in the sky?

    ¡°You¡¯re finally awake,¡± Natasha said, looking at me. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Yeah...¡± I tried to move, but my body ached.

    I coughed up a thick black liquid and wiped my chin, staring at it.

    Lo''ju said, ¡°You... were eating monster flesh?¡±

    ¡°No...¡± I replied, still dazed.

    "And you contracted Malertaria? You need to get to a doctor."

    ¡°A healing elixir wouldn¡¯t fix it?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t kill parasites.¡±

    Ah, shit. I guess this was what I got for indulging in a monster organ feast. I¡¯ll survive, though.

    Natasha asked him, ¡°How dangerous is it?¡±

    ¡°It depends. If she ate a lot of monster flesh, it can kill her in a week or two.¡±

    Oh. That doesn¡¯t sound too bad. I thought. I¡¯d expected it to be more urgent.

    ¡°Is the medicine for it cheap, or does it require surgery?¡±

    ¡°Medicine. A bit... Yeah, it¡¯s expensive.¡±

    I muttered, ¡°We pay taxes and we can¡¯t get medicine for cheap. Garbage-ass country.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a Vlandos, and below the working age, a child. If you say that, you¡¯ll get it for free.¡±

    Why the hell?

    He noticed the shift in my and Natasha¡¯s gazes.

    ¡°Jer-kel told me. I¡¯ll keep your secret... well, secret.¡±

    Tch.

    I said, ¡°Then you know that I wouldn¡¯t be telling anyone I¡¯m a Vlandos. Especially someone who works for or is partnered with the state.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll ask my wife for a favor.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°She¡¯s a doctor?¡±

    ¡°She works at a drug store.¡±

    ¡°Oh... I wouldn¡¯t need a prescription?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡±

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯d rather go to a doctor? Honestly, you should, since we don¡¯t know the strength of the Geio tablets you¡¯re going to need.¡±

    ¡°No, drug store.¡± I wasn¡¯t taking any risks with them testing my blood and discovering I was a Vlandos.

    He shrugged, the wind blowing his hair back and forth.

    I asked, ¡°Do you have control over your hair? Or does it move on its own?¡±

    ¡°Control. Like moving your fingers.¡±

    ¡°Pretty cool. When you make those short dreadlocks, do you control your hair to get the style, or do you use your hands, or both?¡±

    ¡°Both, kinda. And it¡¯s braids. My wife braids it for me.¡±

    Could¡¯ve fooled me. Maybe it was just the hair texture.

    ¡°She¡¯s better at it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She used to be a hair stylist.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cool. Does she do her own hair, or do you?¡±

    ¡°Me. Gets tiring doing it yourself, you see.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, for sure.¡±

    I looked down at the bird beneath us. ¡°How many minutes until it has to land?¡±The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    He raised an eyebrow.

    I expanded on what I meant. ¡°Until you lose control over it.¡±

    ¡°Long.¡±

    ¡°How long is ¡®long¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t know. When the time is up, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    No way in hell he doesn¡¯t know. When a monster¡¯s thoughts grow stronger, you can feel it. If he¡¯s been an adventurer for long, he definitely knows how long his control will last.

    But he was keeping it secret. Why? Because that was vital information.

    What would I even do with it, though? I needed to know how long his monster had been out too.

    ¡°How fast are we moving? In miles per hour?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Not sure. Maybe 150?¡±

    Oh¡­ With that, we¡¯ll reach the capital in no time!

    I sat up and looked at the land below. Villages, towns, rivers, and a whole lot of green mountains.

    There was a white river. Two guys were in it. They seemed to be dancing together¡ªnaked.

    Wait.

    Oh.

    Never mind.

    I looked elsewhere, observing a group of people working on a small house, nailing galvanized sheets onto the roof.

    In another spot, some people were carrying buckets of water. Others were hiking.

    It was cool to see all this. Even cooler that I didn¡¯t see anything grim¡ªno kidnapping, no murder, and so on.

    Emphasis on ¡®didn¡¯t see.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Caren muttered in his sleep. I wondered what nightmare he was having this time.

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Sorry. I am sorry.¡±

    He repeated the same words over and over again.

    Lp¡¯jul pointed ahead. ¡°Check it out. We¡¯ve reached.¡±

    I looked ahead. In the center of three massive mountains, two of which seemed to not belong (they lacked a mountain range), and one in the back that seemed naturally placed.

    I guessed the capital had been built there for defensive reasons.

    On the mountain to its right, there was a monster zone.

    But damn, that was a massive city, surrounded by black walls¡ªmaybe twelve meters tall. I¡¯d heard it was built by Eren Starworth after the original walls had been destroyed during the Falsker invasion.

    Those walls were lined with watchtowers.

    I asked Lo, ¡°In those watchtowers¡ªthey¡¯re all Vlandos?¡±

    ¡°No, not enough of us for that.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ just ordinary guys?¡±

    ¡°Most are. We¡¯ve only got two knights stationed there, and they¡¯re at the entrance gate.¡±

    Interesting.

    We descended a short distance away from the gates. Apparently, that¡¯s the law.

    Lo helped us get to the gate, easily carrying Caren as if he weighed less than fifty pounds.

    The knights wore armor unlike any adventurer¡¯s. They looked like knights straight out of legends. Their armor was gold and red, with swords at their waists and shields on their backs.

    The two men were massive, both easily towering over 6¡¯9¡±.

    One of them asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    I pulled out our residence papers, and Lo showed his adventurer¡¯s license. One of the knights stepped forward, scanning our papers and Lo¡¯s license with a mark-stone¡ªa device that resembled a tablet.

    It took a moment, but he gave us a nod. They asked why we were here. We explained it was for medical reasons, pointing to Caren and Ulah.

    The other knight asked, ¡°What kind of sickness do they have? Is it transmittable?¡±

    ¡°No, they ate some bread that made them sick and seems to be having a weird mutative effect on them. And Vernisha has Malertaria, she¡¯s spitting up black liquid,¡± Natasha explained, leaving out their violent outbursts.

    The two knights checked for obvious signs. I obliged by spitting up black, bloody vomit for them. Then they took some blood from us and ran it through their mark-stone.

    Obviously, I¡¯m worried about them taking my blood, but they discarded it as soon as they got the results. I assumed it was to verify we didn¡¯t have any transmittable diseases.

    They then asked how long we planned to stay and if we had a place to stay.

    If it weren¡¯t for Lo, that would have been a problem. He stepped in, saying that we¡¯d be staying with him until our family members were treated.

    We paid the entrance fees¡ªfifty bronze pints for Natasha and Caren, half that for Ulah and me.

    Oh, and Lo didn¡¯t have to pay since he was an adventurer. I wasn¡¯t sure why, but it seemed like the knights didn¡¯t like him. They were just being professional.

    One of the knights knocked on the gate, and soon after, the double gates opened for us.

    Oh, random note: the residence papers have a part that identifies citizens as either Vlandos or regular.

    As we entered the city, the knights offered a parting comment:

    ¡°We hope your experience in Sundawn is great.¡±

    ¡°May the stars shine on your family¡¯s future.¡±

    They seem cool.

    Once inside, I was surprised by what I saw. The place was beautiful. Massive concrete buildings lined both sides of the roads¡ªcommercial buildings, it seemed.

    Elves, punchios, a few Julioes, and other human races bustled around.

    Oh, there¡¯s a Silyuk. They all have big foreheads, half-white and ginger hair, and a high concentration of fat in their lower bodies. Big butts, no breasts.

    It reminded me of my high school principal from Earth.

    Even the guys had it, which¡ªfrom what I¡¯ve heard¡ªmakes them a target in prison.

    I looked around and spotted a Mulvar¡ªa dark-skinned figure with a sharp jawline but no eyebrows. His long brown hair and eyebrowless face reminded me of Super Saiyan Three.

    On another street, I saw a Balash temple with three holograms in front of it. The first depicted a yellow-haired woman with yellow eyes, her gaze fixed on the distant light of a star. The second showed an orange-haired man, illuminated by a blinding light from a star. The last, the largest of them all, was a blood-red-haired man surrounded by hundreds of stars.

    The three mortal gods.

    Lo noticed my gaze and remarked, ¡°The universe sure has its favorites.¡±

    All of them were humans. Kinda feels awkward.

    I cleared my throat and replied, ¡°There might be another mortal god who¡¯s a punchio, but hidden.¡±

    ¡°In our legends, there used to be. Anyway, let¡¯s get your family to a doctor. I¡¯ll grab the medication for you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks a lot again.¡±

    We walked for a while before hopping into a taxi¡ªa lizard-driven carriage. However, Bahmos, who had been silent the whole time, took a different taxi.

    I turned to Lo¡¯jul and said, ¡°You¡¯re much nicer than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well, Jer-kel asked me to help you all. So she must like you a lot.¡±

    ¡°Ah. That¡¯s good to hear. She saved me too.¡±

    He nodded slowly, looking somewhat surprised. Not sure why that surprised him.

    It took about ten minutes, and after crossing a bridge with a river running beneath it, we arrived at a private doctor¡¯s office.

    Lo commented, ¡°It should be better than a regular hospital.¡± Then he took a card from his pocket, stopped, and asked, ¡°You guys don¡¯t have a pyramid communicator?¡±

    Natasha replied, ¡°No.¡±

    Lo clicked his tongue and looked at me.

    ¡¯Lo¡¯Jul sons''ver¡¯mol¡¯yu is trying to form a communication line with you.

    Oh! Telepathy!

    I confirmed the request. Once done, he returned to his normal demeanor and faced forward.

    ¡¯Give me a thought if you need something.¡¯ I heard his voice in my head.

    ¡®How close do I need to be?¡¯

    ¡®A mile, maybe.¡¯

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said aloud.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Lo glanced out of the carriage and spoke to the security at the office¡¯s closed door. ¡°When the person inside is done, help them in.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Lo¡¯jun.¡±

    Then he disappeared. Maybe people don¡¯t have many adventurers in the city? Or Lo has a lot of connections.

    The security offered us benches, which we gratefully took.

    The only problem with going to a private doctor¡¯s office was that we didn¡¯t have an appointment, and it would cost a lot more than a state-funded hospital.

    But I hoped Lo knew this and chose the office for a reason.

    I glanced at Natasha, who was glaring at a tall boy¡ªa Vlandos, based on his height¡ªaround 6¡¯5¡± and maybe fifteen years old.

    He had blood-red and blonde hair, yellow eyes, clear skin, and was ridiculously handsome¡ªenough to be a model who could capture anyone¡¯s attention, even more than the average Vlandos man (just by a noticeable amount).

    I wondered if it was just lucky genes, the power of being Vlandos, or if he could afford beauty products. Maybe he dyed his hair... or belongs to one of those star families?

    I asked Natasha, ¡°You know him?¡±

    Her fist relaxed. ¡°No.¡±

    That was odd. This was the same woman who didn¡¯t even get angry at Caren when he was being a handful.

    I pressed, ¡°Are you sure? You look like you know him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    On his finger was an emerald ring.

    Hmm¡­ That guy is definitely rich. Maybe nobility? Or has an important job. I should probably avoid him, especially since Natasha doesn¡¯t seem to like him. But if I can make friends with someone influential or wealthy, it might be useful.

    Thanks to my connections with Jim and Jer-kel, Lo had helped us when we needed it.

    I didn¡¯t know when or how this would pay off, but making friends in high places could be beneficial.

    I stood and walked up to him. ¡°Hello.¡±

 Chapter 16: Networking

    To my surprise, things played out well.

    I had expected him to be egotistical or overly cautious around strangers, but he was relatively friendly.

    ¡°And that is¡­ a toy store, got some cool stuff, remote control dolls and so on.¡±

    He was being friendly because he thought I was a lost kid.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t really like dolls.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Why?¡±

    ¡°I prefer fake swords, for play sword fighting.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know much about him¡ªbarely knew his interests. But he was probably around fifteen years old, so there was a high chance he liked action, swords.

    Was that a stereotype? Yeah. But I didn¡¯t care. There was a damn high chance it was accurate.

    ¡°But why? Doesn¡¯t that hurt?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a little scratch or two? You scared of swords?¡±

    ¡°Fake ones? I¡¯m not scared, I just don¡¯t like sword play.¡±

    ¡°You messed with real ones?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­?¡±

    ¡°You plan to become an adventurer?¡±

    He stopped walking and asked, ¡°Where are you from? It¡¯s nowhere close.¡±

    ¡°What made you assume that?¡±

    ¡°You said something weird, and you talk like you¡¯re stringing all your words together. I have to think for three seconds to understand what you¡¯re saying.¡±

    And you talk like a fucking old man with dementia, taking forever to say a single word.

    For a second, I considered backing out, but if I was right about him having influence, most people would back down to show respect. So I needed to stand out.

    ¡°I¡¯m from a far village, that¡¯s why I talk fast, like I¡¯m not here to bore someone by taking ten minutes to finish a sentence.¡±

    His eyebrows furrowed, went back to normal, and then furrowed again. ¡°You¡¯re talking about me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but not in a rude way. Just being honest, choosing what¡¯s best.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ You think your accent is better?¡±

    ¡°By a lot.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°You are something else. Who put that idea in your head?¡±

    ¡°You think the way you Sundawn guys talk is better?¡±

    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not a matter of better or worse¡ª¡±

    ¡°Be honest, dude.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. Anyone with half a brain would think so.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re nicer than I thought. I thought you¡¯d say it¡¯s cavemen talk, or like a child¡¯s gibberish.¡±

    He chuckled. ¡°I held my tongue back. How old are you?¡±

    ¡°Twelve.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re acting like I said I was a zombie.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    ¡°My reaction wasn¡¯t anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Close enough.¡±

    ¡°Younger than I thought, that¡¯s all. You sure your mom is okay with you just walking around?¡±

    ¡°You going to kidnap me?¡±

    ¡°How much would you even sell for? Four bronzes?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s three more than you would go for.¡±

    ¡°My ass.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that illegal?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You said ¡®your ass.¡¯¡±

    It took him a couple of seconds to realize my implication.

    He chuckled like he was embarrassed. ¡°Oh¡­ You got some jokes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m talented.¡±

    ¡°You should monetize it.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. Get rich that way.¡±

    ¡°Rich¡­ I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that funny.¡±

    ¡°How would you know? I¡¯ve only made a joke or two with you.¡±

    ¡°Because there aren¡¯t many rich comedians.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just be one of the few.¡±

    He smiled. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ¡°Vernisha Holinstone. You?¡±

    ¡°Ferzan Starworth. How long do you plan to stay here for?¡±

    Starworth. Big, big shots.

    ¡°Until my family recovers. Medical reasons.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Cancer?¡±

    ¡°Christ, why¡¯d you jump to that?¡±

    ¡°No idea.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably worse. Just something shitty they ate.¡±

    ¡°Oh. How¡¯s that worse than cancer?¡±

    ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s complicated. But hopefully things will get better.¡±

    POV: Lo¡¯jul

    I entered the adventurer''s guild, climbed the stairs, filed my report on what had occurred that day, and once finished, changed into a simple outfit and left.

    Now¡­ Lu¡¯mat.

    I didn¡¯t bother checking the restaurant I had planned for our dinner; there was no way she would still be there.

    But...

    I did check. Outside, sitting on a bench near the flowers, was her. She was playing some dice game on her tablet, her face showing she was bored out of her mind.

    I sat next to her. She didn¡¯t turn to me or say anything.

    I said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°How was the quest?¡± she asked, still flicking her finger lazily across the screen.

    ¡°Lots of¡­ um, deaths. Most of the village got wiped out.¡±

    That caught her attention. She stopped flicking her finger against the screen, turned it off, and looked at me. ¡°You¡­ how are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Disappointed. It¡¯s one thing if it¡¯s a lot of death, but, Lu, there are only seventeen survivors.¡±

    ¡°Damn¡­ Sorry to hear that. I¡¯m sure you did your best.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But seriously, sorry for not being able to make it. I really wanted to. And then I didn¡¯t have my communicator on me.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You were out here fighting monsters, doing your mission.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I would¡¯ve rather been here, smiling with you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re here now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m complaining, not smiling.¡±

    She stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s change that.¡±

    I stood up too, towering over her. ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Read my mind.¡±

    ¡°I wish I could.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s make this night great. That¡¯s what I¡¯m thinking.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­ like.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean something that goes on for long.¡±

    I looked up at the stars. ¡°Want to¡­ walk home?¡±

    ¡°You want to kill my legs? I¡¯m fit, but not that fit.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just try it. We used to always do it. Walking in the darkness, under the moonlight, talking and talking.¡±

    She smiled at me, but there was a proud look in her eyes. Like any doubt she had in me was gone. ¡°Sure, I¡¯d love that. And carry me if my legs give out.¡±

    And so we walked along the sidewalk home. We, of course, passed by an ice cream mini-store.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen a damn Pink-terra flavor in a while,¡± she mentioned.

    ¡°Thought they stopped making it,¡± I said. ¡°I want to taste it.¡±

    ¡°You hate it.¡±

    ¡°I probably like it now.¡±

    ¡°I doubt it.¡±

    We went inside, and I got a Pink-terra ice cream in a cone. She took chocolate. Even the server had to remind her twice that it was chocolate and she was a punchio.

    As we walked, I asked, ¡°Feeling suicidal today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, why not? ¡®Death tastes like tits covered in honey.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you forget anything?¡±

    I had said that a couple of times when I was hospitalized from a monster battle. Sounded cool and edgy in my mind as a young adult.

    What? I have brain damage, broken ribs, and half of my leg is gone? Pft. Should¡¯ve seen me when my girl tried to put her finger up my ass.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°On a serious note, you¡¯re really gonna eat it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just vomit it when I¡¯m done. It just tastes too good.¡±

    ¡°No food is worth playing with your life for.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a pussy.¡±

    ¡°No food except that.¡±

    She laughed. It was an ugly laugh, but I found it charming. I always did.

    An hour passed. For half of that time, we talked, laughed, and so on. The other half was just silence, walking side by side.

    Of course, she vomited the ice cream and took some pills.

    We reached our home, small but perfect for us. She opened the door with the key, and we entered. I reached for the lights, but she took my hand.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep it off,¡± she said.

    ¡°Oh. Here?¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    She pulled me onto her, and I felt her breast against my chest as we kissed. We slowly backed up, our memory of the couch in our minds.

    My shirt came off, and so did hers.

    I felt the couch and we got onto it. Then she stopped kissing me, but I felt her breath on my face. ¡°I fucking love you.¡±

    ¡°I love you too,¡± I said, kissing her again. My hands slid up her back until I reached her bra, unpinned it, and heard the small sound of it hitting the ground.

    Oh.

    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± I said. ¡°I kinda need geio for this kid who was feasting on monster flesh.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll worry about that afterward.¡± Her hands caressed my stomach, slowly making their way down.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m sure she can wait.¡± I became one with her, like salt and water, dissolving until it was only water.

 Chapter 17: Uncurable

    It turned out that in the short time I spent building a friendship with Ferzan, the doctor finally opened his door, allowing us to step inside.

    The office wasn¡¯t at all what I expected. I had assumed it would resemble a doctor¡¯s office back on Earth.

    Instead, there was a narrow corridor leading to a door, behind which a person waited.

    Now, we were in the doctor¡¯s room, sitting on a bench as he asked us questions.

    ¡°And the bread you found was from a table outside the Balash temple?¡± he asked, sitting on his red chair, tablet in hand, writing on the screen.

    To spare the boring details, I explained everything about the bread and the situation surrounding it.

    He asked if I had eaten the bread. I lied and said no.

    I didn¡¯t want him poking around my biology, trying to figure out why I wasn¡¯t ¡°affected.¡±

    Huh. Now that I think about it, it¡¯s strange that I wasn¡¯t affected.

    I had stomach pains, but once I applied my healing aura, it stopped almost immediately.

    That doesn¡¯t make sense. I had gotten Perstu before¡ªa disease spread by sharkcrow feces. My body healed each time, but the condition worsened quickly until my immune system could kill off the disease.

    So, it¡¯s odd that my healing aura negated the mutation effect of the bread.

    Maybe it was the reaction caused by the ether in the healing aura or the properties of the bread itself.

    Or maybe I just didn¡¯t get one of the bad batches.

    Once the questioning ended, the doctor flicked his finger, summoning a monster¡ªa giant brain the size of a rhino, with a single red ¡°eye¡± in the center, likely non-functional due to its placement.

    He said it was to analyze our bodies.

    The doctor sat there, taking notes every few minutes. Sometimes, he would go a full ten minutes without writing anything down.

    It took me a moment to realize what was going on.

    Shared senses. He was seeing or sensing whatever the monster perceived from us.

    He placed the tablet on the table, his face grim. ¡°All of their cells are corrupted. The mutation is slow in their bodies, but not in their brains. I¡¯ll do my best to maintain some sense of their former selves.¡±

    ¡°So, they can¡¯t be fixed?¡± I asked.

    ¡°They will never be the same,¡± he replied.

    My gut felt empty, like a sudden black hole had opened inside me, and a chill ran down my spine.

    I crossed my fingers and asked, ¡°But he¡¯ll survive? The child?¡±

    He raised an eyebrow, his confusion apparent. ¡°Yes... your brother will survive.¡±

    Natasha, who hadn¡¯t shown any emotion, asked, ¡°And how much will that cost?¡±

    ¡°To stop the mutation for twenty-four hours? Two silvers. I¡¯m offering a fifty percent discount.¡±

    We didn¡¯t have enough for that.

    Outside, Natasha and I stood in silence.

    I asked her, ¡°How is it going to be paid?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Don¡¯t worry about it?

    Then she asked, ¡°How would you feel if they died?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Never mind. Ignore the question.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°No. You can¡¯t just ask that out of nowhere and say never mind. What do you mean by that? Why would you even ask that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Oh for... Is the idea to just give up? That Punchio guy said he would help us. Sure, it¡¯s embarrassing as hell to ask strangers for money, but he offered.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in debt¡ª¡±

    ¡°We can worry about that later.¡±

    ¡°Child... you¡¯re getting too close to them.¡±

    ¡°What? What do you mean by that?¡±

    She gestured to my left hand. ¡°You know what I mean. I want you to not hate them, but I don¡¯t want you getting too friendly with them.¡±

    ¡°You were okay with me interacting with Jer-kel and the others?¡±

    ¡°Is your memory short? You know why I agreed to that. The fact that you did it got us a lot of help.¡±

    I stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m careful. Always.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not always.¡±

    ¡°Forget that. What did you mean by your question? You went from wanting to save them, especially Caren, to now¡ª¡± I threw my hands up in defeat. ¡°That sucks. Too bad?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. I just wanted to know... how you would feel. That¡¯s all. Asking it now was bad timing on my part. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well, how do you think I¡¯d feel?¡±

    ¡°Very hurt.¡±

    I took a few steps back while facing her. ¡°Yeah. So I¡¯m going to get in contact with Lu¡¯jul. You¡¯re welcome.¡±

    Natasha turned away and walked back into the office.

    What the hell is going on in that woman¡¯s head?

    Whatever.

    Now to contact Lu¡¯jul...

    But there¡¯s the issue of me not having a manual on all the system features.

    ''Contact Lu¡¯jul.''

    I wasn¡¯t sure how I would be alerted that it worked.

    ''Can you hear me?''

    One second. Two seconds. Three¡­

    Lu¡¯jul is not awake

    Oh. You¡¯ve got to be kidding me...

    I tried again, but the response was the same. I waited five minutes, then tried again, repeating this for the next hour. The result never changed.

    Fucking hell, Lu¡¯jul, did you drink yourself to sleep after everything that happened today?

    My fist tightened, and my toes curled and uncured with tension. I was so angry, I cussed under my breath, my mouth clenched shut.

    Something my father used to do¡­ I must¡¯ve inherited it.

    Tch. If Lu¡¯jul isn¡¯t available, I guess I¡¯ll have to use other options. I just met Ferzan, so I don¡¯t want to ask him for money. But if my first choice doesn¡¯t work out, well, I¡¯ll have to swallow my pride and ask someone I barely know for help.

    I ran my fingers through my brown hair and exhaled sharply.

    Bahmos.

    He was on a call earlier, talking about a Vlandos quitting. Hopefully, he hadn''t found a replacement yet.

    But that means I need to reveal my identity¡ªand worse, my seal. He¡¯ll definitely want proof, and my seal¡¯s not the usual white ¡®M¡¯. Mine¡¯s a black spider.

    I thought through the challenges:

    Finding Bahmos.

    Proving myself, without exposing the black spider.

    Hmm¡­ Maybe I don¡¯t have to show the seal. There are other ways to prove I¡¯m a Vlandos¡ªsuperhuman.

    I began moving, looking for him, but I had no idea where he might be. The city was so vast, covering all the ground would be impossible in a day or two.

    I asked random people if they¡¯d seen him, describing his appearance. Every time, I got a no.

    Where would someone like him go? I wondered. I¡¯d guess shady business, but with the deaths of those three, he¡¯s probably shaken up. He might not head straight for his usual goal.

    So, where would someone go if they were stressed about the deaths of those close to them?

    To family, maybe? Or to a house of relief. But being in a city meant there were a lot of houses of relief.

    Fuck.

    I ended up just walking around, scanning every man¡¯s face, asking if they had seen him.

    Eventually, I stumbled upon a house of relief¡ªa long, yellow building with double doors wide open for anyone to walk in or out. And there, standing in front of it, was Bahmos. He was lost in thought, like he was waiting for a long-lost daughter to suddenly appear.

    I walked up beside him and said, ¡°You¡¯re not going in?¡±

    Inside, it looked like a church with benches, but that didn¡¯t seem to matter to him.

    He looked at me, unbothered. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Something important. I want to discuss it with you in private.¡±

    ¡°You lost?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s about your job. You need a Vlandos. I know one.¡±

    ¡°Who told you that?¡±

    ¡°I heard you on the phone.¡±

    ¡°When?¡±

    ¡°When we were traveling on your lizard.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± He barely reacted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need a Vlandos?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that got to do with you? Why do you care?¡±

    ¡°You helped my family a lot. If it weren¡¯t for you, my brother and father would be dead.¡± I worked hard to sound emotional but not too much. Too much would be suspicious.

    ¡°That¡¯s something else.¡±

    I wanted to pressure him into moving faster, but that would be insensitive. I didn¡¯t care about him, but I was the one asking for something. He didn¡¯t know that yet.

    I said nothing and just stood there, my impatience eating away at me, though I kept a calm exterior.

    People came and went.

    Bahmos broke the silence and randomly asked, ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ Okay, mostly.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re tough. Tougher than me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure my family will survive, so I¡¯m not too worried.¡±

    Obviously, that¡¯s a lie.

    ¡°I was thinking about what you saw back at that village.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°When I first saw something like that, I couldn¡¯t sleep by myself for days. Didn¡¯t leave my brother¡¯s side until he forced me to come here.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just get your memory wiped?¡±

    ¡°Bad experiences desensitize you to future bad ones.¡±

    ¡°And someone like you needs to be very desensitized.¡±

    ¡°Got that right.¡±

    ¡°So, are you going to go inside or not?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I have time. This Vlandos¡ªtake me to them.¡±

    <hr>

    ¡°¡­ Is this some joke?¡± Bahmos asked me.

    We were behind a cheap restaurant.

    I had told him I was the Vlandos, and as you can imagine, he didn¡¯t take it well, thinking I was joking.

    He shook his head, angry, then turned to walk away.

    I grabbed his hand. ¡°I¡¯m not lying.¡±

    He tried to jerk his hand away, but it didn¡¯t budge.

    He was confused and tried again.

    ¡°What the hell¡­¡± he muttered.

    I asked, ¡°Do you still think I¡¯m just a regular child?¡±

 Chapter 18: Level Requirement

    Bahmos just stared at me, disbelief written across his face.

    He asked, ¡°Is that some trick?¡±

    Let¡¯s see how much stronger I am after those level-ups.

    I grabbed him and pulled him toward me swiftly, then tossed him into the air. His body felt like a heavy backpack as I lifted him. He didn¡¯t go very high¡ªmaybe two meters at best¡ªbut I was still surprised when he didn¡¯t scream. His fear was palpable, though. As I caught him, I buckled under the weight slightly.

    ¡°Put me down!¡± he demanded.

    I did, and he nearly dropped onto his backside, but he used his hands to steady himself, scrambling to regain his footing.

    His chest heaved as he gasped for air, and he swallowed hard. ¡°Since when have you been one of them?¡±

    ¡°A week ago,¡± I lied.

    ¡°Oh. That doesn¡¯t sound too bad¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t have killed you in your sleep.¡±

    ¡°I find that hard to believe, but thanks.¡±

    ¡°I thought you weren¡¯t afraid of vlandos, since you hire them.¡±

    ¡°If a vlandos hates me, of course I¡¯m going to be afraid.¡±

    ¡°What do you need the money for?¡± he asked

    ¡°You already know, or at least have guessed.¡±

    ¡°I can borrow from your mother¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    He stared at me for a few moments, then replied, ¡°Too much debt is always a bad thing. Anyway, do you even have a monster?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Your level?¡±

    ¡°Currently, 10.¡± I was lying, of course¡ªdivided by two.

    ¡°No way. I felt the strength you used to throw me. You¡¯re maybe level four or six. But there¡¯s no way you¡¯re level ten.¡±

    ¡°How would you know?¡±

    ¡°I have a lot of experience with vlandos. Don¡¯t bother lying, but... if you actually are level 10, I¡¯ll hire you.¡±

    ¡°But I have a monster.¡±

    ¡°So do the people I do business with. Most likely stronger ones.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for it. I¡¯m strong enough.¡±

    ¡°Level 10 or nothing.¡±

    ¡°Where... would I meet you once I¡¯m done?¡±

    ¡°Back at that house of relief, most likely.¡±

    I had to fight monsters. I wanted to avoid them as much as possible.

    I felt my back, tracing the wounds where it had been torn apart. My fingers trembled, and I bit down on my lip to stop myself from remembering how close I had come to dying.

    I walked away and approached a random person, asking, ¡°Where¡¯s the nearest monster zone?¡±

    The old woman, leaning on her cane, turned toward me with mild surprise. ¡°Oh dear child, why do you want to know? Shouldn''t you be with your parents?¡±

    ¡°I just want to know for a geography map assignment I was given by my teacher. I¡¯m supposed to go around asking people questions and build a map of Terrafall based on the information I get.¡±

    ¡°Oh... Hm. Then maybe the Great Monster Forest. It¡¯s...¡± She pointed ahead. ¡°A couple miles into the Bellot Forest.¡±

    Asking random people didn¡¯t seem like the best option anymore. I needed the precise details, so I could find the place with 99% accuracy instead of risking getting lost.

    I walked away. Maybe I should just hunt animals to level up.

    But monsters would obviously give me more experience. To reach level 10, I¡¯d need to take on powerful beasts in large quantities.

    I guessed monsters far outclassed animals, and the last monster I killed had only given me two level-ups. Animals like wild lizards would probably give me a tenth of a level at my current strength.

    Not bad, but not good enough.

    A few adventurers passed by, walking up and down the street. I could ask them about the monster zone and see if they¡¯d be willing to team up.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Except, it was illegal to enter monster zones without working for a defense government agency¡ªKnights, Vanquishers, or Adventurers.

    Out of the corner of my eye, something caught my attention.

    A child, much taller than me, but still with a child¡¯s face, was armored and walking alongside a much bigger adventurer.

    So adventurers don¡¯t need to be adults? That shouldn¡¯t surprise me. Whatever, it didn¡¯t change anything for me.

    Who can I get to help me out?

    I tried calling Ju¡¯lus through the system, but got the same response. The bastard was asleep.

    Who else could I rely on?

    Oh...

    Ferzan. I had no idea where he was, but someone like him probably lived on an estate.

    Hopefully, he hadn¡¯t left the city yet.

    I took a deep breath and made my way toward a likely place. I just had to hope it would be soon¡ªnot next week.

    And, of course, I had to hope he had a white-knighting bone in his body.

    <hr>

    POV: Ferzan

    I stared into nothing, waiting for the girl to pick her earrings.

    I shouldn¡¯t be here, but here I was.

    It¡¯s not like I even knew her. She was just persistent about me taking her out on a date.

    I didn¡¯t want to be an asshole, so I went along with it.

    But now it felt like this was happening every damn moment I was in this city, and it was annoying.

    One of the workers at this jewelry shop had been staring at me anxiously for a while now.

    I turned and waved at him. ¡°How¡¯s your day?¡±

    ¡°G-good. And you? See anything you like for yourself?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t the only one looking at me like I was royalty¡ªbasically, the entire shop was.

    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the shop owner was on his way over.

    ¡°I think this one¡¯s perfect,¡± the lady said, holding up gold earrings shaped like two small swords, forming a ¡®t¡¯.

    ¡°Looks nice on you,¡± I said before walking out, practically escaping.

    I came to this city to get some caffeine since the stock at home was gone.

    I was honestly shocked when I checked the cabinets and the warehouse, which contained enough supplies to sustain us for years.

    My sister was always experimenting and studying, so she was probably the one responsible for this.

    ¡°Hey, Young Star!¡± A random construction worker waved at me. As his crew turned to face me, they all smiled and waved.

    ¡°How¡¯s your day?¡± one of them asked.

    It wasn¡¯t unusual for them to try and get me to meet their daughters, no matter their age. Even those with only sons tried the same.

    ¡°Young God, can I take a picture with you for my daughter?¡±

    I quickly muttered that I was busy and speed-walked away.

    I used to hide my identity, but my grandmother absolutely hated it.

    I still remembered that one dinner in Yellowbrim Country, the land of the Starlights. When she found out that every time I left my dad¡¯s estate, I dyed my hair and wore a mask, she looked at me as though I had killed my sister in cold blood.

    My grandmother, a beautiful blonde woman who looked no older than thirty, sat at the end of the long black table. A plate of green ice cream, so cold it chilled the air around it, sat in front of her. She set down her spoon, which was filled with ice cream, and said firmly:

    ¡°You will not hide from others. You will allow yourself to be seen, heard, loved, desired, and hated by all.¡±

    If it had been anyone else telling me such an absurd thing, I would¡¯ve scoffed. (Except for my grandfather, parents, and trainer.)

    I had already gotten what I wanted, so all I needed now was to hit my level-up quota for the day.

    I started running, hoping to avoid anyone trying to stop me for greetings.

    When I reached the gates, to my surprise, the brown-haired little girl was standing there, seemingly waiting for someone. Or maybe for me.

    She went from calmly looking around to locking eyes with me, sighing in relief.

    Is she lost?

    I walked up to her. ¡°Waiting for someone?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you.¡±

    ...

    Eh?

    ¡°Oh, why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Can we talk in private?¡±

    I placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke with sympathy. ¡°Did your parents tell you to do this? Or someone who''s taking care of you?¡±

    She looked confused, almost offended. ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t believe in child marriage, and I¡¯m not being trafficked.¡±

    ...Oh.

    I pulled my hand back and assessed her. ¡°So... what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Private¡ª Oh wait. I know something. I want to tell you something, but I need you to guarantee you won¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure.¡±

    She balled her hand into a fist, her voice strong. ¡°Because if you do tell anyone, me and my family will be skinned alive, tortured, then killed.¡±

    What the hell?

    I quickly scanned the area. ¡°Are they watching right now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±

    I wanted to just finish my quota, but things had changed.

    To make matters worse, she was coming to me with this, despite not seeming to know who I was.

    She probably recognized me because of my hair and eye color. I was from Starlight and the Starworth family, after all.

    ¡°Okay, maybe you can just whisper it to me.¡±

    She met my eyes, and then a sudden, alien thought popped into my mind.

    Vernisha Holinestone is trying to connect to you.

    Oh. ¡°You are short for a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    Vlandos? So that¡¯s what she was trying to keep secret.

    I accepted the connection.

    ''You are short for a vlandos.'' I sent telepathically.

    ¡®Damn me for not getting the giant genes.¡¯

    ''Giant genes...? You haven¡¯t tried modifying your growth rates?''

    ¡®No? Am I supposed to?¡¯

    ¡°Basically, yeah. Haha. Ever seen a regular height vlandos?¡±

    ¡®I didn¡¯t know there were regular-sized ones. Wait, why would anyone get bigger if it would just out them as a vlandos? That doesn¡¯t make sense. Are you messing with me?¡¯

    I couldn¡¯t help but smile. ''Somewhat. It¡¯s complicated. But let¡¯s focus on the important stuff. Did you only want to tell me you¡¯re a vlandos?''

    ¡¯It¡¯s related to it. Basically, I want to level up so I can protect myself.¡¯

    ¡®That could be troublesome. Killing animals and leaving their carcasses is very illegal.¡¯

    ¡¯Killing monsters should be fine then.¡¯

    ¡®Are you an adventurer?¡¯

    ¡®I mean this respectfully, and not sarcastically at all: what do you think?¡¯

    ¡®No. That¡¯s why you came to me?¡¯

    ¡®Yes.¡¯

    This was getting stressful.

    I looked at her hard, my thoughts a tangled mess.

    ¡®What about those who threaten you? I could just kill them. That would be easier.¡¯

    She looked surprised as if struck by something unexpected.

    Was it because I was willing to put myself at risk?

    I elaborated. ¡®I¡¯m strong, very strong, so I wouldn¡¯t be at risk.¡¯

    ¡®Oh. I¡­ just want to learn to protect myself. I don¡¯t want to grow up relying on others.¡¯

    ¡®But this is different. Your family¡¯s life is at risk.¡¯

    ¡®You¡¯re right, but what happens when you kill them, and their families and friends come after you¡ªor me¡ªfor revenge, thinking I did something to provoke it?¡¯

    She had a point.

    I clicked my tongue. ¡°You must follow my rules, though.¡±

    ¡®Telepathy, please. I don¡¯t want you to say something wrong. But, thank you! And yes, I will do my best to not get you in trouble for your generosity.¡¯

    ¡®Of course.¡¯

 Chapter 19: Great Monster Forest

    **POV: Vernisha**

    I walked alongside Ferzan to the wall gate. The guards didn¡¯t question him when he said I was going out with him.

    The massive metal gates swung open, and the guards bowed as we left.

    _''Are you a prince or something?''_ I asked telepathically.

    _''Ha. No. You really, really have no clue who I am? Not even a little?''_

    _''Should I?''_

    _''I¡¯m the grandson of Eren Starworth.''_

    I stopped in my tracks, staring at him, baffled. A scoff escaped me, followed by a short laugh. _''Isn¡¯t that hearsay or something? Can¡¯t that get you executed?''_

    _''If I¡¯m lying, yeah.''_

    _''I found that hard to believe.''_

    _''Why? You know he had children, right?''_

    _''Obviously. But their wives never survived pregnancies.''_

    _''My mother is Abella Starworth. She¡¯s... different from other women.''_

    _''Okay, now I know you¡¯re fucking with me. You want me to believe your mother is Abella and your father is the son of a Mortal God?''_

    _''Is that really so hard to believe?''_

    _''Yes?!''_

    _''I¡¯ll show you my mother one day, and my father when he comes back.''_

    _''You sure you¡¯re not just a prince?''_

    _''I prefer demigod.''_

    _''Demi-demi god if you¡¯re not lying.''_

    He chuckled. _''Well, whatever. Doesn¡¯t matter.''_

    He stretched out his arm, and from his thumb, a mass of light burst forth. It twisted and morphed into the shape of a giant white bird¡ªone with no eyes.

    Then it opened its beak.

    A massive black eye stared at me from inside its throat.

    What the flying fucking hell.

    "Why are monsters always so creepy?" I complained.

    "You expect monsters not to be¡­ monstrous?"

    "God, I hate that you have a point. But they could at least look moderately ugly instead of nightmare fuel."

    He shrugged. "My sister used to say the same thing."

    "Half-sister?"

    "Why would you think that?"

    "I¡­ I don¡¯t know. Just thinking, what are the chances of your mother surviving two pregnancies from a demigod?"

    He exhaled. "She¡¯s sick because of it. So, no, she didn¡¯t really ¡®get away¡¯ with it."

    "Oh. Sorry to hear that. I wasn¡¯t trying to say she was supposed to die or anything. It just... came out that way. I apologize."

    "It¡¯s fine. I know you¡¯re in disbelief, not being cruel."

    "Yeah¡­ I¡¯m still not convinced, but I¡¯ll drop it."

    He smiled and gestured at his monster with a tilt of his chin.

    The creature¡¯s feathers were razor-sharp, curling unnaturally, as if they had a mind of their own.

    He asked, "Think you can jump on its back?"

    "Yeah."

    He leaped onto the bird with ease.

    The bird lowered its back.

    ...Okay, I might have overestimated myself.

    I jumped, but nearly overshot, heading straight for the ground headfirst. He caught me by the ankle.

    "Nice jump," he said, oozing sarcasm.

    I clutched the feathers and used them to pull myself up behind him.

    The bird flapped its wings, and as I glanced down, I spotted something horrifying¡ªmassive, jagged teeth protruding from its feathers.

    What the fuck.

    With a powerful beat of its wings, the creature took off, soaring straight toward the forest.

    The wind made it impossible to talk, so I switched to telepathy. _''What¡¯s your rank?''_Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    _''Adventurer rankings?''_

    _''Yeah.''_

    _''I¡¯m not an adventurer. What made you think I was one?''_

    _''Uh¡­ because you¡¯re a Vlandos and have a monster.''_

    _''Oh. I just kinda do what I want. It¡¯s not causing trouble for anyone, so no one really makes a big deal out of it.''_

    _''That¡¯s insane.''_

    _''Really? When you have a big name, you can get away with a lot.''_

    _''I¡¯ll remember that so I can smuggle all kinds of drugs into Terrafall and become a kingpin.''_

    He chuckled. _''Okay, maybe not that.''_

    _''How¡¯d you know?''_

    _''Just a feeling.''_

    _''Time to change that feeling.''_

    _''You know, you could be one of the top comedians.''_

    _''Wow, wow! Are you acknowledging my skills?! Maybe you should sponsor me.''_

    _''Don¡¯t say that as a joke. I might actually do it.''_

    _''Just so you know, I respect you.''_

    _''So me being willing to help you level up¡ªbreaking the law and all¡ªthat wasn¡¯t enough for you to respect me?''_

    _''Hmmmm.''_

    He laughed, and we traveled in silence for a while.

    Then he asked, _''Why do those people want to kill you if they find out you¡¯re a Vlandos?''_

    Of course, he¡¯d be curious about that.

    _''I don¡¯t know. I think they¡¯re my mother¡¯s family. Human supremacists. I guess they¡¯d be offended that I exist, like my presence alone dirties their name or ruins their reputation.''_

    _''Damn. I¡¯ve never met one of those.''_

    _''No damn way.''_

    _''I¡¯ve heard of them, but never met one. You ever met Vlandos supremacists?''_

    _''I think I¡¯d be besties with them.''_

    Silence.

    Fuck.

    I quickly added, _''I¡¯m joking. Joking! My family were humans, and so were most of my old friends. No human hatred in my bones.''_

    _''Humans really treated Vlandos that bad in this modern age? I always thought it was exaggerated.''_

    _''Spend some time in villages far from the cities. You¡¯ll see what happens when laws aren¡¯t enforced. They govern themselves however they want.''_

    _''Like the Wild West?''_

    _''No, nowhere near that bad.''_

    Wait. How did he know that term?

    I asked, _''What does the Wild West mean?''_

    _''Basically, whatever goes. Lawless land, that kind of thing.''_

    _''Really? Is that a common phrase in this city?''_

    _''I don¡¯t have a clue. I rarely came here.''_

    _''Oh. So where did you hear it? I just really like learning new things and their origins.''_

    He shrugged. _''That¡¯s a good question. I am not sure.''_

    Damn. I didn¡¯t get it.

    He asked me, _''You want to get taller?''_

    _''That¡¯s such an out-of-nowhere question, but yes. Make me tall, magic man.''_

    _''Then just desire it. Your mod points will be spent on it.''_

    _''Can I also make my eyes super strong with it?''_

    _''Huh?''_

    _''I¡¯m wondering if they modify everything about me.''_

    _''Oh. You can¡¯t alter your body beyond what¡¯s humanly possible.''_

    _''Damn, so I can¡¯t grow three hands.''_

    _''Haha. No. But you can change your pupil shape and color.''_

    _''I can make my teeth extra sharp?''_

    _''You would need to pull out your current teeth for the new row to replace them.''_

    _''I think I understand how it works now. So how long will it take for me to become 6¡¯9?''_

    _''You will have to find out yourself.''_

    _¡®Hm. You mentioned before that the height of the vlandos was complicated. What¡¯s the complication?¡¯_

    _¡®As you grow, you would expect to keep growing. That expectation and desire will consume the mod points, making you taller. So it¡¯s between passive and active.¡¯_

    _¡®Oh. So if a vlandos never gained levels while growing up, they would turn out the same height as a regular person?¡¯_

    _¡®Probably? I never cared to ask too many questions about how it worked.¡¯_

    _¡®I see¡­¡¯_

    I didn¡¯t think I actually wanted to be crazy tall. I had been around 6¡¯1 back on Earth, and I had hated it.

    But eh, I had only hated it because of how much harder it had made dating¡ªtalk about playing on extra hard difficulty. Well, that and how insecure it had made me, envious of average-height girls, those who could freely wear high heels.

    Fuck me. I had hated being tall and the thoughts I had because of it.

    ¡®If I had been shorter.¡¯

    ¡®I wish I had been her height.¡¯

    But whatever. The blowbacks of being a tall woman on Earth had mainly had to do with dating. And lucky me, that had been the least of my concerns now.

    I guessed it was the old but strong feelings about being tall that had me conflicted about becoming a thin she-hu^k.

    ---

    Ferzan stood up and raised his voice. ¡°We have finally reached the zone!¡±

    I looked down and saw the front of a semi-spherical white-blue barrier covering what seemed to be the entire forest ahead.

    The giant bird descended, and we dismounted, landing on the dry dirt track instead of the grassy sides.

    I asked, ¡°The monster zone is that thing?¡±

    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

    ¡°How big is it? It seems huge.¡±

    ¡°About one hundred and twenty-two square miles.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t visualize that size for the life of me, but I was sure it was pretty big.

    We walked toward the massive dome.

    My heart beat faster.

    Ferzan moved in front of me and said, ¡°Send your monster out, and don¡¯t drop your guard for a second.¡±

    I put my hand behind my back and released the monster so the black flash wouldn¡¯t be easily seen.

    My monster took form behind me.

    He asked, ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°The monster seal flash¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hm. Okay.¡±

    The fauna inside the barrier looked much wilder and larger. It was like everything outside but on super steroids and comic book radiation.

    A group of yellow mushrooms growing on a rotting log outside the barrier were maybe the height of my hand. But the mushrooms on the same log inside the barrier were half my height, with additional mushrooms growing on top of them in spiraling clusters of green, blue, and black, some even glowing.

    I pointed at them. ¡°The zones have that effect on everything?¡±

    ¡°Anything that¡¯s living.¡±

    ¡°That means us too¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to us.¡±

    ¡°I hope so.¡±

    His bird monster flew ahead, and we stepped into the monster zone together. The moment my foot crossed the barrier, I felt sudden pricks against my skin.

    Ferzan didn¡¯t react, so I assumed it was no big deal and stepped in fully. Now my entire body felt the sensation, but it didn¡¯t hurt.

    Weird. I suddenly felt better. Not health-wise, but as if my energy was being restored¡ªthe same kind of energy that had been draining when I had used my healing skill.

    I coughed up black liquid, filling my hand with it.

    My chest burned intensely.

    I flung the liquid away and wiped my palm on the grass.

    Ferzan noticed and asked, ¡°Why are you coughing up black¡­ blood?¡±

    ¡°I ate monster flesh. It¡¯s difficult to explain.¡±

    ¡°Things were that bad for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­¡± I honestly felt bad for lying so much to him, especially when he had been nothing but generous and helpful.

    He stepped closer. ¡°How long have you been infected with Malertaria?¡±

    ¡°A day.¡±

    He stood in front of me and brushed the air, shaping it into a liquid-like form, an eclipse of shifting water.

    He plunged his hand into it, making his arm vanish, and pulled out a vial of white liquid.

    Removing the cap, he filled it and handed it to me. ¡°This should help, but it¡¯ll hurt a lot at first.¡±

    I took the cap but hesitated. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Medicine. It kills dangerous viruses but also normal cells¡ªjust not as many as the viruses.¡±

    I threw the liquid back and swallowed. My throat burned, and the taste of bitter, spoiled rice dirtied my tongue.

    I coughed. ¡°That tastes disgusting. What the hell is in it?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea, but it¡¯s sold in drug stores, so it¡¯s safe to take.¡± He turned forward.

    I stayed close as we walked. ¡°Where are the monsters?¡±

    Suddenly, something zipped toward my face.

    I panicked, raising my arm to shield my neck.

    Something struck me¡ªsharp, like multiple knives.

    My arm barely blocked the attack, but I paid the price in pain and blood.

    I seized the weird black spider¡ªits body covered in feathers, bird-like wings flaring¡ªand wrenched it off my flesh.

 Chapter 19.5: Joy of The System

    Its tongue shot toward my eye like a spear, but a hand grabbed it.

    Ferzan.

    He threw it into the air for his bird monster to incinerate with a fire beam.

    I nearly died from something so damn small? Oh my god!

    I gripped my wounded arm, instinctively preparing to heal it, but stopped short. Ferzan had seen me get hurt, and no amount of excuses would fool him¡ªunless he was stupid, but I didn¡¯t think he was.

    The pain was almost unbearable.

    ¡°Let me see the wound,¡± he said, his tone calm but firm as he gestured to my arm.

    He pulled out a medical kit the size of a briefcase from his inventory. The kit was a stark mix of white and green, with an image of hands surrounded by a vapor-like energy symbol in the center.

    I squeezed my injured arm tighter to stop the bleeding, my voice strained as I asked, ¡°Can you store anything in that magic circle?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pocket space, called ¡®personal pocket,¡¯ and technically, yes,¡± he answered casually.

    ¡°Cool. How do I summon mine?¡±

    He grabbed a roll of bandages from the kit and answered, ¡°By leveling up a lot.¡±

    I groaned in frustration and pain. This was bullshit.

    Ferzan handed me a healing elixir and told me to drink a finger¡¯s worth (an absurd way to measure liquid), then sprayed my hand with a small green bottle. The spray hurt at first, but it dulled the majority of the pain.

    Now, it just felt like a moderately painful cramp. Still bad, but not hellish.

    He wrapped my arm up carefully.

    Once he finished, he asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your monster when it attacked you?¡±

    "I didn¡¯t think of it.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t fought with a monster before?¡±

    ¡°Only once. I don¡¯t have much experience with them.¡±

    ¡°For now, try relying on your Shuralene for everything, like it¡¯s literally an extra limb. Do that until you can command it instinctively.¡±

    ¡°I call it Mon. Also, why was that spider so quick? I fought a monster once, a really big one, and it wasn¡¯t this fast.¡±

    ¡°Maybe the big monster didn¡¯t think it needed a surprise attack to kill you.¡±

    Oh.

    Ferzan looked ahead. A black worm the size of a large dog stared back at us, its back covered in a long fin.

    A toothless, perverted grin stretched across the worm''s grotesque face as it shot toward us, its body coiling in a blur of motion.

    Kill it!

    Mon was a streak of shadow, leaping forward with blinding speed, crashing into the worm with the force of a battering ram. They collided head-on, muscles tensing, the earth vibrating beneath us from the impact.

    The worm didn''t even have a chance to react. Mon''s claws tore into its neck, sinking deep, and the creature let out a guttural squeal, its body thrashing in vain.

    Burn it with your [fire spit]

    Mon¡¯s jaws snapped open, a gush of flames erupting from its mouth, engulfing the worm''s head. The air crackled with heat as the creature writhed in agony.

    But the flames didn''t relent. The screams began to falter, fading as the fire consumed it entirely.

    Then the worm monster collapsed. Dead.

    Level 6.

    Hm.

    "I don''t like fighting on the sidelines. I want to be in the thick of it," I told him.

    I pulled my knife out. "This one¡¯s enhanced, gives me a 5+ strength buff when I hold it."

    "Fair enough."

    He pulled a black knife from his inventory and tossed it to me. I caught it.

    [+7% strength]

    He then said, ¡°I¡¯d suggest avoid getting touch. You lack any amor so anything will kill you.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I think I want to capture some monsters. Hopefully, not the super horrifying ones.¡±

    I looked up. Perched on a branch was a black bird with four wings, its eyes red.

    I gripped both knives, gaining a total of +13% strength. It felt incredible.

    I dashed forward, Mon running alongside me. The bird screeched and dove at me, its body glowing.

    I immediately stopped.

    Mon, Fire at it!

    Mon hesitated for a second before unleashing a barrage of fireballs. The bird shot straight through them, barely fazed, heading straight for me like a missile.

    I barely managed to dive aside as it crashed into the ground, its talons digging into the dirt.

    Not wasting a second, I kicked it with all my strength, sending it tumbling. My dagger flashed as I slashed at its wing¡ª

    The bird¡¯s beak detached with a snap, shooting toward me like a bullet. I flinched back, but not fast enough¡ªpain burned across my cheek as it grazed me.

    Gritting my teeth, I drove my knife into its wing. The bird screeched, and its other wing glowed before it swung at me.

    I jumped back, but the attack still sliced my arm. The bird screeched again, preparing to take flight.

    A glowing list appeared in my vision.

    [Flame Claws]

    [Strong Charge]

    [Fire Spit]

    The bird¡¯s body pulsed with light. It was about to strike again.

    Mon! [Strong Charge!]

    Mon¡¯s body glowed red before it launched forward like a cannonball. It crashed into the bird¡¯s side, slamming it into a tree with a loud bang.

    The creature collapsed.

    I stepped forward and placed my hand on its chest.

    Mon, cover my hand.

    Mon moved in close, pressing its broad, heated body against me. Its claws curled around my wrist, covering my hand completely.

    A black flash erupted between us, swallowing the bird whole.

    It was over.

    Ferzan looked on, impressed. "Want a serpent too? It¡¯s behind you."

    A chill ran down my spine. I spun to the side just as a blur of blue lashed toward me.

    Water slashed through the air where I had just stood. I landed in a crouch beside the creature¡ªa serpent, its body rippling like liquid trapped in a thin, translucent membrane.

    Mon! [Strong charge]

    It reared back, then fired a pressurized stream of water straight at me.

    Mon [strong charged] in front of me, taking the full brunt of the attack. All the pain it took flowed into me.

    I slipped to the side. Its eyes followed me, weighing whether to stop its attack on Mon to target me.

    I closed in on it, ready to strike its chest, but then the stream stopped, and its tail glowed. It whipped the tail toward me.

    [Fire spit!]

    Before the tail could strike, Mon hit the snake in the face with a fireball. Stunned, the snake screeched, giving me enough time to stab it and grab its head, tumbling to the ground.

    I called Mon over. It rushed in and bit down on the snake¡¯s tail just as it was about to coil around me.

    The snake writhed in pain, struggling to free itself. Minutes passed, and my muscles grew tired... Then it gave up.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    Mon, cover me.

    Mon released its grip on the tail and placed its chest on my hand. The flash came, and the snake was sucked into my palm.

    I lay on the ground, exhausted. "This is so tiring¡­ But to ask again, the modification points only affect the way my body changes, right? So I can''t just make myself stronger right now?"

    ¡°They affect the structure of how your body builds itself. It¡¯s like working out. After a night, you¡¯ll feel stronger.¡±

    ¡°Great... I think I¡¯ll put them into speed.¡±

    Modify my speed, 10 modification points.

    Modification in progress. The changes will take effect after you¡¯ve rested for 8 hours. You''ll gain 3 more points in speed stats.

    Show me my stats

    Strength:F8

    Combat Speed: F7[]

    Traveling Speed: F8[]

    Endurance: F7

    Defense: F9

    Mind: F8

    For each level, I gained two mod points. I also assumed that the brackets meant the stats were being modified.

    "I see." I glanced at my bleeding arm, then turned to Ferzan. "It''s kinda weird. I think I like this."

    "The adrenaline?"

    "No. I just think... using my powers and exploring it. It''s kinda cool. It sucks I don''t have time for it."

    "You''ll have time, when your problem is done."

    I smiled. "You''re right."

    <hr>

    We ventured deeper into the forest, where a massive purple flower swayed gently in the wind. Its petals pulsed as if breathing.

    "Are there any animals here?" I asked.

    Ferzan shook his head. "No. Monsters fear monsters, and animals associate ether with monsters. The monster zone, it''s just a sphere of ether energy."

    I nodded, then spotted movement ahead. A goblin¡ªif it could even be called that. Its skin was blackened like charred wood, its eyes and jagged teeth burning with fire.

    It dropped onto all fours and lunged.

    Ferzan reacted instantly. Space twisted for a moment, forming a watery eclipse. He pulled a sword from his personal pocket. "I think I''ll also fight directly this time."

    "Try to keep up," he said, dashing forward.

    I tried. I really did. But he was too fast.

    The goblin leaped high, flames trailing from its limbs. Fire rained down.

    I barely dodged, rolling to the side. Mon, protect me!

    Mon jumped in front of me, blocking another fiery strike before launching fireballs with [Fire Spit].

    The goblin landed in front of Ferzan, slashing down with burning claws. He blocked with his sword, then kicked it back. It snarled and lunged at him again¡ª

    A powerful gust slammed into it from behind. Ferzan''s bird monster hovered in the air.

    "Your turn!" he ordered.

    I dashed in. Mon followed.

    The goblin was already rising, embers flickering from its cracked skin. Its fiery eyes snapped to me¡ªthen it lunged.

    I barely twisted aside as claws raked past, the heat searing my skin. The goblin landed, spun, and pounced again.

    Mon, charge!

    Mon crashed into its leg mid-air, knocking it off balance. I seized the opening, driving both daggers into its throat.

    It shrieked, thrashing violently. A blazing fist slammed into my ribs, hurling me back. Pain exploded through me as I skidded across the ground.

    I gasped, gripping my side. The goblin staggered, gurgling, flames sputtering from its wounds¡ªbut it wasn''t finished.

    It lurched forward, dragging itself toward me, its body smoldering. Its fiery teeth bared as it lunged one last time.

    Mon, Super Charge!

    Mon¡¯s body flared red as it dashed forward, slamming into the goblin¡¯s ribs. The impact sent it crashing to the side.

    I forced myself up, yanked a dagger from its throat, and drove it back in, deeper.

    The goblin howled. Its mouth burst open, erupting flames in all directions.

    I barely reacted in time, hurling myself aside as a wave of fire scorched the ground where I¡¯d been. Heat licked at my skin, my breath ragged.

    The goblin convulsed¡ªthen, finally, it collapsed.

    A notification flashed in my vision.

    Personal level: 8

    Ferzan smiled. "Nice work."

    I collapsed to the ground, taking in deep breaths.

    He pulled a small, flat device from his pocket. As soon as he tapped it, it unfolded into a hand-sized pyramid, vibrating in his hand. He pressed something on it and started speaking.

    I struggled up and stepped away while Ferzan was distracted, looking for more monsters.

    Once I had gained enough distance, I placed a hand over my side, healing the bigger wounds. Then my rib cage, where the goblin''s fist had slammed into me.

    Not too deep. I could lie about it. And since Mon and I shared health, healing myself restored it too.

    I didn''t have to go far.

    A walking flower stood ahead, its petals curled inward like a bud. It almost looked cute¡ª

    Then it saw me.

    Thick roots wrapped around its body like armor, and from its back, new flowers bloomed¡ªspinning violently before launching toward me like whirling saw blades.

    Mon! [Fire spit] for defense!

    Mon shot larger fireballs this time, colliding mid-air with the spinning flowers. I dashed to the side, feeling faster than before.

    I wanted this one. The flame goblin would have been nice, but Mon was already a fire based monster, it would have been stupid if I bothered.

    The flower monster twitched, then suddenly slammed into the ground like a missile¡ªvanishing.

    I froze, scanning the area.

    A second later, pain exploded in my neck.

    I gasped, stumbling back, hands flying to my neck. My hands flew to my neck¡ªwarm blood gushed between my fingers.

    The damn thing had burrowed under and struck from behind.

    I pressed my palm to the wound, healing it with a red glow.

    Mon, keep firing!

    Flaming projectiles rained down on the creature, but it kept vanishing in the ground and reappearing, striking from unpredictable angles.

    I was getting frustrated.

    I needed more firepower.

    Then¡ªMon stopped. It tried to spit another fireball, but nothing came out.

    Out of ether.

    The flower monster was tired too. It burrowed again. I spun, ready¡ª

    It shot up beneath Mon instead.

    Mon yelped as it was launched into the air. A second later, agony shot through my stomach. I doubled over, vomiting.

    I had Enough.

    I run after Mon, throwing stones at the flower monster to keep distance.

    Fortunately it worked, the monster zipping around to evade the stones.

    I slammed my hand against the red limbed tailless shark, absorbing it back into my seal. The pain dulled immediately. I touched my stomach, healing it.

    Then I summoned my bird.

    Fresh pain flared in my chest and arm¡ªits previous injuries carried over to me. I grit my teeth and grabbed it, healing it first. My ether reserves drained, leaving me lightheaded.

    But I still had enough ether in me.

    System, show skills.

    [Deep Dive]

    [Hard Wing]

    [Beak Bullet]

    Perfect.

    The flower monster gasped for breath¡ªits energy clearly waning. But then, from the back of its body, flowers bloomed, their petals spinning at a furious pace.

    The creature was exhausted, but it was determined to fight back.

    It was desperate.

    Before I could react, the monster launched the flowers at me, a storm of deadly blades coming at me from all sides.

    I ducked, weaving through the flying petals, barely escaping the deadly onslaught.

    "Go up!"

    My bird shot up in the sky.

    The monster observed my bird flying high into the sky. It launched another barrage directly at my bird, the petals screeching through the air.

    My bird monster darted to the side¡ªbut the flowers changed direction mid-air, seeking it out with frightening speed. And it was starting to catch up.

    My bird monster got hit, cutting deep into a shoulder. A cut also appeared on my shoulder.

    Hell with it. I can''t make my bird tire it out completely.

    Go in for the attack now, [Deep dive]

    The bird monster glowed before diving straight down like a comet. It dived straight through the heart of the oncoming blades, a comet of light cutting clean through the storm, leaving a wake of destroyed petals as it tore into the monster.

    The impact tore through the flower monster, shredding its roots and slamming it into the dirt.

    It twitched but didn''t get up.

    I walked over, it was in a really bad state. My right hand glowed red as I touched it, barely healing it. I didn''t want it to die.

    The forest was recovering my energy, ether, really fast so I wasn''t lighthearted again.

    Pressing my left palm to its body, a black flash engulfed it, and it was absorbed into my seal.

    Four monsters now. That was my limit.

    I let out a breath and leaned against a tree. The cut on my shoulder was still there, bleeding.

    I healed some of it, but not all. I didn¡¯t want to look too suspicious, like I wasn¡¯t hurt at all. And I didn¡¯t want to heal too fast¡ªgetting lightheaded was the last thing I needed, even though the forest was already helping me recover at an impressive pace.

    It was strange, though. The more I leveled up, the more I could heal. I guess I was just storing more ether now.

    Then I saw movement again.

    I grumbled under my breath and wanted to scream in frustration. Just why couldn''t I get a break?

    A cat-sized blue ant, its body made of shifting water, skittered toward me.

    I barely dodged its lunges, my dagger slicing again and again, but it felt like cutting through liquid.

    "[Deep Dive]!"

    My bird launched itself into the air, then shot down in a blur. The ant reeled back, screeching as its body split apart.

    Silence.

    Then¡ª

    Personal level: 10 Forwing level: 6

    I collapsed onto my back, breathing hard.

    A system prompt popped up.

    [Choose a Life Buff:]

    [Inspect - Allows scanning of levels. Cannot detect levels twice your own.]

    [+10% Durability]

    I grinned. This was awesome. This was what I was missing in my life. All this cool shit!

    System, spend eight mod points on durability.

    Modification in progress. The changes will take effect after you¡¯ve rested for 6 hours. You''ll gain 4 more points in durability stats.

    The fact that speed took more time to modify surprised me at first. But when I thought about it, it made sense. Speed affects everything¡ªhow quickly I move, react, and even how fast I use think. Durability, on the other hand, is more about withstanding damage and resisting wear.

    As I walked back to Ferzan, he was sitting, his expression serious as he spoke into his device. A few seconds later, he ended the call.

    He glanced at me.

    I smirked. "Level 10."

 Chapter 20: Natasha, mother orâ€”

    He smiled and nodded in astonishment. "That''s pretty cool. I was a bit worried when you went off on your own, but you seem to be extremely good at this."

    "I adapt fast. What can I say?" I twirled my bloodied daggers, mocking a few slashes in the air. "I¡¯m curious¡ªare these weapons made from some kind of material that cuts through monsters easier?"

    "Not sure. I think they¡¯re just forged from incredibly tough metal, but they also have status effect skills sealed into them."

    I glanced down at the daggers, rolling them between my fingers. "I see, I see."

    Ferzan watched me for a moment before asking, "Do you still want to continue? My bird spotted a monster that might interest you. It''d be useful for traveling."

    "Oh, right!" I nearly lit up with excitement before sighing. "But I¡¯ve already captured four monsters. From what I¡¯ve heard, that¡¯s the limit."

    He thought for a second before saying, "Give me the ugly shark one. I¡¯ll store it at my monster farm for you."

    "Holy... but that one''s my strongest right now."

    "It¡¯s a common-rarity monster. The one I have my eye on is uncommon¡ªan Earth-body type. You need the bird for full aerial vision, and the snake has great agility with solid racial skills¡ªit just seemed stupid when it fought you. What else did you capture?"

    "Some kind of flower monster. It attacks with petals."

    "Oh! Twirlflower. Sneaky attacker. Yeah, that one¡¯s a keeper. Good for ambushes."

    "Damn. Alright. How do I transfer it to you?"

    He extended a finger. "We make contact. You¡¯ll get a system prompt, we confirm. There are other ways, but this is the best one."

    Damn it.

    I hesitated. "My left hand is disfigured, so close your eyes. And tell your monster not to look."

    "Oh, okay." He turned away and shut his eyes. His monster, still high in the sky, averted its gaze, likely still fixated on the traveling monster he had spotted.

    Taking a breath, I reached for his finger and pressed my palm against it.

    [Ferzan Starwort is requesting your monster, nicknamed [Mon], be transferred to him. Do you accept the request?]

    Yes.

    A flash of black and white surged between us.

    [Transfer successful.]

    I pulled my hand back instantly, shoving it into my pocket.

    Ferzan opened his eyes. "Alright. Let¡¯s go. Oh, wait, I¡¯m curious¡ªwhat life buff did you go with?"

    "Inspect."

    One minute later.

    "FERZANNN!"

    I tore through the dense forest, weaving between towering trees and grotesque, oversized plants. My feet barely touched the ground as I leaped over fallen branches, boulders, and twisted roots.

    A massive purple cabbage¡ªalmost my height¡ªshriveled into tight rolls as I passed. It reeked like a rotting rat. Weird.

    But not as weird as the monster chasing me.

    A beast with a heavily crustacean-armored body, shaped like a bull, barreled through the forest behind me. Its speed was ridiculous, its charge a straight, unrelenting path of destruction. Trees, boulders¡ªnothing slowed it down.

    I didn¡¯t want to die. Not like this. Not this easily.

    It was barely a meter away. I risked a glance over my shoulder and activated Inspect.

    Level 10

    Same level as me.

    The armored bull lunged¡ªonly inches from striking. I grunted Now.

    Out of nowhere, my bird monster dove from the sky in a blur of motion.

    [Deep Dive.]

    A sharp cry pierced the air as its talons raked across the bull¡¯s exposed joints¡ªone of the few areas unprotected by its thick shell. The beast¡¯s leg hyperextended, and it stumbled, crashing into the dirt with a thunderous roll.

    I didn¡¯t waste the opening.

    Spinning on my heel, I struck at its limbs with my daggers.

    The blades sank into its hide¡ªbut stopped at the muscle.

    Ferzan was right. Monsters were, on average, four times stronger than a Vlandos of the same level. But this? This was absurd.

    "I¡¯ll handle it," Ferzan said.

    Before I could respond, his massive bird plummeted from the sky, talons outstretched. In a single, devastating motion, it snatched the monster up and shot skyward, shaking the treetops with its sheer force.

    I shielded my eyes against the sunlight, squinting as I followed its ascent. And then¡ªsomething fell.

    The bull monster.

    It slammed into the ground with a deafening thud.

    "Nice shot," I said.

    "Thanks."

    I approached the wounded monster, watching as it struggled to stand. "By the way, if you could¡­ I don¡¯t like people watching when I seal a monster. So, uh, yeah. Look away."

    "You did it in front of me before¡­" He sighed and turned away. "Okay."

    With him and his monster facing elsewhere, I pressed my left hand against the bull¡¯s hide.

    A black flash engulfed it.

    Absorbing it into my seal was¡­ straining. Like trying to lift something far heavier than I could handle.

    Because we were the same level, my control over it would be weak¡ªbarely existent.

    "Alright, I¡¯m done."

    Ferzan turned back to face me.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if he was pitying me or judging me. Either way, I damn well wished I didn¡¯t care.

    For a fleeting moment, I considered saying my seal was on my private area. It would¡¯ve been a solid excuse.

    But heaven forbid that rumor ever spread. If people actually believed it¡­

    I¡¯d either have to tame a monster capable of mass memory wipes¡ªor mass murder.

    ¡°Okay. I want to level up just a bit more,¡± I told him. ¡°Think I can reach fifteen?¡±

    ¡°Hm... Just aim for thirteen. I¡¯ll help by injuring the monsters and leaving the final kill to you. It¡¯ll take longer since you¡¯re at level ten, but it¡¯s important that your control over Crusbull doesn¡¯t harm you.¡±

    ¡°Right. Can I test it out, or would that be a bad idea?¡±

    ¡°Bad idea.¡±

    I sighed and turned to Forwing, giving a silent command. The bird took off from a tree branch and landed on my right shoulder, its talons digging into my skin just enough to sting.

    And so, I followed his lead. His massive bird beast unleashed blasts of wind, knocking out monsters, while I moved in for the final strike.

    It was slow progress. After slaying six monsters, all between levels four and six, my experience bar barely budged. It took six more kills before I finally reached level eleven.

    The moment I finally did, my knees buckled, and I had to catch my breath. Level fifteen was out of the question. No shot.

    We pressed on, and after two grueling hours, I reached level thirteen. But I wasn¡¯t happy.

    It felt like I was dying.

    My body¡­ it felt sick. A wave of nausea churned in my gut.

    I dropped to my knees and vomited. The world spun violently, my vision blurring at the edges.

    This can¡¯t be from the virus-killing elixir he gave me. I¡¯ve been secretly using my healing skill to balance my health.

    ¡°I¡¯m sick¡­¡± I muttered.

    He leaped down from his perch and helped me stand. ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s spinning. My vision¡¯s blurry, and I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up any second.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± His expression shifted, brows furrowing in concern.

    ¡°Did you accidentally poison me?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯re just experiencing level sickness. I made you level up too fast.¡±

    ¡°What the hell...¡± My hands curled into fists. Why do I get rewarded, then punished, for killing the scum of this world?Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Do you want to rest here until you feel better?¡±

    ¡°Please. How long will this last? I already feel like I¡¯m dying.¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ two or three hours.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­ and if I level up again during that time, would it get worse?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    <hr>

    POV: The Doctor at Sundawn

    I ran my hands under the faucet for the past hour.

    I didn¡¯t understand what they had brought to me.

    It made no sense¡ªthe way their cells constantly changed. It would have been manageable if it were just like cancer, something that could be cut away.

    But whatever they had? Every single cell in their body reproduced corrupt copies. How the hell was I supposed to save them?

    I made it clear that I couldn¡¯t cure them, but that didn¡¯t stop my mind from racing.

    I left the sterile white bathroom and wandered back toward the medical room. My hand hesitated on the doorknob when I heard voices inside.

    The man was apologizing in his sleep, over and over.

    Unlike usual, the woman responded.

    ¡°What is wrong with you? Sorry this, sorry that. Who the hell are you even apologizing to? Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s annoying?¡±

    Of course, he wasn¡¯t conscious, so he didn¡¯t stop.

    I cracked the door open slightly, just enough to see inside.

    She stood at his bedside. His murmurs faded into whispers, then shifted.

    ¡°Sorry for not being...¡± The rest was lost.

    She froze. Her body stiffened like a statue. Then, without another word, she turned to Ulah.

    He lay on a cold, white metal bed. She sat beside him and took a deep breath.

    The boy muttered something. I couldn¡¯t recognize the language; it didn¡¯t sound real.

    She gently took his hand, and his rambling stopped. His face twisted in pain.

    A choked sound escaped him before he whispered, ¡°Mammy...¡±

    She leaned in close, whispering something into his ear.

    A sudden coldness filled the room. It was like winter had arrived in an instant.

    What the hell?

    I tried to breathe, but my lungs refused to obey. My chest tightened, air strangled from my throat.

    She fell silent, then abruptly turned, her gaze meeting mine through the narrow gap of the door.

    Shit.

    My instincts screamed at me to close the door, but that would be too obvious.

    I swung it open instead, forcing my trembling hands to remain steady.

    I tried to sound casual. ¡°How are you holding up?¡±

    She walked toward me. I took an involuntary step back.

    She placed a hand against the side of my face. ¡°You didn¡¯t see anything. Oh, and please perform the surgery immediately.¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Ulah

    A minute before.

    The strange black cat stood before me once again.

    I didn¡¯t understand why. Why now, when I couldn¡¯t even move my legs?

    It gazed over the scorched field, the sky thick with dark fog.

    ¡°What are you thinking?¡± the cat asked.

    I didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Are you scared?¡±

    ¡°I just want my mom¡­ and Vernsisha. I want them.¡±

    I wanted them to take away the hunger. The thirst. The pain.

    A sharp ache lanced through my gut, and I gritted my teeth, clutching my stomach with sheer willpower.

    ¡°Can you hear it?¡± the cat asked.

    ¡°What...?¡±

    ¡°That song you love so much.¡±

    From the sky, a voice cut through the heavens, divine and sorrowful.

    Balash wird fallen. Sie werden schreien,

    Sie werden weinen, aber ich werde ihre Tr?nen genie?en.

    Ich werde ihr Leid genie?en, daf¨¹r, wie sie mich verraten haben.

    Mom. She was here.

    She was always at my side.

    Despite the pain, relief flooded through me. I was happy. Happy just to hear her sing.

    I tried to mimic her.

    ¡°Balas¡­ wird fillen...¡±

    Again, and again, I repeated the words, each time trying to make them sound just right.

    The cat asked me, ¡°Why do you want to learn that song? To sing it better?¡±

    I looked at the cat. ¡°I want to do it for my mother. I want her to be proud of me, to smile at me¡ªthe same way she smiles at Vernisha. A smile that says I am worth the most important thing in the world.¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Natasha

    I walked through the streets, passing crowds of people.

    ''If they were to die, how would you feel?''

    I remembered that question I had asked Vernisha.

    I had expected her reaction, yet it still disappointed me. But I could only blame myself for how I had raised her.

    At the same time, what else could I have done? Every parenting skill I had was learned by observing other mothers, trying to determine what worked and what didn¡¯t.

    I had never been parented myself.

    Mothers and fathers passed by, carrying their babies¡ªsome cradled against their shoulders, others strapped securely in sacks on their backs.

    I didn¡¯t want Ulah to die, but as I saw it, my desires didn¡¯t matter.

    That bread... I had been thinking about it for a while, and I doubted it was a coincidence.

    A bread that caused horrible mutations¡ªbut had no effect on Vernisha.

    I glanced down, and there it was, resting in my hand. The bread roll, warm yet oddly bitter to the touch.

    I hadn¡¯t wanted to taste it, uncertain of its effects.

    I did it anyway.

    The flavor was unmistakable.

    It tasted like my sister¡¯s ether.

    Tch.

    I didn¡¯t even want to think about her.

    As I walked, I passed a Balash temple and stopped to look. The structure was painted in green and white, standing solemnly amid the bustling street.

    Inside, at the center, stood a statue¡ªa fusion of everything. Stone, animals, people, monsters, sky. It was an amalgamation so chaotic it nearly seemed to represent nothing at all.

    Blue water trickled down its surface, pooling in the concrete basin below.

    Mercy water.

    People sat on benches inside, listening to an educator recounting history and stories of Balash, a deity praised far too generously in my opinion.

    A line had formed near the basin¡ªsick people waiting for their turn. A man in green and white robes dipped a long-handled cup into the water, pouring it carefully into their individual cups, offering healing, relief from pain and suffering.

    Some would not be fully healed.

    I hoped Vernisha¡¯s father and brother¡¯s deaths would serve as motivation.

    She claimed she didn¡¯t care for her father, and I had long debated whether that was true. I still wasn¡¯t sure. But now, as things turned grim, I could only hope. And hope that her love for her brother wasn¡¯t deep.

    I turned around and saw Bahmos. His expression was conflicted, as if he had been struggling with a decision for some time.

    He asked, "Did you come to have your memory erased... too?"

    I held his gaze, feeling the weight of the silence stretch between us.

    I didn¡¯t need him anymore.

    <hr>

    POV: Abella Starlight

    I stood at the top of a long staircase, emeralds and jaspers lining the railings and balusters.

    Tanisha leaned against me. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just call Ferzan and ask where he is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I need to.¡±

    ¡°My legs are killing me.¡±

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t you taken a chair? I told you to an hour ago.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re standing, so I¡¯m standing.¡±

    The double doors swung open, pushed by two Punchio servants. My little brat of a son stepped lightly inside, moving as if he were a spy.

    Tiptoeing, he made his way toward the steps, oblivious to our presence.

    Tanisha announced, ¡°We can see you.¡±

    He flinched and looked up. ¡°¡­ I kinda had a feeling.¡±

    ¡°Why are you so late?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I was busy leveling up.¡±

    ¡°You disappeared for almost the entire day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a little complicated,¡± he admitted. ¡°I went to get caffeine and, well... Granny is coming to the city tonight. I wanted to make her proud of my level.¡±

    ¡°By yourself? How many times have I told you not to enter those zones alone?¡±

    ¡°What does it matter? I¡¯m strong.¡±

    ¡°What matters is that anything could have happened to you!¡±

    ¡°Nothing ever happens to me.¡±

    ¡°Go to your room. Spend some time with your sister.¡±

    "Kay Kay."

    I went to my room and found Katie on the floor, watching a group of blue ants in a glass box.

    ¡°What¡¯s new?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Professor Alox told me to experiment with ice ant acid and venom, so I¡¯m doing that.¡±

    ¡°What results are you supposed to get?¡±

    ¡°Beats me.¡±

    ¡°Hm. What do you plan to wear to the family dinner with Granny?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to go.¡±

    ¡°Eh. But you must. You know Mom wouldn¡¯t let you stay home.¡±

    ¡°I know that. I just said I don¡¯t want to, not that I wasn¡¯t going.¡±

    ¡°You should be excited. It¡¯s your grandma.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯d want to see you happy to see her.¡±

    She examined herself, as if searching for something lost. ¡°I don¡¯t see any monster seal on me, so that can¡¯t be the case. I hate when you act ignorant. It¡¯s like you see the sky is blue but still ask me, ¡®Is it red?¡¯¡±

    I dropped to the ground, legs folded. ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t apologize. I just wasn¡¯t born lucky. Now, watch these ants with me.¡±

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    The level sickness still clung to me, but not as fiercely as before. I could move. I could function.

    Ferzan had dropped me off in the city, and since then, I¡¯d been searching for Bahmos. He was supposed to be at the House of Relief on this street.

    But he wasn¡¯t there.

    So I moved to the next one. And the next. And the next.

    I searched and searched, but no matter how many buildings I checked, how many streets I scoured, I couldn¡¯t find him.

    Why had he disappeared?

    Shit. Just shit.

    With no other options, I gave up and made my way back to the doctor¡¯s office. Natasha would have found a solution by now¡ªI just wouldn¡¯t like whatever she had come up with.

    I found Natasha waiting outside the doctor¡¯s room.

    ¡°The payment has already been taken care of,¡± she said the moment she saw me.

    ¡°You paid it?¡±

    ¡°How else would it have been handled?¡±

    ¡°But where did you get the money?¡±

    ¡°A friend.¡±

    ¡°What friend?¡±

    She exhaled sharply. ¡°You should be more concerned about your brother and father.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just say that¡ªhow are they?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    Thirty minutes later, the door opened, and the doctor stepped out.

    Sweat beaded on his forehead. His fingers twitched at his sides. ¡°Things have¡­ complicated,¡± he admitted. ¡°Whenever I cut into their flesh, or even attempt any kind of procedure, their condition worsens. I¡­¡±

    Natasha cut in. ¡°Are you saying there¡¯s nothing you can do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to try again, but not now. My monster control is exhausted.¡±

    ¡°Can we at least see them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. They¡¯re even awake, and for now, they have control over their minds.¡±

    We entered the room.

    Caren lay on the bed, barely human. His body was swollen and green, his skin puffed and distorted¡ªexcept for his face, which remained eerily untouched.

    His jaw moved as he tried to speak. The sounds that came out were incomprehensible, guttural gibberish.

    She turned to me and said, ¡°We don¡¯t know yet¡ªbut maybe Vernisha can save you all.¡±

 Chapter 21: A Life For A Secret Part 1

    ¡°How did you understand a word he said? And what do you mean by ¡®save them¡¯?¡± I demanded.

    ¡°He says he¡¯s glad to see you¡¯re well. And¡­ he apologized to me. Said he¡¯s sorry. Anyway, I believe that since their body is no longer human, you can heal them¡ªrestore them to their original form without the feedback killing them.¡±

    She refused to answer. Of course, she did.

    ¡°That can actually work? I¡ªI can really save them?¡±

    ¡°I think so. I¡¯m certain they won¡¯t die if you try.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ how can you be sure?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t heal them, their condition will only worsen. And if I¡¯m wrong, you¡¯ll kill them. They¡¯ll die one way or another.¡±

    ¡°Hell...¡±

    ¡°You should prepare for anything.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just prepare myself to get them killed!¡±

    ¡°Try, at least.¡±

    ¡°Give me something¡­ some comfort. Anything. For god¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of how their deaths might affect you.¡±

    ¡°And what about you? How would you feel?¡±

    She looked at Ulah. ¡°I¡¯d feel terrible.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound too worried, mom. Always about me. Always me, me, me.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to try and help them?¡±

    I took a deep breath and glanced at the doctor. Natasha waved her hand dismissively, and, strangely, the doctor obeyed, shutting the door behind him.

    My heart raced.

    My left hand glowed red, and I stepped closer to Caren.

    I placed my hand on his face, and the energy drained from me as though it were being siphoned away.

    Three seconds passed, the energy flickered, then surged back to life.

    My control was limited, but he wasn¡¯t moving. It didn¡¯t matter.

    It felt like an eternity, yet, his skin returned to a healthy tan.

    I pulled my hand back. Caren stirred, his fingers twitching, then reaching for his chest.

    Holy shit. ¡°It worked!¡±

    ¡°Ulah, next. Now.¡± Natasha ordered.

    Healing Ulah was smoother. His body quickly returned to normal, but I was drained, exhausted.

    ¡°It worked.¡± Was it really that simple?

    I sank into a chair. I¡¯d actually done it.

    <hr>

    POV: Ferzan

    I dressed quickly, slipping on a silver head covering, white shirt, silver pants, and a crimson sleeveless coat¡ªthe professional colors of respect.

    I checked myself in the mirror. Lifting the head covering, I held it at my side, admiring my reflection.

    Katie was already dressed in the same colors. ¡°You should wear the headscarf off to the side.¡±

    ¡°In public? I want to look like a young gentleman, not some thug.¡±

    ¡°A''ight.¡±

    I adjusted it, this time leaving the sides and back of my head exposed, but covering the top and front.

    I looked damn good.

    ¡°You¡¯re acting like you¡¯re about to go on a date.¡±

    ¡°I might see a cute girl in the capital.¡±

    ¡°I thought you liked dudes.¡±

    ¡°Do you just make up things and pretend they¡¯re true?¡± I muttered without looking at her.

    I adjusted the head covering, making sure it concealed all my hair, except for the sideburns stopping just at my ears.

    ¡°I might spread a rumor about you. Save you from being married off to your cousin or aunt.¡±

    ¡°Ain¡¯t you the most caring sister?¡±

    ¡°Seriously, do you think that¡¯s why Granny wants us to have dinner tonight? So you can meet some woman twice your age?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for an evaluation of me as a Vlandos. You should be the one worrying about that.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about that until I was two or three times older. By then, I¡¯d likely surpass level 100.

    The higher a Vlandos level, the stronger their offspring would be.

    Katie wasn¡¯t a Vlandos, but she was a second-generation descendant of a Mortal God. Her value was astronomical.

    The other star families weren¡¯t even in their sixteenth generation.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather jump off a cliff.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say such disgusting things.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill myself.¡±

    The banter ended when Tarneisha opened the door. ¡°Miss Abella is waiting for you two.¡±

    She wasn¡¯t joining us, dressed casually as usual.

    ¡°Are you going to be okay by yourself?¡± I asked her.

    ¡°Yeah. I guess I¡¯ll be playing puzzles until you two come back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you something cool in the city,¡± I said as we headed for the door.

    ¡°Cooler puzzles.¡±

    We made our way down the stairs.

    The two Punchio servants opened the door for us. ¡°See you,¡± I said, waving to Tarneisha.

    ¡°Have fun,¡± she replied.

    Katie turned to Tarneisha. ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep without us.¡±

    Mom¡¯s yellow hair, usually straight, was now styled in soft, curly waves that cascaded down her back, reaching her waist.

    Her dress was a gentle blend of pale yellow and white. The bodice, a soft yellow, fitted her perfectly, while the skirt flowed out in flowing white layers.

    ¡°You look good,¡± I said.

    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re dressed¡­ well enough.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re supposed to say something like, I look like a handsome young man. Or I look like my father.¡±

    She said with her usually neutral demeanor, ¡°You look very handsome.¡±

    I smiled brightly. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    We were driven to Sundawn in a Qi-powered Jeep. I tapped my thighs out of boredom, watching the city draw closer.

    Soon enough, we arrived at Directa Restaurant, one of the city¡¯s most luxurious, owned by a man whose great-great-grandfather had supported the vlandos during the revolts following Valuza''s death.

    Katie always said he was just trying to stay on the Vlandos¡¯ good side, in case one of them went off the rails and launched a genocidal campaign. If you asked her why, she¡¯d say it was what she would have done back then.

    I exhaled. ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± She asked, not turning to look at me.

    ¡°Nothing. Just felt like calling you.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Of course.¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    At the edge of my vision, something streaked across the sky, falling in chaotic bursts.

    Wait¡ªwhat are those?

    A shadow crashed down in front of us with a deafening thud, fracturing the pavement.

    I kicked the door open and instinctively reached to summon a monster¡ªbut nothing happened. The sanctity fields, also called safety zones of the temples nullified my call.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    The creature before us was grotesque, its green skin gnarled and monstrous. It stirred, rising to its full height¡ªeasily a meter taller than me.

    It rasped, a garbled voice spilling from its shifting, inhuman mouth. ¡°Filthy¡­ cultist¡­ You are not mine¡­ not my¡­¡± Its face contorted, and then its entire body shuddered before splitting, forming a duplicate of itself.

    A metallic shriek tore through the night¡ªmy mother had ripped the door off the front jeep.

    "Don''t just stare¡ªrun!" she barked, then hurled the door like a knife.

    The edge cleaved deep into the creature¡¯s flesh. It howled in response, its elongated arm snapping toward her like a whip.

    She cursed, backpedaling. In a single motion, she tore open the back door and swung it to intercept the attack, deflecting the grotesque limb to the side. Then, with brutal efficiency, she sent the door spinning at its neck.

    The head severed cleanly.

    Katie scrambled out of the jeep, wide-eyed. "Mom¡­"

    "It''s okay," she murmured, staring at the twitching corpse.

    The driver stood beside me, trembling.

    "How is there a monster here?!" I demanded.

    "I don''t know." My mother''s voice was calm, like it often was when she was public.

    She rolled her shoulders¡ªa familiar motion, one she always did when pain from her illness clawed at her bones. Then she flinched, her gaze snapping up. Without hesitation, she kicked the jeep beside her, sending it flying forward.

    The creature¡¯s stump of a neck bulged, flesh rupturing as another head began to form. Before it could fully emerge, the force of the jeep¡¯s impact sent it hurtling back.

    But the mass of flesh only shuddered¡ªand divided again.

    My mother exhaled sharply and reached into her [personal space], pulling forth a blue-and-silver lance.

    The duplicates roared, then surged toward her.

    I didn¡¯t waste time. I grabbed Katie and the driver and ran.

    The original creature didn¡¯t follow. Instead, its distorted gaze scanned the area, as if seeking something¡ªsomeone. Its body tensed the moment it found its target.

    I followed its line of sight. A small doctor¡¯s office stood in the distance. The same one where I had met Vernisha.

    Could she still be there?

    I swallowed hard, dropped to the ground, and crossed my legs.

    Focus¡­ focus.

    I conjured the image of the Mortal Goddess in my mind, reached for her power.

    With conviction, I whispered, "Wanda Starlight, reveal your starlight upon what is unknown to me. Show me¡ªwhere is Vernisha Holinestone?"

    A dimness settled over the world. The sky pulsed. My mother swung her lance in a wide arc, steel glinting as she fended off the growing beasts. Then she turned toward me, sensing the shift.

    A single bright yellow star shone above¡ªand a beam of light descended upon the doctor¡¯s office.

    Just¡­ great.

    I sighed. "Thank you for your light."

    The glow faded, the world returning to normal.

    "Katie," I said, pointing. "When Mom''s done, tell her I¡¯m heading over there."

    "Why the hell would you do that?! Leave it to the Knights!"

    "Someone I know might be in danger."

    I didn¡¯t wait for her response. I took off running.

    A sudden blast of cold hit my back. I turned¡ª

    The monstrous mass had been frozen solid, a towering sculpture of ice. My mother sat before it, lance resting at her side, eyes drifting onto the distant swarm of creatures.

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    It all happened too fast. Even as I lay on the cold ground, a jagged pole skewering my stomach, my mind clung desperately to the moments before.

    The chaos. The screams. None of it drowned out Caren¡¯s words, repeating over and over in my head.

    I had healed them. I had watched as they stirred back to life. Ulah had bolted toward Natasha, clinging to her, sobbing into her chest.

    Caren had lifted his hands, turning them over as if they were foreign to him. He flexed his fingers, blinking in disbelief. Then, slowly, he sat up, his eyes darting between us, a flicker of guilt and confusion crossing his face.

    "Where¡­ are we?"

    "A private doctor¡¯s office," I told him. "You were all very sick."

    "Oh." He frowned, rubbing his temple. "I remember¡­ being insanely hungry. Thirsty."

    His hand drifted to his stomach before his gaze settled on me.

    "You look a bit dirty. Were you working on the farm?"

    I forced a weak smile. "I just ended up falling a lot."

    He chuckled, but the lightness faded quickly. His eyes flickered toward Natasha, his fists clenching¡ªnot in anger, but as if bracing himself.

    "Natasha, you look¡­ good. Are you well?"

    "I think I am. You?"

    "I¡¯m okay. A little weird still, but¡­ okay." He exhaled sharply. "I just¡­ I just want to say, I¡¯m sorry. I never really appreciated you. I was stupid. So freaking stupid. I didn¡¯t understand why you¡¯d be with someone like me, and that just¡­ made me frustrated, I guess. I want you to know¡ªI¡¯ll treat you better. I mean that. I really do."

    Natasha gave a small nod, then glanced down at Ulah.

    Caren turned back to me. "What¡¯s on your mind?"

    I met his gaze. "Just so you know, it was a Vlandos doctor who saved you."

    He nodded slowly, then smirked. "Of course, that¡¯s what you¡¯d say¡­"

    "Thank Vernisha," Natasha said. "If it wasn¡¯t for her¡ªif she hadn¡¯t kept making friends with Vlandos one after another¡ªyou wouldn¡¯t be here in the capital, healed by one."

    He looked genuinely surprised. His fists tightened, trembling slightly. His lips parted, then curled into a strained smile as he turned toward Ulah.

    "And because of that¡­ Ulah is okay¡­"

    His voice was hoarse as he muttered, "I was the old fool, huh? It¡¯s a good thing you ignored me back then. If¡­ If Ulah had died because of the things I told you, that would have broken me." He swallowed hard and met my eyes. "Thank you, Vernisha. Thank you for saving your brother¡­ and me."

    I was stunned. My heart throbbed in a way I never thought it could for this man. The same man I never once thought of as my father.

    I slowly nodded. I think being appreciated. He acknowledging he was wrong. I think... that made me happy.

    I suppressed the weird strong emotions that were coming out of nowhere. "Yeah..."

    I bit down on my lips, holding back the tears.

    Then Ulah jerked back suddenly, clutching his throat. His sobs turned into strangled gasps. His skin swelled, darkening into a sickly green.

    Natasha''s eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then returned to a chilling neutrality¡ªlike she had been expecting this.

    Panic surged through me. I darted to Ulah and placed my hands on him, flooding him with healing energy before the mutation could consume him. His body convulsed, his skin slowly returning to normal. He slumped into my arms, breathless, utterly drained.

    Caren saw everything.

    That wasn¡¯t a blunder of mine. I hadn¡¯t had time to think of some clever way to hide it¡ªnot when he was mutating so damn fast.

    "Natasha¡ªMom," I stammered, my voice trembling. "How sure are you really?"

    The realization struck me then. My power¡ªwas it truly healing? If their DNA was changing, then wasn¡¯t I just reinforcing that change? Restoring whatever was left of their normal selves?

    I didn¡¯t think I was saving them. I was triggering something else. And judging by how fast Ulah had almost transformed, it wasn¡¯t good.

    Natasha exhaled. "I don¡¯t think so anymore."

    "How can you say that?!" I snapped. "Why were you so damn confident before?"

    Caren stepped in, confusion and fear bleeding into his voice. "That red energy. Vernisha¡­ Oh, what have you done?"

    "This is different!" I shouted. "It heals! I healed you and him!"

    His pupils split. His skin stretched grotesquely, his limbs swelling as though something inside was trying to tear free.

    "The entire time¡­ you were like that? You could¡ª" His gaze dropped to my left, to the bandages wrapped tightly around my hand. "Remove that."

    "No."

    "Remove it!"

    "I said¡ª"

    "He¡¯s going to die anyway," Natasha cut in coldly. "Show him."

    I hesitated, my eyes flicking between them. Then, with a sharp inhale, I tore the bandages away, letting them fall limply to the floor.

    I lifted my left hand, exposing my palm.

    The black spider symbol.

    Caren¡¯s breath hitched. Slowly, he shook his head, his entire body trembling. "No¡­ No¡­ NO!"

    His scream ripped through the room.

    "NATASHA! You knew?! You knew she was a darsean cultist?!"

    "I am not a Darsean cultist!" I yelled. "I just have the same seal. That¡¯s all!"

    Natasha remained still, her expression unreadable.

    Caren¡¯s face twisted as his body swelled further, the grotesque mutations overtaking him. "You¡­ are a devil. No wonder you loved me. No, you never loved me... You aren¡¯t even human."

    And then, his body swelled.

    His skin stretched, muscles bulging grotesquely as his form expanded beyond human limits. The floor cracked beneath him, walls groaning under the pressure. Ulah¡¯s body reacted too¡ªan uncontrollable chain reaction warping everything around us.

    "I will kill you!" His voice echoed, the last words I heard from him¡ªwords that carved themselves into my mind.

    Perhaps I was a hypocrite. I had wanted him dead, yet it hurt to hear him say he wanted the same for me.

    I had accepted that he would hate me if he knew I was Vlandos. But this? He thought I was a cultist.

    And that hurt more.

    Ah¡­ what the hell.

    The broken remains of the ceiling rained down, but I couldn¡¯t move. My body was too weak, drained of ether. Then, from nowhere, a long piece of iron shot through the air, piercing deep into my stomach.

    My vision blurred.

    I was so low on ether that even if I removed the pole, I would just bleed out.

    Above me, Caren twisted and split into unnatural clones, his monstrous form darting across the wreckage, searching.

    I wondered¡ªif I killed the original, would the others die too?

    I doubted it would be that easy.

    They loomed over me, towering more than five meters tall, their gait unsteady, as if they might collapse with every step. Then one of them saw my face.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    Shit.

    I gritted my teeth and tried to shove the debris off me, but the slabs of broken stone and metal must have weighed over six hundred pounds. My arms trembled with effort as I pushed. They barely shifted.

    I reached for my monster, willing it into existence, but all I got was a weak black glow before it flickered out. Something was blocking it.

    The footsteps behind me grew heavier, each one sending vibrations through the ground, rattling my bones.

    I fought harder, pressing with both my arms and legs, but the weight refused to budge.

    ¡°Argh!¡± I screamed in frustration. Just get off me!

    A shadow fell over me.

    ¡°You freak¡­¡± Caren stood barely a meter away.

    I froze. My muscles seized, cold panic shooting through my veins like ice water.

    ¡°Fuck¡­ you.¡± My voice cracked, raw and desperate. ¡°I am your daughter, Caren!¡±

    The words spilled out in a frantic rush. I wasn''t sure why I said that. I hated that man... so why did I feel so betrayed?

    ¡°Are you really going to kill me?! How can you even think I¡¯m a cultist? I¡¯m just twelve! A little girl!¡±

    He stepped closer, his presence suffocating, the sheer weight of him making the ground tremble beneath me. I felt it through my spine, through the cold metal still lodged in my body.

    ¡°I am your DAUGHTER!¡±

    Without a word, he seized the massive debris pinning me down, and hurled it aside like it weighed nothing. Then his hands closed around me, ignoring the pole still impaling me.

    ¡°You are not my daughter.¡± His grip tightened, ribs groaning under the pressure. ¡°You¡¯re just a freak... something that should''ve never existed.¡±

 Chapter 22: A Life For A Secret, Part 2

    "Look at me!"

    Caren stopped squeezing and turned toward the voice.

    I could barely breathe, my ribs feeling like they were on the verge of shattering, but I recognized the voice.

    Ferzan.

    A disc device embedded into Caren¡¯s face and elbow, and they detonated with a violent explosion.

    Ferzan screamed as his arm swung down, moving like a puppet whose strings had been severed. His fingers opened, and I fell to the ground. The impact hurt, but it was nothing compared to the blood pouring from my body.

    Caren, now enraged, stomped and jumped around like a furious child throwing a tantrum.

    Ferzan landed beside me, holding a glass vial filled with a red liquid.

    "Shit..." He pulled the pole from my stomach, tilted my head back, and poured the liquid into my mouth. He pulled it out after a few seconds, but I only swallowed a fraction of it¡ªmaybe a quarter. Too much could be poison, after all.

    He hoisted me up and ran, and Caren gave chase, yelling, ¡°Come back here!¡±

    I could feel some relief, though. The blood loss still weighed on me, but at least I wasn¡¯t as weak as before.

    In the distance, I saw armored Vlandos fighting Splits riding war falcons¡ªenormous brown and white birds that had nearly driven the wild horses in Terrafall to extinction.

    Ferzan noticed my gaze and tried to reassure me, speaking as if I were a child. "Don¡¯t worry. Those knights will keep us safe."

    I struggled to speak, my voice barely a whisper. "He¡¯s chasing us..."

    We sprinted past panicking civilians, and Ferzan bolted into a nearby shop, shattering the glass doors with a powerful kick. He ran across the broken glass without a second thought. I didn¡¯t understand his decision.

    The building shook violently. Caren was trying to break through.

    Ferzan threw another explosive disc, blowing apart the wall ahead of us.

    I needed ether. But at least my bleeding had slowed.

    I moved my hand, testing its strength. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but it was enough to stand on my own again. I felt as if I had just woken up¡ªnot at full strength, but it was better than nothing.

    We exited the shop. Old-fashioned jeeps weaved through the chaos, indifferent to the people they brushed aside.

    Ferzan was clearly stressed, sweat pouring down his face.

    ¡°Up!¡± I shouted, and he looked up just in time to see Caren charging toward us like a cannonball.

    Ferzan pressed me against his shoulder and leaped sideways with a powerful bound.

    He struggled to regain his footing. Caren¡¯s form compacted, and in an instant, his arm stretched to twice its length and whipped toward us.

    Ferzan shifted my position, holding me tighter against his stomach as he turned, bracing for the impact with his back.

    We were sent hurtling through the air before crashing into a building, the wall cracking beneath our bodies.

    Ferzan dropped to the ground but was up in a heartbeat¡ªlike he¡¯d barely been hurt.

    I scrambled to my feet, pulling the black knife from my pocket and unsheathing it.

    ¡°Vernishaaaaaaaa!¡± Caren screamed, splitting into multiple forms again.

    Ferzan cursed under his breath. ¡°Freaking hell. These are what you were worried about?¡±

    I was almost confused by what he meant. Then I remembered the lies I told him to get him to help me.

    ¡°It¡¯s complicated... I¡¯ll tell you later, but he¡¯s my father. Help me kill him!¡±

    That bastard thought I wouldn¡¯t fight back? That I would just let him kill me?

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± Ferzan asked, eyes wide.

    ¡°Do you have any ether recovery items?¡± I asked desperately.

    Caren¡¯s face bubbled with new eyes as he surged toward us. His voice was a guttural hiss, as if it had been rotting for years. He muttered my name like a curse.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t use monsters! Don¡¯t you see that?¡± Ferzan snapped, frustration creeping into his voice.

    "I know!" I yelled. "Just give me anything if you have it!"

    Caren and his duplicates charged. Ferzan pulled a green pill from his [Pocket space] and tossed it to me.

    I swallowed it in one motion. In that moment, Caren¡¯s neck stretched, and he bared lion-like fangs at my throat.

    Ferzan swung his sword at the neck, cutting deep.

    The fangs were almost at my neck, but I managed to jump aside. I traced my blade down its neck to its stomach, fighting against the thick muscles resisting my strike.

    If only it weren¡¯t so much muscle and fat, I might reach its organs.

    But it didn¡¯t matter.

    The lower half of its body began to swell and shift, growing into a massive hand that aimed to crush me.

    I darted to the side, narrowly escaping his grasp, but he snatched a fistful of my hair.

    With a brutal jerk, he swung his hand up, ready to hurl me through the air. Instinctively, I clamped down on his wrist, sinking my teeth into his flesh and wrenching it with the ferocity of a wild animal, my knife stabbing deep into the vulnerable skin.

    Caren¡¯s scream rang in my ears, but my actions only fueled his rage. My body was moments away from being sent flying, but I acted quickly, slicing off a portion of my hair with a desperate swipe.

    The momentum threw me, my body skipping across the ground until I crashed into a carriage chained to a nearby pole. My head was injured, blood pouring freely, and my arm screamed in agony.

    I braced myself, pressing my hand through my torn shirt to grip my arm beneath the sleeve, healing it just enough to dull the pain to a manageable throb.

    Without hesitation, I leapt to the side, anticipating Caren''s descent from above.

    I realized my dumbass mistake¡ªhe wasn¡¯t diving at me. Instead, he was charging forward, adjusting his course with terrifying precision.

    His hand reached for my throat, and I thrust the knife upward, aiming for his neck.

    Our movements collided¡ªhis hand clamping around my neck just as my knife found its mark.

    For a brief moment, his eyes widened with shock, the pain from the blade sinking into his flesh igniting his fury. His arms swelled grotesquely, the force surging within him.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "Y¡­ou¡­" he gasped. I seized his arm and healed it.

    The moment I did, his bulging muscles returned to normal. He stared at me in confusion, but I didn¡¯t waste a second. I struck again, aiming for his neck.

    He released my throat with a growl, jumping backward. I chased after him, my focus only on him, pushing all thoughts of Ferzan to the corner of my mind.

    "Don¡¯t touch me!" Caren shrieked, his voice a mix of fury and desperation.

    ¡°Fuck you!¡± I snarled, propelling myself forward with a lethal leap, my hand reaching for his neck once more.

    He pulled his head back just in time, narrowly evading my strike, but my aim hadn¡¯t actually been his neck. It had been his foot.

    As I hit the ground, I launched myself at his leg. His body was thrown off balance by the recoil, his foot within my reach. I healed it quickly, the damage reversing, the balance shifting in my favor.

    His foot now lagged, shorter than his other knee, and he stumbled, collapsing with a feral roar.

    I couldn¡¯t slow down. I had to act fast, before the mutation accelerated and he became something worse.

    My knife plunged into his back, the sensation of slicing into his flesh sickening. I pulled it free, thrusting again at his spine, the grotesque tearing of muscle and skin reverberating through me.

    It felt as though my body was no longer mine to control, though I knew I was the one driving it. The sound of his screams, the sticky warmth of his blood, the sickening crunch of his bones¡ªit all sent a shiver of disgust through me.

    But I couldn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t hesitate. He mutated again, his feet and arms swelling, growing far larger than they should have been.

    It didn¡¯t matter anymore. His body was paralyzed.

    ¡°You¡¯re killing me¡­¡± His voice was a broken whisper, tinged with fear and tears.

    Blood stained my arm and soaked my dress. My hands trembled violently, teeth clattering like I was standing in the freezing cold.

    But I couldn¡¯t think about it. I had to finish this.

    I pressed my hand to his neck, my voice cold, almost detached. "I always hated you. But, at times, I respected you. And whenever I didn¡¯t hate you, I hated myself for it. Did you know that?"

    "Get away from me¡­" His voice cracked.

    "I asked! Did you know that?!"

    He stared at me, his eyes vacant, as if he couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening.

    "Say something, you fucking rat! Are you scared now, knowing I¡¯m doing to you what you would¡¯ve done to me for no reason at all?"

    ¡°No reason? You¡¯re... you¡¯re a freak.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a freak!¡± I snapped, my voice rising with fury. ¡°What did I ever do to deserve that? Name one thing.¡±

    ¡°You... you gave your life to the man who hates us all. You serve him. You''re a Darsean cultist. I... I wish you were never born.¡±

    A cold wave crashed over me, settling into the pit of my stomach.

    My heart tightened, the weight of his words sinking in. A chill crawled up my spine. I never thought I¡¯d hear this from him, not like this, not in his final moments.

    My mouth opened, trembling, the words caught in my throat. I thought, maybe, as he neared death, he¡¯d reveal some kind of truth, that maybe he cared, even if it was buried deep down. That maybe, just maybe, he hated that he had to do this to me, but he felt forced to.

    "F¨Cfuck¡­ y¨Cyou¡­¡± I choked on my words, before my hand tightened around his throat. I healed it, revealing a small human white neck, then thrust the knife forward, slicing through his neck with one swift motion.

    His gurgles filled the air, his blood pooling around us.

    I looked around¡ªdead bodies littered the ground, children, women, men, all lifeless. Some people staggered away, clutching at their wounds, their blood staining the earth.

    In the corner of my eye, I saw Ferzan dispatching the last clone with a brutal swing of his massive axe. The head fell to the ground, darkening and withering like poison spreading across the earth.

    Ferzan breathed heavily, his armor untouched, save for a trickle of blood running down his face. He caught my eye.

    ¡°You¡¯re okay¡­ Oh.¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer him, my gaze still locked on Caren¡¯s lifeless body.

    His eyes moved to the body beside me, and I guessed he noticed my trembling. He walked over. ¡°Hey, you did what you had to¡ªhe tried to kill you.¡±

    I knew the words I longed to say. I wanted to tell him I didn¡¯t give a damn¡ªthat I had always wished for his death. After all, he wasn¡¯t even my real father. Yet the words failed to leave my lips. Instead, I stammered, ¡°I''m okay... I''m perfect even.. I¡ª¡±

    He sat beside me, his arm going around my shoulders, ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. Just¡­ don¡¯t.¡±

    <hr>

    POV: ULAH

    I no longer felt hungry or thirsty. Everything felt real¡ªlike walking through a field of ice cream, swimming in it, building a castle out of it. Everything felt perfect. Right. Good. I wanted to feel this way forever.

    The ice cream figure, shaped like a woman, seemed to scream in pain as I squeezed her. Her body melted into mush, and red juices flooded my mouth. I stuffed the melting treats in, chewing and swallowing them.

    There was so much food around. I knew Vernisha and Mom would have saved me, but I hadn¡¯t expected this. I was happy. Really happy. Yet each time, something felt off¡ªlike a piece of me was breaking away, though it felt strangely good.

    I spotted a small ice cream man running toward a building. I chased him¡ªstomping him, rolling him into a ball, and hurling him into my mouth. I chewed on him, his texture like honeyed gum.

    ¡°Ulah.¡± I recognized the voice and immediately turned. It wasn¡¯t an ice cream figure at all¡ªit was the same black cat. Normally, I might have ignored it, but I was too caught up in my bliss.

    I waved. ¡°Hey! You want some ice cream too?¡±

    ¡°I thought you liked bread,¡± it said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why the corn plants had bread on their tops?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I guess so. But ice cream is better. Have some!¡±

    ¡°Too much ice cream is dangerous for your health. You should stop eating it, or you¡¯ll get diabetes.¡±

    What was its deal? I clicked my tongue and brushed it off. ¡°Go away if you don¡¯t want ice cream.¡±

    I looked around for more when suddenly¡ª¡°Agh! My neck!¡± An ice cream man riding a flying ice cream bird had slashed deep into my neck. My flesh regrew quickly, and once again, my body split into countless fragments.

    The cat spoke again, now approaching. ¡°You should stop, or you¡¯ll die.¡±

    ¡°I told you, leave me to eat my ice cream!¡± I shouted.

    ¡°You will be killed.¡±

    ¡°No! Leave me alone, or I¡¯ll eat you!¡±

    It stared. ¡°I see¡ªyou just want to do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. What do you think?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m annoyed. I¡¯m bothered that I don¡¯t want you to die, even though I no longer care how your death might affect Vernisha.¡±

    ¡°Wait¡­ you know her?¡±

    Then the cat dissolved like smoke and vanished.

    I stared, and then I heard a song:

    ¡°Balash w¨¹rde fallen. Sie w¨¹rden schreien, sie w¨¹rden weinen, aber ich w¨¹rde ihre Tr?nen genie?en. Ich w¨¹rde ihr Leid auskosten, denn sie hatten mich verraten.¡±

    Mom?!

    I tried to find her, but she was nowhere to be seen¡ªthe voice was close. I chased after it, ignoring the buildings in my path as I climbed over or skirted around them. The closer I got, the further the voice seemed to drift.

    ¡°Sowohl Balash als auch diese Welt w¨¹rden f¨¹reinander b¨¹?en.¡±

    Yet I was close. I was sure of it.

    ¡°Mom!¡± I shouted.

    It felt like I ran forever until a wall blocked me. I punched it, but it didn¡¯t budge. Instead, my arm was blown off, and a surge of electricity scorched my neck.

    ¡°Ich hasse sie mehr als alles andere. Sie sind das B?se selbst, sie sind Monster.¡±

    The gates loomed ahead. A knight stationed there kicked them open and moved aside¡ªnot out of fear, but to gain a better angle to attack me.

    I didn¡¯t care. I ran after him. I needed to become smaller¡ªshrink!

    My body fragmented into countless pieces that raced alongside me. A longsword slashed toward my neck like a lightning bolt before I could react. But then he froze. I couldn¡¯t understand his sudden stillness, and I pressed on.

    ¡°Dies ist meine Stimme. Das ist der Wunsch, den ich an euch weitergebe, meine Kinder. Meine wundersch?nen T?chter. Bitte, tut also, wie ich euch bitte. Denn ich liebe euch alle ¨¹ber alles und w¨¹rde euch niemals verraten. Niemals. Selbst wenn eine von euch mich verr?t, werde ich euch alle weiterhin mit Liebe ¨¹bersch¨¹tten.¡±

    I had run into the forest, my heart pounding, until I finally saw her. Mom. But she didn¡¯t look like ice cream this time.

    Her clothes were torn and stained, blood dripping from deep cuts across her skin. She was sitting on a rock, her hand pressed to her forehead as if trying to block something inside her mind.

    ¡°Mom?¡±

    She didn¡¯t look up right away. ¡°Ignore the blood. Ignore the wounds. They aren¡¯t your fault.¡±

    ¡°Who hurt you?¡± My voice cracked before I could control it, the question feeling hollow as I asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Her words were softer, distant. ¡°What do you see me as?¡±

    My breath caught. ¡°My mother.¡±

    Her gaze met mine, and for a moment, she just looked at me, like she was searching for something. ¡°So I¡¯m not food to you?¡± Her tone was almost wistful, like a memory that hurt.

    ¡°Ha...? That¡¯s not funny.¡±

    I swallowed, but suddenly, my stomach ached, an emptiness so vast that it was almost unbearable. My throat felt tight, dry.

    Mom slowly rose from the rock, her movements slow and deliberate, like something heavy weighed her down. ¡°That song you sing so beautifully... I¡¯ve always thought you have such a pure voice. I only wish my own mother could¡¯ve loved you the way I¡¯ve come to admire you. Truly, I wish that.¡±

    For the first time, I saw something in her eyes that I couldn¡¯t understand. Pain, maybe, or regret. She ran a hand through her hair, and for the first time, she looked just like Vernisha¡ªfrustrated, helpless.

    I felt a knot form in my chest. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Her gaze flickered away, then back to me, and her voice softened, almost broken. ¡°I¡¯m going to have to kill you. I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯m glad you were born into this world.¡±

    She pointed at me, and that¡¯s when it happened. Her skin cracked like dry earth breaking open, peeling away in slow, deliberate layers. Dust. Her skin faded away, and beneath it, I saw only blackness. Darker than anything I had ever known.

    I gasped, feeling fear coil in my gut, my breath catching in my throat.

    But before I could say anything, before I could even react, everything below my neck simply disappeared. Gone, as though it had never been there at all.

    Gravity returned with a shock, but I didn¡¯t fall. I was still suspended, floating, as she glided toward me, her hands reaching out to catch my head.

    Her hair, dark and thick, surrounded her face like a curtain, fanning out in every direction. Then, her real face appeared, as it had always been, soft and familiar. Her smile, gentle and warm, returned.

    It wasn¡¯t creepy. It wasn¡¯t false. It was the same smile she always gave Vernisha, as though she meant everything to her. As though Vernisha was the most important person in the world.

    ...I was getting that smile?

    I was.

    ...I was as precious as Vernisha to her... I was the most important thing in the world to her?

    Yeah... I was.

    Tears welled in my eyes/ A wave of warmth spread through me, filling every part of my being, and I couldn¡¯t stop the sobs from escaping. I didn¡¯t want to. This was the happiest moment of my life.

    ¡°I love you, my child,¡± was the last thing I heard.

 Chapters will resume tomorrow.

    I have been working on the outline of Arc 2 for a couple of days. I finished writing the outlines for the chapters a minute ago(I often make a general outline for the arc, and then adapt it into chapter outlines. (just has more detail)). So, I should start posting again by tomorrow, or on Thursday. It depends if I get new ideas, or want to revise some stuff, see a plot hole for later arcs, etc.

    It''s a relatively short arc, but has quite a bit of setup for later arcs, and other essential character stuff, thus me not wanting to rush making it.

    this is just to reach the needed work count.

    I have been working on the outline of Arc 2 for a couple of days. I finished writing the outlines for the chapters a minute ago(I often make a general outline for the arc, and then adapt it into chapter outlines. (just has more detail)). So, I should start posting again by tomorrow, or on Thursday. It depends if I get new ideas, or want to revise some stuff, see a plot hole for later arcs, etc.

    It''s a relatively short arc, but has quite a bit of setup for later arcs, and other essential character stuff, thus me not wanting to rush making it.

    I have been working on the outline of Arc 2 for a couple of days. I finished writing the outlines for the chapters a minute ago(I often make a general outline for the arc, and then adapt it into chapter outlines. (just has more detail)). So, I should start posting again by tomorrow, or on Thursday. It depends if I get new ideas, or want to revise some stuff, see a plot hole for later arcs, etc.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    It''s a relatively short arc, but has quite a bit of setup for later arcs, and other essential character stuff, thus me not wanting to rush making it.

    I have been working on the outline of Arc 2 for a couple of days. I finished writing the outlines for the chapters a minute ago(I often make a general outline for the arc, and then adapt it into chapter outlines. (just has more detail)). So, I should start posting again by tomorrow, or on Thursday. It depends if I get new ideas, or want to revise some stuff, see a plot hole for later arcs, etc.

    It''s a relatively short arc, but has quite a bit of setup for later arcs, and other essential character stuff, thus me not wanting to rush making it.

    I have been working on the outline of Arc 2 for a couple of days. I finished writing the outlines for the chapters a minute ago(I often make a general outline for the arc, and then adapt it into chapter outlines. (just has more detail)). So, I should start posting again by tomorrow, or on Thursday. It depends if I get new ideas, or want to revise some stuff, see a plot hole for later arcs, etc.

    It''s a relatively short arc, but has quite a bit of setup for later arcs, and other essential character stuff, thus me not wanting to rush making it.

    I have been working on the outline of Arc 2 for a couple of days. I finished writing the outlines for the chapters a minute ago(I often make a general outline for the arc, and then adapt it into chapter outlines. (just has more detail)). So, I should start posting again by tomorrow, or on Thursday. It depends if I get new ideas, or want to revise some stuff, see a plot hole for later arcs, etc.

    It''s a relatively short arc, but has quite a bit of setup for later arcs, and other essential character stuff, thus me not wanting to rush making it.

 Chapter 23: A Cursed Realization

    POV: Vernisha

    Of course, things weren¡¯t over yet. Far off, other massive green mutants wandered aimlessly. But they were deteriorating. Chunks of their flesh sloughed off like melting fat.

    It wasn¡¯t happening fast enough. Ferzan¡¯s eyes fixed on the rampaging clones of my father¡­ and probably my brother. I couldn¡¯t tell.

    Then it struck me: I had to kill Ulah. My heart dropped like a stone. I¡­ No, I didn¡¯t have the time to dwell on it. I couldn¡¯t afford to hate myself right now. No time to consciously wish I was dead.

    I pushed myself to my feet. Ferzan noticed the tight grip I had on the knife in my hand. He spoke softly, offering advice, ¡°You should rest. The knights can handle it¡­ they¡¯re suited for this.¡±

    The armored knights, perched on their warbirds, had initially been struggling. The mutants¡¯ flesh was expanding and producing new clones with every blow. But now, it seemed to be working.

    Still, there were so many of them.

    Ferzan pulled out a small bottle filled with clear liquid and a roll of bandage. ¡°Your head¡¯s bleeding badly,¡± he noted.

    He unscrewed the bottle and filled the cap with the liquid. ¡°I can¡¯t give you more healing elixir. This is gonna burn.¡±

    He covered my eyes and poured the alcohol onto my forehead. The pain was excruciating, and I did my best to suppress a groan. I wanted to swat his hand away and heal myself.

    He finished applying the liquid and started wrapping my head. I stood still as he dressed the wound, my eyes locked on the knights. Their speed was impressive. Their fancy swords, spears, and bows¡ªthey were like weapons of magic.

    I turned to Ferzan. ¡°These knights¡­ Why don¡¯t you have cool weapons like them?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± He looked up, following my gaze as one of the knights let loose an arrow from a gleaming golden bow. The arrow struck a fallen mutant clone that was struggling to rise. The neck of the mutant pulsed before it exploded.

    Ferzan glanced at me. ¡°I do have ¡®fancy weapons.¡¯¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t use them. I just think of your monsters as the real wonders,¡± I replied, my voice flat, lifeless.

    I was doing my best not to think about what I had just done.

    He answered, ¡°The knights compensate with their weapons, since they don¡¯t use monsters. Anyway, I¡¯m done.¡±

    He finished wrapping my head. ¡°Thank you¡­¡±

    I turned toward the ruined doctor¡¯s office, a sudden thought flashing through my mind. Natasha.

    My body moved before I could stop it. Fear tingled down my spine as I wondered why, why the hell had I only remembered her now?

    Maybe because it was Natasha. Even back at the village attacked by the monsters, I hadn¡¯t been genuinely worried about her. I had believed in her ability to survive.

    Back then, I wondered why. It felt like it was simply because she was Natasha. But what did that even mean?

    It meant because Natasha was Natasha.

    Ferzan ran alongside me, his voice cutting through my thoughts. ¡°What¡¯s going on? What did you see?¡±

    ¡°My¡­ mother.¡± The word ¡°mother¡± came out before I even realized it. It wasn¡¯t just a random response¡ªit wasn¡¯t just something I said to blend in.

    Ferzan¡¯s face shifted instantly, his expression darkening. He said nothing, but his grim face spoke volumes. She was gone.

    We reached the collapsed doctor¡¯s office, and began removing the rubble. ¡°Mom!¡± I screamed, my voice raw with desperation.

    I was stronger than before, thanks to killing Caren. Much stronger. I flipped chunks of concrete that must¡¯ve weighed over 200 pounds with relative ease.

    Ferzan tossed aside pieces of debris that dwarfed mine. But it was still taking far too long.

    I stared at my left hand, trying desperately to summon a monster. The damn snake¡ªsurely it had powerful senses. Damn the consequences if anyone found out.

    But all that emerged were faint sparks of black from my seal.

    Why¡­?

    ¡°Why, why, why?!¡± I screamed in frustration. I knew the reason. I should¡¯ve known. But my emotions were clouding my mind, and I couldn¡¯t think straight¡­

    Who could blame me? I had never wanted to admit it. I had never wanted to accept that the parents in this world _were_ my parents. But my ¡°real¡± parents¡ªwell, I wasn¡¯t exactly close to them.

    I had been closer to my father on Earth, but over time, as his work became busier, the less we communicated. As for my mother, her constant comparisons of me to other kids made me resent her, feelings I was rarely willing to admit.

    But Natasha¡ªshe was different. She was odd, yes, but I felt appreciated. I felt love from her. And I hated that. I wasn¡¯t a child anymore¡ªI didn¡¯t need love from my parents. They were just¡­ biological ¡®parents.¡¯

    But no amount of convincing can fool your actual feelings.

    Even after an hour had passed, and I was so exhausted that all I could do was gasp for air, I kept searching for her. I kept shouting¡ªkept pleading for her to answer.

    Ferzan didn¡¯t stop either, but it was clear he was only doing it to support me. He didn¡¯t believe she could be found.

    I gripped the edge of a rock and just... stayed there. Ferzan wiped sweat from his forehead and glanced at me. "You... think she probably escaped?"

    "She wouldn''t leave me behind." I replied without turning to look at him.

    My gaze dropped to my hands, and a deep hatred began to well up from the very core of my being.

    What were these hands good for? What were these so-called ''healing'' powers worth? They only hurt people! They only made everything worse.

    I exhaled sharply, straightening my back. I took in the destruction around me¡ªthe blood everywhere, the children crying in the streets, likely searching for their parents. The buildings, now nothing more than rubble...

    And then I saw it. The last mutant¡¯s head exploded, a sniper''s shot cleanly taking it off. Green fumes spiraled from the barrel.

    I killed my family. No. It wasn¡¯t just that. I turned half of my family into monsters, and then got them killed. And...

    Ah...

    I collapsed to my knees. Even the jagged rocks couldn¡¯t pierce my skin.

    A thought struck me.

    Cursed.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    I was cursed. Cursed with powers that healed the enemies of intelligent life, yet killed intelligent life¡ªexcept for me.

    The realization twisted in my gut, leaving me cold. Even when Ferzan approached and simply stood there, it didn¡¯t matter.

    The world felt empty. Dark. Cold. And I was alone. I didn¡¯t deserve to live.

    There was a sudden rumble, and when I looked to my side, an explosion rocked the ground.

    "Damn it!" Ferzan muttered as rocks flew everywhere. I was thrown back, tumbling to the ground.

    Then something slammed into my leg¡ªfast, hard. It didn¡¯t break, but it hurt. A lot.

    I gritted my teeth and grabbed my leg, preparing to heal it. I didn¡¯t care. My hands glowed red, but the healing aura flickered.

    It flickered. On, then off.

    I couldn¡¯t believe it. Not again. I hated it. I hated these powers more than anything.

    The intensity was the same, but it refused to obey me.

    After all the progress I had made, this happened. I exhaled, loosening my grip.

    Why did I care? I was cursed. This power was useless trash. If I¡¯d never had them, I could have been happy. This... none of this would have happened.

    Ferzan came over. "You okay?"

    "No."

    I didn¡¯t want to think.

    He helped me to my feet. I tried my best to stand on both legs, but the pain was too much, forcing me to limp.

    "You have family back home?" he asked.

    "No. I don¡¯t. I don¡¯t even see the point of going back. It¡¯s empty."

    He grimaced, standing beside me in silence.

    Time passed. Eventually, a tall woman with curly blonde hair approached us. A young girl walked beside her, scanning the surroundings as she followed the woman, who I assumed was her mother.

    It was definitely Ferzan¡¯s sister. The red and blonde strands of her hair made that clear. The wind tossed her hair, the red half sometimes crossing over the blonde.

    The woman spoke. "Ferzan."

    "Mom."

    She glanced at me before continuing. "I see... Are your injuries only external?"

    "Yes."

    Then she asked me, her tone softening. "Where are your parents, young child?"

    It took a moment for me to respond. "Dead."

    Ferzan walked over to her to have a conversation.

    After a minute, she spoke again, her voice a little louder. "Okay."

    ---

    The ride on Ferzan¡¯s back was anything but steady. With so many chunks of concrete scattered across the ground, he had to leap over debris and keep moving.

    I didn¡¯t complain. I kept my hands tight around his neck, not wanting to fall off, though I doubted it would hurt if I did.

    The little girl was carried by her mother, her leaps far more graceful and confident than Ferzan¡¯s.

    I tried to [inspect] her, but, as expected, I couldn¡¯t see her level. It was the same for Ferzan.

    I often spotted green mutant giants, or the smaller ones lying motionless on the ground, lifeless. Knights and adventurers were methodically double-tapping their corpses, perhaps haunted by the creatures'' ability to duplicate.

    Time seemed to slip away quickly. I wasn¡¯t sure how long it took for us to reach the city gates¡ªperhaps just a couple of hours.

    I stared at the massive pile of decaying green mutants. All headless.

    As we approached the gate, we encountered a lone knight stationed there, his armor stained with green blood.

    Abella spoke first, her voice tinged with impatience. "I wish to leave."

    The knight stood straight as a rod, offering an apologetic response. "We¡¯ve been ordered not to allow anyone to leave due to this incident until a proper investigation¡ª"

    Abella cut him off. "Who am I?"

    The man hesitated before asking, "I don¡¯t understand... what do you mean, Miss Abella?"

    "Abella what?" she pressed.

    The knight paused, his demeanor faltering, before muttering, "Starlight."

    Abella Starlight? I blinked in surprise, my gaze lifting to take a better look at her. I had heard so many stories about her, but never imagined I would meet her in person.

    She was famous for being fearless¡ªand something else I couldn¡¯t quite remember at that moment.

    If I knew the reason behind her fearless reputation at the time, I would have fled right then.

    The knight said, his voice softer now. "We know you¡¯re a... [hero], but it¡¯s an order we received. The command came from the Senate."

    Abella¡¯s tone hardened. "Do yourself a favor and open the gate. My mother is outside, and I wish to get to her as soon as possible."

    The knight sighed in resignation, muttering under his breath before knocking sharply on the gate several times.

    The gate creaked open. Outside, knights stationed nearby seemed confused at first, but when they saw Abella and Ferzan, they straightened immediately, their postures rigid.

    We stepped outside, and my eyes landed on a woman sitting on a stone. As soon as she spotted Abella and Ferzan, she leapt to her feet.

    Like Abella, she wore a dress that blended yellow and white, her blonde hair and yellow eyes strikingly similar to her daughter¡¯s.

    She flashed a wide, toothy grin, her perfect white teeth gleaming. "It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen my grandchild!"

    She rushed forward and embraced Ferzan, squeezing him tightly. Up close, I could see her slender nose and deep red lips¡ªfeatures that made her look almost too young to be his grandmother. She could easily pass for just a few years older than Abella.

    When she pulled back from the hug, she held Ferzan by the shoulders, smiling down at him. His head barely reached her nose, but what caught my attention was the monster seal emblazoned on her forehead. Abella¡¯s lack of a seal there surprised me¡ªit was part of Starlight tradition, after all. I assumed Ferzan didn¡¯t bear one either, as his identity seemed more aligned with the Starworth.

    Ferzan managed a faint smile, but his exhaustion was evident.

    The woman turned to Abella, her smile shifting into something more calculating. "Who¡¯s this child?" she asked, her gaze narrowing as she studied me. "Have you gone and adopted another one without consulting me?"

    "No, mother. This is Ferzan¡¯s friend. She¡¯s injured, so we¡¯ll be administering some care."

    "Ah... I see." She turned her focus back to me, her gaze lingering. "At least she¡¯s a Vlandos. A high-level one for her age."

    I didn¡¯t understand why my Vlandos status was relevant in this context.

    "Hello..." I murmured, my energy draining so low that speaking took effort.

    "Don¡¯t bother, child." The woman¡¯s attention shifted to Ferzan¡¯s sister, who was staring at her with unreadable eyes.

    The grandmother¡¯s smile faded a little, no longer as bright as the one she¡¯d shown Ferzan.

    "Katie..." Her hand passed through her red hair in an absent motion.

    Before she could ask another question, Katie spoke up. "I haven¡¯t gotten a monster seal. Granny."

    The woman¡¯s hand twitched, a brief moment of surprise passing over her features. She nodded slowly, and the air between them grew tense.

    Abella locked eyes with her mother, silent but clearly warning her with a single, piercing gaze.

    The two maintained the hard stare for a long moment before the grandmother finally turned away, slipping her hands into her dress pockets. "We¡¯ll be heading to your home now."

    After a brief pause, she added, "I brought a guest to test Ferzan, by the way."

    "Who?" Abella asked, raising an eyebrow.

    "Just a slave," the woman replied nonchalantly.

    Suddenly, the air around me shifted, and a strange, glitching aura enveloped us. A flash of light, and then, we found ourselves standing on concrete tracks surrounded by neatly trimmed green grass. Flowers and trees dotted the landscape, creating an almost serene atmosphere.

    I would later come to realize that it was a life buff¡ª[Teleportation].

    Ahead of us stood a grand mansion, its walls painted in red, white, and gold. Large balconies stretched from the upper floors, and there were many tall arched windows.

    A wide stone path led to towering double doors. To the side, a shimmering pool reflected the sky, surrounded by neatly trimmed hedges and flower beds. Smaller houses were scattered across the grounds, and a row of garages stood nearby.

    Then, I heard the sound of metal shifting behind me. Turning, I saw a well-dressed, armored Julioes man, his pink skin and white hair unmistakable. He wore an iron rectangular triangle hanging from his left ear, long as my finger. A slave.

    "Bring the child to the nursing room," Abella instructed Ferzan.

    He nodded and strode toward the large double doors. Outside, Punchios stood at attention, dressed in white tunics that draped far past their knees. The fabric swayed with every movement, high collars framing their necks, while long slits on either side revealed loose, silken trousers beneath. And of course... the outfit was adorned with small emeralds from the left shoulder to the right knee.

    Punchios and gems... You just couldn''t separate them¡ªlike a politician and false promises.

    The men didn''t wear head coverings. It was common sense¡ªthey had a different culture.

    Anyway, they bowed and opened the doors for us. I was taken to one of the many rooms on the third floor, the sharp scent of cleaning alcohol hanging in the air. It looked like a medical ward.

    I didn''t think much about it. I was exhausted.

    Eventually, a gray-haired, wrinkled woman entered. She and Ferzan exchanged a few words.

    Then, from her earlobe, with a flash of white light, emerged her monster¡ªa strange spider made entirely of silk, its legs tipped with small, curved claws.

    The doctor smiled and asked me some questions. I barely remembered what I said. I was running on autopilot.

    At some point, I was told to lie on the bed. So I did, and stared at the ceiling.

    The spider crawled over me, skittering toward my wounds, sewing open cuts closed with its silk.

    Then, it reached my head. I couldn''t suppress a shudder. The way its claws poked at my scalp¡ªit wasn¡¯t something I could get used to.

    But then, something jolted me fully awake.

    While her spider was still out, she summoned another monster. A massive, human-sized sphere of blue fire. But the flames were translucent, almost ghostly.

    I stared. "How?"

    The doctor raised an eyebrow.

    I clarified, "You have two monsters out at the same time."

    "Oh¡­ Well I always wanted to be a Vlandos doctor. So I focused a lot on building my mind."

    "It doesn¡¯t hurt?"

    "Not one bit." Her gaze drifted toward her fire ghost. It floated down to my injured leg, its ghostly flames licking up to my knee.

    The pain and discomfort began to fade.

    Then, the doctor''s eyes landed on my clenched left hand.

    She reached for it, perhaps thinking I was hiding an injury.

    I immediately pulled away, pressing it tightly to my chest. "No."

    "If it''s¡ª"

    "It''s the earring of my now-dead mother."

    "Oh." A pause. "Was it during the creature attack earlier today?"

    I slowly nodded. "Yes."

    "I see. I''m very sorry." She backed away.

    It hurt to lie like this. To lie about Natasha. But if I didn¡¯t give a proper reason, she might force my hand open or mention it to the others.

 Chapter 24: A New Home

    Once everything was settled, I thanked the doctor and she left.

    I scanned the room and spotted Ferzan sleeping on the tiger-striped couch.

    His left leg was crossed over the other, and he was snoring. A gentle breeze from the window near his head lifted the blonde and red strands of his hair before letting them settle softly back down.

    I wasn''t sure when he had changed, but he was now in a long blue shirt and pants, covered in scattered star patterns.

    "Yo," I called, trying to wake him, but my voice wasn''t loud enough. I raised my volume until he startled awake.

    He wiped the dried saliva from the corner of his lips and looked around the room, probably searching for the doctor. "Things done already?" he asked.

    I scooted to the edge of the bed, my feet hovering just above the floor. "Yeah."

    "Are you okay? The doctor didn¡¯t check your face." I asked him.

    He brushed his fingers over the small cuts on the side of his face. "Oh, this? It¡¯s not a big deal."

    Ferzan rested his hands on his lap and then asked, "So, how are you feeling?"

    I nodded after a brief moment. "Pretty good."

    He didn''t buy it. Slouching in the chair, he muttered, "Sorry."

    "For what?"

    "For not being able to help."

    "... You did," I replied, biting down on my lip. "You saved me. You helped a lot."

    "I didn¡¯t," his tone was firm. He looked down at his hands. "You, a kid, had the strength to ask me for help protecting your family. What did I do? Took everything too casually... Not with the urgency I should have."

    "I¡¯m not some child," I snapped, grabbing the bed sheets tightly.

    Ferzan looked at me, slightly confused, before saying, "Of course¡­ I¡¯m sure you''ve been through a lot."

    I loosened my grip on the sheets. "I lied to you."

    He raised an eyebrow, prompting me to continue. "My father and brother, they ate something bad¡ªsome bread, one I wasn¡¯t supposed to take. They started getting unstable, so we brought them here, hoping to get them fixed. I needed money to keep them from getting worse. I came to you to level up so I could become strong enough to work as a bodyguard. To get money."

    He nodded and leaned forward. "And it didn¡¯t work out."

    I stared down at my hands, which had moved to rest on my thighs. "I made things worse."

    "You tried to do good."

    "What does it matter? Besides, aren''t you mad I lied to you? I got so many of your people killed. So much destruction."

    "My people¡ªare you not a Terrafallen too?"

    "Yeah, but I lived a completely different life from them. I¡¯m sure you were close to them. You must hate me."

    "If I killed my sister by accident, does that make me a bad person?"

    "But that''s different¡ª"

    "How is it different? Did you mean to cause harm?"

    "No. But that''s all I seem to do! You can¡¯t understand. You never will... A cockroach isn¡¯t born bad, but just by existing, it spreads diseases. Its existence is a plague."

    Ferzan sighed and raised his chin in exasperation. "Stop with the nonsense."

    "It¡¯s not nonsense!" I snapped. "You think so because you''re perfect. Perfect and good, like the hero of some stupid story."

    "Yeah?" Ferzan stood up. "You think I¡¯m some dumb kid because I¡¯m trying to be sympathetic? Maybe people praise me, see me as some... blessing. But I don¡¯t. I know I¡¯m not. How could you think I am? My mother¡¯s sick because I was born into this world. She hides it well, that''s all. Not even the birth of Katie made it worse. I don¡¯t know what makes you think you¡¯re a plague, a curse, but you¡¯re not alone. And I¡¯m not saying this to compare our struggles. I just¡­ want to help. I like helping people. I want to be the kind of person people see as good. So no, I don¡¯t hate you. I don¡¯t have a reason to."

    I stared at him for a long moment. "Sorry."

    "This isn¡¯t about apologies. Beating yourself up like this isn¡¯t going to help. You went after the bread for them. The ones to blame are the ones who made it, not you."

    I didn¡¯t respond, but his words wrapped themselves around my heart. The ones that made it...

    Ferzan stood up and went to the door to open it. "Let¡¯s get out of here."

    "Right," I said, walking toward him. Once outside, he closed the door behind us. Abella and her mother sat on two wooden chairs, talking to each other. They turned their heads to us.

    I nodded at Abella and said, "I¡¯ll be going now."

    "Where?"

    "Home."

    "With who? Ferzan told me you no longer have anyone."

    "Yes... I''ll make do."

    The grandmother almost sneered. "Young, vulnerable Vlandos girls making do? You¡¯re just handing yourself to a trafficker. A waste of being born."

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    Abella ignored her mother''s comment and said, "You can stay here."

    I didn''t understand her offer, even though her words were clear. So, I replied, "I don''t have any money."

    The grandmother laughed. "You should be thankful for such an offer, child." She gestured toward a black-haired girl in a brown dress with white sleeves. "Like little Tar¡ª"

    I locked eyes with the girl and felt a strange sensation. It was as if I had seen her before, as if I was familiar with her. Instinctively, my left palm ached, and my gaze shifted to her right palm, which was smooth and unmarked. In response, her eyes moved to my clenched left hand.

    The grandmother muttered, "Are you two related? Now that I take a closer look... they look so damn similar."

    Abella commented, too. "They do, how peculiar. But that''s not important. Vernisha, am I pronouncing your name right?"

    I nodded. "Yes."

    "There is no price. Ferzan made a request, telling me about your situation. I accepted it. I don''t think my husband will have an issue with it either."

    The grandmother added, "It''s a shame you weren''t born a starlight. I would''ve taken you off Abella''s hands."

    "Mother, please be respectful."

    "I am. As precious as vlandos are... only a star¡ª"

    "Please don''t say such things when Katie could hear."

    "That regular child is in her room. She hears nothing..."

    Abella clenched her fists, turning her attention back to me. "My daughter, Katie, you can share a room with her. After what you''ve been through, it would probably be better if you don''t sleep alone."

    I bowed my head. "Thank you. A lot."

    Once again, I wasn''t fully conscious of what I was doing. It felt like I was operating on automatic. The grandmother sat up. "Be grateful, child. A demi-mortal god''s wife offering you such a favor is almost unheard of."

    Tarnisha spoke up, "Miss Abella is a [hero], too."

    "I''m aware. But the other obviously outscales something as amazing as being chosen as a hero by Balash. You agree, right?"

    Abella slowly nodded. "Yes."

    "But Goldbon wouldn''t agree," Tarnisha added. She almost seemed to be doing it to annoy the grandmother. "He would never."

    Abella placed a hand on Tarnisha''s shoulder. The grandmother responded, "I couldn''t care less what he thinks..." She stood and walked toward the downstairs. "I''ll get a glass of water."

    Abella ran her fingers through her hair, making ripples in her blonde curls.

    Then she slowly trailed a finger under her nose, wiping away a trace of blood. "I¡¯ll be heading to my... healing chambers."

    She walked past us toward a staircase leading to a higher floor. Tarnisha followed her, but as they passed near me, she and I exchanged a long stare.

    Ferzan frowned. "Follow me. The bedrooms are on the second floor."

    We walked down the stairs and approached the door at the far edge of the hallway. I glanced at him and asked, "Your grandmother... she doesn''t like regular people, does she?"

    "She thinks humans are unevolved creatures, unloved by Balash."

    "And Vlandos are great beings, and ''Star bloods'' are even better?"

    "Yeah. Pretty much." He stopped in front of a door and opened it.

    Inside, the room was massive, much larger than I expected. Against the left wall, two sets of king-sized bunk beds stood, one stacked on top of the other. The sheets were slightly rumpled, and a few pieces of clothing and books were scattered around, giving the room a lived-in look.

    The white concrete ceilings contrasted with the dark blue fur carpets.

    On one of the lower bunks, a girl with red and blonde hair lay curled up, breathing steadily in her sleep.

    Ferzan called her name. "Katie."

    She remained asleep, so he had to call her multiple times before she stirred. Finally, she opened her eyes and blinked at us. Ferzan pointed to me. "She''s staying with us for now."

    "Hello," she greeted me sleepily.

    "Hi. My name is Vernisha."

    "I heard. Well... welcome."

    Ferzan gestured to another door at the far end of the room. "There''s a bathroom inside. You should take a shower. There are extra clothes in there¡ªI¡¯ll get a servant to pack some for you."

    I nodded and walked toward the bathroom. When I opened the door, I was surprised by how beautiful the space was. A chandelier cast a soft glow over the glossy white tiles, and a large tub sat against the far wall, accompanied by an equally spacious glass-walled shower. Fresh towels were neatly stacked beside the sink, and shelves were filled with various soaps, shampoos, and other toiletries. Each item was housed in sleek, translucent glass containers, with embossed brand names on the fronts.

    One of the bottles bore the label ''Brightskin,'' accompanied by the image of a smooth blue hand. I assumed it was meant for skincare.

    I asked Ferzan, "The chandelier... what''s powering it?"

    "Ether batteries. Why?"

    I shook my head, saying nothing. I was used to using blu-dust for light, so this seemed extravagant to me. Such was the life of the poor.

    I undressed and stepped into the shower, letting the warm water wash away the dried blood from my skin. The heat seeped into my muscles, and I stood there for a long moment, simply allowing myself to exist in the flow of water.

    Eventually, I reached for a soap bar, noticing the lion emblem carved into its surface. The scent was rich, almost regal. I lathered it in my hands and scrubbed away the grime.

    When I was finished, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked toward the mirror above the sink. My reflection stared back at me¡ªexpression neutral, but my eyes betrayed the exhaustion that lay beneath.

    I stepped closer, my hips brushing the edge of the stone sink. The black and white stone swirled together in a hazy blend. The edge was rounded, giving it the appearance and feel of half a sphere.

    I glanced at my hair. The uneven cut irritated me. Half of it barely reached my shoulders, and some strands were longer than others.

    Next, my eyes wandered to my body¡ªmy small, frail frame. I pushed my hands forward, rotating slightly.

    My bath towel slipped off, revealing my chest. It was so thin and lacked any real fat that my ribcage was visible beneath my skin.

    I stood there, my gaze tracing the contours of my poverty-worn body.

    My attention shifted to the many scissors on the shelf. I tiptoed over and grabbed one with black handles. Then, I focused on my reflection, trying to even out the length of my hair.

    I tilted my head over the basin, watching as the strands fell into it. I took my time, and by the time I was finished, my hair was just long enough to reach the nape of my neck.

    For a brief moment, I caught sight of something else in the mirror. Behind me stood my old body¡ªthe one I had back on Earth. A grown woman with the same frown and the same look in her eyes.

    Black, curly hair¡ªan inheritance from my North African grandmother.

    I studied my old body, one I''d long forgotten. Wide shoulders. A modest waist. Slightly wide hips; it once gave me a bit of confidence when I struggled with my image. Of course, my chest always deflated that confidence. It was something I¡¯d convinced myself would change. My sisters were blessed in that area, all of them inheriting it from our mother.

    I was sure my turn would come... but it never did.

    They¡¯d say it was a blessing, complaining about back pain. Like I cared. Just remembering it irritated me.

    For a time, I wore tight-fitting shirts, hoping something would show. So I wouldn¡¯t look at my chest and think, I look like a dude.

    What a life I lived...

    Despite all that I did have a pretty face. A damn pretty face. So damn pretty.

    The vision faded as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only my current self behind.

    I gathered the fallen hair and threw it in a black bin, and stepped out of the bathroom.

    Near the door, a pile of neatly folded clothes waited for me. I picked them up, running my fingers over the fabric. Most of it resembled medieval European gowns, with high collars and intricate embroidery. A Starlight thing.

    Mixed in was the traditional clothing of Terrafall. There were long, flowing tunics (called kameez) decorated with intricate gold embroidery in shades of deep red and brown, paired with a long, draped piece of cloth (known as a shari, much like a sari). Naturally, I chose that one

    I returned to the bathroom to dress, adjusting the outfit until it fit comfortably.

    Back in the bedroom, Katie and Ferzan were talking, with Ferzan¡¯s hand on her shoulder, as if offering encouragement.

    He turned to me and said, "We¡¯ll be downstairs for a meeting with our grandmother. You can have the bed on the right."

    "Got it."

    They left.

    I turned to one of the open windows and watched the white curtains sway gently in the breeze. Eventually I gazed at the stars, my eyes drifting from the dim ones to the bright ones. They seemed destined to shine for another ten thousand years.

 Chapter 25: Murder Happy

    I backed up against the wall, and the moment my back touched the cold surface, the chill seeped into me, sapping my warmth. I slid down to the carpeted floor.

    My eyes fell to my hands. Then, out of nowhere, memories struck me like a blow to the head.

    "You''re not my daughter!"

    "You''re a freak!"

    It was almost funny. For some reason, I felt betrayed. Deeply. But why? It had to be more than just thinking he would change.

    My mind drifted to all the good memories of him. Foolish.

    I clenched my fist and smacked my forehead. This was grief¡ªlike victims mourning the loss of an abuser, crying for someone who only showed them love for a year or less.

    But when I thought of Natasha, a swarm of emotions clawed at my heart, demanding to know why I hadn¡¯t listened to her. Why did I get close to that damn temple?

    That temple... temple...

    My clenched fingers loosened as I turned my gaze back to the sky. The crescent moon hung above, shining brightly, while faded clouds struggled to block its light.

    I knew what I had to do.

    Before, we didn¡¯t have the time. We had to rush Ulah to  Sundawn. We couldn¡¯t trust the temple members to tell the truth. But things were different now.

    I pressed my hands against the wall and pushed myself up. Then, stepping toward the window, I gently brushed the swaying curtains aside.

    I would return to the Balash temple at the Hill of Vaera.

    And I would kill them all after demanding answers.

    My eyes wandered over the estate¡ªneatly kept, pristine. Beyond the structures, at the far edge, stood a massive iron gate. The distance between the house and the gate was about the length of a football field.

    I had never used Crusbull before, but Ferzan said it was perfect for travel. It was time to test that claim.

    I stretched out my clenched left hand. The bandage was ruined, so I had no choice but to keep it shut tight. As my fingers slowly unfurled, a sudden voice cut through the silence.

    "You have a flying monster?"

    I spun around.

    It was the black-haired girl¡ªthe one who looked exactly like me. My gaze was drawn to her... and to her right hand.

    She stood in the doorway, watching me.

    Then, assuming she had guessed wrong, she asked, "Suicide?"

    "Revenge." I responded.

    I briefly considered asking if she was my long-lost sister, if she knew Natasha. But it felt stupid. Maybe another time.

    "I see..." She tilted her head. "You want help?"

    I raised an eyebrow.

    She stepped forward. "I could help."

    "No... I''m good."

    I turned back toward the window and leapt. As I stretched my hand forward, I called out, _Crusbull!_

    Sparks of black crackled around me. Again, the same thing!

    Then, suddenly, a soft hand grasped mine.

    My body jerked upward as I was pulled back inside.

    It was her. I sat awkwardly on the window ledge.

    "Why... couldn''t I?" I asked, my breath uneven. "You''re a Vlandos too."

    She took a step back. "Certain parts of this estate have a safety zone. Ahh... what you would call a sanctity area? Something like that."

    Relief washed over me. At least my powers hadn''t abandoned me completely.

    "My name is Tarnisha, by the way," she said. "You''re Vernisha, right? I heard your name, but I don¡¯t know your last name."

    "Holinestone."

    She nodded slowly. "So, do you want my help? This place is crawling with guards. Escaping won¡¯t be easy."

    I narrowed my eyes. "What do you want?" I asked, suspicious. "Is this a test?"

    "I want to help you because I heard what happened to you."

    "But you don¡¯t know me."

    "Yes..." She stepped closer, her black pupils locking onto my brown ones. "But when I look at you, it feels like I¡¯m staring at my reflection. So I want to know more about you. I wonder if you''re some lost sister of mine. If my mother threw a twin away."

    I considered the thought¡ªthen dismissed it. Caren would never have raised another man¡¯s child.

    "Maybe it happened the other way around," I said. "I grew up poor. Maybe my parents thought they couldn''t care for another child."

    "My mother loved me too much for me to not be hers."

    "A parent can love an adopted child as if they were their own."

    She shook her head. "No... her love was different. Pure. True. I know, deep in my bones, that woman was my mother."

    "I see... Similar for me, I think. My mother''s name was Natasha."

    "Mine was Asah."

    "How long has your mother been dead?"

    "I don¡¯t know. Three years? Something like that... She was killed. Unjustly." Her expression twisted in anger. "Just like you, I want to kill the ones responsible. I understand revenge. Trust me¡ªI do."

    "Okay," I said. "How do we get out of here?"

    She clutched the ledge of a lower window and slowly lowered herself until she reached the ground¡ªa fall from that height would have easily shattered a skull.

    I tried it next. My feet slipped on the second ledge, and I tumbled onto the stone ground, my limbs sprawled as I groaned in pain.

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    Tarnisha winced as if she had taken the fall herself. Rushing over, she checked on me and remarked, "Oh, you''re okay..."

    "I buffed my body recently, so I can take a few more hits," I replied. I remained on the ground for a moment before forcing myself to stand.

    I patted the back of my head in search of blood. I felt a little, but it wasn¡¯t serious, so I ignored it.

    "You''re really okay, though?" she asked.

    "Yep," I answered.

    I followed her, choosing the grass over the road. We soon encountered a guard, but Tarnisha explained that she was taking me outside to show me something, and that was that.

    We ran, but I was faster than her. Curious, I checked her level and was surprised to see she was only level 13. In her environment, she should have had ample chances to level up, but I didn¡¯t know her full circumstances¡ªlife is always more complex than it appears.

    We reached a massive iron gate. Tarnisha looked at the guard and said, "I''m stepping out."

    He nodded slowly and, glancing at me, asked, "Is this the new child?"

    "Yes," I replied.

    "I see. Is something wrong? You''re never out of the house¡­" he muttered, then looked behind us as if searching for someone. "And never without Miss Abella."

    "I just want to show my friend something."

    "...But at this time, Miss Abella wouldn¡¯t be happy at all¡ªshe¡¯d be furious. I can¡¯t allow it."

    Tarnisha clicked her tongue and whistled with her fingers. The guard said worriedly, "If you don''t stop, I''ll report this immediately."

    "Do so, and I''ll report all your slacking¡ªand how often you stare at Miss Abella''s bum¡ªto Goldbon."

    _Ha._

    I hadn¡¯t really thought about it, but in less loose-fitting clothes, her figure might have looked quite nice.

    The guard tensed and bit his lip. "Okay..."

    Suddenly, something massive approached from the sky¡ªa horse-sized, brown bird, a war hawk. It swooped down beside Tarnisha. She climbed atop it, settling onto the upper part of the leather saddle, and gestured for me to follow.

    I moved behind her and grasped a feather for extra grip. "How did you get one of these?"

    "I begged really hard," she replied.

    "Really? If I was you I would have begged for a powerful monster instead," I respond.

    She gripped the brown reins and said, "Why the hell would you do that?"

    "Because... monsters are powerful?" It felt like I was asked a stupid question.

    "Monsters should be killed and tortured, not kept." She tugged on the reins, and the bird began flapping its wings, ascending into the sky.

    *Okay then...*

    She continued, "You have to lead."

    Without a map, giving proper directions was challenging. I thought for a moment, then said, "Have you heard of the ruins of an ether battery factory¡ªfar from Sundawn, away from any cities or towns? It¡¯s to the west."

    She hesitated before replying, "Yeah, but I¡¯ve only heard of it."

    After another moment¡¯s thought, I asked, "Can''t we ask the guard?"

    That turned out to be the solution. I inquired if he had a map¡ªand he did. Tarnisha then had her bird lower itself so I could retrieve it.

    The brown map was weathered, with several tears along its edges. Black lines delineated the cities, towns, and villages of Terrafall, each section marked by its name.

    It took a while to locate the Hill of Vaera, but when I finally spotted it, I pointed. "Here."

    She took a look at it and murmured, "That¡¯s quite far, but okay."

    We simply had to head west¡ªand that¡¯s exactly what we did. The war hawk soared upward, pivoted, and then flew straight in that direction.

    It didn''t take long for us to see Sundawn in the distance.

    We took occasional breaks for the bird to rest, but after about two hours we were flying over a hill with a solitary building¡ªa white temple. A balash temple.

    Tarnisha retrieved the map from me and unrolled it wide to examine the details. "This is the spot, righ¡ª" she began.

    Before she could finish, I leaped off the bird. Realizing what I was doing, she panicked, "What the hell are you doing?!"

    The wind lifted my hair and dress, making them billow as if defying gravity.

    _System, show me Crushbull skills._

    **Hyper Chase**

    **Ground Tremble**

    **Pent Up**

    **Earth Armor**

    Earth Armor...

    I clasped my hands, and a hidden black light emerged before the force from it compelled me to open my hands. Gradually, the massive, crustacean-shelled bull took shape.

    *Use your Earth Armor, now! On both of us.*

    It mooed, swinging its head upward as shards of hardened, cracked rock began to cascade over us.

    Within seconds, the rocks spread over my body, interlocking into a protective shell that covered me from head to toe¡ªexcept for my eyes.

    We reached the hip concrete roof, which shattered beneath Crushbull¡¯s force. A deep rumble echoed as debris rained down on everyone below.

    I landed on the ruined, dark, varnished wooden floor, coughing as I brushed dust from my eyes.

    Soon, panicked voices filled the air¡ªthough only a few could be heard. I scanned the area and noticed rows of long wooden benches, many bearing shattered ceiling fragments or crushed by the impact. Then I spotted a group of five men huddled together, fear written on their faces, except one.

    Four wore simple white religious garments¡ªthe Balash Enrichment Robe¡ªwith golden colored rings decorating the sleeves and collar. The fifth, dressed in typical Terrafallen attire¡ªbrown pants and shirt, a sleeveless jacket, and a head covering¡ªstood apart.

    I pointed at them with my left hand and demanded, ¡°Who is responsible for poisoning the bread rolls?¡±

    The men looked both confused. One, in particular, had a sword scabbard on his back and bore swirling tattoos of dragons, lions, plants, and stones. I struggled to recall what he was called¡­ something Balash...

    *Temple Defenders,* perhaps.

    They were merely vlandos who had sworn to serve the Balash temples¡ªto protect educators, scholars, the knowledge of balash, and of course, balash temples.

    He glanced at my palm before locking eyes with me; his face twisted in anger and disgust. I understood his thoughts, and strangely, I welcomed them¡ªwe both desired the same outcome.

    I advanced. I would kill him first. Yet he was swifter. With a single, mighty stomp¡ªas if the weight of the world surged behind him¡ªhe charged, intent on crushing me on the spot. ¡°Filthy cultist, I will send you to your master!¡± he roared.

    A brilliant flash of light erupted from his hand, hurtling straight toward me. He was trying to force me onto the defensive.

    I didn''t fall for it.

    ¡°Go!¡± I commanded. *Hyper Charge!*

    In response, Crushbull emitted a dull, earthy glow as hazy, flickering duplicates of light danced around it. With a burst of raw power, it surged forward.

    The Temple Defender¡¯s light projection transformed into a colossal green rock, its limbs morphing into massive trunks armed with spear-like protrusions.

    I checked its level¡ª**22.** Damn.

    It released a thunderous growl, arching its floating limbs before swinging them at me.

    I dashed aside, but I was too slow. One limb struck me, hurling me against a concrete wall with a resounding thud. The impact was excruciating¡ªmy entire Earth Armor shattered, and my ribs ached, though I managed to stay conscious.

    It attempted another attack, but suddenly, it spewed blood and staggered mid-air, struggling to regain balance.

    I turned to see the Temple Defender suspended in the air, impaled atop Crushbull¡¯s horns. His arms trembled, but his eyes still burned with defiance. There was fire in him still.

    So, I did what any considerate person would.

    I smothered that fire with cold, snuffing it out completely¡ªlike a flood drowning the last embers of a dying campfire.

    ¡°Put him out of his misery,¡± I ordered.

    Crushbull hurled the man to the ground and stomped on his head until its foot sank deep into his skull.

    **Personal Level: 19**

    **Crushbull Level: 15**

    His strange monster collapsed to the ground, lifeless. White sparks crackled from his trembling hands, filling the air with sharp, unnatural chirps¡ªuntil they dimmed, flickering out into a dull, ashen gray.

    Crushbull had gained over six levels. Also the other monsters in my seal leveled up too, though the system wouldn''t inform me if I didn''t have them out.

    I wondered why I gained so much levels... since it would have to split between 5.

    I soon understood why: by killing him, I had also eradicated all the monsters bound by his seal.

    **Crushbull gained two new skills:**

    **Rock Clone Charge**

    **Sight Adjustment**

    I glanced back at the corpse¡ªI''d deliberately killed a man. A strange, unsettling feeling washed over me.

    The remaining men panicked, screaming, ¡°What have you done?!¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you want?!¡±

    I pushed myself off the wall, my back throbbing. ¡°Bread rolls! I stole bread rolls from here a few days ago. They turned those who ate them into cannibalistic, mutated freaks! Who knows about it?!¡±

    Silence fell. Then I threatened, ¡°Tell me now, or I¡¯ll kill every damn person here in the most brutal way possible!¡±

    One of them stepped forward¡ªa man whose robe bore richer gold accents. He stuttered, ¡°I... was told to do so¡ª¡±

    I moved with blinding speed. He barely had time to flinch before I rushed forward and hoisted him off the ground as if he were nothing more than a coconut.

    Hatred flared in my eyes as I demanded, ¡°Why did you do it? And who?¡±

    He trembled, his teeth chattering as he replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know. It just felt like I had to obey.¡±

    ¡°That makes no sense!¡± I pressed him against the wall. ¡°What do you mean¡ªyou felt compelled to do it?¡±

    ¡°I just did! I couldn¡¯t stop myself,¡± he stammered.

    Despite my anger, his words sounded absurd¡ªand yet, perhaps there was truth in them. I pressed further, ¡°Who was it? Describe them.¡±

    ¡°A woman. Brown hair¡ªlike yours. Incredibly beautiful. I initially thought she was a vlandos, but even they aren¡¯t that stunning¡­ she was like a mountain fairy.¡±

    ¡°Mountain fairy¡­?¡± I repeated, my voice hoarse.

    ¡°I know it sounds like a Jolkare folktale, but if you had seen her¡ªthe way she moved, the way she spoke¡ªyou¡¯d swear she belonged in a myth.¡±

    I didn¡¯t like where my thoughts were drifting. ¡°Did she say her name?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    ¡°Did she give you the bread? When did she appear? Did she offer any explanation¡ªanything at all?¡±

    ¡°She conjured the bread out of thin air¡­ and it happened a few days ago¡ªthree, maybe. Um, she mentioned something about destiny, that this child has been sheltered long enough¡ªsomething about¡­ Natasha,¡± he finally murmured.

 Chapter 26: Family Issues

    This revelation hit me like a ton of bricks¡ªhard. I didn¡¯t know how to react. But I quickly regained my composure and demanded, ¡°Where is she? Where did she¡­ go?¡±

    My arms felt weak, and I had a sinking feeling he didn¡¯t have the answer. I dropped him to the ground and let my arms fall lifeless at my sides. ¡°Do you know anything else?¡±

    He shook his head, still terrified of me.

    I looked at him for a while, but after a couple of seconds, I turned on my heel and walked away.

    Another man asked, ¡°Is that all...?¡±

    I responded, ¡°Go back to learning about Balash or whatever it is you do.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you break in here, kill Loran, and threaten us! And you think you can just walk away?!¡± the man shouted, glaring at me like I was the devil.

    I didn¡¯t blame him for thinking that way. Ignoring the mark I bore, I probably looked like the devil to them. I replied flatly, ¡°One life for two.¡±

    ¡°Two...? What? What the hell are you talking about?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer. Crusbull followed me as I stepped over the broken ceiling pieces and made my way through the doorway.

    It was incredibly dark, but through Crusbull¡¯s eyes, everything was clear. Above us, Tarnisha sat on her Warbird, its wings still flapping.

    I touched Crusbull, turning it into black energy before absorbing it into my left hand. The dark energy blended seamlessly with the surroundings, especially in this darkness.

    The Warbird wasn¡¯t a monster¡ªit was an animal, and its senses were in sync with Tarnisha¡¯s so she truly couldn''t see anything out of the ordinary.

    I called out, ¡°Can you come get me? Please.¡±

    <hr>

    The ride back to Sundawn was quiet.

    Tarnisha broke the silence, ¡°You didn¡¯t kill them all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I learned some new things. Wouldn¡¯t have made sense to kill them.¡±

    ¡°Bad decision. They¡¯ll recognize your face. They¡¯ll report you.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°What was I supposed to do? Kill them even if I think they¡¯re innocent?¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re gonna get you killed later, they¡¯re not innocent.¡±

    I shot her a look. She stared at me like I was an idiot. ¡°Next time hide your face. Or kill all the witnesses.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a lot of killing, huh?¡±

    ¡°I did what I had to survive. I don¡¯t like it. I don¡¯t like killing other people... but my life is more important than those who want to take it. And so is yours.¡±

    The Warbird let out a screech of dominance before spreading its wings wide, soaring higher.

    The wind howled against us, filling the air with harsh, biting noise.

    I nodded at her words. ¡°So, what do we do now? Turn back and kill them?¡±

    I hated the idea, but it was the most logical choice.

    Tarnisha shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°How? You said it¡¯d be a problem.¡±

    ¡°I dealt with it.¡±

    I raised an eyebrow. Back at the temple, all she did was lower the bird for me to hop on. I hadn¡¯t noticed anything else, so I was left utterly confused. ¡°When? When did you do that?¡±

    She didn¡¯t answer, and her silence only irritated me more. I clenched my fist in anger and turned my gaze away from her.

    <hr>

    POV: Abella

    I sat on the silver silk couch, my hands resting on the arms of the chair. In front of me stood a long red wooden table, made from a Tree-Eater monster I had killed when I was thirteen. The forty-three ton meat eating tree had left its monster zone and invaded the city of Shinetown(it was a town back then).

    Across from me, my mother sat on a matching silver silk couch, her legs crossed. She was rambling, as usual, her voice filling the room.

    Ferzan was paying attention, responding to her and asking questions¡ªmaybe tests, quizzes, or something else.

    I wanted to listen, but I was too tired. Too tired of hearing her talk.

    She glanced at me and her gaze settled on my forehead. ¡°How long do you plan to keep infuriating me, Abella?¡±

    I looked up, confused. ¡°What did I do?¡±

    She tapped her forehead, a sharp gesture. ¡°Get rid of it. It¡¯s disturbing.¡±

    Then I realized what she meant. My hand slid through the back of my hair until I felt the metallic band. I pressed it, and there was a click. The Blending Band deactivated, becoming visible. I removed it, revealing what I had been hiding.

    A golden monster seal marked my forehead, dark purple veins spreading around it like ugly roots.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    I placed the Blending Band on the couch and rested my hands on my thighs.

    My mother stared at the seal, her face tight with frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t get why you feel ashamed. You¡¯re a Vlandos¡ªa [Hero], the mother of Ferzan. Wife of a Demi Mortal God. Daughter in law of a literal Mortal God.¡± She shook her head in exasperation. ¡°People would die to be in your place.¡±

    I didn¡¯t respond, but inside, I could feel the words daring to slip out: People? Are those ¡®people¡¯ you?

    She wouldn''t be offended, but she would question why I said something in such an offensive manner.

    Ferzan turned to look at the second floor, confused. My mother noted it. "Those two are back. Perfect timing."

    She pushed herself off the chair and stood tall. "Call them down. I want to see how strong the vlandos in your care are."

    My heart raced, and I stood up too quickly. My body punished me with sharp muscle aches, as though I were being stabbed. I groaned in pain but ''ignored'' it.

    I told her, "Not Tarnisha. She doesn¡¯t like fighting. You know that. I told you¡ª"

    She waved away my comment. "It''s not up for debate." Then she called for a servant to fetch the children.

    I frowned and threw myself onto the couch, pushing it back by an inch. She did what she wanted. Like always.

    The servant, a Punchio man with green eyes, Zec''op, looked at me for confirmation. It seemed he remembered Golbon¡¯s instructions for obeying my mother¡¯s orders.

    I gave him a lazy nod. He bowed deeply and headed up the stairs.

    My mother stared after him. "I don¡¯t like that boy... ill-mannered little money goblin."

    "Please, don¡¯t call them that."

    "What next? Don¡¯t call a Star a Star? Hmmm?" She rolled her eyes.

    I sighed deeply and rested a hand on my forehead. A headache threatened to split my skull.

    Ferzan eyebrows furrowed. "Dad always said if humans are rude to other beings, we shouldn''t be surprised when they are rude to us."

    My mother responded, "Your father is na?ve. You''ve done well in history, haven''t you? Then you already know why he''s...unrealistic."

    "My father is far from naive." Ferzan stressed the vowels on the last words.

    She eyed him.

    Katie then said, some excitement in her voice, thinking this was the prime opportunity to share her knowledge and thinking skills, "Dad always says that treaties and the like are only ever temporary. Fostering a tight relationship between the people of different nations puts pressure on the ruling parties, which results in less conflict between the two. Emermyne is a prime example of that. Before they waged war against us, against all humans, Kalazer had spent many years uniting all of Emermyne''s regions, A-and you know how different they were! How much they hated their own people. How many generations of civil war they ha¡ª "

    "Enough." My mother clicked her tongue. "I don''t care."

    Katie confidence broke and she slowly nodded before leaning back into the couch she shared with her brother.

    The children came downstairs with Zec''op. I whispered a thank-you, trying to conserve energy. He bowed and was dismissed.

    "My, the child has grown stronger. I like it. I love to see it," my mother said, smiling genuinely. Katie¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, as though she couldn¡¯t believe what she was witnessing.

    That smile.

    Her gaze shifted to Vernisha, and I saw contempt flicker in her eyes, as though Vernisha were a thief who had stolen everything she had poured her life into.

    Ah, how I dreaded this... I think I had accepted by now that I was a terrible mother. It was hard to be a decent one when thinking hurt so much. When you just wanted to shut everything out to ease the pain, even if just a little.

    Just a bit less...

    I longed for Golbon. He made life so much easier.

    My mother approached Vernisha. "From level 17 to 19... with a full monster set. Who did you kill?"

    Vernisha blinked, confused. "Who? I-It was just monsters we came across."

    She was quick with her words, but it didn¡¯t matter. We weren¡¯t fools.

    My mother''s smile deepened, a knowing smile that told us she saw right through Vernisha''s lie. "Is that so? Keep your secrets. I don¡¯t mind it. Sometimes, I like it."

    Vernisha reached for her hair, then stopped as if realizing it was an automatic response.

    My mother looked at the two of them and said, "Rather than just testing Ferzan, I think it¡¯s better to test all of you. Since we¡¯re all vlandos¡­" Her smile faltered slightly. "Even if we don¡¯t all have Stars in our blood."

    She then turned toward the front doors, which opened as the Julioes man entered. She waved her hand in his direction. "My slave, Com-mera-kuk, will be your challenger."

    Vernisha raised an eyebrow. "I thought slavery was banned here, at least for other species."

    Mother shrugged. "Everything is legal when you have enough power, child."

    "I get that... but why not a human slave? A legal slave?"

    "I didn¡¯t feel like it."

    Vernisha studied her, trying to read her mind. "I see... Can I ask you something?"

    "Sure."

    "Do you hate Terrafall and its rules?"

    My mother smiled and crouched down to be eye level with Vernisha. "Can I ask why you¡¯re asking me that?"

    "I think you already know."

    "Indeed, I do..." There was a pause. My mother looked deeply into her eyes. "I like you. I like smart children."

    <hr>

    POV: Vernisha

    At the back of the mansion was a battle yard, the ground layered with black stone and shaped into a rectangle. It was about the size of three dumper trucks stuck end to end.

    I also learned my grandmother¡¯s name: Abella. Her middle name, Emill, was used to differentiate them. Funny enough, her daughter was better known as Abella.

    Emill stood at the far end of the battle yard, the Julioes and Abella, her daughter, at her side.

    Tarnisha was beside Ferzan and me, but she looked like she was about to blow a fuse.

    Emill spoke. "Tar, come forth. Send your monster out."

    Tarnisha didn¡¯t answer. Emill repeated herself, but got the same response¡ªsilence.

    Emill monster seal glowed white.

    Abella placed a hand in front of her mother. "She doesn¡¯t like violence."

    "You¡¯re aware that child has no issues with violence, so don¡¯t try to fool me," Emill snapped, turning back to Tarnisha. "You disgrace all proud vlandos."

    Ferzan¡¯s fists clenched.

    Abella sighed. "Move on already. You¡¯re giving me a headache."

    "You¡¯re letting this behavior fester in your house, Abella. Soon, she¡¯ll be calling you a Valuzaa to your face."

    Abella¡¯s patience snapped. "Move on, Mother."

    Tarnisha wandered over to Abella and leaned against her, clearly seeking comfort.

    Emill, clearly upset but trying to control her temper, nodded forward, directing the slave with a flick of her chin. "Fight the girl."

    The Julioes man¡¯s eyes drifted from the stars above to me. His movements were sluggish as he stepped forward, his steps dragging with exhaustion. He came to a halt in front of a white line on their side.

    His dead eyes and lifeless movements were unnerving¡ªthere was not a single ember of life in them.

    I moved forward to stand on the white line on my side, trying to shake off the unease. Emill¡¯s voice rang out, cold and commanding. "Fight. Don¡¯t disappoint me, child."

    Ferzan¡¯s lips twisted, his hands opening and closing in tight, restless motions. Then he leaned in and whispered, his voice low. "Try not to get your neck broken."

    I turned to him in surprise. He added, "It hurts a lot."

    It dawned on me then just how serious this was¡ªanother reason why Emill had chosen a Julioes.

    They were known for not having permanent scars and healing faster than humans. Among all super-sentient species(species capable of high levels of communication), they were the least likely to suffer permanent physical injuries.

    I set my eyes back on the Julioes, who lazily moved forward, as though walking through snow.

    I pulled out my dagger and black knife.

    [+4% strength]

    [+7% strength]

    Inspect.

    I couldn¡¯t inspect. His level was above 38. Horrible news for me.

    Emill and Abella¡¯s eyes narrowed as they noticed my weapons. Then, without warning, the Julioes kicked forward, sending a bolt of white light that soon took the form of a metallic bird, with wings clamped tightly to its side, as long as a double-cab van.

    A cold sweat ran down my back, and I barely managed to step back in time.

    My weapons'' handle slid into my mouth, freeing both my hands.

    I clasped my hands in front of my face.

    The creature¡¯s beak was inches from me. Then there was a flash of black concealed in my hands.

 Small Delay

    My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.

    My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.My country''s local holiday(carnival) is going on until Thursday. So, the next chapter will be posted on Thursday.

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