There could not have been a more fitting name to turn Recardo’s steps.
“You truly wish to die.”
The intense aura of dark flames emanating from Recardo’s body vibrated as if to shake the earth.
Evan’s body felt it too, causing one of his hands to tremble.
He exerted his will to stop the trembling, then staggered to his feet.
Recardo’s gaze held no trace of mercy.
Evan opened his mouth.
“…..Danger awaits Sasha Winchester.”
For an instant, a blade of dark flames extended from Recardo’s hand, stopping right in front of Evan’s throat.
It was a precarious moment of threat, but Evan didn’t blink.
He looked at Recardo with a cold stare and spoke.
“And for the time being…….”
Evan’s blue eyes glowed as clear as burning ice.
“…..I plan to cooperate with you and your family.”
For eyes that spoke of cooperation, his eyes conveyed defiance and challenge.
Recardo’s lips twisted slightly.
“Do you think I’ve forgotten that you attacked Sasha right in front of me?”
“Because I had to check.”
Evan replied, staring at Recardo, recalling the events of that day when he had gotten the Lysonia.
If he were asked whether he was sure that she wasn’t Phersetos, he couldn’t answer.
But that wasn’t what Evan was trying to confirm.
Snowflakes were flying.
With his eyebrows tightened, Evan was asking Recardo.
“Is Sasha Winchester safe?”
In response to Evan’s answer, Recardo’s lips twisted.
“Are you implying that my home is dangerous for my daughter?”
Phersetos had resurrected the most among the members of the Winchester family.
While they all treat Sasha Winchester differently than they have in the past, it’s not impossible that she may have an enemy among them.
Evan had changed his focus from suspecting her as Phersetos.
If Sasha is indeed the one who will bring Phersetos’ eternal dawn, it’s no coincidence that Sasha Winchester was attacked by one of Kaisa’s cursed once before.
So if Phersetos is around her, he won’t stop himself from killing her.
And Jin had immediately moved to protect Sasha.
If Phersetos were inside, there was a high chance Jin’s body wouldn’t have moved even temporarily.
“……That’s right.”
Evan remembered.
The stories he’d told his comrades countless times in earlier cycles, stories that had come to mean nothing in the end.
At some point, Evan stopped talking about the past.
The only solace he could find, and in the end, he alone bore the burden of destruction.
No one dared to stay by his side.
However, Recardo Winchester, who has always been an enemy and will continue to be Taylors’ enemy, was there.
Perhaps, Phersetos might be hiding within him.
“There is something you do not know about the world, Duke Recardo.”
Evan said, bowing his head.
After a long moment, he looked up and spoke.
“Facts known only to me…”
However, before his words could go any further, Evan’s eyes widened.
It was because the black flames struck his chest again.
With a powerful wave, Evan was sent flying to the opposite side of the training ground.
He stopped after being pushed several meters.
“You, what are you doing?”
Recardo approached with a chilling aura, emitting his black flames.
“Taylor’s childish ramblings on the subject of truth.”
“Ugh…….ugh……”
“Before I hear the story.”
A drop of blood trickled from Evan’s lips.
“I need to test if you even have the right to blabber something in front of me.”
Evan squinted and glared at Recardo Winchester.
“Heuk!”
Kwang!
Evan was once again struck by Recardo’s attack and fell to the ground.
“I suppose I’ll have to teach some manners to you in your father’s stead. The Winchester way.”
When Recardo struck him after the incident with Shasha Winchester, for a brief moment, he had seemed almost human, at least in the eyes of a father with emotions.
“We’ll talk after that.”
But at this moment, with threatening black flames and predatory eyes fixed upon him, Recardo Winchester was the same villain he had seen for the past twenty-seven times.
‘The child is the only one he does not reveal this nature to.’
Evan grimaced and picked up the fallen sword from the ground.
He needed to give it his all today if he wanted to borrow Recardo’s power.
Despite his injuries, his clarity remained undiminished.
Evan charged at Recardo with his sword infused with clarity.
* * *
In was a quiet night and snow was falling.
I could feel the cold.
[Name: Sasha Winchester (LV.7)]
[Occupation: Unemployed]
[Traits: Rattle Master, Little Explorer]
[Stats: Stamina 18 / Strength 10 / Ability – / Intelligence 31
There are some locked stats.]
[Skills: Black Dominion (LV.5/SS), Damage Reflection (LV.1/A)]
[Inventory: 370 Rubies]
As I stared at the profile before me, something popped up in front of me.
[Quest: The time has come. Unleash the special ability gifted by Mechius.]
[Quest reward: All abilities +8, recovery potion, shop opening]
Oh! The shop is finally opening.
With hopeful eyes, I scanned my surroundings.
It was clear that this wasn’t a real space.
The absence of fear made that evident.
It seemed like I needed to complete the quest within this dream-like space.
Tap, tap.
Step by step, I walked through the pitch-black night, where all I could see was snow.
The only time I’ve ever had a dream this realistic was when I saw the preview of an ending.
“Excuse me!”
But there was something different about this special ending preview. Back then, I had at least the body of an adult. However, now I was in my original child form.
At least, make it an adult version so it’s easier to move around.
Crunch, crunch. The sound of my small feet stepping on the snow echoed.
I looked up at the sky, where snowflakes were falling, and shouted.
“Give me a clue, at least!”
The issue was that the quest’s theme was to “manifest an ability.”
I was only seven years old.
Jin, the unparalleled genius, manifested his ability at four, and even Othello did it at seven, but I didn’t think I had as much talent as Othello.
“You should either tell me what to do or not!”
I muttered in frustration.
I remembered giving tea and cookies to Recardo today and falling asleep in the evening…..
Out of nowhere, I was told to manifest an ability in this dream-like space, and I had no idea how to do that.
Of course, even without manifesting an ability, I could use skills through skill activation. This was a pretty remarkable ability in itself, but it didn’t count as ability manifestation.
Ability manifestation refers to manipulating something like black flames or clarity, but I only have a defense for both skills.
After walking for a while, I shouted at the sky again.
“Please at least postpone it. Looking at the situation, it doesn’t seem like I´m ready?”
However, just like before, there was no response in the empty sky.
Geez, what am I supposed to do here?
I was starting to get annoyed.
While my thick clothes kept me from feeling too cold, my face was freezing.
I kept walking.
With this weak body, even after about 30 minutes of walking, my stamina was running low, despite this being a dream.
And then, as I passed by a massive tree with only a few log cabins around, I suddenly stopped.
“…What?”
What was…
What was this?
“Huh?!”
I opened my eyes wide.
Someone was leaning against a tree as if they had fainted.
And their figure was slightly smaller than an average adult.
Their hair was a pale shade of pink, almost lavender.
“……Othello?”
I called out, rushing over to him.
Wait, wasn’t this a dream?
I grabbed the shoulder of Othello, who was covered in blood and had his head down and his eyes closed.
The coldness in my hand is too intense to be a dream.
Like a dead person. Othello’s body was cold.
For a moment, I felt my heart drop.
“Othello!!”
***
Recardo, who had been asleep, sat up in bed.
Outside the window, it was still dark, and the faint moonlight that filtered in partially illuminated his bare chest and well-defined chest muscles.
From his room, he could see the Wilners Mountains.
The summit of the mountains was covered in perpetual snow.
As Recardo gazed at it, he got out of bed and reached for his sword.
His previously sore throat felt completely fine now as if nothing had happened.
“…….”
Recardo did not dream.
Except when something special happened.
The face of Trisha Quenne, who had appeared in his dream, was still vivid in his mind.
Thanks for chap
Healing ability?