Chapter 68: Outburst and Growth

Before dawn fully broke, a nimble figure darted through the dimly lit alleyways at a startling speed. A small hourglass was tied to the figure's waist. Fine white sand rapidly emptied from its upper bulb, trickling down faster and faster.

A sharp sound echoed as the hourglass emptied completely. The figure's speed slowed noticeably, no longer reaching unbelievable heights.

"Damn it! Something I can only use once a month, wasted just because that little brat scared me. It'd have been easy for me to kill him if I really wanted to. What was I panicking for?" Hela tore off her hood, revealing a young, beautiful face. Her previously raspy voice had turned warmer and more genial.

After running a bit further, her unlined leather boots stepped on a brick at the edge of the street. A secret door flipped open; Hela bent down and slipped through. The door swung shut, locking seamlessly without leaving a trace.

She passed through a narrow passageway and pushed open a hidden door that blended perfectly with the wall. She emerged from what seemed like a magical, burning fireplace and stepped into a room. The flames roared, but the wood gave off no heat.

Hela shed her tight assassin's cloak, to reveal a maid's uniform. Without hesitation, she grabbed a broom leaning against the corner and began sweeping the study's floor.

"How did it go? Did you manage to secure that new special ops team member? According to our intelligence network, he's just a half-baked knight, with no real background to speak of."

A middle-aged figure seated in a wooden chair at the study's desk spoke without turning around.

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"Apologies, sir. I failed. He's undoubtedly a weakling, but his tolerance for pain is unusually high. I intended to use someone close to him as leverage, but the special ops team's clerk, Sieg, showed up. I don't know how he managed it, but I had no choice but to retreat."

"Sieg, you say? Very well. If it's him, there's little we could've done."

"Still, I retreated primarily because I feared reinforcements would arrive. If I hadn't used the ‘Temporal Hourglass' too soon, I might've been able to subdue that clerk and extract even more information. This was my failing. Please punish me, sir."

"Haha, I'll forgive your ignorance. Threatening that clerk? Don't make me laugh. Even with the ‘Temporal Hourglass,' you wouldn't have stood a chance against him. That wingless dragon may have lost his ability to use magic, but he remains what he is."

"A wingless dragon...?" Hela's body trembled violently. That oppressive aura she'd felt when Sieg entered the room—it wasn't human. It was...

"As long as you understand. It's fine that you didn't capture him this time. There will be other opportunities. Weakness is a sin. I don't know why he was chosen for the special ops team, but his weakness is his failure, and he shall be our point of entry into the organization's secrets."

"Yes, sir..." Hela bowed slightly. A sense of calm settled in her heart. Her master was always like this—steady, serene, and calculating. He was never one to punish his subordinates for momentary failures. It was this quality that inspired so many to follow him.

"Go clean yourself up. This identity may be temporary, but I have no intention of exposing myself just yet."

"I've already cleaned myself up. There shouldn't be any traces left."

"Come here. Let me check for myself."

"Yessir."

Hela stepped behind the chair and lowered her head so as to avoid looking at her "master."

A hand covered her head and a crack appeared above her, revealing several pitch-black eyes with blood-red patterns. They blinked a few times before retracting. A pale, elegant hand reached out, flicking away a few scabs of blood from Hela's scalp.

"Hm. No traces. No one will find out. You're good to go. Now, attend to the estate's affairs. I'll call for you if I need anything."

"Understood, sir." Hela steadied herself as dizziness washed over her, then respectfully exited the room and closed the door behind her.

Tap, tap. The man's fingers drummed on the desk. He tilted his head, lost in thought.

Click! A steel pin was stabbed into a certain location on a map of the capital.

"Right here," Wang Yu said calmly.

"This spot? Understood. I'll arrange an investigation immediately. You focus on recovery."

"It's fine. It's not a serious injury." Wang Yu replied, pouring a green paste into his hand and smearing it onto the wound on his back. A faint, unnerving sound of... chewing... could be heard as the translucent gel-like substance covered the wound, stopping the bleeding.

"..." Sieg watched, eyebrows raised as Wang Yu, who'd been on the brink of collapse just moments ago, applied harsh salves on himself without flinching.

Crystal-edge stimulant, acidic regeneration gel, bonebinding solution... Each of these salves caused excruciating pain, yet Wang Yu used them without batting an eye. Sieg could only think of one word to describe him: ruthless.

The pain might terrify others, but the effectiveness of these salves was undeniable. Wang Yu, who had been struggling to breathe, was now able to move around on his own.

"Wang Yu, let me ask—if I hadn't arrived in time, what would you have done?"

"Hm. I'd have done everything I could to kill her, I suppose."

"Would you have succeeded?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe. I chose Blood Tempest specifically for such situations. I don't know how far I could have pushed myself in the end, but I believe I might have been able to kill her."

"I'm very sorry that the special ops team has brought you so much trouble. There'll be a Nightblades detachment stationed at the tavern on your street soon. They'll keep an eye on things for you."

"It's fine. I'm the weak one here. Regardless of what I face, depending on external help to survive isn't ever a reliable option. Since it was my choice to join the team, I won't blame anyone."

"Hmm." Sieg didn't say anything more. He left a mana crystal card on Wang Yu's table before departing. His clenched fists betrayed the calm he tried to maintain.

"Phew... Another 2,000 gold coins? That makes over 5,000 gold coins at my disposal within just a few days. Incredible. I'd better start converting this into strength. Hoarding money is meaningless."

Glancing briefly at the mana crystal card on the table, Wang Yu slumped against the wall, trying to distance himself from the excruciating pain coursing through his body while his wounds slowly healed.

Things had been far too close. If Sieg hadn't happened to be at the tavern, he might not have survived. Blood Tempest had been pushed dangerously close to berserk mode.

He still didn't fully understand the true power of this knight's secret art that he had just obtained, but he knew that unleashing all the blood within him—in addition to what had already spilled—would have devastating consequences.

However, whether or not he'd survive such an outburst would likely depend on Avia's latent ability. As he thought about Avia, anger flared within him once again.

He despised being threatened. Wang Yu had often lived alone, moving through life with reckless abandon. Now, however, he had something to protect, chains that bound him—but which also made him even more dangerous. Beneath his grim expression surged blistering killing intent. He had no intention of allowing Reynard's tragedy to unfold anew.

Still, he hadn't expected to make progress in developing his ripples under such circumstances. He picked up a drop of blood seeping from his wound, observing the frantic oscillations of his ripples within. Narrowing his eyes, he flicked the droplet out the window.

Despite the fact that the blood had traveled over fifteen meters, his ripples remained active within it. Wang Yu could still detect them.

By circulating his ripples through his blood, Wang Yu had successfully extended his range beyond fifteen meters. His true limit now depended on how far his blood could travel.

Wang Yu's ripples could transmit information back to his senses. He couldn't send his ripples out beyond a certain range, but he could capture their transmission across an unlimited range. As a result, Wang Yu had managed to pinpoint the assassin's location—and even noted the strange man involved, whom she reported to.

"I'm still too weak. Don't rush, Wang Yu," he told himself. Now wasn't the time for revenge or eliminating threats. He needed to grow stronger, first.

He glanced at the unconscious Avia. Some sort of sedative had been used on her, and rather roughly at that. Fortunately, she was unharmed.

"Phew... I knew it would come to this." Wang Yu wiped at his face in resignation. At least he now had a way to address such threats.

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small statue of the Lady of the Night. Silently, he called her name within his mindscape.

A hazy, spectral figure gradually appeared beside Wang Yu. Her veiled face turned toward him as he leaned against the wall.

"You are injured," the Lady of the Night said.

"Yeah."

"Do you need my help to heal you?"

"No, no. It's just a scratch. I do have a favor to ask, though."

"Go ahead."

"Can you protect her for me?" Wang Yu gestured at the unconscious Avia. "I'm too weak to safeguard those around me right now."

"I can," she replied. "But outside the capital's shadow, exerting my power will consume substantial energy. With the faith crystal you've given me, I might only be able to intervene once or twice before it's depleted."

A smile spread across Wang Yu's face. He was genuinely grateful. The Lady of the Night truly did intend to treat him as a friend.

She hadn't objected to the cost—only warned him that her help was necessarily limited. She was genuinely willing to help, and that was enough. His investment had been worth it.

"I can't thank you enough." Wang Yu clasped his hands and bowed to her, showing the most respectful gesture he could muster for a deity. At that moment, he was truly sincere.

"You are welcome..." Her voice wavered slightly, as if she were unaccustomed to such a phrase.

"Simply let her carry my statue, and I will be able to provide her with protection."

"Understood." Without hesitation, Wang Yu placed the Lady of the Night's small statue into Avia's pocket.

"Don't worry—I'll find a way to get more faith crystals. May your church flourish."

"It will." The Lady of Night's tone carried a hint of amusement before her figure slowly dissipated.

Once she was gone, Wang Yu fell into thought. Should he tell Avia about this incident? She'd worry about him, but hiding it seemed pointless...

However, he quickly dismissed the thought. What arrogance! What right did he have to decide for Avia? None.

He trusted her. She was capable, and they were partners. They would face this together. That was the measure of his respect and faith in her. She might even have better solutions than he did.

Wang Yu rummaged through the room and found some smelling salts. He poured a little onto a cloth and dabbed it on Avia's nose.

"Ah-choo!" The girl sneezed and groggily woke up. Her blurred vision landed on Wang Yu squatting beside her bed.

"Hey." Wang Yu waved with a warm smile.

"Wang Yu..." Avia struggled to sit up but found herself too weak. Her frustration made her reach for her latent ability as she attempted to restore her strength.

"Don't rush," Wang Yu said, gently pressing her shoulders down. His calm voice soothed her.

"Listen to me and don't get worked up..." His steady tone reassured Avia, and she gradually relaxed.

Once she'd calmed down, Wang Yu recounted everything that had happened—every detail, leaving nothing out. He even told her about the Church of the Night he had established in the capital's shadow and the Lady of Night's offer of protection.

Contrary to his expectations, Avia didn't react with panic or distress. She simply listened intently, her focus unwavering.

By the time Wang Yu finished, Avia had regained some control over her body. She sat up, silent for a moment, before retrieving the Lady of the Night's statue from her pocket. Examining it carefully, she spoke with sincere gratitude, "Thank you very much, Lady Eunice. I'll be in your care from now on."

Wang Yu noticed the statue tremble slightly. It seemed the Lady of the Night could hear her words.

Then, Avia turned to Wang Yu. Her expression held a mix of guilt and determination.

"Wang Yu, I'm sorry for dragging you down again. But I promise you this—I will catch up to you. I will help you."

Her tone was firm, her conviction palpable.

Wang Yu opened his mouth in mild surprise, then smiled. He was growing, as was she. Avia's talent was incredible. All she needed was a bit of time to bloom.

She would never allow herself to be the one holding him back.

"All right! I'll be waiting." Wang Yu reached out and clasped Avia's pale hand, looking directly into her eyes.

"Um..." Flustered by his gaze, Avia blushed and awkwardly turned her face away.

"Oh! Right, Wang Yu! There's something I've been working on. I managed to borrow my teacher's lab and finally completed a prototype! It'll definitely help you!"

Excitedly, Avia rummaged through the drawer by her bed and pulled out an object.

"What is it? Huh?!" Wang Yu's jaw dropped in astonishment.

It was a massive book, designed just like the arcane tome carried by characters in a certain game Wang Yu had once casually mentioned to Avia. [1]

1. The game is Wizard of Legend. ☜