Returning to his room, Carn canceled his transformation, reverting to his human form. Exhausted, he sank onto his bed, yawning.
Just as he was about to call it a day, loud banging erupted from his door, accompanied by Han's panicked shouting.
"CARN! ARE YOU OKAY?!"
Groaning, Carn dragged his feet to the door, ntally drained. Opening it, he found Han and Wong standing there with flashlights in their hands. Oddly, Han's entire body emitted a faint red glow, giving him an otherworldly appearance.
Carn raised an eyebrow, bemused. He couldn't sense any Aether from his father, yet the radiance bore a resemblance to holy power in a different form.
Intrigued, he asked, "Dad, do you, by chance, have a superpower?"
Han scoffed, "Obviously, I'm augnted. I have a nano spinal cord and bone marrow. Anyway, are you alright?"
Carn's interest piqued. The technological advancents of this world fascinated him, and he ntally bookmarked the topic for later exploration. For now, he decided to play along.
"I'm fine. Just woke up. What's going on?"
Han wasted no ti explaining. "The loose entity showed up nearby. All the lights in the area are busted. For now, co with us to the basent. Hurry!"
Following Han and Wong, Carn descended to the basent, which had been converted into a fortified shelter. The space was well-prepared.
Shelves stocked with canned and dry food, tanks of clean water, a power generator, and a functional bathroom had been prepared for this situation. A gaming area added a touch of comfort, complete with an old couch that could seat the whole family.
Han grabbed a camping flashlight from a shelf, quickly inserting batteries before flipping it on. The soft glow illuminated the room as they settled in. However, Han maintained his glowing transformation, the red light mingling with the flashlight's beam.
Curious, Carn glanced at his father and asked, "So, what exactly does your superpower do?"
Han hesitated for a mont, then sighed, realizing there was no point in hiding it any longer. "I can compress and fire electric currents from my fingertips, like railgun bullets."
Carn's brow furrowed. The ability sounded oddly similar to Holy Arrow, a basic offensive spell frequently used by priests and dragoons in his past life. His curiosity deepened. "How many shots can you fire?"
"About fifteen," Han replied.
"Only fifteen?" Carn couldn't hide his surprise.
"Only?" Han bristled. "Listen here, you little punk. Those fifteen shots co from my own blood and flesh. If I use them all, I'll probably die!"
Carn facepald, unimpressed by the limitations. Compared to the Aether Church's rookie priests, who could cast dozens of Holy Arrows without breaking a sweat, Han's abilities felt rudintary. Concerned, Carn silently debated whether to teach his father how to manage his artificial power or share so of his own holy energy. However, he decided against it for now. Any sudden display of unusual knowledge might attract unwanted attention, particularly from that nosy detective saint.
For the rest of the night, Carn remained in the basent with his family, waiting for dawn to break.
.
At sunrise, the family cautiously left the shelter. Carn returned to his room, collapsing onto his bed and passing out almost imdiately. When he awoke around noon, he groggily made his way to the living room, where he found Wong vacuuming the floor. Much of the furniture had been moved outside, and many appliances lay in pieces, damaged beyond repair.
"Lunch is on the table," Wong said without looking up. "Help yourself. And don't go outside."
"…Okay." Carn shrugged, wandering to the dining table, where a bowl of egg-fried rice awaited him. Sitting down, he sighed in relief, savoring the al as he slowly recuperated from the previous night's ordeal.
As he ate, the gold coin in his pocket began to vibrate, and a familiar sensation rippled through him. One of his Aether marks escaped, returning to the coin. Monts later, Fleur's voice echoed in his mind.
"Release , or I'll kill you and your family!"
Carn rolled his eyes, smirking. Pretending he hadn't heard her, he continued eating.
"FREE , OR I'LL SUMMON ALL WRAITHS TO YOUR LOCATION!" she screeched.
Carn paused, pulling the coin from his pocket. Without hesitation, he injected a pulse of holy power into it. Fleur's scream reverberated in his mind, causing the coin to shine brightly.
Carn's eyes darted toward the living room doorway, worried Wong might notice the commotion. Fortunately, Fleur's voice was telepathic, inaudible to anyone but him.
Relieved, Carn flicked the coin with his finger, causing Fleur to yelp in pain. The golden glow dimd as the holy mark returned to him. He knew her threats were hollow as Fleur's immortality wasn't as straightforward as she liked to claim.
Her supposed invincibility stemd from a contract with Aether itself. According to the agreent, 90% of the Aether she harvested from vengeful spirits had to be donated back to nature. In exchange, Aether protected her soul, ensuring her resurrection as long as even a single mark of her Aether remained in the world.
While this blessing made her nearly impossible to kill permanently, it ca with a critical weakness. Her ability to regenerate depended on the Aether she absorbed from her surroundings. Life force from insects, animals, or humans was fair ga. However, by depleting her reserves, Carn had effectively crippled her recovery.
"You may have sealed now, but I'll return!" Fleur's voice hissed. "Mark my words, Pebble. I'll make you pay!"
Carn scoffed, pocketing the coin. For now, she was subdued, and he had no intention of releasing her anyti soon. With Fleur silenced and his energy partially restored, he finished his al and returned to his room, ready to 'correct' the grim reaper.
After locking the door behind him, Carn closed the curtains. He brought out the gold coin and injected an Aether mark to Fleur, feeding her a little. He then negotiated with her.
"Speak, Fleur. Do you really not know about the resurrection of the Lich King or new undead legions?"
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