Now... how do I turn Powder into soone who isn’t afraid to fight? Soone who won’t lose his sanity over a single kill? I know he’s kindhearted... maybe I should turn that kindness into his strength in battle. It could backfire, sure, but if soone as gentle as him finds conviction in saving others, then maybe a kill would feel justified, maybe it wouldn’t break him. In ti, it might even let him grow stronger than I could ever control... I think.
Even as I look at his innocent face now, I can’t forget the way he looked at before he died. That mory breaks my heart, it really does. But I need him beside . He’s my best friend. And without him achieving his dream... the rest feels worthless, doesn’t it?
I watch the two of them joke around and get along so quickly. It’s hard not to picture the future: all of us together in the sa party, traveling the world, chasing after adventure.
I convince myself to try harder this ti, to make fewer mistakes, or maybe none at all. Ti begins to flow like a feather drifting on the current of a calm river.
Anna and I explain to Powder our dream of becoming an adventurer’s party, and just as I expected, he joins without hesitation. I forge the Fate Breaker sword for him once again, but this ti I enhance it, making it far more powerful. I change his mana core to mythic grade, and I even embed a life-saving spell within his heart—sothing that will allow him to regenerate even if he’s reduced to nothing but pieces. I can’t let history repeat itself.
We start small, hunting a few beasts in the wild. They’re nothing compared to the boar we once fought; just low-level monsters. I play the victim, pretending to be trapped in a life-or-death situation, where the only one who can save is Powder. And, surprisingly, it works.
He manages to land his first kill, a small shadow wolf. His hands tremble uncontrollably afterward, but when he sees my grateful expression, when I keep telling him over and over that it was necessary to save my life, he accepts it. His grip tightens on his sword as he swears to that he will be my weapon. No matter what, he will kill with the conviction of saving soone, not as a mindless slaughter for entertainnt.
But he also makes one request of : that every quest we take must be for the sake of others, never for the thrill of killing. I agree quickly. After all, most quests are like that anyway. Sure, there are always a few selfish ones out there, but they’re rare enough not to worry about.
After a week of training, we head to the forest where Roxy found us before. This ti she isn’t near the cliff where we once fell, so we walk straight to her cabin. I have Anna stay behind; if Roxy saw show up with another woman this early, I can already imagine the disaster it would turn into.
When Roxy sees , I let history repeat itself, no matter how humiliating it is to be stripped naked and tied up. Well... in the end, it works. Roxy joins us again pretty quickly. And this ti, I even confess that I like her—no mory-wiping needed, hehe... ahem... moving on.
I forge a new axe for Roxy—a massive crimson weapon with veins of fire flowing along its edge. I told her I once found it in a deep cave. Not that she’d believe anyway... but she accepts it with a wide smile on her beautiful face.
Later, I train her in the forest for a week, teaching her how to be a proper vanguard, how to hold the front without letting emotions cloud her judgnt. At first, she laughed at , but slowly my words began to reach her, and she realized I wasn’t speaking nonsense. She trained herself hard, battling low-level monsters, pushing her limits further with each day. I granted her a mythic mana core as well, ensuring her strength would match the path she chose.
But I wasn’t finished. I will raise all of my friends to that level, one by one. Each of them will have the power to survive death itself. All of them... except Anna. The system won’t allow to change her from within.
A week later, disaster struck.
The mont ca when the two won finally crossed paths, and the world itself seed to shudder. Anna appeared in the forest, clinging to like a mosquito that refused to let go... and that did not sit well with soone.
As you’d expect, when Roxy first lays eyes on Anna, the air turns sharp.
"And who the hell is she?" Roxy’s voice cuts like a blade, her crimson eyes narrowing at Anna clinging casually to my arm.
Anna smirks, completely unbothered. "Oh? Didn’t he tell you? I’m his girlfriend. First wife, actually." She leans in closer, brushing her shoulder against mine just to make it worse.
"Girlfriend?!" Roxy’s face flushes crimson with fury. "Quill! You—you dare bring this thing here after everything? After what we—" She shakes her head, the words tangling in her throat before she lets out a growl that could rival a beast.
Anna hums, tilting her head innocently, though her smile is anything but. "Mm, don’t be jealous. There’s enough of him to share, isn’t there?"
The forest itself seems to shudder as the two of them clash. But not in the way you’d expect; no fists or spells were thrown, just words sharp enough to draw blood. Birds scatter from the trees, and the air between them grows heavy, thick enough to split.
I raise my hands, trying to step in. "Alright, alright, let’s not—"
"Shut up, Quill!" they both snap at the sa ti, their voices crashing together so loud the woods fall dead silent afterward.
I close my mouth imdiately. Yeah... no winning here. Anna lives to stir trouble, and Roxy’s temper is a spark waiting for fla. If I try to wedge myself between them now, it’ll only make the fire worse.
For days, this goes on. Every al turns into a battlefield. Roxy glares whenever Anna so much as breathes too close to . Anna makes a point of stealing bites from my plate just to watch Roxy’s expression curdle. Their argunts echo through the trees so often that I’m convinced even the monsters in the forest are keeping their distance, terrified of stumbling into this warzone.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, they co to with their own... solution.
Roxy plants herself in front of Anna, arms crossed. "Fine. You want him? Then let’s make it official. I’ll be first wife. You can be whatever cos after."
Anna rolls her eyes dramatically, but there’s sothing sly in her smile. "Tch. I don’t usually do hand--downs, but I guess I can make an exception. For him."
Look at her... acting like this is the first ti they’ve had this argunt. I roll my eyes, watching from the side.
And just like that, they nod—agreent reached.
anwhile, I’m standing there wondering how the hell my life spiraled into this. Lucky or unlucky? Honestly, I can’t tell anymore.
And so, only one remains... Death itself—Amara. But to reach her...
I lean back against a tall tree, watching the sunlight filter through the leaves overhead. How do I reach Amara?Last ti, it was the punishnt quest. But even if I trigger another, there’s no guarantee it would send to the sa place. Could I really do it on my own?
Big Boss... I know we’re not on good terms right now, but could you help just this once? I mutter under my breath, letting the forest wrap around . It’s the most relaxed I’ve felt in weeks.
But silence answers . Big Boss doesn’t respond, leaving to figure it out on my own.
And then the conflict rises in , two voices clashing. One urges to do everything I can to bring Amara back. The other demands I leave her be, not tear her away from the power she’s claid. But does that realm even work the sa as mine? Is she truly back to her old self? Or is she trapped there, all alone, facing the new Death?
Those questions won’t let rest. No matter what, I know I have to find her. I can’t leave her alone... because I’m the only one who understands that kind of loneliness.
I’m coming to save you. Just wait for a little longer, Amara. I clench my fists tight, nails digging deep, and when no one’s watching, my arm erupts in a storm of blood-mist. A massive quill takes its place, pulsing with power. If that’s what it takes, then I’ll rewrite reality itself just to reach her.
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