60 Rage

"I plan to free you later on but you still chose to sleep here for eternity?"

"I've lived enough already anyway, so just leave me alone."

This Verdant Skylark guy still wouldn't talk and even kept on rejecting everything we gave him as sustenance.

If that's the case, why won't he just slice of his own neck or bite his own tongue and die already?

He wanted to die all this time but he won't even try to kill himself, which was rather strange. Was his body so durable that even he himself couldn't harm it? He won't answer but he keeps telling that he can't tell anything.

Did I miss something?

"Is there... a curse inside him?"

The guy's eyes finally regained clarity, and he shook his head as he repeatedly said the word 'no.'

"Is it possible that he's only saying the opposite of things because he can't tell the truth?" I asked Croff as I went near this guy and tried to inject some of my Origin.

"I haven't heard of any curses that deploy such things, but if there was one, then I don't know what the antidote is... wait." He pondered for a bit before he finally exclaimed in a loud voice, "Is it a life-bound curse?"

The guy fervently shook his head, and that probably confirmed it.

"Do you want to die?"

"Yes."

"Just in case he's really telling the truth and he wants to die?"

"Then we just have to find a few materials and still force feed him to eat it just in case. It'll be like a truth serum anyway, and whichever the problem, we can decide what to do later."

"So? What items do you need?"

"We'll be needing a Thin Bee's Honey, an Arctic Lightning Core, and a Hopeful Flower's petals. I'll be the one to make the potion, and if you want to live longer, try to stop doing that at least."

"That?"

"The draining from the life-bound curse. It only looks like he's draining himself, but the life-bound curse is the one that's actually doing that. He can stop it forcefully by letting his own Soul Control permeate through the whole body to slow down the process for at least over half.

...

After I listed the items and their respective location, I wanted to first see Ellie before I leave the place.

"Oh, Kaff. You're here..."

Aunt was inside Mom's room where Ellie was resting, and from the look on her eyes I only awaited what was about to come. Esir on the side also had the same expression, but when she realized that she was still with Aunt, she held herself back with a frown.

Her figure instantly blurred and tightly embraced me, which I was already getting used to, sadly. Sharl, if I ever had the chance to be with you, it's only in this way and we can't be together. I could only hug Aunt gently because of my thoughts, which made her confused.

"Eh? You usually resist... You, you, are you actually becoming a pervert now!?"

"What pervert!? I just wanted to see Ellie!"

"Oh, I see... wait, do you like Ellie!?"

"As a sister of course! Calm down Sharl---"

"...Sharl?"

Ah, I finally let it slip.

"Um, Sharl is..."

I don't know what to say. Aunt and Sharl really do look alike and I can't help myself to not think of her as she's always with me all the time.

"I've heard that name a few times already when you were having nightmares. You don't even remember some of these dreams, I bet, but you looked like you were having a bad time sleeping."

Oh, so it's not the first time? Also, I had dreams where I mentioned her!? Why didn't Aunt told that to me?

"I'm not sure why you called me that right now, but if that would help you relieve some of your nightmares, then it's fine with me."

"But Aunt..."

"It's fine. We're family, after all."

But that's the main point! We're family! I can't do it!!

She tried to embrace me once more but I let go and ran out of the room.

My heart was beating so fast that it was getting dangerous.

I suddenly remembered that vivid memory of the day where we were happy together, and punched myself in the cheek.

"Stop!"

She had already chased towards me and caught me in her arms.

"Look, I don't know what happened, but at least let me help you!"

"But, but... You're the one person that can't help me!"

With that, she let go and I was freed. With the freedom felt utter loneliness, though.

I could only hear her footsteps go away and disappear after a while.

Looking around the place, it seems that we've ran quite the distance, and I didn't even recognize where I am right now.

I flew towards the skies and found the place we were staying in, and the night sky only seemed more dark.

There are stars that shined yet a wish of mine can't be fulfilled in this world, what point is there for our relationship to deepen further?

Even if it was allowed to marry a relative in this world, I'd still find that fact taboo... which my heart also says so.

...

I returned to where Ellie was after an hour when I've cooled my emotions down, and Aunt was nowhere to be found. Mom was here though, and the doctor was now back and they seemed to be already discussing about something important.

"Can she still be returned to normal?"

"She could, but I wouldn't be able to."

"What do you need? Money? Women? Power? I'll try my best to---"

"It's not that, madam. It's just that one of the herbs that are required to create the medicine tend to be the most difficult to acquire, even in other continents."

What are they talking about? I don't want Mom to be talking like that so I planned to take action but I was interested in what the doctor had to say.

"Could you at least tell me what are needed?"

"It's not only the things that are needed, but if three years pass and she still doesn't have the cure, she will probably stay like this from the rest of her life. Sure, death will also follow, but how long she will live, I don't know. There are only few records of people having this illness, and few records mean few information. Even the cure only has a thirty percent to heal the patient---"

"Just tell me what's needed!"

The old man hesitated for a bit before finally listing out the items by word, and the list was still fine and there were a few uncommon items that still had a chance to be acquired, until the last item was mentioned, which also made Mom lose strength in her body.

"...a Beast God's source core."

I went in and held Mom's shoulders as I took a glance towards the old man.

"That's easy. Let me handle that last thing that you need."

The old man's eyes widened as if he saw a ghost in broad daylight, seemingly stunned after I said those words.

It took about a few seconds before my words probably sinked in, and made the old man speak.

"What are do you mean? What... a Beast God's core means the actual Beast God's core!"

"Does it have to be really a Beast God's core? Could a different core work instead?"

"I-I'm... not sure... The records indicated that a Beast God's core was needed but... even if a different core should work, then how would you even acquire one?"

Suddenly, white wisps of light gathered towards my hand and I reflexively clenched my fists.

I recalled the main reason I have to go out on a journey and strengthen myself.

Dad.

Kirllia.

The two people that were once important in my life suddenly popped into my mind.

Mom.

Aunt.

Three.

...and now, there's also Ellie.

I'm not sure why, but ever since I've been born in this world, it seems like I had this constant urge inside myself to become someone that could help others.

But, realizing that only helping won't suffice.

I have to be someone that could protect those that I love.

Sharl...

I don't want another case of what Sharl had to go through because of me.

I don't want danger to come near my loved ones.

I was initially excited from acquiring my powers... but from how this world is like, I'm constantly given a reason to become more strong, powerful, not omnipotent yet if that was possible then why not?

Sure, having powers made me feel cool about myself. But what if I only had such meager strength that I could not even protect the ones that I love?

What if someday, everyone close to me would just disappear?

"Hamion."

He's not the only reason I want to be strong, but he's currently one of the most threatening existence right now.

Who knows what he's planning inside his mind until now?

"That's my main quest, after all."

"Huh?"

Confused, the old man was about to speak again but I cut his words with mine.

"I made a promise, not only towards one person, nor two, but also to myself. I promised that I won't let anyone dear to me experience... bad things. I know that my words currently don't make any sense, but by showing this, it would make my intentions clear for everyone here."

I let out my Soul Control earlier and noticed that almost everyone was here, except for the boy which was probably above the air again.

"Mom, you know who killed Dad, right? Not only do I want to go for his head, but what I want is to eradicate the root source of all."

I held one of the necklaces that Yona gave me and inserted Soul Control inside it.

There it is, Dad's coffin.

I took it out and showed it to everyone.

A black coffin made of some kind of durable material that even Yona didn't know how it was created. She only knew that this thing can preserve a corpse for a very long time, and that's why she even gave it as a gift for us...

I willed Soul Control once more and slowly opened the coffin.

Once more, my emotions were surging, and my hands were shaking.

"El... El..."

Mom slowly made her way towards the coffin, and Aunt immediately went near her and supported her as she went near.

"Do you think I can't do it? Kill a god? If I wasn't resolute enough then I would've buried Dad already within the outskirts of Labbi and never left the place. BUT MY HEART IS BURNING WITH RAGE. IF I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SATISFY THIS KILLING INTENT, I WOULD PROBABLY DESTROY EVERYTHING I SEE."

All of the Origin around me trembled and suddenly expanded for about a thousand meters in radius and enveloped everything.

My Soul Control merged with Origin somehow, and I could also feel everything around me. The buildings, the guards and maids, the plants, the nearby lake, the flying birds in the sky, the rolling grains of sand near the edge of town, the blowing winds that made the hung clothes wave, the children playing just outside...

My head hurted so badly, but my whole body was shaking with pure anger that I feel like destroying everything right now.

"Calm down, Kaff. Calm down. Think of Ellie."

Three went near me and held me within her arms.

Feeling that warmth from her, my shivering started to decrease, and I finally took in all of that energy just a moment ago.

"What's happening!?"

I could hear Tek from outside the door and he saw that I was the cause of the event that happened just now.

"Um... How should we explain?"

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