13 How did Hugo die?

He woke up to be left in a daze again. It was morning, and now that lighting was sufficient to reflect the out-of-the-world beauty of Xahi, it left him stunned.

Her posh face was glistening with a subtle luster. While her visible blurry veins beneath the skin screamed of her delicate existence. A simple scratch from a twig could cause a severe wound on her face.

Her aura, combined with her looks, was so intense that it was to the point of intimidation. No matter male or female, any human would feel the same. Looks were one thing, but the stifling feeling he was getting by being around her was due to something else.

Though unintentionally, he recalled last night's event. He became disappointed in his strength. Yet, he resolved to be strong. At least till the time I am alive, I will become stronger.

He turned his head towards the entrance realizing his carelessness as he had left the cave's entrance open and fell asleep. Wanting to take a look outside, he tried to stand up and froze.

She was still holding her hands, warm softness wrapping around his hand while their fingers intertwined. He smiled, and it faded when his gaze fell upon her legs and exposed thighs. He turned red and then around. She need clothes.

Wait a sec! I might have those beginner pairs.

Upon inspecting his inventory, he found them. It was a greyish tunic and a pair of brown leggings. But They were of no use. He couldn't even think of putting them on her himself. It was not a matter of if she woke up midway, but this dude just turned red from her exposed legs. He was mentally incapable of it.

Setting aside the matter, he leaned on the wall sitting straight and staring at the front wall, trying hard not to look, and he did not.

Ever since he got the mana affinity, he was viewing the world differently. An example was the cave. It was exuding a yellow hue from the walls and the ground a blue one. Subtle, but it was noticeable.

Finally, his chain of thoughts came upon something essential as he decided to appraise Merino for her status effects. First, he thought of appraising Xahi but removed that thought instantly. He was also curious how she had managed to kill that guy. But now wasn't the moment he could use the skill on her.

For Merino, he didn't have to worry about that creepy sensation the skill sent through the target's body. Moreso, he could focus well looking at the auntie like Chrono fully dressed than on a half exposed charismatic doll.

He peered past Xahi, and the info on the mature Chrono became visible.

[Name: Merino](Level:88, Age 41)

  Racial index: 311

  Health: 198,144

  Intelligence: 202

  Defense: 181

  Stamina: 176

  Strength: 175

  Agility: 172

Skills:

  Racication(innate)

  Atoxia-secretion (innate)

  Bladewhirls

  Lapethree bes-

But before he could reach her status info, Merino woke from the appraisal's sensation. It didn't take her even a moment to racicate as she jumped over the human, like a rabid dog.

She had ignored the fact Xahi was holding the human's hand and only saw him like an insect trying to molest her while she was sleeping.

Trino never felt such fear. There was resentment, hate, fear, and other emotions last night. But this was different.

Merino's white blades were coated in a viscous red liquid around the edges and were staring at his eyes. There wasn't even an ounce of courage left in him. Trino was frozen dead from fear. Once again, he forgot that this wasn't a real-life scenario to be so afraid of. He could just die and resurrect.

"How dare you get close to my daughter? I will kill you." Her words were bare growls to him, and it would've been the same even if he knew Lapethree. The fear he was experiencing due to difference in the racial index rendered him motionless. Chronos was a higher existence compared to humans. Even him being naked in front of a lion couldn't be compared to Merino's killing intent.

The pale-purple Chrono lifted her right blade in action to shatter the human head on the ground, only to be stopped by Xahi's desperate call, " Mumma, he is not evil."

She had woken up from the force of Trino's grip on her hand. Merino paused in confusion and finally observed her daughter wrapped around in a ragged cloth.

Xahi left his hand and hugged her mother, "Mumma! Hugo, that human was a monster. He... he-" She cried all the things that happened last night to her mother.

While Trino was finally able to breathe as the killing intent disappeared.But that stifling feeling of being around Xahi didn't disappear. Even when she was showing care for him, it was overwhelming.

Once things became clearer Merino pushed Xahi behind her back to hide her half-covered body from the human and said in a flat tone, "I am sorry, I was blinded."

Trino nodded to whatever she was speaking and pulled out the clothes ignoring what just transpired. He had expected a situation like this to happen. And now understood why Hugo had drugged them even being so high leveled himself.

Looking at the things in his hands, Merino voiced out slowly, "These are clothes."

She took them from his hands before pausing for a moment.

Trino pointed towards the cave's entrance to her and started walking away. Merino looked as though she wanted to say something but didn't, and he just walked away, leaving them to change Xahi's clothes.

After coming outside, every hair on his body stood to its edge. His mana perception skills made him aware of monstrosities lurking around the forest. He mindfully remembered as much as he could for monsters to their position. Trying to burn their position as a red flag on a map, Trino looked for the carriage.

While he was putting the scattered thing back to its previous form, he started mumbling to himself, "I'll log out after resolving the matters with Merino."

There's one more thing, "How did she kill Hugo?"