The Plan Has Changed

Medeia picked up her dagger. It wasn't a poisonous one, but it was enough to make Nico tremble in fear.

"Lucian is too soft to you." Medeia spun her dagger, while looking at him with her sharp eyes. "If you want to stay alive, then use your shield to protect yourself from me."

At some point, Nico feared Medeia would really kill him if he wasn't able to dodge her attack.

"Miss Medeia, maybe it's a little bit too much," said Ren. 

Ren tried to stop her, but Medeia glanced at him. "Do you want to protect the village or not?"

Ren shut his mouth immediately. He felt like he was staring at the devil, which made him want to run to his brother.

"Come on, Nico. It's been two weeks!" Medeia lost her patience. "I know you can control it like last time."

Medeia swung the dagger at him, making him run as fast as he could. "It was just a coincidence! Didn't you tell me you'd find another way if I couldn't control my ability?!"

Medeia groaned. "The plan has changed, sweetheart."

She had no idea how long it would be before the villagers found another way to protect the village. Hence, she wouldn't be able to completed her mission and level-up sooner. 

It was really driving her insane.

The romance quest asked her to travel alone with Lucian, but if she was still trapped in this useless body, she would be nothing more than a burden to him.

She had to level-up immediately.

"I know you can do it." Medeia smiled at him, but her smile was so frightening that it made Nico want to cry.

She chased him wherever he went and asked Ren to close the gate so Nico couldn't hide in the village.

Even though it seemed like she really wanted to kill Nico, she deliberately let her dagger miss every time she swung it.

"Stop running! Use your shield to protect yourself from me!" Medeia turned her gaze at the wolf. "Bear, don't let him go away!"

The wolf howled before it chased Nico and prevented him from running further. Nico couldn't believe Bear would obey Medeia's orders so easily. "Bear, you traitor!"

"Medeia, please stop!" Nico shouted in desperation. "I don't want to hurt you!"

Medeia scoffed at him, "Hurt me by what? You can't even blast your shield." she tried to use a reverse psychology on him. "Maybe the last time was really a coincidence. You can't even protect a flower, let alone the whole village."

"I'm already telling you I can't do it! But you won't listen!" Nico shouted back at her, "This power has taken everything from me! How can you think I can use it to protect others?"

Medeia paused for a moment when Nico started to cry. "Then, do you want to let your sister down further?"

"Don't bring my sister into this!"

"All right. Do you want to become the Lost? Do you want to lose your mind and kill everyone in this village after becoming a monster?" 

Medeia walked toward him. "Yes, you killed your sister and I can't change that fact forever. But you didn't kill your mother, Nico. She died because she was weak."

Nico clenched his fist as Medeia brought his mother. "No, she was not!"

"Yes, she was! She was weak and pathetic, leaving her frightened son alone by killing herself and letting him endure the pain alone." Medeia continued, "If you become the Lost, then it is her fault. If your great power ends up being useless, it's also her fault."

His mother was like a deep scar in Nico's heart that would never go away. After accidentally killing his sister, he hoped his mother would comfort him and try her best to save him.

Unfortunately, she couldn't bear the pain of losing her daughter. She didn't say anything, but her action of killing herself seemed to tell Nico that she blamed him for something he couldn't control.

The guilt has become a stone that blocked his ability to take control of his ability. Medeia had to destroy that stone before it grew larger and consumed his mind.

Medeia was afraid that Nico would lose his mind if she put too much pressure on him. But sometimes it was better to confront an insecure boy than to let him hide in a safe place forever.

"My mother did nothing wrong!" Nico trembled in sadness. "It was my fault … my fault …."

"You were only eleven, Nico!" Medeia told him, "The only thing that you are supposed to do is crying in your mother's arms, not being responsible for something you can't control!"

"So wake up! Do you want to drown in your guilt forever and kill more people in the future?" Medeia softened her voice. "You're meant to be a protector, Nico, not a killer."

Medeia had seen many killers in hell, and she knew immediately that Nico could never be a killer.

Nico's breath sounded heavy. His eyes filled with tears because he couldn't hold it anymore.

Ever since his mother died, Nico tried his best not to shed tears because he thought crying would make him suffer more.

But holding back his tears hurt either, so what was the difference?

"I don't want to become the Lost …," Nico sobbed, "I really want to make things right."

But what was he supposed to do?

He tried again and again, but he still couldn't get it right. He wanted to talk again, but suddenly something was flying fast in the sky.

Screech! Screech!

[WARNING: Blood Sucker Bat Detected (Grade-A): Mutated Bat]

Ren quickly grabbed the bow and arrow, then shouted to Medeia and Nico, "Go back inside!"

"There is no use." Medeia sighed. She was surprised by the monster, but she didn't look panic nor afraid. "It can fly, so hiding in the village is useless."

Before Ren could shoot the arrow, the bat suddenly swooped down in a matter of seconds. It targeted Medeia of all people, but she stayed there without fear.

"No, Medeia!" Nico screamed out of his lungs.

Instead of running away, she was smiling at the bat because it was a good opportunity to get more experience points.

She wanted to summon the abyssal sword from the system, but a shimmering wall of energy shot out from beside her, expanding rapidly until it enveloped her completely. The mutant's claw slammed into the translucent barrier, sending shockwaves through the air.

A broad smile appeared on her face as the bat's claws broke. It squealed and roared, but not for long. A rusty sword flew at it, piercing its neck and sending the bat crashing to the ground.

Lucian jumped down from the watchtower. He checked on Medeia before approaching Nico. He smiled proudly at the boy. "I think Medeia is the right teacher for you."

[Achievement Unlock: Great Teacher]

[Reward: +80 XP]

Great teacher my ass, The only thing she did was yell at the little boy!