Chapter 30 - Second bloody moon

Once again, I waited for the sun to turn its crimson-red hue. I was on top of the bus, next to Ellen, while Noelle stayed inside, ready to support us. Time passed, and the conversation with Noelle, for some reason, made me think of my sister.

I've been avoiding thinking about her because I know it could affect my concentration during fights against monsters. However, it's impossible not to worry. Is she okay? Is she eating properly? Money has always been tight, and her health is delicate. The worry grew inside me to the point of consuming me.

"Noah!" Ellen's voice echoed, cutting through my thoughts and bringing me back to reality.

As these thoughts wandered through my mind, Ellen next to me caught my attention by firmly holding my shoulders. When our eyes met, genuine surprise hit me. I hadn't even noticed her until that moment. Although I knew she was there with me, for some reason, it was like I had been alone until just recently.

"Noah, are you okay? Your hands are trembling" Ellen asked, turning her gaze to my hands.

Like Ellen, I also looked at my hands and noticed they were indeed shaking. It had gone unnoticed by me until then. Ellen, who was staring at my face, asked.

"Is something bothering you?" with a tone of concern in her voice.

Hearing Ellen's words, I wondered if I should tell her. I mean, Ellen has done enough to earn my trust so far. Besides, it's not like I'm revealing a weakness of mine to her. However, I also wasn't sure what I expected by sharing this with Ellen.

"A... and I was thinking about my sister" I replied, hesitantly.

Saying this reminded me that it was the first time I had shared with Ellen about my sister's existence. In fact, since I arrived here, I never talked about my personal life with anyone. Well, the reason is quite obvious, actually.

"Since our parents died, it's been just me and her" I began, while my hands trembled slightly. "Her body is fragile, so I've always had to take care of her. Of course, I never felt tired or fed up with it. I love her more than anything in the world. But right now, I don't know if she's okay or if she's even alive. I don't know if she was also taken to a place like this. I've been avoiding thinking about it, but the more I avoid it, the more the possibility of her actually being called grows"

After my words, Ellen remained silent. Actually, I didn't expect a specific response from her. Deep down, I just wanted to vent to someone. Keeping it to myself worked for a while, but I knew I couldn't keep everything forever.

Anyway, Ellen and I remained on top of the bus, waiting for the imminent arrival of the monsters. During this interval, I managed to calm my nerves and was now thinking about attack strategies. I was considering the possibility of developing a new type of ability, something similar to telekinesis, but I admit that talking about it was simpler than doing it.

Firstly, I realized that everything we do is controlled by Aether. That was the conclusion I came to after spending some time observing others using my [Etheric Vision]. Ellen's own abilities, which are related to electricity, start with Aether before being transformed into the ability we know.

Therefore, to achieve something similar to telekinesis, I should first learn to transform Aether into something solid. Honestly, this seemed impossible. At this very moment, I was trying to alter its state, but it was much more complicated than it appeared.

Initially, Aether is inherently something gaseous, invisible, if we can call it that. Furthermore, although it obeys me, it's more like it's listening to me than obeying me. At times, I even thought that Aether was also a kind of living creature.

At the moment, my tests were all resulting in failures, but that didn't mean I wasn't learning anything from it. The more I trained, the more I felt my control and understanding of Aether improving. At this point, I could already move it almost instinctively.

Summoning my scythe, I throw it a few meters ahead, which surprises some people and arouses Ellen's curiosity. Although she didn't say anything, her look clearly shows interest in what I'm doing. Ignoring that, I focus my Aether on the scythe. I feel like an invisible hand is holding the handle. The first step was a success.

Currently, I can transform my Aether into a solid state, but controlling it to touch objects and move them is a completely different story. Concentrating all my senses on it, the scythe gradually begins to move. Under everyone's gaze, the scythe suddenly rises and flies toward my hand.

You acquired a new skill through a [Kinetic Touch] action.

With a smile on my face, I receive the scythe back perfectly into my hands, while the translucent screen in front of me confirms that I have achieved the desired outcome.

"Wow, that was amazing! Is it some new skill of yours or a new trick your scythe can do?" Ellen asked beside me, with a surprised look.

However, before I could respond to her question, a sinister feeling enveloped me. It was a familiar sensation, something I had experienced before. To confirm my suspicions, the environment suddenly tinged red. It wasn't actually the environment that had turned red; it was just the radiant glow of the old white sun, which now took on a completely crimson hue.

"Tell me later" commented Ellen beside me as she stood up.

Just like her, I rose, and we both faced the forest ahead of us. Leo, along with the other passengers, also directed their gazes toward the forest. And as expected, red eyes began to emerge - Goblins, Ogres, Hobgoblins, Goblin riders; all emerged at once. But this time, there was something new.

A strident noise of wings flapping echoed through the forest, and soon after, bee-like monsters began to emerge. However, instead of conventional bees, these creatures were significantly larger, and their stingers seemed much more lethal than usual.

"This is quite a lovely horde they've sent to keep us company tonight" I remarked, a nervous smile forming on my face.

"Do you think so?" replied Ellen, sharing my nervousness with a tense smile on her lips.

Without hesitation, I quickly activated [Etheric Pumping], allowing energy to accumulate within me. With a gesture, I summoned my scythe, which appeared in the air before me. Strangely, the scythe seemed animated, as if it were in front of a sumptuous feast. This observation made me realize there was no reason for nervousness.

With a sense of renewed strength, I realized that I had evolved considerably and significantly enhanced my powers. In light of this, the enemies no longer posed a significant threat to me. With this conviction, I quickly activated my [Infusion] ability and, without hesitation, leaped off the bus, landing amidst the monsters.

The first to fall was a Goblin, its upper part separated from the body with a precise strike of my scythe.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 22] Experience was acquired.

As the monsters advanced towards me and the Ogres shook the ground with their approach, I maintained a steady rhythm, eliminating as many Goblins as I could.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 19] Experience was acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 21] Experience was acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 18] Experience was acquired.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 23] Experience was acquired.

With each blow struck, a sensation of increasing power enveloped me.

-Drainage: By killing enemies, the Death Scythe absorbs their souls, converting them into power.

This was probably thanks to my scythe's passive. The more I killed, the stronger I would become. This singular thought guided me now.

After eliminating a Goblin Rider and its wolf, I decide to test something new on a common Goblin. With my hand extended towards it, I activate [Kinetic Touch], a skill I hadn't tested until then. Ether envelops the Goblin's neck, and in a swift motion, I pull it towards me.

The Goblin is dragged towards me while its arms and legs flail desperately, trying to free itself. It was the perfect moment to experiment, after all, when would I have another opportunity like this?.

With the Goblin brought to me, I don't hesitate to act. With a quick strike of my scythe, I split its body in two, causing the pieces to roll across the grass, tinged red with its blood.

You defeated [Goblin - Lvl - 20] Experience was acquired.