CHAPTER 194: CHAPTER 194: THE SEER [5]

Chapter 194 – The Seer [5]

Kaden honestly wondered if he had offended some cursed god in one of his past reincarnations to be so unquestionably unlucky.

He just wanted an ally, only that.

But instead he had found himself with a woman deprived of affection who — the moment he showed her even the smallest fragment of it — chose to bind their lives together?

I mean, isn’t there supposed to be a process in this kind of relationship?

Something like acquaintance, then friends, then best friends, then ride or die, and only after all that do you reach the state of... my life and your life fated even after death type of shit?

So...

’Why me...? Kaden thought with a low grunt, his eyes heavy with exhaustion as he sat on the huge rock alongside Vaela, looking out at the beautiful scenery of the forest around them.

He hadn’t had much rest since the moment he set out for the East. First the Ruined Death dungeon that had almost killed him, then having to slaughter that damned spider, then taking care of an insecure beast, and now...

’And now I have to take care of a woman who thinks it’s normal to bind her life to a pitiful Awakened like me?’

Truly, was Vaela a damned fool? Or was this the consequence of a hunger buried too long?

Because realistically speaking, Kaden’s chance of dying was very high, especially in these worlds where the weak were trampled beneath the feet of giants. An Intermediate was like a speck of dust in the desert...

...insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

And still, a being so powerful, with the power of foresight... who was supposed to be more thoughtful and calculated, had actually dared to bind her life to him.

Kaden found this intriguing.

He wasn’t particularly worried about her dying, even if she did, it wouldn’t matter. He could still revive.

’I just have to make sure I always have death coins in reserve for these types of unforeseen events.’ he added in his mind, his eyes drifting toward the pristine water flowing below him.

But what about him dying?

He doubted Vaela knew about his ability, so...

"What makes you so confident that you dared to bind your life to me? For all we know, I might actually die tomorrow, or even in the next minute. Did you use your power in some way?" he asked Vaela, who was sitting by his side, her face bearing a stunning smile.

She shook her head demurely at his question, her blue silky hair swaying gently with the whispering wind. "I didn’t use my power, I didn’t do anything of that sort."

"The moment I realized that we were friends, I immediately bound us together forever. In that way..."

She slowly and steadily turned her head toward him, her neon eyes glimmering with a light of madness.

"...in that way, Kaden, you will not leave me. You will be my family forever, and we will do many things together!"

She leaned in, her stunning face drawing even closer to Kaden’s twitching one, until her lips hovered beside his right ear, her voice a whisper that could make even the oldest monk forsake his vow of renunciation.

"...and if you do leave me, Kaden, then I will kill myself. That way you will also die, and in death we will be together for eternity." She whispered sinfully before pulling back her head, her neon-blue eyes locking deep into Kaden’s blood-red ones.

She smiled faintly.

"I do this for us. I don’t want us to be separated. You... understand me, right? You are my only friend after all, you always understand me..." she murmured in a low voice, her pale fingers gently caressing Kaden’s right cheek with tenderness.

Kaden nodded lightly beneath her burning, deranged gaze.

"Yes, I do understand you, Vaela. I would have done the same too," he said, his voice cool and steady.

Vaela immediately beamed with childlike joy, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly, warmly, as she closed her eyes to savor the feeling she had long been denied.

"I am happy. I truly am. I couldn’t have dreamed of a better family," she whispered, feeling genuinely relieved that her friend understood her.

But it wasn’t as though Kaden had much of a choice in this. He had to go along with her way. After all, this girl was ready to hurt both of them just to get what she wanted.

’I played with fire and got burned... great, just great.’

Sighing wearily, he decided to go straight to the reason he had come here in the first place.

He had wanted to transform an enemy into an ally by using the concept of benefit, but instead he had transformed an enemy into a friend.

And that was still better... if you ignored, for a moment, the questionable behavior of that said friend.

But Kaden always preferred to look on the bright side, so...

"Now that we are friends, are you going to help me?" he asked softly, with a faint smile.

Vaela stopped hugging him and pulled back, then nodded happily. "Of course, I will help you."

"Even if I want to eradicate every single member of your family?" Kaden asked again, this time his voice colder, more ruthless.

Hearing him, Vaela couldn’t help but recall the sight she had seen inside that realm... that endless ocean of blood.

She smiled, tilting her head lightly to the side.

"You... you do enjoy killing, don’t you?" she asked, her tone heavy with intrigue.

Kaden shrugged dismissively. "We all enjoy what we are good at."

Her lips curved into a quiet chuckle as she shook her head.

"But I don’t."

Kaden spared her a confused gaze.

"Scheme," she said quietly, "with my power, hardly anyone can go against me if I want to scheme. I am very good at it, but... I don’t enjoy it."

Kaden looked at her deeply, then spoke softly, "Why? Do you find it beneath you? Do you prefer going head to head, face to face, and brawling like barbarians?" His voice carried a note of amusement that made Vaela laugh.

Gods, she had laughed in this short encounter more than she had in her entire long life.

She put her right hand delicately to her mouth as she laughed, it was...

’...very demure’, Kaden couldn’t help but think instinctively.

Vaela then answered, still chuckling every now and then, "I know you just described your own family. And with that, I guess you do not like their way of doing things very much, do you?"

Kaden shrugged before responding coolly, "I am a pragmatic man. I don’t bind myself to a specific way of thinking, or to belief."

"I won’t chain myself to the philosophy that scheming is for cowards and then act like a brute. I am not saying my family is wrong."

"Sometimes brute strength is far more efficient than scheming, but to discard scheming completely is foolish behavior." Kaden said, opening himself to Vaela by giving her a glimpse of his philosophy.

He had nothing to lose, after all their deaths were linked anyway.

This made Vaela extremely giddy inside. ’Is this the famous friends’ talk?’

She was beyond happy at that moment. But as a good friend, she had to give good advice to Kaden, so with deeply focused eyes that looked like they were staring down their greatest foe, Vaela responded:

"You are actually right. Scheming, in and of itself, is not truly despicable. Just like physical strength, it is only a way to win and protect yourself."

She paused, glancing up at the sun shining bright orange above them, its glow tainting the forest in a mystical canvas of green and fire.

She continued, "But for me, maybe because I was born in a family that schemed even to capture innocent children... schemed in order to bind their own family members to their will... maybe that is why I don’t enjoy it, and why I prefer the Warborn way."

She gave her point, and Kaden nodded in understanding.

"And as for your question, I think you got something wrong, Kaden."

Vaela smiled as she rose to her feet, turning to face him.

Her back was to the sun, its light glowing around her, making her look less like a woman from this grotesque world and more like an immortal goddess descending to grace the mortal world.

She was a sight to behold.

Vaela’s beauty was truly unheard of.

Kaden’s heart skipped a beat as she smiled brightly, her eyes still holding that trace of madness that made his body quiver in dread. Then slowly, she parted her lips,

"You want to eradicate my family but... did you forget who my family is?" she asked, making Kaden’s eyes widen slightly.

Her smile widened.

"Yes, Kaden, you are my one and only family. And as for your question, if I will help you eradicate a bunch of scheming filth..."

At that moment, time stilled. Space itself refused to budge. The flora and fauna around them seemed to pause their photosynthesis just for the next words...words that would change the very dynamic inside Waverith and beyond.

"...it’s not even a question worth asking. I would do anything for you."

Kaden stared at her blankly, then tilted his head back toward the sky. But this time his voice was not lifeless — it was beaming, almost cracking with emotion.

"Did... did I finally obtain my sugar mommy?" he asked, his tone wavering as if he were about to cry.

Seeing him act so dramatically, Vaela chuckled in deep amusement, then blinked.

"What’s a sugar mommy?"

—End of Chapter 194—