Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power - Chapter 329

Chapter 329: Chapter 329: I love you. I truly do.
Chapter 329 – I love you. I truly do.

Days had passed since the event inside that dark space. Days where Kaden and Aurora had spent putting everything in place in order to prepare, to the best of their abilities, for the battles to come.

The preparation they needed to make was enormous, having to take care of the two princes, the Sun Empress, the Emperor Consort, without forgetting the heads of the three cities.

Kaden’s head was hurting, his mind struggling to coordinate all these events and situations into something that would be even slightly favorable to them.

Aurora had been more than useful, her knowledge over the politics and tendencies of each of their opponents making it easier to plan their downfall.

Knowledge was power, indeed.

But besides those, her intuition was truly one worthy of admiration, almost similar to Kaden’s transcendent perception, yet different and unique in its own way.

Her intuition helped them greatly in changing many of their plans, because she could feel something would be wrong if pursued.

But having so many things to plan did not mean Kaden neglected his domain formation. That would be foolish. Now more than ever, he knew he needed to understand his domain completely.

He was going against Elderlings, yet he was only Master-ranked.

He had learned more about the Epithet Rank from Aurora, making him understand that the Epithet Realm was, to put it simply, a realm where all the titles you obtained since the beginning would combine into one and give you one Aspect.

An Aspect that could be a skill, a weapon, a transformation, or anything reflecting who you truly were, as no titles given by The Will were lies. They all showed who you truly were.

Knowing that, Kaden wondered what his Epithet would be, but for now, he first needed to form his domain.

It no longer mattered how he felt about welcoming Emptiness inside of him and letting it take hold of an important part of his being. Because domain creation might look simple on the outside, but on the inside it was a wonder.

The type of domain you awaken will greatly affect everything about you, as it will literally become a part of your being.

So what would happen if Kaden became one with Emptiness?

He didn’t want to find out.

Yet he needed to find out.

So here he was, in his room in the House Starborn, chest naked, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. His breathing was regular and rhythmic, pulsing at the same cadence as the air around him.

Thick steam sprayed out of his mouth and nose, making the air in front of him hazy like fog.

His focus was deep, his concentration unshaken as he tried again and again to let himself sink into a feeling of emptiness.

It was not easy. It was like willingly letting a devouring beast inside you, knowing well it would consume you.

But Kaden’s Will was not a decorative concept. He believed, doubtlessly, that his Will would be enough to fend off whatever downsides his domain would bring.

And if not…

‘I still have a couple of stat points left.’ He thought inwardly, planning to dump all of them into his Will.

In fact, he didn’t even wait, choosing to do it now rather than later.

He had around two hundred left, so he used them on his Will, making it reach a staggering 1,230 stat points.

Immediately, he felt the difference. But before he could even bask in these euphoric feelings…

An annoying yet sweet voice echoed from behind him, arriving at the same time the door of his room exploded open.

A rain of splintered wood sprayed into his room.

“My dear knight!” Aurora chirped with excited tone.

Kaden’s eyebrows twitched heavily, already expecting the woman to throw herself at him like she always did.

Yet, after a couple of seconds, nothing of that sort happened. Curious, he slowly turned his head just enough to look at her over his shoulder.

There, he saw her beautiful and mesmerizing face, her star-filled eyes locked with eerie intensity on his…

‘Back?’ Kaden thought, before his eyes widened in realization. Instantly, his back became shrouded in thick crimson fog of his intent, hiding his Mark of Burden from Aurora.

Aurora didn’t comment on the act. She stared deep into his crimson eyes for almost a full, tense minute, then simply smiled, her legs raising and falling rhythmically, her feet making soft sounds on the rocky floor as she slowly approached Kaden.

She sat on the bed.

Kaden meanwhile succeeded in taking a white shirt and wearing it, all while under the scrutiny and intense glare of Aurora’s starlit eyes.

“It’s rude to stare so openly at a half-naked man,” Kaden said with a twitch of his lips, unable to hide his dissatisfaction, “and even more rude to enter the room of a man as a woman uninvited.”

Aurora barked a laugh. “This is my house, and you are my knight, my dear,” she said while standing up and walking toward him like a predator spotting prey, “and I am quite sad, you see, I would have loved to see more of you.”

She arrived an inch from him, leaned her face toward his, stopping only a breath away. Her perfume slammed against Kaden’s nose.

Vanilla, he deduced.

Then he smiled crookedly, “Have you no shame?” his tone an obvious smirk, “I am fifteen years old, Aurora.”

“In a special place, this could get you locked up. Careful, okay?”

Aurora’s face went blank. Immediately she coughed, her brown skin taking on a strange shade of embarrassment.

Instantly, she stepped back, a step taken with great difficulty.

“Ahem!” She coughed again, trying to sweep away her embarrassment. “I am here to give you information and to know how things are going with her.” She said, changing the subject swiftly.

Kaden smirked, letting the matter drop.

He turned and began to walk away, heading toward the bathroom. Aurora followed wordlessly.

Arriving in front of the door, Kaden yanked it open, letting Aurora see the sight inside.

There, sprawling gently on the cold floor, was Lady Sora’s unconscious body.

Aurora’s eyes narrowed. “Did you start yet?”

Kaden shook his head. “I only peeked inside. But it was weird, the mind of Lady Sora, or at least some part of it, seemed to be completely blocked by a very strange power.”

Kaden frowned. Somehow he recognized that type of power, but no longer recalled where.

Then, “But fortunately for us, what we wish to see is not blocked. So I will soon start the process.” He finished, then glanced at Aurora.

“The news you wanted to deliver?” he asked.

Aurora took out a very well-designed letter glowing with a subtle golden light. She parted her lips.

“The First Prince went to visit Lady Green,” she intoned. “Solaris is asking my — or rather our — progress.”

Kaden nodded. “I see,” he said, “Guess it’s time to get an ally.”

“Preferably a willing one,” Aurora added.

They smiled.

…

They say the deeper the night, the brighter the stars. An inspiring chain of words that Rea twisted into: the deeper the grief, the closer you are to god. And this… Rea couldn’t help but strongly relate to it.

Her life had only been grief and sorrow and scarcely any happiness in any form. There was her mother dying while giving her birth, her grandfather following soon after into the grave, their house collapsing in prestige, and her father being riddled with problems.

And here she was, the little girl admidst this chaos, destined to raise the house by giving herself to a man she had never met.

Maybe that was why?

Maybe that was why this eerily similar goddess of Sorrow refused to let her go?

Maybe because her soul emitted such a strong scent of sorrow that even gods wanted to taste it?

Or maybe for another reason entirely?

Rea didn’t know. And she didn’t care to know. Not anymore.

The goddess had anchored herself in her mind, turning every dream she had whenever she closed her eyes into an endless battle of will and persistence.

Rea was doing all she could, but she knew she was entertaining a losing battle.

And yet, Rea did not panic. The time for useless worries and sorrows was over.

If the goddess loved her dreams so much that she always squatted them…

Then what if she sacrificed those dreams?

It was something she didn’t quite think possible, but it seemed the power of a Disciple was one worthy of praise.

Rea smiled a slow and dangerous smile as she looked at the manifestation of the Disciple of Loss in front of her — the grey eye — who had once again eaten a part of her dreams. That meant, she ate a part of the goddess torturing her mind.

The first time it happened, the Disciple of Loss had been in ecstasy, savoring the heavy and pure sorrow and fear inside Rea’s dreams.

She asked for more. Rea gave her more.

Slowly and steadily, as days passed, the Disciple of Loss became completely addicted to Rea’s dreams, but that was the gentlest side effect of it.

“My beautiful Rea! Oh, my beautiful Rea! Your dreams! Your dreams are so woeful, oh my beautiful Rea! Ah! I love you! I truly do!” she moaned, crying out in joy, looking at her as if craving more.

Rea simply smiled at her words. Inside her mind, she could sense the influence of the goddess lessening. Though still present.

And inside the Disciple of Loss’s pupil, she could see a taint of dark. A taint that was about to spill over.

Seeing this, she bowed her head deeply to hide her smile, then whispered in a subversive voice:

“Please, master, take more of my dreams if you wish. I am all yours.”

“OH! MY BEAUTIFUL REA! YOU ARE MINE!” she shrieked in ecstasy. “COME THEN! GIVE ME EVERYTHING!”

Rea didn’t hesitate.

If she wanted her dreams, then she could have all of them. Her sleep might be empty, but it hardly mattered.

And Rea knew the Disciple of Loss would not succeed in keeping control. Somehow, Rea was the only one able to bear the goddess’s influence without going mad or losing her sense of self.

Because now, after devouring her dreams again, the Disciple of Loss was crying black tears, her mind thinking only of Rea in a strange, overwhelming obsession.

And yet… the Disciple of Sorrow was still not a simple being. Noticing her own overwhelming desire and those black tears, she paused. Then slowly, she raised her pupil to look at Rea…

Only to find her already holding the legendary evolution stone she had been given, Rea’s blood and — without either of them noticing — the black tears of corruption already staining the stone.

The stone began to glow with an eerie, unfathomable light.

Rea grinned with a deep, mad grin.

“Let’s see, my beautiful master…”

“…let’s see what quest I will get.”

—End of Chapter 329—