Chapter 23: Chapter 22: The Light in the Dark (1)

Two blades snipped back and forth repeatedly, performing a subjective work of art. The final offshoot of leaves fell down the side of a towering hedge.

“Little X! Are you done yet?”

The boy’s ears perked up to the familiar voice.

It’s Aines…

“Let’s go, let’s go! We still need to take care of the inside chores.”

Aines called out energetically, making his way towards the mansion in the distance.

Over the last year, Aines had become a lot closer with the boy. It was as if Aines were like the boy’s shadow, constantly offering his helping hand and guidance.

Every day, Aines ensured that the boy integrated smoothly with the rest of them; much the same way as Jun would.

It could be said that if Jun were like an older brother, then Aines would be more akin to a close friend.

Aines is the same as always. Today wasn’t any different.

The boy casually dangled his shears off to one side.

Although, someone else has certainly changed…

The boy felt an intense gaze boring down on him, even though he was alone. He shuddered silently and proceeded to follow after Aines.

She watches me more often.

It was as if the boy developed a seventh sense for detecting Madam Lexene’s intent. In this particular case, as with all the past ones, he wasn’t wrong.

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Standing by her bedroom window, Madam Lexene closed the curtains once her servant left her view.

Dimly lit by fragrant rose-colored candles, the room’s atmosphere contrasted the brilliant outdoor sun. However, this was just the way she liked it.

Madam Lexene loosely wore a plush white robe with a pair of black rimmed spectacles that seemed to enlarge her eyes. The folds of her robe cast shadows across her body, fully displaying her sultry curves.

“Just two more years…”

She murmured to herself, lightly tracing her lips with her index finger.

“Then he’s mine.”

Her eyes, shrouded in a haze, were like concealed moons on a cold winter night.

Time has flown, I just need patience.

After the boy recovered, Madam Lexene tested his age like a daily ritual. Only a short while passed until finally, the boy had turned 15.

With the exact day of the year in mind, Madam Lexene only needed to wait three additional years before she could rightfully claim her property.

The madam turned away from the window and walked toward her personal bathroom, stepping over a limp body sprawled across the floor.

This long wait was painfully slow for Lexene, especially as she had chosen to stop receiving life energy from her other servants. Anything other than him would spoil the experience; she simply couldn’t settle for less.

Deprived of certain forms of entertainment and release, her behavior became more erratic, which resulted in many violent encounters for her servants and even the guards.

“Jun!”

She called out with a frown.

The door to her room wooshed open and Jun stepped inside with a bow.

“Yes, madam.”

Jun refrained from looking at his surroundings, a tactic he learned long ago to avoid attention to himself.

“Clean this mess up. Ugh, when did my servants become so weak!”

She gestured to the floor in disgust before exiting to the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the air shortly after—Jun’s sign to act freely.

Light on his feet, he quickly knelt beside the motionless body of Clence, who was the victim of the day.

“Clence, wake up lad.”

He lightly tapped Clence on the cheek, but there was no response.

“Alright you just rest. Don’t worry, I’ll get you out of here bud.”

He grasped onto Clence’s arm—he paused.

It’s cold…

Stalling momentarily in a daze, he then inspected more of his surroundings with morbid hesitation.

Small blotches of blood formed a difficult to notice trail leading further into the bedroom. At a second glance, Jun realized that Clence likely used his remaining energy in an attempt to crawl towards the door.

Jun bit his lip and covered his eyes with one hand. His mouth twitched unwillingly as he recalled his past interactions with Clence.

A cheerful smile, a strong will, and a young man full of heart. He couldn’t handle pain very well and was the embodiment of an innocent soul.

“Haaa… I’m sorry.”

Jun no longer hesitated and scooped the former servant off the floor into a princess hold. He inspected the body while exiting the room, and noticed a deep puncture wound around Clence’s chest.

From the moment he woke up, today had felt different for Jun. Even walking through the halls gave him an eerie tingling sensation; maybe this was the reason why.

Most of the morning passed uneventfully. At least… until I received her call…

It was the call to wait on Madam Lexene, while Clence would spend time with her.

It was a task he most dreaded, especially because he viewed each of his fellow servants as the closest thing he had to family.

He clenched his teeth as fresh memories resurfaced: yelps of pain, cries of agony, and pleas for mercy.

The muffled screams and the sadistic giggle that characterized his mistress so well. Everything blended together in his head as if it were haunting him.

Jun remained by the door with a heart full of lead.

From sound alone, it was as if each lash and impact were striking him directly. Still, he waited patiently for her to grow bored, which was also his relief.

On an average day, he inspected the damage and helped the victim to the best of his ability. As the head servant, he had access to a plethora of healing pills and even external medical contacts should it be required.

However, magical healing pills couldn’t bring back the dead.

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Jun’s steps clicked and clocked into the desolate hallway while he trudged his way towards the exit.

“And… push!”

The enormous double doors boomed open just ahead of Jun, allowing the blinding sun to shine on his haggard face.

“Whew! Let’s go Little X!”

Aines pumped his fist into the air with enthusiasm as he entered the building. However, his energy evaporated once he saw Jun walking towards them.

Jun merely glanced up and made brief eye contact with the young boy, ignoring Aines. With a small nod, he cast his eyes back toward the floor.

Aines silently stood off to the side, observing with unknown thoughts.

It didn’t take much intelligence to understand what happened, especially with the noticeable pool of blood that collected on Clence’s body.

“Jun?”

A small voice called out. To anyone else, this might have been an inquiry pertaining to the death of Clence, but the boy knew Jun would understand his intent.

Jun paused and gave a backwards glance.

“The dust settles, and a new dawn arises. We start the count.”

The reply seemed ambiguous. Nonetheless, the boy narrowed his eyes and nodded with determination.

Counting down. That means three days until we make our escape.

A year’s worth of planning culminated into these final moments. A year of anticipation for sweet freedom. The boy’s heart raced briefly as he thought about the idea of abandoning this dreadful place once and for all.

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Jun made his way out of the mansion. His destination—a nearby pond, which he remembered as Clence’s favorite place to relax.

The calm water swayed ever so gently with the wind. The same breeze lightly brushed against Jun’s hair as he blankly stared down at Clence’s corpse.

“It would seem, that you were the first to find relief from this hell.”

With a sigh of dejection, he reached out and retrieved the pin that was fastened to Clence’s coat. The pin was of a golden bird crying out to the skies.

“Something for people to remember you by.”

Jun murmured before spreading his arms to either side.

“Upheaval!”

The rumble of churning rocks and earth reverberated into the air as Clence’s body sunk into the ground. A short while later, the burial was finished off with Jun placing the bird pin between a few memorializing rocks.

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Elsewhere, a melancholic atmosphere hung about in the mansion. The normally talkative Aines was now lost in the depths of his own thoughts, battling his own demons.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“Hey, Little X.”

Aines nervously approached the young teen, who was dusting off a lamp shade.

“I’ve been good to you right? Right?”

The boy paused his dusting and glanced towards Aines with a raised eyebrow.

“Sure?”

“So, it’s like this…”

Tears welled up at the edges of Aines’ eyes.

“I… you can’t leave me here like this. I-I know what you guys are going to do!”

The boy froze for a brief moment before returning back to normalcy.

“I’ve seen you and Jun. The two of you are always playing around w-with s-secret messages! I know that…”

Aines licked his lips before continuing.

“You’re trying to escape… right??”

It was nothing more than a whisper. In fact, the boy could practically hear Aines’ erratic heartbeat thump louder than his voice.

“This…”

The boy gave an awkward look to the side. Aines wasn’t wrong, the plan to escape was already in motion. The issue was that it was currently an escape plan for two, and it was too late to add another.

Seeing as the young boy before him was unresponsive, Aines broke down with tears. Fresh streams of liquid flowed down his quivering face.

“You can’t leave me here! Y-You have to take me! I can’t end up like that. I-I still have a family out there! They want me home again! They’re waiting for the day they’ll see me again, please you have to-!”

The boy held up his hand in a halting motion, causing Aines to hold his tongue.

The issue is the soul concealing pill to hide our presence from the contract… Manager Xin will have only procured two. One for Jun and one for me…

“Ugh…”

The boy kneaded the side of his head with one hand, deep in thought. He glanced at Aines’ tear-stained face and mentally overlaid it with Clence’s lifeless body.

I’m sorry Jun…

“Three days from now, the Northeast entrance. Be ready and pack lightly.”

He then put a finger up to his lips, signaling Aines to keep quiet.

“Mm!”

Aines beamed with happiness and nodded in response. The difference in expression was so drastic that one couldn’t help but think Aines would excel in theatre.

At the same time, the boy revealed a rare smile and looked at Aines gently.

He doesn’t understand what level of pain he’ll need to go through… No matter. It’s important to have faith in those that are close to you.

“It might be painful but… persevere for your family. I believe in you, my friend.”

Aines scratched his head with an awkward chuckle.

“Ahah, w-where is all of this coming from so suddenly? It’s all because of you that I have this opportunity.”

Aines gave the boy a half bow with his hands clasped together, causing the latter to shake his head hurriedly.

“Stop that, anyway… help me finish these tasks.”

The boy looked away in embarrassment and refocused his attention towards dusting. At the same time, Aines lips curled into a happy smile.

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Away from the throes and trials of the impassive tower, a small crowd awkwardly averted their eyes after witnessing the spectacle before them. Fake coughs and hushed whispers gave unnecessary volume to the silence.

“Her opponent gave up without even trying… can this even be considered a test?”

“He’s supposedly the brightest in his generation…”

An elderly man shook like a boiling pot lid as he filtered the chatter around him.

“Remnis!”

He yelled across the open arena towards a young man kneeling down in defeat.

“You stand up and fight! Where is your honor!”

The elder’s face burned red with fury, matching the color of his aged mane. The onlookers soon became nervous—they were all familiar with his short temper.

“Old man Crein please calm down, you’re unsettling our guests.”

Another elder spoke from the side, attracting the attention of everyone else.

“Ming Kato, you sly dog! I don’t know what that bastard Lian has been teaching her, but a duel is supposed to be a duel!”

Elder Crein’s eyes flashed dangerously. He jabbed a finger in the direction of the supposed combatants.

“She merely glanced at him! It’s clear that she’s using her feminine wiles to beguile my grandson’s mind! This does not uphold any level of professional conduct for such a sacred ceremony! How is this a test of wit and combat prowess?!”

The spectators glanced at the girl who remained standing in the same spot the entire time. Murmurs spread around once again.

“It’s the little princess of the Lian family. How could anyone attempt to fight her?!”

“Yea, who could possibly injure a goddess. If anyone were to even touch her, they’d suffer death by a thousand hells, and that’d be getting off lightly.”

Elder Kato kneaded the side of his head before making his way onto the arena. His very being emitted a certain dreariness; today was going to be a long day.

“Remnis, young man… what are you doing?”

Kato stared at the defeated man, who didn’t dare get up. A bead of sweat trickled down from Remnis’ short red hair as he gave his response.

“I-I can’t fight her, sir.”

Elder Kato crossed his arms with a bemused smile.

“And why is that?”

An awkward silence hung in the air. Everyone held their breath until finally—Remnis spoke.

“She’s… too strong…”

He practically choked out the last words. More sweat slicked down his face after recalling the glare that she gave him.

This isn’t a duel! This is a death sentence!

He could still feel the impending sense of destruction and hopelessness that filled his very soul the moment those captivating eyes flashed in his direction.

“Well, there you have it.”

Elder Kato turned towards Elder Crein and shrugged his shoulders. Elder Crein’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

“M-My grandson is a prodigy! He’s merely 22 and is already prepared to become a high ranker. Your granddaughter only just turned 18, how could this possibly be?!”

Elder Crein furiously stamped his foot on the ground and roared.

“Remnis you damned fool! Fight! Fight! Gods damnit!”

The onlookers could once again tell that Elder Crein was becoming emotional, which didn’t bode well for any of them.

“If Elder Crein explodes then this whole section of the city will be in ruins…”

Whispers of retreat soon echoed around the arena.

“Ahem!”

A wave of energy swept over the crowd, causing everyone to regain their calm. The source was a solitary man in the distance.

Immediately recognizing the individual, Elder Crein prepared to unleash the full wrath of his ancestors.

“So, you have the audacity to show yourself, Jin Lian!”

The crowd shifted about, uncertain of what was to transpire.

“It was your family who proposed for this duel to take place! Was all of this just a part of your plan to make a fool out of my family name?!”

The belligerent man then pointed towards the lone girl.

“Just what methods are you teaching your daughter?!”

With a powerful jump, the patriarch of the Lian household sailed through the air, landing forcefully in front of the fuming old man.

“I might be weaker than you Sir Crein, but I am not afraid of you.”

Jin stood face to face with Elder Crein, matching the intensity of his gaze.

“Oh? The runt has all grown up, is it?”

An invisible aura radiated outward from the two and a suffocating pressure enveloped their surroundings. Although Jin’s presence was impressive, it was still a notch lower than Elder Crein’s.

Despite the disadvantage, Jin’s confidence seemed to bridge the gap between them.

“Are they going to fight?”

“I sure hope not. It would look bad for both families.”

“Agreed, this was supposed to be a duel for the juniors.”

Cracks formed on the ground below as their standoff continued.

Elder Kato appeared behind Jin before anyone could blink. A thwack resounded in the air, followed by an indignant cry.

“Ow!”

Any semblance of a powerful expert Jin had was instantly dispelled.

“Will you knock it off? The both of you!”

Elder Kato glared at the red headed old man, who merely harrumphed and looked away.

“For the record, my beautiful granddaughter was taught by her endearing grandparents. That would be me, not this pathetic excuse of a father who has been absent from her life for the last two years.”

Jin scratched his head and looked to the skies. It was difficult to talk back to this father-in-law of his.

“You taught her? How will you explain this situation then?!”

Although Elder Crein might be stronger than Jin Lian, the same couldn’t be said about Ming Kato who was considered one of the leading powerhouses in the entire city.

“Have you thought for a second that your grandson lost fair and square? That perhaps there were no underhanded tricks?”

A glimmer appeared in Elder Kato’s eye while his arms folded with a smirk.

Elder Crein suddenly felt the beginnings of a massive headache; he knew what these words implied and yet he refused to believe them.

“What nonsense are you two playing at…”

Jin let out a deep sigh.

“There are no games here. In fact, I halted my tower progression for this exact reason. My little rose is too young to enter that accursed place, and I’m here to ensure she stays put.”

Just as Jin spoke—his figure blurred.

Reappearing beside Remnis, who was still kneeling on the floor in shock, Jin placed one hand on the young man’s shoulder and extended his other hand to help him up.

“Are you okay?”

Genuine concern could be seen in Jin’s eyes.

Remnis’ body trembled as he tore his eyes away from the ground. Eventually, he took ahold of the hand before him.

“Y-Yea, I think so.”

Now that Jin blocked the view of his former opponent, Remnis was able to recover ever so slightly.

“Alright. Up, up. Don’t let this event discourage you in the future. Remember, a strong man doesn’t fear a setback, but instead learns from it and strives to reach greater heights.”

Remnis nodded and stiffly ambled off towards his grandfather, who didn’t fail to express his disappointment. The spectators silenced themselves the moment it was just the father and daughter remaining.

“What are you doing here?”

For the first time since the start of the event, the angelic girl spoke.

“Seeing as you and Remnis didn’t have a proper duel, I’ll be your final test. You know full well that I disapproved of you entering the tower at such a tender age. Although I don’t know to what extent you’ve grown… it is not enough.”

Jin folded his arms across his chest and spoke coldly. The spectators grimaced at his awful logic, but who could possibly stand out against Jin Lian?

“Did I not tell you before? I’ll be entering the tower with or without your approval.”

She twirled her pure white hair around one finger and shifted her weight in boredom.

“I’ve taken your tests and passed your trials out of respect. If you choose to stand in my way...”

An invisible pressure filled the air as they slowly stepped towards each other.

“I don’t know what things your grandparents have been teaching you, but respect was certainly not one of them. I guess it’s up to me.”

Jin raised his arms to either side when suddenly, his entire body ignited into flames! A column of fire swirled into the sky, causing the temperature of arena to rise dramatically.

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“Is my daughter stronger than my husband?”

A distance away from the crowd, a woman with silver hair questioned the old man next to her.

“My son is an ignorant fool… of course she’s stronger. If he had been around for her training, then he’d understand that continuing this test is a descent into idiocy.”

“You have been working hard trying to enter the tenth floor, but at least you care enough to ask about her progress. This whole time, she’d been holding out more so than we thought.”

Xin Lian let out a deep sigh and shook his head.

“The past two years have only confirmed our initial suspicions. Indeed, she must be a reincarnation of someone great. Her talent and strength are immeasurable, and sometimes when I look at her, I don’t know if I’m the teacher or the student.”

The column of fire turned a deeper shade of red as the winds picked up. At this point, the eye-catching fire twister was visible even beyond the arena, causing many passersby to stop and stare.

“It matters not to me. I love my daughter all the same. Only…”

The woman’s voice trailed off, but Xin Lian was easily able to guess her thoughts.

“You’re worried she might not recognize you as her mother anymore, right?”

The woman nodded with a bitter look.

“Hohoho, I don’t think you need to worry about that. Let’s just watch the show.”

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In the arena, Jin let out a deafening roar and forced the raging inferno to expand outward, extracting a new wave of panic from the onlookers. Fierce fires twisted across Jin’s vision while he locked his gaze onto his daughter.

“This is the power of an eighth-floor ranker…”

“Not only that, but he’s a rising talent too; perhaps only overshadowed by that wife of his.”

“Aren’t you curious what his floor trial is? I suspect he’s strong enough to enter the ninth floor!”

Despite how imposing Jin seemed, his daughter merely stifled a small laughter in response, causing the terrified crowd to look around in confusion.

“Pfft!”

Heads bobbled back and forth while the spectators attempted to decipher the meaning behind the delicate laughter that somehow continued to float within the clouds.

In one moment she covered her petite mouth with a fragile hand, and in the next moment—she disappeared!

Jin’s heart thumped loudly in trepidation like it was threatening to leap out of his chest. He didn’t get the opportunity to process another thought when he felt a hand, heavy as a mountain, press down on his shoulder.

“What-?”

He barely eked out a mumble when a savage energy coursed through his body. Starting from his shoulders, it spread through his core, and finally his extremities like a voracious and untamed tsunami.

Jin thudded onto the floor with a jolt, forming a small crater in the ground beneath. Sweat and perspiration fell freely from his face, his kneeling appearance similar to Remnis just before.

What just happened?

Fumes of burnt earth filled his mind, while his eyes consumed the view of the dainty feet before him.

His body stilled while his brain reset itself.

Slowly, but surely, his other senses came back to him one by one. First, his hearing; an obnoxious ringing faded away, only to be replaced by the rough clamor of the surrounding crowd.

The sensation of touch disturbed him shortly after; allowing Jin to feel the same gentle, yet firm, hand placed upon his shoulder. However, within his heart, this was no longer the hand of his beloved daughter, but divine chains of providence that fastened his knees to the floor.

Finally, his moment of shock was complete as he acquired the taste of defeat.

A soft whisper tickled his ear.

“Alright. Up, up.”

Jin’s eyes widened and his pupils shrunk to the size of pin-needles.

“Don’t let this event discourage you in the future…”

Shallow breaths dared to escape his lips while he mentally processed each word.

“Remember, a strong man doesn’t fear a setback…”

The small hand on his shoulder suddenly felt like the unholy claws of corruption with delicate, petite fingers latching onto his soul like a poisonous briar.

“…but instead learns from it and strives to reach greater heights…”

He mumbled the same sentence incoherently as the words continued to ricochet between his ears.

Jin teetered between reality and hysteria while his daughter looked on playfully. She reached out with her finger and thumb, holding his chin steady, and peered into his eyes.

Her languid pupils were like abyssal wells, captivating, yet terrifying.

“Listen, father. I’ll be going into the tower now. You’re welcome to come along or stay out of my way.”

In a most robotic fashion, Jin nodded his head vacantly.

“Mmm, perfect!”

Seeing him nod in agreement, she bounced upright and clapped her hands together, once again portraying her role as the beautiful flower of the Lian family.