Chapter 287: Third Path
"Most people either become completely cynical and abandon their morals, or remain foolishly idealistic and cause more harm than good." She paused. "You’re trying to find a third path, your own. One that acknowledges the world’s darkness while refusing to be consumed by it."
Her smile widened slightly. "Very well then. I’ll help you remove their curses. Consider it an investment in seeing how your little experiment in personal justice plays out." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Though I do wander - when you inevitably encounter someone whose circumstances are so complex that even you can’t decide what’s truly just, what will you do then?"
Her gaze seemed to penetrate my soul.
"Because that day will come. And when it does, your principles will be truly tested. Will you have the strength to make the hard choices, even when there is no clear ’right’ answer?"
"I hope I will be ready by that day then," I replied honestly.
She nodded approvingly again. "Good answer. Self-awareness is the first step to wisdom." She clasped her hands playfully. "So, should we continue your training, or shall we take care of this curse business?"
I paused, pondering what to do.
Should we deal with the assassins right now? And capture them? But then... how would I explain it to the baron?
Hm...
Ideas slowly emerged in my mind, some stupid, some realistic but tricky. Then my eyes landed on Lady Nisha.
...It could be possible. Should I ask her?
Hmm...
Alright, let’s take the gamble.
{Come out, Seren.}
{Alright, friend.} Seren materialized in front of us.
Lady Nisha’s eyes widened slightly in apparent surprise. "Ooh! What’s this?! Your bond?"
I glanced at her expression and found nothing suspicious about her reaction.
Damn, she’s really good at acting.
"You don’t have to pretend," I said flatly. "I already know that you know about him."
She tilted her head, feigning confusion. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You sold yourself when you mentioned my water affinity had already evolved into ice. You spoke as if you knew it was going to happen."
She became stunned for a moment, then burst into giggles. "Oh, so I got busted that easily, huh?"
"Yes," I sighed seriously. "And will you respect my privacy?"
She nodded with a solemn face. "Of course, I always respect your privacy."
"..." I deadpanned at her obvious lie.
"Anyway, since you already know about him, you should know about our shared ability too, right? The one I used that day and today."
She stayed silent.
"Ok, then I want to ask something. That ability has a 3 or 7-day cooldown time based on how it’s used. It requires almost all of my aura to barely activate it. And like I said, I used it a while ago, so... is it possible to use it again if we use your aura to cover it up?"
"What exactly do you mean?" She asked curiously.
"Well, isn’t there a way to bypass the cooldown by using an external aura? Like if you channel your aura through me to supplement what I’m lacking?" I explained, gesturing between us. "The ability seems to have a cooldown because my body and aura reserves need time to recover from the strain. But if we could provide that energy artificially..."
I paused studying her expression.
Seren floated closer, seeming to understand where this was going. {Friend, that sounds risky. You might get hurt.}
I nodded at Seren’s concern.
"I know it’s dangerous, but if it works, we could solve multiple problems at once. We will save the cursed assassins, gather intelligence, and deliver them to the keep. Besides, I didn’t use it that long or forcefully. So it shouldn’t pose that much of a threat."
Lady Nisha’s eyes gleamed with interest. "Hmm, theoretically it’s possible. My aura could indeed supplement yours to bypass the natural recovery period. But..." She smiled mysteriously. "There would be consequences. Forcing your body and system to use an ability before it’s naturally ready could have... its side effects."
"Besides, there’s a question of whether you can handle my aura. It’s not easy to do it. There’s a great difference between our power levels."
I nodded, understanding the concern. "I understand. But I had already experienced Master’s aura before when he was teaching me. I think I should be able to handle it."
"Haha," her laughter carried both amusement and skepticism. "It’s different, but okay. I want to see this myself now too."
"Let’s go the-" I paused, remembering something important. "Wait a moment."
I quickly took out a black hooded robe from my storage and pulled it on, then used Veil of the Nameless to alter my appearance. My features shifted subtly, becoming more generic and forgettable. The combination of the hood and the illusion would make me unrecognizable.
And of course, I didn’t forget to change my aura too.
"Now I’m ready," I announced, adjusting the robe and hood.
She chuckled at my preparation, clearly entertained by my thoroughness. "Always the careful one, aren’t you?"
With a casual flick of her fingers, darkness began to swirl around us, growing thicker and more encompassing. The void domain dissolved as darkness enveloped us both, and I felt the familiar sensation of being transported through her darkness.
The next moment, we emerged in the real world, standing on a white plain illuminated by the winter moonlight.
I instantly used Pulse of the Unseen and discovered that we were near their hideout.
"Let’s go-eh?"
I glanced at my left and found only Seren, Lady Nisha was nowhere to be seen.
{Where is she?} I asked, confused.
{I don’t know, friend. She was here just a moment ago.}
{I see...}
(Are you searching for me?)
Then my eyes widened as I heard her voice directly in my head. Then I replied after recovering quickly. (Yes, where are you?)
(I’m here, waiting for you to take care of them.)
(Huh? You’re not going to help?) I asked confusedly.
(I will, but only with removing the curse and that ability thingy. The rest is your job.)
I became silent for a moment, processing what she was saying. (You want me to take on all of them by myself?)
(What? Can’t do it?)
Urgh... Seriously?
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