Chapter 1010: Words Are Valuable

Northern stepped back as the storm swelled wider and fiercer. He returned to Annette’s position—she was already on the ground trembling. In fact, from Northern’s perspective, it appeared she was weeping. Vida stood behind her with clenched fists, pressing down on her lips, doing nothing. Northern shifted his gaze to her and lingered for a moment, wondering if he should say anything. The truth was there wasn’t really anything for him to say, regardless. But he opened his mouth. "You don’t have to feel bad." Vida looked at him. Annette stopped trembling momentarily, which was proof enough for Northern that she could hear him. He flexed his arm and closed it. "I received a shattered hand from just managing to hit him once. That damn man—he’s strong. So don’t feel so disappointed in yourself because you couldn’t move." Vida stared at him, clenched harder, and lowered her head. "Easy for you to say. You’re strong." Northern chuckled softly. "You’re right, I’m strong, but it’s not easy for me to say. I want to be doing anything else but saying this. But recently, I’ve learned how much I run away from sympathizing with the people close to me. I keep undermining the influence of my words in their lives or how much weight my words carry to them." He glanced at Annette and traced his eyes back to Vida. "I know we’re not so close, but we survived a hellscape together, and we share a level of camaraderie. If you value my words at all, then hold onto them. Rughsbourgh—that bastard is a Luminary. There’s no way you would have been able to do anything." The moment Northern mentioned "Luminary," Vida’s eyes widened. Annette’s head also shot up, a frown darkening her features. "What?!" Northern looked at her, suppressing a smile. Meanwhile, Annette stood fully, trembling slightly. "Did you just say he’s a Luminary?" Northern nodded. "Yes." He turned back to the battlefield. The storms had grown even darker and more vicious, enveloping everything and slowly expanding outward. He looked at Annette and Vida. "I don’t think this battle will end anytime soon. Moreover, I think whatever’s happening here is merely a distraction. Koll must be up to something again. Which is why I want both of you to leave the island." Annette stared at him, her brows furrowed. Her empty eye socket looked awkward—this was the first time she was revealing it when it wasn’t burning. Northern had expected to see a different kind of eye, but he was quite amazed to see an eyeless socket. Still, the ocular abilities remained nonetheless. ’Maybe the eyes burned to manifest the abilities.’ Annette’s harsh voice yanked him from his thoughts. "What are you saying? Leave you alone here?" Northern raised a brow, watching her continue. "We’re not going to do that. I know you’re strong, but still some—" "Stop." Northern cut her off at that point. For some reason, he experienced a vivid déjà vu. He exhaled. "If you know I’m strong, then just get away. I mean, isn’t it obvious that I can’t die? Even if Rughsbourgh is strong enough to kill me, do you think you or anyone on this island can survive? Or can do anything worthwhile to stop it?" Annette scowled. "What are you insinuating—that we’re useless?" "Yes. You’re all useless, but not entirely useless. You’re all useless in this battle, but instead of being reckless about it, the strength you possess can still be put to use—just not here. How difficult is it to grasp that?" Annette scowled deeply. "As much as I want to argue, you’re right." She raised her head and marched toward him, flames flickering in her hollow eyes. "But don’t think I don’t know you could have made that sound better than you just did." Northern grinned. "We probably wouldn’t be at this point if I had done that." Annette pulled away from him, still frowning. She sent a glance at the terrible storm beyond Northern and brought her eyes back to him. "What do you need us to do?" Northern sighed, every trace of seriousness climbing his face. "Koll—he’s nowhere to be seen. However, I’m sure he’s planted numerous people who are now wreaking havoc. I encountered one in Verulania, but I can’t help thinking about the other places. "I’m sure drifters will rise up, but still, there’s no one who knows the gravity of what’s happening like us survivors of the Dark Continent." Annette folded her arms and tilted her head slightly. "Forgive me, but I don’t think I know the gravity either." "Ah. Right..." Northern paused for a fraction of a second and continued. "Remember the thing I stopped from descending in the Dark Continent—that rift..." A shadow fell across Annette’s face. She glanced back at Vida, whose eyes immediately widened. Then she turned back to Northern. "That can’t be...?" Northern nodded. "It’s a long story, but the bastard I killed came again, and oh dear stars, I’m going to kill him for real this time. But that’s not the priority, neither is Rughsbourgh. Right now, the entire Central Plains could collapse if Koll is allowed to release that Origin of Chaos." Annette trembled slightly and wiped sweat from her face. "Just how did it get to this... One minute I was just trying to uncover the shadiness tied to the academy’s creation and its main purpose—the next minute, the entire fate of the Central Plains hangs in peril." Northern looked at her, slightly confused. "What do you mean?" "It’s a long story too. But everything that’s happening now—let’s say it’s been planned three hundred years ago." She paused and glanced toward the storm with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "For all we know, even Milhwa might be alive." Northern’s expression became quite... exasperated. "What? What are you saying?" Annette waved her hand dismissively. "This isn’t the time for explanations. Vida and I will find a way out of this place." Still bothered by what he’d just heard, Northern pulled out his identity card and handed it to her. "Just go to the Tharion Citadel. You should find Ellis on the ship—go with him. And with the rest of the survivors, take them back to the nearest place that won’t be affected by the scale of this battle, then head to Tharion Citadel. Since this matter somehow concerns them, they should be willing to help. Besides, they can’t really turn me down." Annette examined the card and nodded. "Alright then." She turned to leave. However, in that instant, someone burst from the ground—with a swift movement, lunged her stiletto toward Annette’s eyes. Everything happened so fast, yet so slow. But it wasn’t the speed itself that left Northern frozen, eyes wide. It was who he saw. "Aster?"

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Chapter 1010: Words Are Valuable

Northern stepped back as the storm swelled wider and fiercer. He returned to Annette’s position—she was already on the ground trembling. In fact, from Northern’s perspective, it appeared she was weeping. Vida stood behind her with clenched fists, pressing down on her lips, doing nothing. Northern shifted his gaze to her and lingered for a moment, wondering if he should say anything. The truth was there wasn’t really anything for him to say, regardless. But he opened his mouth. "You don’t have to feel bad." Vida looked at him. Annette stopped trembling momentarily, which was proof enough for Northern that she could hear him. He flexed his arm and closed it. "I received a shattered hand from just managing to hit him once. That damn man—he’s strong. So don’t feel so disappointed in yourself because you couldn’t move." Vida stared at him, clenched harder, and lowered her head. "Easy for you to say. You’re strong." Northern chuckled softly. "You’re right, I’m strong, but it’s not easy for me to say. I want to be doing anything else but saying this. But recently, I’ve learned how much I run away from sympathizing with the people close to me. I keep undermining the influence of my words in their lives or how much weight my words carry to them." He glanced at Annette and traced his eyes back to Vida. "I know we’re not so close, but we survived a hellscape together, and we share a level of camaraderie. If you value my words at all, then hold onto them. Rughsbourgh—that bastard is a Luminary. There’s no way you would have been able to do anything." The moment Northern mentioned "Luminary," Vida’s eyes widened. Annette’s head also shot up, a frown darkening her features. "What?!" Northern looked at her, suppressing a smile. Meanwhile, Annette stood fully, trembling slightly. "Did you just say he’s a Luminary?" Northern nodded. "Yes." He turned back to the battlefield. The storms had grown even darker and more vicious, enveloping everything and slowly expanding outward. He looked at Annette and Vida. "I don’t think this battle will end anytime soon. Moreover, I think whatever’s happening here is merely a distraction. Koll must be up to something again. Which is why I want both of you to leave the island." Annette stared at him, her brows furrowed. Her empty eye socket looked awkward—this was the first time she was revealing it when it wasn’t burning. Northern had expected to see a different kind of eye, but he was quite amazed to see an eyeless socket. Still, the ocular abilities remained nonetheless. ’Maybe the eyes burned to manifest the abilities.’ Annette’s harsh voice yanked him from his thoughts. "What are you saying? Leave you alone here?" Northern raised a brow, watching her continue. "We’re not going to do that. I know you’re strong, but still some—" "Stop." Northern cut her off at that point. For some reason, he experienced a vivid déjà vu. He exhaled. "If you know I’m strong, then just get away. I mean, isn’t it obvious that I can’t die? Even if Rughsbourgh is strong enough to kill me, do you think you or anyone on this island can survive? Or can do anything worthwhile to stop it?" Annette scowled. "What are you insinuating—that we’re useless?" "Yes. You’re all useless, but not entirely useless. You’re all useless in this battle, but instead of being reckless about it, the strength you possess can still be put to use—just not here. How difficult is it to grasp that?" Annette scowled deeply. "As much as I want to argue, you’re right." She raised her head and marched toward him, flames flickering in her hollow eyes. "But don’t think I don’t know you could have made that sound better than you just did." Northern grinned. "We probably wouldn’t be at this point if I had done that." Annette pulled away from him, still frowning. She sent a glance at the terrible storm beyond Northern and brought her eyes back to him. "What do you need us to do?" Northern sighed, every trace of seriousness climbing his face. "Koll—he’s nowhere to be seen. However, I’m sure he’s planted numerous people who are now wreaking havoc. I encountered one in Verulania, but I can’t help thinking about the other places. "I’m sure drifters will rise up, but still, there’s no one who knows the gravity of what’s happening like us survivors of the Dark Continent." Annette folded her arms and tilted her head slightly. "Forgive me, but I don’t think I know the gravity either." "Ah. Right..." Northern paused for a fraction of a second and continued. "Remember the thing I stopped from descending in the Dark Continent—that rift..." A shadow fell across Annette’s face. She glanced back at Vida, whose eyes immediately widened. Then she turned back to Northern. "That can’t be...?" Northern nodded. "It’s a long story, but the bastard I killed came again, and oh dear stars, I’m going to kill him for real this time. But that’s not the priority, neither is Rughsbourgh. Right now, the entire Central Plains could collapse if Koll is allowed to release that Origin of Chaos." Annette trembled slightly and wiped sweat from her face. "Just how did it get to this... One minute I was just trying to uncover the shadiness tied to the academy’s creation and its main purpose—the next minute, the entire fate of the Central Plains hangs in peril." Northern looked at her, slightly confused. "What do you mean?" "It’s a long story too. But everything that’s happening now—let’s say it’s been planned three hundred years ago." She paused and glanced toward the storm with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "For all we know, even Milhwa might be alive." Northern’s expression became quite... exasperated. "What? What are you saying?" Annette waved her hand dismissively. "This isn’t the time for explanations. Vida and I will find a way out of this place." Still bothered by what he’d just heard, Northern pulled out his identity card and handed it to her. "Just go to the Tharion Citadel. You should find Ellis on the ship—go with him. And with the rest of the survivors, take them back to the nearest place that won’t be affected by the scale of this battle, then head to Tharion Citadel. Since this matter somehow concerns them, they should be willing to help. Besides, they can’t really turn me down." Annette examined the card and nodded. "Alright then." She turned to leave. However, in that instant, someone burst from the ground—with a swift movement, lunged her stiletto toward Annette’s eyes. Everything happened so fast, yet so slow. But it wasn’t the speed itself that left Northern frozen, eyes wide. It was who he saw. "Aster?"

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