Chapter 476: The Drive To Kill Rughsbourgh
After hearing the words, Shin froze for a few seconds, not entirely sure how to respond. His mind ran helter-skelter.
'My son is a Master?! He has caught up with me in soul rank?! Shit, that woman wasn't overselling what she said during the meeting.'
Shin paled as the seconds went by; he was at least distracted from the shrewd coldness that Northern exuded.
"Are you there, father?" Despite already knowing, Northern inquired.
Shin raised his head to look at Northern, a slight frown falling upon his face.
"What? You can't..."
Northern smiled and took the statement out of Shin's mouth with ease.
"Yes, I can't see. I have temporarily been rendered blind. Sucks, but I'm sure I'll gain sight soon. But until then, I think I'll need you."
Shin rushed to the opportunity, hurriedly responding, "Of course, of course, son. You should need me."
He cautiously neared Northern and took his hands. Shin reflexively dropped Northern's hand, looking at him with a puzzled frown.
"What is wrong?" Northern asked, worried at how his father had reacted just now.
"Your temperature is very cold. Very, very cold," Shin emphasized.
Northern's expression became confused despite his closed eyes.
'It has something to do with my new body definitely...'
He said to Shin, "I'm not sure what it is for now... I can only hope I regain my eyesight as fast as possible."
Shin took his hand, silent about its coldness since he was expecting it this time around.
With his help and guidance, Northern made it out of the building.
As they came out, Annette, Ellis, and Vida rushed to them, showering him with all kinds of questions.
Meanwhile, Helena stood afar, with Zephyr beside her.
"I thought you were quite close with them."
Helena glanced at her side and focused on Northern and the people that gathered around him.
"Well, as you said, I was... I am more of a Raven person than a Northern person."
Zephyr smirked, "Do you hate that you are?"
"No. Not at all. I don't. I did regret some things I said to him, how I treated him. I was rash and judgmental, but Raven had more guts than Northern did... she was courageous in ways that he couldn't be. Call me insane, but she's a leader."
"Looks to me like you're wishing that you had been a little bit nicer to this Northern at least."
Helena rolled her eyes, "Aren't you ashamed of yourself anyway? You practically begged to be a part of the last match."
Zephyr shrugged, "My achievement before earned me an audience. And there is strength in casting pride aside. Why should I be ashamed of being desperate to survive?"
Helena sighed and turned around, "Whatever," she said as she walked away.
Over the next couple of days, the border was quiet. A general announcement was made to the returnees at large.
One that mainly informed them that they were free to depart the border, on the condition that they should not reveal too much information about each other.
After several days, a considerable amount of them had left, and a considerable amount of them was still at the border.
A week passed; many had left, and quite a few were now remaining.
Northern had been in special care since he awakened as a Master. The medic had been constantly going in and out of his room, which had been switched to a more privileged room in the Officers' quarters.
Northern oftentimes had nothing to do except sit cross-legged and try to familiarize himself with his body and his body with his environment.
But there was little he could do when he was not moving so much and he could not see.
His sight for the past one week in the border had been completely gone. He had been focusing on trying to recover it or at least discover the reason why it was like that.
But so far, so good, there had been no reasonable progress.
Another thing that had no reasonable progress was the air between him and Shin.
Every time Shin entered to check up on him, it was always awkward.
"Hey..."
"Father..."
"Looking sharp, uh..."
Shin at a point wanted to beat himself up for a line like that. Looking sharp?
It was incredibly difficult to hold a conversation with Northern, and as for Northern, it was always difficult; the air just seemed like it held so much and wanted it untouched.
One time, he had even asked about his mother, and Shin chuckled palely. And the medics came in before Shin was able to answer.
After that, the next time he seemed to be evading the question, which was quite offsetting. But Northern didn't know how to tackle the issue yet.
All he wanted to do was get back his sight first.
A knock beat his door, distracting him from his thoughts.
Northern raised his head slightly and answered, "Come in."
The door opened ruggedly, and Annette marched buoyantly into his room.
With a nonchalant shift of her foot, she dragged an ornamental stool with curved legs. Then she sat on it and stared at Northern.
"So... any progress?"
Northern frowned in frustration, lingering before he responded.
"Sadly, no," his voice came with a dejected tone.
"And you have really had no idea what could be happening?"
Northern had told Annette and anyone who knew that he did not know what was happening because he didn't want them to know he had ocular powers.
And he wanted to keep it that way.
The only suspicion he had was the fact that Chaos Eyes tried to absorb Eyes of Intent.
That most likely would have caused some complications. But if he was right, Void had also absorbed talent abilities.
'I feel so messed up right now...'
So much disorganization had happened to him, and he had no idea where to start picking up the pieces; at the same time, he felt like when he gained his sight back, other things would fall
in place.
Annette looked at him for a few seconds and then spoke.
"I came to tell you that I will be leaving tomorrow."
Northern looked at her and smiled after a few beats.
"Will you be meeting your family after so long?"
Annette chuckled immediately, "Family? Really? Did you ever hear such from me?"
Northern shrugged, "I wouldn't be surprised if you had a daughter from a one-night stand."
Annette narrowed her eyes, "One-night stand? I don't know what that is, but guessing that people get daughters from it, there can't be any good to it."
Her voice ceased, and she shook her head dejectedly before continuing, "The one thing I hate
the most is childbirth."
She took another brief pause, breathing before she continued, her face contorting sternly.
"The moment Gilbert, Myu, Ayu, and I step out of this place, there is a high chance that Rughsbourgh will approach us."
At the mention of the name, Northern suddenly felt all his calm spirit rise; simultaneously, he flung his eyes open out of reflex, but to his surprise, the view of the room easily manifested
before his sight.
Annette reared her head back in shock; she was silent and blinking for a couple of seconds
before she commented.
"You really must be dying to kill him..."
Northern's eyes gleamed with primal evil. "You have no idea."