[Present]
"So much for being a normal shopkeeper, huh!!"
Elizabeth muttered sarcastically as the pressure around them faded into nothingness, the air settling back to normal as if nothing had happened, even though the tension still lingered faintly.
Ash was left breathless after everything settled down, his chest rising and falling as he tried to steady himself, because the Gravitational Singularity skill was a double edged sword, and if it had been anyone else in his place, they would have certainly died after using that ability.
It was only because he had multiple healing abilities along with the Rune of Life and Death that he was able to recover so quickly, so much so that from the outside, it looked like he had not been affected at all.
And of course, his powerful physique also played an important role in all this, helping him endure the strain until his recovery took over.
Ash kept taking fast breaths, his body looking completely drained, his posture slightly lowered as if the exhaustion was catching up to him.
"Who the hell are you..?"
Elizabeth asked, her eyes shining with curiosity as she looked at him closely, not missing even the smallest change in his expression.
Ash looked at those eyes and suddenly felt a strange disgust rise from within him, a feeling that caught him off guard for a moment.
It was not just because of her, but also because of the act he was putting on, and more than that, because of the way she was looking at him.
As if she had found something valuable.
As if she had found something rare.
As if she had found a hidden treasure.
In truth, Ash was not drained at all, because within just a few breaths, he had already returned to his peak, his recovery speed being so fast that the weakness he showed was nothing more than an act.
He wanted to appear weak and get some answers out of her, just like he always did, using his mind to play games, to manipulate, and to control the situation in his favor.
But now, something within him resisted that thought.
His very being seemed to push back, rejecting the idea of using such methods against someone who stood before him like this.
Ash became confused for a moment.
Then his mind sped up.
His thoughts became sharper and faster as everything around him seemed to slow down, and he began to search for the source of that strange feeling within him.
And when he found it, it was clear.
It stood out immediately.
Like a light in darkness.
It was his blood.
His very blood was the source of that disgust.
At the same time, when he found the source, an information appeared in his mind, settling in as if it had always been a part of him waiting to be noticed.
The information came from his skill [Blood Memory], which was shocking, because he had always thought that he could only use this skill to store tons of information like a legacy to be passed down to future generations, but never had he expected to receive some sort of memory from his own blood.
As he went through all that information, Ash’s mood plummeted a little, his expression growing quieter as the meaning behind it became clearer with each passing moment.
Because according to the memories, although he had inherited the abilities of various beasts and bloodlines he had absorbed during the body formation, along with all those abilities, something else that the various beasts and monsters had also been inherited by him.
Pride.
Arrogance.
Disdain.
Majesty.
Tyranny.
All these traits of various prideful, arrogant, and majestic races were there, existing within him just as naturally as his strength.
Till now these things had not surfaced, because Ash had kept his contact minimal with the outside world, and he had not met that many people after his transformation, and with the people around him, Eric, Eva and Snow, he never felt anything like this.
So this was also his first time experiencing it.
And right now, his bloodline was feeling disgust at his actions, rejecting the way he was trying to act, and that feeling was so clear that it could not be ignored.
But that made Ash angry.
How dare my own bloodline show disgust to me..?
The thought echoed again in his mind, heavier this time, and along with it came a strong urge to reject that feeling entirely, to push it down and ignore it like it never existed, because to him, it made no sense that something within him would question his own actions.
Ash’s expression did not change outwardly, but inside, his will moved immediately as he tried to suppress that reaction, forcing that strange sense of disgust to quiet down under his control, pressing it back as if it was nothing more than an unwanted impulse.
But it did not disappear.
It resisted.
Not strongly, not violently, but in a way that felt steady and unyielding, like a quiet presence that refused to be erased no matter how much he tried to push it away.
That made his brows tighten slightly.
Because this was not how things were supposed to go.
Anything within him should have obeyed him completely, yet this feeling lingered, not overpowering him, but not fading either, staying there as a constant reminder that something within him did not agree with what he was trying to do.
Ash exhaled slowly, his breathing evening out as he adjusted himself, his thoughts moving quickly as he tried to understand what exactly was happening instead of simply rejecting it.
Because the more he focused on it, the clearer it became.
This was not something foreign.
This was not something separate.
This was him.
His bloodline, with all its pride, arrogance, majesty and tyranny, was reacting naturally to his actions, not out of defiance, but out of instinct, as if it was simply following its own nature without caring whether he agreed with it or not.
And that was what made it difficult to suppress.
Because it was not an external force that he could push away.
It was a part of his very existence.
Ash’s eyes flickered slightly as that realization settled in, and for a brief moment, his anger remained, but it no longer felt as sharp as before, instead turning into something quieter, something more controlled.
He did not let it take over him.
But he also could not ignore it completely.
So instead of forcing it down further, Ash chose to let a silver of it pass while keeping most of these feelings back as much as he can, keeping that feeling restrained within himself while allowing his mind to remain clear, his focus returning to the present as his gaze slowly lifted once again.
And when his eyes met Elizabeth’s, there was a subtle change.
Not in his expression.
But in the way he looked at her.
As if, without realizing it, he had already begun to let go of the act he was putting on.
"Do you have a hearing problem? I just introduced myself moments ago, or maybe you just have some weak memory. How pitiful...tsk tsk tsk...."
Ash replied while shaking his head and clicking his tounge.
Elizabeth’s expression froze the moment she heard that, the shift was so sudden and unexpected that it caught her off guard for the second time, her thoughts pausing for a brief moment as she tried to process the change in his tone.
Ash turned around and sat back onto his chair, his movements calm and unhurried as if nothing significant had just happened, and unknown to himself, his presence had changed in a subtle but undeniable way, his natural charisma flowing out of him like quiet waves that filled the space and pressed gently against Elizabeth, even after she used her will to resist that influence.
"Leave, I don’t want uninvited guests inside my shop, who just attack on sight!!"
His voice carried a clear edge this time, steady and firm, holding none of the earlier ease as his gaze no longer lingered on her the same way, as if he had already lost interest in continuing this exchange.
But Elizabeth’s eyes flashed with a chilling coldness, the kind that did not shout yet made the air feel heavier the moment it appeared, her gaze locking onto him without the slightest hint of hesitation.
"Aren’t you just too arrogant and full of yourself? If you behave like this, you won’t even know when you get dropped dead."
Ash raised his eyebrows slightly, his expression barely changing as if her words had not reached him the way they were meant to, his voice calm yet carrying a quiet edge as he replied, "Are you threatening me now? What do you think will happen when your precious people come to know that their Princess of Transcendent Circle, the one who was just a moment ago becoming a role model for the younger generation, walked into a shop and attacked someone without a second thought?"
He leaned back slightly as he spoke, his tone steady and almost casual, yet every word landed with intent, "My shop has hidden recording devices, and even if I die right now, they will still circulate throughout Eden, and your fame that is still rising will.....BAM!!! burst like a balloon. Along with the reputation of the Transcendent Circle."
A faint pause followed as his gaze remained fixed on her, not wavering even for a moment.
"Just imagine it," he continued, his voice lowering slightly, carrying a quiet weight, "Angels using this chance to suppress the Transcendent Circle, and people slowly starting to join the Church of Light out of fear and doubt toward the Transcendents."
His eyes narrowed just a fraction, his words slowing down as if he wanted every part of it to sink in.
"Who do you think everyone will blame?"
"Can you answer that for me.....Miss Elizabeth."
Silence followed.
A chilling and dangerous silence filled the shop, the kind that pressed in from all sides as if even the air itself had gone still, waiting for what would come next.
***
A/N : I am sorry, I wrote this Chapter in a very hurry!!! If you are disappointed, be disappointed, thats your fundamental right!!! Just dont blame me.