Chapter 40: Because of Love
Muen didn’t even know how many times he had opened his eyes in this oppressive, dimly lit cell. His eyes still brimmed with weariness, bloodshot, as if he had pulled multiple all-nighters.
“Exhale…”
Muen expelled a breath, forcing his spirit to rally. He glanced briefly at the contents of the Black Book.
Dagger Combat Technique LV5
Shadow Step LV2
“Another nearly three hundred experiences of death.”
“It’s truly agonizing.”
“But it seems I’ve hit a bottleneck. No matter how much I train, the proficiency level won’t increase anymore.”
“Especially Shadow Step.”
Muen’s gaze darkened slightly.
In the space of the Black Book, he had nearly perfected the execution of Shadow Step. There were even several instances where his dagger had sliced through the assassin’s flesh, leaving visible wounds.
Though still far from defeating the assassin, at least it wasn’t as unreachable as before.
However, despite the increasing proficiency of his Shadow Step within the Black Book’s space, the proficiency level recorded in the Black Book remained stagnant at LV2, showing no signs of improvement.
On the other hand, his Dagger Combat Technique had seen rapid advancement through continuous real combat practice, now reaching LV5.
“Is it indeed because of the limitations of my realm?” Muen sighed softly.
Within the Black Book’s space, he could distinctly feel the increase in his proficiency level.
However, the display consistently showed LV2, indicating that it wasn’t his own proficiency that hadn’t improved but rather the limitation of his current realm, allowing him to only utilize LV2 proficiency in Shadow Step.
Moreover, judging by the level of pain he experienced when using LV1 Shadow Step previously, it would be extremely difficult for his current body, which lacked even the support of Qi, to handle LV2.
“But there’s no other choice. I must seize every moment to increase my strength!”
Muen’s eyes were determined.
Even if he was imprisoned, kept, and humiliated by beautiful maid servants, he still harbored a heart longing for freedom!
“Hmph, do they really think that reaching this point means I have no means of escape?”
Looking at the sturdy lock on the iron bars, nearly the size of his fist, Muen couldn’t help but smirk mischievously:
“You underestimate me, An.”
“Now that everything is prepared, I’m just waiting for the final piece. I’ll be waiting for you to fulfill your promise and bring the fish.”
…
“Wait a minute, could something have gone wrong…”
Muen suddenly opened his eyes, feeling a pang of fear.
Although there was no concept of time in this room, judging by the hunger gnawing at his stomach, lunchtime had long passed.
But An still hadn’t appeared.
“It shouldn’t be like this. Although Lake Beipole is quite far, with a fast horse, they should have made it in time.”
As each moment passed, Muen couldn’t help but entertain more and more anxious thoughts.
“But what if An doesn’t come? Will I really be trapped here to die? And considering how remote this place is, it’s unlikely anyone will find my body for centuries!”
“Perhaps my spirit will forever linger here, unable to move on.”
“This miserable place doesn’t even have a female ghost. Just me, a lonely starving ghost.”
“Sob, sob, sob, I don’t want that! At least I’d prefer Miss Sadako to keep me company…”
“If only I hadn’t made such outrageous demands.”
“But there’s no other way. If I had just casually mentioned wanting fish, An’s sharpness might have caught on to something.”
“And it’s also for precaution’s sake.”
…
“Never mind, I don’t want to think about it anymore.”
Muen leaned his head against the wall, chuckling at himself.
“It seems like I’ve been locked up here for too long, my nerves are getting sensitive.”
“Just catching a fish, it shouldn’t be a difficult task for An, right?”
“It’s not like I’m asking her to go fight monsters.”
…
…
At Lake Beipole, the storm raged on.
An stood a few hundred meters away from the lake, clad in a rainproof coat and hood, her expression blank as she listened to the disheveled man in front of her rambling on.
“Madam, you can’t proceed any further!”
“Lake Beipole has been completely closed off. If you want to enjoy the scenery, please come back when the weather clears up!”
The torrential rain, accompanied by thunder, seemed to engulf the world, so the man could only lean in close to An and shout at the top of his lungs.
“Anyway, let’s turn back. It’s very dangerous here!”
“Has something happened?” An asked, her brows furrowed, emitting a visible aura of displeasure, whether directed at the man in front of her or at the dreadful weather, it was hard to tell.
“Madam, that’s not something you should be asking. Please, hurry and leave!”
The man, growing impatient, reached out to push An away.
“Hmm?”
An swiftly grabbed the man’s hand attempting to shove her, her expression turning cold in an instant, her fingers exerting sudden force.
“I hate it when men other than the Young Master touch me.”
“What—Ah!”
The man let out a cry of pain, his face contorted in agony as his body twisted in the direction of her arm.
“If you still want this hand to be able to hold a dining knife, you better tell me what happened here.”
“I’ll tell you… I’ll tell you…”
The man, hearing the lament of his own arm bones, spoke in a terrified tone:
“It’s the Lake Master of Lake Beipole! It appeared!”
“The Lake Master of Lake Beipole? Isn’t that just an unfounded rumor?”
The so-called Lake Master of Lake Beipole was a rumor circulating in the fishing villages around Lake Beipole.
It was said that deep within Lake Beipole, there existed an ancient fish deity, the master of the lake, overseeing the weather changes and the ebb and flow of the tides in the area.
The villagers from the fishing village would offer cattle and sheep to the lake every year at a fixed time, seeking the protection of the Lake Master.
But this was just a rumor. If there really was some fish deity in the lake, the Church of Life would have long labeled this place as a nest of evil gods and initiated a new round of holy war expeditions.
“But, the Lake Master really appeared, it’s a very, very large fish!”
The man wailed, “The Adventurer’s Association has dispatched a team, identifying it as a dominator-class monster. Currently, a B-rank adventurer team is on their way to hunt it down, so Lake Beipole is closed off, and no one is allowed near it.”
“I see, a dominator-class monster?”
An released the man, looking up at the sky as the rain poured down on her face. “So, this strange weather phenomenon is also because of that monster.”
“P…perhaps.”
Rubbing his arms, grimacing in pain, the man said,
“A…anyway, you’d better leave quickly. I can overlook what just happened, after all, a real man doesn’t fight with women. But if you interfere with the adventurers’ quest, you’ll suffer the consequences!”
“…”
Ignoring him, An passed by the man and walked towards the lake.
“Hey, wait, if that’s the case, are you still going?”
The man watched An’s figure, his eyes filled with confusion.
“Why would you go knowing there’s danger ahead? What makes you so determined?”
“For what?”
Expecting no reply, An suddenly turned around.
With a gentle smile of happiness, she replied:
“For love, of course.”
“Why would you go knowing there’s danger ahead? What makes you so determined?”
“For what?”
Expecting no reply, An suddenly turned around.
With a gentle smile of happiness, she replied:
“For love, of course.”