“That’s right, suppression.”
Lilith suddenly began to laugh. She leaned close to Lynn’s ear, her voice soft and thin.
“Brother, if you can’t suppress it, you’ll become mine. If you do suppress it, you’re still mine.”
Lynn heard her words clearly. Alicia and Vivian heard them clearly as well.
The temperature in the carriage seemed to drop several degrees.
Vivian’s breathing suddenly became heavy and ragged.
As she tightened her grip on her sword’s hilt, a faint cracking sound came from her knuckles.
Alicia shifted her gaze away from Lynn and toward Lilith. In her eyes, there was no longer a trace of tranquility.
Lynn felt a chill emanating from both his left and right.
Lilith’s casual remark had thrust him directly into the eye of the storm. He could even feel Lilith’s hand, which was tugging at the hem of his clothes, suddenly tighten.
The coldness of her fingers seeped through the fabric and into his skin.
He wanted to pull his hem away, but he felt that the strength in her fingertips wasn’t loosening.
Lynn forced a smile and leaned back, trying to distance himself from Lilith.
“Ha, Lilith, don’t make jokes like that. We’re currently a united front, fighting a common enemy.”
“A common enemy?”
Lilith looked up at him, her eyes blinking.
“But, Brother, I don’t think we have enemies. Only the people who want to steal Brother away are the enemies.”
As soon as those words were spoken, the carriage fell into a profound silence.
The muscles in Vivian’s cheek twitched.
She looked as if she wanted to say something, but she forced it back down.
Alicia’s gaze returned to Lynn’s face with a certain scrutinizing intensity. It was as if she were observing Lilith through him.
Lynn knew they were doubting him. They were wondering if he was conspiring with Lilith or playing some kind of trick.
He had to break this silence.
“Ahem!” Lynn cleared his throat. “Vivian, where are we going now? Is there a map or something? I remember… that, that Chaos said the Holy Artifacts are scattered… in the corners of the world.”
He tried his best to make his voice sound natural.
Vivian withdrew her gaze. She pulled a scroll from her waist and spread it across her knees.
“This is the Empire’s military map. Those corners you mentioned are likely the Northern Frozen Lands, the Southern Endless Desert, and the Mist Sea to the east.”
Her finger tapped three locations on the map.
“The Mist Sea?” Lilith’s eyes lit up. “Are there sea monsters there? Brother, let’s go to the Mist Sea! I want to see sea monsters!”
Alicia’s voice, however, sounded different.
“The Northern Frozen Lands have the aurora. Ancient secrets are buried there, perhaps related to divine miracles.”
The two of them had once again proposed different opinions.
Lynn’s mind was a mess. He had fabricated a lie, and now he had to find a plausible landing spot for that lie.
“We’ll… go somewhere closer first,” Lynn decided quickly. He pointed to a mountain range on the map that was within the Empire’s borders but near the frontier.
“There’s an ancient… ruin here. I saw some vague hints in the Core.”
His finger tapped a spot on the map. That place was about a few days’ journey from their current location. It wasn’t too far, but it wasn’t too close either.
“A ruin?” Vivian raised an eyebrow. “I know all the registered ruins within the Empire. There isn’t one like you described.”
“Then it might be… undiscovered,” Lynn said, hardening his resolve.
“Or, it was hidden by a certain kind of power. Only someone with… Authority can see it.”
He placed heavy emphasis on the word “Authority.” It was his only bargaining chip at the moment.
Vivian did not argue. Alicia closed her eyes as if in thought. Lilith, on the other hand, looked indifferent; as long as she was with Lynn, she didn’t care where they went.
Lynn’s body remained stiff. He knew this was only the beginning. The sensation of being pulled at his ankle never disappeared, and the strength in Lilith’s fingertips never wavered.
He glanced at the head of Alicia’s Magic Staff, then at the hilt of Vivian’s sword.
The hardness was still there.
He was locked in this cramped space with them.
Without a moment’s rest.
He understood that every step of this journey would be like dancing on the edge of a blade.
—
During a rest stop.
At the dining table, Lynn stared blankly at the food in front of him. This meal was supposed to be a brief respite during their journey, and the dishes on the table were still steaming, emitting an inviting aroma. However, he had no appetite at all. His hand gripped his spoon, his palm slick with cold sweat.
**[Lilith’s Blackening Value: 89%]**
**[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 87%]**
**[Vivian’s Blackening Value: 85%]**
System notifications jumped before his eyes. To him, these numbers were time bombs that could detonate at any moment.
“Brother, why aren’t you eating?” Lilith’s voice sounded beside him, filled with inquiry. Her body was pressed close to his, her breath brushing against his neck.
Lynn opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
He felt a subtle force pulling at his wrist, causing it to twitch slightly. The power was invisible and intangible, yet it truly existed. It was attempting to control his hand, guiding it toward the stewed meat on his plate.
Lynn instinctively tensed his muscles, trying to resist.
“Brother, the meat looks really delicious,” Lilith said again.
She reached out her small hand and gently touched Lynn’s arm. The touch was light, but he could feel an even stronger force traveling through her fingertips and into his arm.
His hand moved uncontrollably toward the meat.
**[Lilith’s Blackening Value: 90%]**
The number ticked up again.
Lynn’s fingers brushed against the warm piece of meat. He wanted to withdraw his hand, but his wrist was being pulled by that invisible force, and it wouldn’t budge. His fingertips pinched a piece of meat, and then his arm lifted, moving the morsel toward Lilith.
“Brother, are you going to feed me?” Lilith’s eyes widened with a hint of surprise. The corners of her lips curled upward into a smile.
Lynn’s throat tightened. He wanted to shout for it to stop, he wanted to put the meat down, but though his lips moved, he couldn’t speak. That power had controlled his hand and seemed to be affecting his speech as well.
With a crisp *clink*, Vivian’s fork collided with her porcelain plate.
Alicia set down her napkin slowly, but Lynn could feel the surrounding air suddenly grow taut.
The piece of meat was delivered to Lilith’s lips. She opened her mouth and naturally took it inside, chewing slowly. Her eyes never left Lynn’s.
“It’s so delicious. Thank you, Brother.” Her voice was soft, carrying a sense of deep satisfaction.
**[Lilith’s Blackening Value: 85%]**
Lilith’s Blackening Value dropped. However, the values for the other two began to soar.
**[Vivian’s Blackening Value: 88%]**
**[Alicia’s Blackening Value: 90%]**