Chapter 97: A Small Team - III

Hearing about the details of Kuvie’s hidden journey, Reazue began connecting the dots. The times her behavior would be filled with an anxious rush, or times when she seemed a little too ill.

Worries that caused her expression to wilt and darken, marring her face with bags under her eyes and a dreadful light in her eyes.

’No wonder she vanished for a while...’

However, the tone of Kuvie’s stories changed the moment she spoke of an angel’s fall. It felt as if the melody of her storytelling shifted from desperation and anxiety to fanaticism.

There was awe in her tone.

But it was subtle—had Reazue not been friends with her for more than a century, he wouldn’t have perceived it. Especially now, when he gained a little more context regarding her life.

Eventually, the Werebat and the Satyress ran out of time. The deep, engulfing darkness receded, making room for the soft haze of the underground torchlight to return.

Reazue’s eyes took a moment to adjust before he let out a sigh.

At this moment, Clementine stepped closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You good?"

His dear friend’s grip seemed half for his sake, and half to control his movements.

"...Yeah. I kinda get what Kuvie has been through." Reazue paused. "But I still don’t like the fact that she used Blood Magic, especially when she clearly knows how it came to be."

Clementine nodded, "Makes sense. Will you join us going back up to the surface? Or do you need time to sort yourself out?"

Reazue couldn’t help but stare at his friend for a moment. Countless emotions flashed across his mind, carried by memories of his past.

Feeling conflicted, he opened his mouth to speak.

But he hesitated.

In the end, he spoke with an expression filled with sluggish weight.

"I need time alone for now."

** *

Looking at Kuvie and Reazue, as well as the information I successfully extracted from the former’s stories, I felt my face turn pensive.

"Hmmm,"

With a hum, I mulled over a rather intriguing piece of information that could salvage their friendship.

’One of the vice-leaders of <Angel’s Bane> is, in fact, a Werebat.’

And that individual wasn’t just any Werebat... They were a Vampiric Werebat, having undergone Evolution and sought greater heights and achievements.

Kuvie’s Blood Seed was not born of the same source as normal Blood Arts and Blood Magic.

No, it was the extension of that Vampiric Werebat’s natural Blood Arts.

I had a feeling that this piece of information could help Reazue forgive a little easier. However, I also had a feeling that something weird would happen if I did that.

[Absolute Awareness].

Still humming a simple tune, I followed after Clementine, Kuvie, and Taylor as we ascended the Layers Beneath.

My senses fed off of whatever mana I could pull into my body using Moving Meditation and Manakinesis. Slowly but surely, I searched.

Flying through countless images, a trillion sounds, and billions of lives.

I let it all flow, using another layer of my Gift to search for what I wanted among what it gave me. Otherwise, my brain would explode from the influx of information.

Walvaskaz was as insane as ever.

But that meant that everything was so intricately connected that— ℴ

’Ah,’

I got it.

And I suddenly laughed out loud.

"Hahahaha!"

Hearing me burst out into laughter, Clementine and Kuvie jumped, seemingly ready to attack something. Taylor looked at me as if I was crazy.

"Is... something wrong?" Kuvie was the first to speak up while Clementine frowned, doubt on her face.

"Oh, it’s nothing." I tried to control my amusement. If it were in public, no one would have bothered to ask me. I forgot that I was accompanying a small group of <Fate>-bound individuals.

"I just heard a funny joke from a bunch of drunks aboveground."

So, I made an excuse.

Clementine’s brows furrowed deeper, while Kuvie and Taylor glanced at each other.

"...Hold on, you can hear people talking?" Kuvie looked flabbergasted. "From here?"

"Same thoughts," Taylor added.

I blinked at them. "Why would I be laughing at a joke I did not hear? Yes, I can hear them."

Pointing at Taylor and Clementine, I continued. "I also heard the two of them fail experiments several times over the past weeks."

Then, I gestured vaguely at Kuvie. "That’s also how I know we fought before. The Blood Seed in your heart affects the way it sounds."

Kuvie suddenly stiffened.

From her surface thoughts, it was clear that she was regretting her curiosity now.

"Blood Seed?" Clementine asked.

"It’s... a benefit that comes with joining <Angel’s Bane>." Kuvie’s lips twitched. "It comes with messaging functions."

Of course, I liked messing with Kuvie like this, so I added:

"It also lets her detonate her blood at will, purchase techniques through the messaging function, modify her bloodline identity, identify other <Angel’s Bane> members, and heighten her body depending on how much blood she feeds it."

Watching Kuvie’s expression morph from surprise to downright dread was a joy. She seemed... miffed.

But Clementine looked at me instead.

"How do you know this?"

I tilted my head, once again pulling the Info-Hunter card. "In close proximity, there aren’t many that can hide secrets from me."

The Snakespawn squinted. "What else do you know? About me, about Taylor, and about Reazue?"

Well.

What sharp intuition you have, Clementine. I shrugged with nonchalance.

I opened my mouth to speak, but within the range of my [Absolute Awareness], I felt a tremor shift throughout my surroundings.

"...Huh?"

For a moment, I was stumped. I did not like that tremor.

Frowning, I allowed my mana to fuel my gift and sense the unseen.

The thread of <Fate> appeared before me once again. Taylor was still entangled like crazy, but Clementine and Kuvie were also quite bound to him as well.

Several strands drifted towards Reazue below us, while hundreds upon thousands of threads spread outward in all directions, reaching throughout the world.

Looking at myself, I raised a brow.

A dozen of <Fate’s> threads were reaching out towards me, as if sensing the flow of my conversation.

My eyes narrowed.

Even without saying anything, the threads were slowly drifting towards me.

’Will they chase me forever?’

[Absolute Awareness] allowed me to narrow down the implications of these threads of <Fate>. It was an ability that I gained only because I was also a part of the worldwide web.

[Divination].

’Beneficial, but requires sacrifice?’

Such was the result I gained from a glimpse of what lay before me.

For a moment I hesitated. In the end, however, I had already dipped my toes into this world’s machinations.

Since being entangled further was inevitable... then so be it.

Looking at Kuvie and the rest, who appeared confused, I continued what I was going to say.

"One of the vice-leaders of <Angel’s Bane> is... Reazue’s grandfather."

Upon uttering these words, a dozen more of <Fate’s> threads wrapped around my body.

I couldn’t help but smile.

’Ah, what an intriguing phenomenon...’