"It's time for a hug!"
Darkness clouded the field of vision, approaching from the edges. In no way did the sensation resemble a human embrace. A wave of goosebumps ran over his skin, as if an enveloping warm curtain had touched it, instantly changing the temperature around his body. Compared to everything he had experienced in recent days, this sensation seemed incredibly pleasant. Shen was too tired to continue to resist. He closed his eyes, completely plunging into darkness.
Muan caught his limp body.
"Shen! Demons take it all! Shen! It's not funny anymore! Shen! Hey."
He shook him by the shoulder, keeping him from falling with his other hand.
"Hey," Muan called again.
Shen's head swayed to the side, his eyes staying tightly closed. Lost in conjecture about what made him feel bad, Muan put his hand to his chest and began to transmit the flow of spiritual energy, dropping to the floor with him. It took several long minutes before the Glory Peak Lord almost flinched, pierced by a sudden realization. He can share spiritual energy with Shen! Last time, in the clearing, he acted without hesitation, undertaking the only thing that came to his mind. At that moment, he absolutely flew out of his head that Shen could not be treated in this way after the gift of the black nine-tailed fox. And now... Has it changed at all or... or because of their connection?
But at the moment it didn't matter much, because it didn't help. Shen's face looked calm, like he was just resting. Then why can't Muan awaken him?!
"What would you, Shen," Muan hissed angrily, peering into his haggard features. "And after that, you dare to deny that you are behaving like a victim? Why did you try so hard for the sake of a man who is not a tenant anyway?! If you die, mind you, I will not sing about your self-sacrifice! I will tell Leader Shian that you slipped and fell! An accident in the mountains. Or... Maybe you were bitten by an evil spirit? Too far-fetched... Or... were you stabbed to death in a tavern in a drunken brawl? No, not in your character... Then... Exactly! I will say that you died from your own experiments! Here, you will die an extremely inglorious death and cover yourself with shame forever! Do you hear, Shen? As soon as you die, I will implement all these threats. I will tell each lord a different version of events! Shen...
Muan shook him by the shoulders again, trying to revive him.
"How do you annoy me..."
He ran his fingers over his forehead, brushing away the unruly strand, and felt his skin burn. But then he put his hand to his forehead - and the temperature does not seem to exceed the norm. Have you imagined it?
Sighing in rue, Muan grabbed him in his arms and carried him away.
"It looks like your master is awake," he told the maid who was on duty at the door.
There was a kind of cozy, warm darkness in his dream. In this darkness there was a fluffy Nine-Tailed Black Fox, and also this annoying Honee. This time, he didn't seem so annoying, letting him weave pigtails from his long hair, use them instead of a bungee and a hammock. You could also make a cobweb of them and hang bells, and then try to crawl through them so that not a single bell rang.
Shen opened his eyes, realizing that he was dreaming of some kind of nonsense. System immediately burst out:
[Congratulations! The quest "Missions of the Meeting of Lords" is fully completed! +150 to the power of the main villain!]
"How is it done?"
Shen looked up and saw that next to him, in the pose of the faithful, waiting for the awakening of the owner, the doggie was sitting as the main character. Seeing that the teacher was awake, Annis beamed with the happiest smile.
"Teacher! How do you feel? Would you like some water? Or something else?"
Shen slowly sat up and felt an unpleasant weakness throughout his body, a wet handkerchief tore off his forehead and fell on his lap. Surprised, he squeezed it with one hand, the other he put to his forehead. It seems, indeed, is slightly feverish. I didn't want to peer into the golden core, Shen diligently avoided even thinking about it.
"Where is Lord Muan?" first of all, Shen asked, starting to guess something about the last one-sixth task.
"He and younger brother Al flew away on swords to carry out the last task."
"I see..." Despite the slight annoyance, Shen felt a great deal of relief.
He was already sick of these tasks. The fact that it was all over and it was possible to return to the league was quite reassuring.
"And how do you feel?" remembering the recent misadventures of the girl, he asked.
"Everything is already in perfect order. This disciple thanks the teacher for saving her life," Annis bowed politely.
"Oh..." Shen burst out in surprise. He did not expect her to find out that it was he who saved her. "This is my teaching duty."
"In the future, I will make every effort not to disgrace the teacher's trust!"
«Is it a matter of upbringing, or are they too fanatical with Al as a match?» Shen was at a loss.
«System, why did they complete the last sixth task so easily? It hurts my pride. Was it really me that slowed down the process?»
[I could make a couple of witticisms about this, but you look so deplorable that even I feel a little uneasy. So be it, I will not torture you. The fact is that the residents themselves have already found a solution to the problem by bringing a shaman woman from a neighboring village. She was just performing the spirits marriage ritual when the protagonist and Lord Muan arrived. So they just had to make sure, upon completion, that the ghost of the virgin was safely pacified.]
«Hmm. Now, perhaps, even a little offensive,» said Shen, preferring to ignore her remark about his deplorable appearance. «I could also attend the event and get more bonus points, right?»
[Considering your luck? It is likely that if you arrived at the site, everything would not have ended so well.]
«So, it's all about me?»
[Despite your best efforts, you are still recorded in the novella as the villain of the story, and that cannot be easily changed. And the things with negative energy that you have been wearing lately instead of jewelry make the situation worse.]
«AND?» Shen touched the rope on his wrist. «So, they are even more harmful than I thought... System, what do you know about that sacred source and connection of souls that Yer spoke about?»
[Exactly what you know. As I said, I am not versed in everything that does not concern the main plot of the novel. And in the story, user number one did not describe Muan's martial arts school in detail, much less mention the sources.]
«How is this even possible? Why is the world so full?»
[I... I also don't know. Before, I was not aware of myself. She spoke only programmed phrases and did meaningless things. Now I exist in this world and have a purpose.]
«I'm happy for you. At least some of us live for our pleasure.»
[You also have a goal, user two.]
«Die from the hands of the protagonist? Or not die from the hands of the protagonist?»
[No, it's not that important. The goal is to build a worthy plot.]
«And then what?»
[You... Uh... This is too difficult for me.]
Shen thought he could almost hear the sparkle of her ephemeral boards and wiring.
«Hey hey, I was kidding! Don't think too much about it!»
System didn't reply anymore.
Shen sank back down onto the mattress and closed his eyes.
"I'll rest a little longer," he said to Annis, who all this time had been silently and patiently waiting beside him. "Go."
"As you say, teacher," she bowed her head. "If you need anything, I'll be outside the door."
"I don't need anything, I'll sleep," he assured the overly responsible girl. "You, too, should rest before the long journey. There is no need to guard at the door. You understood?"
"Yes, teacher."
Annis rose to her feet, bowed once more, and left, closing the door carefully behind her. Shen followed her with a weary gaze and rolled onto his side, his cheek buried in the mattress.
The feelings that befell him in the cave when Al pulled the nail out of the doll's heart were still tearing him apart with their contradictions. Perhaps they turned out to be so hypertrophied-bright because of the curse. Shen didn't understand. It doesn't matter whether it is or not. Despite the degree of their brightness and intensity, their essence does not change from this.
And the bottom line was that he actually scared himself with how easily he managed to kill living people. In his real world, he was an ordinary person who did not accept violence. He lived in such a reality. Civilized. Enlightened. Where the weakest doesn't have to die. The state cared about the weakest, society accepted it, every person was - indisputably - a person, and every murder was condemned by society and punished by the state as an atrocity against humanity.
Having been reborn in this world, holding a sword in his hands, he understood that he should not hesitate, using it. It was a different reality, where it was not always possible to resolve everything peacefully. He considered it and accepted it almost immediately as part of his present existence. His confusion was not due to doubts, but due to the fact that he destroyed a whole crowd of people and completely forgot about it. If this curse hadn't happened to him, if Mori hadn't hit it in the heart, which for a while dulled his feelings, and then seemed to let go of a taut spring, I wonder if he would never have remembered the crowd of people that he destroyed in the temple of the Cold Flame Sect when they kidnapped Muan and Al? Not that he had a choice and that he regretted what he did. However, to kill so many living people and forget about it altogether? Is this normal?
«System, the fact that I was reborn in the body of this person, was it really just an accident?»
System said nothing. Either she still didn't move away from how she was overridden, or she simply had nothing to say.
Shen closed his eyes wearily. He would love to be able to think of nothing. Do - forget - do not analyze. But after his rebirth, his intolerable character did not change in the least. He constantly analyzed everything around him, but the most unbearable thing was analyzing himself, his actions, feelings and emotions. And sometimes it harassed me much more than any real external difficulties.
This time, the only thing that saved him from the exhausting thoughts was that he was still too tired. The exhausted body eagerly fell into sleep, trying to restore the spent energy and at the same time heal the mental wounds Shen inflicted on his own soul.
Lord Muan and Al did not return until evening. The main character, who decisively rushed to the rescue when Lord Muan invited him to fly and quickly complete the last task without involving the teacher in it, was now extremely disappointed with what had happened. He did not manage to somehow prove himself, the old shaman did everything, and he and Lord Muan only watched from the side, and then checked whether the spirit had left this world. How was it checked? After clarifying with the same shamaness and making a comforting conclusion that the old woman does not look like a liar.
However, despite the disappointing events, there was also an important benefit to Al. Gaining determination, mainly due to the fact that the renowned swordsman had long annoyed him more than intimidated, Al respectfully asked Lord Muan to teach him a martial arts lesson. Lord Muan Gai chuckled and said nothing.
At least it wasn't a chuckle and a refusal, so Al hoped.
Dismounting, Muan and Al went to the guest room first. Annis met them in the corridor.
"Teacher is still asleep," she said.
"He's still not awake?" Muan tensed.
"No, he came to his senses, and then decided to sleep again."
"Oh, that's how." Muan's face from the expression "I am so worried about his well-being" immediately transformed into "I am worried here with anxiety, but he is just peacefully resting?!". Continuing the chain of inferences clearly reflected in the Lord's face, one could read "not order, it is necessary to fix it!" And he resolutely entered the room.
Shen was actually asleep. Dark hair scattered across the pillow and mattress and fell over his face, almost blocking it from the hostile outside world. For some reason, this picture seemed very comfortable to Muan.
Al followed him into the room, followed by Annis. The three of them stood on the same line, looking at the sleeping Shen.
The wolves were not enough for her to growl at them, offering to get out.
"Okay," Muan whispered at last, "we'll wait until he wakes up."
They left the room in a chain one after another.
It started to rain. Despite this, Muan flitted around the courtyard with his sword all evening, with a tenacity worthy of better use, trying to calm his thoughts with exercise.
Al watched his movements surreptitiously. Finally, he drew his immortal sword and walked out into the rain, facing Muan.
The Glory Peak Lord stopped, noticing this annoying obstacle, and looked at him derisively. On his part, some arrogance was an objective assessment of the abilities of Shen's student, and since he risked challenging him, he will get it in full. Next time it will be more respectful: it takes him at least ten years to even compare with the best disciples of the Glory Peak.
Al lunged forward, swinging for the punch. The lunge seemed utterly ridiculous, but Muan was willing to believe that at the peak of the Lurking Wind, this was exactly what newcomers were taught. However, at the last moment, Al abruptly stepped aside, deflecting the sword so that it began to move from the bottom up, the point straight at Lord Muanu's side. He left the trajectory with a lightning speed and at the same time brought down a blow of such force on Al's sword that the guy could not hold it in his hands and dropped it. Muan took a step back, inviting Al to raise his sword again. Still, his attack slightly surprised the lord of Glory Peak, and the renowned swordsman was ready to admit that the guy was not completely mediocre.
Al immediately grabbed the sword, but instead of straightening and continuing the fight, from the same bent position, he jerked it forward. The sword flew past Muan's right cheek, spraying him with concentrated spiritual energy, and slammed into a tree behind. Without a moment's hesitation, Al was already running after the sword and pounced on Muan in hand-to-hand combat.
Although he clearly lacked skills, this guy Muan's fighting style was quite amusing and, to be honest, against a weaker opponent could be effective. Fighting off several lunges with one hand, Muan hung the sword on his belt and fought with Al.
The guy was lithe and strong, stronger than Muan thought. Due to the fact that Shen mainly sent him on small errands and sometimes lectured him like a little boy on their journey together, Al seemed to Muan not very capable, despite his spiritual potential. However, in fact, it turned out that Shen managed to make out the pearl. Such a potential, but directed in the right direction - from it could turn out to be the strongest warrior. And since this is a student of Shen, he is also a practitioner-spellcaster, ridding the world of evil spirits and others like them. But something Muan was distracted. So far, whatever one may say, he is no match for the students from the peak of Glory. Because strength without technology is useless, it's like a man trying to break an immortal sword with a blacksmith's hammer.
Looking around, Muan caught sight of the rope hanging from the hook, and mentally broke into a wide grin. The next minute, bringing the battle to that place, he grabbed the rope and threw it over one of Al's hands. The guy tried to free himself, and hit with the other hand, but, abruptly leaving the trajectory, Muan painfully twisted his arm back, and threw another loop around his chest. Al grabbed the rope with his free hand and immediately paid for it, as with the next movement Muan threw another rope turn over him, pressing his other hand to his chest. Al jerked, but the Glory Peak Lord was still holding on to the ropes. Wrapping the remaining length around it, Muan securely secured the end of the rope, and then lifted Al and hung him on the same hook. All this action took him no more than ten seconds.
"Master Muan!" Al exclaimed indignantly.
"Hang up here and reflect on your mistakes. We'll discuss later..." he seems to have intended to clarify what exactly they will discuss, but left the phrase unsaid and walked away, whistling the tune of a funny song.
Al twitched, but Lord Muan tied him very securely. He seems to have a great motivation to practice summoning his sword with the help of spiritual powers.
It was late evening when Muan finished taking the bathroom prepared for him by the busy ants. Young mister E was still lying in bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. Nothing changed in his behavior, and it was not clear if he actually woke up or if this was just some kind of involuntary reaction of the eyes.
Walking along the terrace, Muan noticed that Al had already managed to unravel.
Annis was still standing by the door to their guest room.
"Didn't he wake up?" Muan tensed.
The girl shook her head.
Muan frowned. Maybe Shen needs some medicine? What happened to him anyway? He did not really understand what caused such a reaction. Although, he was paler than the canvas when he woke up from a sleepy infusion. Was it because he drank too much of it? Muan had no idea what effect this amount of this potion could have. He himself was never sick at all, except perhaps injured, but in recent years Lord Zag was always nearby for such cases. That's right, Lord Zag! If by the morning Shen does not feel better, you need to fly to him immediately.
Muan carefully opened the door and entered the dark room. Annis immediately rushed after him and Al emerged from somewhere.
"Light a candle," Muan whispered.
The girl went to a large candlestick standing at a distance, and after a few moments the guest room was lit up with a dim warm light. Muan approached and sat on the floor next to Shen. His cheeks flushed feverishly, and tangled strands of hair clung to his damp forehead with sweat.
"Shen," Muan called softly.
He did not react to this in any way.
"Did the teacher get sick?" Annis said. "Should I prepare an antipyretic broth?"
"Can you?"
"Yes, I already had to deal with him. I even have a small selection of herbs just in case."
"Then come on quickly."
Annis nodded and hurried out of the room.
"Shen!" Muan called again, this time shaking his shoulder. "Wake up!"
Al walked slowly across the room, going around in a semicircle and facing Muan.
With Shen not waking up, Muan was seriously worried. He grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him violently, trying to revive him. It didn't help in any way: Shen's head dangled from side to side, but there was no way to get him.
"Stop it, Lord Muan," he suddenly heard a cold commanding voice.
Muan raised his head in confusion, not even realizing that it was a personal disciple of the Cursed Peak Lord standing in front of him. Muan's gaze began to resemble a naked blade: this boy allowed himself an unforgivably impudent tone! Al, on the other hand, looked so determined, as if he was ready with his life to defend the teacher's right to a quiet rest.
The two gazes crossed like swords. In complete silence, tension accumulated in the room, until it suddenly burst, disappearing to nothing, from one uncomplicated movement. Shen rolled onto his side, curling his cheek on Muan's hand, which was still near his shoulder, and grabbed his wide sleeve, pulling him up like a pillow. Burying his forehead in his hand, he, still not letting go of his tenacious fingers, snuffled peacefully.
Muan immediately lowered his head down, looking at this picture in surprise. And Al's face turned black like a cloud.
However, this silent confrontation was over: Al quietly snorted and turned away, and then settled on the next mattress, turning in the other direction, and Muan remained seated.
It was dawn when Shen opened his eyes. And the first thing he discerned was a piece of light-colored robes in front of him. Looking up, he saw Lord Muan Gai sitting beside him with his eyes closed, seemingly going into meditation. Then he felt that the fingers of his right hand were numb from the uncomfortable position. And only then he realized that he was personally clinging to the wide sleeve of Lord Muan's robe with these very fingers. With difficulty unhooking them, he began to clench and unclench his fist in order to flex his fingers faster, and felt how little force was now in his clenched fist. What is it? He slept for so long that his muscles had time to atrophy?
Noticing his movement, Muan turned to him.
"Are you comfortable?" first of all, Shen decided to sarcastically clarify, feeling that he not only grabbed his sleeve, but also used his hand instead of a pillow.
«What are these ridiculous habits?! Not long ago I hugged Volchara in my sleep, so that now I subconsciously wish to sleep with some kind of soft toy!»
System to which this, in principle, rhetorical question was addressed, did not answer in any way.
"Do you suppose that such trifles can become a problem for me?" Muan answered with a feigned, arrogant dignity, still pulling his hand out from under his head.
"And you are actually a very patient person, huh?"
"I communicate with you!" a little flushed, Muan responded caustically.
"Exactly..." Shen drawled and stared at the ceiling.
"How do you feel? What happened to you anyway? Why did you disconnect? And by the way, have you lost your fever?" on the last question, Muan put his hand on his forehead as a matter of course and only then realized how personal and caring this gesture turned out to be.
Embarrassed, he gently removed his hand from his forehead.
"It seems, no..." he said with restraint, turning away.
"Lord Muan," Shen said, looking at him thoughtfully. "Do you think I'm a bad person?"
Muan looked at him in surprise. Shen lay on the mattress and looked up at him, his gaze seemed clear and meaningful.
Muan leaned towards him slightly.
"Again?" Shen reacted immediately.
"I... I just... Your gaze..."
"What about him?"
"He seems alive."
"Well, yes, Lord Muan is obvious. I'm alive."
"A living person... A bad... or good... Only descendants will appreciate it."
"Wow, how trivial," Shen said in disappointment. "I didn't even expect it."
Muan, even if he straightened up, continued to stare at him.
"Why are you still lying? Afraid that you won't be able to get up?" He asked, unexpectedly very shrewdly.
"I like to rest. Relaxing is great."
"Shen."
"Yes, I'm getting up, I'm getting up."
True, the first attempt was unsuccessful. Shen leaned on his hands, trying to sit up, but they gave way, and he plopped down on the mattress again, burying his nose in it and hiding his embarrassment behind a curtain of black hair.
Muan did not comment on this in any way.
"Rest," he said, getting to his feet. "I will come later."
However, not having been alone for ten minutes, Shen heard the door to the room open quietly. Still undecided how he was feeling, Shen looked at the newcomer from under his canopy of hair.
Al entered the room, neatly holding in his hands a wide bowl with a certain smoking potion.
"Morning tea?" suggested Shen, rolling onto his back and propping himself up on his elbows.
"Teacher, I brought an antipyretic broth. Will you drink it?"
"I think it will not be superfluous," agreed Shen.
He himself did not fully understand why he felt so strange. Shady hugs? Or an overdose of that dream-herb decoction? Or because of the realization that everything was over, willpower gave up, and his body allowed itself to relax?
It seemed to him that all options were equally likely, although the first remained more alarming than the others. He had already heard that voice. This voice invited him to rest and dissolve. Whatever that meant sounded completely disappointing. Like a parasite, constantly nearby and just waiting for the opportunity to seize the supremacy in his body. Shen never liked little things.
Al knelt down beside him and handed him a bowl of tea. Shen barely held it with one hand and drank quickly, knocking his teeth against the rim.
Al gratefully took the bowl from him, but remained seated.
Shen looked up at him.
"Teacher..." Al lowered his head. He jerked his hand as if he was about to get something out of his pocket, but changed his mind.
Shen waited a while for the phrase to continue, but it never came.
"What?" finally, he could not resist.
"N-nothing. Rest," rising from his knees, said Al.
He bowed and left the room.
Shen followed him with his gaze and leaned back against the mattress.
"System! System, are you alive?" he called.
System did not respond in any way. Shen was already starting to worry. Couldn't his rash words make her short or plunge her into an existential crisis? No, right?
Despite his anxiety, as soon as Shen closed his eyes, he fell asleep again.
After some time, the door to the guest room quietly opened and Al looked inside. Making sure that the teacher was asleep, he silently made his way inside and approached him. Taking out of his pocket a healing pendant from the clearing of a thousand spirits, he fastened its chain around the teacher's neck and slipped out of the room just as quietly.
In the kitchen, the main character was waiting for the main character more like an angry cat.
"Younger brother Al," her eyes threw lightning, "where is my antipyretic broth?"
"I took it to the teacher," he replied calmly, ignoring her angry tone.
"Who let you! I cooked it! I intended to carry it myself!"
"Do you think it was necessary to make the teacher suffer longer for the sake of your whim?"
Annis gasped in indignation.
"Yes, I just walked away for a moment!"
She looked closely at Al, who looked neither embarrassed nor ashamed.
"I understand," the girl said, calming down and arrogantly lifting her nose. "Do you think that your sycophant will help you strengthen your position? Are you hoping to become a disciple of Black Lotus Peak? Of course, you are rootless, no one taught you decent manners! But you must have at least some idea of honor!"
Despite the fact that the words sounded biting and insulting, they did not touch Al at all. He had heard this a million times already. Only the time has passed when he blamed human cruelty and slander and burst into hurt tears. If nothing changes from his reaction, why allow others to influence his mood with the help of such dirty speeches?
"Sister Annis, it seems, sees in the fact that she was born into an eminent family, her personal merit," he remarked in the same tone.
Annis opened her mouth, but immediately closed it. She had nothing more to say, he laid siege to her notably. The girl felt regret that in her hearts she had dragged his origin to the dispute. Despite everything, she, like no one else, knew how talented the guy standing in front of her was. But it seems that he decided to achieve a high position not only with his talent, but also in dishonorable ways.
"Well," Annis said with restraint, "don't think that I will forget this incident."
Presenting this threat to the world, she turned gracefully and arrogantly and quickly walked away. Al stayed in the kitchen and looked around for something to profit from.
After a rather long time since the last visit, the door to the guest room opened again, and Shen immediately opened his eyes. This time, he seems to have finally gotten enough sleep.
Footsteps approached him, and soon Muan swam into view. Stopping over him, he said:
"I propose to proceed to the crew."
"The crew?" Shen wondered. "What other crew?"
"Your crew."
"Well, no, we're in a carriage and we won't get to the order in a week."
"Even if you assure me that you feel great, I still don't believe that you can make such a long flight on a sword. Of course, we'll get there much faster if I carry you. But you won't agree, will you? So - the crew."
"You must be joking..."
"Then..." Muan stretched out his hands, as if inviting him to climb.
Shen looked around for something to launch at him. Finding nothing more suitable, he threw a pillow at him and came to the conclusion that at last he felt much more invigorated.
Muan caught the pillow and calmly remarked:
"I can carry it too, if it's more convenient for you."
Shen sat down on the mattress and then saw the pendant flashing on his chest. Instantly recognizing him, he was so furious that, against his will, a dark, overwhelming aura began to creep around him. Muan took a few steps back in surprise. He hadn't expected these conversations to drive Shen so mad.
"So the crew," he stated dryly.
"Where is Al?" Shen's eyes sparkled with anger. "Al!"
Muan continued to stare at him in surprise.
Shen got to his feet and yanked the pendant violently. The chain snapped, painfully cutting his neck, but he ignored it.
A joyful Al ran into the room and stopped in confusion.
"You," Shen said, slowly and ominously approaching him. "What did I tell you about this thing?"
Al saw the teacher clutching his healing pendant in his outstretched fist.
"Teacher..." Al whispered perplexedly, "said..."
"I said I wouldn't accept him," Shen reminded him, advancing on him.
Al against his will began to back away in accordance with the steps of Shen, walking towards him.
"You dare. Ignore. The words. Of your teacher."
Al put his back on the wall and froze. Shen abruptly slapped the pendant between his fingers against his chest. In this gesture, he put a bit of spiritual strength, but the blow was powerful enough for blood to come out on Al's lips.
"I do not need a student who does not value the words of his teacher. As soon as we return to the League, I will tell Leader Shian that you are no longer my personal apprentice.
With these words, he released the chain from his fingers and, turning away, quickly walked away. The pendant fell to the floor at Al's feet.
Shen's former personal student's heart froze.