Chapter 118: Ugly Truth

Several minutes have passed by, with Aiden kneeling on the ground, his eyes closed. As the memories of the warden kept playing in his mind, he could do nothing but to concentrate to process them.

Lily watched his brother silently, caressing the heads of the two hounds, not caring about the carnage all around her the slightest. She didn't even question the loyalty of these trained dogs. Just one order from his brother and both animals immediately switched sides!

Eventually, the flood of new information stopped. Before opening his eyes, he wanted to check the series of notifications he received at the end of the battle, and while the memories kept flooding.

[Soul Strengthening Energy found! Gained 100 Soul Power XP!]

[Assimilation available for currently active default state… Beginning process…

Estimated time before completion: 00 hours : 00 minutes : 00 seconds - Completed!]

[Assimilation complete! 

Memories processed, System updated!]

Aiden could almost not restrain himself for not erupting in a loud cheer. Although a bit gruesome, he found a method to increase his Soul Power. 

However, the information also raised new questions in his mind. Why didn't he receive experience for the first time? What was different this time?

His silent contemplation was eventually interrupted by a timid voice reaching his ears.

"B-brother? You okay?" Lily asked after seeing his brother sitting on the ground motionlessly for several minutes. She didn't see his eyelids fluttering either.

Aiden slowly opened his eyes upon hearing the question. Reaching for the mask lying on the ground, he picked it up and turned towards his sister. As his face revealed a gentle smile, he calmly spoke.

"Yes, I am. It's just… Hard to explain, actually." He sighed. Then as he was looking at Lily, the new memories he gained clicked inside his head, turning his expression sour. "I received some new information, Lily."

"Huh, what? Did the Master talk to you?" Lily asked with an innocent expression, making that much harder for Aiden to force out the next words.

"No… About the Norton family. They… Umm… They are in bad shape. Mrs. Norton has lost her right hand and may not have much left. As for Mr. Norton, he was tortured and beaten under the order of this guy." He kicked the dead body of the Warden. "It seems he was furious after you left, and wanted to vent his anger, so he had his guards beat the old man half to death. They used some basic salve on him, so he is alive, but he is also very badly hurt."

He sighed after he finished his words. He knew how much his sister cared about this elderly couple since they were always nice to them. Hearing that they are on the brink of death with mutilated and tortured bodies, can't be an easy thing to hear.

Lily's eyes watered as he heard his brother detailing the Norton's experiences. She felt guilty, she felt responsible, everything that happened to them was because of her actions. She didn't think, she acted brashly and because of that, an innocent kind couple's life was ruined. Even if they heal the bruises, the emotional scars they will carry would remain for the end of their lives.

This was a hard pill to swallow for her. She didn't care about her own experiences, she had far worse in the Pocket World. After watching the warden die by the hands of his beloved brother removed some shadows over her heart, but this guilt was painful to bear.

As she was thinking about all this, her body was visibly shaking from all the pent-up emotions inside her. Her vision becoming blurry, it was increasingly harder and harder for her to hold back her tears.

As her legs started to lose their strength and she felt that she will fell back to the ground, she suddenly felt the familiar warm protective embrace of his brother. As his hands pulled her into a hug, she could no longer contain the tears, she erupted in a loud, sad cry. 

Sobbing once again, in his chest, Aiden did nothing but slowly and silently fondled the back of her head. 

Several minutes passed by as nothing could be heard besides the muffled sobbing of Lily as she hid her face in his brother's chest. She always felt the most protected, the safest when he was holding her like this.

Holding her sister, Aiden heavily sighed. He knew she can't go on like this anymore. She was already pushing herself. He raised his right hand, and as the black glass crystal appeared in his hands, he once again, injected his energy into it. 

As his energy intertwined with the swirling mass inside the crystal, Aiden immediately spoke not waiting for confirmation if the connection was successful or not.

'Master, you and Granny need to come here. I need you to come with me and Granny needs to take Lily back. She is very unstable now.'

A curt response came not long after from the familiar voice of Number 3.

'Understood.' 

After that, Aiden could feel as the connection was cut. He looked at the crystal, as it started to crack, the swirling black mass inside its glass contained could no longer sit still. As the cracks started to widen, Aiden threw the crystal forward.

The crystal cracked open with a much louder noise that one would expect from such a small item, startling the quietly sobbing Lily, and causing her to turn her head, but still refusing to leave the warmth of her brother.

"What are you doing, brother?" she asked timidly.

Instead of answering, Aiden simply smiled and kissed the top of her head. Then he pointed with his chin towards the black smoke that slowly formed the familiar black gate.

As the gate reached the size of a regular door, its surface started to vibrate, and soon the silhouettes of Number 3 and Granny appeared. A few seconds later, the silhouettes stabilized and both of them stepped forward, exiting the black whirling energy. 

Aiden slightly bowed his head towards them, resting his eyes on Number 3, who was looking at him still wearing her black mask.

"Your mask?" Was the first question she asked with a slight tinge of annoyance in her voice.

Immediately, Aiden grabbed the mask again and put it on his face. As the mask latched onto him, he bowed once again.

"Sorry. I took it off as I finished here."

"Granny? Master?" Lily looked at the two new arrivals with surprise. Her face was stained with snot and tears, but as she refused to let go of Aiden's chest, she looked rather adorable at the moment.

Granny smiled, and silently walked towards the girl. Reaching out with her right hand, she gently patted her back.

"Come dearie, we have to go." 

Shaking her head, Lily refused to let go. 

"No! We have to save them! They are still in trouble!" she shouted emotionally.

Granny placed her hand on the back of Lily's head and continued to slowly, gently caress it. As her wrinkly hands circled around it emitted a faint bright light. The energy seemed to visibly calm the agitated girl, her eyelids starting the become heavier, and her expression returning to normal. 

A few moments later, Granny carefully grabbed the girl, lifting her up in a princess carry. Looking at Aiden, she gently smiled.

"I will bring her back home for now. You guys can handle the rest, don't worry about Lily." 

Finishing her words, she turned around and silently left stepping into the black portal, closing it behind her.

Looking at his master, he pointed towards the southeast.

"The elderly couple that Lily wanted to save is in that direction. They are both badly hurt. Master, can you save them?"

Looking at the direction Aiden was pointing at, Number 3 remained silent for almost a minute. Eventually, she sighed and nodded. It seemed that she already knew the situation of the elderly couple, as her voice carried certainty.

"I can. However, the woman will not be easy to fix. Also, without erasing some of their memories, they might not be able to overcome this whole ordeal."

"You can modify their memories, master?" Aiden asked with a surprised tone.

"No, I can't, only my master would be capable of that." She said. However, before Aiden could ask the obvious, she continued. "However, I do have an item that can do that. But that will erase the last 24 hours from their minds. You will also need to be careful and make sure you are behind me, as I'm not sure that you would have the mental strength to resist its power."

Aiden silently nodded in response. Turning around, he walked towards the door stepping over the dead bodies like if they were nothing. 

Looking around the room, Number 3 let a faint smile creep up on her face behind the mask.

"You made quite a scene boy…" Then turning towards the two hounds, she asked. "What do you want to do with these dogs?"