Chapter 90 Returning



"..."

Looking outside the bus window, I sighed, trying to ignore the stares of the other passengers around me.

Well, I couldn't blame them, my clothes were covered in blood, and it wasn't just a small smudge here and there - it was everywhere.

"Mom, look at that man..."

A small girl sitting a few seats away from me pointed at me, her big purple eyes wide with curiosity.

"Shh... keep quiet, look outside the window."

The lady, probably the girl's mother, hushed her and gave me a quick sideways glance.

However, the small girl slipped out of her seat and her mother's hands, waddling toward me with her tiny steps.

"Eve!"

The mother tried to call her daughter back, but it was too late. The girl was already at the back of the bus, looking at me with curiosity.

"..."

The silence descended in the bus as the girl and I stared at each other. I could tell that the girl was only four or five years old, hence she hadn't yet developed a full understanding of the situation.

I was a stranger to her, a man covered in blood who had just walked onto the bus. Only a child or a mentally unstable person would dare to approach me, but there she was, looking at me with her purple eyes.

"Hello there."

I mustered up a smile, trying my best to appear harmless. I even dared to wave at her, hoping that my friendly gesture would calm her down.

She took a step closer to me and lifted her small hand up, pointing at the blood on my shirt.

"What's that on your shirt?"

Her innocent question made some of the passengers gasp in shock and surprise, yet I remained calm.

My golden eyes looked at the mother, who was looking at the scene with a pale face and a tight grip on her bag.

"I've just spilled my tomato juice."

In the end, I lied, knowing that the truth would be too disturbing for a child's mind to comprehend.

However, our small dialogue was interrupted, because the robotic voice suddenly announced our next stop.

[ Mage Academy ]

Raising from my seat, I picked up my bag and put my hand on the girl's head, giving her a gentle pat.

"It was nice to meet you, Eve."

I smiled at the girl, pushing a G-Rank Core I got after killing a Monster in the Corrupted dungeon, into her small palm.

"Bye, mister!"

Her joyous expression was the last thing I saw before stepping off the bus and disappearing into the crowds of people in the City next to the Mage Academy.

"That was unlike me..."

I thought, whilst walking through the street. Never did I ever expect to give someone a G Rank Core for free.

Although I gave it to a child, it was an act of kindness that I rarely dared to display, due to my situation.

I simply didn't have the luxury to give resources to random people, since this world was a ticking time bomb, and it was in my best interest to rather give it to the young and promising Awakeners that could increase my chances of defeating the demons.

"..."

Looking at the sun that was already setting in the distance, I could only sigh. Although I felt good about my kind act toward the child, I knew that in the end, that child will not fight the Demons and thus my action had little practical value in the grand scheme of things.

Unless that was a child of the CEO of some kind of multibillion-dollar corporation who could greatly help me, but that was highly unlikely.

Approaching the gates of the Mage Academy, I quickly prepared my identification documents, so the guards would allow me entry.

"You can enter..."

Passing through the two A Rank Awakeners that were guarding the entry, I could feel their Mana scanning me, checking for any abnormal energy fluctuations or hidden weapons.

It was a necessary security measure that the Mage Academy had in place to ensure the safety of its students, faculty, and staff.

"..."

Walking through the campus, I quickly moved toward my dorm, unlocking the door and entering the ancient apartment.

My eyes almost watered as I noticed my bed and its white sheets waiting for me.

Somehow managing to control myself not to dive onto the bed right away, I quickly removed my clothes and got under the cold shower, scrubbing away all the mud and blood that had accumulated on my skin during my venture into the Dungeon.

As the ice-cold water droplets hit my skin, I let out a growl, feeling the coldness seeping into my bones.

Looking at myself in the mirror, I noticed that I seemed way different than the person I was right after regressing into this world.

My complexion was not as pale as before, my skin now had a healthier glow. My body which was previously devoid of any muscles was slowly getting toned and defined due to my intense training and battles. Even my facial features seemed sharper and more mature than when I first arrived in this world.

"I look good..."

Scratching my chin in self-satisfaction, I noticed that on my shoulder, which was basically almost torn away by the Demon, there was now a scar that would probably stay with me forever.

"..."

Trailing my finger over the scar, I could feel its rough and bumpy surface. It's even a surprise that the wound inflicted by the claws of the Demon, enchanted with Dark Mana was healed by a simple health potion.

Usually, it'd take a powerful health potion to heal such a severe wound, but the one I used was just a basic one.

I couldn't complain about a small scar, in exchange for a perfectly healed shoulder.

***

Oscar stared at the silver tip of his spear, rolling the weapon between his fingers and testing its weight.

Although the craftsmanship of the spear was excellent, his face was devoid of any emotion.

He was currently wearing an all-black suit, with a stoic expression that made it hard to read his thoughts or emotions.

"We're here, sir..."

His driver, Kaine, spoke up from the front seat and Oscar nodded in acknowledgment.

Exiting the car, Oscar adjusted his tie and took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for what was about to happen.

Creak...

Pushing open the old rusty gates that lay in his path, he stepped forward, his eyes scanning the surroundings.

Tap... Tap...

He walked past many tombstones, each bearing the name of someone who had passed away.

His somber demeanor and solemn footsteps soon came to a halt as he approached a few people gathered around a freshly dug grave.

"..."

The silence was only broken by the sound of their shovels as they continued to cover the grave with dirt.

Oscar stood there, staring at the grave with a blank expression on his face, as memories of the past few months flooded back to him.

Although he had met Aiden a short while ago, he was a good dude, and his death was honestly very unexpected.

Somehow Oscar had managed to survive the meeting with the Elven Royal family, without losing his composure, but the sudden loss of a friend hit him hard.

He could barely hold himself back from lashing out at his father as he decided to reveal the Ice Dungeon entry records, which indicated that Aiden was the only person who had been at the dungeon with Rose at the same time.

This meant that he was the princess's compatible person.

'If only they knew...'

He decided against sharing this information, as he didn't want to cause any more unnecessary drama.

At that point, he just wanted some time to grieve.

And finally, after little less than a week he stood before Aiden's empty grave, holding his spear tightly in his arm.

It was a custom in his family to bury close ones with a weapon that would help them in the afterlife, and Oscar knew that Aiden would appreciate the craftsmanship of this spear.

Although Aiden wielded a sword, Oscar knew that his friend would understand and be grateful for the gesture of honoring him in this way.

Tap... Tap...

Oscar slightly shifted his head to see some people approaching the grave and slightly bowed his head, seeing who the guests were.

It was Tess, Drake and surprisingly, Rose with an unreadable expression and a bouquet of yellow flowers in her hands.

'Why are you here...'

Oscar wanted to sneer since he hadn't recalled any of them being Aiden's friends, but he chose to remain silent, respecting their decision to pay their respects.

The group of people watched as an empty coffin was slowly lowered into the grave and more dirt was poured over it.

Finally, Oscar shifted his eyes towards the newcomers, approaching them with a few steady steps.

Ring... Ring...

However, before he could open his mouth, his phone rang and he frowned, realizing that he had forgotten to put it on silent.

It was probably his father, pestering him and he quickly put the phone to his ear with a sigh.

"Yes, Father..."

He spoke in a hushed tone, but Rose, Tess and Drake could perfectly hear him since they were all Awakeners.

"Father? When did I become your father? Anyway, did you miss me?"

A confused voice of a man spoke from the other end, causing the small group of students to freeze in place.

"You, fucker..."

Oscar shouted, throwing the phone to the ground in a burst of anger and dashing toward the car park.

***

Meanwhile Rose and others stood rooted in their place, trying to process what they had just heard.

"Wasn't that Aiden's voice?"