Chapter 1493 Aftermath [4]

Chapter 1493 Aftermath [4]

Thalia was different now.

The Thalia Damien knew was gone. Fôll0w current novÊls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

The way she responded to the Saintess' death was severe. She killed all the free will in her body and turned herself into someone who only acted for the benefit of the tribe.

Because if she could sacrifice herself and help her people, she would do it without hesitation.

It made Damien a bit sad seeing her current state. He didn't like seeing her without any light behind her eyes.

'But it's not my job to help her.'

She didn't want his help. If she did, she wouldn't have acted the way she did.

When he was put in this situation, what could he do?

At most, he could try to help the tribe and hope that its revival would help Thalia gain some of her normal self back as well.

"Do you want to become a God?"

He could breach the subject now, because after an incident like that, Thalia's worldview wasn't the same as it once was.

"I can make you one. I can bring the tribe up to that level as well. All you need to do is ask."

It was an arrogant thing to say, but it was true.

Thalia looked away, staring at her reflection again.

Frankly, she also didn't know how to act around Damien.

Back then, she definitely had some sort of feelings for him, but she always knew it was impossible for them so she never entertained them.

Now, she couldn't feel those feelings even though she knew they existed, so when she looked at Damien, she just felt awkward.

Especially when he talked about something like Godhood.

Thalia knew what she needed. Along with power, worldview was incredibly important.

The knowledge necessary to survive in the world outside the jungle was something she couldn't gain without help from others, and Damien was the perfect person to give it to her.

His backing was definitely something she wanted for the tribe.

But...

"What's the catch?"

Nothing in this world was free.

"You already know the catch."

"That's hardly a catch."

"Trust me, it definitely is. The world is massive. The world you'll see if you accept my offer is even bigger. If you really do choose to get involved with it, you will definitely find yourself facing dangers beyond your imagination."

"My promise is the power and backing to face those dangers. However, even with that, if you and your people don't have the will to accomplish what you've said you want to accomplish, nothing can be done."

Thalia didn't respond.

She had to make a choice.

Did she want to live safely but restrict the growth of the tribe? Or did she want to take a risk that could exterminate them but also had the potential to make them powerful?

It wasn't an easy choice to make.

It was something she needed to think about deeply, and it was something she needed to talk about with her people.

"I'll leave you alone to consider everything. Just come see me when you make a decision, and remember..."

Damien put his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm always on your side. Whatever you choose, I'll support it to the best of my ability, so make your decision without any pressure."

Was rejecting Damien truly going to hold them back?

She held her head in her hands. Her thoughts were getting too chaotic.

'I...really don't know.'

She wanted to cry, but she couldn't force the tears out of her eyes.

'Saintess, what do I do?'

She wasn't ready for this position.

She wasn't ready for this responsibility.

No matter how much she tried to prepare herself, being forced into power like this was too much for her.

'I don't want it...'

The tears came on their own.

When she stopped trying to force them out, they flowed freely, wetting her face and falling into the lake below.

'Saintess...'

'Grandma...'

She couldn't do it.

It was too much.

Thalia cried her heart out.

She wailed because she knew nobody could hear her.

Life had been cruel to her.

She didn't want to live this cruel life.

She wanted it to just be over, so she could sit back and be happy.

But was that even something allowed to her anymore?

Was that something she could ever do?

The problem was never Damien's offer.

The problem was the weight on Thalia's shoulders crushing her into the ground and forcing her to die slowly as it killed her.

If she couldn't cope with that weight...

Thalia cried.

She cried and cried and cried.

And when night finally fell, her tears went dry.

Her eyes were back to their dull and indifferent state.

The decision she had to make was not about whether she accepted Damien's offer or not.

No.

What she had to decide now was if she'd fold right here and now...

...or if she'd persevere through it all.

To Thalia, who was still too young for life to hit her like this, it was a decision beyond any other.

Because giving up seemed far too tempting to disregard.