Willow gasped for a deep breath the moment she came out of Darian’s consciousness.
“Hmph?!”
She quickly stood up and saw Perserque, Kouna, Aeria, and Evangeline in the room.
Illyna was in isolation after slicing through the dimension, and as for Davey, he was already working on dealing with the other original sins.
Willow immediately staggered over to check Darian’s condition.
There were two pillars that sustained Darian. Two massive potentials.
However, one had become extremely weak, and the other, Doomsday, was expelled from Darian’s body thanks to Solomonia’s scheme.
Extracting Doomsday was part of the plan, yet if left alone, Darian would surely die.
‘Come on. Think! Okay, Kouna. He said her power as the Deliverer is the key, right?’
If that was the case, there was only one possible method.
The potential that had been wrestling with Doomsday wasn't originally that weak.
Willow slowly accepted support from the others and approached Kouna.
“Hey, Kouna?”
She flinched. “Uh. Uh, yeah?”
“I need to ask you for a favor,” Willow said with an unprecedentedly serious expression. “Only you can save Darian.”
She could only hope the girl’s power would awaken the sole remaining pillar within Darian.
“I... I can save him? What in the world are you talking about?”
“Ugh...” Just then, Willow stumbled as if losing strength, and Kouna quickly caught and supported her.
“Willow!”
Despite Perserque's startled cry, Willow shook her head. “We need to use the power of the Deliverer. Restoration, or rather, that power similar to reversing time.”
She began to disclose everything that had happened inside Darian.
After Doomsday, the malignant pillar supporting Darian, had been removed, he was collapsing from the loss. To save him, they needed to restore the other immense power, the potential that rivaled Doomsday, to its original state.
At the end of the day, something had to replace what was missing.
Kouna still hesitated. “B-But... you’re the only one who can see and sense that thing, Willow.”
“Kouna.” Willow took her hand. “You can do it. The power of the Deliverer wasn’t awakened by accident.”
The future Davey, who’d sent Abel to establish the catalyst for her awakening and isolate the two worlds, regressed Abel’s power to the world's law to prevent Willow’s death from connecting to the future line and causing the current Willow to disappear.
Although it was questionable if that was truly enough to ensure her survival, Willow was still a goddess.
Solomonia. No, the Doomsday that Willow purified by sacrificing herself, was an opportunity created by burning up everything of itself.
There couldn't be any minor issues.
* * *
They couldn't send Davey in alone when they had no idea what kind of unknown variables Doomsday might possess. It wasn’t like the other original sins.
Therefore, as soon as Willow recovered, she immediately crossed over to the dimension where her father was.
Kouna hesitantly asked, “Will I... be able to do it?”
It never crossed her mind not to do it. If there was a way to save Darian, then it was only natural for her to do whatever was necessary to make that happen.
He was the son of the man she loved, and he always followed her around like a little shadow. There was no way she’d object to using some of her power to save him.
However, she wasn't confident of her success. She had yet to fully master her newfound power, after all.
The total amount of her power had massively increased after obtaining the dimensional pearl, but she doubted if she could find and restore the potential inside Darian—something which only Willow could even perceive.
“We're sorry. It’s not right, burdening you with this responsibility,” Perserque said with a bitter face.
Kouna bit her lower lip. It sounded like Perserque was being considerate, but she wasn't foolish enough to miss the underlying meaning.
To Perserque, Kouna was nothing more than a vixen who could seduce her husband at any time. She knew well how much she was enduring just by allowing her to be there.
In the past, Perserque had actively encouraged Davey to love other women, simply because she couldn't give him any children of her own. Once she became capable of having a child herself, she started developing desires no different from any other person’s.
Although she was born in Tionis and generally held a broad-minded view of polygamy, she had subconsciously taken on Davey's monogamous way of thinking.
Of course, that didn't mean she was wary of Illyna and Aeria.
Kouna’s stubbornness flared up, and she declared, “I'll go. Please let me try.”
It was not lost on her that Perserque had always treated her well. Kouna came from Earth, where monogamy was natural. Yet, even though she knew how awful the feelings she harbored were, and how disruptive they'd be to the many people who thought highly of her, she couldn't stop herself.
“I can do it. I have to do it! Saving Darian's the priority, isn’t it?”
“Kouna...”
“I'm sorry. I'm greedy, too. I want to finally grow past our custodian relationship.”
In a sense, Davey being her custodian was what kept them connected, though also effectively acting as a breakwater that prevented her from getting any closer.
“I can save him.”
Kneeling lightly beside Darian, who was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, she looked to Aeria and asked, “Willow said he’s severely dehydrated. Can you replenish the fluids in his body and get them circulating again?”
“Yes.” Aeria nodded and summoned a spirit to wrap around him.
Just then, Evangeline anxiously and carefully asked, “I... Is there anything I can do to help as well?”
“Could you hold his hand?”
That was all Evangeline could do.
Afterward, Kouna began to resonate with the power dormant within her. At the same time, her eyes turned into a sky-blue color.
She had purified that old bubble world in a way resembling dancing, but this time it was an entirely different method. It was like illuminating a new frontier without a map.
Nevertheless, she didn’t let it deter her, pouring her sincere determination into her power.
A part of her selfishly hoped that the incident would bring her a little closer to Davey.
* * *
Humans couldn't help but be greedy. Kouna felt a sense of catharsis in the fact that she, and only she, could save Darian. To her, it was proof that she could be helpful.
However, the emotions residing within that feeling were surprisingly dark.
She was using the potential death of his son as a tool to get closer to Davey; using it as an excuse to demand a piece of his affection; and making him embrace her in his circle.
Even as she despised herself for having such unusual thoughts, she couldn't stop herself.
She muttered to herself, “God, I really hate myself.”
Perhaps sensing her inner turmoil, Perserque silently wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead.
It felt like two hours had passed since Kouna placed her hand on Darian's chest. Though, in reality, it was only about thirty minutes.
Time had seemingly slowed to a crawl.
She figured Willow must’ve already gone to join Davey.
Kouna, who remained behind, also needed to focus on her task. Unfortunately, she couldn't find the potential at all.
‘I don’t see it...’
She tried her best to clear her mind of distractions and completely enveloped Darian with her power, but still couldn't sense the inner self that Willow had spoken of.
What Willow had said before leaving, that restoring his physical body might allow the extracted Doomsday to take root again, led her to subconsciously hold back.
Her power had a wide range, not discriminating between recipients. If she, as Willow feared, recklessly restored Darian and Doomsday was restored as well, then things would become truly irreversible.
Once thought took root, her confidence began to plummet even further. She doubted herself, shaken by the immense burden resting on her shoulders.
Fear took over. At the same time, her power seemingly sensed her fear and hesitance, beginning to reject her control.
Whummm. Boom!!
She was thrown back by a blast, taking a deep breath and frowning once she came to a stop.
One of the women worriedly shouted, “Kouna!”
Another asked, “Are you alright?”
Kouna began, “Yes, I'm fine. But...”
“It's not easy to find, is it? Perhaps we asked for too much from you...”
Seeing the guilt on Perserque’s face left a bitter taste in Kouna’s mouth.
She felt a wall. If she were family, a wife with the same position as Perserque, she wouldn't have felt such a wall separating them.
She assumed that, to Perserque, while she might feel close, she was still an outsider.
Perserque advised, “There’s still a little time left, so don't push yourself. I'll find another way.”
Her stubbornness emerged once more. “I’m fine. I can do it.”
“Do you even know what you look like right now? You're completely pale, like a corpse...”
Kouna fiercely shouted, “I can do it!”
Perserque’s eyes widened in surprise.
Kouna seemed flustered and embarrassed by her own outburst. Her eyes darted around before she slowly lowered her head and muttered, “I... I can handle this much.”
“Kouna...”
“And besides, Darian’s problem isn't some stranger’s problem.”
Even as she said that, she felt frustrated by her failure; lost because she didn’t know what to do; painfully aware of the wall between her and Davey; and disgusted with herself for trying to take advantage of such a dire situation to get closer to him.
Yet, she couldn’t easily give up. She knew she could bring Darian back to health!
“I can do it! I'll save him.” She resolved herself once more and drew out her power for another try.
A sky-blue current flowed from her into Darian and resonated with him.
Truth be told, Kouna had no real solution in mind. She felt so cornered and panicked it was like her own body was collapsing.
Suddenly, another power began to pulse within her. It was the power of the celestial maiden who saw the future, coming from the divine beast Haitai.
Soon enough, Haitai appeared before her. A being that resembled a giant white tiger, its appearance was so intimidating that just looking at it would naturally make one bow their head.
[Kouna.]
“Haitai...”
In a voice uncharacteristically solemn, Haitai urged Kouna.
[You have two options. You must make your choice.]
“Two... options?”
[First, you can shatter the dimensional pearl you possess and let your power run wild. You'll gain immense influence, ignoring your skill proficiency.]
Perserque and Aeria’s eyes widened, able to hear the conversation too.
“That would...”
[Indeed. You’d be throwing away your only chance to vastly extend your lifespan. Furthermore, I don’t know what kind of side effects will follow.]
“And... the second option?”
[You abandon all the potentials that child holds. I’ll stake my existence and transfer the memories of the future to you. I am the divine beast of pacts, so you can fulfill that wish if you pay a massive cost and proficiency.]
Willow had simply asked her to save Darian. She must’ve said that because she didn't know the exact method either.
On the other hand, Kouna had no clue how Haitai knew such things. Although it was a special divine beast, everything it was saying exceeded the domain of a mere divine beast.
“That...”
[I’ll respect whatever choice you make.]
Kouna tightly shut her mouth. Perserque, who had been watching the two interact, couldn’t find anything to say either.
Darian losing all of his potentials was something they absolutely wanted to avoid, yet demanding Kouna to sacrifice her chance to extend her lifespan was practically coercion. On top of that, she had to take on unknown side effects as well.
For Kouna, who wanted to get closer to Davey, a vastly extended lifespan and the cessation of aging held great meaning.
Moreover, even if it wasn't related to Davey, vast lifespan and cessation of aging were the ultimate desire of living beings.
To be forced to give that up was quite preposterous. Even asking for her power was already more than they could reasonably request.
They figured she’d probably choose to give up on Darian’s potential, even if it meant—
Whummm.
“Kouna?”
It was then that Kouna pulled the dimensional pearl out directly from her body without hesitation. It was as if something that had been absorbed was coming out.
The meaning of that action was clear. Contrary to her previous words, actions, and thoughts, she was abandoning the easy, rational, and cold-hearted path.
[Are you planning to throw away your chance? The side effects could drive you to your death.]
She hugged the pearl, which was the size of her upper body, and began to tremble slightly. It was the fear of someone throwing away what might be their only chance.
Her faint trembling gradually intensified until finally, she briefly began to sob, crying, “Honestly... I’m so scared.”
[Kouna.]
“But I don’t have a choice, do I?” Tears streamed down her face.
“I don’t want to die young. I don’t want anyone to see me grow old and ugly. I want to live a long life and experience a few more happy moments! That’s why I acted selfishly, even in this situation. It was childish and foolish... It’s not like I don’t realize how awful my motives were.”
Her face was covered in tears as she continued, “But I can't do that, can I? I got this chance because I myself was helped. How could I only take and not give? Still, I can't help but feel upset about this situation.”
She curled up.
Crack!
She began to squeeze the dimensional pearl. As she held the massive pearl in her arms, the cracks spread wider and wider.
[Kouna, I know your feelings better than anyone! Don't you know giving that up is throwing away even the last chance you have left...?]
“Stop it!” she cried out, sobbing. “Longevity is important. I know I need a lot of time.”
However.
“Yet even so, I still can’t do it. Do you know why?”
Tears flowed as she pressed the pearl in her arms even harder.
CRACK!!!
“Even though we're not connected by blood, they're the most precious people in the world to me! No matter the method, I’ve always wished for a family that embraces each other!”
She screamed, driven by sheer will, “So... I'll act for my family first, before my own greed!”
SHATTER!!!!
With that cry, the pearl in her arms completely broke into countless fragments beyond repair and scattered. A massive power then permeated and circulated within her, instantly amplifying her strength.
At the same time, her eyes glowed a deeper sky-blue than ever before, and she poured her power into Darian.
Everything inside his physical body began to change.
“I'll regret it. I'll think I’m crazy and look back at this moment with shame forever. I know this won't improve my chances, and the situation will only get worse by throwing away the precious pearl.”
She had planned to use the dimensional pearl to gain an immense lifespan and halt aging, giving her a longer time to win Davey over. Alas, all those plans were ruined.
What she desired wasn't a future tainted and twisted by her selfishness. Of course, no one would or even could blame her if she refused, but Kouna wouldn’t be able to forgive herself.
The dark impulse had fueled her, but she ultimately succeeded in holding on to her own will until the very end. The miracle she wrought enveloped the faintly pulsing potential within Darian.
At the same time, the broken balance that was slowly killing him began to accept the presence of the pillar and started to recover.
Watching the scene unfold, Aeria looked at Perserque with a sad expression. “Perserque...”
But she sighed instead. “Haaah. What a cunning one...”
“Perserque?”
“Family, you say?” Perserque was deep in thought, and mused aloud, “Though not intentional, we've placed a debt on her, haven't we?”
Kouna didn’t seem to understand what the resolve she had shown truly meant, or what she had sacrificed.
“What... will you do?” Aeria cautiously asked.
“Will you blame me?”
“No, I won't.”
“Then, let's back off.”
Aeria’s eyes widened at her words.
“That’s all the repayment I can offer her. As for the rest, Davey will surely handle it well.”
It seemed like a huge gesture, but people often misunderstood one fact—Davey was more stubborn and strong-willed than even Perserque.
“It's unfortunate,” Perserque lamented. “Still, a true mistress must be able to comfort the tantrums of a child who hasn't been properly loved.”
“Is that so?”
Her voice held a tinge of pity as she replied, “I just hope that child doesn't get hurt too much.”
Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!
Use arrow keys (or A / D) to PREV/NEXT chapter