BXBX NOVEL Chapter 143 The Grace
Nathan returned to his house and, with a heavy sigh, collapsed onto the plush sofa in the living room. He closed his eyes, attempting to keep his tumultuous emotions at bay in the wake of the abundance of information he had just encountered.
Linda, noticing his homecoming, promptly grabbed the teapot and cup and set them on the table in front of him. She settled down next to him, their shoulders lightly touching, and snuggled into the couch, allowing a few moments of silence to pass.
"Is something wrong, Oppa?" Linda asked gently, her voice softer than usual.
Nathan opened his eyes slowly, and after a moment of thoughtful silence, he said to Linda, "There are two important things to consider today. Firstly, it appears that Olivia is unaware of Muramoto."
Linda was quiet for a few seconds, then finally nodded. "Why don't we try to figure out where Muramoto lived when he was alive? Perhaps we could uncover some useful information there."
Nathan hoisted himself up, propping his elbows on his knees. He clasped the glass and poured the tea that Linda had prepared. It had crossed his mind to delve deeper into this situation, but he felt it best to not pry further and to respect Muramoto, who had passed away.
"Let's use this as our inspiration to bring Muramoto back, and let him explain it himself."
Linda nodded slowly. "Does this mean we have to kill humans again, Oppa?" she asked timidly.
Nathan gulped down the contents of the tea in front of him and put the tea glass back down with a heavy thud.
"I never thought about doing that before," he said, his brow furrowing as he paused.
"But if indeed we are faced with a situation where there is no other choice but to kill someone, I guess we can at least feel a little relieved knowing that by doing this we can make Muramoto's soul seed grow."
Nathan leaned back on the sofa and stared at Linda's face, which had transformed with her new expression and character.
"Do these blessings actually affect someone's character?" he thought to himself.
He was also taken aback by Olivia, who had unexpectedly revealed her sensitive side to him. She was saying things like falling in love at the most inappropriate time and place while he was still grieving over Muramoto's death and the astonishing facts he had just learned about him.
Nathan inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. "Linda..."
"Yes?" she replied.
"Have you noticed any shifts in yourself since you received the virtue?"
Linda paused for a few seconds before nodding. "Well, I've been mulling it over since that event... And it seems that there are certain aspects of myself that I need to alter, which could be due to what you did for me."
"Me?"
Linda nodded. "I want to fight alongside you to achieve something we both believe in. I want to be there to support you. I'm going to try my best to be more reasonable."
Nathan patted Linda's right shoulder, "I don't want you, Meriel, or anyone else to come into my life on the condition that they change for my benefit. I want you to be able to live your life to the fullest."
Nathan stood up, gazing at Linda for a moment before saying, "Maybe it would be better for you if you weren't so grumpy, since you can turn into a scary monster when you get angry."
Linda gazed at Nathan for a few moments before she couldn't help but burst into a gentle chuckle. "Yes, Oppa. I understand," she said.
"Have a great day, Oppa,"
"But," she interjected as Nathan was preparing to depart. "Would you like to meet Dallan?" she inquired.
"Who is Dallan?"
"She was the one who injured Muramoto, and you might gain a better understanding of the situation once you visit the hospital," Linda explained.
Nathan nodded in agreement. "Sure, give me a few minutes, and then I'll head out. I also want to take a tour around the city."
He stepped into his bedroom and plopped down on the bed, intending to check his most recent status.
"Status," he murmured to himself.
[Status]
[Name: Nathan Gardner]
[Race: Half Human]
[Level: Beginner Lv. 80]
[Exp: 45,601/110,303]
[-]
[Strength: 24 (Weakened)]
[Dexterity: 19 (Weakened)]
[Agility: 19 (Weakened)]
[Magic: 26 (Weakened)]
[Constitution: 21 (Weakened)]
[Stamina: 24 (Weakened)]
[Stat Points: 73]
[Skill Points: 1,105,998]
[Death Tokens: 141]
Nathan skyrocketed from the early fifties on the entrance exam to level eighty in just one week; no one could have predicted such an achievement. The Pocket Dimension created by CEHA was incredibly powerful, able to bring to life scenarios of such magnitude.
"I wonder who created that pocket dimension," Nathan pondered aloud as Polly ran to him, jumping onto the bed and settling against his side.
Nathan got 25 bonus stat points after exiting the pocket dimension, which is why he currently has 73 available stat points.
He decided to hold off allocating his new stat points until the Sword of Disidia's penalty was lifted. Additionally, the last war resulted in the opening of the second quest of the Grim Reaper route.
[Grim Reaper 2/10]
[Some people simply don't deserve to live. Taking their life could make yours better.]
[Kill 20 Intelligent Creatures]
[Progress: 11/20]
[Rewards:]
[70,000 Skill Points]
[1 Skill Slot]
[Bonus Rewards:]
[Death Token Shop]
"Death Token Shop?" he pondered. "Why does the reward the system provides seem to be encouraging me to kill more?"
At that moment, Nathan realized that his system had an extra attribute to it.
[Death Tokens: 141]
"If I'm not mistaken," Nathan said, turning to look in all directions until Luna's figure appeared before him, "I might be able to get Death Tokens by killing Intelligent Creatures? And..."
"Yes, Master Nathan," she replied in a soft voice. "Intelligent creatures, such as humans, dwarves, faeries, elves, giants, dragons, and some high-grade demons."
"Does this mean I will be awarded with a Death Token when killing races that have been blessed with sins?"
Nathan inquired, his throat tightening as he gradually accepted that his system was seemingly designed to provoke them to fight one another. Rewards by killing. "That is correct," he confirmed.
***
Several hours later, Nathan, accompanied by Meriel, went to the hospital where Dallan was being treated. Even though he had only limited information about what had happened, he was determined to meet the person who had caused all the death and destruction at Muramoto.
Meriel ended up accompanying Nathan since the situation Dallan was in mirrored what Gydarra had done to him. She felt a strong connection to it and so chose to go.
A man was standing at the door of Dallan's room when they stepped closer.
"Nathan!" A man shouted as he approached. "Dallan has been punished enough for his actions. Don't you think it would be too much if you still wanted to seek revenge?"
Nathan stared blankly at Mason, the man who had been in Nina's party, The Elite Hunter, and who had also helped Dallan carry out his action in injuring Muramoto. Not a word was uttered, but Nathan's gaze alone was enough to make Mason hesitate before he slowly stepped away with a look of panic on his face.
At the same time, several nurses rushed over, aware that something terrible might have occurred, as some had heard of Dallan's involvement in Muramoto's death. Nevertheless, he was still receiving medical attention.
Nathan and Meriel entered the treatment room and spotted Dallan seated on the hospital bed, with both of his legs, which appeared to have been amputated, bound with bandages. He turned to Nathan with a face of terror, and his body began to tremble.
"Nathan, please... I'm sorry... Forgive me," Dallan pleaded, his eyes darting around desperately for help though he was helpless; he didn't even have both legs.
Meriel gently grasped Nathan's hand, holding it tightly. "Mr. Nathan... Gydarra is the one responsible for cutting off Dallan's leg during that last battle," she uttered, her words confirming what Nathan had just come to realize.
Nathan asked slowly, his voice heavy with accusation, "Why did you kill Muramoto?"
Mason walked into the room, his face panicked, yet seemingly too intimidated by Nathan's strength to do anything.
Dallan trembled with a combination of fear and sadness as he explained, "My brother died in the war between your group and his own. Someone I cherished dearly was killed by someone in your group..."
Nathan exclaimed, "Do you think the victims who fall in war deserve to be avenged?"
Dallan's voice was deep and his face filled with tears. He looked deeply depressed. He replied, "I don't care what happened. All I know is that my brother died at your hands, and that knowledge alone is enough to make me want to avenge him."
Dallan spun around in panic and pleaded with Nathan, "Please, don't kill me! Don't do it! Mason, help me!"
Nathan clenched his fists tightly. His breath suddenly quickened, and he blew hard.
The old saying goes that revenge is a dish best served cold, but what happens when that dish never finds closure? When revenge remains unfulfilled, it can lead to a continuous cycle of pain and suffering.
Despite the desire to balance the scales and find justice, revenge rarely pans out the way one hopes, and the anger and bitterness it brings can be soul-consuming, leaving a person feeling drained and hopeless.
Nathan, not uttering a single word, spun around and marched out of the room with Meriel trailing behind him.
Mason, the nurses, and the spectators were all too aware of the tension in the air, yet they decided to stay quiet.
Meriel attempted to follow Nathan's lead, glancing up at his face, which was downturned.
"The punishment he suffered was far worse than death. Please, convey my gratitude to Gydarra," Nathan said.
"Yes, I will," Meriel murmured, gradually acclimating to Nathan's pace, which was gradually slowing.
My Skill Creation System - 2nd Volume.
The Grace. The End.