NOVEL WEB Chapter 216- Sick
[Two days later]
Austin was sitting in his room, packing his bags slowly.
He would be leaving tomorrow morning for his home, first, then continuing his journey to Ademerg.
It would be a long journey that's why Austin has to leave early. Even if he runs at full speed it would take two and a half days.
That's why he was going to take a hybrid form of transportation.
He would travel to the capital on carriage, to save energy. He will stay there for half a day and will attend the meeting there before leaving by midnight on his feet.
Once he reached his limit, he would rent a horse and continue his way towards Ademerg.
'Once I reach the Capital...I will take another trip to the dungeon. And while traveling on a horse would allow me to-'
[The system advises the Host to refrain from going inside the dungeon for a few days. Please, host.]
Austin frowned...why was the system advising him all of a sudden?
He understands that the system was concerned that he might be pushing himself a little here, but Austin wants to be prepared for the worst.
He hasn't even reached the final boss of the fourth dungeon and he has already used the four hours of today.
He was so damn frustrated with himself right now that if he could prepare a clone of himself, that pitiful clone would have been slaughtered again and again.
'I can't go on like this. I have to use my points to buy new gadgets and weapons and somehow breakthrough...without my soul fragment, I won't be able to protect Val.'
He was now hurriedly putting his clothes in the bag—completely unaware that a certain violet-haired woman had appeared behind him and watching him for some time now.
"You are sick."
Austin flinched and instantly turned around, "Selner...wait...you are here means-" his eyes widened but before he could fall into the ditch of panic, she cleared the misunderstanding,
"This is just my clone. The real me is still with Valerie."
Austin heaved a long sigh and fell on the bed, "You scared me." Taking a pause to calm down his heart he asked, "How is Valarie doing?" It has been three days but it already feels like they have been separated for months.
Selner had a grim expression on her face as she sat down across from him and asked, "She is fine but have you looked at yourself lately?"
The last time Selner saw him, he was nothing like his present self.
The current Austin...looked pitiful.
Sunken eyes. Pale skin. Disheveled clothes and trembling limbs.
It was the sign of someone who has been neglecting rest and engaging in battles constantly.
She has seen those militants who remain on the border in the same condition as him. But they were forced to live that life. The same cannot be said about Austin.
"Ah, yeah. I have been working a little extra these days. Sebastian was complaining earlier as well."
"You call that a little extra?!" Selner's displeased voice startled Austin as he looked up.
Selner didn't hide her displeasure as she said, "In an attempt to become better and stronger, you are losing yourself, Austin. You are trying to reach a position that takes years of hard work and dedication. And whenever someone has tried to apply brute force in order to shorten the distance...I assure you, each one of them had broken into millions of pieces. And you...you are also heading in that direction."
[....+1]
Austin didn't see the system's message at all since he was incredibly shocked at the moment.
He has never seen Selner this...expressive before. She has always maintained a calm and mature aura around her
However, each word she spoke was laced with frustration and grief.
The current Austin reminds Selner of the same Austin who has gone beyond the point of any mortal's reach. Austin never pursued power, but having overwhelming strength numbed all his human emotions. And this version of Austin, who was supposed to be better than his past self in every aspect, was becoming the same lifeless husk.
Someone who lives only for battle.
Leaning forward she asked with a frown, "Can you imagine how Valerie would have reacted if she had seen you like this?"
Austin's breath was caught in his throat...he looked horrible right now, and if Valerie had seen his current state..., "She will cry," He voiced out in a barely audible tone, terrified by just the imagination of seeing his beloved breaking down before him.
Selner looked dead in his eyes and said, "If you don't want me to report to her about your current state...then promise me something."
Austin nodded like a child, ready to accept anything she said right now.
Selner pointed her index finger at him and told him, "You won't train for more than an hour a day from now on. And don't you think you can lie to me using your system?"
Austin was baffled, "You know about the System?" The first thought that came after realizing her knowledge about the system was, "Did you create it?".
Selner shook her head, "I have no knowledge about this system thing you possess. Austin, actually, fleetingly told me once about it...but he didn't use it anywhere as much as you."
Austin was left speechless...his previous self must have been quite close to Selner.
Regardless, the matter of concern wasn't the system here.
Austin calmly told her, "I won't push myself anymore and will only train for an hour ...but this way I won't be able to achieve my third fragment before the war, right?"
"Even if you continue this way, you won't be able to attain the third fragment. Your soul won't be prepared for it."
Austin was slapped with a fact that broke all his hopes.
Selner heaved a sigh, seeing his shoulders turning lifeless, as she said, "Why are you so eager to shoulder everything by yourself? Do you not trust your friends and your beloved?*
"I do....but it's just, I don't want to become a weakness for Valerie again...even if I can't protect her, I want to be there to support her."
Selner was rendered speechless.
There...was such a drastic contrast between the two Austins.
When he spoke those words, it exposed how much Austin cared about Valerie. He just wanted to be useful to her...to stand with her....to protect her if he could.
She has never seen two people so deeply fallen for each other that they readily agree to destroy themselves in order to protect the other.
'Humans...are such interesting creatures...' Selner got up from her seat and told Austin,
"Reach Ademerg on time. I will meet you there."
Austin nodded, and upon seeing her figure fading, he hurriedly extended, "Please give this to Valerie!"
Selner raised her brows and took the folded parchment from Austin before hearing him say,
"Don't read it. Hand it to her."
Selner grinned; she found a new motivation to keep that girl moving.
°°°°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading the chapter. Drop a comment.