"It fucking hurts."
Varian rubbed his neck as he watched the princess convoy heading to the military district.
Even though he remained skeptical, it seemed like he managed to regress back properly.
"Even if I try, the vortex won't let me stay hidden."
'Status'
[All paths: Rank 8 (Sealed to rank 3)]
Due to the intrusive power of that thing, he'd be forced to reveal his true aura.
'How do I solve this? Seals…'
Tiny specks of white appeared in Varian's black pupils, shining brilliantly like stars in the sky. And through the special vision, he saw the rules of the world that were binding him.
There were to two ways to break the seal.
One, fight strong enemies and absorb their life force, use it as a fuel and explode the chains.
Two, get the help of a powerhouse.
Varian wanted to do the former after entering the forbidden grounds.
"I never thought I'd have to do this."
He raised a sword and placed it over his neck.
"Fuck!"
Blood sprayed into the air.
"You liar!"
When Varian came to his senses, Isadora was glaring at him with clenched fists.
'Ah right, I just snatched the regression ring from her.'
Her aura soared, locking onto him and attempting to freeze him in space.
"I just want to help you and…I need your help."
Varian raised his hands and confessed with a sincere expression.
Isdaora looked at him with a disbelieving expression. He just lied so blatantly and even ended his words with 'Don't trust strangers', so what the hell was this about?
"I swear on my wives." Varian said.
Boom!
The powerful pressure knocked him to the ground and his legs broke like twigs.
Isadora stepped toward him, her crimson eyes shining with a dangerous glint as she noticed the ring he had stolen frm her. "Then you should've been sincere since the beginning."
Ssss!
A sword lodged into his chest and a black fire burned him.
Isadora didn't intend to kill him but due to the strength he displayed, she overestimated his power.
What was supposed to be a significant injury ended up being a fatal one.
The world turned dark.
"You liar!"
When Varian opened his eyes, he saw the same old Isadora, glaring at him with clenched fists.
"I have something important to tell yo—"
Boom!
"Don't think the same trick works twice."
A sword of darkness struck Varian and its aura swallowed him whole.
Again, Isadora only threw an attack that's only supposed to be injure him greatly.
But—
'Not again!'
"You liar!"
"Isasdora, I a—"
Boom!
"You liar!"
"Just shut the fuck u—!"
Shaaa!
"You liar!"
"Boss, please listen. I swear I won't lie to yo—"
Kaa!
Varian began to wonder if he should just give up trying.
He kept getting killed by attacks that weren't even meant to kill. And his attempts to talk with her weren't working at all.
If he regressed to the period before he scammed her, he might've got her to cooperate.
But the earliest period he could regress to was when he got the regression ring.
'There has to be a way!'
"You liar!"
Isadora's aura rose like a violent tide, threatening to swallow him again.
"Yes! I am a liar!" Varian didn't want to give her the opportunity. So, he summoned a sword and plunged it into his own chest.
Blood spilled out and his face turned pale.
He didn't stop there.
Pulling out the sword, he pushed it in again and again. As if it was not his own body but that of an enemy he wanted to torture.
The barbaric brutality caused even the angry Isadora to freeze and look at him in shock.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
Unlike earlier, she at least gave a him a chance.
Varian slumped powerlessly and pulled out the sword with a struggling breath.
It was quite painful but he preferred it over dying a dozen times.
Death was the most unpleasant of all things. A pointless death even more so.
"I want to save you." Varian said, his eyelids unbearably heavy. "And myself."
Isadora's expression hardened and she looked at him with a cold gaze. "Do you think I'd buy your words after you told me a stupid story and used that chance to steal that ring?"
Varian chuckled, his shoulders trembling and blood spilling out of his mouth. "If the story was stupid, you wouldn't be so immersed. You know it, right? The story has some truth to it."
Her untrusting gaze didn't change.
"I want to join you in the expedition."
"Huh?"
The princess raised a brow subconsciously.
"But I need your help."
Varian activated the power of his slivers and materialized the 'chains' sealing his rank.
"You…"
Isadora looked at him with wide eyes.
She'd have never guesses his real strength. And why the hell was he sealed? Who sealed him?
"I can't answer everything. But the link we have is not related to devil. You can check my feelings, there is no malice." Varian said in an earnest tone.
"…"
Isadora narrowed her eyes and dug into the link of 'Synergy'.
It's as he said. All she could feel was his good feelings toward her, closer than even a friend and sibling. But she wasn't going to place trust on information from a link that's shady in the first place.
"I don't trust you." Isadora said in a cold voice.
"Ah sh*t, I have to do it again." Varian raised the sword, ready to slice off his neck.
"But I will help you."
"Ah?"
"As long as you qualify to enter the forbidden grounds, I will not kill you. Why would I kill an asset useful to the kingdom? Your death can be more meaningful if you die fighting the devil's forces."
That's what she said, but Varian could see a turmoil in her eyes.
Rather than giving him the reason, it was the reason she gave herself.
Isadora didn't know what to do with Varian.
She wasn't sure if she could survive the expedition and wanted to learn the secrets of the dreamy memories before she met her end.
They felt…important.
But she also didn't want to leave him behind. Even if she survived and returned, she didn't know if she could find this mysterious man again.
Then the best course of action would be taking him with her, hoping she'd figure it out before her death.
Since the chances of survival were slim anyway, Isadora atleast wanted to die in peace.
"Now, what should I do to help?"
