Tower of Paradise

Chapter 53: guild (2)

The old man looked into my eyes, as if he could guess my intentions through them. When he nodded heavily, I felt my heart begin to beat strongly in my chest.

In the next instant, it was as if icy blades had exploded in all directions toward me. The words died in my throat as I found myself in the heart of a vortex of murderous intentions. My instinct screamed at me to run, to get as far away as possible from that place.

This bloodthirst seemed capable of crushing my heart in an instant, and I could almost see it as it invaded me like a tsunami. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear the scream of a soul being pulverized. It felt close to my side, yet far away, and perhaps that voice could even have been my own.

As the obsidian flow of murderous intent dragged me along, I felt my consciousness slowly fading until it went blank. This overwhelming terror made my body want to abandon my mind, which was dragged away by the wave that flooded me.

I was terrified. I wanted to run, but I fought against the impulse to do so, even as tears ran down my cheeks. My hands trembled as I clenched my fists tightly, due to the tremors throughout my entire body.

Even so, I gritted my chattering teeth and tried to endure the mortal terror that came from the old man.

The old man laughed at the pathetic vision before him. Then he brought his right hand to his eyes and slowly squeezed it until forming a fist. In the blink of an eye, the fist he had in front of me was as round as a ball.

Then he pulled back his fist as if he were drawing a bow.

I understood what was going to happen and shook my head. Of course, the old man paid no attention to my response.

—Now then... —His fist cut through the air with a whistle, as if a fully unsheathed sword had been fired.

The world seemed to stop for an instant. The air split with a deafening sound, as if a mountain was being cut in two. What I saw was not the small fist of an old man, but a titanic force that threatened to erase my very existence.

It was instant death.

As time seemed to slow down, my instincts spoke to me. The image of my certain death dominated my mind, like a huge wrecking ball much larger than myself, approaching at incredible speeds. Even if I raised my arms to block it, that fist would surely crush me easily.

My body was paralyzed, rigid as a log. I couldn't escape the death that awaited me.

Resignation to my fate filled me with anger.

If I died here... What would be the meaning of my mother's death?

Why hadn't I died back then? I should have died with her under the mutant's attack and abandoned my mortal body by myself.

My mother's beautiful smile appeared before me.

It was said that, on the brink of death, people saw their lives pass like a zoetrope before their eyes. The common opinion was that the brain desperately searched through its past records for a way to escape its current situation. However, it was somewhat ridiculous that the last thing I would see was the smile of my beloved mother.

Indeed, I saw her while she smiled.

How would she react if she knew I had died? Would that smile darken, like clouds hiding the sun?

Are you kidding me?!

A flare of anger roared inside my heart.

She had sacrificed her life for me with the faith that I would live. That would mean that my life no longer belonged to me. I lived for my mother... to grant her joy in the afterlife, however minuscule it might be...

Was there no way out of this?

The explosive passion inside me broke the chains of fear that kept me prisoner.

My hands could move.

My legs could move.

The eyes that only sought to be closed slowly opened, desperately searching for the image of the fist heading toward me.

My senses were pushed to the limit, to the point where I could even perceive the faint movements of particles in the air.

There was a phenomenon called an "adrenaline rush," where the brains of people under extreme tension released the limits of their physical bodies, allowing an explosion of incredible power.

At the same time, the brain would secrete enormous amounts of hormones and all the mind's capacity would focus on survival. The brain would process huge amounts of information to find the best possible way to continue living.

At that moment, I had entered the realm of a first-class Ascendant. However, the speed of the old man's attack was beyond even that elevated domain. Perhaps it was too late to dodge his fist. Perhaps it had always been too late. Still, I still had to move. I couldn't give up at that moment.

As time slowed down, I saw that my own movements were as slow as molasses. But even so, I turned around and tried to move.

And then...

The old man's fist roared past my face, with the sound of thunder. The gale that followed cut several strands of my hair.

A calm voice filtered into my ears.

—Congratulations. How does it feel to overcome the fear of death? —I stood there in silence, unable to comprehend his meaning.

—How was it to face death? How was it to overcome it?

I breathed with difficulty and looked at the old man as if my soul had been stolen. There was no hostility around him, as if it had been nothing but a lie. I relaxed when I began to understand his intentions.

I collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut, as if I had been held up by the murderous intent from moments ago.

I fell on all fours in the hall, gasping hungrily for fresh air. My heart was beating so hard it seemed to want to escape from my chest, and cold sweat soaked my clothes. Never, not even during my encounters with the goblins, had I been so close to death.

My companions tried to approach quickly, but the old man raised a hand to stop them. I saw how Cassie bit her lower lip, reluctant to move away from me while Reinhardt shook his head and took her away by force.

—Fortunately, you didn't die from shock. These things happen when one is so certain of death that they give up the will to live.

There was a bitter taste deep in my throat. I was sure it was the taste of death.

—However, one thing you must know is that fear activates the survival instinct. If you are insensitive to that sense, then you will be unable to feel even a clear and present danger. You must be able to clearly distinguish when a real threat is approaching.

—Forgive me for intruding, but what kind of man are you? —I groaned from my place on the floor.

—What do you mean?

—That, that murderous intent wasn't normal. Who are you...?

—I am simply an old man who has certain confidence in his abilities. My name is Ivan.

I couldn't take my eyes off his face. What seemed like a pleasant smile also seemed like a savage grimace from someone with absolute power; someone who far exceeded my imagination of what was possible.

—This... —The old man held up an object that glowed faintly—. Is the guild seal. Each member must carry it as a mark of belonging and recognition.

With gentle gestures, he began to organize the children in a line. One by one, he marked them with the seal, each touch accompanied by a flash of light and a sensation of warmth that seemed to reach the soul.

I observed everything from my position, still trying to process what was happening.

—Well, I guess we just found a new home. —My eyes met Reinhardt's, and for the first time since we escaped from the orphanage, a genuine smile appeared on my face.

—A rather peculiar home. —Reinhardt chuckled as if all this seemed quite interesting to him.