Bryan stared at the face with disbelief.
"What are you still doing here?" Xavier's mom asked, her voice cold.
"Are you trying to kill your own son?" Bryan asked, his eyes shifting between her daggers and Xavier's body that lay on the bed, oblivious to the danger around him.
He knew the answer, it was obvious. But he did not want to believe. It looked too unreasonable.
"How is that your business? We already paid you with a meal, and even cured your injury, I don't think you need to bother with us," Xavier's mom said.
"Why do you want to kill him?" Bryan asked, not even answering her question.
"Isn't it obvious, he has a bounty of 5 gold coins on his head, with that I can live a life of wealth till I die," she stated
Bryan looked at her. He felt like ripping her apart, but he held back. "But he is your son," he said.
She scoffed. "When his father raped me 17 years ago, I could do nothing but shout. If he hadn't done it, I, Dianne, the most beautiful maiden in the Ashen domain would have married into the Ashen clan, but got defiled by that beast. Now, there is a chance to get a bit of wealth, I would not let your ruin it," she yelled.
Xavier's face contorted in his sleep, his eyes snapping open the next instant.
He saw them, his mother, holding a dagger, and his hero looking at her.
"Xavier, come to my side, this Bryan is not to be trusted," Dianne said, her voice shaky
"But mom, he saved me, why would he possibly harm me?" Xavier asked, his voice slow as his lips barely parted.
"Just do what I said," Dianne commanded.
Xavier did not think twice, he immediately jumped from his bed, and ran to Dianne.
A smug smile formed on her lips as she held Xavier.
Bryan looked on, not surprised that Xavier believed Dianne.
Even he himself would believe his mother over a stranger he met just hours ago, even if the stranger saved his life.
"Xavier, close your eyes," she ordered.
"But why? What is going on?" Xavier asked, his tone filled with concern.
"Just do what I asked you to, no question," Dianne barked.
Xavier did as he was told, his eye lids getting closer slowly and reluctantly, till they pressed against each other tightly.
Dianne looked at Bryan, a triumphant smile playing on her lips as she proceeded to thrust Xavier in the chest.
Xavier's eyes opened to see the trail of silver headed for his chest.
His eyes widened as he saw his own mother try to kill him. There was nothing to do, the dagger was mere inches away from him, he could only embrace death.
Clang! The sound of metal clashing against metal tore through the silence. Bryan did not wait, he propelled himself, pouring every ounce of blood to strengthen his body.
He snatched Xavier from Dianne, then jumped back just as quickly.
The whole thing happened in a flash and Dianne could not process anything.
"Give him back now," she barked. Bryan did not budge, claws began to form on his palm as he readied to kill her.
But at the last moment, a hand. Xavier held him firmly by the wrist.
"Please don't, she might be under the influence of an ability," Xavier pleaded.
Bryan did not listen; he knew it was born purely from her greed, not abilities.
But Xavier would not understand. He raised his hand, just above Xavier's neck, then slammed it hard.
Light dimmed in Xavier's eyes. "No, please don't," those were his last words as he fell to the floor.
"Let's get this over with, shall we?" Bryan smirked, pushing himself forward.
Dianne smirked. "I may look old, but I was once a strong hunter." At her words, she darted, meeting Bryan.
'I don't have any him to get caught in the fight,' he thought.
Bryan's claws clashed with her dagger. A jolt of energy spread through Bryan's muscles, but he did not stop.
His leg shot forward a blinding speed, catching Dianne unaware.
She was thrown out of the room, crashing into the door and landing in the sitting room.
Dianne stood up, her face betraying pain. She smiled maniacally as she watched Bryan enter the sitting room.
"Is this all you can do? Are you sure you can protect the boy with such meager strength?" She asked sarcastically, her tongue dancing on the edge of her dagger.
Bryan did not respond; his eyes only scanned Dianne.
A silver light entered Bryan's sight.
'She is faster,' he thought. He sidestepped, avoiding the blade narrowly.
Dianne was not done. The dagger stopped mid-thrust and swung vertically.
Bryan bent, dodging the attack. Not waiting, he swept her off her feet with his leg.
Bryan's claw came down, piercing her chest in a decisive strike.
"Strength without thoughts is useless," Bryan sneered as he lifted himself fluidly from the floor.
Then, as he looked at the corpse on the floor, his mind drifted to what had happened since he came to this world earlier that morning.
'No wonder weapon and psychological training are compulsory in the high plane's academy,' he mused.
'We can never tell what is waiting in a new world.'
Bryan carried Xavier's body and placed it on the bed gently. He sat on the edge of the bed.
[The host has gained 400 divens.]
'How long would the blood crystal formation take?' He thought, looking at the pool of blood that shrank with each passing second.
He still found it surprising that so much blood would finally be reduced to nothing but a shard.
Without realizing it, his eyes closed.
Fatigue took over his body, and he fell into bed, using Xavier's legs as pillows.
Breeze blew in like a torrent through the broken windows.
Blood swirled, clothing and hardening to form a single shard.
And amidst all of this, two boys slept, one with tears and widened eyes, the other with fatigue.