Chapter 293: Athena, Being Too Smart Isn’t Always a Good Thing
His thoughts exposed, Muse felt a pang of embarrassment.
This was Jie Luo’s soul fragment. He felt safest keeping it with him, not trusting even his fellow Hero Squad member, Athena.
But she had a point. While he was certain it was Jie Luo’s, having sensed his aura, what if he was wrong?
And the fragment had been made into a ring and worn on a skeleton’s finger. Who knew if it had been damaged in the process?
Having Athena examine it wasn’t a bad idea.
Despite his dislike for her, he knew she wouldn’t betray Jie Luo. After a moment of consideration, he handed her the ring.
Athena accepted it, sighing inwardly.
She wasn’t ruthless enough.
Jie Luo’s residual soul had awakened within Qin Chu. And there was a traitor within the former Hero Squad, with Muse being a suspect.
She needed to give this soul fragment to Qin Chu, to help Jie Luo’s soul recover.
While killing Muse would be the best way to conceal the truth, she decided to find another solution… She pondered how to deceive him.
She extended her consciousness into the soul fragment…
Partly to check for damage, and partly because she wanted to see the real Jie Luo.
The desire had intensified after obtaining the fragment.
While his soul had awakened within Qin Chu, it was still within Qin Chu’s body. Initially, it hadn’t bothered her, but now she felt a growing resistance, a sense of discomfort.
A smile touched her lips. If she could draw out the residual soul from the fragment, that would be ideal. It would be the pure, unadulterated Jie Luo.
She believed that seeing him again would solidify her feelings, dispelling her confusion.
But her expression gradually changed.
Her fingers trembled, her face paling, almost as white as the surrounding snow.
Her body shook, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
Her beautiful eyes were filled with shock and terror.
Seeing her reaction, Muse’s heart lurched. What was wrong? Why was she reacting like this?
Was there something wrong with the soul fragment?
Panic filled him. He stepped forward, reaching for her hand.
But even in her state of shock, Athena instinctively reacted, retreating several meters.
“Athena, what’s wrong?” he asked, his voice strained, his anxiety growing.
He wasn’t a mage. He couldn’t sense anything wrong with the fragment. And that ignorance was terrifying.
Athena’s lips trembled, her eyes wide and unfocused: “This soul fragment… it’s empty. There’s nothing inside.”
Muse didn’t understand: “Empty?”
“Soul fragments usually contain a residual soul,” Athena explained, her voice filled with shock and fear, fighting to control her trembling. “But this one… it’s just an empty shell. There’s nothing inside…”
“Why? But Qin Chu…”
Buzz…
As she uttered Qin Chu’s name, she swayed, almost falling.
Qin Chu… Qin Chu… Qin Chu…
Why?
The soul fragment Qin Chu possessed contained a residual soul, a soul that had awakened and entered his body?
While hers was empty?
It was no different from an ordinary stone.
A torrent of thoughts flooded her mind, twisting and tangling, threatening to shatter her sanity.
No… this can’t be.
All soul fragments should be the same. It was impossible for some to contain residual souls while others didn’t.
And it was even more impossible for Qin Chu to have the only one with a soul.
If the fragment Qin Chu possessed was also empty…
Her eyes widened, a terrifying thought taking root… had Qin Chu been deceiving her all along?
Was it all a lie?
Was there no Jie Luo?
Had it always been just Qin Chu?
Then her submission to him, her degrading acts, her fawning behavior, like a shameless whore… what had it all been for?
Despite the warmth of her magical shield, she felt a bone-chilling cold.
She felt as if she were freezing, her body trembling as she sank to the ground, a despairing cry escaping her lips…
Nothing could be more painful, more devastating.
She had sacrificed everything for Jie Luo’s resurrection, only to discover it might have all been a sham?
Aaaaaaah…
Her cry echoed through the snowy landscape.
She coughed up a mouthful of blood, staining the snow crimson, like blossoming plum flowers.
She felt as if her heart had been pierced.
No… not necessarily.
In her confused and distraught state, she desperately searched for another explanation.
Perhaps she was overthinking this.
She wasn’t an expert on souls. Perhaps it was normal for a soul fragment to be empty after so long, the residual soul having dissipated.
This fragment was small. Perhaps the soul within had simply faded away.
The fragment Qin Chu possessed was much larger, containing a stronger residual soul, which was why it had survived.
It had to be that. It was just a coincidence.
She desperately clung to this explanation, trying to quell her fear.
But the doubt lingered, growing stronger, more terrifying.
Muse’s face darkened. Athena’s reaction wasn’t faked. He sensed that something was terribly wrong, despite having obtained the soul fragment.
The uncertainty gnawed at him. He needed answers.
“Damn it, Athena, what happened? Tell me everything!” he roared, about to grab her and force the truth out of her.
But Athena suddenly looked up, her gaze darting around.
A strange sound echoed in her ears.
Like the rustling of insects.
“Who’s there?” she demanded.
No answer.
Muse stopped, looking at her strangely.
Had she finally snapped?
There was no one else here.
Rustle… rustle…
The strange sound persisted.
It made Athena’s ears itch.
Finally, she distinguished a few words:
“Poor soul…”
“Do you desire the power of eternal life, the power to corrupt all things?”
The words fueled her anxiety. She gripped her staff, waving it wildly, mana surging around her, a powerful spell threatening to erupt.
“Who’s there? Show yourself!” she screamed, fighting against the voice’s influence.
Her frantic demeanor frightened even Muse, who instinctively stepped back.
A faint rustling sound came from behind a nearby snow-covered cedar tree.
Four figures emerged.
One man, three women.
The man was tall and handsome, a faint smile on his lips.
One of the women wore a black dress and black stockings, her long, black hair reaching her hips, her face pale as snow, her delicate feet encased in silk. She seemed to float above the snow.
She looked stunning in stockings, her black eyes filled with a mixture of pity and indifference.
Another woman wore an ice-blue dress, blending seamlessly with the snowy landscape, her face as delicate as a carving of ice.
The third woman, similar in demeanor to the second, was cold and elegant, her ice-blue hair flowing in the wind, her long legs carrying her graceful figure, her white boots leaving footprints in the snow.
These three women were Ireta, the Daughter of Death, Heloise, the Snow Woman, and Anastasia, the princess of the Ice Duchy.
Muse gripped his axe, his bloodshot, corrupted eyes fixing on the four figures, then settling on Qin Chu.
He sensed a powerful threat emanating from the smiling man.
This man had come to kill him… and perhaps Athena as well.
He was smiling, but his killing intent was undeniable.
Athena froze as the four figures… no, as the man appeared.
She stood motionless, like a beautiful doll.
Suppressing a coughing fit, Muse glared at the man: “Who are you? What are you sneaking around here for?”
The man didn’t answer, merely smiling faintly, his gaze sweeping over Muse with a hint of surprise, as if he hadn’t expected him to be in this state.
Then, his gaze shifted to Athena, his smile widening.
After a long moment, he sighed:
“You actually found me?”
“Athena, you’re very smart. But sometimes, being too smart isn’t a good thing…”
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