Chapter 290: Athena’s Fear
Athena was a useful and intelligent tool.
Compared to Ekaterina, her loyalty wasn’t as absolute. The Crimson Valkyrie’s mind was warped by Stunning Love.
However, Ekaterina required detailed instructions and careful planning.
Athena, on the other hand, was resourceful and adaptable, making independent judgments based on the situation.
Her intelligence, if utilized properly, could save Qin Chu a lot of trouble… but it was also a double-edged sword. No matter how meticulously Qin Chu planned, there was always a chance Athena would see through his schemes.
This time, she was sent to the Snow Chain Mountains to help Muse unlock the barrier and retrieve Jie Luo’s soul fragment.
Qin Chu suspected Athena would attempt to communicate with the residual soul within the fragment. If she discovered it was empty, his carefully laid plans would crumble.
His arrangements were sound, but this one flaw was unavoidable.
If Athena discovered the truth, she would turn against him.
A powerful and intelligent woman like her would be a formidable enemy. If it came to that, he would have no choice but to eliminate her.
And Muse as well.
Qin Chu leaned back in his chair, watching Anastasia. She had placed Mavis’s ashes in an urn and, with his permission, buried it in the garden, granting her a final resting place.
Anastasia hadn’t been close to Mavis. While Mavis had held her as a baby, Anastasia had no memories of her. By the time she was old enough to remember, Mavis had already married into the Empire.
Nevertheless, she was family, her father’s sister.
Another matter puzzled Qin Chu: Wadsworth…
Such a commotion in the Imperial City, and neither Saint Monique nor Augustus had intervened. That was understandable. But Wadsworth? He was the Emperor, and he was searching for Mavis.
Qin Chu didn’t believe his intelligence network wouldn’t have found the abandoned church.
Even if they hadn’t, Wadsworth would have sensed the disturbance and rushed to investigate.
But he hadn’t appeared.
“I sensed another presence near the church during our fight with Mavis,” Sylph said suddenly.
Despite lacking Carol’s innate ability, Sylph’s elven senses were still sharp.
“Who?” Qin Chu asked.
Sylph shook her head: “I don’t know. I didn’t have time to pay attention.”
Although Sylph hadn’t seen the person, Qin Chu suspected it was Wadsworth.
The old fox had likely watched the fight from a distance, without intervening.
He had probably seen all of Qin Chu’s abilities.
This wasn’t good.
…
Meanwhile, in the snow-covered mountains.
Athena stood on a snow-capped peak, her black dress and wide-brimmed hat contrasting with the white landscape. The snow reflected on her face, making her skin seem even paler.
Her dress wasn’t thick, only the tights Qin Chu had given her protecting her legs, the outline of her curves visible beneath the fabric. The loose dress couldn’t conceal her voluptuous figure, adding a touch of languid beauty.
Snow fell like feathers around her, the wind howling, but Athena didn’t feel the cold. A crimson magical shield protected her, radiating warmth.
Maintaining the shield consumed mana, but it wasn’t a significant drain for a mage of her caliber.
Her tall figure was a dark silhouette against the white landscape.
Her progress was slower than anticipated.
Not because of her speed or lack of mana.
She had arrived even earlier than planned… the problem was the sheer size of the Snow Chain Mountains.
The peaks all looked identical.
And Muse, the idiot, hadn’t provided precise coordinates, forcing her to search blindly, wasting precious time. She hadn’t been able to contact him since the day before yesterday.
Had he died?
Athena entertained the thought with a hint of malice.
But she knew it was unlikely. Muse was a War God level berserker. He wouldn’t freeze to death so easily.
Someone of his level could survive in these mountains for months, even without doing anything.
So, she assumed he had encountered some difficulty. Hopefully, it wasn’t too serious.
She stretched her arms, extending her fingers beyond the shield. She quickly withdrew them, covered in frost.
It was incredibly cold.
She looked around, her brow furrowing.
She placed a hand on her chest.
Her heart was pounding.
She didn’t understand. It had been fine initially, but as she approached the Snow Chain Mountains, a growing unease had filled her, a voice in the back of her mind urging her to turn back.
Go back.
Stay away!
She couldn’t explain it.
As if something terrifying lurked within these mountains.
As if something terrible was about to happen.
The inexplicable feeling filled her with dread.
Ever since she had compared Qin Chu and Jie Luo in her heart, concluding that Jie Luo was inferior, even questioning her own feelings, a lingering unease had plagued her, despite her attempts to reaffirm her love for Jie Luo.
She almost turned back, but she persevered. Jie Luo’s soul fragment was here.
The images of Qin Chu and Jie Luo flickered in her mind.
She felt ashamed of her confused emotions, disgusted by her own infidelity.
But once she retrieved the soul fragment, she would reaffirm her love for Jie Luo. She had to.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve and continued forward, leaving a trail of footprints that quickly vanished in the snow.
After a long while, she finally found a cave on the side of a mountain.
Her eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace.
Huff… huff… huff…
As she reached the cave entrance, she heard heavy, ragged breathing, like a beast’s panting.
Someone was inside. Was it Muse?
She reinforced her magical shield and called out: “Muse? Are you in there?”
Her voice echoed through the cave.
Huff… huff… huff…
Only the same ragged breathing answered her, making her frown. Was he asleep?
After a moment of hesitation, she entered the cave, immediately covering her nose.
A foul stench of decay and rot filled the air.
Decay? Could something decay in this place?
She flicked her staff, summoning a fireball that illuminated the cave. Footprints were visible on the ground, indicating recent human activity.
The fireball floated deeper into the cave, and Athena followed, her long legs moving gracefully.
The cave was deep.
After several minutes, she recalled the fireball.
It had moved too quickly. As the light passed, she had glimpsed a shadowy figure huddled in a corner.
As the light returned, she saw a glint of metal. A large axe.
She recognized it as Muse’s weapon. He was here.
The light revealed a figure curled up on the ground, fast asleep, the source of the heavy breathing.
Seeing his messy, bird’s-nest-like hair, she knew it was Muse.
He’s actually sleeping?
Athena facepalmed.
She called out again: “Muse, I’m here. Wake up.”
He didn’t stir.
Exasperated, she walked towards him, the click-clack of her heels echoing through the cave. She bent down and reached out to shake his shoulder: “Hey, wake up… ah!”
Before she could touch him, she recoiled with a scream, her face paling.
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