𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐏 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐃𝐎𝐖 | Trash Of The Count's Family

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𝐀 𝐒𝐍𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐀𝐂𝐊
Chapter XI

     𝕳yun Hee could see what Cale was up to through the eyes of the shadow puppet. He was feeding the black hole of the man-eating tree.

    "Had he gone mad?" She muttered as she sank herself deeper into the tub filled with warm water. Imagine her surprise when it started talking, she nearly choked on her bath water.

     [ More, give me more. Please. ]

     Cale poured a bag of bread into the hole while listening to the eerie voice of the grudge-filled soul as usual. The darkness inside the hole was slowly turning from grey to white. Cale started to smile, thinking that all his efforts were not for naught. It was at that moment. . .

     [ More, more, more! ]

     Cale flinched and stepped backward at the voice that now turned into a shriek, ‘The novel didn’t mention something like this.’

     Hyun Hee covered her ears.

     She had to tune down the rambling of the obnoxious voice, loud noises make her head ache terribly.

     The man-eating tree, the originally black man-eating tree, was starting to turn white. It then started to slowly grow some green leaves.

      The noise held some heaviness compared to before. Cale kneeled on one side and sat down underneath the trunk of the tree. A bright white light was pouring out from the hole. Cale put his hand into the light. He then closed his eyes, ‘This must be it.’

      A warm and strong power that wrapped around his hand. He started to smile before hearing the voice one more time. It was a pure and warm voice.

     [ It will protect you. ]

      For a very short moment, a bright light wrapped around Cale. The light was silver in color, and the light started to become absorbed by his body. The absorbed light all gathered at Cale’s heart.

       Cale let out a long sigh as he opened his eyes. It did not hurt. It was warm, and the pure power was making him feel happy. Cale quickly lifted up the shirt that he was wearing, "I did it."

     There was a small silver shield inscribed over his heart. It was different from a tattoo. Such a beautiful and fancy shield left its mark on Cale’s heart.

      The shield will prioritize its owner’s safety above anything else. The location of that promise was at the heart. This shield will be with Cale until his heart stops beating.

      "How nice.” Cale could feel the strength wrapping around his heart. It was not causing any issues. In fact, it felt like the shield had surrounded his heart, and was doing its best to protect him.

      Ancient Powers like that left their unique mark when they are activated. Cale quickly used the method that was written in the novel to trigger the Ancient Power.

     Paaaaaat.

      The ‘Indestructible Shield’ appeared in front of Cale’s eyes. It was a silver shield that was just large enough to cover Cale’s upper body. There were two silver wings on both sides of the shield, which allowed the shield to move within a certain radius from Cale. The size of the shield was also controllable.

       Cale started to control the size of this shield which already felt like it was a part of his body. This immediate familiarity was one of the special traits of Ancient Powers. That was why heroes used it, even if it was just as a support.

      Cale started to smile.

     Hyun Hee places a finger on her chin, her mouth started to curve upwards as well, "How interesting. . ."

——— • ———

     𝕮ale awaited the arrival of Hyun Hee, Choi Han, and Ron in 'The Fragrance of Tea with Poetry'. About time that the villain and the hero become acquainted.

     He was sipping on his tea, unaware of the chaos unfolding in one of the hallways in the Henituse mansion.

      'Right.' Hyun Hee moved to the side, grabbing the knife that could've pierced through her skin by its handle. A kitchen knife.

     She turned around and quickly flung the weapon towards the direction where it came from, missing the butler, and assassin, Ron, by a mere centimeter.

     "Foolish old man, you dare attack a Duchess?" Hyun Hee pulled out her dagger from under her skirt. She twirled it around slowly, glaring sharply at the smiling old man.

     "I apologize, your grace. It just slipped from my hand," He spoke casually as though he did absolutely nothing wrong.

     "You—!"

     Hyun Hee lunged forward in a stabbing motion, her dagger was blocked by a butcher knife.

     "Heh, this should be fun," she muttered blankly, but her expression was dark. She stepped on his foot, gripping on his wrist tightly before twisting it, causing him to drop the knife.

      She then kicked his knee using the heel of her foot, pushing him into a wall and landing a punch on his face, and another one, and another one, until Ron stepped in.

      Ron was undoubtedly fast, but Hyun Hee is faster. She struck his ribs using her right knee, she kept her gloved hand stiff with her palm facing down and delivered a wed hand strike to his throat.

      "Just as expected," Ron spoke, looking up at her with a sinister smile. Hyun Hee realizes what was happening, she should've just stayed still, didn't she?

     "I always knew that you're hiding immense strength, your grace." Ron was amazed by Hyun Hee's fast reflex and strength. He saw his son struggling to push her off, and he is certain that he wouldn't have seen her move if it wasn't for her heavy dress.

     She is like Choi Han, maybe less skilled in combat, but she is faster and more agile. Ron thinks that if the two of them were to fight, it would be a fair and good one.

      "You. Are you an assassin?" Hyun Hee's expressionless face was replaced with rage. Her grip on her dagger tightened.

      "That's ri—"

      He didn't get to finish his sentence when he felt a hand wrapped around his throat, Hyun Hee used Ron to block Beacrox's vertical slash. Hyun Hee suppressed a wince from slipping out her mouth, she could not stand the sight of blood.

     Hyun Hee threw Ron on the floor, Beacrox immediately comes to his aid, "Do you know. . .?"

      Hyun Hee stood straight, staring down at the both of them with a calm murderous look on her face.

     "People like you disgust me."