CHAPTER 2167  C2-167

Anvil was fine, at least physically. However, his entire personality seemed to have changed — or have regressed, at least. He seemed not quite there, yet. He didn't look dazed or confused, but rather… blank. As if the very thing that made him who he was had been if not erased, then at least lost. At the same time, from time to time, he displayed glimpses of his usual self — enough so to convince Jest, Madoc, and young lady Gwyn that he was truly and unmistakably Anvil of Valor, the ruler of Bastion.

It was because of the small, subtle details that only those who knew him well would recognize. The small peculiarities of his speech, the rigid set of his shoulders, the way he smiled in a reserved, but confident manner — it was all perfectly familiar, even in this strange and concerning state. There were more and more of these glimpses with each minute, as well, as if Anvil was slowly remembering his previous self. That gave them hope that he would recover eventually. For how, however…

The most disturbing change was how warm and soft Anvil seemed, stripped of his impenetrable armor of cold indifference. For Jest and Madoc, it was as if he had reverted to his personality from before becoming a carrier of the Nightmare Spell. For Gwyn, who had only ever known him as an Awakened, it was an entirely new side of her usually stern and aloof husband. But… there was also something subtle and eerie about Anvil now. Jest couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, but he felt strangely uneasy in his presence. Well, of course he did. The clan leader of Valor, one of the most powerful men in the world, was currently no different from a child. Warden had once told Jest that the world was full of sharks, and Anvil being in this uncanny state was no different from spilling blood into the water. All of them would not miss a chance to rip out a chunk of flesh if news about his condition spread. Whatever the hell his condition was. They would have to figure that out later. First, Jest needed to contain the spread of information.

This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content:

Upgrade Now