Vilvosa Vinci was finally freed from the workload that had been burdening her, even if it was just for a few moments.

Suffering from a mild migraine due to the situation Et’thun had landed itself in, she actively searched for the only medicine that could cure her woes – peanut.

“Leah!!”

And there she was, staring intently at things with her twinkling eyes as Duarno shoulder-held her in his arms.

Vilvosa’s call did catch her attention, but Leah didn’t show much interest after she realized that there were no toys in her hands.

A quick glance and she was back to minding her usual business - playing with her Da’s clothes or making proper use of the pacifier she had.

That supposed indifference did hamper her confidence but Vilvosa was not one to retreat this easily either.

She approached Leah instead of waiting for the maid to bring Leah’s toys.

“Hi sweetie~” She waved a hi to peanut, who stopped sucking her pacifier for a second in response, before starting to passive-aggressively suck it, clearly showing off her dissatisfaction at the continued lack of toys.

“Mother, are you free? We have something to discuss with you.” Duarno and Leona had a serious expression on their faces as they started their conversation with Vilvosa.

“Hm? Sure, but before that you need to solve my problem first. Patch up my relation with Leah. She seems somehow dissatisfied with her grandma.” Mom-in-law put forward her condition.

Duarno tried handing over Leah to granny Vilvosa but nope, Leah refused to leave her Da and threw a tantrum instead.

The ninth pronce awkwardly laughed at the rejection Vilvosa faced before kissing Leah on her cheeks and hugging her with even more love.

He thoroughly enjoyed the affection Leah was showing him, so much so that he even sidelined Vilvosa’s existence for a while.

“Ma, it’s about the refugees from the north.” Leona snapped out her mother from the heartbroken daze she was plunged into.

This sentence did pique Vilvosa’s interest as she focused his attention on her kids, but she had to do something important before that.

‘Just you wait, you cute little brat. I will hug you all I want when you are asleep.’ A devilish grin formed on her face as she stole a kiss on Leah’s cheeks and retreated quickly enough for Leah to not notice who pecked her on the cheeks.

The level difference between them was well apparent and helped Vilvosa zoom past Leah who was so small that even the system had not formally accepted her existence. Only when she would turn a year old, would the system open up to her.

‘Muehehe. You are still a bit too young, kiddo.’ She let out an evil laugh and an internal monologue came with it. Although Leah’s confused expression, as she glanced all around her to find out what just happened, was cute enough that even that naughty-esque laugh turned into that of an utter glee by the end of it.

Not satiated by just a single kiss, she swooped in for another one just as Leah put her guard down and succeeded once again.

Leah opened her eyes in shock this time and closed her smol fists in response, horrified at the discovery that something unknown was happening to her cheeks.

Vilvosa wanted to swoop in for one last kiss but Leona’s “mom!” stopped her.

“Ah, yes! The refugees, what about them?” Vilvosa inquired, clearly intrigued and happy that her kids had grown enough to partake in politics now. They had transformed from the young bratty teens that left Et’thun to someone ready enough to take responsibility for their citizens.

And the main reason she was happy was because she had just now won over Leah two times in a row.

“They are dying out there, mother. I saw it with my own eyes. And we can’t even help.” Duarno pitched in, distress visible in his eyes.

A sigh soon after left Vilvosa’s mouth too.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“So what should we do?” Vilvosa’s face turned serious as she patiently listened to what Duarno had to say. She was curious as to what solution this 'grown up' version of Duarno would come up with.

“I don’t know, mother. What should we?”

While she was a bit disappointed, but that was an answer she expected from Duarno. He, after all, took after Leonhard more and not her.

“Don’t worry about that, little guy. Your mother is trying her best to deal with the situation. We already made a deal with the dwarves since we expected this to happen. The elves have been eyeing the north for years now, you know. It’s just that…” A grim expression took over Vilvosa as she continued, “the elven intelligence caught wind of it and made the delivery of food just a tiny bit more complicated than it should have been.”

“They ruined the first batch of goods and that was the cause of the tragedy you see right now.” She exhaled another deep sigh.

“But don’t worry, Leonhard’s men are escorting the shipment this time and things are under control now. The food might reach us any moment.” She patted her son-in-law’s head as she consoled her. “And we did save every child there so no need to be so gloomy now.“

Duarno wanted to reply with a ‘No we didn’t’ but the words, for some reason refused to leave his lips.

The uncanny feeling of frustration and helplessness once again gripped him, but this time he was sure something was wrong with him.

“I will be quickly back Leah so till then play with your mom, oki?” He whispered in Leah’s ears as he passed her to Leona before asking Vilvosa about Leonhard’s whereabouts.

“In the training hall. Is everything alright?” Vilvosa could see the sudden change in Duarno’s disposition.

But Duarno himself didn’t know the answer to that question. He let out a slight nod as he hurriedly left for the training hall. He could only hope Leonhard knew the cure to whatever he was going through since the burning sensation in his chest was growing with every passing second.

He gripped his raging heart to calm it down as his thoughts raced everywhere they could.

‘This feels like a curse rather than poison.’

‘My chest hurts. A lot.’

‘Shit. Am I dying? I don’t want to leave Leona and Leah alone.’

‘Why am I suddenly sweating buckets?’

The training hall strayed further way as the hallway seemed to enlarge and the carpet on which he was walking sank down into the abyss that replaced it.

That was the last thing he could remember before passing out.

** **

‘Shit. My head hurts!’

It was pitch dark in the room. He tried getting up but couldn’t. It was as if he was tied tightly to something.

“Don’t. Just rest for now.” Leona’s voice entered his ears.

“Leona? Where are we?” He tried opening his eyes but the pitch-black refused to leave his sights. Going blind was the only thing that came into his mind.

“It’s alright.” Leonhard and Vilvosa’s monotonous voice too entered his ears.

“What in the heavens is happening here?” His fierce struggles to free himself were met with an equally fierce resistance as whatever that was chaining him down hardened in response to him kicking around.

The thing wrapped itself around Duarno’s mouth too and now he could no longer cry out for help.

‘Status’ He thought and a familiar blue screen popped up in the pitch black, somewhat easing down Duarno.

‘Thank goodness.’

Character Screen

Name:

Ą̴̢̡̨̪͓͍̼͍̮̳͕̲̫̝͔̥̄͛͂̑̔͋̅̓̓̀̐̒̂̈͘̚̕̕̕͠ͅͅ⅃̷̡̢̢̯̪̻̭̯͉̝̹̟͕͚͙͇̰͈͖̱́͗̑̾̎͊̈́̇̎͊̅̊̈́̍́̈͋́͜͝͠͝ͅǝ̸̨̖̬͙̙̬̲̭̘̥͎͔̩͍̞͉̹͕̘͛̊͂́̿̂̊̒͆̎́̅͊̈́̍͛̏̕͜͝x̵̨͎͕̯̩̬͉̻̱̪͓͚̩̤͙̫͕̓͗͂̈́̒̈̋͑̈̊͂̆͒̽͑̀͐̕͘͘͝͝ͅÍ̡̧͇̼̩̖̖̝̻̺̟͕̜̩̮͇̼͈̼̬͕͖̻̾͌̉̆̅͒̓̄ò̴̧̗̜͙̙͓̤͔̭̻̻̯̲͇̱̘̙̪̌̈̐̽̀̒̉̒́̐̏͛̅̐̀͌̒̔̿̑͝ͅƨ̴̡̢̢̛̛̤͓͔̥̖̙̮͇͔̲̬͇̪̩̖̣̪̺̤̝̋̅͒̌̐̋̈́͆̀̓̽̂̔̈̔̎͑̀̚͜͝͠͝

Age/Gender:

-/-

Level:

0

Class:

Ǝ̷̢̨̤̣̰͉͖͇̘̺̠̝̜͖̠̭͈͉̺̖̬̺͕̓̓̿̊̎̎́͛̒̀͛̎͛̿̒̑̄͆́͊̌͐̂͘ɒ̴̡̮̟͕̜̯͎̦̩̫͖͖̬̗̼̥̱̼͎͖̯͓͚̟̎̔̊̏̽̓͛͒̊̽͊͒́̃͐̕̚̚͠ƨ̸̢̢̧̧̢̛̹͍͇̗͇̯̣̠̣̭͕̰̪͉͙̗̟̦͙̽̔̐̒͗͑̊̐̇͋̇͆̈́̃͋͘̚͠͠͠͠͝͝Ɉ̵̢̨̧̢̢̛̛͖̰͇̣̠͖͙̞͎̙̲̱̻̭̰̰̈͒́̈́̓͆̅̅͗͑̇̑̉̀͐̈́̕͘͝͝ǝ̶̨̧̧̡̮̤̤͕̠̺̣̟͇͓̦̦̰͈́̒̋̊̂̋̌̒̈́̐͌̑̊̍̇̀̾̇̚͘̚͜͝ɿ̶̢̡̘̰͖͕̟͔͓̖͇̺̙̪̲̩̺̱̤̦̯͔̰͑̾̿̃̓̅̈̄͛̇͗̍͛̀̿̆͂̍͆͂͑́͘͠ņ̴̡̧̗͚͓̦̲͎̩̻͓̳̩̪̰̣̣̞̤͑̒̽̏̾͊͗̀͂̔̾̓͗́͆̋̍͆̑̎͐̀͜ ̴̻̬̮̙̭̩͖̼̗͇͙̤̩̤̺̣̥̘͊̐̋͑͛̾̑͛́̌͋̀͆͒͌̏̽̈́̕͝͝͝ͅẅ̶̢͎̺̻̗̣̞͇̘̖̬̼̺̟̳̙̤̥̖́͌̽̈̈́͗͆̊̋͐͊͊͗̇́̄̃̂̚̚̚͜͠ͅơ̷̡̹̠̯͎̜̜̜̘̱̯̜̼͎̮̯͕̙͇̦͋̓̌̈́̎̊̊̓̿̾̽̄͘̚̕͝͝͝ɿ̵̢̛̰͎͈͈͔͍͚̬̠̝͓͙̺̙̼̱̦͎͙̠̾̓̉̆̽̇͐̾̑̃̋̇̃͂̿̀̎͜͝͝l̴̢̨̧̢̢̛͇̮͓̖͕͎͕͓̜̞̳͚͕̹̈̍͌̆͒͊̓̔̈͛̈́̉̐͑̀̓̕͜͝͝͝ͅb̸̡̢̡͇̩̫̫̰͉̖̖̟̪̮̤̰̥̜̦͓͈̳̝̋̋̐̽͌̄̎̏̅̇̌̎̃̆́͆͐̀̈́͋͋̿̚͠'̵̢̧̣͔̫͉̗̪̺͓̠̼͚̯̙̗͇̻̖̱̽̈́͋̉̑̄͆̿́̋̈́̒͗̓͑̐́̅͝͠͝͝͝ƨ̴̨̧̧̛͚͓̗̞͎̗̗̳̺̟̪͈͕͎̠͎̮̌̾̉̒̑̋͂̿̽͛̈́̔̈̌͋̉͛̕̕͝ ̴̢̨̡̧̛̛̛̖̳̜̬͙̼͍̯̻̥̟̭̮͓͓̰̗͑͋͐́̈́̔̓̇̾͋̈́̃̉̽͗̀́̈́͝͠͠ʜ̵̨̧̺̦̩̭͓̣̞̗̰͍̗̬̘̭̮̜̝̆́̓̂̆̅̀́̊͌̏̆͑̑̿͆͌̐͘̚͝͠ǝ̶̛͙̩͍̺͚̥͉̦̟̺̺̱̘̫̯̹̭̟̙̟͕͗̌̅̎͐͑̽̿̾̂͌̈̉̆̾̀̐̚̚ͅį̷̧̧͈̖̖̱̜͉̰̖̟̜̙̣̬̩͔̰͓̤̫̈́̐͗̾̌̄̍̀̊͑̒̉̊̒͊̒͊͗̇̓̌̚ɿ̴̨̰̺̝͓̖̦̰͖̘̼̲̥̙͚̟̞̝̮̎̾̃̆̄̅̈́̔̎͒̈́̐̓̿̈́̆́̈́̕̚͜͝ͅ

Race:

n̸̢̧͍̠̹͇̙͎̣̝̤͍͎̰͖̦͎̟̊̒̌͒̎̏̎͛͛͛̀͆͛́̈́̆̐̓̈̋̓̈͊̓͜ɒ̶̢̛̲͚̘̤͉̯̖̩̝̗̹̭̮̟̮̦̫͓̗͓̀̊̎̂̐́́͐́̇̏͊̆̾̔̋̓͌̋͝͝m̴̧̢̢̢͉͎̠͓̗̱̤͙͈̥̱̙̞͎͇̦͇̟͍̺̀́̾̀̍̈͑͑́̈́̒̀̅̍͒̌̎͘̕υ̸̡̧̛̣̥̭̘͔͍̪̩̞͈̗̞̻̹̙͈̦̜̦͈̳̑͊̊̿͂̓͋̀̀̂̍̒̀̍̐̂̉́͘̕ʜ̸̧̧̢̢̗̝̲̹̩̺̫̞̤̳̝͚͈̤̬̟̘̬̦̄̃͆͋͂̔̀͋̑͛̆͛͐̄̓̈́͛̒̂̓̚̕͜

Title:

ꓘ̷̛͍̟̦̟̙̯̏̍̉́̕͝ͅɒ̷̺̞̖̳̣͈̤̅̈̈́̃̏̃̇l̶͖͔̬̹̘̘̬̊͊̈́͛͆̿̆i̶̢͔̺̬̞̣̻̍͒̊̈͊͘͝'̵̨̱̗̹̤͖̗̑̐͑̔͗̐̊ƨ̶̢̩͍͔̜̭̙̏̆̈͆͒̚͝ ̴̛̗̺̮̞͇̦͊̄́̽̽̆ͅʜ̸̙̖̮͙͚͉̬͒̂̎̈̉̾͝ǝ̴͓̦̬̟̞͕̜̓̽̂̀̄͛͐ỉ̵̧̼̦̺͍̯̮̃̈́̉͒̕͝ɿ̵̜̖͕͙̩͖̤̎̋̿̃͂̉͗

Alignment

-

Status

ꓷ̷̨̟̫̭̫̦̲̋̅̐̈́̓̕͝ǝ̶̧͙̣̼͎͓̻̄͐͊̍̑͘͝ɔ̵̧̨̼͍̱̻̅̈́͑̎̀̏͌͜ǝ̸̧͍̳͙̰̦̃͗̄̊̇̂̚ͅɒ̴̨̛̰̰̤̪̱͉̂̌͑̉̃̕ƨ̸̲̲̜̰͍̪̠͛͋̒̂̾̚͝ǝ̴̨̡͇̺̞͖̭̍͗̍͊̀̽͐b̴̛͕̜̺̞̲̼̭̓́̿̐̊͘

Health:

-/-

H-Regen:

-/-

Mana:

-/-

M-Regen:

-/-

Stamina:

-/-

S-Regen:

-/-

‘Am I dead?’

That’s the only thing Duarno could think of.

Status is supposed to be a symbol of the god’s will. It crumbling down or corrupting could only mean that the said person is already dead.

"Dead beings don't die" Another familiar voice snarled. One that he hated to hear.

“How have you been, little brother.”

'Jonas?'

----------------------------------------