Hero? Are You Worthy?
Chapter 398 - 257: Shaye’s Origins (4)

Chapter 398: Chapter 257: Shaye’s Origins (4)

"If I’ve lost my son, I’ll just have another."

Damn it, how many sons does Wozworth that old fart have? When you have so many sons, the death of one or two doesn’t even register.

Qin Chu’s voice echoed in Florence’s ears, paralyzing her. Overcome with grief, she collapsed, unable to cry. Even if she could have another son, it would no longer be Onions.

Her Onions was gone.

Even if she wanted another child, with whom could she have it?

In fact, Florence knew when she saw the strange scales begin to emerge on her son’s body that he was doomed. She simply didn’t want to accept the reality.

It was Qin Chu’s slap and curse that startled Florence out of her illusions, forcing her to confront the bloody reality before her.

Onions was not yet dead, his wounds slowly healing.

Although he had mutated into a monster, Onions’s strength was far inferior to Karsas’s. The monster he’d become was not on the same level.

Back when Karsas had transformed, even united efforts of Augustus, Saint Monica, and Wozworth, the three heavyweights, had barely been enough to slay him... although each of those three old foxes had hidden their true abilities.

And now, even Qin Chu alone was more than enough to completely subdue Onions.

A surge of Holy Light enveloped Onions’s body.

The Holy glow began to purify the filth from Onions.

Qin Chu began to chant softly with his mouth.

His hands hovered above Onions’s head, clasping the air: "In the name of the Holy Light Goddess..."

The silver Sword of Judgment symbolizing the power of verdict appeared once again in Qin Chu’s palm.

Onions was still struggling desperately beneath Qin Chu’s feet, his eyes completely deranged.

In the next instant, the Sword of Judgment plunged into Onions’s forehead with a pfff.

The Holy Light, traveling along the blade, instantly penetrated Onions’s entire body, purifying the foul pollution from the inside.

Accompanied by Florence’s tears, Onions’s body was completely reduced to ash.

The silence of death surrounded them, with only Florence’s hoarse voice resonating between heaven and earth.

After shooting a glance at Florence, Qin Chu said nothing more, merely shaking his head and turning to leave. He did not kill Florence there.

The spectators, although they did not approve of Florence’s selfish love for her son, could not help but feel pity for her. Killing this woman would not enhance his reputation; it might even make people think the Hero too brutal.

Killing a woman who had just lost her son, weeping on the ground, in front of thousands would completely destroy the Hero’s reputation!

Moreover, Qin Chu couldn’t use the Devourer in front of so many onlookers. If it weren’t for all those watching eyes, perhaps things would have turned out differently!

No one could have imagined that Onions’s saga would end in such a manner.

Inas bit her lip, wanting to offer her help, but Catherine had been watching her closely, and Inas could do nothing.

It was not until Onions had been purified that Catherine finally let go of Inas.

Walking with heavy steps, Inas approached Florence, wanting to comfort the woman who had raised her from a child and was almost like a mother to her. But seeing Florence’s condition, she didn’t know what to say.

Inas understood better than anyone how deeply Florence had loved her son.

No one knows how much time passed, the night gradually descended, and only then did Florence’s cries begin to subside, the sorrow still evident on her face. She looked up at Inas:

"Inas..."

As soon as she spoke, Inas herself was startled; Florence’s voice was incredibly hoarse. Perhaps her vocal cords were even damaged.

She shook her head vigorously and then extended her right hand toward Inas.

The next second, as magic power surged,

Inas’s body suddenly stiffened, an involuntary grunt of pain escaping her lips as traces of chains disengaged from her body—the marks of the power that had been branded deep within her.

After a few seconds, with a snap, the chains binding Inas shattered completely, disappearing without a trace.

The pain vanished at that moment, replaced by an unprecedented sense of relief.

Inas looked bewilderingly at Florence, not understanding what had just happened to her.

"I’m sorry..."

Florence slowly began to speak, her gaze falling upon the pile of ashes on the ground that had been purified by the Holy flames.

She knew the truth that her son was not the prodigy others claimed he was.’

He was just an ordinary child.

She touched the ashes on the ground as if she could still feel Onions’s warmth, suddenly filled with regret. What if she had raised her son as a normal child, without such high expectations, without putting so much pressure on him? Would he have been happier?

Had she not been so overprotective of Onions, might he have understood the dangers of the world sooner?

Onions wouldn’t have met such a fate.

It wasn’t Qin Chu who killed her son; it was she, the mother.

She finally understood this truth, but it was already too late.

"I adopted you simply because I saw your talent and knew your future would be boundless. I only hoped that, should I die one day, there would still be someone to take care of Augustus. That’s why I placed a prohibition in your body, in your soul, to make you obey him, protect him, look after him..."

Inas’s complexion suddenly turned pale, her body trembling slightly.

"Now that Augustus is dead, you’re free. Do whatever you want... You can resign from your position as the Holy Daughter of the Earth Mother Goddess Sect. I know you never wanted to be any Holy Daughter."

"You’ve always liked going on adventures since you were little, right?"

The corners of Florence’s mouth curved into a faint smile, "You could become a mercenary, or an adventurer... Do what you want to do, and live freely."

"I’m sorry, these years, I’ve been suppressing your true nature."

"You must hate me... You might want to curse at me, hit me, even killing me is fine."

She heard footsteps, Inas was approaching.

She thought Inas would be angry, that at the very least she would give her a hard slap, but she didn’t. Instead, a gentle glow of Holy Light blossomed on Florence’s neck and the wound there began to slowly heal.

Florence looked up to find a magic scroll still in Inas’s hand.

She bit her lip lightly, "Hate? Perhaps."

"But... at least I know, without you, I would have starved to death long ago."

...

Elsewhere, the figure of Qin Chu appeared on the outskirts of the camp.

He sat quietly on a treetop, from afternoon until now, his gaze fixed on the two moons in the sky.

A serene smile played across Qin Chu’s face. Apart from there being an extra one, the moons weren’t much different from Earth’s.

Shaye also sat quietly on Qin Chu’s shoulder, her two pale legs dangling and gently swinging against his chest.

"This isn’t like you..."

Time passed before Shaye suddenly spoke out of the blue.

"What?" Qin Chu raised an eyebrow.

"I just feel, with your methods, you could’ve easily arranged everything, killed Augustus while also devouring Florence. That wouldn’t have been difficult for you," Shaye said quietly, swinging her legs.

After a pause, Shaye continued, "I don’t believe you’d fail at such a simple task."

"So, why?"

Qin Chu didn’t respond immediately. Again, he looked up at the moon in the sky, silent for a long while, "Shaye, do you know? In my homeland, there was this incredible guy once who wrote a poem... it goes ’I raise my head to view the bright moon, then bow my head to think of home’..."

Shaye cocked her head, "I don’t understand. Why would looking at the moon make you think of home? Did he live on the moon? Was he the husband of the Moon Goddess?"

Qin Chu felt discouraged.

Well, these cultural references aren’t something an Otherworldly person would understand.

Qin Chu could only explain in a more understandable way, "Simply put, doesn’t everyone have a mother?"

Like Augustus, Qin Chu also had a mother, a middle-aged woman not so highly spoken of by the neighbors.

She was petty, tallying up every trivial matter with clear calculation.

She would envy other people’s children, often muttering near his ear about how someone’s child got into a certain university...

Seeing him lounging on the couch, she’d be on his case: are you going to waste your eyes on that phone all day long? Go out and move about.

When he carried bags of items back to his hometown, she’d grumble and complain, saying that they had these things at home and didn’t need more, accusing him of wasting money...

Every time a young person she knew got married, it warranted an immediate phone call: when will you bring a girlfriend home? I’ve even had someone calculate a good date for your wedding...

She was a nag.

And sometimes could even be quite annoying.

But, she was Mom!

Qin Chu aimlessly reached his hand towards the sky, as if trying to grasp something, but it eventually fell helplessly. He’d been trapped in this world for a very long time, even starting over once...

I wonder if my parents are doing well back home?

Shaye was somewhat puzzled. She seemed unable to grasp Qin Chu’s current state. After a long time, Shaye finally said softly, "I don’t have a mom..."

Qin Chu was taken aback, "You’re an orphan? I’m sorry..."

"Orphan?" Shaye’s expression did not show much sorrow. Her delicate finger gently poked at her cheek, as if pondering something.

Speaking of which, he knew very little about Shaye.

All he knew was that she was an incredibly powerful witch who did things on her own terms, but as for Shaye’s parents or family, he was completely in the dark.

"I guess I wouldn’t really count as an orphan, would I? Orphans have lost their parents, but I never had parents to begin with, so I shouldn’t be considered one."

"It’s been too long, I don’t quite remember, but I think my consciousness was born in a dense darkness..."

Shaye’s voice drifted through the night!

Qin Chu suddenly realized that Shaye’s origins might be more extraordinary than he had imagined.