The Silent Pact of a Wolf Babysitter
Chapter 78: [Hushed World]

Chapter 78: [Hushed World]

Whatever.

Time for my last resort.

If it failed, I’d be done for—

It drains a massive amount of power all at once. So I’ll become a lamb to the slaughter for my foe.

I activated it, regardless.

And the world froze.

"I see. So it works in this alien realm too."

I thought it would function differently—Given its relations to Pison.

But perhaps Supreme Gifts were a soul’s possession.

I call it [Hushed world].

When I activate it, the world halts.

Everything freezes, and turns gray—except me.

I retain my color and my motion.

The rest becomes a paused image.

But I can only hold it for about forty seconds—before time restarts and my power takes a hit.

Still, forty seconds is enough to sever a thousand heads in this world.

Light-forged wings unfolded from my back.

With a single flap, I launched toward him—

Like a divine arrow.

But...

Something was wrong.

He wasn’t grayed out like the others.

He still had color.

Frozen, yes—but not like the rest.

Well, doesn’t matter.

If he’s not moving, that’s all I need.

I’ll reduce him to specks.

Then purge every trace with light and flame.

I landed, grounding myself. My feet cracked the surface below.

I exhaled slowly—And pulled back my fist.

Flooded my arm with the densest, purest holy energy I could conjure—Enough to erase anything in its path.

Then—

I saw it.

Subtle. So faint.

But I saw it.

His fingers twitched.

Just a flicker.

Then—

He completely vanished.

My arms thrusted at the air as it seared with obliteration.

Yet the aftermath ripped through fifty meters of the earth, carving a deep, steaming trench. Deep enough to bury a person.

He...vanished?

No, he left the position. So fast that my eyes couldn’t track him.

But in the world of my authority? In my space?

Then—

From the edge of my vision:

A blur of white.

Porcelain claws.

Like a divine spear—

Rushing toward my skull at a speed I could only call celestial.

I only perceived it thanks to my accelerated thoughts—an effect of [Hushed World] enhancing my cognition.

But even that gift came with no mercy.

I couldn’t move.

No. more like, I wasn’t fast enough to react.

I had no way to save myself...

Ah... if those claws pierce my skull, I’ll actually...die.

Death... the closest friend I’ve ever had.

We’ve been playing tag for a while now, but... looks like I’m going to be it.

And yet—

I can’t push away this thrill... this excitement bubbling in my chest.

I just hope my brain doesn’t give out too quickly.

I want to feel it.

The suffering of having your skull split open by a claw—

I bet it’s absolutely agonizing.

Haha.

But... his face.

Leviathan’s Master.

As his claw closed in on me, his eyes...

They were calm.

Not mad. No longer disgusted. Not even annoyed.

Just—indifferent.

My death would probably be just another tally on a long list.

Another stain in a book of forgotten names.

I can’t believe my existence pales this much.

So insignificant, I can’t even spark a proper reaction in him.

Maybe I’ve bitten a bit more than I can chew?

No doubt about it now—

I’m going to die.

But at least it’ll be the kind of death true warriors dream of.

Going out in a blaze.

Euphoric.

Dying doing what I loved most—fighting.

I almost wished I could thank him before the end.

But he’s too fast.

And soon, Hushed World will deactivate.

When that happens, I’ll see darkness.

Then that eerie river, and the skeleton in black robes, waiting.

I don’t think I’ll escape him this time.

I closed my eyes.

My only real regret...

Not seeing Father and Mother.

Just one last time.

...Hm?

Oh—

Wait a minute.

A huge amount of power just drained from me.

Which means Hushed World is no longer hushed.

But why am I still—

"Wipe that dumb gleeful blush from your face, you pervert."

Eh?

That was Leviathan’s Master’s voice.

I opened my eyes.

There was a finger at my forehead.

"OW!!" I squeaked as he flicked me.

My wound there still kind hurt. I’ll play with it later.

When I looked up at him again, his muscles and height were receding—his golden hair turning black, one eye glowing red, the other, cold blue.

"What do you think you’re doing, huh?"

He placed his hands on his hips.

"Closing your eyes like that—ready to just die? Even Jorō fought till the end. Owl-head too. Everyone I’ve ended had a last stand."

I didn’t understand why I was suddenly being scolded.

Soon, his cohorts began to approach us.

"Do you know what I think?" he continued. "...I think you’re a sick masochist who needs a doctor. Fast."

I... I figured.

"But..." I whispered, "What’s wrong with being familiar with pai—"

"Shut up and let me finish," he snapped. "You weirdo. I know what you’ve been doing. Letting your defenses down just to get hit directly?"

Yelp! H-He noticed?!

"Taking hits for pleasure? I don’t get the logic at all. It’s unhinged, don’t you think?"

He closed the gap between us, then squatted down.

"Say, imagine how you’d feel if your parents were tortured in a dark underground room..."

Actually... it’s my parents we’re talking about.

Those two do the tormenting, not the other way around.

But I get his point.

"I... wouldn’t want them to suffer." I murmured.

"So how do you think your family feels," he said, "seeing you come home bloodied and blushing like the freak you are?"

"I... I..."

Hey, aren’t you dissing me a little too much?

"If..." He scratched his chin, eyes shifting away. "If you were, you know, m-my family... Seeing you like that all the time would make me sad. I don’t like pain very much, you know."

Was he trying to befriend me?

I didn’t know what to say.

Actually, I was still too confused about how I’d been spared.

He even went on to acknowledge my power, called me devoted, and said:

"You seem like a hard worker, though. But you shouldn’t worry your loved ones, okay?"

He stretched his hand out to me and smiled warmly. "I’m Ruben. A mighty, awesome, super amazing Dark Fenrir you don’t see every day—so you know you’re plenty lucky—"

As he kept bragging, his voice just a distant hum in the background, I held my chest.

’Loved... one?’

This feeling... this wasn’t the one I got from pain or from power surges.

It was warm. Fuzzy.

I’d only ever felt this from Mother and Father... and that overgrown tuna fish, Leviathan.

No wonder she made a pact with him... That cunning serpent.

I don’t fully understand it...

But I want more of this. I want to wallow in this warmth.

Ruben...

Despite all his bragging, he seems kind. Gentle. Unlike anything my Clan was to me.

He accepted me. Spared my life, when I was the one who attacked him like a wild beast. Even scolded me... like I mattered.

His power, his mystery—so strange and overwhelming.

I...want to get to know him more.

I immediately grabbed his palm. My heart was racing. My resolve burning.

"Ruben!!" I cried out. "No—Master Ruben! P-Please, make a Pact with me!"