Dead.
Since leaving the "prison site," Linc had seen countless people die.
People he loves, and also people he doesn't recognize.
"Hiks... Hiks..."
Under a cloudy sky that looked as if it was going to rain at any moment. Raina knelt on the small grave with tears that did not stop.
"Jessi... Why... hiks..."
Raina's heart ached.
Her parents, whom her loved, had passed away.
Jessi, her beloved cat had also left her without any notice.
"Why... Why...." Raina tried to wipe her tears. But it never ends.
Why is everyone going away from her?
Is she really that damned kid as they say?
WHY!?
"...."
Linc couldn't help but be silent.
He wasn't good at persuading people at all. He also knows how it feels for the people they love to just leave.
Linc was still wearing the demon mask.
He didn't want anyone to see the look on his face at this time.
"Why didn't you save her?"
Raina started accusing Linc.
"Why did you let him go!"
Anger, as well as regret, mixed into one disgusting feeling. Raina starts hating herself.
"Why..."
The zombies that were spreading around the mansion started to gather towards them one after another. They stared at Linc with ferocious eyes, full of anger.
"Get out of here you demon!"
Seeing that Raina is currently very emotional. Linc hurriedly moved away from him.
"Go..." Raina was still sobbing.
No one wanted a cursed child like him.
Everyone close to him was dead.
She "cursed."
The rain started to drip again one by one to the ground. Just like at his parents' funeral.
What set she apart was that there was no one present beside him at this time.
Everyone had left she.
However...
Linc crouched down, and put an umbrella over Raina. This time, he didn't get rained on anymore.
"If hitting or tearing my body calms you down, then do it."
Linc looked intently at Raina's back while being watched by the zombies' gazes in the midst of this heavy rain.
"I am ready to bear my sins."
The devil's eyes were full of determination.
It was his fault for not holding Jessi tighter and not letting her go.
His fault, for hesitating.
Blame him, because he is the devil.
"... Why ..."
Raina gripped her clothes tightly.
"I already promised."
Raina raised her head.
".... I will not leave you."
______
Heavy rain continued for the whole day.
The mansion which had originally been cheerful after Linc's arrival, started to become gloomy like his first arrival.
Thanks to Jessi's passing. Raina became gloomy again, and she locked herself in one of the rooms inside the third floor mansion.
Linc could only deliver her food to the door, and said nothing else.
This is also his fault.
He wouldn't have thought that Jessi would say goodbye like this.
The average lifespan of a cat is 15 years. If what Raina says is true, that Jessi has been her favorite cat since childhood, then Jessi must be very old...
This is a normal thing.
However...
It feels cramped.
Linc turned the photo albums in he hands one by one very slowly.
Saw Jessi's photo in there. Linc looked at him silently, and got out of the mourning situation.
He took the gun that had been hanging from his belt for a very long time.
"...This is all I can do."
Linc walked out of he room.
_____
Looking back at the huge mansion behind him. Linc who was wearing a demon mask, started to enter the forest slowly while holding a gun in his hand.
According to the fathering manual he read. Giving a gift to someone can make it better.
So, he decided to look for "Sun crystal flower" in the forest.
This is a difficult mission.
"Sun crystal flowers" are a kind of green and gold colored plant, the places where they grow are most likely the locations where the Hore energy collects.
This plant will emit a beautiful dim light at night. It was because the Hore energy gathered around the petals.
Sun crystal flowers are usually a very expensive commodity. Ten surviving Hore crystals could form a low-grade Hore crystal within one day. This is a living treasure trove.
Moreover, because they alone could gather Hore energy in the air. There will be many Hore beast that guard this place for them to grow, forming a symbiotic relationship.
This is the hardest part.
Linc can be immune to Hore energy and can also infuse energy into it so that the plant can quickly adapt and thrive in a new environment. But because of the Hore beast, things got complicated.
"Zombies?"
Saw a group of zombies walking around in the forest. Linc guessed that this zombie belonged to Raina.
He didn't know why they were hanging around him in a place like this.
"Forget it, back to the main objective."
Linc continued to enter the lush forest.
Maybe because of the zombies that wandered around this area and slaughtered all the Hore beasts in the vicinity. The entire hill near the mansion had no signs of Hore beasts at all except for small birds. And Linc could only go down the back of this hill.
"My daughter is very strong."
Over the high cliffs, and past several small rivers. Linc threw his knife at the tree, and the snake which was 2 meters long, instantly died.
"Just an ordinary animal."
Remove the knife stuck in the tree and clean the blood. Linc took a deep breath, and began to feel the concentration of Hore energy gathering in the air.
"There."
Walk to the right, and pass some thick trees. Linc suddenly hid behind a tree.
"GHHHRRRRR...."
But maybe because of the noise Linc made when he first arrived. His hiding this time was useless.
A small mentillin, like a baby monkey, which had large needle-like nails on its fingers, stared ferociously at Linc's hiding place.
"Time to try a shooting skill that's never been used."
__________
Shooting skill: Rank V
Description:
Develops guessing skills very quickly. 25% rate increase, proficient in all weapons, gain time bullet ability, Perfect aim.
__________
In the blink of an eye, the gun in Linc's hand became very familiar with he body.
Slider, magazine body, spring plate, transmitter base, trigger, ejector lift, base pin launcher, bullet...
Activates the skill and enters the time bullet state. Linc came out of hiding, and aimed at the mentillin.
Sees that perfect shot has been activated and forms a straight red laser line. Linc opened he eyes wide.
Mentillin who he thought was still far from him, had already jumped into the air, and was approaching him very fiercely.
Seeing the slow-moving mentillin coming towards him. Linc aimed the red laser straight at the skull of his mentillin eye, and pulled the trigger.
"BANG!!!"
Blood and flesh splattered everywhere.
The silent forest, became noisy.