Which do I hate more? Summer or winter?
Well, I kind of hated winter because I often got sick during this season since I was young.
But I loved the weather a lot, especially hearing the raindrops hitting the roof of my room; I found it refreshing when sleeping.
I also loved the heavy blanket, where I always made my mom take it out for me before winter even came, just to regret it and put it away myself because of the heat.
I loved sitting by the fire with my family too when the university stopped and I returned home due to that widespread disease.
Was that my first or second year in college?
I particularly enjoyed hearing stories of my parents' childhood, realizing the difference between their generation and mine, and the hardships they faced until they had me.
It's great to learn different aspects of them. I couldn't wait to grow older to do the same with my children.
I'd tell them some stories, lie to them a little because I rarely went through exciting stories; winter is truly wonderful.
I also loved the summer because of the more comfortable clothes, and especially because of the longer summer vacation.
More time with my family, our trips were only on this season specifically because I was forbidden from missing school for long periods.
The biggest downside was the intense heat; I hated being in enclosed spaces filled with that heavy smell…
I preferer not to think about it anymore.
Anyway… aren't we in winter now? I mean, currently.
I still haven't opened my eyes despite waking up, but I felt like the sun was literally above me, as if someone was almost roasting me on a fire.
And the angry breaths below me only made things worse; where did they even come from?
This feeling inspired me to settle my opinion on that difficult and complex issue; I definitely loved winter more.
I prefer cold over heat... I don't think my opinion on this matter will ever change.
I slowly rose from the really comfortable pillow, but I found myself strangely stuck to it.
I looked down, and my heart almost stopped when I saw red angry eyes, the masked figure looked at me as if I had killed his mother or father, maybe both even.
"You bastard! You've slept on me for a whole day! How lazy can you get?!"
Huh?! Was he too rude in the past? I remember him as emotionally cold, why the sudden change?
Did he suffer some kind of shock? Was my sleeping on him in this deadly heat during my snoring really that infuriating? I don't think that's right...
"Why didn't you wake me?"
I scratched the back of my head, is he stupid?
"Do you think I didn't try? I screamed for three continuous hours before I gave up! And the worst part is you were just sleeping! You weren't even in a coma!"
I was somewhat embarrassed, but I couldn't really be blamed.
I had gone without sleep for more than two months during training, my mind got used to being awake but had now fallen in love with sleep.
"Why don't you get up?"
Before I could finish, I realized what was happening.
I had tied him with cursed chains before ...
"Ha ha! Ha!!" I burst into literal laughter.
I slept above an A+ ranker for a whole day, and he couldn't move because of the mana chains I had placed on him intending to save myself.
His eyes reddened more and more as he looked at me, perhaps he felt like I had also killed his children.
I forced myself to stop as I felt the murderous intent around me, despite how hard it was.
"Okay, okay stop... Look around."
'Hmm? What are you-'
'Damn, where am I?!'
Am I on the same planet?! What is this place?
I was standing on the beach of a certain island, at its center a huge tree's roots burst through the sky, and in my line of sight was an island hanging on a branch of the tree, yes it was that big…
The tree's leaves alone were the size of a city, if one fell on me I would undoubtedly be crushed.
"What is this tree?!"
I definitely don't remember creating such a place; did the game AI make it on its own? But I didn't know it could create places by itself without permission!
I tilted my head a little while looking at the shadow-man on the ground.
Although I don't have the best sense of mana, I still felt a severe danger around me, feeling a strong desire to go to the tree right now.
A desire that surpassed my desire to sleep... Maybe I could stay up there and rely on farming for the next forty years and then die?
I looked at the shadow-man; he might want to go up with me...
I felt like I was about to lose my mind, but I also thought everything was okay.
I bent down near the shadow-man and spoke in a low voice.
"I feel your desire to kill me, but know that if you do, you will die a terrible death."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
Right... because I don't possess any mana, everyone assumes that I'm not awakened at our first meeting.
I doubted my hearing for a moment; does this man really not recognize me?
I used some of the sea-water to wash my face.
I hadn't bathed for weeks, and some of the blood from that snake two months ago still covering my body, even the sea hadn't washed those stains well.
I pointed to my face when I finished.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Cassian StarHold! The heir to the family and your future boss!"
Okay, maybe I was mocking him a little with my words, but I found an inexplicable pleasure in spoiling his emotionless expression.
I remember signing a contract with Loana, one of the conditions was that she wouldn't send someone to kill me until I returned to the family palace.
It was written differently, but the meaning is the same.
If she violated the contract, her soul would tear apart and she would die, and if she died, the shadow in front of me would mostly die too because he also signed a contract with her.
What a complicated matter…
Anyway, it seems he understood when I looked at his speechless expression.
"Did you survive on the Mountain of Fog for two months?! How?"
I closed my eyes a little when I heard the shadow-man's continual screams, feeling a strange headache growing in my mind after looking at the tree earlier.
The seal of the Commandment of Sloth was acting strangely, I sighed and tried to distract myself from the pain.
I quickly untied him, then he stood up immediately.
He did some stretches for a minute, then spoke.
"How do you plan to get out of here?"
I looked at him strangely, why does he want to leave for God's sake?
"Look at the sea, I doubt we'll be getting out anytime soon."
The sea condition was terrible, I'm still thankful our luck brought us to an island instead of floating out there forever.
Dozens of waves hit the sea, and I could barely hear anything else, clearly only a very sturdy ship could cross it.
If it weren't for the high-quality life jacket the shadow-man was wearing, we definitely wouldn't have survived.
We must wait until at least the weather calms down, then find a way out, I really still prefer to live on top of the tree.
I felt the seal of the Commandment of Sloth burning me constantly whenever I mentioned something about this tree, what is happening...
I ignored it and looked at the shadow-man, then pointed to the tree above us.
"I feel we need to go up there; maybe we'll find a civilization that can get us out."
When the shadow-man looked up this time, his eyes swept a look of terror.
"Do you hear me?"
I moved around him for a while; is this man alright?
He seemed to be going through some struggle, his mana was a little out of control, but nothing serious.
Suddenly, energy burst from his head, and the mask's fabrics flew everywhere, revealing the shadow's face for the first time.
He was a young man in his twenties with blond hair and blue eyes, seeming that his parents came from European roots based on 21st-century standards.
The look in his eyes was faintly powerful, and it seemed his consciousness returned after three minutes.
His youthful appearance honestly amazed me; usually, others reach his rank in their late thirties, but he did it in his twenties.
He really is a monster, maybe that's why he's closest to Loana despite there being many others stronger than him?
But how did he end up here?
I lost my thought when the pain from the seal of the Commandment of Sloth intensified. I know this man.. i remember him.. But for some reason i can't access most of my memories now.
I focused well on the seal and noticed that the Blade of Sloth was moving erratically, stabbing the walls of seal's space.
What is it doing...
I remembered Jor saying that this is his clan's most precious legacy, and I must always take care of it, but it's hurting me now!
I tried to remove it from the spatial area to check it but felt it resisting.
'Hmm?! Can it do that?'
My thoughts stopped when the shadow-man finally spoke.
"Yes… I feel that something good is up there..."
I rejoiced that he shared my thinking.
"Okay! Let's go, you... "
I tilted my head a little, what was his name again? I can't just call him shadow after all...
Luckily, he noticed my predicament and introduced himself immediately.
It might seem stupid of him, and maybe he really was foolish, do assassins always share their names?
"My name is Jen... just Jen."
I looked at Jen, having seen his face I was sure to remember it perfectly, I felt it would be important.
And I remember seeing him somewhere else before... in that game?
I felt my memory turning into inaccessible fog after a while.
"Jen, can you cut these chains first?"
I raised my hands and moved my feet, making the loud sound of chains.
Jen sighed a little and extended his hand to the side, where a short sword appeared out of nowhere.
The blade was small and slender, painted silver with a black handle, a stark contrast to my machete-like sword.
His sword was made for speed, and mine for slowness.
A strange contrast, since when were swords better when moving slower?
With movements so fast I barely saw them, the chains fell to the ground, the cut was quick and clean, as the chains weren't much to deal with if they didn't touch him.
I immediately put the chains in the inventory, and we started moving.
We were on the island's beach after all, and the tree's roots were not close; we planned to reach them first.
'It might take days...'
I thought as I looked at the barely visible island.
'I hope my decision is correct... to oppose my sword...'