The Broken Halo

Chapter 22: 22: Second Betrayal

The moment Simon saw Zaglur giving his mother a pouch, coupled with the fact that he was chained and also his mother’s guilty expression, Simon could not help but think of the worst.

Such a sight was very familiar to him, and he had seen it many times in his past life, where slave traders or human traffickers sell off their fellow humans to other humans and even demons.

Had his mother… betrayed him?

Was he being betrayed… again?… For the second time?

It looked like it, but Simon did not want to jump to conclusions.

Maybe… Just maybe… There was a different reason why he was chained up and his mother was clearly receiving a pouch filled with money.

Right?

A second after Simon called out to his mother, Lyssa jolted in shock and snapped her head toward Simon.

“Blackmoon, you’re finally awake.”

Simon did not reply and just kept on looking at his mother with an expression that could not be described.

His mind was completely chaotic, and he didn’t even know what to say. He wanted to say a thousand things, but the words just couldn’t come out.

He could only stare at his mother and the pouch in her hands, and his mother felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze.

Lyssa also wanted to speak. She wanted to say something, to explain, to lie, to deceive, to cry, to do anything.

But she couldn’t.

A big part of her felt ashamed, and her heart also felt broken as she looked at Simon’s obviously shaken expression.

Why had he woken up right now of all times?

Why had he not woken up after she left?

Why had he not woken up before she met with Zaglur?

Why now?

Why did he have to wake up now?

She didn’t want to deal with this.

If he had woken up before she met with Zaglur, she would have changed her mind.

And if he had woken up after she left, it would be easier for her and she would not have to deal with this shame and pain.

It was… extremely uncomfortable.

As these thoughts and many other thoughts on what to say and what to do flashed in Lyssa’s mind, Zaglur suddenly chuckled and approached Simon.

He crouched before him and looked into his eyes with a smile.

“Do you want to know how much your mother betrayed and sold you for?”

Simon’s pupils shook violently when he heard this, and the last hope in his heart that was trying to convince him that there was another reason for this scene instantly dissipated like smoke.

He had been betrayed… Again?

Zaglur’s smile widened when he saw the shaken expression of Simon and also his turbulent aura.

“Ten low grade Infernal Crystals. And an extra ten low grade Infernal Crystals for bringing you to me alive.”

Simon’s eyes widened in utter disbelief, and he could not help but look at his mother with even more disbelief and shock.

Twenty low grade Infernal Crystals?

Twenty low grade Infernal Crystals?!

All it took for his mother to sell him out and betray him was just twenty low grade Infernal Crystals?!

Although Simon knew that this wealth was immense to people like his mother, who had lived their lives in a rundown tribe like the Duskfang Tribe, Simon knew that twenty low grade Infernal Crystals were nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Utterly nothing!

Even if they were mid grade, high grade, or peak grade Infernal Crystals, they were nothing in the grand scheme of things!

Simon, who had been a king and a hero of Earth in his past life, knew what true wealth and treasures were.

Twenty low grade Infernal Crystals were absolutely nothing in terms of wealth, and Simon was utterly disappointed with his mother.

He just could not believe it.

And how could a mother sell out her child for some money?

His mother, who always gave him a smile when they talked.

His mother, who he confided nearly everything with.

His mother, who chose not to eat and instead allowed him to eat when the situation was extremely terrible.

His mother, who became skinnier before he became a thief, and his mother, who knew all about everything he did as a thief.

His mother, who he trusted, betrayed him for a mere twenty low grade Infernal Crystals?

Simon just could not believe it.

“Keugh.”

A strange sound escaped Simon’s lips, and Zaglur raised a brow.

He was about to speak, but Simon began chuckling until it became a full-blown laughter of madness, disbelief, and anger.

And this anger was not mainly directed at his mother, but at himself.

“You betrayed me for just twenty Infernal Crystals? For just TWENTY LOW GRADE INFERNAL CRYSTALS?!”

Simon shouted and stared at his mother with a gaze of madness and rage.

“WHAT IS TWENTY INFERNAL CRYSTALS TO WHAT I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU IN THE FUTURE?!”

“I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU AS MANY TRIBES AS YOU WANT!”

“I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU AS MANY CLANS AS YOU WANT!”

“I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU A KINGDOM AND MANY KINGDOMS!”

“I COULD HAVE EVEN GIVEN YOU THE ENTIRE DEMON REALM!”

“YOU COULD HAVE BECOME THE MOTHER OF A DEMON KING!”

“THE MOTHER OF THE KING OF DEMONS! THE MOTHER OF THE EMPEROR OF DEMONS! THE MOTHER OF THE GOD OF DEMONS!”

“I COULD HAVE GIVEN YOU EVERYTHING YOU EVER DREAMED OF AND MORE!”

“BUT YOU CHOSE ALL OF THAT OVER A MERE TWENTY LOW GRADE INFERNAL CRYSTALS?!”

“YOU WILL REGRET THIS! I PROMISE YOU, YOU WILL REGRET THIS!”

Lyssa subconsciously took several steps back as Simon spoke, because a pressure, which she could not describe, was being released by Simon subconsciously.

This pressure was partly because of his past life as a Demi-God, and it was mainly because of the Devourer’s Blood Essence in him.

The aura he emitted in his anger caused the air around him to become dark and demonic, and even the energy and air around Simon were being devoured by Simon, and he had no idea.

His eyes turned black, and black veins were slowly appearing on his arms.

Zaglur frowned deeply when he saw this, then he shook his head.

“He really absorbed the Blood Essence.”