I Can Copy And Evolve Talents

Chapter 1251: Unclean Thoughts!

Northern flew across the river, delved down into the clouds, making a sharp turn and cutting into the rising waterfall. The water roared around him as he slipped through—into a cave.

The cave was bright, lined with starlight that clung to the ceiling like scattered diamonds. Each point of light pulsed with a soft, ethereal glow.

He shot through with sharp speed and emerged on the other side into another oasis of some sort. A pristine blue lake stretched before him, surrounded by green land, with mist drifting across the surface. The edges bordered on the thick golden-accent mist that marked the boundary of this hidden place.

As he flew into the clearing, the activity going on there ceased immediately.

There were two arethamine in the lake, taking a really... revealing bath. Judgment herself had pushed another against a tree and was doing some really vulgar things between her legs.

’What in the—’

Judgment turned with a fierce scowl.

”You pervert! What are you doing here?!”

Northern regarded her with dark reproach, irritation flickering across his face.

”Huh huh, we aren’t going down that road.”

He vanished and appeared in front of her in a second, slamming his hand into her neck. She passed out immediately and fell into his arms.

”Judy!! What are you—”

The words died in the girl’s throat as she saw the irritated look on Northern’s face. She recoiled with shame while he slung Judgment over his shoulder.

’Stars! Kids these days!’

He simply flew away.

***

Northern leaned on the railing of the airship, watching the mist swirl below. He was getting ready to leave, so he had sent a mental message to Nebulous Lord, Sael, Chrysler, Eskedar, Oland, Alystren—and his supposed prisoner should also be on their way to the airship. Along with his clone. That one was coming already.

At that moment, Eisha came out. She seemed to have cried her eyes out and sniffed as she joined Northern at the railing.

She was silent, and Northern tried to avoid meeting her eyes.

After a moment though, her gaze bore into him.

”Lael... are you avoiding me?”

Northern almost choked on his own spit with the question, shoulders spiking all of a sudden.

”Uh? What? Avoid you? Why would you come to such a conclusion?!”

She shrugged.

”After you returned to us, in Tharion Citadel, things were a bit...” She trailed off. ”At first I tried to understand—you’ve experienced so much in the past year. I hoped it’d all be better... then you suddenly were leaving. Going to the Academy. The one place that took you away from us.”

Northern looked at her in slow realization.

”But... I thought...”

”That we wanted to travel?” She smiled sadly. ”That was something Shin and I had to do to make you more comfortable making your decisions. If you wanted to spend one more day with us, we wouldn’t have minded.”

Northern was silent.

’Ah... I made the decision without any consideration of them.’

When had he truly considered people when making his decisions? The thought settled uncomfortably in his chest.

’They’re different! They’re my parents!’

That was what truly made this sad. What truly affirmed Anike’s words. Perhaps, without admitting it to himself, he wanted to get away from them.

He sighed.

”I’m sorry.” His expression turned somewhat somber and wistful. ”There’s been a lot... on my mind.”

He looked forward, deliberately avoiding her gaze.

”Finding out about my birth had nothing to do with it. Even though you guys never mentioned it, it was pretty obvious that I was adopted. I was just rather consumed... consumed by the darkness that I had spent so much time surviving in. I didn’t pay attention to it. I just...”

”Lael.”

Northern paused.

”You really don’t need to explain so much. Look at me.” She took his cheeks into her hands, feeling the cold smoothness—at some point it might have gotten hot.

”I’m not accusing you. I just want you to understand, Lael. With all that had happened... I will carve out my eyes, lay my life down to protect you, to preserve one more day in your life. I fought tooth and nail because I want to see you again. I don’t want you to run from me, Lael. We might not be able to have moments of living in the outskirts and going on hunts with Shin while I take care of the house and weave really warm coats for you too... but we can still have moments.”

She smiled at him.

”Whatever it takes, I’d do it to be with my child. And Silver too, so she can grow up in a complete family. Her father, mother, and elder brother...”

At that moment the seraphae were dropping the others onto the ship. She glanced back, distracted for a bit.

”And his goons.” She laughed.

Northern laughed after her.

”I’ll try my best.” He smiled genuinely.

She took him into a tight hug. When she tore away, her expression brightened with something mischievous.

”Good, then I can say this one. Lael, I hope you have not been going around preying on girls. You are not eighteen yet!”

Northern froze, shocked.

’Where did that even come from? Prey? Me?’

”Mother...”

She sighed.

”You are not allowed to get intimate with anyone. I know Shin and I never specified, but please, Lael—no kisses until eighteen. You still got a year more to go.”

Northern was speechless.

’Ah...’

Come to think of it, both in the last life and this one, he hadn’t truly had an active romantic life. He was the unluckiest dock, meeting a hotshot who used him, stole his experience of true romance away.

Now that he was in another world, he was too busy slaying monsters and chasing Origin to even give romance a thought. Who was he even going to be entangled with?

He didn’t think he had seen anyone that appeared to him in ways he couldn’t explain.

’...Maybe Raven?’

That was a weird one. Raven was a pure mix of respect and hatred. While he truly respected her, he hated her guts. Maybe it was out of envy. But all that was, of course, now in the past. Northern was unfeeling in that manner—now he respected her as a comrade who had been through it all with him.

There was one other person though. But that one was a pure element of annoyance. Regardless, she had contributed to his growth even in ways Raven didn’t. He owed her, but wouldn’t say he was entangled with her.

’Why am I even thinking about this?’

Others had landed, including his clone with the unconscious Judgment. Nebulous Lord was stepping forward with Silver in his arms.