Chapter 499 Her Yearning

Chapter 499 Her Yearning

As Asher made his way towards the meditation room, a space sanctified for his training and reaping activities, his steps, determined and resolute, halted abruptly.

A familiar cadence of soft, yet firm footsteps echoed through the hall, drawing his attention away from the task at hand.

Turning to the source, he found Rowena's bewitching figure, the regal body clad in her characteristic black attire, approaching him.

"Were you waiting for me before I was going to start my Reaping activities?" Asher asked, a smile playing on his lips, finding a semblance of comfort in her presence, though having an idea of why she suddenly came here.

Rowena, her gaze laden with concern that belied the usual calm she exuded, responded, "Yes. I wanted my words to remain fresh in your mind before you started because, for some reason, I feel as if you are not going to do any ordinary reaping quests."

Asher exhaled, feeling that she was too sharp when it came to these things.

With a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of his intentions, "It's just business as usual. Reap human souls and quickly get stronger. It's faster than Raiding quests, and I can cripple the human world slowly," He explained, though he saw no need to include any lie and didn't want to lie to her unless it was absolutely necessary.

Rowena furrowed her brows and said, "If it was that easy, our ancestors or even our seniors would have already done that. But they couldn't because we all know what happened to those who tried. If you were only focusing on gathering more life crystals like anyone else would, I wouldn't be this worried. Your cult could easily do that work for you. But since you are planning to get stronger by reaping human souls yourself, you are putting yourself at risk," she articulated.

Asher, confronted with Rowena's argument, raised an eyebrow, a silent inquiry into her stance, "So you are telling me to reconsider despite the situation our kingdom is in? Or do you think I might fail?"

Rowena's expression, a mixture of concern and earnestness, held Asher's gaze as she imparted her caution, "No. I wanted to tell you to be very careful because some of the Hunters are very dangerous, and I know you will probably meet them since you are very powerful now. Reaping any one of them would grant you a lot of power to level up, but it's almost impossible to break them. They have lots of measures to shield themselves from even peak Soul Devourers, and they know the signs to watch out for."

Asher, ever confident, responded with a wave of his hand and a reassuring smile, "I know. But you know me. I never go into a fight without a plan. I also have learned quite a lot about humans over the years. So you don't have to worry that I am inexperienced just because I woke up only a few years ago."

Asher could see that Rowena was mainly worried because in her eyes and the rest of the world, he was born just a few years ago.

But he knew the main reason she was so wary was because her father, whom she idolized, fell to a Hunter. She must fear that such a fate might befall him, and it only made his heart feel heavier.

Rowena, however, harbored a gentle regret, a longing brimming in her crimson eyes, "I feel like I should have spent more time teaching you things. I feel like there is still a lot I have to let you know," she confessed, her voice tinged with a soft sigh, revealing her ever-present desire to support and protect him.

In response, Asher closed the distance between them with a single step, his arm encircling her waist in a gentle yet firm embrace that drew a soft gasp from Rowena.

Her sudden nervousness caused her to instinctively look around to see if anybody else was there while her cheeks began to warm up in his embrace.

"You are still shy in our own home? You are cute when it comes to such things," Asher teased, his proximity and the warmth in his voice enveloping Rowena in a cocoon of affection and comfort.

"I don't think I am...cute," Rowena countered, her gaze averted, a delicate blush coloring her cheeks at the compliment.

"Mhn," Merina nodded with a deep reddish hue blossoming on her cheeks upon feeling his warm fingers on her lips.

With everything in place, Asher closed his eyes, allowing his consciousness to drift towards the selection of a Reaping quest.

His choice, guided by calculation, sought a mission with a prolonged duration, affording him the maximum amount of time on Earth.

He didn't care about the main objectives of the quest he was going to pick since his true objective was different.

But without a Reaping quest activated, he wouldn't be able to stay on Earth, nor could he use the power of the devils to transfer his soul to his avatar.

And just as he decided on a Reaping quest, he felt like taking a look at his stats before starting the mission,

Level : 31

Rating Points : 0 / 147,250

HP : 64,475 / 64,475

MP : 53,090 / 53,090

STR : 13,083

DEF :12,895

INT : 10,618

DEX : 6755

Passive Ability:

[ Bones of Damnation - Your bones have been reinforced by the power of the damned souls and are indestructible and immune to any dark power while granting you +50% defensive powers ]

Asher could clearly see that the realm of Soul Devourers was a whole different league, and it felt as if his stats almost doubled, especially when he looked at his ridiculously high health, which also benefited from his new passive ability.

Yet looking at the number of points he would need to level up made him feel like it might take forever unless he took some serious risks and follow through his plans successfully.

He felt like he owed Drakaris for granting him such a powerful ability since this meant no demon could ever destroy his bones, even if he didn't have any mana.