章 396: One Step Forward, Two Back

"...Ren, stop it!..."

"Ren!" 

It was distant, but he heard his name being called like whispers of the winds, bouncing off the rocky walls of the cave. 

"Huh?" He muttered, hesitating for a moment. 

But the cold that ensnared his body wouldn't wait any longer; the moisture coating his eyes began to freeze--striking him with an unbearable pain as his lips became dried and cold as he could no longer taste anything within his numb mouth. 

I won't wait any longer! He resolved. 

--Just as he swung his sword, his arm was stopped by a powerful grip, though it was strong, it held onto his arm gently. 

What...who stopped me? He thought. 

Looking to the side, he was greeted by the familiar sight of the tall, well-dressed man clad in abundant black. It was the butler-suited man he had encountered in one of his previous dreams, though he couldn't tell if the sight of him spelled good or bad.