Chương 12: Chapter 12: Dark Humor
Astella really had no idea how to move or persuade people. Smooth talking? Forget it. She was introverted and socially anxious, with communication skills likely below average.
However, as a soul not belonging to this era, she had developed her own logic on how to "pretend" to be a somewhat functional, socially capable person.
—The essence of persuasion, when boiled down, consists of two main strategies:
Appeal to emotion: Share your experiences to elicit sympathy from the other party. This is the "emotional essay contest." Appeal to logic: Present your value to pique the other party's interest. This is the "one-on-one job interview."
After a moment of thought, Astella realized that neither strategy seemed applicable to the being before her.
As for emotions, this guy clearly wasn't in the realm of normal humanity. Judging by his attitude toward life and death, expecting him to feel sympathy was as absurd as expecting herself to be Emperor Roselle.
And in terms of value, what could she, a mere mortal, possibly offer to a being of semi-divine status?
After a brief pause, Astella made her choice—
Thud! She swiftly dropped to her knees in a dramatically exaggerated pose, pressing her forehead to the ground. "Astella has wandered half her life, lamenting never finding someone worthy of her faith. If you do not find me lacking, I would willingly revere you as my mentor!"
The "pathetic display" category scores big points.
"...?" Amon adjusted his glasses.
After a moment, he said, "I thought you'd be filled with hate and fear towards me?"
Astella's face instantly shifted from tearful and pitiable to cold and emotionless. "So you do know that, huh? My apologies. I was joking. Let's try again."
Astella crossed her hands in front of her, standing as still as a statue bathed in moonlight, like a cold, delicate jade. She tilted her head slightly, gazing up at the figure in the trees, her voice calm and clear: "What I meant to say is, whatever you ask of me, I will do. If there's anything I can offer, I'll give it. Of course, if you're just looking for a toy, someone weak and dull like me can, at best, tell you a bedtime story every night. —In short, as long as you spare us all, I will praise your mercy."
Whether she groveled or stood tall, whether she harbored genuine faith or secret hate, whether she became a follower or merely a pawn—it didn't matter. Her personal feelings were irrelevant to him. She knew better than to waste energy trying to guess what he found valuable.
Knowing she wasn't good at pandering to others, Astella abandoned that approach entirely. Instead, she used a darkly humorous tone, expressing her willingness to pay any price, as long as she was able.
"I didn't expect you to have such a personality. You're more interesting than I thought." Amon grinned, propping his chin on his hand.
"Hmm, let me think... Your offer is... acceptable enough."
Amon touched his chin, pretending to ponder. His playful manner suddenly reminded Astella less of a semi-divine, ancient being and more of a mischievous child, deciding whether to drown ants or burn them with a magnifying glass.
Seeing Astella's pale, anxious face, he smiled. "I have a task for you. It offers a reprieve, a stay of execution. However, to be clear, although it may turn into a life sentence if done well, you're more likely to die in horrific fashion during 'sentencing.'"
That analogy was quite hellish. Astella chuckled lightly.
"Of course, I'll provide compensation. In fact, I'll even give you part of it upfront," he added, "like... how your Emperor Roselle mentioned death insurance."
"Though you probably meant high-risk occupational insurance, believe me, this sounds more like end-of-life care..."
"Exactly." Amon snapped his fingers. "Your end-of-life care."
Astella: ...
Astella deadpanned: "Praise be to you. I am fully convinced that those who receive your end-of-life care will meet a deeply comforting death, likely ascending to semi-divine status. From then on, they will never experience unhappiness again."
Amon didn't respond but was visibly amused, laughing heartily.
"So, Mr. Amon, what is my end-of-life care assignment?"
Amon didn't answer immediately. He turned away, holding a garnet ring that shimmered with purple light. He aimed it at the crimson moon, squinting his uncovered left eye. Through the small circle of the ring, he seemed to gaze at something far beyond. For a fleeting moment, his smile took on a more complex meaning.
"Little Abraham," he said softly, "Congratulations. You may now go back and drink the potion."
Astella's face froze.
...
Confronted with an unexpected promotion, Astella didn't feel any joy. Instead, her mind filled with endless curses: What the... Is this for real? O.O
She had always assumed the "Full Moon Curse" and the Abraham family's decline could be traced back to the "War of the Four Emperors," around the late Fourth Epoch. By then, this Amon, a semi-divine figure of the Amon family, might have already "died!"
Besides, even the Abrahams themselves were unclear about the origin of the "Full Moon Whispers." It must involve profound mysteries, ones not even an ordinary semi-divine being would understand, let alone offer protection from. This meant Astella needed to reevaluate Amon's true nature.
"Angel..." she muttered.
"Surprised?" Amon adjusted his monocle with a grin.
Quite the surprise indeed.
"If you're after my family, I probably don't know more than you do..." she hesitantly added.
"Mhm, I can see that." Amon neither confirmed nor denied.
"You can go. Alone. Don't worry; I won't take their lives," he smiled. "I'll let you return and gather your things. Of course, you can also take one last look at your family—if they're still alive. From tomorrow onwards, you'll be declared dead in the eyes of society. You understand what that means."
Astella nodded. He meant she could return home, but unseen.
...
As she walked away, glancing back repeatedly, she couldn't help but add, "You also can't turn them into you."
"Hah, sure," Amon responded as if he were quite reasonable.
"...Could you at least spare the two boys collapsed in your tomb?" Astella pleaded.
"They're probably long gone by now, even their souls scattered," Amon shrugged casually, as though it were none of his concern.
Like it's my fault... Astella silently gritted her teeth.
"One last question," she said. "How do I contact you once I'm ready?"
"No need," he replied. "By tomorrow, I'll come find you."
Nodding once more, Astella closed her eyes briefly and ran off toward the city.
Watching her disappearing silhouette, Amon adjusted his monocle with a smile. "Interesting."
In his vision, a faint, almost imperceptible gray mist swirled around the girl.
A flash of light flickered. Up in the tree, "Cohen" rolled his eyes back and slid down from his perch like a limp noodle.
The night in the outskirts was quiet.
...
Lena woke up with a start. It was late November, and the nights were cold in the suburbs of Backlund.
Even though she had been forced into sleep, her rest was troubled. Her brows furrowed tightly, her hands clenched as if trying to hold onto something, and her body trembled. She faintly heard screams and groans of pain, saw her companions dying in agony. Yet she felt bound by something, unable to move or wake up. Tears streamed from her tightly shut eyes, the despair and fear vivid and inescapable, even in her unconscious state.
It felt like someone was holding her, a cool but soft embrace, faintly scented with the fragrance of a girl. She couldn't quite hear what the person was saying, nor could she remember the name, but she sensed that if she didn't call out, the person barely protecting her would disappear forever.
Wake up, I need to wake up!
She fought against the darkness, struggling to open her heavy eyelids. Her lips moved, trying to form the syllables, the name of the girl protecting her...
As... tel... la...
"—Astella!"
Lena jolted awake. The sky was pitch black, and the shadows of trees loomed eerily around the outskirts of Backlund. She was alone.
Stumbling and crawling, she searched frantically, abandoning any semblance of decorum. Desperate, she called out Astella's name over and over, until she found Cohen, gravely injured and unconscious under a tree.
She screamed, too afraid to move her gravely wounded companion. Tears streaming down her face, she sobbed for help as she ran toward the distant lights of a road.
Suddenly, she saw a group of people in black coats and red gloves, carrying specialized equipment as they walked down the road.
"Please, help us! Help us!!" The people stopped and quickly headed toward her.
"What happened, miss?" A young woman from the group rushed over and gently held the nearly collapsing Lena, patting her back softly. "Don't be afraid. You're safe now... We're from the everNight Goddess Church's special police unit. Whatever happened, no matter who you worship, we will protect you."
In the warm embrace of the stranger,Lena's suppressed emotions finally burst out. She clutched the corner of the lady's clothes and burst into tears.
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