章節 10: A question with one layer of complexity

"Ugh…"

Anon slowly came to.

Sweat stained his bed sheets, but it was very common.

Though the pain was unbearable, he had grown accustomed.

Unlike on school nights, last night, he watched the news, going to sleep around nine and waking up only after six this morning.

After taking a bath, going through some hygiene routines, and soaking his bed sheet, he stepped out of the house around seven.

He was dressed in a form-fitting t-shirt and black tights, with short pants over them.

Anon unlocked the front gate, then retreated to the porch and sat down in a recliner chair that was there.

The recliner chair was mainly used by old lady Su, but recently, she had been visiting him less and less, sending Elizabeth in her place.

'It's already June.' Anon grinned.

It had been over three weeks since the final exams.

In fact, it wasn't just 'already June', but midway into it.

In this time, there wasn't any school for those who already wrote the final exams.

Technically speaking, they had finished high school, so the year groups below would finish the semester in their new classes.

Come next semester, only the first years would be troubled when trying to locate their designated classrooms.

This had nothing to do with Anon though, as he stared at the red sky, lost in his own world.

In these three weeks or so, he hadn't come across Liam even once, and yet, until a week ago, his house was cleaned by an unknown entity.

"Oh, he's here."

Anon uttered without a change in his expression as he stood up from the recliner and entered his home.

At the same time, a limousine parked in front of the small gate leading to his front yard.

A middle-aged man with a burly frame and a full beard groomed neatly stepped out of the vehicle, walking around it before opening one of the back doors.

Seth stepped out, adorned in an all-black outfit.

"Wouldn't even welcome this king." Seth scoffed.

It appeared that his crimson eyes had become more prominent over the past month, at least, when compared to the first time he met Anon.

With visible familiarity, he unhooked the lock from Anon's front gate and stepped into the yard.

The middle-aged servant stood in front of the residence, just outside, as if guarding it.

He had a deep scar running across his face and a ruthless expression, but soon after, Elizabeth came across with three lunch boxes in her embrace, giving him one.

The servant was neither overbearing nor humble, respectfully stepping to the side and allowing her to enter.

There was some relief in his eyes when staring at her.

Being Seth's caretaker, butler, servant, whichever one desired to title it, no matter the title, it wasn't easy.

He was always on high alert, after all, he knew how this job had become vacant, and he didn't desire to end up like that last woman.

This girl, of the three, Seth, was his lord and the one he feared the most.

Anon was a strange boy, at times appearing dazed and foolish, while at other times seeming cold and indifferent, as if he were fully aware of his own thoughts.

Only Elizabeth was kind, pure in nature, and even appearance.

The only normal one.

When she entered the house, the girl's expression showed annoyance.

"Why is that Seth person so persistent? Not even for one day has he stopped pursuing Anon."

Elizabeth really didn't like Seth.

For whatever reason, the feeling he gave off wasn't the most pleasing.

At least, she thought so.

"Anon says he lives in White-sand district, ugh, how early must he leave his manor to reach here at this time?"

"What's his deal?"

Mumbling under her breath, her ears perked up when it perceived the sound of muffled booms coming from underneath her feet.

...

Multi-colored particles permeated the bunker room as Anon and Seth exchanged in close quarter combat.

Stellar cosmic energy swirled around Anon as he unleashed the power of his principle, causing the environment around him to distort.

Wherever his fist went, the air churned, sending ripples through the surroundings.

Seth's eyes shone with a greyish-silver light as he evaded Anon's attacks with relative ease.

No matter how fast Anon's movements became, he seemed to dodge just in time.

Like this, the two entered a stalemate where Anon sent out a barrage of attacks, whilst Seth continuously dodged.

In the odd times that he did counter, these attacks were simply too weak, and it instead backfired as Anon would sometimes parry, and other times, he'd grab hold of his wrist or ankle and launch a sudden burst of attacks.

At some point, the greyish-silver coating covering Seth's crimson irises seemingly cracked as Anon's fist landed, lifting Seth's body from the ground and sending him crashing into the white walls.

The basement was underground, so the door resembled a manhole cover.

When Seth crashed into the wall, the door lifted as Elizabeth climbed down the ladder after pulling the hatch shut.

Seeing Seth shakily get up from the ground with an imprint of a fist on his chest, she couldn't help but smile with glee, tinged with mockery.

Naturally, she disguised it as a greeting smile as she bowed slightly to Seth.

After all, no matter how much she disliked him, and despite how much he irked her, he was a member of the prestigious Constantin family.

"It's an honor to meet you once more, Seth Constantine." Elizabeth said in a respectful tone.

"The honor is all mine, Ms. Elizabeth."

A smile that was not one tugged at his lips as he continued, "And for the twenty-third time, it is Constantin, not Constantine."

"Oh, I'm so sorry."

Elizabeth's acting was convincing, only exposed by the sheer number of times that this mistake occurred.

"Hehehe," Anon was amused, walking up to her as the chaotic environment shrouding his form returned to normal.

"Thanks for the food." He smiled.

Thereafter, he commented in a puzzled voice, "I've not seen the old lady in a while."

Saying this, he leaned on the wall and bit into a sandwich from the food box.

Hearing his question, Elizabeth's expressions turned dark.

She took a small bite of her sandwich before exhaling a deep sigh, "Grandma's condition is getting worse."

Old lady Su was already a fully grown adult, in her thirties, before the arrival of the great rebirth.

As of now, there weren't any awakened principles that boosted longevity or granted immortality, and even if there was, which idiot would make it public?

They'd only be experimented on as others would look to extract some of their benefits.

No matter where, humans of various differing worlds were troubled by death and desired longer life.

"Even coming over here is strenuous for her."

Elizabeth's almond-colored eyes showed a trace of worry and sadness.

"Ashes to ashes, dust to dust," Seth said indifferently, sitting a distance away from the duo.

Elizabeth didn't bring food for him, not because she disliked him, but because he had refused on more than one occasion in the past.

"You!"

Elizabeth's eyes widened at Seth's emotionless tone, and as she absorbed the meaning behind his words, waves of fury surged through her mind.

"In my life, I've never lied. You know what I mean, and it is the truth. What you hypnotize yourself with is merely a delusion."

Seth wasn't bothered by Elizabeth's dislike for him. Instead, he looked at Anon and asked, "What do you think, oh Anon?"

"What I think?" Anon mumbled, observing Seth in silence.

Seth met his gaze, and although his face did not smile, his eyes seemed to.

It was as if he were asking: Anon, don't you like this girl? Isn't she your family? How will you reply? Or are you an honest man who will agree with what I've said? But that would be too callous, like willingly throwing this girl's heart into a despairing sea.

Be careful of what you say, Anon.