Book 5 Chapter 21.8 - Brilliance
Should ordinary people have better lives, or should more resources be placed in the hands of ability users who would make greater use of it?
Politics could be simplified into being the allocation of resources and interests. However, endless complexities could exist between the choices.
Su sat on the couch in front of the fireplace, his hands crossed, supporting his chin. Half of his face was covered, the serene and deep left eye gazing into the jumping fireplace, unknown as to what he was thinking about. Madeline was currently heading up the stairs, behaving like a curious young lady, looking around here and poking around there. She was clearly extremely satisfied towards this clean, warm, and comfortable house.
The sound of heavy objects moving could be heard from the floor above. Cirvanas was currently dragging the unconscious family members one by one to the floor above, tossing them onto the guest room bed. This family was basically all ordinary people, only the robust second son possessing a level of strength. They were originally by the living room fireplace, warming themselves, drinking tea, reading, and chatting. However, at this time, Su suddenly appeared like a ghost, tapped each of their bodies, and then used a bone prick to produce an extremely small injury. The minute amount of poison entered their bodies through the opening, forcing them into a deep sleep within a few seconds. This poison wouldn't inflict any life-threatening damage, only making them sleep for a few days, and then feel slightly out of sorts when they woke up. The task of dragging them to their rooms upstairs was naturally placed in Cirvanas' hands. The young man was already quite aware of this, acting on his own initiative without any reminder to undertake this task. It seemed like they were going to live here for two or three days from Su's plans, so the young man tossed this entire family into a single guest room.
When Cirvanas dragged the last person into the guest room, Su finally stood up, heading up the stairs, quickly entering the third floor.
Madeline was also at the third floor, currently standing in the main bedroom and looking around. On the cabinet next to the bed were a few handicraft articles of various styles, seemingly things the master of this house gathered quite meticulously. The room was extremely warm, the smoke passage bringing the living room fireplace's heat all the way here. She was currently staring absentmindedly, suddenly feeling as if there was something different behind her. When she quickly turned around, she saw that it was actually Su who was standing by the door.
When she saw Su close the bedroom door and then walk towards her, Madeline's body suddenly went rigid, her expression also becoming a bit pale. Her hands raised slightly, but then lowered somewhat helplessly, and then she held her breathing for some unknown reason. Meanwhile, on the tip of her nose, there were unexpectedly fine beads of sweat!
Madeline's eyes stared rigidly at the floor, her range of sight also restrained to a meter's distance. When she saw Su's feet appear in her field of view, she knew that Su was already standing at her side. Immediately afterwards, a warm feeling could be felt from her shoulders and back.
What kind of feeling was this? Could it be… Su's embrace?
Madeline's body was already rigid like steel. When Su's arm made contact with her, her entire body shook, a formless shock wave immediately spreading from her heart. It was as if a storm erupted in the bedroom, all of the handicraft articles and furniture instantly exploding! This was the result of her power immediately being raised to the peak, and then forcefully controlled again.
"What's wrong?" Su's voice sounded by Madeline's ears, the bit of air that was released moving a few strands of her hair.
Madeline still maintained her original stance, not moving an inch, as if she was a petrified statue, only managing to squeeze out a few extremely stiff words from the gaps of her teeth, "It's nothing!"
"Then relax a bit." Su was just as gentle and soft as before.
Madeline had already completely turned into a statue, her posture not changing in the slightest. Even if a digital camera was used to record her, not the slightest motion would be detected. However, her body that was taut like steel slowly softened up.
This damn warmth...
The instant she relaxed, the nape of her neck suddenly felt numb, several strands of sharp energy suddenly rushing into her body, directly shooting into her central nervous system! When Madeline felt a bit of alarm, everything before her eyes already went dark, her body falling weakly, losing all consciousness. Su carried Madeline to the bed, and then pulled up the blanket to properly cover her up. Su then look at the perfect and beautiful sleeping face, silently releasing a sigh.
The young lady already developed comprehensive six levels of Combat Domain ability, and she had enough evolutionary points left to produce two seventh level abilities. If she had focused on developing a single ability, for example, power, then the amount of evolutionary points consumed would be enough to support the appearance of a ninth level ability. For some reason, the young lady didn't develop her abilities in a straight line, instead only moving onto the next level after all standard abilities were evolved. However, regardless, due to her body's foundational power being great, Madeline's current combat strength was already extremely ferocious. If they were fighting from close quarters, Su would have no choice but to try and break her down in a prolonged battle method. For example, even though Su himself had seven levels of power strengthening, the inside of his body already modified beyond recognition, Su still couldn't compare to Madeline's six levels of power.
If he wanted to catch the current Madeline off guard and knock her down, it was basically an impossible task. Only if she willingly lowered her defenses would there be a chance, just like just now, when she opened up everything to Su.
Su understood this well, and also understood the reason why she made this decision. He wasn't stupid, his senses extremely sharp, just that he normally didn't think about any of these matters. Before taking action, Su already decided to adopt this type of method to break down her resistance, and it was also the only method. Before approaching her, Su had a powerful urge to hug her, not needing to apply any additional restraint or concealment. Madeline's feeling of this urge, was also a result Su wanted to achieve.
Everything proceeded as Su had anticipated. She lowered her defenses, opened herself up, and then entered a state of sleep.
While watching the sleeping young lady, Su moved the few strands of hair scattered across her face for her, his fingers moving across her smooth skin, and then pressing gently by her ears, an extremely fine bone prick injecting half a drop of poison. This would allow her to sleep a bit longer. If there were no disturbances, the young lady will wake up after a day.
Su smiled just like before, his smile carrying a bit of pained and indescribable feeling. The young lady was asleep, but he planted within her a seed of fire, a seed that would burn down the entire world one day. Since it could burn down the world, it would also destroy her, as well as destroy him. Not even Su knew, at that time, just how much of it would be involuntary, how much was all an act.
Eight whole years passed. Eight years was enough for many things to change. Oftentimes, when one became aware of this, they would find that things remained the same, while people changed.
Su stood up, the smile on his face becoming calm and unhurried again. He raised his hand, and then pressed down in the air, making Cirvanas who had just finished setting the last person suddenly collapse, his body going weak, entering a deep state of sleep.
Su walked out from the bedroom, gently closed the room's door, and then walked out. His footsteps were precise, graceful, resolute, and fearless.
The seed of fire had already been planted. Even if it did eventually erupt into great flames, that was still something that came after he was able to return alive.
Su walked on the snowland, his green gaze sharp like a sword, already tearing through the night sky, landing on the Land of Rest shrouded in heavy mist. He was going to uproot the mysterious Land of Rest alone.