Chapter 256 - 252: Re-encounter and the Secret of Power

Chapter 256: Chapter 252: Re-encounter and the Secret of Power

Even through the rain, the Soul-Devouring Monster’s bloodcurdling scream before it died was clearly audible to the distant Su Su and Qin Xiaoxia.

A faint smile touched Qin Xiaoxia’s lips.

Hilbert falling asleep was his arrangement, as was the timing of his awakening. The same went for his irrational, impulsive solo action and subsequent burst of courage, not to mention the "power" he had mysteriously obtained.

Despite so much of it being "fake," Hilbert would never realize it. On the contrary, the single genuine element—the Soul-Devouring Monster—combined with the miraculous power that had erupted from him, would elevate tonight’s strange encounter to a level Hilbert would never forget for the rest of his life.

And it would logically lay a solid foundation for the setup to come.

In ancient times, the old tricksters of the association would have had to go to great lengths to achieve a similar effect with this kind of method, and they’d still risk exposure. It was nowhere near as convenient as it was for Qin Xiaoxia now.

Right then, Su Su’s gaze was fixed on the Soul-Devouring Monster that was frantically fleeing through the curtain of rain.

"Mentor, should we capture this thing and deliver it to the Chakus Family?"

Sister Su’s words pulled Qin Xiaoxia’s attention away from the manor. He casually glanced at the Soul-Devouring Monster.

"No need. With a Soul-Devouring Monster’s intelligence and cowardice, it’ll definitely go into hiding immediately after a scare like that. If there is a ’mastermind,’ this will force them to find the Soul-Devouring Monster themselves. Capturing it would be counterproductive."

"And if there’s no ’mastermind,’ it’s more fitting for Hilbert to capture the Soul-Devouring Monster himself."

Su Su nodded thoughtfully. If the potential Demon was powerful, her divination might not work even if they captured the Soul-Devouring Monster. Worse, it might alert the enemy.

It seemed there was nothing else to do tonight. Gazing at the pouring rain, Sister Su was suddenly reminded of a trope from a cheesy romance drama.

The female lead feels cold, so the male lead takes off his jacket and drapes it over her, or just pulls her into a hug.

’Well, it’s just a thought. It’s not like I have the guts to do it, and even if I did... with this temperature, I wouldn’t even be able to convince myself I’m cold, let alone my Mentor.’

...

In the end, Hilbert couldn’t get back up. Without an adaptation period, an ordinary person’s body that rashly uses Magic Power to unleash such a burst will suffer side effects, placing an enormous strain on both the muscles and the mind.

Crucially, this Magic Power had been forced upon him by Qin Xiaoxia. It hadn’t been acknowledged by his body or soul, making the process even more brutal.

Even though Hilbert had only sustained it for less than two seconds, it was more than enough to take its toll.

So, after his muscles twitched for a while, he fell asleep from the overwhelming exhaustion.

「The next morning, the rain had long since stopped.」

When two servants got up and went to check on the living room, which was serving as the mourning hall, they smelled a foul odor. Following the stench, they found Hilbert asleep in front of the fireplace.

The ashes in the fireplace looked as if they’d been blown about by a strong wind, spilling out everywhere. Beside Hilbert was a puddle of a dried white substance, which was emitting waves of the horrid smell.

"Young Master, Young Master! Are you all right!"

"Madam! You have to come see! The Young Master has fainted in the mourning hall!"

Mrs. Chakus, who had been washing up upstairs, was terrified and ran down without putting on her makeup.

"AHHHH! Hilbert, why are you sleeping here! What is all this? Is it paint?"

Hilbert was startled awake by the shouts of the servants and his mother. He struggled to open his eyes and saw several concerned faces looking down at him.

"Mother, I’m fine. Just a little tired!"

He took a moment to assess himself. He felt like someone who never exercises and had suddenly done an intense, hours-long workout without warming up; every muscle in his body ached terribly. But it was just soreness—he could still move.

There was also a mental exhaustion, as if he hadn’t slept for days.

With the servants’ help, Hilbert stood up. Looking at the charcoal ash scattered on the floor and the puddle of liquid that still stank even after drying, he didn’t know where to begin explaining to his mother.

So as not to worry anyone, he decided to keep it to himself for now.

"Maybe I missed Father too much. I might have been sleepwalking last night."

"Clean this floor up. The hearse will be here this afternoon."

Mrs. Chakus looked her son over from every angle. Aside from the obvious exhaustion and bloodshot eyes, he really did seem to be fine.

"Hilbert, don’t try to be strong. If you feel unwell anywhere, you must tell me. Do you want to go to the hospital for a check-up?"

"There’s no need, Mother. Right now, I just want to eat breakfast and go back to sleep."

After his repeated explanations and reassurances, the anxious Mrs. Chakus finally felt a little more at ease.

Hilbert gazed at his mother’s face. Since his father’s passing, she must have been crying secretly many times. Without makeup, she looked noticeably haggard.

"Mother, you should go back and get ready!"

Only then did Mrs. Chakus remember she had come down without her makeup on. She glanced toward the casket, then hurried back upstairs.

After drinking several glasses of milk and eating a good amount of bacon, eggs, and bread, Hilbert returned to his room, flopped onto his bed, and fell asleep.

His energy replenished, he slept much more comfortably this time.

...

As noon approached, more and more friends and relatives gathered. Hilbert, feeling much better, was among them.

From his slightly pale face and listless expression, others would only assume he was overcome with grief.

Only Hilbert himself knew that last night, he had unleashed a power far beyond ordinary comprehension and slain an "Evil Spirit."

He now seemed to have an answer as to why the mysterious man had said it was incredible for a member of the Chakus Clan’s bloodline to die of a heart attack.

Gazing in the direction of the fireplace, which the servants had already cleaned, Hilbert secretly clenched his fists.

There was a trace of apprehension, but it was overshadowed by a slowly rising sense of excitement.

’Last night was tense, but my mind was crystal clear. The teleportation-like speed, the blue light radiating from my hands...’

’The Chakus Clan... what is our origin? What power lies hidden in my bloodline?! Father, your death will not be in vain!’

More than an hour passed.

While he waited, the elderly figure of Corini arrived, but the two people Hilbert was most anticipating had yet to appear.

Feeling slightly disappointed, Hilbert joined everyone for a buffet-style lunch in the dining room.

Around one o’clock in the afternoon, the body of Old Baron Chakus was transferred from the glass cryo-casket into a wooden one.

The hearse had arrived.

Friends and family watched as the coffin was loaded into the hearse. Then, with the hearse in the lead and the cars of the mourners following behind, the grand procession set off for the cemetery.

To Hilbert’s great relief, the two mysterious people had come after all—and they had arrived before anyone else.

They were already waiting at the cemetery.

The two mysterious people seemed to pay Hilbert no mind; or rather, they paid no one any mind. They would only occasionally glance at Old Chakus’s coffin or rest with their eyes closed.

Seeing them like this, Hilbert didn’t dare to approach them rashly and start a conversation.

The moment the pastor began to recite the prayer, everyone understood that this was their final farewell to Old Chakus.

At this moment, Qin Xiaoxia watched the coffin and sighed. He reached out a hand, flicked a finger in its direction, and erased the last trace of the mark left by the Soul-Devouring Monster.

He was, after all, a descendant of a true member of Dawn. Even in death, he shouldn’t be disturbed by those Demons a second time.

He was laid to rest.

Just as Hilbert was contemplating how he should approach the mysterious pair for a conversation, he suddenly realized one of them was standing right beside him.

His profound gaze met Hilbert’s, just like the day before, but this time there was a hint of warning in it.

"Hilbert Chakus, with your current physical condition, it would be best not to overdraft the Magic Power in your bloodline a second time. This is a word of advice for you!"

Looking at the tense young man before him, Qin Xiaoxia suddenly chuckled.

"Of course, whether you listen or not is up to you. As for Old Chakus’s death, we will get to the bottom of it!"

"Wait!"

Seeing the two about to leave again, Hilbert finally managed to get the word out to stop them.

"You can’t just come and go like this! Who on earth are you? What is your connection to the Chakus Clan? Last night, I..."

"Anger, fear, excitement... When your emotions reach a certain intensity and are triggered by an external stimulus, the Magic Power in your bloodline will grant you unbelievable strength, provided it isn’t suppressed by willpower. That’s what you most want to ask about."

"Don’t worry, we won’t leave without saying goodbye. Go home and get some proper rest, Hilbert."

The last sentence made Hilbert feel a kind of concern that an elder would show to a junior.

"Hilbert, what’s wrong? Are you okay?"

His mother’s concerned voice seemed to pull Hilbert back to reality.

"Huh? Mother, wait, what about those two? Where did they go?"

Mrs. Chakus looked at her son with worry.

"Those two people left when the pastor was reciting the prayer."

’Was it an illusion? No! It wasn’t!’

PS: Chapter three for Thursday.