Chapter 53
Chapter 53
Claudio smirked, his voice a low, tempting drawl. “I’m Claudio, nda
Linda scoffed. “I wouldn’t say so.”
14%5
65 vouchers
Suddenly, Linda closed in, her aura bursting forth as she threw a palm at Claudio. Claudio just shook his head, dodging her move with effortless calm.
“Wait, what are you…” His words were cut short.
He glanced down, just in time to see a pebble skim across his chest before shooting away.
It was the very same pebble Emmett had used as his vessel earlier.
The pebble struck its mark.
But it just passed right through.
Emmett let out a surprised sound. “Whoa. It’s just an illusion.”
Linda arched an eyebrow. “Is that so, Claudio?”
Her words trailed off with a playful lilt, full of mockery.
Claudio’s expression shifted, a strange look on his face as he asked, “How did you figure it out?”
Linda thought, ‘If Claudio really had memories from his previous life, he wouldn’t be wasting time asking why I’m in his dream. He would’ve gone straight for the kill.‘
The illusion let out a sigh, and as it did, its features shifted, taking on Matthew’s face. “Linda, you’re really breaking my heart.”
Linda’s eyes darkened as she swung a punch. “I told you that you don’t get to talk to me like that!”
The illusion didn’t flinch. After all, as a spirit, it figured Linda couldn’t touch it. But it had totally miscalculated. Her punch landed squarely on its face.
Then, Linda smashed it straight into the ground.
Dermot was stunned.
“How is that even possible?” it blurted out.
‘I’m a spirit. How could she possibly hurt me?‘ it thought.
Linda grabbed it by the neck, and for the first time, she finally understood why villains enjoyed choking people.
Yanking someone’s hair would look messy, and pinning someone down by the chest wouldn’t have the same vibe.
But the neck was a whole different story.
She could grab it with just one hand, and it just looked so much cooler.
“Because I’m not just anyone,” Linda laughed quietly, her voice making the spirit’s skin crawl.
When it snapped back to reality, it realized there were five Gilded Cores zeroed in on it.
1/4
1465
Chapter 53
Inside the range of those five Gilded Cores, Linda had total control over everything
12 69 vouchers
Dermot was completely stunned. It thought, ‘How is there even technique like this? How can she have her Gilded Core floating outside her body? Aren’t those supposed to stay in your core?”
Dermot shouted, “You’re cheating.
“That doesn’t count. Let’s do it again!”
‘I was just careless and got grabbed by her. She won’t catch me again, Dermot thought.
Linda’s voice was chilling. “Where are they?”
“Why should I tell you…” Dermot snapped.
Just then, a stone rolled over from the side, with little arms and legs popping out, it was Emmett, back in his store form.
Emmett perched on Linda’s shoulder, putting on his best wise–old–spirit act. “Take it from someone who’s been around. Just tell her the truth, or next time, you might not be so lucky.”
Dermot was left speechless, staring wide–eyed at Emmett. “You are a companion spirit? You actually picked her as your
owner?”
“Indeed,” Emmett replied.
Emmett almost wanted to deny it, but thought better of it. He just shrugged and shot back, “What do you think?
Dermot glared, furious and disgusted. “Why would a companion spirit pick a human mage as their owner? Even if she were the ruler of this Veil, I’d never bow down. You are pathetic.”
“Really?” Linda’s face was utterly impassive, not a hint of emotion showing.
“Then die,” she added.
Her Gilded Cores closed in, and a torrent of flames burst forth, packed with a psychic blast.
Dermot’s expression twisted in terror. Just as Linda was about to let go, it clung desperately to her wrist and collapsed to its knees.
“I pledge my loyalty to you,” it pleaded.
Emmett was speechless.
Dream Weaver was also stunned.
“They’re back there. I didn’t touch them,” Dermot said, pointing behind it.
Linda peered into the shadows, but saw nothing.
Dermot, knowing when to quit, waved its hand and ripped open the space, letting Linda see Claudio trapped in the dream.
At that moment, he was surrounded by murderous intentions.
If Linda had actually faced this version of Claudio just now, she wouldn’t have stood a chance.
“His willpower is insane. I tried to get close and steal some of his memories, but even a little bit was way too much for me,” Dermot muttered.
Linda
gave
it a frosty glare. “So, did the scenes you showed me earlier come from his dream?”
2/4
Tue, Jan Zu
零14%
Chapter 53
Dermot let out a nervous chuckle. “More or less. I made up part of it. Hey, don’t choke me,
“Anyway, dreams are all about twisting things. Just find someone person cares about, then you can destroy them”
Emmett slammed into it.
“Quit laughing, it’s giving me the creeps,” Emmett muttered.
Linda frowned, still bothered by that scene where she was killed. That wasn’t something just anyone could make up. “Did you make up the great war between celestials and fiends?”
Dermot hesitated, pulling a weird face. “Well…”
“Spit it out,” Linda snapped.
Dermot raised its voice. “No. I snooped through his memories, and that scene was actually there, but it’s just a shattered piece. You were in it, and…”
Dermot glanced at Linda and added, “He’s been searching for you.”
Linda frowned.
‘Did Claudio time–travel as well?‘ Linda wondered.
But thinking back to their first meeting, it just didn’t add up.
At that moment, Claudio looked almost innocent, even harmless
He still wouldn’t vibe with strangers, but compared to the one Linda knew from her previous life, where he was all rage and bloodlust, he was like a totally different guy.
Now, Claudio was almost soft.
Linda thought, ‘Who else could have memories like that, except someone who’s time–traveled?
‘I have to test him first.
Linda’s gaze landed on Claudio. “Can you send me into his dream?”
Dermot’s face twisted with smug excitement, barely able to contain itself. “Really?”
In the dream world, Dermot was unbeatable.
It could even absorb the vital essence of mages through their dreams to empower itself. If it managed to swallow Emmett, it would become even more powerful.
Emmett gave it a swift kick with his little foot.
“Stop drooling.” Emmett snapped.
Linda said coolly, “Send me in. I want to see for myself.”
“Sure, no problem.” Dermot was over the moon.
Linda was actually volunteering to walk right into the trap. Dermot couldn’t believe that it would run into such an easy
target.
Dermot grinned. “Just step forward, and you’ll be inside.”
3/4
20:07 Tue, Jan 20 (7
Chapter 33
Linda strode forward without a second thought.
14%1
a vouchers
But as Dermot tried to slip away, she grabbed it in one swift motion. With a flick of her left hand, a spirit–binding spell materialized, instantly forming a cage that locked Dermot inside
Dermot froze, staring at her in shock. “What are you doing?”
Linda didn’t even glance back as she said, “If I’m going in, you’re coming with me.”
She glanced down at Dermot and smiled. “Isn’t that right?”
Dermot shivered.
It couldn’t help but think that Claudio and Linda were both quite scary.
Linda reached out and slipped effortlessly through the curtain of water, stepping into Claudio’s dream. The world was wrapped in a thick fog, and every footstep echoed with eerie clarity.
Linda could hear her own footsteps and someone else’s up ahead
It was slow and hesitant.
They rang out twice before fading away.
Linda stopped where she was, not stepping forward. The mist began to part, and a three–year–old boy appeared.
He seemed to have heard something and looked up
Linda with a puzzled look on his face.
Those strikingly bright eyes reflected both the pure innce of a child and a sharp wariness, sizing Linda up as if she were
a stranger.
“Claudio?” Linda whispered.
4/4
