Chapter 85
Linda thought, ‘It’s actually Laura!‘
Linda’s whole body went rigid, every muscle tensing as if she’d been turned to stone.
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Claudio said, “After the city was razed, Lucien brought back Laura’s body. Her magical affinities, heart, lungs, and even her bones were all ripped out.
“It took Lucien ages and a mountain of materials just to piece her back together.”
Linda’s eyes were red with tears, her heart aching. She just couldn’t wrap her head around how someone as pure and innocent as Laura could have died such a brutal death.
Linda thought, ‘Everything was taken from her.
‘Not even her bones were left behind.
Claudio’s voice was calm but barely above a whisper. “Back then, when Lucien brought Laura’s body back, Kermit took one look at her and was so overwhelmed with rage and grief that he coughed up blood.
“From that day on, his spirit broke, and his strength was never the same.
“Because of the city massacre, Lucien was hunted by every organization. But the elders of the First Unity Coven protected him at all costs, and that made every other organization turn against us.
“After that, the First Unity Coven went downhill fast. One by one, the elders fell, until the Great Citadel Wards were destroyed and everyone was wiped out.”
Claudio looked at Linda. “That’s all I know.”
Linda’s fingers curled tightly. The more furious she felt, the sharper her mind became. “Do you have any suspects?”
Claudio let out a bitter laugh. “Isn’t it ridiculous? My friend lived for centuries, and still couldn’t uncover a single clue. He didn’t even know who killed Laura.
“When Lucien came back, he was already gravely wounded. After Laura died, he barely managed to bring her body home, wanting to shoulder all the guilt himself.
“But before he could even step out of the mountain gate, he just collapsed. Kermit tried to keep him alive with mana, but it didn’t last long.
“His heart was set on dying.
“In the end, the head laid Lucien to rest beside Laura.”
Linda stayed silent for a long time, her mind spinning. Laura was the kind of person who never went out of her way to offend anyone.
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Chapter 85
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But someone had torn out her magical affinities, her heart, her lungs, even her bones. This was way beyond normal payback.
Linda thought, ‘More like someone was after something she had.
Whoever did it must’ve worried that snatching just one thing would raise suspicion, so they took it all.
Linda’s mind raced, crossing off suspects one by one until her thoughts zeroed in on Travis.
Linda asked, “In your previous life, did he ever see someone named Travis Barber around Laura?”
Claudio replied, “That’s my friend, not me.”
Linda corrected herself, “Okay, in his previous life, did your friend ever see Travis near Laura? Maybe in his dreams or memories?”
Claudio frowned. “Not really sure. My friend was a loner, never left the mountain.”
Linda snarked, “Talk about being a shut–in.”
Claudio asked, “Is there something off about this guy?”
Linda thought back to the greed she’d seen in Travis’s eyes. It was the exact same look Marietta had when she was after Linda’s Gilded Core. She just knew it. “Yeah.”
Claudio and Linda exchanged a look.
No words needed, they both knew what had to be done.
They wanted to go after him.
Linda and Claudio had been at it for ages inside, while outside, the other three were getting really antsy. Craig paced back and forth, muttering, “Why is it so dead quiet in there?”
Rafael asked, “Are they fighting in there?”
“If they were really fighting, there’d be some noise, right?” Craig said, itching to barge in. But Linda told them not to come, and they’d already broken that rule.
‘We already pushed it, barging in now would just be too much,‘ Craig thought.
Laura frowned, hesitated for a moment, then just walked up and gave the door a hard kick.
“Laura, wait…” Craig and Rafael called out, but it was too late.
They couldn’t stop her in time.
The door crashed to the ground with a loud bang.
Inside, Linda said, “Claudio, I finally understand this problem.”
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Chapter 85
Claudio smiled, “Linda, you’re really sharp. You get it right away”
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As soon as the door burst open, both of them turned to look and asked in unison, “What’s up, Laura?”
Laura just stared, lost for words.
Craig and Rafael lingered at the doorway, eyeing Linda and Claudio up and down. ‘Nope, something’s seriously off here,‘ they both thought.
They were never that polite with each other before.
Claudio put on a cold front and stepped away from Linda, his tone frosty. “Laura had some things she couldn’t figure out in the Veil, so she came over to grill me. I just told her straight up.”
“What kind of questions?” Craig asked.
“She was in Ram–Head Valley and thought someone was tailing her. She asked if I was the one following her,” Claudio replied.
Craig and Laura shot Claudio a look. “And then?”
“It was me,” Claudio admitted.
‘Knew it. Claudio’s the one who messed up,‘ Craig and Laura thought at the same time.
Linda quipped with a hint of sarcasm, “So it was all just a misunderstanding. Claudio said he landed in the same spot as me after the teleport, saw me heading into the valley, and decided to follow along.”
The three of them nodded, all thinking, ‘Now that makes sense.
‘It’s not normal for them to be so polite to each other.
‘This is how they are supposed to roll.‘
Craig and Rafael were relieved.
Laura relaxed as well.
The three of them exchanged glances, clearly pleased.
Linda and Claudio rubbed their foreheads, both thinking, ‘Looks like we’re gonna have to babysit these guys even more from now on.’
After Linda broke through to Foundation Establishment, she went back to her Hermit’s Sanctum to tell Mack the good news.
Then she swung by the Apprentices‘ Quarters and handed out all the gifts she’d prepared for Laura and the
gang.
Each of them got a present.
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They were all over the moon.
Claudio’s fingers twitched as he took the gift, looking uncomfortable.
Rafael shot him a look and scooted closer. “Claudio, if you don’t really want these flowers, then maybe…”
Claudio just tucked them away, not showing any emotion.
Rafael was speechless.
Linda gave each of them ten thousand Luster Shards, but Laura got twenty thousand.
“Whoa, that’s a fortune!” Craig exclaimed, stunned.
‘So many Luster Shards!‘ he thought.
Linda grinned. “And that’s not all! I want to invite all of you to come down the mountain with me and treat everyone to a feast.”
Linda and Claudio exchanged a look.
It was better to take the fight to them than just sit around waiting for trouble.
Rafael was whooping and hollering all over the courtyard, “Linda, you’re the best!”
Craig grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back. “So, when are we heading down the mountain?”
“The fifteenth of this month,” Linda replied.
“Alright!” Craig grinned.
Linda smiled. “Laura, I just broke through to Foundation Establishment, and my realm isn’t fully settled yet.
“Mentor told me to take it slow and let things settle for a bit. So for the next ten days, I’ll be your workout buddy and help you with your body training.”
Laura’s eyes lit up. “Awesome!”
For the next ten days, Linda would often come down from the Frost–Crowned Highlands to work out with Laura.
Right now, in the whole First Unity Coven, aside from Lucien, who was away, Linda was the only one among their generation who could actually handle Laura’s attacks.
Linda wasn’t just helping Laura. She was using every bout to hone her own physique, getting tougher with each round.
The sound of their sparring was like a starting bell on the training grounds, letting everyone know the action was kicking off.
Every time Rafael watched those two go at it, his whole body would tense up, like he was watching a train
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Chapter 85
wreck about to happen.
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“Freaking terrifying! Seriously, aren’t they worried they’ll just blow each other to bits?” Rafael blurted out, eyes wide.
Craig rolled his eyes. “You think Linda’s like you? Please, she’s got brains. If she can’t take Laura’s hits head–on, she just rolls with it and turns the force aside. Not like you, charging in like a headless chicken.”
Rafael clutched his dislocated arm, wincing. “Well…”
“What’s with the ‘well‘? Get moving,” Craig said, getting to his feet.
“No slacking off,” he added.
Rafael’s eyes flicked over to Claudio, who was hanging out on the sidelines. “Hey, Craig, you’ve been grinding hard too. How about I take Claudio for a spin instead?”
Claudio paused mid–sip when he heard Rafael’s offer, popped the cap back on his bottle, and said, “Alright, sounds good.”
As Claudio started walking over, Rafael’s heart sank. ‘Uh oh, maybe this wasn’t such a great idea after all,’ he thought.
“Wait, Craig…” Rafael stammered, trying to wriggle out of it.
Claudio cupped his hands in salute. “Rafael, care to teach me a thing or two?”
Rafael was speechless.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
