BXBX NOVEL Chapter 106 Envy’s Fear 2 & Epilogue
Emerging from the depths of the sea on the fourth day of Rome\'s three-day sack, Envy commanded the vast bodies of water as extensions of her own limbs, annihilating any Visigoth she encountered. A day of unbridled slaughter and carnage ensued before she made her way to her former home, now reduced to smoldering ruins. Many surviving Romans bore witness to her fearsome power, a mix of delight and terror etched on their faces as they beheld their savior. Yet, fear held sway over their hearts, leaving them with no choice but to hide, their eyes filled with trepidation as they watched Envy pass by.
At that moment, Envy chose self-imposed exile, becoming a wanderer without roots. She encountered numerous individuals, both mages and supernatural beings, on her path. The first encounter was with a mage whose carefree existence within the Roman Empire without being devoted to aiding ordinary humans, awakened envy within Envy. She made no effort to suppress this envy, instead allowing it to take hold.
In the end, her power consumed every essence of the mage, assimilating his knowledge, understanding of magic, power, lifespan, intelligence, and even magical pathways. All became part of her, enhancing her own abilities.
Through experimentation, she discovered that she could only absorb the essence of her targets when enveloped by envy towards them. While she retained control over this power, she could solely drain the lifespan of those for whom she felt no envy.
As Envy continued her journey through life, she grew increasingly formidable with the passage of time, feasting on the essence of her enemies and thereby augmenting her strength. Interestingly, her envy towards both foes and allies began to wane as she amassed greater power, wealth, and knowledge.
This transformative realization compelled her to forsake her nomadic existence and seek seclusion, driven by the desire to purge herself of the aspect of her power that compelled her to uncontrollably drain the essence of those she envied.
It is crucial to comprehend that every Witch of the Witch of the Seven Deadly Sins, despite their superiority over ordinary mages, grapples with the flaw of their sin\'s aspect occasionally taking control of their actions. Furthermore, the more potent they become, the greater the risk of their sins commanding them. Envy, as the most formidable Witch among the Witch of the Seven Deadly Sins, faced the gravest danger in this regard.
The reawakening of her dormant power threatened to render the centuries she had spent striving to suppress this undesirable trait utterly futile.
"Ha... Ha... I can\'t stay here. There are too many targets for my envy: Wrath and Magitek. His knowledge and the idyllic family scene he possesses, which I yearn for, fuel my envy... I can\'t... stay here! Otherwise... Grh!" Envy uttered, panting in exhaustion. She grunted in pain as she struggled to suppress her envy, which was on the verge of taking control once again. Even a brief moment of unleashing it did nothing to diminish its intensity.
Envy swiftly retrieved an old, rusty, large nail from a hidden spot within her garments. Gritting her teeth with determination evident in her eyes, she pierced it into her left arm. A burst of light erupted the moment the nail pierced her flesh. The power emanating from the nail countered the demonic forces within her body, causing excruciating pain to surge through her.
"Arrrrrggggggggghhh!" Envy let out an agonized scream as her power was forcibly suppressed by the nail\'s divine energy. The shadow of a great serpent emerged from her shadow, writhing in pain, before gradually transforming back into her usual shadow.
What she used to temporarily seal the power of her sinful aspect was the Holy Nail of Jesus, the very nail used to crucify Jesus on the cross. Envy acquired this relic as a reward from the Vatican after assisting them in suppressing Satan during the crusade.
Envy swiftly summoned her familiar, a black snake that emerged from her shadow. She hastily wrote her farewell on a piece of paper torn from her notebook and made the small snake swallow it.
"Send it to Greed," she commanded her familiar, ensuring the message would reach its intended recipient. Gathering her remaining strength, she tapped into her magic to enhance her physical abilities, compensating for her exhaustion caused by suppressing her power.
Emerging from the secluded corner of the parking lot, Envy glanced up at the artificial sky overhead, designed to mimic the golden hues of dusk. She began to walk towards the exit of the laboratory, her eyes scanning the surroundings. Spotting a passing driver, she used her hypnotic abilities to manipulate their mind, compelling them to offer her a ride out of the facility.
The electric car glided along the charging road, seamlessly blending into the busy cityscape before eventually disappearing around a corner.
—
In the restaurant located within the bustling entertainment district, within a VIP room, a heartwarming scene unfolded. A little girl with vibrant red hair sat at the table, her face beaming with joy as she savored a small piece of steak. Her father, Daniel, carefully cut the meat into bite-sized portions, while her mother, Koyuki, fed it to her with a wide smile. It was a delightful reward for the little girl\'s successful attempt at cutting a piece of steak on her own. However, as the portion proved too large for her tiny hands, Daniel intervened, concerned that she might become hungry and develop a distaste for dining out with them.
On the other hand, Greed had joined them at the restaurant with the intention of indulging in a delicious meal alongside Daniel and her close friend, Koyuki. Additionally, she looked forward to spending time with the mischievous little Sylvana, who was also relishing a piece of steak from her mother\'s hand. However, instead of fully immersing herself in the joyous atmosphere, Greed found herself engrossed in a multitude of urgent emails that demanded her personal attention within her company.
As Greed reflected on her decision to request access to the base\'s Wi-Fi, she couldn\'t help but feel a sense of regret. Initially, her intention was simply to ensure that everything was running smoothly within her company. However, the moment one of her employees noticed her online presence, they immediately contacted her Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to discuss an urgent matter. Being the diligent leader she was, Greed willingly obliged and engaged in the conversation. Little did she know, this would trigger a cascade of events.
One by one, leaders from various departments within her company approached her, each presenting urgent cases that required her immediate approval. At this moment, Greed deeply regretted not having properly delegated her responsibilities before coming to the restaurant. The weight of her work now overshadowed the joy she had anticipated from this outing.
At that moment, a small snake rose from Greed\'s shadow. She immediately recognized it as her aunt\'s familiar. Appreciating the privacy of the VIP room, Greed carefully raised the little black snake, watching as it opened its mouth and retrieved the letter she had written. Since the snake was created from shadows, it had no bodily fluids to taint the letter, ensuring its contents remained untarnished.
Greed read the letter and then turned to her good friend, Wrath.
"Hey, Wrath, Aunt Envy went back to Hightower HQ. She said she\'s got some urgent business to take care of. She didn\'t say exactly what it is, but it must be important since she never leaves without saying goodbye," Greed explained, passing the letter to Koyuki, who was in the middle of feeding her daughter.
Koyuki urged her little troublemaker to eat on her own before taking the letter and reading it. She confirmed that it was indeed Envy\'s handwriting.
"Yeah, by the looks of it, it seems very important. I think she should be at the airport by now if she\'s in that much of a hurry," Koyuki agreed, noting the hint of urgency within the letter.
Greed nodded in agreement. Envy possessed knowledge of shadow walk magic, allowing her to travel through the shadows of inanimate objects. By now, she should have already arrived at the airport.
Unaware of the danger Envy had averted by exiling herself from the base, just moments away from losing self-control and unleashing a devastating rampage, in a bliss of ignorance, they pondered what could have transpired at the headquarters to necessitate such urgent intervention from a Witch as formidable as their aunt.
—
A week had passed, and the base continued to develop, bringing the cooperation between Daniel and Greed closer to a settlement.
Given that the Willow family had a real estate business with numerous properties throughout the Tessia Kingdom, Daniel assigned Richard, the Benevolence Orator, to persuade Edgar to grant him the rights to utilize those properties. After half a day of intense persuasion, Edgar relented, granting Daniel full access to all of the Willow family\'s real estate holdings in exchange for his release and a sum of pocket money to support his future.
Daniel agreed and provided Edgar with $15 million USD to sustain himself, ensuring that all memories of the secret base were erased from Edgar\'s mind before his release.
Daniel embarked on a journey through the Sector Alpha City and its surrounding suburbs, identifying properties that could be converted into mana generation sites. He specifically focused on locations within close proximity to his base, as he preferred not to venture too far.
As a result of his efforts, Daniel now possessed a substantial amount of mana in his possession: 3 Light, 6 Wood, 3 Fire, 5 Water, and 7 Dark. This mana reserve provided him with the ability to freely utilize his cards and manifest whatever he desired. However, he anxiously awaited news from The Keeper, as he was still unable to actualize any Unique cards.