Free Web NovelChapter 17: Because you’re a useful tool
[POV]: Arthea
I felt fear.
The first time I saw a man kill his own blood as if it meant nothing.
No hesitation.
No mercy.
He did it like it was just his instinct.
Obviously, my husband was nothing short of a mad murderer, someone who killed without hesitation.
"Why don’t you say anything?" my husband asked while pushing my wheelchair toward our room.
I didn’t answer. I was too afraid.
Afraid he might kill me too.
After we entered the room, he carried me in his arms as usual. I flinched at his touch.
It seemed he noticed. He looked at me with hollow eyes and asked,
"Are you fearful of me?"
I turned away to avoid his gaze.
When he gently laid me on the bed, I finally forced myself to ask,
"Why do you still keep me by your side? I’m crippled. Nothing but trash. Now you could marry any other woman – someone far more talented than me."
My husband just rolled his eyes. He lay down next to me and said,
"Because you’re a useful tool."
I sighed. I already knew it clearly because he had said it before to our father.
"Specifically, what can I do for you?"
My husband said honestly,
"You helped me become stronger. And on top of that... you give me peace."
My pupils widened.
"Stronger? Peace?"
I didn’t understand why my heart skipped a beat after hearing that. My ears twitched. After hesitating for a moment, I asked,
"Is that true?"
My husband replied lazily,
"I have no reason to lie to you."
My face grew hot, and I quickly turned away. I wanted to run off somewhere just to avoid facing him.
A moment later, I forced myself to ask, a faint blush spreading across my face.
"So... tonight, do you want to hold me while we sleep? If it brings you peace?"
He answered,
"Indeed, it gives me peace, but I don’t need it right now."
He simply sat on the bed and slipped into a meditative posture shortly afterward.
I didn’t know why, but I felt a little disappointed and let down.
Why was I having such useless feelings? Maybe...No. I could never fall for a killer like him.
I hated him.
***
[POV]: Henry
I cracked my eyes open and glanced at the window. The soft, warm light of morning shone through the glass and spilled across the floor.
I turned my attention to my wife, who was still sleeping like the dead, her chest rising and falling steadily with each breath.
Then, I jumped off the bed , heading in front of the window to bathe in the warm light of morning while taking a long breath.
I felt great, especially mentally. Better than ever.
Even at night, I barely slept. I simply used the [Cultivation Art of Soul Stabilization] and continuously absorbed the mana in the air. With each passing second, mana flowed into my body, making me feel stronger. More importantly, it felt as though my mind was being cleansed and soothed.
However, I still felt that it lacked something when compared to my wife.
It was like sleeping on a cheap bed and comparing it to a luxury one. Indeed, there was no better method than sleeping in my wife’s embrace.
I walked to the door and opened it. By chance, Clara was just coming in. She greeted me before heading to my wife and getting to work.
Meanwhile, I decided to stroll through the streets to clear my mind before feeding my wife at 9 a.m.
An hour later, I returned home.
My wife was sitting in her wheelchair, trying to do something. She was controlling a sewing needle with her mind.
The sewing needle hovered in midair for a moment before falling to the floor.
My wife gasped for breath after finishing her short practice session.
I didn’t expect her to learn a new manual so quickly. In just a single day, she had already grasped the basics and managed to apply an (SSS+) martial arts manual.
I asked,
"So? Is everything going well?"
My wife just sighed and grumbled,
"Of course not. My mana is too limited... I think I’ll need a sewing needle even smaller than this one."
I nodded and took off my training shirt, revealing muscles damp with sweat from running around earlier. Picking up the bowl of porridge, I walked over to my wife.
She flinched slightly and gulped, but didn’t say anything or put up any resistance.
I thought she had become more obedient than before.
"It’s time to eat. And don’t make things difficult like before. After we’re done, I’ll take a bath. Then we’ll go clear a Gate."
Indeed, only killing the monsters in the Gate helped me grow stronger. The [Cultivation Art of Soul Stabilization] didn’t increase my mana as effectively as I had expected. If I relied only on this technique, I estimated it would take me at least four months to reach Rank [F].
Plus, my wife also needed to become stronger.
My wife nodded calmly, her gaze lingering on my body.
Maybe she liked looking at it. It was the same habit my ex-girlfriend had in my previous life.
I then began feeding her. To my surprise, she barely gave me any trouble this time. As a result, it only took about ten minutes to finish.
After making a few preparations, we left home and headed for the Hunter Association.
We decided to clear an [F]-Rank Gate. As we made our way toward it, a sudden commotion erupted from a nearby area.
"I’ll kill you! All of you who don’t serve my God must die."
....
"Destroy the connection station and let the monsters break out and wreck this place."
...
"Worshipers! Damn it—warn everyone. Those bastards are here."
I just ignored them and continued pushing the wheelchair toward the Gate. My wife didn’t object to my decision.
We should leave this trouble to the staff members and the government’s bureau department. Their job was to deal with these lunatics and terrorists.
However, an angry voice rang out behind me at that moment.
"Why are you turning your back on this? You possess enough power to deal with them. With greater strength comes greater responsibility. You are unworthy of it—especially you, Arthea Pendragon."
