Chapter 24: My husband’s weakness
My husband finally appeared.
His figure flickered nonstop along the path he moved. Plenty of afterimages were left behind by his incredible speed. He danced among the candidates, massacring them with masterful close-combat skills.
Against each enemy, he only used a few basic skills before finishing them off with cruel, fatal punches.
The candidates couldn’t even react, nor could they perceive my husband, as if they were fighting an invisible monster.
Soon, no one remained except me and my husband.
Gazing at his cold yet handsome face, my heart skipped a beat. But I tried to hide my feelings. Then he approached me and asked,
"Are you okay?"
I avoided his gaze and turned my head away awkwardly.
"Will you kill me?"
I wondered whether he would or not. My husband was the type of person who would do anything if it benefited him, even killing his own brothers.
My husband didn’t say anything. He acted heartless as usual. Then, he picked me up and carried me somewhere I didn’t know.
In his arms, I tried to enjoy his warmth while gazing at his handsome face. I couldn’t read his emotions or his thoughts.
However, from my memories of him, I remembered a few things.
Whenever he didn’t answer my questions, it usually meant there was something dark going on in his head.
It was my husband’s habit. For some reason, I felt a sense of déjà vu. I had a bad feeling. I began to worry about what he would do to me next.
"Henry... Don’t tell me you’re planning to use me for some dirty scheme to earn points?"
My husband merely glanced at me with his hollow eyes before looking ahead again and continuing on.
I could see it. There was a hint of surprise in his eyes, as if he wanted to say, "Oh. You’re right."
I clenched my jaw in irritation.
"I knew it. You’re nothing but a scumbag. A terrible husband. Let me go."
I squirmed frantically like an eel trying to slip out of a fisherman’s grasp, but my husband only tightened his hold around me. Moreover, I couldn’t compete with his strength. I was far weaker than him.
"Asshole! Let me go. Otherwise, I’ll kill you with my sewing needles."
My husband simply replied in an indifferent tone,
"You won’t."
I snorted in anger.
"Why? I have tons of reasons to kill you."
My husband replied calmly,
"Because you’re a kind person. You accepted me as your husband, so you’ll never betray me, nor kill me."
My expression darkened with anger. I immediately controlled my weapon to kill him, but the moment the sewing needles touched his scalp, a trace of hesitation crept into my heart.
I couldn’t do it, just as my husband had said.
My heart throbbed painfully. I could tell that if I did it, I would regret it.
"You see? The moment you said you just wanted to beat me into a pulp, I knew you’d never kill me," my husband replied.
I shivered slightly, my eyes turning red and wet. I choked out,
"B-Bastard."
I never thought that in my entire life, someone who had never known how to cry could end up crying so much after living with him.
My husband had me completely in the palm of his hand.
But I quickly regained my calm as he let out a sigh.
"Don’t cry anymore. It’s annoying. Just stay calm. My plan also helps you earn points a lot."
Then, he explained everything about his plan to me. I frowned in surprise, yet also in anger.
He’d practically use me like prey, but from some perspective, it might be effective. I couldn’t refuse it, and I even had to admit it was a smart plan.
I groaned in irritation before nodding.
"I agree with your plan."
My husband didn’t say anything, he just let out a relaxed sigh. I stared at him closely, then a smirk spread across my face.
Now I knew my husband’s weakness.
He didn’t like annoyance, and one of the ways to make him angry was the sound of my crying.
And now, that would be my weapon to handle him.
[POV]: Henry
I placed my wife against a tree trunk before glancing around the area.
A perfect place to build a trap.
I quickly summoned all the necessary materials onto the ground before picking up a shovel. I chose a good spot and started digging the pit. With my Awakener strength, it didn’t take too much time.
I nodded to myself before planting iron stakes, sharp enough to pierce the flesh of a Rank F Awakener beneath the pit.
After that, I scattered bear traps all around the area, along with plenty of other traps.
Around thirty minutes later, I had finished everything. I said to my wife, who was leaning back against a tree trunk, surrounded by scattered pits and stakes.
"Now... it’s your turn."
My wife grimaced in anger, yet still followed my command. She took a deep breath before screaming,
"Save me! Please! Someone help me! I’m Arthea Pendragon... please save me!"
I rubbed my chin in satisfaction before running into the nearby bushes. I summoned a bow and a hundred arrows on the ground.
I didn’t hope that all of the candidates would come here, because no one was stupid enough to reveal themselves in front of a hunter. They were suspicious, but curiosity still drew them toward my wife.
Around ten minutes later, I began to see a group of candidates approaching. They observed from a distance, and after confirming it was my wife, they leisurely headed toward the trap zone.
"I don’t think our luck is that good," a candidate smirked.
"We need to be careful. Is there a trap around here?" another candidate frowned, intending to check the surroundings before approaching my wife.
But his companions just shrugged.
"Stupid. She’s crippled—there’s no way she could set up a trap. Besides, no one is on her side to build it. I’m sure of it. If there were, she’d already be dead, killed by her own allies for the 100 points."
...
"Maybe you’re right."