Free Web NovelChapter 17: The Butcher Is... Shopping?
Moments later, they were done with their meal and had freshened up.
"Today’s work might be more hectic than normal..." Amon said to Kayla.
The couple stood at the door. Ciara rested in Kayla’s right arm as she stared at Amon with her big, round eyes.
’Dad is going to kill bad guys again...’
Ciara already understood Amon’s words.
He could hide it from Kayla, but he couldn’t hide it from her, the transmigrator he would never suspect.
Her heart grew heavy at the thought, and she silently clenched her small fist.
Who would have expected that her father was silently carrying this burden all on his own?
The thought left her feeling slightly saddened.
She stretched her short little arms toward him, struggling out of Kayla’s hold.
"Huh? It seems she wants to hug you?" Kayla said in slight surprise.
Amon was also taken aback, but warmth spread through his chest.
He gently took his daughter and pulled her into a hug, running a hand through her soft hair.
"Don’t worry, daddy is just going to excavate mana stones. He’ll be back soon," Amon said, gently soothing the little girl before handing her back to Kayla.
"Alright, I’m off for now. I’ll be back sometime later."
Amon waved goodbye to Kayla and Ciara before leaving with light steps, hailing down a taxi.
Kayla watched silently as he entered the car. He waved one final time before the vehicle pulled away.
Only then did she return inside and lock the door.
She walked to the table, picked up a novel, and began reading to her little daughter.
This was how they usually spent most of their time together.
It was her way of entertaining Ciara while entertaining herself as well.
...
After entering the taxi, Amon took out his phone and quickly dialed Mark’s number.
"Hey man."
His voice sounded slightly strained.
"Amon, what’s up? Are you at work already?" a voice came through from the other end.
Amon replied, "I’m feeling slightly under the weather, so I won’t be able to make it to work today. Try to cover for me. I’ll compensate you."
"There’s no need for that between us, man," Mark replied immediately. "Take care of your health. You just had a daughter, and she needs you a lot at this stage."
Amon felt touched.
He lingered for a few seconds before recalling something.
"Right, don’t tell my wife I didn’t show up to work today. Tell the others not to say anything as well."
The other end of the line fell silent.
For several seconds, only the steady hum of the car filled the air.
Then Mark’s suspicious voice came through.
"Bro, is something up between you and your wife? She’s a kind and pretty woman, and it’s not right to treat her this way, you know?" freewёbnoνel.com
Amon let out a slow breath.
Outside the window, the city drifted by.
Students hurried toward academies. Young men rushed off to work. A few jogged along the sidewalks, exercising early in the morning while the streets steadily came to life.
"Don’t worry about it. I just need to handle something today. There’s nothing going on between me and Kayla," Amon finally replied.
"Alright, man. Just take care of yourself."
Mark didn’t ask anything further and chose to trust Amon’s words.
"Yeah. See you some other time. Thanks for today," Amon said.
"Don’t mention it."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The line went dead.
The driver glanced at Amon through the rear-view mirror before returning his attention to the road.
The ride continued smoothly in silence.
The driver could tell his passenger seemed to be carrying a few burdens of his own, so he didn’t try to start a conversation.
"I’ll be dropping off at the corner over there," Amon said, pointing ahead.
"Alright."
The car soon rolled to a stop.
Amon handed over two dollars and stepped out.
"Hey, man."
The driver accepted the money and finally spoke.
"I don’t know what’s going on with you, and it might not be my place to say this, but I just want to tell you that... there’s nothing like one’s family in this world."
The driver offered a polite smile before driving off.
Amon entered the abandoned alleyway, the driver’s words echoing quietly in his mind.
Just as the man had said.
There was nothing like family.
It was for this exact reason Amon had to do everything he was doing.
He entered the warehouse and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
The place had been stocked with spare outfits, so Amon never had to worry about his clothes being damaged.
With the new set on, he picked up the cute cat mask and slipped it over his face.
A slow breath escaped through his nose.
His bloodlust was already beginning to rise at a maddening rate.
Several thoughts flashed through his mind.
First, he had to get the familiar coat.
Amon soon left the warehouse and found a place selling black leather jackets.
The coat was long, extending all the way to his thighs.
It made him look like a man who had crawled straight out of hell.
As he wore the coat and stared at his reflection in the mirror, he gave a small nod.
"The Butcher is ready..." freeweɓnøvel.com
The moment he stepped outside, he noticed a crowd of youths gathered nearby, cameras already pointed in his direction.
"Is that him?" one youth asked, pointing a trembling finger toward Amon while speaking to his sister. "The Butcher in real life?"
"It’s like meeting a legend for the first time..." a young F-Rank Awakener muttered, feeling the faint, instinctive bloodlust that seemed to cling to Amon’s very existence.
Cameras rolled.
Live videos were posted online almost immediately.
[Butcher shopping for his signature leather suit~]
[The Butcher seems... human?]
Different people with different perspectives rapidly shared the latest development.
Amon glanced at the crowd silently.
"Butcher, can I get your autograph?"
"Butcher, can we get a face reveal? You are handsome, right?"
He ignored every question.
Walking at a steady pace, he headed toward the receptionist and handed over a few dollar bills.
No one dared approach him.
No one tried to block his path.
After all, nobody knew whether the notorious Butcher might suddenly lose his mind and go on a killing spree.
The terror he had carved into the world still remained buried deep within people’s hearts, despite the fact that he had saved the children.
Moments after the Butcher left, an Armed Forces vehicle rolled to a stop outside.
Three armed men stepped out.
"We received a report that the Butcher was here shopping?" one of them asked.
"Oh... ah, he already left."
The receptionist replied with a startled, nervous expression.
