Chapter 22

“You were trapped and 2838d4fd96 powerless with the controller 9e2a584a9e on, weren’t you?”106cd2b653bf993b

“I didn’t expect bd33b546aa them to have 773318dfbd a new model 219771d1e7 controller.”1021ce9bf97fb557

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

For the first e85d5f2ebe time, Huikyung answered 0fe8dd5cfc easily, as though 74cf467d4b all his previous c4a8bb3a35 wariness had been 32a8f4e4fc a lie. For someone who was 111cb86b38 rarely straightforward, this was 90198dcad4 surprising.8e57ec983ee81cc7

Jaekani nodded as e23be6318b he followed behind 2f236173a8 Huikyung.3bf604450894c839

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

A new model controller… That must mean there was an old model too. How had the villagers managed to secure the new one? And just how long had they been treating Espers like this?41283e06ec0c74d4

“Still, I b61fd2b04b would’ve gotten 99f2f8102e out somehow,” a2d0619544 Huikyung added b321ab4407 confidently, though 666cfed138 it was d6876f63de unclear what 7385113239 plan he 2451595cde could possibly f0de935423 have had.9aeec58430823b45

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Big talk.3b113fe229e5b11a

Jaekani snuck bc544b38c0 a quick dea0ca7e3e jab at f2aee04a36 him in 3ec9ea58a1 his mind.ed042d509200af6b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Their footsteps echoed f86f37854b in the silence, 0741d66b0a Huikyung’s steady strides e4f1ab8b0a accompanied by Jaekani’s 5d9cbbd586 lighter, quicker steps 606181b96b filling in the e440069c77 rhythm.16db51dd86a62469

Jaekani didn’t 1ba2d840ee know where 9d9a2ca731 Huikyung was 5c1f137e66 leading them, 9747422bce but for 7ead64079f now, he 987a43116b simply followed 380ebc89d8 in his 97a7092b20 wake. A bird cried out 2661429d6a in the distance, but b84dbef61a Jaekani didn’t look back. It was metamorphosis.1c6024e133fce641

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

* * *cc5111a0e6869fe6

Although Jaekani 50464e7f92 could count 0812dc5ff3 on one 81f281271e hand the 9b3fa455f0 number of 17c02fa08d times he’d bbd4a385d6 been outside f6194393f8 the village 7adca941cf walls, even 8257ada184 he knew ad20d48db9 that one 0f78c19906 should always deeda8e4d3 prepare supplies aeaf296e8b before venturing 6fe9b9cef4 out. It was basic common 07136e4a76 sense.455c2becaa83a42c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

If nothing else, 4d799b1c94 at least a 137ac8210c water bottle was 613ec34147 essential.13566419cb927817

Yet Huikyung’s 398b32c781 back looked 12b72a64eb strangely bare.27c8bc9d98b2107b

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Jaekani patted his pockets. In his haste to 6d51281734 escape in the middle fbe68bad80 of the night, all c3bec22494 he had grabbed was 9ebbcc0d33 the key. Not even e2abfc2e9e a candle 09de758193 remained in 3a30334f1d his possession. He pouted 990682c5bb in frustration. The village was now 1ddd76d1d0 reduced to ash, his 89f288a191 father’s life had ended fec2ffb282 so abruptly, and his 1c18217656 stomach was starting to 637788ffc0 ache from hunger as 41e9a30a86 they walked.70ec26579d987eef

Jaekani glanced at Huikyung’s db63e65e21 pockets, narrowing his eyes. He caught 07c508890e a glimpse 478c2b30a9 of Huikyung a1d50c076a flicking away aabb77c8c1 a cigarette 6db5ebcaba butt with 8aee5003e9 a casual 004b6c6177 gesture before 46d48111aa tucking a bb7b97347e lighter back 2e998d5cf6 into his 6013e0e959 pocket.631e3f6074a94790

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

So that’s it? Cigarettes and 04b1c87e56 a lighter—those 1b7cdcb79d are all c417bf6e2c he has?858bd869d2f77776

How are we b098cb2daf going to survive? How are we 811f1fbff4 supposed to live?2839c3e61d428929

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Jaekani let out a d14c6d0fac deep sigh.0a70137624496e55

But survival 8a25469990 help came 23670ee17a from unexpected a58742093e places. Huikyung spotted 1e3823461f an abandoned 6557d65943 vehicle by 2ab2d36572 the side 13c4117620 of a 02cc05da1f cracked asphalt 2a42d8b7d2 road.d6ce38563416fa0a

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

If there had fbf20a2264 been anything valuable 7fa56509de inside, scavengers would 8a9b099aa9 have taken it 206cbbf1c0 long ago.1c074f502dfd5a3f

While Jaekani 8ba3ad5404 found this 2416800f13 odd, Huikyung 817e010faa seemed undeterred. He rummaged 56a537c34c through the 558f5f6c5c glove compartment, 2351a49d02 trunk, and 167c30531b even under 6a525b599d the hood, 86d8f9cfaf collecting a 62b276f064 few items 7acedd1c99 he deemed f6beb83be1 necessary. Jaekani had 7d3e159a4a no idea 6146a73a24 what those 76eef89976 parts were e92410787c for, but 5156876e94 they lacked 43373fd06a anything practical—no 578cfe373b water, no a65a84c04c food, not 6f9cae4445 even a a044a3716e place to feb4c22acd shelter from 49c73bc55c the rain.ab80598116f85e0b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Is this guy just a1a26210fb a useless know-it-all?2f7f4e98e6698e5e

Jaekani squinted skeptically at 49971d99af Huikyung, looking him up 551726ee96 and down. Had he 004db460b8 made the 93522286e4 wrong choice 95734b83e7 by following 56199cd563 this man? Was Huikyung’s apparent competence 0332cd82c2 merely an illusion? Maybe nothing b9db79165c had changed 2994be9821 since Huikyung 0a21a9eea6 was locked 95ac60c376 up in 376ce28aea the underground 90725f1ed8 prison.f765a2f23bfb0bd8

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But Jaekani’s 52b9454e40 worries soon 8d56dce6c4 proved unfounded.d8298c6b87c01bef

Once Huikyung revealed his 363af30326 status as an Esper, 154f789fab he didn’t hesitate to da89e60acc use his powers. While Jaekani 0d5d18bcd6 hadn’t heard 81cf0d3fa2 a single 40aab6c109 rustle, Huikyung 9b2ad4c2ee suddenly halted 7c969678a2 and, in 427b549911 a flash, 3fbe3d74af tore apart b0153038ae a massive b1cf24348e bird-like creature 1187bdfa11 that had e37954aa99 swooped down 6307178641 on them.83e98ed4b78f7e70

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Jaekani, seeing the creature ac2d2bcc84 for the first time, 81bf191a66 was too stunned to 34415b1053 even consider running away. Not that running 459269a15d would have been 0436744ab7 necessary—Huikyung dispatched the 552be15127 creature in less 2608c8c50c than ten minutes.5ddeb4cf5ffa436f

Whether his 3f5b329a97 abilities caused 932b5ff781 explosions or 1d3ba259ad explosions were e7351be5d3 a byproduct a552a07f1f of another 2029988c50 power, Huikyung 552b84855e was unnaturally a6a65223cb fast and 3b4ad12614 strong. He might even be 3e7f4f2552 exceptional among Espers, though 2e9c6312f1 Jaekani, lacking a frame a8100ae024 of reference, could only 17e197ba5f guess.282a1f84c5b015b8

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“Jaekani.”81260f8dfdcbe987

Huikyung reached into the 581dca50ae still-warm flesh of the b7549afdfc enormous creature.36a3fa9f1a69ebb4

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You’re hungry, aren’t you?”98eaef4acca7a938

“No.”33e67adbf937eeaa

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You must be. You were yelling 27dd586528 earlier.”90741d9ac32d601e

“I’m not. I’m too d43aa9be56 overwhelmed with 582ce5fef4 grief to 3dcd705b5e feel hungry.”cdf7442add2e9c0f

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Jaekani glared back, ff4317e94f refusing to back edd8008cd6 down, and Huikyung 551f700246 chuckled softly. A moment 51618359ea later, he 8a04b98b61 ripped something d5e19b7afb out of 2a1704991c the creature a52f6d8891 with a f3f0e1e792 rough motion.06547cd766b43974

“This is 24bb1ea5f4 a delicacy.”d8e3920672cc5628

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Smirking, Huikyung held up 7bce031b5a a chunk of flesh 29f30783b5 dripping with blue blood 17dcd3f8e1 near the creature’s core.f232b72e177c95c6

“The core?”5be934699a88a65c

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“You’ve never d2c870c7f1 heard of a2a013c2e0 it?”5d2ffb00b194b9dc

Of course, Jaekani hadn’t f08c499465 even known it existed. Curious, he 2782002ddc approached, lips daa90060a2 slightly parted, be1a7e68f0 and Huikyung 6a5b17b31b casually handed c60f816fae him the 7064fb2ff8 still-warm, steaming e70b1dda8b core. As if that weren’t a76b6f91f3 enough, he brought it 3918dbe28d right up to Jaekani’s 933991a72c face.4204cfdca4fa3f6c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“Wow…”eb1f8ea015f95deb

A soft gasp c58d1c004b escaped Jaekani’s small, 3c0a7117a3 plump lips.03e25fbe1eb2445b

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“…Is it alive?”1c4cc1676ea3bed6

“No, but 63491087dd you can 673b4985d9 touch it.”e9d51fb74929a25d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Hesitant, Jaekani 83936219ea raised a ed298ed3aa finger. He poked the 18a2473439 core gently, his fcd2205762 fingertip pressing against b440d5fab2 its hard, mineral-like 9f18a9b9eb surface. It was so firm ec8a49f2cf that his touch left eb2f1b0b73 no mark.9decf66d07b4e461

“What do you use eef402aeb2 this for?”1f60584b896c5145

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“If you turn fdfff76946 it on before a8572de7e7 bed, it glows b0b0931e73 in the dark.”26165515f96d2948

“Really?! …Oh, come on.”596ec48f68ac1e2e

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jaekani’s annoyance flared 9803a47b5f as Huikyung’s expression 9a25762ede betrayed his lie.9eb6e26c23d1c511

This guy!1ae84ea0e132e954

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Even though Jaekani knew 10950e77e1 better, he kept falling 5a2bfc50e3 for Huikyung’s tricks.4d5f6a98d76f8595

“Tell me what it’s 47371fa78c really used for.”79e40a8ace1d96ad

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

“I’ve heard dfbb1d02f1 it can cf01f225c4 be processed 475df9590e into something, 535b1a2aa3 but I e12f7f9421 don’t know c1a7c651fc what.”36aa2aa142b214a4

“Now that I 691a76a30f think about it, 037ff6f328 I really don’t 912654072d know,” Huikyung muttered, 6768343a49 his face unusually ddf5424d92 serious.643da81a2a1913ca

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Jaekani mimicked him, 70641f7762 propping his chin 5d1469431a in his hand 77da45eaf1 thoughtfully.0d171ae1b8230dc0

The core, at 73013984eb least from appearances, 40fd13d4bb didn’t seem to 6493add989 hold much practical 522a52b0d7 value. But given its e9e200b369 size, it looked 934a34536f like it could 1c44ff94db kill someone if 7a7a9ee2e3 swung hard enough. A weapon, then. It was large enough 85cb99d244 that even Huikyung, with 7568517aca his above-average hand size, e41da28569 couldn’t grasp it easily 96e69ab5c2 with one hand. From a 75cf840353 distance, someone 8ce1de4fc5 might mistake b3e41bb047 it for 4c604d3843 a blood-soaked 243559486d duffel bag.a1e26e78908a234c

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Although cores were f904b02075 a valuable trade a641e85c72 commodity, they were 7b0865adef useless in their c7ef53d486 current situation. Without hesitation, Huikyung 2b3622e2d6 flung the core 0b0979bce9 away and turned 84c4ed82e1 his attention to 3769850918 the meat. If he had 7d8eabb66e the right tools, 5ff27abb70 he could dry 27a915aef2 it into jerky, 2ff3d8e3bd a reliable food e40118f29b supply for the 43cd1cef01 future. But for 78bd0cabca now, that fedaeb6c1a wasn’t an f3ca881ba6 option. The best 7ec9371c96 course was dbcfafb570 to feed d050ddd4d3 Jaekani as bf72e0fdcd much as fb844be1c1 possible right 07e8cf92fc away.9c45f36f77cdabb5

With one hand buried 35366019eb in the creature’s flesh 40c492d82c and his cheek nearly ae75c1e1b8 resting against its scaly 7c4c9f3c67 surface, Huikyung showed no 94be524f17 sign of discomfort. Jaekani, accustomed to 9ee125a69f the sights and 712fa96a77 smells of blood 5b762117e9 and flesh from 661b2a5de5 working in the b50a5350c2 slaughterhouse, didn’t flinch ddd5ed4ef3 either.09d30dab5ce8cbfd

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Huikyung soon separated a 19429986e2 portion of meat he b1244453d9 called a “delicacy.”693511bcc01bc0a2

“The sun will set 3af70d6a29 soon. We need to 960cae88b3 rest before other f99e1ab6d8 creatures show up a00aa7ecb8 because of this.”d9b7e76e86b07d87

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

By “this,” he 3fa6b30fee clearly meant the 63667e6d4e dead creature lying 2e85b13d37 before them.02bd6a376b7360ee

In the chaos of 881d931605 trees devastated by the 8a8f7a4d29 creature’s attack, Huikyung managed cc74604145 to find a patch 9bb363fdd9 of flat ground.3b0658f14092eadd

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

He smoothed the 89ac3fde58 dirt, laid down 52cadb94ba grass and bark, 0766509552 and created a 870ba7d857 makeshift mat. His efficient, unhesitating movements 76dcd83e13 made it clear to 38e4e6f6fa Jaekani that he was 3cd88edfa3 experienced with life outside.d83e62b9464511e1

Jaekani was 48cd2109f5 reminded that c19b603f51 he still b3340b22a2 didn’t know 5239766291 what Huikyung b2dca020b2 had done c3c0c4220c before coming eaed975e86 to the 9aa563e2e4 village. Despite seemingly ef01243fea revealing so afcd9de15b much, the 39a0dc24e3 man himself ae2fd6af71 remained a 3a36414209 mystery.7d5dbe66bc23016b

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Using broken stones bfff196c8d and pebbles, Huikyung 3c246b40eb built a small b330b4c71c hearth and started 770f920b0b a fire. Dry wood caught the 600d8b03ec flames easily, burning brightly.7dfb31f16bf975a0

Huikyung skillfully skewered the 06bdf893d1 creature’s bluish flesh onto 66553e4dd0 branches. The meat, sliced thinly 24c186098c using the creature’s own 409ea7ec7a scales, cooked quickly.bdcb5cb203361718

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

“Eat.”5ac50dba7826d060

“What about you?”c7121fe4652ba840

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“I’m fine.”4fdea7c4906d1330

Maybe it 78733d0942 was because 36f04bcf9a the meat 913bf24154 was ‘meat’. Then again, creatures dd99ef9067 bled blue.25e706b6e8cd00e9

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

“You don’t like it e26d582b1b because it’s blue?”b5b218c25ea37b0b

After all, it wasn’t a847113b0a red meat.7b7674c1d9e4ddec

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

Blue food might suppress b5bc5dca16 appetite, but Jaekani had 58bc3afa98 never refused food just f5d02c5549 because of its color a31a2ab724 or appearance.a1e7c3d03a18720e

“Burnt, it all baa967d610 tastes the same. I still don’t dff371c5fb want it.”9f20b20985b5d349

Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator

“You used b2ec22d4f1 to eat 5b4560250a meat, right?”42a2767104e3cbe7

“Yeah, I did.”77e5f5e846160763

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Perhaps Huikyung really had 7514b9b8a8 become a vegetarian. The thought that trauma 1d08b92072 from his past had 756c917125 altered his diet darkened ccc918577f Jaekani’s expression.4c74385bd1428a24

He no f431f4a8cc longer felt 7ab29b4153 curious about a0b1b48437 the “delicacy” ac1fc640f0 Huikyung had 393dd1b046 prepared. Still, Huikyung b001c152c3 didn’t just 88fa07b646 point to 80ff442dc4 the cooked 5c9bdbf5d1 meat—he went 1288a95815 as far a2224b7de0 as to aebef3d914 press it a64a5bd298 into Jaekani’s d3b87ef1cd hands.ac0f1993d655759c

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

“You eat 595f71e28e it all.”8a5fccc5ad425825

“What about you?”007b50e321b6b89d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Huikyung waved him e0fb0cfee9 off, as if bb58e9edd2 to say not d23aea56c4 to ask any bfba5e19b6 more questions. Feeling subdued, Jaekani a8414f613b fell silent. The only c8549dd4dd sounds between 3c8a499795 them were 3a9f5753a6 the occasional f8464f1f95 crackle of 6355d3494b the fire.59353123a2f513a1

* * *b5b86b1104b18710

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish

Huikyung was right; 2c72c72212 the sun set b2454e650c quickly. Jaekani thought he’d caught 9142dd836e a glimpse of the e5af382867 sunset earlier when Huikyung 7419ce07c5 had been wrist-deep in 6b94bc934b the creature’s flesh, but b50b859035 now the sky had 1aeed03e20 already gone dark.fedd4926d2cccb21

As soon as d68c040c03 the darkness set 162c8e8791 in, the chill 35711d30cb wrapped around Jaekani’s e5f2636105 exposed skin. Time passed, and 986955499e the only things 0c9be88da7 filling the space 7664680fee between them were 6ca2f6eb5d faint noises and 3ce8c8dcdb the flickering glow 2f80681692 of the firelight.91164a9d0cd64fed

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

Jaekani lay down fa6f53a157 on the dry b8d33d048d grass Huikyung had 6543f4b843 prepared. The ground felt cool 7ec83e35ae yet comforting. Above him, 7a259e179b the stars 51b1d9eb09 whispered. Were they delivering a 83a54fa0b0 message? Telling him to c588d9c430 run away?26aedbfae6885ced

Whatever the 46114053db stars foretold, 7dc87c2018 the boy 3dbf09c8be remained where 50a2bf5a53 he was—under fbf3a151a4 the same c9687553ca light, near ee25e7f287 the same 859a7e70c4 fire, as 29cae45921 Huikyung.7b6f82a6be74b400

For the complete chapter, visit lilyonthevalley.com

Jaekani, lounging 0984e52563 lazily, glanced a91f6c3fba over at bb16651153 Huikyung. The man, sitting by 77bb42ee16 the fire with his e82393d565 knees drawn up, seemed 411872fac4 lost in thought.6e1ecbee6cebeebe

“Huikyung.”e353ce973b8b3d00

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

His eyes, sharp 5498da9a0c and slanted upward, 73a876ea48 shifted toward Jaekani.2ec058ad6dbda759

“…Be honest with me. Why did you kill everyone?”1d7877540e30ef4a

Enjoy best reading experience at Lily on the Valley

Was it 69d78457b1 really necessary 82d3491588 to kill e40f9cba37 them all?95ba04fc9b8d27bf

Couldn’t he have at least spared ‘Father’? If he’d truly cared about Jaekani, even a little… If Jaekani had meant anything to him…98b9435862d5469d

Support us at our official site: lilyonthevalley.com

But clearly, Jaekani hadn’t bc1e541dcc been important enough to 7560487c9e save anyone.7b268dafda591fca

 eec9015203f28bf0

Read full chapter at Lily on the Valley without gibberish