Chapter 98
[W-What? Stop trying to scare me!]
Hera hugged the blanket tightly, shivering from a mix of fear and confusion.
Skadi’s reply came quickly: [I’m not trying to scare you… Grandpa once saw someone who was possessed. The person walked stiffly, like they had lost their soul!]
At that moment, Nash slowly rose to his feet. His mind was blank, his movements sluggish, almost as if he were in a trance.
Nash had relied on his master since he was a child, especially after the Young Family Village was destroyed. His master had been his only source of support. Now that his master had ascended, Nash was left with nothing. Though his master hadn’t died, ascending to the immortal realm was as good as an irreversible departure.
His master had always said that once an immortal cultivator ascended, they could never return to the lower plane.
With that weight pressing on him, Nash walked toward the sofa like a lifeless shell, sending a wave of fear through Hera.
She quickly typed another message to Skadi: [Okay, you might be right!]
Skadi responded immediately: [Would you like me to come over and keep you company?]
[He’s lying down on the sofa!]
[Then it should be fine. Maybe it’s just a harmless ghost playing around.]
The thunder rumbled again, and Hera, still frightened, pulled the covers over her head. She felt a chill run down her spine.
“N-Nash, a-are you alright?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“I’m fine,” Nash replied, his voice distant.
Hera hesitated before continuing, “Did… Did you see something?”
Nash smiled, though his expression seemed absent. “Why would I have?”
“Then… then why were you bowing just now?”
“I thought of my master,” Nash explained, his voice almost mechanical. “So I bowed to him.”
Hera peered out from under the blanket, unsure whether to believe him. Nash was now lying on the sofa, a faint red light from his phone casting a glow across his face.
Just then, another thunderclap shook the room.
“Ah!” Hera yelped, diving back under the covers in fear. Meanwhile, Nash was scrolling through images of islands in the South Sea on his phone.
His master had once ventured to the South Sea, searching for a way to break free of his limits, but Nash had no idea which island he had gone to. The island he was currently looking at was Maple Leaf Island. Its dense forests of red maple trees turned the entire ground into a carpet of fiery leaves, giving the place an almost dreamlike atmosphere.
Hearing Hera’s frightened gasp, Nash looked over at her, his expression puzzled. “What’s the matter with you?”
“Why is your face glowing red?” she asked, her voice still shaky.
“It’s just the light from my phone,” Nash replied with a casual chuckle, though the sound lacked its usual warmth.
Hera hesitantly lifted a corner of her blanket. She was relieved to see Nash still holding his phone.
Outside, the rain continued to tap against the window, the thunder rolling relentlessly.
“Nash, aren’t you afraid?” Hera asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“What’s there to be afraid of?” Nash replied nonchalantly.
“The thunder!” Hera blurted, still curled up in the bed.
“I’m not scared of thunder,” he said, a hint of amusement in his tone.
“I am… a little,” Hera admitted, closing her eyes tightly, trying to block out the storm.
Her heart was racing. She had hinted earlier that Nash could come sleep with her, but now that the moment had arrived, she was unsure of what to say next. Her thoughts stumbled over themselves—she would let him stay, but she didn’t want things to go too far.
Just then, Nash murmured, “Oh.”
Hera froze, blinking. “Oh?”
Had he understood her hint? Or was he oblivious?
Hera couldn’t hide the hint of disappointment in her voice. “Is that it?”
Before she could say anything else, she felt the blanket shift. Nash’s figure slid onto the bed, settling beside her.
At that exact moment, Hera’s phone lit up with a new message from Skadi.
[Are you asleep?]
The screen illuminated the room, casting a soft glow on both their faces. Hera’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at Nash, her breath caught in her throat.
Nash turned to look at her, his dark eyes reflecting the faint red light. He leaned closer, his voice low and magnetic. “Are you still afraid now?”