Chương 77: Beach Party

Ch 77 - Beach Party Reid withdrew from Sofia's Mindscape. Gazing at the young woman before him, he hadn't expected to encounter someone else suffering from Soul Fracture. The only other person he had ever known in this world with the same affliction was... Mother.

"What are you doing?" Sofia asked.

"Don't you know it's not polite to touch someone's face like that?"

"I apologize. There was a mosquito just now."

"Really?" She opened her mouth to say something, but a sudden yawn escaped her.

"Sorry, I have narcolepsy, so don't panic if I suddenly collapse on you."

"Is that so? Then perhaps we should go inside and find somewhere for you to sit."

"No, I don't want to go inside yet."

"Alright. If you don't mind, I'll continue my treatment here." He released another wave of Sacred Light into her. There was nothing wrong with her body itself. The problem lay with her fractured soul, and that never boded well for a living being. The best he could do was stabilize her condition and ease her suffering, at least temporarily. The years he had spent caring for his mother had taught him how to handle cases like this. He couldn't heal damage to the soul.

All he could do was keep the fracture from worsening and maintain her soul's connection to both her physical and astral bodies.

"Strange. I feel quite a bit better," she said.

"It seems my healing worked," he replied.

"Though it's temporary, the effects should last a week."

"Oh, you sound quite sure. As far as I know, I'm the only person with this kind of illness."

"It's just part of my skill set, that's all."

"Sofia?" The two turned toward the terrace entrance, where Hyo-ri stood waiting. She wore an elegant red gown embroidered with intricate patterns, its hem brushing the floor, while her long hair was swept into a neat chignon. Her gaze immediately fell to their clasped hands. Sofia noticed and pulled her hand away as if she'd been burned.

"It's not what you think it is!"

"What do I think?" Hyo-ri asked.

"Hyo-ri! Come on, don't you know your cousin here is a Healer? He's just checking to make sure I'm okay," Sofia said as she approached Hyo-ri and hooked her arm through hers. Hyo-ri glared at Reid, who smiled back at her.

"A-anyway, why are you here?" Sofia asked.

"Why can't I be here? Should I apologize for crashing your date?" Hyo-ri asked.

"You!" Sofia threw up her hands in frustration.

"I was joking. Your mother is looking for you, so I'm here to take you to her," Hyo-ri continued.

"Really? It hasn't even been that long," Sofia sighed as the two of them headed inside, though Hyo-ri shot him another dark look before they disappeared from sight. Reid, meanwhile, remained on the terrace, hoping to enjoy the evening breeze in peace. Unfortunately, the sharp-eyed guests seemed determined to approach him. Before long, a group of eager socialites had gathered around him, each hoping to strike up a conversation.

He humored them as best he could, but it seemed that every time one person left, more people appeared, gradually boxing him in on the terrace.

"Gentlemen." Masaru's voice cut through the chatter, drawing everyone's attention.

"If you'll excuse us, I'd like a moment with Mr. Whitfield." With the current number-one Guild Master making such a request, the people surrounding Reid quickly dispersed, leaving the area quiet once more.

"I trust you won't mind the interruption," Masaru said, taking a measured sip from his wineglass.

"They appeared rather reluctant to take the hint."

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Konoe," Reid replied.

"Though I'm surprised to see you here. I expected you to be in the Eastern Sea with your family."

"A Guild Master's responsibilities rarely allow for much leisure." But was that really the case? None of the other major guild leaders had bothered to attend in person, instead sending their Vice Guild Masters or other representatives. The evening was also geared more toward business than guild affairs. Surely, Masaru could have afforded to skip it.

"I heard Evan was invited by Hiroto to spend some time on the island. I take it you intend to join your brother and spend the New Year with him?" Masaru asked.

"Yes. I'm heading there after the gala," Reid replied.

"Then perhaps we should travel together. I'll be taking a helicopter there."

"That would be convenient. I appreciate the offer." The two settled into an easy discussion about lighter topics. Just after midnight, the gala finally came to an end, and the guests began making their way toward their vehicles. Reid then joined Chairman Choi in the same luxury sedan.

"So, how was your evening?" Chairman Choi asked.

"Did you find your conversation with the Mayer family's daughter agreeable?"

"Miss Sofia is a charming young lady, but she made it clear that she has no interest in me," Reid said.

"Is that so? From what I heard among the guests, I was under the impression that the two of you had been enjoying each other's company."

"Words tend to get twisted as they spread. Perhaps they mistakenly interpreted me checking on her as something more than it was. However, could you tell me what happened to her exactly?"

"Ah, you're curious about her illness? There is little mystery surrounding it. She was born perfectly healthy, but an attack by the Phantom Killer claimed her father's life and left her seriously wounded. She became increasingly frail afterward. Her mother has spared no effort in seeking a cure, but ironically, despite the Mayer family's expertise in medicine, nothing has been able to alleviate her condition." Reid wasn't surprised to hear that.

Although Nova Terra had advanced considerably in various fields, its understanding of the soul remained limited. Sofia's affliction was beyond the reach of conventional medicine. What concerned him more was the mention of the Phantom Killer.

"Many years have passed, yet it seems that incident still haunts Nova Terra."

"It is not an incident people could easily forget. Who would have imagined that the culprit was the Guild Master of the strongest guild in Nova Terra? And considering how many lives were lost simply to bring that monster down..." Chairman Choi clicked his tongue.

"Even now, I cannot fathom what drove Amelia Pearson to commit such atrocities. But she is dead, and I suppose the truth died with her."

"I suppose so."

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. When Evan woke that morning, the first thing he did was check the news on his phone. He let out a relieved sigh when he found no breaking stories about Reid getting engaged to some wealthy heiress. He hadn't been joking when he told his brother to watch out for women.

Reid was charming and handsome enough to attract plenty of attention, and while he remained completely oblivious to it, that didn't mean some bold woman wouldn't try to take advantage of the opportunity, especially with Chairman Choi parading him around like a prized stud. After washing up and changing, Evan found himself with plenty of free time. There was no shortage of things to do on a private island, but avoiding the rich kids was surprisingly difficult.

Like most events involving wealthy families, half the activities revolved around networking, something he had little interest in. It wasn't as though anyone was eager to socialize with him, either. Although he had connections to the Choi family, he was nowhere near the line of succession, and even if he were, being an F-rank hardly made him an attractive prospect when the family already had his A-rank brother. His Definitely the Villain Aura certainly didn't help with first impressions, either.

Evan had lost count of how many times he'd caught someone looking at him as though he were a particularly unpleasant piece of bird droppings. Not that he gave a whit about it. He was happy training, playing games, or wandering around the island with his actual friends whenever they weren't dragged into another tedious gathering. When he entered the training room, he found the increasingly familiar sight of Reika and Hiroto sparring together.

Watching them exchange blows reminded him of one unfortunate consequence of Reika becoming less of a brat: he'd lost one of his best sparring partners. It wasn't as if he could ask Carmen to spar with him, either. She was terrible at it and would've had a better chance of beating him in a fighting game than in real life. With the siblings focused on their training, Evan decided to work on his mana control instead.

Mehra had drilled the importance of daily practice into him, constantly reminding him that mastering mana was the foundation of countless skills. Sitting in a meditative position, Evan circulated his mana throughout his body, monitoring its movement to ensure the current remained stable. He had done this countless times, repeating the cycle until it was almost as familiar as watching a river flow.

Once he finished the basic exercise, he began running laps around the training area while still pushing mana through his circuits, though his thoughts inevitably drifted elsewhere. Hiroto had continued growing stronger, while Evan felt as though he'd hit a wall. No matter how much he refined his control, there was only so much he could accomplish with his limited reserves. He couldn't rely on magic crystals indefinitely, especially after his fight against Zhelan had shown him just how much he still lacked.

His only real chance against someone like that might be his demonic transformation, but he still lacked the twenty points of Demonic Energy Essence required to activate it. Evan slowed to a stop and stretched. Now that he'd decided to stay in this world, he needed to become stronger. He couldn't depend on Reid to bail him out whenever things went wrong. The problem was, he had no idea how. Pulling up his status window, Evan examined it once more.

[Name: Evan Whitfield] [Age: 17 years old] [Status: Awakened] [Title: Transmigrator] [Status Effect: The Curse of ■■■■■■, Definitely the Villain Aura] [Skills:] [-Main Character Who?] [-You're Not Supposed to See This] [-Cry Later] [-That's Not How This Works] [Demonic Energy Essence: 80] Looking at the two curses still plaguing him, Evan once again felt as though the world itself had it out for him.

While other protagonists were busy collecting skills and powerful gear left and right, he seemed to be doing the exact opposite, accumulating curses and debuffs instead.

"What's got you looking like an abandoned dog?" Carmen's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Maybe it's because I can feel your grating presence?" Evan asked, turning toward Carmen, who, as always, had her phone in her hands.

"You're not recording, are you?"

"Nah. As much as I'd love to, I'm not allowed to. Too many sensitive souls here who wouldn't appreciate having their faces posted online." Carmen shrugged.

"But hey, good news. I'm allowed to cover one event, and that's the beach party this evening!"

"Again?" Evan scrunched up his nose.

"What do you mean, again? This is the first big gathering you're attending here."

"Do I even have to attend? Isn't this mostly something you guys are required to do? Aren't you guys sick of seeing each other behind those smiling masks throughout this whole holiday?"

"It's better than acting like some hermit in a cave like you, but I'm sure you'll change your tune once the food comes out." Well, she wasn't wrong about that.

"How's Yeon-ah's situation, by the way? Have you heard any updates from the people you hired?" The smile slipped from Carmen's face, and she shook her head.

"Nope. I hired the best people out there, and they couldn't find any leads. Heck, one daring soul even broke the law and snuck into the Muse Tune Entertainment CEO's house to gather intel, but even that turned up nothing." Evan frowned. He had heard that with every passing hour, the chances of finding a missing person alive grew slimmer, and it had already been many days since Yeon-ah disappeared. Should he get involved?

There wasn't much he could do himself, but perhaps he could convince Chairman Choi to take action. Yeon-ah was an S-rank Artificer, after all. Someone with a class that valuable would always be highly sought after, regardless of who they were. But then he remembered his promise to stay away from the Choi family and suppressed the urge to intervene. All he could do was hope Yeon-ah was alright. Even though he was still resentful toward her for getting him cursed, he didn't want her to die.

As evening drew near, Evan was dragged to the beach party. The shore had been transformed for the occasion, with strings of lights hanging between wooden poles and lanterns scattered across the sand. Music played from speakers near the center of the gathering while groups of teenagers lounged around low tables. A long buffet had been set up beneath a canopy, offering everything from grilled seafood and barbecue to fresh fruit and desserts.

Amid the crowd, Evan also noticed several adults, likely there to keep an eye on things. His attention soon settled on Haruta, who was standing with Reika and Hiroto nearby. He even caught sight of her trying to feed Hiroto. Was she trying to show off how good of a mother she was? Carmen stayed with him for a while, but she was soon pulled into another round of socializing. Left to himself, Evan grabbed a plate from the buffet and piled it with whatever caught his eye.

He retreated to the far end of the beach and studied his selection, wondering what to eat first.

"You there." Evan looked over and met Song-hee's sharp gaze. She was no longer wearing her twin tails, having instead styled her hair in a braided ponytail, while her outfit consisted of a crop top and a flowy maxi skirt. He faced the sea again.

"Hey! I'm speaking to you!" Song-hee called out. Evan responded by putting a chunk of lobster meat into his mouth.

"Are you ignoring me?" She stomped her foot.

"Maybe you should try showing some manners first, young lady. Didn't your grandfather teach you any? You're speaking to someone without even bothering to use their name." Song-hee frowned, her mouth opening as though she were about to fire back, but she stopped herself, took a deep breath, and spoke again.

"Right... whatever, Whitfield. I'm here to warn you and your brother to remember your place." Evan raised an eyebrow.

"Don't think I don't know what your older brother is trying to do." Song-hee crossed her arms.

"Let me tell you something. Just because your father was once the first son of the Choi family doesn't mean you two can simply waltz in and expect to be accepted. My father won't allow it!"

"Oh, okay. Got it," Evan said.

"Are you done?" She clenched her fists.

"Yes, I'm done." With that, she marched away, her footsteps kicking up sand behind her.

"Good grief." Evan shook his head. He had been trying to avoid that girl ever since learning she was also staying on the island, but somehow, she had still managed to track him down. At least she was sensible enough not to make an even bigger scene after delivering that painfully cringe-worthy speech. Thankfully, nothing else happened to disrupt the gathering.

Evan spent most of the evening by himself, largely because Haruta was determined to keep her children close, constantly feeding Hiroto an endless stream of food and drinks. Carmen was similarly occupied, leaving Evan with little to do beyond eating and watching the others. Once he'd had his fill, he excused himself and returned to his room, while the others continued to enjoy the rest of the evening. He collapsed onto the bed, more than ready to call it a night.

With a full stomach and little else on his mind, sleep quickly began to overtake him. His eyelids grew heavier by the second until he drifted off.

"KRRRRAAAAAUUU!" Evan bolted upright and rushed toward the window. Every hair on his skin stood on end as an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him. Outside, the sky had turned dark and stormy, with thick clouds swallowing the stars and violent winds whipping across the island. Beyond the shoreline, the ocean surged as a Rift tore open across the horizon. The space around it warped and twisted, revealing a swirling darkness beyond. Something began pushing through.

A tentacle erupted from the Rift and crashed into the ocean, sending a wave surging outward. Another followed, then another, each one thick enough to dwarf the nearby boats. Their slick, ridged surfaces reflected flashes of lightning as they coiled through the water, pulling a gargantuan form into the world.

"A Rift Outbreak?!"