Chapter 66: Chapter 66

OWEN RIVERS

I opened my eyes and smelled the smoke from burning agarwood plants. It turned out that I was sleeping with Jonea’s feet as a pillow. I immediately sat up straight. Only then did I realize that my body was still in wolf form? Maybe because I was injured.

“Are you awake?” Jonea greeted. “I’ve put up protective runes and burned magic barriers. Those strange creatures won’t come for a while.”

“Where are we?” I asked.

I still couldn’t return my body to human form, maybe because of the effects of the magic that was still mixed in my body.

“In the forest around the cemetery,” Jonea answered, stroking my jaw. “Are you feeling better? I put some medicine on your wound. It might not help much, but it’s not bleeding anymore.”

“Why are you alone here? Where’s Uncle?” I immediately became alert.

“Ah, he’s on his way.”

I growled and showed my annoyance to Jonea. “You shouldn’t have come here. It seems like Uncle was also fooled. Who gave you that task? Auction? I doubt they don’t know what happened here.”

Jonea reached out hesitantly. When I refused, she stroked my fur and said, “Can you tell me what really happened, Owen? I thought you went back to your parents’ house in Black Rivers? Why are you here?”

“This used to be Black Rivers. And my parents were here.”

Jonea looked surprised and looked around. “Is your family home here, Owen?”

“My parents are buried underground!”

“So what Daran meant by visiting your parents was visiting their graves?” Jonea’s voice became softer.

“I’ve been watching this place ever since the dragon army invaded. This used to be a kingdom controlled by my family. Now it’s turned into a cemetery because the entire kingdom was slaughtered by the dragon king. Well, this is my home!”

“Where did you get those wounds from, Owen?”

“I don’t know,” I replied.

I really don’t know. When I came, I saw Jonea being chased by that disgusting shadow creature.

I was completely caught off guard even now. Because I just realized that there was someone else near us. She was hidden behind the bushes and suddenly rolled out. I put up a cover and stood in front of Jonea.

“Owen, calm down!” Jonea said, approaching a woman who had rolled out from behind the bushes. “Are you okay?”

“Who is she? Do you know her, Jonea?” I still couldn’t let go of my guard.

The woman who rolled out of the bushes looked like someone who had just woken up. Or maybe she had fainted? She opened her eyes and looked confused when she saw us.

“Sorry, I hit you too hard earlier. Maybe you were shocked to the point of fainting,” Jonea said bluntly.

Once fully awake, the silver-haired woman was immediately alert and showed anger at us.

“Damn it! What do you think...”

The woman tried to attack Jonea, but I immediately blocked her. And then I realized that both of her hands were tied with rope behind her back. Maybe Jonea tied her hands.

“You’re Arabel, right?” Jonea said. “You scared me, so I tied your hands.”

This strange and awkward situation then forced us to sit down and whisper. We sat around a fire made of agarwood and other plants. The smell of smoke is very hated by warlocks and other magical creatures.

The sky was orange because the sun was almost setting. I sat alertly while protecting Jonea. In front of us, the woman named Arabel looked so fierce and scary. And we had no intention of untying her hands.

“You don't want to do anything?” Arabel asked while pointing at her tied hands.

“I have no reason to do anything to you,” Jonea answered casually. “Even though you look scary and try to attack me, I trust you. You must have a good explanation.”

“Why?” Arabel shouted loudly.

“Because Miller trusts you. He even tries to protect you. So I think you are someone special to Miller. Then, you will also be someone special to me.”

I didn’t know who they were talking about, but it seemed like a lot had happened while I was away from Jonea. So I just stood there, watching them and being alert if Arabel acted rashly.

However, something strange happened. Arabel, who had previously seemed so angry and aggressive, became calmer after hearing Jonea’s last words.

“Can I ask you a question?” Jonea said to Arabel. “Why do you want him?” Jonea pointed at me.

Now, I was the one who needed clarification. Did she mean that Arabel was trying to get me? Why?

“Depending on the answer you give, maybe I can free you,” Jonea continued. She was always in control.

What was this? Did Jonea intend to use me as bait and ransom?

Arabel looked away after looking at me. She then lowered her head. After being silent, she said, “I need him as material to make a chimera.”

“Material?” Jonea was shocked.

“You mean me?” I asked confusedly.

“You know about chimeras, right?” Arabel said. “It is a creature that is the result of combining two creatures with magic. And I know, the man over there is a lycan. He is a good material if combined with other materials to produce a powerful chimera.”

I laughed in disgust hearing this woman’s rambling. What does she think I am? Chimera-making material? Me?

Arabel stubbornly stared at me. “There is a strange man who told us to find the material. L has refused the man’s request. But, L can’t do much. I don’t care what will happen to me. I just want him to release his grip on L!”

Arabel sat with her knees bent and hiding her face in her knees. While her hands were still tied behind her back.

“You like Miller, huh?” Jonea asked. “How did you meet?”

“Of course I like him!” Arabel shouted with a gasp. “I just don’t believe that you are L’s twin. Because you guys… L said you might have to be saved. Ah, never mind, you guys really do look alike. It’s just that you are a cunning woman. You even defected and joined the Lycans. While L must...”

“Wait!” I snapped. “Are L and Miller the same person? Is he your twin brother, Jonea? He’s the silver mo--”

Jonea immediately covered my mouth with both of her hands. She then changed the subject.

“So, Arabel, can you tell me where you met Miller?”

Arabel lowered her head and began to tell her story. “Nothing good happened to me since I was born. Until the invasion of our country by the dragon army. All the citizens were slaughtered by the dragon army. Only I was left among the rubble in a near-death state. They left me to die slowly. That’s when he came and saved me. L said he was a wanderer looking for his sister.”

“At first, L ignored me. But, I kept insisting to come with him. Because I was a little talented in magic, L finally agreed to accept me. We traveled quite far and worked together to hunt magical creatures. L is a hunter who joined the church.”

Arabel looked at Jonea with a pair of teary eyes. “I may not be very smart, but for L, I will do anything. That’s my reason, so let me go quickly!” Arabel shouted angrily.

“Then who ordered Miller to hunt the lycans? Who wanted to create this chimeras?” Jonea asked in a trembling voice. “Is he the dragon army?”

Arabel had not had time to answer; we saw a dark shadow emerge from the ground under Jonea’s feet. Then, the shadow transformed into a human figure. We were all surprised because Daran was already among us.

“I can understand the situation,” Daran said.

Seeing Daran’s arrival, Arabel became even angrier and shouted louder. “You guys want to trick me, huh? You called this wizard to kill me?”

“Is L around here?” Daran asked.

“I came alone!” Arabel answered loudly. “L is currently—” Then Arabel fell silent as if she had thought of something. She turned to Daran. “Hey, lycan king, why are you here?”

“To investigate what’s there!” Daran replied while pointing towards the cemetery and also turning to me.

“Uncle, do you want to investigate me? Why?”

“It seems like you have recently been contaminated by the spirit of a black dog.”

“What do you mean, Uncle?”