NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 20.1 – The Worry of a Lifetime. Literally.
The steady clatter of the carriage wheels against the cobblestone road should have been soothing, but instead, it felt like the countdown to my doom. My leg tapped restlessly against the floor, the rhythm quickening as every passing moment seemed to drag me closer to some inevitable disaster.
Disaster could strike at any time. Right as I was thinking this, in fact.
The world outside the window was a blur of dark greens and grays, the thick forests and distant mountains of the Romani estate passing by without meaning. My thoughts were too tangled, too loud to care about the scenery.
Death. The word thudded through my mind, heavy and unyielding. I had faced enemies that could kill with a flick of their wrist and had stared down creatures that would make lesser men weep, but this—this was different. It wasn’t an enemy I could fight or outsmart. It was just… there, somewhere on the horizon, waiting.
I didn’t even know how far off that horizon was. A year? A month? Fuck, maybe just a week. The uncertainty was a knife twisting in my gut, and I couldn’t pull it out.
Most importantly, how do you even fight something as abstract as ‘life-span’? Was this related to the Goddess of Fate, Aurethia? Was my fated day of death cut short, or what?
There had to be a way to find out. Some spell, some ancient magic tucked away in the pages of [Arcane Crown] or whispered in the halls of the Waybound Academy. Something that could show me how long I had before I kicked the bucket. I racked my brain, trying to recall anything I’d read, anything at all, but my mind was too clouded with panic to think straight. And even if I did figure it out, how would I fix it? How the hell do you fix a lifespan that’s already been ripped to shreds?
Okay, to be fair, it’s not impossible to increase my lifespan. It’s just complicated. However, if the remaining time is long enough, I can just cultivate it away. I noted. Unfortunately for the EXP restriction, I didn’t have any fix for it. This, I could try to fix.
That would be an easy fix. People in Murim lived for two or even three hundred years through cultivation, after all. The problem was if I only had, let’s say, one year left. Or less. Then cultivation wouldn’t save me, I’d drop dead.
So depending on how long I had left, I could just sit still or go through complications to fix it. But how do I confirm how much time I have left to live?
Letting out a sigh, I decided to distract myself by calling forth my Status Page. It had been a while.
°°°°
Name: Iskandaar Romani
Age: 19 years
Race: Human
Qi: 3400/3400
Level: 30 | 21% EXP
°°
Class: Myth Slayer
Class Level: [1/10]
Class Skills:
- Mythrend [Active]
- Void Step [Active]
- Soul Sever [Active]
- Legendbreaker [Passive]
- Veil of the Slayer [Passive]
°°
General Skills:
- The Heavenly Demon Skill Tree [23.77%]
- Insight [Basic]
- Swordsmanship [Intermediate]
- Kickboxing [Master]
°°°°
The tapping of my leg grew faster, louder. The status screen looked powerful, but all of that was a waste if I ended up dropping dead right now.
Across from me, Lilian shifted uncomfortably. It didn’t help that this was probably her first time in a carriage, and the person she sat against was acting like a caged animal. But I couldn’t stop. If I stopped moving, I felt like my heart might give out right there.
“Are you… alright?” Her voice broke through the noise in my head, a hesitant question hanging in the air between us.
I glanced at her, catching the concern in her red eyes, and forced a laugh. It came out more like a scoff. “Yeah, I’m just peachy,” I said, waving her off. “Don’t worry about it.”
She didn’t look convinced. Of course, she didn’t. It wasn’t like I was doing a good job of hiding how fucked up I felt. She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. “You’ve been acting weird ever since we left Lockdarn. I get that you’re tired or whatever, but this… are you scared of something?”
I kept my gaze on the window, watching the shadows of the trees stretch and bend with the movement of the carriage. The thought of explaining what was going on, of voicing the raw fear gnawing at me, made my throat tighten.
I didn’t want to reveal to her that my super powerful technique cost most of my life-span; that’d ruin my image. Plus I wasn’t about to dump my problems on her.
Instead, I decided to deflect. “What about you?” I shot back, trying to sound casual. “You’ve been quiet this whole trip. Mad because your tribe ditched you?”
Lilian’s eyes narrowed, and for a second, I thought she might actually lunge across the carriage and punch me. But instead, she just sighed, the tension in her shoulders easing as she slumped back against her seat. “They didn’t ditch me,” she muttered, her voice laced with frustration. “I know why they left me behind. It just… sucks, you know? They’re my family, and now I’m stuck with you.”
I almost laughed at that. “Yeah, I’m sure they’ll come running back any day now. You’re not stuck with me, Lilian. If anything, I’m stuck with you. You're at a higher level than me, so rest assured.”
She rolled her eyes, the corners of her mouth twitching upward in a reluctant smile. “Whatever. You’re changing the topic. I’m not the one with a foot tapping like there’s a war drum under the carriage. So, what’s really bothering you?”
I opened my mouth to toss another sarcastic comment her way, but the words caught in my throat. She was right. I was deflecting. But what was I supposed to say? That I was scared shitless because I didn’t know how much time I had left? That the thought of dropping dead in some godforsaken alley was making my skin crawl?
I wasn’t particularly fearful of death. No man who was would drink three dozen energy drinks and stay awake for three days. I didn’t mind if I died. At least… back in my last life, where I lost everything.
But this was a second chance.
This was a new life with endless possibilities. I didn’t want to just… die.
Plus it would be so embarrassing to die while taking a walk when I’m the person who slayed a Myth. I knew I was worrying too much, but I’m sure it’ll pass soon.
Before I could figure out how to answer her, the carriage began to slow, the sounds of the city gradually replacing the quiet of the countryside. We were home. Romer City, the center of the Romani county, sprawled out before us, familiar and unchanged. The sight of it was oddly comforting. I hadn’t even spent a month here, and yet it smelled like home.
We went through the city gates and headed into our mansion.
“I know you’ve seen the city before, but where we’re heading is something else entirely,” I told Lilian as she peeked out of the carriage window.
Her eyes widened as the Romani mansion came into view.
The estate was perched on a lush hill, with tall stone walls and towering spires reaching into the sky. A clear river wound through the grounds, reflecting the golden light of the afternoon. The mansion itself looked like something out of a storybook, its ancient walls softened by ivy and surrounded by manicured gardens.
The Romanis were wealthy. The mansion alone proved that.
“This… this is the Romani estate?” Lilian whispered in disbelief.
I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Welcome to Romer City, Lilian. This is home.”
As the carriage passed over the drawbridge and into the courtyard, the rich scent of blooming flowers and fresh bread from the nearby market filled the air. Sir Rashid called out, announcing our arrival. The carriage came to a halt, and the door swung open to reveal Sir Rashid, my father’s most trusted knight.Lilian’s usual composure faltered as she stepped onto the cobblestones, her gaze sweeping over the mansion and the surrounding gardens.
“Wow,” she breathed, clearly in awe. “It’s… it’s like something out of a story.”
Her reaction helped me breathe easier, momentarily easing the tension that had been gnawing at me. For a brief moment, the beauty of the estate made everything feel almost normal again.
Almost.
“Follow me, young master,” Sir Rashid said, and I nodded. Lilian followed behind me, her earlier frustration had long faded as she whipped her head around. The family home was as imposing as ever, its tall stone walls and ornate towers standing like sentinels as we approached.
Reaching the mansion’s door, the familiar figures of the Count and Countess appeared, faces etched with worry. They had been waiting, and now that we were here, the full weight of what had happened in Lockdarn would come crashing down on them.
My heart pounded in my chest, each step toward them feeling heavier than the last. As I met my father’s gaze, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer I’d have to keep up this charade. “Mother. Father.” I bowed to them gently, and my mother pulled me into a hug.
My father frowned instead. Not at me, but at Lilian; a demi-wolf dressed like a maid.
A short silence passed, and by then, my father's concern had twisted into something sharper.
My mother canceled the hug, while his lips thinned as he shot me a look. “Are you playing with women even during all this? I got you a fiancé!”
His voice was hard, a tone that brooked no argument. He was accusing me of buying a slave, or what?
I opened my mouth to defend myself, to explain that it wasn’t what it looked like, but before I could get a word in, Sir Rashid cleared his throat. “My lord,” he leaned down and whispered something into the Count’s ear, his words too low for anyone else to hear, other than the Countess.
Whatever Rashid said, it hit my father like a cold splash of water. He visibly flinched. The Countess scowled too.
Their eyes widened slightly, flicking back to Lilian, then to me. For a moment, my father just stared, piecing together the situation with newfound clarity. I could see the change in his expression—discomfort mixed with realization. He cleared his throat, looking away from Lilian, and quickly shifted the subject.
Huh. I wondered what Sir Rashid told him. The mark thing again? No way.
“Let’s converse about this indoors,” he said, his voice now carefully neutral. Without another word, he turned on his heel and led us into the mansion.