20 A Goal of Humanity (1/2)

When Aaron turned around with surprise to look into Edmond's eyes, it was as if he was seeing two burning embers, defiantly combusting themselves to drive back the darkness.

This was definitely a moment he would remember throughout his life. He had never before seen such undefeatable determination before, and it was even more shocking when he remembered that it was from someone whom he had considered to be pathetic just a day ago.

He couldn't comprehend how someone could have changed that much in such a short span of time. In the forest, he had seen both types of creatures: valiant like the Edmond now, and pathetic like the Edmond before.

Yet, he had never seen, nor heard of a creature that was like the former turning into the latter in the span of a day.

Steady growth was possible, but such a polar shift…was unseen and unheard of.

Even Woof was stunned. It kept staring into those eyes, wondering whether this was the same guy who had been about to become its snack the day before.

Either he had been very wrong about Edmond before…or, there really was something special about humans.

Aaron touched Wood's fur to take its opinion, but when he saw that it, too, was pretty shocked, he shook his head.

This was…interesting.

Another puzzle?

Maybe.

Edmond's hand was holding onto Aaron's like a vice, and when he tried to shake it off, it didn't let go.

It seemed as if Edmond wasn't willing to let go unless Aaron agreed that he wasn't pathetic.

However, before he could say anything, Edmond closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

It looked like that was all he was capable of in this state, and even though he wasn't staring at Aaron and demanding an acknowledgment anymore, Aaron decided to speak anyway.

”I agree. You're not that pathetic.”

”Ooowwooowwow.”

Woof echoed this thought, and that was when a small smile spread across Edmond's face.

Shaking his head, Aaron kept thinking about those eyes while he left the room and headed to Mrs. Ernst to get some buns.

By the time he came back, Edmond was sitting up on his bed with a weak smile on his face.

He was looking down and constantly caressing that spot between his knuckles where the Core always appeared from, but when he heard Aaron enter, he looked up and shouted, ”We did it! You held up your end of the bargain!”

He didn't look like he was too unhappy about almost dying, which was something Aaron had expected.

It seemed that the excitement over obtaining a Tera with Rare-grade potential was blocking out all other feelings right now.

For now, Aaron pushed aside all the thoughts about what he had seen in Edmond and what the Chief had said.

His conclusion after his ruminations had been this: he would just have to wait and see more before making any kind of judgment.

Right now, he was most interested in the Bewitching Fox that he had thrown toward Edmond.

Was that really it? Was that all that was needed to bind a Tera?

According to the booklet and what the Chief had said, this relationship was one-sided: a Tera Master could kill the Tera if he wished by causing the Energy that was sent during the Binding to implode, but the Tera wasn't capable of anything like that.

Wasn't that too one-sided? Wasn't that like slavery, almost?