Chapter 128: Worrywart
[Mimicry available to use. However, I advise you to refrain from using it a bit too much since it was just recently refreshed.]
[Sleight of Hand refreshed. You can use this instead of Mimicry.]
[Faceless can only change one more face. Be mindful. Though I will still give you a warning even if you try to break the power’s limit, Cillian.]
’Nice.’
Cillian couldn’t help but be thankful to the Death Flag System for helping him again this time. It didn’t force him to do anything, such as giving him quests, as Cillian thought it would now that it was becoming sentient, nor did it give him demoralizing and weird messages like a certain scent through the screen.
As the lone figure who had given him this power had said, the system would be reliant on him from now on. It was up to him how he would help it grow.
But it was turning out to be Cillian relying on it instead, which he didn’t mind at all. After all, who would refuse a god-given gift that had been handed down for free? At the very least, Cillian would gladly accept it with open arms.
’The warning that the system was trying to mention is probably about the limits with timer for each ability, right? Faceless and Mimicry. These two abilities are ones that I’ve already witnessed having timers. On the other hand, Sleight of Hand is something that I haven’t abused just yet. Hahh, my system is really fascinating.’
[A scent of Death within you says hi]
All of a sudden, Cillian’s giddy feeling, along with the gleeful smirk on his face, froze. This particular screen just had to ruin his mood.
It seemed that the scent of Death was able to tell that Cillian was feeling happy about the Death Flag System being helpful, and he also definitely knew that this thing was trolling him.
’This thing is probably an individual who’s is glued on his phone during parties. Tsk.’
With a click of his tongue, Cillian had to pull his focus back to the current development of their group as they rushed toward Arthur.
The strategy crazily worked.
Making Aster work without using any of his Pieces, while adding Mouthful Eye’s ’singing’ of the censored words, was a good combination that even Cillian couldn’t help but feel proud of. After all, he was the one who recommended this strategy in the first place, if he just ignored Aster’s face every time Mouthful Eye sang.
Along the way, Aster encountered six Black Shepherds in total and defeated them with the Artifact’s help. Using only minimal effort and maximum efficiency, they were able to accomplish this, with Cillian taking the role of an observer and giving tips from time to time.
However, during the past two trips where they encountered two Black Shepherds each, Cillian’s tips were slightly off the mark. Even though he had given warnings about certain possibilities of how Aster’s fights would turn out, the battles were still unpredictable, and this led to some mistakes.
Because of that, Aster had a few bruises appearing all over his body, especially a hideous cut on his shoulder where he mainly held his sword. Thankfully, the robes they had stolen from the Shepherds were enough to cover it. The view of the injury, not the injury itself, however.
’I was ready to receive some sort of complaints coming from him, but he seemed to be trusting me for a while. This is good.’
Cillian didn’t know how he was supposed to answer this main character if he ever brought it up... which Aster did until the very end.
"So not every time you’re right, huh."
Aster said it rather sarcastically, which made Cillian laugh in the same manner, though his voice sounded almost intentionally broken.
"Ha. Ha. Ha. What made you think that my plans or words worked most of the time?"
If only Aster knew how many of his plans had failed him most of the time, he wouldn’t be bringing up this kind of topic. It was too stupid to think that a mortal like him could develop and craft a perfect plan, unless... Unless he had planned everything down to the smallest details of every action involved in a situation.
But it couldn’t happen.
Still, it seemed that Aster’s point of view was different from Cillian’s, since that wasn’t the reason he was bringing it up.
"Nah, not really talking about it. I mean, you’re a pretty cunning guy. I’m also cunning, too, but not on your level yet."
"Is that a compliment?"
Aster shook his head.
"The thing I wanted to say is that you’re all good. I won’t be pointing fingers at you for the bruises I received because of your tips. We all make mistakes, that’s what makes us human. So, don’t worry about it."
Expecting to receive an answer from Cillian while he made a stupid face, Aster chuckled before gazing toward him, only to be met with a strange stare from the recipient of his words.
Cillian’s strange face cracked.
’Are you trying to raise the possibility of your death flags or smth?! Heck, if you were an extra like me, those words would definitely be death flags!’
That speech and those words spoken by Aster were definitely a death flag. If not for the fact that Aster’s Possibility Flag was raised above his head, pointing toward a Black Flag, Cillian might’ve already been worried about his well-being.
"The heck? Why are you reacting that way?"
Aster couldn’t help but frown upon seeing Cillian react differently from what he had expected. He was indeed making a stupid face, but... it was very extreme.
But then he remembered that Cillian never liked this type of conversation. From the first time he had seen this new Cillian, probably when he had met him in the class meant for troublemakers, he was never the type to want these pep talks.
Aster already knew about it, but he couldn’t help feeling the urge to say it when Cillian was clearly blaming himself for his accumulated injuries.
"Okay, my bad—"
"If you say that you don’t mind it, then I won’t mind it."
Cillian answered the statement earlier, interrupting him and making Aster turn completely quiet.
Aster thought the message was fully sent before the corners of his lips slowly dropped when he saw Cillian’s smug smile.
It was a teasing smile that was filled with mockery, and his next words were no different.
"You know, if you’re saying this just to compose yourself after I told you not to be nervous, I’d say it’s a very good coping mechanism. Well, I didn’t know you were such a worrywart. But I’m genuinely impressed."
This time, Aster couldn’t help but frown.
"I wasn’t really nervous. Wait, hold on now. I don’t understand where you’re coming from. Why would I be nervous? You already told me not to worry."
"Worrywart."
"I think you need to stop."
"I think you need to stop worrying, worrywart."
Aster unsheathed his sword and showed the blade to Cillian when his attempts at convincing him weren’t working. Cillian immediately stopped teasing him and turned his gaze forward again.
’Good, he’s not thinking about Melissa and the others. I’m also trying so hard not to think about them as we get closer to Arthur, but talking to Aster like this to ease our worries is enough.’
It was more than enough.
Now that Cillian can use a spammable strategy, he can attempt to do more things with his arsenal. At the same time, with Mimicry back in the works, Cillian might get the chance to copy abilities again.
Even so, what would make a difference in their current situation?
There was something Cillian had been trying for the past few hours, and he was willing to do it again as long as it was available to use.
To increase his chances of succeeding, Cillian grabbed a familiar artifact from his Inventory.
[Name: Death Coin]