My Skill Creation System

Linda was firmly anchored to the ground, with vigorous black energy spiraling around her, binding her in place. Her body was shaking and steaming with heat as she desperately attempted to break free from her captivity, but the hold remained unyielding.

Lifting her face to meet Nathan's gaze, Linda's expression was one of fury, her lips curling up and her teeth bared in a menacing snarl as she attempted to lunge for Nathan's hand, which was resting upon her cheek.

"What made you angry, Linda?"

Nathan had only known Linda for a few days or weeks, but Marco had already provided him with the details of their past, including what occurred to them when they were kids, as well as what happened to Linda when she was an adult and had been imprisoned by Bas in the basement prison.

He had never been thoroughly questioned about what had befallen her in prison or what Bas' real motivations were. Nevertheless, he was aware that she must accept the hardships that would cause her life to be filled with sorrow. Grief had been a constant companion of hers since she was a child.

"They are my friends." Nathan uttered to himself. An emotion he couldn't quite identify washed over him, and a wave of anger returned as he remembered what had happened to Muramoto.

He kept muttering to himself, "This is my fault!" blaming himself for the events that had transpired.

His hand trembled as it remained resting on Linda's cheek, his anger towards himself unmistakable. Edna, Muramoto, and now Linda; Nathan was deeply frustrated with himself.

"Are you mad at yourself for what happened?" Nathan asked. His voice was barely audible, but Linda responded by shaking her head vigorously. Her hands pressed firmly against the ground gave her the strength to push her body back up.

Suddenly, Rowena flew off and hovered above Linda before slowly gliding down and resting her hands on Linda's back, pushing her back down onto the ground.

"Linda, listen to me."

Nathan tenderly cupped Linda's face in his hands, delicately lifting it up so he could look into her eyes. His voice was unwavering and powerful as he spoke. "We cannot control the events that take place in our lives, but we can choose to respond to them either negatively or positively. No matter what, we will always encounter risks and difficulties that we must face."

"We can't expect life to be perfect, can we?" Nathan said, his voice quivering. "Since you were young, you have faced many struggles, as have I and Meriel and countless others. We are all trying to cope with our own difficulties."

Nathan was silent for a brief moment, attempting to lock eyes with Linda. His stare remained fixed on hers.

"Linda! Listen to me!"

Nathan spoke with a trembling voice, and his features contorted in anguish. "When Edna left because of me, I was consumed with anger. I felt the same way after Muramoto lost his life because of me. Now, upon seeing your current state, I'm just as livid as before." His voice rose in pitch. "We can't do anything about it, Linda. Everyone has their own battles to fight."

Nathan released a deep breath, his heart pounding rapidly. His body trembled uncontrollably, quivering from the fast beating of his heart.

"We don't have to fight this battle alone! Meriel, Yudan, Marco and the rest of us are here to help. Together, we can make it through anything!"

Nathan, overwhelmed with emotion, couldn't contain himself any longer. His eyes began to well up.

"We come here together, we make decisions together, and we share the responsibility together, Linda!" Nathan declared firmly, his voice resonating with a distinct vibration.

At the same time, Linda suddenly ceased her struggles, going quiet and her expression changing to one of restraint as if she was struggling to contain her deep disappointment.

Linda tightly squeezed her eyes shut. Her body trembled, and the wings on her back quickly retracted into her flesh. Her skin returned to its original hue. The expression on her face, which had been filled with distress, softened as she calmed down.

Linda bent down, her face contorted with emotion, and remained silent for a few moments. Everyone present could feel that she had regained her composure.

In a few seconds, the silence was interrupted by quite, uncontrollable sobs that escaped Linda's mouth. Her clenched fist pounded the ground.

"I'm so stupid..."

Linda wiped away her tears and raised her head, her eyes full of grief.

"It's all my fault! Muramoto... because of me... I can't stand it. I can't forgive myself."

Nathan tenderly drew her close, their foreheads touching as he felt the tears streaming down her face and her sobs intensifying.

Grief-stricken, Linda exclaimed, "It's all my fault, Oppa. My foolishness has caused you pain. Everyone I care for is either hurt or taken away from me. This is all my fault." She was attempting to restrain her tears, but her sobs were evident.

"I also blame myself, Linda. I take a lot of the blame in this situation, but I understand how Meriel, Yudan, and you must be feeling - a deep sadness. However, it's essential that we continue on. There is another issue that requires our immediate attention."

"I'm so sorry," Linda said, her voice cracking as she stumbled towards Nathan and wrapped her arms around him. Tears streamed down her face and her body shook as she wept.

"It's okay. We will be okay." He patted her back gently, and then he noticed that the armor on her back had been broken because of the wings that had been previously forced out of her back.

"We only have eight minutes left in this place, so we should hurry back to the CEHA entrance exam. I'm afraid something might have happened there while we were gone,"

Linda pulled her body upright and looked at Nathan. "Do we still need to worry about this challenge, Oppa? After all, your sister and the others are there, aren't they?"

Nathan smiled at Linda. "So much has happened recently. I saw Olivia and the others take on some powerful Elite Monsters. Elite Shadow Wraith Lv. 100, to be exact."

Yudan's eyes widened in surprise. "Elite Shadow Wraith? That's one dark creature!" he exclaimed, turning everyone's attention to him.

"Elite Shadow Wraith, what a lowly creature," Rowena said, flashing a faint smile and a long, sharp grin.

"Are you sure a menacing creature like that exists in that pocket dimension, Nathan?" Yudan asked, his voice unwavering.

Everyone was pondering, but Yudan spoke up before they had a chance to voice their questions.

"That's a monster that would really give us a hard time in this challenge. I'm not sure we'd be able to handle it easily unless it's Olivia and her friends who take care of it."

Nathan nodded in agreement. "That's right," he said. "And I'm sure there's not just one god apostle out there. What if someone else were to awaken and cause the same amount of destruction?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense as everyone fell into a moment of silence, contemplating the possibilities that had yet to be imagined. Nathan inhaled deeply and rose to his feet, directing his gaze towards Yudan.

"Where have you put Muramoto's body?" he asked in a steady voice.

"It is inside the cave," Yudan replied in a low tone.

Nathan nodded and then began to walk with deliberate strides toward the cave of gold. He turned to Rowena and said, "Come with me."

Nathan crept forward cautiously when he spotted Muramoto's lifeless body on the ground. He knelt beside him, gazing down at him with a swirl of conflicting emotions welling up in his chest.

Rowena then carefully advanced. Her lengthy legs gracefully carried her, and kneeled down beside Nathan.

Rowena gently put her hand on Nathan's shoulder and slowly let her fingertips glide down his back, ending on his left shoulder. She then moved her body closer to his arm and brought her face close to his ear.

"Master," she whispered softly, "I know what you are thinking."

Nathan raised his head, and the serene expression he once wore had now given way to creased brows, with clear signs of sadness and regret etched onto his face. He pondered over the possibility of reviving Muramoto, refusing to accept that it could never be done.

"Can I bring Muramoto back to life like you were, Rowena?" Nathan asked. "You were a vampire queen before, right?"

"Master," Rowena gently caressed Nathan's arm as she spoke, her breath softly brushing against his ear.

"I urge you not to attempt to revive your friend with necromancy. He is only a low level human, and should he return, he will be a mindless Undead. You will only find yourself in more anguish and distress."

Nathan remained silent, his mind overwhelmed with thoughts. He desperately wanted to find a way to help Muramoto; after all, he was a God Apostle with two blessings of the sins and unlimited potential.

"Master," Rowena said timidly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know that the grim reaper collects people's souls to take them to the heavens?"

Nathan slowly lifted his eyelids, his face contorted in disbelief as he uttered, "Grim Reaper?" That was one of his classes.

Rowena responded quietly, "Yes, master," and then, with her right hand, she gestured to Muramoto's chest and pointed her index finger to his heart. "This is where a human leaves something similar to a monster core when they die."

"Monster core?"

Nathan quickly activated his magic detection after Rowena concluded her statement. To his surprise, he detected an energy that was wildly swirling and moving within Muramoto's core.