novelraw Chapter 75 – Wounds That Time Can’t Heal
Chapter 75 – Wounds That Time Can’t Heal
“Even if you say so... you haven’t introduced your name in this world. So I don’t know... or should I just call you Helen?”
She tilted her head playfully. “Hmm? Don’t you have an Appraisal skill too?”
I blinked. “Is it okay to use that on you?”
“Why not?” she said with a small shrug. “I’ve got nothing to hide. In my previous life, everything in war came down to power—technology, strategy, and the commander’s ability to lead. In this world, if someone can see my skills through Appraisal, that’s fine. I don’t mind. It’s not like knowing would help them beat me anyway.”
She really did speak with that same carefree confidence as before... but there was pride in her voice too. Earned pride.
“O-Okay. But don’t worry, my Appraisal skill’s still low, so I probably won’t see much.”
Still, I activated it.
⟦ STATUS WINDOW ⟧
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Name: Selena Calytrix
Age: 397
Race: Half-Elf
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⟬ Essence ⟭
Vitality: 88710
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⟬ Attributes ⟭
Strength: 77704
Agility: 95582
Dexterity: 91287
Status Points: 1161800
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
⟬ Element Affinity ⟭
Light, Fire, Heavenfire
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
*You need the target’s consent to manipulate the target's status.
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“...Fuck.”
The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
“Huh?” She looked at me, a brow raised. “What’s up?”
“N-No, nothing,” I stammered. “I was just... surprised. You’re really strong. Um—Selena?”
She chuckled, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. There was no arrogance in it—just quiet confirmation.
But I couldn’t stop staring at the numbers.
She was strong. Probably stronger than Sister Karin…
No, Selena felt stronger. More complete. More solid. She didn’t just have high numbers—she carried presence. And what the hell with those status points!?
I swallowed hard.
How small do I look next to someone like her?
If she, someone this strong, was still coughing blood... what chance do I have?
I shook the thought off. Comparing myself now was useless. But it lit a small flame inside me—a whisper of determination, buried under everything else.
She tilted her head. “So? Did I pass the test?”
I blinked. “Huh? Oh—y-yeah. Definitely. You passed like... ten times over.”
She chuckled lightly.
I noticed something else in her status window. “...Your last name’s Calytrix in this world too?”
She gave a soft laugh. “Ah... no. That’s just something I added. My real name here is just Selena. But... I loved my family in my past life. So, I decided to carry that name with me.”
I nodded slowly.
Calytrix.
A name she cherished enough to carry into another world. Not like my last name, ‘Sentosa’—plain, ordinary, and mainstream in my past world. Still, it made me smile. If mine were as cool, I’d probably bring it with me too.
“So,” she continued, “may I call you Freed?”
“Un. Sure.”
“Then, Freed... would you mind telling me how you ended up a slave?” she asked gently. “It’s okay if you’d rather not. I understand.”
“No, it’s alright,” I said, lowering my gaze.
I took a breath. The memories came slower this time—but heavier. Like stepping into water that only got deeper the further I went.
“It started a little over two years ago…”
I glanced at the wooden floor, then at my hands, quietly curling and uncurling.
A faint, fleeting smile crossed my lips.
“I was in town with my sisters—Celestia and Daisy. They were both newly registered adventurers… We lived there peacefully.”
I let the smile fade.
“Then... the stampede happened.”
Selena’s eyes flickered, recognizing the word.
“A monster stampede. Massive. Out of nowhere. It all happened so fast.”
“My sisters didn’t run. They volunteered to help defend the town.”
“They were just supports—backup healers and supply runners—but they were brave. I... I wasn’t. I followed their orders and rode home to the village to tell our parents what was happening.”
I paused, my throat tightening.
“I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“But when I got back... the village was already burning.”
My fists clenched.
“Dead bodies scattered. Smoke filled the air. I saw people being dragged out of their homes, kids screaming...”
I swallowed hard.
“And then I saw them—my parents.”
“They were fighting. They were bleeding, bruised... but still standing.”
“I was… arrogant.” Tears stung the edge of my eyes, but I kept speaking.
“I tried to help—I really did. I rode straight at the bandits who were about to ambush them. Knocked them down with the horse. I thought I could do something… And I did it. We were running away with my horse. But…”
I shook my head.
“The bandits caught up. They surrounded us. And eventually…”
I hesitated, the sight of my parents’ last breath lingering in my mind.
“...My parents stood between me and the blades.”
“They both died... protecting me.”
I let the silence fall.
My voice cracked as I whispered, “I should’ve died with them.”
Her hand slowly reached across the space between us, hovering, unsure—then stopped short, fingers curling into her palm.
Selena didn’t speak.
She didn’t need to.
The look in her eyes said more than any words could.
“They tied me up. Threw me onto a wagon. And... I thought that was it. I thought I’d lost everything.”
“But then... they came.”
Selena leaned forward slightly, listening.
“My sisters.”
My voice broke at the name.
“They found me. Somehow, they tracked the bandits back. They were injured—badly. Their clothes were torn, soaked in blood. They were shaking... but they were still standing.”
“They didn’t hesitate.”
“They ran straight into the burning village full of bandits without a second thought.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I kept going.
“They knew they couldn’t win. They were outnumbered. Surrounded.”
“But they fought.”
“They fought with everything they had. Even as they bled, even when their knees buckled, even when the bandits laughed at how weak they were... they didn’t stop.”
I gripped my knees, nails digging into my palms.
“And then... I watched them die.”
The final moments played in my mind like a cursed dream I could never wake from.
“Celestia was blasted apart by the bandits’ aura. Daisy slashed by the bandits from her back. They screamed so loud it still echoes in my head.”
“They fell right in front of me.”
“And I couldn’t do anything.”
Silence stretched across the room.
I stared blankly ahead.
“Every night since then... I’ve seen their faces. The way they smiled before it happened. The way they looked when it ended.”
“I can’t forget it.”
I drew a long, trembling breath, voice reduced to a whisper.
“I lost everyone... right in front of me.”
When I finished, the room felt heavy.
I didn’t expect comfort. I didn’t expect her to understand. But the silence she gave me... wasn’t empty. It was understanding.
“I see...” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said, forcing a small smile. “If anything, I’m grateful you saved me. I thought I was going to die and finally follow them... so, thank you.”
I bowed slightly.
She quickly waved her hands, flustered. “No, no... it was just a coincidence I happened to be there.”
“Even so... it doesn’t change the fact that you saved me.”
“Haa... fine, you win.” She sighed and leaned back, eyes softening. “So, what now? Your village is gone, isn’t it?”
I stared at the ceiling for a moment, its smooth wooden planks now feeling distant again.
My village was destroyed. My family was gone. And I—
I don’t have something to call home anymore.
“Originally... I wanted to become an adventurer.”
“Wanted?”
“Yeah. My parents were both former adventurers. My sisters were following the same path. I wanted to be like them... But after being enslaved, I lost sight of that. I’m not sure I can go back to that dream anymore. But…”
I sat up straighter and looked her in the eyes.
“I think... I want revenge. On the ones who took them from me.”
“Revenge?”
“Haha... childish, right?”
I laughed lightly, ruffling my hair, but it was hollow. The truth is... I hadn’t thought it through at all.
But she didn’t scoff or scold me.
She shook her head.
“No. It’s not childish. It’s normal to want justice for those you loved.”
“...Really?”
She nodded with a faint smile. “I’ve freed many slaves. Some wanted a new life. Others wanted vengeance. I don’t think either is wrong.”
“You’ve... saved others too?”
“Mm.” She chuckled quietly. “I was a slave once too. Saved by a traveler—a human woman. She had no grand mission, just a kind heart. She took me in, trained me, and we traveled together, freeing others wherever we could.”
Slave...
Even though it must’ve been a heavy chapter in her life, she spoke of it lightly—almost like she was telling someone else’s story.
But I could tell... her heart wasn’t on her time in chains. It lingered on the woman who had saved her.
“But... she was human. Eventually, time caught up to her.”
She paused, her eyes growing distant.
“When she died... I took up her dream.”
*Cough* *Cough*
Her hand flew to her mouth again.
Crimson flecks dotted her palm.
I leaned forward, alarmed. “A-Are you okay? Are you sick?”
She waved me off, reaching for a glass of water and taking a slow sip.
“Haa... don’t worry. It’s just my age. You know I’m old, right?”
I frowned, not convinced.
<“Aza, is that true?”>
【Half-true. Half-elves have an average lifespan of 300 to 750 years. Their physical aging is roughly five times slower than that of humans.】
【However, while 397 years for a half-elf is quite old, coughing blood is not a natural part of their aging process.】
So... she was hiding something.
But she didn’t owe me the truth.
I sighed. “Haa... If I didn’t know your age, I’d honestly think you were still in your twenties. You don’t look a day older.”
I joked to lighten the mood. Well, not really a joke. I wasn’t just saying that—I meant it.
“Oh my, what a flattering young man.” She giggled. “Did you practice those lines in your past life?”
I shrugged. “Just speaking the truth.”
Her eyes sparkled. Her skin was flawless. Her body was youthful. With an abundance of silver hair, anyone might mistake her for a woman in her twenties.
Well, elves always look young, at least that’s what the comics in my past life showed. As for the half-elves… Sis Karin looked young too, so they must be similar.
But, she gave an unexpected reply instead.
She tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. “Thank you. I was a princess, remember? I do try to maintain my appearance. I’m glad it’s working. That means the magic I developed is doing its job.”
“You made magic? Yourself?”
“Mm-hmm~” she nodded proudly. “I spend my free time developing magic. Sometimes magic tools too. My old world didn’t have any magic, so I’ve been making the most of this one.”
“That’s so cool! I get it though—when I realized this world had magic, I was so excited. I wanted to be an adventurer, travel, and eventually... maybe even recreate some of my old world’s tech with magic. You know, make tools and stuff. Live a quiet life when I’m old.”
I paused.
My voice grew quiet.
“But now... I don’t know anymore. Not after losing everything.”
I felt like I lost all the ambition I had ever since that day.
She didn’t say anything at first.
Just smiled.
A warm, quiet smile that made the silence feel... less lonely.
*Cough* *Cough*
And once again... red bloomed across her palm.