Chapter 17: Casper
[Who are you?] Zera's voice trembled with surprise inside the memory library.
"Shut up," Raven said coldly, eyes locked on Scott.
"Oh? Did I knock your head too hard? What's with the sudden attitude?" Scott chuckled, tightening his grip on Raven's hair. "Looks like you need another beating."
Raven blinked slowly.
Then, without warning, he extended his hand toward Scott.
Before anyone could react, an invisible force gripped Scott's neck. He choked, his eyes bulging as the pressure increased.
"Young master!" The blonde-haired guard shouted and charged forward, fist aimed at Raven with full force.
But Raven moved faster—faster than the eye could follow.
Tsk.
In a blink, he released Scott and vanished from his spot, reappearing two meters away. His arm rose sharply.
Too fast.
Even the guards couldn't track his movements.
Then, a low, eerie voice echoed from his lips.
"Devour."
But—nothing happened.
Raven's expression darkened. He clicked his tongue.
"What the f*ck did you do to this body, you damned spirit?"
[...]
[...Who are you?] Zera asked again, more cautiously this time.
She could tell it was Raven's consciousness. And yet, something else… something darker… moved within him.
'It's not another soul,' she realized in alarm. 'It feels like… a fractured personality. But why do I feel dread?'
Outside the memory space, Raven's lips curled into a sinister smile.
"Hehe. The one you loathe most."
Zera's heart skipped a beat.
[...Casper? Didn't my owner's spell—Erase Existence—eradicate you? How are you still alive? How have you become a part of Raven's core consciousness?]
But Casper ignored her.
He raised a hand—and the Frozen Ender spear shimmered into existence, summoned from Raven's inventory. Gripping it with both hands, he spun it slightly to gauge the weight.
The blonde-haired guard and the middle-aged man immediately stepped between him and Scott, weapons drawn.
Casper sighed, irritated. "Every time I wake up, this brat's dancing on death's edge."
He quickly assessed Raven's body.
"...Tch. No mana at all."
Still, he funneled his spirit power into the spear and slashed.
A massive surge of ice-elemental energy burst forth. It twisted into the shape of a crescent moon, bright and glowing with deadly frost. It soared toward the trio—expanding, humming, freezing the very air around it.
The guards had no time to scream.
The crescent passed through them like a silent scythe. Their torsos separated cleanly, blood misting the air. Three corpses collapsed in a spray of red.
And then—agony.
Casper stumbled, clutching his skull. Blood spewed from his mouth. The spear clattered to the floor.
"F*ck! Not again—"
He collapsed.
But before his body could hit the ground, a blur of motion came from the staircase.
A young woman, eyes filled with tears, caught him in her arms.
"I-I'm sorry I'm late, Raven," she whispered, voice trembling. His pulse fluttered weakly under her fingers.
Her grip tightened.
"I should have been stronger. I should've ended these vipers before they got to you…"
Her sorrow gave way to fury. A deep, soul-crushing hatred flared in her eyes—and something deep inside her snapped.
A shackle unseen, now broken.
…
Millers' Mansion — Lombard Street
A few minutes earlier…
A thunderous bang shattered the morning calm. The massive gates of the Millers' Mansion flew open with violent force. The sound echoed through the courtyard, sharp and foreboding.
Through the broken gates strode a young woman in her twenties. Her stride was confident. Commanding. The black uniform and sword at her waist left no doubt—law enforcement.
Behind her followed a middle-aged woman with silver-streaked hair. Her eyes swept the surroundings like a seasoned predator.
The mansion's staff froze. Whispers bloomed.
"Police? Didn't we already pay this month?" A tall, muscular man stepped forward, face twisted in confusion.
Athena's eyes turned icy. "So the rot lies within the southern district station itself. No wonder every inspection turned up nothing."
She unsheathed her blade.
"Try not to kill them, Aunt. But you can cripple whoever resists."
The moment her voice faded, Athena vanished from view.
She reappeared behind the man in an instant—steel flashing.
A scream pierced the courtyard as blood sprayed from the man's arms—now severed at the elbows.
The thugs panicked.
Weapons clanged out of scabbards. Shouts rang across the yard.
But it was too late.
Athena and Shirley were already moving—silent blurs of violence and precision.
Even the three Official-Rank Walkers among the guards couldn't hold them back.
Two minutes.
That's all it took.
Two minutes to flatten the outer resistance.
Bodies littered the lawn—moaning, unconscious, or bleeding out.
The pair didn't stop.
They stormed into the mansion, boots thudding on polished marble, blades already red.
Inside, the main hall swelled with defenders—more than twenty, all rallied in haste.
Some wore polished armor and gauntlets, their presence commanding. These were soldiers.
Others gripped crude weapons—farm tools, kitchen knives, battered swords. Fear creased their brows.
Servants ran screaming, their footsteps slipping on bloody marble as they tried to flee.
Athena surveyed the scene.
"...Why do I feel like we're the villains?" she muttered dryly.
Shirley stepped forward, blade raised. "Seven Official-Rank Walkers. More than I expected from this snake's nest."
"They're one of the three richest families in this city," Athena replied grimly. "If not for political interference, I'd have exposed their dealings long ago. I always suspected they had ties with the Vipers…"
Her gaze hardened.
"But I never imagined this mansion was the Vipers' main base."
Still, her focus wasn't on arrests.
It was to save her brother.
"I'll end this quickly."
She stepped forward—but paused.
A sudden chill surged from the left wing of the mansion.
Shirley sensed it too.
"Go. I'll hold this side," she said, drawing her sword fully. "That cold isn't normal."
Athena nodded once and dashed down the left corridor, evading two attacks with minimal effort before vanishing into the shadows.
Back in the main hall, Shirley advanced.
Her sword shimmered with an invisible aura—Sword Will—as she moved like a dancer in a storm.
The guards could do nothing.
Apprentices fell first, then the Official-Rank Walkers. Swords clashed, screams filled the air, and blood pooled across the floor.
In less than five minutes, it was over.
Only one man remained standing—or rather, kneeling.
Jaxx Miller, head of the household, stared at the destruction around him.
His guards: dead.
His servants: broken.
His confidence: gone.
"W-Why... why are you doing this?" he stammered, voice cracking under the weight of fear.
Shirley's expression didn't change.
Cold. Silent.
Elite-Rank. That was the only thought that echoed in Jaxx's terrified mind.
'When did we offend such a monster?'
His thoughts turned frantic.
'Where's that police girl? She was just as dangerous as this one…'
But there was still hope.
'Kaiser and Ramon will return soon… Elite-Rank Walkers of the Vipers Syndicate. If I can just stall—'
Then it happened.
A pulse of invisible force rippled through the mansion.
Crack.
The chandelier flickered. Then, one by one, every lamp died.
Darkness claimed the corners.
Only the flickering glow of the chandelier remained—casting long, ominous shadows across the bloodstained floor.
Even Shirley's eyes narrowed.
Then, from the darkness of the left corridor, a figure stepped forward.
A young woman—her eyes glistening with tears—emerged, cradling a boy in her arms.
She stepped into the light.
And the entire mansion held its breath.
"Athena?! What happened?" Shirley rushed forward, alarmed, as she saw Athena carrying Raven in her arms.
"It looks like his teacher got there before I did. Two Elite Walkers and even this bastard's son were sliced in half by some kind of Ice Spell." Athena's eyes narrowed as she glared coldly at Jaxx Miller.
Jaxx's heart skipped a beat.
M-My son… dead? And by a magic spell?
His teacher… Could it be?
Is this boy actually a Wizard's disciple?!
A wave of horror crashed over Jaxx. He glanced at the unconscious boy in the officer's arms and instantly recognized him. One of the two kids his son had brought back from the academy, over a petty argument.
Then something clicked.
Wait. Did she say "Athena" just now?
Hero of Darkcross? Scott kidnapped her brother?
And he's a Wizard's disciple?!
His face turned ghostly pale.
Now he understood why the entire mansion had been torn apart. His foolish son had provoked a monster cloaked in innocence.
I'm finished… Even the Elite Walkers won't save me from this.
He silently began searching for a way to escape, his instincts kicking in like a rat trapped in a burning building.
Meanwhile, Shirley bent over Raven, carefully checking his condition. His pulse was steady.
His skin was unusually cold, but he was breathing fine.
"He's unconscious from shock. We'll take him to the hospital for a full check-up." She gently took Raven from Athena's arms, then paused as something shifted in Athena's aura.
"You advanced?" she asked, raising a brow.
Athena gave a sheepish smile. "Yes, Aunt. Seeing him like that… It made me furious—at myself, for being weak. I broke through."
Just then, her expression changed as she remembered something.
"There's another boy. I found him tied up in the dungeon. I'll bring him." Without waiting, she turned and walked back into the shadowed corridors.
A few minutes later, she returned, carrying the unconscious Dante, only to find Shirley in a heated argument with a stern-looking officer.
"Are you blind?! Those boxes out front are filled with narcotics! The Viper Syndicate logo is literally stamped on them!" Shirley's voice thundered through the ruined hall. "And you're blaming me?!"
The officer—a man in his late forties with grizzled stubble and a rigid stance—retorted coldly, sword in hand.
"Even if your reasons were noble, harming the citizens is still a crime. And we can't confirm those are drugs until the forensics report comes in."
Athena narrowed her eyes.
Cedric… Head of South Borough Patrol. A snake in uniform. I've heard stories—his men extort money from shopkeepers under the pretense of 'protection.'
She stepped into the hall, her tone like steel cloaked in ice.
"What a pathetic attempt to cover up your department's incompetence, Mr. Cedric."
Cedric turned, startled. "Who are you?"
Then he saw the five-star badge pinned to her chest and froze.
"Greetings, Madam Athena!" he barked, instantly bowing.
"This may fall under the South Borough's jurisdiction, but this case now involves the Narcotics Department—my department. Inform Inspector Gary to report to me tomorrow morning. My team will arrive within the hour to collect evidence. Until then, no one moves a single box. If even one goes missing…" She stepped closer, voice turning deadly. "I'll report you directly to Lord Baron and have you expelled from the department."
She handed Dante over to Shirley, then turned toward the kneeling Jaxx Miller.
"Jaxx Miller, you are under arrest for the abduction of academy students and involvement in narcotics trafficking." Without hesitation, she snapped a cold iron cuff around his wrist.
As Shirley carried both boys out of the mansion, Athena dragged Jaxx behind her and shoved him into the back of the police carriage. Once everyone was aboard, they set off toward the Commoners' Borough and the local station.
…
While Athena filed charges and ordered sweeping arrests of the Miller family, Shirley took Raven and Dante to the nearby hospital.
Dante was unharmed and sent home after a routine check-up. Raven, however, tested positive for the powerful drug Miraclo in his bloodstream. He was admitted immediately.
Three seizures followed. The doctors rushed him into the intensive care unit.
…
Over the next three days, Athena launched a city-wide drug crackdown. Under her iron leadership, multiple criminal lords were arrested, a dozen corrupt officers were publicly demoted, even three academic professors were arrested, and thirty officials—including rich people—were tried and convicted. The once-feared Miller Family vanished from Darkcross City's power circles overnight.
A full week passed before Raven finally opened his eyes.
W-What happened? His head throbbed like a war drum. He was in his own bed.
He heard familiar voices in the hall—his aunt. He tried to speak, but no sound came out. Even moving was a challenge.
Fragments of memory flickered in his mind, unclear and surreal.
Zera…? Are you there? How did I get out? Did my sister rescue me?
[…No. You rescued yourself.] Zera's voice was low, solemn.
What? But… I blacked out!
Then, like pages of an unwelcome book flipping open, the memories returned. He saw himself—no, someone like him—fighting Scott, wielding a spear wreathed in freezing mist. Scott and his guards had fallen, impaled by a single ice-infused strike.
I… killed them? That's me… but I don't remember it.
[You might not have been in control. Raven… something else took over.]
Something else?
[Something ancient. Something that should've been erased from existence. It's been clinging to your soul—dormant. My guess? It's the same being that protected you as a baby.]
What does that mean? Raven's heart pounded with fear and confusion.
[You'll understand when you ask Athena about your origins. For now, focus on recovering. Work on your alchemy. Train your spearmanship.]
Raven nodded silently.
He checked his body.
No change in my status. Haa… Still so weak.
He clenched his fists, a quiet resolve rising within him. He wouldn't let himself fall again.
Just then, Shirley burst in and rushed to his bedside, eyes wide with relief. Behind her trailed several middle-aged women—neighbors he'd seen chatting with his aunt on weekends.
Among them was a round, grey-haired woman in a large floral gown and feathered hat, holding a heavy leather bag.
"Aunt Marley!" Raven called out, managing a smile.
"No need to sit up, dear," she said kindly. "Doctor says you're to stay in bed another week." She placed a small bag of fruit by the table.
Each lady came by, offering kind words and checking on his health before quietly departing. Only Aunt Marley and Shirley remained.
Then came the interrogation.
With the patience of a hawk and the precision of a surgeon, Marley asked what happened after school, how he got involved with Scott, how close they were, what they talked about… The questions were endless. Advice followed. Then came a proper scolding.
Even Shirley started to look nervous as Marley's lecture stretched past thirty minutes.
At last, Marley left, the room blessedly silent once more.
"If she stayed ten more minutes, I swear my ears would've started bleeding," Raven muttered, forcing a grin.
Shirley chuckled, patting his head. "Don't take her too seriously. She may nag, but her heart's in the right place. She checked on you more than fifty times this week."
"I believe it," Raven murmured.
"Anyway, eat something." She walked off to the kitchen.
Later, Raven ate stew and bread before drifting back into sleep.
That night, he spent over an hour chatting with Athena, who visited after her rounds. They spoke about everything and nothing—just siblings, together.
The next few days passed in quiet recovery. With each morning, Raven grew stronger. Light exercises turned into full routines.
Two weeks later, he returned to the academy.