Chapter 322: Someone Familiar

Chapter 322: Someone Familiar

If no one had stopped him, Bran might have continued his madness. At first, it was just for show, but gradually Bran found it was not only a good way to vent but also a method to free himself from the Inky Torrent.

He had his own family, he had girls who liked him. Even if he hadn’t thought about marrying any of them yet, he couldn’t help having some vague hopes. But these hopes, like his current situation, were completely drowned by the Inky Torrent.

Could he really say he felt no disappointment?

Even though he had long turned himself into mana, he still held onto a tiny sliver of hope, a thought that allowed him to deceive himself. He hated Xina. If Xina hadn’t pointed out that he was a complete monster, he wouldn’t have fought in that crazy, almost suicidal way.

Even though he had known some facts all along and had deliberately or unintentionally regarded himself as a monster, it was actually a twisted, self-mocking form of escape. He said he didn’t care and spoke about these topics lightly, but only he truly knew how he felt inside.

Using the vibrations of the Sea of Magic, he began to vent and curse. Then, to the suddenly quiet tributaries that seemed to be watching the spectacle, he casually explained, “I’m not crazy.”

Bran suddenly realized that even when he was a flesh-and-blood Northlander, he had been an outcast. Now, even after becoming part of the mana tributaries, he was still an outcast.

The Inky Torrent silently enveloped him. Bran thought maybe it understood him best. He and it had become one; he was just a wisp of thought within the Torrent.

But in the continuous vibrations and venting that followed, Bran found himself becoming independent. The parts flowing from his body were peeling away from the Inky Torrent.

And so…

Until his cousins and the others arrived at Northland City.

Dia explained that Lily suddenly remembered Bran had something to give her and reminded him not to go crazy if he had nothing better to do.

Fetching the item was just an excuse; perhaps his sister had almost forgotten about the matter. The truth was she was annoyed by the noise and worried about his recent condition, so she found an excuse to have someone check on him.

Such matters were indeed more convenient for family. Still, Bran looked at Dia and the others with some curiosity, feeling they had changed a lot. The way Dia looked at Bran was also puzzled; they felt Bran had changed too little.

Looking at Bran before her, Dia raised her hand to measure his height and then straightened her own back. Faced with this provocation, Bran shrugged his shoulders, and with each shrug, his body grew taller by a section.

Faced with his cousins’ dumbfounded stares, Bran grinned and then returned to his original appearance. This sparked his cousins’ curiosity. They surrounded Bran, feeling him all over, trying to figure out the reason.

Bran happily explained that he could take on any appearance he wanted. He even immediately created an image with three heads and six arms, with the two extra heads having his cousins’ faces.

In horror, Dia asked, “Why don’t you make yourself look more mature?”

Bran couldn’t help but feel troubled. “I don’t know what I look like as an adult, and I’ll never know now.”

If he had retained a trace of flesh and blood, his appearance would have matured along with its growth. But now, it was too late for that.

During dinner, Bran hosted a feast for his cousins. While others ate heartily, Bran could only stare blankly at the food before him. Although he kept a smile on his face, Danny noticed something was wrong. So Danny started guiding the conversation, chatting with Dia and the others about everyday matters.

Bran’s parents were doing well, always busy. The Western Territory was also fine; as the main route connecting to the Bloody Plains, it was always bustling with people. However, ensuring food and lodging for passing clansmen was becoming a bit too much for the people there.

Their uncle still hoped to launch another attack on the Demon Clan and was somewhat dissatisfied with the stagnant situation. He still didn’t quite believe that forces from beyond the continent could threaten this place.

After hearing this, Bran decided to have Dia take back a Guardian’s corpse as well, to show the people along the way.

Dia even mocked the foolishness of these Amphibians, saying that if they had come two years earlier, just two Great Wizards could have cleaned this place up easily.

Bran also shook his head and laughed. Killing was not the goal, and no one could completely wipe out life. New life would always occupy this continent, and new fruit would always be born. Those people were probably hiding in dark corners, lamenting the unpredictability of things.

As he learned more, Bran gradually understood the difficulties of having deep roots. Even though his bond with the Continent beneath his feet was still very shallow, moving around required a lot of time and preparation. How could beings deeply embedded in this World just leave whenever they wanted?

In the end, they were just part of the World’s Cycle. In that position, countless lives and companions were closely tied to them, and the balance involved was definitely not one-sided.

Over endless years, massive and complex ecosystems must have formed around these beings. How could they handle everything in a short time? Bran believed that if any part of this went wrong, it would be a devastating blow. So, for now, those who truly spearheaded the advance were mostly ambiguous, half-real existences.

Even if everything was arranged, they couldn’t stay away for long. Just like him, after a quick trip around the Southern Coast, he had to return to Northland City to take care of his Wood. Otherwise, those watching him wouldn’t have left one after another when things became impossible.

Even Xina, who seemed free, must have some kind of constraint, Bran believed. Otherwise, why did it only wander in the ocean?

Bran could sense their hesitation, so he dared to fight desperately, while the other side might not. And the more the other side retreated and hesitated, the more certain Bran became of his guess.

Their overall strength held an absolute advantage. Slowly devouring everything from the new arrivals using their vast accumulation was the safest choice. Even if they ultimately didn’t achieve their goal, it wouldn’t matter much to them. Life and death were only concerns for new arrivals like Bran.

But Bran would not defend passively. Just as he had told Xina, he was the real Predator.

A monster who had lost all hope, completely and utterly.