Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 349: Ideas Were Timeless

Her words left Asher momentarily speechless. She had taken care of the former Asher for a full seventeen years, and then had been taking care of him for an entire year, bringing the total to eighteen years, eighteen uninterrupted years of unending dedication without missing a single day. The weight of that realization pressed gently but firmly on his mind, like a truth he had not fully acknowledged until now.

And now, the person who had dedicated eighteen years of her life to someone else did not even have a single enjoyable activity to engage in on the very first opportunity she gained something even remotely resembling a vacation day. The thought felt foreign to him, almost unsettling in its simplicity. For someone to give so much of their life away, and yet have nothing to call a hobby or source of joy, seemed almost tragic in its own quiet way.

Asher’s mind shifted to his time as Ethan back on Earth. If this were Earth, anyone freed from work, even briefly, would have millions of ways to entertain themselves before the unrelenting reality called work inevitably drew them back. Entertainment existed in abundance, movies, games, music, adventures, travels, and countless distractions.

But here, in Crymora, it seemed as though none of those possibilities existed. It was as though no type of fun could truly be had, as though every individual simply spent their time becoming stronger, sharpening themselves with singular focus.

Yes, he had expected her to train, Lyra was someone defined by discipline, but training nonstop during the entire time he was gone felt like... too much. Even for her.

Lyra, noticing Asher’s speechlessness, spoke once more in a calm, matter of fact tone, ”Young Master, I am already in my forties. I do not have time for fun. I only have time to train and become stronger.”

’And I barely have much time left before I can be of real use to you,’ she thought silently, not allowing the words to escape her lips. That unspoken pressure lived inside her like a quiet flame.

Asher sighed softly. People in Crymora seemed to lack something akin to a work life balance. It was simply work, training, growth, discipline, and nothing more. No space for breath. No space for life.

”May I ask about your time within the Star Academy?” Lyra asked suddenly, her voice carrying genuine curiosity. She did not know much about the Star Academy and wanted to understand that part of his life.

”Sure. If you have any questions, just ask,” Asher replied with a gentle nod. His finger moved as he snapped it lightly. Instantly, Astra pulsed through the air. Light bent, twisted, and then materialized as a light-based illusion within the room. Asher reconstructed the Star Academy entirely from memory, and given how sharp his memories were, the illusion looked almost painfully realistic, as though a second world had materialized inside the room.

Lyra’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had never seen Asher use this skill before. Moreover, she couldn’t help but ask herself when the Tenth Sun acquired a light affinity.

’Was he hiding it all this time?’ she wondered. Up until now, she had only seen him use lightning. She couldn’t help but question what Asher’s original or true affinity was. After all, she was familiar with the Wargraves possessing affinities with sub-set elements beneath them.

The First Sun and the Duke were prime examples of this. She simply assumed Asher was in the same situation, though his manifestations appeared even more diverse.

Asher laughed softly when he noticed Lyra’s shock. It was only natural, he had trained his new affinities in hiding and without much available time, so Lyra had simply never witnessed them. The only person who had known about Asher’s multiple affinities before anyone else was William, because William had copied Asher’s abilities the very moment they first met.

”It’s understandable that you don’t know about my light element,” Asher said. ”I simply never used it much. Illusion is a skill I created under my light element during my time in the Star Academy.”

Lyra sat quietly, unable to find the right words. Illusion based abilities were not rare, but the illusion itself was not what occupied her thoughts. Her mind drifted to a deeper, far more consuming question, what other elements did the Tenth Sun possess?

After a moment of contemplation, she simply asked, ”Young Master, do you have any other affinity?”

Asher nodded calmly. Lyra’s eyes widened again, but before she could speak, Asher moved. He raised a hand, and two pillows lying on the bed floated smoothly into the air and drifted toward him. When they reached him, they paused midair as though obeying an invisible command.

Lyra watched, unblinking. She could instantly tell that this was not telekinesis awakened as an ability, nor was it a skill achieved through proficient Astra control or manipulation. But she could not identify what it was, until Asher answered her silent confusion.

”This is an affinity called Gravity,” he explained. ”Specifically, a skill called Attraction that allows me to draw objects toward me like a magnet.” With a thought, the pillows suddenly shot backward at surprising speed, hitting the wall behind him with a dull thud before collapsing gently back onto the bed. ”And that was Repulsion, another skill under Gravity.”

Lyra nodded slowly, her awe visible in her expression. Her composure, elegance, and habitual grace vanished, replaced entirely with shock as she watched the demonstration. Yet she remained silent, allowing the Tenth Sun to continue freely.

Asher had no reason to hide any of these affinities. They were already known publicly, and secrecy would achieve nothing at this point.

Suddenly, his figure vanished from his position. In the next instant, he appeared at the far side of the room, leaning casually against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest. ”This,” he said, ”is another affinity, one I’m sure you recognize. Space.”

He vanished again, reappearing on the bed in his former position. ”I have various skills under each affinity,” he said lightly, ”but demonstrating every one of them will take quite some time.”

Lyra processed his words quietly before speaking. ”So... the Young Master possesses four elements?” she asked.

Asher nodded. ”Yes. Lightning, as you already know, and in addition: Light, Space, and Gravity.”

Lyra paused again, thinking deeply. A new question rose in her mind, and she voiced it without hesitation. ”Is there an overall singular affinity? Similar to how the First Sun possesses the Sun affinity, which allows him to bend light, manipulate heat and flames, and even heal?”

Asher shook his head gently. He didn’t speak, but his gesture was answer enough. Seeing this, Lyra nodded in understanding.

Although Asher would have loved to tell her that everything fell under the Star affinity, he couldn’t. He kept his Star affinity and Star Energy as his trump card, a secret not meant for anyone to know, not yet. It would remain hidden until the day it became public knowledge.

Lyra didn’t speak further. She simply sat there, her mind drifting elsewhere, as though she had momentarily forgotten that she remained inside Asher’s room.

Asher didn’t disturb her. Though he didn’t know what she was thinking about, he didn’t bother to ask. Eventually, Lyra sighed softly, returning mentally to the present moment. Her dark eyes shifted toward the illusion of the Star Academy, still displayed within the room.

”It seems different...” she murmured, gazing at the towering buildings that resembled skyscrapers. She had never seen anything like them before. She had seen multi-story buildings, yes, but none that reached such heights.

”It is different,” Asher replied. He had been just as shocked when he first saw high rise buildings in a world like Crymora, which clearly still mirrored olden times. But he brushed aside the peculiarity. Just because he had seen skyscrapers on Earth didn’t mean they could only exist there. Nor did it imply someone reincarnated and built or proposed them. In the end, ideas were timeless, and in a supernatural world like Crymora, ideas were limitless.

With that thought, Asher began discussing his experiences within the Star Academy. Lyra listened with a soft smile, occasionally laughing, occasionally asking questions, questions Asher answered gladly.

She asked about the food and the various dishes she had prepared for him before he left for the Star Academy. Asher told her it was considered forbidden and unacceptable within the Star Academy, yet he still managed to sneak it in.

The two of them, Asher and Lyra, completely forgot about the two people waiting outside: William and Finch. Both stood silently, confused as to why they couldn’t hear anything from the room Asher had entered. But since Asher had instructed them to wait, they waited. They remained outside patiently, not wanting to walk into anything unexpected.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sighs, sorry for the delay. Yesterday was hectic for me. Besides that, I got a super gift for my other book, which made me type seven Chapters today, which took up all my strength. But I’m back now, thanks for your patience. Thanks for reading and supporting, love y’all.