“…En.” Salvatore opened his bloodshot eyes.
It was 9:00 p.m..
He hadn’t slept enough, but he couldn’t sleep anymore.
The black spider-web-like fragmentation marks had already crawled out of the bronze necklace on his neckline, quietly covering his collarbone and throat.
After Salvatore woke up, they began to shrink at speed visible to the naked eye and gradually returned to the necklace.
“…Almost.”
Salvatore murmured, “I have to find someone to knock me out once. After that, my body can’t take it anymore.”
Only if he fainted suddenly, the curse would not be able to react.
Back in Swamp’s Black Tower, Salvatore usually finds a Soul Scratch wizard to knock him out and make him sleep, especially when he is at his limits.
In that case, Salvatore wasn’t sleeping, hence avoiding the curse.
Similar to all Transcended, Salvatore’s power gained from the curse was also related to his curse details.
“Can’t take it anymore? I smell the cleansing of a nightmare. Salvatore.”
A deep, echoing voice sounded in Salvatore’s heart, “Don Juan is amazing, much better than you.”
“What?”
Salvatore was a little surprised, “Did he enter a nightmare?”
He was not surprised by this sound that was always attacking him.
Many people thought that Salvatore’s curse helped him do something in a dream. For example, learn in a dream or remember something. So most people determined that as the reason why his strength snowballed since he seemed to remember everything.
But only Salvatore knew; they all guessed wrong.
Few people know what Salvatore’s real curse was.
Salvatore’s curse was called “Restless Reflection.”
The entity had the same memory as Salvatore, but its personality was opposite to Salvatore’s. Furthermore, it was far better and more talented than Salvatore because this entity was Salvatore’s reflection.
The more inferior Salvatore was at something, the better the reflection was.
It also meant that Salvatore could process parallel thinking at the same time.
Indeed, the mystery that he mastered a new skill very quickly was that he started learning simultaneously with his reflection.
Generally speaking, Salvatore learned slower than his ‘shadow.’
So only Salvatore knew he was not a genius. On the contrary, he was a fool.
Otherwise, why was his reflection stronger than him in every way?
But he was also grateful for his reflection.
It was under the endless mockery of the reflection that Salvatore’s mental fortitude and emotions could be so stable.
Through referring to the reflection, Salvatore found out the condition for his success and what kind of person he should be.
“You should ask Don Juan for some benefits, Salvatore. You will succeed.”
The shadow whispered in Salvatore’s heart, “He owes you too much.”
“Okay, then I understand.”
Salvatore nodded and decided to take the exact opposite action of the shadow’s suggestion as usual, “In other words, I should thank Don Juan.”
“Hmph… Go, trash.” The shadow did not object to Salvatore’s opinion.
He just whispered mockingly, “Today, you almost couldn’t wake up.
“You will doze off one day. You can hardly hold it anymore.”
The shadow’s voice was like a hungry wolf, hoarse and echoed, “Then give me the body.”
“You are wrong. I won’t…”
Salvatore covered his eyes with his hands, closed his eyes with his emotions unfazed.
Even in Swamp’s Black Tower, only his mentor Benjamin knew about Salvatore’s real curse. This was why Salvatore speculated that Benjamin did not die.
Because his curse did not go out of control.
This meant that Salvatore should still have a secret keeper.
According to Benjamin’s speculation, the correct way to use this curse should be to exchange two selves with different thinking and areas of expertise from time to time. With that, Salvatore was technically studying and working at the same time, with two selves taking breaks alternately.
But the problem Benjamin alerted Salvatore was that because Salvatore had a kind personality, his “shadow” was absolutely untrustworthy.
Therefore, Benjamin set a double seal for this curse.
At six o’clock in the morning, Mr. Ray sprinkled purification light on the world. With that as an anchor point, its effective period expanded to three hours before and after. In this case, the starting period was 3:00 a.m. and the ending period was 9:00 a.m. In that case, the total hours were expanded threefold.
—Another thing to take note of was that number “3” was magical in this world.
Silent Lady, the Deity of Darkness and Veto, was the protector of the third month. Therefore, all involving rituals must have the number “3.” Many wizards believe that in the ritual of the same specification, the more the number related to the “three,” the more power could be borrowed, and the better the ritual effect would be.
Yes, Salvatore was not limited to sleeping in the period from 3 a.m. to 9 a.m.
But only during this period, his control over his body would not be robbed away when he slept.
In other cases, if Salvatore slept, the shadow would crawl out of the necklace and gradually spread. When the black mark spread to the forehead, it meant that another Salvatore had come out.
The only way for the shadow to return was when the other “Salvatore” went to sleep again.
“Don Juan is here, Salvatore.”
At this moment, the shadow suddenly reminded, “There is another terrifying person following him. I can’t smell him.”
“…A terrifying person?”
Salvatore was puzzled and opened his eyes slightly.
Is the person terrifying for me…or my shadow?
“Senior, did you sleep well?”
Annan knocked on the door very lightly and asked in a low volume, “Are you awake?”
“Come in, Don Juan.”
Salvatore’s gentle voice sounded, “I have been awake for a while.”
Annan walked in with a smile while Bishop Daryl followed behind him.
Seeing Bishop Daryl, Salvatore was visibly startled.
“Master Bishop?”
“Yes, Bishop Daryl,” Annan replied thoughtfully, “With his assistance and guidance, I have almost purified Gerald’s nightmare.”
Bishop Daryl just smiled and nodded.
The chubby face had a kind smile, seemingly without any ill thoughts.
“May Silver Sire bless you today, esteemed Black Tower’s Son and our esteemed feudal lord.”
Bishop Daryl said, bowing to Salvatore and Annan, respectively. His fat body made his movements look a little clumsy.
Salvatore felt his heart tremble when Bishop Daryl spoke.
“Ask him… Can he see me?” The shadow’s low and hoarse voice sounded in Salvatore’s heart with some excitement.
But Salvatore chose to remain silent to avoid troubles.
“It seems you’re all busy.”
Bishop Daryl smiled and said, “Then this old man will not bother you anymore.
“Feudal lord, I will first take the viscount’s dead body to the police station and wait for you there. Then, after you have taken care of everything, just come to me.”
“Thanks, Master Bishop.” Annan nodded seriously.
Soon, Daryl closed the door and left.
“Tsk, what a lovely child.”
The shadow smiled at the bottom of Salvatore’s heart, “It’s just that he’s too indulgent into scheming. Having too many schemes does no good.
“He’s acting, Salvatore. How about you ask him – who are you? I promise you can figure out his identity.”
—Speak all you want. I lose if I believe your nonsense.
As always, Salvatore completely ignored all of the reflection’s suggestions.
From this perspective, he was also quite grateful for his shadow.
The shadow was undoubtedly a mirror of himself. It could be used to alert him to be grateful, remind him to maintain moral standards, and remind him not to doubt others easily.
This stubbornness that was never willing to change oneself was also the opposite of the reflection. This was Salvatore’s unique characteristic.
