A few days passed in the blink of an eye, and during this time, Kayla had recovered and was able to walk.
As such, they returned back home. Their home was a cozy two-bedroom apartment that was decorated, but not too lavishly.
Upon returning home, the joyful atmosphere was palpable.
"We finally have an addition to our home." Kayla smiled as she entered the house with the child cradled in her arms.
Ciara was asleep after being fed, so she briskly went to lay her down, leaving Amon to bring in the remaining things they'd bought.
Outside, Amon glanced around briefly, then muttered in his heart, 'Sign in.'
Instantly, the system flashed, and a new line of words appeared in his line of sight.
[Congratulations on signing in, you have received a new talent: Danger Sense.]
Glancing at the talent, a faint smile appeared at the corner of Amon's lips.
This was his third sign-in, and he couldn't deny every reward he'd received had been helpful so far. The previous day, he had received a second sword skill.
Although incomparable to the divine rank sword technique, it was still helpful. And the rewards from signing in were getting richer as time passed.
In a happy mood, Amon quickly offloaded his car before heading back inside.
After crosschecking everything, he lay down to sleep.
Over the past three days, with the birth of their daughter, he and his wife had been so busy, so it was understandable that she quickly drifted off to sleep.
Moments after lying down, Amon also drifted off to sleep.
The night was quiet, save for the occasional sounds of crickets and distant hoots.
Everything seemed peaceful on the surface, however, in the room of the baby, Ciara, a massive shadow loomed…
The shadow remained still for a few seconds before it began to move, inching closer to her.
Amon's room stayed calm, silent, undisturbed, when suddenly… Amon's eyes snapped open.
His pupils shrank as a cold, suffocating intent flooded his mind.
Danger.
The newly awakened sense screamed at him internally, alerting him of the danger.
Amon moved.
The Winter Frost Blade appeared in his hand as he rushed out of the room without hesitation.
Reaching the second room, the door burst open with a bang.
His heart nearly stopped as he noticed his daughter sleeping peacefully, cradled in the arms of the looming shadow.
For a split second, Amon froze from the crushing realization that he was one heartbeat too late.
"Who are you?" Amon asked, his voice low and restrained, as he stepped forward.
The shadow tilted its head, as if studying him, before suddenly dashing toward the window.
"Fuck!" Amon cursed and immediately reacted.
The Cold Netherworld Sword Technique was divided into nine unique sword arts, each more lethal than the last.
Using the first and simplest sword art, Amon instantly attacked.
'Unholy Death Sword Art.'
His blade cut forward.
A streak of cold light tore through the air, aiming straight for the fleeing figure.
The shadow twisted midair.
Then, the sword light grazed it instead of cleaving it apart.
A muffled groan escaped iit as it slammed violently into the wall beside the window.
'Not dead.'
Amon's eyes sharpened as he moved again, even faster than before.
Before the shadow could recover, he closed the distance and snatched Ciara from its grasp.
The moment she left its arms, the shadow's form wavered violently before collapsing inward. Then it began to coalesce.
Twisting violently, it finally took the shape of a woman.
The moment the silhouette fully formed, Amon's expression shifted.
His neighbor. The one who had moved in six months ago.
"You…" His grip tightened around the sword, his voice trembling with suppressed rage.
Blood trickled from the corner of her lips as she looked up at him, a strange grin stretching across her face.
"You… awakener…" Her voice was hoarse, and filled with disbelief.
Who would have thought that the abandoned son of a noble family had already awakened?
For a brief moment, Amon hesitated.
Not because of her, but because of what came next.
Then his gaze flickered to Ciara… and the hesitation vanished.
His sword moved with a clean, and decisive movement.
It pierced straight through her head causing her body to jerk once before going limp.
Silence followed…
Amon stood there, staring at the corpse.
His chest rose and fell slowly.
There was no triumph in his eyes.
Only a faint, unfamiliar weight settling in his chest.
Waaaa… Waaa… Waaaa
The cry of the infant in his arms shattered the silence.
Amon blinked, the haze in his eyes clearing instantly.
He lowered his head slightly and gently nudged her.
"There… there… your dad is here to protect you from everything. Don't worry, my little princess."
Her cries weakened, softening little by little, as though his voice alone was enough to reassure her.
"What's going on?" Kayla's worried voice came from outside, followed by hurried footsteps.
Amon exhaled quietly.
In one smooth motion, he dropped the sword and opened the door before she could step in.
"It's nothing. I came to check up on her when she started crying…" Amon said with a calm smile.
Not wanting to burden his wife with what had just happened, he lied.
Although he felt a pang of regret for lying to her, he didn't want her mind burdened by thoughts of their daughter's safety.
Collecting the little infant, Kayla cooed gently, "Are you hungry, little one?" She gently pinched the girl's cheek and smiled.
Kayla took Ciara from his arms, gently cooing, "Are you hungry, little one?" She pinched her cheek lightly and smiled.
"Head back to the room, I'll come and meet you shortly," Amon said.
"Okay…" Kayla gave him a puzzled look but still nodded before walking away.
Amon watched her leave for a few seconds.
Then the smile on his face faded.
He turned back.
Instantly, the room felt colder.
His eyes landed on the corpse, and the softness in his gaze disappeared completely.
Without a word, he grabbed the body and dragged it toward the window before tossing it out.
He wiped the blood with whatever rags he could find, moving smoothly, without any hesitation or wasted motion in his movements.
When the room was clean, he stepped outside through the window and pulled the corpse into the alley.
Thankfully, the neighborhood was usually quiet at night, so no one noticed his suspicious movements.
After dragging the body a few tens of meters away from his home, Amon went back home, then returned some time later with a gallon of fuel and a lighter.
He poured it over the corpse, then paused for a fraction of a second.
His eyes lingered on the woman's face.
Then he lit the flame.
The fire caught instantly. Orange and red flames surged upward, swallowing the body whole and causing the heat to wash over him.
The sten
ch of burning flesh filled the air, but Amon didn't look away.
The fire reflected in his pupils, flickering wildly.
And beneath that reflection…
A terrifying storm was brewing…