# Chapter 82
The moment Levi saw the shackles, he froze, unable to move. It wasn’t hard to guess who had put them there.
He tried yanking his foot forcefully and attempted to break the shackles with brute strength. He also tried to break the chain fastened to the bedroom’s thick pillar, but as expected, it didn’t budge at all.
While sitting on the floor, attempting to somehow break the shackles and chains with his bare hands, small cuts formed on his fingers, and the wound on his side pulled more painfully.
Levi silently observed his injured fingers and noticed the wounds healing instantly, then shifted his gaze to his side.
‘As I thought, my recovery ability itself isn’t the problem.’
The problem wasn’t his recovery ability, but rather the few wounds that were healing slowly, including the one on his side.
Levi also knew why the wounds were healing slowly.
Ion possessed abilities contrary to his own. The Immortal Army he created inherited a portion of their lord’s powers, enough to exhibit abnormal self-healing abilities. With their blood seeping into his wounds, it was undoubtedly their opposing force neutralizing his abilities.
The fortunate thing was that wounds elsewhere, except where the Immortal soldiers’ blood had seeped in, still healed easily as before—just like his fingers that had already become clean.
Levi stared at his ankle with detached eyes. The cloth padding inside the shackle had slipped out when he had tried desperately to break it, leaving a small space between the iron and his ankle. Looking at this, Levi calmly had a terrifying thought.
‘If I break the bone, I could somehow escape.’
Having confirmed that ordinary wounds healed quickly just by looking at his fingers, such a thought became possible. It would hurt for now, but that would be better than being trapped in this place.
Having made up his mind, Levi reached out with both hands to break his foot.
It was around then that the presence of others increased outside the door.
Knock knock—
It was clearly a knock seeking his permission. The moderate sound of knocking on the door seemed like a polite whisper saying they were about to enter, so don’t be surprised.
Levi quickly rose and struck the tightly closed window hard with his black hand. The sound of glass shattering and the door flying open happened almost simultaneously.
“Are you alright?”
The man who rushed in stopped abruptly upon seeing Levi. Levi was gripping a shard of broken glass tightly in his black hand, pointing its tip toward the door, and his face showed as much surprise as the man’s.
“…Chepel?”
Levi, who had expected Ion Verdit or his subordinates to open the door, was struggling to comprehend this unexpected situation.
“Why is Chepel here?”
“I’ll explain, but first, please put down that glass shard.”
Levi felt something wasn’t right, but he lowered his hand obediently. The palm of his hand, which hadn’t fully healed from where the Immortal soldier’s blood had seeped in, was now cut by the glass shard and dripping blood.
Chepel quickly approached, took the glass shard from Levi’s hand, and examined his palm. Frowning at the vivid red blood and cut wound on the black palm, Chepel handed the glass shard to the servant who had followed him in. Watching this, Levi yanked his hand away and stepped back.
“Explain.”
The servant behind Chepel was clearly not from the Caron Empire, judging by his uniform. Having stayed in the Delos Empire with Kalvern, Levi found it strange that the servant would receive the glass shard from Chepel so respectfully.
But the strangest thing was something else.
A peculiar aura emanated from Chepel before him, different from before. This aura was identical to what flowed from the Immortal soldiers Levi had encountered until now.
Before Chepel, who had said he would explain, could open his mouth, Levi frowned deeply.
“You’ve already died.”
Levi quickly turned to pick up another glass shard. Had Chepel not swiftly extended his hand to grab the black hand, a new glass shard, soaked with Levi’s blood, would have cut his own throat.
With his wrist firmly grasped, Levi glared at Chepel.
“Die again. Rather than becoming Ion Verdit’s dog, just die again.”
“Lord Levi.”
Chepel no longer called him “Count Aden.” Just from this, Levi realized Chepel had turned his back on the Caron Empire and displayed the same anger he had directed at Ion.
“You said you’d be a shield protecting Raziel.”
“I’ve only changed who I’m protecting since being reborn.”
“You weren’t reborn. You…!”
Levi, trying to pull his arm free with force regardless of his wounds protesting, stopped speaking and looked past Chepel’s shoulder. Beyond was a half-open door, and Ion Verdit walking in as if it were the most natural thing.
Unlike his usual rigid armor, Ion wore a neat formal uniform of white with gold decorations. As if he had just returned from somewhere requiring formality, he was wearing a white cape and emblem to display his dignity.
As Levi’s angry gaze shifted from Chepel to Ion in his rather splendid attire—
“Chepel Lance.”
Hearing his name called by his lord, Chepel released Levi and turned around. Immediately, a sharp blow landed on his face with a thud.
Ion coldly stared at Chepel, who momentarily staggered but quickly regained his composure.
“I believe I told you not to lay a finger on Levi.”
“…I apologize.”
“Leave.”
At Ion’s words, which radiated coldness, Chepel bowed his head respectfully as if nothing had happened and left the room.
Ion ordered those guarding the entrance not to come in until he gave his command. This was for Levi, who showed extreme wariness at small things, like a small animal with its fur standing on end.
After the door closed, the atmosphere changed instantly, just as it had at Retrouva’s castle.
Back then too, Ion had been incredibly cold to his subordinates. But when he was alone with Levi in one space, he was no different from the sunlight now pouring in through the broken glass.
Ion, whose clear golden eyes gently held Levi’s face, showed a radiant smile.
“Did you sleep well?”
Levi didn’t respond to his question.
As if he had expected this, Ion showed no change in expression as he looked down at Levi’s feet. It seemed like he might step on sharp glass shards if he moved even slightly wrong.
“It’s dangerous, so would you come over here?”
“You’re more dangerous.”
Levi’s wariness was solid. On top of that, he kept glancing at the window, searching for glass shards to use as weapons.
Ion had no choice but to sigh briefly and stride toward Levi. Just as Levi’s foot stepped away and was about to step on glass shards, his body was lifted up, and at the same time, his black hand grabbed a glass shard.
Ion, who had slung Levi upside down over one shoulder, momentarily flinched at the stinging sensation on his back. Despite a palm-sized glass shard deeply embedded in his lower back, he headed toward the bed as if such pain was nothing.
“Don’t grip it too tightly. You’ll hurt your palm.”
All Levi could see was Ion’s back increasingly turning red. Even that was messily swaying due to the cape, creating haphazard red patterns.
Just as Levi was about to swing the glass shard again, his view spun once more as his body was placed on the soft bed. The blood-stained glass shard had already been taken by Ion.
Ion felt the peculiar sensation from the wound on his back, which was mixed with blood from Levi’s palm. Though not a particularly pleasant sensation, he didn’t mind, thinking it was proof of Levi’s blood mixing with his body.
Ion placed the glass shard on the bedside table. The combination of the fully bloomed vibrant yellow flowers in the vase on the table and the glass shard stained with red blood was quite an unusual pairing.
“If you want to swing it, you can. Just be careful not to hurt your hand.”
Levi looked strangely at Ion, who had left the glass shard within easy reach. Even more so with his permission to swing it. After all, he had just mercilessly stabbed Ion’s back with that very shard.
While Levi was confused, Ion removed his epaulettes with gold tassels and his cape, using the pure white cloth to gently dab at the blood seeping from the black hand. When Levi’s fingertips twitched at the stinging in his palm, Ion’s eyes drooped with a concerned expression.
“Does it hurt? …Of course it must. Haa…”
“…”
Parts of the high-quality, pure white cape gradually became spotted with Levi’s blood.
Even as Ion’s face darkened, Levi was thinking about various things.
What was Ion Verdit’s reason for acting this way? Should he slit that exposed throat now? Since he wasn’t wearing armor, stabbing his heart might also be possible. Or perhaps using the chains to strangle him…
“Want to eat?”
Ion’s calm question stopped Levi’s thoughts abruptly.
Ion’s eyes, which had been focused on the black hand, turned to Levi’s face. The corners of his eyes curved gently.
“Food that I made.”
Levi’s confused gaze instantly filled with disbelief.
