Chapter 44: The Faceless Butcher’s Legacy

After I gave my sister a crystal core, her awakening was far less arduous than mine. She completed it with remarkable ease.

Despite having witnessed the demonstration of her ability through the visual projection, a deeply conflicted expression marred her face the moment she opened her eyes.

What exactly was her ability? And why would it evoke such a troubled look?

“Sister, what’s your ability?”

Unable to contain my surging curiosity, I finally voiced the question directly to her.

“This… I don’t know either.”

After my inquiry, my sister hesitated for a moment before answering truthfully. She reached up to scratch her head, her gaze bewildered as she turned to look at me, her blank stare indicating she truly had no idea what power she had awakened.

‘She doesn’t know what her ability is?’

Upon hearing my sister’s words, I instinctively furrowed my brows. I quickly strode towards her, stopping right by her side.

I first scanned her from head to toe, ensuring there were no ominous signs. Only then did I speak again.

“Tell me, what did you just see?”

“Initially, everything before me was black. Then, a giant white deer, shimmering with light, suddenly appeared without warning. A moment later, its four limbs abruptly snapped, collapsing to the ground, and it bled profusely…”

As she spoke, the conflicted expression on my sister’s face deepened.

“After the giant deer’s wounds began to bleed, the surging blood flowed like a small river, rushing towards me. Just as it was about to sweep me away, a sudden white light descended from the sky, landing on the deer’s wounds. It actually healed them.”

“Healed them?”

“Yes, its severed limbs looked as if they had been reattached. Afterward, the giant deer let out a cry, and my consciousness was expelled.”

After my sister finished speaking, I lowered my head, lost in thought for a moment.

Then, as if something clicked, I sharply raised my head, my eyes wide with shock as I stared at my sister.

‘Could it be that ability?’

Throughout the ten years of the apocalypse, numerous prodigies emerged. Their abilities were invariably formidable, with some powerhouses possessing unique capabilities that highlighted their extraordinary talent.

Few of these geniuses left a profound impression on me.

However, one woman stood out vividly in my memory: she had white hair and wore black clothes, and from beginning to end, she concealed her face behind a blank, flat mask, not even revealing her eyes.

Consequently, she earned the moniker, ‘Faceless Butcher’.

While ‘faceless’ was understandable, the ‘butcher’ part stemmed directly from the ability she had awakened!

Rumor had it that the Faceless Butcher’s ability was exceptionally potent. With a mere thought, she could invisibly slay anyone.

Whether it was a single person or a multitude, if the Faceless Butcher decided to kill you, no one could escape!

Moreover, the manner of death was utterly horrific, resembling livestock butchered by a butcher—they were torn limb from limb.

I had never paid much heed to these rumors before. After all, in the apocalypse, people had no other entertainment, spending their days gossiping, which often led to exaggeration.

That was until one day, when I led a small team to J City to hunt for ‘Enhancement Fruit’. We encountered countless formidable experts along the way, all of whom I effortlessly dispatched.

However, by the time we reached the center of the Enhancement Tree, the Faceless Butcher had already arrived. She stood with her back to us, intently gazing at the Enhancement Fruit.

Then, with a casual wave of her hand, everyone around me collapsed.

One person beside me clutched fiercely at their own throat, blood streaming from their eyes. Just as their mouth opened to scream, a torrent of black blood erupted.

Immediately, their limbs suddenly severed, and their body disintegrated, collapsing to the ground, utterly lifeless.

Due to my caution, I had activated my ability from the very beginning, preparing for any unforeseen danger.

My spatial ability allowed me to completely isolate a small area around myself. Thus, I was the only one who managed to escape harm.

Seeing that I had not been killed, the Faceless Butcher let out a surprised sound, then turned to face me.

At that moment, I felt as though I was facing a formidable enemy, believing that today would be my end!

My spatial ability consumed a vast amount of energy with prolonged use. The Faceless Butcher merely needed to wait a few minutes, and my ability would automatically dissipate.

‘It seems I can only fight now!’

Yet, just as I thought this, events did not unfold into a life-or-death struggle. Upon seeing me, the Faceless Butcher seemed to suffer a profound shock, retreating several steps in terror, and then, astonishingly, she fled.

I was left standing alone amidst the many corpses, stunned for a long time.

****

Even now, I remember the Faceless Butcher vividly, partly because of her sudden retreat.

Today, after witnessing my sister’s ability, a bold theory has formed in my mind.

The power to instantly sever the giant deer’s legs bears a striking resemblance to the Faceless Butcher’s methods.

Before my rebirth, I never once encountered my sister during those ten years. I had simply assumed she died early on, but now it seems…

‘Could my sister be the Faceless Butcher?’