Chapter 59: My Lord, Times Have Changed
Morning light filtered through the gauze curtains onto the dining table, as Skadi held the steaming bread with both hands, taking a careful bite.
Her eyes instantly widened, purple pupils sparkling with incredible light.
“So… delicious…”
Her voice was so soft it was barely audible, as if afraid to disturb this moment of happiness. The bread’s aroma made her unconsciously take another big bite, her cheeks puffing out like a hamster’s.
Hien sat across from her, elbow propped on the table, smiling as he watched her wolf down the food.
“Eat slowly, no one’s competing with you.”
He passed her a cup of warm milk.
Skadi took the cup, her hands trembling slightly from excitement, the milk rippling in the cup, reflecting her flushed cheeks.
“I… have never eaten anything so delicious.”
She said softly, fingertips gently stroking the cup’s surface, as if confirming this wasn’t a dream.
Hien noticed her awkward way of holding utensils – she nearly pushed the plate off the table while cutting bacon. Her nails were neatly trimmed, but calluses from long-term scythe use remained at her knuckles, these details silently telling of her past life.
“When you were in the Sanctuary… what did you usually eat?”
Hien asked casually, adding another fried egg to her plate.
Skadi put down her fork, her gaze drifting into the distance.
“I don’t need… to eat.”
Her fingers unconsciously wound around a strand of white hair as she pointed to the rune on her chest.
“Shadow… is nourishment. I absorb energy from here.”
“What about your daily life?”
Hien’s fork scraped lightly against his plate.
“Wait for… missions, complete them… come back, then wait again…”
Skadi’s voice became mechanical, as if returning to that dark room. Her fingers traced invisible patterns on the table.
“The room… had no windows, only a skylight.”
Hien’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He reached out to cover her hand, feeling her instant stiffening.
“What did the person who gave you missions look like?”
“Don’t know… the name.”
Skadi’s pupils contracted slightly, her fingers tightening.
“But if I saw them… I’d definitely recognize them.”
“You’re free now. I’ll show you this world.”
Hien gently squeezed her hand, his smile warm.
“Someday, we’ll find that person.”
After the meal, Hien used the light sigil Helaris had left him. The crystal surface rippled, but there was no response for a long time.
“Strange…”
Hien muttered to himself.
That clingy woman Helaris should have appeared at his door by now according to her usual behavior, but he hadn’t seen the saintess at all. Combined with her strange behavior last night, he wondered if something had happened.
Just as he was about to try again, the crystal finally lit up.
“Little Hien~”
Helaris’s voice carried obvious fatigue, yet she still forced a teasing tone.
“Missing me already?”
Hien’s fingers tapped lightly on the crystal.
“Are you alright? You sound tired.”
“Just stayed up late researching ancient texts. I’ll be very busy today though.”
Helaris interrupted him, her voice suddenly becoming suggestive.
“So just enjoy your alone time with Skadi~ Remember to be gentle.”
The communication cut off abruptly.
Hien stared at the darkened crystal, brow furrowed.
Helaris was acting strange, but since she still had the mood to tease him, there was no need to worry too much.

Cynthia’s private training room was spacious and bright, completely different from the gloomy environment Skadi was familiar with. She stood in the center, squinting uncomfortably at the light.
“Skadi, is there any difference when you use shadow magic compared to ordinary saintesses?”
Hien leaned against a stone pillar.
“The burden… is smaller in short periods.”
Skadi extended her hand, a mass of shadow gathering in her palm, shifting shapes. She pulled open her collar, revealing fine new crystals at her collarbone.
“But crystals appear on my body…”
“Does it hurt?”
Hien stepped forward, fingers gently touching those purple spots.
“I’m used to it.”
Skadi shook her head, white hair swaying with the movement, her tone as calm as discussing weather.
“Come with me.”
Hien’s fingertips lingered on that patch of skin for a moment before he suddenly turned toward the door.
The adjacent workshop was filled with various metal materials and forging tools – something he’d asked Cynthia to prepare after the Berkeley incident.
Skadi curiously touched a steam hammer, startled backward by the sudden spray of white mist.
Hien had already spread out white paper. Based on past memories, this knowledge was clear in his mind as his quill began dancing rapidly.
Skadi stood quietly beside him, watching him draw strange patterns. Those lines were precise as if measured with a ruler, yet combined into shapes she’d never seen.
“Finished.”
Hien let out a long breath, stacking several blueprints together. On the paper appeared a weapon of bizarre design.
The PGM Ultima Ratio Hecate II anti-materiel sniper rifle, commonly known as the Hecate.
“This is… a long spear?”
Skadi tilted her head.
“Very close.”
Hien’s lips curved with satisfaction as he made a trigger-pulling gesture.
“Much more useful than your scythe.”
As he explained, Skadi’s eyes grew wider. She’d seen him use that strange weapon that could release brilliant holy light before, but this was different from what was on the blueprints – this weapon was much longer.
Without delay, Hien began forging the first component, but his movements grew increasingly frustrated. The death ore twisted and deformed in his hands, finally being angrily thrown into the scrap pile.
“Damn it, the precision isn’t nearly enough…”
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
Sniper rifles were much more complex and precise than previous handgun components, and his forging skills were merely entry-level, so several attempts failed to meet requirements.
A pale hand suddenly appeared before him, holding a perfect component in its palm, its surface smooth as a mirror.
“Is this right?”
Skadi asked, eyes full of expectation.
“Where did you… get this?”
Hien’s jaw nearly dropped.
This was exactly the component he’d failed to make several times, and the quality was high, like something from a modern production line. Though the material was also black, it was completely different from death ore.
“Shadow elements… can be shaped.”
Skadi opened her other hand, shadow elements surging like living creatures, instantly condensing into an identical component.
“Just like… my scythe.”
Only then did Hien remember that Skadi’s weapon was indeed different from Cynthia’s. Shadow elements were such a convenient thing?
He found a new breakthrough, beginning to explain the sniper rifle’s structure and principles to Skadi. She understood quickly, and didn’t even need to forge individual components for assembly – she actually directly formed a similar finished product with shadow elements.
In less than an hour, a pitch-black sniper rifle appeared on the workbench.
Skadi’s hand gently caressed the gun body, shadow elements flowing with her touch, as if alive.

On the wasteland outside the city, an A-rank magical beast wandered. Its carapace gleamed metallically in the sunlight, capable of withstanding most magical attacks.
Two kilometers away on a small hill, Skadi lay prone, cheek against the stock, with Hien beside her, softly instructing.
“Slow your breathing… now.”
The gunshot was barely audible. A shadow-condensed bullet cut through the air, instantly creating a bowl-sized hole in the beast’s chest. It didn’t even have time to cry out before collapsing thunderously.
“This… is incredible.”
Skadi’s hands trembled slightly. She turned to look at Hien, eyes sparkling with unprecedented light.
“Do you like it? This weapon can minimize your magic consumption.”
Hien smiled, ruffling her white hair. Magic compensated for technology’s shortcomings – their combination was the perfect weapon.
This was a weapon he’d custom-made for Skadi. A Shadow Erosion Saintess who could move freely through shadows was the perfect sniper.
Skadi nodded vigorously, white hair flying.
“Does it… have a name?”
“Of course.”
Hien’s fingertip lightly touched her nose.
“It’s called ‘Skadi.'”
In the sunset’s afterglow, the girl clutched her new weapon tight, her face blooming with her first genuine smile.