Sword Slash was a rare-quality skill, and with Judas's Strength attribute of ten, its power output surpassed an ordinary skill by nearly threefold.
A single clean stroke from him now carried weight, precision, and explosive force well above anything an Initiate should wield. With this skill in his hands, he could stand toe-to-toe with anyone below the Apprentice stage and not be at a disadvantage.
He lowered the sword and turned, letting his gaze settle on Ezra.
She stood frozen.
Her knife hung loosely in her hand, forgotten. Her eyes were wide and unblinking as she stared at the freshly cleaved wooden board, then at the sword still humming faintly in his grip.
Awe shimmered beneath her usual stoic expression, shining through like light slipping past a crack in a fortress wall.
He watched her pupils dilate with realization.
'He is not even twenty. Yet he already comprehended a skill. Just how frightening is his talent?'
Ezra's thoughts spiraled so deeply that she never noticed Judas crossing the courtyard toward her until his shadow fell across her feet.
She inhaled sharply, caught off guard.
"Yes," Judas murmured, lifting a hand to her flushed face. He wiped the sweat from her cheek with a gentleness completely at odds with the destructive power he had just displayed. "I am not as talented as you think. I simply had a few lucky encounters."
His thumb brushed the corner of her lips. Ezra ignored the sensation, though her heartbeat betrayed her.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you… one of the famous system users?"
Judas froze.
It was slight, but she saw it. The brief tightening in his jaw. The pause in his breath. Ezra's eyes widened instantly, panic swelling inside her chest.
"I did not mean to offend you," she said quickly. "D-do not panic. I will never reveal this to anyone. Truly. I swear on my—"
Her voice cut off.
Judas smiled softly.
Then he reached out and pulled her into his chest.
Ezra stiffened for a heartbeat, then slowly relaxed, her hands resting hesitantly against his abdomen.
"Silly girl," Judas whispered near her ear. "I am not worried about you discovering anything. I am not afraid of you knowing my secrets."
He tightened his hold, steady and warm.
"You are my wife. You are my family. There is nothing I would hide from the three of you."
[Affection: 75% -> 90%]
Ezra's breath hitched.
Her forehead pressed lightly against his chest, her sweat-damp hair brushing his skin. A tiny smile tugged at her lips, fleeting and soft and almost impossible to notice unless one was looking for it.
'Sweet tongue,' she thought, although this time the words carried no irritation.
Only warmth.
"I am simply surprised," Judas continued, brushing a strand of her hair aside, "that there are other system users in this world."
Ezra's eyes lifted, the last of her earlier panic dissolving. A strange tenderness glimmered in her gaze as she looked up at him from within his arms.
"It is not common knowledge to the masses," Ezra began, her voice low and steady. "When the apocalypse first hit, it tore open portals to different worlds across the universe. The system users came through them. They are not like ordinary Awakened. They comprehend skills far more easily and possess unique ways to grow stronger."
She rolled her eyes sharply when Judas's hand slid boldly across her abdomen. "Do you want to hear it, or do you want to touch me?"
"Touch you," Judas answered without hesitation, his face completely serious.
"You…" Ezra muttered, shaking her head. She did not push his hands away, though her cheeks warmed faintly. "At first, we believed they were heaven's blessed. Children of fate. The chosen. But eventually, some of them used their blessings in the exact opposite way we expected. A few even sided with the Apocalypse."
Judas's hand paused slightly, but she continued, her voice dropping lower.
"That was when the Apocalyptic Guild issued the hunting decree. The major kingdoms followed it. From that moment on, every system user was required to register with the Guild and sign a contract. Anyone who refused was hunted to the ends of the continent."
Ezra inhaled deeply, her expression tightening with worry.
"So, Judas. If you do not want anyone to know your secret…" She trailed off.
Then, with a single fluid motion, she lifted his sword and pressed the flat of the blade lightly against her neck.
"Cut me down."
Judas's body locked in place.
A heartbeat later, the sword flew from his hand, clattering far across the courtyard as he seized her waist with one arm and her ass with the other, squeezing firmly enough to make her gasp.
Anger flickered in his dark eyes. "Did you not hear me? There is nothing I would ever hide from you. Or…" His grip tightened. "Do you not see me as your husband?"
"That is not it…" Ezra protested softly.
"Then call me darling," he said, his voice cold and warm at the same time.
"What?"
"If you do not, I will cry." Judas forced dew-like drops to gather at the corners of his eyes, staring at her pitifully.
Ezra stared in disbelief.
'So this is what Luna felt yesterday,' she thought helplessly, resisting the urge to groan.
"Darling…" she whispered with a defeated sigh, gently wiping away his fake tears.
Judas beamed instantly, pulling her into a crushing embrace. "Wife, you are so good to me. How about we go back inside and—"
Ezra pressed two fingers against his lips, stopping him. "Wait until night."
Her tone was firm, almost commanding. "For now, we need to discuss your identity as a system user."
Her voice dropped even lower, heavy with concern. "If the Guild discovers you…"
Judas smiled faintly. "How could they find out, when only my beautiful wives know?"
Ezra shook her head slowly, a crease forming on her brow. "With blessings like yours, it is only a matter of time before people notice the signs. The Guild has methods to detect system users. If they catch you…"
Before she could finish, the system's voice resonated inside Judas's mind.
[I am not one of those accidental systems formed by dormant gods. No one can detect me.]
"There is a way to hide my secret," Judas said confidently.
Ezra's eyes brightened instantly. "What is it?"
Judas lifted her chin with two fingers, tilting her face toward him, his gaze burning into hers. "If you kiss me, I will tell you."
"Be serious, Judas…"
"I am being perfectly serious," he replied with a straight, unreadable face.
Ezra exhaled sharply, the sound halfway between frustration and surrender. Then she rose onto her toes, pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, and spun around quickly to leave the courtyard.
She walked toward the door with her usual controlled stride, but her pace was noticeably faster.