Chapter 104: Family tragedy

It was truly a bitter irony: Astin’s mother didn’t love him, but Astin’s father did. San’s mother loved him, but San’s father didn’t.

A single family’s tragedy had shattered the happiness of two innocent children.

The hatred and enmity between San and Astin could never be swept away by a simple apology.

Little Astin was sobbing hysterically. Left with no other choice, Bunny picked him up, wiping away his tears as she coaxed him gently.

"There, there, sweetheart, don’t cry..."

Keep crying, and I’m gonna slap you.

Although Astin’s core consciousness had been retrieved, there was still no sign of him waking up.

The mental landscape surrounding Bunny began to crumble and fracture, dark fissures tearing through the stark white sky overhead.

How could this be?!

Astin’s obsession was simply too deep—his longing for maternal love was absolute, and at the same time, he was desperately fleeing from his nightmare of a past.

He was fundamentally incapable of making peace with his former self, a flaw rooted deep in his inferiority complex. Nor did he possess the courage to step past the traumatic scars left by that agonizing torture and abuse.

The gaping holes in his damaged spiritual network were expanding and dissolving rapidly. If this continued, his unstable mental domain would collapse completely!

Someone had deliberately injected him with a low-grade, highly toxic radiation agent in the past. This sticky, prohibited chemical clung stubbornly to a Sentinel’s spiritual mesh; any attempt to strip it away or mend the structure would trigger agonizing pain and violent mental mania.

What a vicious, underhanded scheme.

They had intended to leave Astin with no way out, ensuring he could never bind with any Guide for the rest of his life.

Bunny’s brow furrowed tightly. She was caught between a grim dilemma and the little boy fast asleep in her arms.

Forget it, saving a life comes first. Worst-case scenario, I’ll figure out a way to unbind us later.

With no other options available, Bunny had to treat a dead horse as if it were alive. She released her spiritual strands, allowing them to fully merge into every corner of Astin’s mental landscape.

The synchronization percentage surged wildly, skyrocketing all the way from 0% to 100%.

How long it took, Bunny could no longer tell.

Her spiritual pathways branched and extended continuously, flowing like delicate streams into the cracked, parched earth. Over this dead, desolate wasteland, her presence ignited a fresh pulse like new veins springing to life, sparking a scorching, steady heartbeat once more.

Thump—thump—

The collapses finally ground to a halt. Her presence, aura, and unique scent settled firmly into every inch of his domain.

She had completed a total, absolute mark on Astin.

Having finished all of this, Bunny managed to withdraw her consciousness smoothly. While pondering how to explain the situation to the man, she realized that Astin had somehow snuggled right into her arms.

Yet, he hadn’t fully regained consciousness.

Perhaps he had drifted over by pure instinct, guided by the scent of her Guide pheromones.

Just as Bunny prepared to lay him back down on the chair to rest, Astin’s eyes snapped open.

Down his deep, emerald-green eyes, a single crystalline tear spilled without warning.

The terrors and nightmares that had lain buried deep within his heart for so long finally evaporated into thin air at this very moment.

He had believed he was lost forever—unable to even recall his mother’s face inside that optical illusion.

Until Bunny appeared, holding him close as she brought him back to reality.

Bunny’s embrace was so warm—identical to a mother’s arms, even though his own mother had only held him once.

It happened when he had fallen while chasing a cat.

His mother had told him: "You can’t chase little cats; you can only coax them. Otherwise, they’ll scratch you with their claws."

Seeing him awake, Bunny felt a surge of awkwardness. She was already anticipating how that foul mouth of his would attack her next—calling her a pervert, a monster, a spy...

"Um... well... I’ll figure out a way to break the bond with you."

She had literally just saved his life! Otherwise, the lingering toxic radiation serum in his spiritual network would have eventually consumed him, driving his rank lower and lower until he suffered a final, fatal breakdown.

Bunny clenched her fists tightly. If a single unwanted word came out of his mouth, she would plant a right hook straight into his front teeth!

To her complete surprise, Astin raised his head from her lap, his dark gaze locked onto her. It was the look of a lost sailor spotting a lighthouse in the middle of a vast ocean.

His voice was low, yet unwavering, "You’re the one who bound yourself to me. You have to take responsibility for me."

???

So you were just setting a trap for me all along, you sneaky crocodile!!

"I did that to save your life! Don’t you dare push your luck."

The Guide Handbook seemed to mention methods for severing a bond, though it was said to be considerably painful for the Sentinel involved.

Astin remained silent, staring at her with those ghostly green eyes in a way that made her skin crawl.

The white beam of the particle lamp illuminated his sharp, chiseled features, glinting coldly off the silver barbell in his eyebrow.

Unlike San’s casual, rebellious charm, Astin’s rugged handsome looks were built purely on strong, solid facial bone structure—he didn’t need bangs to hide any flaws.

Even with a buzzed haircut, he could pull it off effortlessly.

Compared to Sentinels with warm-blooded spirit animals, those with cold-blooded spirit guides tended to be far more restrained and reserved.

Of course, exceptions existed—like those two naughty little snakes.

Astin abruptly stood up and walked over to the tent entrance, pulling the flap tightly shut.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Bunny’s nerves flared instantly. She drew the tactical knife from her waist and pointed it straight at him.

Ungrateful payback?!

Then, under Bunny’s flabbergasted gaze, Astin began peeling off his clothes.

One layer... two layers...

First his top, then down to his trousers.

"Stop stripping! What on earth are you trying to do?!"

Bunny let out an internal groundhog screech. Astin’s pale, chiseled fingers paused at his waistband. His expression remained cool and composure-intact, yet the words coming out of his mouth were utterly insane:

"Getting into bed."

When a Guide actively binds with a Sentinel, isn’t it because they want to go to bed?

Given how much Bunny seemed to dislike him, yet still chose to bind with him to save his life, Astin couldn’t think of any other reason besides his face and physique.

Unlike other loose, flirtatious Sentinels, Astin was a traditional man at heart.

In his subconscious, he believed his body should only be seen by his future wife, which was why he had been so angry when Bunny stumbled into his tent earlier.

Yet, his deep-seated aversion and fear toward Guides had convinced him that he was destined to live out his life alone, just like most Sentinels.

He didn’t dislike Bunny’s scent, and he actually liked the warmth of her embrace.

If she wanted him, Astin figured he wouldn’t mind offering up his body to her.