Strongest Superhuman System

Chapter 264: Scared of The Monsters Lurking In The Dark

They went silent again, but after a few seconds, Mark tried to change the subject.

"How did your lessons with Merlin go?"

Luna's smile was small and subdued. Like she was happy and sad at the same time.

"It went well, really well. I don't think there are any words I can use to explain what Merlin could do with magic. When I watch him, I feel like a child who is only learning about mana for the first time in her life. In a way, I think I understand why Morgana hated Merlin so much in all the stories. Any mage would hate him if they saw the sort of things he could do so easily with mana.

Complex magical theories are like a joke to him."

Mark chuckled at her monologue. He was glad that Merlin was willing to teach Luna some things. In a small way, Mark felt guilty that Luna was pulled into this game against her will. She did not want to be here and it was only because of him that she had to face all these dangerous people without any powers of her own.

Mark finally leaned back with a sigh.

"You don't have to be scared, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."

Luna smiled and used her shoulder to gently bump Mark with a chuckle.

"Like my knight in shining armor?"

Mark scoffed.

Luna thought that Mark would try to cheer her up, or maybe he would even try to make her get over it herself. Luna would have felt even worse if Mark told her that she was being silly and she would have hated it if he tried to pity her, but Mark wasn't doing any of that.

Luna watched Mark lean back in the seat with his arms folded before he closed his eyes to sleep and she couldn't help but laugh quietly while cleaning the tears that had gathered at the edge of her eyes. Why the hell was she so surprised? It was Mark she was talking to here. Of course, he wouldn't have the same reaction as anyone else.

Luna would usually prefer to be alone at moments like this. She didn't want anyone to see her in such a weak state. But her heart couldn't stop thumping heavily as she realized that she actually preferred staying with Mark. She felt safer with him there.

Luna leaned into Mark's side and put her head on Mark's shoulder gently while watching the flashing colors on the silent screen.

Luna liked being alone, but this wasn't so bad either.

...

The next morning, Merlin came out from the inner room where he had been sleeping to see that Mark and Luna were already awake and moving around the kitchen together. Luna was cooking something on the stove and Mark was making coffee. The both of them were talking about something, and Luna was quietly laughing at something Mark told her as she checked the boiled rice.

Once he saw them, Merlin immediately knew that something had happened between them last night. For some reason, they were closer than they had been yesterday. Did he really have to be here? He was only going to be a third wheel at this point.

Merlin rolled his eyes and walked into the room and Luna immediately greeted him with a smile once she saw him. Merlin waved at her before giving Mark a knowing smile that Mark returned with a blank look of confusion.

Mark asked Merlin if he wanted a cup of coffee and Merlin thanked him as he took his seat at the dining table. There was a tablet open on the table and Merlin took it to read through the news page that was loaded there.

It turns out that the Japanese government has labeled the explosions yesterday as the work of a terrorist organization and they are doing everything in their power to find and detain the culprits.

Merlin scoffed and thanked Mark as Mark put a cup in front of him.