Chapter 7: You're My Tool, Lunar!
Fate is indeed a fickle thing.
It can plunge one from the heights of success to the depths of despair, yet in the darkest moments, it can also offer a glimmer of hope.
Such was the journey of Iris's life, a lonely woman residing on the outskirts of Conifer town, living within her secluded cabin amidst the woods.
Her entire family was murdered, and even the last remaining member of her family, her niece, whom she adopted as her daughter, went missing.
Furthermore, no matter how hard she tried, she was unable to uncover those responsible for this crime, much less fight and inflict revenge on them.
Trying to do so, she almost lost her life—her body riddled with injuries, snatching all her hope for advancing in the future and becoming stronger.
Broken and having given up hope for anything better in life, she retired and came here, wanting to live the rest of her life alone.
Distant from everyone and everything she once knew.
But who knew that fate had its own plans in store for her?
Who would have thought that a sudden pounding on her door, followed by frantic screams and cries for help, would provide her hope for the future on this very night when she was merely going about her usual routine of preparing dinner?
Even in her dream, Iris never expected it.
Outside her door was a child, teetering on the brink of death by a fragile thread.
Initially unmoved, Iris glanced at it coldly from the CCTV camera's live video, as she had no intention to help anyone, especially a strange, unknown child, for no reason.
But just as she stood up to kick the nuisance away, she felt something strange coming from the same child behind the gate, and a look of surprise crossed Iris's face.
"How is this possible?!" she exclaimed, her voice betraying her astonishment.
The unexpected surprise forced her to reconsider her initial thoughts, igniting a light of hope in her eyes, followed by an internal fight that ended with her sighing and ultimately opening the door.
-Creak.
As the gate swung open, the little boy's frail body plummeted, but Iris moved like a ghost, grabbing him before he could hit the floor and murmuring softly under her breath.
"... Looks like I still can't give up. Ah!"
She chose to take the boy in. Her thirst for revenge was still unquenched, and she was not going to waste this life in solitude.
Taking the child in, she tended to his injuries and changed his clothes, finally getting a proper look at his whole body.
A frown creased her brow momentarily, but as she reached out to brush his soft cheeks, a sense of satisfaction washed over her.
"It is indeed a pre-awakened, and not just an ordinary one... It's a monster. Looks like the world has indeed not given up on me."
Her fists clenched as she thought about how she would use the child to get revenge on those who took everything away from her.
The ambitions she couldn't fulfill, the crown she couldn't wear—since she couldn't be a king, wouldn't it be nice to be a kingmaker at the very least?
No, not merely a kingmaker, but the puppeteer pulling the strings of a puppet king.
But before such grand designs could be set in motion, there were tasks that needed attention.
Once more, Iris found herself gazing upon the innocent face of the peacefully sleeping child.
"To be in such a situation, are you an unlucky genuis or a lucky monster?"
She asked, but then shook her head as if it didn't matter.
"Since you have re-ignited the fire of vengeance in my heart and even surpassed my expectations, you will be mine."
This unexpected treasure that had fallen into her yard was not one she intended to give up.
Moreover, she knew that since the boy who came to her door in the middle of the night was shouting, "Help me, my mother is gone," in such poor condition, something must have happened to his family.
Even if nothing had happened, though, Iris had already considered the idea of killing his family herself and fleeing with him to another country for a few years until everything calmed down.
Having made up her mind, Iris took action immediately, starting by giving the boy a little bit of sleeping potion, checking the CCTV around her house to see if she could find any clue, and then finally taking his photographs and sending them to some trustworthy people in the local police department.
Despite her hidden injuries, Iris was still a retired Advanced Grade Hero with her license intact, and her old connections were still alive worldwide.
Subsequently, it didn't even take her a day to figure out the ins and outs of the matter.
Fortunately, lady luck was in Iris's favor.
Lunar's parents were already dead before Iris could send them to meet with God.
"The family's been slaughtered, and the mother and son are missing. There's no news about the kid's awakening, and considering his condition, it's highly likely that he just awakened while trying to survive. There are no close relatives, and now only his mother, Stacey, is left."
Despite uncovering this background information, Iris found herself unsatisfied. There were still too many unanswered questions lingering in the shadows, prompting her to dig deeper.
With her extensive network of contacts, Iris soon delved into the heart of the matter, unraveling the hidden truths behind the tragedy.
"I see..."
Armed with the newfound information, Iris pieced together the chain of events that led the young boy, Lunar, to her doorstep. However, she needed confirmation from the source, and it was two days later that Lunar finally revealed the truth about his mother's abandoning him.
'Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a bitch! Cheating on her husband, orchestrating the family's death with her lover, and even callously abandoning her own son. It's good that such trash like you is dead somewhere.'
It was no baseless assumption that Lunar's mother died.
From her investigations, Iris learned that the culprit had absconded with a significant sum of money obtained through deceitful means, exploiting Lunar's mother in the process.
And since there was no evidence of Lunar's mother being in the company of this man, Iris could speculate on her fate with certainty.
Nevertheless, even if, by some unlikely chance, Stacey was still alive, Iris decided to kill that bitch with her own hands.
Of course, she wouldn't tell these things to Lunar.
To Iris, Lunar was but a tool—a means to an end, and she knew how to manipulate him appropriately.
'Let's not do anything to that mastermind too. He will be the perfect target to test my little Lunar's sharpness in the future.'
With her decision made, Iris planned to raise the boy herself.
Though she would never be his true mother, she would orchestrate a façade to deceive the child.
"After all, absolute loyalty is paramount. And what stronger bond could there be than that of a mother and son? I trust you will not disappoint your new mommy, my dear Lunar."
Despite the mischievous grin on her lips, a deep and serious light flickered in her eyes.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone