The Author's POV

"A...Amanda?"

Natasha's voice shook, as she looked at the girl standing before her. She looked so much older than when she had last seen her.

She was fully grown up now.

Natasha couldn't really explain the emotions she was feeling right now. Thinking about how she had lost the chance to see her daughter grow up, she felt a deep sense of sadness. What mother didn't want to see their child grow up? ...She knew that this was inevitable, but she couldn't hide the sadness she felt when seeing her daughter.

However, seeing just how beautiful and healthy her daughter had turned out, she was more gratified than sad.

Placing both of her hands by the side of the capsule, Natasha tried to get out. But as she tried to lift her hands, she found it extremely hard to do so as she had trouble coordinating her brain with her hand movements.

"Wait up."

Maylin who noticed this, waved her hand and the capsule enveloping Natasha tore apart. A gentle white glow enveloped Natasha as she levitate in the air.

Waving her hand once again, Natasha slowly moved toward the ground.

As Natasha's feet touched the ground, she stumbled a couple of steps. Amanda did try to offer her a hand, but raising her hand, Natasha refused.

"Let me."

Taking two steps forward she was somehow able to stabilize her body.

Having stayed in a coma for over fifteen years, this sort of reaction was understandable. Her brain needed to get adjusted to her muscles once again.

"Haa..."

Taking a deep breath, Natasha finally stood straight. Then, staring at Amanda and getting a proper look at her, the smile on her face became extremely gentle.

"...You've grown up so well."

With a face mixed with many different emotions, Amanda lowered her head. A smile also blossomed on her face.

Seeing this, Natasha raised her hands and motioned her to come to her.

"Come here, let's get a better look at you."

Complying with her mother's wishes, Amanda slowly walked up to her mother who placed both of her hands on her cheeks and slowly started to pinch. Her next comments caused Amanda's face to turn red in embarrassment.

"Mhh, very soft and smooth, not bad, not bad."

Letting go of her cheeks, Natasha looked at her up and down and commented.

"You've also developed quite nicely in all other departments. Very good, very good. There must be a lot of boys chasing after you, eh?"

"...Uh?"

Natasha's sudden words caused Amanda to freeze on the spot. What in the world was happening? She had not expected her mom to be so bold!

"You must be around how old now?"

Without waiting for Amanda to speak, Natasha placed her hand on her chin and pondered.

"I left you when you were just about to turn five, so you should be around nineteen to twenty years old. Five years younger than me from back then."

Natasha's brows furrowed when she thought that far.

Amanda may have been her daughter, but she was only five years younger than her if you took into account the fact that she had been frozen for fifteen years of her life. Her mentality and personality were still that of her twenty-five-year-old self.

"You're around nineteen to twenty years old if I'm not guessing wrong?"

"Mhm, I'm twenty years old."

replied with a

way she was, and so was able to somewhat adjust to her mother's personality. To be honest, she felt more like

can't believe my daughter is so

eyes as she said those words, but it left as fast as it came as she looked back at Amanda.

were you

she didn't know about the current world's circumstances. However, from what she

Maylin perhaps tell her about her

"About that..."

Amanda could explain, Maylin cut in and quickly told Natasha about the world's

and how they were contemplating the possibility of letting them in

of the situation, Natasha covered her

"Such thing happened?"

"Yes."

head before putting both

the round of eights

"She did?"

Natasha's eyes as she took another look at her daughter. Sensing the mana revolving

" rank?"

her strength, it only took a moment for Natasha to distinguish her rank. Once she realized that Amanda was rank at just the tender age of twenty, she

didn't doubt that she would reach her strength

make it so far in the tournament," Natasha said with

the level of progress of humanity in

her thoughts paused there, Natasha suddenly remembered

you able to

knew, there was no cure for the mind-breaker curse. She knew best since she had spent countless days trying to find a way to remove it. In the end, after going through countless books and papers, she was unable to find anything regarding the cure for the mind-breaker curse causing her to make the decision that

to be taken hostage and used as a bargaining chip for her family, she was forced to

know gave it

Her answer caught Natasha off-guard as her

it

"Mhm."

"Is it a boy?"

sharp, but Amanda didn't seem to have noticed

"...Yes."

see, I see. You are indeed at

the room and seeing that there was

is this so-called

"...Eh?"

head as she looked at her

want to know where he

is. He is the one that saved me after all!" Natasha replied, her voice raising a

"Oh."

look of understanding. She simply wanted to thank Ren.

is this so-called boy also in

"He is."

a small look

not made it past the round

displeasure didn't go unnoticed by Natasha who inwardly thought. 'Ah, I see, so he's weaker than my girl, moreover, Maylin seems to dislike

she had been absent for over fifteen

the boy was someone that was courting her daughter, she definitely

wasn't just going to hand her daughter to him on a silver platter. He needed to

to why Ren had not made it past the round of sixteen, but before she had the

"How is your dad?"

complexion pale at her question, Natasha's heart

happen to

looked at her mother. Seeing the worry in her eyes, Amanda closed her eyes for a moment. Honestly, she didn't want to

tell her out of spite, but

that fifteen years had passed, if she found out that her father had been missing for

on her mother's face, Amanda didn't have the heart to lie to