Chapter 161: Hello, Mr. Devil (3)
Michelle doesn't have any wishes to save the world.
Her desire to rise is not that strong.
She dresses unremarkably, lives as lackluster as a salted fish with no ambition and lacks personality, living by muddling along.
People like her are a dime a dozen in ordinary environments, yet a rarity in the Swordflower Alliance, as those mediocre ones are weeded out fast.
Therefore, she isn't mediocre, it's just a disguise.
A disguise of her deep-seated inferiority.
The number of witches in the alliance is not too many but common enough. Most witches do not choose to become warlocks, as they seem to abhor conflict in their very bones, even the release of their own abilities.
It is said to be an ancient covenant that witches should live like ordinary people.
In five hundred years, witches have not hit the historical stage again. As for Black Rose, who operated behind the scenes of history, naturally nobody knows.
Most people's impression of witches is just ordinary.
As for Dragonborn, their numbers are scant, even a rarity.
Michelle used to take pride in her Dragonborn lineage and believed what her mother said about becoming a great liberator like Liliana, but reality gave her a good knock. She did not awaken the abilities of a Dragonborn by the age of eighteen, as her witch's blood was denser, making her an incomplete Dragonborn, having only the physical strength and body of a superior human.
Moreover, she later learned that Liliana didn't have offspring. The Dragonborns revered her as an ancestor because of her very noble lineage, she was a transcended heroic spirit who was also part of the ancient dragon lineage.
So far, no second ancient dragon has appeared in history, and today's Dragonborns are the descendants of a once-declined lineage, let alone her lineage is incomplete.
This significantly undermined Michelle’s self-confidence.
Moreover, she realized that her magic talent is very weak, just the enhanced learning ability brought by the witch’s power, but she can't become a true magic caster. This makes her choose diligence to make up for talent only.
Being ordinary is also to disguise inferiority, at least in the Swordflower Alliance, she has to do it this way.
She disguised herself too cleverly, even deceiving herself, so that everyone habitually thought she really was a gentle lamb.
So at the moment of being shackled, she was ready for the pain.
'Weren't you going to fight back at all?'
……If I could fight back, I’d have done so.
'Really?'
……Do I need to lie?
'Actually, I can teach you how to win, at least not lose so badly.'
……I don't believe you.
Michelle rejected the other party's help. She rather lay down for three days than accept this kindness whose cost is unknown.
Good things don't just drop in your lap for no reason.
She seemed to see the young man shrugged helplessly, sighed for her incorrigibility. But what could he do?
She's not a genius, how is she going to compete?
She did work hard, just....she doesn't trust herself.
No matter how hard she tried, there was always a chasm that blocked her way to the mountain of talent.
Others can walk the earth with ease, she has to keep climbing mountains.
She was very jealous of those people and felt very inferior. Only Chao Lu could see through her inner complex emotions.
So she became her best friend, the most reassuring comfort.
But Chao Lu is gone, she's left without support, and she can only sink further.
May it all end soon.
She thought so, but suddenly, the wind quieted down, and the anticipated pain did not come.
Lacey released her tail, and raised her hands in surrender, accompanied by an awkward laugh, "I have not started yet, please don't be so nervous, okay?"
She was acting like a passerby, and nothing happened before was related to her.
Michelle stumbled and sat on the ground, first confused, then realized that Lacey was apologizing not to her, but to the person behind her...
The red hair fluttered in the wind, it was Alena Capesh.
Michelle recognized the person who had rescued her and quietly thanked her, "Thank you."
But she was not happy. Alena's gaze stung her a bit.
She got up awkwardly, and the two walked under the shade of the trees in the exercise field.
"Michelle Hope..." Alena said with a somber tone: "I'm here to tell you a message."
"What?" Michelle wiped the dust off her glasses.
"Chao Lu will not be returning."
"What did you say?"
"The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom has erupted in civil war. Chao Lu is the daughter of Lord Bai Ze, the dreamy princess, and now her kingdom is being attacked by one of the princes, Lord Qiongqi." Alena said calmly: "Even if the tide of grief subsides, she won't be coming back, and she might even die in the civil unrest."
Michelle's eyes shrank, "What are you talking about? There's nothing like this in the news..."
"This news was heard from Elder Sasha, it won't be wrong." Alena confirmed, "The Ten Thousand Demon Kingdom's civil war, the infighting among the princes, she is destined not to be able to come back here, even if she seeks political asylum, she will go to the Ming Country."
Michelle gripped her clothing tightly, holding her breath.
Alena narrowed her eyes, "Do you understand why I'm telling you this?"
Michelle shook her head, "I don't know, but thank you for your kind intention anyway…"
"Kind intention?" Alena bent down, her voice low, her eyes bright red, "I am not kind. I just want to tell you that Chao Lu is no longer here and will never be back. No one can protect you now."
"Except me…" She added a sentence.
Michelle didn't understand: "Protection?"
Alena had a devilish smile on her face.
"Exactly, protection... just as it has been in the past, and even better than that."
"With me, you can peacefully live your school life here."
"The premise is that you need to supply me with blood, not much, once a week."
He reached out and gently touched Michelle's neck, with his sharp nails resting on her chin.
"I really like the smell of your blood, from the beginning... It's sweet with a hint of aftertaste, an immature greenness."
"I was able to endure it in the past since you were my friend."
"But not anymore."
Alena scratched Michelle's skin with the tip of her finger. The blood was strikingly red on her pale skin. She put her blood-stained fingernail on the tip of her tongue and tasted it, showing a very satisfied look.
"We bloodline creatures require a very high standard of fresh blood and it is rare to encounter a blood taste that I crave."
"And you seem to have no choice...Chao Lu is no longer here, she has always been your protective umbrella, and now only I can help you."
She emphasized again: "The only one you can trust and rely on is me."
Michelle was astonished.
Looking at Alena, she felt extremely unfamiliar. Alena always seemed noble and proud in her eyes, always exuberant and confident, always paying attention to elegance though she was not a noble. She always treated everyone with dignity. But what is she doing now? Her words were like a knife, as if she expected Chao Lu to die in the civil unrest. They were not really acquainted, and had only had a few heated arguments.
Why had she become like this?
Moreover, Chao Lu's life was at risk after returning home, and your first reaction was to be proud of that to me?
Something deep in her heart collapsed. Tolerance, tolerance, to the limit, unbearable.
Michelle's teeth made a cracking sound, and a nameless rage accumulated in the lower part of her chest, burning, hot, melting.
Do you know, she is my most important friend!
I am not something you can show off!
She took a few deep breaths and found that the emotion control she was most good at had failed. Her facial expression started to get out of control, uncontrollably evaporating away from rationality, and she didn't want to stop it at all.
Michelle slapped away Alena's hand and declared war: "Take back your words, Alena. Capesh! I'm going to duel with you!"
...'Are you still there?'
'Yeah, I'm watching the drama.'
'Help me'
'Alright.'
