Chapter 188: Hehe~
"The examination is over, hmm... looks like there's no major issue." The young and beautiful octopus doctor looked at the examination report. "You don't digest well, do you have some constipation?"
"Ah?" Michelle covered her stomach and shook her head repeatedly. "No, no, I've always had good digestion."
"Then it seems like you have a bit of excessive internal heat. Take some medication to regulate it."
Michelle hesitated before saying, "No need, I'm feeling irritated because...". She remembered getting hit in the chest by Chicken Snake's sweeping attack, which caused her Flame Sac to clog up and suppress her fire, making her feel embarrassed and unwilling to admit it.
The doctor glanced at her and said, "Indeed, it seems like constipation."
"No, that's not it," Michelle retorted, but after a moment, she lowered her head and said, "But it would still be helpful if you could prescribe some anti-inflammatory medicine... My chest does feel congested."
The female doctor commented, "There were no signs of external or internal injuries in your chest. Your bones seem fine, and you may appear delicate, but your body is actually quite strong." She pressed her hand against Michelle's sternum and added, "And you have such a thick cushioning sac, which provides good protection."
Michelle blushed and said, "It's not about that. It's just a feeling of chest tightness and shortness of breath."
The doctor, rotating the chair half a turn, said, "It's probably a psychological issue. You can consider seeing a psychologist. After all, you've encountered attacks from two advanced monsters. It's actually quite remarkable that you only sustained superficial injuries."
Michelle lowered her head and said, "I feel ashamed."
She hadn't accomplished anything, just allowed herself to be tossed around like a ball by Chicken Snake. However, thanks to her tough skin and thick flesh, in her extreme anger, she only lost a layer of skin.
The doctor laughed and said, "It's not your fault. If I encountered Chicken Snake, I would lie down and await death on the spot. It's already impressive that you survived. Although there are no physical abnormalities, there's not much that can be done about mental issues. You need some psychological counseling or perhaps hypnosis therapy from a soul magician to help ease your mental stress. Stay overnight in the hospital tonight, and if there are no issues tomorrow, you can leave."
"Hmm, thank you," Michelle took her report and got up to leave.
As a university student with high medical insurance coverage, she didn't bear any financial burden.
Returning to the ward, the other person in the shared room was Alena.
She was quite injured and lying on the bed, drinking a beverage. Though it was called a beverage, it was actually highly pure blood plasma.
Whenever Alena took a sip, she would almost vomit. For Blooded individuals, this stuff was simply a very unpleasant bitter medicine.
After being processed, the highly concentrated blood plasma's taste was quite different from its natural form. She didn't need an intravenous drip, but she was forced to drink one liter of blood plasma.
A nurse stood by, watching her drink. Alena had a displeased expression on her face but still gritted her teeth and downed it.
Blooded's taste buds are usually not much different from those of normal humans. They prefer freshness but dislike raw blood... with one exception. When Bloodeds enter their mating period, their taste buds undergo changes. They develop hormones in response to pheromones emitted by specific individuals, making them infatuated with the blood of that person, finding it exceptionally sweet. Drinking even a little bit of it satisfies them greatly.
That's the scientific explanation, but Bloodeds prefer to describe this phenomenon with a more romantic term, the "Kiss of Love". They believe it is the magic brought by love... Bloodeds can also drink the blood of each other, there is no big issue with that.
Michelle bought drinks and brought them back, and one of the bottles was a blood plasma beverage. These commercially sold Blooded-exclusive drinks also contain various seasonings to enhance the flavor, mixed with a small amount of children's blood (citizens of the Union are obliged to donate blood regularly after the age of ten). Regular blood donations can accelerate the process of blood renewal in the human body. For races with stronger hematopoietic capabilities, this is even a part of their income, as donating blood can also earn them citizen points to exchange for benefits.
"There are too many additives in the blood plasma drinks," the nurse said. "This one will be confiscated."
She took the drink and also left a twenty-yuan coin before walking out of the ward, sipping on the drink.
Alena dry heaved into the trash can beside the bed, her pale face gaining a hint of color, but still appearing unhealthy.
"It's disgustingly awful..." She tilted her head back, resting her elbow on her face. "I'm going to die."
"Don't say such nonsense," Michelle reprimanded. "You were really close to dying earlier."
"Yeah, it was close," Alena whispered. "Being alive feels really good."
Michelle felt a knot in her chest. "Next time you play the hero, don't do it in front of me."
"No way," Alena shook her head. "You saw it too, they were coming for me. Where could I run?"
"So you just didn't run and waited to die?" Michelle was genuinely angry. She even dared to shout at Alena, feeling the urge to slap her, but seeing Alena's frail body, she lifted her hand and then dropped it, eventually clenching it tightly on her thigh.
"Don't be mad," Alena said. "I won't do it again next time."
"You still want there to be a next time?!" Michelle was going crazy.
"Nobody can say for sure," Alena propped her cheek up. "Summoning crystals of two high-level magical beasts, crystals of this level are practically priceless on the market. Willing to pay such a price just to kill me... I suspect it's Capesh's archenemy."
Michelle asked, "Does Capesh have an archenemy?"
"No, there are adversaries, but enemies..." Alena said, "I can't think of any."
The Capesh family is not a prosperous one. So far, there have been only twenty-seven members with the Capesh surname, among which the third generation has nineteen bloodlines.
In other words, from now on, the Capesh family will only decrease in numbers and not increase. Moreover, with Sasha still alive, who would dare to offend a blooded ruler and the family of a founding hero?
While there are enemies due to changing positions, the cohesion of the Blooded is so strong that there have been very few cases of assassination among the Blooded nobles until now, and even if there are, they are due to personal vendettas.
Alena also didn't understand. As a beautiful college girl, how did she end up with such poor relationships that she was almost purchased for two air strikes?
Since she couldn't figure it out, she decided to stop thinking about it and leave the matter to others to worry about.
"Aren't you afraid?" Michelle asked. "If it were me, I definitely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight."
"I'm definitely a bit scared," Alena admitted at first. "But..."
Alena didn't answer. Instead, she raised her hands and cupped her cheeks. The hospital gown she was wearing was one size too big, with sleeves that were too long, only exposing five fingers. With her slender fingers covering her cheeks and the collar flipped up to hide her expression, she suddenly smiled, looking cute and a bit silly.
"Hehe~"
That smile was too shy and innocent, completely shattering the image of the icy, bloodthirsty beauty she had previously built. Any acquaintance who saw her smile would think that this Alena was an imposter.
But suddenly, Michelle understood. Scenes from before involuntarily flashed through her mind.
- A white dress embroidered with luxurious golden tree patterns, a shimmering cape, a young man with slightly pursed lips and golden eyes, like a nobleman stepping out of an ancient painting from a hundred years ago. Gold draped over his shoulders, he was more sacred and prestigious than a saint, his golden eyes gazing at the mortal world, possessing a divine nature high above and a tender and reserved humanity. He carefully held the princess in his arms as they walked, as if frozen in the eternal frame of the painting.
Michelle suddenly felt a tightness in her chest and discomfort.
She understood where her discomfort came from.
Perhaps she was a little jealous?
But why should she be jealous? It was only the summoned spirit that followed her prayer and saved Alena. That was not a living person.
...Or maybe it was?
She wanted to ask Mr. Devil to clarify, but no matter how much she called out, there was no response. She could only hold it in for now...
"Stop giggling." Michelle unhappily pinched and squeezed Alena's cheeks. "It's so gross."
"Mmmm..." Alena didn't resist and allowed her to continue squeezing for a while.
In the blink of an eye, the positions of the two girls seemed to have reversed, with the dominant one being squeezed by the weaker one.
At that moment, the door to the ward was pushed open, and a figure walked in.
"Looks like I came at the wrong time?" Sasha Capesh raised an eyebrow.
"Aunt."
"Principal!" Michelle immediately stood up. She was acquainted with the Blood Noble, who often appeared in the media. She had listened to Sasha's speech as the nominal school director during the opening ceremony, and she was also a recipient of the scholarship distributed by Sasha's personally established education fund. However, it was her first time meeting her in such close proximity.
"No need to be nervous," Sasha said. "I remember you, Michelle Hope. You took care of my silly niece, didn't you?"
"No, no, no, you're too kind."
Sasha's gaze fell upon Alena. "Limbs intact, doesn't seem as exaggerated as rumored."
"It wasn't a big deal to begin with. Auntie just wanted an excuse to slack off from work."
"... Hmph." Sasha took a few steps closer and tapped her niece's head. "Letting you show off."
"Come on, tell me." The Blood Noble sat down. "What exactly happened? I feel like I can learn more from you, who were at the scene, than from the reports of the knights. Michelle Hope, you speak first and provide as much detail as possible. Alena can fill in any missed parts."
"Alright." Michelle felt conflicted about revealing the summoning ritual, but after a brief moment, she decided to keep it hidden. Everyone had their own secrets, and she was starting to care about Mr. Devil. He had helped her twice, and she couldn't betray his trust by exposing him.
After omitting some parts, she began to recount what she knew.
Sasha remained calm, even though she slightly furrowed her brow upon hearing that the summoning of the two advanced demons was intended for Alena.
Surprising, but that's all.
Michelle thought to herself... No wonder she's the Blood Noble. That unwavering determination and composed attitude truly make her a living legend.
"I see, I have a general understanding of the situation." Sasha posed a crucial question, "But there's one thing you didn't mention... Who killed the two advanced demons? Don't tell me it's you two... I wouldn't believe it unless you jumped into their mouths and choked them to death."
