Does it really matter what one becomes? A monster, or a human—is the difference truly physical?
Among the embers of the fire, Li Yue slowly stood up, surrounded by blood. Her burns regenerated at a speed visible to the naked eye. In the chaotic environment, the faint sounds of heart wrenching cries could be heard.
They cursed the monster.
But Li Yue knew that these people were only concerned with their own interests. They had never considered what kind of destruction their assistance to William would bring to this city.
How many would be displaced? How many would lose their kin? How much hatred would be bred?
Li Yue was not prepared to answer these questions. She wanted to eliminate the one who caused them. As for being a monster or not, she suddenly felt a sense of relief in that moment.
She did not know why. Perhaps it was because there were too many corpses of magic apprentices at her feet, making her momentarily numb.
She felt the heart in her chest begin to beat violently, supplying her entire body with abundant and powerful blood. It felt so foreign... a heart...
Die, all of you die... you humans who stand in my way.
The more tragic the battle became, the more Li Yue was injured, and the higher the casualty count on the field rose. More blood was left behind. Most of them used basic magic—wind blades, fireballs, sword energy...
Li Yue should have been at this level a month ago. Although she did not know how she had become like this, blood magic was too easy for her to master, and its effects were too powerful.
She turned her back, chewed a piece of blood crystal, and swallowed it. Her magic was instantly replenished by more than half. Although the silver sword in her hand was broken, the longsword made of blood crystals seemed even sharper and its texture even harder.
Several exceptionally powerful auras spread from a distance. Li Yue turned her head to look. The eyes beneath her mask were filled with madness. She felt her heart thumping heavily against her frame, bringing unprecedented power and an intense excitement she had never felt before.
She swung her sword with all her might toward the distance. the blood she pulled with it formed a blood curtain in the air, like the curtain before the grand opening of a performance.
By the time those lights representing magic users broke through the blood curtain and arrived in the courtyard, the blood on the ground rushed toward the sky like a torrential rain.
Li Yue looked at the several people in the air struggling to cope. She raised her hand that was not holding a sword and slowly clenched it. The blood curtain on the horizon wrapped around those lights and then began to shrink.
Veins bulged on Li Yue’s fair hand. With a trace of a frantic smile on her lips, she clenched her fist with all her strength.
A flower of blood exploded in the sky. The several people, covered in wounds, reappeared in a wretched state. They summoned all kinds of magic—hard ice, waves of fire, giant stones...
But it was useless. In the face of blood that had transformed into blood crystals, the intensity of these attacks was far too low.
She aimed at the brightest light in the sky, forming her hand into the shape of a pistol. A concentrated bead of blood spun at her fingertip, compressing, spinning...
“Bang!”
A high speed line of blood sliced through the sky, piercing through that magic user’s heart. Upon penetration, the blood crystal exploded violently, blooming into a blood flower even more brilliant than the one before. Blood mixed with severed limbs fell from the sky.
“Monster, die!”
She turned to dodge a slash and exerted heavy force with her feet, thrusting the blood sword into the opponent’s chest. When Li Yue pulled out the longsword, the splashing blood crystals sprayed in all directions. Amidst a series of rising and falling screams, more blood crystals scattered and flew. It seemed as if a small rain of blood was falling from the sky.
“Overestimating yourselves.”
The man’s body fell heavily. His expression was twisted and struggling, with resentment and fear lingering on his face.
The surrounding commotion seemed to gradually subside as the surviving magic users began to flee in all directions.
She took off her mask, revealing eyes even more crimson than blood beneath it. There was no expression on her face, only a coldness like ice.
The blood from the chest of the man at her feet began to flow slowly, bringing out several pictures that had been pierced through by Li Yue’s sword.
What is... this?
Li Yue picked up the bloodstained pictures and wiped them. On the black and white image, a man and a woman were huddled together. The man held a newborn infant in his arms, looking happy and beautiful.
Hmm?
Li Yue’s hand trembled, and the blood red color in her eyes gradually faded. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, suddenly feeling a sense of unreality.
She picked up another slip of paper, on which several lines of words were faintly visible. She frowned and read them out in a low voice.
“Dear Milan, before long, we might be reunited. Our employer seems to be planning something big. The path ahead seems full of danger, but I believe that with your blessing, I will surely return safely.”
“We can use the money we’ve saved to buy a small farm, buy some land, and live a simple but happy life. As for dreams, let little Alan pursue them.”
“Every day here is an ordeal. I think of you every day. Whether it is the busy day or the lonely night, I am thinking of you, Milan.”
“I know you might find it tiresome, but I still want to say it one more time at the end of the letter...”
“I love you, darling. Blessings from Parvati.”
“Your loving husband, Leike.”
This is... a letter?
Written by that man just now to his wife? But how could such an important letter be in my hands...
Oh, right. He is dead... How did he die?
A trace of clarity returned to Li Yue’s eyes.
It seems... I killed him. Just like crushing an insect. I clearly could have spared his life. Why did I kill him?
Li Yue put down the letter, and the blood red world in her eyes began to slowly fade. She seemed to have forgotten her original intention for coming here, which was to minimize casualties as much as possible.
What am I doing? Why didn't I run away at the beginning? Why did I use magic to slaughter?
She gasped for air, feeling as if her chest were blocked. She bent over and began to dry heave uncontrollably.
She felt her hands were sticky. She stood up and looked at her hands; they were covered in blood.
What she thought at the beginning was not wrong. They might be selfish, or they might not even know what they were doing, but some of them might have truly just wanted to live well.
They chose their way of survival, and there was nothing wrong with that. It’s just, at the beginning, would they have imagined the day they would be killed by me?
Was I wrong? It seems not... but by doing this, it seems even more people have become miserable. They might have lost a friend, a husband, or a brother...
She looked at her hands. Her current appearance was reflected in the pool of blood—covered in blood, with a few drops of blood tears flowing down her cheeks. She forced her trembling body to stand firm and shook the blood off herself, leaving a floor of residue.
She fled in a wretched state. On the flat road, she ran, fell, and climbed back up to keep running.
She walked into a roadside carriage in a daze. When passing by Caesar’s residence, she casually threw the magic recording onto the ground. The guards at the door picked it up and looked at each other in confusion before Caesar snatched it away. A smile played on his face, though it was unclear what he was happy about.
In the bathroom of the small western style building, the water controlled by magic dripped down slowly like a shower. Li Yue leaned against the wall, staring with hollow eyes. Her long hair, soaked by the water, clung to her body.
Perhaps these people who were caught up in this were not at fault. No one needed to kill each other. No one was wrong. The only ones at fault were the masterminds behind the scenes. They played cruel games, toyed with the pieces on the board at will, used them to slaughter, used them to compete, and exchanged blood for their own interests to satisfy their desires.
What bastards... Humans are all like this, aren't they? Always finding ways to satisfy their own desires.
Her thoughts went deeper and deeper. The sadness in her chest was filled with hatred. She persisted in the sea of blood and resentment, allowing her anger, her unwillingness, and her regret to transform into a rampaging malice, going down a path of obsession with no return.
The blood red color that had faded from her eyes gradually returned, even more intense than before.
“Thud, thud, thud!” The bathroom door was pounded.
“Nolan, are you in there!” Kelly’s voice came, bringing Li Yue’s consciousness back from the sea of blood to reality. Li Yue stopped the water, wiped herself down, and replied, “I’m here.”
She casually dried her wet hair and put on the clothes she had prepared. She didn't even notice that she looked much more haggard, and her voice had become quite tremulous.
Li Yue opened the door. Kelly stood there with an anxious expression. Without a word, she checked Li Yue’s body, looking both worried and heartbroken.
“Was the attack on the William house your doing? Roland told me everything.” Kelly held Li Yue’s hands with both of hers. “Are you hurt? I saw the magic recording, and it was full of blood.”
“I’m fine. My magic healed my wounds,” Li Yue said faintly. She felt the warmth in her hands, nourishing her cold body.
“Didn't you promise me...” Kelly’s tears fell like broken beads, uncontrollable. “Didn't we agree never to do dangerous things again?”
Li Yue was somewhat moved. Her lips trembled, and she silently said an apology, because she found that her own throat was also choked with emotion. Tears flowed unconsciously from the corners of her eyes.
She hugged Kelly and wailed. Amidst the sobbing moans, Li Yue could be clearly heard repeating her apologies.
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