Chapter 36: Right, you foolish big sister?

“We need to go resupply the energy core for that Snow Country Express.” Adele repeated the mission objective again.

Donia’s original strategy was to stall as much as possible, at least to first strengthen her own abilities.

As for the idea of reporting Latifah, it was rejected by her from the start.
Latifah’s situation was like her own, in a blind spot where light couldn’t reach.

A rash report might not succeed, which would instead ruin the subsequent plans and invite fatal danger.

And the collapse of the energy tower, perhaps even without her as an inside agent, there would be other inside agents leading to the same effect.

In short, it was best to wait and see.

Clink—

It was the sound of a ceramic cup landing on a saucer.

Donia took another sip of maple syrup, continuing to ponder.

If the dream brought by ‘Malice Perception’ was true, she would likely have her head fly off the moment she met Alicia.

Rather than having her head fly off within three days, she was more willing to find a way to cause some disruption, making Alicia delay a bit more time.
This would also further reduce the impact of the “butterfly effect.”

As for killing Alicia?

Unless someone held her head down and made her kill, she would absolutely not lift a hand.

It was well known that Alicia possessed the same disaster-magnet constitution as a certain elementary school student who frequently studied abroad in Hawaii.

Wherever she went, people died.
Not to mention whether Donia, with her current small physique, could even fight her, even if she did stab her with a dagger, it would likely be herself who died.

“…Are you seriously listening to me?” Adele put down her knife and fork.
“Yes, sending the energy core.” Donia replied casually, silently adding in her mind, “And causing some damage along the way.”

The supplies on the Snow Country Express should be enough for a week and more.

Even if she caused some damage, it wouldn’t lead to additional casualties.
She prided herself on not being a saint, nor a good person, but an excellent villain could also abide by rules.

Those who operated outside the rules could fight freely, but they faced enemies who were even more uncontrollable.

As a certain famous Gotham villain once said—”The smartest way to live, is to not always follow any rules.”
Adjust as the situation changes!

“I just feel like you have something else you want to say.” Adele frowned.
“Can I organize my luggage or something?” Donia rubbed her small hands.

If possible, she planned to take a risk and see if she could steal the inscribed glass shard from Hutchinson.
Facing Alicia, who went for a kill with every encounter, she naturally needed to be thoroughly prepared.
“I don’t think you have any luggage.”
“At least let me say goodbye to Miss Violet.” Donia said.
Adele pondered for a moment, still seeming to feel some guilt.
“Good.”

Adele accompanied Donia all the way to the hospital area.

“I won’t go in with you. Go say goodbye to Miss Violet yourself.” She was still intentionally avoiding Violet.
Donia nodded and walked into the hospital area.

She deliberately took a roundabout path, using reflections in the glass several times to observe behind her, checking if anyone was secretly monitoring her.

“Intensive Care Unit Room 1…”
Donia’s gaze quickly swept over several patients; none were the target she was looking for.
“Intensive Care Unit Room 2…”
“Room 3… Room 4… There she is!”
In the dimly lit ward, Donia spotted a furball covered in hair, like a wild person.

In the empty ward, she was the only one lying on the bed, her hands and feet bound with heavy chains.
‘She wasn’t locked up, does that mean she still retains her sanity?’
Donia tiptoed in.

She quietly closed the door but didn’t approach the monstrous Hutchinson without permission.

Instead, she first reached for the wooden stool by the bed.
It felt icy cold to the touch.
This indicated that her family members had been there earlier and had left a long time ago.

She had once heard others discuss Hutchinson at a psychological test meeting, saying that both her parents were staff members of the Anomaly Management Bureau.

And at this time, they should also be at work.
Now was the best time to act!

Donia took a deep breath, and the Chalice of Malice appeared in her hand, hidden behind her back.
She cautiously observed the ball of hair, approaching slowly and patiently.
Perhaps others couldn’t tell if she was awake, but she had the ability of ‘Malice Perception’!

Once Hutchinson had a huge emotional fluctuation, or attempted to do something crazy, she would still have room to react.

“Hutchinson…?”
“Are you awake?”

Donia discovered a bandaged hand with dark red bloodstains within the black ball of hair.

This was the hand that had been stabbed by the Gun Knight.
She quietly walked to the other side.
An inexplicable gaze immediately fell upon Donia, making all the hairs on her body stand on end.
[Malice Value +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1]
A long string of black numbers surged out like a flood, proving her intuition to be correct.
Although Donia still couldn’t see where Hutchinson’s eyes were, she was already certain—the other party was staring at her, and had confirmed her identity.
Donia’s hand, gripping the Chalice of Malice, broke out in a thin layer of cold sweat.
“Don’t think you can steal my results; I will absolutely not acknowledge your bet!” Hutchinson said weakly in a hoarse voice.
“When I get out… I’m going to kill you with my own hands!”

Clang-clatter—

She wanted revenge, but her limbs were firmly locked by iron chains.
She still looked very weak, and her strength wasn’t too much beyond normal… ‘I’ll risk it!’

Donia grabbed the hand that was tightly gripping the glass shard, wanting to force open her tightly clenched fingers.

‘Why is she gripping it so tightly…?’

‘She probably won’t succeed before she’s exhausted.’
‘Tsk, strength isn’t her strong suit.’
Her gaze quickly scanned the ward, until it fell upon the hot water bottle on the bedside table.

Donia, quick as a flash, grabbed the hot water bottle, pulled out the stopper, and the steaming heat from the bottle swirled cheerfully.

“What are you doing?” A hint of fear escaped Hutchinson’s voice.
“Nothing.” Donia curved her lips into a dangerous arc.
“Just giving you some water.”
Killing her would be too obvious.
But under such dense hair, a little burn wouldn’t be as noticeable.
The mutations and influences caused by the psychological system could very well explain what was happening to her.

Whoosh—

The transparent hot water arced in a parabola.
Hutchinson, scalded, threw her head back and shrieked, struggling frantically, the iron chains clattering loudly.

Crack, crack, the iron chains even made sounds of cracking under the strain.

“I’m going to kill you!!!”
“This guy was indeed faking it…!”

Donia made an immediate decision, shaking the Chalice of Malice with the hand behind her back.

A thin layer of black liquid floated on the purplish-pink liquid within.

One of the Seven Deadly Sins—Wrath.
This was the sin she had just collected from Hutchinson.
Now, she would return it to its rightful owner!
The black liquid transformed into tiny snakes, firmly coiling around Hutchinson’s hands and feet, gnawing at her body with sharp venomous fangs.
While Hutchinson was still struggling, Donia grabbed the glass shard embedded in her palm’s flesh and pulled it out!

‘Got it!’

[Malice Value +66]

Donia thought for a moment, then threw the murky glass shard that Guard Julie had given her back into Hutchinson’s hand.
The struggling Hutchinson also paused.
For a moment, a thought crossed Hutchinson’s mind—‘She even returned a bad one. She… she’s quite nice, actually?’
The snakes made of viscous black liquid coiled around each of Hutchinson’s fingers.
Donia, without mercy, again took out the glass shard embedded in Hutchinson’s palm.
[Malice Value +666]
“I’m sorry, I was just tricking you.” Donia curved her lips, her voice soft as she held the blood-stained glass shard.
“Since you want to kill me, then you should also be prepared to be killed by me.”
“Right, you foolish big sister?”
She covered her mouth, mocking him, icy laughter flickering in her blood-red eyes.
The tiny black snakes, slick as loaches, finally allowed Hutchinson to break free from one chain.
She rose in anger but was bitten in the throat.
This small wound didn’t kill the mutated Hutchinson, but without the suppression of the glass shard, her mutation had already intensified again, stripping away her last shred of humanity.
Even if it was an ugly humanity.

[Malice Value +1000]

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the corridor.