Chapter 87: The Phoenix’s Call and a Conflicted Heart

The fully formed phoenix let out a resounding cry, the corona behind its head blazing with even greater brilliance. Its majestic call reverberated throughout the entire arena. Had they been outdoors at that moment, Gern would have witnessed all the birds in the vicinity, as if compelled by the phoenix’s summons, uniformly turning towards Lilia’s direction and responding with their own cries, as if answering a king’s command. Immediately after, this fiery bird transformed into a crimson shadow, hurtling towards Gern.

Confronted with such a spectacle, Gern wiped the cold sweat from her brow, a gesture that seemed to wipe away the last vestiges of fear buried deep within her heart. A formidable tornado erupted from the ground, shaping itself into a towering wind wall under her mental command. It bisected the arena, directly obstructing the phoenix’s fiery path.

‘Explode!’ Gern roared, and with a thunderous boom, the miniature tornado detonated within the arena. Countless gusts of wind and snow, swirling with fractured flames, scattered explosively in every direction.

The immense concussive force sent Gern reeling, her body unstable, until she collided forcefully with the black curtain behind her. Unleashing such a powerful technique had exacted a heavy toll; her magic reserves were completely depleted, leaving her body utterly devoid of strength.

Once the turbulent energies had completely dispersed, Gern’s gaze fell upon Miss Lilia, who remained standing resolutely before her. A bitter laugh escaped Gern’s lips; the outcome was undeniably clear. If this had been a true battlefield, and her last desperate strike hadn’t felled her opponent, then the next to perish would surely have been Gern herself. What stung even more was the undeniable feeling that, throughout their exchange, Lilia had yet to unleash her full power. It was truly a cruel jest that even after being reborn into this life, she still lacked the strength to defeat Lilia at the same cultivation level. Was she truly so weak? Pathetically weak. To entertain grandiose notions of avenging her parents with such paltry abilities was nothing short of ludicrous.

‘Miss Lilia, you’re incredible,’ Gern managed, a bitter smile twisting her lips. Her entire being felt deflated, as though all the air had been let out of her. Her head throbbed with an intense ache, and her consciousness swam precariously. She struggled to keep herself upright, her hand gripping the nearby railing, desperately fighting against the urge to collapse.

‘Are you… alright?’ Lilia asked, her gaze fixed on Gern with an undeniable flicker of concern. In truth, Gern’s last burst of power, had it been wielded with a touch more finesse, might have been an attack Lilia wasn’t confident she could have fully resisted.

Lilia parted her lips, intending to offer words of solace, but then she noticed the silver-haired dragon girl, Gern, already shedding two silent tears.

‘Miss Lilia… I’m fine…’ Gern murmured, biting her lip lightly. She let the tears trace paths down her cheeks, yet still managed to force a faint, tremulous smile.

A pang of sympathy tightened Lilia’s chest. She moved to Gern’s side, drawing her into a gentle embrace, and whispered softly into Gern’s ear, ‘Gern, is something troubling you? Please, tell me about it.’

‘No, it’s nothing,’ Gern replied, shaking her head with a forced smile. Her tears had ceased, and outwardly, she seemed as composed as ever.

Ultimately, she and Lilia were destined to walk diverging paths. Perhaps she truly harbored such profound feelings for Lilia, yet she knew she could not hope to catch up to her now. In the future, Lilia would ascend to a position of unparalleled nobility, an object of adoration for the entire world. Gern, however, would remain nothing more than an expendable tool, a mere object to be utilized. She suspected that once Theoviga Academy had extracted every last drop of her research value, they would simply cast her aside. This wasn’t a baseless conspiracy theory; it was a harsh reality Gern had personally endured in her previous life. Yet, with her current meager strength, what could she possibly do to change her fate?

Observing the increasingly despondent expression on Gern’s face, Lilia tightened her embrace around her, whispering softly into Gern’s ear, ‘Luoya, aren’t we… friends? We should share our worries with each other.’

‘Fri… friends?’ Gern murmured, a faint spark of light igniting in her eyes, only for that glimmer to quickly dim. ‘Perhaps,’ she thought, ‘I suppose so.’

Upon hearing Gern’s hesitant response, the light in Lilia’s eyes perceptibly dulled. She released Gern, her hollow gaze fixing intently on her. ‘Didn’t you already say before that we were each other’s first friends, and currently our only friends?’ Lilia pressed, a subtle edge to her voice. ‘How is it that now… it’s merely ‘perhaps’?’ The young girl’s vacant eyes stared at Gern, sending a distinct shiver of cold through Gern’s very core.

‘This… I…’ Gern stammered, fumbling for words that simply wouldn’t come. As she watched the light in Lilia’s eyes dim even further, a genuine panic began to seize her.

‘Uh… well… I-I’m just worried I’m not good enough for you,’ Gern finally managed to blurt out, a flash of inspiration striking her in her dazed state.

‘Then… Luoya,’ Lilia declared, her voice firm, ‘I’ll make things perfectly clear today. You, forever… forever… are mine!’ With these words, Lilia swiftly tackled the utterly defenseless Gern, pinning her beneath her. The young girl’s crimson lips descended, pressing firmly against Gern’s. Gern’s eyes widened in shock, and in that instant, a significant portion of the complicated emotions swirling within her heart simply melted away.

‘Little Luoya, I like…’

‘Mmmph…!’

Lilia’s kiss was startlingly sudden, a tempest that gave Gern no time to prepare. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic, joyous rhythm that seemed to celebrate this very moment.

‘What… what’s happening to me?’ Lilia’s intoxicating scent filled her nostrils, and Lilia’s image monopolized her thoughts. Gern felt as though her entire being was on the verge of being utterly consumed by Lilia.

‘No… no, my true form is male. How could Lilia possibly like a guy?’

‘An illusion, it must be an illusion, ha…’

The poor little dragon girl was completely oblivious to the fact that her heart had already wholeheartedly accepted Miss Lilia.

****

In the evening, Gern, having just finished classes, returned to his dormitory room alone. As he replayed the day’s events in his mind, his cheeks flushed repeatedly. Being forcefully kissed by a girl was still too shameful for him, even though he had been in a girl’s body at the time; his inner self, after all, remained the original Gern.

‘Forget it, forget it, I won’t think about these things. Why bother thinking about that Lilia?’ Gern shook his head, then cast his gaze towards the dark, small courtyard, successfully diverting his attention.

Suddenly, he remembered that he still had some demon beast meat and bones. Today’s target practice had cost him too many gold coins; selling these items could help him recoup some losses. Gern pondered for a moment, then began rummaging through his storage pendant for things he could sell. The pendant didn’t hold much now, mostly just his everyday essentials, a pile of common weapons, and the sapphire Lilia had given him earlier.

He took out the sapphire and examined it closely. He had initially intended to sell this gem for money, but for some inexplicable reason, the more he looked at it, the more he liked it, as if it possessed a certain magic. Gradually, he became mesmerized, feeling as though he was gazing into a pair of familiar, ice-blue eyes. The next moment, Gern’s body shivered, jolting him out of the illusion.

‘Damn it, why am I thinking about that person?’ Gern slapped his own head. He felt as though his brain was completely ruined. This situation had to be stopped; he couldn’t let it happen again.

Gern quickly gathered his thoughts, suppressing the burgeoning feelings in his heart, and headed out of the dormitory with the demon beast materials.

****

The Academy’s commercial street was as bustling as ever, filled with students coming and going, and even a few teachers. Adjacent to the commercial street was a market stretching for several miles, the largest marketplace within the Academy. Many students who hunted demon beasts or found treasures outside that they couldn’t use themselves would sell them here. To facilitate students in selling their resources, the Academy had even established a Patrol Division specifically for this area. The Patrol Division was responsible for all security work within the Academy, maintaining law and order. They also held the authority to arrest individuals; they could apprehend anyone causing trouble and then transfer the offenders to the Student Affairs Department for judgment. Therefore, there was no need to worry about incidents of murder or robbery occurring here; if such a thing did happen, the Patrol Division would certainly ‘teach them how to behave’.

Gern circled the market a few times. All the good spots were already taken, leaving only the more secluded stalls. There weren’t many rules for setting up a stall here; it was simply a matter of who arrived earlier. Those who came early could choose any spot they liked, but those who arrived late might not even find a remote corner. Gern’s luck wasn’t bad; after a few rounds, he stumbled upon a well-located stall that had just become vacant. Gern quickly claimed the small stall and took out the items from his storage pendant. Demon beast meat and bones were extremely valuable materials for alchemists. The items he possessed could easily fetch several dozen silver coins.

However, as he waited, Gern realized a problem. He was currently setting up a stall in Theoviga Academy, not in a market in some small town from his previous life. In those places, his materials would be considered precious by many, but within Theoviga Academy, they weren’t particularly rare. Just now, several senior students had glanced at his stall but shown no desire to purchase anything. This greatly troubled Gern. Could it be that his materials truly wouldn’t sell in the Academy?

Just as Gern was lost in disheartened thought, a voice suddenly chimed in from beside him.

‘Sir, I’ll take all of these things.’

Hearing the voice, Gern’s head shot up in surprise, eager to see which ‘big spender’ (not) had taken an interest in his materials. But as he looked up, he saw a face that was both familiar and strange.

‘Student, it’s you, what a coincidence.’

The girl’s grayish-white hair was tied back behind her head, with a few strands falling gracefully over her pale, smooth forehead. Her delicate, pallid face was devoid of expression, making her seem almost emotionless.

As these distinct features appeared, Gern immediately recalled the events he had experienced that very morning. Logically, shouldn’t she have been apprehended by Snow? What was going on? Could it be that even Snow’s power couldn’t control her?

‘Hiss~ Uh, I have something else to do, I’ll be going now.’ Gern immediately wanted to slip away, but the girl was no easy opponent. With a flash, she blocked Gern’s path.

…

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