novelzi Chapter 55
Chapter 55
For a fleeting moment, Adele felt a jolt of fear, an inexplicable sense of dread that sent shivers down her spine. Her body stiffened, as if paralyzed by some unseen force, and her instincts screamed at her to run, to get as far away from Tang Linlang as possible.
And then, just as suddenly, the feeling vanished.
Linlang was back to normal, her expression innocent, her demeanor sweet and unassuming.
*...Was it just my imagination?*
If there was one difference, one thing that stood out, it was that Linlang seemed to have lost a lot of weight overnight. Her face was pale, as if she had been ill.
But despite her frail appearance, her eyes shone with a newfound determination, a resilience that reminded Adele of a bamboo stalk, bending but never breaking. Her spirit, it seemed, was stronger than ever.
The teacher glanced at Linlang, nodded curtly, and gestured for her to take her seat.
“Thank you, teacher,” Linlang murmured, her voice soft but steady.
She placed her bag in her desk, retrieved her textbook, and opened it to the correct page. Her movements were fluid, practiced, her demeanor calm and collected. The other vampires in the class ignored her, as they always did.
As a human surrounded by vampires, being isolated was actually the safest option. She didn’t try to force her way into their circles, and they, in turn, pretended she didn’t exist. It was a fragile truce, but it kept her safe.
Class had started, so Adele couldn’t stare at Linlang, no matter how curious she was. She forced herself to focus on her textbook, trying to keep up with the lesson.
Time seemed to fly by, and before she knew it, the bell was ringing, signaling the end of class. The teacher, without a word, gathered his belongings and left the room.
The classroom erupted in a cacophony of chatter and laughter.
Adele stretched, her neck aching from hours of sitting hunched over her desk. She couldn’t wait for the first-year practical classes to start. Those classes involved leaving the school, traveling to other cities, even other countries, to complete missions. They were mandatory, and they could last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, or even months.
It was basically like an internship, except it happened every year, for every grade level. Adele would have to complete four of these practical assignments before she could graduate and be assigned a permanent position within the vampire hierarchy.
It seemed that no matter what world you lived in, getting a decent job was always a struggle.
These practical assignments were also a chance for the elite vampire students to prove their worth. The human government had established these academies for a reason: to train vampires to be their weapons, their tools of war against the other supernatural races.
Don’t think for a second that humans were being altruistic. They weren’t training their former enemies out of the goodness of their hearts. They were doing it to control them, to ensure their loyalty.
Vampires who couldn’t prove their worth were denied any semblance of power or freedom. Their vampire status became a burden, a curse that trapped them in a life of servitude.
And those who dared to rebel against this system, this alliance between the human government and the Vampire True Ancestor... well, they were dealt with swiftly and ruthlessly.
When it came to playing the long game, humans were masters of manipulation. After all, they hadn’t conquered this planet by being nice.
Besides the practical classes, Cromwell Academy was also renowned for its “Magic Training” course. Actual mages served as instructors, teaching students how to refine their magical abilities, to increase their power and control.
This was where the true journey into the world of magic began.
According to the schedule, Adele’s first Magic Training class was today. She was determined to increase her pathetic 0.5 magic refinement level to... well, 1.
That’s right. Adele was going to be a 1! A big, strong 1!
But then, reality set in. Even if she managed to reach level 1, she would still be leagues behind Celeste, let alone Hermione and those other monsters.
Celeste, for some inexplicable reason, had managed to increase her elemental refinement level overnight, jumping from level 6 to level 7. She was sure to impress everyone in class today.
As for Hermione... well, she was stuck at level 8, a testament to her exceptional talent.
It was worth noting that elemental magic was essentially just magic with a specific elemental affinity. Celeste’s magic, for example, had an affinity for fire, while Hermione’s magic resonated with ice. Of course, there was also regular, non-elemental magic, the kind that Adele possessed.
Besides the magic refinement level, there was also the matter of magic quality. And Adele’s magic quality... well, it was Sequence Five, the lowest of the low.
The original Adele had always felt inferior during Magic Training classes, acutely aware of her own weakness, the vast gulf that separated her from the other vampires. And as a half-blood, she couldn’t even find solace in the company of her fellow humans. Her identity was fractured, her sense of belonging shattered.
But the current Adele was different. She viewed Magic Training as an extended gym class, a chance to stretch her metaphorical muscles, to explore the limits of her abilities.
She was actually looking forward to it.
And she hadn’t forgotten about Tang Linlang.
Gathering her belongings, Adele quietly made her way over to Linlang’s desk.
“Boo~” she whispered, her breath tickling Linlang’s ear, sending a shiver down her spine.
Linlang’s earlobe turned pink, and her eyes widened in surprise.
Linlang glanced at Adele, her heart clenching. She was so pure, so kind... To think that someone like her, someone who resorted to such underhanded tactics, could stand by Adele’s side... It felt like a sacrilege.
But then again, the most beautiful, delicate flowers were always surrounded by thorns, protected by creatures that would gladly poison anyone who dared to touch them.
For Adele, Linlang was willing to be those thorns, those venomous creatures.
..................
“Linlang?”
“Ah... Yes?”
“What’s wrong? You’ve been so quiet.” Adele smiled, her concern evident in her voice. But then, her smile faded as she noticed the beads of sweat forming on Linlang’s forehead, the faint tremor in her hands.
“Linlang... Are you feeling alright?”
“Do you need to go to the infirmary? The school nurse is really nice, even if she’s not... very experienced.”
Linlang’s gaze met Adele’s, her heart melting at the genuine concern she saw in her friend’s eyes. It was a concern that was reserved only for her, a warmth that she had never experienced before.
*...It’s just for me...*
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Really, I’m fine.”
She repeated herself, a sure sign of her nervousness.
Of course, she wasn’t fine.
Ever since last night, ever since she had received her family’s forbidden inheritance, she had been in constant agony. Her body was no longer her own.
Thousands upon thousands of gu worms, each with its own unique abilities, now resided within her magic circuits, hidden from ordinary sight. They existed in a separate dimension, a pocket reality woven into her very being.
That was how she had been able to summon that magic-devouring worm earlier. It was similar to the way Familiar vampires, like Dorothy, formed pacts with powerful otherworldly entities, drawing on their strength, even summoning them into this world.
Linlang wasn’t that powerful yet. She was still too weak to control the “Gu Realm,” the dimension where the gu worms resided. In fact, she had become a vessel for them, a host, a... gu worm herself.
Her spirit was constantly battling for survival within the Gu Realm, fighting to maintain her sanity, her identity. Only by becoming the sole ruler of that realm, the Gu Queen, could she achieve true power and peace.
That was why she was in constant pain, her body and mind stretched to their limits.
This was the secret the Tang family had guarded for centuries, their last resort, their ultimate weapon: the Gu Realm.
Linlang had wanted to gain power quickly, but learning her family’s secret assassination techniques would take too long. This... this was her only option.
Her father hadn’t believed she could handle it, but after a night of intense communion with the Gu Realm, she had succeeded. The Gu Realm had accepted her as its host, its vessel.
Now, it was a race against time. Would the Gu Realm consume her, draining her body and soul until nothing remained? Or would she conquer it, becoming its queen?
..................
“You don’t look fine, Linlang.”
Adele stopped walking, forcing Linlang to stop as well.
Linlang’s heart ached as she met Adele’s concerned gaze. She hated lying to her, hated keeping secrets, but she knew that Adele wouldn’t approve of what she had done. Adele wanted her to live a normal life, a safe life.
But Linlang had chosen a different path, a path that might very well lead to her destruction.
Adele frowned, her brow furrowing in confusion. What had happened to Linlang overnight? Her eyes held a depth, a maturity that hadn’t been there before.
*Was it because of me?*
Despite her physical exhaustion, Linlang’s spirit seemed to burn brighter than ever.
Suddenly, Adele’s mind flashed forward, to a scene from Linlang’s future, a future where she had transformed into a strong, capable woman, her long, black hair flowing behind her as she rode a powerful motorcycle through a storm, its headlights cutting through the rain like swords, her path illuminated by the blood of her enemies.
She had come to save Adele, her loyalty unwavering, her resolve unshakeable.
She didn’t care if the world turned against her, if she had to face insurmountable odds. Her back was always covered, because Adele was there, her unwavering support, her anchor in the storm.
—“I promised I’d be by your side, Adele.”
—“And I always keep my promises.”