Chapter 44: predictable

Vell’s gaze followed the woman as she went back to her seat, and he could not help but smile.

’So predictable.’

He took a sip from his cup. Now that his body was full, all the information he had gathered so far began to settle down nicely.

’I was right about her. She is indeed dangerous, in more ways than one. I will need to come up with a plan for us to escape once we complete this mission, which means I should get as strong as I can in the dungeon.’

“What do you think about her?”

He turned to Yenna, his words barely a whisper. She looked at him and then at the woman. It took her a few seconds to come up with an answer, which was simply a shake of her head. She did not trust the woman.

“Her instincts are not bad. She also needs to level up as well. I am sure it hurts her a lot to always be on the sidelines. I am going to change that.”

His gaze lingered on her for a while, and their eyes met for a few seconds before Yenna looked away, blushing.

“Has he always been that handsome?”

She peeked at him and quickly turned away when he met her gaze. It was always amusing to him how she acted, and even he could not help but smile.

“Alright.”

The woman’s voice cut through their little moment.

“I can tell you are hurt, so I will give you a few days to recover. We can continue with the dungeon plan then.”

She snapped her fingers, and many monsters, similar to the one he fought, walked in. All of them carried a different type of weapon.

“Jia!”

A female one was called in front, and she knelt on one knee and bowed.

“Yes, my queen.”

Her voice was as gentle as the queen’s.

“They are in your care while they recover. Whatever he asks for, you must fulfill. Do you understand what I mean?”

She hesitated for a bit.

“Yes, my queen, I will carry out your orders.”

She got up and walked over to Vell, bowing but showing hostility. Though, he did not care. He just smiled at her as she stood beside him, not paying him any attention.

“So, give me two days. That is enough for me to get into shape. In that time, I would love a room where me and my comrades can sleep, without being disturbed.”

His voice was casual, and it shocked all those present, as this was seen as disrespectful.

The girl assigned to him grabbed him by the head.

{Insolent human, you have no manners!}

She tried to smash him into the table, but he did not budge. A dark aura enveloped his body as his head sharply turned to the girl.

“Fuck off!”

His words were heavy, and she could not help but fall to her knees.

The others wanted to jump in and help, but their instincts told them that one wrong move and they would die. Yenna got a good look. It was the same feeling she got back then, which made her instinctively jump back.

“Vell?”

She called out, but her words were unheard.

He stood up and grabbed the girl by the throat, lifting her up with a vicious grin on his face, enjoying the pain she was going through. Then the room suddenly went cold, with Jia smiling, staring at him in defiance.

“That is enough. You are hurting my child.”

Her tone was different, cold, and it carried power as Vell turned his head to look at her. They had a stare-down for a few moments before he let her go, his attention now directed at the queen.

“Who are you? Where is the boy?”

Vell simply smirked, and the aura vanished into thin air. His body crumbled to the ground. Everyone began murmuring among themselves, wondering what had just happened. He slowly got up, feeling foggy.

“What the hell? How did I get down here?”

Before he could fully get up, Jia pinned him down, rage in her eyes.

“Filthy human, do you think you can do what you want without any consequences?”

Jia’s voice dripped with venom, and her grip tightened around his throat.

“Jia, stand down,” the queen’s voice commanded, ice-cold and absolute.

Jia froze, her body trembling with restrained fury. She released him reluctantly, stepping back but keeping her sharp eyes fixed on him. Vell coughed slightly as he sat up and rubbed his neck, while his eyes glanced at Jia with bad intentions behind them.

“Well, that was dramatic,” he said, and his voice was hoarse but still laced with sarcasm. “I did not expect hospitality to come with a side of strangulation.”

The murmuring in the room grew louder until the queen raised her hand, silencing everyone. She rose from her seat, and her presence dominated the room.

“Enough,” she said, and her tone brooked no argument. “What happened just now was a reminder of why I chose you. You possess a strength, one that even my children fear. But it seems that strength is not yours, which might cause a scene like before.”

’Before? Ah, back when I was fighting that one. Yeah, I remember blacking out just like now. Just what is happening?’

His eyes finally noticed the strange circles on his hand. He wanted to think about them more, but right now, he had to resolve this situation.

“I am sorry. That will not happen again. I promise you that in two days, I will either have control of this power or I will have found a way to suppress it for good.”

His eyes were confident, and his smile just added to that. The queen could not help but accept.

“But my queen-”

“Silence. I gave you your orders. I did not ask for your opinion.”

Jia looked down in defeat before turning her anger toward Vell, grinding her teeth in frustration.

’Why are you looking at me like I yelled at you? Sheesh.’

The queen observed the tension between them but chose not to intervene further. She exhaled softly and turned to the rest of the room.

“You are all to support this human. He is our only hope. I trust you will not disappoint me.”

Her voice carried finality.

With a wave of her hand, the room began to shift. Her children bowed deeply and exited through the massive doors. The queen herself paused briefly, her gaze lingering on Vell, as if she were calculating his every move. Then, without another word, she left, the roots closing the doors behind her, sealing the room in an almost eerie silence.

Now, only Vell, Yenna, and Jia remained.

[System evolution 70%]

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