Chapter 182: Chapter 182 : A fortune or Misfortune (1)

———-

There was only one reader who guessed correctly who the lady was Or how is she related to any character —his username is :

Stefans1977.

———-

The screams echoed for what felt like forever, dragging on until even the walls seemed ready to crack. Then, at last, the shadows around Alex dispersed, the tendrils retreating into his body like serpents slithering back into their den.

His knees buckled, and he crashed to the ground, palms slapping against the cold floor. His chest heaved violently as he spat out a single word.

“Fuck…”

He tilted his head back, silver hair sticking to his sweat-drenched face .

“Fuck—I thought I was gonna lose my mind treating her. The hell kind of Grandmaster can’t even endure that much pain?!”

The system’s voice echoed in his skull, calm but carrying a trace of smug amusement.

[Don’t worry, Host. I have a feeling she’ll be very useful to us.]

Alex let out a dry laugh, his tone sharp and edged.

“Let’s hope you’re right.”

Dragging himself upright, he turned his gaze toward the bed. The woman lay still, chest rising and falling weakly.

Her skin, once marred by black veins, was now fair and unblemished. The black patches of flesh were gone, replaced with fresh pale skin that shimmered faintly with the afterglow of restored vitality.

’She’s whole again. At least on the surface.’ Alex thought, his silver eyes narrowing. ’The rest can heal on its own… she’s a Grandmaster, after all.’

On the bed, the woman’s eyes fluttered open, wet with tears. Her voice was ragged, almost hoarse.

“You… bastard brat! You should’ve at least warned me before you did that! I—I could have prepared myself!”

She looked like someone who had died four times and clawed her way back five.

Alex smirked, his lips curling into a mischievous grin.

“Where’s the fun in that? I suffered too, you know. I figured it was only fair someone else suffered with me. See? Now we’re companions.”

Her mouth twitched, torn between strangling him and collapsing back into unconsciousness. She exhaled sharply, forcing herself to calm down.

After a long silence, her voice softened, hesitant.

“How… how did you do it? No one in the history of Etheron has ever found a cure for the corruption. Not until now. So… how?”

Alex leaned against the wall, folding his arms, smirk deepening.

“Now, now. Don’t forget the mana contract. You can’t force me to tell you anything about myself.”

The woman clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Tch. Alright, alright… Mr. Mysterious.”

Alex’s eyes swept over her again, scrutinizing every detail. Her breathing was steady, her mana core pulsing faintly like a fragile ember reignited. She was alive—truly alive.

But what caught him off guard was something else. For a woman in her mid to late forties, her figure was remarkable. Her black hair flowed over her shoulders like midnight silk, her features sharp yet elegant. Even now, fresh from torment, she carried herself with a dignity that was… unsettling.

’Strange… she resembles someone…’ A name flickered through his mind, and he frowned. ’No way. It can’t be her…’

Breaking the silence, Alex tilted his head, flashing a teasing grin.

“Damn. If only you were fifteen years younger, I might’ve proposed to you right here and now.”

With someone like Alicia, those words would’ve set her face ablaze. But the woman before him was different—mature, experienced, and utterly unshaken.

Her lips curved into a flirtatious smirk.

“Oh, younglings. Always ruled by their hormones.”

Her hand lifted with slow, deliberate grace, tugging at her robe and exposing just enough of her chest to draw attention. Her voice dropped, honeyed and dangerous.

“So… what do you say? Want to have some fun?”

Alex’s face instantly turned crimson. His throat bobbed as he gulped, his thoughts spiraling into panic.

’What the hell are you thinking, Alex?! She’ll be a grandma in the next ten years!’

He slapped both cheeks hard with his palms, trying to knock sense into himself. Then, with exaggerated seriousness, he bent forward in a bow.

“I’m sorry for teasing you, Miss. Please, stop this before I do something I’ll regret when I’m sixty!”

The woman burst into uncontrollable laughter, clutching her stomach.

“Hahaha! You’re really an amusing kid, you know that?”

Alex scratched the back of his head, grinning faintly. He watched her body even as she laughed, shocked to see the speed at which her body was recovering even though she had just been cured.

Her skin glowed faintly, her aura stabilizing at a rate that exceeded his expectations.

’Well, she is a Grandmaster… I guess this much is natural. Or is it?’

His blue eyes softened with curiosity.

“You never told me your name, Miss. What is it?”

The woman straightened, her laughter fading into a broad smile.

“Oh, forgive me. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Alyssa… Alyssa Vega.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the surname.

Before he could respond, the chamber door burst open with a loud crash.

A figure rushed inside, her face pale with worry.

“Alex! Are you okay?!” Selena Vega’s voice rang sharp as she stormed toward him. “It’s been hours—everyone’s worried about you.”

Her gaze softened as she drew closer, taking in his ragged appearance, the exhaustion etched across his face.

“I know it’s been hard… since she’s your only family. But you have to be understanding, okay? Not everything in life goes the way we want it.”

Alex barely had time to react before Selena pulled him into a hug.

Her perfume wrapped around him like a warm blanket, and despite himself, Alex relaxed, his arms slowly returning the embrace.

“I know how you feel,” Selena murmured against his shoulder. “Because I… I have someone too. She’s not the best mother, but I care about her. I can’t bear the thought of losing her.”

Alex smirked faintly, enjoying the comfort of her closeness.

“Of course you do.”

A sharp coughing sound broke the moment. Selena froze, then turned her head.

Her eyes widened.

“Mother… you’re awake again.”

Alyssa chuckled softly, her voice light.

“Were you… praying that I wouldn’t wake, dear?”

A vein popped on Selena’s forehead.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

But as her gaze swept over her mother’s body, her words caught in her throat.

Her breath hitched violently, and her eyes went wide with disbelief.

The corruption—the black filth that had eaten away at her mother’s flesh for years—was gone. Alyssa’s skin was smooth, flawless, glowing with health. Not a single scar remained.

Selena staggered back, her lips parting in shock.

“You… you…”

Tears welled in her eyes.

“How?! You were dying! Your body—your core—it was all collapsing! This—this is impossible!”

Alyssa only laughed, the sound warm and carefree.

“Oh, darling. How I longed to see that look on your face again. I thought… I would never see it again in this lifetime.”

Selena trembled, caught between relief and disbelief.

“You… how…”

Alyssa reached forward, her smile radiant.

“Looks like miracles do exist after all.” Her gaze flickered toward Alex, and her lips curled knowingly.

Alex smirked, raising a brow.

“Speaking of miracles… Miss Selena, I’ll explain everything. But first…”

He flicked his wrist, producing a parchment that shimmered with faint light. He handed it to her.

“Sign this.”

Selena blinked, scanning the page. Her brows furrowed as she realized only one term was written on it.

—

Confidentiality Clause

The Recipient hereby acknowledges and agrees that any and all information disclosed by Alex Dragonheart (“the Discloser”) shall be deemed Confidential Information. The Recipient shall not, whether directly or indirectly, disclose, communicate, or otherwise make available such Confidential Information to any third party, individual, or entity without the prior written consent of the Discloser. This obligation of confidentiality shall remain in full effect indefinitely, regardless of circumstance or termination of any agreements herein.

—

Her curiosity spiked like wildfire. Her heart hammered, and without hesitation, she snatched the quill and signed her name.

The parchment dissolved into glowing motes, sealing itself.

Her eyes snapped back to Alex, burning with anticipation.

“Now… tell me everything.”

Alex gestured to the chair near the bed.

“Sit.”

Selena, still looking rattled, nodded and sat down. Alex took a deep breath, steadying his voice, then began to explain.

“So what happened is… I was able to create something—a cure—that can counter the corruption. That’s what I used on her.”

Selena’s eyes widened, her entire body stiffening. Alex, noticing, quickly pressed on, mixing truth with carefully spun lies.

“But its ingredients are extremely rare. I was only able to craft two doses. One for Lily… and one I used on her.”

Selena listened intently, her eyes never leaving his face. She asked questions now and then, sharp and probing, but Alex always answered with a mix of vague truths and half-lies. Enough to satisfy her curiosity, not enough to expose the reality.

Alyssa knew Alex wasn’t telling the truth, but bound by the contract she couldn’t expose him either.

Finally, Selena rubbed her temples, overwhelmed.

’A kid creating a cure for abyssal corruption? If anyone else found out, there’d be wars over this. And over him.’

Her gaze fell on Alex’s smug, self-satisfied face. The urge to hit it came instantly.

So she did exactly that.

Paaah!

Her palm smacked against his cheek.

“Ow!” Alex winced, rubbing his face. “The hell was that for?!”

Selena glared at him.

“Why didn’t you tell me beforehand? You acted like you were going to die if something happened to Lily!”

Alex raised his hands defensively.

“Oh, sorry. Maybe I overreacted a little… and at that time, I didn’t know if the cure would work or not.”

Selena sighed, exhaustion clear in her tone.

“Fine. But you’re apologizing to Alicia and Reynard. Reynard’s not a bad guy, you know.”

Alex’s mouth twitched.

“I’ll apologize to Alicia—I know I did her wrong. But that old man? Forget it. He was way out of line too!”

Selena’s hand snapped out, pinching his ear viciously and stretching it.

“He’s your elder and someone who can help you a lot. You don’t have a choice in this. Do you understand or not?”

“Ow, ow, ow! Alright, alright! I get it! I’ll apologize to the old dude!” Alex cried.

Selena smiled sweetly, finally letting go.

“Good boy.”

From the bed, Alyssa watched the exchange with barely restrained amusement, her lips curling up.

Then Selena turned back to Alex, her eyes softening.

“Thank you, Alex. Thank you for saving my mother. She’s one of the few family members I have left aside from uncle Elric who helped me when I was struggling… my father’s already gone.”

Alex gave her a bright smile.

“It was my pleasure, Miss. After all, you saved my life too.”

Inwardly, he grinned.

’Bullseye. Repaid the favor and secured a powerful backer at the same time.’

Before Selena could respond, Alyssa’s sly voice cut in.

“Don’t thank this devilish brat, Selena. He made me sign a mana contract. Half of everything I own—including the guild—is now his.”

For a heartbeat, neither Selena nor Alex processed the words. Then realization hit.

Both shouted in unison.

“What?!”

Alex said, “What guild?!”

Alyssa smirked, her voice smooth and sharp.

“Yes. The contract stated that fifty percent of all properties I own—guild included—now belong to Alex Dragonheart.”

Selena’s jaw dropped, her words stumbling.

“You—you gave half of our properties away?! Including the guild?!”

Alyssa only shrugged, laughing.

“What did you expect? My life was on the line. I did what I had to.”

Selena slowly turned toward Alex, her gaze sharp enough to pierce steel. Every bit of respect she had for him a moment ago seemed to evaporate.

Alex panicked, throwing up his hands.

“Mis—Miss, I can explain! I didn’t know she was related to you! And she acted like some wandering beggar, so how was I supposed to—”

Alyssa roared, cutting him off.

“Watch your mouth, brat! From what angle does a beauty like me look like a beggar?!”

Alex shouted back instantly.

“Shut it, you old hag!”

Her eyes bulged.

“Old? Who the hell are you calling old?! I’ll murder you!”

“I’d like to see you try!”

Their voices clashed like thunder while Selena buried her face in her hands, her head throbbing.

’These two will drive me mad.’

Finally, Alyssa’s voice pierced the chaos.

“Selena, I have one more thing to say.”

Selena groaned.

“What now? Did you give the other half to the government so now we’ll be sleeping on the streets?”

Alyssa grinned, shaking her head.

“Nothing like that. It’s just… I’ve adopted Lily. From now on, she’ll stay with us.”

Another bomb dropped. Selena staggered, her face paling.

“What?! How could you do that without even telling me?!”

Alyssa chuckled.

“It was also on the contract, so I didn’t have the time to tell you. So talk to him.”

Selena’s gaze snapped back to Alex. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and Alex felt sweat bead down his forehead.

“Care to explain, Mr. Dragonheart?”

Inside, Alex screamed.

’Hey, you useless system! This was YOUR idea! Where the hell are you now?!’

The reply came smoothly, smug.

[How could you accuse me like that? Do you think I enjoy myself when you suffer?]

“Of course you do!” Alex barked in his mind.

[Of course I do. Now entertain me. Goodbye.]

The voice vanished, leaving only silence.

Alex twitched, cursing inwardly.

’That bastard…’

Realizing he had no choice, Alex decided to be sincere. He looked directly into Selena’s eyes, meeting her gaze.

“Miss, you do know I almost died during this whole kidnapping incident, right?”

Selena’s anger faltered, her eyes softening. She nodded slowly.

“You remember the scar-faced man who was about to split my head open with his axe? When you saved me?”

Selena nodded again, her face clouding at the memory.

“I always thought I’d be terrified when death came for me. But at that time, strangely, I wasn’t. Not one bit. The only thought that scared me… was Lily. She doesn’t have anyone else in this world. If I died, she’d be left alone.”

Alex’s gaze sharpened, locking onto Selena’s eyes.

“And the world is cruel. Too cruel for someone like her to survive by herself.

That woman—your mother—looked sincere to me when she said she wanted to adopt Lily.

And since my instincts are rarely wrong… that’s why I accepted her offer.

So even if something happens to me, Lily won’t be left to fend for herself.”

Selena stared at him for a long moment, silent. Then a gentle smile broke across her lips.

“I was never against adopting Lily. I just wanted to know why you’d entrust your only family to someone else.

And the reason you gave… is more than enough. Don’t worry, my mother and I will take care of her.”

Alyssa scoffed, but her tone softened faintly.

“Kid, you almost made me cry with those fake puppy-dog eyes. Thank the stars I’m not adopting you. Lily’s a thousand times better than a brat like you. But don’t worry—we’ll look after her.”

Alex smirked back.

“Thank you. I’ll forever be grateful to you both.”

But then Alyssa turned to Selena, her smirk widening.

“And giving him fifty percent wasn’t a bad idea at all. Now, Selena, all the debts you’ve been paying alone? He’s responsible for half of them too now.”

Selena’s eyes lit up, a thoughtful smile curling on her lips. She turned slowly toward Alex.

“Well, in that case, Mom, maybe you’re right. This doesn’t sound bad at all.”

Alex’s face froze. His expression shifted into horror as he muttered under his breath.

“Wait… debts? What debts?!”

———

A/N:

So how was the Chapter? Tell me in the comments!

Thanks for the golden tickets:

@Dawid_4859, @Bjarne_H,

@Treyton_Johnson, @Arist_Babi,

@capnmoonfire, @BlacKain, @Midfox_08,

@Fa342, @BluuuuTea, @EmVibes,

I really appreciate the support, guys thanks. 😊

—–

Discord link :-

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep