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nAnsel tenderly stroked Seraphina’s head, whispering softly, “It has been a long time, Seraphina.” His voice and image were so clear and distinct in Seraphina’s eyes, no longer the vague illusion from her dreams, nor the void phantom she saw in her daze after her gradual breakdown in recent days. Before Seraphina, there was the real Ansel of Hydral, tangible and within her reach.

nThe dagger fell to the ground, and the trembling girl could no longer suppress her emotions, throwing herself into his arms and bursting into tears. All the loneliness, fear, despair, and…misunderstandings, self-denial, all vented out at this moment. She desperately wanted to stop crying, to not appear so weak and disheveled, but her tears and sobs were unstoppable. “Ansel… Ansel…” Having lost everything, even her self, the wolf clung tightly to Ansel, clinging to the only thing she truly had left. “You saved me again… once again…” The girl murmured in shame and humility, her delicate body still trembling uncontrollably.

n“It wasn’t me who saved you, Seraphina, it was you who saved yourself.” Ansel cradled Seraphina’s cheeks, speaking softly, “The mark on you only works when you refuse to give up on life. Only when you don’t want to fade away, will I come to your side.” He lowered his head, gently touching Seraphina’s forehead: “Only when you don’t give up on yourself, will I not give up on you.” “But…” Seraphina’s tear-filled eyes were both comforted and somewhat lost.

nDon’t give up… on myself.

nBut I clearly already —

nThe 𝘮ost uptodat novels are pubished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

n“Alright, from now on, it’s a private conversation between the two of us.” Ansel temporarily let go of Seraphina, but still held one of her hands, turning his head to look at the boundless night.

n“So, unrelated people, please leave.” “Wendigo, the leader of the Dark Tide forces of the New World.” Ansel’s voice was very calm, but this calmness carried a terrifying pressure… that only the strong could perceive. It was an absolute oppression that could not be reduced even if he split himself into nine parts, originating from the sixth stage of the Abyss, the Endpoint, the apocalyptic creature Hydral!

n“One of the eleven commanders of the fifth stage from the New World, an absolute supporter of the Destruction faction, a top illusion master.” He couldn’t help but laugh, seemingly because the reality was too absurd, “Such a figure, just to force Seraphina to commit suicide, is willing to do hard labor in this village for such a long time, should I admire your determination, or should I sigh at your indifference?”

n“…Hydral.” Wendigo’s deep voice came from all directions. “What? Just calling me, still unwilling to show up?” Ansel raised an eyebrow slightly.

n“Only a fool would make a meaningless gamble at this moment.” Wendigo’s presence seemed to have melted into the night, but his voice was everywhere. “No one knows what you can do, and to what extent… just like I thought the domain I set up had isolated everything, but you were still able to come to Marlowe’s side.”

n“Because people learn from their lessons.” Ansel said this seemingly meaningless sentence, “When the injury you receive is deep enough, either stay away from the things that can hurt you, or try your best… to prevent yourself from getting hurt in advance, right?” Wendigo was silent for a moment, then nodded in understanding, “I see… if that’s the case, it’s normal for you to put a lot of effort into ‘protection’.”

n“What do you want to say to me?” Ansel said leisurely, while not forgetting to gently stroke Seraphina, “If you want to leave, I can’t stop you.” Wendigo was silent again, as if he was seriously considering something. “…No, I don’t think it’s time yet. If there’s something to say, it’s probably just one thing.” “Hydral, we are not your enemies, I believe you are very clear, you, your clan’s enemy, there is only one.” “Not the emperor, not the empire, not me, but the madness that erodes you, the abyss that devours you.” Then, no more sound came.

nUnder the deep night sky, the moonlight seemed to become clearer, the domain that enveloped the surroundings dissipated, announcing Wendigo’s complete withdrawal. And… the two incredibly realistic corpses on the ground also disappeared.

n“Ri – Rhiannon? Kavan?!” Seraphina’s pupils contracted sharply, she instinctively wanted to crawl over with her hands and feet, but was held back by Ansel. “Don’t worry, that’s not real, your friends are still looking for you everywhere.” The young Hydral reassured with a smile, “I told you, Wendigo is the empire’s top illusion master. If I didn’t put in some effort, even I might be deceived, let alone you.”

n“So… so!” Seraphina clutched Ansel’s clothes tightly, her eyes full of hope and longing were so vivid, “They’re okay? They’re okay, right?”

nAnsel sighed, “It seems a bit too much… but it’s okay.” Although he said this, he still patiently repeated, “Your friends, your family, are not hurt. Although the Destruction faction is a dangerous radical group, they have not yet become so radical, he is just forcing you to submit, to make you commit suicide.”

nAt this point, Ansel couldn’t help but chuckle, “He could have directly applied the spell to your soul, but chose to create a physical illusion, he is cautious enough.”

nAnd Seraphina, knowing that her family, friends, would not be hurt anymore, had completely lost her strength. If it weren’t for Ansel holding her, she would have collapsed on the ground. It’s great… it’s all over. No one was hurt, no one died, everything ended in the best way.

nAh, no, there’s me. Should I express something to Ansel at this time? Seraphina looked at the face she hated, loved, and could never lose again in her life, and opened her mouth.

nTo show my loyalty to Ansel… a loyalty that even if I erase myself, I am willing to be controlled by Ansel… It doesn’t matter if I am a puppet. Seraphina’s hand clutching Ansel’s clothes tightened, she knelt on the ground, her head lowered, her body trembling. Should I bow down, kiss Ansel’s toes, and tell him that I am nothing from now on, just his thing? The girl tried hard to bend her waist, but no matter how hard she tried, her body just trembled slightly.

nNo matter how much she surrendered to Ansel in her heart, how much she flattered Ansel, her body, her self, her self-esteem recognized by Ansel… all fiercely resisted this. I should do this, but I…I… I don’t want to.

n“Ansel…” The poor wolf, who had lost everything, looked up, her pleading eyes staring at her devil, “Do I must, do I must do this, to be able to accompany —”

n“Can you stand up, Seraphina?” A gentle voice sounded in her ear.

n“…Eh? Ah? I… um, I can.” Seraphina awkwardly wiped away the tears that had accumulated in her eyes again, and with some difficulty, she stood up with Ansel’s help.

n“Let’s take a stroll around your village.” Ansel suggested, his words devoid of any mention of “loyalty,” “self,” or “taming.” Instead, he simply said this, smiling as he took Seraphina’s hand. “Even though it’s night, it’s still quite intriguing, isn’t it?”

n“…Ah.”

nSeraphina responded softly, her expression bewildered, unsure of how to respond.

nAnd so, Ansel began to lead her around the village. “Although those sycophants have changed it, I remember most places clearly. You do too, don’t you, Seraphina?”

nAnsel mused, pointing at a large, withered tree. “You climbed this tree when you were five and accidentally fell. You were unharmed, but you scared Marlina into tears.”

nSeraphina paused, the memory quickly surfacing in her mind. Marlina’s crying and her own frantic attempts to comfort her were all vivid. But… but how did Ansel know about this?

n–>

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