Chapter 273

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Chapter 273: Chasing Illusions of a Wanderer

Europa, an allied country, the prestigious Tulip Academy.

Today is the official start of the friendly matches, with a total of ten games. The first three games are warm-up matches for friendly exchanges, while the remaining seven are the actual friendly matches. All matches will take place during the daytime, with three in the morning and seven in the afternoon.

Playing matches at night would cause some students’ performance to decline, as the Scarlet Curse in December has a negative impact on certain races. Even indoors, the concentration of the Scarlet Curse in Europa is higher than in Yingzhou.

The enthusiasm for the friendly matches is already quite high. It can be said that the school celebration has been going on until now, adding fuel to the fire.

Due to the high quality of the friendly matches this time, the Blue Iris University has given a lot of face. They not only sent their top players but also added the phrase "tell me how to lose."

Alright then, friendship can go to hell.

The atmosphere of the friendly matches has basically disappeared, replaced by a strong smell of gunpowder, as it promises to be very exciting.

Not only were the students from two top schools competing, but there were also exchange students involved, and the majority of the participants were women.

Everyone enjoys watching women fight, especially if they are attractive.

This situation even attracted attention in society. Although it may not have been as popular nationwide as the collegiate league, it was certainly highly anticipated within the Swordflower Alliance. Many students began gathering information at this time, as the strength demonstrated would serve as an important reference for the Liliana Cup in the Swordflower Alliance collegiate league.

The Liliana Cup, of course, refers to a woman named Liliana, using a famous person’s name as a prefix is a common practice.

Inside the dueling training room at this time, the girls were doing simple warm-up exercises.

The afternoon competition was about to begin, and they were warming up, doing some simple training to limber up their bodies.

It took thirty minutes for their bodies to warm up, which was normal.

Michelle was simply doing some simple exercises, while Alena and Judy were practicing with swords. Sparks flew as they clashed with their training swords, it didn’t look like a warm-up exercise at all.

The village girl realized once again the difference in their skills. These two were not ordinary noble ladies; they were born to inherit their families and had received elite training. They were experts in various sword styles, even surpassing the level of expert swordsmanship for ordinary people.

Looking around the spacious training venue, there were also backup students warming up. Their movements were sharp and created powerful gusts of wind. There were only a few pure mages; most of them had their own unique system of combat techniques.

Michelle lowered her head and continued to stretch her legs. She felt like a Husky mixed in with a pack of wolves, only able to do some basic exercises and yoga poses.

After a while, Judy heard the sound of hammering stop and she looked up. "Finally finished?"

"It was just a warm-up, no winners or losers," Alena said, emitting a faint cold breeze. "I feel like I haven’t been active lately, my body is a bit stiff. I’ve been studying new enchantment techniques."

"So you don’t like exercising either?"

"Exercise is enjoyable, but training is tough," Judy replied. She opened an energy drink and took a sip. It was difficult to swallow in small doses, as the taste was famously terrible. However, the unpleasant taste helped with regulating the frequency of breaks during training, so that too much energy wouldn’t be consumed at once and the body could digest it properly.

"I see, but it seemed like you both were having fun hammering."

"Gaining strength little by little is naturally enjoyable," Judy said. "Do you also want to learn swordsmanship? I can teach you some basics."

"I don’t need you here," said Alena.

"I was just asking casually, no harm intended," Michelle interrupted awkwardly. If she were to seriously start intensifying her training, her body would quickly become muscular all over, with terrifying eight-pack abs, just like a Dragonborn’s body. Dragonborns’ bodies are like that – they don’t deteriorate if they don’t exercise, instead their growth potential is very high. Many Dragonborns continue to grow even after death, because deep down, they have the potential to transform into giant dragons.

Four hundred years ago, there was a renowned founding hero and general under Liliana’s command. He was known as the Dual-Wield Greatsword Saint, the Mad Dragon. He had mastered the secret of dragon transformation. After his death, his body gradually expanded into a fifty-meter-long dragon within seven days, making it impossible to give him a proper burial. The descendants then decided to donate his body to the Alliance Museum, where it is still preserved as a specimen.

Michelle asked again, "Don’t you like swordsmanship, Alena?"

"No, I really like it," said Alena, shaking her head. She gently touched the training sword in her hand. "Practicing swordplay brings me a sense of calmness. The sword is also the foundation of our alliance, a necessary path to strengthen ourselves. But I won’t chase after more things with the sword. A beautiful life still requires other things to sustain it. Relying solely on the sword won’t do, as it can hurt others."

"For example?" Judy asked.

"A perfect encounter or love," Alena fantasized.

"Pfft…" Judy burst out laughing. She took out a handkerchief and wiped her palm, amused. "What a naive thought, like that of a noble young lady. Love? I suggest you go look for it in a graveyard. Maybe you’ll find a bone or two of love there."

Alena narrowed her eyes, setting the sword aside. She crossed her arms and said, "So you’re busy belittling me now? As the young lady of the Selvicer family, let me remind you, I’m simply longing for love to come, but are you already chasing after it?"

Judy was startled and looked into Alena’s eyes, which glowed with the colors of the sunset. "What did you say?"

"Selvicer, I don’t know if you’re aware of it, but your mental state has improved a lot compared to before. You now have a sense of being alive and a goal to chase after," Alena explained, gazing at the sword in Judy’s hand. "Who was it that gave you the courage to undergo this transformation? Well, we don’t have to dwell on that. But seeing you so blissfully immersed in freedom makes me feel a bit uneasy."

Judy raised an eyebrow. "Capesh, did you not get enough of a fight just now? Is that why you’re so eager to provoke me?"

"No, I’m just curious. I know about your family situation, including the root of your twisted personality. I wanted to explore a bit. You have escaped from Selvicer and should be enjoying the freedom to breathe. But you can’t avoid feeling lost, yet you haven’t. Instead, you continue to move forward step by step, as if you have found a direction. Who could have kindly pointed you in the right way?"

Alena looked accurately and analyzed well, saying, "What are you chasing after? A bright future or some unseen illusion?"

Judy suddenly laughed, saying, "You’re even younger than me, acting so self-righteous. Do you really think you’re the Blood Noble with her sharp gaze?"

"How do you know?" Alena asked in surprise.

Judy burst into laughter, feeling amused.

"This comment came from my aunt," Alena imitated Sasha’s tone and said, "Juna Selvicer’s approach is like that of an animal trainer, but she overlooks the liberation of her own will. However, even if the shackles are removed, it doesn’t necessarily mean she will become the master of her own fate. Perhaps she may also be limited by boundless freedom. This child has a clear direction now and will undoubtedly have a bright future. However, her direction is like chasing a mirage, like a cat chasing a laser pointer."

Judy remained silent this time, the Blood Noble’s evaluation hit the nail on the head.

She was supposed to be a lost and pitiable creature, meant to die in that abyss, but someone pushed her and planted a seed in her heart.

Perhaps the education she has received for a long time has destined her to be someone who can only unleash her potential and find a direction to move forward under the burden of expectations.

But unlike in the past, heavy expectations are a burden, and what she needs is just a little expectation and a few gentle words of praise and approval.

With this as her nourishment, she could continuously generate energy and climb higher.

Chasing illusions, huh?

That’s right, absolutely right… That person is indeed an invisible and intangible illusion, as if they don’t exist, while I am a wandering person who left home.

I don’t know if it’s because of a dream, but I keep chasing, wanting to touch.

One day, I hope to be able to touch, even if it’s a devil, it would still be alive and warm, right?

Judy’s lips slowly smile, this sentence gave her a clearer understanding.

Chasing illusions, both illusion and reality.

She lifts her gaze, her mood reaching unprecedented heights.

"I’m done warming up."

Next, all that’s needed is a great victory.

At this moment, members of the student council enter the training room and remind them, "The vanguard battle is about to start, please start preparing."

Battle gear, battle attire, all needs to be prepared in advance. For women, beauty is also a weapon.

Michelle waited for her turn, which was in the sixth round. She wasn’t in a rush and said, "I’ll help too."

Since Mr. Devil wasn’t around, she felt a bit empty, like a missing piece of a puzzle. She wanted to do something to distract herself from her anxiety.

Judy couldn’t help but laugh softly when she saw Michelle’s enthusiastic gesture. "You’re so clean and nice, it’s delightful."

Michelle, confused, asked, "What do you mean?"

Alena, another woman, said, "Don’t pay attention to her. People start overthinking as they get older."

Michelle sighed and asked, "Is it true that your bloodline doesn’t like to take baths?"

Alena wondered where she had heard that and replied, "Where did you hear that from?"

"Vampires are afraid of water," Michelle explained. "So, do people from your bloodline also dislike taking baths?"

"Do you know how much water is in blood?" Alena(complains) said, "Afraid of water? Then you’ll die of thirst! " She worries, tapping Michelle’s(head): "When you get on the podium, don’t do anything stupid. The whole competition will be recorded, even broadcasted on TV. If you embarrass yourself, your mom will see the embarrassing footage of her daughter."

Michelle clenches her fist: "I’ll be careful… Can I just start fighting without saying anything?"

Alena thinks for a moment and adds: "Remember to fight to the death. The Holy Domain has lifted its ban on deadly fights, so if you kill them, it counts as a success."