In another room, a beautiful mature woman with flowing white hair like snow and eyes blue like snowflakes, with thin beautiful lips and a ski-slope nose, was wearing a blue dress with a petticoat of a slightly darker blue shade, with a deep cleavage enhancing her beauty.
On the opposite side of her, a girl looking similar—just a little more immature—in a light blue dress was fidgeting with nervousness.
Sara Frostreign said with a warm smile,
"Selene, my lovely daughter, I'm really glad that you are alright. I was really worried when I heard that you somehow ended up in the Chaos Forest."
Selene replied nervously,
"Yes, Mama. I'm really alright. You shouldn't have come here."
Sara gestured with her hand in the air.
"Nonsense! I've come to see my lovely daughter, whom I was worried sick about."
Sara then looked into Selene's eyes fiercely and said,
"So, tell me, daughter—what did you do?"
Selene's nervousness increased, sweat dropped from her brow as she spoke with a pleading voice,
"Mama, I-I—"
Sara immediately stopped Selene with a hand gesture and said in a serious tone,
"Stop with those eyes, Selene. It doesn't work on me like it works on your father and you know that. Now tell me everything before my patience runs out."
Selene straightened herself and said with a serious face and guilt in her voice,
"Mama, I think I made a mistake. I not only didn't thank the person who saved my life—"
Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice trembled.
"I also stood by when he was being wronged."
Sara's eyes turned furious for a little while, then became neutral. She leaned back in her chair and said in a serious tone,
"Tell me everything. Don't leave out any details."
Selene told her mother everything about Alex—except for his power of dealing with poison. She only mentioned that he treated her using the wood element.
Sara's eyes turned cold like a god seeing mortals in anger. Coldness started spreading in the room. Selene began shivering. Then, Sara came back to her senses and controlled her power, but the coldness in her eyes never ceased. She spoke in a frosty, cold voice,
"So, you are telling me that because you were afraid of a bunch of trash, you forgot to properly thank the person who saved your life—not once but twice—by risking his own?"
A cold pause hung in the room.
Tears trickled down the soft, pale skin of Selene and dropped on the ground—frozen.
Clink—
Sara said in an emotionless, icy voice,
"Tell me, Selene, what is the Ice Phoenix's motto I told you in the past?"
Selene replied with a teary face and trembling voice,
"To those who kindle my flame, I remain icebound in loyalty. But betray me—and the frost becomes fire."
"Do you truly understand that?" Sara asked coldly and stood up.
Selene remained sitting, her head lowered, tears dropping.
"Yes, Mama."
Sara reached the door, turned her head, and said,
"You're going to be the next Patriarch of the Ice Phoenix Clan after me. You should learn to be more assertive. And I'll be waiting for your letter about rectifying your mistake."
Slam—
As the door closed, Selene stood up and whispered while wiping her tears with her hands,
"Yes, Mama, I'll fix my mistake."
In a dim, dark room, only moonlight was coming through the window. Two silhouettes were casting shadows in the shadows—one was kneeling on the ground like a slave, and the other was sitting on a chair like a king.
A cold and emotionless sound came,
"Why are you here, Father?"
The kneeling one replied with fear and a cracking voice,
"I came here to check if you need anything, Master."
Riven's violet eyes glowed, and his voice seethed in fury,
"You came here to confirm if I died or not?"
The kneeling man trembled and prostrated himself in front of Riven.
"GET OUT!" Riven shouted, standing up and pointing toward the door.
The man ran away like he was running from the devil and vanished out of the door.
Riven walked toward the window and looked at the moon with a deep frown on his face.
These worms... they think they are smarter than me—the Protagonist. Don't they know that destiny is the bitch the protagonist toys with, with his golden finger?
A malevolent smile appeared on his face. Moonlight fell on him, making him look like a Handsome Devil.
A blue cold screen shimmered in front of him.
[Task Alert]
Mission: Take control of EE Academy student body
Mission Duration: 3 years
Mission Reward: Dark Element Affinity
Mission Failure Punishment: Complete Loss of Space Element Affinity
"Finally, you've changed the punishment from death. But I think that's worse than death, right? Now the game is becoming interesting. A new element as a reward."
The laugh echoed through the room—cold and cruel.
To some, it might have sounded charming, almost enchanting.
But to others, it was the laugh of the devil himself.
Next day
As Alex left his room with Hati on his shoulder, he saw people staring at him differently. Not the usual hate was apparent in their eyes. He just shrugged his shoulders and went down toward the ground floor, where the teleportation room was, through the stairs.
Rina, wearing a maroon jacket, black T-shirt, and jeans, her lion-like eyes darting from face to face, was trying to find someone familiar.
A door leading to the stairs slid open.
A man wearing a sleeveless black T-shirt and black jeans made a perfect contrast with his white hair, bound messily in a ponytail—locks of hair coming onto his face, trying to hide his handsome features but failing, only enhancing his charm.
Every boy and girl stared at the guy—mesmerized, unable to recognize him at first sight. Then their eyes fell on his right shoulder, where a wolf cub was sitting proudly.
Except for a few, everyone scrunched their faces and looked away after realizing they were mesmerized by a commoner.
Rina blushed and said in her mind,
If he ever learned to wield his charm, would any girl truly stand a chance against him?