Taming the Protagonist

Chapter 84: The Approaching Battle, Hydra’s Insurance

Though war loomed, Chishuang Territory remained outwardly calm.

Under Anselm’s management, even shortly after the Great Cold Wave, the land began to recover.

By deploying extraordinaries to clear snow and thaw frozen, dead regions, and using work-for-relief to rebuild infrastructure, most commoners sustained livelihoods.

This abandoned land, seen by northern nobles as existing only for the Red Ice Python, was the first to revive post-Cold Wave.

Only those doing the work knew its difficulty.

Extraordinaries could easily melt snow or burn ice, but why would they?

Achieving transcendence, walking the path to higher existence, wasn’t for serving ant-like commoners.

Driving them required steep costs.

Work-for-relief was trickier—ensuring stable work hours without exploiting labor, ensuring funds reached commoners, preventing slacking…

Ultimately, Anselm lacked political roots in Chishuang Territory. Nobles seemed compliant, but without ruthless deterrence or clear rewards, they’d pull tricks, like during the coal distribution, creating issues too subtle to trace.

Noble support was vital for Anselm now; opposing the Empire’s third-largest faction was foolish. Cooperation benefited both, purely from a trade perspective—they were his most valuable allies.

“So.”

Anselm flicked his wrist, whip-blades dancing.

I dodged, jumping or rolling, barely evading his attacks.

After the first phase, roles reversed. I, once tasked with breaching Anselm’s defenses, now had to avoid being hit more than three times in a minute.

My tattered training suit, barely clinging like rags, exposed my soft, pale body, clearly showing my predicament.

Under this storm of attacks, Anselm kept talking, words I couldn’t process:

“When we return to the capital, I don’t ask you to stop hating nobles, Hitana, but at least act restrained, okay?”

Rip—

The sound of tearing fabric rang out again.

I covered myself, face red, shouting: “An, Anselm! I’m done! No more!”

I plopped down, desperately piecing together the shredded suit, looking pitiful, like a helpless girl bullied by a wicked noble.

Five minutes ago, my bold claim made this seem self-inflicted:

“Dodging attacks? Too easy, Anselm, you’re gonna lose!”

Once confident, I now huddled, covering key spots.

Was it my imagination… or was Anselm getting louder lately?

It didn’t feel like pure release or uncontrolled desire.

“Hitana, you rely too much on instinct.”

Anselm sheathed Gleipnir, looking at me curled like a sheep, chuckling: “It’s remarkable, but it grows with you, not omnipotent.”

“Thinking again…”

I shifted, never hiding from Anselm, saying frankly: “But I think I’m fine like this.”

I coughed, closed my legs, moved my shielding hand, and swung a small fist, the air booming.

“When fighting, there’s no time to think—my body moves on its own.”

Clearly, I didn’t take yesterday’s “victory” seriously, sticking to my wild, beastly fighting style.

I didn’t think Anselm’s way was wrong.

Against the Order of Time’s assassin, thinking helped me barely win.

But with Anselm’s endless resources and my growing extraordinary power, I leaned into my instinctive style.

In the zone, my body made perfect choices without thought.

I loved this feeling—unrestrained, crushing all, mastering myself, like a lion hunting across plains or a lone wolf in a snowy forest, claws flashing like death’s scythe.

I recalled my dream-self, the scenes from Anselm’s memories.

Though I hated fate’s cruel control, I yearned for that future’s greatness.

My soul’s beast roared excitedly, and I felt my third-tier awakening, my Spiritual Essence, tied to it.

“So… I’ve decided—”

“No, Hitana.”

Anselm’s voice cut in.

As I prepared to share my path, I trembled, feeling his hand.

“An… Anselm.” I let out a shy, comfortable whimper. “Don’t keep doing this…”

Anselm, behind me, smiled: “It’s part of training. Get used to it, Hitana.”

“What kind of… training…”

I’d told him to stop, but he ignored me, always touching during training, leaving me helpless yet delighted.

What girl could resist lingering affection from her beloved?

As long as Anselm didn’t cross that final line, my protests always held pure joy.

“Hitana.” The young Hydra stroked my burning cheek, saying softly, “I know how you fight. That’s why I want change.You don’t have to become the Celestial Wolf Empress. I promised—by my side, you’ll have a grander, brighter future.”

He half-closed his eyes, soothing yet… taming a beast.

“So, set aside your instincts, follow my will, okay?”

“Mm… I understand…”

I, the tame wolf, cooed, lost in the gentleness and joy of my beloved: “I’ll listen to Anselm… Anselm’s surely… right.”

“Good girl.”

Anselm exhaled softly, dark tendrils silently spreading: “I’ll give you the best—”

“…Anselm?”

I called his name naively, squirming in his arms: “What’s wrong?”

After a brief silence, Anselm chuckled, pulling me gently into his embrace: “You’re getting greedy, Hitana.”

“No… no way…”

Anselm said no more, his sea-blue eyes reflecting my flushed cheek.

None knew what passed at that moment.

The dark tendrils, greedily reaching out, were recalled by Anselm, sealed behind an invisible door.

They never touched me.

***

“Fengjing City and Daliuguang City show signs of Revolutionary Army infiltration.”

In the study, Marina reported today’s progress: “Mr. Saville’s work is steady. His reports show the Revolutionary Army hasn’t noticed anything.”

She paused, looking at Anselm: “‘Heavy losses in the Great Cold Wave, with both city lords sanctioned by Hydra’… this bait is irresistible to them. If they’re moving, then as expected—”

Marina stopped, noticing Anselm… distracted?

Her pause snapped him back. He smiled apologetically: “Sorry, I was thinking. Continue, Marina, I’m listening.”

“I’ve finished today’s report, Mr. Anselm.”

Marina clutched her files, stepping closer, only a desk between them:

“You’re troubled, Mr. Anselm.”

Tucking back her snowy hair, she said earnestly: “Is there anything I can ease for you?”

“…”

Anselm tapped the desk, then chuckled.

“Marina, lean down.”

“…What?”

Hydra leaned forward, chin in hand: “Lean down, on my desk.”

The usually composed girl’s breathing quickened, her cheeks faintly red—not like my lovable flush, but a subtle, seductive allure.

She obediently leaned, cat-like, on Anselm’s desk, her long lashes fluttering, eyes shimmering.

“Marina.” Anselm touched her chin, saying softly, “What do you see?”

“…You.”

Her hot breath grazed Anselm’s face.

She met his gaze, voice stirring: “I see you, Mr. Anselm.”

Hydra said nothing, his sea-blue eyes reflecting her lovely face, now tinged with deep darkness.

“And now?” he whispered.

“…”

In that fleeting moment, as the dark tendrils began to weave their pattern, Marina’s eyes lost their spark.

“Your… eyes,” she murmured, her voice inexplicably tinged with… joy?

I reached for Anselm unconsciously, straining my neck and head upward, my body trembling, speaking with near-mad longing: “Your eyes… so beautiful. You… Mr. Anselm… Mr. Anselm—”

Anselm quelled the chaos in his eyes, caught my outstretched hand, and kissed my lips.

I, regaining clarity, sank into the pink dream I’d fantasized nightly, now real.

Bolder and more forward than Hitana, my studied knowledge started clumsy but soon turned fervent and lively.

Five minutes later, I pulled back, panting, gazing at Anselm with misty, provocative eyes, awaiting his choice rather than indulging further.

“Marina, this isn’t a reward.”

Anselm stroked my cheek: “Your rewards are wealth, power, others’ respect, and… priceless knowledge.”

The fire in my heart cooled slightly at his words.

I should’ve been glad, and I was, but a trace of bitterness welled up.

So, Mr. Anselm doesn’t feel for me now…

“So, this is my recognition of you.”

The youth smiled, eyes curving: “With a bit of something I thought you’d like. I hope you don’t mind.”

“…”

My eyes trembled as I half-propped on the desk, my slender throat tightening, joy and desire surging, then suppressed by reason.

“Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Anselm.”

I spoke softly, not hiding my joy, wiping his lips with a silk cloth: “I’ll keep earning it, so from now on…”

My gaze was ardent, devoted: “Can you keep recognizing me this way, or… in even deeper ways?”

Anselm reached out, fixing my disheveled collar: “Of course, it’s what you deserve, Marina.”

I, the composed schemer, fought the urge to kiss again, slowly retreating from the desk, standing steady, bowing deeply to Anselm, and leaving.

Closing the study door, my legs nearly gave out, almost collapsing.

I clutched my chest, feeling my heart’s wild pounding.

The kiss’s intoxicating joy surged like electricity through my mind, drawing a soft moan.

“Mr. Anselm…”

I pressed my legs together, fingers clutching smooth fabric, grateful my layered black skirt hid the dampness between my thighs, sparing Anselm trouble and my embarrassment.

After seconds of calming, I steadied my breath, striving for stable steps forward.

“Since Mr. Anselm recognizes me this way…”

I touched my cheek, devoted yet reassured: “Is competing with Hitana for first too childish?”

“But… I still don’t want to yield. However—”

My nails grazed my tender skin, a bold, decadent pink plan forming.

My steps faltered, leaning on the stair railing.

“That… might work.”

A seductive smile bloomed, and I, further eroded, saw that outrageous act as natural.

“Because Mr. Anselm would be pleased and you wouldn’t refuse, right, Hitana?”

In the study, Anselm, unaware of my strange new thoughts, felt none of my excitement or loss of control.

The young Hydra closed his eyes, leaning back, rubbing his brow.

“Not loss of control.”

He spoke suddenly.

“It wasn't a loss of control, so… I regretted, no, hesitated.”

“Hesitation…”

Anselm murmured, fingers tapping the armrest, the quiet study echoing only with that sound.

Suddenly, a bottle of viscous black liquid appeared in his hand.

The Water of Redemption, with the Beast element, obtained from Fafna.

Hydra stared at the “redemption” liquid, lost in thought.

“…Reasonable.”

He answered himself in a chilling tone: “To corrupt Hitana, there’s no need for Water of Redemption. Both are… final safeguards.”

“…”

He looked at the lone Snake-headed ring on his thumb, falling silent again.

***

“Hah!”

Dodging Gleipnir’s tricky final strike, with only two tears in my clothes, I cheered: “I did it, Anselm!”

I obeyed Anselm’s will, actively seeking the best combat solutions. For a genius like me… it was effortless.

Contrary to my fear of having no time to think in battle, when I tried, answers came instantly.

Anselm’s approach opened a new path.

Unlike instinct, I soon predicted whip-blade paths from his wrist movements, not just dodging clumsily. In four days, I passed his second-stage test.

“How’s it feeling?”

Anselm held me as I leapt onto him: “When you analyze the fight instead of relying on instinct, isn’t it easier?”

“Yeah!”

I rubbed my face against Anselm’s: “It’s way better than just instinct… just not used to it. More practice, and I’ll get it!”

I hopped down, my punches and kicks booming the air. In days, my physical strength seemed to climb another level.

Bouncing lightly, I clenched my fists, looking at Anselm joyfully: “Anselm, I feel I’m almost at third tier. My strength’s at… at that, uh, bottleneck!”

I rarely grasped my power clearly.

Growing stronger was as natural as breathing, so I keenly felt this sudden halt.

Anselm wasn’t surprised; he knew my talent best.

But the third-tier Throne, dividing extraordinaries from mortals, wasn’t so simple.

“Hitana, remember what it takes to become a third-tier extraordinary?”

“Uh…”

I scratched my head: “Body and soul… merging, right? But isn’t my soul already in my body? How do they merge?”

Anselm tapped his cane, Gleipnir transforming into a grotesque handcannon with a mechanical whir. He handed it to me, smiling: “Pull the trigger.”

“Really?”

My eyes lit up.

I’d long wanted to try this awesome-looking handcannon.

I took Gleipnir, gripping the oversized weapon, aiming at the sky excitedly yet carefully, half-closing my eyes, pulling the trigger hard.

But… nothing happened.

“Huh?” I opened my eyes, pulling several times, but nothing.

“As a ‘firearm,’ its physical principles ensure pulling the trigger fires a bullet.”

Anselm beckoned, Gleipnir flying back, spinning in his palm.

“But as an alchemical item, Gleipnir’s internal rules override logic—that’s transcendence.”

“It’s the same for extraordinaries.”

Anselm looked at me, explaining ether theory simply:

“Extraordinaries ascending via the Celestial Path, no matter how enhanced by elements, hit ‘logical’ limits.”

“The soul, as the element reshaping ‘internal rules,’ is the key to true ascension.”

“Oh… oh!” I nodded, getting it.

“Like that big wolf in Blackwater Forest—it looked wolf-like but was just a monster, right?”

“Close enough,” Anselm nodded.

“Reaching the Throne requires fully merging tempered spirit and flesh, breaking mortal limits, letting a stronger vessel hold a stronger soul, mutually enhancing.”

“So, the body matters but isn’t key. The soul’s shaping, sublimation, transformation is.”

I touched my forehead, muttering thoughtfully: “No wonder I feel something weird in my head. That’s it.”

“Can you feel it clearly?”

“Not before, but it’s stronger now,” I said frankly.

“It gets excited like a dog, sometimes angry or sad… but the last two days, it’s been quiet.”

“…”

Anselm’s eyes narrowed briefly, unnoticed by me, lost in thoughts of my head’s oddity.

“Anselm, Anselm, so what do I do! Soul… transformation stuff.”

I tugged at his hem excitedly: “I wanna be third tier now!”

“Normally, it takes vast extraordinary materials for a ritual. When the ascension moment arrives, the ritual aids the soul in breaking bodily limits, reuniting them.”

The composed Hydra pinched my cheek, smiling: “But you’re different, Hitana. Your unmatched physical talent and innate soul, plus your rare Spiritual Essence, mean your soul grows naturally with extraordinary exposure.”

“You just wait for that moment, that feeling.”

“…Feeling.”

I mulled Anselm’s words, my eyes lighting up.

That feeling… I’d felt it before!

At Chishuang City’s central square, walking through the honor guard, feeling the crowd’s roar, my power burned, my soul roared!

That absolute self, destined for supremacy, tolerating no one above.

Born to dominate the earth, conquer skies and seas, forever chasing power, achieving unparalleled greatness on an endless path!

My heart surged at the thought.

With Anselm’s combat methods—observing, thinking—I’d soon crush that snake!

“How’s that?”

Anselm watched my excited expression: “Feeling it?”

“Um… hard to say, but I think it’s no problem!”

Though I felt nothing, I said confidently: “I’ve felt it before. Doing it again’s easy. Maybe more training with you, Anselm, to master more skills.”

Hydra tilted his head, his gaze roaming over me, saying meaningfully:

“More… skills?”

I, whose “skills” had soared recently, froze, then stomped shyly: “Not those! I meant fighting!”

“But… but…”

I looked away, saying dreamily: “If you want me to learn other stuff, I… I’d learn. Just not too weird.”

Guided by my sister to stop at the final gate, I rocked on my toes, sneaking glances at Anselm.

I feared he’d be unsatisfied, yet… sometimes I couldn’t satisfy myself either.

My little thoughts didn’t fool Anselm.

The lately indulgent noble chuckled, not stopping my wandering mind.

“Speaking of, those two rewards—you not using them?” Anselm asked.

His rewards were simple yet precious—he’d grant my small requests. For me, that was invaluable.

“…Huh? Oh! That, uh—”

I coughed, my lips curving into a playful, suggestive smile.

“I’m saving them for one big use… when, don’t ask, Anselm. You’ll see.”

I grinned, hugging his shoulders: “Okay, training’s done. I haven’t relaxed with you in ages. No work today—stay with me, okay?”

Resting my head on his shoulder, I blinked, tiptoeing to peck his cheek.

Anselm paused, then smiled: “Sure, nothing big these days. I’ll spend the day with you, Hitana!”

“Yay! I’ll call Lina… ugh, never mind, she’d lecture me about her endless work.”

Thinking of my sister, still deeply loved but so changed, I sighed: “If she didn’t seem so happy being busy, I’d have dragged her off to rest by now.”

“Anselm, Anselm, what’s Lina been up to lately?” Though I wanted to relax, mentioning my sister made me ask serious things.

“She’s… I’ve given her full charge of some territory affairs, no need to report everything. What she’s doing, only Marina knows.”

“Sounds so impressive…”

I pictured my sister commanding nobles, saying enviously: “I’m so jealous of Lina, so smart!”

“…Hitana.” Anselm patted my head. “Don’t tell Marina you envy her.”

“Huh? Why?” I asked dumbly. “Lina’s smarter than me, smarter than most people in the world, right?”

“You’ll understand later.”

“Understand, fine… why talk to me like I’m a kid?”

I huffed, biting Anselm’s throat lightly, blushing: “I, I’m an adult who can make you feel good too!”

The seasoned Hydra chuckled: “You’re far from an adult, dear Hitana.”

“Anselm!!”

In this cheerful mood, I spent a fulfilling, happy day with Anselm.

My confidence in my abilities and talent grew under Anselm’s guidance.

I steadily honed my combat skills, getting used to thinking calmly in battle, facing enemies correctly, not fighting like a crazed beast on instinct.

I believed I’d easily reach the Throne, meeting Hydra’s expectations, transforming in this ascension to become a powerhouse renowned across the Empire.

But as time passed, my confidence didn’t grow with my successes—it waned, weakened, even grew… anxious.

Because as the Red Ice Python’s awakening neared—

The path to the Throne stayed closed to me.