My Mother is the Villain

Chapter 28: Dragon Bloodline

Margaret was the only one who remained completely indifferent.

Her gaze stayed fixed on Ella.

"What are you waiting for? You’ll still follow me after this," she said.

This time, Ella nodded.

Being forced... and being given a choice—there was a huge difference.

Even if the outcome was the same, at least she could comfort herself with the thought that she wasn’t entirely to blame.

Of course, it wasn’t as if she hadn’t been tempted from the moment the offer was made.

Her eyes gradually turned cold as she tried to discard her emotions.

A dagger appeared in her hand.

"Ella, don’t..." Lukas couldn’t help but speak.

Death—he wasn’t completely unafraid of it.

But this wasn’t death.

This was being cast into a hell of hatred.

Ella had no other choice. She continued suppressing her emotions.

Holding the dagger in a reverse grip with both hands, all she needed to do was thrust it downward into Lukas.

For a moment, her hands trembled.

But perhaps in a situation like this... even demons could take hold of a person’s heart.

Her beautiful face twisted as she drove the dagger toward Lukas’s chest.

His eyes widened, staring at the blade rushing toward him.

But—

A large hand suddenly appeared, grabbing Lukas’s body in an instant before vanishing through space and time.

Whoosh!

In the end, Ella’s dagger pierced nothing but air before stabbing into the ground, showing she hadn’t held back at all.

"Who was that?!"

The crowd was stunned. Someone powerful had secretly intervened and saved Lukas.

To do so without even being detected by Margaret meant that person was no weak figure.

Yet acting in secret also meant... they weren’t willing to openly confront her.

Margaret’s expression darkened slightly.

She stared sharply in a certain direction—but didn’t move.

Victor shook his head.

It seemed that even his overbearing mother couldn’t control everything.

Being dominant in battle didn’t mean others couldn’t play their own games behind the scenes.

Victor glanced at the Necklace of Hate in his hand.

It was still empty—no soul had been sealed within it yet, so it held no real power.

Even so, he kept it.

"Follow me," Margaret said to Ella.

She had still decided to accept her as a follower.

"And you, Victor—tomorrow, go to the Heaven Emperor Academy."

The Heaven Emperor Academy.

Located at the edge of the Ancient Human Continent’s coastline, it was the greatest educational institution of humanity.

Many World Monarchs were once its students.

Victor was naturally curious. Even without the matter of meeting his fiancée, he would have wanted to go.

"Victor, come here!"

Suddenly, Paul called out to him.

Throughout the entire incident, he had simply been watching from the front of his residence.

Victor walked over.

"What is it, Grandfather?"

"You’re heading to the Heaven Emperor Academy tomorrow, right?" Paul asked. Victor nodded.

"Can you take some of the younger clan members with you? Alisa and the others."

"If we’re just traveling together, I don’t mind. But you know I’m not close to them—I can’t lead them," Victor replied.

"That’s fine..." Paul nodded.

"By the way, come with me for a moment. There’s a good opportunity you can try."

Victor’s interest was instantly piqued.

A good opportunity?

"Let’s go."

With a single step, Paul brought Victor far away from Russell City.

Victor couldn’t even tell where they were headed.

They passed through layers of clouds... until Victor finally saw the sea.

But this time, it was different.

There was no beach along the land.

Instead, there stood towering cliffs.

This meant they had reached the other side of the continent.

Despite the cliffs’ immense height, waves from the ocean could sometimes surge up past them.

It was a desolate region. Victor saw no signs of civilization.

"This is our clan’s territory, guarded by several powerful elders," Paul explained.

He slowed down, flying along the cliff while observing below, before descending to its base.

They stopped in front of a massive cave facing the sea.

But it wasn’t just a cave.

It was carved in the shape of a dragon’s head—and the cave itself was its open mouth.

Victor couldn’t see inside. Even when he enhanced his vision to pierce the darkness, he still failed.

"What is this, Grandfather?" he asked.

"A place to obtain Dragon Bloodline," Paul replied.

"Dragon Bloodline? Is it better than the one possessed by the Dragon Blood Sect?"

That sect was known for having the best Dragon Bloodline.

Their only flaw was a lack of talent, which was why they weren’t that powerful—having produced only a single World Monarch.

That World Monarch possessed a Heaven Dragon Soul, yet the sect had expelled the very youth who awakened it, deeming him useless after his talent was stolen.

"Better? Of course it’s better. This can turn you into a dragon itself," Paul answered.

"Turn into a dragon?" Victor was stunned.

"Yes. This is the strongest Dragon Bloodline. I was the one who discovered this cave. Back then, the cliff here was even larger, completely sealing it. During one of my battles, part of the cliff was destroyed—revealing this place."

"Let’s go in."

He pulled Victor into the cave.

It was extremely cold, with a strong salty scent in the air.

But once inside, the darkness disappeared.

Victor saw two small fissures dripping red liquid into a small pool filled with the same substance.

Called blood... yet it looked more like water.

It boiled, releasing steam.

"This should only be enough for one more person," Paul said.

"Has it already been taken before?" Victor asked.

"Yes, by me. But I couldn’t draw out its potential at all. The bloodline just settled in my body without doing anything."

Victor: "..."

"What about Mother?" he asked again.

"She said she didn’t want to become a dragon, so she never took it. Another ancestor tried it too—but just like me, he couldn’t awaken its potential. That’s why I want you to try. Maybe... it’s actually suited for you."

"Maybe," Victor replied, his expression uncertain.

If even his grandfather couldn’t draw out its potential at all, he doubted he would be any different.

The only thing he could rely on... was the System.