Free Web NovelChapter 29: Blood Crystal Stone
I grabbed her jaw and forced her mouth open while quickly pressing the Blood Crystal Stone against it. Then, without hesitation, I poured the contents of the flask into her mouth. The whole process took less than ten seconds.
I let out a sigh and sat down beside her, giving her my usual indifferent look.
"What are you feeling now?"
My wife coughed several times before glaring at me with a flushed face. Angry or embarrassed? I didn’t know.
She clenched her jaw, her expression twisting with countless emotions – hatred, frustration, and more.
But then, she merely sighed and rolled her eyes in annoyance, as if she wasn’t that surprised. It was understandable. This wasn’t the first time I had force-fed her something.
She asked,
"What did you put in my mouth?"
I replied in my usual soulless voice.
"Blood Crystal Stone."
Silence.
My wife froze completely, left speechless by my answer.
"A-Are you crazy? Do you want me to become an addict, you scumbag worshipper?"
Her voice was filled with disappointment. Deep down, there was even pure sadness.
She sobbed as two streams of tears ran down her cheeks.
She completely broke down.
I replied coldly.
"Just circulate your mana to your mana core and your severed tendons... if you still trust me."
My wife sobbed softly, trying to suppress her sadness, before quickly following my advice.
A few minutes later, her expression shifted from sadness to surprise, and even a hint of happiness.
"M-My severed tendons have healed... a little."
I added,
"Do you feel anything strange? Like an urge to kill, or anything similar to the worshippers?"
My wife shook her head slightly.
I rubbed my chin.
It seemed my prediction had been correct. The [Primal Blood Crystal Stone] was completely different from the [Blood Crystal Stone]
I glanced at my wife again. Her strength had clearly increased thanks to the [Primal Blood Crystal Stone], just like the [Blood Crystal Stone] enhanced the worshippers’ power.
Now, I could confirm a few things.
The [Blood Crystal Stone] was merely an imitation created by the worshippers based on the [Primal Blood Crystal Stone].
Of course, a cheap imitation always came with countless flaws.
As I expected, an item from the system was never something that would harm me.
However, I needed to be careful. After all, this stone was still forbidden. If I used it recklessly, my wife and I would probably be thrown into prison for the rest of our lives.
***
6 AM:
My wife woke me up. I quickly got out of bed, revealing my bare torso, its well-defined muscles on full display.
I headed to the bathroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. As I looked into the mirror, I frowned when I noticed several hickeys on my chest.
"Seems she did this while I was asleep."
I didn’t care what she did with my body. I knew she would never harm me.
My eyes turned cold as I stared at my reflection in the mirror before summoning a Blood Crystal Stone into my palm.
I planned to use the stone during the fight at 7 a.m.
Then, I mentally summoned the system and checked our status.
—
Title: The Chosen Villain
Name: Henry Albert
Age: 19
Rank: [F] (572/5000)
Potential: [SSS+]
—
Title: King of Knights
Name: Arthea Albert (Wife)
Age: 18
Rank: [F] (202/5000)
Potential: [SSS+]
"Good."
I nodded before heading to the dining room, where my wife had already prepared breakfast for us.
Even though she was still crippled, she could manipulate objects with the martial arts manual I had given her.
Now, she could take care of her basic daily needs, using telekinesis to control spoons, knives, clothes, and other everyday objects.
However, she was still far from being able to manipulate her wheelchair – or even her own body with telekinesis. She still needed my help.
After breakfast, we headed to the academy’s arena.
My wife hesitated for a moment before speaking. There was a hint of concern in her voice.
"You’d better not use the Blood Crystal Stone during the fight. Even if your stone isn’t the same kind that’s sold on the black market, the energy it gives off is real. The professors will be watching the match. I..."
I cut her off.
"I know."
She bit her lower lip before speaking.
"The next time you do something strange with me, can you please explain it in advance?"
I replied calmly,
"I just don’t like explaining things. It’s a waste of time. Instead, you should understand it after experiencing it."
My wife sighed, giving up on trying to convince me.
Twenty minutes later, we arrived at the academy arena.
A few students were already in the stands after seeing the match schedule announced by the academy. Each student’s fight would be recorded and uploaded to the academy’s official channel, allowing others to watch and learn.
I stood in the arena while my opponent stood in front of me.
He chuckled, swinging his sword several times to warm up.
I only gave a lazy glance into empty space, my own sword already in hand.
The professor looked at us and warned,
"No killing. If you cut off an arm or a leg, we can still save them. But if it’s a severed head or a destroyed heart, that’s beyond help."
"If you violate the rules, you will be disqualified. In the worst case, you will be expelled. I am here to minimize that outcome, but any intent to kill is not allowed ."
Thomas and I simply nodded together.
Meanwhile, gossip and chatter began to spread across the stands.
"Who do you think will win? Thomas is an S-class student, from a prestigious family known for its sword techniques."
Another student sighed.
"Hard to say. Both of them are well-known figures in high society—[F]-Rank with S potential. We won’t know the outcome until the fight ends."
...
"Tsk. Well, that’s obvious. Of course, we’ll know who wins once the fight is over."
