Taming the Protagonist

Chapter 90 : The Wolf’s Choice

“Oh… it sleeps around here?”

Standing on the hill overlooking the snowfield, Hitana exclaimed in amazement: “Anselm, how did you drive that big guy here?”

“As the pinnacle of magical beasts, Hydras exert an irresistible immense pressure on all magical creatures and beasts, except for dragons and Callers of the Deep.”

Anselm stood in front of Hitana and said calmly: “As an ether-born magical creature, the Red Ice Python absolutely couldn’t resist. In its exhaustion, instinct drove it to flee immediately. After that, it was just a matter of guiding its direction.”

“Though somewhat troublesome, it was merely troublesome.”

“I see… wait!”

Hitana nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly reacted.

She took two steps forward, grabbed Anselm’s arm, her eyes sparkling: “Anselm! You did this after I left, didn’t you?”

“…What’s that?”

The girl giggled happily: “You already took care of the biggest danger to my village. I’m so happy!”

Today, Hitana was full of vigor.

She wore the black outfit Anselm had prepared for her earlier, looking spirited and gallant.

After hearing this, Anselm paused briefly, then said softly:“Actually, I didn’t do this just to solve your problem, Hitana.”

“The Revolutionary Army in the North is gaining momentum. Though they seem to have nothing noteworthy, as their influence grows, things I don’t wish to see will happen.”

“Since I won’t stay in the North for long, I must deliver a sufficiently profound blow before leaving.”

Hemo City, Fengjing City, Daliuguang City.

At Anselm’s request, these three cities didn’t control the Revolutionary Army’s activities within.

Through Polynea, he passed the Red Ice Python’s location to the Revolutionary Army.

To them, since Anselm knew the python’s location, the two grand dukes behind Chishuang Territory likely knew it too.

—As Flamel’s son, Anselm would never lack magical beast materials, so he couldn’t be interested in the Red Ice Python.

It was better to curry favor with the two grand dukes.

With this mindset, the Revolutionary Army, wanting to seize the prize, had to act.

What was the best way?

Naturally, to distract the grand dukes’ main forces elsewhere, then swiftly kill the python and escape far away.

What could better attract the grand dukes’ forces than the audacious act of occupying a territory’s city?

When top experts gathered in Chishuang Territory, if the city was still occupied by the Revolutionary Army, they would lose face.

Most extraordinary beings cared deeply about their faces.

Under this arrangement, they only needed to occupy the city to draw away powerful extraordinary beings, then quickly shift focus, send strong fighters to kill the Red Ice Python immediately, and retreat.

Everything would be a success.

The plan was perfect, and reality provided a good opportunity.

Unfortunately, the city’s weak internal defenses were Anselm’s arrangement, the Red Ice Python’s location was Anselm’s arrangement and even their knowledge of this information was Anselm’s arrangement.

Anselm indeed didn’t need the Red Ice Python, but this land and the Red Ice Python itself were the grandest stage he built for Hitana.

The Revolutionary Army could only swallow the bitter fruit of occupying the city, gaining nothing—Anselm wouldn’t let them leave easily.

He explained this plan to Hitana.

After listening, the girl tilted her head and said: “I don’t care about those lunatics. I’m thrilled they’re suffering!”

“I just want to say…” Anselm touched Hitana’s head, “I didn’t do this entirely for you.”

“Hmm…”

Hitana turned to look at Anselm, scrutinizing him.

“I say, Anselm,” Miss Wolf asked with some confusion, “why are you suddenly telling me this? I don’t like it.”

“It’s like you want me to dislike you.”

“…Is it?” Anselm asked with a smile.

“It is.”

Hitana nodded: “You’re acting a bit strange. You haven’t… done something guilty, have you?”

“…”

Just as Anselm was about to answer, Hitana said with great alertness:

“The civilians in that city won’t be massacred, right? I know now that some are good, some bad, and most are foolish, but to die so casually… Anselm, you didn’t do something that extreme, did you!”

Facing Hitana’s questioning gaze tinged with some anger, Anselm smiled and said: “The Revolutionary Army can’t slaughter the city. To reduce fighting, I made those three cities’ defenses weak. How could there be massive civilian deaths?”

“…Good.”

Hitana finally relaxed, pressing close to Anselm’s shoulder.

Even through thick clothing, Anselm could feel the warmth from her shoulder.

“Anselm.”

The girl’s soft call reached Anselm’s ears.

“What’s up?”

“Hehe… nothing, just wanted to call you.”

Hitana’s eyes curved slightly.

Clinging to Anselm’s arm, she nuzzled his neck docilely, savoring his scent.

“That night, I actually wanted to give up everything.”

Her face bore a serene, reassured smile, making her usually spirited, slightly wild face appear incredibly delicate, soft, and lovable.

“Thinking that if I died like that, I wouldn’t have to deal with so many painful things.”

“But when I was about to plunge the knife and try to end it, I realized I couldn’t accept that outcome.”

The wolf softly spoke of her resolve:“How could I just leave your side so wretchedly?”

“…Then, I remembered what you said to me.”

She raised her face, her snowy complexion glowing milk-white under the clear sky, her radiant smile of unreserved love shimmering brilliantly.

“You’ll never give up on me, right, Anselm!”

Not a question, not a rhetorical query, but an unwavering, resolute affirmation.

Hitana Lansmarlos deeply believed this, not out of blind emotion or hormonal impulse, nor to say sweet words at this moment.

She simply, straightforwardly declared her trust in those words to Anselm.

“So…” the girl giggled, “so I just wanted to call you. Every time you respond, I remember those words.”

Hitana now was so carefree, so joyful, with no shadow in her heart, filled with fervent, blazing determination for the world and her future.

“Being by your side feels so good. Ah, though I say that, I don’t mean I have to cling to you!”

She coughed lightly, let go of Anselm’s arm, and raised her head confidently:

“After today, I’ll be able to stand on my own—”

A tremor began.

The earth’s tremor interrupted Hitana’s words.

From far to near, from the snowfield to the hill where they stood, layers of snow collapsed in the tremor.

Stubborn grass under the snow quivered, soil and pebbles at the grass roots rose and fell in the vibration, sinking into scattered snow, then scattering further as the snow was shaken again.

Then came the flow of ether.

Above the vast snowfield, a faintly visible red vortex began to form, sweeping clouds and obscuring the sky.

As the magical creature born from the underground ether surge awoke, the ether vortex it stirred grew stronger, as if the heavens were tilting.

Hitana stared dumbfounded at the scene: “Anselm… that thing, isn’t it just fourth-tier? Can a fourth-tier cause such a spectacle?”

From all directions, violent ether surging from the ground pulverized and froze the snow.

As the vortex’s vivid red became clearer, glinting like blood crystals, an unimaginable, terrifying chill burst from the vortex’s center, sweeping in all directions like a hurricane with the ether’s flow!

—Like a terrifying cold wave that froze everything!

“Water, wind, ether, beast, and… cold.”

Anselm whispered calmly in the raging, extreme cold storm: “The Red Ice Python’s five elements, with the most powerful being [cold], akin to the extreme northern cold wave vortex.”

“Due to the Great Cold Wave’s influence, this Red Ice Python is likely the strongest in a century.”

“There’s that too.”

Hitana shrank her neck, rubbing her face vigorously.

There was no trace of retreat on her face, only a spirited smile:

“Hmph, it looks intimidating.”

“…”

Anselm said nothing.

At the same time, the earth’s tremors grew fiercer.

At the snowfield’s center, a thin layer of red ice crystals spread rapidly in all directions, coating the white ground in red.

The ether vortex in the air became more solid and visible.

When the ground shook to its peak, making even those standing far away unsteady, the red ice surface suddenly shattered in large patches!

“wyyyyyyy！！”

With a sharp, prolonged cry, a colossal creature broke through the ground, leaving Hitana completely stunned.

This serpent-like creature, entirely made of near-red crystal, was at least fifty meters long!

Its body bore wing-like structures covered in crystals.

It soared skyward, opening its giant maw, greedily swallowing the vast ether vortex entirely.

The storm stirred by absorbing the ether even tugged at Hitana hundreds of meters away.

Before she could even feel shocked, the extreme cold airflow from its wings made her shiver.

Boom!

After devouring the ether vortex, the Red Ice Python crashed to the ground, its heavy impact like dozens of giant cannons firing at once.

The earth’s tremors spread far into the distance.

“This big guy… this is really…”

Hitana trembled all over, from the cold, from excitement, but with no trace of fear.

The wolf’s eyes burned with fierce fire: “This is true transcendence… this is, this is the opponent I want!”

Beasts craved feeding, craved fighting, but beasts weren’t fools who disregarded life.

Hitana… how could she so earnestly harbor such intense battle intent against that monster, a fourth-tier pinnacle ether creature?

“Anselm!”

She turned to Anselm, the fervor and anticipation in her eyes utterly genuine

.

The girl opened her arms. Though her face flushed, she spoke without hesitation or retreat:

“I’m going in, Anselm, kiss me!”

“…” Anselm stared at her blankly, speechless.

“You do bad things, always so eager usually, now you’re dazed!”

The wolf girl, face red, scolded playfully, then stood on her toes, tightly embracing Anselm’s neck, and kissed his lips without hesitation.

After just a few seconds, she let go, stepped back, her face beaming with absolute confidence:

“Watch me, Anselm. This time, from now on, I absolutely won’t let you down!”

Hitana jumped off the hill without hesitation, her small figure charging toward the colossal monster coiled on the snowfield.

No confusion, no hesitation.

“Wait… wait!”

“Hitana!”

Anselm, snapping back, didn’t even notice his voice was slightly out of control: “Didn’t you notice?

The Head of Strength ring didn’t activate, and you haven’t advanced to third-tier.”

“Huh?”

Hitana, already some distance away, turned back, looking at Anselm shouting: “What?”

“You haven’t…”

Anselm’s figure flickered, appearing beside Hitana, grabbing her wrist: “You haven’t advanced to third-tier…”

***

“For now, stop.”

“I’ll handle the Red Ice Python.Hitana, you don’t need to—”

“What are you talking about, Anselm?”

Hitana looked at Anselm with a strange expression, interrupting him.

“At this moment, you want me to back down? Are you afraid I’ll die?”

Anselm composed his expression and emotions, speaking in a tone as close as possible to his usual gentle voice: “Right now, something might be wrong with you.

The best choice, of course, is—”

“Of course, to charge forward like this.”

Hitana interrupted Anselm again: “Is there any better choice than this?”

“Hitana… listen to me—”

“Anselm!” Hitana’s voice rose slightly.

She reached out, cupping Anselm’s cheeks, her voice softening again.

“You listen to me.”

The girl gazed at the face she knew so well, the one that appeared in her dreams every night.

“You always smile like this.”

She touched the corner of Anselm’s lips with her thumb, saying softly: “Like a mask, making me unsure if you’re angry or sad, happy or hurt.”

“But I don’t really mind, because I know you won’t deceive me.”

“We’ve only been together for such a short time.

Though I already like you so, so much, Anselm, we still have plenty of time together, so I have all the time to understand you.”

“Hitana…” Anselm tried to steady his tone and emotions, “I think we should now—”

“Anselm!”

Hitana pressed his lips with some irritation: “I said, you should listen to me now.”

She gazed into those sea-blue eyes, chuckling softly:

“Actually, I know.I know what you meant by the thing I couldn’t accept.”

Seeing those eyes tremble slightly, Hitana’s smile grew brighter, her tone free of resentment or sadness.

“Yesterday—ah, the day before yesterday—I talked a lot with Lina.

When we went to bed, I told her about the day we went hunting… including what you asked me about beasts.”

“At that time, Lina seemed preoccupied.

Then last night, before you came, Lina told me about the beast element.”

“…”

“Anselm.” Hitana stared into his eyes and said:

“You think I’ll betray you.”

“You believe I’m a beast that can never be tamed, don’t you?”

“…Hitana.”

Anselm’s voice was dry and hoarse: “That’s not what I think, it’s the—”

“It’s okay, Anselm.”

There was still no dissatisfaction in Hitana’s tone: “Though I was very unhappy then, thinking about it, you were right that I couldn’t accept it.

It shows that even then, you were thinking of me.”

“So when you came, I didn’t act very angry.

I managed to fool you.”

She smiled, smoothing Anselm’s unnaturally furrowed brow, her eyes full of happiness and peace.

“And then, your behavior after coming made it even harder for me to be angry.”

The girl smirked slyly: “You’re hesitating, you’re guilty, you can’t make a decision, right?”

“It shows… you care about me so much, Anselm.Even knowing I might betray you, you still can’t decide.If it were anyone else, they’d be done for, right?”

“So, I’m happy, super happy.”

Hitana hugged Anselm tightly, proudly declaring with immense joy: “To you, Anselm, I must be the most special person.

What’s there to be sad about?”

She let go of Anselm, confidently raising her chin:

“I’ll make you trust me, Anselm.

I don’t know why I haven’t become a Contract Head, whether it’s because of the beast element, but I’ll make you believe in me.”

“…So.”

Anselm looked into Hitana’s dark red eyes, free of hesitation or shadow, and asked softly: “So, even in this situation, you choose to face the Red Ice Python alone?”

“Of course!” Hitana answered without hesitation.

“…Hitana, don’t be foolish.”

The young Hydra closed his eyes, slowly exhaling: “Let’s go back and find a way.

I admit… I indeed can’t have absolute, unconditional trust in you, but we can—”

“There’s no other way, Anselm.”

Hitana rejected Anselm, saying lightly: “Or rather, I don’t accept any other way.”

The girl placed her hand over her heart, resolutely stating:

“You know, Anselm.If I back down now, from this moment on, there will only be calculations and suspicions between us.”

Anselm gazed at Hitana, his tone somewhat numb:

“You’ll die.”

“Die? No way!”

Hitana laughed heartily: “Anselm, I’m someone chosen by fate.

Maybe not only will I not die, but I’ll become stronger in some strange way, right?”

“wyyyy—!”

The sharp, piercing cry came again.

Hitana turned her head and saw the Red Ice Python beginning to move across the ground, heading… seemingly toward a city.

“Oh, that big guy’s moving.Can’t let it go too far.Anselm, I’m off.”

Hitana took two steps back, then turned and sprinted toward the colossal creature.

After running a short distance, the girl suddenly stopped, turned back to Anselm, and shouted with exuberance:

“Anselm!”

She waved her fist vigorously.

“I’ll definitely live until the moment you trust me!”

Thus, the tiny wolf charged toward the heaven-born, earth-forged magical creature, fearless, fierce, and radiant.

The true terrifying creature stood in place, staring blankly at her fading figure.

In his mind, only the girl’s passionate, confident words echoed.

—I’ll definitely live until the moment you trust me.