Chapter 81: Birthday Banquet

After hearing Dean Isabella’s words, Ethelrina gracefully stepped forward from the crowd.  

Her silver hair shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.  

She walked steadily up to the podium, her expression calm and composed, as if winning first place was something she was used to—something that was simply expected.  

Dean Isabella held a blue-and-white Sword in her hand, its entire blade seeming to be forged from millennia-old unmelting ice, radiating a chilling frost aura.  

“This Epic Frost Sword contains a powerful frost sword intent. I hope it will aid you in the upcoming Holy Trial,” Dean Isabella said, casting a look of praise at Ethelrina.  

As the undisputed first place in this year’s Holy Trial, Dean Isabella had also watched Ethelrina’s performance through the Crystal Ball.

This first place was well-deserved.  

“Thank you.” Ethelrina’s expression remained indifferent, with no trace of affection for the Epic Frost Sword in her eyes.  

She preferred to use the Sword given to her by her childhood best friend.

Holding that sword was the only thing that could calm her heart.  

“Next, may the team ranked second please come up to receive their award.”  

After a loud announcement, Iana was reluctantly pushed onto the stage by Yiserin to accept the prize.  

Iana’s reluctance was understandable—accepting the award meant being in close proximity to Ethelrina again, something she was desperately trying to avoid.  

Dean Isabella held a Bloodstone in her hand, its entire surface blood-red, seemingly containing endless power that entranced and bewitched anyone who glanced at it.  

“This is a top-quality Bloodstone that can help you unlock your Bloodline power. The lower your Bloodline development progress, the more effective it will be,” Dean Isabella said gently, her eyes filled with both fondness and sorrow.

She had been closely watching Iana’s journey inside.  

To be honest, she truly felt heartache over Iana’s experiences, but there was nothing she could do to interfere with the Holy Trial, or more precisely, the secret realm where it took place.  

But growth was always filled with thorns and challenges.

‘If Iana’s mother were alive, she probably wouldn’t oppose my decision either’, Dean Isabella comforted herself silently.  

“Thank you, Dean,” Iana said, holding the heavy Bloodstone.

The power within it drew her in so strongly that, if the situation were appropriate, she would have absorbed it on the spot.  

Dean Isabella patted Iana’s head like petting a cat.

Finally, with a lingering gaze, Iana stepped down from the podium.  

The third-place reward was a Mysterious Scroll.

No one else knew its effects except Beiqi herself.  

Back with the team, Iana was eager to return to the dormitory to absorb the Bloodstone.

The only concern was that the Bloodstone was officially a team prize.

If Iana kept it all to herself, it might not sit well with her teammates.  

“If you come keep me company for one night, I’ll give up my claim to the Bloodstone,” Yiserin’s voice rang unexpectedly in Iana’s ear.  

Before Iana could respond, a fist the size of a sandbag slammed into Yiserin’s head.  

“If you say those filthy things again, I won’t hold back next time,” Xianye said sternly.  

“I’m sorry, okay? Sorry!” Yiserin hugged her head, looking at Xianye fearfully.

She muttered softly, “You’re such a nosy fox.”  

“Iana, just take the Bloodstone and absorb it yourself first. The rest of us have much higher Bloodline development progress than you, so this Bloodstone will have the best effect on you,” Xianye said to Iana.

“We don’t mind at all, and neither will Sephiroth or Lillian, right?”  

“Mm-hmm,” Sephiroth and Lillian said in unison.  

Iana didn’t make a fuss and put the Bloodstone into her bag.

“I’ll head back to the dorm to absorb it.”  

Iana was eager to return to Dormitory 131 to absorb the Bloodstone.

According to Veronica, once her Bloodline development progress reached ten percent, she might be able to see her mother in the Trial Land.  

Iana was very much looking forward to this, and she would finally gain her first skill, no longer having to fight monsters alone with just her sword.

Thinking of how Princess Sophia defeated the sand scorpion with just one skill, Iana’s anticipation for her first skill only grew stronger.  

***

Inside one of the bedrooms in Dormitory 131.  

Iana took out the Bloodstone.

Because she was currently trying to forcibly awaken the Magical Dragon Bloodline, she couldn’t transform back into Ian—at least not until she had absorbed all the power from this Bloodstone.  

She sat cross-legged on her bed, feeling the surging power within the Bloodstone pulsing like a living heartbeat in her palm.  

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and activated the Bloodline Cultivation Spell taught by the academy, beginning to absorb the power inside.  

She felt a warm current rising from her chest, gradually spreading through her limbs and bones.  

The Bloodstone’s power flowed into her body, racing along her meridians straight to her heart.

She gritted her teeth, sweat beading finely on her forehead.  

“Such overwhelming power…”  

The energy was fierce and scorching, as if trying to boil her blood.

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

She could feel her bones restructuring and her muscles reshaping.  

“No, I can’t hold on.” Iana gritted her teeth as the intense pain ran rampant through her body.

The power seemed to want to tear her apart.  

She braced herself on the bed, gasping heavily, sweat dripping from her head.  

Iana sensed her Bloodline development progress rising from one percent to two percent, but today she couldn’t push any further.

Her body simply wouldn’t allow it.  

“Knock, knock, knock.”  

Her Communicator vibrated beside her.

She opened it to find a message from Lillian.  

“Ian, are you okay?”  

“You suddenly disappeared during the Holy Trial, and when you came out, you weren’t at the scene. Yiserin and the others didn’t notice you were missing either. Where did you go?”  

Only after reading this did Iana realize that Lillian was likely the only one on the team who didn’t know her true identity.  

“I’m safe. Don’t worry about me. If there’s anything, just say it directly.”  

After a moment, Lillian replied.  

“This Saturday is my birthday. I want to ask you for a favor.”  

“Could you help me invite Ethelrina to come to my birthday banquet?”  

Iana stroked her chin, finding the request simple enough.

Although Ethelrina wasn’t on their team, simply inviting her to a birthday banquet shouldn’t be difficult.

After all, Lillian and Ethelrina were probably friends now.  

“I’ll help you.”  

Iana put down her Communicator.

Her eyes suddenly caught a delicate mirror nearby, and she remembered that Veronica’s birthday was also this Saturday.  

“Could it be that Veronica also invited Ethelrina, but Lillian and she aren’t holding their birthday banquets in the same place?”