Chapter 34: Sisters In Marriage

Chapter 34: Chapter 34: Sisters In Marriage

Swish!

The sound of a thin blade cutting through the damp air echoed across the desolate grassland. Beyond the clearing stood a dense forest, its twisted trees packed so tightly together that not even a sliver of light could penetrate the darkness between them.

The blade’s wielder landed hard against the ground, her boots carving shallow trails through the damp soil as she fought to bleed off her momentum.

"Shit."

The blade wielder in question was a woman of nearly unparalleled beauty—the kind that made the world seem to pause for a second whenever she entered a room, and the kind of beauty that could make entire wars start over a single smile.

Her features were strikingly delicate, yet carried an effortless elegance that made even the smallest movement seem intoxicating. Her slim figure flowed into subtle, feminine curves, while her long, slender legs gave her an almost otherworldly poise.

Purple-black hair was tied into a loose ponytail, the dark strands whipping behind her like ink spilled across the night. Yet none of it compared to her eyes.

One was a vivid emerald green.

The other was a pale, crystalline blue.

The impossible contrast made her gaze almost hypnotic—beautiful enough to captivate anyone who looked at her, yet cold and distant enough to make them think twice about getting any closer.

And at the moment, those cold eyes were fixed on the enormous creature in front of her.

The abomination looked like a monstrous tree that had somehow been ripped from the earth and forced to walk on two enormous, root-like legs.

Thick layers of rough bark covered its body like natural armor, while its massive arms ended in jagged wooden claws capable of tearing through flesh with ease.

A deep, grinding roar rumbled from somewhere within its wooden frame at the sight of the woman who was still standing despite its attempts to end her.

Ivy Fox’s fingers tightened around her blade.

She raised her slender sword, its hilt coiling around her hand like a living vine and locking her grip firmly in place.

The abomination roared again.

Ivy’s cold, heterochromatic eyes narrowed.

Then she exploded forward.

"Junior sister—now!"

The moment the words left her mouth, an invisible force slammed down onto the monster’s shoulders.

Its massive body lurched under the sudden pressure. Its knees buckled with a wet crack of splintering wood, forcing the vulnerable core at the base of its neck into full view.

Ivy inverted in mid-leap.

A thin cloud of fog spilled from her lips as the temperature around her plummeted. Ice raced along her blade and up her forearm, spreading in jagged crystalline patterns.

Then she drove the frozen edge straight through the exposed core.

Crack!

Green blood sprayed in a wide arc as the monster’s enormous body toppled backward and crashed onto the dungeon floor with a final, hollow thud.

Ivy landed lightly.

She flicked her sword once, sending the sticky green fluid flying from its edge, then exhaled a thin stream of white breath.

Behind her, the crowd of blue-and-white-robed disciples bearing the Fox Family’s cloud emblem erupted.

"That was a perfect kill, Senior Sister!"

"Senior Sister is the greatest!"

"She’s so beautiful I can’t breathe!"

"Please, let this lowly one kiss the ground you walk on, my goddess!"

Ivy’s shoulders sagged slightly.

She lowered her sword and muttered under her breath, just loud enough for herself to hear,

"This is exhausting..."

A calm, lightly amused voice suddenly drifted from behind the fallen corpse. "You can’t complain, princess. This is one of the many downsides of being born into a family that large."

Ivy turned her head slightly.

The moment she saw the woman approaching from behind the fallen monster, the tension in her face melted away, replaced by a genuine smile.

Despite being known as the little cold princess of the great Fox Family, Ivy immediately headed toward her with hurried steps, her boots tapping lightly against the stone.

"Junior sister—thanks so much for the backup," Ivy said as soon as she reached her, pulling the smaller woman into a light hug. "I really could have died there if not for you."

The overly cute woman, who, despite lacking Ivy’s graceful elegance, had her own unique charm, with pixel-cut green hair framing her youthful face, round glasses that had slipped halfway down the bridge of her nose, and one hand still faintly glowing from the suppression technique she had used, smiled slightly at the sudden embrace.

As Ivy let her go, Rachel covered a quiet giggle with the back of her hand.

"I doubt that thing could have actually killed you." She lowered her hand and smiled softly, causing her dimples to show. "Still, I can’t exactly let our husband come home and find one of the wives he left behind injured, can I?"

Ivy’s eyes immediately welled up.

She launched herself forward and wrapped both arms around the smaller woman in a fierce hug. "Sis Rachel~ How are you so damn adorable~?"

Rachel endured the embrace for two full seconds before gently tapping Ivy’s shoulder. "Ivy... I can’t breathe. Neither can the baby."

Ivy released her at once, clearing her throat and stepping back with sudden awkwardness. "Sorry. I got carried away."

Her gaze dropped to Rachel’s stomach. Although it wasn’t nearly as large as one would expect from a pregnant woman, it didn’t come as much of a shock. Most Awakened women were like this.

Ivy’s gaze lingered there for a moment before she finally asked hesitantly, "Can I...?"

Rachel raised a brow, but when she noticed where Ivy was staring, she smiled and nodded.

Ivy gently dropped to one knee and carefully pressed her ear against the soft fabric covering Rachel’s belly.

A second later, her eyes flew wide. "It kicked me! I swear I just felt him kicking me!"

Her face lit up with pure excitement for half a second before her expression suddenly turned dead serious. "Humph! Looks like he’s going to be violent just like his father."

Rachel’s quiet laugh echoed softly through the cavern. "But Michael isn’t violent, though."

Ivy immediately pulled her head back and shot to her feet. "I know that!"

She clenched both fists, her cheeks puffing out slightly as she glared in the direction Michael had disappeared. "But I just want to curse that bastard out! How dare he leave not one, but two of his wives behind?!"

She pointed accusingly toward the distant horizon as though Michael might somehow hear her. "And worse—he leaves his pregnant wife alone while he goes off to live with another woman!"

Her voice rose with every word. "What kind of husband does that?!"

Rachel quickly raised both hands in a placating gesture. "It isn’t exactly his fault, Ivy. You know how ambitious he is. And it isn’t like he abandoned us or anything. He still cares about us a great deal."

Ivy’s cheeks puffed out even further. "That doesn’t make it better!"

She folded her arms and turned her face away with an exaggerated huff. "He should at least feel guilty! His wife is pregnant, his other wife is fighting monsters, and he’s off somewhere playing house with another woman!"

Ivy stood, dusting imaginary dirt from her knees with an exaggerated pout. "Don’t worry. Once I meet that bastard again, I’ll give him a piece of my mind for your sake."

Her chest puffed out slightly. "That’s my job as the oldest sister, after all."

Her eyes darted away as she muttered the next part under her breath. "And here I was hoping to carry his baby the moment he got back..."

Rachel, who had picked up on her words, giggled softly. "It isn’t too late."

Ivy’s voice turned cold as she spun around. "If this is how he acts when one of his own women is already pregnant, then I don’t want to."

Rachel’s smile twitched. ’Yet you’re the one who talks about him every single night until you fall asleep.’

The moment Ivy spun around to face the members of her clan, a sharp chime suddenly rang through both her and Rachel’s minds, followed by the appearance of a blue holographic interface hovering directly before them.

Rachel tilted her head. "Did Michael send you a mission too?"

Ivy gave a short nod and tapped the floating text.

Rachel glanced down at the System panel, a small smile curving across her lips. "And did he also leave a message at the end?"

Ivy didn’t say anything for a long moment, not daring to turn toward Rachel as a pink flush spread across her cheeks.

"Humph! That bastard! He thinks a few sweet words will coax me!"

She clenched her fist tightly, her expression filled with indignation. "I bet he’s in some vixen’s bed right this second!"

Rachel’s smile deepened slightly. "I second that."

She lifted her gaze past Ivy’s shoulder. The amusement in her eyes lingered for another second before slowly fading. Her smile softened, then disappeared altogether as her expression settled into quiet seriousness.

"Looks like your brother’s coming."

A teenage boy in the same blue-and-white Fox Family uniform pushed through the crowd at a full run. He skidded to a stop in front of Ivy, chest heaving.

"Big sis—are we not moving yet?"

Ivy glanced once at the corpse of the tree-beast, then nodded. "Tell everyone we move in five minutes."

The teenage boy spun to leave. Before he could take a second step, a sharp scream cut through the disciples.

Ivy’s expression turned ice-cold.

The warmth vanished from her eyes, leaving them completely emotionless as she watched a group of roughly dressed men shove their way through her people. At their head walked a handsome young man with a sword strapped across his back.

He had dirty-blond hair and a scar that ran from his neck up along his jaw. His eyes were narrowed into thin slits, making it difficult to tell where he was looking.

The handsome man stopped a few paces from Rachel and Ivy. His smile widened into a lecherous smirk as he slowly ran his tongue across his lower lip.

"Well, well. What do we have here? Two top-tier beauties wasting time inside a dead dungeon. If you ladies want some real protection—"

His words died in his throat.

Shing!

There was no warning. No raised voice. No change in expression.

One moment, she was standing beside Rachel with that soft, harmless smile still lingering on her lips.

The next, her sword was at the man’s throat.

The tip pressed into his thick neck hard enough to draw a thin line of blood.

"I advise you to shut that filthy mouth," she said softly.

Her voice was so calm that it was more frightening than a shout. "Because my patience is currently very low."

The blade pressed a fraction deeper. "One more word from you..."

Her gaze hardened. "...and I’ll cut out your tongue."

The playful glint vanished from the man’s eyes.

His slitted pupils widened slightly as he tilted his head, the blade still kissing his skin.

"...Should I take that as a threat, Miss?"