Chapter 59: The FOX CORE.

ELENA

The hospital room was quiet.

Inside the highest-level treatment ward of the Astronova family, Elena lay inside a transparent healing capsule.

Pale blue light flowed over her body as the machine continuously supplied healing energy.

Yet even with the advanced technology, the dark marks covering her neck and creeping toward her face had not completely disappeared.

Grandfather Astronova stood beside the capsule.

His face was grim.

An old man stood beside him, dressed in a plain healer’s robe.

His name tag displayed only one thing:

SS-RANK HEALER

His name remained hidden.

The old healer stared at Elena through the glass before slowly shaking his head.

"I was against using a Fox Beast Core from the beginning."

Grandfather King Astronova lowered his head.

The healer continued. "We should have waited for a Phoenix Core."

Silence filled the room.

After a long moment, Grandfather Astronova spoke.

"We had no hope."

His voice was heavy.

"Elena was five years old and still had not awakened."

His hands tightened.

"Our Phoenix bloodline was already weakening. The Federation needs another SSS-Class female. Without one, our family will continue losing government resources."

"Our research projects require those resources. Our influence is falling, and the other families are already catching up. Our phoenix family tradition is to awaken before 5. Our family prestige was at stake. I couldn’t take chances."

He closed his eyes. "We really had no choice."

"When my Fox granddaughter showed signs of awakening, we thought..."

He stopped. His expression hardened.

"We thought her core could save Elena."

The healer remained silent. Grandfather Astronova looked toward Elena.

"My daughter’s successor of the Astronova family. She has to be a Phoenix."

His voice became cold. "Not a mere Fox."

The old healer sighed. "I understand."

"Families have always had to make sacrifices for a better future."

Behind them, Emelianna stood beside Elena’s healing capsule.

Tears rolled down her face.

"We thought it had worked."

Her voice trembled.

"After the blood we injected, the dark marks disappeared. Elena was getting better."

She wiped her tears. "But they appeared again this morning."

Her voice broke. "What should I do, Healer V?"

She turned desperately toward the old healer.

"I can’t let my daughter remain disfigured."

She clenched her hands. "Can’t we perform plastic surgery?"

Elena slowly opened her eyes inside the capsule.

She reached for her mother’s hand through the opening.

"No, Mother."

Emelianna immediately looked at her.

Elena’s eyes were filled with fear.

"We can’t."

"I can’t have surgery on my face."

Her breathing became uneven. "People will know."

She shook her head.

"They will say I don’t deserve to be a Saintess. A saintess can’t be a female with surgeries. Saintesses have to be naturally beautiful. I will lose my saintess status if I do this. And Vivian people will say she looks better." She shut her eyes. "I can’t do it!"

Emelianna’s expression softened. "Nobody will say that."

She squeezed Elena’s hand. "Everyone knows you’re better than Vivian."

"You have talent. You have abilities."

Her voice became firm. "Vivian has nothing."

"She can’t compare to you."

Elena lowered her eyes.

But the old healer suddenly spoke. "Hmm."

Everyone looked at him. "The fox girl isn’t dead yet?"

His brows furrowed.

"Her blood was supposed to be all drained out for Elena’s treatment. Why is she still alive?"

He looked at Emelianna. "How can a beasthuman survive without a Beast Core?"

Emelianna froze. After a moment, she answered quietly. "Her Fox father took her to his clan when he found her."

"He later brought her back."

She swallowed. "He said he found another Fox Beast Core from their clan and gave it to her."

"That was how she survived. And we can’t just kill her after that. He was extremely cautious around her and got soldiers around the house."

The old healer’s expression changed. "I hope someone won’t find out and get us reported. This will ruin my reputation as a healer. Why not cut off the roots now.!!..I don’t want any mistakes.

Emelianna replied. "Dont worry healer. She has another beast core and the Fox father is dead. No one will know about this."

He walked closer to the capsule. "If there will be no surgery, then we need a considerable amount of Fox blood."

Emelianna’s face paled.

"But not just any Fox blood."

His eyes became serious.

"We need only the blood of the same Fox female who owns the core."

Elena’s eyes widened.

"The blood is to help the Beast Core recognize that your daughter’s body and the core belong together."

He pointed toward Elena. "Using another Fox’s blood would be dangerous."

"Do not make that mistake!!"

His voice became stern.

"If the core rejects the blood, it could destabilize."

He paused.

"The core could destroy itself."

Emelianna nearly stumbled.

"And kill the host body."

Emelianna’s face went white. "But..."

She looked at Elena.

"That girl isn’t here." Her voice trembled. "What are we supposed to do?"

Before anyone could answer, the door opened.

A younger doctor hurried inside.

He approached the old healer and whispered something into his ear.

The healer’s expression changed slightly.

He looked toward Elena. Then toward Emelianna. "When you have made your decision, call me."

He turned around. "I have to leave."

The old healer walked out with the younger doctor.

The moment the door closed, Grandfather Astronova’s face darkened. "Emelianna!!."

Emelianna looked at him.

"There is nothing you can do right!!!"

Her lips trembled.

"I told you to marry Vivian off to that merchant family."

His voice grew louder. "That way, whenever we needed her blood, they would send her back."

"What happened?"

"Why isn’t she with that merchant family?"

"Why is she still in the army?"

His eyes burned with anger. "What kind of mother are you? Don’t you care about Elena’s life? You should be careful not to make mistakes. Do you want to ruin Elena? Don’t tell me you feel bad for Vivian?!"

He stomped his feet on the floor "Do you think we have time to feel sorry for a mere fox? Our family can lose everything the moment you hesitate." He pointed at her. "She was born for Elena’s use. And she must only live for Elena’s sake. Get that into your head!!"

Emelianna’s tears flowed faster. "The merchant male stopped answering our calls."

She lowered her head. "The last message he sent said that since Vivian had married him, we had no business with her anymore."

Grandfather Astronova’s expression turned furious.

"What?!"

"How dare a mere merchant ignore my orders?"

He slammed his hand against the capsule table. He was extremely furious.

"Who do they think they are?"

"Find out everything about that family."

His eyes narrowed. "I will have them exterminated."

Emelianna immediately shook her head. "We can’t, My King."

Grandfather Astronova glared at her.

"I found out later that the merchant family works for the Fenrir royals."

The room became silent.

"We can’t force them. Without the Royals agreeing to it."

Grandfather Astronova slowly touched his chin. His anger only grew. "What use are you, Emelianna?"

"I told you to marry her off to an ordinary family."

"What was so difficult about that?"

Emelianna lowered her head in shame.

Elena suddenly spoke.

"Mother..."

Everyone looked at her. "Grandfather."

She slowly sat up inside the healing capsule.

"I can go find Vivian."

Emelianna’s eyes widened. Elena’s fingers tightened at her side.

"I am the reason she is still alive."

"If not for me, she wouldn’t have been of any use to us."

Her eyes hardened.

"She won’t be ungrateful enough to let me die."

Emelianna stared at her daughter. A worried expression slowly appeared on her face.

Then she whispered,

"This time..." Her eyes darkened. "I won’t let her run away from our side.."