I Just Want to be a Throwaway Character - Chapter 25

Chapter 25: The Sacrifice

Ji Wan stood in front of Lin Morou, and without turning her head, she tossed two bottles of healing potions backward. “Lin Morou, run now. I’ll handle this.”

I’m begging you, Little 1! Quick, turn on the pain immunity! I expect to get a bad beating, she thought frantically.

“Yes, my great host,” System 111’s familiar voice replied.

Ji Wan wanted to cry. The man was at the Soul Transformation stage, while she was only at the early Golden Core stage. She had no chance of winning; all she could do was buy time for the protagonist. She hoped this little brat would go easy on her later when she found out she was a demon. Right now, though, simply surviving was the real question.

Lin Morou stared at the potions in her hand, motionless. Then, she forced herself to stand, even though every bone in her body ached. Her expression remained calm and still, save for a few violent coughs that reminded everyone of her serious injuries.

“I’m not leaving,” she said stubbornly, her voice cold.

Ji Wan was so angry. Is this really the time to show off? You’ll be dead in a minute!

“Lin Morou, I’m ordering you to go.” Ji Wan used all the authority of a Senior Sister.

“Cough, cough. I’m not leaving. I… I want to stay with you.” Lin Morou coughed violently, and blood stained the hand she used to cover her mouth.

Ji Wan turned to face her, her expression cold. “If you stay, you’ll only be a burden.”

Lin Morou stared into Ji Wan’s eyes, feeling powerless for the first time. She clenched her fists tightly. She had never seen Ji Wan look so cold and heartless. She couldn’t help Ji Wan at all. Power, she thought. I need power. I have to become stronger!

“Heh, enough with your sisterly affection. Neither of you is leaving,” the black-robed man sneered. With a single hand, he quickly drew a strange symbol in the air. In an instant, a net tens of meters wide flew toward them. A small bird that flew too close touched the net and was instantly turned into a bloody mist.

Ji Wan didn’t have time to deal with Lin Morou. She instantly used her spiritual energy to throw her sword into the air. A moment later, like a doppelgänger, ten thousand identical spiritual swords formed a protective shield.

The man’s eyes were filled with disdain, and his expression was relaxed. He watched the foolish little girl. “A Golden Core at such a young age is a promising talent. Too bad you ran into me. I won’t let another one get away today.” The man’s eyes lingered on Lin Morou, his desire deepening. He had to get that thing. It was the best spiritual medicine for strengthening the body and increasing cultivation, a treasure that appeared only once every ten thousand years. He couldn’t wait for another one; he had to have it now.

The net and Ji Wan’s spiritual swords collided in mid-air.

Zing! The clear sound of metal clashing filled the air. Ji Wan struggled to maintain the shield with her spiritual energy. But her strength was limited.

Pfft! Ji Wan coughed up a mouthful of blood that trickled down the side of her mouth. She didn’t care. She just threw two pills into her mouth. The intense bitterness almost made her gag. Damn it, aren’t there any good-tasting pills? They all taste so awful. But her expression didn’t change as she focused on the net drawing ever closer.

“Heh, you’re holding up well. How about this?” The man waved his hand, and the net suddenly glowed. Ji Wan’s swords began to falter, and cracks appeared on their blades.

“Lin Morou, go now!” Ji Wan knew she couldn’t hold on much longer, and her voice was filled with urgency. She saw that the stubborn girl was just standing there, not moving, staring at her with a strange expression. Ji Wan wanted to flick her on the forehead.

Soon, the cracks on the swords grew, and they were on the verge of shattering. Ji Wan was out of options. “Looks like I’ll have to use that.” Ji Wan gritted her teeth and took out a talisman from her storage pouch. Ugh, my Far-Away Escape Talisman. She had searched for it for so long, saving it for the day Lin Morou would try to kill her. It was almost dawn. She had to make Lin Morou leave. If Lin Morou died, what would be the point of her mission?

Zing!

Ji Wan’s sword shattered in an instant. But at least the net was broken, too. Since her life-bound spiritual sword was connected to her core, its destruction caused her to spit up another mouthful of blood.

“Ji Wan!” Lin Morou’s icy expression was gone, her face filled with worry.

There was no time. In the midst of Lin Morou’s worried expression, Ji Wan quickly stuck the talisman onto her forehead. Lin Morou’s eyes widened in shock. In an instant, she vanished.

The black-robed man had been so sure of victory and was planning to toy with Ji Wan. But seeing Lin Morou disappear, and sensing that her aura was now out of range, his face turned green. “Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!” The man was so furious that he transformed on the spot. A gigantic beast tens of meters long appeared on the empty ground, filled with rage.

Ji Wan sighed in relief after sending Lin Morou away. But now she faced a much greater danger. This monster is such an eyesore! she thought. Did he eat fertilizer or something to get so big? Fear spread through her. Ji Wan wiped the blood from her mouth, trying to keep her legs from turning to jelly. Now, she faced the real monster.

The bull-headed monster angrily swept his snake-like tail toward Ji Wan. She quickly channeled her energy to escape. The monster was so consumed by rage that it had lost its mind, planning to simply crush this ant with brute force. It was fortunate he had lost his mind; if he had any wits, he wouldn’t just be chasing her. If he had used that net from before, Ji Wan would be dead on the spot.

Yes, the monster was just simply swinging his tail to crush her. Even so, it was incredibly difficult for Ji Wan. Her body was already severely injured from the sword breaking. If it weren’t for the pain immunity, she wouldn’t be able to move. If the monster regained its sanity, she’d be finished.

Just then, a cave appeared in front of Ji Wan. She flew into it without a second thought. The monster’s black eyes had turned a frightening crimson color, but as it neared the cave, it stopped. A mysterious gaze had fixed upon it. A fear from the depths of its bloodline made the monster bow its head in submission. The being inside that cave was not something it could violate.

…

The Divine Opportunity

Lin Morou was instantly teleported to an unknown realm. It was covered in thick, white snow, a frozen landscape for miles. Everything she saw was white.

“No, I can’t stay here. Ji Wan,” Lin Morou said, her voice filled with panic. She frantically searched for a way back.

Suddenly, a golden dragon spiraled down from the sky. Lin Morou felt a sense of familiarity from her bloodline as she looked at it. The dragon dove down and turned into a beam of light, which entered her forehead. At the same time, the Crimson Blood Fruit in her arms turned into a clear drop of water and slid down her throat.

Lin Morou’s body suddenly burst with a golden light. A mysterious symbol appeared on her forehead, but it vanished just as quickly. This power felt incredibly familiar, as if it had belonged to her all along. Then, she fainted. Before she lost consciousness, Ji Wan’s face appeared in her mind.

Ji Wan dragged her injured body deep into the cave. She found a mysterious dragon statue, but nothing else. She couldn’t feel the bull-headed monster’s aura anymore and collapsed on the ground, exhausted. Ji Wan gasped for air, relieved to have survived.

“Great host, the female lead has received her opportunity,” System 111’s voice said.

“Mm,” Ji Wan replied weakly, too tired to even complain. I nearly died, all just to create an opportunity for her, she thought.

“I have detected that the host is safe. Disabling pain-free mode. Keep up the good work, great host. I’m taking off now.” System 111’s voice instantly vanished, giving off a feeling of a guilty conscience.

Ji Wan didn’t think much of it and was about to close her eyes to heal her damaged core. But in the next second, a powerful, sharp pain shot through every part of her body. Ji Wan’s face twisted in agony, her brows furrowed. Damn it. The side effect is that the pain comes back later. How is this fair?

Ji Wan lay on the ground, curled up and trembling. Sweat soaked her back. Tears fell from her eyes against her will.

Familiar yet foreign memories flashed through her mind:

“Be a good girl, take your medicine. It’s not bitter. After you’re done, I’ll buy you a dessert, okay?”

“No, it’s so bitter. I hate it.”

“Alright, but it’s your fault for taking a bath while playing a game yesterday.”

…

“Okay, it’s not hurting anymore. A cut on your finger will heal quickly.”

“W-what’s-his-name, it hurts so bad.”

“Let me blow on it, okay? Don’t cry.”

…

“Don’t look, if you’re scared of ghosts, why are you watching a horror movie?”

“Well, you’re here. Hehe. I can just hide in your arms and watch.”

“Fine, I can never say no to you.”

…

“Ji Wan, I’ll love you for a lifetime.”

“How long is a lifetime?”

“Long enough that I can give up everything for you.”

…

There was a familiar voice, but the face was blurry. Ji Wan tried desperately to see it. She felt a deep sense of injustice in her heart, wanting to pour out her feelings to that person.

BEEP, WARNING! WARNING! A piercing sound suddenly rang out. The memories vanished, and Ji Wan, overwhelmed by the pain, fell into a coma.

…

The Price of Protection

Lin Morou woke up, feeling the abundant spiritual energy in her body and a golden light in her core that was continuously supplying her with power. The golden light from the bloodline inheritance still lingered in her eyes. The snowy world around her began to crumble. Lin Morou watched it all impassively.

Suddenly, her eyes trembled. Without even a thought, she instantly teleported to the beautiful, unconscious woman and embraced her. Looking at the fragile woman in her arms, Lin Morou’s face filled with anger. He dared to hurt her.

Although she wanted to grind that monster’s bones to dust, she was more worried about Ji Wan. Ji Wan’s white robes were stained with blood, and her body trembled slightly from the pain even in her sleep. Tears still streamed down her unconscious face. Lin Morou felt a spiritual pain deep in her soul. She couldn’t help but gently touch Ji Wan’s face, carefully wiping away the tears and the blood from her mouth. Her expression showed a tenderness she had never seen in herself before.

She carefully picked up Ji Wan and placed her on a clean spot beneath the statue. After meticulously feeding Ji Wan some healing pills and checking that she was temporarily out of danger, Lin Morou stood up and looked in a certain direction. There was only a quarter of an hour left before the realm closed, but it was enough.

Lin Morou’s expression turned cold, returning to its former blankness, but with an even more chilling edge. With a thought, she instantly teleported to the bull-headed monster’s location. The monster was still annoyed about losing the little girl, but the person who had taken the Crimson Blood Fruit suddenly appeared before him.

“Haha, this was easier than I thought! You’re foolish to come back, little brat.” The monster was overjoyed. He didn’t even notice the same terrifying pressure coming from Lin Morou as he had felt from the cave.

“You dared to hurt her?” Lin Morou’s eyes were as cold as ice, and her suppressed rage made her power surge.

“Heh, your little sister is probably already dead,” the monster cackled oddly. His black eyes grew dangerous as he looked at Lin Morou, completely oblivious to the danger he was in.

But in the next second, the monster watched in horror as a familiar golden light erupted from Lin Morou. He realized the danger and tried to run, but it was too late.

“No, no… Aah!” The monster was instantly torn apart, reduced to dust. Everything was over in just a few seconds.

Lin Morou, still only at the Foundation Establishment stage, had instantly killed a monster that was close to the Soul Transformation stage. She gave the remains a cold glance. When she saw a black bead roll out of the pile of fragmented flesh, she casually put it in her storage pouch. Then she quickly moved back the way she came. Her mind was only focused on Ji Wan’s injuries.