QT: Against My Will-Chapter 521 - 8.38 - Elera Feels Like An Outsider - Monster Heist
’Don’t transmigrators typically get cheats to oppose the female lead?" Elera thought to herself, feeling a twinge of envy as she observed everyone displaying their magic powers, ’Why didn’t I transmigrate to a secretly powerful body with sealed abilities like Riley?’
All leads would always receive some sort of cheat or special ability which would help them overcome every obstacle. Meanwhile, Elera had to rely solely on her own wits and skills to survive in this new world, without any cheats to give her a leg up.
Elera’s attention was caught by a surge of energy coming from Shina’s berth. When she looked over, she saw the doors suddenly morph into thick metal barriers as Henry and Juliet walked past.
It didn’t end with Henry. Elera also saw a series of unusual symbols etched into the doors. She recognized them as powerful magical wards that would deflect any physical or magical attacks.
"Was that necessary?" inquired Elera, pretending to be unaware that Shina and Silvia were the same people.
"That’s just how we roll," Laura said with a smirk, "We go above and beyond our duties for our Lady."
Bertha stood up and grabbed a wooden board Laura handed to her from her space, scribbling a message on it with a marker. She then walked before their berth and hooked the board on the door, the message facing outwards. It read, "Enter at your own risk. Shina Night’s beauty sleep is not to be disturbed under any circumstances."
Laura passed a mask to Elera. "Put this on and pretend to be asleep," she ordered.
"..." Elera hesitated for a moment before complying with the ridiculous plan.
As they watched Elera don the monkey mask and pretend to be asleep, the girls were giggling uncontrollably, barely able to keep their composure.
"I can’t believe we’re doing this," Aria managed to say between fits of laughter, "Imagine if it really works."
Josiah Tyrrel passed by the cabin, he noticed the warning sign and stopped in his tracks. He arched an eyebrow but decided to walk away without saying anything.
At just 21 years of age, Josiah Tyrrel had already established himself as a highly respected alpha with strong family values. He cherished his four wives and dozen children dearly and expected nothing but the best for his clan.
Some even considered him to be a better alpha than Nathaniel Hauxley or Victor Egerton, who had no offspring yet. In the world they lived in, the pressure to have children was significantly higher for Alphas than anyone else, and Josiah’s dedication to his family made him a standout among his peers.
"..." The girls exchanged glances when not a single person dared to bother them, all thinking the same thing. They were shocked by how quickly their Lady gained influence and recognition with just a snap of her fingers.
"It’s almost laughable how she could have done it from the beginning, yet didn’t," Laura said, giving Aria a tight hug, feeling accomplished that at least one of her ’underlings’ had made it onto their Lady’s team.
She was acutely aware that their Lady was constantly evaluating their worth.
The vice team leaders had a plethora of people who had joined them, yet only thirty had made the cut to be a part of their Lady’s team, and Laura knew that each decision she made played a part in determining who stayed and who didn’t.
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The train rattled and swayed, the constant motion making it difficult for Elera to get any rest. The seats were narrow and hard, causing her back to ache with every jolt.
When Elera stood up to use the restroom, she was met with cold stares from Laura and Aria. They made it clear that she was no longer welcome in their berth after leaving it once.
Elera was left to wander the train alone, feeling like an outsider once again.
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
Elera was making her way back from the toilets when she accidentally bumped into someone. She looked up to see Victor, staring down at her with a mixture of surprise and amusement.
"Hey, Elera," he said softly. "It’s been a while."
Elera felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment and anger. She didn’t want to deal with Victor’s smug attitude right now. "Excuse me, I’m in a hurry," she replied coldly to the man who had stood her up too many times to count.
Victor chuckled. It took a while to find a spell to cover his true features, which caused him to neglect her a bit, "That’s too bad. I was hoping we could catch up on old times."
She was so young, so naive, and so full of untamed spirit. The mere thought of Elera considering an open relationship for him was endearing in its innocence.
As he watched her walk away, he felt the grip of his obsession tighten around his heart. He couldn’t bear the thought of Elera escaping his clutches, slipping away from his grasp. He wanted her soul to be forever marked by his twisted love.
Her defiance, her resilience, it was all too enticing, too tempting for him to let go.
Elera’s heart skipped a beat when Victor trailed behind her in a leisurely manner. She quickly made her way toward the girls in an attempt to use Shina Night’s name too. Just as she reached the berth, she saw Victor’s expression change into a frown when he noticed that Shina Night was inside too.
Elera couldn’t help but feel a small sense of satisfaction.
Laura shot Elera a sharp glare, her eyes brimming with anger as Victor entered their compartment and seated Elera on his lap. She was furious that Elera had brought trouble right to their doorstep.
Meanwhile, Bing Shi’a gaze wandered to Victor’s chest. After a moment, she spoke up, her tone casual but curious, "Victor, you look like you just stepped out of a fountain of youth."
"Of course, having Elera by my side always makes me feel young and alive," Victor simply sat there with a smug expression on his face, "Don’t mind me, ladies. Just catching up with an old friend," he said, placing a hand around Elera’s waist.
Bing Shi looked up. "How do you expect us to do that? Stare at that uninteresting stain on the ceiling?" she added, "I mean, look at you, Victor. You’re practically a walking distraction, right girls?"
"Right~." Laura and Aria shared a conspiratorial glance before flanking Victor on either side, playfully jostling for space. Someone had breached their side of the deal and became a handsome young man again.
"Victor Egerton," Laura purred, flashing her most alluring smile, "To what do we owe the pleasure of your company?"
Aria chimed in, batting her lashes in mock innocence, lightly tracing her fingers along Victor’s bulging bicep. "Oh, don’t mind us either. We just want to bask in the glory of your presence."
Just the image of presenting Victor before their lady with his cock stuffed in his mouth sent shivers down their spine in excitement.
"..." Victor’s expression shifted as he took in their flirtatious behavior that made him want to lash out violently. He was a playboy, yes, but he had some standards, "I appreciate the attention, ladies, but let’s not get too carried away here."
He aimed to demonstrate to Elera the implications of being in an open relationship by surrounding himself with numerous women and making Elera regret her decision.
"Sorry about that," Aria said with a sheepish grin as she created a small distance, "We didn’t mean to come out too strong."
"We are so sorry," Laura added, her tone apologetic, "We just couldn’t resist your charm."
Usually, Victor would have taken these two for cheap sluts who craved attention. But because he knew they were Shina’s people, he could sense the sarcastic undertone in their voices and behavior, and of course, the guns that were being pressed against his sides, "..."
