Dominion's End

Dominion's End V4C7: Tier Two Duel, Part One

Dominion's End Volume 4: Battle for Lan City

Original novel in Chinese by: 御 我 (Yu Wo)

Chapter 7: Tier Two Duel, Part One—translated by Michimochi (proofread by EvlNabiki & Lala Su; C/E edited by lucathia)

By the time we returned to the mini storage, it was already very late. There was no need for discussion. Everyone automatically understood that we were going to stay here for the night. The dark was definitely not the best time for the living to be active.

Upon returning, Guan Weijun ascertained everyone's well-being. She then went to the side with Zhang Jing and Tai Wen for a private discussion. The topic was probably the distribution of crystals. Those two seemed to be her right- and left-hand. I didn't know how she was going to distribute them; there were five crystals, so it was best to give them all to one person. One person could hardly feel any effect with partial consumption. But at the end of the day, the distribution itself was always the difficult part. One wrong move, and just a few crystals could shatter the team's harmony.

I scrunched my brows and watched Guan Weijun. She placed the crystals in Tai Wen's hands. I couldn't really tell from my angle, but it seemed to be all of the crystals...

"Please don't be afraid of my Xiao Jun."

Startled, I looked back and saw Mom looking at me with uneasiness. She even anxiously explained, "You probably saw Xiao Jun's strength, right? She's actually a good girl. She's just... just a bit tomboyish and learned a bit of boxing. I don't know how her strength became so powerful..."

I looked back on how Guan Weijun could use her bare fists to smash brains into pulp all over the floor. And this much power was before she even ate any crystals! But to me, that scene wasn't gruesome. I just found it regrettable. If I had been that strong in my last life, maybe Mom wouldn't have passed away so early on in the beginning stages of the apocalypse.

I couldn't compare to her. No matter who this Guan Weijun was, she was stronger than me.

I didn't know why, but I kept thinking about the fact that she was stronger than me. A feeling that made my heart pound erupted toward the surface without anything holding it back. I just had this violent surge of... What is it? I couldn't put my finger on this type of feeling... Guilt? Shame?

"Xiao Jun has saved many people along the way. She is a very good kid. She is definitely not a bad person. She would never hurt anyone, only monsters. Don't be afraid of her. A-And don't hurt her."

She was so nervous that she was about to tear up.

All of a sudden, there was a sour feeling in my heart. The Mom before my eyes was still Mom. She hadn't changed, from appearance down to personality. It was just that the child she loved so dearly wasn't me anymore.

I knew that I shouldn't be complaining. I had lost a mom but, hey, I had gained Dàgē, Xiǎomèi, Uncle, Auntie, and even the whole Jiang Dominion. I pretty much hit it big, right? But how can I use quantity to compare something like this?

"Y-You believe me, right? Xiao Jun really isn't a bad person." Mom looked anxiously at me. If I said a word of disbelief, she might really burst into tears while pleading.

I smiled and said, "I think she's great. You have to be stronger in order to survive in this kind of world."

After hearing this reply, Mom was finally relieved. She murmured, "Exactly. Being stronger is a good thing..."

She looked at Guan Weijun, her gaze an odd mixture of relief and reluctance. This attitude was all too familiar. I instantly recalled Dàgē's face, despite the difference in gender and appearance. He often used that expression to look at me, too.