Chapter 361: Praise The Trees
Serena met the Princess's gaze and felt a cold dread seep into her bones and soul. A tightness coiled around her heart, caressing it as if finding amusement in its pounding beat. She tried to breathe, but the air had fled her lungs in fear. She tried to look away but could not. These were the eyes of a reaper devoid of any warmth, and to look away would spell death.
"Serena Blacktide." The Princess said, her voice no longer distorted by the mask, "You harvested cursed sap with this axe, harming a tree in the process, and then killed a devoted believer of the All-Seeing Eye and unlawfully turned them into a tree with the harvested cursed sap." Stella brought up the axe caked in black sap and blood and lightly ran its cold blade against Serena's neck, "This alone would be enough for a public execution..." Her voice dropped to a sadistic whisper, "We have to set an example, after all."
Every word made Serena tremble. This girl's bloodlust was terrifying.
"Yet somehow, you committed even more crimes." Stella stood up and loomed over her with axe in hand. Lightning flashed behind her, and the bone-chilling winds violently rustled her cloak and hair, "You almost killed a tournament participant in the Red Village and attempted murder on an Ashfallen Trading Company representative by giving him an egg that absorbed months' worth of profits. Serena Blacktide, do you agree this is a fair assessment of your crimes?"
"Yes..." Serena gulped as she felt the weight of death hanging over her. "Except what do you mean by almost killed?"
"The blonde-haired kid you tried to murder is still alive," The Princess smirked, "I saved him just in time."
"So that twerp didn't even die?" Serena looked at the ground in despair. Here she was, a Soul Fire Realm cultivator reduced to such a pitiful state. Unable to cycle Qi under the Princess's deathly glare, she was soaked to the bone by freezing rain. Her list of crimes was too extensive, so she knew death was coming, yet she couldn't help but be bittersweet about it.
There was so much I still wanted to do and see.
"Now tell me, Serena Blacktide, why did you want to kill the twerp anyways?" The Princess asked, and Serena could hear a series of clicking noises as the Darktide Devourer shifted its weight behind her.