Chapter 83
Valencia rose from her seat with an eerie calm. She walked slowly toward Karl, who was sprawled on the floor, her eyes blazing with a confident aura. With a gentle yet firm movement, she knelt beside him as he writhed in pain, placing her hand on his forehead.
"Relax, Karl. This is the effect of the tea you drank last night," Valencia said, her voice soothing yet authoritative.
Karl cracked his eyes open, staring at her with confusion and pain. "What... did you do to us?" he asked haltingly.
Valencia gave a faint smile, gently stroking his hair like a mother comforting her child. "That tea wasn’t poison, Karl. On the contrary, it’s the key to awakening the noctis blood dormant within you. The tea stimulates cell regeneration in your body, including the long-damaged parts of your brain—specifically the prefrontal cortex, the center of moral decisions and emotional control."
Karl groaned, struggling to process her words amidst the searing pain. In the corner of the room, Layla began to recover as well, sitting up while panting, her face drenched in sweat. She glared at Valencia sharply.
"You knew this would happen," Layla hissed. "Why didn’t you warn us?"
Valencia shrugged, her gaze shifting from Karl to Layla. "Because you needed to experience this yourself. The noctis blood isn’t something you can ignore. The power within it is part of you, but you’ve been suppressing it—consciously or not. This regeneration restores what should have been yours: power, heightened awareness, and untapped potential."
Karl gritted his teeth, trying to get up, but his body still felt heavy. "Why... are you doing this to us?"
Valencia stood, looking down at them with intense eyes. "Because it will entertain me more. Hahaha!"
Layla finally managed to stand, albeit shakily, glaring at Valencia with suspicion. "And what guarantee do we have that this won’t kill us? You said this noctis blood awakens our potential, but you never told us the price we’d pay."
Valencia smiled slightly, her expression serene. "You won’t die... as long as you learn to control this power. But if you fail—well, your bodies might collapse from the excessive regeneration."