Chapter 296

"....?!"

"Long before I even knew what was going on, for as long as I can remember, my family lived on a tier-one planet that was basically conquered by humanity."

Ray was more than intrigued as he sat down properly and turned his head to look at Trisha, while the girl just kept staring straight ahead.

"I come from a small legacy family of ice meta-humans. And I don’t mean just an immediate family; we could be said to be a clan numbering around a hundred members living safely on a conquered beast planet. Away from Alcatraz, away from these walls surrounding humanity."

A flicker of an emotion flashed across her eyes as memories of the past flooded into her mind.

"... We lived in peace. And due to the ongoing war, everybody, kids, young ones; anybody that was five years old and above was required to train their ass off.

Day by day, I trained in the arts of using a sword and my ice ability. Due to being the daughter of the family leader, a heavy pressure was mounted on me to keep on training like never before."

’Woah. She comes from a legacy family? Damn.’

Letting out a deep sigh, Trisha smiled painfully. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

It was the very first time the Tribrid was seeing her smile, even if it was a pained one.

"Due to constantly training and not wanting to fail my family, I unconsciously alienated myself from people. Didn’t interact much with anybody as I was only focused on one thing and one thing alone."

She lifted her sword and turned the blade towards her face.

".... Focused on hacking, slashing, and using my ability."

Sighing, she dropped the sword back down beside her and continued:

"We had thought that since the planet was a conquered one, we would be safe since the beasts there could not pose a threat whatsoever to us. But I was wrong. We were all wrong. We kind of forgot that humanity wasn’t up against just beasts, but them too...."

The words slithered out of her tongue as a flash of anger crossed her eyes.

Ray lifted a brow, visibly curious.

"Them?" He thought for a second, then his eyes widened. "Wait. Do you mean the Aberrants?!"

Trisha didn’t reply as her hands curled into fists immediately.

Teeth gnashing back and forth repeatedly as she gazed into the distance.

Taking in deep breaths a moment later, she calmed back down.

"I was ten years old when the Aberrants attacked the planet we were on. I can’t forget that day no matter how hard I want to."

Her face betrayed a fraction of emotion before switching back to its usual stoicism.

"The whole family fought against those blasted apes. They all fought with vigor, yet we were losing.

Out of twenty Aberrants, we were only able to defeat eighteen of them, with more than half of the family dead.

Due to being a child, my mom hid me and the other kids somewhere safe while the adults fought the Aberrants with everything they had."

"...."

"... But seeing their families die stirred something within the other kids, and they decided it was wise to rush at the Aberrants. I tried stopping them, but they all pushed me and decided to foolishly attack the Aberrants.

I-I-I was too scared to move. I was a coward. No matter how hard I trained, I realized that in front of this threat, I was nothing. I remained frozen in place while watching everybody I knew slaughtered."

Her throat tightened for a moment before she shook her head and continued.

"The whole family was dead. Kids, elders, adults. Everybody that could wield the ice ability except me was dead.

While the enemy still had two members left. They managed to sight me and were ready to finish the job until she arrived."

"...."

’Hm? She?’

Trisha let out a bitter sigh.

"A brave Vanguard. I think she’s a Captain now. Yeah. She swooped in and took care of the remaining two Aberrants efficiently.

Her sword movements were so fluid and enchanting, like a dance of some sort.

Anyway.... when she was done defeating the remaining two Aberrants, I saw her hand reaching out to me.

I had been on my knees, in a pool of blood. Not mine. She reached out to me, saved me, and brought me to Alcatraz— in Wall Steel. There, she took care of me like her own."

Pausing for a moment, Trisha licked her lips and continued:

"Living with her, I realized something. She was a woman of few words. Barely spoke. I also barely spoke due to, you know.... not having friends and all that.

So, I wondered if maybe that was why she was so strong.

So, I unconsciously absorbed that trait while training with her everyday for five years until the order was passed that all teens from age fifteen to eighteen be sent to the Aspirant Corps. And here I am."

The corner of Trisha’s lips twitched as a thought flashed through her mind.

".... I don’t see myself as above others. Yes, I do feel like the majority of the people around me are weak, but that’s because I see my past self in them too.

If I thought like this and saw myself as a queen, I wouldn’t have been close to Chloe. About not speaking much, that’s because... because.... Because...."

’Huh?’

Trisha squeezed her eyes shut and then her hands as she inhaled sharply, then breathed her words out;

"I really don’t know what to say. I-I-I don’t know how to converse with people at all. I’m-I’m...."

"... Socially awkward," Ray muttered in pure shock as he looked at the girl with wide eyes.

Everything he thought he knew about the girl just flew out of the roof.

Who knew that the Ice Queen wasn’t cold because she felt like it was a waste to speak to people, but because she just didn’t know how to speak.

"Yeah. Kind of," Trisha muttered before turning her gaze back to the world ahead with a soft, cold look on her face again.

".... I just don’t want to be weak again like I was five years ago. That is why I’m constantly pushing to be better than before.

The leaderboard you spoke of, the hunt; it’s my way of wanting to grow stronger, pushing past my limits so I don’t have to feel or look weak in front of my foes and any threat."

"...."

Ray blinked for a few seconds, then slammed his palm against his face.

’Oh damn. I have been a total fool.’