Only I Am A Reader-Chapter 584: Thorny Cultivation

Looking at the crowd cheering for her group, the Thorn Queen tried her best to smile like a kind older sister, but she couldn't suppress the hideous grin blooming deep inside her.

Once upon a time, she and her sister lived like royalty, using their powers to get their hands on everything they could. Everyone who tried to stop them ended up becoming the fertilizer to their growth, and those who could stop them were far too busy to do so.

As time passed, there were even a few bright ones who started to idolize them, ready to act as slaves as long as they threw the leftovers their way!

Unfortunately, because of some useless fools who didn't know their place, their once feasible dreams of sovereignty came crashing down, forcing them to go into hiding.

'Those idiots thought they were actual heroes.'

If only other Superhumans like them weren't so insufferably naive, the heralds of destruction wouldn't have been curbed back so quickly, and the once fearful normies wouldn't have dared bare their fangs toward them.

Even worse were the ones who chose to act as hunting hounds for the powerless higher-ups, and for what? Just for the sake of fame and riches!

'Why bow down for the sake of these things when you can take them by force!'

Once their kind took over the entire planet, fame would be meaningless, and all the resources would be theirs for the taking. Those useless dogs were simply incapable of overcoming the domestic nature ingrained into them by the old world!

Were it not for them or the traitors who prioritized the normies, the proud thorn Trio would have already been sitting on their rightful thrones… Instead of having to stand here like puppets playing on the hateful higher-ups' stage!

'But this is it.'

Naturally, as someone who loathed the pests who submitted to their meaningless 'authority', the Thorn Queen and her sisters had no intention of acting as their tools; they were still following their very first plan.

It didn't matter when or how; they were definitely going to rise above everyone else!

As if to further cement their conviction, their path to supremacy revealed itself just when they were about to give up and descend into despair.

'These slaves are still useless, but to think those arrogant higher-ups would provide us with the perfect fertilizer with their very own hands!'

The cheers they received didn't matter as they were already used to them back in their heyday, but the opportunity presented to them was worth temporarily enduring the humiliation of acting as puppets.

Pride was important, but it was something they could give up for the sake of their ultimate goal!

'We were- No, we are the Chosen Ones!'

It wasn't strange for the higher-ups to hatch one more of their insidious plans in order to keep their measly authority, but for the only ones that fit the criteria they desired to be their group?

This was no coincidence; this was fate!

'Aurora Dawnbringer, truly, nothing could fit better.'

The useless normies named her that way believing that she was their savior, but the Thorn Queen thought differently; the Dawn she was meant to bring was theirs! She was truly the Light that their vines needed to grow!

Of course, most of the thoughts in the Thorn Queen's head were purely metaphorical, but it was mostly true nonetheless, as long as they played along for a while, their Thorn Kingdom was imminent!

'You only have yourselves to blame.'

Although she acted subservient when the higher-ups summoned her, she was grinning internally like an idiot as soon as she heard that Aurora was the target.

They thought they were smart just because their intelligence agencies kept tabs on every hidden threat that could create a real uprising, but the reality was that the era of the apocalypse had simply been too chaotic.

Not to mention knowing the specifics of every ability the Superhumans had, they had only barely kept up with their numbers and areas of activity.

Sure, now that they had the resources and the manpower to spare, their so-called 'Ability Codex' was far more sophisticated, which led them to lower their guard.

Unfortunately for them, back in the day, real ability secrets were extremely guarded. Other than the Ability User himself, no one truly knew the extent of their abilities, and such one ability was the Thorn Trio's 'Cultivation'!

'All that power…'

Although known for their viciousness and absolute strength within their territories, the Thorn Trio's story was one of humble beginnings.

While they were pretty special for awakening similar Abilities as triplets, they only started out with the ability to control small plants, something that was completely useless in real combat.

Funnily enough, though, what started their meteoric rise was yet another fateful encounter. During a routine scavenge hunt, they chanced upon another Ability User on the brink of death.

At first, they approached the man clinging to his life with the intention of looting his body, but surprisingly, thin vines stretched out of their fingers when they tried to search him.

Like a straw that was trying to siphon the last drop of its drink, the poor soul was sucked dry on the spot, and that was the day the three sisters discovered they could 'cultivate' their ability to grow stronger!

If a more conscientious person discovered they had this ability, they would have felt conflicted if not horrified, but as if every Ability truly aligned with its user, the sinister sisters were greatly delighted.

It didn't even occur to them to question the fact that they had to use other Ability Users as fertilizers. Instead, their first instinct was to immediately start cooking up schemes to catch more 'easy' prey like the one they just had.

After all, they simply couldn't shake off the simulation they just felt, it was simply too exhilarating!

Most importantly, this was nothing like the drugs they had once tried. It wasn't something temporary that quickly faded away and made everything worse; they could feel good and grow stronger at the same time!

'I can't even fully imagine it!'

Even now, the Thorn Queen could barely keep himself from drooling in public. It had simply been too long since they last feasted; they naturally couldn't let go of a 'fatty' prey like Aurora!