All Novel Full Chapter 388 The Berserker's Heart Part Two
Chapter 388 The Berserker’s Heart Part Two
She shrugged, offering Anya a half-smile. “I can give advice on how to win a fight, how to navigate guild politics, hell, even how to survive a dungeon ambush—but this?” She pointed vaguely toward Anya.
“This is out of my league.”
Anya snapped her head up, glaring at Aria. “You could have said that sooner!” she yelled, her frustration boiling over.
Aria held up her hands, laughing. “Hey, you’re the one who came to me for advice! I just thought I’d enjoy the moment first.”
Anya groaned, slumping forward onto the bar. “I swear, I’m going to regret this conversation for the rest of my life.”
Aria smirked, taking another sip of her drink. “Oh, no doubt. But at least it’s entertaining—for me, anyway.”
Dorian was stacking some cups behind the counter when he casually spoke up. “Well, if you’re looking for advice, I could tell you a thing or two.”
Anya let out an exhausted sigh, rubbing her temples. “What would a man like you possibly know about—”
“I’m married. With two beautiful wives,” Dorian interrupted smoothly, setting down a clean glass with a smirk. “So, I’d say I’m more than qualified.”
Anya blinked. Then again.
“The hell?” she blurted out, slamming both hands on the counter. “How is that even possible, forget that, is that even legal?”
Dorian shrugged, picking up another glass. “It’s never been illegal.”
Aria, who had been sipping her drink, nearly choked on it as she turned to him with wide eyes. “Woah, I never knew you had that much game, Dorian.”
Dorian gave Aria a small nod, a faint smirk tugging at his lips as he set a cup down with practiced ease. “Appreciate the compliment,” he said smoothly.
Then, turning his attention back to Anya, he leaned slightly against the counter. “First of all, you should figure out what you actually want.”
Anya furrowed her brows. “What do you mean by that?”
Dorian exhaled through his nose, crossing his arms. “Do you want this person to love you back? Or are you just going to keep being indecisive and end up regretting it later?”
Anya stiffened slightly, her fingers gripping her empty glass. She opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out immediately. Instead, she found herself glaring at the counter, as if the wood itself had personally offended her.
Anya quickly snapped, her face flushing brightly.
“When did I say I loved anyone?”
Dorian sighed, his expression unfazed. “Right, sure.”
Aria leaned back, smirking as she teased, “Really, Anya? It’s practically written all over your face, even a kid could tell you have the hots for someone.”
Dorian nodded. “Indeed. Denial isn’t going to get you anywhere.”
Anya gritted her teeth, her fists tightening around the edge of the table. After a moment of silence, she eased up, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. With a slight stutter, she poked at the glass in front of her.
“Okay, let’s say… I love this person. What now?”
Dorian’s expression didn’t change. He simply raised an eyebrow and said, “Then back to my earlier statement—do you want them to love you back?”
Anya’s patience snapped, her hand slamming the table with enough force to make the cups rattle.
“Of course, damn it! Why would I admit it if that wasn’t the case!” she yelled.
Aria raised her glass to her lips, fighting back a grin at Anya’s outburst.
Dorian looked at Anya with a piercing gaze, his voice calm but full of weight. “You need to make your intentions clear to this person. You have to be genuine and upfront with what you want. If you don’t, all you’re going to do is regret it later, trust me.”
Anya shifted uncomfortably in her seat, feeling the weight of his words. But Dorian wasn’t done yet.
“Since when do you run away from challenges, Anya? You’re the one who’s always charged into every battle, every conflict, no matter how dangerous or impossible it seemed.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, “This is no different. This is a challenge of the heart—the strongest battle of all. If you can’t even face this, then maybe you aren’t as strong as you always claim to be.”
The words hit harder than she expected, and for a moment, Anya felt herself falter. She clenched her fists, a touch of frustration and realization bubbling up within her.
She wasn’t used to backing down from anything, especially not from something as personal and vulnerable as this.
Aria, who had been silently listening, leaned forward with an eyebrow raised.
“You know, Dorian’s right. You’ve never hesitated when it comes to physical battles, but love? It’s a whole different beast. You can’t just punch your way through it.”
Anya shot her a glare. “I don’t need a lecture, Aria. You basically said you couldn’t help me a moment ago.”
Aria just smirked and shrugged, clearly amused. “Ouch… even if I did, am I not allowed to comment? I’m not saying it’s the same. I’m saying that you’ve got to approach it like a challenge. But instead of swinging fists, you’ve got to put your heart on the line. Let him know what you want, and more importantly, let yourself be vulnerable enough to admit it.”
Dorian looked at Anya with a calm gaze. “Exactly. This isn’t something you can force or control the way you would a dungeon raid or a monster fight. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a battle. And it’s not going to be easy. If you truly care about this person, you can’t keep hiding behind walls of pride and strength.”
Anya sat back in her seat, her mind racing. What Dorian was saying made sense, but the idea of opening up, of letting someone in—it felt like stepping into unknown territory. And Anya, being someone who thrived on certainty and control, wasn’t used to leaving things to chance.
“But… what if it doesn’t work out?” she muttered, her voice low. “What if I make a fool of myself?”
Dorian sighed and leaned in slightly. “Let me ask you something, Anya. When you face a challenge, do you ever think about the ‘what ifs’? What if I fail? What if I lose? No, you dive in because you know that the only way to win is to take that risk. This is no different. You’ve got to face the uncertainty head-on. There’s always a chance it won’t work, but if you don’t try, you’ll never know.”