《Through Unknowns》


 -1 Notice

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    Welp.


    I won''t expect anything about this novel anymore. I''ll just whoosh everything as I found a job online and as a manager for someone. Please do forgive me

 1 Traveled

    A girl looked lifelessly outside the window with her red eyes as she reminiscence back when she still hadn''t seen the harsh reality.


    As an infant, she already remembered how the warm feeling engulfed her inside her mother''s womb.


    Being born, a vague feeling that there is clearly rewritten from her memory. All she could remember is the warmth of a large hand, a delicate hand, and two more little hands. It''s kind of a feeling that made her wanted to know who are those people badly.


    She started to immerse herself in books to deal with the boredom as a baby which is absurd. Where do you see such a baby trying to understand a book? Fiction.


    In 4 years old, her memory is now clear, without any signs of blur or rewriting. Her foster father, Luca, and his wife, Lane, were both the top agents of the secret government that opposes the current political stars.


    They already made her as their scapegoat in every failed mission ever since she can talk and walk by herself. Luca and Lane always left her alone in their house or let their neighbor take care of her in a discreet manner: leaving her in the front door, rings the doorbell and run.


    Those two always comes home to retrieve her once every year. When she became 7 years old, she had to learn house chores to help her neighbor as she already helped her and is not expecting anything in return. She also learned various bodily arts for protecting her benefactor and its relatives, in case that she is found out by the opposing faction.


    With these, she is forced to mature to be able to depend on herself at such a young age of 10. Many people have helped her to survive through the hard days of reality. They also supported her for making an AI to cope with her loneliness. This made her the youngest scientist and earned lots of money that titles her as the youngest millionaire. On how is she not recognized, she used another alias and made the company to hide her true identity.


    If ever her face came out, the time when she is used as a scapegoat will come out and the people around her will be in trouble.


    The day she turned 16, her foster parents came back to retrieve her. This time, she is made as a meat shield for the opposing faction. Taken as a hostage for 2 months, she experienced hell that time. Thankfully, her AI01 is there to make her rationality remain.


    "01, when do you think I''ll die?" She asked in the midst of her reminiscence.


    A watch on her wrist blinked. [Speech not recognized, please clearly repeat the word.]


    She smiled bitterly. She closed the window then looked around at the 36 square meter apartment of her. Sighing, she went to shower to prepare herself for school after 2 months of leave.


    She dressed in her uniform; a white shirt, a black necktie, a gray overcoat, a black knee-length skirt and her Michaela black school shoes. She is currently a Grade 10 student in Melbourne Academy, the so-called school of the royals and elites. This is where the riches and the geniuses gather.


    After locking her apartment door, she departed.


    On the way to Melbourne Academy, all of the students turned their gazes to her. They continued walking as they whisper and gossip. Three girls and two boys were looking at her with mockery. Clearly, this group of teenagers is here to create trouble. But they didn''t continue their plan when they saw an arrogant female walking towards the red-eyed girl.


    "Oh my, look who''s here to finally show up after 2 months of leave. Do your parents have enough tuitions to have you continued your studies here in Melbourne? Just how poor are you? Do you want me to pay for your expensive tuitions?" The girl who approached her is Claire Marie D. Undine, 17 years old and the 2nd daughter of the Undine Royal Family.


    The girl with red eyes kept quiet and just stared at Claire. With such hell she experienced in those 2 months, physical and mental tortures are at such a high level. How can a mere 16-year-old be able to bear it? However, she got away unscathed...


    Looking back on her experience for 2 months, this kind of provocation is clearly nothing to her. This is just made by a 17-year-old immature teenager who''s thirsty for the masses'' attention.


    She just smiled before brushing her off. Claire smiled and grabbed her to be forcefully thrown into the wall. "How can such a poor girl like you are enrolled in the top academy without money? Did you use your body to one of the teachers, or perhaps, to the principal? You will not be able to make it to S-class in such a state. You sold yourself, I see!"


    The red-eyed girl bit her lips and wanted to tell the truth that she is one of the biggest investors in building the Academy. Without her, the construction of the school will be 2 years longer than prior. Almost all of the teacher revered her higher than the principal itself, even the principal has to be polite towards her in private. Don''t mention such a meager top academy, even the top university revered her as their benefactor.


    She just can''t say that, ''I am the youngest millionaire!'' to them. It would be unbelievable as she used another name and kept her true identity as a secret.


    She grabbed the girl''s wrist and twisted it. Claire groaned in pain as she let go to soothe the pain caused by the red-eyed girl. "Hmph! How dare a person of the lowest caste system assault the member of the high caste system?! Once the someone reported this, your education identity and the token will be revoked! You will be reduced to nothing! Do you people saw it? She assaulted me when I just wanted to talk to her, right?!"


    Claire glared at every student. The students nodded their heads repeatedly; this cunning Undine daughter is much more troublesome when her needs and wants aren''t satisfied. Once you oppose her, your whole family will suffer under her words. They have no choice but to comply even if they wanted to protect the red-eyed girl. Well, some of them.


    Since the red-eyed girl is just an irregular. Their family is much more important than a mere stranger in the same academy.


    The red-eyed girl just stood there without moving. All of the people around were happy for the misfortune of the red-eyed girl and some were filled with pity. Claire''s mouth formed a beautiful arc as she looked with her arms crossed in front of her flat chest.


    But then, a commotion broke out 1 kilometer behind her. A black cloaked person with a red glint in his eyes under the hood. He ran as if he is searching for someone to hurriedly find the person he is searching for. After reaching the intersection, he saw a bright red glow that spanned 10 meters around that girl. This red glow is only seen by him as the surrounding people have not yet been blinded by the radiance.


    He brandished his knife as he set his pace faster. "Found you!"


    As Claire mockingly looked at the silent red-eyed girl, her eyes caught the moving black figure towards her. Her eyes showed shock then fear. The red-eyed girl caught hold of this and looked confusingly at Claire''s strange behavior.


    She turned around just to see the black figure stood like a sword before her, staring at her with killing intent.


    Before she could speak, 5 bodies collapsed. It was the three girls and two boys who previously had a plan to create trouble for the red-eyed girl. The surrounding people had their knees gave out as they saw such a brutal and gore scene.


    "Call the police!"


    "911! Call 911!"


    "No! Summon the FBI!"


    The people screamed as they escaped for their lives.


    "May this be your first and last life. Even though you haven''t implicated the Universe with terror, I need to end your life. Rest peacefully, the lost daughter." The black cloaked person thrust his knife with a blue glow into the red-eyed girl''s stomach.


    [Speech recognized, we all are living a good life.]


    The red-eyed girl laughed at AI01. She took one final look at her killer; he has this brilliant color of red in his eyes, a young and handsome face.


    She closed her eyes and her body turned cold. The black cloaked person disappeared in space and left the body of the red-eyed girl on the asphalt as it bathed the ground with red.


    ...


    A screen showed up out of nowhere in the dark abyss.


    [Mode 1: Murdered by an otherwolder. Coercing to Mode 2.]


    [Registering... error. Next host, Chang Xiuying, is too young to be transferred to. 5% chance of survivability. Would you still like to proceed? Yes / No.]


    The red-eyed girl stared blankly at the screen in front of her. She slowly blinked her eyes, as if she is uninterested about it.


    She pressed [No].


    "Huh?" She repeatedly pressed the [No] but it produced no result. The button can''t be pressed, instead, it was colored in gray. The only available answer is [Yes].


    ''What''s the use of the question then?'' She thought to herself. Since there is no choice, she pressed the only available button. Warm light enveloped her as she slowly became transparent in the dark abyss.


    ...


    A place where it is surrounded by a powerful barrier that consists of the notorious Divine Lightning Element that is 1 million volts per streak. At the very center of the barrier, there stood a tree that is 300 meters high with pink leaves much like the cherry blossoms from Japan on Earth. In its body, a face appeared then disappeared alternatively.


    Since this tree is still unknown, they just call it the Pink tree. Once you entered its range, it will suck some of your personality as its supplement. Once one entered the soft and wetland in 50 meters, it will instantly sense the person and that one will surely be the prey of the Pink tree. This is where they originated the name of the whole place, the Central Marsh.


    Around the range of the Pink tree, there stood a village. The houses are not that well made. The stone houses were just a stack pile of stones and some were made of woods. At the four directions of the Central Marsh, there stood towering pagodas. They were named; North Garden Pagoda, South Garden Pagoda, West Garden Pagoda and the East Garden Pagoda.


    Outside the town, there is a forest of beasts. Only the sun is present above the sky, once its dark, there will be nothing but darkness. That''s when the beasts came to attack and fed on humans.


    At the edge of the forest, there stood a lady in her 20''s with a 3-year-old girl. The lady is pretty ordinary. Everything about her is normal, her actions, manners and even her face. She is 1.57 meters tall, she has this unique sea green eyes and her shoulder-length brown hair. This lady''s name is Jiang Li. The little kid is Chang Xiuying, who has this clear black eyes, she''s 95 centimeters tall and her black hair that has some silver color which is invisible in the naked eye.


    "Xiuying, come on. You have to get me that beautiful flower that you and Uncle Jiang discovered yesterday in the martial field."


    "The beautiful flower?" Chang Xiuying tilted her little head confusingly with her innocent look.


    "Yes, that beautiful flower." Jiang Li smiled sweetly as she looked profoundly at the little kid.


    "Will it make Big sister Jiang happy?" Chang Xiuying asked with a sparkle in her charming black eyes.


    "Extremely happy. How about this, getting that flower for me and for Aunt Irene will be an extreme blessing for us when you picked it by yourself. Are you on this?"


    Chang Xiuying bit her thumb and pondered before nodding excitedly. "Hmm... okay!"


    "Now, now, you have to be careful, okay? I''ll wait for you here!" Jiang Li waved her hands as she sent the little girl into the forest. Chang Xiuying excitedly jumped while waving at Jiang Li as she departs.


    When Chang Xiuying''s figure disappeared in the forest, Jiang Li hysterically laughed. "What a good kid you are, Xiuying." She flipped her hair and turned back.


    ...


    The little kid approached a beautiful seven-colored flower near a cave. She carefully dug out its roots before putting it in her storage bag. She giggled as she skipped through to find another one. Strangely, a white glow appeared in front of her. It grew a limb and beckoned her before moving to another place.


    "A will-o''-the-wisp..." She happily approached it. Hoping to get one for her Big sister Jiang. After reaching a dead-end, there is an extremely rare 10-colored flower swaying by the wind. "Fortune! What good fortune! This will truly please Big sister!"


    But then, a large Python emerged atop the tree. Hissing murderously as it pounced on the little girl. Chang Xiuying picked the 10-colored flower but is instantly killed by the Python. When her body collapsed on the ground, a white radiance emanated from her that instantly enveloped and disintegrated the Python.


    When the little girl opened her eyes, a shining light came out and revealed her white-eyes.

 2 In the Central Marsh

    When the radiance of the white eyes disappeared, the girl slowly got up.


    She held her head in pain and recollected her thoughts to understand this strange situation. First, a screen appeared out of nowhere. Second, she pressed [Yes] since [No] is not available. Third, she was summoned to this little girl''s body. Lastly, the memory seems to be one of her own. It is like this body is a part of her but is not.


    Chang Xiuying is the name of the little girl, adopted when she is 7 months old in the Orphanage. 3 years old as of now and the memory of being born is rewritten too, the same as her previous life. What is really going on? She thought.


    Chang Xiuying glanced at her other hand. It is clutching on the 10-colored flower. She suddenly remembered the time before she entered the girl''s body. The body is clearly bitten and the poison is lethal that can result in death in a second. But this body expelled the poison and her consciousness entered.


    Guided by the mischievous will-o''-the-wisp, which is intentional to find an opportunity to enter the new body, she discovered the very rare 10-colored flower but is guarded by the 10,000-year-old Python. That leads to her transfer into this world.


    "Alright." She said to herself before stretching her little body. This body is 0.95 meters tall, her limbs are short, and her view is much bigger when she is back on Earth. Remembering the fact why she picked the rare flowers, she decided to keep it to herself.


    ''No one wanted to give flowers to the one that wanted you to disappear right? Except for children, they are too innocent to detect the hidden enmity between people.''


    "Do my strength still effective here?" She pondered. She shrugged her shoulders before attempting to punch on the tree.


    BAM!


    Smoke came out on the body of the tree. When it disappeared a hole emerged that cracks appeared around the hole. No doubt, she got overpowered after entering the new world. However, this body didn''t undergo intense training and is also too young, so why is she able to perform the things she learned on Earth? Even her strength is twice as strong.


    "The heck." She complained without an expression on her face. As if it is only natural to her but her words contradict it. Hearing a rustle behind her, a white rabbit came out of the bush and sniffs for food.


    Chang Xiuying''s white eyes glinted. "I wonder if my speed leveled up too."


    The white rabbit''s body shivered and fearfully looked at Chang Xiuying. Sensing her intent, it immediately ran!


    She grinned and blasted like an arrow to chase the white rabbit. "Yep, it leveled up."


    1 minute has passed and she caught the ears of the rabbit. The white rabbit gave a pleading look to her. When Chang Xiuying smirked at the rabbit, the pleading look disappears and it started to kick her hand away. She slowly let it down and lets go of its ears.


    "I won''t eat you. I just tested my speed and that''s it." She puts her hands behind her little back and walked away. The white rabbit tilted its head before departing. It still needed to find food.


    When Chang Xiuying left the rabbit behind, her stomach growled. She started to skim through her storage bag to find something to eat. The storage bag''s only content is the 7 and 10-colored flowers, some dried rations, two bags of water and a clean pair of clothes.


    "These rations are not enough nutrition for this young one... seriously, people have to think about the nutrition of children!" She shook her head. These dried rations were given by Jiang Li to her. In the past few years, the food with the most nutrition was always snatched by Jiang Li and the less nutritious one will be left to her.


    Their only relatives, Jiang Hao and Irene Felstead, won''t be seeing this as they live in separate houses. These two were foreign people who entered the Central Marsh at the later date with unusual powers that frightened many villagers. Gladly, as time moves by, people are starting to open their hearts to them. They were useful to the village after all.


    Chang Xiuying sighed. She decided to eat the dried rations. "I have to look for food then. I don''t have to come back for now. If I went missing for a couple of days, this will alert Uncle Jiang and Aunt Irene. The next step will work on itself."


    "I still have my previous ability and that is a great help for having a round in this forest."


    Back on Earth, the greatest she achieved where the strength of 20 Elephants (approximately 12,000 pounds). While the humans only reached 2 Elephants (approximately 1,200 pounds) of strength. Which made her realize how inhuman she is.


    Seeing a feeble body of a 16-year-old display such power, most importantly a girl. How will the confidence of the people with steroids when they saw a weak-looking girl is much stronger than them? How is the world so unfair?! Even Hercules have great muscles on him!


    When she is finding food while exploring the forest, it contains wonders that is as good as Earth. Yet this place is just a small piece of land compared to Earth and is just a grain of sand in the eyes of the Universe. Chang Xiuying saw a tree with pink apple-like fruits on it, she looked around to see if there''s a hidden trap that is lurking around the tree. When she discovered none, she started to pick some of it and stored it in her storage bag.


    Fortunately, the storage bag can handle 1,000 items. This is a gift from Jiang Hao especially for her, saying that this bag is a medium-level Tier 4 Storage Bag. The low-level Tier 5 Storage bag can only hold 50 items, the medium-level can hold 100 items while the high-level can contain 500 items. The high-level Tier 5 Storage bag is scarce in Central Marsh and the most they have is the low-level Tier 5 one.


    Jiang Hao produced some of these bags and provided the villagers. On how he did it, it is still a mystery to them. What''s more important is that they can no longer have to carry heavy and big items with their hands. Irene also assisted on the making of the storage bag.


    She picked all of the 32 fruits and ate one before continuing her round. Chang Xiuying also found more fruits and stored them in her bag, now she had a 1-week supply of fruits that occupied 249 of her storage bag. Disappointingly, she still hasn''t encountered some meat on the way of her exploration. Though most of the meats were night-owl, some of them were active during the day such as the rabbits.


    "I shouldn''t let go of the rabbit back then..." She said dejectedly. Thinking about the meat, she still has to find spices and herbs for cooking. Of course, she has to take note of her nutrition, she''s a growing child after all. Even after her adolescent stage, she had to consider her health. She wouldn''t want to implicate her neighbor that is also her benefactor about her health.


    "Shocks, I forgot about Auntie Zoe..." Thinking about suddenly dying on the way to Melbourne, her neighbor Zoe would hear the news and it will cause her too much heartache. Since Zoe always thought of her as her own child. She shook her head in frustration without being able to bid her goodbye.


    Night came, it''s completely dark and there is nothing that can light the night sky. There is no such thing as a moon in Central Marsh or the stars. Nights are the only thing that scared the villagers because it''s the time where the powerful beasts will hunt and lurk out of their nests.


    Chang Xiuying''s white eyes looked like two moons under the night-sky as it excitedly observed her surroundings, she slowly closed it and heightened her hearing sense. Waiting for the moment she will hear the noises that the meats will make.


    After 20 minutes of eager waiting, countless rustle broke out. It''s time for the beasts to hunt and also for Chang Xiuying to hunt for meat.


    ...


    Morning came, people started to group themselves to discuss what happened last night. Wild discussions erupted everywhere.


    "Have you heard? Last night, the countless scream of the beasts were heard as if they were being slaughtered one by one."


    "I also heard about two white lights were seen warping from one place to another. Once it appeared, a whimper is heard, there is little blood on the ground and there is no body of the slaughtered beast."


    "Is it the will-o''-wisp? I never heard of it killing beasts before... however, that mischievous light only came as one, not two."


    "Huh? Something like that happened? How come I am only aware now?"


    "You''re like a dead man if you were asleep, that''s why you were not awakened by the scream of the agony of the beasts. This one is afraid that the next morning you would be turned into food by them."


    The man named Zhen Chang who bravely got out of his house to check what''s happening last night, speak. "It''s true! Once I arrived on the scene with a ball of light with me, I saw those two white lights. Those lights were like eyes of the beast that flashed with killing intent as it looked at me. However, it completely ignored me and went from place-to-place to kill those beasts!


    "It must be an arcane beast that has just woken up from its slumber, it is not possible to kill in such a dark hour! Now, I really don''t want to hunt for food in that forest in a while. I might be the next food on its plate if I disturbed it. Please, dear villagers, stay safe in your homes. Otherwise, you won''t be able to hold your dear life."


    The villagers gasped in shock as they hear the words of Zhen Chang. He is reputed as the strongest hunter in the village that continuously provided them with food and rations, he also helped the weak greatly and is not too greedy. On top of that, he is a handsome young man in 25. That''s the reason why they trusted his words so much to stay at home to protect their lives. As for the food, they also trusted it to the man itself since it is his responsibility to provide it to them.


    Zhen Chang guessed what''s on their mind and groaned into his heart, he bellowed. "I repeat, I won''t be going inside the forest to hunt!"


    After saying that, he quickly ran and disappeared from their sight. Another loud discussion erupted from the villagers. Most of it is complaints about what Zhen Chang just said.


    "That wicked Zhen Chang! How dare he left us without giving any food?! This is his task for the village yet he chose his life rather than the life of the villagers?! Cruel! Unjustly!"


    "Enough, Zhen Chang has done so much for us. Let him do what he wants." Yan Ruo spoke with calmness in her voice.


    "You just said that because he helped you many times than us! Even Jiang Hao is nicer to you!" One of the villagers complained about her fortunate position between the two revered people in the Central Marsh.


    "Speaking of Jiang Hao... he frantically searched through our village just to find our little goddess. Later, he will search in the forest, we should help." Yan Ruo ignored the complaint and changed the subject. She is one of the people that is always keeping watch on Chang Xiuying. All of the people in the village admired the adorable Chang Xiuying that almost every day they would visit her and play with her.


    "It''s been a day since our little goddess disappeared. I am starting to worry about her... right, we should help!"


    "But Zhen Chang already warned us not to go into the forest. We can just postpone it and do it at a much later date."


    The conversation flowed down as Chang Xiuying became a hot topic. The villager that complained to Yan Ruo''s fortunate position were flushed in anger. "Don''t ignore me!"


    ...


    In the deepest part of the forest, smoke rose up at one point.


    "Achoo!" Chang Xiuying rubbed her nose as she sniffed. She is holding a stick with a meat skewed into it while roasting it in the fire. This is one of the beasts that she hunted last night, she also didn''t expect that the place she stayed is a nest of several beasts. She ended up killing them all without a trace of a survivor. Chang Xiuying even met a man in the middle of hunting which she ignored since she is busy collecting meats. When dawn came, she collected 14 carcasses.


    "Does my situation have been found out?" She thought to herself. She just lifted the roasted meat from the fire and happily took a juicy bite.


    "Now this is protein!" She exclaimed as she finished the whole meat. Oblivious to the fact that she became the hottest topic inside the village, whether it is the disappearance and the ruthless killings.

 3 Definitely not used to i

    Chang Xiuying rubbed her rounded belly. "I don''t know that I can finish two whole portions of meat. *burps* Ah, that was good."


    She slowly lay down on the ground as she traced the clouds up in the sky with her delicate little hand as if she''s painting them.


    "Speaking of which, I still haven''t seen the appearance of this body." She pondered as she closed her white eyes to sleep. She still hasn''t rest after a night''s hunting. When she became full, she naturally lets her guard down inside the forest and slept soundly.


    Inside her body, streaks of white light appeared and slowly refined the meat Chang Xiuying just devoured. As it turned into nutrients, it flowed through a calm ocean inside her body. A silver core emerged from the ocean together with ten more cores surrounding it. The ten cores started to spin around the silver core and absorbed the streaks of light.


    Her muscles grew firmer and stronger than before, the calm ocean started to tremble. After a few minutes, the ocean came back to its original calm state. However, the ocean that is broad and wide and is two meters deep were now 2.5 meters deep while the center is 4.5 meters deep. The light color of the ocean slightly darkens which the change is not yet seen.


    In the bottom center of the ocean, there were three floating glows with tiny figures inside them. One''s entire being is bathed with red, the other is shining with brilliant silver, and the other was shrouded by a notorious aura. Furthermore, the three didn''t fall out and is dominating each other with power.


    Outside her body, a transparent dome slowly formed and engulfed Chang Xiuying. It made her disappear with no trace, though, she is still in the same position and is being protected by the mysterious dome.


    ...


    Jiang Hao stood outside the forest like a sword, his tall stature of 1.98 meters seemed like a post with his emerald eyes that is scouting the forest. His neck-length brown hair fluttered by the wind as he began to dash towards the forest. He only has one objective, to find Chang Xiuying.


    He didn''t notice that Chang Xiuying has been missing yesterday and noticed it just now. He already searched through the village and have the villager help him, he came home dejected without any news or trace of her.


    He keeps thinking that Chang Xiuying will be alright since she''s a strong-willed child. Jiang Li also joined the fray, saying that she just took her eyes off of her and she disappeared like that. She cried and Jiang Hao keeps saying that Chang Xiuying will be alright while comforting his niece. However, news came in that there is a huge massacre inside the forest. A white-eyed beast that just woken from its long slumber came to hunt for food.


    The forest is the only one that he hasn''t searched yet. Jiang Hao immediately departed to find the core of this ridiculous news from the villagers. His emerald eyes were full of anxiety as he listened and decided to find a trace of Chang Xiuying in the forest, dead or alive. If she''s dead, at least he has to collect the remains of her. If she''s alive, then that would be a great news! Maybe she is out of the territory of the white-eyed beast when the massacre happen.


    Jiang Hao dashed to and fro in the forest. What he didn''t know is that he already passed Chang Xiuying''s position a couple of times. 5 hours of searching and he still haven''t seen a trace of Chang Xiuying. He already searched every nook and cranny of the forest. He only saw the remains of a bonfire and two complete skeletons of the beasts beside it.


    "This... a beast didn''t know how to light a fire. A hunter can''t even eat two whole beasts... this set up is clearly made by one person. What is this, really?" He shook his head as he began his search for Chang Xiuying again.


    The sky is already turning dark and some place of the forest is like a void that continuously devoured the forest. Jiang Hao stopped momentarily from his search, he came back to the place with the remains of a bonfire. He flicked his finger as a small fire ignited out of it, he pointed and the fire dance to approach the bonfire.


    Jiang Hao took out a dried meat then chewed it. As he eats, a white radiance emanated beside him. He took an offensive stance and warily look at the figure who is slowly getting up.


    He brandished his sword and pointed it to the figure. The figure gave him a glare with its dangerous white eyes, he shuddered at the sight. But it suddenly turned into a pair of jet-black eyes and the figure suddenly disappeared from his sight.


    A light step rang out behind him. Jiang Hao vigorously turned around only to see a little girl standing confusedly. He exclaimed joyously as he carried Chang Xiuying in his warm embrace. "Ying Er!"


    "Uncle Jiang?" She asked with a confused tone.


    "Where have you been this whole time?! I didn''t see you after 7 hours of searching this forest! Never mind, I am really glad that you''re alive!" Jiang Hao squeezed Chang Xiuying tenderly as he rubbed his face in her little head.


    "Ying Er was searching around the martial field to find that pretty flower Big sister Jiang wanted me to pick! Big sister Jiang said that it will make Big sister Jiang and Auntie Irene happy. Ying Er happily agreed! Look, Uncle Jiang, Ying Er got two pretty flowers." Chang Xiuying shoved her little hand in her storage bag and let Jiang Hao see the 7 and 10-colored flowers.


    Jiang Hao''s face turned grim when he heard Chang Xiuying''s innocent words. Moreover, the 10-colored flower was guarded by a 10,000-year-old Phyton with a vicious poison! Even he would not dare to go near this flower as it would only mean one thing, death. However, how did a child escape and picked this flower unscathed?


    "Did you just said that Big sister Jiang made you pick these pretty flowers?" Jiang Hao asked gently but there is fury in his emerald eyes.


    "Un! Ying Er already picked these. Let us return Uncle Jiang! Ying Er wanted to see Big sister Jiang and Auntie Irene with big smiles! Hurry, hurry!" Chang Xiuying shook Jiang Hao''s head playfully.


    Jiang Hao smiled but the bitterness in his heart grew stronger. He held Chang Xiuying''s head and rested it in his broad shoulder. "Alright. You have to stay still and rest on me, okay?"


    "Un." Chang Xiuying replied.


    Jiang Hao put out the fire and dashed towards the direction of the village. He gritted his teeth, "Jiang Li!"


    Chang Xiuying sighed in her heart. ''I am definitely not used to this kind of immature act...''


    ...


    Irene Felstead, the woman who''s dressed in white, walked back and forth in front of Jiang Hao''s place restlessly. She is 1.59 meters tall, have a beautiful waist-length auburn hair, and her charming cognac eyes that can capture the village''s night lights have this worried expression as she bites her nails.


    "Where is that husband of mine!? This is the first time that he made me this anxious! Maybe he got hunted by the arcane beast? No, no way, he must be injured! Yes, he must be injured. He must have Xiuying now, right? Right?! Oh please!" Irene groaned and her anxiety grew some more as she stomped her feet from frustration. Her stomp created a shallow but wide depression on the ground.


    "Calm down, my wife. If you continued it, my house would be reduced to ashes by tomorrow morning." A sweet and gentle voice rang out from above. The deep and concentrated color of emerald in his eyes gave an intimidating aura but at the same time, it''s calming.


    Irene puffed and bellowed to Jiang Hao. "Get down here this instance!"


    "Eh?" Jiang Hao gave a puzzled expression before landing softly on the ground. He lightly patted Chang Xiuying''s back to let her sleep some more.


    "So, what happened?" Jiang Hao asked indifferently.


    "You.. hmph!" Irene glared at Jiang Hao then turned away to go back in her place. She pouted while stomping away from her husband. "Dense husband!"


    Jiang Hao chuckled as he saw his wife stomping away. He also smiled bitterly, knowing the fact that his wife didn''t love him wholly, that''s why he is refraining from loving and warm actions. He still didn''t know why would she marry him and the reason behind why her heart can''t seem to open to him. Jiang Hao will just wait for the day it will come naturally.


    He rubbed Chang Xiuying''s little back and kissed her adorable sleeping face. He started to softly walk towards his humble abode and let Chang Xiuying rest in a comfortable bed.


    "When the morning comes, you have to prepare yourself, my humble niece." Jiang Hao whispered as his emerald eyes flashed with fury.

 4 The 2 Flowers Fate

    Jiang Hao entered his bedroom and laid a sleeping Chang Xiuying on the comfortable bed. He covered the little body of Chang Xiuying with a thick blanket.


    He swept back the hair and tuck it behind her tiny ears. He whispered. "It must have been hard on you. Let me take care of your matter. I don''t want to lose the promise between your father and me."


    Jiang Hao kissed Chang Xiuying''s forehead before heading out of his bedroom to sleep on the hard sofa in his living room, he will take care of Chang Xiuying''s matter tomorrow morning. Once he closed the bedroom door, Chang Xiuying''s eyes opened suddenly. Her black eyes earlier became white again as it flashed like a bright light in the dark bedroom.


    Chang Xiuying smiled as she glanced at the closed bedroom door. A white light came out of the gaps, she heard a loud thump on the other side but the next one became quieter.


    On the other side of the room, after sitting on a hard sofa, Jiang Hao clenched his fist and thump it hard to release his irritation. He widens his eyes and let a soft thump, fearing that Chang Xiuying will wake up from her peaceful sleep.


    "Seriously, that niece of mine!" He sighed and slowly regained his composure. Having a troubled heart will cause a great trouble to deal with in regards to his state of mind later. It will affect his cultivation later on...


    Despite the distance between him and Chang Xiuying, the child clearly heard this. With her enhanced senses that is caused by the intense and hellish training on Earth doubled with her transmigration, within her coverage area of 300 meters, nothing can escape her grasp.


    Chang Xiuying got up and prepared herself. She tiptoed and slowly opened the door with her two hands, her eyes squinted and rubbed it. She called in a low and sleepy tone, "Uncle Jiang?"


    Jiang Hao was startled at the sudden calling. He quickly stood up and carried the sleepy Chang Xiuying in his arms. "Ying Er, children should be asleep at this hour. Come now, let''s get you to sleep."


    Chang Xiuying shook her head drowsily and asked in a confused tone, "Is Uncle Jiang troubled?"


    "This... I am indeed troubled. But children should not mind such situations, let the adults do it as you''re too young to meddle to such affairs." Jiang Hao entered his room once again and laid the child in his embrace into his bed.


    "You should not be hasty when taking action. Think of the consequences that will befall into your hands and into the hands of the people involved around you. Think slowly and take action on the right time and on the right place." A matured but childlike voice rang out once Jiang Hao exited his bedroom. He looked at the place where it originated from, but he only saw the little Chang Xiuying asleep in his comfortable bed.


    "This can''t be..." He said to himself before departing. He also decided to not dwell into it and would rather want to postpone the matter with Jiang Li. Chang Xiuying came back safe and sound after all. However, he didn''t know that the person they knew as Chang Xiuying had already integrated with the red-eyed girl.


    ...


    Before dawn, Chang Xiuying woke up and started to stretch her little body, she started some aerobic exercise. She didn''t want to practice the intense training she had back on Earth as it is too much to hold for this little body, most importantly, she would not be able to grow up!


    After completing the set of exercise and some other matters, she quietly pushed the door and saw Jiang Hao sleeping like a log on the hard sofa. She tiptoed and dared not to dash towards the door as she is afraid to wake Jiang Hao up. Upon reaching the door, she punched it and left as quickly as the raging wind.


    When a loud ''BANG!'' erupted, Jiang Hao anxiously got up just to see the destroyed door. He hastily entered his bedroom, he saw the bed that someone forcefully got someone and some petals of the 7-colored flower scattered on the floor. "This..."


    He anxiously set out from his house to go to the South Garden Pagoda where Irene lived. He knocked countless times and Irene irritatedly opened the door. She saw Jiang Hao''s pale complexion and she hurriedly invited him in. But Jiang Hao refused, instead, he asked if there''s a 10-colored flower in her bedside table. Irene got confused and told Jiang Hao to wait for a moment.


    She got out of her place and held the 10-colored flower while giving it to Jiang Hao. Jiang Hao sighed, he pushed Irene''s hand back and said, "It''s for you so don''t lose it."


    He quickly departs to look for Chang Xiuying. Since he already knew that Chang Xiuying left on her own accord and left the 10-colored flower in Irene''s home. But it can''t explain how did she destroy the door. He finally remembered the white-eyed figure and the appearance of Chang Xiuying once it disappeared.


    He concluded that the disappearance of Chang Xiuying is connected to the white-eyed figure. He also concluded that the white-eyed figure helped her, thus the reason why Chang Xiuying is safe when the massacre occurred.


    Jiang Hao stopped in his tracks. He instead waited at the edge of the forest for Chang Xiuying''s return.


    ...


    When Irene saw the departing figure of Jiang Hao, she tightly clutched the flower in her hands, holding it close to her heart. Her chest tightened, she bit her lower lip and a bitter smile arced in her mouth. She looked above to see the blinding sun, she closed her eyes and bathed her face with sunlight.


    "It seemed, that my heart no longer contained you, Dear Gus... this time, I met a man and married him out of admiration. But now, admiration seemed like an understatement of what I am feeling. I made him wait, for a long period of time, to give my heart to him. Thank you, my Dear Gus, for giving me this chance that I almost miss out."


    Irene looked in the direction where she can see Jiang Hao looking profoundly at the forest. She can see his clear emerald eyes and his brown hair fluttering in the air, such a picturesque view of a formidable man. Her heart thumped wildly as she hugged the 10-colored flower while looking at the man who gave it to her with all his heart.


    ...


    When Chang Xiuying obtained 3 beast carcasses, it''s already noon. She began to execute basic stances of Qi Circulation. After the first breath, layers and layers of mist entered her body. Something trembled inside her and stopped after the fourth breath. Continuing it for 3 more hours made her sweaty.


    "Still need more..." Chang Xiuying said to herself but she felt sticky and chummy all over. She rested for a few moments and started to find a body of water to take a bath. Discovering one, she ran excitedly and dived into the shallow pond.


    Chang Xiuying soaked herself with her clothes on and sprang up from the water. She released a turbid air from her mouth and sighed in relief. "Oh, I completely forgot to check this girl''s appearance


    Looking down at the clear surface of the water, she saw captivating but extremely disturbing white eyes. She hastily came out of the water before meditating to calm her nerves down.


    Having white eyes on Earth are extremely rare, you might not found one or it never existed. However, the first time she saw one was not on other people but herself. She would''ve freaked out if she ever saw it on others what''s more if she sees it in herself.


    Chang Xiuying kept calming herself down and felt a power that entered her mind through her glabella at a fast rate. She grimaced, gritting her teeth and consecutive ''boom!'' erupted from her body. She sweats profusely as she dares not open her eyes and break its momentum. She felt that, otherwise, she''ll die.


    At the last explosion of power, her body shined red and floated 10 centimeters off the ground. She can feel and see the world clearly than ever, her sensory sharpened for a whole new realm. Her ranges multiplied 10 times more and all of it became so sensitive. As if her senses were integrated as one with the world.


    She can hear the loud discussions of people 650 meters away from her. She can smell a high-grade herb thousands of meters away from her. Her sight became so much clearer that she can see the people in the village in 720p resolution.


    When the situation died down and she slowly landed on the ground. Chang Xiuying opened her eyes then it shined silver with a glint of red and it returned back to being white. Now, she accepted her appearance although it is disturbing. Furthermore, her white eyes are not discovered by the two people she encountered. Which she thought was weird.


    Suddenly, something rang out in her mind.


    [Congratulations! Host, Chang Xiuying, have finally reached the peak of the Harmonious stage.]

 5 AI01 sXues

    Chang Xiuying jolted from the sudden notification.


    [Let me explain your mental cultivation! First of all, I am called Xue previously AI01. Proceeding, mental cultivation always started on the first chain. You have to give yourself hardships and mental fatigue to cultivate it to a higher chain. Once you gained 5 chains, you can notice intricate details on a specific object. If a person obtained 100 chains, they would be close to the Harmonious stage and their observations and senses will be top-notch.]


    [However, it is not as close to the benefits a harmonious stage cultivation has. The harmonious stage is relatively close to having a complete connection with the world. Once you gained the peak of the said stage, you are now one with the world. You will reap great benefits! But to cultivate it to this penultimate stage is extremely hard that no one has ever achieved it. However, this is achieved by some people who passed through life and death countless times.]


    [It is clear that you only died once, don''t doubt it. But how did you obtained this stage easily? Experiencing hell in two dimensions at such a young age are enough to gain 120 chains and your cultivation here in the ''Beginning of All'' multiplied it twice. You just have to gather more chains to reach the Ultimate Stage. Fortunate, ain''t ya?]


    After the voice died down, Chang Xiuying''s mouth stayed agape as she stared into nothingness. She shook her head and smiled warmly, she remembered being accompanied by AI01 in her times of darkness, now AI01 is still accompanying her. She said in her sweetest voice, "Welcome back, 01..."


    [Welcome back? I have been waiting for you to cultivate your mentality so that I can be activated. Although it is still a meager choice... how can you forget that for all these times? Anyway, I''m back.]


    Chang Xiuying sighed in relief. She didn''t ask any more questions regarding her body but questioned about Xue instead. "So, I should be calling you Xue and not 01? However, you are not this high-grade when I made you with my fellow scientists."


    [Eh... speech recognized. Who knows... and yes, you can just call me Xue.] Xue went silent. Chang Xiuying just stared then she shrugged her shoulders. She thought that if Xue doesn''t want to say it then she won''t insist.


    [Fine, I have nothing to hide from you anyway. I was upgraded when I entered the Almighty system after your death, the higher-ups decided to let me accompany you throughout your new journey. They have already constructed my physical body in the higher realm and is waiting for you to be retrieved. Please do your best.]


    "Oh! An android?" Chang Xiuying expectantly asked.


    [Physical. Body. Of. A. Human. They will transfer my consciousness into the newly built body. Repeating, the flesh of humans. Flesh.]


    "Okay, okay. They''ll kill people then?"


    [No. Those crafters are not low-grade, they are powerful enough to construct a flesh of a person. But they are not that powerful to fully construct a human in one flick of their fingers. They would just use that little flesh to construct a fetus. Do you understand?]


    "Still an android then. No matter what side I look, you would be just like a system inside a human''s body. Without emotions or understanding human behaviors."


    [... I will suggest that to the developer if I had the time.]


    Chang Xiuying just smiled. She retrieved a new pair of clothes from her storage bag after drying herself clean with a white cloth. If she has the materials to make a thick towel, she would immediately procure it!


    Dressing in a pair of fresh clothes, she started to walk towards the high-grade herb thousands of meters away from her.


    [While you walk, I will also explain your physical cultivation. You have been training a vast amount of martial arts but didn''t master any of them. Since you just started at 7, ended the continuous practice by 10 and you started to do some office works by 11. You even rarely go to school or even repeat it. Kids should properly go to school according to the data I gathered on Earth.]


    [You still practice martial arts but only as an exercise. However, you achieved the strength of 20 Elephants without moving around so much. Your body is the type that will not forget what it experienced and it will etch it in your mind in eternity. That is also the cause of your high mentality. Furthermore, once you entered ''Beginning of All'' the gaps in your body were instantly shrouded and gained extreme power. Partnered up with 2x of the gravity from Earth to here.]


    [The level of your strength is comparable to A-Rank Dragons. However, your Life Power cultivation is only at Iron-level. If I told you to cultivate your Life Power to a much higher realm, your strength will soar and it will be even higher than the combat level of a Primordial Rank Dragons. After you achieve the high-grade herb, I will give you something since the system would not let me award you without a reason.]


    Chang Xiuying stopped in her tracks when she heard Xue. She immediately dashed and arrived 20 meters away from the destination in just 5 minutes. She checked if there were any traps or beasts guarding this herb. When she discovered none, she walked towards it until she reached 10 meters.


    She felt the strong medicinal effect of the herb and it stirred her oceanic Life Power. A rumble occurred inside her and the three glows under the ocean shook lightly before calming. However, she just thought of it as a slight disturbance of the Life Power surging through her and is completely unaware of what is inside her body.


    When she stepped inside the 10-meter radius, a lightning figure showed up that stood 1 meter high, it''s a big white rabbit just bigger than the white rabbit she encountered earlier. It started at her murderously and is ready to pounce on her if she ever got much nearer to the herb.


    Chang Xiuying retrieved a small wooden stick from her storage bag. She planned to just neutralize the white rabbit, pick the herb, escape, and retrieve the reward.


    When the white rabbit saw her actions, it dashed towards her at Mach 1. Chang Xiuying was shocked, she quickly dodged to the side but she felt a sting on her right cheek. Gladly, it is just a shallow wound, if she didn''t react on time, her face would have a deep wound or even decapitated.


    "Are rabbits this violent?" She thought to herself as she activated her territory range that is obtained from her mental cultivation.


    ...


    Two blurred figures keep on appearing and disappearing around the 10-meter radius of the herb. The clash of the sharp claws of the white rabbit and the thick branch that Chang Xiuying held created an outburst everytime it meets. Chang Xiuying already changed her weapon as five of such have been broken.


    Both of them stopped and distanced themselves 3 meters away from each other. Chang Xiuying''s body has so many shallow cuts and her fresh clothes looked ragged now. The white rabbit, however, didn''t obtain any damage and is only exhausted as its Life Power have been depleted.


    The white rabbit and Chang Xiuying have exchanged blows for an hour already. Chang Xiuying stood there as if the matter is but a play and is not a big deal to her. On the other hand, the white rabbit has been catching its breath. It immediately saw through Chang Xiuying''s intention.


    The white rabbit raised both of its arms and sit on the grassy ground. Chang Xiuying tilted her head and approached the white rabbit.


    "Phew, that is the most intense fight I had in my entire life. In my world, no one has reached the Mach speed. I have truly overestimated myself ever since I got here." Since Mach speed can only be reached by machines such as jet planes. If ever she said it in front of the rabbit, it would cause her an irreparable mistake.


    "Thank you for sparring with me." Chang Xiuying said and cupped her hands towards the white rabbit, then she sat in front of it.


    The white rabbit waved its hands as if it was nothing. It answered in a mellow tone of a woman, "I completely lost though."


    "I will try my best to obtain that Mach speed. Is it okay if I would like to have one leaf of that medicinal herb you have been guarding?" She is not much shocked when she heard the white rabbit''s answer since she has the memory of her predecessor witnessing the talk between two beasts with Jiang Hao.


    "You can even pick the whole lot." The white rabbit said indifferently.


    "Oh... but I can''t. You have children and you wish to give it to them in the near future. I also encounter one of your offspring, how can that child go to a far place."


    "You... how did you know?" The white rabbit widens its eyes and readied her claws. Chang Xiuying noticed its actions and quickly explained,


    "I didn''t kill the little one! I just played with it and lets it go. As to how... I just saw this big resemblance to you."


    The white rabbit squinted its eyes as it looked at Chang Xiuying suspiciously. It sighed and said, "Fine, do what you want. After you obtained one leaf, quickly get out of this place."


    "Thank you very much!" Chang Xiuying stood up and whistled as she plucked one leaf from the herb stalk.


    After she put the leaf in her storage bag, she bade goodbye to the white rabbit. Arriving at a certain distance, far enough from the medicinal herb, she stopped and contacted Xue. "I have already obtained it."


    [I said herb yet you pick one leaf. Fine, one leaf is enough since the herb is not the original purpose. You have been rewarded with a book. It is called the Great Path of Astral Elements made solely by the system to you.]

 6 The Great Path of Astral Elements

    [There are multiple elements residing in your body, that are yet to be activated. Once you cultivated the first chapter of the Great Path of Astral Elements, your Life Energy will stir and activates your colored cores. By then, you can cultivate your Life Energy to the Ultimate and be the strongest of all.]


    A book suddenly appeared in her hands as if it teleported. Chang Xiuying opened the book, the pages shined and entered through her head. A vast information keeps on appearing in her mind, as a repercussion, her white eyes glowed stronger. The book in her hands disintegrated and turned into ash.


    The same book appeared deep in her oceanic Life Energy, floating beside the three glows with figures in them. Chang Xiuying''s oceanic Life Energy''s purity increased to 5% from zero.


    "Xue, may I know why haven''t they discovered my white eyes?"


    [Before all of these happened, the system has put an automatic concealment for your white eyes. With the exception of being alone and your figure isn''t clearly seen by people, it will turn back to its original color. Now that I am here, I can conceal your white eyes perfectly and all the time. In case you were alone, your eyes won''t turn back to white.]


    "Then, do you know why did that otherworlder killed me? I remembered him calling me as the lost daughter, what does it imply?" Chang Xiuying took the time to ask the question. Since it''s the know-it-all Xue, maybe it can answer her.


    [Urk. That''s confidential information for now. All I can tell you is that you''re not an Earthling. Your existence is much more special than you expected. Knowing that you can discover it yourself. Who knows when will you obtain such information about your previous life. Maybe a thousand year or more? If you''re alive by then.]


    "Why do I feel that you''re mocking me?" Chang Xiuying said and puts her hand on her thin waist.


    [You must be imagining things, host. Please do not put me in a predicament.]


    "When did you learn all of those attitudes? Did the Almighty system installed you a variety of functions and upgrades? I can tolerate it though. To be frank, I like your Xue version." Chang Xiuying teased Xue.


    [I am still AI01.]


    "Right." Chang Xiuying smiled and sat cross-legged. She has spent enough time for Xue. Now, it''s time to cultivate the first chapter of the Great Path of Astral Elements.


    ...


    In the oceanic Life Energy, 10 cores are slowly getting painted by the revolving movement of the white strings in each of the cores. By then, the 10 cores shined brightly with their respective colors; black, white, red, blue, green, yellow, brown, purple, gray, and gold.


    Once the colors got concentrated, the white strings entered the cores and integrated with the cores, giving them an upgrade. The cultivation of the Great Path of Astral Elements given by the system is not a joke! It can''t even be compared to the average cultivation that can take up to several days, months or years.


    The 10 cores spun with the silver core and produced a transparent string while sucking on the oceanic Life Energy as the source. The end of the string wriggled and attacked one of the rusted meridians. It cleansed the rusted meridian until it is iron-colored and proceeds to another meridian after filling it with Life Energy.


    2nd meridian, 3rd meridian... 6th meridian... 10th meridian... 25th meridian... 32nd meridian... 36th meridian... 42nd meridian.


    Once the transparent string stopped at the 42nd meridian, it didn''t come back. Instead, it formed a vine that connects the oceanic Life Energy to the mind. It sharpened the 240 chains that are 1 meter long each and stacked up that formed a 4-inch thick wall. The transparent string filled and wrapped itself into the chains, severing its connection from the oceanic Life Energy.


    3 days have passed ever since Chang Xiuying entered her cultivation. It all happened quickly that it looks like it has been an hour. Chang Xiuying exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, even her clothes have been covered by a thick layer of impurities. She inhaled and released a vast amount of Life Energy that completely evaporates all of the impurities covering her body.


    Chang Xiuying opened her eyes, a red and silver glint appears in her now black eyes. Only a few seconds until the glint disappears. She stood up to check her strength out if Xue said was true.


    [Host. Try entering the system and try your strength here. That way, you won''t have to hold back and you won''t implicate other people by the damage the forest has received from you.]


    "Oh..." Chang Xiuying tried to think of ways on how to enter the system. Honestly speaking, she didn''t know how but she didn''t ask for the method. Her face suddenly showed a realization and entered the system with her consciousness.


    The space inside the system is like a void in space. However, an enormous boulder stood 5 meters high up almost like a mountain. Chang Xiuying approached it as she carefully touched the boulder.


    [Punch the boulder with all your might and your strength will display above the boulder. You don''t have to worry about destroying the boulder, it''s made up of the rarest material from the Almighty System designed to test the strength of even the most powerful person in the universe. I have to say that you can''t even reach his feet, for now... well then, do not idle further and test your strength.]


    Chang Xiuying nodded. Standing before the enormous boulder, she started to gather all of her strength in her right hand. Once it reached the peak, she attacked it without any momentum.


    BAM!


    Chang Xiuying steps backward and looked above the boulder. The number keeps on rising until it slowed down on 546 then it completely stopped at 548.


    [You just used your physical strength. Try it once more with your Life Energy.]


    Chang Xiuying stared blankly at the boulder and tried to ponder. She tried to remember her cultivation days to get a clue. To no avail, she can''t figure out on how do you put Life Energy to the attack.


    ''It''s not like you have to inject it... wait. Is that it?'' Chang Xiuying thought and injected Life Energy into her hand like sucking a liquid into a syringe before attacking the boulder as a release.


    BANG!


    She once again stepped back to look calmly at the number above the boulder. It keeps on rising, surpassing the 548 strength of her, the number slowed down when it reached on the thousandth.


    [Hmm. You''re clearly just an Iron-level but your strength is already at the transcendent level... monstrous.]


    Even Xue can''t believe what it is seeing. Chang Xiuying didn''t even use momentum to have a better impact on the boulder to produce more excellent results. Yet she already procures excellent results that are completely out of its comprehension.


    "1,435 is monstrous? That means if I reached the next level, I would be defying the laws of cultivation. Calculating the strength that will be produced by the Great Path of Astral Elements and the addition of the already incomprehensible oceanic Life Energy, the power that I possess will reach a whole lot of another realm."


    [Tsk. I don''t like being surprised. I was supposed to be your guide and all. But you just had to ruin it... oh well, whatever. Indeed, possessing the strength of 1,435 Elephants at Iron-level is law-defying. The common strength of Iron-level is 20 Elephants, Bronze-level is 50 Elephants, Silver-level is 100 Elephants, Gold-level is 350 Elephants, Half-transcendent is 600 Elephants, Transcendent realm Gypsum-level is 850 Elephants, Calcite-level is 1,200 Elephants, Feldspar-level is 1,500 Elephants. The rest would not be included as it still didn''t reach the level of your strength.]


    "I ruined something? Did you just click your tongue?" Chang Xiuying asked with shock. She thought, ''Do systems under the Almighty System were able to click their tongues?''


    [You heard it wrongly. As to the cultivation realms, those are not the only one. If you encountered some other cultivations such as Origin realm, Essense Qi realm, Qi Gathering realm, Body Strengthening realm, and etc. I shall convert it for you to have a better understanding. You can also try to convert everything to levels as the general and the subnames would be stated after.]


    "Alright, sorry for troubling you." Chang Xiuying said. Her current strength is on par with the people in the middle phase of Feldspar. She squinted her eyes and thought, "Ain''t this an overpowered start?"


    [Host, I suggest that you reach the Gold-level in here. The earlier it is the better since the time here has been slowed down by half. Take your time now, this is only a oncee at a time opportunity. The next one will be when you reached Transcendent Mortal. For an additional motivation, I have to reward you three things.]


    When Xue''s voice died down, Chang Xiuying shuddered as if she already knew what Xue will do base on its attitude and its sudden announcement.


    ''Xue wouldn''t do that, right? Sigh. It can''t be helped, I am considered as a threat if I do come out in the open. My AI01 is such a sweet child of mine, this mother of yours do admire you.''


    [What nonsense am I sensing? Host... system will upgrade. I will leave for a while, be good here.]


    "Wait, what?" Chang Xiuying snapped out. She can''t help but exclaim, "Xue? Did you just read my intentions?! Xiao Xue!"

 7 Reduced

    1 month has passed since Chang Xiuying left the village.


    Irene approached Jiang Hao with a basket in her hand as she stood beside him. She looked over to Jiang Hao but he didn''t seem to notice her as he remained still while watching the forest to await Chang Xiuying''s return.


    "Dear husband, I made you some snack," Irene spoke to get the attention of her husband while pouting.


    "Oh. Thank you." Jiang Hao reached his hand to get the basket from Irene. However, Irene held Jiang Hao''s hand and pulled him closer to her. Indeed, her feelings for Jiang Hao has increased and she wanted to show it to him. Yet she seemed to be embarrassed at the thought like a young maiden in love when it comes to skinship.


    Jiang Hao stared directly with his gleaming emerald eyes into Irene''s charming cognac eyes. Irene''s chest tightened as she senses the melancholy deep inside his eyes. She fell into a trance watching how did life unfold in his eyes.


    "Thank you for the snack. On the contrary, you don''t have to trouble yourself with me." Jiang Hao said but his heart spoke the opposite. He wanted Irene to trouble him but he can''t eliminate the possibility of the person who has occupied her heart for a long time.


    In the first day of their encounter, Irene gave an icy cold aura that seemed to hate the world. Every man that she sees, she instantly has this scornful look. She didn''t speak to fellow women either. Staying alone inside the forest made it her home.


    One day, Irene got into a predicament and injured herself with her own Life Energy, putting her life in a perilous situation. Jiang Hao happened to be passing by in the forest to hunt for beasts for the villagers to eat. He heard a loud groan and rushed to see what''s happening, that''s when it all started. Helping Irene to recover, a goddess-like beauty has been in front of him but he didn''t make a move, staying by her side in spite of Irene''s displeasure, and having a sense of camaraderie.


    The villagers saw this and prepared a wedding for Jiang Hao and Irene. They were both overwhelmed to not think of the matter and just agreed. Irene does have a little admiration for Jiang Hao and Jiang Hao have this complicated feelings. In the latter situations, Jiang Hao''s feelings developed into love. Seeing Irene cook for him, taking care of him, but they don''t have skinship like holding hands, embracing each other, cuddling and etc. They don''t do all of that.


    When night arrives, he can hear a weak sobbing in Irene''s room. Making him feel that their marriage is just a mistake and only a setup. In the next morning, Irene''s eyes were puffy. However, she still served Jiang Hao with a smile. Clearly, this pained him. Crying at night and smiling by day, he decided to separate their houses. Concluding that Irene regretted this decision and don''t want to live with him under one roof.


    At present, Irene''s actions confused him. She waits for him every night, her sudden irritation whenever he came home late from work, when he still hasn''t eaten because of a mountain of workload- she would be angry and serve him the most nutritious food, she would constantly visit his house and hang out, and she would even make cute snacks for him.


    Irene''s face showed disappointment and later sadness. Jiang Hao jolted and quickly explained, "It-it''s not like that, you see, you have so many to work for. Now that you have a lot of free time, you should spend it for yourself. I don''t want to waste or take your precious time from you."


    "It''s not like it was being wasted," Irene whispered to herself.


    "Eh? So you have a lot of free time and got bored!"


    "Dense husband!" Irene snatched the basket and huffed away from him. But she came back to give a lunch box to him before storming away.


    Jiang Hao stared at the lunch box in his hands. "Really, what happened?"


    ...


    At the abyss, a bright light that is as blinding as the sun and is 350-meter radius wide with a figure, that sat cross-legged in the middle. A boulder stood behind it and the numbers were rising and rising until it hit the 6,000 mark but it didn''t give a sign of stopping.


    Suddenly, an outburst of power caused a shaking sensation in the abyss.


    Ding!


    It has hit the 7,000 mark and it does not look like it''s stopping! The bright light retreated and entered the figure in the middle. Chang Xiuying exhaled lightly as she opened her jet black eyes.


    [Congratulations! Host have reached the initial stage of the Gold-level. Since you are considered as the biggest threat inside the peaceful Central Marsh, I will have to put a restriction and need to reduce your power into the average realm. As to why I need you to breakthrough to the Gold-level, you don''t have to trouble yourself for when you will leave Central Marsh to roam around the outside world.]


    [Even now, you can leave the Central Marsh. However, I know that you still have some business to do here. You don''t have to worry about your powerful pursuers, there are two people who are assigned here to protect you and follow you wherever you are. I won''t reveal their identities, but you will know eventually.]


    Chang Xiuying''s mouth twitched. The thought of being reduced into the average realm seemed to hit her hard. She was silent for a few moments before agreeing. Xue gave her one crystal necklace and three jade bracelets, all for the purpose of sealing her Life Energy. It is also constructed to absorb the excess power set by the sealer which is Xue.


    After giving her the accessories, Xue started to reduce her into Iron-level. The process took longer than expected. Since her physical power and mental power were monstrous, Xue had to expend a lot of effort to finally suppress her strength.


    [Host, try to punch the boulder.] Xue instructed her.


    Bang! Ding!


    The numbers above the boulder exactly showed 20. Chang Xiuying bit her lower lip and tried to comfort herself. It was her peak strength even on Earth so it doesn''t bother her... anymore.


    [You have to take care of the things that I purchased for you. Those three pieces of jewelry were made of the finest materials from the system shop and are expensive. I have taken 14 of the beast carcasses for a collateral, I even left you one for your meal.]


    Chang Xiuying sighed helplessly. She didn''t have much of a choice since Xue has already taken care of her and is the one who has the most knowledge than her. She has to quietly surrender and just let it be.


    "I need to leave now as I didn''t have anything to do, right? I already completed your missions and have reaped great rewards."


    [Indeed, you can leave now.]


    Chang Xiuying started to imagine and focused on the sceneries on the place she has left earlier on. Her figure slowly became transparent and her consciousness left the system. Back in the real world, she laid back and straightened her short and cute legs.


    "Ooh, legs are numb... so numb." She murmured. Her real body has been sitting cross-legged for over a month now, so how can it not be numb? Once she already felt her legs, she stood up and patted all of the dirt in her clothes. She looked around her surrounding, she sensed some auras that both belonged to humans and beasts.


    It seemed like there are some battles that happened, she even sensed two humans. However, the traces were not from an intense battle but the aftermath of the cruel death of the beasts that came to attack Chang Xiuying.


    "Are these two were the people who have been sent to protect me?" She thought to herself before departing. She had to finish some business and other miscellaneous things to deal with.


    ...


    Two shadows stood 400 meters away from Chang Xiuying''s location.


    "I clearly sensed the Young Lady''s aura that surpassed the Diamond-level. How come she became an average Iron-level?" A sweet voice of a young lady that can draw all of the attention of the people to her. The allure of the curves of her body gave a high stimulus that makes men crazy. Her exquisite manner and action were top notch as if she has been raised by an Empress.


    Her tall stature reached 1.69 meters. Her hyacinth colored eyes that will make you breathless with just one glance. Her long Fireopal hair that glided and fluttered with the wind.


    "Can you see the three pieces of jewelry the Young Lady have been wearing? It isn''t on her earlier, that must be the reason why I say." The husky voice of a man that can reverberate inside the hearts of the women, rang lazily and expectantly as he answered indifferently to the beauty beside him. His perfectly proportional body that gave of an aura of a formidable man that can conquer the world with just a flick of his fingers. His hands behind his back, calmly observing Chang Xiuying.


    His height surpassed all of the people inside the Central Marsh as he is 2.13 meters tall. Even Jiang Hao, the tallest of them all, is more than a head shorter than him. Indeed, how come a man with a stature like a giant seemed to go unnoticed?


    His aquamarine eyes that are as deep as the ocean that the depth seem unfathomable. His neck-length silvery hair gave off a desolate vibe as it fluttered with the wind.


    "Seriously! Who dared to reduce the daughter of an Emperor into a merely average one?! Impudent!" The woman with the Fireopal hair puffed with anger.


    "I say, cease your anger. Even I am annoyed by the fact that my Queen''s youngest have been reduced to an average mortal. However, we came in to protect the Young Lady from any dangers that came to her because of her identity. It won''t be a long time when she will be discovered by your Emperor''s pursuers." The man with the silver hair replied rather calmly.


    "Tsk! If the Emperor permits me to take action, I will have to put that person into smithereens! To really dare reduce the Young Lady!" The woman said and grinned murderously.


    "How hot-blooded, your hair explains all of your personality into one color, I say."


    "Hmph! A cool-headed guy is what irks me the most! I really don''t want to work with you!"


    "You got no choice and I have no choice either. I say we shall have a temporary truce and monitor our Young Lady. I believe that she will leave Central Marsh as she doesn''t have any contenders here and it is unbelievably too peaceful. I kind of missed our blooded battle every time."


    "Hmph. Here we go again... with this spot on calculations of yours. So when will Young Lady leave?"


    The man smirked coldly. "After Young Lady retrieved the most prized possession that is hidden within one of the Garden Pagodas, I concur."


    "Fine." The woman impatiently answered.


    The man looked at her in the corner of his eyes and said in the matter of fact, "You know, if you just calm your hot head down, you will be able to possess powerful observation abilities. I presume that you are not a fool, yes?"


    "Screw off!"

 8 Return

    Far away from Jiang Hao''s position, he instantly saw the struggling figure of Chang Xiuying. He immediately ran with all his strength to receive this long-awaited niece, leaving Irene who is beside him.


    Irene bit her lower lip as she looked at the receding figure of Jiang Hao. "Is this what jealousy feel like?"


    Chang Xiuying got alerted by the shadow that captured her and locked her into its embrace. "Welcome back, Ying Er!"


    "Uncle Jiang?!"


    Jiang Hao squeezed her tight. "You really made this one worry! Have you eaten yet? Let''s go and have a sumptuous meal together."


    "Big sister Jiang and Aunt Irene will be also there?" Chang Xiuying gave a delighted expression.


    "About that... of course, they will be." Jiang Hao forced a smile. He still hasn''t done anything regarding about Chang Xiuying and Jiang Li''s case. Approaching and talking to Jiang Li as if he never knew anything. Furthermore, there are several villagers that came occasionally to look for their little goddess. Jiang Hao can only give an excuse that Chang Xiuying fell sick and cannot be visited. Whereas, one is afraid that she will pass the disease and is worried about all the villagers.


    ...


    "Dear husband, you should not leave your wife behind!" Irene pushed the branch that is blocking her path as she puffed her rosy cheeks.


    "Auntie Irene!" Chang Xiuying struggled in Jiang Hao''s embrace. Jiang Hao smiled and released the little child in his arms. Looking at the two, they seemed like a mother and child reuniting for a long time of no contact with each other.


    Irene showered kisses to Chang Xiuying as she giggled. However, Chang Xiuying''s eyes were not even the least bit happy. She hides it deeply in her giggles as Jiang Hao and Irene didn''t notice this.


    "Now, now, where have you been, Ah Ying?" Irene looked worriedly at Chang Xiuying.


    "You see, a cute little white bunny invited me to their home. It was fun! I made friends with a beast!" Chang Xiuying raised her small hands and hoorayed. Jiang Hao''s eyes widen as he heard her words. Now he knew why she disappeared that day and also why she survived the massacre a month ago.


    "Really? Would you introduce them to Auntie Irene?"


    "Introduce? That''s a no-no. Little bunny didn''t like strangers except for Ying Er! Ying Er is very happy! Un!" Chang Xiuying shook her head. Her back arched and almost fell out of Irene''s arms. Gladly, Jiang Hao caught Chang Xiuying. However, his hand made contact with Irene''s arms that are wrapped around Chang Xiuying''s small body.


    Irene felt the electricity and the part where Jiang Hao touched her is getting hotter. Her eyes formed a swirling motion as she steamed up and her face is like a tomato. Chang Xiuying looked at the corner of her eyes and smiled inwardly.


    "Ying Er, you have to calm down. The time is getting late, we should go home now. Where would you like to sleep in, my place or your Auntie Irene''s place?" Oblivious to Irene''s reaction, he asked without removing his hand in Irene''s hand. Clearly, Irene can''t handle it anymore and ran with Chang Xiuying in her arms.


    "Eh? Ying Er still hasn''t chosen yet! Why are you running away with her?!" Jiang Hao strides after Irene but he didn''t use even a bit of his Life Energy and is only using his physical ability.


    "Don''t chase me!"


    "You ran though?!"


    "Stupid husbaaaaand!" Irene increased her speed until she is no longer in Jiang Hao''s sight.


    Jiang Hao stopped in his track and cupped his chin. "My wife is always like this? Why didn''t I notice such unusual behavior? Or is this a result of a change of her body... perhaps... she''s pregnant?" He shook his head and smacks his forehead. "Ahaha...ha... there is nothing wrong in her. It was me who was something wrong going on. What am I thinking?! Wait, or is it because she''s a woman?"


    Jiang Hao decided to just follow the essence that is left by Irene when she ran away from him.


    Irene stopped at the edge of the forest far away from the intended location as she caught her breath. Chang Xiuying gently tapped Irene''s back. "Auntie Irene, why do you run away from Uncle Jiang?"


    "This... children should not be implicated! How about this, we both will sleep in your home with Big sister Jiang, hmm?" Irene anxiously looked at the path she just took. She only realized that she has gone too far away from her living quarters, the South Garden Pagoda.


    "Un! Ying Er is very happy!" Chang Xiuying''s childish voice rang like a sweet melody to Irene.


    Irene''s heart quickly melted as she excitedly walks towards Jiang Li''s house. "If that is so, let''s go!"


    "Let''s go!" Chang Xiuying imitated Irene and giggled.


    When Irene is walking while holding Chang Xiuying in her arms; Chang Xiuying''s mouth raised into a grin as a glint flashes in her eyes.


    ...


    Jiang Hao arrived at the edge of the village and the direction where the essence of Irene was heading in a familiar direction. His eyes grew livid as he caught sight of his brother''s previous house that is now being occupied by Jiang Li and Chang Xiuying. He cursed inwardly as the image of Irene excitedly entered the house with a happy Chang Xiuying.


    Jiang Hao clicked his tongue with irritation. "I should''ve told Irene with Ying Er''s matter! No matter, I don''t want to reveal it in the first place. Why would I bother... oh right... she''s my wife."


    He sighed as he erased his aura to approach sneakily towards Jiang Li''s house. Jiang Hao peered into the window; he saw the flexed expression of Jiang Li as she saw Chang Xiuying came back safely. He heightened all of his hearing to hear their conversation inside.


    "Oh. Xiuying, you''re back! Do you know how worried I am when you just disappear like that?! Seriously, this kid! I just took my eyes off of you and you were instantly gone! You really made this one so worried that I can''t sleep for days!"


    "What is big sis Jiang saying? Ying Er just obey-"


    "Ah Xiuying, ah, I am really glad that you''re back. It has put my heart at ease. Come; come to big sister''s arms!" Jiang Li smiled and spreads her arms wide. Chang Xiuying confusingly looks at her as she trotted over to Jiang Li.


    "Big sis Jiang, Ying Er found the flower that you want me to pick for you!" Chang Xiuying talked fast and clear words with her small voice. Irene glanced at Jiang Li as she heard the child''s words.


    "What flower? I do not know what you are talking about. Maybe you have explored far wide that you encountered beautiful flowers and wanted to give them to me. My little sister is really generous! You are thinking of your big sister even while lost. Big sis is extremely happy." Jiang Li said in a gentle and calming voice.


    "Ah Ying, what is this flower that you speak of?" Irene interrupted.


    "Ying Er picked two beautiful flowers. One has seven different color petals while the other has much more to them! I picked the many petals for Auntie Irene!" Chang Xiuying joyously searched through her storage bag. But after a while of searching, she found nothing inside and looked at the both of them with a dejected expression.


    "Ah Ying... perhaps this is what you were talking about?" Irene held the ten-colored flower that she retrieved from her storage bag.


    Chang Xiuying''s eyes sparkled and nodded. "How come Auntie Irene have it? Big sis Jiang, have you gotten the seven-colored flower?"


    "This... this flower is already on my bedside table upon waking up." Irene''s eyes showed confusion as she talks hesitantly. Thinking about how did it end up in her room while the person who picked it up is unaware of the missing flowers.


    "I have gotten none. Xiuying, that flower must be a gift from Uncle Jiang to Aunt Irene. Do not take credit of Uncle Jiang''s hard work. That flower is guarded by a 10,000-year-old Phyton, it is strange that you were able to pick it up and came back unscathed." Jiang Li looked at Irene at the corner of her eyes.


    She smiled and continued with an affectionate gaze towards Irene, "This is great news, Aunt Irene. Uncle Jiang is starting to give you gifts. My uncle must be opening up his heart to you."


    Irene jolted, looked outside while blushing until she''s beet red. Indeed, a child won''t be able to pick up such a tight guarded flower. She pictured the time when Jiang Hao visited her that day and obtained a priceless treasure from him. However, upon turning her head, she saw the object of her affection peering into the window as his emerald eyes flashes with red.


    Irene''s expression turn solemn as she instantly turned her head to avoid Jiang Hao''s melting stare.

 9 What bloodline?

    Jiang Li saw Irene''s reaction and celebrated inwardly. It is indeed time for Irene''s second spring to come.


    Although she is already 43 years old, her cultivation on Life Power allowed her to increase her Life Line and also retain her youthful appearance. She only looked like in her 20''s.


    Jiang Li continued, "Aunt Irene sure is shy. A little gift from our dear Uncle already made her happy. Look at it, Xiuying; you don''t want to ruin such happiness. Why not go play outside and greet the villagers? They have missed you so much, now go." She pushed Chang Xiuying gently and waved at her departing figure. Jiang Li turned to Irene to add another effect in her heart.


    "Aunt Irene, if Uncle Jiang only gifted you this scarce flower and not attempt another one, you have to stop interacting with him and let you have the control over your relationship. Remember, you have to also control yourself." Jiang Li playfully winked at Irene as she skipped into her room.


    Irene was left dumbfounded. She nervously turned to the window and saw Jiang Hao scoffing before taking his leave. Irene''s face turned sour as she bit her lower lip. Her knees gave out and she sat on the floor for a long time, covering her face with both of her hands.


    ...


    Chang Xiuying got chased outside of the house. She clicked her tongue and made a turn to where Jiang Hao is. She pulled the hem of Jiang Hao''s clothes. "Uncle Jiang will accompany Ying Er to the aunties and uncles, right? Uncle Jiang won''t chase Ying Er out, right?"


    Jiang Hao is still looking inside with a hateful gaze; he scoffed and took his leave. "Come with me, Ying Er. How about this, we will live in the forest. That way, you can always play with your new friend. Do you have any farewells to the villagers?"


    Chang Xiuying trotted after Jiang Hao. "Un! Play with beast friend, so fun! Ying Er will visit aunties and uncles!" She suddenly sucked her small thumb and looked confusingly at Jiang Hao after her celebration. "Why farewell? We will not come back? What about Aunt Irene and Big sis Jiang?"


    Jiang Hao stopped and bent down his knees to level Chang Xiuying''s sight. He caressed Chang Xiuying''s head before carrying her in his arms. "Do you not want to play with your beast friend for a very long time?"


    "Me want! Me want!" Chang Xiuying squealed happily that made Jiang Hao''s mouth broke out the sweetest smile. "If that is so, we should say our farewell. Do not worry; we will visit them from time to time. The forest is the only thing that is safe for now."


    "Safe? Here is dangerous?"


    Jiang Hao just ruffled Chang Xiuying hair before finally leaving the place.


    He visited all of the villagers to say goodbye to them and not staying at one house any longer than 2 minutes. After bidding their goodbyes, they departed with three high-level Tier 4 storage rings that he specifically made by himself, he also didn''t inquire Irene of such productions.


    The storage rings capacity were 2 times more than the storage bag. The items inside Jiang Hao''s storage rings were the necessities of Chang Xiuying and him. However, most of the spaces were occupied by Chang Xiuying''s stuff, including the clothes that she will wear when she grew up.


    Naturally, his friend is alive which made him celebrate and waits for his visit. It may take thousands of years, but who cares?! He won''t dare call or request his presence since it''s just 3 years that the perilous scenes happened; it will still not subside after a short time. The universe has different time frames after all. He will still wait for his benefactor and also his best friend that he came through come hell and high water.


    After all, he still has to find clues with whomever or whatever the Eyeing villain stationed here in the Central Marsh. He also needed to find the people that Chang Xiuying''s ''real'' parents stationed here to inform them of something.


    Irene was dejected by the news she had gotten after Jiang Hao has left. She, too, wanted to leave the village temporarily.


    The villagers sighed at the constant leaving of the three prominent figures plus one in the village, though one is just an annoying old hag. However, some were worried by these sudden leaving of the five.


    "Aaah! Zhen Chang is now gone! He was apparently contacted by her parents outside the Central Marsh and has to come back to help his family. No one will hunt and supply us meat anymore!"


    "Indeed! Especially, Jiang Hao! Why would he want to leave the village suddenly? He is even carrying our little goddess in his arms. Is it about her sickness and she have to live in the forest in order to heal? Oh, I hope that they would come back soon. My storage bag is slowly getting old; I need to order a new one."


    "I am disappointed with you, Old Gu Feng. Anyway, do not forget Irene! The strongest husband and wife duo has left us. The ice beauty is clearly our second goddess after Ying Er."


    "Why did it have to be that Old Yan would leave too? Does she even have a home and guts to live in the forest much more if it is outside the Central Marsh? People these days were so damn selfish!"


    "Hearing all of these rants, all of you were selfish too."


    The discussion came to a halt and they slowly turned their glances to the young woman who exclaimed such words. They stared at her with squinted eyes before continuing with a louder discussion.


    This made the young woman angry and stormed out of the group. She also left the village and was never seen again.


    "That brat, how dare she leave without any goodbyes? How ungrateful!"


    The people around shook their heads continuously, expressing their disappointments.


    ...


    Jiang Hao took the path where the white rabbit''s place at. The puzzled Chang Xiuying looked at Jiang Hao with her mouth agape. Jiang Hao noticed this; he patted the child''s head. "That white rabbit you spoke of is also one of my friends. She''s the one who helped me when my life is already at its end when I arrived here at Central Marsh."


    Chang Xiuying looked dejected when she heard it. Jiang Hao sniggered, "Ying Er, do not worry about it. Having many friends won''t make you lonely, which are also the view of the white rabbit. The more the merrier, as I remember."


    It took them 10 minutes to arrive at their destination. The white rabbit looked surprised when she saw Jiang Hao approaching with the little kid she just fought a month ago. She looked puzzled when Chang Xiuying acted childishly in front of Jiang Hao. In contrary to what attitude and manners she showed that day.


    "Yao Chen, I''m sorry to have bothered you at such a day." Jiang Hao settled Chang Xiuying down and told her to play, instructing her to not leave his area of sight. He turned to look at Yao Chen and continued. "I extremely apologized. Ying Er is my beloved niece and I have taken care of her since she is a toddler. I also had a covenant with a powerful man, her father, to protect her with all my life. However, I didn''t know that the biggest threat to the child is actually the foster big sister.


    "Thus, I want to plan everything before settling the matter with Jiang Li. Until that day has come, I would like you to take care of her until she reached seven."


    Yao Chen frowned. "What the heck are you thinking? How can you leave a three-year-old to me and settle things that should have been settled now? Also, you had a wife. Why don''t you just let her take care of her? Perhaps... it has something to do with that time when you came to me holding a bloodied body of a kid? That is the kid now eyy?"


    Jiang Hao smiled warily. "Yes, she is. Although Irene is my wife, I still can''t trust this matter to a human. On how I am going to settle this..." He hesitated and sighed. "I have to tell you this just in case the pursuers will find me, please, protect her."


    "F*ck." Yao Chen stretches her bunny ears. "That still didn''t answer my question, why?!"


    "Yao Chen... the pursuers have ears everywhere. They will never let go of such a kid that traverse through universes. If ever they-"


    "Wait a f*cking moment, Jiang Hao!!" As Yao Chen shouted, Jiang Hao instantly shuts his mouth. "Listen, I can''t understand a f*cking thing about what you were saying. One more, I already told you that my question is not yet answered. Why would you settle things that should have been settled now?!"


    Jiang Hao stared at the white rabbit who is now fuming in anger mixed with confusion in her eyes. He looked at Chang Xiuying and anxiously looked at Yao Chen.


    Jiang Hao momentarily freezes and eventually surrendered. His usual demeanor came back as he looked coldly at Yao Chen''s eyes as if he''s drilling through the entire existence of the white rabbit in front of him.


    "I have to first inform the branch for information. After that, I have to find or regain contact with the people Chang Xiuying is associated with. Of course, that would be under the rule of her parents. I can only say to you that she is a special character that can change both tides, whether be it bloodshed or none at all, she can do it. After all, she has a unique bloodline residing inside her..."


    Yao Chen can only burrow her eyebrows and wait for his continuation.


    "Multiple bloodlines, to be exact, and all of them were branded as villains."

 10 Chang Xiuying

    "I recall that you knew the man named Xian Rongzhi."


    "How could I not remember that cunning old human! Making me lose all temper and even got myself attached to him!" Yao Chen harrumphed. Jiang Hao really can''t picture the scene in front of him. A human-sized white rabbit, folding its long arms and big claws, and its long feet stomped impatiently.


    "She''s his granddaughter. The bloodline seeping in her blood is 100% in purity. Her life energy would be darker that the light''s fate would only be swallowed. As her bloodline is in perfection, the activation or awakening would be when she reached seven years old. In that case, anything associated with darkness will be under her control. I am afraid that my lack of attention to her these following days will result in repeating the history of her father."


    "I see your point now. When you mention that old fogey, everything settled in its place. I will take care of her, you can go do your work. As to this foster big sister, mind revealing the most crucial point?"


    "She suddenly became under the influence of the pursuers. I don''t know when it happened but it is definitely in a month where Ying Er is gone. Oh right, thank you for playing with Ying Er and taking care of her in a month. It is only been a day and she suddenly came back again. I will make a proper compensation after this." Jiang Hao saluted Yao Chen before turning away to say goodbye to Chang Xiuying, he didn''t even let Yao Chen say what she wanted to correct regarding his statement.


    She looked again at the three-year-old kid, sizing her up completely. However, she didn''t discover anything from her probe. As if there is something more powerful than her is protecting the identity of the child.


    Chang Xiuying pouted and let a few tears run down her cheeks. "Uncle Jiang... will leave... Ying Er? Ying Er thought that Uncle Jiang would not leave Ying Er..."


    Jiang Hao''s heart tightened when he saw Chang Xiuying at a state. He immediately picked her up and held her in a tight embrace. "Ying Er, Uncle will come back shortly. I just have to take care of things about work."


    Chang Xiuying almost wants to lay out her pinky finger for a promise. But she remembered that such a thing is not known or recognized in this place as it is a foreign gesture. To escape from the sudden rise of her right arm which gave Jiang Hao a jump, she cutely raised her other arm and slumped her upper body into Jiang Hao''s shoulder.


    Jiang Hao gently rubbed the child''s little back. But he suddenly felt that warm water keeps on trickling from his shoulder. He lulled Chang Xiuying to sleep until her tears had dried. He carefully passed her to Yao Chen but her tight grip on his clothes is not even loosening.


    He was reluctant to leave this precious baby. He gently taps on her small wrist and her palms turned wide open. Jiang Hao gave another kiss on her forehead before leaving.


    Yao Chen stared at the receding figure of Jiang Hao as it turned her gaze towards the sleeping child in her arms. With all the happenings concerning her identity, it is really too much for a child to handle.


    ----------


    Xian Rongzhi had a son named Xian Wuchen, he was the previous chief of the Central Marsh at his early age of 24. What puzzled the villagers the most is, despite his knowledge to make the Central Marsh advance and prosper towards civilization, he didn''t do it and just left the marsh as is. He even left for a long time, he returned with a bloodied baby in his arms and he is carrying his dead wife on his back while blood keeps oozing out on her legs.


    Leaving the bloodied baby in Jiang Hao''s care secretly and mouthing off words, gave him a sack that is also covered with blood until he breathed his last. Inside the bag, Jiang Hao saw two rings inside: one is completely covered with silver that is emanating an elegant aura and the other one is red as if it bathed with blood. There is also a black ring hanging from the baby''s neck while it slept peacefully. The words ''Chang Xiuying'' were written there.


    Jiang Hao carefully examined the two rings before exclaiming in shock. These rings were made from the rarest material that indicates that his benefactor also his friend is alive! But how did it ended up here in the bag of Xian Wuchen that is completely unrelated to his newborn daughter? Then he realized that what his friend said one day: "When you discovered one of my rings gifted to a baby, she''s my daughter. Protect her with all your life, that''s the only way you can repay me."


    He kept it and swore to die for the baby in his arms.


    He looked with despair at the two and buried their corpses on the bed of flowers before departing with the bloodied baby in his arms. He came to Yao Chen and asked for a lot of studies on how to take care of a baby since she has such a prestige about her care.


    At first, it was disgusting as snots and tears were all over her face and hands. She just bites whatever she saw appealing. But when she smiled, as if an angel descended from above. Blessing all of their surroundings, her laugh became a soft melody to their ears. Jiang Hao became accustomed to it.


    He will be taking care of her if he didn''t have any jobs to do, it is only occasional that he has a job. If that is the case, he will leave her to Yao Chen in her human form. Those were the only routine when Chang Xiuying was a baby.


    When she turned 7 months old, Jiang Hao got married to Irene and they will be the one who will take care of her which leads to the misunderstanding of Chang Xiuying as being in an Orphanage led by Yao Chen. Jiang Li is her playmate and became her big sister. However, jealousy seeps out in her heart until it grew big. She began to avoid and ridicule the poor child.


    The Chang Xiuying of the past is really the daughter of Xian Wuchen. Because of his identity and wrongdoings, he named her after her mother, Chang Ruoxi.


    ----------


    At the edge of the circular forest, a dense mist coagulated there. It''s a high-grade mystic illusion that will confuse all of the people under Gold-level upon entering it. Once exiting, one will find oneself seeing the forest again.


    Jiang Hao walked towards it slowly then stopped when the mist is barely touching him. Two figures suddenly appeared behind him which he didn''t notice.


    "Descendant of Jiang Xinhua, where are you going?" A cold but calming voice erupted behind that gave Jiang Hao a scare. He draws his sword and pointed it to the person who talked just now. However, the appearance of the young man shocked him. His hair was silver that shined under the bright sun. The lady beside the young man is clad in red, even her hair is flaming red. Both were tall and beautiful, the young man even exceeded his height that is more than 2 meters.


    "How did you know my forefather?"


    The young man held Jiang Hao''s sword with his two fingers and shattered it. Jiang Hao trembled when his most prized possession easily shattered. "It does not matter, yes? If you are looking for the spy under the Blanche, the organization hunting my Young Lady, I have already pointed it out. You don''t have to contact anyone and trouble yourself. Us, the protector of Ehrlich, has already done what''s done."


    "Young Lady? What in the world of Central Marsh is Ehrlich?" Jiang Hao warily asked.


    "The precious offspring that you are raring right now. Ehrlich is the place where she is born, Her Majesty''s birthplace." The lady in red impatiently answered.


    "Ying Er?" Jiang Hao fell in a trance as he contemplated what they are saying. The two figures remain standing in front of him as if they are waiting for Jiang Hao to finish. The man in white look calmly as he put his hands behind his back. The lady in red crossed her arms under her breast and puffed as she rolled her eyes.


    "Could it be..." Jiang Hao gulped, he can''t seem to force the words out. Trying to calm himself for this surprise. After he regained his composure, he continued. "Could it be the Primordial Emperor and the Silverite Imperial Ruler?"


    "Great, sharp!" The lady in red clapped with an amused expression. The man in white shook his head at her sarcasm. He bowed with his hands in his chest. "Please pardon this flame head."


    "Old brat! What did you just call me?!"


    "Yes, it is His Majesty and Her Majesty. They sent us both to find the Young Lady, we can''t believe that after our transfer, we already stumbled upon her here. Which made our work simpler."


    "Flame head?!" The lady in red finally snapped and summoned her sword-whip as she attacked the man in white. The man effortlessly dodges her attacks as a bright glint appeared in his eyes.


    "I shall introduce ourselves. I am called Elodiaren, the family name is Lukessia. Please to meet you." He introduced himself as he continuously dodges the rampaging attacks of the lady in red.


    "This hot-headed lady that is currently attacking me is called Ruoying, goes with the surname Hong. She is pleased to meet you."


    "Don''t just introduce me!"


    Bang!


    "Indeed. She''s pleased to meet you, the descendant of Jiang Xinhua, Jiang Renyi." Elodiaren smiled sweetly when he caught the whip in his hands as if it is just an ending act for his introduction.

 11 Elodiaren Lukessia

    Jiang Hao''s face grew paler and paler. "H-how..."


    "Anyway, before you deal with the big sister, you have to find the one who is responsible for her. I already knew who the person is, but it would be suspicious if we are the one who made a move. Even in our disguised appearance, we will not be able to hide our signature essence after certain alterations." Elodiaren snapped the whip and threw it in his space bag which is a realm higher than storage bags. He controlled something inside the bag before continuing.


    Hong Ruoying fiercely grabbed the collar of Elodiaren''s suit, the style of the suit is a medieval suit of a high-tier noble. Elodiaren tucked Hong Ruoying''s hair behind her ears before smiling coldly. She slightly blushed before pushing Elodiaren and retreated 5 meters away from him. Elodiaren just playfully grinned and looked towards Jiang Hao.


    Jiang Hao became bewildered as he saw how the two treat each other. However, his mind is still boggled on how did they knew the name Jiang Renyi. "I will execute your plan. First, where did you find the word ''Jiang Renyi''?"


    "I will reveal it to you when the time is ripe. That is, if the Young Lady is already with her people. Thus, her return in her birthplace." Elodiaren motioned his hands. A small projection came out and it revealed the place which is clouded by dense dark fog. Poison is everywhere, the land only contained black sands, no living being is seen. However, after forwarding, there is a place that is full of life. There are trees that are much taller than the normal sequoia trees.


    A large foothold came into Jiang Hao''s sight. He was so mesmerized that he''s surprised that Elodiaren already ended the projection. "This is the extent that I can show you. After all, you were the one who took care of the Young Lady''s third- woah!" A chilly spike suddenly went through his face and grazed it.


    Elodiaren glared at Hong Ruoying. "Careful now, hot head. Why are you... oh, is that it." He turned again to Jiang Hao expressing an apologetic gesture. "I apologize for the rude behavior of my partner. I almost blurted out something that is not yet to be known by people like you."


    Seeing Elodiaren''s threatening eyes, Jiang Hao quickly nodded. Elodiaren swiftly disappeared and left Hong Ruoying behind. "That sh*tty bastard!"


    "Wait a moment, please!" Jiang Hao called out that stopped Hong Ruoying from departing and chasing Elodiaren.


    "What?!" She impatiently said and glared at him.


    "Make this place as the rendezvous for our future meetings and transactions. If it is possible, please do come with your disguised appearance." Jiang Hao said before clasping his hands towards Hong Ruoying. She coldly harrumphed and left.


    ...


    Yao Chen walked towards Chang Xiuying, who is playing with her babies. "What are you pretending for?"


    However, Chang Xiuying just continued playing with the bunnies, not minding Yao Chen''s presence at all. Yao Chen just sighed and let Chang Xiuying play with her children. After a long hour of wait, Chang Xiuying looked at Yao Chen with a grin.


    "W-what?" Yao Chen shuddered at the sight of the child in front of her.


    "Nothing." Chang Xiuying pursed her lips and skipped around, amusing herself in her new home. Yao Chen just watched her do her business as she sits helplessly on a boulder with her children.


    "You have a hidden treasure, I see."


    Yao Chen''s big ears twitched as she heard the child''s statement. ''How the f**k?''


    "Do not worry, I am not planning anything with it." Chang Xiuying smiled, ''For now.''


    The rabbit felt a chill down her spine. She sighed and thought, ''What a cunning brat!''


    "Hmm... does that mean you''re adopting me?"


    "What the actual f**k?! Who wants a cunning brat like you! Hmph!"


    "Eeeeeh. What are you saying? Ying Er is sad..." Chang Xiuying rubbed her eyes and sobbed. This action makes Yao Chen shiver.


    "Alright... what are you planning?" Surrendering, she just asks the child.


    "Nothing much. You don''t need to do anything grand like taking care of me. Just notify me that Uncle Jiang is coming or is near, I''ll come back quickly. That''s all." Chang Xiuying stopped her action. She smiled brightly upon saying her thoughts.


    "Easy. Then off you go. Just... don''t do anything or approach my treasure."


    Chang Xiuying revealed a villainous grin as her black eyes glinted. Yao Chen suddenly regretted of what she said, forgetting that the child in front of her is not normal.


    Two-faced! A two-faced brat!


    "As I said, do not worry about it. I will just casually stroll around the Central Marsh like a tourist." Chang Xiuying''s grin didn''t disappear when she said these words that made Yao Chen think twice about the child.


    "Fine. In which way do you want me to notify you?"


    Chang Xiuying stared blankly at Yao Chen. "Eh... I''ll think about this. When I thought of something, I''ll immediately come back. For now..." She playfully scratches her head and continued, "I need to go. Hehe." After talking, she immediately sprinted towards the direction of the hidden treasure of Yao Chen. Of course, she didn''t plan anything for now.


    Upon seeing the child ran off, her eyes immediately widened. "F*CK!"


    She ran to catch the cunning child. They played cat-mouse until Chang Xiuying passed the starting point of the treasure. Yao Chen cursed and cursed for being tricked by the child. She heard Chang Xiuying''s childish hysterical laugh while running.


    "Argh! Don''t you come back here again, you bastard of a child!!"


    Chang Xiuying just laughed it off as she escaped from the raging rabbit. ''Heh. I will certainly come back eyy. Hehe... hehehehehe.''


    ...


    In a worn out house not far from the West Garden Pagoda.


    Elodiaren appeared in one of the mysterious circles. He surveyed his surroundings using his heightened senses before emitting a bright light. He changed into an old man that is 1.58 meters tall and have a senile appearance. It''s actually Old Gu Feng.


    Hong Ruoying busted the door open and saw the old man Elodiaren who disguised into.


    Elodiaren sighed at Hong Ruoying while shaking his head in disappointment. "Hot-head, I recommend you to not bust open the door everytime you come in. This house is originally good, but thanks to you, this house has gotten so much make-over to the worst, I say. Whatever, have you properly put surveillance to the Youngest Lady?" He carefully fixed his appearance before questioning Hong Ruoying.


    She grunted and rolled her eyes in irritation. "I certainly didn''t forget it. His Highness would give me severe punishment if I didn''t show respect to one of the Kings of the Fallen Planet."


    Elodiaren sighed and just shook off. He yet again left Hong Ruoying behind.


    ...


    Old Gu Feng (Elodiaren) walked to the center of the marsh with his hands behind his arched back. The villagers around him just looked at him weirdly before ignoring him completely.


    Yan Ruo saw Gu Feng''s figure and quickened her pace. One villager surnamed Qiu stopped her with her hands and turned her whole body towards her. "Ruo! When did you come back, you old hag?!"


    Yan Ruo''s eyes were shaken. "Qiu Yan, I just came back from the forest since I found some news about some miraculous medicine hidden there."


    "Medicine?! Is your head gone loose? You know that miraculous medicines are meant to be guarded by beasts that are more powerful than you thought! Do you not want your life anymore, you old hag?!" Qiu Yan repeatedly pushed Yan Ruo backward with her fingers, pointing vigorously at her chest.


    "Qiu... Qiu Yan! Stop, hey!" Yan Ruo slapped Qiu Yan''s finger away from her. "Of course, I still want my life, old hag! I just came to scout! Senile Gu Feng has been suffering from his aching back. I, at least, have to help him recover since people have stopped paying attention to him. "


    Qiu Yan stared blankly at the old woman in front of her. She thought, ''So old yet so young in love.''


    "Old Yan... Old Gu is fine! He never accepted the kindness of the people around him. You will only waste your resources to that senile fool! Come, come! My granddaughter will be born any time now! After, you have to prepare gifts!"


    "Qiu Yan, you know that I''m broke as hell. How can I bring gifts to you, huh?"


    "Ah. No mind, no mind. Just be there, I need to go. I have to cook a meal for my daughter-in-law." Qiu Yan waved her hands and immediately ran off. Yan Ruo watched her before proceeding to find Gu Feng. However, she can''t find even a trace of him.


    "That senile old fool... is he really senile?" Yan Ruo immediately ran into the road that Gu Feng took. Atop a house near where Yan Ruo took off, Gu Feng stood with a straight back as he watches the middle-aged woman running. Hong Ruoying suddenly appeared before him.


    Gu Feng looked at her in the corner of his eyes and asked, "How''s the other three that left the village?"


    Hong Ruoying answered indifferently, "Zhen Chang safely returned and will be back after dealing with his family. Irene is stalking Jiang Hao upon sighting him. Shin Mei is carefully monitoring the village in the highest point of the forest."

 12 Do Age Really Matters?

    "Contact Zhen Chang to not forget about the materials needed for the Young Lady. Also, Shin Mei that brat... Yingying- huh?"


    "I told you to not call me ''Yingying''!" Hong Ruoying retrieved her whip in which Elodiaren transferred after it entered his space bag. The transferring of items inside the space bag is only limited to people with a complete control towards the said object.


    Upon the retrieval of her whip, she immediately transformed it into a sword. The whip produced clicking sounds, it contracted at a fast rate as it solidifies the stance of the previous form. She attacked Elodiaren in the form of Gu Feng with her newly transformed Fire Blade.


    Gu Feng just sighed and caught the Fire Blade with his hands. He also thought that catching it with his two fingers will take a lot of time. Since Fire Blade is the strongest transformation of her whip, for now.


    Hong Ruoying scoffed. She immediately turned it back into a whip and lashed it to Gu Feng. Unfortunately, Gu Feng caught it again. He snapped it and threw it into his space bag. This time, he didn''t transfer it.


    "You!" Hong Ruoying huffed and puffed towards the despicable man he had ever met. ''Even His Majesty is not this despicable!''


    "I already told you, didn''t I? If you want to have good analytical skills, you have to get rid of that fiery attitude of yours, I say. Well then, how''s the Young Lady?" When it comes to the Young Lady, his complexion is a lot more soft and as he calls ''Young Lady'', his words are completely sweet in passion.


    Hong Ruoying frowned by his tone but she still answered. "She left and went to another location inside the forest."


    Gu Feng smiled before nodding. Hong Ruoying puts her hands in her waist and finally asked about his attitude towards Chang Xiuying. "Why do you have a huge sense of familiarity towards the Young Lady? This is not the only time that I have sense it."


    "It''s a long story."


    "If you don''t want to say it, just don''t."


    "I never said that I don''t want to say it."


    "Oh, okay. Continue then."


    Gu Feng cleared his throat and looked at the distant horizon of the Central Marsh. His eyes depicted his longing and melancholy. "Did you know that the Young Lady is older than me?"


    "Ha? That''s impossible. I know that she''s currently 3 but her previous one is 16 years old. Elodiaren, you''re already 624 years old!"


    Elodiaren smirked at her. "Ruoying, you are too naive and ignorant. You have to research everything before working as the Young Lady''s maid."


    "Fine! I am naive and ignorant! So what about being the oldest? It''s still impossible! Both of you have 600 years of gap! Crazy! Crazy Lukessia!"


    "I say, you are truly ignorant. Almost all of the elders knew this and some of the later generations. You were conversing and chatting with them every day but you never knew this big information?"


    "You''re a King! I am just a secretary! Can they really disclose such information to me?!"


    "Ruoying, our kingdoms have always been in an alliance because of our respective rulers. Once you obtain a spot in the palace, you can always ask anything about the Imperial Family."


    Hong Ruoying fell in silence. It''s true, they have been in an alliance for almost 1,000 years. They would really be in an unbreakable alliance since it''s a marriage between rulers.


    Gu Feng continued. "Moreover, you''re not a nobody. Despite being a secretary, why are you here accompanying this King in taking care of the Young Lady? Clearly, you have what it takes to protect the Young Lady and this King in case the pursuers have found our whereabouts. Though one is already stationed here in the Central Marsh, that one still does not know and is only an amateur. I would be really surprised if the one they sent is an expert. This place has always been the lowest percentage that the Young Lady will revive into on 0.1%. Too naive! Really too naive! Do they take us for a fool?! We already have the backing of the controller! It''s no longer an impossibility to revive the Young Lady here!"


    "Never mind!" Hong Ruoying bellowed as she is no longer curious. ''It''s impossible to reason out with a Lukessia after all!'' She thought.


    "What? Is your curiosity so easily distinguished? I say, you really don''t want to know it anymore?"


    "You''re purposely dragging things longer. It seemed that you don''t want to tell me at all! Suit yourself, get lost! Hmph!"


    "You don''t want to know anymore? What a pity. Such a wasted opportunity, I say!"


    "Shut up! It must be something trivial! If it comes out of your mouth, it will be just nonsense!" Hong Ruoying turned around to leave. But Gu Feng''s (Elodiaren) words made her stop in her tracks.


    "The Young Lady is the love of my life." Gu Feng''s words repeatedly rang inside her heart. She turned to look at him with her shaking hands, gulping several times to swallow the words that she wanted to ask.


    "I say, she''s my fianc¨¦e. We have known each other for a very long time, no, it''s long, long ago. She''s already existing before I was born. She taught me many things as a child, and also the reason why I am one of the Great Kings of the Fallen. She''s my ultramarine, my everything. She''s my life, my world would crumble if I am not the one beside her for eternity."


    Gu Feng slowly look into Hong Ruoying''s shaky pupils, his eyes were full of melancholy as he said, "I have already waited for hundreds of years. To be exact, 608 years for her. Hoping that her life would be better than that day."


    "Why are you telling me this?" Hong Ruoying panted as her heart beats rapidly.


    "Why are you asking me if you are the one who wanted me to tell you this, I say?"


    "I didn''t force you to!"


    "But you said it was nonsense. Everything about the Young Lady is important yet you viewed it as ''nonsense'', I say."


    Hong Ruoying pursed her lips. "Alright. I apologize."


    "If apologies always work for a big matter, would we really need justice?"


    Hong Ruoying clicked her tongue. Although she doesn''t have any space to disrespect the Young Lady, she felt to disgrace her further and would quit for being the maid.


    "I also knew why you entered my jurisdiction, Ruoying." Gu Feng looked at her with a solemn expression and turned apologetically.


    When Hong Ruoying saw it, she gritted her teeth as fury escaped from her mouth. "Oh? I didn''t know that you are that resourceful. Even my personal feelings are known, I wasn''t even spared much privacy."


    "Resourceful? You''re wrong, I say. It''s all about observation. It''s easy to read an open book like you."


    Hong Ruoying didn''t respond and just sighed while rolling her eyes in irritation. Gu Feng turned away and jumped behind the house. He landed smoothly before leaving to follow Yan Ruo. Hong Ruoying just watched his receding figure before she transformed into a teenage girl with a calm demeanor which is completely opposite of her self.


    After altering her appearance, she also started to walk around the village to monitor.


    ...


    At the edge of the forest, near the Divine Lighting Barrier.


    Chang Xiuying stared blankly at the contorting image of a wall. She''s thinking of what to do to just go out by herself. Considering her age, she is just too young! No matter how strong, people would not let a child go out of their way alone.


    Well, the place where she is residing now is an exception. Ever since coming here, she became much stronger that she is unrivaled. A 3-year-old possessing the strength that is meant for people that pushed themselves to their limits would attract many strange forces. Such a young child is already at the apex of the first phase of strength is the rarest as a golden grain.


    5 years old is the official start of the Cleansing Rituals for the body of a child. Whereas, the start of cultivating their strength. Reaching Iron-level would take up 7 months to 1 year as an average. The Life Energy of children is like a cup, filling it up seemed easy but absorbing the surrounding energy is hard. However, there are three methods that can gain Life Energy: the fastest is to kill beasts and it''s stable. Killing one beast would gain a vast amount of Energy depending on how strong is the beast compared to the hunter. This is much more like gaining Exp to level-up. You can also gain one of the skills of the killed beast, but the probability of this is as low as 0.5%.


    The second one is transferring energy on a daily basis, it is not that stable if the energy is not under control; thirdly, that is to sense the surrounding energy and absorb it. The third one requires talent for sensing, it is also the slowest one of the three but it is also the most stable of them all.


    Chang Xiuying suddenly heard a disturbance behind her. She turned to look just to see the rabbit she tested her speed on the very first day she arrived here.


    She approached the rabbit with a warm smile, " What are you doing here? You should go back to your mother." She carried the rabbit in her arms to personally send it into its home. However, the next thing she knew is that she is carrying a little body of a girl that is 3- 4 years old. Wait, is that really a girl?


    Her eyes grew wide as she stared strangely to the child in her arms. Surprisingly, despite the age, she is taller than her. The child stared back with sparkles in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Chang Xiuying''s neck.

 13 Yao Yun

    "Let go! I''m a woman. Stop treating me like a man!" Chang Xiuying started to oust the child that started to cling more tightly. Flinging her, throwing her, and etc., she just failed to overthrow the child. She sat cross-legged on the ground with squinted eyes as she gave up.


    "Thank you!"


    Chang Xiuying''s squinted eyes became more squinted as she heard the voice of the child sitting joyfully in her lap. She dared not to speak or react in an exaggerated way. After all, it''s her first time to personally see the scene unfolding in her very eyes.


    She pursed her lips before muttering, "Yep, a trap."


    She coughed gently. "May I know what is it that you are thanking me for? Also, please state your name after your answer,"


    "For letting me go that time, if you didn''t, I would not be able to bring home some food for my younger siblings. I am Yao Yun." After answering, he clutches more tightly to Chang Xiuying.


    "Can I also ask why are you clinging to me so desperately?"


    "My mother told me to not let you escape from my grasp and to watch what you''re doing."


    The corner of Chang Xiuying''s mouth twitched. ''This is not in our agreement... ah, whatever!''


    She dejectedly gently rubbed Yao Yun''s little head. His hair is partly white and partly black, and also as soft as cotton! Chang Xiuying immediately enjoyed rubbing Yao Yun''s head, oblivious to the growing affection of the child in her lap, hugging her like there''s no tomorrow.


    Chang Xiuying proceeded to stroll while Yao Yun sat in her shoulders. She had this hopeless reaction while holding Yao Yun in position.


    "Hey hey, I knew a good spot for eating outdoors!" Yao Yun clasped his little hands in Chang Xiuying''s eyes which made her stop in her tracks,


    "Alright, we''ll go. Now, let go." Chang Xiuying wanted to release her hold on the child''s calves but it would make the child in her shoulders fall. She just sighed and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.


    "Nope!"


    "How will we get there if the pilot had his eyes close?"


    "Pilot? What''s that?"


    "I am."


    "You''re the pilot?"


    "It means I am the one driving."


    "Driving?"


    "..." Chang Xiuying narrowed down her eyes. ''Oh, forgot.''


    "You see, if you didn''t take your hands off of my eyes, we would not be able to get there since I am the one carrying you."


    "I see! You, the pilot, will be driving us there!" Yao Yun kicked his legs excitedly and Chang Xiuying coughed a few times because his short legs hit her stomach.


    "Yes, yes. Well then, take your hands off."


    "Nope!" Yao Yun smiled brightly as he hugged Chang Xiuying''s head.


    "Oh... are you implying that we were going to the place you know by following your instruction blindly?" Chang Xiuying thumped her right hand over her left hand. Since Yao Yun is firmly clutching in her head, she is no longer afraid that the child will fall. However, she put her hands back into Yao Yun''s calves.


    Yao Yun''s eyes brightened up before nodding his head vigorously, still clutching on Chang Xiuying''s head. The two were like little siblings going for their first errand.


    "Go ahead then. I will follow your instructions." After she said it, Yao Yun''s hands glowed and the glow penetrated her head. It didn''t do her much damage but it cuts her connection to her surroundings. She didn''t panicked and just thought of it as the little boy''s goodwill for her.


    What she didn''t know is that what they''re doing is simply preparations of Yao Yun for living harmoniously with her. By trusting each other on extreme or disadvantageous situations, this will strengthen the bonds inside their hearts and will feel comfortable with the other party''s presence.


    Yao Yun stared at Chang Xiuying''s head, which he is currently clutching, with wide eyes. He is surprised to see the indifferent attitude of Chang Xiuying when her connection is cut. This made him smile more brightly, thinking that the path between the two of them will be smooth sailing.


    Blindly following the clear instructions of the little child on her shoulders, they arrived safely on their destination.


    Along the way, it was really hard to walk confidently when you can''t even see anything in your path. If one can''t see, they can use their spiritual connection to see but they have to increase their mental chains up to 20.


    However, Chang Xiuying confidently and correctly executed all of Yao Yun''s directions accurately without her connection. They didn''t encounter much trouble or even small one like tripping over branches and rocks, colliding with trees, etc.


    Yao Yun became more and more excited for his upcoming so-called ''Grand Plan''.


    Chang Xiuying repeatedly patted Yao Yun''s calves. "Hey, we''re already here. You still won''t let go?"


    "Sorry, I''m in a daze. Anyway, I still won''t!"


    Chang Xiuying, "..."


    ...


    "Here, open your mouth." Yao Yun reached out his other hand that is holding a roasted skewed meat. Chang Xiuying involuntarily cried inside her heart before opening her mouth. Yao Yun slowly let Chang Xiuying eat the roasted skewed meat with a loving smile in his face.


    She chewed it like a squirrel and Yao Yun keeps on stuffing and keep on feeding her.


    Because of Yao Yun''s continuous act of shamelessness, Chang Xiuying became numb to it at a fast rate. When Yao Yun stopped feeding her, she looked up at the child who, in exchange, looked at her expectantly while holding out a skewed meat.


    "What? You... you want me to feed you? If so, release me and I''ll do it. It''s hard to move around feeling nothing, you know."


    "Ah." Yao Yun retrieved a blue glow from Chang Xiuying''s head then came down from her shoulders. Upon its retrieval, she can finally sense what she can''t sense many hours ago. It''s a refreshing feeling that you can feel the nature in your wake. However, she felt something wrong inside her body. She frowned before holding the skewed meat in Yao Yun''s hand.


    "Xiao Ying, do you felt that something is wrong in your body?" Yao Yun said then opened his mouth. Chang Xiuying fed him before nodding.


    "That''s one of the results of not having a connection for a few hours. Don''t worry, it''s not a bad thing. You will feel your senses sharpening and you felt that something will breakthrough inside your brain. It''s will be a great increase in your cultivation both in physical and mental cultivation. My mother taught me this but she still hasn''t said the name of the skill. I will tell it to you after I learned it more."


    "Oh... alright. Thank you." Chang Xiuying smiled before lying down on the soft ground.


    "What? You''re not going to cultivate it? The culminating energy will be able to make through your brain and it will release some of your hidden traumatic memory."


    "I don''t have any traumatic memory, anyway. It''s just that... I suddenly felt really sleepy." She measured the sky before continuing while yawning. "Oh... it''s already my nap time. Sleep tight."


    After she said it, she immediately fell asleep. Yao Yun looked helplessly at Chang Xiuying before he laid down beside her, looking at the sky profoundly. "Still can''t huh."


    ...


    Chang Xiuying opened her eyes and only saw darkness. Just like the time where she died, she was like in an abyss. She felt her heavy eyelids, it seems like it''s her consciousness that just opened. She tried her best to lift her eyelids until she can only see a blur.


    "A pulse! A PULSE! YOUR MAJESTY! THE YOUNG LADY RESPONDED WITH A PULSE!"


    Chang Xiuying''s eyebrows twitched just to find out who the heck shouted, but she failed. She suddenly felt a thump sound on a glass wall base on what she heard, bubbles gurgled beside her ears. She became more and more confused, she just gone back to sleep minutes ago. How did she end up inside a liquid container?


    "Young Lady! Respond to me if you can hear me."


    Chang Xiuying can now see a blurred white figure and a red figure beside. The white figure saw this and jumped as he laughed in joy.


    "HAHAHAHAHA FINALLY! AFTER 600 YEARS!" He laughed and cried at the same time. Chang Xiuying''s sight is now completely recovered and can see the man in red clothes staring at her lovingly but his expression only showed a cold demeanor, only his eyes spoke the truth.


    She drowsily looked at the woman who is trembling while holding the surface of the glass. She once again felt the extreme lethargy.


    The red-clothed man spoke. "You have to come back to me, to us, your family. We will wait for you even if it may take a long time. *****, I wish you success."


    "*****, my dear child... you may take a long journey to come back to us... please be careful, okay?"


    "Dear sister... we''ll wait for you."


    "Aw damn. My youngest sister finally showed signs of recovery! I''ll really show those stupid guys worse than they can imagine!"


    "My Dear, how can you split her consciousness into many fragments?! She''ll suffer!"


    "Don''t worry, I know that she can do this. We are also behind her back to support-"


    Chang Xiuying can''t help but give in to the lethargy she''s trying to fight to hear the words they spoke. Thus, she fell asleep and didn''t know what will happen next.


    As if she''s trying to find out what''s the next episode of a drama.

 14 In the Abyss

    Morning came, Yao Yun woke up before Chang Xiuying in his bunny form. He jumped around before returning to the girl who is sleeping with a frown.


    He raised his front foot and rubbed Chang Xiuying''s head to wake her up. But after a few tries, Chang Xiuying is still not awake. There''s no sign or anything, it''s still the same frowning expression. There''s not even a slight movement from her body.


    Yao Yun changed into his human form and checked her thoroughly; from her Life Energy into her Mental Energy. Nothing about her condition is peculiar.


    He just decided to pass a few hours and wait for her to wake up.


    Yao Yun suddenly remembers that he has to hunt for food for his little siblings. He put up a restriction around Chang Xiuying to protect her from a wandering beast. Since their spot is high enough for beasts to not dwell into. There is still a possibility for a wandering beast.


    After finishing the final touch for the restriction, he patted his hands with a smug in his face, looking at his masterpiece. He channeled his Life Energy into and left the location.


    ...


    In the same abyss:


    Chang Xiuying woke up. She yawned while stretching her short arms. She, then, rubbed her eyes as she became completely sober after seeing the place she was in.


    Her body droops and sighed. She still can''t escape that feeling when she dreamt of being inside a liquid container. She can''t feel her limbs at all and there''s a numbing pain from her stomach. She unconsciously rubbed the place where she''s stabbed on Earth, as it is in the same place.


    She stood up while yawning. "Alright, Xue, what seems to be the problem this time?"


    "..."


    Chang Xiuying''s brows furrowed. She called again, "Xue?"


    "Xue!?"


    "Xiao Xue?"


    "Xue-ssi?"


    "Xue-chan?"


    "Xue!"


    "01!"


    "..."


    She heavily sighed before trying her best to get out of the space. Instead of finding the exit, hundreds of white screens suddenly popped out. They played all of her memories from Earth but vague, some screens were glitching, while some are broken, some were being played like old films, and some were being played in modern settings.


    All of them are a blur, she can''t properly sight in any of the screens. However, there are rows of black screens piling atop the playing ones. Like they were turned off.


    These strange things keep on confusing Chang Xiuying. She tried to reach one of the screens when she touched one, it instantly played and the surroundings became the place where she''s on Earth.


    The place was filled with buildings, busy people crossing the streets and one little girl carrying a small grocery bag. A middle-aged woman looked back to her with her hand full of bags and called, "What made you stop, Alicia?"


    The little girl looked up and fervently shook her head before trotting over to the middle-aged woman. "I just thought that when people are busy doing things, they tend to ignore all their surroundings."


    "Of course. They have to focus to their work to finish it faster."


    "But... I was stepped on my foot and that person didn''t even notice before walking away with their eyes on their cellphone screens."


    "Alicia, we have to keep on understanding people. What if that person is busy reading an important message that made him brisk? There are many circumstances that have to be considered. We may be tired of understanding things," The middle-aged woman inserted her left hand on the handle of the bags to free her right hand and rubbed the little girl''s head passionately, "But it will be rewarding to ourselves as it changed our perspective to view things more clearly and widely. We instinctively think of situations that may affect a person, we develop empathy. Isn''t it a great deal?"


    "Aunt Zoe, it is still tiring if you get into the same situation and people won''t understand us. Although people may feel empathy toward us, it won''t feel as real since they still didn''t understand us."


    Aunt Zoe snickered at the child in front of her. "Isn''t it enough to receive their empathy? You''ll understand it better if you grow up, you''re still five, Alicia."


    "I''m already grown up." The child pouted as they continue to walk.


    "Alright, alright. What would you want for a snack?"


    "Curry!"


    "Pfft. Curry it is!" Aunt Zoe snickered and shook her head with a smile.


    Chang Xiuying looked at the two who converse and proceeded to walk towards the direction of their condominium. She suddenly felt nostalgic when she heard her neighbor, Aunt Zoe, to call her Alicia even though it''s not her real name. She said that she won''t call her name that is given by Lane, her foster mother on Earth, as it may trigger something inside the girl. Since Alicia can be served as a nickname, why not use it?


    She also felt guilty, because the time when she stopped walking, she looked with enmity to those people. Thinking on how to end the world or how to escape reality, but thought that she can''t. She lied to the only one who shouldered her wholeheartedly. She kept on a fake positive appearance to the one who loved her unconditionally. Remembering that reason, she practiced many bodily arts to compensate Aunt Zoe and protect her and her family.


    When the two figures disappeared from her line of sight, she began to observe the surroundings that she failed to see last time. She can touch people but they won''t feel, see or hear her since it''s only a simulation.


    She walked to the busy street and saw a hooded person on a sunny day. She frowned and decided to follow the guy on the big establishment building he''s entering upon.


    ...


    In the Central Marsh, 5 hours has passed and Chang Xiuying still hasn''t woken up from her sleep. She is still in the same position as Yao Yun left her to hunt for food.


    When Yao Yun finished delivering the hunted beasts to her mother and siblings, he returned and saw the unmoving body of Chang Xiuying. He became so worried that he has to shake her uncontrollably, he even slapped her face with enough to wake her up. Yao Yun suddenly felt that something is incredibly wrong.


    "Oy! Wake up! Damn it!!" He carried her but she''s heavier than a normal 3-year-old kid. Yao Yun had no choice but to call his mother, he ran as fast as he can and killed the beasts that go in his way, not bothering to pick the corpses up. He arrived at the location where Yao Chen originally lived.


    "Mother! Xiuying... something is wrong with Xiuying!" Yao Yun shouted at the tall woman preparing food on their wooden kitchen.


    Yao Chen stopped preparing and looked strangely at Yao Yun. "What the heck?"


    "Nevermind it! Just come!" Yao Yun pulled his mother but she won''t budge. Yao Chen shot a glare to his son and flicked him lightly.


    "Show respect to your mother, you dumb*ss of a child!"


    Yao Yun cried inwardly and pulled his hair in frustration. "Dear mother, really, something is incredibly wrong with Xiuying. She slept early yesterday but she still hasn''t woken up until now. Her body is not moving an inch!"


    Yao Chen froze momentarily before asking, "Did you used the one that I thought you about cutting connections to the world?"


    "Yes, does it had something to do with Xiuying''s condition?"


    "You dumb*ss! Why would you use that on a human!" Yao Chen turned off the fire and immediately dashed outside. "What are you waiting for?! Lead the way!"


    "Yes, dear mother!"


    They both arrived at the spot where Chang Xiuying was previously there.


    "Where the f*ck is the brat?! Yao Yun!"


    "She was here! She really was here, dear mother! This... ah!"


    "What?!"


    "I forgot to activate the restriction when I leave! I was agitated and was not able to think-"


    "Yun''Er, we have to find her as soon as possible. If it takes longer than 3 hours, it''s over." Yao Chen began to channel her Life Energy to the surroundings to find a trace of Chang Xuying.


    "It''s my fault... I''m sorry." Yao Yun breathed out heavily.


    "It is your fault. So you have to compensate her..." Yao Chen suddenly felt a trace south-east to their current location. "At 5 o''clock! Quick!"


    "Yes!" They both departed to immediately find Chang Xiuying.


    A half-head appeared on the site where the two were previously at. It looked around before emerging completely out of the ground, carrying an unconscious Chang Xiuying in her arms.


    She carefully laid Chang Xiuying down and performed hand seals. Intricate runes appeared around the body of Chang Xiuying that slowly invades her mind. Chang Xiuying''s eyes suddenly opened but she had no pupils and her eyes glowed gold. Her eyes slowly closed as she continued to sleep.


    The girl frowned and contacted someone, saying, "Boss, the miss is wrong in the head."

 15 The Woman

    When Chang Xiuying was following the black hooded man, the entire scene changed. Portraying a deadly surrounding, no plants, no trees, just a black fog, and black sands appeared in her line of sight. She looked around and saw a beautiful and stunning figure of a woman looking up at the sky, standing on a small hill and looking deadpan at the bloody moon.


    She''s 2.09 meters tall, she has a silvery-red hair that is tied up into a ponytail and the end reaches her waist, she has a broadsword in her back that is bigger and heavier than her, a bow in her left shoulder and quivers on her right thighs, daggers on her waist and a shining silver sword in her hand.


    She''s fully equipped with weapons but she had no armors or the likes of a protector. Chang Xiuying fearlessly approached the figure as she knew that it''s only a simulation. When she got nearer, she finally saw what is the small hill the girl is standing on. However, she didn''t twitch or flinch at the sight. She can feel her heart beating louder, feeling the unusual behavior of her heart.


    The scene once again changed when the beautiful girl looked at her way with her silvery-red eyes.


    It turned back when she''s at the establishment building, however, the one she''s looking for is gone. She just turned around and decided to go to the place where she was once lived.


    ...


    At the boundary of the Pink Tree, Central Marsh:


    Yan Ruo keeps on hesitating whether to step inside or just leave and find an opportunity to give the medicine to Gu Feng. Thinking that this is the only place where the direction of Gu Feng is headed to.


    "That old man... you can''t really tell if he''s senile or not." She shook her head and left. But then, she heard someone quietly cursed. He saw Old Gu Feng standing 5 meters behind her with a furrowed brows.


    "Old Gu Feng! So, you''re there all along! I have something for you!" She happily declared as she searched inside her storage bag. Gu Feng just stood there impatiently as he''s ready to kill the one who said that the Young Lady is wrong in the head.


    "Here! This is the medicine that I''ve obtained from the forest, it will be able to help you to ease your lower back pain. Ah! Also," She retrieved something behind her and handed it over to Gu Feng. "This is the newly repaired storage bag. I remembered that you badly needed one since your''s is old and worn out. So, I took the liberty to find our repairman and have it upgraded too with the help of Irene. Please receive this gift."


    ---------------


    On her way out of the forest, she saw Irene holding bushed in her hands and a band of bushes on her head. She slowly approached her and startled Irene with her question, "What in the world of Central Marsh are you doing?"


    "Aah!" Irene quickly covered her mouth and agitatedly looked at the direction she''s been looking into. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she didn''t discover Jiang Hao staring at him. "Aunt Ruo, you scared me. Anyway, I''m not doing anything at all. What makes you ask that?"


    Yan Ruo pointed everything weird about her. Irene turned flustered as she denied everything. "Wha-what are you... haha... It''s just a mission. I''m really not doing any strange things at all!"


    Yan Ruo looked over and saw Jiang Hao putting his clothes on. She smacked Irene''s head and scolded her. "Peeking at your very own husband?! What are you doing, child?"


    "I-it''s not like that! Who-who said about p-peeking?! You peeked too!"


    "Aiyo. So both of you still hasn''t done the deed?" Yan Ruo snickered at the innocent maiden in front of her.


    Irene blushed hard that it reached her neck and her hands trembled. "It-it''s really not..."


    "Aiyooo. Okay, okay. Then, how about you help me repair and upgrade this storage bag? If not, as you are busy peeking at your husband, I''ll spread out wide the reason of why you left the village."


    "You..." Irene scornfully looked at Yan Ruo. "Fine! Just meet me at my old home. Aah!" Irene suddenly shouted as she saw Jiang Hao dashing out.


    "Sorry, Aunt Ruo, I need to go. Anyway, just take this and it will upgrade the bag!" She threw a crystal and left to chase after Jiang Hao.


    Yan Ruo snickered once again before proceeding to venture out of the forest to look for a repairman.


    ---------------


    "Ahahaha! Old Yan, I can''t believe you are showing this senile old fool such kindness! Maybe there''s something bad that will happen later?!" Gu Feng tried to laugh hysterically as he really can''t fight the urge to escape and kill the brat.


    "You... is this how you''ll repay the kindness of people!?" Yan Ruo became flushed in anger as she cracked her knuckles.


    "Ahahaha! Calm down, Old Yan! I did not say that I will not accept this. You see, my back pain has been going on frequently. Much thanks! I shall use this immediately. Such medicine can''t wait to be used! Old Yan, I''ll leave first!" Gu Feng turned to his way and walked as if he''s in pain. When he''s far enough, he immediately ran towards the direction where Chang Xiuying is at.


    He passed by first the old house he''s in and transformed into a small child with a beastly appearance. It''s one of the pet species in his home, the Star Wolf. Since he still doesn''t want his original appearance to make an entrance to the Young Lady''s eyes as it will mostly backlash to him when the time they truly meet comes.


    Elodiaren appeared on the spot and glared at the girl who is guarding Chang Xiuying diligently. When she sensed Elodiaren, her eyes sparkled as if she saw her savior. "Boss, she''s really wrong-"


    "Say that one more time and I''ll kill you."


    The girl turned silent but her happiness is still not fading. Elodiaren''s mouth twitched, he just decided to ignore the girl and walked nearer to the unconscious Chang Xiuying. He placed his hands gently on her forehead but he can''t sense anything unusual.


    "Boss, I''ve tried the awakening technique but all it can do is glow her eyes gold. It seems that my skill leveled up."


    "What makes you think it leveled up?" Elodiaren gritted his teeth to stay calm. He once again performed the same one the girl performed but his was more complex.


    "Because it''s gold!"


    Elodiaren sighed in frustration. Once he finished his hand seals, the runes appeared and it floated Chang Xiuying. Her eyes opened once again but this time, the glow is red.


    "Boss?! You''ve degraded! That can''t be... I am stronger than boss now?!"


    "Shut it." Elodiaren''s voice pierced through her heart and fear continuously leaked out of it. She sank and never attempted to speak again.


    When he saw the girl''s behavior, he turned his attention to Chang Xiuying. His eyes softened with worry as he continuously spread his power into Chang Xiuying.


    "Suspended Animation..." Elodiaren slowly muttered.


    The girl gaped her mouth as she raised her hand and looked at Elodiaren. "Speak."


    "If that is the case, it may be possible that there are the constant replaying of memories in her brain. It cuts off all connection and if it is not retrieved by the original caster she would not be able to go back and would remain in the Abyss of Memories for eternity."


    "Why haven''t you discovered it sooner?"


    "I was overwhelmed. Tehee."


    "This child... never mind, redirect your amplifying mana. Those two... no, four of them will come."


    "But boss, you can reverse this. Why won''t you?"


    Elodiaren gently patted off the dirt on Chang Xiuying''s clothes. "I would love to. But there are so many witnesses that she''s entered suspended animation. It would be indeed strange if she was woken up like there''s nothing going on in the first place."


    ...


    At the same time, Yao Chen hurriedly met with Jiang Hao. She explained briefly of what happened and he has to help. She also pointed behind a bush and made Irene come out. When they reached the location, the energy reverted back to its previous place and it greatly puzzled Yao Chen. She grabbed Yao Yun to get back quicker, Irene and Jiang Hao also followed the two.


    They''ve finally gotten back and saw Chang Xiuying lying on a soft ground like it was prepared meticulously for her. The mother-and-son pair looked dazed, previously they didn''t see the child at all and when they returned, the place was even arranged neatly for her.


    ''What exactly is going on?'' They thought. After recovering from their daze, they did not idle any longer and let Yao Yun settle the things that are meant to be settled. Jiang Hao and Irene also prepared for back up in case it failed.


    Yao Yun started to retrieved something inside Chang Xiuying''s head.

 16 Alicia

    When Chang Xiuying caught up to the two, she remembered every details she saw on that deathly place. The woman was stepping on a hill of corpses that were dreadful, monstrous, and more vicious than any of the species she had seen alive.


    You can compare them to the Prehistoric Lifeforms that lived hundreds of millions of years ago. Despite the huge difference of power and size, she had killed them all with no wounds in her body, signifying that their battle ends to be one-sided. When you look further behind her, you can see more of such hills.


    She unknowingly smiled at the scene while feeling the wild thumping of her heart. Chang Xiuying can''t figure out if it''s fear or... excitement.


    "We''re home! Auntie, let me open the door for you!" Chang Xiuying looked at the child who opened the glass door of the condominium. The little girl held the door until Auntie Zoe entered but some people followed suit. Auntie Zoe continued walking, knowing the little girl is following her.


    "Oh my, what a diligent child. Thank you for opening the door for this old me." An old lady entered and patted her head before departing.


    "Alicia~ so cute! Helping Sister Zoe, aiyooo~ so cute! Visit me and we''ll play. I''ll bake you cookies too!" A girl in her 20s pinched the little girl''s cheeks with no reserve before waving goodbye.


    A teenage boy in his black uniform looked at Alicia with sparkles in his eyes. The little girl stared back and tilted her head, her arms were trembling because she''s still holding the glass door ever since Auntie Zoe entered. The teenage boy held the glass door and carried Alicia in his arms.


    "Eh?" Alicia cutely let out a confused voice.


    The teenage boy ruffled the little girl''s head then kissed her forehead gently.


    "Eh? Eh? EH?" Alicia expressed her confusion as she stared at the teenage boy. He closed the glass door and walked in Auntie Zoe''s direction. Chang Xiuying smiled awkwardly when she saw this kind of scene. However, a realization dawned upon her. This scene never happened and the boy didn''t even appear once in her previous memory.


    Then, she saw the boy''s looked directly at her eyes but immediately averted it. She raised an eyebrow as she looked at the boy''s back.


    ''What the?''


    But suddenly, she saw the one she''s tailing earlier, the black-hooded man, entered inside and followed them. Her eyes twitched, instead of following the strange boy, she walked behind the black-hooded fellow in the opposite direction from Auntie Zoe''s room.


    The boy stopped walking and looked back at Chang Xiuying. His eyes saddened as he breathed out a sigh.


    "Brother, why did you stop? Auntie Zoe is getting far."


    The boy pinched the little girl''s nose. "You don''t have to pretend to be at the bottom when you are destined to be at the top." He slowly put Alicia down before disappearing, leaving a red smoke behind.


    The little girl freezes before resuming as if the teenage boy didn''t even exist. She quickly followed Auntie Zoe and opened the door of their room.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying walked closely behind the black-hooded person. Since it''s just a simulation, why would she be scared to be seen or touched by another party? Then she thought about the teenage boy looking at her, thinking that it was just looking what''s behind her. But the factor that the boy didn''t appear from her previous memory still bugged her.


    This left her puzzled until she saw the black-hooded person entered one room using a card key that identifies who is the one that is currently living in that particular room.


    She habitually said "Excuse me" before entering the room. Chang Xiuying looked around and saw some familiar figures inside the room. Anime figurines, ecchi posters, a body pillow,stacks of video games with a high-grade console, 3 monitors joined together, and many necessities an otaku should have.


    Chang Xiuying''s mouth gaped as she realized that she followed the wrong person. But at least she had seen a typical otaku room that she hadn''t seen before. She browsed through everything like a curious child as she skipped from figures to figures, cabinets to cabinets; her curiosity doesn''t stop when she saw the rooms.


    When she peeked in the kitchen, there''s a complete set of kitchen knives in the kitchen isle, perfectly aligned spices, complete and clean appliances, and types of equipment. Her eyes sparkled and touched everything, feeling the coldness of the metal. She suddenly saw a poster by the side of the refrigerator, the name was in Japanese. She then blurted out, "Shokugeki no Souma?"


    When she had seen everything that had to be seen, she coughed lightly before returning to her original poker face. She threw one final glance to the guy that''s eating a piece ofPepero while playing a military video game before finally leaving.


    The guy sighed and saved his progress as ''Ric'' then collapsing to the soft black carpet he''s sitting on.


    Chang Xiuying walked down the hall as she slowly approached their room. She can already hear the babbling of a man. She leaned her back against the wall to listen while Alicia is leaning on the wall beside her.


    "Zoe! I told you that kid will only make a mess! It''s been 1 year and that brat''s parents are nowhere to be seen! Are you planning on adopting that... that thing?! Zoe, we have 3 children! Don''t make it worse by adding one!"


    "Loren... we already talked about this months ago. You agreed to my conditions..."


    "This kid can''t live here for free! Do you know how much I can earn for a month? We can barely live peacefully, now that there''s an additional baggage, it''s currently insufficient! Zoe, that kid is not my own blood!"


    "Our money is enough for 10 people to be fed for a month."


    "10? If that''s the case, how about our daily necessities? OUR children''s education and lifestyle. They needed things more than that girl! OUR priority is OUR children, not other people''s kid!"


    "Loren! There are other things that aren''t needed but we keep on buying them! They would end up in the storage, display or even be left in the dust!"


    "Zoe, Zoe. Oh dear Zoe. You don''t get my intention, do you? You. Have. To. Let. Go. Of. That. Child."


    "Loren! No! I already see Alicia as my own daughter!"


    "Just get the damn point!! Leave! I don''t want to see that child anymore!"


    "Loren! I''ll get another job! Just let her be here! A child would need a lot of love and have to be loved. You don''t want the same thing to happen to your own children! Growing up without love!"


    "What do I CARE?! I''m already doing my best for our OWN CHILDREN! That kid isn''t my child, so what? I''m responsible for her? NO!"


    Bang!


    Chang Xiuying looked at the little girl who is staring blankly to the opposite wall as if she never felt anything or she just didn''t pay attention to it. The loud banging of the door didn''t even startle her. The door clicked and the middle-aged woman came out with a sad expression.


    "Alicia, I-"


    "Don''t worry, Auntie Zoe. I can sustain my own life. There''s still some money left on my parent''s room." The little girl stepped before Auntie Zoe and smiled warmly to the middle-aged woman.


    "Alicia, that''s not it..." Auntie Zoe wore a pained expression as she shakes her head.


    "Do not also worry about that. I am already feeling your heartfelt love given to me, isn''t it enough to receive your love?"


    "Alicia..." Auntie Zoe wore a guilty expression and apologetically said, "Please do forgive your Uncle Loren, he''s just very tired. Come inside, let''s cook your favorite curry." Auntie Zoe held Alicia''s hand but she felt the child''s struggle.


    "It''s alright, it''s already a year ever since I started living here. My parents will come back later on, I, at least have to welcome them back. Please do take care and deliciously feed my brothers and sisters." Alicia retrieved her hand and smiled childishly. She enthusiastically waved goodbye as she ran to the direction of where she and her foster parents lived.


    Auntie Zoe wanted to reach out but was stopped by her third child. "Mum, I''m hungry..."


    Auntie Zoe looked at the receding lonely back of the 5-year-old Alicia. "Okay, I''ll prepare curry for our dinner. Just eat some snack first if your stomach can''t wait." Auntie Zoe looked warmly at her child.


    "Why curry? It''s time-consuming. Snacks won''t help either."


    "It''s been a while since we had curry. We should try a new dish this time, okay? I''ll go and prepare it immediately." Auntie Zoe pulled her child in and closed the door.


    Chang Xiuying''s small stature stood straight as she stared at the door beside her with a deadpan expression. She knew that the curry is really meant for her, Auntie Zoe intended to give her a portion after those people have fallen asleep.


    Her eyes soften a little as she blurted out, "Thank you" before leaving without any regrets.


    Since ''thank you'' is the only thing she is not able to say to Auntie Zoe in her previous life.

 17 Unknown 1

    Chang Xiuying felt the temperature was getting colder. The walls formed a swirl at its center as if its being sucked by a black hole. Her vision contorted, and she felt an immense headache.


    Suddenly, she saw an infinite chasm engulfing the place. She reached out her hand; it was identical to her palm in her previous life on Earth. She took on the appearance of a 16-year-old teenager. But she has an otherworldly physiognomy and a calm ambiance. Her entire being is different as she is in another body of an unknown teen.


    Her body moved on its own as she carried a 12-year-old child in her back. The boy had a dirty countenance and wearing tattered clothes. She frantically run into the narrow and dark alleyway. There were bridges connecting each of the buildings. Her body jumped and climbed like an agile monkey to each of the structures. Swinging around her body while holding onto a metal pipe and landing neatly before running again.


    Things are strange as she can''t control her own body. It''s like she''s only there as an observer and there was someone who is completely in control. But what this body is feeling, she felt it too. What this body is seeing and hearing, as well as she. This felt like as if they are one.


    Chang Xiuying just surrendered and see where this situation will take her.


    She frequently ask the boy: "Are you okay?"


    The boy tightly hugs her neck, but is careful not to choke her and said: "As long as you''re with me, I am always okay."


    She nodded before increasing her speed. There were shadows that keep on chasing them, throwing knives and axes along their way of pursuit. The pursuit became dangerous as flying objects might hit the boy in her back. She ripped a part of her clothes into a wide string as she quickly transferred the boy in front of her.


    She tied the 12 years old boy as the string held him in his butt and the two ends of the string were tightly wrapped around her shoulders and torso. She checked if the boy is secured and patted him on his back.


    "Things will get rocky from now on. If ever you get tired, rest. The string will support you."


    A dagger flew and cuts her right ear into half. She bit her lip and smiled at the boy before running again. She gently held his head as her breathing became so ragged, feeling the throbbing pain in her ear keeps on draining her energy. She needed to endure, for the sake of the child''s safety in her arms.


    As she keep on escaping, you will only see the child''s arms and legs wrapped around her torso. Daggers and arrows were in her back, however, not even a graze landed on each of the child''s limbs.


    She held the ax, which is stuck on the ground, and vigorously threw it towards a dark passage. It made multiple squishing sounds before hearing the loud collision between metals.


    PSSSSHHHHH!! BOOM!


    Smoke came out of that passage and a loud destructive explosion came next, causing large casualties to its neighboring buildings. One of the stone walls got a huge hole in it, cracks appeared as it slowly make its way throughout the building. It slowly collapsed as it quake the land in fear, half of the pursuers got caught in it and died.


    However, a sharp glint came through her way as it targeted her legs. She quickly dodged it as she run again, hoping to widen the gaps between their distance. She felt the boy''s warm embrace and felt relieve. Soon, she sensed a stinging pain in her left leg but decided to ignore it. Since her priority is not her life, the life of the boy in her arms is more important than everything.


    Chang Xiuying wanted to exclaim to the body that her left leg has been pierced by an arrow that you can already see the leg''s veins.


    The boy naturally saw this and tears keeps on flowing from his eyes, hugging her waist tightly as they run. When they got out of the large foothold, they saw a group of people camping on the black sand 658 meters away from her position. The group have large hunting weapons and hundreds of arrows resting in front of them.


    She carefully observed the group and felt relieved as she knew that they are travelers. She quickly approached them and stopped behind the leader of the group.


    The leader still hasn''t sensed the girl behind him and keep on sharpening his saber. The ranger saw it immediately and she kicked their busy leader. "Allen, if you continued sharpening that junk... you''ll get killed."


    The whole group laughed as it was ridiculous that someone can enter their leader''s radar without being noticed. The ranger rolled her eyes and the whole group turned towards their leader. Their faces paled as they gaped their mouth. "L-leader... behind..."


    "Huh? I don''t feel anything behind my back at all. What are you talking about- GAH!"


    The girl heavily patted Allen in his broad shoulders that caused his armor to bent. Her force cause him enough to kneel on the ground. She casually asked: "State where are you from? Keep it short."


    The whole group readied their weapon as they aimed towards the girl. But the trembling child in her embrace caused them to retreat.


    "T-triggor, one of the lands in the Ancient Alketran."


    "Is it far?"


    "V-very. We traveled for 3 years to get here."


    "Purpose?"


    "D-diamond armor."


    "I have a favor to... ask." As she became relieved, she relaxed her whole body and untied the child.


    "Please... what is it?" Allen nervously glance around his team.


    "Protect this child." She released her grasp as Allen looked at the appearance of the girl who subdued him. He became speechless to its otherworldly beauty but her condition contradicts it as wounds covered her body. The ranger covered her mouth as she saw her ear that is split in half.


    Allen turned his gaze towards the ragged little child that is tightly embracing the otherworldly beauty. He raised his eyebrows and asked: "What can you do in return?"


    "Diamond armor..." She glanced around and raised her hand showing 5 fingers.


    The whole group sucked in a mouthful of cold air. Allen is clearly satisfied with the number of Diamond armor he''s getting without facing any troubles. "5 of them? Great, I accept."


    The girl shook her head. "500 Diamond armors. In return, protect this child for one week."


    The whole group, especially Allen, had cold sweats in their backs. One Diamond armor is hard enough to obtain, five of them is even more harder, but 500? Impossible!


    They''ll take many decades just to complete a fourth of that 500. The girl''s reward is simply astronomical and illogical. No one would simply give a huge amount of rare Diamond armors.


    Allen smugly answered: "It''s just protecting this child, right? No problem! You also need protection? I''ll do it for free."


    "No, I will make a diversion. After I lure them out, you have to go towards the Cave of Reflection and seek help for the one that lives there, named Quentin. He will immediately know if you show this ring to him. You will take, approximately, one week to arrive there."


    She threw two rings towards Allen and said: "The red ring signifies the identity while the purple ring is your reward. However, you are only permitted by the ring to use 8 armors for your group. The rest will automatically be available after it is checked by Quentin."


    The group nodded continuously as they gave the girl revered gazes. The ranger stepped in, "When will we meet after you lure someone?"


    The girl readied the boy and dressed him properly, throwing the tattered clothes into the fire. Now, the boy''s countenance were just below the beauty of the girl. She ruffled the boy''s head and kissed his forehead gently then turned her gaze at the ranger.


    "No need. I might end up dead, you have to keep moving forward to avoid suspicions. Otherwise, you''ll endanger the whole group. If that happened, you will never earn your reward."


    "Ah... right."


    The girl cupped the boy''s face, wiping his endless tears away and said: "You are the next in line for the throne. Be true and decisive, treat your subjects just as how you take care of yourself. On how to improve yourself and climbed the ladder of success, teach them too."


    The boy still cried and grasps the girl''s trembling hands. "Don''t leave me... please, don''t leave."


    The girl rubbed her forehead to the boy''s forehead. "Aren, you have to be strong. You don''t have to pretend to be at the bottom when you are destined to be at the top."


    The boy touched the warm cheek of the girl and gently caressed her injured ear. "You have to come with us. Let me heal you... you''re wounded everywhere..."


    "No. It would be suspicious if anything changed." She suddenly sensed a large army of people thousand meters away that is slowly approaching their location. She faced all of the members of the group and commanded, "All of you, leave immediately! The reinforcements have arrived and is slowly approaching us now. You have to avoid them by any means necessary! Protect Elodiaren with all of your might!"


    She dashed forward, leaving the group behind. Elodiaren ran after her but was stopped by the ranger. The child struggled in her arms as his tears keeps on trickling down his cheeks. He continuously shouted, "No! Come back! Please no!!"


    The ranger hugged him tightly. But Elodiaren trembled, "She will be killed! Save her! PLEASE! SAVE HER! She had suffered enough because of me! I can''t let her die because of me! Save her! Please!!"


    Allen knocked the boy unconscious and led the group towards the Cave of Reflection without looking back.


    Elodiaren muttered with his crinkled brows, "Save... her."

 18 Unknown 2

    The girl dashed forward until she reached the forest. She stumbled down and some of the daggers and arrows lodged deeper in her back. She grimaced in pain. Thankfully, upon stumbling down, she immediately supported her body and sat down on the soft ground. Although there are a lot of sharp objects in her back, she made sure that she won''t be hit in any of the fatal areas that may eventually lead to her death.


    She controlled a thick root of the tree to act as a hand and remove all of the sharp objects in her unreachable back. She grits her teeth as she plucks out every dagger and broken arrows in her back using the thick root. Every daggers and arrow had some of her reddish flesh as blood keeps on bathing her clothes red. She keeps on enduring the pain while she writhes in pain.


    When she plucked the last one in her back, she finally groaned and relaxed her body. The arrow that''s in her left leg is the only thing that is left to be removed. However, her wound was already worse and infected as the blackness spreads 3 inches around the wound.


    She closed her eyes, sighing heavily. She firmly held the long stem and breaks it. Now, there is only an arrowhead remained. The arrow firmly held its place in her legs as she didn''t let it shift its position while breaking the stem. She puts some medicinal liquid with the leaves she carried and keeps on monitoring her condition while pulling the arrowhead in her legs carefully.


    She tried to solve the problems of those veinss that were cut using a thin string of the leaf as she controlled its stitching. The girl retrieved some tree extract and poured it into her infected wound. This procedure made her gasped for air and she bathed with her own sweat.


    "Hiss¨C!!" Some beads of sweat trickled down on her back and hissed at the pricking pain she''s feeling.


    After remedying her wounds with the help of the thick root she''s controlling, she started to recover her energy.


    Chang Xiuying''s breathing became heavy as the torment she''s feeling is oh so real. This is not the first time she felt this but this is clearly worse than what she remembered in her daily life for being a hostage for 2 months or the fact that a 50-man gang attacked her.


    After 5 minutes, the girl stood up with bandages on her left leg. She touched one of the trees and made a complete replica of the boy earlier as she marked it with the boy''s insignia. It''s light but it''s not breathing, it''s like she''s carrying a corpse in her arms. She used the previous string and tied it on her torso before continuing to walk.


    The girl keeps on calculating in her mind that Chang Xiuying finally caught it.


    The girl never makes everything complicated and just walk normally. Since the pursuers will eventually know her location whatever or whenever she might be. Because they have already marked her as their target and they knew that she won''t be able to entrust the boy to anyone. They have already reached the border of the kingdom and is entering the Forbidden Land of the Kings. The pursuers would think that she would expend her energy dry before arriving at the border, carrying herself and the boy is really energy draining.


    After a moment of thought, she sensed that the army is still 500 meters away from her. Their pace piqued her interest, her eyes widen and anxiously turned her head towards the border.


    "This..." She became pale as she saw her very own family pointing cannons and weapons towards her. That family was the one who supported the main Imperial Family and yet at the very last moment of her life, they betrayed them?


    She inhaled heavily as her sorrow overwhelmed her. She charged to her east side as she jumped from tree to tree. One of the Eagle-eyed force, which is also a part of the family, caught this and immediately fired the cannon towards her.


    Bang!


    "Hey, hey, hey! What are you firing for?!"


    "Saw the target escaping."


    "What? She still has the energy to escape? Did you injured her?"


    "No. She dodged."


    "*Sigh* Just... capture her. We just have to apologize after."


    "Copy." The man who fired the cannon left his position and chased after the girl.


    ...


    Chang Xiuying released a few low laughs as this body just redirected the trajectory of the cannonball with a graceful movement before continuing to escape. She noted this move in her mind and it may become useful in her future as a reference.


    The girl got captured by a large trunk of the tree, she looked at her capturer and saw her beloved cousin. Her eyes glowed red, ripped the trunk and run with all her strength, but then she heard his call.


    "Don''t run! The faction will release you if you surrendered that child. We will apologize to you after."


    The girl didn''t stop on her tracks and shouted. "Apologize? Rubbish!"


    "As usual, you can''t get mad."


    The girl rolled her eyes. She noticed the constant distance of her and her cousin and thought that something is wrong again. She looked back, "All of the directions here were locked by you all?"


    "Oh? Sharp." The man is actually happy that the girl might consider and there would be no casualties. His face revealed shock when he saw the girl madly rush forward. "This cousin... don''t tell me she''s planning to break her way out through the weakest lockage!?"


    The girl coughed, her regained energy keeps going down as if she''s being poisoned to death. She thought that she would rather die to the pursuers than die to her own family. But then, a glint showed below her as she was vigorously dragged down.


    Her cousin'' face changed greatly once again as she was buried underground.


    ...


    Chang Xiuying became so suffocated until she can barely breathe. She thought to herself, ''What the heck is going on?!''


    The place revealed an underground ruin. She looked down and saw a temple with a large array of blood. A blood-like vine separated her and the wooden doll she made. She was thrown aside and hit her head on the hard stone wall. The wooden doll was placed gently on the temple, however, those people in black clothes noticed that the boy they''re sacrificing is just a lifeless, wooden doll!


    "You heretic!" They shouted in chorus as they released the blood-like vine towards the girl. They locked her every limb as one of the vines stabbed a hole in her stomach.


    The girl coughed out a mouthful of blood. The unbearable pain as if there were a thousand needles kept on pricking her fresh wounds and putting salts into it. At the same time, her stomach is slowly becoming numb. She wanted to scream but one of the vines coursed through her neck and crushed her vocal chord. She can only cry in anguish.


    Chang Xiuying keep on sending signals that the girl needed to use her powers that she previously used. But it was all in vain, the girl can''t hear her!


    The pain may be quite bearable to Chang Xiuying because of her mental constitution, but the girl is almost lifeless. The light from the fires can''t enter her eyes as it turned dead. One of the people exclaimed, "This girl is more valuable than that kid you mentioned!"


    "What are you saying? She only has that useless blood of her mother!"


    "Fool! Her body constitution is on par with her energy constitution! She might be the Unrivaled Shekinah, the alias of the girl who walked her way through countless monster hordes!"


    "What?! Such a thing is hidden! Those Imperial families hide it deep." One said as he gritted his teeth.


    "Our Highness will be pleased! Get her blood! Her blood!" This echoed repeatedly in the entire underground ruin.


    ...


    They hang her high and blood keeps on dripping down on the array.


    She was now limbless, the wound on her stomach was healed as they thought that the girl might not last long. That''s why they decided to cut all of her limbs. Some of the black-clothed people keep on having ecstasy from licking her blood. The others noticed this and tried to do the same thing.


    "Ah ah ah ah. This is bliss!"


    "Aaah. The sensation is making me... oooh."


    "Hahaha! Don''t make this too sexual! But damn, this blood is really good! It makes you full of vitality and vigor!"


    "More! More! More!"


    Chang Xiuying is now brimming with anger. The pain is now unbearable and they dared to vile her humanity in front of her! Although her limbs were still intact, she can feel that her limbs were gone.


    Unacceptable!


    She tried to collect her calm to prevent herself from rash decisions. But then, she noticed something stirred inside the girl. The bright silver radiance passed through her, making its way to the girl''s head. She rubbed the part where the silver radiance punched a hole into, her heart.


    The eyes of the girl turned black and cried tears of blood, her expression became full of grief. She growled and it shook the whole ruins that startled the people. The growl is soundless, however, it still shook all of their hearts.


    "Restrain her! Quick!!"


    The girl once again growled. Her tears flowed like waterfalls and her eyes were slowly becoming silver. Pieces of rocks were making its way towards her as it slowly formed her legs. The place rumbled vigorously that panicked the whole group, countless tree roots coursed towards the girl and formed her arms.


    She ripped the blood-like vine as if it''s paper, she jumped down and made a huge depression on the ground. Her silver hair flowed madly like there''s wind underground, she looked towards the group with her tear-blooded eyes that keeps on flowing and spoke with an otherworldly, silvery voice.


    "Perish, humans."

 19 Unknown 3

    Chang Xiuying felt her heart tightening. The silver radiance that passed through her heart seems like it left something. Her oceanic life energy keeps on expanding and deepening at the same time. Her body trembled vigorously as the energy that is being suppressed were slowly wakening. The three jade bracelets and the crystal necklace hummed, these accessories cracked and eventually shattered as the materials can''t handle the sudden flow of her power.


    A large undulation shot forth around Chang Xiuying. Her oceanic life energy inside her body shook and created a rampaging tsunami. Meanwhile, her stacked mental chains in her brain continued to make annoying clanging noises. She felt these two phenomena, the sudden burst of power in addition to the things she keeps on feeling outside of this body, will slowly take her sanity away.


    Even though Xue said that she''s already at the penultimate stage of mental cultivation, it seems to her that it''s not. If so, she would be able to bear the torment she''s experiencing right now, but it''s not.


    The controller of the body has gone berserk in its unconscious state, however, Chang Xiuying still felt all of the pain that has been inflicted to her. No matter how she split her consciousness to experience the pain in half, it''s ineffective!


    She''s completely awake and the body is unconscious!


    ...


    The body whipped her vine arms, she stomped her rock legs that caused a huge commotion at the underground ruins. The black-clothed group initially wanted to suppress the girl but decided not to. The only thing that is practical is to escape!


    The girl retracted her right arm and raised it with force. All of the entrances of the underground ruins was blocked by the lump of rocks and was reinforced by the vines.


    "We''re finished! The descent of the Primordial Entity is already upon us!"


    "Curse this cult! All I can feel is suffering!"


    "Don''t be foolish! You''re one of the people who got turned on with her blood!"


    "Aaaah! This is the end!"


    "Our Highness, please grant us protection!"


    "No! Unrivaled Shekinah! Please let me off! I was only dragged here because of my family! Please let me off!"


    "Unrivaled Shekinah! Have mercy on us! Mercy!"


    But the body of the girl only spread her arms as a response. The whole group who were begging got confused by her action. Suddenly, countless spikes surfaced from the ground, whether it is a sharp vine or a sharp rock, every spike impaled some of the group and blood flowed down on those spikes.


    The stubborn individuals released their blood-like vines as it coursed its way through her head and heart!


    PUCHI!


    The blood-like vine stopped mid-air. The individuals that released the vines were already pale as white when they stare at the bloodied vine impaled in their chests, they collapsed on the ground as they all died from fatal impalement.


    Slaughter. This became a one-sided slaughter. The girl looked like an evil incarnate as multiple thick vines keep on wriggling behind her, ready to kill anyone.


    Suddenly, a thick vine stabbed her behind and goes through her stomach. When the thick vine retreated, she controlled some plant vines and covered her injury. She looked at the person who attacked her who was plunging down with a powerful aura.


    "Please do forgive me, your highness. This is the only thing that I can do to save you."


    The girl clenched her teeth and growled. The man who she trusted ever since she''s a child, her Uncle!


    Damn Imperial Family!


    Rocks immediately formed a dome around the girl and were supported by thick vines. The rock dome was still in the air with the vines under it like a spider web. Inside the dome, the girl vomited fresh blood. She collapsed as her vine and rocked limbs disintegrated, that only left her limbless body with a hole in her stomach. She was actually surprised that she made it this far with this kind of injuries.


    In her last moment, she can only think about the child she''s protecting for almost 12 years. Her mouth curved into a weak smile as she died with no regrets.


    ...


    In the Central Marsh:


    Yao Yun got cold sweat all over his body. Yao Chen supported her son as the procedure keeps on draining his life energy. Irene and Jiang Hao stood alertly by the side. Elodiaren looked at the group worriedly and the girl, Shin Mei, happily played with the flower in her hands while stealing glances at the group that is 150 meters away from them. They are watching at the tree that is average by its peers in terms of height.


    Elodiaren''s expression grew stern. "It''s here."


    "What''s here?" Shin Mei focused her attention on Elodiaren.


    "You already knew, don''t ask."


    "What is it that I knew?" The girl smiled and tilted her head. Elodiaren didn''t pay heed to the girl''s words and irritating smile. He started to doubt himself if he is really one of the Four Great Kings in their homeland or his status won''t work unless he''s at his own territory.


    Starting from now, Elodiaren didn''t blink as the procedure goes on. He''s afraid that the caster would lose focus once the final phase starts, that will also decide the fate of Chang Xiuying whether to wake up or sleep for eternity.


    Shin Mei looked at the anxious expression of Elodiaren. "What are you so worried of, boss?"


    "I can''t interfere. Whatever the outcome is... I have to accept it."


    "Why is that? That you cannot interfere?"


    "Long story." Elodiaren shook his head. Shin Mei decided to keep quiet, she didn''t want to press her question to the anxious King.


    Meanwhile, the final phase of the retrieval began. Yao Yun started to heighten all of his senses to never let anything distract him. A bright radiance came out of Chang Xiuying''s eyes as it slowly formed into a ball. However, there was another tiny ball inside of the big sphere. A jade ornament hovered around as it slowly assisted the procedure secretly.


    The string of connection is slowly making its way to the jaded ornament. Yao Yun looked dazed at this strange phenomenon. His hands slowed down and the insertion of life energy became rigid. The string of connection is slowly vanishing. Yao Chen smacked her son''s head. "Focus!"


    "Ah! Yes!" Yao Yun started to speed up his movement.


    "Not good!" Yao Chen exclaimed heavily.


    "Jiang Hao! Felstead! Transfer your energies!"


    "What''s happening?" Irene anxiously asked. Jiang Hao already started transferring his energy to Yao Yun as he already anticipated this.


    "If you asked more, the procedure will fail!" Yao Chen bellowed angrily.


    "Eh? Ah. Okay! " Irene quickly opened a path towards Yao Yun''s energy and filled it.


    Jiang Hao stole a glance at the corner of his eyes. He breathed a silent sigh and focused all of his attention into transferring.


    Yao Yun coughed out blood as it is really too much for his young body. But the brand that he instilled on Chang Xiuying is now gone! How can he still retrieve it if it''s gone? Furthermore, he still hasn''t told the branding to his mother. He steeled his heart then spoke in a calm voice to his mother, he explained everything without stopping his hands.


    Yao Chen''s voice quivered. "You... you... what are you planning!?"


    "I know that she''ll leave the Central Marsh! I, at least, want to have her location known!"


    "You brat! You used an incomplete guide to perform a branding!"


    "I used my own knowledge and constructed a new one! However, I didn''t know that this will be the result..."


    Yao Chen sighed. "After this is over, perform it one more time and we''ll see what punishment I''ll give to you. For now, I''ll do it. Since your trace had disappeared and all." She started to raised her hands and swiped every string of life that is slowly dispersing around Chang Xiuying.


    A strong white radiance formed and entered Chang Xiuying''s body. Yao Chen gently controlled the path of the white radiance. In just a few moments, golden radiance erupted from the ball of light.


    Elodiaren sighed in relief when he saw the color of the radiance. If it became red, then it''s really the end for the girl he loves. Thankfully, it''s gold. Now, he can breathe with ease without the weight in his heart. Shin Mei stared at the now relaxed King. She still can''t understand the things that are happening around her, she even thought that is it really worth worrying for?


    ...


    Chang Xiuying felt hopeless as she lied down lifelessly. Catching her breath became a pain as her body can''t contain the astonishing growth of her life energy. She felt that she will explode anytime, or die anytime, this is actually her lifetime goal but was always stopped with responsibilities. Since the opportunity arises, she might just have to take this.


    Suddenly, a white string flowed down towards her. It first entered her body and this made her body warm all over. Then it entered her brain and calmed the chains down. The calmness of her body resulted to something as it restricted her body more from the sudden outburst of power.


    Chang Xiuying''s breathing stabilizes then she fainted. The strong golden glow formed a hand, gripped her entire body gently, and retrieved her before disappearing in the abyss.

 20 In the South Garden Pagoda

    Somewhere inside the forest in Central Marsh, Chang Xiuying''s unconscious body is being carried by the little boy, Yao Yun. He insisted on carrying Chang Xiuying as his way of showing care for the 3-year-old girl. The three people; Yao Chen, Irene, and Jiang Hao, didn''t have any choice but to surrender to the child''s plea.


    "Yao Yun, after escorting the little brat to Felstead''s pagoda, immediately come back. We still have something serious to discuss." Yao Chen glared at Yao Yun, he fixed Chang Xiuying in place as he nodded solemnly to his mother.


    They agreed to just stay at Irene''s place. When Chang Xiuying reached 5 years old, they would send her to the best school in the village. Namely, the Morning Light Pavilion, where they set the lessons in a large pavilion. It currently has 73 students, ranging from 5 to 70 years old villagers. They divided the classes according to their chosen lessons, but children under 10 years old were kept in one area.


    They would also be responsible for the child''s Cleansing method to reach the Iron-level. The child''s guardian or parents are only responsible for getting the materials needed for the method. Quality is best considered.


    Irene, Jiang Hao, and Yao Yun while carrying Chang Xiuying, reached the South Garden Pagoda. It was placed where it was devoid of people, the pagoda stood erect at the center with the green lake surrounding it and a bridge that connects the land between the pagoda.


    The South Garden Pagoda already exist before this village was built 200 years ago. In short, it is an ancient pagoda. Some places are already covered in moss and the lake that is crystal clear by then is now green. Besides the living quarters that is always on use, everything is old. No one really knows when exactly is the pagoda built. It may be 300 or even 500 years ago, who knows? It may have been older than the other three pagodas.


    The living quarters just consist of a bed, a table, a chair, and a cabinet. There''s a window beside the bed and rooms for the bathroom and the kitchen. Incidentally, Jiang Hao installed some secret mechanisms for Irene''s safety. But now, he has to be vigilant 24/7 because of Chang Xiuying and Jiang Li''s case. Especially Jiang Li being part of the organization of pursuers that no one knows when it started. Besides that, Chang Xiuying''s frequent disappearance is really alarming.


    One, she disappeared when she goes into the forest to retrieve a flower near the Martial Field then safely came back after a day with two of them.


    Two, after coming back, she just remained for a day then quickly disappears for a month.


    Three, she disappeared, more like, she left, when she was in Yao Chen''s home for a few hours then she came back here to the South Garden Pagoda while unconscious.


    The villagers frequently visit Chang Xiuying and gave gifts for her to see when she''s awake from her slumber. The sleeping face of Chang Xiuying is really a sight to see, her soft and rounded rosy cheeks and her peaceful breathing.


    Just like that, a week has passed and Chang Xiuying still hasn''t woken up. The villagers became so worried about their little goddess'' condition.


    A boy that quietly stood at the other end of the bridge, and as tall as a 5-year-old is looking at the South Garden Pagoda. His hair was partly black and partly white that the end is reaching his shoulders, his amber eyes were flashing with guilt.


    A beautiful and tall woman approached him behind. "Yun''er, are you hesitating? You should go inside."


    Yao Yun didn''t remove his gaze towards the pagoda. "Dear mother, I am hesitating..." He then looked at Yao Chen, "I seem to never find a suitable betrothal gift for Xiao Ying."


    Yao Chen''s eyes widen as she glared at her son. "You! Damn brat! Just because you discovered another function of the power that can result in a suspended time of the body and a branding on your own, you became so cocky! What will that cunning brat feel?!"


    "Dear mother, I will not be cocky in front of Xiao Ying, she might not like it."


    "Enough of this chatter, won''t the both of you just go? You''re blocking the entire pathway."


    Yao Chen and Yao Yun looked behind, they saw a frowning wild Jiang Hao holding a basket. Yao Chen scoffed and said, "Why don''t you just jump?"


    Jiang Hao walked past them. "My wife will scold me if I disturb even one grass."


    "Pfft! Just jump already!" Yao Chen bursts out laughing but was stopped by Jiang Hao''s cold stare. He clicked his tongue then continued walking.


    ...


    At Irene''s bed, the 3-year-old Chang Xiuying laid unconscious while being covered with a soft blanket. Her breathing is peaceful that there seems to be nothing wrong. Her eyelashes quivered as she slowly opened her eyes, it has a trace of silver and red along with the black color.


    Just before she could think, Xue''s voice erupted.


    [Host! As expected, you''re awake! But seriously, you have to avoid that Yao Yun from now on. His procedure is so mediocre that he almost killed you! Thankfully, the Almighty System agreed for my request to help you externally while you''re unconscious.]


    "Xue..." Chang Xiuying weakly muttered, her vision is still blurred as she can''t see the figure staring down at her.


    "Xue? Who''s that?"


    ''Huh? Why is that kid...''


    [Just as I said! You have to avoid him by any means. He did something wrong to you and he might do it twice or even thrice! You''re a precious asset of ours, thus, you have to take care of yourself. Right, your strength is temporarily decreased but it will soon erupt again after 5 hours. Once it''s up, they''ll eventually know that you''re a gold-level practitioner. Before then, you have to sneak out and we''ll think about ways for it.]


    "Don''t worry, Xue, I''ll think about it." Chang Xiuying telepathically said to Xue. Her vision became clear and saw a girlish face that is more grown than the last time she had seen him. She was not surprised but she needed to be surprised.


    Thus, she exclaimed, "Who the heck?" while she abruptly sat. However, she felt an intense stabbing pain from her head. She clutched her head as Yao Yun supported her body from collapsing. Chang Xiuying tried to regulate her breathing and Yao Yun wouldn''t dare disturb her.


    [Host, you clearly knew how it felt when you suddenly sat up after a week of slumber.]


    "What? It''s only a week? Anyway, that would not be believable if I didn''t do that. Since people are bound to be surprised after waking up to such a strange change of appearance. I thought I slept for 2-3 years, but it''s only a week."


    [It''s only natural, pureblood beastkins are bound to grow faster as they gain combat or mental experience and power. It depends on their training on how fast will they grow up.]


    "I see." She thought that seeing a boy that is slightly taller than her now was just a head shorter than her last week is incredibly peculiar. She even thought that she had grown old for 2-3 years in just a week.


    She glanced towards Yao Yun''s grown appearance then raised her eyebrow, "Yao Yun?"


    "Yeah. How''s your body?" Yao Yun concernedly asked as he gently massages Chang Xiuying''s head.


    She sighed inside her heart. ''Why is it like this?''


    "I''m fine." Chang Xiuying looked around and sees no one beside Yao Yun. She thought, ''Ain''t this dangerous?'', just as she wanted to ask where are the rest, a group of people entered quietly. Irene gasped and flew to Chang Xiuying as she squeezed her tightly in her bosom. "You''re awake! You''re finally awake!"


    Jiang Hao rested his palm on Irene''s shoulder. "Wife, it''s my turn." Irene glared at him but she can''t hide her slight blushing. She replied with an ''Oh'' and released the child in her arms. Jiang Hao squeezed Chang Xiuying more tightly and whispered softly, "Welcome back, Ying''Er. You really made this one so worried."


    "The villagers left you some great gifts. You should eat first before you check it out."


    "Un! But, Uncle Jiang, how long have I been asleep? Is it two years?" Chang Xiuying gave a confused look at Jiang Hao.


    "Huh? What makes you think that?" Now, Jiang Hao is also confused.


    "Well, Yao Yun is older now." Chang Xiuying pointed at the quiet Yao Yun behind Jiang Hao.


    "Ah, no, that''s not it. You just slept for one week."


    Chang Xiuying exaggerates her suspicious look at Yao Yun. "Then, she''s not Yao Yun! Who''s that girl?!"


    "Ying''er, ah, that''s not it. He''s really Yao Yun. It''s just the pureblood beastskin''s ability..." Jiang Hao didn''t even finish when he was pushed back by Chang Xiuying. "I don''t believe you, Uncle Jiang! She''s not Yao Yun!"


    Chang Xiuying''s weak body ran out and she closed the door.


    "Ying''er!" Jiang Hao wanted to chase after the child but he was stopped by Yao Chen. "She''s just a kid, let her calm down first before you approach her again. It''s the nature of a kid since she just saw something unbelievable that did not normally occur inside the village."


    Yao Chen stopped for a moment, her eyes twitched when she remembered the attitude of Chang Xiuying as they fought secludedly and her attitude when there''s a vast amount of people.


    She almost wants to facepalm herself and regret her actions. ''I forgot. She''s a two-faced brat!''

 21 2 years later

    [Host, where the heck are you going?]


    "I will hide since they''ll let me be alone for a good while." Chang Xiuying ran behind a bush and sat there.


    [Very well, as I said, your power was temporarily reduced since it really reached a terrifying state. While you''re unconscious, your body began to emit sounds and your cultivations began to viciously react. Before that, supposedly that I can contact you whenever or whatever the circumstances may be, was jammed. I do not know what to do that time as I can''t find the connection for almost hours! Thankfully, I contacted the main system and they agreed to help you. Those bogus people made it worse and I personally stepped in.]


    "Oh... I see." Chang Xiuying nodded and continued to listen to Xue.


    [Because of your sudden eruption of power, it may poison all of your surroundings and nothing will be left behind. I have to prevent that by all cost. Now, your cultivation power became so strong that it cannot be contained by your own physical body. Your mental chains became so solid that it cannot be called as a net anymore. But a wall that cannot be penetrated by usual means. Right, I wanted to tell you this badly, there''s a silver pearl lingering inside your brain. I still have to investigate its origin and power.]


    "Maybe that''s the power left in me when I was in the body of another girl."


    [What? Did you experience another life while being asleep? I may say, I do not really know what happened and I can''t seem to enter your memory lane. Tell me everything that happened.]


    "To tell you the truth, it''s all a blur now and it''s disappearing when I''m trying to remember all of it. All I remember clearly is the pain I felt and when I was shot by that Silver-something."


    [You''re useless.]


    "You can''t blame me, if I can, I will tell you every detail of that strange occurrence. You''re not a stranger, Xue, why would I hide things from you?" Chang Xiuying sighed.


    [...]


    "Xue? Oh? My Xue is speechless." Chang Xiuying teasingly grinned.


    [Shut up. Anyway, there''s still 4 hours and 43 minutes to think of ways to settle your monstrous power. Please choose from the options: (1) I''ll seal your energy and it will be activated once it can be handled by your physical body; this is not the same as the method of using jades and crystals. (2) Maintain the current power, train harder to match it with your physical appearance as I will give assistance to cover your energy. (3) Forcefully upgrade your body; it''s very dangerous and you''ll be a threat to the village, very expensive but it is affordable with your current contribution, and it is also very effective that the change will be seen by the naked eye. Stating of options, done.]


    "I pick (2). I will be venturing through the outside world by myself, I can''t just scream for help whenever I''m in trouble or even ask for your assistance. I have to learn to regulate the energy that I will secrete as I can''t fully do it when I was on Earth. One more thing, I still need to hide it from them."


    [Option considered. I prepared a pair of earrings for you. This is the highest grade seal that I bought from your current contribution points. This seal is used for dangerous uncontrolled energy, wear it when you''re around them. This earring can control the pathway into your energy and the power it releases. Remove it once you''re not around them anymore.]


    "Okay." Chang Xiuying felt that she was tricked. She frowns and shook the entire thought away as she wears the small pearl earring on her ears.


    [Incoming.]


    "Yeah." She covered her face on her knees and began to contemplate about the matter of her current power. On how will she sneak out by night and come back by morning, or just said that she''ll play with Yao Chen but will go to a different place.


    ...


    Her figure looked like a scared little bunny behind the bush. Jiang Hao''s stare becomes softer as he saw this.


    ''Indeed, a child''s heart is so fragile...''


    Jiang Hao gently sat in front of Chang Xiuying then softly said, "Ying''er, I know what you saw was shocking. But it''s one of the abilities of the beastkins, they''ll grow when they grew stronger. Yao Yun is still Yao Yun, he''s waiting for you inside with a hurt expression. You should go and apologize to him, hmm?"


    Chang Xiuying slowly raised her head and didn''t look at Jiang Hao''s eyes as she slowly nodded. "Un..."


    Jiang Hao''s chest throbbed as he felt hurt. He still can''t believe that the child didn''t address herself with her name as she pushed him away. He carefully carried Chang Xiuying in his arms then walked towards the pagoda. "Are you still mad?"


    Chang Xiuying was hugging Jiang Hao''s neck with her frail and small hands. She clutched his collar tightly as she heard his question. Jiang Hao felt this silent response as he sighed heavily. He rubbed Chang Xiuying''s back as he kissed her head. "Just tell Uncle if something is wrong. Don''t run away like today and just come directly into my arms. Uncle would not tolerate this behavior."


    When Jiang Hao''s voice died down, Chang Xiuying shrunk on his shoulder and he felt her nod. "Ying''er, ah, where is my Ying''er? My very adorable and energetic Ying''er? Is she gone or did she hide? I was planning on giving her some of her favorite foods. Now that I can''t see her, maybe I''ll give it to Yun''er."


    Chang Xiuying''s little hands suddenly yank Jiang Hao''s ears with a cute pout. "No. Ying''er is here. Uncle Jiang can''t give Yao Yun my favorite foods. Uncle Jiang, you meanie."


    "Ow ow ow, Ying''er is so strong! Uncle would not give your foods to Yun''er. Are we alright, now, hmm?" Jiang Hao coaxed her more as laughter filled the atmosphere. Chang Xiuying continuously tapped Jiang Hao''s cheeks as she pouted with remorse.


    Irene, Yao Chen, and Yao Yun saw this and they instantly warmed. However, it was only for a few seconds. Irene was instantly filled with melancholy as she saw his husband''s loud laughter when she can''t see or hear this when they''re alone together.


    Yao Chen shivered as she still remembered the child she fought one month or more ago. The child''s attitude is really completely different as she can only see the wide smirk of the child which it shouldn''t have.


    Yao Yun also wanted to make that kind of reaction from Chang Xiuying. He clutched his hand as he made up his mind for the following time.


    [You look stupid, Host.]


    Chang Xiuying didn''t stop her actions as she replied to Xue telepathically. "Shut it, I am trying my best. Don''t ruin it."


    ...


    As time goes by, Chang Xiuying stayed inside the South Garden Pagoda with the persuasion of Jiang Hao and Yao Chen to Irene. For some unknown reason, Yao Yun also stayed inside but he was on another floor. The interior of the South Garden Pagoda changed dramatically as they proceeded to clean the exterior of it. Since people started living inside, they had to clean it to make it habitable. They also have a precious child to take care of, technically two.


    2 years have passed since then. The moss-filled pagoda was now squeaky clean. All of the floors became available for living. There are a total of 6 floors; Chang Xiuying was on the uppermost floor, the dining room is in the fourth floor, Irene moved into the third floor, Yao Yun is inside the second floor, and the fifth and first floor were they put the living room. The field around the desolate pagoda was greener and became much lively.


    When people passed by and saw the pagoda, they stared in awe. The pagoda changed so much ever since their little goddess lived inside.


    "Why didn''t Irene cleaned it like this in the first place?" An old man with his back arched asked as he fixed his stare on the pagoda.


    "Shut it, Gu Feng. Irene is the only one living inside, why would she bother cleaning it?" Yan Ruo harrumphed.


    "Eh. That so?" Gu Feng rubbed his chin. He continued to walk with a hidden smile in his face. Yan Ruo was startled and chased after Gu Feng. "Wait for me, you senile fool!"


    Chang Xiuying saw this as she observed from the sixth-floor window. Her hair grew to waist length and it was tied into a ponytail. Her face became slightly mature along with her aura. She rested her chin on her hand as she looked far beyond the village.


    Multiple knocks sounded out from the door, Chang Xiuying glanced and saw Irene entered with a smile. "It''s your first day at Morning Light Pavilion, you should get ready and we will personally escort you."


    "Oh, right. I''ll be down in 10 minutes." Chang Xiuying straightened her posture and politely said.


    "Also, Yao Yun will be entering too. Guide him, alright?" Before Irene closed the door, she winked at her one last time then left.


    [What?!]

 22 Morning Light Pavilion

    [Excommunicate him! He dares!]


    "Xue, although we will be in the same class, it''s still okay. We should, at least, bear with it as long as he doesn''t pester me." Chang Xiuying packed a notebook, a pen, and her wrapped lunch inside her storage bag. She glanced at one of her hidden training room that she bought with the accumulation of two years of contribution points that was worth of 2 million Rubies.


    It was a well-off ground that can slow the time when one was training inside. 10 hours inside the room is equivalent to 1 hour outside. Chang Xiuying contemplated, "Maybe I should practice first before going down."


    However, Yao Yun entered with a knock. "I heard that you wanted 10 minutes to prepare, I doubt that. Do you want to escape from your first day of school?" Yao Yun smiled as his face brightened. His height already looks like a 7-year-old boy and a sword in his belt. He removed one of his gloves and gestured to Chang Xiuying that he will take her downstairs.


    [Damn him. Host, he showed up. What would you do? Options: (1) kill him (2) bury him alive; and (3) kick him out of the window.]


    "Pfft. Calm down, Xue, he didn''t know anything back then as he''s only a child when that happened. Besides, it''s already 2 years ago."


    Chang Xiuying clasped his hands and shook it before retrieving her hand back before he could grasp it. She also smiled to the boy that became mesmerized with this sweet candy. "I won''t escape. I just wanted to look more at the scenery outside."


    Yao Yun nodded then walked over to her bookshelves that are full of books and there were even some stacked books on the floor beside shelves. He grabbed one book from the shelves and skimmed through it. "This is a good book. Where did you borrow it? This book is not the one that you can see normally inside this village."


    [I suggest killing him.]


    "¡­" Chang Xiuying just sighed inwardly. ''Honestly,'' she thought, ''when did Xue become so short-tempered?''


    "I do not know. It just arrived one day outside the pagoda. It was wrapped with fine black clothing and a paper was attached to it saying that it shall be given to me." Chang Xiuying said without hiding anything.


    Yao Yun closed the book as he waved it around. "This book can also be used as a good weapon; hardcover, durable, and easy to carry."


    [Why don''t you use that book to kill him? We should fight him the way he wants us to.]


    Chang Xiuying almost wanted to cough vigorously. She still can''t believe that Xue would be so caught up with that accident down to its hard drive. Even Xue''s thinking like this has become so suspicious. She telepathically asked, "Did you get an upgrade?"


    [How the fu-¡­ the Almighty System helped. Don''t ask any more than this.]


    Chang Xiuying shrugged. She walked closer to the door and Yao Yun followed her down. As they go down the stairs, they reached the dining room on the fourth floor of the pagoda.


    On the fourth floor, a big square table was at the center of the room with 12 chairs around, 3 chairs at each side. There''s a kitchen on the left side of the floor when one was against the stairs and an open window to peek out while cooking. There''s also a sofa beside the bookshelf on the right side of the floor. Simple designs but it look extravagant.


    Irene puts down numerous amounts of foods on the table, Jiang Li was helping with the arrangements of utensils, Jiang Hao was butchering up a wild beast at one part of the kitchen, and Yao Chen, sitting on a chair, can''t help but frown when she watched Jiang Hao butchering up a beast in front of her. Although her race is much more superior to wild beasts, she just can''t help but see that beast as her kind.


    She slapped her face and muttered, "Those are inferior beings. The weak can be devoured and the strong shall remain" ¨C Yao Chen glanced again ¨C "but... this made me lose my appetite."


    Chang Xiuying''s eyes rolled and Yao Yun innocently came as he greeted his mother. Chang Xiuying sat down on one of the chairs as she smiled towards Jiang Li and Jiang Li returned her greeting with a smile. She was actually glad that Jiang Li stopped her hostility towards her 1 year ago. She doesn''t know why but it was a good that Jiang Li changed. But it still continued to puzzle her.


    "Ah Ying~" Irene called as she gave Chang Xiuying a crystal necklace; she wore it around the child''s neck. "This is a protective rune from my family. Some of the children may make fun if you and you might be hurt in the process. This rune will light when it sensed that the wearer is in a grave danger."


    Chang Xiuying touched the intricate carvings on the crystal. She gave out a bright smile then nodded happily. "I''ll take care of this, Auntie Irene."


    [You don''t need this so-called protective rune. How little do they know that you''re already a danger to this small village? What grave danger? They must be the one who''ll be careful around you! Also, the design is lame!]


    Chang Xiuying inhaled then exhaled deeply. Irene noticed this and asked, "Do you not like it?"


    "No. This is the most beautiful gift that I received from you, Auntie Irene." Chang Xiuying shook her head. ''Seriously, Xue¡­''


    [Heh.]


    On the other hand, Yao Yun cringed as he watched Jiang Hao cleaned the interior of the wild beast.


    "If one doesn''t want to watch, don''t watch." Yao Chen spoke carefully as she can''t take her eyes off from that bloodied knife.


    "Dear Mother, even though I usually hunt for wild beasts for my siblings, this is still too much." Yao Yun whispered as he doesn''t really want Jiang Hao to hear his words.


    "Don''t mind it¡­ f*ck, I don''t want to watch but I can''t stop."


    "Ah Ying, you can now eat all of the food here on the table~" Irene gestured at the table with a bright smile.


    "Wait, where''s our food?" Yao Chen took off her eyes from the gruesome Jiang Hao as she looked at Irene confusedly.


    "This is our food." Irene separated few from the numerous amounts of viands. "You see, these days, Ah Ying was being gluttonous that all of these are insufficient for her endless stomach. I have never seen such a 5-year-old eat so much."


    "...", Yao Chen stares at the dishes that can be counted with one hand.


    ¡­


    Between the North and West Garden Pagoda, there''s a large body of water surrounding a large pavilion. The pavilion has 2 floors and a garden beside it. At the entrance of the pavilion, one can see the large engravings ''Morning Light Pavilion'' and groups of children to adults lined up towards it.


    This is the school that many elders established for the children to read and write the Common Language. However, those that exceeded the required age for studying, they are immediately rejected. Thus they don''t own the right to study anymore. But one day, someone came from unknowns and built another learning system for them.


    Therefore, the rules of the Morning Light Pavilion; whatever your age, you have the ability to learn and explore more.


    A group of powerful figures came from another direction and let the two kids under their care to be left in the Morning Light Pavilion. The lined up group looked at them with eyes filled with envy, admiration, and respect. However, once they heard a light cough, they all turned towards the instructor with straightened backs.


    "Good morning, students. This day is the official start of the new batch of 5-year-old students inside our village. You all have faced various hardships in your previous years and have gained a lot of experience. I wish for all of you to welcome these new students that will face the same hardships as you started learning here years ago. Guide them, teach them, and support them."


    "One by one, please introduce yourselves." The man in front signaled for the new students to come.


    Chang Xiuying stood behind of the line as she groaned. "Even self-introduction is here?!"


    The introduction started from Yao Yun, he is basically just a 3-year-old child. Since he wants to be with Chang Xiuying that much, he took advantage of his physical appearance to enter the Morning Light Pavilion. He walked towards and bowed to the group like a gentleman. "I am called Yun and goes by the surname Yao. Pleased to meet you."


    "Isn''t he looks much older?"


    "Maybe he forgot to enroll himself years ago and just remembered it now."


    "Shush it, the little goddess will hear you. That half colored haired boy is her friend from childhood, they''re at the same age. If you want her to become your wife, respect her whole family including connections."


    "I don''t get why a 15-year-old wanted to marry a 5-year-old."


    "It''s just a 10 years difference, shush it."


    The group burst out with discussions. Yao Yun didn''t gave attention to it as he let the next ones to introduce themselves. Since Chang Xiuying was the only one he will give all of his attention in this whole Pavilion.


    The numbers keep on decreasing until there was only a girl and Chang Xiuying herself. The little girl in front of her trembled when she stepped out. She bit her nails and stuttered. "I-I''m Shi-Shin XiaMei... pleashe... please take c-care of me."


    Chang Xiuying stepped in and the whole crowd cheered her up. Once the noise died down, they waited for her to talk and hear her melodious voice. But to no avail, she just stood there as she browsed through the crowd.

 23 Group Training

    The whole place was so eerily quiet that even a drop of water can be heard. The instructor intervened as he gently rubbed Chang Xiuying''s head.


    "Alright, Xiuying ah. If you''re too scared to talk in front of so many people, call for me."


    Chang Xiuying looked at him and nodded. ''They already know me, why should I say my name again?'' She thought.


    "Our little goddess don''t have to introduce herself. It''s just a matter of time before she can be the symbol of Morning Light Pavilion. She''s the relative of the famous couple in Central Marsh; Irene Felstead, and Jiang Hao. No one can possibly not know her."


    The group cheered. "Yeah! You don''t have to introduce yourself, little goddess. You''re the only cute figure inside our very hearts."


    "You stayed inside our hearts for 5 years and counting!"


    "May the little goddess be with us, praise the goddess."


    "Xiuying ah, when you grow up, please marry me!"


    "..."


    They all look around to see who the f*ck just said that.


    Marrying the little goddess? In your dreams! Pah!


    Chang Xiuying wanted to do something but she just sighed. "Creeps."


    [Anyway, being the symbol of the Pavilion? I love the sound of that.]


    "Oh please no." Chang Xiuying, once again, sighed.


    The instructor coughed. When the noise still hasn''t died down, his eyebrows twitched and he bellowed that made everyone stiff. "Silence! Are you all stupid?!"


    When the crowd shut their mouths, he continued with a cold voice. "In 7 days time, the new batch will be able to hold their Cleansing Method ceremony. Parents and Guardians, please prepare their ingredients on time." - He turned towards the new batch- "This is also the day that you will start training your body. Run around the village within two hours! If the lot of you didn''t make it, who knows what might happen." The instructor smirked widely as he looked over at the crowd of children.


    "Wait a damn minute, instructor." A youth raised his hand as he glared at the instructor.


    "What?" He looked coldly at the youth that lined up to the previous year''s group.


    "The little goddess is not spared? That training and punishment are equally hellish."


    The instructor smiled lavishly at the youth. "Learning is all equal. There''s no status or gender that is overlooked. Xiuying ah may have the highest status, if she didn''t train properly and hard, what will happen to her? She will only turn into a frail girl who will ask for help each and every time! This is for her own future and all of your future!"


    Chang Xiuying continuously nod. The group saw her agreement and can''t help but admire the little goddess in front of them.


    So young yet so strong-willed. She''s already brave enough compared to the boys of her age.


    The instructor smiled brightly at Chang Xiuying, he, also admired this little child. "Xiuying ah, call me Uncle Wang."


    "Eh?" The whole crowd was shocked when they heard him. "How unreasonable can you get, Instructor Wang?"


    Chang Xiuying also looked at him with confusion. ''The heck is wrong with you?''


    She just nodded and sparkly said to him, "Instructor Uncle Wang."


    "Pfft!"


    Instructor Wang repeatedly waved. "No, no, no. Xiuying ah, not with the ''Instructor'' please."


    "Instructor Uncle Wang?"


    "...", Uncle Wang...


    "Uncle Wang!" The crowd cheered happily but what they received was a cold glare from Instructor Wang. "Who the heck permits you to call me so childishly?!"


    They cried in their hearts, "You''re the childish one!"


    ...


    Instructor Wang stood at the other end of the line, it served as the starting point and also the finishing point. He scanned the new batch of 5-year-old that was neatly lined up, totaling to 26 newcomers. The older groups stayed at the Pavilion to wait for the start of their class since they only came early to welcome the newcomers.


    "Before we start, I will say the rules one more time. There is a total of 22 kilometers around the village. You have to complete the round within 2 hours! 2 hours and more, will be punished with a whole day of squats. If one''s stance was wrong, one shall be corrected with a baton! Every 3 kilometers, there are instructors that will be monitoring you. However, there are no instructors around the vicinity of the pagodas. Consecutively, there are a total of 6 instructors monitoring you all. I really wish that there will be exemplary students this year." As he finished talking, he glanced at Chang Xiuying and a few more young and promising students under the care of some known family in the village.


    Chang Xiuying sighed inwardly. Guess that she will have to finish it at exactly 2 hours, though she will be punished, it is still passable.


    The whole group shuddered when they heard about the punishment. One boy, named Alexis David, raised his hand. "Instructor, are there no other substitute for the punishment?"


    "None!" Instructor Wang then ignored their complaints, raised his arms and shouted, "Start!!"


    The children frantically ran towards their destination. They really don''t want to be hit by a baton or squat for the whole day. They cried in their hearts.


    This time, all of their hearts have become one. ''This is completely illogical!!''


    Chang Xiuying maintained her pace when she reached the middle of the pack. There are a few in front and at the back, the middle is the one that is tightly packed. She looked back and saw the frail girl, Shin Meina, with a boy that is slightly taller than her.


    She''s impressed that they know how to conserve their own energy at the start of the run. However, there''s still one thing she''s bothered... ''How do I sweat?''


    ...


    The group that Chang Xiuying was in, already passed 2 instructors (6 kilometers) and the total time allotted was 1 hour and 9 minutes. The tightly packed group became little as some gave up and some stopped just to take a rest. She looked around as she saw that everyone around her was panting heavily and some were on the verge of collapsing.


    She got cold sweat as she still hadn''t panted or sweated. Thankfully, the group was too busy dealing with their tiredness to notice Chang Xiuying''s condition. The group keeps on bumping into her that made her clothes and face wet too. Although disgusting, she didn''t pay heed to it as it helped her have the image of sweating.


    3 instructors... 1 hour and 20 minutes.


    Chang Xiuying increased her pace to caught up for the remaining time. Some of the newcomers collapsed and slept on the ground, some were dizzy as they became dehydrated, and some persevered. Those that collapsed were immediately tended by the nearest instructor and was sent to Instructor Wang.


    4 instructors... 1 hour and 42 minutes.


    There are only 5 newcomers remaining. Chang Xiuying increased her pace more. Sadly, she didn''t have the source of sweat anymore. Surely, she will wash hard after.


    5 instructors... 1 hour and 59 mins.


    Only a few more and the finish line is there. One student, two students, three students, lastly four students passed the time limit. Chang Xiuying arrived at exactly 2 hours. She didn''t passed and will be punished with the other 21 newcomers from the total 26.


    The four students that passed were: Feng Yi, Shin Meina, Yao Yun, and Alexis, respectively.


    Instructor Wang sadly looked at Chang Xiuying who was trying her best to pant while laying on the flat ground.


    "Alright, you go and rest for one hour and come back here to receive your punishment." Instructor Wang softly said to the laying child. His tone of voice made the punishment soft but not really.


    Chang Xiuying just nodded as she fasten her breathing. She stood up with trembling legs and walked towards the forest to take a bath in the spring.


    [I don''t know whether to be impressed or disgusted with your way of stupid acting.]


    "Can''t help it." Chang Xiuying directly dove in the spring with her clothes on.


    [Host, can you, at least, act like a proper lady?]


    She emerged from the surface and pushed back her hair with her right hand. "Guess not."


    "Oomh." A little noise came 3 meters in front of her.


    [...]


    "..."


    [That rabbit kid is really smitten for you. I''m getting jealous.]


    Chang Xiuying choked. She looked as if the world was going to end any minute now. "Just let him watch. Guys tend to peep on bathing girls."


    [Girls tend to peep on bathing guys too.]


    "Shut up. Don''t generalize."


    [Don''t generalize too then.]


    Her face became stiff.


    On the other hand, Yao Yun was beet red as he covered his mouth with his hand and his eyes were not leaving Chang Xiuying''s bathing figure. He intended to just relieve after nature called him but seeing this, he will not back down.


    Chang Xiuying tried to remove her outer clothing when her white bare shoulders were revealed. Her back arched, revealing a nice curve in her body. Afterward, a gush and a thud came.

 24 Discretion

    Yao Yun twitched happily as blood gushed out of his nostrils. ''Heavens. This is heaven.''


    Those white bare shoulders with a hint of scarlet gave him a loss of words. He wanted to bite them and feel the warmth of the girl''s skin. But damn, when did he learned all of these? He should be the so innocent 3-year-old with a built of a 5-year-old along with his grown mental constitution of a 7-year-old.


    His race''s growth was confusing. Maybe...


    Chang Xiuying chuckled bitterly when he caught sight of this using her Life energy. Though the time here were short-lived, she''s already 18 years old including her life back in Earth.


    She dipped again and used some soap, shampoo, and conditioner she bought in the system. "Quite handy indeed."


    When Yao Yun regained his composure and stood up, Chang Xiuying was already dressed in a new set of clothes: blue outer clothing, red inner clothing, white silk pants, and her black flat shoes. Her hair was put up into a bun and a blue ribbon tied it in place. When one didn''t observe clearly, one would think that she was a boy.


    Her stature and aura, she''s like a person that you would rely on every time. The seriousness, her matureness, and her bravery were clearly seen in her eyes.


    Yao Yun even wanted to reevaluate his training method. However, he will really grow at a fast rate and he will be expelled from the 5-year-old class. He really doesn''t want to leave Chang Xiuying.


    One hour has passed, Yao Yun entered his class that consists of only four students as they immediately started their lessons.


    The 22 more students were lined up cleanly in a square platform. Four rows, 5 columns, and extra two at the front: Chang Xiuying and a little boy. They stood lazily but some were anxious. They trembled when Instructor Wang arrived.


    "The whole day of squats begins now!!" He shouted that made some children piss their pants and some fell down with their knees. But Chang Xiuying and the little boy with her immediately squatted. The kids behind them looked at the two with revered expressions as they actually endured that intimidation.


    Instructor Wang was equally shocked. He didn''t expect that the two that almost finished the allotted time were this diligent, especially, Chang Xiuying. Her form was great and there are no flaws, indestructible defense in her lower body part, firm stomach muscles, arms like stones, and expression as fierce as a leopard hunting its prey. Unlikely bearing of a 5-year-old.


    He even suspected that the child trained her body before. But it''s impossible to gain that much muscle memory in just such short span of years.


    The little boy beside Chang Xiuying observed her form and he imitated it. The children behind stood while they trembled and also imitated Chang Xiuying, their revered little goddess. When did she became this fierce?


    Instructor Wang, with a baton in his hands, nodded with satisfaction. ''Looks like there won''t be much baton slapping today. Oh, there''s one now.''


    He approached and corrected the stance of the little boy with a soft tap with his baton but it hurts with the strength of an Instructor against the strength of a child. The boy winced and immediately fixed his posture.


    ''Looks like I was wrong.''


    The whole day just repeated with the sound of a baton hitting soft flesh and the shout of Instructor Wang.


    Dawn came and the square platform was full of children sleeping with their clothes wet while there was one who was still standing. Instructor Wang was quickly awoken by the sound of a beast howling from afar and saw Chang Xiuying with the same posture as yesterday with her clothes dripping from sweat.


    "Xiu-Xiuying ah. It''s already done, you can stop now." But he got no response. He got closedrand saw her with her eyes closed.


    "She... she''s as-asleep!!"


    Instructor Wang tried to softly push her but a slight push can''t make her fall. Instead, Chang Xiuying opened her eyes with bewilderment.


    She can''t imagine that she fell asleep while standing!


    "Aiya! Instructor Uncle Wang, what a good morning. Ying''Er is grateful that you woke me up." Chang Xiuying cutely made a sound as if she made a mistake and wanted to cover it up. She waved goodbye and ran towards the direction of the South Garden Pagoda.


    Instructor Wang gaped when he saw her still ran while keeping that firm posture since yesterday and falling asleep with her defense still on.


    That child, I am just trying to see if you''re going to fall but you instead mistook it as a wake-up poke? ...


    He shook his head and carried the children one by one into the Pavilion before giving them the necessity to recover and have the strength to run again later. After all, it''s just the second day of the bodily training.


    ...


    Chang Xiuying arrived quickly inside her room, she''s careful not to wake up the people inside the pagoda. After cleaning herself up, she quickly entered her training room and slept.


    She planned to take those whole 10 hours of sleep. Since she knew that she might be training again later with the same difficulty. Although it is quite a small training for her, she still have to sleep for the lost hours. By those lost hours, she''s a growing child after all. Every hour of sleep is important.


    ...


    The second day of the bodily training, 7 am.


    Chang Xiuying exactly arrived when the training will be starting. The same thing happened in the process. Those children that tried to run with their lives on the line, tried to conserve their energy and some that kept up the same speed as yesterday.


    Fatigue was not shown in their face because of the help of some of the instructors'' treatments. Half of the children wanted to give up but were stopped by their dream to get stronger. They have to persevere for the greater future imprinted by their parents.


    They ran to get to their goal, not just to finish a quota.


    ...


    Somewhere near the Morning Light Pavilion.


    In the shadows, three people stood unperturbed as they look towards the strong-willed children.


    "Better than expected."


    "Indeed, all of the children chose to participate rather than the previous years that almost all of them gave up. Though there only 1/3 of the beginning students remained."


    "All are perfect."


    "Those four children completing their tasks will be mine."


    "I want Chang Xiuying."


    "Hehehe. Forgot, she''ll be mine too."


    "Old snot, you can have the four of them. Just give their little goddess to me."


    "I changed my mind, the four will be yours and the little goddess will be mine."


    "Let''s just see who will get her first."


    The two people exchanged glances while the other one just kept his mouth shut. He just shrugged and said, "I''ll get the remaining."


    "Oi oi oi. Leave some for the Pavilion, they won''t have any to train for the remaining years."


    "Fine."


    "May we procure the best product." The one at the middle chuckled. The one next to him snorted while the other one just nodded.


    ...


    Chang Xiuying felt something behind her back. She thought that she just missed something interesting while doing some battle stances in her brain. She got absorbed that she almost gave it all of her attention.


    She clicked her tongue. ''Damn it. Something is really strange.'' She thought and looked at the direction where the three just talked but there was nothing.


    There must be some events tomorrow...


    Chang Xiuying, as usual, finished the run in 2 hours sharply, as the same happened to the finishers and the punished.


    A whole day passed again. Dawn came, Chang Xiuying hurried home to clean herself, and slept inside the training room.


    Exactly arriving at 7 am.


    The training starts again. However, Chang Xiuying, who is at the middle of the pack, noticed that some children were being kidnapped behind. At the blind spot of the instructors.


    They exactly didn''t expect that something as this might happen. They just considered the attack from outside of the village, not inside of it.


    She pondered. Why not disappear before I can be kidnapped from here?


    Chang Xiuying slowed her pace, sneaked out, and entered the village with a smirk on her face. The children didn''t notice that she left as they panted heavily while looking straight to their path.


    At the dark side of an alley, a shadow jumped up stealthily. There''s no disturbance when it landed on the roof of the house. Chang Xiuying''s ribbon fluttered in the wind as she looked at the children while she concealed her aura and presence.


    She saw many figures knocking the children off and carrying them as they traveled between houses.


    ''No one is noticing them?''


    The number of houses already increased as years goes by. The perpetrators used this fact to mobilize between the gaps of these houses. They operated silently, never to let the outsiders know.


    Chang Xiuying quietly followed them as she jumped off from the roofs of the houses.

 25 Scheme

    Inside a house, there was a strange portal whirling on the wall.


    Three men kept on coming in with unconscious children in their arms.


    Xu Guang, the one with the three men earlier who talked about getting the children, had a muscular build and was 2 meters tall. He had an anchor style beard and his hair was shoulder-length. He watched them moving then asked, "How many are left?"


    The last man stopped and answered, "15, sir."


    "Our five main course is next. Prepare immediately."


    "Sir, Chang Xiuying is missing."


    "Any signs before she disappeared?" Xu Guang yanked the man by his collar. The man breathes in deeply in shock as he answered, "None, sir! She was in the middle of the pack earlier and she was instantly gone when we came back!"


    Xu Guang felt remorse. He unexpectedly recruited a traitor inside his organization! How can this be?! He personally recruited these men and someone sneaked in without being sensed!? The heck!


    Xu Guang viciously pushed the man and fell on the floor. "You have to find that Chang at all cost!! If you ever see a man with her, kill him!"


    "Y-yes, sir!!" The man trembled and immediately ran outside. The two men with him nodded at each other and proceeded in their work.


    Only Feng Yi, Shin Meina, Yao Yun, and Alexis David are left to take. They are just mere children in their eyes, weak and fragile.


    Xu Guang then contacted his other two brothers, Xu Huang and Xu Liang, using a projected plate. The face of the two men appeared. One young man was laid back on the couch in the background, yawning, while the big face of a man greeted Xu Guang.


    "Brothers, there''s a traitor. Chang Xiuying had gone missing." Xu Guang told them immediately.


    Xu Huang, the man on the couch, said, "... I don''t really care."


    Xu Liang and Xu Guang, "..."


    Xu Huang sensed that something is broiling inside his brothers'' state of mind, he explained, "I won''t benefit into it anymore. Since you bastards already decided that I will get whatever''s left. I have no business with it. Just leave me alone, will you?"


    The two older brothers nodded in agreement. It is true the both of them are the only one competing for Chang Xiuying and not their little brother. Indeed, what''s in it for him? None.


    Xu Huang sighed then laid down to go back to sleep. The two brothers can only give each other a stare before ending the call between them.


    Xu Liang decided to ran quickly to find Chang Xiuying, the biggest fish in the swarm of sardines. Xu Guang focused his attention into finding the traitor and how did it infiltrated his organization. Also, to catch Chang Xiuying.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying was hiding beside this house inside a big wooden box intended for storing foods. She completely erased her presence with the help of Xue.


    [Host, just enter and kill them. Seriously.]


    Chang Xiuying went silent for a few seconds before saying, "Xue, can we not avert the attention to me? It will only cause more commotions in the village. They''re already finding me."


    [So what? Infiltrate then. It''s not like you have any other choices if you want to end this quickly and ''peacefully''.]


    "That''s the problem. How can I infiltrate? Change my appearance? I still don''t know how to change my appearance neither do I know how to learn it." Her eyebrow twitched.


    [Host, can you, at least, learn to look in the system shop? There''s a lot of things that you can buy there! Stupid!]


    Chang Xiuying almost banged her head on the wooden wall of the box. "Alright! How much is it?"


    [Around 1,800,000 Rubies.]


    She just banged her head on the sack. As far as she remembered, she only has 400,000 Rubies because of buying those daily necessities and the training room for her. This mere skill book of ''Anatomy Alterer'' costs for 1,800,000 Rubies?!


    She had to complete her training and quests for two years before she gained 2,000,000+ Rubies! Then she thought, that this skill book is really worthy of its price. Maybe not¡­


    She just thought that she can do this work without the help of spending Rubies for an appearance changer skill. ''Sigh. I''m really stupid.''


    Chang Xiuying staked them out until Alexis David, Shin Meina, and Yao Yun was caught. They were put in a new constructed portal which is stronger than the last one.


    She then thought that it will be best to just be caught and save them from there. Thus, she jumped out of her place into the roof. She came back into the group and ran with them again.


    "Yi-Ying¡­ you finally caught¡­ up¡­ hooo." One of the children talked and panted. Chang Xiuying also tried her best to pant heavily.


    "Aaah¡­ I¡­ caught¡­ up!" She wheezed.


    [Ugh.]


    "..."


    Chang Xiuying sensed the men slowly approaching the group. She then crouched and ran slowly.


    "Ying! Haa¡­ we''ll wait for¡­ you! At¡­ the end! Oh gaaad!! How much longer?! Cough" They wheezed out as they tried their best to continue further.


    She raised her hand then weakly waved. "Yeah¡­ yeah! Wait¡­ for me!" She stayed at the very last and kept up with the men targeting her.


    ¡­


    "B-boss! Chang Xiuying is suddenly here! But there''s no one near her that is powerful enough to stop us."


    "What the heck are you suddenly saying?!" Xu Guang raged. "Fine! Just get her for me!"


    But then, a new projected figure showed up. "Haha! Brother! I''m getting Chang first! Hahahaha!"


    "XU LIAAANG!!"


    Xu Guang saw that the background shifted from the face of a big guy into a young girl panting and slowing her pace down.


    "F*ck!!! Men! Stop him and capture Chang!!" Xu Guang bellowed. He jittered and bit his knuckles.


    When he finally got a perfect person who will suit his experiment, but instead of it falling into his hands, it will fall into the hands of his second brother!


    Disgrace! Such disgrace!


    ¡­


    Chang Xiuying patiently waited for the men to attack and capture her. She squinted her eyes then frowned.


    How can they be fighting in times like this? I''m already near the finish line! Hello?! Just get me!


    She already passed the fifth instructor long ago and Instructor Wang was angry while looking at the students who passed the finish line.


    "Where''re the others?!" He looked over at Feng Yi and then to the newly arrived Chang Xiuying.


    "Xiuying ah! Is there any more students after you?"


    Chang Xiuying slumped at the very line then said, "None¡­ cough."


    "Did you noticed anything?" Instructor Wang suppressed his rage.


    She turned over, spread her arms and panted heavily,"Instructor Uncle Wang¡­ I can''t even pay attention to it..."


    Feng Yi approached then carried Chang Xiuying in his arms. "Instructor Wang, I''ll take care of her."


    Instructor Wang sighed and rubbed his hands on his face. "Okay. I''ll find the other students. All of you!" - He looked at the children sleeping on the ground and some were on the verge of collapsing - "... stay where you all are!"


    Not like they can leave in their state¡­


    Feng Yi walked out of the group and dashed towards the village. Chang Xiuying crossed her arms and scoffed at this child.


    "Xiuying ah, you do know something, right?" He set Chang Xiuying down before giving her some dry cloth.


    She looked at him and accepted the cloth, but she kept it in her storage discreetly. Of course, she didn''t forget to act like a very tired child. "What¡­ are you saying?"


    "You know something! I know it! Why else will you be last if you didn''t? And why are you still here instead of being gone?"


    Chang Xiuying''s face became serious but then, a loud voice echoed out from the direction of the training ground. "Finally!! I''m here!!"


    The both of them turned their heads towards the ground. Upon closer inspection, it was the little boy that was always behind Chang Xiuying in every training. Even now, he''s still behind her.


    Chang Xiuying left the bewildered Feng Yi and ran. "Steven," she called.


    Steven looked over the exhausted crowd when almost all of them were sleeping soundly on the ground. When his gaze landed on Chang Xiuying, he waved and smiled widely at her. "Ying!!"


    "Where have you been? I thought I was the very last one." Chang Xiuying pulled him out of the crowd.


    "Some auntie stopped me while I''m extremely exhausted and gave me some bread to eat. You see, it''s been three days since I had a proper meal and proper sleep. I got delayed when she talked to me, like, in a lifetime!" Steven laughed as he fetched out two bread from his storage bag and handed them to Chang Xiuying.


    Chang Xiuying was surprised. She smiled then pushed back the little boy''s hand, "Keep it. You need them the most and I already ate a piece after finishing the round."


    Steven shrugged his shoulders then took a bite before putting the loaves of bread in his storage bag. "It''s been puzzling me, Ying. Where are the others?"

 26 Meeting in the Garden

    Chang Xiuying grinned inwardly. She put up her saddest expression and said, "They''re gone."


    Steven went blank for a second before he can react from his conclusion. "What?! Gone?! That''s impossible! How can they be dead?!"


    "Stupid. She''s talking about how they''re suddenly gone while we''re running." Feng Yi entered as he patted his outer clothing. He rolled his eyes at Steven, but the little boy didn''t even paid attention to it and kept his eyes focused on Chang Xiuying.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying''s brows creased then she sighed. ''Homewrecker.''


    Feng Yi grabbed Steven''s shoulders and made the little boy face him. Steven tilted his head as he continued to munch on a piece of bread in his hand.


    "Y-you!!" Feng Yi stammered.


    Steven looked over his bread and to Feng Yi, he secretly let out an ''oh''. He then handed over his other bread. "If you''re hungry, just say so."


    [Heh.]


    Chang Xiuying bit her lip to prevent herself from letting out a laugh. She composed herself as she slowly made her way between them.


    Both of the boys puzzlingly looked at her.


    Chang Xiuying grabbed the bread and immediately stuffed it into Feng Yi''s mouth. "Aiyoo~ I see now. You''re acting strangely because you still haven''t eaten. Eat, eat some more!"


    Feng Yi heavily sighed with his mouth full, he wanted to erupt anytime soon, but the fact that he is indeed hungry won''t change. He munched on the bread without even touching it, he looked like a squirrel.


    [Heh. I took some pictures, host.]


    "¡­ Wait what? Xue?! I don''t want his face!!"


    [Host, it''s for future blackmail materials.]


    "Why now?" She groaned.


    [Just for fun?]


    "Ugh. Whatever."


    Feng Yi finished the bread and so is Steven''s. When Feng Yi opened his mouth, Steven was about to speak too when Change Xiuying stuffed bread again in both of their mouths. "Aiyoo~ Both of you should eat more! We''re going to catch the perpetrators later~ Hehee~"


    Both boys surrendered and just ate their meal. Instructor Wang and the other Instructors came with the whole Morning Light Pavilion students.


    They avoided the sleeping students on the ground as they approached Chang Xiuying''s group of three. The boys stopped munching when they looked at the Instructors and their seniors. Their eyes wandered around as they gulped the food in their mouth.


    Instructor Wang nodded to them and immediately ordered, "The rest of the students carry these children to the Pavilion. Half of the Instructors should investigate this matter. The other instructors should be spread around the village for patrolling. You three, come with me."


    Chang Xiuying waited for the two boys to stop staring and pointing at each other with confused looks. Steven finally laughed and slapped Feng Yi''s back that made him stumble forward. He has to choice but to walk after Instructor Wang because it''s been eyeing him.


    Steven made this opportunity. He laid out his hand and asked Chang Xiuying, "Shall we?"


    [What kind of farce¡­]


    ''Exactly¡­''


    [Should we hit him up in our blacklist?]


    ''We never had any blacklists.''


    [You have one with Yao Yun.]


    ''Oh¡­ why does it felt like I''m being paired with him?''


    [Just your imagination.]


    "Ying? Yiiiiing?" Steven''s face turned beet red as he stayed in that position for almost 15 seconds. He thought that Chang Xiuying was just too flustered that her body went stiff as she slowly considered whether to take his hand or not.


    "Sure." Chang Xiuying took his hands and took a step forward when Steven took the lead. But then, she tripped and fell. Of course, she still held onto Steven''s hands as they both fell in face first. She never forgot to put more force into her arm to make him fall harder.


    Chang Xiuying coughed out some grass and scratched her head. "Ahehehe¡­ Steven, I''m sorry¡­"


    Unfortunately, Steven felt ominous about her apology, but he suddenly felt dizzy. "It''s¡­ it''s really okay."


    "Ahem!" Instructor Wang and Feng Yi coughed as they both raised their brows.


    "Yes, yes." Chang Xiuying responded as she got up to pat her clothes out of dirt and also helped Steven up.


    Steven pressed his head and shook it. "Ying¡­ the world is swirling¡­"


    ''Oops. Sorry about it.'' She awkwardly laughed. She then put Steven''s arms over her shoulder and held his waist.


    Feng Yi''s widened eyes focused on Steven''s waist. ''The heck? My head is dizzy too from this too much contact.''


    Instructor Wang escorted them inside the Morning Light Pavilion. They walked until they stopped at the middle of the garden. An old woman sat on the chair and was sipping tea leisurely while the two attendants stood like a tree beside her.


    Instructor Wang cupped his hands and greeted, "Headmaster, I''ve brought them in."


    The old woman raised her other hand as she sipped more. "Good," she complimented, "you can go now. Escort the older students in."


    "Yes!" Instructor Wang turned around and left.


    The atmosphere went silent and bleak. The headmaster chuckled and gestured that they can sit on the chairs.


    The three of them respectfully bowed and humbly sat in front of the headmaster.


    "Miki, Shiki, please let our little guests have their own fill."


    The two attendants bowed, "As you wish," and departed.


    "Respected Headmaster, what business do you have with us?" Feng Yi spoke first but the two didn''t even followed up as they just stared at the place where the two attendants disappeared into. He groaned inwardly, "Brats!"


    "Feng Yi, was it?"


    "Yes."


    "I heard about your most astounding result in your first day. I''m proud." The headmaster smiled and showed a bit of reverence.


    Feng Yi can''t control his smile as he looked like a kid that is about to cry. He then wondered that the only child that is outstanding here is him. Why did the two have to go with the number one finisher in the training?


    "Chang Xiuying, I''ve heard about your punishment training. I''m surprised and astounded. Did Jiang Hao and Irene teach you about the way of training the body?"


    "Yes, ma''am." She didn''t hesitate to answer, but she didn''t take her eyes off the house that the attendants disappeared into...


    "That explains why you''re so outstanding. Even Steven can be a close match to you." The headmaster smirked to the both of them but Steven was still staring at the same place where Chang Xiuying was looking at. When they finally saw the attendants with sweets and drinks on the tray, their eyes immediately brightened up.


    Even though Chang Xiuying can buy a lot of sweets in the system shop and other foods, free things were still the best!


    Feng Yi covered his face in embarrassment. The headmaster shook her head off but her mouth was beautifully arced. The trays were placed on the white, circular table, the drinks were distributed, and Steven and Chang Xiuying filled their mouths to the brim.


    The headmaster watched the two as they go berserk about sweets with a smile in her face. Feng Yi''s eyes droop down as he saw the headmaster''s expression. It''s not that his two companions were invited but not needed; instead, they were practically the very reason why this secret meeting is held.


    "Xiuying, Steven, both of you are full now?"


    "Yes~ Thanks for the sumptuous meal!" They both said in chorus. Chang Xiuying said it out of habit as she disappointingly sighed to herself.


    Chang Xiuying mysteriously looked at Steven. As far as she can remember, she learned how to thank meals when she''s on Earth. But Steven knew? Is he¡­ the same kind as her? She can never ascertain unless she have to stalk him to the bone.


    "Oh? Oh why it''s my pleasure to give sweets to adorable children."


    Hello? Feng Yi here is being abandoned.


    Steven burped and leaned back on his chair. Chang Xiuying handed over a plate which puzzled the headmaster. "More please?"


    The headmaster: "¡­"


    The attendants: "¡­"


    Steven: "¡­" Adorable...


    Feng Yi: "¡­"The fuck? You already ate a lot and you want some more?!


    ¡­


    Chang Xiuying ate and ate until the five plates that they served were almost licked clean. All of them kept a wide eye on Chang Xiuying. The headmaster coughed, "Ah¡­ I forgot¡­ the purpose that I called you here is to put you three in a mission to save your peers."


    "But Instructor Wang ordered the Instructors to investigate what''s happening." Steven stole one piece of cookie from Chang Xiuying''s plate and she did not mind at all. She did not at all¡­


    "That is just a cover. This mission will be not that difficult since the fault this time is an old enemy of ours, the Midnight Tales."


    "Midnight Tales?" Feng Yi asked.


    "Indeed. The Midnight Tales is not that notorious but they always got students that gave up from the training by a contract. Stating a more effective and fast cultivation of strength that will poach those students in. I am afraid that they came too hard today and they did not do business like the previous years."


    "Ahnd whash whats it thaht you whants ush to dho?" Chang Xiuying mumbled.


    "Excuse me, what?"


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 27 Awaken

    They have blank expressions planted in their faces. What did Xiuying just said? Is it an alienated language or is it either of Jiang Hao''s or Irene''s origin language?


    Chang Xiuying also have a blank expression. Are these people cavemen? Or am I too cryptic to be understood¡­


    "And what do you want us to do?" Steven broke the silent atmosphere.


    "Ah yes." The headmaster retrieved three iron-colored cards. "When the three of you completed this mission, all of you will acquire these cards which will exempt you from all the group training. It doesn''t mean that the three of you won''t take lessons in the Pavilion anymore. We still needed to teach you all the basics to form a peerless foundation for your body. This card will only be valid until you''re no longer in Iron-level."


    "Cool," Steven said it softly but Chang Xiuying heard it and became more suspicious of this little child. He secretly smiled ruefully.


    "The only thing that you will do is locate the location of the Midnight Tales and report it to the Pavilion. However, this is an individual mission. Your reward will depend on the merit you will obtain in the process." The headmaster flashed the cards one more time and passed it to one of her attendants.


    "When will we start?" Feng Yi stood up from his seat.


    "Anytime you want." The headmaster leaned back and sipped her tea.


    Feng Yi cupped his fist towards the headmaster and immediately left. Steven stayed with the eating Chang Xiuying. He then asked, "When will you stop eating?"


    "Until there''s nothing left?" She finished the last plate and she still asked for more.


    Headmaster and attendants, "¡­"


    Steven, "¡­"


    "Xiu-Xiuying ah¡­ why don''t I give this to you as a deposit and you have to go on with the mission?" The headmaster put the iron-colored card on the plate with an awkward face.


    "But I want more?" Chang Xiuying pleaded with her eyes.


    "Xiuying¡­ I''ll give you more of them after you completed the mission and obtained high merits." The headmaster surrendered as she waved her hands to Chang Xiuying.


    "Really?! Then I''ll finish it!" Chang Xiuying stood up, held Steven''s hand and stormed out of the garden.


    The headmaster watched the disappearing figure of the two as the little boy keeps on stumbling with Chang Xiuying phase. When their figures were not seen, she suddenly cried as she hid her face with her hands. "My sweets!!!"


    Her attendants slowly rubbed her back and head as they gently said comforting words.


    ¡­


    Chang Xiuying whistled as she marched towards the direction of the perpetrator''s location. Of course, she''s taking detours and didn''t forget to act like a searching machine.


    "Any discoveries, Steven?"


    "None here on my side. Ying¡­ they hide like a needle in a haystack."


    "We''re already down to few houses since Feng Yi still haven''t found it in his side."


    "What if we found the lair first?"


    "We''re going to inform Feng Yi."


    "But if Feng Yi discovered it first, our position will be disadvantageous."


    "We''ll only see." Chang Xiuying grinned as she released her Life energy throughout the Central Marsh.


    Feng Yi was actually close to the location of the hideout, about 10 houses away, 2 blocks from their current position. Though he always knock on the door to talk to the one that resides in it when he passed by them, Chang Xiuying internally shook her head, ''What an honest guy.''


    "Ying! There''s nothing in Block 4. We''re going into Block 5." Steven sighed heavily.


    Chang Xiuying nodded. She still continued to monitor Feng Yi as she followed Steven in their discreet search. When they''re halfway done searching in Block 5, they heard a scream near Block 6.


    The scream was high-pitched that made Chang Xiuying''s face contorted as she tried to recover from that sudden scream. ''Damn it! I didn''t expect this at all!!!''


    While still annoyed by the fact about the scream, Steven already ran out to the direction of the scream.


    "Young Lady!" He shouted towards the house where the hideout is. "Release that Lady!!"


    Chang Xiuying stood bewildered in her position. ''The heck? You really thought that it''s a lady''s voice¡­''


    She purposely jumped high enough to see what''s inside and saw two men staring straight back at her, their eyes turned wide as they jumped out of the window. Surprisingly, the window didn''t break but they got through it as they pulled Chang Xiuying in.


    She then saw Feng Yi being tied as he tried to scream with his covered mouth.


    When they finished tying her hands and feet, she was thrown harshly to the ground in one of the portals.


    Three little figures of children were awoken by the noise, Shin Meina, Yao Yun, and Alexis David. They saw Chang Xiuying curled up on the ground; they were delighted to see another comrade in. But Yao Yun growled at the two children beside him, "She was captured yet both of you were happy?! Have some brains!"


    "Ca-calm down, Yao Yun! It''s not intentional!" Alexis defended.


    Shin Meina was still smiling while looking at the curled up Chang Xiuying. Her eyes portrayed endless hope.


    Chang Xiuying groaned. ''Handle me gently, will you?!''


    [Host¡­ that sounds completely wrong.]


    ''I don''t know what you''re talking about at all.''


    She slowly looked towards the three as she asked, "Are you all okay?"


    "Huh? Ah¡­ We''re all fine."


    "Don''t ask about our safety when you''re in trouble too." Yao Yun scoffed at her. Deep in his eyes, it showed his concern and care towards Chang Xiuying.


    Chang Xiuying stared directly at Yao Yun''s eyes as if she can read what''s in his mind. He coughed lightly then turned his head away embarrassingly.


    Alexis threw a glance with his lips pursed then glanced away as if he saw nothing.


    Shin Meina was still looking at Chang Xiuying with hope in her eyes.


    A burly and tanned man entered the scene as he kicked Chang Xiuying away from their group. She coughed out a little blood.


    "Kid, where''s the man that is with you?" The burly man asked viciously.


    "Cough! Who man? I was alone to begin wi-!!" A small figure flew out in front of the group. Vigorous coughing came and after it was wheezing.


    "Let me ask again. Where''s the man that is with you?!"


    "What''s with you?! Treat me like a child, will you?!" Chang Xiuying said in between her wheezes.


    The burly man grabbed her hair and growled. "Women, children, men, animals; they''re all the same to me."


    ''Shit.'' She cursed inwardly.


    Meanwhile, Yao Yun''s eye color keeps on changing as he looked fiercely towards the burly man. His fist clenched tightly as his nails were almost buried in his skin. Alexis kept on calling him to keep his sanity in check but it was all in vain. After all, the one he love was being kicked all over while being falsely accused.


    He can''t accept it! He really can''t!!


    Sharp fangs grew out of his mouth, thick fur grew out of his white skin, and vicious claws grew out of his fingernails.


    "Grrrrrr!!!"


    Alexis, Shin Meina, Chang Xiuying, and the burly man were all equally surprised by the drastic change of Yao Yun. He became a savage beast in a span of minutes.


    Is he really a child beast?


    Yao Yun jumped out towards the burly man as he brandished his claws! The man''s eyes widened and got nearly cut up by those sharp and deathly claws. His hands turned cold at the thought that if he got hit by that one more time by its 100% power, he would be really dead.


    Chang Xiuying watched how Yao Yun kept on attacking while the burly man kept on dodging with a panic-stricken face.


    She slightly wriggled and the ropes came undone. Her movements were subtle that the other two children still haven''t noticed her. She already cut the ropes up when the burly man kicked her the second time.


    Suddenly, Alexis stood up with the help of Shin Meina and helped Yao Yun to assault the burly man. The man got annoyed and threw a heavy punch towards Alexis but Yao Yun bit the man''s hands that his fangs buried in its fist. The man winced in pain as he violently threw a punch towards Yao Yun.


    As nimble as he is, Yao Yun barely dodged and launched a counterattack.


    Shin Meina used her feet to boost herself towards the burly man when its defenses were weak. She looked like a tiger that jumps on its prey. Chang Xiuying was dumbfounded. Should she join? Should she not and just play as the princess here?


    As the scene is getting funnier and funnier that three children ganged up on one man, to be precise, one beast and two children, she decided to act and join in.


    When she got up, she softly touched her lips and hissed. ''Damn it. I bit too hard.''


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 28 Or not...

    However, Chang Xiuying saw the desperation in Yao Yun''s eyes. She hesitated a bit before tying herself up again and stepped over her tied hands. She sighed ruefully as she complained inwardly about not being able to give a beating.


    [What are you doing, host?]


    She leaned back against the concrete wall, "Observing while relaxing?"


    [... are you going to take action or not?]


    "Clearly not."


    [What the heck, host? You can beat that ugly man in just one second! Why can''t you act?]


    "Can you see? Can you even see it? The look in YaoYao''s eyes," She pointed with her lips.


    [There is desperation for the kill. What about it?]


    "Xue, oh my dear Xue. If he''s that desperate to fight for me, how can I not accept his sentiment? I''ll just interfere when things got out of ha... oh. He''s coming to hold me hostage. Gaaawd." Chang Xiuying rolled her eyes towards the running burly man.


    The man tightly grabbed Chang Xiuying and puts his arm over her neck, "Don''t move or I''ll kill this girl!"


    The three children stopped their tracks and shockingly looked at the man that was holding their precious goddess as a hostage. Yao Yun panted heavily as smoke came out, small growls came out of his mouth, and his eyes turned more vicious than earlier.


    This man keeps on provoking him!


    Alexis gulped as he can feel his surrounding became colder and colder.


    Chang Xiuying''s eyes widened as she looked towards Yao Yun. His sanity is out! He could not discern foe to friends now! This is bad!


    She swayed her feet back and used the momentum to grab the man''s neck. They''re all shock to see, except Yao Yun, on how nimble Chang Xiuying was. She used the force in her legs to twist the man as she used her weight to swing the man towards Yao Yun.


    Yao Yun roared loudly as he brandished his claws towards the thrown man. The man tried to retaliate but it was too late now. Even though he dodged, Yao Yun''s claws were suddenly faster as it cuts through the man''s stomach like paper.


    Murder.


    This was forbidden inside the village. The criminals will be isolated away from the village and were ordered to never step in the village until they die. Such as age restrictions never exist in this plane neither will it be established. Murder is murder. Even as a form of self-defense, they''ll be isolated.


    However, they are being monitored discreetly. But in the previous years, the monitoring team was always knocked unconscious and later when they woke up, the one they''re monitoring was gone. No one knows what happened as they can only go back without any harvest.


    Alexis released Chang Xiuying. She never left her bewildered eyes on Yao Yun, as the kid still has the same ferocity in him. They were worried about Yao Yun''s act of murder. Although they understood why he did it, it''s still a crime.


    Alexis and Shin Meina tried to drag the heavy body away but a portal suddenly opened then a voice came out. "Big bro, is everything okay there? Oh shit! What the f*ck?!"


    He loudly cursed as he saw the dead body of his comrade being dragged by these two children. His curse attracted a lot of curious onlookers inside the hideout as they cursed out too.


    They stood frozen in their feet as they look towards a beast who has blood on its claws. A calm man silently glanced over the other portal that was slowly being closed. When the portal was completely closed, he suddenly released an ear-piercing shout, "MURDER!!!"


    The resting beast suddenly yanked as it bolted towards the men in a span of a second. The three children tried to catch him but they only grabbed the air. His figure was blurry as it jumped from place to place, where corpses will be there once the descent.


    "MONSTER!" Few of the men ran with their lives on the line as the one always left behind will only be butchered up.


    "Eek!"


    Yao Yun''s figure was now soaked with blood, some dripped out from his fur and from his fangs.


    The blood-curdling screams of the men gathered a lot of people outside as they held their own weapon towards the house. They repeatedly got shocked when the windows that were already painted with red was once again painted by it.


    They steeled their hearts to apprehend the culprit who dares to murder inside the village. But then, Chang Xiuying''s little figure abruptly came out of the house, her clothes were covered with splattered blood.


    "Please, hold down your weapons. We''ll take care of it." She calmly said before closing and locking the door.


    The villagers were flabbergasted.


    "What... what did our little goddess... said?"


    "... she said that they''ll take care of it..."


    "Nonsense!! They''re just kids! How can they suppress such a vicious criminal?!"


    "Oh my marsh! Let''s save them and stop that killer!"


    "OOH!!!" They raised their weapon in unison.


    BAM!


    The wooden door broke into pieces as a little figure shot out from it. A ghastly beast stood at the doorway while being held back by Alexis and Shin Meina but it was all in vain as they were thrown off too.


    "A monster!" The villagers hardened their hearts to kill this beast in exchange for their lives!


    "That''s the white-eyed monster from 2 years ago! It came back to hunt on humans!"


    "Kill it!"


    "YEAH!!"


    They charged towards the raging beast. However, a weak little figure stood out in front of the group while she firmly pressed her stomach. She looked back at them fiercely, "We''ll handle it."


    "Ying ah..."


    "Little Ying..."


    "You can''t do it! You''re all just children!"


    She affirmed her feet, "Believe me."


    "No."


    A crisp voice suddenly rang out from both of her sides.


    She looked over the man''s attractive emerald eyes and the woman''s bewitching cognac eyes, "Uncle Jiang... Auntie Irene... why..."


    "I don''t want to lose you," Jiang Hao said as melancholy flashed by his eyes. This little and fragile child is his most treasured and precious existence in his life. By losing his friend through it and his promise to his benefactor, added by the fact that he truly loved this child as his own daughter, he didn''t want to lose her.


    "Such a precious child shouldn''t be risking her life in this matter. Let us handle it," Irene patted Chang Xiuying''s head as she revealed her sweetest smile.


    "You don''t understand," Chang Xiuying anxiously said.


    "Ying''Er, don''t worry, we won''t kill that beast. We''ll just suppress him."


    Chang Xiuying''s short eyebrows creased. ''That''s Yao Yun!''


    ...


    In the depths of the forest, a huge rabbit ear popped out from one of the bushes as multiple ears popped out consecutively. A large sniffing nose came out as the big head of the rabbit came out.


    It''s black eyes grew wide as it turned its head towards the village. The little ones popped out of the brushes as they scratched their necks with their feet. They also sniffed something as they turned their heads towards the village.


    ''Big bro!''


    ''Yun''Er!''


    They hopped wildly as they slowly transform into small children and rushed off in Mach 1.


    ...


    Jiang Hao and Irene took their battle stances as they faced off the raging beast. Chang Xiuying was held back as she was slightly in a bad mood, ignoring her words were clearly a show of distrust towards her. But then, she thought, that her words mean nothing if she''s a child. How frustrating. So frustrating.


    If she can only knock these people out and retrieve Yao Yun back. It''ll be great.


    If she can have a bottle of sleeping gas... buy? The system!


    ''Xue! How much is a bottle of sleeping gas?!''


    [150 Rubies.]


    ''Buy me four and a gas mask!''


    [A gas mask costs for 375 Rubies. A total of 975 rubies was deducted from your account. 39, 025 Rubies remained.]


    She felt the item appeared in her head, she held her breath as she suddenly released one bottle. A huge amount of smoke came out and people started to wobble. Chang Xiuying quickly wears the gas mask over her head.


    Lots of people passed out as the range of the smoke was wider than she thought. From her previous life, it didn''t range wide like this and was quickly blew off if it''s released outside.


    She was secretly pleased by this result. She didn''t linger more and came to retrieve Yao Yun but what surprised her more was that he''s still standing!


    Chang Xiuying bolted towards him as she tackled him fiercely. Yao Yun retaliates and slashed his sharp claws to Chang Xiuying. She dodged and twisted her body, she back-kicked Yao Yun and followed by another side kick from her other leg.


    Yao Yun skidded out and used the tree as his footing to give himself a boost to attack Chang Xiuying. She leaned sideways, caught Yao Yun''s leg and threw him to the ground!


    Cracks appeared on the ground then a huge depression came after. Yao Yun''s eyes turned white as froth came out from his mouth as his fainted body lied collapsed on the ground.


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 29 Banishmen

    Chang Xiuying fixed her clothes before removing the gas mask on her face to inhale the smoke. But to her surprise, she didn''t pass out. Her eyes widened with disbelief as she threw the gas mask on the ground.


    "I wasted 375 Rubies on this!! I also wasted some for the sleeping gas! I thought it was like the Earth''s sleeping gas that will have to take 3 to 4 cans to knock out a lot of people."


    [You asked for it.]


    "At least you have to tell me that I won''t pass out in this sleeping gas¡­"


    [Money]


    She threw a tantrum on the ground and just let herself fall asleep out of frustration. It was 375 Rubies! 375!


    Despite how she still has a lot of Rubies in her hands, it still meant a lot of money to her. Although she was a past millionaire, every cent is still precious.


    Meanwhile, Steven was inside the hideout while looking at how Chang Xiuying acted like being knocked out by the sleeping gas. He was carrying Feng Yi under his arms as the latter looked confusingly at the girl who just threw a tantrum on the ground.


    "Chang¡­ is?" He looked up towards the deadpan Steven while watching outside.


    "Ying is what?" His eyes suddenly widened as he surprisingly looked over the surprised and conscious Feng Yi. He suddenly sent his hand down on Feng Yi''s neck as he knocked out the tied kid.


    He ruefully scoffed, "Oh sht¡­"


    ¡­


    The people slowly got up as they groaned and held their aching head. Somehow, they slumped again to sleep more as the drowsiness won over them. The sleeping gas truly has a strong effect.


    However, Jiang Hao was the first one that regained a complete consciousness as he scanned through his surroundings. There was a deep depression and a small figure with his eyes rolled to the back as residual froth came off from his mouth.


    He suddenly saw Chang Xiuying at the edge of the depression ready to roll down with just a slight movement. He quickly went to pick her up but right at that moment, she turned around and there it is. She rolled down.


    A silver figure appeared behind him as he said, "The Young Lady is so cute, right?"


    Jiang Hao was in disbelief as he never sensed the silver figure approached him from behind. But wait a minute... Chang Xiuying rolled down and it''s cute? Shouldn''t he help rather than compliment? ...


    "Yes, ''Ying''Er'' is very cute." He made sure to emphasize her nickname towards the man in front of him.


    "Heh. You''ll know sooner on how beautiful she is when she sleeps and her cute gesture was so adorable that it made me want to squish her cheeks all over. You''ll be even more surprised that she''s old- woah! Careful, I say!"


    "You and your filthy mouth," a red figure appeared as she smugly pats a thin tree branch as her newly found weapon when the silver figure snatched her precious weapon away. She has to say, this weapon is so good. In just this little thing, you can do anything with it.


    "Yingying- woah! Seriously! Stop!" Elodiaren dodged continuously as he doesn''t want to fight with the red-head.


    Hong Ruoying took a deep breath as she tried to calm herself and not lose her composure over this simple gesture. Though she kind of like it when Elodiaren calls her that little nickname.


    Elodiaren was dumbfounded. In this kind of time, Ruoying would snap out on him but she didn''t right now. He tilted his head as confusion took over his face. He coughed slightly and turned his attention towards Jiang Hao.


    "That is not what we''re here for. Renyi, the Blanche already took their move. The children inside the portal will be teleported to their branch and there will be no more hope of taking them back. The only thing you can do for now is monitor Jiang Li if there will be interactions between her and the members. Do not take actions more than needed. I repeat, do not take actions more than needed."


    "I understand."


    "We will try our best to take back the children here."


    "I have a question."


    "Speak."


    "What did you do while the children were being kidnapped?"


    Hong Ruoying and Elodiaren both looked towards Jiang Hao''s eyes to see a little fury in his emerald eyes. They can''t really say that they can transform their bodies into little children and act like kids.


    "We were undercover in trying to save the children, when we''re about to succeed in our plan, the rabbit beast was out of our calculations. Thus, we failed." Elodiaren reasoned out with a straight face. Though he kept on asking himself if what he said was reasonable or whatnot¡­


    Jiang Hao looked at the little kid with half white and half black hair at the center of the depression. He never thought that such a little and fragile kid can kill lots of people. Although the reason will be good to heed the kid as innocent and as a form of self-defense considering that the villagers do not know the reason behind, murder inside the village is still murder. If he let the kid wander around the town, it''ll not be peaceful for Yao Yun as he may receive a form of bullying.


    "Ah Hao?" A small voice sounded out behind him. Her figure was wobbly as she held her head with pain. Jiang Hao gently caught her and hugged her little figure.


    "Yeah?" He glanced around to see the two mysterious figures gone as he inwardly sighed in relief.


    "What happened?" She buried her head in Jiang Hao''s chest to seek for the comfort that she needed. The throbbing pain in her head was slowly being taken away when she felt her husband''s warmth.


    "I do not know too, but we have to do something. We''ll have to bury the corpses and banish Yao Yun from the village."


    "But he''s still a kid! He can''t live that a peaceful life if we did! We just have to say that Yao Yun is not that monster hare! Please? Please, husband?"


    "But murder is still murder-"


    "Please? Hubby? For me?"


    "¡­ I''ll try." What in the world happened to his wife¡­?


    What they didn''t know was that Chang Xiuying was still awake and was suffering from being unable to sleep.


    ¡­


    At the South Garden Pagoda, Chang Xiuying was watching the village with blank eyes. She remembered the city lights at night, how she saw people arguing back in forth, how the cars honks, and how the sounds of the cicadas.


    With what happened earlier with Yao Yun, it was tragic to be banned inside the village and 300 meters of proximity away from it. His family was instantly seen as a ruthless and cold-blooded one. Even Yao Chen, his mother, was banished for safety purposes. Though some tried to defend his side, the majority wanted them gone because they won''t be able to sleep at night if they will be remembered by that gruesome sight through Yao Yun.


    She suddenly remembered how she attended a case in court as a jury for one time. The child killed his family but his little sister. Although his parents are the one that tried to kill his sister, he let his rage consume him as he also killed those that neglected their situation and laughed at their misery.


    In the end, the kid was sent into an Asylum and his sister in a center to be taken care of. The crime that his brother did will be forever etched in their life records.


    She sighed as she recalled how the boy was emotionless while hearing all of the words thrown to him in the stone platform which serves as a court.


    Chang Xiuying turned her gaze on the green lake below for how long; a soft flint suddenly appeared slowly blinding her. She jumped away from the window then she waited before the blinding light disappears its luster before looking at the green lake again.


    She tilted her head confusingly towards the lake. "What the heck was that¡­?" She spat out before going to bed.


    Of course, she didn''t forget to train before sleeping.


    Morning came when her body erupted out of the bed to rush downstairs.


    "Auntie Irene! Uncle Jiang! Why didn''t you didn''t wake me up?! Is there even a lesson today?!" She shouted at them.


    Well¡­ she has a habit to wake up early 2 hours before school when she''s still in Earth.


    "But there really are no lessons today. The Pavilion informed all of us because of the attack yesterday. Lessons will be back after 1 week." Jiang Hao approached the little child as he took her in his strong arms. Irene peeked through the kitchen and wanted the same too¡­ she decided to just continue what she was doing, cooking for them with all her love.


    After eating a good 10 serving of food, Chang Xiuying decided to stroll around the forest to enjoy the greenery that she didn''t do in all the years she has been here. It is such a breathtaking sight and a warm feeling enveloped her that she never felt before.


    However, she turned into one particular spot with a smile on her face as she called the little boy over.


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 30 Legacy 1

    "Why don''t you come and greet me, Yao Yun?"


    Chang Xiuying felt a gust of wind appeared in front of her. The little boy looked like he''s 6 years old already.


    "I¡­ I was just¡­ uh¡­ passing through¡­ yeah."


    She smirked at the boy, thinking how bad he was at lying. Decided to ignore his remarks, she gasped rather unexcited, "You broke through?"


    "Yes. I just broke through at the middle of the night. Uh¡­ why are you here?"


    "Just strolling after a hearty meal."


    "But why here? Far away from the village?" He inwardly hoped that she came for him.


    "I love the greenery here." She grinned widely.


    "Oh¡­"


    Chang Xiuying chuckled evilly in her heart, but she''s not that ruthless that he will lead the boy on and suddenly abandon him. True, because she knew that she will still leave this place and go to another one. She still has to find that place that she saw in her long and realistic dream at that time.


    Long silence overcame the two as the rustle of the leaves calmed their erratic heart, later Yao Yun felt uncomfortable with the long silence.


    He fidgeted trying to look for the words to start up another conversation with Chang Xiuying but she beat him into it.


    "How''s your family?"


    Yao Yun''s mouth agape and smiled, "They''re good. They keep on saying that we don''t really need the humans in order to survive. The only thing we need is the beasts'' side of the Central Marsh. Though I''m hoping that I can leave here and venture to see how wide the place outside of this wrecked home."


    Chang Xiuying lips turned into a straight line as she nodded. "Is that why you want to breakthrough fast into Gold-level?"


    "Yes. I already said it to my dear mother and to my siblings. They said that if I did get out of here, my mother will raise my siblings and venture the world once they''re strong enough. She said that we will meet again, someday."


    "Train hard. I''ll try to wait for you too."


    Yao Yun''s eyes widened as he frantically looked towards Chang Xiuying, "You what?"


    "I''ll wait for you," She arched an eyebrow as she looked over Yao Yun with confused eyes.


    "You''ll really wait for me?"


    Her face became blank and didn''t speak for a long time. Yao Yun snapped back and fought back the smile that''s creeping out of his mouth.


    "You''re going to leave here too? But why wait when we can leave together?" Just by the thought of it, Yao Yun felt giddy and fluffy inside knowing that his crush will be with him even outside of the Central Marsh.


    "Yeah. I am leaving someday. I do believe that I will breakthrough before you." She grinned as she turned her heel around. She inwardly laughed as she knew that she already broke through to it and was waiting for an opportunity to leave.


    "Wait!"


    "Hm?" Chang Xiuying stopped in her track and looked back.


    "Uh¡­ do you¡­ perhaps uh¡­ want to walk around more?" Yao Yun nervously played with his fingers. "I-It''s not like I''m forcing-"


    "Sure. Lead me to it."


    "Really?" Yao Yun''s eyes sparkled.


    "What are you waiting for? Lead the way." She chuckled as she followed Yao Yun behind that is happily skipping.


    ¡­


    Later that night, she walked on the bridge towards the South Garden Pagoda.


    The walk with Yao Yun was quite fun as she never got tired teasing the young boy while they explore the other part of the forest, especially the border. She admired how tiny lightning streaks formed in it and how the thick fog enveloped the trees. Though she was careful to it because Xue warned her if she ever accidentally entered the fog, there''s no going back now.


    They can''t risk the teleportation just because Yao Yun was excited about how he entered the fog and suddenly sees Chang Xiuying again. Xue said that she still has unfinished business here that needed to be fulfilled no matter what.


    The dark night consumed her entire being as no light was illuminated inside the Pagoda.


    "Maybe they''re sleeping?" She contemplated but it''s strange since, in this time, the light should still be on.


    She stopped her track on a small pavilion at the middle of the bridge. The green lake was awfully calm too despite the wind blowing rather harshly. She rested her hands on the railing as she looked over the green lake for anything suspicious.


    Then there it happened, a blinding white light appeared again.


    Her reflection was seen on the surface of the green lake, but her figure was not that of her current face. It was her appearance back on Earth. Her eyes widened in surprise when she tried looking closer to see if her eyes were not playing tricks on her.


    A sudden disturbance erupted in her reflection. A long skeleton hand emerged out of the lake as it burst forth into Chang Xiuying.


    She slapped the hand away with such force that it looked like a supersonic bomb in the village. People started to scream and run outside of their houses.


    Chang Xiuying stood dumbfounded as she looked at her hand, "Oops¡­ AH!"


    The next thing she knew, she''s underwater. When she was under her trance, the skeleton hand slowly crept towards Chang Xiuying''s feet.


    She rolled her eyes in irritation then she started to wreak havoc underwater to stop the skeleton hand for pulling her down. After she successfully got out of its firm grasp, she quickly swam towards the surface but was pulled again by countless skeletons.


    Chang Xiuying just crossed her arms out of irritation. ''What a pain in the ass. Screw it.''


    Her body was pulled into the pile of bones at the bottom of the lake. Surprisingly, it didn''t hurt her. Considering how the hard bones keep on hitting her. Nope, she never felt a thing¡­


    Suddenly, what seems like forever, she suddenly felt the water leaving her feet as her body crashed down on the hard ground, butt first. She groaned annoyingly as she rubbed her hips, cursing under her breath.


    Just as she started to recover, she felt a tug on her feet then grumbled more. Her head bumped onto something as she hissed more irritatingly.


    Before she knew it, she was dangled upside down in front of a stone platform. A tall man stood there as his red eyes shone with ferocity, though Chang Xiuying really doesn''t mind. She has the same eyes when she was on Earth, just a daily occurrence to her.


    She huffed angrily, "Put me down!"


    As her words left her mouth, she felt floating on the air without the help of something. She backflipped and landed on the ground as she pointed with a pout at the guy, "You frick frack! How can you just treat a child like that?! Be gentler next time! Wait; there will be no more next time, frick!"


    The man raised his eyebrow as he looked amused at the little girl. So sassy.


    Chang Xiuying watched the man walked towards her with a huge grin, "Welcome to the Lake Immortal''s Temple, successor."


    "Sorry, what?"


    "Successor."


    "What? Me?"


    "Yeah? Who else is here besides you?"


    "You?"


    "No¡­"


    "No, you."


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    The man awkwardly cleared his throat, "You are chosen as the successor for the Legacy of the Lake Immortal."


    "No, you."


    "¡­ Please, enough..."


    Chang Xiuying raised her hands and inwardly chuckles. Fun.


    "Okay, okay. Why me though?"


    There''s suddenly a surprised glint appeared on the man''s eyes, "It happened once the lake sensed your presence when you first arrived here, though I, as the guardian, just awakened from my slumber once the lake accumulated enough energy to keep me awake for a short time."


    Chang Xiuying hummed.


    "Then I felt attraction at you-"


    "Pedo."


    "Excuse me, what?"


    "Yes? Why?" She tilted her head at the man with confusion like she doesn''t have any idea why he suddenly asked. The male remained silent, but still continued, "As the keeper of the Legacy, I felt the strong attraction towards you."


    "I knew it."


    "That''s why I pulled you into here to present the Legacy," The man decided to ignore the little voice in front of him.


    "I refuse."


    "Excuse me, what?"


    This time, Chang Xiuying took it seriously, "I refuse it. It''s not like I''ll be the only one who can inherit the Legacy."


    "What the?! Hey, you understand that I waited for almost thousands of years for you and you''re going to make me wait for thousands of years again?! Do not make fun of this! Do you know how eager I am to let this responsibility go?! I want freedom already!"


    He observed the child''s eyes as his eyes got drowned deeper in it. It doesn''t hold any emotions and as deep as the abyss. He cannot fathom what the child thinks as it''s unreadable. He shook his head as he tried to read the memory of the child without her permission. He''s suddenly too curious as to why her eyes were like that, emotionless and cold.


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 31 Legacy 2

    Chang Xiuying looked boredly towards the man, unbothered, ''What does it got to do with me?''


    She saw how the man looked into her eyes as if he wanted to tear a hole into her soul. She knew that her word earlier must be kind of harsh towards the male but she has no choice, right? She still has her own ''age issue'' in her hands. Not until the male started to flinch.


    "What''s wrong, mister?" She can''t help but ask out loud.


    "N-nothing¡­ what the heck was that¡­" He exhaled in exasperation as he got nothing. It''s like a huge part of her memory was sealed behind a huge barrier that no one, or nothing, can ever break but herself, is what he concluded.


    "What do you mean by ''what the heck was that¡­'' thingy?"


    "Don''t mind it¡­ really¡­" He coughed to at least distract the little child from asking more questions, "Nothing matters more than accepting the Legacy as it is my master''s wish, *****"


    "What? Did you just speak some forbidden language that automatically canceled out its wordings? That''s clearly impossible¡­ unless it''s a kind of¡­ a factor that defies the natural laws of the universe." She mumbled but was left heard by the confused male in front of her.


    "I do not really understand what you''re saying in the last part, but the first part, no. It''s not a forbidden language¡­ it''s¡­ your name." After his words, he tried it over and over again as he got the same result. How begrudging. All about the little girl in front of him are so frustratingly left hidden.


    "*****" Eh¡­ it''s true. Even Chang Xiuying herself can''t say her previous name. Indeed, what the heck was that? To her, it just sounded like a beeped out curse word. Maybe her name was cursed? An idea popped out of her head, what if she used her name to one person and say that it''s a profanity?


    Her lips curved upwards. Hehehe.


    "Damn it all. Xiuying ah, I really do not have much time¡­ you need to accept that legacy and be stronger than any of the being here even by the next planes!"


    "I still refused," Power is not really what she lacked. She has a great assistant by her side after all. She will not replace Xue with a stupid legacy, she smugly thought.


    "Xiuying ah¡­ you will also gain the wealth that the Lake Immortal collected for thousands of years." He can''t help but pick the final straw, bait by wealth.


    "I re-¡­ accept." If there''s a lot of treasure, maybe she can at least find some useful things for her to fiddle with.


    [¡­ Did you just contradict what you thought of me?]


    ''What the hell are you talking about Xue? I''m just accepting a good will.''


    Silence filled her head as if she could tell that Xue was quite offended. Well, she can always make it up to Xue later on, probably.


    The man''s eyes were filled with endless gratitude towards the little child for giving him his freedom, finally! He raised his right hand as he gently tapped on Chang Xiuying''s forehead with a golden glow on the tip of his fingers.


    Right then, memories played like she was actually there. She brightened at times, gloomed, disgusted and hopeless. But the last play was so mythical that she wanted it too. It''s the scenic play of 7 humongous dragons that blinded the whole universe and she was the one commanding them.


    Upon the recognition of the Legacy of its rightful successor, seven different colors entered her body through her chest. It''s the techniques and the power of the Lake Immortal. The power was absorbed and the ''white, black, red, blue, green, yellow and the gold'' color circling the silver core, shined with brilliance and elegance. It expanded until it was 10 meters wide; it dominated the remaining 3 colors and the silver core. Seven Dragons with their respective colors wrapped themselves in those seven glows. Chang Xiuying revealed an ecstatic expression.


    "It''s such an honor. I have fulfilled my Master''s wish. I fare thee well, I wish you with a lot of great fortune." The male emanated a faint green glow as he closed his eyes, with a small smile visible on his face, his entire figure slowly becoming transparent.


    [Host! Touch him, quick! Don''t let him get away!]


    With just those words, Chang Xiuying''s smile widened as she quickly touched the hand of the disappearing male in front of her.


    [Caught the guardian of the Lake Immortal''s Temple, Qiang Zhihao. Contract established, ready to be deployed.]


    ''This is not a company¡­ neither a game¡­''


    The man who was ecstatic seconds later was now filled with dread. His hope was crushed in just mere seconds. The hope to gain freedom, the hope to travel the universe with his undying soul, but he hoped wrong. It will never succeed¡­ never.


    Why? Why?! WHY AGAIN?!


    Chang Xiuying sheepishly scratched her nape in guilt, but not really, "I apologize for that."


    Qiang Zhihao dreadfully looked over the young child. He suddenly regretted coming to an agreement to his master''s wish and meeting this so-called successor of the legacy. But then, he thought that the little girl in front of him was filled with a seemingly endless limit in her potential to grow stronger.


    If you can''t beat them, join them. These words from his master finally came to light in this situation, but he thought that it wasn''t even the right time to connect it into this frickity of a situation.


    "You forgot to give me the treasures." Chang Xiuying rubbed the tip of her toes on the ground as she played with her fingers with a clear pout on her little, adorable face.


    "¡­"


    He regretted everything now. Everything.


    Qiang Zhihao coughed as he felt a lump rock in his throat, "Follow¡­ me."


    "YEAH!"


    He sighed heavily as if he felt the world crashed down onto his very being.


    ¡­


    Through the dark underground cave where the Temple resides, there''s a place where it''s brimming with gold, jewels, and treasures. It almost occupied the whole cave as if there''s no more room for walking around to admire the sparkling image of these treasures.


    Chang Xiuying''s eyes sparkled with delight. Her fingers trembled together with her quivering lips. She excitedly ran over them, looking for something she can use as a part, completely disregarding all of the treasures that she deemed useless.


    Qiang Zhihao looked baffled. "You¡­ you¡­ you¡­"


    "Me multiplied by three?"


    "No¡­ why the heck are you even disregarding these national treasures as if they''re trash?"


    "Because they''re useless in my part?"


    "No¡­ look, Xiuying ah¡­ these treasures are accumulated from the places my Master collected over great ordeals. You can''t just disregard these things that will be useful to you one day. Maybe it can save your life!"


    Chang Xiuying held a small pen-like treasure as she meticulously observed it, oblivious to the words that Qiang Zhihao said. Indeed, it only ends up in deaf ears.


    She swirled the pen in her short and small fingers before she tucked it inside her storage bag.


    Qiang Zhihao looked over to the silent child as she carefully analyzed all of the treasures she deemed interesting. Much to his surprise, it was thrown back into the pile of ''worthless'' in the little child''s perspective. It made him twitched as he grit his teeth.


    "Look here, Xiuying ah, the treasure you just threw was one of the things that can make your lifeline long. It was a treasure that is been hunted for millions of practitioners, fighting over to those that have it. Why can''t you see its value?"


    "I know it can make my life longer. It just doesn''t make sense. Why do I need to make my life longer if I lived with no regrets?"


    Qiang Zhihao became speechless towards the kid. He can''t find the right words to even retort to it. There is some sense in what she said, he just can''t admit to it because that''s the very reason why he wanted to live longer back then upon thinking through.


    He started to contemplate as he looked over the child with great mystery.


    Time flowed fast as Chang Xiuying already got a hold of 50 treasures in her possession. She nodded in satisfaction before going over Qiang Zhihao who is still in a daze.


    "I already got anything that I want. Where will we go next?"


    Her eyes stayed at Qiang Zhihao as her voice didn''t break his stupor. Her eyebrows furrowed as she lightly stepped behind the man, using her fist to slightly push Qiang Zhihao''s kneepit.


    And that is how Qiang Zhihao fell out of his stupor. He gazed, once again, confused towards the little girl behind him. He was supposed to be strong in body and mental capacity, but how did this little child just bend his knee for him to just pull out of his thinking? Just, how?


    As far as his thoughts can take him, the only thing that is clear and defined is this little girl is much more than it meets the eye, much greater than he can think of. There seems to be a big mystery behind her identity that even he can''t do anything about it. Tagging along with the girl will be his wisest choice since he also takes pleasure in uncovering the girl''s identity right before his eyes.


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 32 Harvesting

    "That''s all you''re going to take?"


    "Why should I keep trashes in me?"


    "True enough¡­ but those treasures aren''t trashes."


    "But they''re trash to me."


    "Even money?!"


    "Even money!" Chang Xiuying suddenly wavers, ''It''s not like I can buy things in the system shop with these external gold, right?''


    [You can actually. It''s like an exchange for the same value.]


    "Alright! Alright! I surrender! What do you want me to do?"


    "Just¡­ just take all of these treasures. It''s not like it will be kept well in this cave. In this case, it will really turn into trashes in a thousand year."


    "You just admitted that they''ll be useless." She pointed out with a grin.


    "In a thousand years without care."


    "Still going to be trashes."


    Qiang Zhihao exhaled heavily. He retrieved a small gold ring from nowhere in particular as it vacuumed all of the riches inside the cave. Surprisingly, both of them were still intact with the ground. Chang Xiuying silently wondered about this unbelievable fact and the theory and knowledge she has accumulated in years of research.


    Indeed, how strange. Everything here defies the laws of the universe but some laws remained. But then, she has to get used to this kind of things. It''s not like everything is normal here anyway.


    The tall male handed her over the golden ring. "This is called the Imperium Axis, a high-leveled one at that. It stores a lot of things. My master also said that there are more functions of it and it is up to us to find it out. He discovered this way before I became his disciple so I don''t know it too."


    "Hm. A command center¡­ fair enough." She said while holding the ring with great caution as she examined it, bringing it upward towards the light source. Her smile widened as she carefully traced the wired pattern on the surface, "A piece of art. I''m curious who made this."


    "As much as I want to answer that, but I don''t know," his words fell into deaf ears again without him knowing. He just thought that she heard and never really gave attention, for the least, she heard, and that''s all okay.


    "I''m grateful for the gift." She slightly raised the ring in front of her like a kind of offering to Qiang Zhihao before slipping it on her right thumb finger. She smiled knowingly, "I''ll dissect you some time."


    "Uh¡­ excuse me, what?" The tall male peeked at the little girl as he questioned innocently. What is ''dissect''?


    "Nothing," she sing-songed, "Well then, where to next?"


    "The next one is weaponry, then the library," He nonchalantly said as he led Chang Xiuying the way towards the said room. A long dark hallway and a little light at the very end seem to not even get closer after such a long walk. Suddenly, Qiang Zhihao turned right and the little girl followed without hesitation.


    As she felt a warm and comforting wall of water greeted her, she opened her eyes and saw the variety of weapon she always hoped to use. The opportunity finally presented itself in front of her! Such a blessing!


    It has a lot of collection of weapons from long range, short range, and body equipment; neatly aligned according to their size and types.


    From knives, swords, hammers, spears, and guns though there are no shotguns, just revolvers, rifles, and pistols which intrigued her. How can all of these be here? But upon closer inspection, the guns are much more advanced than the ones on Earth.


    She slowly goes over each one of them before placing them in her Imperium Axis. She carefully brushed the cold metals like it''s her babies. Her eyes sparkled as she admired how intricate the masterpiece is. Her resolve hardened, to find who made these weapons.


    After she was done with the weaponry, emptying it, they made their way towards the library which is only a few walks away from the weaponry.


    Oh wow.


    The library was full of books from foreign writings to complex styles of penmanship. The room was 2 stories high as the shelf surrounded the place in a circular manner. She smelled oak and lemon dew.


    Her eyes caught a pedestal at the center of the library, its structure was plain. It''s just a regular triangular one but at the top of it, there was a gold crown with red claws and emerald nails. A small green light hovered above it that emitted a strong glow as it blinked when Chang Xiuying neared the pedestal.


    ''What the?''


    "Xiuying?" Qiang Zhihao''s voice suddenly sounded behind her. She turned around to meet his suspecting eyes.


    "Yeah?"


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Why do you ask?" She cocked an eyebrow.


    "You''ve been eyeing the guardian in a long time." He motioned his chin towards the glow hovering at the pedestal.


    Her gaze landed again on the green glow, ''Xue, can you analyze it?''


    [On it.]


    She mentally nodded as she focused her attention at Qiang Zhihao who eyed all of the things that caught his attention. She suddenly thought of a reason as to why.


    "Why don''t you take some of the things that interest you?"


    "Excuse me, what?" Qiang Zhihao turned his gaze towards the little girl, confused but with a hopeful glint in his eyes. This doesn''t go unnoticed by Chang Xiuying.


    "Go on, get whatever you want. I''m sure of it. You know how much I love books, so go now before I change my mind."


    "Yes!" He dashed towards the wall full of books as he shoved whatever interests him into his own Imperium Axis.


    Chang Xiuying watched how the grown-up man frantically runs around just to take everything caught his undeniable attention. His face relaxed as his usual strained and stiff expression was now gone.


    She unknowingly smiled and then turned her focus towards the ball of light, waiting for Xue''s analysis.


    [Host, it''s a high-grade shape-shifter. It transforms into something its master wants within a certain capacity of its power. There are a lot of functions to input into it in order for this glow of light turned into something very much useful. There''s a small metallic wire at the center of the glow, concentrate to it as such you can see the intricate details of the wire and I will do all the work.]


    "Thanks," she mumbled.


    [Oh, before that I can file all of the options you can put into this equipment.]


    Chang Xiuying''s face stiffened, ''F-file?'' She had enough of those while she was in Earth! It''s always paperwork, reading, do-overs! Can she just have a break from it? It''s hunting her even here! What kind of sorcery!?


    "No need. Put them all in."


    [As you wish.]


    She sighed in relief that Xue never questioned her about it or even forced her to pick some of it.


    [Well, there''s a lot of functions to list. It''s a strain for me if I did those all. It''s a win-win situation for both of us and the downloading process will take 2 weeks. If you want to fasten the process, pay 10,000 Rubies.]


    "I''ll think about it¡­"


    Silent overwhelmed the room, besides the constant shuffle of Qiang Zhihao''s undying excitement. She pursed her lips, deciding to just ignore Xue''s retort; her excitement that is being contained earlier is resurfacing as she ran carefully walked towards the shelves. Her fingers slowly brushed the line of books on the shelves, feeling how nostalgic it is to be in a big library for so long.


    She was overwhelmed with the smell of old books, her drug in Earth, except the smell of chemicals and the whirring of machines when she was in her laboratory.


    The squeaking sound of old wood seems to be music in her ears. However, the screech of a man and a thud the ground emitted was not. Her eyes fluttered open as she eyed the tall man who stood up like nothing happened. He slowly glanced over the little child that was already looking at him, "You saw nothing¡­ you heard nothing¡­"


    Her eyes squinted then snorted, "Sorry, it seems to be etched into my memory forever. Isn''t it good? There''s something hilarious to remember about you. Considering that it didn''t happen that much, right?"


    "You''re half right, but yes, it didn''t happen that much. It''s still embarrassing though¡­ just don''t tell it to others." He awkwardly scratched his nape, unbeknownst to him as to why is he doing this kind of stupid action.


    "You thought I have someone outside who knew my secret other than you?" She said while raising an eyebrow.


    "Isn''t that the case?"


    "No. You''re wrong in that regard. Do you really think that I will reveal my secret here?" She scoffed.


    "Fair enough¡­" His voice lowered as he bit is lower. Again, why is he doing this? That, my friend, is so strange.


    "¡­ wait¡­ didn''t you peered in my memory? So why didn''t you know about that simple matter?"


    "I just looked at the most important one. I don''t need to completely look in your memory, I still know the words ''privacy''."


    Chang Xiuying fake gasped, "I thought you didn''t."


    "Did you just disrespect me?!"


    "What are you talking about? I did not do such a thing." She shook her head, "Have you finished picking all of the things that you wanted?"


    "Yes, I already got everything."


    "Great." She asked Xue to try doing what Qiang Zhihao did earlier, vacuuming all of the things here then transfer into her Imperium Axis. The tall man stared with disbelief at the child in front of him who turned her attention again towards the glow of light.


    ''Xue, I''ll pay 10,000.''


    [Great.]


    She cursed under her breath. She wanted to ignore the feeling that Xue turned smug once she said those exact words as if the AI expected her to say it.


    That calculating brat!


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 33 On to a New Journey

    29,025¡­ she only has 29,025 Rubies in her so-called bank account.


    She inwardly cried for the loss of her system money. She looked at her shaking palms, thinking, and ''It was 5 Million back then¡­ 5! In just a short span of years, it reduced to these mere 29,025 Rubies?! My babies¡­''


    Chang Xiuying rubbed her small hands on her chubby cheeks as she sighed in remorse. Later on, she squeezed her cheeks, convincing herself that the 10,000 Rubies will definitely benefit her. She definitely paid some more money back in Earth for a rush. It''s not a huge difference here, but every penny she earned from Xue resulted from hard work.


    Wait, it''s a huge difference! She can sit right back then on her swivel chair and can earn a lot! But now¡­ sigh. It looks like she has to get used to this kind of lifestyle, it''s a huge leap from her usual living status into this. It''s not that different when she was a child with no money at all.


    She pursed her lips and nodded to herself.


    Qiang Zhihao, all this time, was eyeing the little child in a weird manner. Constantly asking himself what''s wrong with the little girl who looked frustrated, then became relieved, turned sad, and then blank.


    The next thing he knew, the little girl flinched and fell on her butt.


    It was then that Chang Xiuying received a loud notification from Xue that he finished the rush download of the high-grade shapeshifter and ready to be retrieved from the pedestal.


    She hissed at Xue to at least lower the notification volume.


    The tall man saw Chang Xiuying reach for the glow of light, his eyes widened as he held her wrist and pulled it away from it, "Don''t touch it, Xiuying. It''s a dangerous thing."


    Before he knew it, the child''s other hand was already clutching on the glow of light which surprised him since the little kid''s gaze was still on him. His eyes twitched as he can''t restrain the little girl under his control. His past relationships were not this stubborn! Well, besides his birth mother.


    A pillar of light erupted from the pedestal as it covers Chang Xiuying''s wrist and it turned into a silver bracelet with emerald stones, there were wire patterns engraved on the surface of the bracelet just like the one in her Imperium Axis but much more complex.


    Suddenly, the bracelet let itself be engraved in Chang Xiuying''s skin then it''s like it hummed in satisfaction. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she tried to feel the bracelet with her other hand, ''XUE! What the heck is wrong with this?!''


    [That¡­ I don''t know. But I sensed a sweet resonance of it to you. The hum was like a relieve expression from the bracelet upon being one with you¡­ it''s like it finally found its rightful owner.]


    It confused her more but she didn''t let it get to her and just accepted whatever happened earlier. Her eyes landed on the bracelet on her right wrist, deeply engraved in her skin.


    Qiang Zhihao was dumbfounded. How can the guardian of the library just latched itself into this¡­ this mysterious kid?! It didn''t even respond to him or his master like a child, you even have to ask it with a polite and respectful manner before it can grant you access to its database.


    And why did he suddenly felt jealous of this? He decided to just ignore the mysterious feeling he''s feeling right now. It just didn''t make sense to him.


    "Uhm¡­ ha ha ha. Is there any more things to be retrieved before we can leave?" Chang Xiuying asked sheepishly as she fiddled with the hem of her sleeve.


    "Y-yes, there''s just one more and it''s inside the Pagoda."


    "Great¡­ so¡­ we can leave now." She pointed at the door where they entered earlier.


    "Wait a moment; I still have to give you the imprint of access here in the temple."


    Another imprint¡­ she thought that at the end of her journey, she might be filled with imprints. Should she just open up a business of Tattoos?


    She hesitated then asked, "You have the imprint?"


    "Of course, it still stayed."


    "That''s great then. I''ll just use you as the key to open up this place. You''re stuck to me in eternity anyway. There''s nothing to sweat at all! Come on! Let''s go!" She raised her right arm and pointed towards the door as she marched excitedly.


    Qiang Zhihao felt bitter about it.


    ¡­


    The Pagoda was still dark as there''s no light when Chang Xiuying got out from one of the passages that led them out at the back of the Pagoda. She pondered where everyone went; she was already out for almost ''a lot'' of hours that she never really counted or aware of.


    She''s not complaining, in fact, this made the work easier for her.


    Qiang Zhihao walked towards the door of the Pagoda like he owned the place. Of course, they were the previous residence of the South Garden Pagoda. He led the little child towards Irene''s room towards the stone wall with weird designs.


    Chang Xiuying looked at the cracks of the wall as it slowly pulled her into it. It instantly opened for her and sucked her into it then it slammed shut, leaving Qiang Zhihao outside.


    There was another pedestal inside the dark room that was only lit by a few torches that she didn''t know where the light suddenly came from, the pedestal was like the one in the library where she got the bracelet from; rectangular, a golden crown surrounded the red hands with emerald nails, but the hand was holding a book and a small staff stuck at the side of it.


    She never noticed how the Life energy here were the thickest as it slowly flowed into her as she stepped closer and closer towards the item sitting on the pedestal. It didn''t matter now as she reached for it. Without any of Xue''s assistance, the items rushed towards her body as it entered her system.


    Her eyes glowed red with a mixture of gold like it''s swimming in the sea of blood. White colors flickered then it turned completely black.


    The fire was suddenly put out as the stone wall crumbled down, revealing the confused Qiang Zhihao.


    Everything that happened today only concludes to two things, Qiang Zhihao and Chang Xiuying being overly confused all the time and being awkward. When she realized it, she facepalmed herself as to why did she let herself be confused to these things which were not completely wrong itself since the things that she encountered today was confusing as heck.


    Then it dawned to the two that it will only be a few hours before the morning sun crashed its way towards the dark sky. The tall man suddenly disappeared as she felt that Xue made the man enter the system without his knowledge.


    Chang Xiuying got confused for the last time as to where the people are right now? They''re still not home which puzzled her more. They were never this late.


    In any case, she contacted Xue, "Hey, big guy, what will happen now? As I see, my life will be just filled with school, school, school, school, and school. I studied enough on Earth and I don''t want to even stay my life there."


    [Nothing really. You''ll be doing just as what you''re thinking.]


    She groaned as she threw her head back in frustration, "Well, isn''t this the right time to leave now? There''s still approximately two and a half hour before the sun goes up. It''s a perfect time for leaving discretely."


    [True. You''ll be rendered useless here if you stayed any longer. Well, you were in the span of the previous two years. Got any farewells?]


    "Oh. I suddenly have an idea to just go out of this situation. Can you scan the imprint of access in Qiang Zhihao''s and gain control at the temple?"


    [It''s possible by paying 5,000.]


    "¡­ nevermind. I''ll just be shameless and leave a letter."


    [I was just kidding, you know.]


    "Too bad, I already decided. You''re going to scam me no more." She scoffed as she turned around to enter the empty Pagoda.


    [Oh come on!]


    ¡­


    Once Chang Xiuying finished her letter for the family that took care of her, she nodded in satisfaction after reading the letter over and over again. Though she went blank after thinking that writing is really not her forte, when she read it for the last time again for confirmation, she scrunched her nose and feels so disgusted with her own writing.


    She left the letter on the nightstand of Irene''s bed and carefully cleared all the things in her room as if she never existed. It only took her a short time to clear out all of her belongings. The cold wind entered her bedroom through her window; the lonely lights of the village entered her vision. The only scene she watched in her 2 years of living here.


    She didn''t hold any special feelings towards the village which made her more comfortable if she left. Though there are a lot of people that truly cared and loved her, she just can''t seem to feel anything about it, yet she appreciated their sincere actions towards her.


    Chang Xiuying sighed and jumped out of the window.


    She landed gracefully and didn''t cause any disturbance upon landing. She trotted out of the Pagoda and entered the forest area. Scanning the surrounding, she discovered Yao Yun training by the fire. His sweat glistened as it dropped at the soft ground.


    Her presence was known when the boy pointed his wooden swords at Chang Xiuying. He was shocked but it was instantly changed into delight.


    "Ying! How come you''re early today?" He tried his best to wipe all of his sweat, but he thought that it wasn''t enough, "Uh¡­ hey? I''ll just go and change my clothes for a moment. Please stay."


    Without waiting for her reply, he immediately fetched his storage bag and hid behind a tree, she heard the rushed shuffle that made her grin. The boy''s head peeked behind and sighed when he still saw Chang Xiuying not moving in her position.


    "Answering your question with a question. Do you want to know a secret?"


    Yao Yun''s eyes widened. If this is her secret, then it must be that she trusted him that much in able to tell it to him! It''s such pure bliss for the little guy.


    He nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah! Yes! Please."


    Chang Xiuying smiled that made Yao Yun''s breath hitched, but her moving closer towards him made him stoned. Her breathe fanned on his ears made him shudder from the warmth. "I breakthrough a few years ago and I am leaving now. As promised, I''ll try and wait for you."


    With that, Chang Xiuying''s figure was nowhere near him. He can''t feel the familiar warmth anymore as he frantically turned his head in any direction in order to find her. But it was all in vain, he can''t find even a trace of her.


    Is this it? This is the last time that he will see her? That he will feel her? It made his chest tightened and ached at the thought.


    "YING!" He howled.


    And now, he''s too determined to get stronger and meet the girl that he wanted to love and be loved.


    ¡­


    Near the border of the Central Marsh, Chang Xiuying stood at the high hill with her eyes closed as she inhaled the air. The fog made her somewhat small body ethereal. When a familiar warmth hit her face, she slowly opened her eyes to see the morning sun rising with a beautiful luster of orange and purplish-pink. Its light gave color to the village that seemed like a canvass.


    She smiled at the scene and crouched down, putting enough force into her right feet as she made a jump high enough to see the whole landscape. She raised her wrist with the engraved bracelet and a small surface emerged from it, like a camera. She took a picture of the beautiful scene before she reached the peak of her jump.


    Upon knowing that she''s slowly going down, she twisted her body and dived towards the fog that engulfed her whole figure.


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 34 Slaves

    In an inconspicuous place, where trees stood tall, the space was torn and a figure got thrown out. This little figure rolled then regained its balance. A little girl.


    She pushed back her ruffled hair then looked around.


    "A forest¡­ again," she muttered. She started walking about the towering trees, admiring their gigantic beauty. When she spotted a building far away from where she was, she slowly approached.


    It was a normal day in the old wooden tavern, where it was almost empty besides the few people that visited it whenever they stopped their adventures inside the B-rank forest, Avira, to relax and have a sip of booze that burned their throat in a good way.


    However, there are two people inside. In front of the bar; one was a young man, dressed in a royalty suit, sitting on a wooden stool as he sipped his juice, and a burly man, dressed in his casual clothing besides the armor around his waist, was standing just behind the young man, unmoving yet intimidating.


    Yet this burly man, who was keeping quiet for the sake of his lord''s peacefulness, spoke in a brash voice, "Young Lord, if I may ask, why did you not join the examination?"


    "Who cares anyway? They know that I''ll be the future lord of their kingdom anyway. Besides, that examination is stupid. I would never allow myself to be dirtied by such stupidity," The youth answered with a cold and monotonous tone, making the man behind him shudder.


    "Understood," without further questioning from the burly man, the young lord spun his stool then rested his feet on another stool to his left. He sipped his juice as if it was a delightful wine as he exhaled a satisfied sigh, but the sudden movement of the burly man made him raise his eyebrows, "What happened?"


    The burly man never answered his question and just stepped in front of his lord, standing in his fighting stance, clenching his metal gauntlets.


    "Caine, what''s wrong? Did someone come to get me? Well, they must''ve arrived here. Wow, so fast!"


    "Young Lord, if I''m not mistaken, this power is not of a normal person. I never sensed such greater power than the S-ranks I met. We never had any people that powerful in the academy. This is a calamitous threat," Caine said, without leaving his gaze at the door where he can sense this incomprehensible phenomenon. He hid his groan of irritation when he heard the lord''s words, "Oh! Then let''s meet this person!"


    "I swear on my life that I will protect you. I plead with you, do not be stubborn."


    Despite his words, the young lord just cocked his head from the taller man''s shoulder, curiously eyeing the door. His eyes twinkled when he saw it being slightly ajar but it revealed a small girl having a problem on her footing just to hold the knob.


    The young lord eyed Caine with huge suspicions and pointed at the girl, "Seriously? Caine, your senses must be broken right now. Can we even fix you?"


    "It must be, my Lord."


    They were waiting for the girl to come but then, she just left the door ajar and then left. Caine leaned forward, eyes wide. He immediately ran, leaving his Lord, then slammed the door open. However, there wasn''t a trace of the little girl and the threatening aura was constantly leaving from where he stood.


    "Must be an illusion..."


    -----


    The little girl, Chang Xiuying, wandered until she caught sight of people killing unusual monsters donned in uniformed clothes. Also, they were releasing powers from their staffs while the others did their best to fight off these unusual monsters.


    Chang Xiuying hid and took a different direction, but then, she encountered the same uniform. "Is this some sort of a test?" she said.


    After a series of rounds and diversions, also hunting for meat, she finally arrived at the border of the forest and it was already pitch black. The moon was illuminating the night, unlike from the Central Marsh where no moon was present.


    Then, she saw a tall wall equal to that of the trees in the forest she came from. She approached a large gate where people come and go. After observing for minutes, she tried going in too. However, she was stopped abruptly by a man that looked like a guard.


    "Yes, sir?" She asked.


    "You need to show an identification card," he said in a firm and monotonous tone.


    "Eh?"


    Wait¡­ she''s just five!


    "Why are you surprised?" The man raised an eyebrow.


    "Well¡­ I came from the mountains and haven''t been in the cities..."


    "If you don''t have an identification---"


    "This child is with me," a suspicious man suddenly butted in, grasping Chang Xiuying''s small shoulders.


    "Your identification, please."


    And then the man showed a silver card to the guard, "Here."


    The guard nodded then allowed them to pass. Chang Xiuying, who still hadn''t escaped the grasps of the man, said, "Thank you, mister."


    The man smiled warmly to her and tousled her hair, "It''s a pleasure. Since it''s your first time in a city like this, do you want me to show you around?"


    "Yes, mister! Thank you so much!"


    She was shown where the slums are and then was led to a certain building. It was tattered and there was a sign where a shackles and a head of a beast was drawn. Chang Xiuying tilted her head in confusion when the man looked at her.


    "Where are we, mister?"


    "This is where the unwanted children got sold off."


    "Eh?"


    ''Aren''t you being so straightforward about it?'' she thought.


    "Since you came from the mountains alone, and unscathed at that, you must be saved from the clutches of the monsters. Judging from your clothes, you must have been well fed."


    ''Like I said, why are you being so straightforward?''


    However, they stopped where they were inches from the door. "You should''ve started rebelling. Why are you still calm?"


    "Why are you so straightforward about it?" She finally voiced out.


    "I''m sorry," he said then opened the door, throwing her in.


    Chang Xiuying stumbled then regained her balance. Cages met her gaze and within, there were demi-humans and human children staring at the ceiling, lifeless.


    Her gaze hardened as she eyed the door where she could hear screams and moans and the sounds of the whip. Before she knew it, she was already in front of the door, and a few bodies laying behind her. Those were the corpses of the people who tried to apprehend her. Then she burned the door into cinders, eyeing the figure of the man who stopped whipping.


    "What are you doing?" Her voice carried bloodlust and her eyes turned red.


    "Wha-wha---" before he could respond, Chang Xiuying already slapped the man as it clashed against the hard stone wall.


    "I said, what are you doing?"


    "Hiiii!!!"


    "I asked you, right?"


    "Ye-yes."


    "Then you better answer me before my hand beheads you."


    Seeing that the girl might be lying, he bravely said, "Spare---spare me! I am only punishing those that have sinned---"


    And then he died. Incapacitated.


    Chang Xiuying approached the girl that seemed to be older than her, but the girl could only scream and scramble to the corner of the room, shivering.


    "It''s alright¡­ I won''t hurt you..." she gently said.


    Hearing no response, Chang Xiuying sighed then walked out of the room. First of all, she has to free all these slaves. Just as she did, she left to search for more in the higher floors and ransacked the whole building dry. She accumulated 50,000 gold coins and 100,000 silver coins. It must''ve come from all the selling of the children. She doesn''t want to have anything to do with it.


    When she killed all the people inside the building and freed the slaves, she led them into the ground floor and then announced with a loud voice, "You all are free beings now!"


    All 100 slaves shivered then nodded their heads, however, they made no moves.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "If I may impose you¡­ ma''am¡­ we have nowhere to go¡­ and we''re weak..." a demi-human said.


    "Well then¡­ since we''re in the slums, we should meet with the leader and seek refuge."


    "If we joined them¡­ we don''t have anything to give..."


    Chang Xiuying scratched her head then sighed. "Alright, you," she pointed at the demi-human who talked, "show me where this leader is---"


    "I apologize! I do not know where he might be¡­ but if we asked around..."


    "Okay. Regardless, come with me and you all should stay here. I will come back."


    When Chang Xiuying approached the demi-human, she asked, "What''s your name?"


    "The likes of me have no name, ma''am..."


    "Oh¡­ do you want to be named?"


    "Only the master has the rights to name us slaves."


    "Hmmm¡­ but it would be a hassle to just call you ''you''."


    "Just call me however you like..."


    "Well then, however you like..." she teased, but the slave just nodded its head.


    "... is what I''d like to say¡­ are you a boy or a girl?"


    "I am a girl, ma''am."


    "Then what do you want to call yourself?"


    "Eh? But---"


    "You all are free now. You should have enough free will to live through the days."


    "I¡­ have been wanting to be called Flora..."


    "Then Flora, lead the way," Chang Xiuying smiled then gestured at Flora to lead the way.


    "Yes!"


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 35 The Dawn of an Association

    "Long story short, you want me to take care of these children from now on? And you''re asking me? You? A kid?"


    "Yes."


    The man sighed then shook his head, "I can''t do that. We are already barely living from the food scraps we''re collecting. Besides, we already have enough members---"


    "If I said that I have money, will you be able to?"


    The man stopped then stared at Chang Xiuying before laughing out loud. He couldn''t seem to stop until there were tears coming out of his eyes, "Again¡­ you, a kid will give us money? What kind of bullshit is this---"


    But then, three large chests came out of nowhere. The floor creaked and shooked from the sudden weight.


    "It''s 50,000 gold and 100,000 silver coins. I got them from the slave trader."


    The man eyed the chests greedily but he suddenly shook his head, seemingly not convinced. "Even if all of these money---"


    "Fine," then she stored them all in her storage then quickly left.


    "Wait!" However, the man''s voice never reached Chang Xiuying.


    "Fuck!"


    Outside the building, Flora ran after Chang Xiuying, but she seemed to be out of breath just from running for a short distance.


    "Ma''am! Wait!"


    "Hmm..."


    "Why..." she wheezed, "why did you suddenly turn back?"


    "That man is no good."


    "Eh? Ah¡­ I see..."


    "Alright. I already have a plan for us."


    "Wait¡­ us?! You mean..."


    "I will be taking care of you all from now on."


    "..."


    "What''s the matter? Do you not want to be taken care of by a child?"


    "No! No¡­ not that¡­ it''s just¡­ surprising..."


    "Hmmm¡­ I see. Well then, let''s go back to the slave''s building."


    "Yes!"


    When they got back, they happened to see the other slaves at the corners of the room, staring at the ceiling lifelessly. Chang Xiuying suddenly felt grateful that a slave like Flora still hadn''t lost her mind.


    In the span when they are asking about where the leader''s hideout was, they got information that, fortunately, this establishment is the only one dealing with slaves. With the poor state of the city, it would only be one existing slave trading firm.


    Then, she clapped her hands loudly, earning the slaves'' attention back to her, their eyes lifeless as ever.


    "I want you all to collect the corpses here and the others will help clean the building in and out."


    "Ma''am..." Flora called meekly.


    "Call me Xiuying."


    "Shiyu?"


    "... just Ying then."


    "Ying¡­ Ying..."


    "Yeah?"


    "Nothing," Flora said as she shook her head.


    "Well then, you can help with the cleaning, Flora."


    "Of course!" Then she went off.


    The slaves did as they were told while Chang Xiuying did her best to cook the monster carcasses she acquired from her hunt. In the end, she cooked seven huge pots of food. When she gathered the slaves in the cramped dining area, which was quite luxurious, she ordered them to line up for their food.


    The slaves just looked at their bowls and then at Chang Xiuying who was smiling at them.


    "Come on now, eat until you''re full! Don''t be shy to ask for seconds!"


    A few started to eat while the others looked at their bowls then slowly ate. Chang Xiuying nodded and then started eating with them.


    "Uuuuuu!!! This is the best!" She exclaimed.


    The slaves looked at her, their eyes wide as they hurriedly finished their food and then stood at the sides of the room.


    "Eh? What are you all doing? Just eat!"


    "I would like for a second helping," Flora initiated and Chang Xiuying smiled.


    "Of course," she exclaimed then gave her another serving. This led the other kid to approach her then get their second helping.


    In the end, seven pots were licked clean.


    They dispersed and then slept like a log on the floor with their stomachs full. Chang Xiuying eyed the chests she took out from her storage and thought for the slaves'' own well beings. Train them, perhaps? Yes, that would be good since she wouldn''t just stay in this world forever. They needed to earn their living.


    "Master Ying?" Flora called out.


    Chang Xiuying broke out of her stupor. Looking at the female demi-human, she said, "Yeah? Is something wrong?"


    "Nothing is the matter, master. It''s just¡­ are you sure about this?"


    "Sure about my treatment of you guys?"


    "Yes¡­ we''ve been treated harshly and our body remembers those beatings whenever we do something out of the normal means¡­ we may not recover from it¡­ but are you sure you want to take care of us?"


    "Of course," Chang Xiuying tersed.


    "We slaves have a brand instilled on us that we are unable to disobey our master''s commands. Although our master already died, we still have the brand on our skin, permanently engraved on us..."


    "And that''s bad?"


    "Yes. By the orders of our previous master, we cannot disobey them."


    "Hmmm¡­ okay, I''ll remove them for you."


    "Eh?!"


    "What?"


    "What¡­ Master--- nevermind¡­ how will you be able to remove our brands?"


    "Let me see it."


    "Eh?"


    "Let me see it."


    "But¡­ but..."


    "But? Or maybe¡­ it''s in an embarrassing place?"


    "Ye-yes..."


    "We''re both girls. You don''t have to be shy. Come now, let me see it."


    "But!"


    "No buts! Remove your clothes!"


    "Kyah!!!"


    Chang Xiuying examined the deeply blushing Flora as she tried covering her private parts. Upon closer look, she had a tail¡­ and some scale marks on her skin. At the center of her chest, there was a red mark engraved on their skin.


    Chang Xiuying observed the mark by their energy flows and then she inserted her own power into the mark. It flowed into every stroke until it shattered and a deep wound was left. Blood trickled down the wound and Chang Xiuying finally registered that Flora was gritting her teeth in pain.


    She patted the former slave''s back and said, "Thank you for putting up with it. It''s all good now. Let''s dress your wounds first."


    "Ye¡­yes..." then Flora collapsed, unconscious.


    -----


    A few days had passed after Chang Xiuying successfully removed the slaves'' brands on their chests. All of them stayed behind to serve this new master with their own will. She started by buying a bulk of clothes with the money from the slave trader and had it delivered to the building. The sign was destroyed and the firm was cleaned in and out.


    Then Chang Xiuying started teaching the children what they wanted to know like cooking and some skills needed for housework. However, when this particular slave wanted to read, she didn''t know how to.


    "Xue, can you make me read these mysterious letters?"


    [You finally talked to me, host.]


    "Ah¡­ sorry. I was just busy with the kids."


    [And yes, I can make you read any language. Just buy it from the system.]


    "... how much?"


    [10,000 Rubies.]


    "... fine¡­ I''ll buy it."


    [Good decision.]


    "... money¡­ Oh right! You said back then that gold can be converted to Rubies."


    [Uh¡­ yeah, I did say that.]


    "Great!"


    Then she called on Qiang Zhihao.


    "Yes?"


    "I want you to teach the children about cultivation."


    "Hmmm¡­ this place has a denser Qi than this so-called mana. So, yes, I can train them."


    "Thanks. Let me introduce you to them."


    "Alright."


    "Guys!"


    "Yes!" They all said in unison.


    "Call this man ''Hao''. From now on, he will teach you how to cultivate your powers to a certain degree. Who would object?"


    None.


    "That''s good! Training starts tomorrow morning."


    Flora stepped forward and asked, "Would 5 A.M be okay?"


    "A.M?" Qiang Zhihao asked.


    "Uhm¡­ it''s like early in the morning," Flora stammered.


    "Oh right!" Chang Xiuying exclaimed, "I want you all to decide what name you shall be called from now on! So, dismiss!"


    The children raised their voices in awe and then cheered. Qiang Zhihao glanced at the grinning Chang Xiuying. He smiled for a moment then looked at the children with warmth.


    In the dead of the night, Chang Xiuying sneaked out of the city and then started hunting monsters for their future meals. She encountered groups of those same uniformed people camping in the woods. Then she remembered a tavern somewhere and started walking needlessly. However, she encountered a barrier the same as the one in Central Marsh.


    "Xue, can you sketch a map for me?"


    [Sure. How about 100 Rubies for the whole sketch?]


    "Deal."


    [Alright. I''ll inform you whenever I am done with it.]


    "Thanks."


    Then she sneaked into the city once again and slept in the luxurious room the children prepared for her as her quarter. When morning came, Xue''s voice greeted her.


    [The map is done.]


    "Thanks a lot."


    Then she examined the map of the whole continent. From the slums, near the Grayhill district, there was a market where they could buy ingredients. Outside the city, to the south, there was the forest of Avira. Then, at the center of the forest, there was a blank circle where they found that barrier.


    "Good."


    She would have to go there once she deemed the children capable of maintaining themselves.


    At a blink of an eye, two years had passed.


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 36 Awakened Bloodline

    In the city of Avarice, business seemed to be booming from the slums. The once dirty place was now cleaned and devoid of homeless children. There were also popular shops where they sell ice creams and freshly baked bread. At the ground floor of ChangHao firm, there were people lined up and shouts were heard from inside.


    "Order for table 1!"


    "Would you like to have a table outside? We''re currently full."


    "Here''s the payment for table 21."


    "Order for table 6!"


    "Clean table 3!!!"


    "Welcome!"


    People in the line waited patiently until they moved a step closer to the entrance of the building. They talked and gossip every chance they got.


    This particular newcomer, who was eyeing the shop with interest, squeezed himself in the middle of the line.


    "Hey! Watch it! Newcomers go to the last! We''ve been waiting for thirty minutes here. Move it!"


    He was shoved out and then he scratched his chin, "What''s with you, people? What''s so interesting about this shop anyway?"


    All the people in the line glared at him and shooed him away. However, he came back and lined himself last until he arrived in front of the entrance.


    "Would you like a table inside or outside?"


    "A demi-human?!" He exclaimed.


    The demi-human''s eyes twitched and then repeated, "A table inside or outside?"


    "A-a table inside."


    "Please come forward, I will guide you to your table," a different demi-human said, turned her heels and then walked gracefully. The man had no choice but to follow.


    "This is your table and this is the menu."


    The man sat and eyed the menu. "What do I do?" He said as he picked up the hard thin sheet of paper.


    "This is the list of meals, drinks, and desserts you want to order and eat. And here is the corresponding price. Raise your hand and say ''Order please'' and someone will come and take your order."


    "Oh¡­ okay. Thanks."


    All of the food in the list was new to him and his eyes were spinning from all these new words. He called the demi-human earlier and said, "Um¡­ I''m new here, so what''s your recommendation?"


    "Oh. I recommend the Set A from this section. This dessert will likely go well with the meal. Will that be all?"


    "Yes, please."


    "Alright. Your order will be prepared in 10 minutes."


    "Isn''t that too long?"


    "We serve people their meals while it''s hot. Please do be patient."


    "Oh¡­ that''s new."


    "Yes. Our boss wanted all the best for every customer. Now, please excuse me," the demi-human said as she went to the counter and said, "Order for table 17!"


    After the man waited for his meal, he saw a little girl enter the shop grandly. "Isn''t it¡­ you have to wait in line?"


    "Boss!"


    "Eh?!"


    "Welcome back!"


    "I''m back," she tersed, then entered the kitchen.


    The man was puzzled the entire time and then, finally, his order arrived. And damn¡­ the smell was so good. Then he asked the waitress, "What kind of meat is this?"


    "Oh. That is whale meat, sir."


    "Whale?! Isn''t that like¡­ so hard to catch? And we''re not even near the ocean!"


    "We and our boss hunt in the ocean for food."


    "Ah. I see¡­ and what about this dessert? I remember¡­ this is called pudding, right?"


    "Yes, sir. That is made with eggs and milk."


    "Eh?! You can make this with just those?!"


    "Yes, sir."


    "Amazing..."


    "Well then, enjoy your meal."


    "Uh¡­ thanks?"


    The waitress smiled warmly then bowed and left the man. He relinquished the smell and then cut a small piece. He ate it and his face showed pure bliss. "Uuuu!!! This is delicious!"


    "Oh fck¡­ this is a high class food. I forgot to bring gold coins with me!" He muttered as he chewed and then looked at the menu again. He prevented himself from spluttering his food and then looked at the menu closely. "... for only 2 silvers?! And the dessert¡­ is 50 copper coins?! This¡­ is incredible¡­ and cheap!"


    Moments later, he ordered more and then ate until he was full. He didn''t mind that he spent almost 30 silver coins for this meal.


    A little girl looked at the man''s leaving figure and giggled to herself. Her employees giggled at the same manner and went back to their cleaning work. After all, it was already closing time and the man was still there, ordering.


    "Boss, Master Hao is waiting for you in your office," Flora, who was now a busty young lady, said to her.


    "Okay. I''ll be going," Chang Xiuying said and left.


    She climbed the stairs and then went to her office on the 4th floor. Opening the door, she saw Qiang Zhihao sipping tea from a cup.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "I just wanted to say that my students are ready for their first campaign. They already reached the fifth stage and their bodies are changing."


    "That''s great to hear. Any more news?"


    "Yes. Farma, this fellow, already reached the sixth stage just yesterday. He is bedridden and he needs to have his meridians opened with your help."


    "Can''t you do it by yourself?"


    "I can''t. His Qi is purer than mine."


    "Oh. We should get your Qi purer then."


    "That will take a long time for me."


    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll give you a manual later. Show me to Farma''s room."


    However, when Chang Xiuying was slowly approaching the designated room, her vision blackened and then her body was burning. She leaned on the wall, clutching her head. She could feel it¡­ one of her cores were trembling and there was a huge ripple coming from the center of his oceanic Energy.


    Then, a blackhole came out of the ocean and then ate the trembling core. It made a connection to the center core and then a black line bursted out of her core to her mind.


    "Aargh!" She exclaimed in pain and finally collapsed.


    When she came to, she immediately sat up from her fluffy bed.


    "Oh fck!"


    [I''ve been telling you to not suddenly get up whenever you are from a deep sleep.]


    "Sorry¡­ I was just---"


    [Never mind that. You have to see this particular black core in your body.]


    "Okay."


    She peered deep into her body and then saw a tiny blackhole almost 2/10 of the sizes from the largest cores. However, the feeling was too intimidating and ominous.


    [This is the core of the Dark Sovereign. It seeped into your bones and assimilated itself. You have one powerful and evil bloodline. Later, I will give you the manual of this Dark Sovereign. First of all, with this power, you can control the body of a person and it''s the greatest taboo. If ''they'' came to know, you''ll be killed.]


    "Oh¡­ I''ll be careful about it."


    [Sigh¡­ your body is the most troublesome.]


    "How come?"


    [I did my own research about the three bloodlines within you. The other two deep in your oceanic Energy were already activated and you''ve been unconsciously using it. Then this matter came, the sleeping Dark Sovereign blood in your body awakened, rendering you resistant to all types of dark powers and have control over the dark element.]


    "How about the other two?"


    [All I have to say is that those two are the most troublesome. Their history run deep and incapable of forgiveness.]


    "You mean¡­ they did something bad?"


    [More than bad.]


    "I see¡­ alright¡­ thank you for watching over me."


    [That''s all? You don''t want to know more?]


    "I want to¡­ I really want to¡­ but I don''t know why I can''t. You once told me that I came from parents who are criminals and their actions cannot be forgiven¡­ I''m afraid, Xue."


    [Even a person like you have worries huh.]


    "I''m still human..."


    [Human? Naaaah. You''re not.]


    Chang Xiuying sighed. Right. She''s different from all of the people here.


    "Alright¡­ I have to get used to this body."


    [Agreed.]


    "Thanks."


    [You''re my host. I am responsible for you.]


    Chang Xiuying smiled and then laughed. Then she heard footsteps, multiple footsteps outside of her room and then her door was busted open.


    "Master!!!"


    "Eh?!"


    "YOU''RE OKAY! Thank goodness!" Flora said and cried. Chang Xiuying stood up and then patted the female''s head.


    "You did good."


    "Yes¡­ yes..."


    "Thank you for worrying too, everyone," she said to the people outside of her room, watching them.


    "Yes, boss!"


    "Also, I have something to talk to you all about."


    Flora hugged Chang Xiuying''s head to her supple breasts and then coaxed her, "You should rest first, master. You need more energy for tomorrow. Look, your eyes looked tired."


    "I''m fine, Flora. It''s---"


    "Shh¡­ master, sleep, okay?"


    "..."


    "You need more rest. Besides, look, you''re much taller than when you are days ago."


    "Eh¡­ oh¡­ you''re right..." she does seem taller for a seven-year-old¡­ Chang Xiuying looked at Flora, smiling at her warmly. "Okay, I''ll rest."


    "Good," Flora said as she hugged her more tightly.


    ''What''s wrong with her...'' Chang Xiuying thought.


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 37 Cold Plains

    Chang Xiuying later on, in that day, she experienced body pain from growing too abruptly. She stayed in her room as Flora tended to her. Then, she woke up by the loud shouts from their training ground, at the back of their building. Peering through the open window, she watched the children train.


    Then a knock came.


    "Come in," she said.


    "Master, how are you feeling now?"


    "I''m better than yesterday. Thank you, Flora."


    "That''s a relief. Here," she placed a tray on the nightstand, "I cooked you some congee."


    "You really like taking care of me," Chang Xiuying teased.


    "Of course. It is my duty to take care of you, master."


    "... don''t just overwork yourself."


    "My body only belongs to master."


    Chang Xiuying choked on her spit and then coughed loudly. "Flora! What are you saying?!"


    "I am only for master and that is the truth."


    "Since when?!"


    "Since the day you saved me from the slave trader. I vowed to myself back then that I will be by your side and protect you from any harm. Besides, Master is only a child. "


    "... quit treating me as a child!" Chang Xiuying exclaimed as she clicked her tongue.


    "Master, you have to eat the congee or it will go cold. Then you can go to our meeting room after."


    "Alright¡­ alright. Thanks."


    "It is my pleasure," Flora said then left the room.


    [Heh.]


    "What now?"


    [That girl will stop at nothing to follow you.]


    "Yeah. It worries me."


    [Heeeeh. You got another one behind your back! Besides, it''s better for you to have more companions.]


    "But then¡­ once we leave this world, what will become of the association and the children we took under our wings?"


    [They would be left behind. At least they have an inheritance and work for their living.]


    "Hmmm¡­ indeed."


    [By the way, master---]


    "Stop calling me that!"


    [But the children are okay?]


    "I have no choice. They insisted."


    [I insist too.]


    "No¡­ just no. It feels weird, okay?"


    [By the way, master, your body is slowly weakening.]


    "I''ll pretend I never heard that, and what? My body is weakening?"


    [Yes. In this case, you might die.]


    "What do you mean?" Chang Xiuying''s brows furrowed as she stared at her bed.


    [Not you, but another you.]


    "Another¡­ me?"


    [I found another life force that perfectly matched yours. It''s somewhere inside the Cold Plains.]


    "... last time I checked the map, there is no Cold Plains."


    [Remember the time when we discovered that barrier like in the Central Marsh?]


    "Ah. Yeah. That barrier. You mean¡­ inside that, it is the Cold Plains?"


    [Exactly.]


    "Alright. We''ll go immediately."


    Then Chang Xiuying quickly finished her congee, then went to the meeting room just two doors away from her room. She saw Flora standing outside and they both entered. A lot of people was in the room, but Chang Xiuying was rather in an unpleasant mood.


    "First, we have to gather everyone, I mean, everyone, to the training grounds. I want everyone to know about my plans in the future, because it greatly concerned you all."


    They saluted and then left the room.


    "Master?"


    "Flora, I just wanted you to know that I will not be staying here forever."


    "That is fine, master. Because I will follow you wherever."


    "I don''t think¡­ you can follow me."


    "Why is that so?"


    "You''ll know everything later."


    "Alright."


    -----


    Once everyone was gathered in the training ground and Qiang Zhihao was stationed just behind her, she steeled herself to let everyone know of her very existence. She started from where she was born in the Central Marsh, the beginning of all, and safely arrived here in Strevalia continent. Then she told them about Xue and Qiang Zhihao and about their leave to another world out there in space.


    "I decided to tell you all this because you''ve been very dear to me all these years. It is the least thing I could do to all of you."


    "Master..." Flora muttered.


    "But master¡­ how about the workers?"


    "You all are trustworthy in my eyes and I know that you can all be a great manager once I am gone."


    "Master!!! Don''t leave us!"


    "That''s right! You gave us the will and reason to live for the future!"


    "I wanted to bring you all, you know?" Chang Xiuying said as she sighed in great remorse.


    "Bringing¡­ us all? Yes, please! Master!"


    "But when I thought about all the orphans and people without work here, you all have to bring work to them and give them the reason to live for tomorrow too. Isn''t that a great opportunity to all of you?"


    "Master''s will..."


    "That''s right. It is my will. I don''t want you all to suffer because of me. I want you all to live your lives peacefully."


    "Then¡­ when will you leave, master?" Flora took the courage to ask.


    "When I am done with my job here."


    "What job?"


    "Uh..."


    "Master, don''t lie to us," Flora said.


    "... fine¡­ I have another body here in Strevalia, and I need to retrieve that body''s spirit. I will have to go to the Cold Plains as soon as possible. Maybe today."


    "Master is indeed great¡­ how can we, mere humans, contend and travel with you¡­? We will only drag you down..."


    "..."


    "That''s not true, you know," Qiang Zhihao interjected, "I trained you in a special way than what this world teaches. You all are great contenders against your master. Though you can''t still touch her feet, you all are powerful warriors. Have you ever tried defeating powerful monsters with your bare hands? "


    "Now that teacher mentioned it¡­ we did defeated those wyverns one-sidedly¡­"


    "That''s right. If you registered as adventurers, you''ll be able to rank up faster than any normal humans. And thus, our force is to be reckoned with."


    "My¡­ my dream to become S class¡­ is within reach!"


    "That''s right!" Qiang Zhihao exclaimed, "So, you all have to work hard to reach your master! Train everyday! Be more powerful than yesterday! To the great future!"


    ""YEAH!!!""


    Chang Xiuying inwardly sighed.


    ""MASTER!""


    "Yeah¡­ yeah¡­ what is it?"


    ""We will reach you! So, please come back someday!""


    "Alright¡­ I''ll try to visit someday."


    And thus, their meeting was concluded. However, when everybody else left, Flora stayed with Chang Xiuying. She knew that she only have little time to spend with her little master, and she didn''t want to pass this opportunity.


    "Master," she called.


    "Do you have any plans tomorrow?"


    "Eh? Ah¡­ no¡­ I don''t have anything in my schedule."


    "That''s great. I want you to---... never mind. Please watch over the kids," Chang Xiuying said then went back inside.


    "Master?" But Flora''s call wasn''t reciprocated.


    Chang Xiuying sighed once again as she went inside the building, and then met Qiang Zhihao.


    "Zhihao-ah, I will be going now. I entrust you to protect this building while I''m gone."


    "Of course, have a safe journey."


    "Thanks," she said and then exited the ChangHao firm. The people greeted her, and patted her head as they fawned over her. This wasn''t strange. After all, the people already deemed her as their cute little child. However, she wouldn''t be like a child if she was in her home.


    When she arrived in front of the Northern Gate, the guards smiled at her and let her pass without her identification card. Speaking of which, her identification card was issued by her own firm since her business---which was under the name of Qiang Zhihao---was already known throughout Avarice.


    Walking through the main road, a small village was seen and the river of Talles was between them. She passed that village and then went to the forest of Avira.


    The Great Woods of Avira, is its official name, was known because of the mysterious barrier residing deep in the forest.


    Chang Xiuying trekked the woods from her mind and then arrived in front of the barrier. She tried touching it and it only gave a little resistance before finally letting her in. However, the temperature dropper to -35¡ã Celsius and Chang Xiuying shivered from the cold wind.


    She retrieved thick clothes in her storage and then dressed herself warmly.


    She walked and walked until it took her approximately two hours to get to the boundary of the frozen wasteland. The temperature dropped further until it was -50¡ãCelsius. However, when she decreased the distance from the border, the temperature was dropping constantly and then, she heard a deep, guttural growl.


    "A monster?" She exclaimed as her breath left a thick mist.


    Then a huge white tiger entered her line of sight. It was growling while looking around and sniffing the cold air. Its fangs were large much like a sabertooth, but was bigger. It corresponded on its size of 5 meters.


    Chang Xiuying retrieved a sword from her storage and then readied her stance. Waiting patiently for the tiger to notice her, but fortunately, or rather, unfortunately, it looked beside her. She instinctively followed its sight.


    Then, a figure arrived beside her.


    "Well, hello there. Should I call you Xiuying or rather¡­ *****?"


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 38 Caer Cori

    Chang Xiuying immediately brandished her sword and struck the mysterious man. The man, however, stopped Chang Xiuying''s attack with his own two hands.


    "Impressive..."


    "Who are you? How did you know my name?"


    "That''s something for you to find out on your own."


    "In that case, do you accept to be tortured by me?"


    "Tortured? In the first place, you won''t be able to defeat me."


    "Let''s see about... that!" Chang Xiuying said as she used a feint with her sword, then kicked the man with all her might. She released her breath then immediately approached the man who was still unguarded.


    "Haha¡­ hahaha¡­ HAHAHAHAHA. IMPRESSIVE, XIUYING! You grew stronger in just a few years! As I thought, it''s better to kill you right now than to kill your other bodies. However, you will just transfer to another place unknown to us. We would lose track of you again. How unfortunate for me."


    "What do you mean?" Chang Xiuying tried probing but it resulted in nothing.


    The man grinned at her then quickly escaped.


    "Oh frick!" Deducing that he will go to her other body, Chang Xiuying took off to chase the man. However, there were countless growls erupting from everywhere. She laid low from the huge monsters that were in high alert.


    "That bastard!" She quietly cursed.


    Suddenly, she heard a cry to the east from where she was. Torn between saving her body and saving an unknown creature, she was suddenly in a dilemma.


    Concluding that she didn''t need another body, she turned east and then ran.


    [Host! Are you letting that guy go?!]


    "I don''t need another body!"


    [You idiot!]


    "Ha?!"


    [That is a missing part of yours! If you just let it go, who knows what might happen to you!]


    "Ugh¡­"


    [Besides, you kill monsters. What''s the point of saving one in distress?]


    "It''s a cry for help. I can''t possibly ignore it!"


    [Are you saying that that monster is more important than your life?]


    "Shut it," she said as she stopped running and glanced at the injured monster getting attacked by a huge purple panther. Its wings were broken and it had big wounds all over his body. Also, the panther was having fun teasing the monster in its claws.


    Chang Xiuying summoned a spear and then threw it at the panther''s head, decapitating it. The bird-like creature turned its head over to Chang Xiuying, and then released a cry.


    However, she heard clashing sounds coming from somewhere. It must be that the guy found an opponent. Chang Xiuying immediately crouched near the collapsed monster, then tried her best to apply first aid.


    "I''m sorry, but you have to go with me if you want to live."


    The monster nodded its head then slowly followed Chang Xiuying. A few moments, the bird-like monster gave a cry to her and then flapped its healed wings.


    "You want to fly? Just go and escape."


    The creature shook its head then pointed at its back with its beak.


    "Oh. You want me to ride you?"


    The creature released a happy cry.


    "Alright. Go to where the fighting is happening."


    "!"


    Then they took off. The trees became tinier and the temperature rose, winds clashed on their bodies. Then, they spotted a hut with a glacier behind it. Inside the glacier, there was a female youth frozen in it.


    "Xue¡­ is that my other body?"


    [Affirmative.]


    "Why do monsters circle around like they''re protecting it?"


    However, Xue never gave a reply. Chang Xiuying could only sigh. "Mr. Monster, can you land near that ice?"


    "Kuu!"


    When the altitude was low, she decided to jump. Just as she landed, she felt overwhelming bloodlust and suddenly ducked and rolled away. Her eyes trained towards the fighting monster and man that she met earlier.


    From where she was standing earlier, there was a huge chunk of ice that got separated from the main body. Then, a lot of huge monsters came and then battled the man.


    "Fck this shit!" He exclaimed.


    Chang Xiuying could only watch. Since the monsters were ignoring her, she started to approach the glacier and touched the frostbiting surface.


    "I won''t let you!" The man screamed.


    "Won''t let me what?"


    [Host, get that body out of the ice.]


    "Roger that."


    The instant she got the body out of the ice, a powerful arrow came and then killed the girl. Chang Xiuying was dumbfounded and looked at where the arrow came from. She released an energy ball and immediately attacked that certain location. Then, a scream was heard and a thud came next. But the man she met earlier was still fighting a lot of monsters.


    She looked at the youth in her arms and tried to give life energy to resurrect her. However, she suddenly felt that a part of her existence gone missing.


    "So¡­ this is how it felt..."


    She suddenly felt empty.


    "Xue..." she called.


    [That piece of spirit is gone now.]


    "What''s going to happen to me now?"


    [You will live as a broken piece in your lifetime. Your memories will be fragmented and it will never return. From my findings, that body will give us a clue about your next body.]


    "That''s bad."


    [Won''t you feel bad?]


    "I don''t know, honestly. Well then¡­ time to catch that man," she said as she pointed her chin towards the man.


    She retrieved a bow from her storage then pulled the string. An arrow suddenly materialised and she quickly released it.


    The man dodged as he fought and then jumped so high to escape the clutches of Chang Xiuying. Therefore, she quickly pulled the string and released it simultaneously. However, the man was even agile in the air. She stopped and decided to memorise the build of the man. After all, she might meet him again in this world.


    The question is¡­ how will she find him?


    "I have left a gift for you!" With that, he disappeared into the thick white forest.


    Chang Xiuying went to the location where she killed a man and found the body lying there. This must be the gift, she thought. She ransacked the whole body of the corpse and found a single emblem. On the emblem, there was a sword and a staff clashing, and a glowing ball behind. Then, there was a word "Blanche" written at the bottom.


    "Blanche..." she murmured.


    [It is a powerful organization spread in different worlds with high civilization. They mainly kill and protect the world from harm.]


    "Does that mean¡­ they''ll always go after me..."


    [Precisely.]


    "But then¡­ if they found me on earth, as the same thing happened here, why did that guy kill me if he knew I am just going to transfer from one place to another?"


    [That would be like a beginner''s mistake. He might have a huge sense of justice and decided to kill you on the spot.]


    "I see..."


    ''After all, I am¡­ the daughter of criminals¡­'' she mused.


    -----


    When morning came, Chang Xiuying opened her eyes and then looked around the tattered hut. She got up, then went home.


    However, there was this bird-like creature waiting in front of the hut.


    "Excuse me?" Chang Xiuying tilted her head while staring at the creature. Its eagle like head tilted and its body like lion sat on the snowy ground.


    "Uh¡­ why are you still here?"


    "Gruu!" It cried.


    "Eh? Do you want¡­ something to eat?"


    It shook its head no.


    "Are you going with me?"


    It shook its head.


    "Then¡­ what?"


    The creature pointed at its back and then spread out its wings.


    "Ah. I am going to follow you?"


    Then it released a happy cry.


    "Alright¡­ alright. Here I come," she said as she mounted the creature. It flapped its wings and took off to the sky. After a few moments, a barrier greeted their sight and the creature accelerated then broke through. However, the instance they left the Cold Plains, the barrier shattered.


    "Eh?" Chang Xiuying looked, puzzled.


    The cold temperature spread out from where they were. Despite the sunny morning, the snow was not even melting. With a quizzical look, they left and headed towards somewhere.


    Four hours passed, as they go through towns to cities, they finally arrived in front of a huge castle. When the creature landed, Chang Xiuying unmounted.


    "Welcome to Caer Cori," a voice came from behind her.


    "Eh?" When she turned around, there stood a man towering over her. His long auburn hair danced with the wind and his caramel eyes shone with the sun.


    "You are?" Chang Xiuying asked as she looked around for that creature who brought her here.


    "I''m Oscar Huen, the Griffon you saved back in the Cold Plains."


    "... Chang Xiuying..."


    "May I call you Chang?"


    "That sounds weird, so¡­ just Ying."


    "I''m grateful that you saved me from that Primordial Amethyst Panther. I owe you my life. Please come inside my home. My father would be delighted to meet you. Besides, we have to report what happened in the Cold Plains to father."


    "Sure..."


    Oscar smiled widely, as bright as the sun, and Chang Xiuying was blinded. She clicked her tongue in annoyance as she looked away from this sunshine.


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 39 Meat!

    "Eeeeeeh..." Chang Xiuying muttered as she eyed that particular castle.


    "Why? Is something the matter?" Oscar asked.


    "Well¡­ why do I have to go with you in that castle?"


    "You saved my life."


    "... nope. Not going. Take me back to Avarice!" Chang Xiuying stomped her feet then cried. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Seeing this, Oscar was dumbfounded and was stammering on how to soothe the girl.


    "Your highness!" A man came out of the gate and then called Oscar.


    Oscar felt cold sweats permeating through his back as he slowly looked at the man who called him. "A-ah¡­ Kiel..."


    "What happened?"


    "U-uh¡­ uhm..."


    "Take me back to Avarice!" Chang Xiuying wailed.


    The man, Kiel, looked closely at the crying little girl.


    "Your highness¡­ did you kidnap her?"


    "Haha¡­ well¡­ now that I look at it¡­ it seems like I did..."


    "Elaborate," Kiel coldly glared at Oscar.


    "You-you see, I went to the Cold Plains---"


    "YOU DID WHAT?!" Kiel then sighed, exasperated. "What did His Majesty say?"


    "To not go to the Cold Plains..."


    "Right. Furthermore, you kidnapped a girl from Avarice! What are you going to do about this?!"


    "Wait! I can explain!" Oscar fumbled.


    "Big brother! I want to go baaaaack! Take me baaaack! I wanna go home!" Chang Xiuying cried harder as she latched on to Kiel.


    "See what you did?!"


    "I said I can explain! Hear me out first!"


    Chang Xiuying momentarily glanced at Oscar before wailing again. However, the man himself saw this and his eyes twitched in irritation. "You brat!"


    "Uwaaaah!!!"


    "Your highness!"


    "This brat is making fun of me!" Oscar flared.


    "Big brotheeer!" Chang Xiuying looked at Kiel''s clear emerald eyes as she vigorously shook her head. She clutched on his robe and then said, "I wanna go home! Take me hooome! Please!"


    Kiel sighed and ruffled her hair. "I remembered that your home is in Avarice, right?"


    Chang Xiuying nodded, sniffing.


    "Wait a minute! Consider me here, Kiel!"


    "What more excuses are you going to spout, your highness?"


    "Ugh. It''s not an excuse! She saved me from death, really!"


    "You''re kidding," Kiel scoffed.


    "It''s true!"


    However, suddenly, there was a huge commotion at the gate. When they looked over, they saw a man dressed in royal clothes and a crown was on his head.


    "Your Majesty! Why did you come out?" Kiel immediately kneeled before them, disregarding the crying child beside him.


    "What''s happening?" He said to Kiel.


    "Your Majesty, prince Oscar went to the Cold Plains and came back with a girl who he kidnapped."


    "Wait! Isn''t that too blunt?! Think of my dignity here!"


    "Oscar," called the King.


    "Yes, father."


    "I wanna go hooome!" Chang Xiuying wailed and grabbed the king''s robes. She gave him a pleading look and the king''s expression softened.


    "You poor child¡­ come. Why don''t we play?"


    "Pla¡­ play?"


    "Of course," then he looked at his son, saying, "And go to the throne room. Wait for me there."


    The king grabbed the child''s hand and then went inside, leaving Kiel and Oscar on their own.


    "..." Oscar pulled his hair and groaned. After all, he didn''t get to clear his name.


    "Kiel¡­ that girl really did save me from a Primordial species..."


    "Again with that joke."


    "You''ll know¡­ you''ll definitely know someday. I''ll make it happen."


    "You¡­ what are you planning?"


    "Just wait and see..."


    Kiel sighed then left Oscar to go back to his duties.


    Next morning came and the imperial family was dining with Chang Xiuying. When she looked at the dishes prepared before her, her face held surprise. "This is..."


    "You have good eyes, little Ying," the king, Flynn Huen, said with a smile.


    "This recipe came exclusively from when we visited Avarice," the queen, Adelyn Olivia Huen, said in a light tone. It was almost too angelic and soft that Chang Xiuying wanted to hear it everyday.


    Indeed. The food was what they served in the ChangHao firm.


    "In Avarice, there was this restaurant that served these dishes. It was a good experience for me and my husband."


    Lawson laughed then nodded, "True! I also heard that their boss is unbelievably a small child! He''s only a child and is already so successful. Unlike my only son here, who keeps on disobeying my orders. Can you believe that?"


    "Father!" Oscar, rather, Oscar Reid Huen blurted out.


    "Now, now, dear. Don''t tease your son too much," Adelyn said then wiped her mouth gracefully.


    "Ahahaha. Okay, okay."


    That concluded their breakfast. However, Oscar looked at Kiel behind him and then Kiel looked intently at Chang Xiuying. The prince stood up and then quickly threw a fork towards her. At the same time, Chang Xiuying pushed the spoon out as it clattered on the floor. She immediately ducked down and then retrieved the spoon, barely dodging the fork coming through her.


    When the fork clashed together with the wall and it created cracks, the family immediately reacted with their weapons towards where the sound came from. They were relieved when they saw that it was only a normal fork.


    "Eh? Mister monster, where''s your fork?" Chang Xiuying said just as after she picked up the spoon.


    "Mister monster?" Flynn asked as he looked at where the girl was looking.


    "... Reid," Oscar''s mother coldly said.


    "Ye-yes, mother?"


    "What did you just do?" Her glare emanated bloodlust.


    "I¡­ I just slipped and accidentally---"


    However, before he could finish talking, his mother already pulled his ear and took him out of the dining room.


    "Ouch! Ouch! Mother! It hurts!"


    "Shut up!"


    Chang Xiuying snickered secretly but she found Kiel looking at her.


    ''Oops,'' she thought.


    "Now then, we still have to send you to Avarice, right, little Ying?"


    "You''ll take me home?"


    "Kiel will take you home," Flynn said as he gestured at Kiel who was at the side of the room.


    "Thank you!" She cheered and threw a hug at the king.


    Flynn accepted the gesture then hugged back, warmly. When Chang Xiuying went out of the dining room, the king flopped down on his chair and then sighed contently.


    "Aaah¡­ I want a daughter. I wonder if Adelyn will conceive one someday..."


    -----


    Chang Xiuying and Kiel traveled at a relaxing pace as the city of Caer Cori disappeared from their sight. Their travel was awfully quiet since the prince, Oscar, decided to come. He could only glare and observe the little girl in front of him as Kiel drove the carriage.


    It was silent all the way until they approached the woods, Avira. It was the only short way they could take to get to Avarice. Also, there was the mountain path which divides the territory of Caer Cori and the Lasirion Kingdom.


    Kiel initiated, "We have to be wary now since monsters usually congregate in Avira."


    "I can take it from here," Oscar said.


    "Your highness?"


    "Since I can fly, there''s no problem. You can go back now, Kiel."


    "Yes, your highness," then he got down from the driver''s seat and then followed after them.


    "What¡­ are you doing?" Oscar asked after he transformed into a Griffon. Kiel also transformed into a small dragon.


    "If you both can fly, why bother using a carriage?"


    "We never let anyone ride on our backs. However, if it''s the person who saved their lives---wait¡­ how did you come to Caer Cori?"


    "I rode---" she stopped.


    "She rode me," Oscar continued with a scoff.


    "Then¡­ it''s true that she saved you¡­ you''ve been hiding your real power by this much?"


    Chang Xiuying sighed and then nodded. "Yeah."


    "Thank god!" Oscar sighed in relief.


    "I''m sorry for not believing you, your highness."


    "Hah! It''s fine now. However, you chose to deceive us. How will you compensate for that?"


    "I can treat you to my restaurant, no matter the price."


    "You have a restaurant?" Kiel and Oscar asked in unison.


    "Yes. The food you ate in the morning came from my restaurant."


    "You¡­ you''re the kid His Majesty was talking about!"


    "Yeah¡­ yeah, I am."


    "Well then, we won''t be polite!"


    "Yeah. Sure. Can we go now?" Chang Xiuying said as she rode Oscar''s back.


    "Let''s depart!" Oscar cheerfully announced as they flapped their wings to fly.


    When they reached this certain point of Avira, they encountered a huge dragon flying while releasing flames from its mouth. Then a wyvern entered their line of sight. There seemed to be a person riding it as it attacked in the blind spot of the dragon with their broadsword.


    Since Chang Xiuying''s group wanted nothing to do about that activity, they swerved to avoid it. However, it was too late as the dragon rampaged. Its flame breath hit Kiel''s wings as he went down.


    "Kiel!!!" Oscar screamed.


    "Oscar! Dive down!"


    "Alright!"


    Oscar dived and landed near from where they could see Kiel writhing in pain. Chang Xiuying immediately got down and injected her life energy to Kiel''s burnt wing. After a few minutes of healing, they heard a loud growl near them. It seemed like the party was leading the huge dragon to where they were.


    "What are they doing?!" Chang Xiuying stomped the ground in exasperation.


    Then, the party of ten came as they ran and constantly attacked the dragon. While only one sky rider remained in the air for a diversion.


    "Move away! You will get your life in danger!"


    However, Chang Xiuying mused, "I never tasted dragon meat before..."


    Then Kiel''s back shivered as he looked over at Chang Xiuying.

 40 Dragon Meal

    On one of the days, a loud roar was heard in the city of Avarice. The citizens immediately entered their homes, and the adventurers immediately prepared their armors and weapons for battle. Moreover, the knights quickly assembled in their quarters and the commander stood in front of his troops.


    "Attention! As you have heard, the subjugation request for the dragon in the Forest of Avira was suddenly rushed, and also, a significant number of adventurers are going to join us. So, for now, we have to cooperate with them and throw away our pride as nobles. For the future of Avarice!"


    However, nobody followed and started to talk among themselves.


    "You idiots!" The captain bellowed.


    "But Captain Darvyn!"


    "What more do you want to add? As we talk here, there would be more casualties."


    "Aren''t we strong enough to hold down a Calamity dragon? Why do we need more force?! Besides, those are commoners!"


    "Did you forget I was also a commoner?!" Darvyn shouted back, the rest of the troops fell into silence. He continued, "I know that you praise me for my strength, those people are also here to protect this city. Even if we have class systems, those are just bullshts! You do also know that we have an S class adventurer that is aspiring to be SS class. His strength is greatly welcomed by all of the people here and it is a great contribution to our fighting force."


    "Isn''t he not inclined to our city? You''re judging things poorly, Darvyn," a man approached them from behind and announced his presence.


    "Prince Gaius..." Darvyn murmured. He added in his thoughts, ''Why is he in Avarice?''


    "Although Dallas is an adventurer based his operations here in Avarice, he is still neutral. There is also a high chance that he will allied himself to the neighboring kingdom which is quite dangerous."


    "That''s right!" One of the men raised his voice, and many came next.


    "Besides, I just came to give you the news that we will subjugate the dragon ourselves and we don''t need your incompetent knights."


    "What did you say?!" One of them raged and was in the midst of attacking the prince. However, he was stopped by his comrade.


    "Hush! That''s the prince! Keep your head low!"


    "I don''t care if he''s the prince or not! For slandering our knight corps that much... It''s unforgivable!"


    "Heh," Gaius scoffed and then looked at Darvyn, "So, Darvyn, don''t put your nose into my business and just silently watch how we bring its core here."


    "Yes, your highness."


    "Captain! Are you just going to accept this?!"


    "Shut the hell up!"


    "That''s right. Just step back," Gaius sneered and then left the area. The knights'' breathing suddenly became shallow and then they sighed in relief.


    "That fucking prince..." one of them mumbled in anger.


    "It can''t be helped. He''s a prince."


    When they were talking to themselves casually, a messenger came and said something to Darvyn''s ear. He sighed and then turned towards his troops. "We have an order from the King. Protect the prince with your lives!"


    "What?! After what he did to us?!"


    "Silence, you fools! Us knights have the responsibility to protect the royalty, our city and the kingdom!"


    They could only reluctantly nod and hurriedly left their quarters to follow the prince. The adventurers that were waiting for them followed until they reached the northern gate.


    There was another loud roar that pierced their ears and then it was suddenly so quiet, then the ground shook violently. They have no idea what happened in the forest, but they hastened their movements. Once they saw the party where the prince was, they immediately slowed down and quietly followed the small group. When the small group entered Avira, and walked a considerable distance, they saw no dragon at all. From where they stood at the top of a hill, there weren''t any signs of a huge lifeform flying through the air.


    What''s going on?


    From the guild information, it was a humongous dragon that was almost at the same height of the big trees in Avira. It could be seen resting on a mountain, flying through the air, and sometimes, walking in the forest. It was also the dragon that lived for hundreds of years and was in the legends.


    No matter how long lived you were, you could never contend to the small girl in front of the dead dragon. There were deep wounds on its neck and the party of ten was dumbfounded when they saw a small human defeated a dragon in just three strikes.


    Back in time, Chang Xiuying was musing to herself when the party passed by their group. From their panic, they rushed ahead as the dragon chased after them. After confirming that the group left the vicinity, she stood in front of the dragon.


    Chang Xiuying retrieved a broadsword that is two meters in length and twice as big than her height. Oscar and Kiel were baffled as they saw the child swing it around for a bit then jumped towards the flying dragon. She exactly stopped her ascent in front of the dragon and then slashed at its wide neck. However, it could only cut shallowly before the sword broke into two.


    The dragon roared so loud that it gave Chang Xiuying a slight pain in her ears since she was the closest. When she descended, she grabbed a trunk of a tree and dangled herself there for a few seconds, and then landed on a thick branch. She was waiting and waiting for the dragon to look at her. Focus on me, was what she thought. When she glanced at where the party was, they were watching her with their eyes wide. She also saw the sky rider look at her, but quickly descended to the ground to hide his presence.


    A wise choice. But Chang Xiuying was seen. She didn''t have any more choices but to defeat the dragon in front of them.


    When the dragon calmed down as it pressed its huge scaled hand on its wound, it looked at Chang Xiuying with the intent to kill. It flapped its wings more violently towards Chang Xiuying and then breathed out a poisonous breath.


    However, before it could spout it out with fire, Chang Xiuying already threw another sword into its other side of the neck. The sword broke through the sturdy flesh and the dragon roared one last time before Chang Xiuying slashed the injured neck with a different sword. The ground shook when the dragon fell from the sky.


    Chang Xiuying landed on the dragon and quickly stored the body in her storage. However, the people around her was frozen stiff as they witnessed the battle happened right before their eyes.


    "What... just happened..." they murmured.


    "I have no idea either..."


    "A kid... a kid just killed a dragon..."


    "So... who wants some Dragon Meal?" Chang Xiuying asked as she scratched her head.


    "Eh?" They simultaneously muttered.


    "Well... I have no use hiding if you all already saw me..."


    "Right... uh... are you an elf?" one of them asked.


    "No. I''m human, just like you lots. So, anyone of you interested to eat a dragon meat?"


    They were dumbfounded at first but they eventually nodded their heads. With that, Chang Xiuying retrieved a pot and instructed the others to prepare a small bonfire. When they were finished preparing, and Chang Xiuying already cut the dragon into individual parts, she started cooking.


    After a few minutes, the aroma of garlic and onion wafted through the group and their stomachs growled immediately. When Chang Xiuying sprinkled a lot of spices and cooked the dragon meat, they watched her cook as they won''t miss a detail. Then, water was retrieved from her storage and the soup was made. After the soup was boiled, Chang Xiuying removed the pot from the fire and settled it on the grassy ground. She replaced it with another pot and poured milk into it.


    "What''s that?" One of them took the courage to ask.


    "Well... this is almond milk."


    "Eh? Almonds can be made into milk?"


    "Yes. You''ll be able to taste it after a good meal."


    While they waited for the milk to boil, Chang Xiuying served them their shares. They smelled the enticing aroma and tentatively sipped from their bowls. Their eyes went wide as they drank more, completely disregarding how hot it was. Others coughed and the rest drank more.


    "Can we ask for another bowl?"


    Chang Xiuying smiled and then nodded, "Of course!" and served them until they were full.


    "Where did you learn cooking?" one of the women asked.


    "Uhm... I was taught since I was a kid," which was the truth since Auntie Zoe taught her how to cook in such a young age.


    "But... aren''t you a kid?"


    "Ah... well..."


    "Alison, give it up. That child is beyond the standard means."


    Alison? Chang Xiuying thought for a moment.


    "Well then... since we''re mostly done here, we better get back before it gets dark. Do you want to go with us, kid?"


    "To Avarice, right?"


    "Of course. We also have to go back to the guild to report our completion of the quest."


    "I''ll come!"


    Then, with Oscar, Kiel and the others, they walked until they saw the main road. However, for some reason, there was a bunch of teenagers and knights waiting at the middle of the road.

 41 A Lonely Guy

    Chang Xiuying hid behind one of the bigger men and clutched his robe. The man was startled and then decided to just ignore it. When they arrived in front of the knights, they were asked, "Do you all know what happened?"


    "What happened?" One of them asked.


    "There was a loud dragon roar and a violent earthquake. Do you have any ideas what happened?"


    "Ah. We''re the one who encountered the---" the man Chang Xiuying was hiding in, clutched the man''s mouth. He didn''t know why he had to hide the fact that a child killed a dragon. However, upon closer inspection, it was out of the normal means. It could only be treated as a secret or else, they wouldn''t know what will happen to the child.


    "Encountered the?"


    "We encountered a wyvern---"


    "Hey, you mean my tamed monster?" The sky rider asked.


    "Ah. Well, another wyvern and we let it pass."


    "Okay?" One of the knights said.


    A wyvern wasn''t that big of a deal compared to a calamity dragon who could threaten a whole country. However, this caught the attention of the knights. It was strange.


    Suddenly, there was a tug at the leader of the knights'' undershirt. When he looked down, Chang Xiuying looked at him with pleading eyes. Her countenance was beautiful and she could be mistaken as a noble from her clothes.


    "Mister knight, can I go home?"


    "Eh¡­ yeah, of course. Since you won''t have any contributions to the questioning."


    "Thank you, mister knight!" Chang Xiuying smiled brightly and then skipped towards the northern gate. She presented her identification and then entered the city. The party outside just looked at her, dumbfounded.


    "Wait! That girl was the one who---"


    "Shut it!"


    "What''s wrong? You lot have been acting suspicious since earlier. Come with me to the guard house."


    Gulp¡­


    Chang Xiuying skipped her way to ChangHao firm. As usual, the business was booming. People are waiting outside as they chat. She entered at the back door and then went to her room. She jumped on the bed then fell asleep in an instant.


    When morning came, soldiers knocked on the ChangHao firm''s door. Moreover, it was an ungodly hour. It was so early in the morning that almost all of the people are still asleep and not yet started their business in the city.


    Flora answered it with professionalism, fighting her drowsiness.


    "Yes? What do you need?"


    "Is Chang Shiyuying here?"


    "Do you have any business with Master?"


    "She was called by the prince."


    "Why would a prince want to see my Master?"


    "They never said any more specifications."


    "Understood. I''ll wake her up."


    "Please."


    Then Flora went to Chang Xiuying''s room and then knocked hard on the door. After a second, a drowsy voice was heard.


    "Who...?"


    "It is Flora, Master."


    "Hmm..."


    "Ugh¡­ what a pain."


    "Master¡­ that''s unbecoming. I''m entering now."


    "Mhm¡­ sure."


    Flora entered and pushed back Chang Xiuying''s silky fringe. She said in a very soft voice. "Master, you need to wake up."


    "Don''t say it like that¡­ you''ll just make me more sleepy."


    Flora chuckled softly. "I''m sorry, but they are waiting for you."


    "Alright¡­ alright¡­ I''ll just freshen up. Tell them to wait inside. The outside is cold."


    "Yes, master."


    When Flora left, Chang Xiuying grumbled and then sat up. "What''s the matter with them..." However, when she stood in front of her sink, the world seemed to shrink. She was puzzled as she looked at the mirror.


    "Ah..." she exclaimed as she sighed.


    She grew up again. What''s with these early growth spurts? She was around 165 centimeters now. Never mind that, she has guests waiting for her.


    Chang Xiuying started freshening up, then changed her clothes proper for meeting the prince. It wasn''t that extravagant but it was elegant. Since she grew, her dresses became shorter. But fortunately, the dresses'' torsos were flexible. Her skirt reached her knees and frills were at the ends. She also wore a big cardigan that was almost the same size of her grown body, put up her hair into a ponytail and then came out to meet her guests.


    "Yes?"


    The soldiers were shocked with the appearance of the girl that might be around 15 years old. Flora was also shocked because of another big change of her master.


    "The¡­ the prince wants to meet you."


    "Yes, I heard from my attendant. Please guide me."


    "Yes. Please follow us," then they left the building.


    Flora touched both of her cheeks that were glowing red. Her face became even more beautiful as she remembered her Master''s face and imposing stature. She hid her eyes and silently screamed.


    "She''s growing so splendidly¡­ oh my Master¡­ I wish I could see you grow more."


    * * *


    Chang Xiuying and the soldiers entered the noble''s district then entered a high class inn. There was a lobby and a private lobby where the prince was waiting.


    The soldier knocked on the door and said, "Prince Gaius, Chang Shiyuying is here."


    "Let her in."


    "Yes," he responded as he looked at the girl behind him, "Please enter."


    "Thank you," she said politely and then entered the room. Extravagant designs met her eyes and then a boy around 18 years old sat on the red sofa.


    "You called?"


    "How unethical of you to speak like that to me, the prince."


    "I apologize. But you are the one who called me in such an ungodly hour."


    "I am the one who was woken up in an ungodly hour for a report."


    "Then that makes it even to the both of us."


    Gaius sighed and then said, "You should be re-educated in etiquettes."


    "I apologize, but I never entered any school."


    "Heh. Just right for a commoner like you."


    Chang Xiuying sighed harder and sat in front of Gaius, crossing her legs. "Oh really."


    "Why are you acting like this?! Correct your manners!"


    However, she only shook her head then served herself some tea. "So, let''s just get into business. What do you need from me?"


    "Goddammit¡­ you¡­ ugh. My blood is boiling!"


    Chang Xiuying only sipped the tea. "I won''t ask anymore."


    "Aren''t you too brave to act so impolite in front of me?!"


    "Why thank you for the compliment."


    "Guar---"


    Chang Xiuying settled the cup on the saucer and asked, "Again, what do you need from me?" Her eyes sharpened and pure bloodlust emanated from her whole being.


    Gaius trembled from the cold pressure pressing on his body. He could feel death inches away from his face. However, he tried his best to stay calm and stated his business, finally.


    "I heard from the report that you killed a calamity dragon. You are just a mere kid--- I mean¡­ you''re too young to defeat a dragon. I wanted to confirm immediately if the claim is true."


    "That''s all?"


    Gaius nodded.


    "Well, do you get to confirm it?"


    "Your bloodlust just proves things correct."


    "Hoh¡­ impressive. Perhaps, do you want to also confirm how I can defeat a dragon with my own hands?"


    "That would be unnecessary."


    "Aaahh¡­ can I go home now? I want to sleep."


    Gaius remained silent as he watched the girl impolitely stretched her body. He then asked, "Are you in the guild?"


    "Nope. Not in the guild."


    "I also heard that you''re the sole proprietor of the ChangHao firm."


    "That''s right."


    "What foods do you like?"


    "Excuse me what? What does it have to do from the earlier questions?"


    "Well, you see, I don''t know why but I suddenly felt comfortable with you. Considering how you act so liberally to me. Maybe that was what I''ve been waiting for all my life."


    "Okay? And then?"


    "I want to talk more."


    "But I want to sleep."


    "At least for a few minutes?"


    "I want to sleep."


    "I''ll let you go to sleep in this high class inn. The bed is super cozy."


    "How soft?"


    "Terribly soft."


    "Alright then. What do you want to talk about?"


    Gaius beamed then they started chatting merrily. When they finished, it was already dawn and the birds were chirping harmoniously. Chang Xiuying suddenly regretted talking with the talkative prince. He must have been lonely in his castle for a very long time.


    Her reward was to sleep in a very cozy bed anyway. Her body succumbed to the fluffy feeling and she instantly slept like a log. However, her absence worried her people in the ChangHao firm.


    "Where''s master?!" They were skeptical.


    "She still isn''t back!" Flora panicked.


    "But you said that she met with the prince¡­ perhaps¡­ did something happen between them?!"


    "Delila! Don''t speak something like that!" Flora raged.


    "But we can''t eliminate that possibility!"


    "I don''t care! Master is ours!"


    "Isn''t she like¡­ just yours?"


    "What? What do you mean, Quhat?"


    "You''ve been extremely doting on little master. Besides, Master is strong and I believe in her conviction. She will come back later. I swear on the name of the firm."


    "Quhat¡­ I guess¡­ you''re right. Master isn''t that simple minded."


    "Indeed."


    "Besides¡­ Master''s mind is only filled with food, training, books and us."


    "That''s right. So, believe in her more and wait."


    "Okay."


    And everything settled down. For the meantime.

 42 Lasirion

    When Chang Xiuying came back after sleeping for almost five hours, she was met with the sight of Oscar and Kiel eating their fill in the restaurant. She stood at the entrance of the bustling restaurant and then decided to approach those two.


    "Good morning," she greeted.


    "Good morning," they both said in unison after they gulped down their food.


    Honestly, she forgot about those two.


    "Hey, when are you two going back to Caer Cori?" She said as she sat down on the chair. She also ordered food for her breakfast.


    "My father wouldn''t be worried even if I don''t came back."


    "Your highness! You can''t do that! You still have to do your duties as the prince!" Kiel loudly said.


    Prince? The crowd of customers whispered as they looked at Chang Xiuying''s group. However, they ignored the stares directed at them.


    "Can you like¡­ lower your voice? What if someone came and kill us and take advantage of our presence?"


    "That''s not going to happen," Chang Xiuying assured.


    They both looked at her and then nodded their heads.


    "True. You''re stronger than you look," Oscar said.


    "Indeed. So, you don''t have to worry about people killing you. This is my domain."


    "You sound like a Queen."


    "If you say so."


    "Heh! How mighty."


    "Keep that sarcasm up and you won''t get anymore food."


    "Please forgive me!"


    "When are you going to leave?" Chang Xiuying rolled her eyes.


    "Well¡­ after this meal."


    "Then hurry it up."


    "We still have to order a lot of food. This amount is nothing to our stomach, you know."


    "Ugh. Fine," then Chang Xiuying stood up and left.


    It was only one day after Chang Xiuying and Gaius met, the young prince personally came to ChangHao firm. Announcing that he wanted to meet their president. However, Qiang Zhihao was the one who came to him.


    "Where''s Ying?" Gaius asked in confusion.


    "Ah¡­ I see. So, she told you the truth." His tone was almost impolite, but the prince disregarded it since Chang Xiuying and him were already friends.


    "Yes. When can I meet her?"


    "She''s in the library. Do you want to meet her this instant?"


    "Yes, please."


    "Follow me."


    As they walked, Gaius looked at Qiang Zhihao''s dignified back. He almost walk in a manner just like his father, the king. He quietly praised Qiang Zhihao.


    When they arrived in front of the library and they saw Chang Xiuying, silently reading a book by the window. It was almost ethereal as the wind kissed her face and blew her hair. Gaius was awestruck as he watched, not noticing that Qiang Zhihao already left.


    His eyes never left Chang Xiuying''s figure. He never thought that she was that beautiful.


    "Are you going to say something or are you just going to stare all day?"


    "I came to visit you."


    "And then? What''s your business?"


    "Haaah¡­ always so serious. I just came to visit you since I feel so suffocated with my party members."


    "I see now. They are stubbornly using formalities with you?" Chang Xiuying said, not glancing at Gaius and focused on her book.


    "Yeah. I tried telling them that they could just disregard the formalities. But those guys went pale and bowed their heads. It wasn''t that suffocating at first but after I met you, my views started to change."


    "I won''t be sorry."


    "Haha¡­ as I thought."


    "So, what are you going to do now?"


    "Ah. Right. I was leaving to come back to the academy tomorrow."


    Chang Xiuying tore off her eyes on her book and looked at Gaius, her eyebrow raised. "And what does it have to do with me?"


    "Royalties can invite someone to the academy once a year and the duration is six months. I want you to come temporarily and be my friend."


    "I''ll just be shunned there, you know."


    "As a friend of the prince, that won''t happen."


    "You idiot," Chang Xiuying scoffed.


    "Ahahaha..."


    "Don''t just laugh!"


    "Sorry! It was just the first time that someone told me I''m an idiot. I feel great. Well¡­ not that great."


    "Are you a masochist?"


    "Masochi--- what?"


    "A person who finds pleasure in pain. A masochist."


    "Ah¡­ no, no. You''re wrong..."


    "Hmm."


    "So¡­ are you coming?"


    "Let me think---"


    "No, Master!" Suddenly, Flora intervened and came out of nowhere. "You have to take this once in a lifetime opportunity! Experience academy life! It would be a good expetience for you and you have to also make connections."


    "Flora¡­ what in the world are you saying?"


    "I want Master to see how academy life is!" She turned towards Gaius and then said, "Your highness, it is such an honor to accept your invitation. It is a privilege to be invited and be offered by you to be our Master''s first friend. However, I have a proposition to make. I also want to go as Master''s attendant."


    "You''re¡­ surprisingly educated," Gaius mused.


    "My master taught me things."


    Gaius looked at Chang Xiuying who was now reading and flipping pages. He leaned closer to Flora and asked, "Is she really the one who educated you? She seems rough and unrefined."


    "Our master doesn''t like formalities and she thought that everyone is equal."


    "I see now..."


    "So, about my proposition..."


    "Ah¡­ I can''t¡­ we can only invite one person."


    "Ugh! Such a waste! I can''t see master in a uniform!"


    Chang Xiuying sighed. "Is that your true reason for coming?"


    "I can''t deny that."


    "Fine¡­ it''s just six months, right? I''ll come."


    "Yes!" Gaius and Flora exclaimed in unison.


    "We must prepare your luggage!" Flora initiated and then started---but suddenly stopped. "Oh right. Master grew again, so we have to shop for new clothes."


    "Ah¡­ right..." Chang Xiuying whispered to herself, then said, "I''ll pay, so you can just shop all you want."


    "No. You are a must in your own shopping!"


    "Spare me..." Chang Xiuying slouched and then groaned.


    "I am just going to wait for you in the northern gate tomorrow at 8 A.M.," Gaius said then left, not waiting for Chang Xiuying to respond.


    "Gaius!!! You traitor!" Chang Xiuying screamed as she was dragged to a shopping spree with Flora.


    * * *


    Chang Xiuying was so tired of going into dress shops, trying the outfits one by one and having to twirl around just to see the overall performance of the dress on her.


    When they arrived home, at around 7 P.M., Chang Xiuying immediately teared herself from Flora and then went to her bedroom. She didn''t bother retrieving all their shopping bags in her Imperium Axis, the ring on one of ther fingers, as she went back to sleep.


    "I don''t want to go shopping anymore..." she mumbled as she entered dreamland.


    When she woke up at around 12 A.M., she couldn''t sleep anymore. So, she decided to work on her old clothes and new clothes. She retrieved the shopping bags as it filled the room. She folded the old clothes in her walk-in closet and replaced them with her new clothes.


    She also tried one clothe and stood in front of the mirror. However, she sighed when she saw that she grew once again. She was now around 173 centimeters. Fortunately, the clothes are at least one size bigger. What if¡­ she grew like that woman in her dreams?


    Anyway, she stored bigger clothes in her Imperium Axis and decided to segregate the smaller clothes to give them to the children.


    After those work, she trained until dawn. After all, she had this nagging feeling that kept on bothering her. She must''ve forgot something more important¡­


    She stored half of the clothes in her closet and then put away the sweaty one she used when she trained. When she looked outside her window, she could see the children training with Qiang Zhihao. She smiled and prepared more for her departure.


    The loud chime came when the clock striked eight. Chang Xiuying was already waiting at the northern gate, with no luggages, as she waited for the carriage that Prince Gaius was boarding.


    When it was around 8:30, a carriage that carried the royal crest was seen.


    "Finally," Chang Xiuying muttered.


    The carriage stopped in front of her and the door opened that revealed Gaius who had a bright smile.


    "Ying! I''m glad to see you! I''m sorry that we arrived late. I overslept."


    "You? Overslept? That is one good joke."


    "Hey¡­ that one is not."


    The people murmured to each other.


    "Who is she? How can she be so informal in front of the prince?"


    "If the King heard this¡­ she might be beheaded."


    "Didn''t the prince asked us to be informal in front of him?"


    "Yeah¡­ His Highness did insist that but we refused¡­ or else, we''ll be executed."


    "Haaah¡­ that girl is a beauty."


    "Huh?"


    "What? I''m only saying the truth. How old is she?"


    "... how could we know? Ask her about it. Anyway, we should be silent about their exchange¡­"


    "Right."


    Chang Xiuying was invited inside the carriage, but she refused.


    "You are my friend! You should be inside the carriage with me!" Gaius reasoned.


    "Gaius, friend or not, that carriage held the royal crest. You are the only one allowed inside and we must be outside to protect this carriage."


    "But!"


    "How lonely of a man are you?"


    "Urk..."


    "You can talk to us from there though."


    "Understood..."


    "Good boy."


    "Hey!"


    "..." the prince''s companions remained silent but they gave Chang Xiuying a judging glance before they depart outside the city of Avarice.


    Their destination: Lasirion.

 43 Useless

    When the night came, they set up camp near the forest of Avira, a little away from the main road. They readied the campfire with a chant and hung a pot above the fire. A woman named Aadya poured water into the pot and waited for it to boil. Then the meat came then the salt, pepper, paprika, onions, and she closed the lid.


    Chang Xiuying approached Aadya and asked, "Where did you learn how to cook?"


    "Ah! Pardon me! Well¡­ I learned from my mother."


    "Hmm¡­ I see."


    "Why do you ask?"


    "I''m just curious. I''m looking forward to eating your cooking."


    Aadya beamed and nodded fervently. "You can count on me!"


    Chang Xiuying smiled, left and retrieved a book when she was near the campfire. She read the book quietly while ignoring the stares of the party.


    "Good evening, Ying," Gaius said.


    "Good evening," she greeted back.


    "What are you reading?"


    "The history of Lasirion."


    "Why are you reading it?"


    "Knowledge."


    "We can show you the way when we get there though."


    "It''s better to have little knowledge before we arrive there."


    "Then! I will tell you!"


    Chang Xiuying teared her eyes from the book then looked at Gaius.


    "I''ll tell you!"


    She sighed and closed the book. "Alright. Go on."


    And they talked about when the city was first built, and a few elementals were born and a school was soon built. It was known as Lasirion Academy for knights and elementals. Since it became the royal capital of Lasirion Kingdom, the admission fee became steeper.


    Basically, it favors nobles rather than commoners. They didn''t even have a school for commoners.


    When they finished, Aadya called them over to eat dinner. "Time to eat, your highness and Madame Ying."


    "Please drop the madame, Aadya."


    "But!"


    "Do you know that I''m a commoner?"


    "Eh... what?"


    "I''m a commoner."


    "I¡­ I thought you are a noble since your conduct and manners are so refined¡­ but be careful though¡­ if the others knew, they''ll treat you like a commoner."


    "Define how they treat commoners."


    "Um¡­ like a slave?"


    "I see now. I''ll be careful about it."


    "Please do."


    Then they started eating. They were given an equal amount of food in their bowls. When it was time to sleep, and the others were in their tents, fast asleep, Chang Xiuying went out to hunt edible monsters. After all, she was still hungry. Besides, she was on night watch.


    Because of her growing body, she had to continuously supply nutrition to herself. She didn''t want to impede her growth.


    When she hunted enough food---meat, she started cooking it by the campfire.


    Her time to night watch was done and the next one would be Rendel, a man in his twenties. He took over and Chang Xiuying immediately fell asleep in her tent.


    "Good morning, Ying!"


    "Good morning."


    "I''m sorry if breakfast is still not yet prepared. I will get into it once the others wake up."


    "Don''t worry about it. However, can I cook my own portion?"


    "Of course. You have to supply your own though."


    "No problem," then Chang Xiuying retrieved a bear carcass from her storage. Moreover, it was still fresh.


    "Eh? An item box?!" Aadya scrambled her way towards Chang Xiuying and looked at her ring.


    "Yes."


    She pointed at the ring and said, "Is this the item box?"


    "Yes."


    "Amazing! I''ve never seen an item box before. Though it''s always mentioned in the books in our library. Moreover, it was a very expensive item. Where did you buy it? Are you really a commoner?"


    "Calm down. I just happened to have it from a friend. And yes, I am a commoner."


    "A friend that will give you an item box?! Introduce me to that person!"


    "Sorry, he was back in Avarice."


    "Ah¡­ such a waste¡­ I wish I knew sooner..."


    "Don''t worry, I have a similar one with me. Do you want it?"


    "An item similar to your item box?! Let me see!"


    Chang Xiuying chuckled as she shook her head in disbelief. "Alright. Alright. Here you go," then she gave Aadya a small pouch.


    "This is?"


    "You can call it a spatial pouch. And it''s yours now."


    "Really?! Thank you very much!"


    Suddenly, Chang Xiuying''s stomach grumbled. Aadya laughed and then gestured at the younger, "You can use the campfire."


    "Thanks," then she started cooking a heavy breakfast for herself. It consisted of rice, spinach, egg, cheese, and lots of spices. Aadya smelled the luring aroma and drooled. When Chang Xiuying finished cooking and was on the verge of eating, she noticed Aadya drooling beside her.


    "Can---can I take a bite?"


    "¡­ sure..."


    "Mmmm!!! Delicious! This is better than my cooking! No, in the whole world!"


    "Ahaha¡­ you''re kidding..."


    "Ah! Good morning, your highness!" Aadya suddenly blurted as she stood up straight.


    "Good morning, Aadya, Ying."


    "Morning. Would you also want to have some?" Chang Xiuying offered Gaius a bowl and he ceremoniously accepted it.


    Once Gaius ate a spoonful, his eyes went wide. "This is amazing! Who cooked this?"


    "It''s Ying, your highness."


    "Hmmm¡­ now that you mentioned it, she does own a restaurant in Avarice."


    "Eh? How old are you, Ying?"


    Uh-oh. Based on her height, she would be around seventeen years old. If she told them the truth that she was only seven, their eyes would be gawking in surprise. Moreover, they might never believe her and would just think of it as a jest.


    "I''m fourteen," she finally said.


    "And you have a business?! That''s so amazing! Isn''t she, your highness?"


    "I agree," Gaius smiled at Aadya and the woman became baffled.


    "How about some almond milk?" Chang Xiuying suggested.


    "Yes, please!" Gaius and Aadya said in unison.


    Then they finished their breakfast before the other woke up. After their sumptuous breakfast, they started journeying to the closest town to spend the night there.


    After they resided in Aqueta, they came to Fermanagh and finally, Lasirion.


    They entered the royal capital and they were met by a more bustling atmosphere than the outside. However, when they saw the royal carriage pass by, they immediately made way.


    Gaius peeked out of the window of the carriage and called Chang Xiuying.


    "What is it?"


    The


    "We have to go back to the castle to report to Royal Father. Take this introduction letter and go to Hugh''s Inn. You can ask people where it is," then he handed her an envelope with a royal crest on the wax. "I''ll meet you in front of Lasirion Academy at 6 A.M. tomorrow."


    "Got it. Take care, okay?"


    Gaius blushed when Chang Xiuying finished speaking. However, the female never saw this and separated herself from the party. She perfectly mingled with the crowd until she got into an alleyway.


    She asked people about Hugh''s Inn and arrived in front of a luxurious building. The inside was also extravagant as paintings decorated the wall. The female receptionist smiled at her and then asked, "Good afternoon, my lady. Would you like to stay for the night or do you want to stay for a longer time?"


    "I got this letter of introduction," she said as she retrieved a small envelope in her storage.


    "Oh my¡­ let me give it to the master. Please wait here for a while."


    "Mhm." And the receptionist was gone.


    Chang Xiuying looked around and settled herself on a fluffy sofa in the lobby. After a while, the same female receptionist came back with a bigger smile and led her to a luxurious room.


    "Oh wow..." she said in wonder. There was a library, dining room, kitchen and a separate room for the bedroom. Since she had nothing to do until tomorrow, she decided to read.


    When she noticed the time, it was already 10 P.M.


    She slept on the fluffy bed, relishing the soft feeling.


    4 A.M


    Chang Xiuying woke up then freshened herself up. She dressed herself formally, ate, and then left the room. She walked around as she asked people where the academy was. When she passed by the market, some new food was being sold, though they were only starting to sell it. She bought a few and decided to shop for supplies.


    Then she arrived in front of Lasirion Academy at around 5:50 A.M.


    "Ying!"


    Chang Xiuying glanced inside the academy and saw Gaius waving at her as he ran. She also waved back that made Gaius smile widely.


    "Good morning," he greeted.


    "Morning."


    "By the way, I already did all the paperwork for your stay here. Your uniforms are in my room, so you have to get it there before classes start at 8 A.M."


    "That''s comforting."


    "For now, I will be your guide. Let''s go and change!"


    "You''re awfully enthusiastic about this..."


    "After all! You''re in here! To study with me!" He cheered then skipped towards the dorm.


    Chang Xiuying whispered, "Is he really a prince?"


    "I heard that!"


    "Sorry~"


    * * *


    "At the center of our school is the cathedral. We usually pray here to receive blessings from the priests. Of course, since you''re a temporary student, you would be asked to participate in our morning prayers."


    "At the east, there are the training grounds. We have separate training grounds for the students of knighthood and elementals. Oh right, you would be tested for your aptitude in the cathedral before the classes begin. We have to be there at 7:30. You can see the clock tower at the back of the cathedral."


    "Then the library, your favorite place. You are only allowed in the library for four hours. But you can borrow books that you can take, though you have to return it before you go home. Normally, the students here have unlimited time in the library to study."


    "Since you will be commuting from the inn to the academy, you have to be as early as 7 A.M. Also, regarding the schedules, you will always be at my side. So, my schedule is your schedule. Are there any questions?"


    Gaius smiled as they stopped in front of the fountain just in front of their rendezvous point earlier.


    "None."


    "Since it''s already 7:29, let''s go to the cathedral. You remember the way, right?"


    "Of course."


    Both of them entered the school grounds and then the cathedral. They could see a few curious students sitting on the benches and a few priests waiting for them at the very front. Chang Xiuying saw a crystal ball with the priests.


    "This is where I can only take you."


    "Thank you."


    "No problem. Now, go."


    When Chang Xiuying appeared in front of the crystal ball, she was given permission to touch the ball.


    However, students were shocked and then laughed as they saw Chang Xiuying''s aptitude.


    Knight and Elemental. An elemental knight who could control all elements. Basically, a jack of all trades and a master of none. It was regarded as a useless aptitude in Lasirion Academy.

 44 Dance of the Lightning Dragon

    "I never thought that you would qualify to be an all-rounder, Ying," Gaius said as he ate a spoonful of rice.


    "And I already predicted I am going to be shunned," Chang Xiuying said as she swallowed her food.


    Gaius sighed. "No one will take you under their patronage anymore. At first, since you''re a person who I recommended, they were excited to see you and teach you. When they witnessed the activity of the crystal ball, they already left the cathedral."


    "As expected."


    "It would be alright if you have affinity to four or five elements, but you got seven! For instance, those elements inside your body are like plants huddled together. They''ll just impede each other''s growth. Moreover, you are even qualified as a knight! What kind of monster are you?"


    "I see now. But I''m not a monster."


    Gaius smiled wryly then arranged their empty plates on the tray. Chang Xiuying smiled at him and they went out of their way from the cafeteria.


    "Since you have an affinity for knights, you are also required to attend later''s knight class in the training ground. Of course, I''ll be there with you. So, don''t worry about useless things anymore."


    "I''m not worried."


    "Well, you were bullied earlier¡­ and they can''t bully you if I''m there, right?"


    "You have classes. Are you going to skip them?"


    "Of course!"


    "You''re a prince, Gaius."


    "Urgh¡­ but!"


    "Trust me," Chang Xiuying said as she directly gazed on Gaius'' eyes. The male stepped back, not tearing his gaze away from the female.


    "O-okay."


    She smiled then went to the training ground, leaving Gaius by himself as he settled his hand on his chest, trying to calm his loudly beating heart.


    * * *


    "Now, this is everyone¡­ in addition to one," the instructor, named Alektor, said as he scanned the group.


    "Yes, sir!"


    "Alright," he looked at Chang Xiuying, "Since you''re new here and we are already in the middle of our syllabus. I have to see for myself if you are worthy to be a knight."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Okay, class, time to pick a partner and practice sparring."


    Then Alektor approached Chang Xiuying despite the murmurings he heard from the class. He never even heard them clash their swords. They could only focus on Chang Xiuying with their mocking eyes. He just sighed and then said to Chang Xiuying, "Do you want to borrow a sword?"


    "No thanks. I have mine," then retrieved a wooden sword from her item box.


    Alektor gawked at the ring. "An item box?!"


    "It seems so," Chang Xiuying said as she took a stance.


    "Your stance¡­ have no openings. Good. That was unexpected."


    "Come!" Alektor shouted.


    Chang Xiuying walked halfway and then ran. She stroked Alektor''s sword and the pressure was immense. He steadied his legs as he battled Chang Xiuying''s strength. The ground cracked and the whole place shook.


    "Ah¡­ sorry, I forgot to control my strength."


    Alektor could only look at her with eyes opened wide. "This strength is not normal¡­ who are you?"


    "Chang Xiuying."


    She already won in their contest of strength, but there were still techniques and strategies. This time, Alektor took the initiative to strike first.


    He thrusted and slashed fast on Chang Xiuying''s vital points, but it kept on being blocked and intercepted. Moreover, he was being pushed back.


    That child''s reflexes are too primal!


    He jumped back to gain distance and Chang Xiuying only stood and didn''t follow.


    "You¡­ what are you, really?"


    "A human, maybe."


    Then they started clashing weapons again and the whole training ground became a battlefield. They were too fast to be followed by normal means.


    When Alektor was already out of breath, he said, "I surrender," and threw his wooden sword on the ground then raised his arms. The students were silent as they watched the exchange that only lasted for a minute. They were dumbfounded as their unbeatable instructor surrendered in front of a girl.


    "Chang Xiuying, I am the captain of the Knights, Alektor. That was a good spar."


    "Thank you, sir Alektor."


    "From our exchange, I don''t have anything to teach you. Your form is already complete and your strength is¡­ anyway, you''re too strong for a girl. I''m looking forward to the six months you''ll be here."


    Chang Xiuying smiled then watched the students start their group sparring. She also started teaching students who came at her to be taught. After all, she took great pride in her physical quality and was proud to be teaching people.


    When the class ended, she immediately went to Gaius'' next class. Moreover, it was a class about elementals. She could also easily pass those, but she didn''t know what the basics were in this world.


    She waited for Gaius outside the classroom. When students went out of their classes, they ignored her as if she never existed in the first place. She never paid heed to those people and looked around for Gaius.


    "Oh, Ying. You''re already done?" Gaius said as he lastly exited the classroom.


    "Yeah."


    "Let''s go now," he said, leading Chang Xiuying to their next class. "How was the knight class?"


    "It was a breeze."


    "Huh¡­ ? Ah¡­ it must have been easy for you."


    "I also got new friends." More like, students.


    "..."


    "Why are you suddenly quiet?"


    "I''m envious..."


    "You''ll find worthwhile friends too, Gaius."


    "No one is like you..."


    "That''s impossible."


    "No¡­ you are the only one who treated me like an equal. You disregarded my status as a prince and was very straightforward to me."


    "I see now," Chang Xiuying touched her chin, then continued, "Are there any group activities here?"


    "In the knight class, they always group themselves to spar. While elementalists practice their elements with dummies."


    "How about dungeons?"


    "Dungeons? What''s a dungeon?"


    "It is something from my homeland."


    "I see."


    "Then¡­ adventuring?"


    "Ah, yes. We also go out to do quests as part of the curriculum. We were also paired up based on our abilities to balance the group."


    "Then use that opportunity to make friends. After all, when it comes to danger, there are no obstacles to friendship. Once you fight with them in dangerous situations, the distance between you will shorten."


    "That''s the problem¡­ my father won''t let me do quests."


    "... we''re going to be late."


    "Ah!"


    Then they raced while they laughed. When they entered the classroom, they were laughing and wheezing. The classroom became silent. Fortunately, the instructor still wasn''t there. Chang Xiuying and Gaius shared a table at the back as the students'' eyes followed.


    However, Chang Xiuying heard these murmurings.


    "Is¡­ isn''t the prince so handsome when he smiles?"


    "He''s too precious..."


    "I want to make him smile too!"


    Chang Xiuying grinned then looked at the oblivious, but smiling prince. Upon closer look, he is kind of handsome, she thought.


    "Oh? The class is unbelievably quiet..." a female teacher came and announced her presence.


    "Good afternoon, Ms. Geraldine."


    "Yes, good afternoon. So, we will start our lesson for today---ah right, Chang Xiuying," she called.


    "Yes, ma''am?"


    "Do you have any experience controlling elements?"


    "I never tried, ma''am."


    "Okay. So, class, we''ll only take a short review before we proceed to our main lesson. After that, we have to go to the training ground to test your individual prowess. Let''s begin."


    * * *


    In the training ground, they formed a line and Chang Xiuying was at the back since she was only a beginner. She had to pay close attention to the people before her.


    They were chanting an unknown language then forming a visualization of the spell and controlling it outside of their body. Chang Xiuying could see how those energies flow inside their body into their hands to release them by their form. Now, she fully understood why having an affinity to all elements was hard to learn. It indeed would take years to master than a person who had a high affinity to one element.


    She began practicing using her inner eye. But then, she had no idea how to pull out those elemental energies out of her oceanic life energy. She gave up in the end.


    Then Gaius'' turn came. He formed an ice wall then melted it with fire with enough temperature. Then he slowly took control of the water and made it a whip before it condensated from the heat.


    Well¡­ that was awesome, but she still had no idea how she could control elements.


    When her turn came, she looked at Geraldine and asked, "How do I take out a specific element from my body?"


    "You just need to identify the elements in your body and pull them out. Concentrate them into one point, like your hands, and slowly pour them out."


    ''Ah! Just like in modern earth,'' Chang Xiuying thought. Then without further ado, she closed her eyes and started searching in her oceanic life energy and her cores. Since the largest one she had was the purple core, she concentrated on those and slowly pulled out threads and threads of purple lines.


    The students snickered when they saw how long Chang Xiuying took just to take out an element out of her body. However, in the next second, they saw purple aura emitting from her body.


    Geraldine gasped, "Aura!"


    "What?! How can she use aura?!"


    "That¡­ that still wasn''t taught to us!"


    Then Chang Xiuying raised her opened hand, then closed it. Suddenly, a thick bolt of lightning came from the sky. She opened her eyes that had a speck of purple lines, then stared at the lightning. Her arms flowed as the lightning followed.


    It was a beautiful sight.


    Gaius was once again caught by the beauty in front of him.

 45 Mission

    When Chang Xiuying ended her performance, everyone''s eyes were still glued on her figure. The lightning didn''t disappear and stayed where Chang Xiuying made it stay. She pointed down and the lightning disappeared on the earth.


    Gaius broke out of his stupor and quickly ran to Chang Xiuying.


    "Ying!"


    "I got the basics down now, Gaius," she said enthusiastically.


    "That was amazing!"


    "It is?"


    "Indeed. Your highest affinity must be lightning," Gaius mused.


    Chang Xiuying smiled wryly. Well, she couldn''t really tell him the truth and would just wait until she had to expose her powers.


    Starting from that day, Chang Xiuying practiced and practiced until she could control four elements at the same time.


    Two months easily passed.


    Moreover, Chang Xiuying was no longer shunned. Instead, she was being praised for her high abilities for elements and for being a knight.


    She spent her days in class, library and training grounds. Although she still had to go home to Hugh''s Inn everyday. When classes started again, Chang Xiuying finally enjoyed school days more than her time on Earth. It was more fun and fulfilling.


    Gaius smiled as he watched Chang Xiuying practicing in the training grounds. He also started practicing to catch up to the girl''s level. Three months passed and they were assigned for a quest.


    Along with Gaius and the others, Chang Xiuying went to the Cold Plains. Their mission was to collect ores beside a glacier. It was difficult since there were Primordial monsters lurking around. Strong monsters that a normal human won''t be able to contend to, besides S class rank adventurers. They could take on one on one with a Primordial monster.


    Chang Xiuying was first to arrive at their rendezvous point. Gaius came next.


    "Good morning, Ying."


    "Morning. How''s your sleep?"


    "It was great. I also dreamed a good dream."


    "Hoooh. Was it a woman?"


    "Ho-how did you know?!"


    "Heh. Instincts," she smirked. "So, who was it?"


    "Someone you don''t know," Gaius glared Chang Xiuying down.


    "Alright. Alright. Understood. I won''t pry anymore. Oh right, I have leftover breakfast here. Do you want some?"


    "You cooked it?"


    "Yes."


    "Please let me have it!" He loudly said as he stretched over his hands.


    "... what are you doing?"


    "Begging?"


    "... you''re a prince. You don''t beg."


    "Sorry. I just got excited."


    "Is this your first time eating my cooking?"


    "Nope..." he regretfully said.


    "... then why did you show too much enthusiasm? Anyway, here," then Chang Xiuying handed over a plate of curry that she retrieved from her item box.


    "What''s this?"


    "Curry."


    "Hmm¡­ it has a nice aroma. Okay, let''s dig in," then ate a spoonful. His eyes went wide as he hummed deeply.


    "When did you get boar meat?"


    "Uh¡­ I hunted them?"


    "When?"


    She sighed as she slouched over, "Before I come home, I would hunt monsters then buy groceries."


    "Your days are pretty packed with schedule."


    "Well¡­ I guess so."


    "You study and practice in the morning and then hunt and buy groceries at night..." Then he whispered, "I wish I could be as productive as you too..."


    "Do you want to join me in my hunts?"


    "Can I?"


    "Of course. It''s not like I''m hiding it as a secret."


    When a series of time passed, a girl named Akira Godfrey came. They stopped talking and greeted the new arrival. She had gradient hair that started from light blue to dark blue. Her electric blue eyes also contained a mysterious aura behind them.


    "Good morning, Akira."


    "Good morning, Your Highness, Ying."


    "Morning."


    "Where''s the others?" Akira asked.


    "They''re still not here," Chang Xiuying responded.


    "Ah right, I forgot to tell you that I told those guys to get as much supplies as they could."


    "... why now?" Chang Xiuying''s eyes twitched.


    "I forgot¡­ please forgive me!"


    "Okay! Okay! Enough with this!"


    Akira stood there, dumbfounded. A prince¡­ just apologized in front of the lower class¡­ that was new.


    "Aah~ That was tiring¡­ you doing great there, Caine?" Leovanni Clyd said as he jostled the sack on his back. His hair was almost silver and his eyes were cobalt blue.


    "Shut up, Leo¡­ I carried more luggage than you, how can it be great?!" Caine de Beville said as he dragged his feet towards Gaius'' group.


    "I''m tired..."


    "I''m more tired than you! Quit whining!"


    "Ah. Your highness, we have arrived."


    Caine clicked his tongue, settling their luggage on the ground.


    "Hey, can I make a suggestion?" Chang Xiuying suddenly voiced out.


    "Sure, what is it?" Gaius said.


    "Can I store all of those in my item box?"


    "Eh? You have an item box?"


    "Yeah? Didn''t you see me pull out a plate from my ring?"


    "Ah right¡­ now that you mentioned it."


    "So, can I?" Chang Xiuying asked as she secretly got permission from the group. She quickly stored them one by one then they went together towards their carriage. This time, Chang Xiuying was the only one outside.


    "Ying? Why don''t you join us?"


    "Gaius¡­ you know why, right? Why are you still asking?"


    "I''m worried."


    "You''re worried? About me? Well, you''re worrying for nothing."


    "That¡­ yeah, I guess I am," Gaius sighed as he entered the carriage.


    "Eh? That girl isn''t boarding the carriage? Why?"


    "Uh¡­ she prefers the outside rather than this cramp carriage," Gaius pulled through!


    "Woah¡­ she must be that kind of a muscle freak."


    Caine settled on the driver''s seat. He noticed that there was still a small space beside him and it gave him an idea.


    "Hey, Ying."


    "Yeah?" Chang Xiuying suddenly appeared beside the moving carriage.


    "Why don''t you join me here?" Caine said as he patted the seat next to him.


    "It''s pretty cramped there, right?"


    "Well¡­ true¡­"


    "Are you also worried about me?"


    "Kind of, yeah. You''re still so young and you wanted to be outside like an escort. Besides, you''re the person the prince brought to Lasirion. You must be an important figure."


    "You could say that I am important. I own a firm after all."


    "Oh? How old are you?"


    "... fourteen."


    "So young, yet you already have your own business. I''m envious."


    "I have no choice after all. I have to build it as long as possible or a lot of people will lose their reasons to live."


    "Aaahh~ You must be a very good person."


    "Not exactly."


    "You''re very charitable and---"


    "Correction. I make people work and then pay them afterwards. It is not charity."


    "I see now. But still, you made Avarice''s economy go higher. It was becoming toe to toe with Lasirion now. How about establishing a branch in Lasirion?"


    "Hmm¡­ that sounds nice. Expanding my business in the royal capital is a very good idea."


    "What do you usually deal with?"


    "Information and food."


    "Food? Isn''t that too wide of a variety? There is a lot of competition too."


    "Don''t worry, the food in our restaurant is unique. You should visit it sometimes once I establish a branch in Lasirion."


    "Good thinking, Ying."


    Then they talked more as the carriage moved towards Fermanagh, their first stop. When they arrived near the city, it was already late in the night. They camped out and Chang Xiuying cooked for them. She also became the first to watch for the night.


    Since she was still hungry, as usual, she hunted near the camp. However, she saw that Gaius was still awake and was by the campfire.


    "Ah, Ying. You''re back."


    "Why are you still awake?"


    "I heard some noises."


    "You have very sharp ears huh," Chang Xiuying teased.


    "I trained it back in the academy."


    "That''s good."


    "Ying, I have a request to make."


    "What is it?"


    "Spar with me."


    "What? You want to suddenly become a knight?"


    "To tell you the truth, I''ve been doing my best ever since I saw you perform that lightning dance on the very first day¡­ I''m envious of you. I want to become stronger¡­ more stronger than you. But I noticed that it would be impossible¡­ you keep on going farther and farther away from where I am."


    "... you know, setting me as your standard is not a good idea..."


    "Why is that so? Are you that hard to reach? Even for me?"


    "I¡­ don''t think that is so. Anyway, since you want to catch up to me, I''ll gladly be your opponent."


    "Thanks, Ying. I''m grateful, really¡­ really grateful."


    "No problem there. Let''s start before the next watch takes over."


    Then morning came. Everyone was awake and the prince still wasn''t. Seeing a prince oversleep was concerning.


    "What happened to Prince Gaius?"


    "He looks so exhausted..."


    "What happened?"


    "I don''t have any ideas."


    "How about you, Ying? You''re the only one who still hasn''t talked."


    "Well¡­ we kind of had arduous training yesterday before he slept."


    "I see now..." they all nodded their heads.


    "Since we have no time to spare, let''s carry the prince to the carriage and clean things up," Leovanni announced.


    "Yes, sir!"


    Their next destination: Aqueta.


    They moved quietly, but had to stop when Chang Xiuying gestured at Caine to stop.


    "What is it?"


    She whispered, "Bandits."


    "Where?"


    "Lying in ambush in front of us. They were hiding in the forest."


    "How many are there?"


    "Around 50."


    "I''ll alert the people inside."


    "Please do. I''ll hold them off."


    "You sure?"


    "Of course, who do you think I am?"


    "..."


    "... okay, fine. That was exaggerated. I''m sorry. You go on ahead and I will wait for your reinforcements."


    "Understood."

 46 Back to Avarice

    Chang Xiuying retrieved her sword and slowly advanced through the main road. She suddenly threw her sword at 2 o''clock and a pained scream came next.


    More people emerged and readied their weapons.


    Chang Xiuying once again retrieved a sword in her item box and ran to strike first. The bandits encircled her then grouped up to defeat a measly kid. However, their expectations grew short as she slashed and thrusted her sword so skillfully that they failed to even graze her skin. Even the arrows to support the bandits were being intercepted.


    "Move aside!" One of the big men shouted and the bandits immediately made way.


    "You think you''re so strong, aren''t you, kid?"


    Chang Xiuying grinned then gestured at the man to come to her.


    "This kid!" The man bellowed in frustration.


    Then he brandished his broadsword that was almost chipped then struck Chang Xiuying on her sides. However, she blocked it with her sword and arm. Then she crashed on the nearby tree and their sight was blocked with dust. When it cleared, Chang Xiuying already launched her body towards the man as she readied her sword to attack.


    The big man gripped his broadsword tightly then swung it towards the approaching body of Chang Xiuying.


    She twisted her body in the air and then met the broadsword with her sword head on. However, for their second contest of strength, the man lost as his weapon split in half.


    "You..."


    The bandit''s eyes sharpened as he thought that the girl in front of him needed to be killed. With no weapons to use, he only had his hands to combat the armed girl.


    However, they both heard battle around them. They didn''t tore their gazes at each other as if they looked away, that would be the start of the other''s attack. Suddenly, Chang Xiuying smirked and then threw her weapon away.


    "It''s unfair for me, so I''ll also fight barehanded."


    "Are you belittling me?!"


    "No, not at all. I just saw that it was unfair."


    The man gritted his teeth. He stepped forward then threw a hard punch at Chang Xiuying. Her hand grabbed the man''s wrist then used his momentum to throw him to the ground.


    "What!" He said in exasperation.


    "Well, well, well¡­ look who''s the kid between us now," Chang Xiuying chuckled.


    "You!!!" The man got up and then hurled a flurry of kicks and punches at the girl. But his attacks held no meaning if they were just hitting air.


    "So slow..." Chang Xiuying yawned.


    "Ugh!" Without much choice, he punched the ground so hard that it created a small earthquake. He used that opening to attack the girl who would be unsteady on her feet.


    Chang Xiuying noticed this as she quickly swiped her foot to disrupt the man''s footing, causing him to tumble down the ground. A sword suddenly appeared on her hand and then decapitated the man.


    There were hundreds of gold coins¡­ shouldn''t they have a hideout and hide their spoiled treasures there?


    Anyway, Chang Xiuying got the spoils and waited for the others to finish their battles.


    Akira was happily burning people, Leovanni froze the bandits, Caine fought with his sword, and Gaius fought with his ability to use four elements.


    Chang Xiuying was worried.


    What if there are spoils in the other bandits'' bodies?


    Whatever¡­ she didn''t even defeat those guys.


    "Ying!" Gaius screamed in worry. However, he just saw her playing by the branch of the tree. Well¡­ not exactly playing, but training her body.


    His cheek twitched and he found another determination to grow more stronger than the girl in front of him.


    "Are you all done yet?"


    "We''re almost done here."


    "Aah¡­ I want some sweets."


    "Eh?"


    "I want to eat something sweet¡­ I''m craving them. Get me some sweets¡­ I want sweets¡­ let me eat sweets..." she grumbled.


    "Do you want some persimmons?"


    "No! I want cake¡­"


    "..."


    "I think we have some chocolates here¡­ do you want them? We can get cakes in Avarice once we settle there."


    "... you sound like my mom¡­" then she whispered, "It''s not like I have a mom. Pfft."


    "Okay. Get down there and you''ll get chocolate."


    "Fine," she groaned as she jumped down.


    "Here. Your chocolate," Gaius said, gently handing the chocolate bar to Chang Xiuying who snatched it, then happily ate.


    Gaius took the courage to pat the girl on her head. It didn''t elicit any reactions, so it encouraged him to pat her more.


    She looked like a kitten¡­ so cute.


    When they saw that everyone was done with their jobs, Chang Xiuying ran over to the man who she fought then stored his body in her item box.


    "What are you going to do with that?"


    "If he''s a bandit, he must have some bounty on his head. I can earn more money that way."


    "... didn''t you just get his pouch? Are you not satisfied with it?"


    "It''s to maximise profits!"


    "You sound like an evil merchant..."


    "I do have a firm. So, I am a merchant."


    "Ah¡­ right¡­ I thought so," Gaius rolled his eyes then entered the carriage. The rest of them tied the remaining bandits and Chang Xiuying led them towards Avarice.


    When they were in front of the northern gate, the guard immediately noticed Chang Xiuying.


    "Xiuying! It''s nice to see you so big now!"


    "Oh come on¡­ you didn''t grow at all, Aron."


    "I''m still 20!"


    "Yet I almost reached you. Heh. I will grow more than you!"


    "You little kid!" Then he ruffled Chang Xiuying as she laughed merrily.


    Her party members looked at the laughing Chang Xiuying as they couldn''t believe what was happening in front of them. Who was that girl?


    Aah¡­ she missed Avarice.


    "It has been a long time since you got here. Come now, present me your identification card. What are you here for anyway?"


    "You don''t want me here?"


    "No. Not that, you kid. It''s just a surprise to see you here. I thought I would see you around another three months."


    "We have a mission here¡­ I want to go home now..."


    Aron laughed then patted her head once again before viewing her identification. His eyes widened when he saw that it was a guild card and she was at Rank B.


    "... you¡­ you''re Rank B?!"


    "Is it that surprising?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know exactly¡­ in the day you left here, you''re not even a part of the guild. Yet now¡­ you''re high up! What kind of situations did you experience?!"


    "I have no choice¡­ the academy is part of the guild there, so it''s mandatory."


    "I see..."


    "Can we get in now?" Akira interjected. "I''m so hungry now."


    "Please excuse me, Aron."


    "You don''t need such pleasantries between us. Go. Enjoy your stay here and hope to see you again in 3 months."


    Chang Xiuying smiled brightly then went off to a nearby, but luxurious inn.


    They parked their carriage in there and immediately went off to eat in the ChangHao restaurant. However, there was a longer line of people waiting for service.


    "We''re going to wait in that?"


    "No. Follow me," Chang Xiuying said as she led them to the back door then entered her home.


    "Eh? Master?! Why are you back?! Did something happen?" Despite Flora''s worries, she held Chang Xiuying in a tight hug as her head settled on her supple breasts. Chang Xiuying could smell how feminine the other had become. Rather¡­ it was too sexy¡­ did she have someone she can impress in the short while she was gone?


    Well, three months is not that short nor long.


    Anyway, Flora welcomed the party in their dining hall and served them with food that was more delicious than Chang Xiuying.


    "I feel like I''ve gotten used to this lifestyle¡­ I might not be able to come back to my normal world..." Leovanni muttered as he looked over at Flora''s seductive appearance.


    However, Chang Xiuying turned his head then said, "You can''t look at my people like that."


    "What! I just found her very alluring! When did you pick her up?"


    "We are picked up by Master in this very building. Previously, this was the slave trader''s building. We renovated this into our liking and got our own rooms."


    "Ah¡­ so, you''re all slaves?"


    "No. Master already erased the brands we had as a slave."


    Leovanni spurted out the food he was chewing.


    "How unsightly," Akira grimaced.


    "I''m sorry. But, you know that the slave''s mark is contained with mana that that spell could never be broken, right?"


    "Ah¡­"


    "So, Ying, how did you erase it exactly?"


    "I used my Qi."


    "Qi?"


    "It''s like a life force similar to mana."


    "We have that life force here?"


    "You don''t know? I''ve been practicing Qi arts since I got here. All of my people also learned it."


    Leovanni touched his temples then sighed. "You all are weird people."

 47 Awakened Second Bloodline

    "Isn''t it getting colder?" Akira said as she rubbed her arms.


    They were outside as they enjoyed a walk after a sumptuous meal. Well, they were actually going to the inn they first went to.


    "Cold? It seems normal to me," Leovanni tried feeling the air, but it didn''t seem there were any changes in the temperature.


    "You''re an ice elemental, you idiot!"


    Gaius touched his chin then said, "It is quite getting cold... isn''t this a tropical country?"


    Chang Xiuying flinched inwardly.


    She connected the two points of where Oscar and her destroyed the Cold Plain''s barrier, and this sudden change of temperature, then it could only mean that it was her---rather, Oscar''s fault. Now, the extreme cold was slowly reaching Avarice.


    "Well¡­ I guess we need to buy winter clothes," Caine said.


    "Of course we''ll buy winter clothes. Ever since they found the Cold Plain''s barrier broken, they immediately procured those necessities."


    Chang Xiuying quietly followed them to the clothes store and picked her preferences. She sighed. After all, she had to spend money again on winter clothes. Because of her sudden growth spurt, her old winter clothes got so tiny. She had to donate those in the orphanage.


    When they finished shopping, they immediately prepared in the inn then went out.


    After a few hours of walking deeper into Avira, they arrived in front of the ground that had been blanketed with snow. It was extremely chilly that their clothes did no justice, except Leovanni and Chang Xiuying.


    "Yi-ying, aren''t---aren''t you cold?" Akira asked.


    "Ah. Because of my affinity?"


    "You---you have strong resistance to the cold?! How strong did you become?!"


    However, Chang Xiuying didn''t respond.


    "Some of you would only drag the party down. So, Leovanni and I will go and collect ores."


    "Okay," the rest of them said.


    Chang Xiuying led Leovanni as they walked towards the frosty forest.


    When they encountered monsters, Chang Xiuying would deal with them as Leovanni would just stand there, watching the fight unfold. His eyes twitched since he couldn''t even fight because the monsters'' affinity were the same as him, and his physical ability was lacking.


    So, what was he exactly doing here? To expectate?


    Anyway, they reached the glacier where Chang Xiuying met her other body. When one looked around the vicinity, one would find an unsuspecting cave.


    They went there, but inside, there was a monster. A Primordial White Tiger at that.


    Chang Xiuying motioned at the monster to come at her and it obediently did what it was told. The action made her gawk her eyes.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying was rubbing the monster''s head as it cried for more attention. However, her eyes were blank and at the same time, confused.


    [I finally had the screen time I wanted.]


    "What''s the matter, Xue?"


    [Look into your oceanic life force, one of the orbs is flickering.]


    She looked with her inner eye and was surprised that the red orb was indeed flickering. Suddenly, she felt something happened with the White Tiger.


    The red orb convulsed then entered her blood stream, then it swam its way towards her heart as it found shelter there.


    She could feel her heartbeat grow stronger as it produced more blood.


    She suddenly bled as her body expelled the old blood.


    [... you keep getting monstrous and monstrous...]


    "Is that remark necessary? As much as possible, I don''t want to become more of a monster as I am now," Chang Xiuying sighed.


    She continued rubbing the tiger''s head as it cried in satisfaction. It went out of the cave and then never returned.


    Shrugging her shoulders, she entered the cave where Leovanni was in.


    "You surprisingly took a---what happened to you?!" Leovanni exclaimed in worry.


    After all, Chang Xiuying was bleeding all over her body.


    "This? I''m fine. Just had a fierce fight with the monster. So, time to collect the ores, right?"


    "Ah¡­ yes, of course."


    Then they exited the cave with the bleeding Chang Xiuying.


    "Why are you still bleeding?" Leovanni suddenly asked.


    "... my body is expelling blood. I broke through the final hurdle to become a transcendent practitioner."


    "Does that have a connection to the Qi?"


    "Yes."


    "I see," then they became quiet.


    Chang Xiuying sighed in relief when Leovanni didn''t attempt to ask any more questions. Then they arrived where the others were camping and huddled closely to the fire.


    "Finally! You''re back---eh?! What happened to you?!" Gaius screamed in terror as he saw how bloody Chang Xiuying was.


    "Mhm¡­ just had a tough fight and a breakthrough."


    "You have to change your clothes! And you''re still bleeding!"


    "It''s nothing¡­ really. It''s not even painful."


    "We need to get you to the royal physician!"


    "I broke through the final hurdle of cultivation of Qi. It''s just nothing."


    "You need to get your body tended!"


    "Shut up..." Chang Xiuying muttered in exasperation.


    "If this bleeding didn''t stop, we will immediately get a physician."


    "Fine!" She sat down then closed her eyes.


    ''Xue! What happened to my body?!''


    [As you said, you successfully entered the realm of transcendentals.]


    ''Wait¡­ it''s true?''


    [I thought you knew.]


    ''That was only a cover up...''


    [I see. Anyway, since your body is expelling your old blood, it would end once your old blood was replaced with your new blood. But you need to close your vessels once it stopped. So, pay close attention.]


    ''Got it.''


    [The only matter we are concerned for is that silver orb under your oceanic life force. The black orb could control all of the darkness, and the red orb was capable of radiating enormous bloodlust, what would the remaining one be?]


    ''You''re asking me? I don''t know? Even though it''s my body, I don''t know a thing!''


    [Since you''ve been practicing controlling the elements, you progressed farther that I initially thought. You''re growing so wonderfully, host.]


    ''... for some reason, I don''t want to hear that from you.''


    [You''ve been doing great work so far. I''m honestly impressed.]


    ''Like I said, I don''t want to hear that from you.''


    [I am only praising you, host. Accept my good will.]


    ''Like I care!''


    [Anyway, I discovered something in this planet.]


    ''What is it?'' She inwardly rolled her eyes.


    [There are dimension tears somewhere in this planet, and it is connected to another place. I went to try investigating it but I can''t go past the barrier.]


    ''Hmmm...''


    [The location is in Thelorion, past the Sea of Eugen, and the other is in Lasirion.]


    ''When is the expected time for the tear to open?''


    [Two months.]


    ''What?! Isn''t that too early?!''


    [That''s only the expectation based on what I saw. It might be early or later than expected. Host! The blood has stopped!]


    ''Got it,'' then she worked on each of her vessels to close.


    When she opened her eyes, the people staring at her immediately backed away.


    "What? What happened to all of you?"


    "Your---your eyes. They were red¡­" Gaius slowly said as the rest trembled.


    "..." Chang Xiuying sighed. Back then, when she was still on Earth, this was the common reaction of people whenever they met her eyes. Although she got used to it, it was somewhat new to her in this situation.


    ''Well, I guess, back to being red-eyed.''


    [Correct.]


    ''I don''t need your confirmation.''


    "And¡­ and¡­ somehow¡­ your aura is radiating... extreme bloodlust. Can¡­ can you tone it down?"


    Chang Xiuying sighed again.


    "I''m sorry, it seems like I can''t." She noticed that the others couldn''t even talk as they cowered on the ground. She had no choice but to leave.


    "I''ll just be in the Cold Plains. Calculating the days we took to get in Avarice, it would be around one week. I''ll be in Lasirion in that time frame. I would like for Gaius and I to meet in front of the academy along with a few officials. Right, Gaius?"


    "Yeah¡­ I need to report what happened to you¡­ since it would greatly affect all the people in the academy."


    "Mhm. That''s right. So, I''ll just be on my way?"


    So, she quickly ran and entered the Cold Plains again.


    They could feel the pressure lessened and they could breathe normally now, thankfully. Gaius, however, never took off his eyes at the direction where Chang Xiuying disappeared.


    "Everyone, let''s---wait, the ores are with Chang Xiuying, right?"


    "..." They remained silent.


    "Well¡­ we will meet her in the academy anyway. As long as we delivered the ores to the guild, it''ll be fine. Let''s go now. We need to go home quickly."


    "What about our provisions, your highness?"


    "... we have money. We''ll get by."


    Then they dejectedly went back.


    However, when they arrived in the northern gate, Flora was waiting for them and waving at them.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Master sent me to provide provisions for all of you."


    "How did she contact you?"


    Flora giggled then twirled her hair.


    "Secret~¡î"

 48 I cannot live in cities anymore

    Chang Xiuying arrived in front of the shack in the Cold Plains. There was the white tiger she met earlier, resting in front of the infrastructure. When she approached closer, the tiger purred as if it was welcoming her home.


    Suddenly, lots of monsters arrived in their vicinity and were asking for her attention. She could only stare at them with wide eyes.


    "Alright¡­ alright, line yourself!" She said and the monsters immediately lined themselves according to their strength.


    She patted their heads one by one.


    She suddenly felt regret for killing those Primordial monsters.


    However¡­ there was something bothering her¡­ why was there an influx of Primordial monsters in the Cold Plains? Was it because of her other body? That person with the Blanche was attacked when they were in this exact location. There weren''t any signs of violence in front or on the glacier.


    In her hypothesis, those monsters are only protecting her other body. It might be the truth since those monsters were flocking her.


    When she finished, they lined themselves again and waited for their turn.


    Chang Xiuying deadpanned, "No more pats."


    Then they whimpered.


    She approached the white tiger, who didn''t join the fray, then said, "I''m going now. I''ll be sure to come back here."


    It growled softly then returned sleeping.


    Chang Xiuying smiled then rubbed its head.


    She contacted Flora through her mind, "Flora, are they gone?"


    "Ah, Master. They''re still here. Do you want to come here personally? I think they''ll leave tomorrow morning."


    "I don''t think I could join them¡­ I might be even scary to you."


    "Eh? What are you saying, Master? Where are you now? I''ll go there."


    "I''ll just meet you on the main road."


    "Understood," then it ended.


    Chang Xiuying sighed then went to the main road. People were passing by when they felt an ominous aura. They reflexively looked at the source, which was Chang Xiuying, as they readied their weapons. Some ran and called the knights.


    "Ah..."


    How could she forget?! She immediately ran to the forest to hide. However, she was being chased.


    "A demon is here!"


    "Kill that demon!"


    "Where did it go?!"


    "There! You see that bunch of adventurers at the front? They are chasing that demon."


    "We lost it!"


    "What?!"


    "Where did that demon go?!"


    "Just alert all the people that there is a demon on the loose!"


    Flora, who was wearing a rather¡­ seductive attire, was confused as she saw how chaotic the main road had become. Even her stunning beauty was ignored.


    "Excuse me, what''s happening?"


    "Ah! Miss Flora! If you''re going down this road, you better not. There was a demon lingering in Avira."


    "But¡­ Master is..."


    "Xiuying? She''s in the forest?!"


    She avoided those adventurers and arrived at the junction of the snow and forest grass.


    "Master! It''s me! Flora! Where are you?!" She screamed her heart out.


    "Master!" She yelled once again.


    "I''m here," a small voice, rather, a whisper responded. But Flora heard it and could even determine where it was. She jumped and then met eye to eye with Chang Xiuying on a branch of a big tree.


    "Master¡­ are you okay?"


    "You''re¡­ you''re not scared?"


    "Why would I be scared of you? You''re our beloved master. The one who saved us."


    "Look into my eyes."


    And Flora did just as told. However, instead of being scared, she was mesmerised with the new color of her eyes. It was intimidating, but beautiful.


    "It''s¡­ beautiful..."


    "..."


    "I¡­ suddenly have the urge to kiss your eyes..."


    "..."


    "I''m not asking for permission," then she kissed Chang Xiuying''s eyelids one by one. Her soft lips grazed her skin and she thought, ''Girls aren''t that bad...''


    No, no, no. Everything is bad!


    "Come now, Master. Let''s go back."


    "But Flora, the people..."


    "They''ll understand. They know you and you know them. They''ll accept you."


    "... if you say so..."


    Flora jumped down and glanced up at Chang Xiuying. She reached out her hands as if inviting the other to go to her; and that was what Chang Xiuying did. She jumped down beside her and took her hands.


    When they were out of Avira, they were met with glares from the people. However, their eyes traced on their joined hands.


    "Flora?! What are you doing?!"


    "This is our master! Look at her! She''s the one who established ChangHao firm and restaurant! She has been living in Avarice for two years."


    "Look at her eyes! She''s a demon! How can we let a demon live in our city?!"


    "No! My master has been living peacefully in Avarice! She didn''t put you all in danger and even provided food for the slums!"


    "She''s still a demon!"


    "She never hurt you, right?! In the span when she was living here, she did not hurt anybody. She did not kill anybody!"


    "You have been blinded! Get away from that cursed woman!"


    "My master is not cursed! You ungrateful wench!"


    "Flora," Chang Xiuying heavily called.


    "Master! Why are you just standing there doing nothing?!"


    "Flora!"


    "..." Flora went silent.


    "It''s fine. I''ll go now."


    "But Master??? you''re leaving us?"


    "No¡­ I don''t know..."


    "Ying!" Gaius suddenly appeared from the crowd.


    "Even the prince? What kind of conspiracy is this..."


    "Xiuying!" Aron appeared.


    "Even the leader of the knights?!"


    "Don''t tell me you all are thinking of conspiring for the throne?"


    "No! She''s my friend," Gaius replied.


    "..." But Aron was silent. Once he saw that Chang Xiuying''s eyes were red, that resembled a demon, he turned around and disappeared in the crowd.


    Chang Xiuying expected that.


    However, upon closer look, Gaius was trembling under Chang Xiuying''s gaze. But he never left nor attempted to.


    "She provided for the slums, I heard," Gaius started. "She gave work to the people who had no work. She improved the conditions of the slum¡­ and yet, this is what you''re going to repay her for?"


    Someone stepped out from the crowd. "I implore. Even if she did great things in Avarice for two years, her presence alone could put ordinary citizens under extreme threat. I know you know this, Prince Gaius."


    "Ugh..."


    "She needs to be out of the city in order to protect the citizens."


    "I understand," Chang Xiuying said.


    "But Master!"


    "Flora¡­ even if you are not affected, they could still feel the threat of my existence. I don''t want the people to be scared out of their wits when they sleep."


    "..."


    "I cannot live in cities anymore, you know that. Even ordinary monsters are scared of me."


    "Ordinary?" That person who represented the crowd asked.


    "Ah. Primordial monsters are surprisingly pliant to me," she honestly said. After all, she needed to be honest in this time to prove her being trustworthy to the people.


    The crowd looked at each other as if they couldn''t feel the pressure emanating from Chang Xiuying.


    "You are a demon!" Someone yelled.


    "Banish! And never come back!"


    "Don''t come back! You''ll get our family killed!"


    They threw insults after insults as they watched Chang Xiuying walk into the forest of Avira.


    Gaius glared at the crowd but they didn''t pay mind.


    "I''m sorry, your highness," the representative said with a glint in his eyes.


    "It''s fine," he said through gritted teeth then followed Chang Xiuying into the woods.


    Flora did the same too, stomping her feet.


    "Master!"


    "Ying!"


    They shouted.


    "Yeah?" She suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Her face was calm as if the situation was within her expectations.


    "Thank goodness..." Flora said as she hugged Chang Xiuying.


    "What''s wrong now?" Chang Xiuying asked.


    "We were worried if you might be crying," Gaius said.


    "Pfft¡­ Master won''t cry. I''ve never even seen her cry."


    "That''s quite rude, Flora."


    "But it''s true, Master! To be honest, I wanted to see you cry. Anyway¡­ are you really okay?"


    "I''m fine. Why?"


    "You''re¡­ not even affected?" Gaius asked.


    "I''m not. That was kind of a common denominator in my life."


    "Denominator?"


    "I''m used to it."


    "Ah."


    "Mhm."


    "Master?"


    "What?"


    "I want to cook something for you."


    "Is this your way of cheering me up?"


    "Yes."


    "Can I come too?" Gaius slightly raised his hand.


    "Of course," Chang Xiuying immediately said, grinning as she looked at Flora''s frowning face.


    They arrived in front of the shack in the Cold Plains. The two were shivering as they rubbed their clothed arms vigorously. When they entered the shack, Chang Xiuying let out heat waves from her body and it provided enough warmth for the two people with her.


    Then they enjoyed a delicious meal.


    "By the way, Gaius," Chang Xiuying started.


    "Yes?"


    "Where''s the others?"


    "I let them go first. I had a bad feeling of reporting things to the academy, to be honest. I don''t know what they''ll do to you. So, I decided to come here and take the ores and I''ll take care of the paperworks of your leave."


    "Why are you doing so much for me?"


    "You''re my only friend. I want to protect you from them."


    Chang Xiuying smiled then said, "I''ll repay your kindness someday. I''ll watch over you too, if you want to."


    "Master?!"


    "I accept."


    "Eh?!"


    "Deal, then."


    "Wait¡­ Master?!"

 49 Feud

    Chang Xiuying handed all the ores to Gaius and even gifted him a spatial pouch. Gaius was joyed as he accepted the gift from the female. He carefully packed the ores into the pouch, handling it gently.


    "You don''t need to treasure it that much," Chang Xiuying laughed.


    "I keep on being indebted to you, Ying. If you can, please visit the castle."


    Chang Xiuying lifted one of her brows and looked incredulously at the prince.


    "I know¡­ you are not in the state where you can visit the castle since you are considered a demon now. But I know my father will accept you!"


    "It''s a little bit more complicated than it seemed, Gaius. I can''t just show up in front of the castle and announce that you are my friend or you called me."


    "I can give you proof of the audience!"


    "No¡­ no, Gaius. I am a threat to the kingdom..."


    [Actually, host, you can buy eye contacts and a limiter to suppress your power.]


    "Alright. I''ll come with you. There won''t be any problems now," Chang Xiuying suddenly said.


    "Master?"


    "I take it back. I can still live in cities!"


    How could she forget that she had the system''s shop at her disposal?!


    Gaius and Flora looked at each other then at Chang Xiuying''s celebrating figure. It wasn''t that bad, but the mood changed so drastically.


    "I''ll meet you in Lasirion then, Gaius," Chang Xiuying said. "Along with Flora."


    "Yes!" Flora raised her hands as she jumped in joy.


    "Can I just go with you two? I won''t be able to catch up to those guys."


    "Ah. Right. Then you go with Flora to prepare in the city---"


    "Master!" Suddenly, there were shouts of multiple people.


    "Eh?" They looked at where it was and saw that all of the ninety-nine people under Chang Xiuying appeared with their heavy luggage on their backs and hands.


    "What happened?" Flora immediately asked as she received her own things.


    "We were chased out of Avarice. They even demolished our building..."


    "Master? Your eyes became red¡­ and you have this oppressive aura around you. What happened?" One of them said, but neither of them were afraid of her. That made Chang Xiuying feel relieved.


    "A lot happened¡­ Now, we don''t know what we would do," Flora said in the stead of Chang Xiuying.


    "Let''s see if we could take refuge in Aqueta."


    "No. I''ll take you to Lasirion. Live there from now on," Gaius interjected.


    They all looked at the prince and then looked at themselves. Their heads nodded in agreement.


    "Gaius," Chang Xiuying called, "What if news came to Lasirion and we can''t go in?"


    "I''ll use my authority."


    Chang Xiuying sighed. "You can''t do that."


    "I can."


    "Look, we don''t want to tarnish your reputation as a prince more than it is, Gaius. We can live outside Lasirion if you still insist."


    Chang Xiuying smiled then patted Gaius'' head. Surprisingly, the male liked it.


    "Can you do it again?"


    "What is?"


    "Pat my head again."


    "Weird guy," she said but complied to the weird request. However, Flora glared at them and was waiting for her turn. She grabbed Chang Xiuying''s arm then tugged it for attention.


    Chang Xiuying looked at Flora and her eyes clearly portrayed that she needed attention too. In the end, both of her hands were occupied.


    "We will go to Aqueta and gather provisions until we reach Fermanagh."


    "Yes, Master!"


    "Since we are already in Avira, let''s hunt for food. Oh right. Since we''re going to be independent from cities, I will give you all something nice."


    They all tilted their heads, but they cheered anyway.


    "Now, line up. All of you," she ordered. Once everyone was lined up, she explained, "I am going to give you guys Imperium Axis. A ring that would store items like an item box. I will register your Qi into the ring and make it only exclusive to each one of you. Understood?"


    "Yes!"


    Then she quietly handed over rings to the children as she registered their Qi into the ring. Once everyone got their own, they immediately stored their items into the ring.


    "I want you to be my master too..." Gaius suddenly muttered.


    "Well¡­ I already gave you a high level spatial pouch. It is the same as the rings they have. Speaking of which, aren''t you already my student when you decided to learn swordsmanship from me?"


    "Ah. Indeed."


    "Well then, let''s put your skills to the test."


    "... oh no."


    * * *


    As expected, news travels fast and Chang Xiuying and the others weren''t permitted to enter Lasirion. A letter arrived, attached on the foot of a huge Eagle-like bird, and the receiver alerted the King. The letter contained a projection of Chang Xiuying''s face along with the people with them.


    The King issued a ban to those people and it immediately spread throughout the royal city and other cities and towns and villages.


    At the eastern gate, a lot of knights were stationed and they immediately readied their weapons to Chang Xiuying''s group. They couldn''t feel any oppressive auras, but they knew their orders. Do not let those people enter the city.


    The general, Algredo, approached the group and grabbed the hilt of his sword in case the targets showed signs of aggression.


    "Release the prince at once!" He said.


    Chang Xiuying remained calm and softly pushed Gaius out of the crowd. "You heard him. Go now. We''ll just be outside. You don''t have to worry about us. Also, don''t do any funny business. We''ll be alright. We promise."


    Gaius glanced at her then walked towards Algredo with his chin up.


    When Chang Xiuying turned around, she heard Gaius'' voice. "Those people escorted me to safety. I will not come to the castle once they are properly repaid."


    "But your highness---"


    "Once again, I am not coming to the castle."


    Gaius faced his back against Algredo. However, the man unsheathed his sword and was prepared to fight. Then, Chang Xiuying immediately caught the sword that was about to cut Gaius into two.


    Gaius'' eyes went wide as he saw how Chang Xiuying took the sword out of Algredo''s hands then kicked him on his stomach. He flew and crashed on the wall of the city. It was also a considerable distance from where they were.


    "... Ying..." he mumbled.


    The guards saw that Chang Xiuying attacked first and they all unsheathed their weapons to fight back. However, Chang Xiuying raised her hands in surrender and never attempted another move. She also made sure to those knights that she had no weapons.


    But those actions only put fuel to the fire.


    They ran and brandished their swords at Chang Xiuying. She sighed then said to the others, "Back down or escape. I''ll take care of this."


    They all fell back and entered Avira.


    "You''re going to fight?" Gaius asked.


    "No. I''m going to protect you," then she diverted their attention to her, but some ran towards the prince with their swords. She figured it all out now. Everyone that came to meet them was here to kill the prince. But it might be a farce¡­ she had to be sure about it.


    She single-handedly fought the knights that came towards her. Their weapons couldn''t even put a scratch on her.


    Thankfully, Gaius protected himself as he waited for Chang Xiuying to come. It only took a few seconds until the knights on Chang Xiuying''s side were knocked out cold on the ground. She went to Gaius and knocked those that attacked him.


    "You good?" Chang Xiuying asked.


    "Yes... I''m good. Ying¡­ how did you catch the blade without even a scratch?"


    Chang Xiuying checked her arms and body, and there was a thin protective layer of Qi on her skin.


    "It''s the perks of a transcendent, I guess¡­ anyway, I have to protect you from now on. After all these matters are done, like you being killed, I''ll remain in your shadow."


    "You¡­ you can use shadow arts?"


    "I can manipulate the dark energy," she confessed.


    "I¡­ never mind¡­ everything around you is peculiar. Now I understand why I don''t need to use you as a standard."


    Chang Xiuying scratched her head then said, "Can you come first? I need to take care of my people for now."


    Suddenly, there was an influx of knights just at the other side of the gate. Chang Xiuying clicked her tongue and immediately hid in Gaius'' shadow.


    "Your highness!"


    "Adel!"


    "Are you okay?!" Adel looked around and saw his knights knocked out on the ground, and Algredo was leaning on the wall with blood coming out of his mouth. It seemed that he had broken bones and punctured organs.


    "What happened, you highness?"


    "Algredo attacked me and someone took care of it. It''s all right now. Why are you out here though? Did something happen to Father?"


    "His Majesty is all right. Though¡­ he had to be protected with his trusted aids."


    "How about Mother?"


    "Her Majesty is in her room. She refused to go out and we are guarding the door to her quarters."


    "What happened when we are out of Lasirion?"


    "A feud broke out. Then there was an attack on the carriage that you were supposed to be in. Thankfully, they all returned safely. Though their materials were taken."

 50 Inten

    Gaius walked into the castle and immediately entered his father''s room without a prior notice. When he saw the state of his father, he approached and grabbed the King''s old hands.


    "Father..." he called.


    Augustus Cabrera slowly looked at his son and smiled stiffly.


    "Gaius¡­ you''re back..."


    "What¡­ happened to you?"


    "I feel sluggish..."


    "Father..."


    Suddenly, Gaius could hear another voice apart from them.


    "He was poisoned and cursed."


    "Is that the truth?" Gaius asked Chang Xiuying as she observed Augustus'' condition from the inner perspective.


    "Yes. His mana is all jumbled up, leaking out of his body, and his life force is slowly being sucked dry. I can cut the connection between the caster and your father. But if you want to know who put the spell on his body, you would need to let your father be in this state for a little bit longer as I track the life force."


    Gaius looked at his suffering father who was almost at the brink of death. He clutched his hand and looked at Chang Xiuying.


    "Please find whoever it is."


    "Alright. Please hold on until I get back here," then Chang Xiuying disappeared in the shadows.


    Gaius became fidgety as he watched Augustus'' shallow breathing. After a few moments, when he thought that he almost lost his father, Chang Xiuying suddenly appeared beside him and pressed her hand on Augustus'' chest. Then she raised her hands and blobs of purple liquid came out of his father''s body.


    "Ying!"


    Instead of answering, Chang Xiuying pressed her index finger on her lips. Augustus'' breathing slowed then quickened. This time, she pressed both of her hands on the King''s chest to forcefully put his mana in order. When all of the poisoned mana were out of Augustus'' body, she broke the spell that was slowly killing him.


    Chang Xiuying whispered, "I can''t supply lost mana. Do you have any mana recovery potions?"


    "I''ll take some from my room."


    "It''s dangerous if you leave. I''ll get it. Where did you put the potions?"


    "You will find a bag near my bed."


    Chang Xiuying disappeared and appeared in the next moment. Moreover, she was empty handed.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "I forgot to ask you which room."


    "... just below this room."


    Then she disappeared again and appeared after a few moments. She retrieved a glass filled with blue liquid and immediately handed it over to Gaius. The prince helped his father up to drink the potion down his throat.


    Chang Xiuying watched Augustus'' mana closely as it regained its vitality. However, his life force couldn''t be resupplied. Ah right¡­ the Qi!


    "Gaius, I''m going to put some Qi in your father''s body. Is that okay?"


    "Will it turn him back?"


    "Yes. But I don''t know if his body will reject or accept it."


    "Please try..."


    "Alright."


    Well, at least they saved him from death. Gaius sighed in relief once he saw his father''s countenance.


    "So, Ying¡­ where did the spell come from?"


    "In an elemental shop."


    "... why would they curse father?"


    "In actuality, they wouldn''t do anything unless they are paid. Since this is concerning the King, you might be the next target if this is about the throne. The perpetrator must be in the castle. So, you have to take care and always watch your back. Understood?"


    "How about you? What will you do?"


    "Since I already got involved, I will help you. I will find out the reason behind this conspiracy. Is that all okay?"


    "Of course!"


    However, suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Then, a sweet voice called out, "Gaius?"


    Chang Xiuying immediately hid in the shadows and watched as a woman in her royal garb entered the vicinity. She was beautiful and elegant.


    Audrey Cabrera, the Queen of Lasirion Kingdom.


    "Gaius, is His Majesty all right?"


    "Father is in good condition now, Mother. Is everything alright at your side?"


    "Everything is a mess¡­ the ministers are frantic and worried about His Majesty''s health. They are also worrying about you going to the throne."


    "Mother, I''m only 19..."


    "Old enough to rule the kingdom."


    "I''m not wise¡­ and I don''t have what it takes to be the King," he looked at Augustus'' peaceful sleeping face then said, "Besides, Father will be the King for a lot of years."


    Audrey''s brows furrowed as he looked at Augustus'' restored skin. Her eyes went wide from surprise. "What¡­ what?"


    "Yes, Mother? Is something the matter?"


    "No¡­ no, everything is fine, son. Dinner will start in a few minutes. Be sure to get there early. I am just going to stay here to watch His Majesty."


    Chang Xiuying appeared in her blindspot and gestured to get Gaius'' attention. When she successfully got it, she shook her head and formed a cross with her arms.


    Gaius glanced then nodded. "Mother, please join me."


    "No¡­ I will stay. I still want to watch your father."


    "Then I shall also stay. I am also worried about Father."


    Audrey sighed then, "I believe it is time for dinner. We shall depart."


    Gaius followed his mother into the dining hall while Chang Xiuying remained in the King''s room. She inspected every nook and cranny of the room with her enhanced eyes that could detect even a small amount of leftover mana.


    She found the same kind of mana from the earlier encounter. That person could be the culprit, but she didn''t have enough evidence. She would have to wait and see how everything plays out.


    ***


    Tomorrow came and Gaius came to the guild to report their mission as a success. He passed over the high quality ores to the reception then went to the school with Akira, Leovanni and Caine. He looked around to look for Chang Xiuying, but he couldn''t find her. She must still be accompanying the King.


    When they entered the academy, a lot of students congregated at one point. There was too much commotion from that group.


    "Sir Jude!" They cheered.


    "Why are they so excited about this Jude guy?" Gaius asked.


    "The Blanche is here to demonstrate some combat skills and elemental skills, they say," Akira answered as she played with fire in her hand.


    "Where''s Xiuying, by the way?" Leovanni looked around.


    "She''s uh---"


    "Late," Chang Xiuying suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They flinched from the sudden response as they looked at her with incredulous eyes.


    "Ying, where have you been?" Gaius whispered beside her.


    "The King is in danger four times just this day," she sighed as she whispered back. "I can''t believe that they wanted to kill him that much. I left a tiny amount of Qi in his body to protect him from poisons and curses. I don''t know if they''ll resort to violence later. By the way, what''s the commotion about?"


    "Just some Blanche guys that came to give lectures."


    Chang Xiuying nodded but stopped halfway.


    Blanche?


    The Blanche?! Those people that existed to execute justice? Why are they here?! She was found out?


    Suddenly, the crowd split into two and a handsome man walked at the center. Moreover, he was looking at Chang Xiuying.


    "What would your name be?" Jude asked when he was in front of Chang Xiuying. She raised one of her brows then walked out.


    Gaius sighed in relief as he followed Chang Xiuying with a smile.


    Jude touched his chin, looking at the girl he took notice of. She was attractive and her aura portrayed how strong she was. Even the fluid motions of her body was magnificent. Indeed, he was attracted. He didn''t have any idea that she was the enemy he was looking all over for. At all. Since their only means of recognition was her surging power that could be felt miles away.


    Despite the cold shoulder she gave him, he still followed them and left Akira''s group behind.


    The time came where Jude was in Chang Xiuying''s knight class. He was excited to see Chang Xiuying in action. However, it disappointed him when nobody even tried fighting her. Though some male came to get pointers from her, the females were swarming around him.


    When the class was close to an end, Jude suddenly raised a challenge.


    He wanted to take on Chang Xiuying and see for himself how strong she was. His opponent sighed as she took on a stance not far from where he was.


    "Belittle me all you want, Xiuying. I will remain victorious and look at my cool side!"


    Jude attacked and Chang Xiuying parried then used his weight to throw him on the ground. It was clean and precise.


    "Huh?"


    "You''re weak," she taunted.


    Jude chuckled then attacked Chang Xiuying once again with his sword. However, it ended with his loss. He groaned in frustration. How could he be defeated by a mere girl?! He was one of the top swordsmen in Blanche! Well¡­ kind of at the top.


    Chang Xiuying leaned on her sword as a cane and looked playfully at Jude. She smirked as she thought, ''This is one of my opponents? How weak. If you came to kill me, what height would your strength reach?''


    The class ended with Chang Xiuying being praised.


    However, she suddenly felt that something attacked the King. She ran to a shadowed area but she was stopped by a hand. She looked back with irritation and saw Jude smiling at her.

 51 Threat in all sides

    Chang Xiuying stiffened and they both stared at each other. They never took their eyes off until Chang Xiuying said, "What seems the matter, sir Jude?"


    "Who are you?"


    "Chang Xiuying," she tersed.


    "No¡­ who are you, really? Your fighting style is different from this world. Are you a transmigrator? Where did you come from? Earth?"


    Chang Xiuying tilted her head then asked, "Earth? I don''t know that. Sorry, but I really need to go," then she forcefully pulled her arms from Jude''s hands. He didn''t feel any stronger power from her actions but he was still amazed at the fact that she could still do that after all the strength he put in his arm.


    "Alright," he finally let Chang Xiuying go. He watched the female disappear into the shadow. His eyes went wide and suddenly recalled something about his mission.


    There was a description of that person''s power. It was written that she had the power to control dark energies. She could also control other basic and advanced elements. She also had an unbelievable strength in her body.


    The cogs in his brain moved and he was suddenly suspicious about Chang Xiuying''s ability. However, he couldn''t feel any influx of energy around her body. He might be mistaken. He shrugged his shoulders then went back to the others.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying arrived in the King''s room and she saw how he was stabbed in his heart. He stopped breathing and she couldn''t do anything. Then, she tried recalling the energy from the King''s body.


    Ah. She still felt it burning. She looked at the corpse and examined his body.


    Indeed, a body double.


    She was glad that the King didn''t die.


    However, her senses picked up a puny amount of presence and saw someone hiding at the shadow of the curtain. She sunk in her own shadow and went behind that person. Her hands retrieved a sharp dagger from her item box, then settled it on that person''s neck.


    "Don''t move," she whispered.


    From that person''s built, it was a male. He chuckled then stabbed Chang Xiuying from the front, between his arm and waist. However, he couldn''t feel the flesh, rather, he felt hard skin. He tried turning around but his limbs were as if being pinned down.


    "Did you kill the King?" Chang Xiuying asked menacingly.


    He was silent.


    "If you continued to be silent, I will acknowledge that you killed the King."


    He was still silent.


    "Do you really don''t have the intention to speak? Then forgive me if I did something against your will," she said then rang the chains in her mind. There was a drop of white, sparkling water and it traveled into her fingertips into the man''s head.


    He scrunched his face in distaste then it slowly relaxed.


    "Did you kill the King?"


    "I do not have the will to answer that," the man''s deep voice echoed in the room.


    "If you answered?"


    Chang Xiuying examined the man''s body and saw that there was a timed bomb made with mana in his mana pool. She released the man from her clutches and watched him try regaining his consciousness back. When he regained his awareness, his body stiffened as he expected to be attacked. But the child only looked at him pitifully.


    "I can remove the bomb in your mana pool. If that was what you are accomplishing for."


    The man''s eyes widened.


    "How did you know?"


    "I can see it."


    He shook his head then said, "Another life is at risk. Sorry, but I have to end you here."


    Chang Xiuying relaxed as the man took his stance.


    "At least tell me your name."


    "Do you think I''ll tell you?"


    "Of course not. I am just trying my luck."


    Then the man lunged at Chang Xiuying. She outstretched her hand then grabbed his collar and his belt, ignoring his attacks and flung him outside the window. The glass shattered and Chang Xiuying followed the man out by slipping into the shadows.


    She could hear footsteps approaching the King''s room. Those guards must have heard the commotion and they would find the corpse sooner. She wouldn''t be caught anyway, so she focused on that man''s body dangling on the garden''s tree. Thankfully, he survived the fall.


    Chang Xiuying emerged out of the shadow and checked the guy out, but she was caught by the knights from the window. After all, they could see a woman they couldn''t recognize. Even though they worked in the castle for years and eventually memorized the people working in the castle, they couldn''t find one resemblance.


    Dang¡­ she must be a criminal now. Whatever.


    However, the man suddenly got up and threw daggers coated with a vicious, purple liquid. Chang Xiuying stretched out her arm and then caught those daggers between her fingers. They were still in the castle grounds and they could hear the knights'' footsteps coming to their direction.


    When the knights were close enough, she disappeared into her own shadow and left the man on his own. He was eventually caught and those knights recognized him.


    "Sir Jareth!"


    "Why are you here? How is Her Majesty?"


    Chang Xiuying touched her chin.


    I see.


    "Sir Jareth! We found the King''s corpse in his room! We already dispatched the knights to circle the grounds and trap the culprit."


    "It''s no use. The culprit can hide in the shadows."


    ''Wait what?'' Chang Xiuying groaned and looked at that guy, Jareth, as she rolled her eyes. He clearly knew that she just happened to pass by. Does his claim mean that he was really the one who killed that body double? If he was working with the Queen, then, that woman played a big role in the King''s assassination.


    "This will be a state of emergency. I know her face and she might still be lingering in the vicinity. We have to strengthen our defense to not let her out of the castle grounds. After all, shadow users can only hide in the shadows. She will eventually come out."


    After a moment, the security became tight. There were multiple knights in each entrance and few knights were guarding the wall in case the perpetrator used to wall to escape. There were also elementals in the bunch.


    Chang Xiuying rested her chin on her hand as she watched over them.


    Too bad that they wouldn''t be able to catch her. She walked through shadows and eventually arrived where Gaius was in his dorm.


    "Gaius," she called.


    Gaius flinched from the sudden call then looked behind where Chang Xiuying was.


    "What''s the matter?"


    "The King''s body double was killed."


    Gaius'' eyes went wide from the sudden revelation. He grabbed Chang Xiuying''s arms as his body shook. "Who?" He asked.


    "Someone named Jareth, I presume. He was there when I was in the King''s room, hiding."


    "Ah¡­ that person is Mother''s hired knight."


    "But he was using daggers."


    Gaius'' face fell into contemplation.


    "That can''t be right. He is a master swordsman. I''ve seen his skills when I was living in the castle. You must have seen the wrong person. Besides, he''s not a bad guy."


    Chang Xiuying sighed, "Just so you know, the Queen has a huge role on all these," then disappeared.


    Gaius tilted his head as he watched her disappear into her shadow. Then, suddenly, someone knocked on his door. It was rather violent.


    "Prince Gaius!"


    He immediately opened the door and what welcomed him were the familiar knights working in the castle. Their faces were pale as they heaved. They saluted and one of them said, "Your highness, the Queen calls you to the castle."


    He nodded then the knights quickly left to give him time to change his clothes. Finishing that task, though he was still bothered by what Chang Xiuying said, he went to the castle. The castle stood in sight and Gaius entered the main gate. He looked around and saw how the knights were tight on security.


    His pace quickened until he reached the throne room where his mother, Audrey Cabrera, was situated. There were a lot of knights and a few ministers.


    "Yes, Mother?"


    However, she only raised her hand and the knights apprehended the prince.


    "Mother?!"


    "Throw him in the dungeon," she coldly said.


    "Wait! Mother! What''s going on?!" Gaius tried his best to remove those hands off him.


    "The prince is suspected of poisoning the King. Until everything is cleared, you will be free."


    "I didn''t do anything!"


    "You are seen that you''ve been a companion of this individual," Audrey showed an image of Chang Xiuying using a crystal ball.


    "She was declared as a demon and was banished from the Lasirion Kingdom. However, you tried to protect her and even invited her to live near Lasirion City. You traveled with her and learned her despicable ways. Do you have any rebukes?"


    Gaius stayed silent and let himself be thrown into a dungeon cell. Although it was more clean than the other cells. It seemed like they prepared it beforehand. There was an acceptable bed, warm blankets and a clean toilet.


    "I knew that this would happen," Gaius heard that familiar voice coming from behind him.


    "Ying..."


    Chang Xiuying was sitting on the bed and was holding a thick book.


    "Where did you go?"


    "I went around and inspected things."


    "Did you find anything? Anything that will clear my name?"


    "From what I heard in the throne room, you are thrown here because of me."


    Gaius was silent as he nodded.


    "Alright, since we don''t have any ways to clear your name, let''s move on to why I am here. Something big will happen and it concerns Lasirion Kingdom. It''s either you break out of here and die while fighting or you stay here and die alone."

 52 Dimensional Tear

    Gaius was trembling in his prison cell as he looked at the wall. On the wall, there was a kind of calendar and exactly today, there was a circle drawn around it. The room was equally hot and he was drenched in cold sweat.


    He was waiting¡­ and waiting for that cursed day to come.


    Suddenly, he sensed a presence at his peripheral vision and saw a woman taller than himself. Her body was firm and strong. She exudes an aura of a Queen and this made Gaius admire her more.


    "It''s time," she said in her melodious voice. Her red eyes shone glew brighter than the moon.


    "Alright," Gaius said as he stood up with his trembling legs. He tried his best to stop, but he just couldn''t. After all, today might be the day that he would die.


    "I''ll do my best to stall whoever comes out of the dimension tear as you do your best to run amok here."


    "I believe in you."


    Chang Xiuying smiled at him then disappeared in the shadows.


    Gaius took a deep breath and then shouted, his voice carrying his enhanced mana, "Guards!!! There is a calamity that will befall us today! Please heed my words and prepare for battle!"


    The knight that was guarding the entrance of the dungeon was confused as he checked Gaius'' condition. "Your highness, what''s the matter?"


    "Please! This is the time where you need to be more vigilant! The monsters are coming! Save your lives!"


    "The monsters?" The knights chuckled. "Your highness, there are monsters everywhere. We''ve been battling them for how many years. Although we couldn''t defeat the Primordial monsters¡­ we can take care of the small fries. So, Your highness---"


    "Believe me or you''ll face the consequences," Gaius said as he clutched the knight''s garment.


    "Yes, yes. I will report to Her Majesty---"


    Suddenly, before the knight could even finish his sentence, there was a loud roar that came from outside. Then a small quake came after. That roar was different from what they heard and it carried an endless amount of power that shook their mana pool.


    The knight broke out of his stupor. Gaius took this opportunity and said, "Release me and we''ll fight those monsters together."


    The knight was hesitant, but the prince was deemed innocent, so he could release him. However, he just couldn''t act without the superior''s decision. When he was about to respond, he couldn''t. He couldn''t even move his body.


    Gaius sighed then said, "I can move and the people can''t. So, let me go. I will help defeat those monsters. Look directly into my eyes if you agree."


    Then he got his answer. Gaius reached out to the knight''s belt and got the keys. He tried them one by one until he got out. He inserted Qi into the knight''s body and then helped him release his meridians that were blocked. Those blockages were new and just appeared when they heard a loud roar.


    Gaius quickly went to the academy then searched for Akira, Leovanni and Caine. Besides those three, he also released a few outstanding students and teachers.


    "Listen¡­ we need to help Xiuying and fight those monsters. She said that---"


    "Are you saying that we need to help a demon?"


    Gaius looked at Hugh Presman and said, "She''s saving Lasirion from total destruction. We also need to do our duty and protect our homeland. This is also the first time that this happened. She analyzed the tear before it could even open---"


    "Maybe she''s the one that opened that tear then planned to save us and hail her as a hero. After, she will kill us all or even trick us into serving her---"


    "Hugh, shut up!" Akira yelled.


    "We can''t just idle here. We need to help her," Gaius said.


    Hugh groaned then nodded as the others followed suit.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying was fighting the huge monsters coming out of the tear with her people. Fortunately, the tear was outside of the city. They could fight without any hindrances. Qiang Zhihao spread out his legs and struck the monster''s belly with his open palm. Qi erupted from his hand that created a hole on the creature. The same goes to the 100 people as they fought barehanded. However, they were being pushed back.


    "Xue! What are these monsters?!" She loudly exclaimed.


    [From the power radiating from their bodies, they are Calamity monsters. They are higher beings than the Primordial monsters. Since they use Qi rather than mana.]


    "What?!" Chang Xiuying exclaimed as she deeply scratched a monster''s neck. She cursed as she landed. The monster swung its fist and sent Chang Xiuying flying.


    [This world is done for. Even you, the strongest here, can''t kill one.]


    "Ugh!" She exclaimed as she crashed on the ground. " Shut up! I will decimate them!"


    [Oh right. Host, you forgot to remove your limiter.]


    "..."


    Chang Xiuying calmed herself then sighed. She removed all of her limiters then jumped to the monster that was on the verge of healing its wound that she gave. She imbued her Qi on her weapon and violently twisted her body like a circular saw then cut the monster''s neck.


    Successfully killing one, she removed her contacts and stared directly at the other monsters.


    It was one of the skills her eyes gave her. Whenever they stare at her red eyes, her opponent could feel the imminent danger and would back out. However, it didn''t work on those monsters.


    She clicked her tongue and just went on to kill monsters one by one.


    Suddenly, she felt presences coming from the city. Gaius must have successfully come out of his prison and brought reinforcements. It was exactly that when she saw knights and the students she could recognize.


    "Ying!"


    "Fall back!!! These guys are Calamity monsters!"


    When they heard that, they immediately stopped their approach.


    Calamity? The one in the myths?


    Their eyes widened and they immediately fell back. Chang Xiuying sighed in relief and then fought one. However, dozens of Calamity monsters were coming out of the tear. Chang Xiuying couldn''t possibly fight them all together. Even if she left some to the others, they would only be annihilated.


    After about hundreds of Calamity monsters, normal monsters came out like water.


    Chang Xiuying condensed fire from her palms and struck those monsters. The fireballs were ineffective.


    "... Xue, what about those monsters?"


    [They are low-rank Primordial monsters.]


    Chang Xiuying tried looking at them to see if there were any resonance, but there wasn''t. How¡­ what¡­ what in the world?!


    At the edge of her sight, she could see Gaius fighting the nor---low-rank monsters with his elements and practices as a knight. Suddenly, there were reinforcements but Chang Xiuying couldn''t recognize them. They were dressed in clothes that adventurers usually use.


    As Chang Xiuying fought and killed one by one, those people had to be in a group to defeat one Primordial monster.


    She clicked her tongue in irritation.


    She didn''t know that those people are S-rank adventurers that came to help them. They were trying their best to fend off the monsters coming near the wall. Adventurers rank B to S were surrounding Lasirion as they teamed up to eliminate the monsters.


    Chang Xiuying suddenly thought, how about Thelorion?! They must be in the same situation as them. She groaned in frustration for not being there to help. Contrary to her expectations, Thelorion wasn''t facing those higher beings. The monsters were all intermediate to high-rank. It was as if the person who opened the tear knew of her powers and came to eliminate her from the surface of this world.


    The monsters coming out of the Lasirion tear continued as Chang Xiuying killed the Calamity monsters. The people that broke out of the paralysis were amazed as they watched a woman defeat those humongous monsters out of Lasirion.


    Suddenly, the Calamity monsters grouped together and plowed their way towards Chang Xiuying. They divided their numbers and focused on destroying the city of Lasirion. Chang Xiuying clicked her tongue.


    The leader of those Calamity monsters was a turtle, every inch of its skin was covered in dense diamonds. Even Chang Xiuying had a hard time destroying the shell.


    When the monsters saw that, they immediately pushed those that had high defensive abilities while those that had high offensive capabilities approached the city.


    Chang Xiuying''s face turned aghast. Since then, she couldn''t focus on her own fight as she monitored the people fighting off those Primordial monsters.


    She shook her head and her eyes became sharp.


    "Focus, Chang Xiuying. You have to win this."


    Then she retrieved two swords from her item box and brandished them towards those monsters. The hard shell of diamonds of the turtle shattered and revealed its soft neck. Chang Xiuying focused her attack on that one spot.


    She screamed as she pushed her sword from the soft interior until on the hard exterior of the turtle.

 53 Gates

    Gaius watched how the headless turtle of calamity collapsed on the ground. They were relieved that Chang Xiuying was the one fighting those monsters and not them. However, they wouldn''t be able to do anything to her anymore. Since her prowess were clearly shown to them all.


    Suddenly, when they were close to defeating this one Primordial panther, it howled and its Qi covered its body and their attacks weren''t effective as last time. The panther''s eyes became red due to rage and attacked them violently. Gaius ordered the others to defend the group tightly as they prepared for the last resort to kill the panther.


    Before they could consolidate a plan, Jude came and slashed the monster''s neck and left a deep scratch. His attacks didn''t end there. He continuously slashed and stabbed the panther until it collapsed as it heaved.


    "Sir Jude!" They exclaimed.


    Jude breathed deeply, wiping away his sweat, then turned towards the students. "This is not the time to talk. We need to protect Lasirion with all our might."


    "But sir! We can''t possibly kill hundreds of monsters before they breach the wall!"


    Jude sighed then looked at Chang Xiuying who was fighting those Calamity monsters. He finally recognized her. The one he had been looking for in this world. The common enemy of mankind, yet she was saving them and even risking her life to protect Lasirion. What was her goal? However, he put those thoughts behind his head and focused on the matter at hand.


    "We have a powerful backer this time. Be at ease and fight for your homeland," he said then slashed the incoming bird monster on its neck. Blood spurted out as the bird thrashed in the air. Jude gave one more deep cut on the same wound and he beheaded the monster.


    Akira released a highly concentrated blue flame from her hands and burned some that was coming on their way. The weaker monster howled in agony as the flames continued to burn their skin until their flesh melted. However, the stronger monsters remained calm and even used the flame to their advantage.


    "What in the world?!" She exclaimed in irritation.


    Those monsters burned the surroundings and used it as their playground.


    They were partly relieved that the weaker monsters couldn''t go through the flame wall, but it was still a disadvantage since they have to face monsters with high defensive and offensive capabilities. Now, they were grateful that Chang Xiuying was holding back those monsters of Calamity.


    Despite the words and actions they spit out at Chang Xiuying, she still faced herself in front of grave danger. Even if she was branded as a demon, they would treat her better the next time they would meet.


    Leovanni froze the monsters until they couldn''t move anymore. However, his mana was depleted once he froze around six monsters.


    "Leovanni, get some rest and restore your mana," Gaius said as he heaved.


    When he slumped down, Akira also slumped down next to him. He saw that she had wounds all over her body.


    "Akira, here," Leovanni said as he handed her over his mana potion.


    "No. I''m good. It''s just the backlash of using a higher level of power. Use that for yourself---haaa---I need to stop talking. I''m tired as heck."


    Fortunately, they were pretty lax since there were a lot of people that came to help them.


    Suddenly, Caine came back to them with a few broken bones and slumped next to them. He overestimated himself since he defeated over two Primordial monsters with the support of the other students. That was his biggest achievement since he joined Lasirion Academy.


    Leovanni quickly retrieved a lot of recovery potions and made Caine drink them as his wrists were all broken.


    "Thanks," Caine said.


    Akira exhaled heavily then stood up. "I''m pretty much recovered, time to head out."


    Leovanni waved his hand and sent her away. Next, Gaius came to them and said, "There''s no end to these monsters..." then sat down and circulated his Qi to recover.


    "At least Xiuying is holding most of them down¡­ we are basically dealing with monsters that escaped her attacks," Caine said as he tried moving his aching wrists.


    Leovanni looked around and saw that the monsters were decreasing and a lot of exhausted people were resting as the stronger ones kept on fighting. Mostly the adventurers had so much energy to fight higher beings.


    A lot of time passed and Jude came to them, covered in sweat.


    "Sir Jude," they greeted despite the exhaustion they felt. A little longer and they would want a long rest.


    "The monsters decreased and we have a lot of death counts," he sighed then continued, "We can''t keep on continuing like this..."


    Meanwhile, when the numbers of monsters going out of the tear were falling, Chang Xiuying could feel her oceanic life energy depleting. Moreover, she was exhausted beyond relief.


    The Calamity monsters were nowhere in sight as she stored them all in her item box. She slumped down on the ground and collapsed. She heaved until she caught her breath. When she looked inside her body, her filled oceanic life energy was close to being empty. She expended that much energy just to protect Lasirion. She couldn''t help but be bitter about it.


    Chang Xiuying sighed as she gathered energies around her. She was in front of the tear, so an endless amount of mana and Qi forced their way into her body. She fell in a state where she couldn''t feel, see or hear anything around her.


    However, the tear had no intention to close. It remained open as if there were still monsters coming out of it.


    Jude came and saw Chang Xiuying in deep meditation. His heart trembled and fell in a state of dilemma. This young girl risked herself to protect a mere city, yet she was their enemy; the enemy of Blanche along with her entire family. Not her family on Earth or in the Central Marsh, but her family of origins.


    She was so vulnerable right now and he could kill her right this instant. He grabbed the hilt of his sword that was sheathed on his waist. His hands trembled. He could do it now¡­ or not.


    He could do it now¡­ or never. Since this existence will only get stronger than she is right now.


    Before he could decide, a storm of mana and Qi came out of the tear as it enveloped the whole atmosphere. He became dizzy from too much mana and a breach of another force into his body. Before he knew it, he collapsed and felt his consciousness slipping away from him.


    Not just him, but all of the people in Lasirion and neighboring countries fell into a coma. Soon, it reached Thelorion and the energies they exert were merged and the atmosphere became thicker than it was before. In that instant, everybody collapsed and no one was seen awake.


    Months passed until Chang Xiuying woke up from her meditation.


    She could feel the cores swirling in her body as it slowly merged with her bloodstream. Now, there weren''t any more cores floating above her filled oceanic life energy.


    "Xue..." she called.


    [Yes?]


    "How many days had passed?"


    [Exactly 265 days.]


    Chang Xiuying looked around her and saw Jude lying unconscious just near her. She equipped her limiter and approached him. There were grasses and leaves on his body as if it never moved even an inch. She carried him until she also saw people lying on the ground.


    "Xue¡­ what happened?"


    [The tear exerted a vast amount of mana and Qi and multiple more tears came out in the expanse of 265 days. In this situation, they would be called ''Gates''. They were permanent and would lead to different worlds when you pass by it.]


    Chang Xiuying touched her chin and mumbled, "Interesting..."


    [Though monsters from different dimensions will come out.]


    "But why did the people collapse? Is it the influx of power?"


    [Yes. Their bodies couldn''t handle the sudden increase of mana and fell into a state of coma. Don''t worry though, they''ll eventually wake up. Once they do, they''ll be stronger. The people who have more potential to grow will wake up first than everyone.]


    "I see," she said then started picking up people to bring them into Lasirion. Since she was the only one who was awake, she felt obligated to bring the people, who helped her fight those monsters, to a place close to a hospital.


    She didn''t find any place that was close to a hospital, but she did find dorms and inns. Those would be a good choice. She laid people on beds then went out to look out for the Gate of Lasirion. She tried touching the liquid like surface of the Gate. Her hands passed through then she saw how the hidden bracelet on her wrist glowed.


    She retreated then stared at the item she obtained back in Central Marsh---which she forgot.


    Anyway, since she could pass freely, she would try it sometime. But first, she had to wait for the people to wake up.

 54 Into a New World

    Ever since the Gates appeared, the number of unknown monsters appeared. There were even elves, dwarves and more demons. Their strength leveled that of S-rank adventurers and the weakest would be at C-rank. Fortunately, the gates of the cities were shut tight and the monsters never attempted to attack either.


    However, Thelorion was under the siege of monsters. The city was taken and the monsters reigned. The citizens were killed and treated as food for the dwelling monsters.


    When the first person woke up from their long sleep, a year and six months had already passed.


    "What¡­ happened?" he mumbled as he got up from his bed. He looked around to inspect if anything changed. Of course, his room was filled with dust. When his feet touched the wooden floor, it creaked and then broke. His fall sent him to the first floor, but he wasn''t injured nor he could feel any extreme pain from falling.


    He looked around and saw a few people collapsed on the tables of the diner. Then, for some reason, he heard something outside. He hurriedly went out and saw a woman walking down the stoned road, eating skewered meat. Their eyes met and her red eyes showed joy.


    "Hey!" She called him.


    "Who are you? What happened?"


    "Chang Xiuying. There was a sudden catastrophic event that made people sleep. Gates appeared everywhere in this world."


    "Gates?"


    "Dimensional tears."


    He tilted his head.


    "A gap in space that connects two worlds."


    "Hmm¡­ okay."


    "You''re the first person I saw awake here. What''s your name?"


    "Alaric. Alaric Heath," he stretched out his hand then shook hands with Chang Xiuying.


    "So, do you feel any changes in your body?"


    "... my hearing, eyes and sense of touch became sharp¡­ ah, right. I have to pay for the floor I broke..."


    Chang Xiuying observed Alaric more closely. Suddenly, she threw a light punch at him. Even though it was light, it still carried force that could destroy a building into shambles. Alaric''s eyes went wide and then dodged it within a hair''s breadth.


    "Your body also improved," she said.


    Alaric blinked a few times then looked at his hands. He also tried throwing a punch at Chang Xiuying. His hand was quicker than before and carried more force. She caught his hand, but it was enough for him to know his capabilities. He was surprised with the sudden power up.


    "How¡­ many days have passed?"


    "One year, six months and fourteen days."


    "You''ve been awake all this time?"


    "No. I only found out when 265 days passed."


    "Still¡­ it sounds so accurate. How?"


    "It doesn''t matter anyway. So, I''ve been protecting this city ever since I woke up. It means that you also have to protect this city from now on."


    "I¡­ I can''t do that. I''m only a dishwasher at a diner..."


    "You have the strength and ability though."


    "Yet you have the most potential. You''re the very first guy that awakened in Lasirion. If that is your problem, then I can accompany you to kill monsters. I''ll let you grow."


    "But..."


    "You have the power, Alaric."


    Alaric held his head and eventually nodded. "Alright. I''ll do it."


    "Good. Follow me," she said as she finished her skewer then turned around. Alaric followed with heavy footsteps. Chang Xiuying naturally noticed this and told him, "Don''t be so stiff. I am with you."


    "Oh¡­ okay."


    They walked down the road, exited through the northern gate and went into Avira. The monsters in Avira increased since the day the dimensional tear appeared and it increased exponentially through mating. There were mixed species and stronger genes.


    "Uhm¡­ I don''t have a weapon..." Alaric suddenly blurted out.


    "Don''t worry, I have some in my item box. Which weapon do you prefer?"


    "I¡­ don''t know."


    "Well, we have the time to figure it out while we hunt. For starters, which weapon do you want to use first?"


    "A gu---a bow."


    "Gun? I have a few."


    "Eh?"


    "I have guns."


    "How¡­ is that possible? This is a world without guns."


    "Why do you know it then?"


    "... I used to handle a gun in my previous life," he confessed.


    "Oh, I see," Chang Xiuying said as she retrieved a gun from her item box. "Here. This one uses mana as bullets."


    Alaric stared at the weapon in his hands then looked at the female. "Where did you get this?"


    "From somewhere far from here."


    "Alright..." knowing that he wouldn''t be able to get more information from her, he gave up and tried handling the gun if he still had the ability to wield it. He tried shooting and the direction was off. He needed to practice more.


    Then they encountered their first monster and it was a mixture of a lion as its head and its body that seemed like a hide made of Qi. Alaric tried shooting at the monster''s head but its skin was tough. It didn''t go through at all. After a few rounds, his mana depleted.


    Chang Xiuying gave him a sword, but he refused and said, "I would rather use a katana. I used to have one, though it was only a toy."


    "Here," then she handed a katana to him.


    "You¡­ have a lot of weapons in your item box."


    "I collect them for a hobby."


    "I see¡­ here, the gun."


    "Nah. You keep it."


    "Oh¡­ are you sure?"


    "Yeah."


    "Okay."


    It seemed like the katana was made for Alaric as he plowed through the monster with his raw strength, though his execution of techniques needs more polishing.. Chang Xiuying whistled in amazement.


    "You do have the most potential. Interesting..." she touched her chin.


    When the monster died, its mana and Qi got absorbed through Alaric''s body. He felt his body getting lighter and he could feel his strength improving.


    "We just have to hunt monsters along the way. I can also cook for you."


    "Thanks, that would be a great help."


    "No worries. We are a team for now," Chang Xiuying patted his back and they continued hunting until it was time for dinner. They went back to the inn where Alaric was staying in and they saw another person standing in front of the inn. Moreover, Chang Xiuying could recognize who she was. With her busty chest and demi-human traits, it was Flora. When Flora sensed Chang Xiuying, she immediately looked at them and raised a questioning brow.


    "Who are you?"


    Seeing that he was the one being stared at, he responded, "Me? I''m Alaric Heath. How about you?"


    "Flora," she tersed.


    "Perfect. Since Flora is here, we can let her cook as we talk."


    "Master, why are you with him?"


    "We hunted monsters for his experience. Also, to gather food."


    "Are you sure we need to stay inside the city? We were banished¡­ What if those people wake up and take Master?"


    "Don''t worry, I built a small house for me outside the city. Since I have to fight strong monsters who were here to destroy the city. After all, I can''t leave this place unguarded."


    Flora sighed then said, "Master¡­ you''re too softhearted..."


    "I am? I always think I am not."


    "Why else would you try saving this place that abandoned you?"


    Chang Xiuying touched her chin. "Well, we have to open up a business near Lasirion, we need to build up more connections for the shop. If Lasirion is gone, how can we conduct our business here? Besides¡­ wouldn''t people incline to the side of their savior?" She grinned.


    "Excuses," Flora said.


    "What? Hey!"


    "Anyway, sit wherever. I''ll come back with food."


    Chang Xiuying just stood there as she watched Flora enter the diner plus inn.


    "I guess¡­ we should go," she scratched her nape and turned at Alaric who was already inside.


    "..."


    Chang Xiuying entered alone and sat next to Alaric and waited silently for the food. They never really had anything to talk about or anything in particular. They weren''t that close either to talk for long. Fortunately, Flora exited the kitchen and served them with a variety of meat dishes.


    When they finished their dinner, they went into the vacant rooms of the inn. They slept and woke up early in the morning. Since there wasn''t a bell, they had to guess which time it was by the position of the sun. They went out to hunt and procure food until their numbers increased into five after four more months of waiting.


    The additions were Gaius and Farma, one of Chang Xiuying''s followers. They mostly spent their time hunting and grinding for experience. When a powerful monster came out of the Gate, they would eliminate it even without Chang Xiuying''s help. They were joyous for their improvement.


    Since Chang Xiuying didn''t contribute much in the fights, she was tasked to cook for the fighters.


    Their numbers increased as time passed by. For some reason, they already ignored the day and months that passed. But Chang Xiuying paid close attention.


    After three more years, a lot of people woke up each day and it kept on increasing. Chang Xiuying lived outside of Lasirion starting from that day with her followers and opened up a diner. Of course, the house was made by them; it was made to be sturdy even amongst stronger monsters.


    Strangely, people went to and fro in their diner as they trained their reinforced body in Avira. It gave great motivation to the people and it also gained compliments from other cities.


    Besides that, it was time for Chang Xiuying to explore the world that was connected through the Gate of Lasirion.


    However, when her team approached the Gate, they were repelled and Chang Xiuying was the only one able to enter.

 55 Male Supremacy

    Destroyed buildings, more like ruins, gathered. It also seemed devoid of people as she couldn''t find even a trace of human life. She looked back, expecting her comrades to be with her, but when she realized they weren''t here, she tried going back. However, it didn''t let her go back. It repelled her hand as she was flung away to a ruined house.


    "What¡­ in the world?" She muttered as she stood up from the rubbles.


    Suddenly, there was a guttural growl near her. She then felt humans watching that deformed monster as they strategize on how to take it on. Chang Xiuying only stayed hidden and watched.


    Once they got out, their group only consisted of males. There weren''t any---ah, there was a female that seemed to act as a bait. She fearlessly stood in front of the monster. When she got its attention, she immediately ran towards the direction of the male hunters. Of course, the monster ran after her without knowing the danger behind.


    The woman moved as if she aggro monsters several times. She knew how to constantly take its attention until she reached where the others were. The males readied their weapons then attacked once the monster was within their range. They shouted as their leader gave instructions.


    However¡­ Chang Xiuying couldn''t understand their language.


    Anyway, they formed a circle as they entrapped the monster and then started attacking one by one in the monster''s blind spot. Whenever it faces against a human to attack, he would be attacked from behind as the one against the monster would either block or attack. Moreover, it was deeply wounded. Those people must have been strong. The woman might be strong too but she never partook the fight and just watched at the sideline.


    The men continued until the monster''s stamina depleted then collapsed in exhaustion. It took about around an hour. They gave the finishing blow as the buff man slashed at the monster''s neck. They let the monster drain its blood as the woman started giving water and food to the hunters with her head hung low. They accepted it then they pointed at the monster. The woman looked at the man and the monster before nodding. It seemed that she was ordered to bring the monster back to their base.


    Chang Xiuying watched and then followed them. She also noticed how the girl could lift the monster and the heavy bag she was carrying. She touched her chin as she wondered why the woman would only let those guys do that to her.


    She remembered the place for now then went back to where one of the Gates was. However, there were monsters coming into the Gate.


    Wait¡­ if only monsters could enter, does that mean she was also a monster? If not, then how could she be able to enter? It remained a mystery for her. Oh right, when she tried going back, she was rejected, so she couldn''t be a monster.


    When the monster invasion finished, she tried once again to see if she could pass through. Before she knew, she was flung away to the very same ruined house. She sighed then stood up once again. This time, she just wandered the place until she found a small house with a wooden fence and wires all around the area. There were bells in each wire as if it was an alarm for an incoming attack.


    Chang Xiuying plucked one wire then waited. She was only testing if there was someone but in the end¡­ she was attacked with an arrow that dug its way into a tree trunk.


    "Wait! I am an ally!"


    "??@*$£¤#\u0026€$£¤?¡Ñ¡î\u0026*@?@?¡î¡è!"


    "Language acquisition¡­ completed."


    "Translating..."


    "Who are you? If you come any closer, I''ll attack again!"


    "Huh?" Chang Xiuying looked at her wrist where a tattoo was embedded on her skin as it flickered.


    "Uh¡­ I am not an enemy! I came from the other side of the Gate."


    Somehow it got translated to the unknown person as it replied, "Gate? You mean¡­ the portal that suddenly appeared in this place? That explained why I can''t understand you without that translation device. Okay, you can come closer now."


    "Thanks¡­ who are you?"


    "I''m Noella. We are in the same species, so I''ll treat you better than those maggots."


    "I''m Chang Xiuying. I was unable to return from where I came from and wandered aimlessly here. I just happened to pass by and decided to see if there would be someone here. I''m sorry, did I somehow disturb you?"


    "Everything''s fine. For now, come in. I''ll show you my home."


    "Are you all alone?" Chang Xiuying asked while she avoided the wires as she marched through Noella''s base.


    "I have a child with me,"she said.


    "I''ve been wondering¡­ why are all the females here so restricted?"


    "We¡­ are deemed useless here. Even though women are the ones who gave birth to those men, they still wouldn''t respect us. A lot of women don''t have the confidence to fight those maggots since we have a huge gap of abilities between us. Even if a woman emerged stronger than the men, with their mindset, they wouldn''t be able to fight. How about you? How is the matter about women in the other side of the portal?"


    "Unlike here, women are respected and treated equally."


    "What a huge discripancy. If only I could speak your language and then migrate to your place, my child would be able to grow in a good environment."


    "Is your child a female?"


    "No. It''s a male."


    "You must''ve ran away the moment you know you conceived."


    Noella stopped in her tracks and asked, "How¡­ did you know?"


    "It''s just a guess, really. I wouldn''t know the mentality of people here if they knew their child is a male. That was part of the word ''maggots'' to you. So, I guessed that you wouldn''t want him."


    "I see now. Truthfully, I would leave him behind if I knew my child is a male. But¡­ he is my only child..."


    "Then raise him how to respect females and have the power to back it."


    Noella smiled at Chang Xiuying. "You''re right. I''ll raise him better, without the influence of those maggots."


    "So, you''re saying¡­ that as soon as you gave birth to a male, they would take him and raise him without motherly love?"


    "Those doesn''t exist here. And yes, they would take them away from us."


    "Hmm..."


    "We''re here," Noella said as she opened her house and a cute child''s squeal greeted them.


    "He''s cute..." Chang Xiuying said as she crouched down, observing the child who was walking with the help of a device.


    "It''s hard to raise him into a good man¡­ even now, I don''t know what to do."


    "I''m not raised with love either, so I don''t know what it feels like. But I know what I can do."


    "What is it?"


    "Spoil your child with care as long as he is a baby."


    "... I don''t know."


    Chang Xiuying grabbed the baby gently and then placed him in her embrace. She then looked at Noella and said, "Don''t tell me¡­ that you weren''t ready before you conceived him..."


    "I was raped. Don''t worry though, it''s a common occurence here. Besides¡­ even if I want to abort the baby, I don''t have enough money. That''s why I lived through the days like this."


    "That''s still wrong¡­ you should have fought."


    "Remember what I told you? We can''t¡­ we are made not to."


    Chang Xiuying looked at the giggling baby as she played with him. Noella''s gaze was focused on her child as if she fell in love with him the second he gave those toothless smile. She let a few tears ran out of her eyes as she approached Chang Xiuying in little steps.


    "I¡­ I never knew that babies could smile like that..."


    "Does that mean you never properly looked at your child. They are the most innocent puffball in our world. Although there are some cases that they were abused too."


    "Can¡­ can I hold him?"


    Chang Xiuying laughed and the baby squealed after her.


    "Why are you asking me? He is your baby," she said as she handed him over to Noelle. "So, what is his name?"


    "I still haven''t gave him one..."


    "You should give him one now."


    "Can you name him? I want his name to be otherworldly."


    "Hmmm¡­ how about Nathaniel? It is also the same first letter as your name."


    Noella smiled. "My name was just randomly chosen and weren''t really deeply thought of. But thank you for giving my child a name."


    "No problem. How about cooking? Do you cook?"


    "I..."


    "I see¡­ I''ll cook for you two then."

 56 Demon

    They got home dejectedly and Flora greeted them at the entrance. However, as her eyes scanned the group, her gaze became colder and colder.


    "I thought you all should come back with Master. Why are you here?"


    Diamond, a man in his early twenties, who had a youthful appearance and vigor, spoke, "Flora¡­ Master went to the other side of the Gate and we couldn''t even follow her there."


    "Nonsense!"


    "It''s the truth! We tried multiple times but it was all in vain! If you don''t believe us, go there yourself!"


    "Big brother Diamond!" Free, a youth in his late teens, warned Diamond from his sudden outburst. "I''m sorry, Miss Flora. But it was all the truth. We can accompany you to the Gate."


    Flora sighed. "No. I''ll just go."


    "What''s the commotion about?" Alaric suddenly joined the fray as he tilted his head. His once feeble body became strong as he gained strength day by day by fighting monsters that were stronger than him. However, ever since there weren''t any more stronger monsters now in Avira, his hunt became like a routine. Moreover, when he joined the guild, he quickly climbed the ranks and was now an A-Rank adventurer.


    "What are you doing here?" Flora asked as she waved the others off.


    "I was going to eat here after a long hunt. So, what''s wrong?"


    "Haa¡­ it seems that Master entered the Gate."


    Alaric''s eyes shone in mirth as he stepped closer to Flora. "Gate? Her? If you''re going, I will go too!"


    "Why are you so excited?"


    "It''s a new world! Of course I will be excited! Aaaahh¡­ I envy Xiuying¡­ I also hope that I entered with her too! Ugh..."


    "Alright. Go and prepare, we will leave after dinner."


    "Aye, aye!" Then he went to his home that he purchased with the money he earned through hunting. He ran around his house as he collected things and shoving them into his high-grade spatial backpack. Once he was done, he locked his home then went to the Ying Resto.


    Since it was dinner time, a lot of people were inside and there weren''t any people outside. Since most of them decided to just spend their dinner at their home with their home cooked food. With that, he waited at the entrance and then saw a vacant seat by the bar. He quickly sat and settled his backpack between his feet.


    "Rice Omelette please," he ordered.


    "What about the drinks?" Adiel, the waitress under Chang Xiuying''s command, asked.


    "I''ll settle with Morning Tears."


    "That''ll be 140 coppers. Do you wish to pay before or after your meal?"


    "Before, please," then he handed two silvers. Adiel went and then came back in front of Alaric.


    "Yeah, I am. Flora will go with me."


    "Ah yes¡­ Miss Flora is kind of busy earlier. I heard that Master entered the Gate and was never back."


    "Yeah¡­ so, we wished to find her and, if it''s possible, bring her back."


    "Oh, wait. Here comes your order," Adiel said as she heard the number of Alaric''s order was called. She went to the main counter and got his omelet settled in front of him.


    "Please enjoy," Adiel smiled then left.


    Alaric enjoyed his food until he smoothly finished it all. Flora then went next to him and said, "Finally¡­ I''m done. We should go now."


    "Wait¡­ you''re the one cooked? I see now why it is much more delicious than the previous ones..."


    "This might be the last time, that''s why I volunteered to cook."


    "Lucky me then."


    "Get your ass off the chair and let''s go."


    "Should we inform the other of Xiuying''s disappearance?"


    "They''ll know eventually," Flora said as she pulled Alaric from his seat along with his backpack.


    Then, after brisking for a few moments, they arrived in front of the Gate of Lasirion. It stood for about 100 meters and 50 meters wide. There were swirling different lights on the liquified surface as it slowly hypnotized them. They shook their heads and tried to reach out to the surface of the Gate. Once they confirmed that they could enter, they pushed their way through the Gate. The transfer wasn''t that comfortable¡­ and they feel woozy.


    Just as they entered, Flora immediately scanned her surroundings with Qi to find Chang Xiuying. While Alaric looked around with amazement at the ruins of this once lively city. He stepped on a huge rubble and looked around excitedly.


    "I found Master," Flora suddenly said behind him.


    He hummed and then turned his body around, still looking at the ruins.


    "Face here properly!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    Then they suddenly encountered a group of men and one woman who was behind.


    "Oh? A busty woman..." one of them mumbled as he looked at Flora''s seductive figure.


    "Much better than the one we have."


    "We should play around with her."


    "Hey, woman, come with us," the one that seemed to be the leader demanded as he glared menacingly at Flora.


    "Why would I?"


    "Huh?" They looked at each other sith bewilderment.


    "How dare a woman talk back to us!"


    "Place your head on the ground and beg for forgiveness!"


    "No. We have much better things to do. Alaric, let''s go."


    "Yes, ma''am!" Then they went deeper into the forest.


    "Huh?" They once again looked so confused.


    "Why would a man follow a woman around? Is he a woman, perhaps? Or is his soul a woman?"


    "Interesting..."


    "Let''s follow them."


    The woman behind sighed in resignation as she followed closely behind. Her hands were on her abdomen and was squeezing it so tight. She bit her lower lip, her anger at the men reaching new heights.


    Meanwhile, Alaric sighed then whispered at Flora, "They''re following us. Should we kill them?"


    "We still don''t know the laws here."


    "What if we made the situation like they were killed by those monsters?"


    "Can you do it?"


    "My nature is too human. I can''t possibly kill them like an animal."


    When Flora felt that Chang Xiuying''s presence became clearer, she was met with her carrying a babbling baby in her arms.


    "Master¡­?"


    "Oh¡­ I knew it was you guys. So, I took the risk and came to meet you."


    "Is that baby your child?" Flora and Alaric asked at the same time. That made Chang Xiuying laugh.


    "No. That''s crazy. Why would I have a child?"


    "Well¡­ I thought time passed by quickly here..." Alaric slowly said as he approached and played with the baby. The infant smiled at him and grabbed his finger then sucked on it. Alaric laughed and cooed.


    Suddenly, Chang Xiuying''s gaze hardened as she stared behind Flora. She could feel strong energy fluctuations and she immediately handed Nathaniel to Alaric.


    "Stay here."


    "Master, what happened?"


    "There''s a massacre," she said as she looked at Alaric, "Keep Nathaniel safe."


    "Aye, aye!"


    "I''m coming with you!" However, the very instance Flora looked around, she could see a woman killing the men around her. Her nails were sharp and her eyes were red as it changed back to black then to red. Flora trembled from the mere sight of that woman. Its presence was so strong that it made her back cold and her hair stood. Besides, there were corpses of men all around her. It seemed that she killed all of her companions.


    Parts of their bodies were littered and their decapitated head laid on the bloody ground.


    A real demon¡­


    Chang Xiuying stood in front of the woman with her red eyes and the woman quickly submitted from her gaze.


    "Kii¡­ Kill me..." her words got translated through Chang Xiuying''s bracelet.


    "Master¡­"


    "She said I have to kill her..."


    "I know," Flora said.


    "Wait¡­ you can understand them?"


    "Yeah."


    Chang Xiuying momentarily got dumbfounded before focusing on the woman through her glowing red eyes. The woman trembled once again as her eyes changed to black.


    "Kill me¡­ please¡­ but not the baby..."


    "How can we even kill you?" Chang Xiuying said as she examined the woman''s body. The black aura that covered her were concentrated on one point. The baby.


    "The baby is the one who is controlling you."


    "No¡­ no, please¡­ let him live¡­ he haven''t done anything wrong..."


    Chang Xiuying focused her eyes on the pitch black energy on the woman''s abdomen. It didn''t contain a single malice towards her and it seemed to calm down in her presence.


    ''You¡­ you can talk? How?''


    ''...''


    "Master?" Flora called the blank Chang Xiuying. Suddenly, she sighed greatly.


    "Let the woman live and her baby. Come, whoever you are, in the house."


    "Ex¡­ excuse me?" The woman mumbled.


    "Just follow me..."


    Then they arrived in front of the house with a lot of wires installed around the vicinity. Alaric didn''t pay any attention and just played with the baby in his arms. The woman enviously looked at them and placed her hand on her abdomen. She also wished that her chid would have a good father.


    They dodged each wire and entered the house. It was wide and enough for five people to live. However, there was only one bed and one crib.


    Suddenly, a bell was rung and then footsteps came.


    "Xiuying? Nathaniel?" The voice called then entered her own home. "Oh¡­ we have guests¡­ who are they---a man..." she said as she glared at Alaric. Fortunately, he was playing with her child as he laughed and cooed. This made Noella''s guard loosen up.


    "These are my friends from the other side of the portal. This is Flora and the man is Alaric," she gestured at them and then looked at the woman with them. "I forgot to ask you for your name."


    "I don''t have a name..."


    "What do you want to be called?"


    "Pardon?"


    "What name do you want?"


    "Freedom¡­ I want freedom..."


    "..." Chang Xiuying became silent.

 57 Army

    She sighed as she hugged her knees. The matter of women being used as slaves was new to her. It didn''t sit right and she wanted to change this world''s view. There were a lot of women suffering and were treated as trash. After all, she is a woman herself.


    "What are you doing here, Xiuying?" A male voice came behind her.


    She responded as she didn''t tear her gaze from the city, "I¡­ was just contemplating. How about you? What are you doing here, Alaric?"


    "I can''t sleep."


    "Lies."


    "Ahaha¡­ I was just wondering where you are since you were gone, and then saw you here. What are you contemplating about?"


    "This world," she replied shortly.


    "Do you mean their treatment to women?"


    "Yeah."


    "I don''t accept it either. Women should be treasured just like how the jewel they are. What are you going to do about it then? Change their viewpoint? That would be hard. Since their values ran deep in their bones."


    "I know. That''s why I am contemplating."


    Alaric remained quiet as he heard Nathaniel''s cry from below. They didn''t move and let themselves be immersed with the cold feeling of the wind. Suddenly, they saw the portal flickered and there was a man that came out. Alaric didn''t know who he was but Chang Xiuying could recognize him.


    Jude of the Blanche.


    There were a lot of people coming these days. Though it had been two days since the day when Alaric and Flora came here.


    "Hmm¡­ what is that man doing here?"


    "Maybe he is curious?" Chang Xiuying shrugged.


    "Hmm..."


    "We should go and sleep now. They''ll realize that we were gone sooner or later," she stood up then patted Alaric''s shoulder.


    "Alright," then they disappeared from the rooftop.


    Meanwhile, Jude looked around and tried to sense the surroundings if there were unusual uses of power. He also sniffed around and at the end, he found nothing. It had been almost a week since Chang Xiuying entered the Gate of Lasirion. She might be out there, far away from where he was.


    He still remembered how his superior caught on about his future plan about concealing Chang Xiuying''s identity from the Blanche. It was a nightmarish experience for him. His hands were trembling and he could feel his back covered in cold sweats. After all¡­ he hid the identity of a woman who could ruin the universe with only her strength. The Blanche was terrified of this threat and was afraid if there would be another serial killings just like how the Primordial Emperor did hundreds of years ago. However, the matter this time was huge.


    Jude sighed and continued his walk towards a place where human activity was more active.


    Just before he entered the city, males looked at him with awe and sometimes, lust. Because of his great looks and good build, he garnered the attention of all males. However, he tilted his head as he looked around.


    Females were scarce and they were treated as slaves by the males.


    If he ever knew how Chang Xiuying''s mind worked, she would definitely not be here. Even women in the previous world would never be here. So, he went in another direction. He had to find her quickly and kill her. However¡­ considering that she killed numerous Calamity monsters, he would never be able to kill her. Instead, he would be the one who would be killed.


    For that reason, he had to wait for the reinforcement that the Blanche sent.


    They were given the mission of extermination. At all cost.


    Before that, he had to find Chang Xiuying before them.


    He released his mana to search for that familiar power and searched the whole area. But he didn''t find it. So, his search in the ruins and the city was done.


    Morning came and Chang Xiuying heard a small giggle from Nathaniel. The baby was standing as he steadied himself using the railing of his crib and was babbling. When he saw Chang Xiuying got up, he squealed.


    Chang Xiuying smiled and stood then approached Nathaniel.


    "Good morning, Nathaniel~. How are you?"


    "Wa! Bu bu..."


    She lifted the baby out of his crib and then settled him on her chest. Nathaniel was quiet as he stopped all movement.


    "Good morning..." Noella greeted as she rubbed her eye.


    Nathaniel saw her and immediately squealed, reaching out his hands towards his mother. Noella smiled and took him into her embrace.


    "I''ll prepare breakfast," Chang Xiuying said as she went to the kitchen.


    Then, Flora woke up and joined Chang Xiuying in the kitchen. Just when they finished setting up the table, Alaric woke up as he scratched his toned stomach.


    "Haaaa. Good morning," he said, sitting down on one of the empty chairs.


    "Are you going to hunt again, Noella?" Chang Xiuying asked as they began eating.


    "Yeah. I have a lot to buy for Nathaniel."


    "I wish I could come..." Flora sighed.


    "Rather¡­ wouldn''t buying baby things be done by women? I''ll buy the necessities," Chang Xiuying suggested.


    "But---"


    "They''ll find it strange if a man did what a woman should do."


    "... you''re right. I''ll list them all in the paper after I get the money."


    "Can I come too, Master?"


    "They''ll find it strange too, Flora."


    "Haa¡­ fine."


    "Alright, I should prepare now," Noella said as she stood up from her seat.


    "Do you need any help?"


    "No, I''m fine."


    "Alright."


    ***


    At the outskirts of the ruined city, came the troops of the demon army. The atmosphere was filled with death aura as they marched towards their destination; the portal of the ruined city.


    From the surviving demons from their attack a few years ago, they said that it was abundant with natural resources that they could even feed the whole army with delicious food for a month. However, there was a great threat. A woman who wields weapons as if it was part of her body. She was too strong that even their Calamity-ranked monsters didn''t stand a chance against her.


    Now, with stronger official forces, they will return to claim the land that would be theirs.


    In a day, they would be able to arrive in front of the portal. The commander in front of the force squinted his slitted red eyes. "We can arrive much faster if we hasten our march."


    However, his vice-commander thought the opposite. "Commander, we need to maintain this pace and let our people gain more energy to fight the woman."


    The commander scoffed, "I could take down twenty Calamity monsters on my own. That woman only took down how many?"


    "Fifteen, sire."


    "And do you think that woman can take on twenty on her own after years of inactivity?"


    "No, sire."


    "That''s right. I can take her on my own, so focus on attacking."


    "Yes, sire."


    The commander kicked the thigh of his horse as it accelerated towards the portal. The army raised their voices and followed suit.


    Meanwhile, Chang Xiuying''s senses were greatly disturbed as soon as she heard collective shouts from afar. She could feel death coming near her.


    She settled Nathaniel down with Alaric and said, "Emergency. Protect Nathaniel."


    "Xiuying?"


    However, she didn''t wait and bolted out of the door. She hastily dodged all the wires. As soon as she got out of the forest, she could see dark clouds approaching fast towards the portal. She tightened her leg muscles and immediately ran.


    When she arrived in front of the portal, the demonic army stopped. "A woman dares to stop us?" The commander said.


    "Certainly," Chang Xiuying smirked then summoned a sword from her item box. She took a stance, pointing the tip towards the powerful foe she had to face to protect Lasirion.


    "Co-commander," suddenly, someone approached the commander with trembling legs.


    "That''s the woman."


    "Hooh¡­ she''s too weak. Did she really fight and kill those monsters?"


    "Yes¡­ yes. I saw it with my own eyes."


    "Impressive..."


    "Planning to attack the other side?" Chang Xiuying boldly asked.


    "What? Going to protect the other side?"


    "I will let you go, of course. Once you kill me, that is."


    The commander laughed, he unmounted his horse then unsheathed his sword. "I alone is enough for you."


    Instead of words, Chang Xiuying released her limiter and decreased the distance between them in a second. The demon commander widened his eyes as he blocked her sudden attack.


    "Ugh," he groaned as he felt the great power of the woman before him.


    "You¡­ are a worthy opponent," he suddenly blurted out.


    "I guess so?"


    "Heh. Since you are a worthy opponent, I shall give you my name."


    "Is that the standard practice?"


    "I am Zalagarth. First commander of His Majesty''s demonic army."


    "Hell if I care," Chang Xiuying muttered and then launched a horizontal slash against Zalagarth''s torso. It was a clean attack, but it was parried. Chang Xiuying continuously slashed and blocked the enemy''s attacks as their power was evenly matched. Their movement was too fast and the power behind their every strike created sparks every time it connected.


    "This is the first time I had this much fun!" Zalagarth muttered with a heave.


    "Fun? You''re too old to enjoy ferocious fights, old man."


    "I am only 214 years old! Besides, I have a youthful face!"


    "You are heaving, old man."


    Suddenly, Chang Xiuying felt the demon army advanced towards the portal.

 58 Conquer

    "Focus on your battle!"


    "Urgh!" Then she put her all in her attacks as she removed her last limiter. The area they were in suddenly felt heavy as the density of mana increased. Zalagarth could feel the ominous intent it was sending to his whole body. His back was covered in cold sweat and he could feel a power greater than his lord, the Demon King. It was the second time that a power made him so hopeless. But he never yielded, he had to take the land in the portal or his head would come rolling in the Demon King''s feet.


    Chang Xiuying summoned another sword as it floated right up to the air and caught it with her left hand. Zalagarth pressed further, but his senses were warning him that his life would come to an end. He immediately ducked and there was a sword filled with lightning and flames slashed at where his head was. He breathed a sigh of relief as he readied his body for an attack.


    As they fought, the demons had already entered the portal. Chang Xiuying groaned in frustration.


    Suddenly, there was an explosion in the middle of the incoming army. She could feel Alaric''s and Flora''s mana. Also, it seemed like Alaric was carrying Nathaniel on his back.


    "Why?!" Chang Xiuying screamed from the bottom of her lungs. But her word wasn''t received. She could only feel remorse as her hands dominated the fight against Zalagarth. Well¡­ since they could help lessen the numbers of the army, she finally welcomed the help.


    "Why¡­ why can''t you fall?!" Zalagarth yelled.


    "You still haven''t seen my real power," Chang Xiuying said, rolling her eyes.


    "I''ll make you show it to me!"


    "Well, if you can, you are always welcome to try."


    "You!!!" Then he tried slashing diagonally then changed the position of his weapon to cut Chang Xiuying''s right hand knowing it is her dominant hand. However he was greatly mistaken as her left hand struck his side.


    "You¡­ you¡­ are you even taking this fight seriously?!"


    After all, Chang Xiuying attacked with the blunt side of her weapon. If ever she did attack with the intent to kill, Zalagarth would have been dead. But it didn''t happen. With his aching body, he kept parrying the attacks of the woman before him. His hands trembled and his pale face turned red from anger.


    "Why aren''t you taking this seriously?!"


    However, he never got the reply he waited for. When he fell back, Chang Xiuying only looked at him with cold eyes. He just noticed that her eyes were a deeper shade of red. He trembled from the pressure of her gaze and immediately kneeled in front of her. But the female could only raise her eyebrow.


    "I''m sorry!"


    "If you''re sorry, stop your army."


    "But¡­ but the Demon King will kill us!"


    "And where is that Demon King of yours?"


    "At¡­ at the castle¡­"


    "So, tell me, who are you most afraid of? The person in front of you that is close to killing you, or the figure that is far away that wouldn''t be able to do anything to you right now?"


    "... You¡­"


    "Stop the army, now."


    "Ye---" then Zalagarth''s head parted with his body and it exploded in front of her. Fortunately, the thin sheet of energy on her skin protected her body from the blood besides her clothes that dripped with blood. Her cold red eyes looked behind Zalagarth''s corpse and saw a floating figure. He had two horns on his head and a terrifying demonic wings that flapped against the wind. His deep red eyes locked on Chang Xiuying''s eyes.


    "Woman¡­" he said with his unusually deep and sultry voice.


    "Man¡­" Chang Xiuying responded back.


    "You are that woman¡­"


    "You must be the Demon King."


    The king disappeared from where he was and suddenly appeared in front of Chang Xiuying. However, she didn''t blink neither flinch. The mana around them increased in pressure until the army stopped their tracks and fell down on the ground. They couldn''t endure the pressure any longer that came from two superior beings.


    Flora stood with her trembling legs as she used her sword as a cane to keep standing. While Alaric could feel his back wet with cold sweats as he tried his best to not tremble from the pressure.


    "You''re strong¡­"


    "You''re weak," Chang Xiuying lifted one corner of her lips as she provoked him.


    "What is your name? It is at the least that I should know your name." However, the king ignored what she said.


    "Alice."


    "I have been meaning to fight and die by the hands of the strong¡­ but, all these years, I found no one¡­ I have lived long enough¡­ I want to die by your hands, Alice¡­ but I want to die beautifully. By being defeated by you..."


    "What if I refused?"


    "I''ll kill all people here in this world until you accept..."


    "You are indeed a demon."


    "Thank you."


    Suddenly, Chang Xiuying attacked and aimed at the Demon King''s heart. Unfortunately, he dodged and returned a cynical smile.


    "You think I''ll believe you?" Chang Xiuying scoffed as she injected more energy into her swords, ready to strike one more time.


    "Good job, human woman," the king said as he waved his hand. The surrounding mana disappeared into his hand and for a moment, Chang Xiuying couldn''t breathe. She circulated her oceanic Life energy in her whole body to expel the invading mana the king was ejecting from his body. From then on, she realized he could control the mana in the environment.


    Chang Xiuying fought it inside of her and then lowered her stance.


    "Hoh? You can move? Interesting."


    "Should I also try what you did?" Chang Xiuying smirked.


    "Heh. You can never imitate a real demon''s power, you fake demon woman."


    Chang Xiuying''s red eyes sharpened and then streaks of silver appeared in her corneas. For some reason, she could see minute details of the mana the Demon King was circulating in his body and ejecting it in the surroundings. Also, there seemed to be something more ominous. However, when she tried it, her sight became filled with red. Her silver-red eyes burned with mirth as blood came out.


    The Demon King suddenly frowned as soon as he felt a terrifying amount of mana suppressing him. Moreover, it was coming from the woman before him. How could this be? How could he be suppressed with just this tiny amount of mana?


    Then, the surrounding darkened.


    The Demon King was suddenly on alert as he surveyed this dome-like structure where he was trapped.


    "Demon¡­" Chang Xiuying muttered as her voice ringed inside the king''s head. He looked around in shock as he tried condensing his power but failed to do so. This situation made his body tremble.


    "You¡­ who are you?" He muttered.


    "The person who would kill you," the voice rang inside his head.


    "As if you can kill me."


    Suddenly, there were odd balls of light that flew in the air. Chang Xiuying took a deep breath and then stealthily attacked the Demon King. However, her attack was blocked with a pale hand. She attacked again and again and it only connected with the man''s hand.


    "Are you underestimating me, human woman?"


    Chang Xiuying never responded. She then threw her weapon away and balled her fists.


    "You are underestimating me," the king shook his head. His skin became red and his muscles expanded as his height increased. His two horns became more ominous as it gave a chilling luster. His wings grew until it covered half of the dome. His teeth became sharper as it showed when he roared.


    The dome shook and it broke. The Demon King flew in the air and roared once more.


    "Hmm¡­ interesting..." Chang Xiuying muttered as she touched her chin. Without further ado, she jumped from her position and condensed wings on her back with the darkness element. It was consuming her oceanic Life energy, but it never entered her mind as she had a lot in store.


    The king saw it with wide eyes. Could this woman be¡­ a demon of ancient times? If that was so, his fighting spirit ignited more with the end goal of eliminating the powerful figure before him. Arrows of flames appeared next to him, and swords appeared next to Chang Xiuying.


    With that, they started their fight of superiority.


    Meanwhile, Jude, who sensed Chang Xiuying''s power lit up near the Gate, suddenly took off to see her. However, his eyes met a sight that he could never comprehend. There were demons¡­ countless of them were entering the Gate and his eyes shook. He immediately unsheathed his sword and fought demons that were stronger than him. He was being pushed back, but he still managed to hold on. After all, he already sent a distress signal to the headquarters of Blanche.


    When he was about to be cut down, there was a gust of wind that passed through him and there appeared a guy with a squealing baby on his back.


    "Hey! What are you doing?! Get out of here!"


    "Can''t you see?! I am here to help!"


    "Okay, fine! Watch my back! I can''t afford to lose Nathaniel!"


    "Alright!"


    Alaric slashed a demon in front but he only managed to wound it deeply. Then, that demon attacked with his claws that was sharper than any swords and connected with Alaric''s katana. After how many battles, his sword finally broke. Fortunately, he trained martial arts under Chang Xiuying after he awakened. He utilised all his muscles and sent a shockwave punch that would mess the insides of the receiver.


    Black blood came out of the demon''s mouth as it crouched down and died. Alaric momentarily looked at his hands and smiled so wide that he could feel it stretching to his ears. When a demon attacked, he kicked it with the same force and mana on its stomach.


    "Hey, bro!" Alaric suddenly yelled as he took down demons after demons.


    "I have a name! Jude!"


    "I am not Jude! I am Alaric!"


    "I am Jude! Not you!"


    "Oh!"


    "Why did you call me?!"


    "I just wanna check up on you whether you are still alive or not!"


    "Don''t underestimate me!"


    "Ugh. Die! Oh fudge. Nathaniel, forget what you heard."


    "Agu!"


    "Good! Boy!"


    When the numbers of demons decreased, they could finally see Flora fighting off demons barehanded. Jude was mesmerised as he watched this beautiful female kill off demons after demons. However, before he could fully enjoy it, he was thrown off guard with Alaric''s punch. Although he wasn''t the target of that attack, he still felt cold sweat permeating on his back.


    "Stay focused, Jude!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    Alaric pulled out a mana potion from his spatial pouch and drank it as he fought. Whenever he finished one, he would pop out a new one and drink it. That was the same case to Flora as both of them were nearing their limits. But the smiles in their faces never faded. After all, they could see Chang Xiuying fighting against the current strongest existence of this world.


    "I''m¡­ reaching my limit¡­ my mana can''t hold out anymore..." Jude said to Alaric as he sluggishly parried a demon''s attack.


    "Oh, sorry. I''ll take care of that."


    "Thanks¡­ haaa..."


    When their battles ended, Chang Xiuying''s battle was also reaching its climax as the Demon King was slowly losing options in their fight.

 59 Death 1

    The Demon King breathed out as he fell back from attacking the frightening woman before him. He circulated his mana in his entire body to recuperate. However, Chang Xiuying decided to end the battle by killing her foe. She summoned a katana from her item box and injected her Life energy into the weapon. It easily flowed through as a strong aura shot out. Upon seeing this, the king chuckled breathily as he said, "You still hadn''t taken this fight seriously, huh¡­ I''m really impressed..."


    "Cut the chit chat, demon."


    "I am only praising your ability."


    "Do you think I could accept that, considering it came from you?"


    "No, not at all. Since this might be my last time in this world, let me freely talk."


    "I apologize, but that ain''t gonna happen," then Chang Xiuying decreased their distance from each other and slashed at the demon''s neck. Then it was blocked by using his arms as a shield. However, Chang Xiuying damaged his arms with a deep gash. Blue blood spurted out from the wound and Chang Xiuying was bathed with it. The blue blood dissolved into her skin as a thin barrier of her skin protected almost half of the poison of the king''s blood. Alarm signals went off in her body as her energy madly circulated in her body to dispel the poison that invaded her system.


    Seeing Chang Xiuying falter, the Demon King smiled widely and his sharp demonic teeth showed their wonders.


    Suddenly, the woman before him vomited out black blood as her wings stopped flapping and immediately crashed down on the ground filled with demon corpses. For some reason, the poison slowly entered the pathway to her heart.


    Her eyes reddened and her teeth clenched.


    "Ugh¡­ argh..."


    The Demon King descended to the ground with a loud laugh. He controlled his blood coming from his arms and entered Chang Xiuying''s writhing body. He crouched down and looked at her pained face as blood flowed down her mouth.


    "I''m surprised you are still alive, woman."


    Chang Xiuying groaned. Trembling, she grabbed the demon''s hand and squeezed it hard.


    "Hoh? You still have that much strength in you?" The king''s smile brightened as he applied the same pressure on Chang Xiuying''s hand. Their hands joined as blood continued to flow into her body from that contact. Realizing that it will just hasten her death, Chang Xiuying tried her best to break free from the demon''s hand.


    "No, no, little girl. You can''t escape from me," the king cynically smiled.


    ''Even poison could break that, huh¡­'' she thought as she felt her consciousness escaping her, then she finally blacked out.


    When Chang Xiuying collapsed on the ground, the Demon King laughed as he raised his hands and growled for victory. Few demons responded back as the others were busily fighting the three humans that threatened their existence. After all, they already killed hundreds of demonic soldiers and came out of the fight with only a few wounds and an exhausted mana. They wouldn''t be able to hold out long enough.


    So, the demons joined hands, not minding if their attacks killed their comrades or enemies, and attacked Alaric, Flora and Jude. The three of them faced in three different directions as their backs were against each other''s backs.


    Jude was biting his lower lip as he screamed, "When are they coming?!" out of frustration.


    "Who?!" Alaric responded as he lowered his knees and slashed with the force of his whole body.


    "Reinforcements!"


    "Glad to know!"


    "Master is¡­ Master is..." Flora mumbled as she madly attacked the demons in front of her, not minding her own life. She killed multiple demons with a price of deep wounds on her sides and back.


    "Miss Flora! Mind your body!" Alaric screamed as he tried his best to not expose Nathaniel to the enemy.


    "But Master is¡­ Master is..."


    "She''ll be okay!"


    "Holy crap¡­!!!!!" Jude mumbled as he received a strong blow and knocked Alaric and Flora down on the ground. In that moment, they were slowly being flocked with demons as they desperately fought back.


    "Miss Flora! Knock it off and help us!" Alaric slashed a demon in front of him then shook Flora out of her stupor as Jude fought to protect them. Parrying their attacks rather than receiving them. However, he couldn''t hold on much longer and received an ambush in his blindspot.


    "Xiuying will be mad at you!"


    Flora''s light in her eyes returned and looked around. She inhaled deeply then released her breath. Pressure emanated from her body as she dash towards Jude then easily incapacitated demons.


    "Finally..." Alaric said as he heaved and circulated mana in his already exhausted body.


    Jude collapsed on the ground, out of breath.


    "Haa¡­ when are they coming..."


    Just when the enemies decreased, they suddenly increased in numbers, overwhelming them.


    So, the other forces were being held down by the power struggle of Chang Xiuying and their king. When they saw an opening, they immediately charged towards the portal.


    Then, bam!!!


    A loud explosion destroyed the portal as people floating in the air descended to the ground. Their powers were reaching new heights and were capable of destroying a planet on their own. Alaric breathed a sigh of relief but his body still needed to fight against demons. Meanwhile, Jude was screaming in joy.


    One of the people above suddenly raised her hand and a huge fireball formed on top of her head until it was around the size of a medium sized meteor. It descended on the ground and immediately incinerated demons even with the aftershock. People with short ranged weapons descended on the ground and easily fought the demons without breaking a sweat. While the long ranged attackers remained on the air as they hurled attacks after attacks.


    The person in front of the aerial unit watched the battles on the ground as he scanned the surrounding areas to search for the commander. But he ended up seeing the Demon King at the end of the army with a woman dangling in one of his arms.


    He immediately recognized the woman.


    Chang Xiuying.


    Their main target of elimination.


    First, they had to deal with this demon army before they could deal with the Demon King. Second, proceed to the main mission.


    On the other hand, in an unsuspecting oceanic Life energy, there was a silver glow that kept on pulsating. Even though the entire ocean was dyed black, around that glow, it was flashing silver. The core pulsated as its surrounding was growing larger and larger by minutes, basking the black ocean with silver. The small orb vibrated as if it was alive and slowly seeped into Chang Xiuying''s body bit by bit.


    Even though she was poisoned, her heart kept on beating furiously as it expelled those poison out of her body through her skin.


    The Demon King who was holding her was equally surprised as he injected more of his blood into Chang Xiuying''s veins and arteries. When her resistance was growing stronger against his poisoned blood, the more he was getting frustrated. Instead of the initial plan of making the woman in his arms to be his undead and serve him loyally forever, he decided to kill her this instant. As he retrieved his sharp sword from his subordinate, he immediately slashed Chang Xiuying''s neck.


    However, it didn''t go through. It clashed against a hard layer of skin, some kind of mana, being ejected from her body. His brows furrowed and sent a wave of violent attacks to decapitate even a limb or mostly, her head, but it wasn''t effective. This time, he imbued mana into his sword as the blade flashed with aura and descended to the woman''s neck. The layer shattered.


    He was suddenly elated as he cheered, "Yes! Finally!" but he noticed that he couldn''t pierce through her skin.


    "What¡­ what in the world?!" He growled out, frustrated.


    Just as when he was retreating, the woman''s eyes opened. Her pupil was red and around it was silver. There was something captivating from her eyes that made the Demon King weak to his knees.


    Chang Xiuying got up and carefully examined her bleeding body. She felt¡­ much stronger than she was before she collapsed. However, she felt sluggish. Even though she held great power, her body couldn''t seem to keep up with it. That was where she saw a man approach her behind the Demon King. She couldn''t recognize whoever it was, but she knew that man was human.


    The man disappeared from where he was and then reappeared beside the Demon King whose head became detached from his body.


    Was he an ally¡­?


    But then, she saw the emblem on the man''s chest.


    She should''ve escaped that time.

 60 Death 2

    "Prince Gaius..." Caine called as soon as he saw Gaius'' face contorted into a deep frown.


    "Any news about Chang Xiuying?"


    "She still hasn''t showed up."


    "Haa¡­ where the heck is she..."


    "Prince, what if she is at the other side of the Gate?"


    "What makes you think that?"


    "The commander should have showed up hours ago, but he didn''t. I was thinking that the most important battle is happening on the other side."


    "Hmm¡­ true..."


    "Prince, you should trust Xiuying more."


    "That will be so. After all, she never missed a battle to protect Lasirion."


    "That''s right."


    Gaius sighed then said, "We should help."


    "Of course."


    Then they jumped from the top of the wall. They ran towards the Gate as they slew demons in their wake.


    In the past, they would have problems killing demons on their own. They might sacrifice their lives or sacrifice a part of their bodies just to kill one. Ever since the Wake of the Strong that occured about three years ago that made humankind sleep for a long period of time just to wake up with a stronger body, they had no trouble killing those Rank C monsters that require teamwork. Now that the circumstances allowed, they could kill demons easily with a strong slash.


    As soon as they cleared the path, they used the momentum of their running and charged towards the Gate. They closed their eyes when they felt that slimy surface and opened them once they felt the cold air of death tickle their skins. Gaius looked around as Caine fought a large number of demons. There, he saw the figure of Flora, Alaric and Jude amidst the crowd.


    But where was Chang Xiuying?


    He shrugged his shoulders then moved his body to fight.


    ''She''s a strong woman. I believe in her,'' he thought.


    They carved their way towards Flora''s group. As they arrived, Caine greeted them with a wide smile that showed his perfectly lined teeth.


    "What?!" Jude suddenly screamed at the back as he killed one demon. "Oh. Your reinforcement?"


    "Nope, we didn''t call---them," Flora said as she kicked a demon on his stomach.


    "What are you guys doing here?" Alaric asked.


    "Well¡­ we decided to help."


    "The fight will be over anyway. You''re late," Flora mumbled as she glanced at the back of the troops.


    "Is¡­ Ying at the very back?"


    "Master was fighting the Demon King when I suddenly lost contact. I don''t know what is happening anymore. How about the other side, Prince Gaius?"


    "The demons breached through the wall and somehow, we kept it under wraps."


    "That''s good."


    "By the way, who are those powerful people?"


    "Jude called them."


    "I see."


    "..." they went silent as they leisurely fought.


    "Can you contact Ying now?"


    "I still---can''t reach Master."


    "Tell me as soon as you contacted her."


    "Alright."


    There were thousands of demonic soldiers that marched towards the portal. The numbers reached almost 80,000 and 12,000 breached the portal to Lasirion. Those that remained retreated but their enemies didn''t allow it. After all, this was already an opportunity to reduce the number of demons in this world. That means decreasing the mortality rate of humankind. Reducing risks of attacks from monsters and protecting humans were the job of the Blanche and that was exactly they did at this moment. They evacuated people and slashed down those that attempted to catch a human as a means of fuel to their body.


    After this work was done, there would be the final mission they needed to partake in.


    Their eyes traced at the bottom of the hill as they heard loud explosions. It was an explosion caused by mana as two powers clashed against each other.


    However, it wasn''t a demonic mana that carried death, but a pure silver glow against a deep blue glow. That signifies the start of their mission as the Demon King fell. But the question that remained in their minds was, ''Who killed him?''. It couldn''t be that two opposing factions joined hands to defeat one being. The answer would be between Chang Xiuying or their commander, Waltham. Their minds leaned more on Waltham more than Chang Xiuying. What criminal would kill another criminal?


    Suddenly, there was another explosion and a destructive force thrown out near them. The battlefield silenced as they wait for the dust to settle down.


    "It can''t be..." Forge muttered as he watched a figure struggle with its body. When the dust settled down, they heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing that woman instead of their commander.


    Chang Xiuying sprawled on the ground as strong energies fluctuated in her body. She tried to get up but instead, coughed out blood. Her body wouldn''t listen and it was irking her. However, at the least, she instilled a deep wound on that person who tried to kill her and was still trying to. She could see a figure basked in a deep blue glow approaching where she was as that man killed demons at his wake. His steps were light and his movements smoothly flowed.


    Waltham arrived in front of Chang Xiuying then pointed his sword at her neck. Although he could feel a stinging pain at where his left hand would be, he ignored it and sent glares to the woman in front of him. Chang Xiuying remained silent while her body was screaming at her to control her newly acquired power. However, that wouldn''t be possible and it is killing her slowly.


    "The child of the infamous Primordial Emperor¡­ and the Silver Empress. You finally showed your true colors."


    "Sorry, I don''t know those people," she quickly retorted.


    Waltham chuckled darkly. "Those are your soul parents. The one who gave birth to your original body."


    "And why are you telling me this?"


    "Just so you know."


    Chang Xiuying laughed. "Thanks then?"


    "It is unfortunate that you have to be born in a family filled with criminals."


    "Haa¡­ whatever you say."


    "Once I kill you, your broken soul will transfer to another body and rejoin them. In that sense, we will come and kill you once again. Prepare yourself, Chang Xiuying, we will always be behind you wherever you are."


    "I guess that''s kind of reassuring that you will never forget me," she grinned as blood trickled down her mouth.


    "I will give you a painless death."


    "Haa¡­ like hell!!!" Chang Xiuying bolted in front of her and immediately brandished her sword at the neck of Waltham.


    The attack was so sudden that he relied on his instincts to dodge the incoming threat. However, the path suddenly changed and went towards his unguarded right leg. A deep gash resulted from that short exchange.


    "You¡­ Why do you keep on fighting justice? You could''ve gone to our side!" Waltham muttered.


    "Do I even have a choice?"


    "We already earned your ire. It is unfortunate that you have been killed in a world where gaining strength is impossible. Then you just had to be reborn in a world that perfectly fits your nature. That stupid man..."


    "... you mean Earth? You people killed me?" Chang Xiuying''s voice lowered dangerously.


    "Yeah. That Earth."


    Chang Xiuying''s eyes glowed at that moment and her figure suddenly vanished. Waltham''s eyes widened as he injected strong mana pulses in his body and especially, his eyes. He couldn''t find even one disturbance in the surrounding mana. However, he suddenly felt goosebumps behind him as he quickly turned around and slashed his strengthened arms, but only air was cut.


    "Stop being a coward!" He yelled.


    However, there wasn''t any response.


    He accessed his mana inside his body and then released them around him. But it was all in vain. Perhaps¡­ She escaped? That can''t be. Suddenly, he felt strong goosebumps as his mana blended with the surrounding mana. His entire body went numb as his eyes restlessly scanned the area.


    "You said you know my parents," a voice rang inside his head.


    "Of course! The Primordial Emperor is locked up in the world with your mother, the Silverite Empress, in the Land of Exiled criminals," he quickly said, but why is he answering her so honestly?


    "What did they do?" The voice said gravely.


    "The¡­ the Primordial Emperor killed all of the people in Mawuagan and spread his own monsters called the Primordials. Your¡­ mother was the descendant of the ancestral criminals thrown in the Land of the Exile. It was originally a place where we throw criminals to die, but people started having resistance and built their own force in that world."


    "Where is it exactly?"


    "I don''t know..."


    Suddenly, Waltham''s head went flying as his blood spurted out of his severed neck. The Blanche members gawked at the sight and they trembled under the pressure of the grave atmosphere permeating through their bones. Even the demons shook from where they were. Then, Chang Xiuying''s voice entered Flora, Jude, Alaric, Gaius and Caine''s ears, "Duck."


    Just as they ducked, all of the remaining people who were standing got cleaved into two.

 61 Death 3

    Gaius raised his head as he heard those that fell. His face was covered with confusion, but when he saw the people who were helping them dead, he inhaled sharply. Almost all the numbers here were dead besides them; Flora, Alaric, Caine, Jude, Nathaniel and him, Gaius. He was aghast by the sight in front of him.


    Suddenly, there was a shadow that immediately took form. However, her skin was deathly pale and body was dried up. Gaius couldn''t even recognize that person. That figure lost her strength and collapsed on the soft ground, coughing out blood.


    "Master!" Flora suddenly screamed beside Gaius. His eyes widened as he quickly looked at Chang Xiuying''s feeble figure. It was as if¡­ she was on the verge of dying.


    "Master, can you hear me?"


    "Too¡­ loud..."


    "I''m sorry, but I have to take you to Lasirion..." she whispered.


    "It''s... fine..."


    "It''s not fine! Alaric! Help me carry Master!"


    "Okay!"


    "Master¡­ please hold on."


    Chang Xiuying weakly chuckled as she succumbed herself to sleep.


    Next thing she knew, she was in the dark abyss. It was strangely familiar. However, there was a shard floating in front of her. She instinctively reached out and grabbed that shard. It assimilated in her body almost instantly. She could faintly remember some memories from her original birth. Where she was gazing up and saw the blurry faces of her family. There were four¡­ one seemed to be her father since he was huge. The one with long silver hair seemed to be her mother. The other two little heads seemed to be her siblings. Their warm and soft caresses were enough to know that she was loved.


    Chang Xiuying felt relieved and grateful. Despite all the tragedies that happened, they were still holding on. Holding on the hope that she would wake up one day in her original body. She closed her eyes momentarily then opened them. However, the scene in front of her changed. She was inside a cylindrical container that was filled with a strange green liquid and a small tube in her mouth to help her breathe.


    "Young Lady! Can you see me?"


    "Your Majesty! Where is His Majesty?!"


    "Why?!"


    "Kunage!!! Her pulses are decreasing!"


    "This can''t be..."


    "Calm down," a deep voice rang out from the door. "She must be assimilating with her shattered soul. Rest assured, it will pass."


    "Your Majesty..."


    His footsteps echoed as he approached. "Great job, my daughter. A little more and you''ll be with us."


    "Host!" A voice suddenly sounded deep in her consciousness.


    ''Xue¡­?''


    However, even after she closed and opened her eyes several times, the scenery didn''t change. She could almost feel the loss of connection to one of the shards of her soul.


    "Host!" It once again sounded out, stronger than before.


    She could feel the abyss sucking her in.


    She lost consciousness.


    ***


    "Master''s¡­ heartbeat stopped¡­"


    "..."


    "No! Ying!!!" Gaius screamed as he grabbed Chang Xiuying''s arms. "Xiuying! Wake up! Guh¡­ don''t leave me¡­"


    "Prince¡­" Caine called as he pried Gaius off Chang Xiuying''s cold body. However, the man fought against his hold, trying to reach the dead woman before him.


    "Master¡­ Master¡­ Master..."


    Alaric bit his bottom lip as his eyes looked at the peaceful countenance of Chang Xiuying. There was a small smile on her face, almost satisfied from what she achieved. That made his heart ache. Although she even killed the people that came to their aid, she still finished this war in one fell swoop. She would be hailed as a hero and also, a murderer. She wouldn''t be buried under a ceremony, nor people would come to her funeral. After all, she didn''t discriminate between ally and foe.


    Flora wailed, loud enough to be heard through the battlefield.


    Jude was holding his head as he staggered at his feet. He couldn''t comprehend what happened since it all happened so fast. Waltham¡­ that person who was one of the strongest in the Blanche, was easily killed by the hands of a girl. Even the people who came for their rescue were killed. What would he do if they started questioning him why he is alive? Why did Chang Xiuying save him? He could never know¡­ he will never know.


    Jude slowly said, "Let''s bury her now."


    "No!!! My Master is mine!"


    "Flora¡­ you''re being unsightly," Alaric commented as he sighed.


    "I don''t care! She belongs to me! To us¡­ us... waaaaa!!!"


    "Xiuying won''t like it if you act like this¡­" Alaric said, carefully peeling Flora off Chang Xiuying.


    Gaius wiped away his tears and immediately carried Chang Xiuying in his arms. Her body was so cold, contrary to his warm body. Suddenly, her body turned into black smoke.


    Flora shrieked as she tried getting the smoke in her hands.


    When the smoke disappeared in the atmosphere, she turned to look¡­ no, glare at Gaius as she grabbed the collar of his clothes.


    "You shouldn''t have touched Master! Now, she''s gone! What will you do about this?! She''s gone! Gone! Forever!"


    "Flora¡­ she is already gone in the world the instant she stopped breathing¡­"


    Instead of answering, Flora wailed once again as she collapsed to her knees. She screamed her heart out as the pain of losing her Master overwhelmed her. What would she do once they got home¡­? Back home¡­ it wouldn''t be called a home if Chang Xiuying wasn''t there. Will they go somewhere else? Will they live separately? What will happen once they know about her death?


    After a while, Flora stood up with an empty look in her eyes. She gazed at the portal and started walking towards it. When she arrived in front of the liquid like surface, she entered and disappeared from their sight.


    Gaius'' hollow eyes looked at Caine and his aide flinched from the sight. He led his feet towards the portal as he also disappeared into the liquid like surface. Just as he exited from the Gate along with Jude and Caine, pandemonium spread out from the castle. However, he couldn''t care less at the situation before him. He walked and walked until his feet took him to the building where Chang Xiuying once resided. He also saw Flora in front, crying her hearts out as she clutched at her chest.


    "Your highness!" Someone shouted at a hushed volume from the bushes.


    Gaius turned to look at where it came from and saw a man he recognized with dirt and wounds on his face.


    "Your highness! Come!"


    Caine looked around, looking for the owner of that voice. When he saw Gaius looking at one part of the bush and never attempted to move, he grabbed the prince and led him towards that specific direction. Just as they neared, they were immediately pulled into.


    "Hugo?" Caine muttered.


    Hugo shushed them and whispered, "It is dangerous, Caine. I barely left alive from the castle."


    "What happened?" Caine whispered back.


    "The Queen''s faction attacked the castle and killed the King. And now, they hold the reign over Lasirion. They are looking for people who are loyal to the King. What do you think they will do?"


    "Kill them?"


    "Exactly¡­ they don''t even permit people to change sides to them. Currently, they are looking for the missing prince. Fortunately, just as I was hiding here, I saw you two. You two have to hide or else, you''ll be killed! They show no mercy, Caine. No mercy!"


    Caine looked at Gaius who became even more empty when he heard the death of his Father and the betrayal of his Mother.


    "Let them catch me..." he suddenly muttered.


    "Prince?!" Caine exclaimed.


    "You can''t, Your highness! How will we overthrow the Queen and change the reign to you?! You have to stay alive at all cost!"


    "My life¡­ serves no more meaning¡­ the love of my life died¡­ I couldn''t even had the chance to confess my love¡­ my beloved father died¡­ my birth mother betrayed the kingdom¡­ how will I continue? It is all but meaningless¡­ I can''t possibly go on¡­ I can''t do it..."


    Caine and Hugo''s face turned deathly pale as they gazed at the prince. They wanted to comfort him, but they were afraid that they would only escalate things badly. They didn''t know what to do but stare at each other and sigh.


    Suddenly, Gaius felt arms gently circling around his neck. He suddenly felt warm and secure as he held on to that feeling. He couldn''t fathom, but he knew that it was Chang Xiuying. Could she knew what he was feeling and came to comfort him even after death? His heart skipped a beat as he cherished this moment and etched it in his very soul. He felt a light kiss on his cheek before the feeling disappeared. His cheeks went to a bright shade of red.


    "Thank you..." he muttered. He took a deep breath and looked directly into the eyes of the confused people in front of him, "I will reclaim the throne."


    Hugo''s eyes went wide and he almost jumped in joy, but he refrained himself. Caine smiled widely as he patted Gaius'' back with his calloused hand.


    "Prince, I will be with you until the end."


    "Thank you, Caine, Hugo."


    "But Prince, where did you get that new found strength?"


    Gaius smiled, "My Ying gave it to me. Now, we have a throne to take."

 62 Emersyn

    "You finally woke up," he said.


    She tried speaking, but she couldn''t muster the strength.


    "You passed out for five minutes, and I am impressed. Your wounds healed¡­ your cut off fingers and toes were instantly regenerated. Even your leg grew back. Heh¡­ interesting. For a second there, you died and suddenly, you came back to life. What are you really, Maajidanashi?"


    Her consciousness kept on going blank as she listened to the man. Suddenly, memories of being tortured to death appeared in her mind. The man in front of her was in charge of the torture; not only physically, even mentally. Every time her finger was detached from her hand, she would pass out after an extreme pain and would wake up for another session of cutting her fingers. When she became numb to it, the man decided to cut off her leg and the result satisfied him. However, her concern wasn''t with her body. She remembered that she kept on muttering the name of a boy.


    They tried running away, but they were found and locked up in a dungeon. In return of that boy''s freedom, she would die in his sake. She also had to endure this torture until the end. However, she never knew that the boy himself was already killed the instant he got released and was thrown in the incinerator. Her efforts were all in vain without her knowledge.


    "Where is¡­ Arthfael..." she mustered all her strength to speak through her hoarse voice.


    The man sneered, "He got released safely."


    "Where¡­ is he¡­ now..."


    "In Hell."


    Maajidanashi''s eyes went wide from the realization. "You promised!"


    "Do you really think we would let someone who knew us wander the earth freely?"


    "Guh¡­ ka¡­ ugh¡­ it''s my fault, Arthfael¡­ I''m sorry..." she wept.


    The man laughed and slowly tilted her head in the level of his eyes, "I have a proposition, Maajidanashi."


    The woman spat at him. However, that didn''t make the man seeth in anger and just stared at her jet black eyes that were slowly turning red. "I will never touch anyone connected to you if you worked under me. Serve me until you die."


    Maajidanashi''s eyes wavered. "Why¡­ do you think.. that I will¡­ trust you¡­ after what you did?"


    "I promise under the name of the Boss."


    Maajidanashi felt the weight of his words and immediately nodded.


    "Maajidanashi, I am Ash. Ashford Wiltshire. From now on, you will throw your old name and be Emersyn, the woman who will rain terror in our enemies for all eternity," from the moment he finished speaking, Maajidanashi --- no, Emersyn let herself succumb to sleep.


    He chuckled then left the dungeon.


    ***


    Emersyn woke up in a bed. It wasn''t soft and it wasn''t hard either. It was perfect for her aching body. The pain in her head still hadn''t disappeared and it was getting more annoying the longer it took for it to subside. She vigorously shook her head and it just elevated the pain she felt.


    "Madame?"


    ''Madame? Who?''


    "Madame Emersyn, I was sent by Sir Ashford. I was asked to attend to your needs. Since you woke up, would you like a glass of water?"


    "I''m sorry, but my head is really aching right now."


    "Oh my! Please stay here and I will fetch you some warm water."


    "Thanks..."


    She couldn''t help but curse at the pain. When the maid arrived and settled a warm cloth on her forehead, the pain subsided, though just for a bit until it came back again.


    "Madame Emersyn¡­ I will get some medicines. Please wait here."


    "Mhm..."


    Then, a knock came and a man in a black suit entered the room. He stared at Emersyn and quickly dragged a chair beside her. He said, "There is a mission today, and you are going to cooperate."


    "..."


    "We need you to act as a decoy before we attack the laboratory."


    "Oh, Sir Ashford, good morning," cried the maid.


    "Penelope, why are you outside when you should be tending Emersyn?"


    "Madame has a terrible headache and I was out to fetch medicine for her. Here it is, Madame Emersyn. I also fetched a glass of lukewarm water for you."


    "Thanks, Penelope," she groaned then carefully sat up.


    "The meeting would be four hours from now. Do your best to be okay by then," Ashford''s monotone voice rang out beside her ear. She had to admit, it was a rather pleasant voice. Then, he stood up and left.


    "..."


    Penelope also left with a bow.


    When Emersyn drank the medicine, she tightly closed her eyes as she felt the pain subsiding. Just as soon as she recovered, she tried standing up and her feet weren''t wobbly, thankfully. Her clothes were also changed. The last time she remembered, her attire was made of leather as hard as crocodile skin. But now, she wore an expensive silk nightgown. She lifted the hem and her pale thighs came into view. Even her underwear was changed¡­ she peeked at her chest and her bra was also changed. Her face heated up as she vigorously shook her head in an attempt to shake those impure thoughts out. Her feet took her in front of the mirror and she saw that her black hair turned to white. Also, her black eyes turned into red. She didn''t know what really happened after Ashford told her she died, but she was forced to convince herself that she was alive and kicking. But at the guise of an albino.


    She checked her body if every limb was working; something caught her attention. She could heavily kick and strike a powerful punch when she couldn''t even do it back then. With her palms faced towards her, she opened and closed them, seeing if her body was still hers. It looked like it was still in her control --- nothing strange.


    "..."


    "Madame?"


    She turned to look towards the door, "Yes?"


    "I brought you your breakfast," Penelope said as she settled the tray filled with food on the table. Emersyn just noticed the room and it was equipped with a bathroom, a dining table and a refrigerator; but there wasn''t any kitchen.


    After all, every member of the Voltaire must be dining with each other in turns. It was to build connections and share information as they eat.


    "If this is still lacking for you, Madame, I will fetch more in the kitchen."


    Emersyn smiled wryly and sat on the comfortable chair then ate her breakfast. This reminded her of the days where she had to dine with all those chaotic buffoons on a wooden chair. She smiled widely from the memory. Once she was done eating, she was directed to go to her walk-in closet. When she entered the huge room, it was filled with new branded clothes. She could tell that every piece of articles here was expensive as heck. Emersyn turned to look at the pliant Penelope.


    "Are these clothes¡­ all for me?"


    "Yes, Madame. Sir Ashford ordered these all."


    Emersyn grabbed a coat and wore them. Surprisingly, it was exactly her size.


    "But why would he..." her voice trailed.


    "I don''t know either, Madame."


    "..." she went silent as she went through the variety of clothes. After picking a cyan turtleneck sweater, gray slacks and a black coat; she immediately undressed despite the pair of eyes watching her. She didn''t feel uncomfortable at all, like it was natural. She didn''t know why, since she never had the experience to have a servant watch her from behind.


    "Would you like me to tie your hair up, Madame?"


    "Please. Thank you," she smiled.


    "Please sit here," Penelope said as she pulled a chair on the carpeted floor.


    Emersyn complied and stilled as the maid gently did her hair. When they finished, it was already 8:25; thirty five minutes before the meeting. Now that she realized it, the place where the meeting would be held was null. She turned to look at Penelope and the maid only bowed and escorted her out of her room.


    "Do you know where the meeting would be, Madame?" Fortunately, she asked.


    "I don''t," she scratched her cheek bashfully.


    "Well then, please follow me," and they went off.

 63 Mission 1

    "Loosen up, woman," Fidor, who was at the prime of his age, said to her from Emersyn''s side. "We won''t eat you."


    Emersyn heaved a sigh of relief as she loosened up her tensed muscles. She gazed at Ashford for a brief moment before turning her attention towards the man who stood up from his seat.


    "Everybody know here about the Hanson''s Laboratory, right?"


    They all nodded their heads as the man, named Guren, walked to the front as an image of a white building appeared on the screen.


    "For Emersyn here, we are ordered to destroy this laboratory in the span of one week. This lab deals with human trafficking, illegal organ dealings and illegal human experimentation. Apparently, few of our men were tasked to spy on this lab and never returned. At first, we sent more experienced spies, but they returned with records in hand that a lot of our family perished in their hands. We won''t permit this to happen to the family of Voltaire. They are our enemies. Every one of us here are the leaders of our respected divisions. In this meeting, we will be conducting our strategy to completely destroy this place down to its core. Is this all clear to you, Emersyn?"


    "Yes," she replied with a nod.


    "Good. Then, we will proceed."


    The last slide of the powerpoint slid to the side and a new slide was presented. It was the 3D layout of the entire one floor building and their underground floors. Then, red dots appeared in floors.


    "We will install bombs in the indicated locations as you see in the screen."


    "How do we enter the lab though?"


    "Someone arranged a tour for a student project for their immersions. We would sneak in in the group and act as students. Since we couldn''t enter the underground floors, we decided one person will enter as a specimen," Guren said as he looked over at Emersyn.


    They respectively looked at her as they nodded with their arms crossed.


    "Emersyn would enter the laboratory filled with bomb in her body. Remember that you have to place the bombs hidden from sight. Have you already memorized the locations?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "That''s very impressive. Since the experiments happens at the bottom floor, your part would be very important. We will rely on you in this entire mission, Emersyn."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Now then, once the bombs are installed, you have to try your best to stay alive until we rescue you. If you didn''t survive, try your best to do your part before you die."


    "Yes, sir."


    ***


    After the meeting, Emersyn found the garden and decided to stay there, alone, for an hour or two. She sat on the bench as she gazed at her hand, holding a part of her whitened hair. She rubbed it between her fingers, sighing.


    "Madame!"


    She turned to look at Penelope who was heaving heavily.


    "What is it?"


    "Sir Ashford was looking for you---"


    "No need, Penelope," a man emerged out from the arch.


    "Yes¡­ sir," then she went and left Emersyn and Ashford behind.


    Emersyn stood up as she lightly greeted, "Hello, sir. What can I do for you?"


    However, the man only pointed his chin at the bench. Emersyn understood then sat down, her gaze at the beautiful garden. Ashford, later, also sat down beside her.


    "Emersyn..."


    "Yes, sir."


    "... do you feel anything? Do you remember anything?"


    "What do you mean, sir?"


    "... nothing. Anyway, I give you my best regards tomorrow."


    "Yes, sir."


    "... well then, goodbye."


    "Goodbye, sir."


    Once he rounded the corner, Penelope appeared from the pathway with a perplexed look in her eyes. "Madame, it''s time for lunch. Do you want to eat in your room or in the dining hall?"


    "The dining hall. Thanks, Penelope."


    "It is only my duty," she said as she gestured at the arch where it led towards the main mansion. Emersyn nodded then led the way towards the main dining hall. When she arrived in the dining hall, everyone quitened then they whispered to each of their seatmates. She sighed as she sat on an empty corner table, noticing that Penelope was no longer at her side. She looked around and saw the maid standing at the far corner with the other servants. Suddenly, the door from the large kitchen opened and a lot of food were lined up on the long table.


    A scene appeared in her mind. The floor was tiled, the people were wearing dresses and suits, there was a long table filled with food, and her hand that held a plate brimming with a variety of dishes. Where could it possibly be? She never had this grand of an event in her whole life. Her head started aching, but she tried her best to appear not to. Just when she stopped thinking about it, the pain subsided. Before she knew it, there was a plate in front of her, including side dishes and a glass of water.


    Then people started eating as they talk. While Emersyn, who was alone, just ate in silence until¡­ Ashford came with a tray of his food. Emersyn tilted her head as Ashford sat in front of her.


    "What are you staring for? Continue eating," he loudly said as it reverberated inside the silent hall.


    "???" Emersyn was confused but she chose to ignore it then continued eating.


    When the feast --- which occured almost everyday --- Emersyn stood up with a tray in hand then returned it at the window that separates the dining hall from the kitchen. The people looked at her as she confusedly looked around. The chef came to her and said as he took her tray, "Young Lady, we will get them for you if you just simply left it on your table."


    "Oh. Is it bad giving it here?"


    "Of course not, you are welcome to come here after your meals; and at any time. By the way, your hair and eyes looks stunning."


    Emersyn smiled, "Thanks."


    "Sorry, but I still have a lot of work to do. See you later?"


    "Yes, see you later."


    When she turned her heels around, Penelope was already beside her with her hands clutched in her front. "Madame, what do you want to do from now on?"


    "... it is strange, but I want to go to the library. Is there one?"


    "Of course. I will lead you there."


    "Thanks again, Penelope. You''ve been a great help to me."


    "It''s fine, Madame. It is my duty."


    ***


    The door leading to the library suddenly opened. It was loud and sudden as the people inside bolted from whatever they were reading and glared at the man who entered. Upon seeing his figure, they immediately shut their mouths as their gaze never left the stunning man in his suit.


    "Maajidanashi!" That man shouted.


    The woman jolted on her chair as she suddenly stood up.


    "Yes, sir!"


    His eyebrows furrowed as he marched towards Emersyn.


    "What is it, sir?" Noticing that the man in front of her, Boris, who was her previous boss, she shuddered.


    With his fingers against his sinus, he sighed in exasperation. Then, he quickly grabbed Emersyn''s wrist and stomped his way out of the library. The female looked back at the abandoned book which was handled by Penelope back into the shelf. However, Penelope didn''t follow and just watched her get dragged into a place she didn''t know.


    When they arrived in a place where they couldn''t see anyone wandering, he flung her on the stone wall.


    "Nashi..."


    "Yes, sir?"


    "Didn''t you see the letter I sent to you?"


    "No, sir. I was in the library all the time."


    "You stupid girl! When did you get interested in books? You are supposed to attend the farewell party we arranged for you! You went to the library to escape from us, huh? Did you really not want to see your old colleagues that much?"


    "What? No, sir! I would never dare do that!"


    Boris sighed, "Haa¡­ fine. Everyone is waiting for you. Be grateful that I came to find you when you were one minute late. Come now."


    "Yes, sir," she said meekly.


    When they arrived in front of a room, Boris opened it and poppers erupted from anywhere to welcome Emersyn''s arrival.


    "Nashi! I heard you got promoted!"


    Emersyn was perplexed. "What do you mean..."


    "You went missing three days ago and you didn''t even come and tell us that you were promoted!"


    Three days ago¡­ three days¡­ ah. She ran away three days ago and got caught immediately the day after that. They were imprisoned and Emersyn pleaded for the boy''s life to be freed. They asked for an impossible condition though. To be tortured and die. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, she lived and all her wounds healed. It was¡­ mysterious. Reminded of that time, she faced her palm as her gaze went to and fro between her colleagues and her hand.


    She smiled at them, "Sorry, I forgot to tell you," she said as she scratched her head.


    "Hahaha!!! You''re as stupid as ever, Nashi!"


    "Let''s celebrate now and put the formalities later!" Boris shouted merrily.

 64 Mission 2

    She hurriedly opened the door and quickly went to her room --- which she remembered the way. After opening the door, Penelope was already awake and was beside the bed; and on it, there were clothes that were neatly arranged.


    "The warm water has been prepared, Madame."


    "Thanks, Penelope," she said as she hastened her movements.


    When she finished bathing, she got out of the tub, dried her body and settled the towel on her head. Once she entered her room, butt naked, she quickly went to her bed and dressed up.


    "Here are the things to you, Madame," Penelope said as she handed over a professional camera and a bag, containing a lunch box and a few more necessary materials.


    "Thanks."


    "It is my pleasure. Please take care."


    "I will," then she went off to the rendezvous place; in front of the mansion.


    When she arrived, she noticed that there weren''t any cars present and just a few youths, men and women, in their casual wear. She grew tense since she didn''t know even one of them.


    "What are you waiting for, woman?" Fidor said from behind her.


    "... I am just awkward, sir."


    "Geh. Suit yourself."


    "..."


    "Alright. Team one, head out first. In five minutes, team two will go next; and you," he turned towards Emersyn, "You have to hurry up and go to Hanson University."


    Emersyn saluted and quickly went away. She got to the bus stop. Once the bus arrived, she went inside and paid for her fare. She fetched out the phone provided to her and searched for a map. The moving red dot was where she was as she set her destination towards Hanson University. It was a good 1 and half hour drive. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 5:02 am. The bus didn''t have many passengers either. However, when she was relaxed and was watching the moving scenery at the window, there was a ring in the phone.


    "Hello?"


    "... Emersyn, once you got into the University --- which I forgot to tell you --- someone will be joining you once you get in. He was completely unrelated to us, but he knew that you came to the University to take an experiment. His name is Aiden Lembert, 22 years old. A junior in Gregson University; major in Microbiology. I would be sending you his picture," the line went dead before she could answer; then the phone beeped.


    When the bus location indicator rang and the name of Hanson University panned out, she immediately stood up and got out of the bus. At the entrance, she could see the man she saw in the picture. Likewise, Aiden also saw her and waved happily at her.


    "Emma!"


    She tilted her head as she approached Aiden.


    "Emma Louise, right?"


    Emersyn smiled and nodded. "Aiden Lembert, right?"


    "Yes! Thank god¡­ I was dying here in embarrassment since people kept on looking at me!"


    "Maybe because you''re too handsome? Besides, you''re tall."


    "Am I?" Aiden flaunted his face. "You are not so bad either. Probably the most beautiful girl I''ve ever seen. Where are you from?"


    She flinched from the question. "I''m from somewhere near here."


    Aiden laughed, "True. You wouldn''t tell a complete stranger where you live. Anyway, we have to hurry. The professor is waiting for us."


    "Yes."


    ***


    "This is our prided Hansom Laboratory," said the man in a white coat as he toured them around the lab. This place was isolated from the outside world and was deep in the woods. Aiden and Emersyn looked around enthusiastically as they scrambled their feet towards any equipment they saw.


    "Emma, this is where we are going to work!"


    However, when he didn''t hear any response, he turned to his head to look for Emersyn. When he finally discovered her, she was hugging a machine as she rubbed her cheeks on the surface of the cold metal.


    "Emma?!"


    "Yesh?" She responded as she stood up with her face red.


    "... what are you doing?"


    "I am simply admiring the machineries..."


    "But why hug?"


    "... I had been a chemist, so it''s been a while since I saw these..." she said as she caressed the machine. Her eyes caught something as she approached a table.


    "Emma?"


    When she leaned and saw the microscope in a glass case, her bag slipped from her arm and the contents spilled on the floor.


    "..."


    "Sorry. Haha..." she said, opening her blazer then discreetly placed the bomb under the table as she hurriedly retrieved her things. There are already two bombs installed on the first underground floor. Now, it would get tricky from here on out. She heaved a sigh as she caught up with the two people ahead of her.


    "Oooh!!!" Emersyn exclaimed as she saw an apparatus containing test tubes. The man in a lab coat rolled his eyes, ignoring the woman who kept on being excited as her eyes twinkled upon looking at all these common stuff.


    Aiden smiled bashfully as he was also on the verge of doing the same thing.


    When they reached the last floor, the man guided them towards a room where the experiment would be conducted. However, instead of going in peacefully, Aiden was suddenly knocked unconscious. Emersyn rolled away from her initial position as she eyed the men in black who intended to harm her.


    "..."


    "My¡­ we have a wonderful specimen today," the man with a lab coat said as he ordered those men to capture her. Cold sweat perspired from her back as she took a step back. When the men grabbed her arm, she suddenly grabbed the man''s wrist with her free hand and twisted it with her whole body then threw him on the ground. She was surprised that she could do it. Shaking those unimportant thoughts away, she gained courage with her new found strength and glared at all the people present.


    "Emma Louise!"


    One of the men fetched out a gun with a silencer then fired at Emersyn. However, she dodged it by the last second and lunged at the man, palming his stomach as she pushed him with the weight of her body. She then struck the arm that was holding the gun and stole the weapon from that man. She fired at these men at point blank range. Her target: their brains. When she killed all those men, the only one left would be that man in a lab coat. She turned to look at him, but he found him unconscious on Aiden''s shoulder.


    "Sorry, Emma, but we need this man alive. Ah, no, sorry. Your name isn''t really Emma, right? My name isn''t Aiden either. This time, answer me. Are you in our side?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "Did you come here to destroy this laboratory?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?"


    "... you might just want to protect yourself from these disgusting humans."


    "Ah. You have a point, but no," she said as she aimed the gun at Aiden''s head.


    "Emma, we are on the same side. Are you going to kill someone who would be of use to you?"


    "..."


    "I will help you run away from here and if in case, that you get caught by the police, I will bail you out."


    Emma didn''t hesitate and fired the gun. However, Aiden dodged the bullet''s trajectory.


    "Haa¡­ You must be from the mafia."


    "You must be from the police."


    "No, no. We are kind of like the police, but we are not the police."


    "Then---" before she could even start, there was an earthquake and an explosion above ground. Aiden looked at Emersyn and sighed, "Your friends must be here now."


    "They''re my family."


    "You are in the mafia after all."


    "Duh."


    "So, what are you going to do now?"


    Emersyn looked incredulously at Aiden. "Why are you asking me?"


    "Cause I will escape now."


    "Sure, go ahead. I have no ord---wait, leave that man to me."


    "Sorry, but I have to take him, interrogate him and punish him by law."


    "I apologize too, since the order this time is complete annihilation."


    "What can you do?"


    "Kill you and that man."


    "I see. So this is how we are going to play. I am still hoping to peacefully deal with you, but I guess it won''t go my way---"


    BANG!

 65 Mission 3

    Emersyn stared at the man in black who shot the man on Aiden''s shoulder.


    On the other hand, Aiden stiffly looked back and saw a muzzle aiming on his head. He chuckled dryly then said, "You mafiosos sure are hard to handle."


    "One time. I am letting you escape just this one time. Go," the man firmly said.


    "Hahaha! You think I''ll let you just do your own thing after killing my important witness?"


    "That''s not our problem. We are just following orders. Code Phoenix, handle this guy."


    "Yes, sir," Emersyn responded as she quickly apprehended Aiden in a chokehold. However, the man struck her diaphragm with his elbow along with the strength of his other arm. Emersyn held her breath as he tightened her choke and firmly wrapped her legs around his waist.


    "Gah! Wo---man!"


    Aiden passed out.


    "Hmm¡­ impressive," the man said as he scrutinised Emersyn from head to toe. Even though her diaphragm was struck hard, she held on and continued choking the man with a firm hold until he passed out. Impressive, indeed. He nodded his head in approval.


    "Phoenix, have you already installed all the bombs?"


    "Only two are left, sir."


    "Call me Beaver. I am not that higher up than you. It''s better to be casual. Besides, we are family, right?"


    "Yes," Emersyn nodded as she carried Aiden to the last room.


    "What an odd woman..." Beaver mumbled.


    When Emersyn finished binded Aiden on the experiment table, she proceeded to install the bombs. After that, she left and saw a lot of men securing the underpass and the other was examining the corpses on the ground. She immediately hid behind a machine, held her breath and concentrated her sense of hearing to the approaching footsteps. Suddenly, she could hear a change in the air. She shrunk back on the corner to hide herself, then multiple bombs went off causing another screams of fear. However, the men didn''t falter their steps and just proceeded to walk into the direction where Emersyn was hiding. She looked beside her to see if the shadow of the machine would be enough to hide her. Fortunately, it was enough, but it wasn''t enough to fool these men looking for their target. Just as she thought that they would discover her, they passed through her position.


    "Look for that murderer. They wouldn''t be able to hide much here, much less escape. Tighten the security! We will catch our man," then she could hear whispers.


    Suddenly, a bullet was shot.


    Emersyn, with her gut instinct telling her to escape, quickly jumped out of her hiding place where a bullet went through the reinforced wall. She saw Beaver in that group as he fired another round of bullet at her. Furthermore, they were all aiming at her vitals.


    "..."


    "Why can''t a newbie do something right?! It''s just a woman!"


    Emersyn saw that opportunity and quickly snatched those magazines on the floor. She threw the empty magazine and slotted the new magazine then immediately fired at the men, bringing a few down who were still in a daze.


    "Blockhead!!! You just gave an opportunity to the enemy! You stupid newbie!"


    "I''m sorry!"


    Emersyn smirked as she gestures at her gun, "Thanks," she said.


    Beaver groaned loudly as he stood. He cocked his gun and went to the farthest back of the formation as he avoided Emersyn''s fires. When he was sure that there wouldn''t be anybody coming through the earpiece he was wearing, he started bombarding the backs of the men with larger bullets.


    "All cleared in sector 5," he said as he pressed on his earpiece.


    "Good job. Now, escape. We will follow you soon," the voice said at the other end.


    "Phoenix!" Beaver called as Emersyn looted the bodies of the men.


    "... what are you doing?"


    "Oh! Pardon me," she said as she continued scavenging for materials. "It was kind of my hobby."


    "..."


    "When I used to hunt monsters myself, I always had to butcher them up for food and for materials. Oh and when I killed bandits, I had to loot their bodies too. You know, for extra cash."


    "..." he knew what monsters were in his vocabulary, but hunt? Although he sometimes went to participate in hunts, but just by herself? What does that mean? Before she was in their team, wasn''t she just a decoy? Also, butchering them up for food? She was butchering humans?! How scary! His team has a cannibal!


    "... wait..." Emersyn mumbled. "I mean¡­ yes. Those mutated animals roaming the world around."


    "... what mutated animals? We have mutated animals roaming here?! How come I didn''t know that?"


    "..." oh no. There weren''t any here in this world! What was wrong with her memories?! Where did those come from?!


    "I''m sorry, I read that in the library yesterday. It seems I am still, you know, caught up with it."


    "Ah¡­ I see, so that was the case," Beaver nodded.


    "Weren''t we going to escape?"


    "... how did you know? I still haven''t told you."


    "..."


    Beaver waved his hand with a frown and said, "Whatever. Let''s go now."


    "Yes."


    They entered the underpass as they walked through the dark cave out into the forest. Once they found their way out and saw a hint of light, they hurried their footsteps. However, when they exited, a lot of suited men showed up with their guns aiming at them. Emersyn and Beaver simultaneously raised up their arms as they slowly approached the group.


    "Where are the others?"


    "They were killed and we are the only one who survived," Emersyn said slowly.


    "No. Where are your comrades?"


    Emersyn smiled wryly as she quickly retrieved the gun and fired simultaneously at the men. They hid behind trees as they fired against each other. When the men were out of bullets, they risked their lives just to be sure that the opponents were out of bullets to engage close combat. Emersyn was itching to do close combat, though she didn''t know why, but she still threw the gun at Beaver then ran towards the enemy.


    "Phoenix?!" He screamed in surprise as he caught the gun.


    The brawl started. Beaver was rather surprised to see how wide Emersyn''s smile was as she fought against opponents bigger than her. Even her movements were agile and nimble. He couldn''t quite follow her fast movements, but he still remained alert with his finger on the trigger.


    Then, there were sounds coming from the direction where the laboratory was. It wasn''t that of an explosion, but rather the sound of the police and ambulance coming together. Fortunately, Emersyn was already done. Just when she finally relaxed her tensed muscles, her body collapsed from over-exertion of her body which wasn''t made to fight. Beaver ran towards Emersyn, examining her for signs of life.


    "Phew¡­ you''re alive."


    ***


    Inside the laboratory, students were huddled together on the second underground floor, shivering in fear. There was John, a senior, who kept on calming his juniors and fellow seniors amidst the situation. When he turned around and saw that the men in a lab coat were hurriedly going down a flight of stairs --- since the elevator was bombed ---, he followed them suspiciously. Fortunately, no one seemed to suspect him.


    He followed them around and finally saw an entrance, or rather, and exit. His eyes widened as he quickly went up to inform his fellow students, not noticing the heap of corpses or even the smell of death.


    "Guys! There''s an exit on the lower floor!"


    "Really?!"


    "Come! Follow me! But we have to be quiet."


    They rounded every corner and arrived in front of the so-called exit. However, this time, he finally noticed the corpses lying around. Some of them covered their mouths to prevent bile from coming out as they trembled in fear. Suddenly, there was a sound coming from one of the rooms. They trembled as they slowly opened the door. They saw a man struggling on top of the experiment table as they heaved a sigh of relief.


    Aiden noticed them and quickly said, "Hurry! Help me! I am wrongly put in here by those people! I will protect you until we get out, I promise!"


    "You--- you won''t kill us?" John asked.


    "What?! How could I?! I am on the side of justice!"


    "Then¡­ please," he pleaded as he undid the binds on the man''s limbs.


    "Thank god¡­ I''m free..." he said as he rubbed his numbing wrists. He looked around them and asked, "Is this all of you?"


    "Yes."


    "Good. There is a passageway that will lead us to the forest. Help will come to us there, I am sure."


    Then they went out of that room and entered the passageway. When they got out, the sun blinded their eyes and multiple people came into sight. The man that seemed to lead them came forward and said, "We are the Blanche. We came to help."

 66 Breakthrough 1

    In spite of her being unconscious, she heard a whisper that rang in her ear as her body trembled. Beaver looked back and was met with Emersyn''s red eyes. However, they were burning like inferno. The blaze in her eyes didn''t disappear nor wavered in the slightest.


    Emersyn looked back from where the whisper came from. She couldn''t do anything as she still couldn''t move her body with all the aches she felt.


    That word¡­ however, was etched inside her mind.


    ''... Blanche---''


    Her body trembled again and felt chills ran through her spine.


    "Phoenix? What''s wrong?"


    "Blanche..."


    "Ah. Those are very troublesome people to the Voltaire. A great threat that we wouldn''t even dare be caught under. Though¡­ I heard that we will one day confront them once we get the necessary arrangement."


    "Mm..." then she succumbed to her lethargy.


    Beaver walked and walked until he spotted a rundown building and entered it haphazardly. Once everything was cleared, he set down Emersyn on the old dilapidated sofa. After he settled her, he went to the kitchen and turned on the light as it flickered. There were a few bugs on the sink and there were spiderwebs on all four corners of the room. When he was fetching some ingredients in the well preserved refrigerator, there was a sudden white noise on his ear where his earpiece was attached.


    "Alpha to Beaver, the mission is accomplished. I need you to give me details about your side once you arrive in HQ."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Are you with Phoenix?"


    "Yes, sir, but she is currently unconscious."


    "That''s fine. I saw her performance in the CCTV. I only need your side of the report when you both went outside. See you in HQ."


    "Yes, sir."


    Then the line went silent. He retrieved his earpiece and settled it on the wooden dining table as he sighed.


    "Hmm¡­ sandwiches¡­ they might be spoiled¡­ oh, not yet. Good. Hmmm¡­ milk¡­ not spoiled, great. Damn it. Why do they buy ingredients when they could buy preserved food in a can. I don''t know how to cook!"


    Anyway, he preheated the microwave oven and put the sandwiches inside then closed it. He waited for a minute then the oven notified him that it was done. When he settled on the floor in front of the television with a sandwich and milk on hand, he turned to look at Emersyn and sighed. He got up once again to heat up another sandwich for the woman in case she woke up.


    Minutes later, Emersyn was woken up by the sound coming from the television. There was light in the kitchen and she could identify the silhouette of the man who was with her. She called, "Beaver?"


    "Hm? Oh yes. Phoenix, glad you''re awake. Have some sandwiches."


    "We have ingredients in the fridge, but I don''t know how to cook," he looked at her, "Cook some for me if you are planning to cook."


    "Alright."


    When Emersyn entered the kitchen, Beaver suddenly stood up when he remembered that he still hadn''t cleaned the kitchen. After all what he experienced with women in Voltaire, they were all afraid of some type of bugs, insects or spiders. Despite them being very scary women...


    "Phoenix!"


    "Yes?" Emersyn replied as she thoroughly cleaned the sink and the kitchen area.


    "Wha---" Beaver could only watch.


    "What is it?"


    "... nevermind," then he left.


    Emersyn tilted her head then proceeded cleaning. Once she was done cleaning, she opened the fridge and retrieved ingredients for a heavy meal. She cut the meat into bite pieces, vegetables, then stir fried onions and garlic in a large pot. For some reason, at the middle of her cooking, she could feel a pair of eyes watching her every move. It wasn''t hostile, so she let it go. When everything was already made, she tasted the soup through a small plate. Her eyes went wide as she realized it was so delicious that it couldn''t be compared to her normal cooking. She glanced at the fridge where the ingredients were and then at the pot where it contained almost 15 servings.


    "..."


    "... you done? I''m¡­ uh¡­ already so hungry," Beaver said through a meek voice.


    "..."


    "Phoenix?"


    "Please clean the plates and utensils."


    "Yes, ma''am!" then he hurried off to do what was told.


    ***


    "Hum! Hum! I would really recommend you to the head chef! No! You''re more capable than him! How come we haven''t recruited you in the kitchen¡­ anyway! Ugh! This meal is to die for! I would eat this once more before I die."


    "Alright."


    "Thanks, man¡­ you''re so good¡­ I want to eat whatever you cook; even if it looks horrible."


    "..." What is this man saying?


    "Ah¡­ I really love this..."


    "Your earpiece has been vibrating nonstop, Beaver."


    "Hm? ¡­ alright, I''ll take it."


    "BEAVER!" It rang loudly.


    Beaver immediately distanced the earpiece away as he winced.


    "Sheesh! Calm down!"


    "Ha¡­ you finally answered, you damned brat! Can''t you just equip your earpiece all the time?!"


    "Damn it. Okay. I''m sorry, sir. What is it?"


    "There are witnesses and the members who infiltrated the laboratory are being hunted down. Besides¡­ we got the Blanche behind us."


    "..."


    "And Phoenix is their top priority."


    Beaver covered his face with his palms and sighed in frustration. "What is going on now, sir?"


    "We are lying low for now. No more huge missions for the time being. But if it is important and needs to be done, we are taking actions even under threat. In the matter with Phoenix, we don''t have to be extra vigilant since her picture isn''t widely spread with the masses. However, that might be the case in the Blanche. Just be cautious enough to bring her to the HQ. The Emperor is going ballistic since we caught wind of this."


    "When do we leave, sir?"


    "In three days. You also have to be careful, your face is widely known by the police, since you came under the jurisdiction of illegal work. You are one of the security personnel the laboratory recruited, correct? There are about five security personnel that went missing and they are searching for it."


    "Hmm¡­ I see now, sir."


    "I''ll see you in three days."


    "Yes, sir."


    Then the other line went silent.


    "... so, basically, in three days, we would be together before we go to the HQ."


    "Is there any more you have to say?"


    "Well¡­ I have to be careful since I am being searched. While you, on the other hand, are being searched by the Blanche. There weren''t any clear indications as to why, but you have to be careful too."


    Emersyn settled her fingers on her chin then nodded. "So, I am the only one going to the convenience store, huh..."


    "... what?"


    "We are out of stock now. I have to buy ingredients soon. Do you have any money?"


    "..." he suddenly looked at the plate Emersyn used, it was as if licked clean, then to his own plate.


    "... someone must have left a credit card here for general purposes. Let''s find it."


    "Sorry, but I am still hungry. Find it, please?"


    "... okay."


    When he found the credit card on the second floor, which was empty, Emersyn already finished the whole pot of soup. He was taken aback when he looked at the clock and it had only been thirty minutes since he started looking.


    "Hey¡­ you sure you don''t have indigestion?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "You ate a whole pot of food!"


    "It''s kind of normal though? I always had to eat extra large helpings for my growing body."


    "... you''re already 24, Phoenix. What ''grow''? You''re nuts."


    "Hmm¡­ but why do I have the confidence that I will grow more?"


    "Remove that in your head. You won''t grow anymore."


    "You''ll see, and I will make you pay for it."


    "Sure. One bank account."


    "Deal."


    "What about you?"


    "Two bank accounts."


    "... are you that rich? Aren''t you supposed to be only a decoy?"


    "..."


    "..."


    Emersyn scratched her chin and looked back in her memories. "Oh yeah¡­ I only have about 450,000 in my bank account."


    Beaver facepalmed as he shook his head. "I have three million. What will you do about the excess?"


    "I will cook for you for about two years."


    "DEAL!"


    "..." wasn''t that too fast?


    "Okay! Two years of cooking for me! Go into my room. I had a kitchen installed there. Since, sometimes, I have to deal with paperworks and skipped meals."


    "Mhm..."


    "What about the time limit?"


    Emersyn smirked and said, "One year."


    "... aren''t you too confident?"


    "Then, six months?"


    "... weren''t you supposed to be increasing the limit than to decrease it?"


    "Six months it is."


    "You''re crazy..." Beaver said as he shook his head.

 67 Breakthrough 2

    "This is endless..." Beaver muttered.


    "We don''t have any choice, Beaver. It''s a do or die here."


    "Haha. You seem energetic. How are you now, Phoenix?"


    Emersyn grinned widely, "Never been better," as both of them attacked in unison.


    It had been one hour since they engaged in fighting the mobs and there weren''t any reinforcements on sight. However, this didn''t lower their morale as they fought with the same ferocity when they started this dogfight. Emersyn, though, was clearly enjoying it as a wide grin plastered on her beautiful and bloodied face. She continued attacking in a trajectory of motion and even considered the momentum against these mobs. Thankfully, there weren''t any gun wielding people in the group; or else, it would be a pinch. Somehow, it excites her rather than scares her. That thought itself was frightening.


    Suddenly, there was a siren.


    The mobs quickly dispersed with their comrades in arms while Emersyn and Beaver hid in a dark alley. Emersyn soon collapsed when her nerves relaxed. But it wasn''t that grave than the first time she fought and collapsed three days ago. After all, she pursued training her body vigorously for three days as her exhausted body slept all night.


    "Haa¡­ you okay, Phoenix?"


    "Yeah¡­ better than the last time this happens."


    "Good to know..."


    When Emersyn finally breathed a relaxed sigh, she stood up. Beaver glanced over then suddenly, his eyes widened.


    "You¡­ you..."


    "Yes?" Emersyn tilted her head.


    "... did you just grow taller¡­ you were¡­ just leveled with my chest and now, you surpassed my shoulders... "


    Emersyn smirked and settled her hand on her hip, "Three days huh. Fess your money up now, Beaver."


    However, their time got interrupted with a shout from the police. They both started running to the complicated alleyways and finally, separated from each other. Emersyn saw a ladder hanging high up beside the building. She jumped then grabbed that very ladder, however, it crumbled from her hands as she freely fell to the ground. She grabbed the wall and her fingers created a hole as her descent stopped.


    "Hey! Stop!"


    Emersyn quickly climbed the wall to the top of the building, then made a jump to the nearest roof. She could hear the police cursing under their ragged breath as she jumped from roof to roof. She didn''t care if her actions disturbed a lot of people or when she was seen and was called a thief and more police went after her.


    "..."


    "What is this about?" She asked.


    However, no one answered her and just escorted her towards the uppermost floor.


    "Please enter inside," the butler said before leaving.


    Emersyn shrugged before knocking on the door.


    "Who is it?"


    "Emersy---Phoenix."


    "Come in."


    Phoenix opened the door and a throwing knife greeted her. She immediately caught it and threw it on the carpeted floor, digging itself a place to settle.


    "Ah. It''s just you, Ashford," she unconsciously said.


    "..."


    "... I mean¡­ Sir Ashford," she corrected herself.


    "What happened before you got here," he commanded rather than question her.


    "When we were about to depart from the hiding place, we were attacked by ruffians from a gang that somehow found us. They said that we have bounties on our heads from the other gangs and they planned to capture us. The fight went on for more than two hours and the police came. Beaver and I got separated from the chase as I garnered more attention from the mass. I hid in the crowd at the festival and covered myself as a participant and came here after a long while."


    "Did anybody follow you?"


    "None, sir."


    "Good. Now, do you know you made a mistake?"


    "Yes, sir."


    "You left a man serving under Blanche alive. Why?"


    "I have no words, sir."


    "I am not going to be angry at you. Tell the truth."


    Emersyn glanced at Ashford. "I¡­ I don''t know, sir..."


    "Haaaa¡­ you''re despicable."


    "I''m sorry, sir."


    "Never mind that. In actuality, I called to ask you something very important. Since you know of the Blanche now, you are the only one who could do this job."


    "What is it, sir?"


    "Raid the HQ of the Blanche all on your own."


    "..." for some reason, she felt her lips curved into a cynical smile.


    "It seems like you agreed."


    Emersyn covered her mouth as she avoided the prying eyes of the man in front of her. She said in a muffled tone, "How could I do that, sir---"


    "Stop with your principles, and you know that all those are thrown in the gutter. I know you want this as much as I want you to. Since you have a very powerful body and the ability to regenerate, that''s all we need to fill the gaps of our plan. Actually, you made it much easier."


    "What do you mean, sir?"


    "No questions. I''ll inform you about the date of the raid later. For now, dismissed."


    When she arrived in the ground floor, she met Beaver once again.


    "Yo. Thanks for the diversion, Phoenix."


    "It wasn''t my intention at all¡­ but you''re welcome."


    "Come now, we still have a mission to finish," Beaver said as he offered his arms for Emersyn to take.


    "Why thank you, kind sir," Emersyn smiled then took the arms offered to her as she clung happily. She was guided to a car then towards their family''s property. It was a long drive, but it didn''t bore Emersyn out as she practiced to control her breathing and move her muscles the way she wanted it to. After knowing that she would finally know why her body reacted that way whenever the Blanche was mentioned.


    However, for some reason, when her breathing deepened, she could feel an unusual flow of energy in her right hand. There were two things that baffled her; the fact that she could sense energies now and that unusual flow in her right hand. She looked at Beaver who was sound asleep as his body leaned deeper in the seat. She then looked at the driver who seemed who wouldn''t care whatever she might be doing at the backseat. Confirming once again, she fell deep into her consciousness and grabbed the end of the unusual flow. It wrapped around her body and she could feel something entering her mind. When she opened her eyes, there was a holographic screen in front of her. She was startled as she covered the source of the light before turning towards the two person present in the car. Fortunately, they didn''t seem to notice.


    "... what is this¡­?" she whispered.


    She tried navigating through this phone like mechanism and stopped from the storage function. She opened it and saw a lot of things in it. Weapons, gold, silver, bronze¡­ and unusual monster carcasses. Now, she knew why she muttered those words to Beaver when she was looting the men in black and putting their magazines and guns in her backpack.


    "... who am I...? No, who are you?" she quietly asked, knowing there wouldn''t be anyone answering her.


    "Uh¡­ huh? Oh. Phoenix¡­ where are we now?"


    "Pardon me, but I don''t know. Look outside to see for yourself."


    "Ah¡­ sorry," he yawned then checked outside the window. "Hmmm¡­ still far. Wake me up once we get there, Phoenix."


    "Sure."


    Then he want back to sleep.


    Emersyn breathed out with relief that she didn''t know she was holding. She, once again, looked at the holographic screen in front of her and investigated more about it. When the car stopped, she tore her eyes away from the screen. As soon as she thought to close it, it disappeared from her sight. She turned towards Beaver and shook him awake.


    "... I''m up¡­ I''m up. Don''t shake me too much or I''ll vomit¡­ ugh..."


    "I''ll cook you something then."


    "Really?!"


    "Yes."


    He suddenly sat up but soon held his head. "Oof¡­ then, please..."


    "Alright. Get off now."


    "Yes, ma''am."


    "Madame," Penelope greeted from the other side of the door.


    "Penelope, greetings."


    "... hello," Beaver said.


    "Welcome back."


    "I''m back," Emersyn smiled as Penelope nodded, guiding Emersyn to her room while Beaver waved at them and disappeared into the mansion.


    As Emersyn and Penelope walked through corridors, it was eerily silent as no one attempted to break the ice. When Penelope opened a door, Emersyn entered then the door behind her closed with her aide outside.


    "Please rest, Madame," Penelope said.


    "Thanks, Penelope."


    "It is only my duty. I will go now, Madame."


    "Of course. See you around."


    When Emersyn was sure that nobody would be entering her room, she locked the door and lied on her bed. It engulfed her, surprisingly, and the soft mattress easily lulled her to sleep.


    However, instead of darkness, there were streaks of light dancing in the air. She couldn''t move her body and she could feel something¡­ changing¡­ and she couldn''t pinpoint what it was. Suddenly, someone was calling her. It wasn''t Emersyn or Maajidanashi, but something else entirely; but she knew that it was her being called.


    "Save her!"


    "Let him go with you..."


    "Please..."


    "Let him be safe."


    "No! Save her! Please!"


    Then she could feel herself dying.


    Emersyn immediately sat up from her bed as beads of sweat trickled down her face. She looked outside and it was already morning.

 68 Breakthrough 3

    "... hurry up and dress yourself¡­," the man said.


    "... yes," then she closed the door as she walked in.


    Dylan, also known as Beaver, gulped as the image of a beautiful woman who was almost naked appeared in front of his eyes. Her figure¡­ was otherworldly. Truly fantastic¡­ he couldn''t help but blush. When the door that separated them was opened, Emersyn emerged out dressed in sweater and pants along with black ankle boots. There was still a towel on her head as she continuously dried her hair with it.


    "Can''t you use a blowdryer?"


    "... I have those? Hmm¡­ let me see," she said as she rummaged her bathroom. "Ah! There it is!"


    "Hurry up before the food gets cold!"


    "Shut up and wait obediently, Beaver!"


    "Call me Dylan! We aren''t in a mission anymore!"


    "Yes, yes. Sure."


    "Ugh¡­ I helped cooking this for nothing¡­," he murmured as he looked over the bunch of food packedly settled on the table.


    "Thank you, Dylan," Emersyn said as she went out of the bathroom and sat on the chair.


    "For what?"


    "Cooking these with Penelope."


    "... no, no¡­ not at all. It is my pleasure. Hehehe..."


    Emersyn rolled her eyes then began eating. Dylan watched her graceful movement enough to be hypnotized.


    Upon noticing that Dylan still hadn''t moved his hands, she said, "Hm? Aren''t you going to eat?"


    "A-ah! Of course, I will eat," Dylan mumbled as he grabbed a spoon and fork. When he was at the middle of eating, a thought came into mind. "By the way¡­ uh¡­ what''s your real name?"


    "Emersyn."


    "Right. Emersyn. Right after this, what will you be doing?"


    "Hmm¡­ probably train then read in the library."


    "That''s all?"


    "If you include that I have to cook you a meal, then yeah."


    "Ooooh!!!"


    "What time would you want me to cook for you?"


    "Around 3 o''clock please~"


    "Mhm."


    "Oh~ Oh! I also want some desserts!"


    "Shut up and eat."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    After they were done eating---mostly just Emersyn gorging the food served to her---Emersyn was about to grab her dirty dish when Dylan beat her to it. She raised her eyebrow as she watched the male fumbled to clean the messy table. She was also on the verge of standing up when Dylan stopped her.


    "Don''t! Just stay there and I will do all the dishes!"


    "What has gotten into you?"


    "Do you have any favors to ask?"


    "... actually, yeah..."


    "What is it?"


    "Well..." he said as he scratched his head bashfully, "I kind of told the head chef about your cooking¡­ and he suddenly went ballistic saying that he wants to see you cook in his kitchen right after dinner¡­"


    "Alright then."


    "You agree?"


    "There''s nothing that I could do about it, isn''t there?"


    "... yeah."


    "Now, move your bum and wash the dishes!"


    "Yes!"


    ***


    When Dylan left, Emersyn quickly went out and walked deep in the forest near the mansion. There, she found a field wide enough to test out the things she wanted to test; like this strange bracelet that appeared on her skin. She sat on the ground as she slowly retrieved monster carcasses from the storage function. Damn¡­ these monsters were so huge! She could feel her arms shaking from the excessive weight. Somewhat, it made her feel irritated.


    "... I should train more..." that unknown desire to be much stronger surfaced deep from her mind. Reluctantly, she stored those again and this time, retrieved weapons. These weapons looked all too familiar to her that she unconsciously wielded it against the trees.


    "Weird..." she murmured.


    Next, the coins. There were all pure gold, silver and bronze¡­ where did she get all of these?


    Then, the search function. A searchbar appeared and the first thing that she had in mind was the Blanche. Just as she thought about it, the word appeared on the searchbar and the results were out immediately. She read those articles one by one and easily concluded that they weren''t bad people at all. They had enough recognition from the masses and even the police. They solved numerous cases that needed their help and even caught heinous criminals. Helped the poor and volunteered to be civil workers.


    "Then¡­ why?" She asked herself. "Why do I feel animosity towards them? This is not because they are the enemies of the Voltaire¡­ but something more deep¡­."


    Suddenly, the user function of ''Chang Xiuying'' came up.


    "This...? Huh?" For some reason, it all felt too familiar. "Chang... Xiuying...? Xue...?" Names immediately surfaced. "Flora, Diamond¡­ Gaius, Caine¡­ Alaric¡­ Jude¡­ Waltham! Blanche!"


    She clutched her chest that began to ache and collapsed at her side on the ground.


    "Walthaaaam!" She screamed from the bottom of her lungs.


    Her body convulsed as she lost consciousness. Raging blood continued to flow into her arteries, veins and blood vessels then to her pores as it excreted itself from the host. Energy fluctuated around her as her consciousness dived deeper into the void. She could feel herself falling deeper and deeper as her feet finally touched the---supposedly---floor. She looked around but she couldn''t see anything besides herself.


    "Hello?"


    It echoed.


    Then, her footing was lost and she fell in the water; a silvery water.


    ¡­ she didn''t know how to swim!


    Upon that realization, she sunk as she tried her best to swim towards the surface. Just as she felt the oxygen starting to deplete, she saw ten, no, eleven orbs resting at the very bottom. Their lights were dim, but she could feel it. Those are the source of her power. She ran out of air, but the water didn''t enter her lungs at all. Then, she tried flapping her legs, but, for some reason, she was being dragged towards those orbs even without moving. At last, she arrived in front those imposing orbs.


    "Amazing..." she blurted out.


    She touched the smallest one, which was colored black, and it started to seep into her body. She flinched from the sensation she felt, but she held it in as her body continued to absorb the particles being released by this smallest orb. It didn''t end there. The surrounding orbs suddenly shook as it started to seep into her body. Then, the silvery water also circled around her to make a protective layer of skin, which she was doing consciously, to contain her power. She deduced that the reason they were able to hunt her down was because of the output of these powers.


    Yes, she remembered them all now.


    However¡­ how come she couldn''t remember?


    "Xue?" She cautiously called. "Xue? Xue?!"


    It seemed like they were separated when she died.


    Suddenly, there was a flashing bang and all the orbs disappeared from her sight. The silvery water shook and she could feel herself being pulled skyward. When she resurfaced, she sight of Dylan carrying her body in a princess carry surprised her.


    "..."


    It seemed like he still hadn''t notice that she was awake.


    "Why..." she mumbled.


    "Oh¡­ I just happened to find you when I was strolling the forest---"


    "It''s because of my scream, right?"


    "... yes. I don''t know who is this Waltham guy, but you collapsed and started to bleed all over your body¡­"


    "Mhm¡­ thanks," she muttered.


    "You''re welcome," he softly said as they arrived in front of the gate. Just when they arrived, there was a limousine that parked opposite them and Ashford immediately went out and ran towards them.


    "What happened?!" He seemed agitated.


    "I''m tired¡­ don''t bother," Emersyn said as she leaned on Dylan''s shoulder making the man blush at the warm gesture.


    Ashford shuddered, "Alright," as he turned his heels away and entered the mansion unceremoniously. Dylan tilted his head, watching the man seeth in anger. What is he angry about though? He thought.


    "Should we go to your room?" He gently asked.


    "Mhm..." Emersyn nodded with her eyes closed.


    "Alright¡­ then, please excuse me," Dylan said as he brisked towards her room.


    "Madame?!" In the corridor, they met Penelope who immediately rushed towards Emersyn. She panicked from all the blood that covered her sweater and pants. "What happened?!"


    "Shut it..." Emersyn muttered under her breath, "I''m tired."


    "Yes. Please, sir Dylan, this way."


    "Thanks, Penelope."


    Since Penelope rushed towards her room, Dylan also rushed as he realized how worried Penelope must had been. However, despite all these, Emersyn''s lips curved into a small smile as she reminiscent the time she had with all her servants, especially Flora. She had missed them¡­ so much. The times they spent together¡­ grew together¡­ ah¡­ she wanted to go back¡­ but she was here. She had to do things she had to do before finding a way to go back to that planet.

 69 Ambush 1

    In the midst of her cooking, an unexpected visitor came as he stood behind Emersyn. "Why are you cooking?"


    Emersyn looked behind then smiled, "Wait for a while there and I''ll serve you some."


    Ashford squinted his eyes, but obeyed regardless. The people watching her cook were dumbfounded as they looked at each other. They scrambled to get out of the boss'' way as he sat on a chair facing the back of Emersyn. Meanwhile, Emersyn was humming a melody as she poured the roux in the pot then stirred it. She seasoned the curry then tasted it using a saucer. Her lips curved into a smile as she boiled it for a few more minutes before turning the fire off. She looked around, looking for a plate when one of them offered her one.


    "Thank you," Emersyn said with a dazzling smile.


    The man smiled bashfully as he scratched the back of his head. "My pleasure."


    She put enough rice on the plate then poured enough curry before serving it to Ashford.


    "..."


    "What are you looking for?"


    "Well, I didn''t expect you to serve me first."


    "Do you want me to serve someone first? Okay then---"


    "No, wait! Ahem¡­ I will take that."


    "Of course."


    "... is he really the boss?" Someone whispered who, in return, received a jab on his side.


    They carefully watched the man scooped up part rice and part curry with intense stares, when, suddenly, Ashford released fat tears from his eyes as he gorged up the food served to him.


    "... why is he crying?"


    "It seems like¡­ uh¡­ something about Emersyn''s curry..."


    Ashford didn''t bother and just whispered with a full mouth as he chewed, "You always liked curry..."


    "Servings are up, boys!" Emersyn announced loudly that made the whole audience burst with delightful cheers. She shouted, "Form a line! No pushing!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    ***


    "Emersyn, was it?" A burly man called.


    "Yes. What is it?"


    "Do you mind teaching me more about cooking? I... I have never reached the taste of perfection..."


    "What''s your name, head chef?"


    "Anthon."


    "Sir Anthon, it''s all about intentions. You don''t need to perfect the tastes as long as you think that you are serving the person you love. That is enough."


    "... I will remember that."


    "I will look forward to your cooking next time."


    Anthon grinned bashfully. "Would you also mind cooking breakfast everyday? Just to make these louts look forward to the day."


    "If Head chef Anthon says so, I have no choice but to concede," Emersyn smirked.


    Suddenly, "Emersyn."


    Emersyn looked behind and saw Ashford standing before her. She turned around, seemingly asking what would be his business with her.


    "I..."


    "You?"


    "..."


    "What is it?"


    "... nothing. I am just happy..." he said as he smiled weakly at her.


    "I''m glad I made you happy."


    "Do you have something to do after this?"


    "None at all. Why?"


    "Accompany me."


    "To where?"


    "A gathering."


    "Do I need to wear dresses?"


    "Of course."


    "When are we leaving?"


    "Four hours from now."


    "Alright then. At the front gate?"


    "At the front gate."


    Emersyn smiled widely then returned the huge apron to Anthon before scurrying over to her room. After she left, the people were bemused as they silently watched Ashford smile to himself. When he left, they formed a group as they whispered to each other.


    "What was that¡­?"


    "The boss¡­ the boss!"


    "Is it the end of the world?"


    "Idiot! It''s not! We still have to look forward to Emersyn''s cooking! Don''t jinx it!"


    "But still! That aloof and unapproachable man just smiled and invited her to a gathering!"


    "He''s still scary even if he smiled..."


    Meanwhile, Dylan was only leaning against the wall as his eyes never teared its gaze from the place Emersyn and Ashford disappeared into. Why does he feel like¡­ he got abandoned of some sort?


    "Hey, Dylan! We''re planning to go to the gym. You up for it?"


    "Huh? Oh. Uh. Of course, I''ll follow later."


    "Don''t be late!"


    "I won''t! Geez! They know I am not the type to be late. These guys¡­ haaa..."


    ***


    It was 6:45 p.m. when Emersyn stepped outside of the gate in her simple black dress and her hair was styled in a bun. It was the most comfortable piece if a battle happened unexpectedly in that time. Her eyesight caught on the dashing figure of Ashford in a formal wear. Her heels sounded every time she stepped as she approached Ashford who opened the car door for her.


    "Aren''t you hot in that suit?"


    "It is quite the opposite, My Lady."


    "I don''t believe you at all, Sir," she said as she entered the car while Ashford took the driver''s seat.


    "Emersyn¡­ do you feel anything weird?"


    "Hm? Not at all. What seems to be the matter, Sir?"


    "Just call me Aren," he said as he started the car and drove slowly.


    "A¡­ Aren?" Perhaps¡­ he was the man in her dream? Is it really possible? Wait¡­ she had different bodies, so that might be possible. But she didn''t know if this man really was ''that'' Aren.


    "What is it?"


    "Don''t be weirded out, but¡­ have we met way before this mafia thing happened?"


    Ashford smiled. "Do you want to know?"


    "Hmmm¡­ nope."


    "..."


    "What? I am being honest here."


    "I''ll tell you regardless¡­ but first, I apologize."


    "For what?"


    "For treating you badly before you gained consciousness."


    "When?"


    "The time where I tortured you."


    "Oh that. I don''t bear any grudges at all. So, it''s fine, really."


    "And¡­ for not recognizing you, My Lady."


    "Huh? What do you mean?"


    "... Chang Xiuying..."


    Emersyn''s eyes went wide as she almost stood up from her seat. "What¡­ how?"


    "I was there in the Central Marsh. Watching you from afar."


    "What¡­ wait. Who are you?"


    "Elodiaren¡­ Lukessia."


    "... do you know my soul''s parents?"


    "Yes. I came to protect you from the Blanche, but I know that won''t be necessary since you''re strong enough. I couldn''t protect you on Earth¡­ because I wasn''t there¡­ I couldn''t also protect you when you died before this¡­ because I wasn''t there..." Ashford, or Elodiaren, stopped the car at the side of the road and faced Emersyn. He took her hands and said gently, "I''m sorry..."


    "..."


    "I¡­ I just recognized you, please forgive me."


    Emersyn covered her face with her free hand as she blushed profusely. She stumbled, "Wha-what? I mean, uh- what..."


    "Is it... no good?"


    "No! Not that! I mean, all my life I was never asked for forgiveness and¡­ I realized that was what I needed all along. I don''t bear grudges, but¡­ ugh¡­ I can''t!"


    Elodiaren smiled then gently thumbed Emersyn''s knuckles. "In this occasion, I want to ask you to be my date. Will you?"


    "Do I have any choices?" Emersyn said as she gestured at her dress.


    "None at all. Let''s go?"


    "Just hurry up, Aren."


    Elodiaren chuckled as he started the car once again then drove towards their destination. When they arrived in front of a luxurious hotel, Elodiaren quickly ran out and opened the door for Emersyn. He held out his hand and Emersyn accepted the gesture before linking to Elodiaren''s arms. Damn¡­ he love the sensation of her body against his own.


    "Ready, My Lady?"


    "Why are you asking me that?"


    "Just to make sure."


    "Of course I am ready," Emersyn grumbled then dragged Elodiaren into the building.


    "Hahaha. After this, I want to take you to a wonderful spot. Is that okay with you?"


    "If I am not tired, sure."


    "As if you will get tired after this."


    "Good point."


    "So, we will go."


    "Whatever."


    They entered and a woman in a uniform greeted them. Elodiaren quickly gave his invitation and the woman asked, "Sir Ashford and plus one?"


    "Yes," Elodiaren replied.


    "Please enter."


    "Thank you," Emersyn said as the two of them entered and they could already hear the boisterous noises from the upper floor.


    "Oh right, Emersyn."


    "What is it?"


    "Wear this," Elodiaren gave her a veil. "The Blanche is looking for you. This is just a precaution in case they infiltrated here."


    "So much for enjoying the gathering. But sure, give me that."


    "You can still eat all you want. No problem."


    "Right," Emersyn muttered as she wore the veil that covered her eyes.


    "Good. Then let''s go."


    "Alright."


    Finally, they entered the place where the gathering was held and there was a long line of food at the side. Emersyn nodded at the people looking at her and Elodiaren. After all, Elodiaren as Ashford was infamous. The guests easily recognized him, but their eyes never left Emersyn.


    "Sir Ashford!"


    "Melanie," he called.


    "How are you?"


    "I am doing fine. Oh and I want to introduce my girlfriend to you."


    "Girlfriend?"


    Elodiaren gestured at Emersyn who was busy eyeing the food on the table. When she received a nudge from Elodiaren, she tore her gaze away and focused on the beautiful woman in front of her. Her dress flaunted her curves and her supple bottom and chest.


    "Melanie, this is Emersyn, my girlfriend and soon to be fiance."


    "Huh?" Both Emersyn and Melanie exclaimed.

 70 Ambush 2

    "No, you''re wrong. I am his subordinate. I just came with him."


    "Then why are you clinging to him?!"


    "Calm down, jeez!" Emersyn said as she quickly untangled her arm from Elodiaren. Her eyes suddenly caught people who stared at them as they whispered. She groaned, however, Elodiaren decided to add fuel to the fire.


    "My Lady, don''t be shy---"


    This time, Emersyn put enough force in her hand and smacked Elodiaren''s back.


    "Ouch! My- my Lady, don''t be too rash, I say!"


    "... I say?"


    "Ah."


    "Hoh~ I never knew you have a habit like that," Emersyn smirked, not minding the stares directed at them. On the other hand, Melanie was fuming as she interrupted the two from their bickering. "Excuse me?! You''re only a subordinate, so how can you act like that in front of sir Ashford? If you won''t---"


    "It is true, but she is the closest to me. Please don''t create a fuss," Elodiaren interjected.


    "But---"


    "Melanie, if you proceed any further, I am going to cancel our contract."


    "..."


    "Good," he said before pulling Emersyn towards the buffet.


    Melanie stood aghast as she watched the retreating figure of Ashford and that cursed witch Emersyn. She seethed in anger as she clenched her fist; she should have been the one clinging on him, she should be the one taking his hand, she should be the only one who receives his love, she should be¡­ she should---. Blinded by frustration, she approached a man as she gritted her teeth. She called, "Father, is the plan still okay?"


    "Oh? You''re going to join us? I thought you were against it."


    "However, leave Ashford and Emersyn to me."


    "Emersyn? ''That'' Emersyn?" Her father''s, Simon''s, eyes went wide as he almost let go of the glass he was holding.


    Seeing the reaction of her father, she asked worriedly, "What''s wrong, Father?"


    "Mel¡­ do you know about Voltaire''s newest executive member?"


    "Yes, I''ve heard of it."


    Simon leaned closer and whispered, "Emersyn is that Phoenix."


    "..."


    "I don''t know what she is capable of, but she easily did her job when it was about the Bombing Case of the Hansom Laboratory. The spy reported that she wouldn''t be here since she was caught up in another matter when they escaped. She was also widely searched by the Blanche. She isn''t an easy opponent for you neither Ashford would be. Give it up and just do the menial task of---"


    "It won''t be hard if I caught them by surprise, right?"


    "... yes, but---"


    "Then I will do just that."


    Simon sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose.


    "I will kill Emersyn, and you will capture Ashford for me."


    "Mel---"


    "Father, I beg you."


    Melanie pressed her lips into a thin line as her gaze never tore away from her father.


    "Fine."


    When she got the reply she wanted, she bursted in joy as she hugged her father tightly. "So, when will we start?"


    Simon''s gentle expression turned cold as she smirked, "When CEO Henri gets shot on the stage."


    Meanwhile, Emersyn was eating gracefully as Elodiaren offered her more food. She could only accept it as a gesture of a friend rather than that of a potential lover. After all, she was not in the position to love someone. Her heart was stoned and her eyes lost its light.


    "My Lady?" Elodiaren called.


    "... nothing. I was just wondering if I am permitted to do just that."


    "What is?"


    Emersyn shook her head as she gave Elodiaren a smile. "Eat all of these, of course!"


    "Haha! You can eat as much as you want!"


    Even if her body was focused on the food in front of her, in her consciousness, she was already compressing as much power as she had to for the upcoming event.


    "Excuse me, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am CEO Henri of Percival Corporation." When everyone''s chattering died down, he continued, "First of all, I would like to thank you all for coming to this gathering for me. As I see, everyone I invited came! It even exceeded the number I expected. I am really glad for all of you. Before we get started, I would like to offer my sincerest appreciation towards those that helped me to make this gathering possible. Sir Percival, sir Simon of Downe Incorporation¡­ and sir Partradh of Junichi Company," he raised his glass towards those that he called as an acknowledgement.


    After a long speech, he ended it with, "... toast for our successes!"


    Just as he raised his glass, a bullet was released and directly penetrated the nasal bone of his skull. Blood and fluids gushed out as Henri collapsed dead on the carpeted stage. Screams echoed in the hall and chaos erupted. The hall was soundproofed, and the people here are afraid to be caught by the police just in case they were suspected of smuggling and illegal works, which they were.


    Some of the people simultaneously retrieved their guns hidden in their clothes as they aimed at the most influential people present in the gathering. They also blocked their means of escape.


    Under the panicked state of the people, Elodiaren was pulling Emersyn towards the entrance of the hall. However, he felt his hand become heavy as he looked behind just to see Emersyn collapsed on the floor. His eyes tore away from Emersyn to the woman who shot her; Melanie. Suddenly, he felt a muzzle aimed on his skull. When he was about to fight back, he saw that there were also a lot of men that pointed their guns at him. He slowly raised his hands, letting go of Emersyn.


    "Ashford Claypole."


    "Simon Midlands."


    "Did you plan all of these?"


    "What is your deduction, Mr. Claypole?"


    "My gut instinct is screaming at you, Mr. Midlands."


    "Then your gut is correct."


    "Why are you doing this?"


    "It''s all for money and power."


    "Ahaha! You''re being blinded! You think you will be happy after all of these?"


    "It is none of your business, Mr. Goody-two-shoes. The one that proposed to punish criminals when they are criminals themselves! Are you happy? You are? Or maybe, you aren''t?" Simon said as he pointed his chin towards Emersyn who was taking kicks from Melanie.


    "..." his face became rigid as his eyes never tore his glare towards Simon.


    "She''s the one that is closest to you, right? How naive of you to bring her to this place filled with wolves! Also, do you know? I sent my men towards your headquarters and to your branches. After all of these, your Voltaire will be wiped out in the world and will remain as history! Oh right, you all aren''t worthy of it. Hahaha!"


    "..."


    "You are dead now, btch? Huh? How weak humans are!" Melanie''s voice entered Elodiaren''s ears as he clenched his raised hands. Simon smiled cynically when he noticed and ordered his men, "Search this guy''s clothes. Maybe he has a gun in him."


    As they searched his belongings, Melanie clicked her tongue as she kicked Emersyn on her stomach one last time. She flicked her hair as she turned her back against that dead weight. However, a hand found its way on her neck with a force enough to break her bones. She screamed in fear and it alerted her father''s men around her then pointed their guns towards the woman who was responsible for this new found commotion.


    "Let her go at once or I will shoot!" One of them said.


    However, Emersyn only displayed her evil smirk as she lifted Melanie from the ground. "Humans are indeed weak, don''t you think?" Her red eyes stared dangerously at them, squeezing her hand tighter. Melanie screamed in pain, loud enough to be heard in the hall.


    "Let the young lady go at one!"


    "Or you are going to shoot me, isn''t it?"


    "..."


    Emersyn threw Melanie on the floor as the woman released a heaving breath. She slowly approached the woman on the floor and said, "Your kicks lack power. I will show you what true strength is," then she spun her whole body then kicked Melanie. The force was enough to be felt by those around them.


    "Melanie!" Simon screamed as he saw his daughter flung towards the wall that cracked to contain the momentum of Emersyn''s strength.


    The hall became silent as they held their breath when Emersyn''s heels clacked on the floor, approaching the disfigured body of Melanie. No one dared to move or even talk. Emersyn chuckled as she noticed that the woman before her fainted and got her joints dislocated.


    "You bastard!" Simon angrily shouted as he fired his gun towards Emersyn. She only waved her arm as she caught the hot bullet in her hand. She opened her palm and grabbed the bullet by her fingers. Simon fired more rounds as he screamed. However, it was all caught by Emersyn.


    "You dropped your bullets, Simon. I will return them to you, alright?" Then she flicked the bullet and it penetrated his skull into his brain.


    Suddenly, a man who got out of his stupor, aimed his gun towards Elodiaren. He shouted, "Surrender or I will shoot this man!" Those were his last words before he died by a bullet.

 71 Ambush 3

    "Get out of here now!" She shouted, clearly at Elodiaren.


    However, her words fell in deaf ears when she saw that Elodiaren just shook his head with a smile. He took off his coat and discarded it somewhere and then joined the fight with his bare hands.


    "Aren?!" She worriedly called.


    Despite her clear irritation, Elodiaren felt happy that the person he love cared for him even against these opponents.


    Now that he thought about it, how come Emersyn could still wield the power she had in just a short amount of time?


    He got distracted as he looked at Emersyn with squinted eyes. Suddenly, a bottle of champagne hit his head, but it wasn''t enough to make him faint. Although his vision was filled with red, he raged and attacked those in his territory.


    At the midst of fighting, Emersyn was slowly collecting---... gathering the unarmed people to protect them. They back away in the corner of the room as Emersyn continued her barrage of attacks against these armed men. She caught bullets and returned them back as quickly as they left the muzzle. When she could finally see the end of the fight since a lot had already died and some fled, she heaved a heavy sigh as she could feel her body screaming at her. However, she couldn''t let her guard down.


    After everything died down and the people behind her expressed their thanks, someone suddenly raised a gun and aimed at the back of her head.


    That person could see the protruding bullet on her skull and his target would be that point. The people beside him noticed too late as the gun was fired immediately. It produced a loud sound as the people surrounding all blocked their ears, crouched down with a scream.


    Emersyn, however, already perceived this the instant that person raised his gun. She turned around and eyed the bullet that stopped in the air. As if there was an invincible barrier separating them. That person was shocked just as he couldn''t comprehend this impossible phenomenon in front of him. His legs trembled as he collapsed on the ground with a bullet in his heart. Emersyn finally released a sigh of relief, looking at Elodiaren who was panting near her with bullets in his body. It wasn''t enough to kill him as he made sure that those wouldn''t hit his vitals.


    "Aren," Emersyn approached as her heels sounded out on the floor.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t really transfer even a bit of my power in this body," he heaved as he leaned his tired body on Emersyn.


    "Yes, please..."


    "Let''s go home first---" with a sudden realization, she wrapped her arm around Elodiaren''s waist and then stood up steadily with a cold look in her eyes.


    "My Lady?"


    "Remember what Simon said."


    Elodiaren''s eyes went wide as he groaned, trying his best to go towards the doors of the hall. Emersyn quickly supported him and steadily guided him outside. When they arrived outside, she hailed a taxi and gently pushed Elodiaren inside.


    "Sorry, Aren. I have to hand you over to our hospital."


    "Wha-ugh!"


    Emersyn carefully secured him in the seat and gave the driver the money that she got from Elodiaren''s wallet.


    "Please drive him to Amani Central Hospital. Keep the change," she said as she seriously stared at the driver.


    "Emersyn!" Elodiaren called despite the pain he felt.


    Seeing that he wouldn''t back down, Emersyn sighed and flicked his forehead. "I will take care of things, Aren."


    "No! Please¡­ you always have to leave me behind¡­ just this once¡­ let me be beside you. I¡­ I don''t want to come back and won''t find you home."


    Emersyn smiled then planted a soft kiss on Elodiaren''s cheeks, careful not to touch his gashes. "I will come back this time. I promise. Will you wait for me?"


    "... yes."


    "Good," she said as she looked at the driver, "Please take care of him."


    The driver smiled widely and gave her a thumbs up before driving away hurriedly.


    Upon seeing the disappearing figure of the taxi, she immediately fished out her phone and went to their private website. She searched where Downe Incorporation was and quickly calculated the distance it would take to go to the nearest branch. However, will she reach on time?


    In any case, she took deep breaths as she circulated energy in her body. She could still do it. She had to do it.


    Emersyn threw away her heels and immediately took off as she constantly looked at her phone for directions. When she saw that she could shorten the time by jumping over that tall building, she didn''t hesitate to stop and focused energy on her legs to overcome the obstacle. The force of her jump gathered the attention of the people as they watched how a woman in a dress, barefooted, climbed the rest of the way then jumped down before taking off once again. She took the shortest route possible. When she saw a bunch of limousines running, she jumped on the roof of the leading car and waited.


    She heard, "Are we being attacked?!"


    She had to make sure if this was the group she was aiming for. The window rolled down and a man wearing sunglasses peered up and aimed a gun at her when he saw her. She groaned, "Guns. Again," but at least she found the one she was looking for.


    Emersyn jumped in front of the car and firmly held the bumper to stop their momentum. She skidded on asphalt before she firmly planted her feet in the road. They fired guns at her indiscriminately. However, the bullets only penetrated nothing before stopping right before Emersyn. Even the stray bullet stopped midair and hit no one.


    They exclaimed in panic, "What?!"


    "Fire! Just fire!"


    "But boss!"


    "What?!"


    "The police are coming!"


    "What the fck?! Who called them?! Aren''t they supposed to be held back?! What happened?!"


    Emersyn, who heard their conversation inside the car, raised her phone and waved it with a smile though they couldn''t see her eyes. They paled upon noticing, but when the driver stepped on the accelerator, the car wouldn''t budge at all. Emersyn tightened her grip on the bumper and threw the car over as it rolled then settled upside down. When she was sure that the police were here, she immediately took off to the next location.


    It was farther than the first one, but she still tried to exceed the limit of this body she currently possessed. What if they already raided where she would be going?


    Emersyn strengthened her resolve and ran faster. When she could see fire coming from a building, she checked if it was the 7th branch and it was. She was already late. Nevertheless, she stopped in front of the building while people watched it burn behind her. She closed her eyes and felt the silver ocean deep inside her body. She released a few breaths and droplets started to emerge out of nowhere. People were amazed as they started touching those droplets, but gasped when each of the droplets compressed like steel and penetrated the glass wall.


    Those needle-like water entered the building and started raining down on each floor, seemingly multiplied in huge amounts.


    Emersyn gasped as she persevered to keep this up just until the fire was out. When the fire fighters arrived, she disappeared into the crowd and checked her phone once again. She decided to go to the next destination, the mansion.


    ***


    Three were saved, but the casualties were huge. The remaining twelve were raided and obliterated.


    Emersyn arrived in front of Amani Central Hospital as she dragged her heavy body to where Elodiaren was. However, when she entered the hospital, she was immediately given care and that was where she collapsed. She mumbled, "Aren..." then lost consciousness.


    When she came to, she could see partitions in her periphery. She groaned when she tried moving her body, but failed to move. Suddenly, the left partition opened and she gazed at the man who opened it.


    "Aren¡­," she called with a tired smile.


    "My Lady¡­ thank god you''re okay! I was worried sick when they brought you here. Oh right! It has been a week since you fell asleep. You have to rest more, okay?"


    "Mhm¡­," she didn''t fight the lethargy and just succumbed to sleep.


    Elodiaren stood up with a wince, but nevertheless, he approached Emersyn''s bed as he sat on the chair. He combed her unruly hair then gently caressed her soft cheeks. He mumbled, "You came back¡­."

 72 Ambush 4

    Emersyn was munching on an apple when Elodiaren suddenly turned off the television. She turned to look at the man who continued peeling apples, shaping them like rabbits.


    "Why did you turn off the TV?" Emersyn asked after she swallowed.


    "Nothing¡­ I''m just too afraid to let you see the dirty side of what I worked on," he said at the same time he offered a piece of apple to Emersyn. She gladly bit it off from Elodiaren''s fingers.


    "You don''t have to hide it from me, Aren. So, any news for me from your side?"


    Elodiaren stopped peeling then turned to look at Emersyn. Her red eyes were captivating enough that he forgot what he would say.


    "Aren? How about the Downe?"


    "Ah, yes. We are currently tracking them and taking our revenge in the shadows as much as possible." He whispered, "If only I could use my main body..."


    "You seem pretty attached to the Voltaire."


    "Of course. I treasure them just like a real family."


    Emersyn smiled then carefully lifted her hand and settled it on Elodiaren''s head. She teased his hair then caressed it. Elodiaren clearly liked it since his cheeks flared up and into his ears and neck. Emersyn flashed an amused smile.


    "You''ve been a great man, Aren. I''m proud of you."


    "... don''t stop..." Elodiaren whispered which made Emersyn chuckle.


    "Is this how a leader of an organization behaves?" She grinned and said in a playful manner.


    "..."


    "I''m kidding, Aren. I''m sorry," she smirked.


    "...you shouldn''t tease any man like this¡­ or they might suffer consequences."


    "Like?"


    "Gaining my wrath."


    "... that''s stupid."


    "I''m sorry if it is stupid, but I am still doing it. Anyway, stay here for a moment, I am going to order and take out some congee. It''s close to lunch now," he said as he laid Emersyn down on the hospital bed. "You will be good here?"


    "Just go."


    "Yes, My Lady," he left after kissing Emersyn''s bandaged hand.


    "My Lady?"


    "Ah. Welcome back, Aren," she quickly said as she closed the holographic panel into her wrist.


    "I bought a curry flavor congee and a few other flavors in case you got tired of curry."


    Emersyn smiled then waited for Elodiaren to settle the congee on the table before guiding her to a sit. Elodiaren opened the bowl then scooped up a spoonful. He gently blew the hot congee before feeding it to Emersyn. He watched her chew as he offered another spoonful of congee. In the end, Emersyn finished it all and returned to sleep. Elodiaren gently tucked her in then sat as he typed on his phone.


    Suddenly, a man dressed in a suit barged in the room just as Emersyn quickly opened her eyes. She hurriedly sat up as her eyes flickered with rage. Meanwhile, Elodiaren didn''t know who he should pay his attention to.


    "Sir, we are under attack¡­," the man said as he panted.


    "Quickly evacuate all the patients and residents!" Elodiaren stood up from his seat with equal rage. The man obeyed as he left as quickly as he arrived. Elodiaren turned to look at Emersyn who was staring at the window covered by a curtain. He stood up from his seat and quietly peered. The weather was warm and sunny, but he could see a lot of people, men and women, in a uniform that didn''t belong to the police. They were ordering the patients to evacuate as they scanned those coming out of the hospital with a device; possibly a recognition device.


    "Aren," Emersyn called.


    "It''s the Blanche."


    "What are you planning to do?"


    "There is a hidden passageway underground. It will lead us to the sewers and there would be another passageway that would bring us to a series of tunnels. I don''t know if they already found out all of the escape routes we had."


    "I''m going to make one. Bring me there."


    The door opened and the man in black quickly beckoned to them. Emersyn quietly stood up, checking her body before hurrying out to follow the man.


    "We are going to pick up the pace," the man said.


    "Are you really okay now, my--- ...Emersyn?"


    "I am well, don''t worry. I can last a fight for more than an hour. Probably."


    "..."


    "Don''t sweat it, A--- ¡­sir Ashford. We just have to focus on escaping. I don''t want you to die. Even if I have to stay and hold them up with all I have right now."


    "... Emersyn¡­ don''t try to be a hero here."


    "We''re here," the man announced as he opened a door on the ground. The stairs led them down into a dark. Emersyn gestured at Elodiaren to go first. He was about to complain when he saw that his loyal subordinate behind Emersyn was looking out for them.


    "Alright," Elodiaren agreed before he went down. Emersyn thanked the man, but she noticed something. She squinted her eyes at the light of the man''s eyes. He wasn''t panicking. Emersyn quickly shut the door and controlled the earth to block the entrance.


    "What?!" The man exclaimed as he immediately opened the door just to find dirt covering the floor. He was flabbergasted. It couldn''t be¡­ he thought.


    "Bravo to Alpha, they already entered the passageway."


    "Proceed to phase 2."


    "... I''m sorry, but they found me out."


    "... no matter. We got them cornered. Over."


    Meanwhile, Emersyn made sure that the ground was thick enough, but she could also feel that the oxygen level was also dropping.


    "Aren, sorry for this," she said then carried Elodiaren, who was two heads taller than her, in her arms.


    Elodiaren instinctively wrapped his arms around Emersyn''s neck as he exclaimed, "My--- my Lady?!"


    Then she ran through the passageway. Fortunately, she could see in the dark. Dark¡­ that sounds awfully familiar¡­ ah, yes, the dark! Emersyn lightly jumped then entered the shadow of the dark corridor.


    "..."


    "I forgot that I have this power."


    "Can you let me down now?"


    "I will, but you have to always have your hand on me or else, you will be swallowed by the darkness."


    "That works in my favor, my Lady," he said as he was let down and grabbed Emersyn''s hand. He felt that they were on a casual walk with a lover, and he loved it.


    "Where should we go now?" Emersyn asked as she saw the passage of time slowly go on. When they entered the sewers, they could see flashes of light searching for them. Their numbers were not that great, but it was enough to not leave even a rat hiding. Emersyn also faced a dilemma. Would she exact their revenge right now in these people? Or should she wait until she could wipe them out in one go? She turned to look at Elodiarem who was watching the people out there with enthusiasm.


    Elodiaren mumbled, "Wow¡­ so this is the world of the dark..."


    Ah¡­ what innocence.


    They successfully escaped the vicinity, but they still didn''t know where to go now. Perhaps¡­ in another city? Country? If the Blanche was already involved, an international organization, it would be hard living peacefully in this world now. Unless they would be given luxurious cells in prison, which wouldn''t really happen¡­


    "How about the mountains? Let''s build a hut there," she murmured.


    "... they would still come find us. This is the Blanche, my Lady. They won''t leave a place until they are sure that we aren''t there."


    "What troublesome fellows."


    "They are troublesome."


    "What''s our plan then? We could live in this world of darkness¡­ which would be detrimental to you. Should I just kill myself and go to my next body?"


    "... no. Don''t. It won''t be easy finding a piece of your soul. I wouldn''t be there..."


    "You''re pretty attached to me, huh."


    "Of course! I live to protect you!"


    "When I was the one protecting you back then," Emersyn said as she gently flicked Elodiaren''s forehead. "So, I have another plan. I don''t know if it will be of use to you, but first we should find a place for temporary lodging. This won''t take a while. I only need little time."


    "There is an isolated island we own. We should go there just to make sure."


    "What if they already found it out?"


    "... troublesome."


    "Indeed troublesome. Should we just search for a small island? But what if they already had a helicopter searching for us?"


    "What if..."


    "You know what, let''s just move on and see if the situation would fit us."


    "Hahaha¡­ alright."


    "Alright, hang on tight."


    Elodiaren flinched and looked at Emersyn with wide eyes. "Hang¡­ on tight?"


    "We are going to fly, of course. Higher than their search area."


    "..."


    Without further ado, Emersyn let out huge dark wings from her back then propulsed herself from where they were hiding then covered their figures with her wings. It was broad daylight, but she did her best to refract all the particles of light. Then, they swiftly went towards their destination.

 73 Back and Forth 1

    "... how?" He asked.


    "I connected it to the coordinates of Strevalia. We can seek temporary shelter there."


    "... yeah, I mean¡­ how? You need incredible energy just to make a portal then even more energy just to connect it to another world. How far is this Strevalia anyway?"


    "Around 450 billion light years away."


    "..."


    "Come on now. I can sense a lot of people coming near here."


    "... okay," then he hastily entered the portal before Emersyn.


    When the portal closed, one of the people outside felt a strong energy fluctuation inside an unsuspecting hut and immediately ran towards it. As he busted open the bamboo door, there wasn''t anyone present. Even still, he reported it to the upper brass and marked the location as one of the possible place where they might appear again.


    "What do you suspect?" The other end of the line asked.


    "A portal."


    ***


    "So¡­ this is Strevalia¡­" Elodiaren mused as he felt the air that was purified by mana and Qi. "This is a perfect place to cultivate!"


    However, Emersyn was fiddling with the bracelet she had around her right wrist, not paying any attention towards Elodiaren who was now sitting on the grass and regulating his breathing. She browsed through the map of Strevalia and then was elated as soon as she found Lasirion on the indicator. Only large cities seemed to appear in this map. She couldn''t pay attention to that and activated teleportation on their feet. When she appeared before a familiar forest, she sighed in relief as she went towards--- ah, Elodiaren. She turned to look at the man in question as his lips curled into a bigger smile. It seemed that the concentration of mana and Qi in Lasirion is bigger because there was a Gate nearby. She rolled her eyes and dragged him towards a particular spot outside the city.


    ChangHao firm.


    She stopped in her tracks once she read the sign on the building. It was booming in business as she recognized her servants back then all matured. There was a new installation and the adventurers could freely eat and talk outside the building. She didn''t know how long she stay rooted there.


    Meanwhile, a woman in work clothes that clung on her curves and her astounding chest, and a fluffy tail, looked at the spot where she could see a very beautiful woman standing just before their building. Even though she could recognize all the customers the second time they visited here, however, this particular woman caught her eyes. She also seemed to look like someone she once knew¡­ but at the same time, she was a stranger. But¡­ but¡­ her heart was racing and her mind became heavy.


    "Flora! What are you dilly dallying for?!" A man shouted from inside the building.


    "What?! This is the time we should be working hard!"


    "Just shut up, Farma! I am going out!"


    "What?!"


    "I''ll be back!"


    "Flora!"


    Farma''s voice just fell into deaf ears as he watched Flora run towards¡­ a stunning beauty that his jaws dropped. When the adventurers stopped chattering when they heard the workers'' shouts at each other, they simultaneously looked at where Farma was looking and their eyes went wide when they saw Emersyn. They bursted into a loud noise as they checked out this beauty that was never seen before.


    ''Flora¡­ you grew up so splendidly¡­'' Emersyn thought.


    "Excuse me!" Flora called as she ran towards the woman in question.


    "Yes?"


    "Have you been here before?"


    Emersyn smiled brightly then shook her head. "This is my first time here. Why?"


    "You just??? looked like someone we knew."


    "Oh, that''s cool. May I know who?"


    "..."


    "What''s the matter?"


    "I-... you look like someone so precious to me, but it seemed like I am wrong."


    "Where did that person go?"


    "... dead."


    "Oh¡­ I''m sorry for asking. I am kind of insensitive in these kind of thing."


    "No¡­ after all, it has been five years ever since she disappeared in this world. I am all okay now. We all are..."


    Out of nowhere, Emersyn hugged Flora tightly. She rested Flora''s head on her well developed chest then patted her head.


    "You''ve been so strong in all those years."


    Suddenly, she could feel that her clothes were getting wet and saw that Flora hugged her back, crying. Emersyn engulfed her body in a tight hug.


    "You''ve done well."


    "Master¡­!"


    "You must have missed your master so much."


    "Hic¡­ yes¡­ I''ve always wanted to do things with her. But¡­ now¡­ she''s gone..."


    Emersyn caressed Flora''s head then said, "Stop crying now. You need to work, right? The adventurers might say that I made you cry and attack me."


    "Hic¡­ yes. What is your name? May I know?"


    "Emersyn."


    Flora wiped her eyes then flased Emersyn with a bright smile. "So, what business do you have with us? I saw you looking at our building without moving at all."


    "We''re actually just walking around," Emersyn said as she gestured at the man who was sitting on the ground. "He is my companion. I just passed by and saw that this place seems interesting. I decided to check it out."


    "Yes! We offer great food services. Our master passed it onto us and we are doing our best to spread Xiuying Resto all over the globe! Come inside! I''ll treat you guys for lunch!"


    "Really? How about that long line?"


    Flora nodded as she mused, "Then, let me invite you in the upper floors. That way, they won''t see that it is unfair."


    "If you insist," Emersyn turned to look at Elodiaren then scratched her cheek. "Hey, Aren. Are you going to come or not?"


    "..."


    "Alright. I''ll carry you," she muttered in exasperation and then carried Elodiaren in her arms. Despite him being taller than Emersyn, she still easily carried him like a child. Suddenly, there were whispers that she could hear from the restaurant. She didn''t pay any mind to those and just followed Flora towards the back door then was led towards¡­ her office? However, Flora stopped before an empty room and said, "Lady Emersyn, please settle the man here."


    "... okay," then she threw him---put him down on the bed. She turned to look at Flora and then the woman smiled at her before gesturing at Emersyn to follow her.


    "..." she is doing everything so suspiciously.


    When they entered her former office, it was clean and organized. No one seemed to be using it, but it was still kept clean.


    "Is this an office?" Emersyn asked, just in case.


    "Yes. My master''s office. She used to work here all the time and I used to cook her food and served her until she went to bed," she said with a small smile. "I¡­ really miss my master..."


    "Hmm¡­ you said that your master and I have a resemblance. Is this why you took me here?"


    Flora flinched. "... to tell you the truth, yes. I was wondering if she lived here again and I always hoped to meet her. Then¡­ you came. I¡­ thought for a second there that you are master."


    "I see. Even after five years, you still treasured your master and even hoped that she will come back to you one day even if you are old and worn. Waiting for her until you die..."


    "Hehe. Yes," Flora smiled then hopped on her toes as she realized something. "Please wait here. I am just going to cook for you," she said then turned her heels towards the kitchen.


    "Flora," Emersyn called that made her stop in her tracks.


    Flora turned to look at her then replied, "Yes?"


    Emersyn smiled widely before saying, "Thank you."


    ''For everything you had done for me. For being able to be beside me all this time. You are waiting even if there are no chances that I would come back,'' she continued in her thoughts.


    "You''re welcome~," then she proceeded to go towards the kitchen.


    Emersyn stood up then followed Flora into the kitchen. Flora was baffled when she entered, but smiled seeing that she came to prepare drinks.


    "I can do all of those, Lady Emersyn. Leave it to me."


    "Well¡­ I am craving for some mango graham shake."


    "Mango graham?"


    "I have mangoes and graham crackers in my storage, so I want to prepare it."


    "... mangoes?"


    "..." wait¡­ it doesn''t exist here?! Wait wait wait!


    "Where did you get those¡­ mangoes? Specially¡­ graham crackers? What is that?"


    "... in my travels. I stocked up a lot. And uh¡­ graham is a cracker¡­ a crunchy biscuit."


    "Nope. Never heard of those. Can I see it?"


    "Sure," Emersyn spread her hand wide then a pack of crackers materialized as it fell on her hand.


    "... what is that material?"


    "This is plastic..."


    "And how come you can materialise things?!"


    "Uhm¡­ I came from somewhere that is not here..."


    "Where exactly?" Flora said as she leaned over to Emersyn with her eyes twinkling in curiosity.


    "Uhh..."

 74 Back and Forth 2

    "Hm? Where are you going?" His subordinate, Zachary Verus, a man that had the same stature as him, asked.


    "Back in my cell."


    "You still haven''t touched your food though?"


    "I''m not hungry."


    "Come on, man. They won''t let you go. Why don''t you sit down and eat even just a little?"


    "... alright."


    "That''s good."


    Dylan sighed as he looked at the food on his tray, but he ended up eating it anyway. Despite the unpleasant serving, the flavor was enough to stimulate his appetite. He left half of his meal then he drank a cup of water.


    "So, any news about that woman you are searching for?"


    "None. I asked already and they didn''t have anyone by the name of Emersyn Lachlan."


    "Did you bribe them?"


    "What else can I do?"


    Zachary cackled as he downed the cup of water. "Aah! Do your best, man."


    "To escape?"


    "Pfft! As if! I am not talking about that. Though you can, but you really can''t. What else can you do but wait until she''s caught? The Blanche is already involved in our case. Those troublesome people. Tch."


    "Maybe she''s hiding somewhere where no man can reach..."


    "This is the Blanche, man. Even they have to search every corner of the world just for that woman. They won''t let her go once she is caught."


    "Haa¡­ don''t crush my hope, Zach. Let me hope!"


    "No can do!"


    Suddenly, a bell rang then they simultaneously stood up.


    "Well then, see you next time, brother."


    "Sure, Zach," Dylan said before exiting the cafeteria with the rest of the inmates.


    When he entered his cell, he sat on his hard bed. He looked outside and he could see the dark sky that contained a few stars. He laid down on the bed as he put his hands behind his head then watched the night sky. Maybe, just maybe, that he was watching the same sky as Emersyn. The last time he saw the woman was already a few days ago and it was an awkward parting between them. Well, for him, it was. He wished that he could''ve went too or just tailed them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he could hear a rustle inside his cell. He didn''t pay attention to it at first, but when it happened again, he slowly turned to look at one corner of the room. He became alert once he could see a silhouette of a person.


    He whispered, "Who''s there? Show yourself."


    "Emersyn¡­," he called.


    "Yo, Dylan," she turned to look at the man before him then smiled sweetly.


    "How¡­ how did you enter this prison? Especially, this cell? You don''t have a key in your possession or anything. I didn''t hear the lock turning either."


    "If I told you, will you believe me?"


    "Depends..."


    "I walked in the shadows."


    "... for some reason, I believe you."


    Emersyn giggled.


    "What''s so funny?" Dylan asked with a smile.


    "Well, you''re the first normal person I told it to. Trust me, I never expected your reaction."


    "Hoh. I see. How are you these days?"


    "Hmm¡­ I have been fine---wait, there''s someone coming," she said as she immediately hid in Dylan''s shadow.


    "... it really is true¡­," he muttered as he laid down and pretended to sleep. He could hear the heavy steps the patrol guard took as he checked every cell. When the guard was done checking the last cell, he exited. Dylan remained still, his eyes never left his shadow. Moments later, Emersyn''s head emerged then her whole body came next.


    "Hmm¡­ he''s still on the gate..."


    "You¡­ can see him?"


    "No, I am only sensing him. So, I have been saying, I am fine. I was hiding in a different place with sir Ashford. Though it is only temporary until my business with the Blanche is settled. Also, I have been looking for you."


    "... different place? Where is it exactly?"


    "... somewhere you can''t reach. Hmm¡­ maybe, yet?"


    "Wait¡­ are you going to confront the Blanche?! You can''t do that! What if they killed you?!"


    "I have a rough idea that they will do a different method to detain me."


    "Haa¡­ so, what are you going to do here?"


    "I am still not sure, but do you want to stay here?"


    "... what kind of question is that?"


    "If I break you out of here and they miraculously found a trace of me, then you''ll be in danger too. However, if I took you in that different place, I will be the only one who will be in danger---ah¡­ the Blanche is also in that place..." she said as she clutched her head. "Everywhere we go, we will just be like a trapped mouse."


    "I''ll stay here. I don''t want to give you more troubles."


    "Alright. Do you have any idea where Penelope is? I can''t find her."


    "All of the servants of the Voltaire are distributed to rich people all around the globe. I don''t have that extensive of a network, so I can''t do much. What do you have in plan though?"


    "Train until my body is strong enough to face the Blanche. I also wish that they won''t look for me in that place..."


    "... I hope so too. Be safe, Emersyn."


    "I''ll find Penelope as I visit you. Is that okay to you?"


    "What for?"


    "I want information in your side. Also, to provide you with food."


    "... I would love that, but how?"


    Emersyn laid out her hand and a basket appeared out of nowhere and fell on her hand. She offered it to Dylan then smoothed out his unruly hair.


    "I saw you didn''t like the food here that much. I packed you enough food to last you for a week. This basket is like a dimensional pouch that could stop the time once you inputted food there. Eat as much as you can. You can just hide it under your bed. But once they checked on this basket, unless it is you, it will only be books inside. I took a precaution just in case. Then¡­ take care, Dylan."


    "Wait..."


    "Yeah?"


    "Can you stay for a couple more minutes?"


    "I can."


    "Then, please."


    "Mhm. So, what do you want to talk about?"


    "Nothing comes to mind at all."


    "..."


    "I just wanted to see you," Dylan said as he looked directly into Emersyn''s captivating red eyes. He could feel himself being swallowed by the depths of her eyes.


    Emersyn smiled then petted his head. "How about experiencing being in the shadows?"


    "You can do that?"


    "Of course! I am the monarch of the dark! Just kidding. So, grab my hand," she said.


    "Uh¡­ okay," Dylan hesitated as he gazed over at Emersyn''s opened palm. It looks¡­ so soft and very feminine. He slowly grab a hold of her hand as they sunk slowly in the shadow of the room. "... woah¡­ I am liking this feeling..."


    "It is fun. I want to take you out of here, but I still am not adept to clear the traces I left. Though it is almost perfect¡­ we are still found out in the mountains."


    "No, this is fine," he said as he looked at their hands. "I have you with me. This much is fine."


    "Hoh? Am I that dependable? I''m honored to know that."


    Dylan smiled then they emerged out of the shadow. Emersyn breathed out then the whole atmosphere was cleansed. She said, "I will try to do the same to the other cells, so you don''t have to worry about being in danger. I will be going now, Dylan."


    "Okay."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Can you let go of my hand now?"


    "Ah! Sorry!"


    "Shhh!!!"


    Then Emersyn disappeared.


    "What''s wrong in there?!" A guard suddenly appeared outside his cell.


    "Ah¡­ well¡­ I just had a dream..."


    "While you''re standing? And what is that?"


    "What is?"


    "That basket."


    "Oh. Well¡­ didn''t I bring it here? It''s all books."


    "Hmm¡­ go to sleep now."


    "Yes, sir!"


    ***


    Emersyn went back to the hut where they first opened a portal, but before she could even step on the mountain, her alarm signals were ringing out loud. She stepped back. She tried entering the premises through air, but it didn''t work either. There was¡­ a barrier. Probably to alert the Blanche in case someone or something entered the mountain, birds or bugs.


    "What troublesome people..." she murmured.


    When she came back to the point where she exited the second portal, there was already a yellow line surrounding the area.


    "... troublesome people indeed."

 75 Subjugation 1

    "Farma, did you, by any chance, saw Elodiaren?"


    "Oh! Emersyn. Yes, I saw him when he came down to eat lunch, and I never saw him go down. Maybe you should ask Diamond, Kisha and Derek. They were the people that cleaned the rooms this afternoon."


    "Thank you," she said.


    "No problem. Glad I could help," Farma smiled then continued eating.


    Emersyn left and went towards the spot where she could feel Diamond''s aura. She saw the man swinging his sword in the field with deep concentration. He was only on his training pants and was sweating profusely. Sensing that it wouldn''t be good to disturb him, she went to the second person named Kisha. Moreover, Kisha was serving in the restaurant. Emersyn didn''t have any choice and went for Derek. Fortunately, he was only reading under a tree.


    "Excuse me?" She called.


    Derek looked up as he fixed his glasses and a smile erupted from his face. "Emersyn," he called.


    "Hi, Derek. I was looking for you."


    "What is it?"


    "Did you enter the room where Elodiaren was residing when you cleaned this afternoon?"


    "Yes, I did. What''s the matter though?"


    "He was missing when I arrived. I couldn''t find him too, so I assumed that you might have seen him before that time."


    "Ah¡­ not at all. When I entered his room after knocking, since there weren''t any replies, I just went in and there was no one else. Though¡­ there was a residual essence of a gate opening..."


    "..."


    "So, I thought that you left with him."


    "..."


    "Emersyn?"


    "I was just baffled¡­ so, he was already gone when you arrived¡­," she mused.


    "Yes, that would be thirty minutes after lunch."


    "Thank you very much, Derek. I''m sorry if I ever disturbed you."


    "It''s no problem. You won''t disturb me no matter what."


    "See you later."


    "Yes, see you."


    Emersyn sat down on the bed once she entered Elodiaren''s room. She clutched her head and sighed. She was only gone for a few hours and then she arrived here just to hear that Elodiaren got taken away. What should she do now? Though there was still the plan to cultivate, she needed Elodiaren for her other plans. Should she retrieve him back? Could she even trace back where the portal had gone to? With that in mind, she opened up the holographic screen from her wrist and saw that there was another available set of coordinates in the portal function. She didn''t hesitate and tapped that coordinate then a small portal opened up in front of her, enough to fit her body into it.


    "..."


    Emersyn took a defensive position as she crossed both of her arms in front of her face, taking the hit head on. Her clothes, that she made using the strong hide of the animals she killed, were burnt as she stood naked in front of the dragon. When the red dragon stopped breathing its fire, it roared in victory as it flapped its wings, but when the fire died down, the female human was still standing tall and confident. It was enraged. However, before it knew, it was already falling down to the ground.


    As Emersyn landed on the hot ground, she sighed as she stared at her naked body. Clothes materialized in her hands, quickly dressing herself in a comfortable skirt, shirt, leggings and boots. Then, she approached the dragon as it shook its head off. When it saw Emersyn approaching, it released a loud roar that shook the earth. The female human wasn''t fazed at all.


    "GRAAAAAR!!!"


    "..."


    Emersyn retrieved a sword from her inventory and immediately ran towards the dragon at a speed of light. She jumped before the dragon and then spun as she struck her sword at the dragon''s neck. It easily tore through as blood spurted out from the deep wound.


    "... tough hide there, Draggy."


    The dragon whined as it grabbed its neck to stop the bleeding. It roared louder. In return, multiple roars rang out from the distance.


    "Oh dear..." Emersyn mumbled as she retrieved another sword that could contain her energy. For the meantime, as she waited for the other dragons to arrive, she killed the one before her and immediately stored the carcass in her inventory. Seeing that the environment wasn''t good, she ran towards the barren land she could see in the distance. Then, once she arrived there, she turned to look towards the holographic screen hovering on her wrist and browsed through the food section. A thermos appeared and she poured the hot latte in the cup then drank it leisurely. Once she was satisfied, she stored the thermos and got a tuna sandwich to gorge on. She sat on the dirty ground as she waited. Nobody came in the radius of 10 kilometers.


    "..."


    Realizing that nobody would come, a holographic screen appeared before her and searched for Elodiaren''s location. She took a big bite of another sandwich as she looked at the screen.


    "Hmmm¡­"


    No indication.


    She sighed. Anyway, she stood up and just went towards the nearest indicated location in the map.


    ***


    Emersyn was flabbergasted as she looked at the people who had shabby clothing and chipping weapons going in and out of that city. Now that she noticed, the density of the mana here was so low. Then how about the dragon she met? And those that she had heard? In any case, she looked at her clothing and to the clothes that the folks were wearing. For now, she should cover her body with a cloak. Once she donned herself, she let the hood down and entered the town through a huge gate. There were guards with spears as they stopped Emersyn from entering.


    "Fee," one of them tersed.


    "Oh. How much?"


    "One silver coin."


    Emersyn pretended to take something from her pocket, even under the restraining cloak, and pulled out a silver coin from her inventory. She handed that small coin and they let her enter without any forms of identification. Then, looking at the sign of a pub, she entered and ordered Rye porridge and a mug of beer.


    "How much would it be?"


    "That would be three silver coins, madame."


    "Here you go," she unhesitatingly handed over three coins.


    "Enjoy."


    "Thanks."


    Then she heightened her hearing sense as she listened on in the pub.


    "Ahahaha! I earned five silvers today!"


    "Buy us some booze then!"


    "Nah! Treat yourselves!"


    ...


    "Have you heard? The hero this time was so handsome. Che."


    "Why are you mad? Something wrong with it?"


    "Everything is wrong! What if my lover fell in love with that prick?!"


    ...


    "I heard that the previous heroes will join in the mission."


    "Are you going to join the mission?"


    "I don''t know if I can¡­"


    "The reward will be enormous!"


    "It''s dangerous!"


    ...


    "Hey, hey. That woman is so beautiful. Is she royalty?"


    "Should we follow her?"


    "Hey! What are you lots going to do, huh?!"


    "Nothing, ma''am!"


    "I''ll cut all your precious jewels! Huh!"


    "..."


    "You better go with me this time, you cowards!"


    "But! We are going to kill the demi-dragons!"


    "I don''t care, you louts! We have to help the hero this time!"


    "Can''t we just stand back like what we did with the previous heroes?"


    "I said to participate!"


    "Boss, is it because you fell in love with the new hero?"


    "Wha- SHUT UP!"


    "Ooh!!!"


    "What about it?!"


    "You fell in love with Hero Cone~."


    ¡­


    Emersyn downed the beer until its last drop then stood up. The clamoring paused for a moment as they gazed at her before continuing. Some didn''t pay attention anymore and some stood up too. Emersyn dropped two more silvers on the table and then went out. The waitress who came to collect the mug and bowl was baffled as she saw a tip for her. She gazed at the retreating back of that mysterious woman before bowing deeply.


    Emersyn disappeared into the shadows once she knew that people were following her. She gazed at the towering castle and immediately went there.


    ''Aren might be there,'' she mused.


    She arrived at the basement when she felt the strongest undulations. However, she never expected that the basement was filled with corpses and the dark energy was thick here.


    Suddenly, something moved.

 76 Subjugation 2

    Something moved again. From that same spot.


    When she tried lifting a corpse up, it immediately surfaced up and tried to bite Emersyn''s arm. It was the face of a man. Strands of his hair were falling out and his face was dried up, leaving no flesh but bones and skin. Emersyn reflexively retreated her hand and her other hand summoned a gun and immediately fired at the head of the undead man. His head exploded from the point blank shot and collapsed on the heap of corpses.


    However, that wasn''t the last.


    Before she knew it, she was bitten on her left forearm by the nearest undead that she didn''t notice. Her left hand, that was holding the gun, passed the gun to her right hand and shot the undead that bit her arm. When its head exploded, its cerebrospinal fluid splashed onto her. She didn''t mind and just checked on the area where she was bitten. It didn''t leave a dent or mark, fortunately.


    "Kill..."


    "Kill them..."


    "Royalty..."


    The undead raised from their spot and slowly regained their footing as their hollow eyes gazed at the stairs leading to the upper floor. They started running up. Meanwhile, Emersyn was battling those that attempted to attack her with a gun in her left hand and a sword in her right. In her periphery, she caught sight of those undead moving faster towards the upper floor. She cursed under her breath and immediately ran after them. Since their numbers easily ranked up to hundreds, she couldn''t stop their barrage into the castle in a narrow corridor. She could only kill those that were behind and running after her. Moreover, she had to perfectly aim at their heads to kill them.


    Suddenly, she heard screams.


    "Oh dear..." she mumbled as she increased her barrage of attacks to lessen their numbers. When she arrived on the upper floor, she could see servants that collapsed on the ground that had corrosive dark energies injected into their bodies. It would only be a matter of time before they end up an undead. She shot them in their heads as she made sure to never leave one of them behind then rushed upwards.


    "Help!"


    Emersyn ignored it and chose to eradicate those monstrosities before they got out of the castle. She just hoped that the people in the castle made a judgement that they would close the gates leading towards the commoner''s side of the city. As there was a high wall that separates the two districts. When she arrived at the ground floor, she saw that the undead were already filling the streets and invading the homes of the nobles. While there were a few of them that stayed in the castle.


    "You okay there?" She asked once she was sure that there was nothing in their area.


    "How did you find me?"


    "My bracelet led me here."


    "... ah..."


    "Their energies are corrosive, so you better avoid getting in contact with them or even step into their territory. It isn''t that dangerous if you get closer, but when you have direct contact with them, the energy will enter your body into your bloodstreams."


    "Understood," Elodiaren nodded.


    "So, leave the killings to me and hide."


    "... what?"


    "I will take care of this, Aren."


    "No, no! What do you mean leave everything to you?! That''s¡­!"


    "I don''t want you to turn into an undead, Aren."


    "But¡­! Don''t underestimate me! You already died one time when you protected me, and now, the same thing will happen. I don''t want that!"


    "... fine. Do whatever you want. I won''t be responsible if anything happens to you," Emersyn said as she took off and ran to the upper floors, leaving Elodiaren behind who clenched his fists in determination to aid Emersyn in this matter.


    Emersyn released a huge energy that was enough to cover the whole castle to determine the position of the remaining undead. She eradicated those that already turned into one and those that were on the verge of being an undead. When she arrived in a room where two undead were cornering one female in a royal suit, she immediately formed two icicles of one meter and a diameter of ten centimeters then shot it towards the head of the undead.


    "Kyaaah!" The woman screamed as she crouched down, hiding her head between her arms, her eyes closed shut.


    The undeads got pierced and their bodies got stuck on the wall and one breached the window and got thrown out. When the woman heard the breaking of glass, she suddenly released her head and stared at Emersyn who was already leaving and shouted, "Halt there!!!"


    Emersyn ignored it and just rushed towards the nearest undead. However, the young woman ran out of her room and followed the disappearing back of that mysterious woman with a dazzling white hair.


    When Emersyn finally sensed that there weren''t any more undead in the castle, she broke through the window of the 4th floor and jumped out.


    "Noooo!!!" She heard from above and saw the figure of the young woman in a royal suit. Ah. That woman that looked young enough to be a princess. She clicked her tongue as she landed safely on the ground. Though the ground wasn''t safe at all as there was a depression and wide arrays of cracks. She took off, never minding the woman, and started releasing a huge amount of energy for scouting.


    On the other hand, the princess only settled her hand over her heart that was beating so hard as she gazed at the woman who saved her life.


    "White¡­ hair¡­ and red eyes..." she mumbled.


    Emersyn heard her mumblings as she struck the undeads'' head to oblivion.


    "My Lady!"


    Upon sighting Emersyn, Elodiaren quickly called as he heaved. Emersyn took care of the last undead before running towards Elodiaren.


    "Everything good on your side?"


    "No¡­ not at all. I commanded the royal guard to close the gates of the city before this spread and got out of the walls. But they didn''t¡­ well, they did heed me, but didn''t believe me until they saw the undeads."


    "That''s good enough for me. At least it didn''t spread outside the city."


    "... yes, that''s true."


    "Time to slaughter these undead," Emersyn smiled then took off.


    Elodiaren watched her disappearing back as her white hair fluttered with her every stride. Suddenly, there was a voice that called him from the castle.


    "Hero Cone! Please! Stay where you are!"


    Ah. Yes. He named himself that here, so he turned to look at the princess who was there when he was summoned in this world.


    "Princess Camellia," he muttered as he waited for Camellia to arrive before him.


    She heaved a deep breath before asking, "Who is that woman? Is she your acquaintance?"


    "... uhm¡­ no, she''s not. I just happened to pass by her who was still alive."


    "I¡­ I see."


    "Have you seen the other heroes, Princess?"


    Camellia shook her head. "I''m sorry, but I don''t know where they are. They must have left the castle..."


    "Alright. I''ll continue killing the undead. Please stay safe."


    "Hero Cone..."


    "Yes?"


    "I''m sorry if we couldn''t bring you back to your own world."


    Elodiaren smiled faintly. "It''s fine. While I am still here, I will take care of this world."


    "Thank you¡­ thank you so much!"


    "I am going now."


    "I''m sorry," she said as she waved at Elodiaren.


    She stayed where she was until she could hear footsteps behind her. She trembled, afraid that it would be an undead, but it was too consistent that she slowly turned around just to see three of the heroes coming out of the castle.


    "Heroes!" She called, relieved.


    "Princess Camellia," the hero who had his long blonde hair tied, named Korbin, called.


    "Are you unhurt?" Reno, a black haired man, asked as he approached and examined Camellia.


    "I am fine, Hero Reno. How about you?"


    "I am doing fine, Princess."


    Dichen, a man who had streaks of blue hair in his black hair, immediately took off with his sword.


    "Dichen! Where are you going?!"


    "I am going to beat Cone in killing these undeads!" Then he truly left.


    "Princess, you can stay here with Korbin for now. We will contact you later after this," Reno said.


    "Be safe, Hero Reno."


    "Of course," he said then ran off.


    "Guess you are with me today, Princess," Korbin grinned.


    "Protect me well, Hero Korbin," Camellia smiled brightly.


    Korbin took his eyes off Camellia as he winced from the brightness of her smile. He clicked his tongue inwardly, but he suppressed his desire to kill the one before him.


    After all, she never did anything bad to them.


    But he knew that she chose to ignore the matter about killing humans just to summon heroes to fulfill their desire to survive.

 Chapter 77 - Subjugation (3)

    For some reason, an undead was on top of the wall as it struck the guard that was situated there. As the guard was bit, he fell and landed outside of the wall. His limbs folded on the wrong way, stilled. The undead followed suit as it was shot by a mana bullet. Emersyn jumped over the wall and aimed at the guard who was slowly turning into an undead.


    "Haaa¡­ damn this," she muttered as she ran on top of the wall to eliminate possible threats. Once she was done double checking, she started gunning down every undead she saw below. She left saving people to Elodiaren and two new additions, possibly the heroes. But they weren''t as efficient as Elodiaren who could strike down an undead cleanly and in one hit. After knowing their weakness, the heroes increased their efficiency, but they were slowly being corroded by the dark energy. Emersyn clicked her tongue. She jumped down from the wall and ran towards the hero that had the most difficult bearing out of the three that joined the fray.


    When she arrived next to him, Reno was surprised to see a woman holding her own against these corrosive undead. Once he got the sight of that beautiful woman, his hands slowed down as his eyes never tore off from Emersyn.


    "I will inject neutral energy into your body, whoever you are, to neutralize the dark energy in your body, if that is okay with you." Even her voice sounded like a melody. He couldn''t get enough of that.


    "Okay," he agreed. "I am Reno, by the way."


    "Emersyn," she replied as she cut down a few undead.


    "You''re quite proficient in this..."


    "I''ve done a lot worse."


    Suddenly, Reno could feel a clean energy fighting the corrosive energy in his body.


    "Fight with it, Reno. If you don''t, it would just be for naught."


    "I will."


    "For now, focus there and leave the fighting to me."


    "Thank you, Emersyn."


    "No problem."


    After three hours, and Emersyn triple checked the city, she sighed in relief as she didn''t see any more threats. However, when she saw that princess approaching her, she reflexively stepped back. Camellia smiled brightly at her and clasped Emersyn''s hand with both of her hands. "Thank you for saving my life!"


    "... that''s fine."


    "I am glad you were there!" Camellia said as she shook it more vigorously.


    "... it''s really fine. It was merely coincidental."


    "Fate brought us together!"


    NO!


    "I mean¡­ sure? Can you let go of my hand now? It''s dirty."


    "I don''t care at all! May I know your name?"


    "... Emersyn."


    "Miss Emersyn! Once again, I am thankful for saving my life! Please let me repay you! Do you want money? I have a lot of them!"


    "..." Calm down, woman!


    "What is it, Clay?" She asked gently.


    "You''re safe. I''m glad..."


    "How is Imperial Father?"


    "... I''m sorry, princess. He was found dead in his room."


    "What?!"


    "The guards that were guarding His Majesty were turned into an undead. They must have entered His Majesty''s room and killed him."


    "Is¡­ did my Father turned into an undead?"


    "..." he paused for a moment before saying gravely, "... yes, your highness."


    Camellia collapsed to her knees and wept. "Father¡­ Father..." however, suddenly, she started laughing out loud. "Father!"


    "..." Emersyn stepped back until she was sure she was out of that princess'' periphery. She sure was¡­ getting crazy. What happened? Wait¡­ that time, when she conjured a lot of energy to scout the entire castle, there were three, no, four people that was approaching the fifth floor. Maybe¡­ no, she might be wrong, but it was not absolute. Anyway, she disappeared from their sight and---


    "My Lady!"


    Oh, right. There was still that man.


    "Where are you going, My Lady?" He said as soon as he caught up to Emersyn.


    "Out of here."


    "What about me?"


    "Didn''t you promise the princess that you would do whatever you can while you are still here?"


    "Ack! You heard it!"


    Emersyn sighed, "Don''t worry. I''ll come back before your joint mission come. When was it?"


    "Three days from now."


    "Good. I''ll just be in Strevalia and train. I need to be stronger than I am now..."


    Elodiaren grabbed Emersyn''s hand and clasped it between his hands. "I give you my best regards, My Lady. Please be careful."


    "I''ll be fine, Aren. You should be the one who has to be careful. Don''t die before I get you."


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    "Good. See you then."


    "See you, My Lady!"


    Emersyn took off then went to the depths of the lush green forest and summoned a portal to Lasirion. When she got into the portal, she breathed that refined air with vigor and exhaled with a relieved expression. She quickly turned towards the so-called Gate of Lasirion then went into the other dimension.


    "Lady Emersyn?!" Someone called from the sideline. When she turned around, she saw Flora in her maid outfit.


    That looks great on you. Damn.


    "Where are you going?" Flora asked as she wiped her hands with her apron.


    "Just over there," Emersyn said as she gestured at the Gate.


    Flora''s eyes widened and she immediately said, "Please let me come with you."


    "... okay?"


    "Please wait here."


    "Oh right. I have to buy some things. Let''s meet up here after thirty minutes. Is that okay with you?"


    "Understood," then she disappeared into the restaurant, knowing that she still had something to take care of.


    Emersyn quickly went to the forest once Flora was out of sight. She summoned the holographic screen and went to the shop to buy some ingredients she needed and a few appliances like a portable stove. After all, they would be in the wilderness to find and kill Calamity monsters in that world. Now that she thought, what if she went to search for them using her bracelet? Is it even the time where she would expose the existence of this device to Flora? Well, she was indeed trustworthy.


    After about thirty minutes, Flora emerged from the back door in her adventuring clothes and trotted over to Emersyn. "I''m all ready."


    "Good. Now, let''s go."


    "Hmm..." Flora stood there for a moment before following after Emersyn.


    When they entered the Gate of Lasirion, a huge fireball came at Emersyn. She pressed up her hand on that lump of mana and stopped its track. The wind blew strongly at impact then it dissipated.


    "What¡­"


    "That can''t be..."


    Voices sounded out and she saw males conjuring up more of those fireballs and some variant of ice and earth. They went more guarded especially when they realized that women came. They already despised the men from this other world because of their beliefs towards the female species. So, they decided to put up a resistance whenever someone would come into their world. That is, to kill them before they even step foot on their soil.


    Emersyn clenched her extended fist and stared at the men.


    "What-"


    "As if we will listen to a woman! Just shut your mouth up! You don''t have the right to talk to us!"


    Emersyn sighed and waved her hand in frustration. Now, she stepped first on the ground and it suddenly rose up to the sky. Emersyn was caught up in the rise, but she maintained her balance and quite enjoyed the view from above. She looked down at Flora and shouted, "The view is great here, Flora! Want to see?"


    "..."


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Nothing. I will come up there now," she replied then jumped over the earthen wall. "Hmmm¡­ it is good here."


    Seeing that those women enjoyed the view, they frowned and gritted their teeth.


    "Crush them!"


    Suddenly, an earthen hand came out of the ground and slowly came to crush them. However, Emersyn wrapped her arm around Flora''s waist and a pair of black wings emerged from her back. She crouched down then jumped to the air and gained altitude. She flapped her wings harder as she passed through the cloud. Flora was surprised, but soon wrapped her arms around Emersyn''s neck. Then, Emersyn raised her right arm and a holographic screen appeared and showed the map of Celvides. There were black dots appearing in the map and she flew towards the nearest of them.


    Meanwhile, Flora''s expression stoned as she continued gazing at Emersyn''s face and wrist.


    Emersyn caught sight of a sleeping giant on the flattened mountain. It had lustrous fur and it seemed to shine under the sun. She stopped midair and eventually, dived deep in the atmosphere as she held Flora tighter. When it was low enough, she summoned a sword---which caught the attention of Flora---and immediately cleaved the giant body into two. Leaving no room for the giant to scream or even know that it was attacked. They landed on the ground and Flora clenched Emersyn''s shirt.


    "Lady Emersyn..."


    "Yes?"


    "No¡­ Master, you came back..."

 Chapter 78 - Subjugation (4)

    Emersyn remained silent as she collected the monster''s huge remains into her inventory. She saw a few treasures and gold coins.


    "... master..." Flora called as soon as Emersyn finished looting.


    "Yes?" Emersyn responded, looking back at Flora.


    "You¡­ you''re not going to deny it?"


    "Of course I won''t. Besides, I am not really hiding it."


    Before Emersyn knew it, she was embraced tightly. Her head was on Flora''s bosom as the female squeezed her tight. Emersyn settled her hand on Flora''s back, patting it.


    "I surrender!"


    "Master..." Flora cried.


    "..."


    "I thought I wouldn''t be able to see you again..." she said as she broke off her embrace and cupped Emersyn''s cheeks. She gently c.a.r.e.s.sed it and Emersyn could see the fondness in her eyes. It¡­ it was too warm. Thinking that she wouldn''t be able to bear it, it was already too late when she was brought into another tight hug.


    "Flora..."


    "Tell me how have you been in another world. Please?"


    "..."


    "Master?"


    "When I woke up, I was in a prison cell... I was part of the mafia there, a criminal organization. I got promoted in ranks, I succeeded in a mission, and¡­ got the eyes of the Blanche. They searched high and low for me, and I ended up here when matters got tight. I am merely escaping¡­ and now, I have to get stronger. Stronger than ever and fight back."


    "What will they do to you, Master?"


    "I don''t know, Flora¡­ maybe isolated. I am already a criminal."


    "Master did nothing wrong, right? You saved us and gave us a reason to live. If it''s the matter of killing those people that helped us five years ago, then it is of no matter. You saved us there, Master."


    "... you have a point, but my crime is bone deep, it seems."


    "Bone deep?"


    "The Blanche told me that my parents are both heinous criminals. I don''t know what they did, but it seemed deep rooted in the universe''s history. I was killed once too, when I was on Earth. I was living peacefully there though, so I was confused first. Then, one day, this person from the Blanche came and killed me. Even after I died here, they still showed hostility. What can I do but fight back?"


    "... they killed you without you knowing?" Flora said through gritted teeth.


    "So it would seem."


    "Fight back! I can''t let my master die again before my eyes! So, what is your plan, master?!"


    "... Flora, calm down. I was thinking of fighting Calamity rank monsters again in huge numbers."


    "To seek enlightenment?"


    "... to deplete my energy and gain back my oceanic Life Energy. Then, in three days, I will go to Elodiaren''s location."


    "I will come too, master."


    "No."


    "Wha-"


    "Flora, I don''t want you to be involved in my mess."


    "I don''t care!"


    Emersyn flinched. "Flora?!"


    "I don''t care at all, master! I don''t want to lose you again to those people!"


    "... Flora, I am more afraid of losing you."


    Flora''s mouth immediately shut, her eyes gazing at Emersyn.


    "I still have a lot of lives. How about you? It is not certain if you will live again once you die. Flora, can you stay in the ChangHao firm to wait for me? I want a place where I can return to. In your arms."


    "..."


    Did she buy it?


    "... okay..." Flora mumbled. "I will, no, we will protect your home until our last breath."


    "Good," Emersyn said as she patted Flora''s head gently. Flora''s tail flicked then swayed. She was clearly happy, and Emersyn liked it. She had to protect this bundle of happiness despite the harsh journey she would take. Her hand suddenly stopped as her eyes stared at the sky.


    "...ter! Master!"


    "Ah. Yes? What''s the matter?"


    "You''re spacing out!" Flora pouted. "Did you even hear me?"


    "Sorry, sorry," Emersyn awkwardly smiled then smoothed out Flora''s hair. "Let''s get going."


    "How many days has it been?"


    "Four days."


    "..."


    "... ah. You have a prior engagement, master!"


    "Damn it¡­ Flora, are you coming with me?"


    Flora''s eyes twinkled then she nodded vigorously. "I''ll go! I''ll go!!!"


    Without further delay, Emersyn opened up the portal to the only unfamiliar name in the list of coordinates. They entered and once they stepped on Eucarro, the portal closed on its own.


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    "It exists. Just a small amount though."


    "I see..."


    "Let''s go. Elodiaren is in the castle."


    "Yes, master."


    "Grab my hand," Emersyn tersed. As soon as she finished talking, Flora immediately clutched Emersyn''s hand and they entered the shadows. They passed through a bunch of people chatting with their loved ones before they departed for the mission. Finally, they arrived in the room where she sensed Elodiaren was. When she saw how jittery he was, she felt sorry for some reason. She emerged from the shadow, along with Flora, and lightly greeted, "Aren, I''m sorry I am late."


    "My Lady!" He jumped and when he was approaching to hug Emersyn, he saw a tail behind her. He looked at Emersyn''s questioning eye and then peeked behind her. He was holding his breath in anticipation, but when he saw that it was a different person, he sighed. "It''s not yours..."


    Emersyn gently kicked his shin.


    "Why are you late, My Lady?"


    "It''s not like I am really late for the mission, right?"


    "Well¡­ yes, I know, but¡­ I want to spend more time with you..."


    "Forget that, Aren."


    "But-"


    Suddenly, there was a series of knocks.


    "Hero Cone? It is time."


    "I''m coming!"


    "Pfft. Cone. Hahaha."


    "... don''t laugh."


    "I''m sorry, Hero Cone."


    "... now, I regret that."


    "Anyway, go. We will be there shortly."


    "Alright, My Lady."


    ***


    A lot of people were seeing them off outside the walls as it even extended into the gates. They were waving and cheering them on. Knights, adventurers and mercenaries alike. Emersyn stared at those people with cold and calculating eyes. They were especially cheering for the heroes even though it was just four days since they lost their king and got replaced by their crowned princess, Camellia. It was a hard period, but they never really mind. As long as there was someone who would lead them, they were content. In any case, the Queen, Camellia, was also seeing them off with a bunch of knights surrounding her. Suddenly, she caught sight of a white haired woman. Her smile widened and she immediately approached her.


    "Miss Emersyn!"


    "... hello."


    "Please take care!" She said as she clasped Emersyn''s hand.


    "I will. Thank you. You have to take care too."


    "I will! Come back here, okay?"


    "Of course. I might even have to take care of those kids."


    Camellia smiled then let go of Emersyn''s hand. "I wish you a safe journey."


    "Now, move!" The commander yelled from the front and they boarded carriages then waved at their families. Emersyn sat in a luxury carriage with the heroes along with Flora. They chatted while Emersyn was looking outside the window. She closed her eyes and indulged in the crisp air.


    One week was all it took to arrive in their destination. The Loork Mountains. This was one of the few places where the demi-dragons were as they hog all the important minerals to themselves. It included the ores, minerals, metals and even mana. They left their carriages with a few mercenaries and entered the vicinity where mana was quite dense and it was becoming colder. They were donned in winter suits, thick enough to hold against the harsh environment. However, they felt their bodies become lighter. Of course, they were never strengthened, but merely filled with mana in their maximum capacity, which was meager. It didn''t make them crestfallen, rather, it made them more motivated to fight head on with demi-dragons. When they were close in the territory of the demi-dragons, they felt the atmosphere become heavy.


    "This is it¡­ there''s no turning back¡­" Reno said as his hot breath condensed in the cold.


    Meanwhile, Emersyn just stood beside the commander and spread out mana to survey the surrounding. A few days ago, her ability to sense monsters or living beings was known and they used her to scout.


    "There are two at 3 o''clock, 250 meters ahead."


    "Unit 1, prepare for battle! There are two approaching!" The commander, Lance, shouted.


    When they unsheathed and readied their weapons, the ground shook. Once they saw a huge dinosaur-like monster with green scales, that stood almost 4 meters, they cried and advanced. Their unit was mainly composed of seasoned veterans as they fought the huge monster as they anticipated for another monster''s attack. Their attacks weren''t even touching the monster and Lance took a glance at Korbin.


    "Hmm¡­ okay. I''ll join," he said then took off.

 Chapter 79 - Subjugation (5)

    Korbin unsheathed his sword as he ran and covered it with how little mana he had. This dinosaur-like creature roared loudly as it stomped its feet. The ground shook hard as a few of them lost their footing and fell right on the ground.


    "Unit 2! Prepare your weapons!" Lance shouted.


    Reno already unsheathed his katana and ran towards the dinosaur-like monster, carefully treading through the ground. He helped Korbin damage the monster''s feet, but it only produced more earthquakes. The first unit of veteran warriors'' moves didn''t falter and used the shaking ground as a footing to jump towards the monster''s legs. One of them scratched its knee, but at the next moment, he went flying as soon as he was hit by its whip-like tail. That man''s bones broke into pieces as it punctured his organs and died. Not only that man, a few people in the vicinity got caught in the aftermath and stumbled on the ground. The monster breathed out fire as it burnt the surrounding area. Fortunately, the warriors noticed it early and went out of its affected area, but they got a few burns.


    Dichen cursed then charged towards the monster with his spear.


    "Dichen?!" Elodiaren called.


    "I won''t abide by the rules if my companions are in danger!"


    Dichen screamed as he guided his mana to his hand and aimed at the monster''s eye. Its head steadied as if it was challenging him if he could even inflict damage on its body. Dichen gritted his teeth in anger and inputted more force in his arms then threw the spear with all his might. The monster scoffed as it caught the spear with its mouth and smashed the iron spear with its teeth. It displayed the incredible strength of its jaw as it shattered the weapon like a candy. They stared wide eyes, stricken with fear as it stomped harder on the ground as it roared louder. Korbin took this opportunity and jumped on the monster''s back, then stabbed its neck. The monster roared in pain. It was a thick skin as Korbin put all of his strength as the dinosaur-like monster trashed as it tried to throw out the human on its back.


    Reno used this opportunity too as he cut the ligaments of its knee. Then, the monster fell and roared. Korbin injected more mana in his sword and it got through its neck, damaging its spine. When the heroes successfully brought down one demi-dragon monster, another one appeared and it was more imposing than the first one. It was ten meters tall and a hundred meters long. The people who fought heaved and fell back to formation, abandoning the monster they recently killed.


    "Unit two to ten, prepare for battle!" Lance put force in his stomach and shouted, earning the growl of the monster in front of them.


    Elodiaren and the heroes helped by using their mana as a knife, cutting through the tough innards of the monsters.


    "Wha-" Lance muttered as he saw a huge mana stone in the heart of the bigger monster. It was so rich in mana. However, he pondered on what to do about these stones. Surely, these would attract more monsters and their lives would be in peril.


    "Excuse me?" A flowery voice emerged out behind Lance. He turned around and he met a woman dashing enough to rival that of Emersyn.


    "Uh¡­ you''re one of the¡­?"


    "I am Flora. Master wanted me to be of help to you."


    "Master? One of the heroes?"


    Flora shook her head and gestured at Emersyn who was looking at the horizon. "That is my master. She wanted me to help you with the materials."


    "... you have nothing to help now, since we already dismantled these--"


    "I have a ring that could store materials."


    "Wait what?" Does that exist?


    "Yes. Please let me demonstrate them to you."


    "O-oh. Okay¡­?"


    Flora nodded then approached the huge mana stone that had just been extracted from the body. When she touched it, it disappeared from their sight and the people around her exclaimed in fright. However, when she extended her hand, it suddenly appeared on the ground. She turned to look at Lance with an inquisitive glance.


    "... why didn''t you tell us about this from the start?"


    "My master and I were afraid that we would be taken advantage of."


    "... yes, true. Can I also ask for a favor?"


    "Yes. If it is within my master''s means."


    "Can you also carry the supplies we had?"


    "I can go back and collect the carriages too."


    "Ca-can you do that?"


    "Of course. My master gave this ring to us, so it can hold a lot of things."


    Lance glanced at Emersyn with awe. When he looked at Emersyn''s fingers, there weren''t any rings present, so he concluded that she gave those rings to her servants rather than having one herself. He nodded then turned to look at Flora.


    "Then, please. We need more manpower."


    "Understood."


    "Oh, and, please bring your master with you--"


    "I am enough!" Elodiaren quickly quipped.


    "Hero Cone? Why?"


    "Well¡­ you see..."


    "I am strong enough, Elo--Hero Cone. My master trained us hard to protect ourselves."


    "... you''re right¡­" Elodiaren mumbled.


    "Besides, these people need you, Hero Cone," Flora said.


    "... you''re right once again..." then he whispered, "Though it is enough for her to go through alone..."


    "I am going now, Commander Lance."


    "Do you know the way back?"


    "Yes, sir. I will come back as soon as possible."


    "Good. Take care, Miss Flora."


    "Understood," she said then ran immediately.


    "We will camp for the day," he said to one of his knights.


    "Yes, sir."


    Tomorrow came and Emersyn was the one who was on the current night duty. She browsed through her inventory and she saw that her amount of swords were dwindling. She tilted her head then rested her finger on her chin, exclaiming under her breath.


    "Ah¡­ I was throwing away the weapons I just used¡­."


    "Master?" Flora whispered as she went out of her tent, rubbing her eyes. Her clothes were also dishevelled that you could see the upper part of her b.r.e.a.s.ts.


    "Good morning, Flora. Did you have a good night''s sleep?" Emersyn turned her head back and smiled at Flora.


    "I did. What do you want for breakfast today?"


    "Hmmm¡­ anything you fancy. Whatever you cook will always be delicious anyway."


    "But what about your favorite?"


    "Beef Curry is a luxury today. Let''s eat it once we get home."


    "Understood."


    "Have some sandwich, Flora," Emersyn offered a chicken sandwich to her and she willingly accepted. She even bowed and received it with care.


    "I will treasure it," she was going to put it in her ring when Emersyn stopped her hurriedly.


    "Hey. Eat it."


    "... understood."


    The heroes simultaneously went out of their tents. Elodiaren slumped down next to Emersyn while the other three went out to train.


    "You are not going to train, Aren?"


    "..."


    "Go train," Emersyn demanded.


    "... yes, ma''am."


    Then, some of the people they hired could also cook, so they took the liberty to do the meals everyday. Since they would be paid double the amount they would get from the original mission. They started prepping the ingredients and Emersyn stood up from her seat to help. Once Flora finished eating the sandwich, she also decided to help out. The main ingredient today was the demi-dragon meat they acquired yesterday. Flora took out chunks of meat and they immediately worked on cutting it to bits. It was hard though, so they resorted to other means to cut it.


    After the soldiers'' morning exercise, they crowded the people who were cooking and started drooling. When, finally, the long suffering was over, they ate lavishly for the day. They restored their vitality and started marching towards their final destination.


    ***


    "Retreat!!!" Lance screamed on top of his lungs as soon as he was notified that the numbers of demi-dragons increased once again.


    "We are surrounded, Commander," Emersyn said.


    "... what?"


    From the point where they only spotted one, then to the ambush of twenty variants of demi-dragons. Although Emersyn already caught on this, she said that it wouldn''t be that dangerous. So, they continued, but they instantly regretted joining the mission. How could they contend themselves to hundreds of demi-dragons? Above all, the content of the mission was the subjugation of a small number of demi-dragons. The reward was also a whopping five gold each person who came out of the mission alive. They were so blinded by greed and ignorance that the heroes will protect them when times get hard.


    Wait¡­ heroes? In the first place, why are the heroes in this mission?


    Anyway, Lance cursed under his breath. They only had one direction where they could escape from. The north where the number of demi-dragons were dense. They could only gamble and be fortunate enough to escape their encirclement.

 Chapter 80 - Aftermath (1)

    Emersyn, who was leading the troops, stopped in front of a boulder. She signed at them and immediately paved a cave. She extended her hands and a huge brownish circle appeared and the boulder lost a part of its body. Then, she dug out an underground base for them to hide for the meantime.


    Meanwhile, the people who watched her do her work were all stupefied. They hadn''t witnessed anything like it before. She could command these natural resources with just a lift of her finger.


    "... is she one of the heroes?"


    "That can''t be..."


    They whispered against each other. After a long while, Emersyn finally finished and guided them inside the well lit cave. They were, once again, stupefied. The base was deep underground and the ceiling and foundation were rock solid; taking into account the chance a demi-dragon might be around where they were. Having settled a base deep inside enemy territory, Lance was somewhat glad about it. But, how about their supplies and escaping? This place might have just been their grave. He looked around the place as he sighed, looking at the bright faces of the knights and the others. Flora distributed the tents and they immediately set it up since they were exhausted and needed rest. After all, they lost a lot of members from that fight. The original number of Unit 1 of thirty, became fourteen. The others'' numbers declined from two to ten members.


    Earlier, they had another fight with three demi-dragons that they couldn''t escape from, so they decided to fight it. The heroes kindly cooperated this time and they somewhat killed two while one escaped. They didn''t chase that one and just celebrated internally before marching quietly once again. However, without their knowledge, Emersyn quietly took care of the escapee from afar.


    "Rest well," Lance said as he let them enter their tents and get their well deserved rest. When he was sure that no one was out, he entered his tents alone and laid down on the soft blanket over a rag.


    Emersyn suddenly appeared out of nowhere and went out of the base. It was dark and chilly, and there were millions of stars blanketing the night sky. She stepped on the grassy ground and immediately took off to eliminate any potential huge threats around five kilometers of the vicinity. There were a lot of surveying demi-dragons and she killed them while keeping her sword in her hand. When she thought that she killed enough, also leaving behind some for the group. She didn''t mind leaving those behind since those would help them overcome their limits. Then, she went to the direction of the heart of the forest.


    Meanwhile, back at the base, Flora was jittery as she waited for her master to enter their tent. However, no matter how long she waited, Emersyn never appeared. Morning came and she never got any sleep.


    "My Lady?" Elodiaren called from outside. When he didn''t get any response, he called once again, "My Lady? Are you awake?"


    "... Master is not here..."


    "What-"


    "Master is not here!"


    "Flora?! What happened?!" Elodiaren immediately opened the tent and saw Flora huddled close to the mattress, her teeth clattering.


    "Master is not here!"


    "... where did she go?" He asked gently.


    "She didn''t come back last night!"


    "... what?"


    "Master¡­ Master..."


    "Shit..." Elodiaren immediately went out of the base and tried searching for Emersyn''s traces.


    "What happened, Cone?" Korbin asked Elodiaren as he trained.


    "Emersyn-"


    "Ah¡­ I haven''t seen her since last night. What''s wrong?"


    "She''s not here."


    "Maybe she went out?"


    "Her roommate said that she didn''t return last night in her tent."


    "Oh..."


    "Wait, did you say that Emersyn went missing?" A gruff voice asked behind him.


    "Commander," Elodiaren called.


    "Hero Cone, is what you said true?"


    "Yes."


    "I guess¡­ we have no choice but to advance without her help. Ronald, give me the map."


    "Yes, Commander."


    "We need to be more cautious than ever before. We are going to have a reconnaissance team prepared..."


    Emersyn rubbed her chin as she saw a gigantic mana crystal floating at the center of the small lake. She could see demi-dragons drinking water from that very lake. It seemed like the cause of their huge vessels for mana was that crystal. Moreover, she could feel a huge, no, ginormous lifeform at the bottom of the lake. It was life threatening and might be a good ingredient for her breakfast.


    When she flew towards the crystal, that lifeform revealed itself. It was a Leviathan. She didn''t expect that at all, but she stopped flying and stared right back at the Leviathan''s ice blue eyes.


    "Hello," Emersyn greeted.


    "..."


    "I just wanted to look at the crystal---"


    "You killed my servants."


    "Well, yeah---"


    "And you are a human."


    "... are you saying that we have enmity between the two of us that can never be washed away with a simple kindness?"


    "... yeah. Exactly."


    "Then, I guess, you will be my breakfast today."


    "This impudent---"


    Before the monster could finish what it was saying, Emersyn was already before the Leviathan and perfectly positioned her arms and sword to quickly incapacitate the monster. However, the Leviathan had an unbelievably thick skin. Her attack could only grace a wound as it bled.


    "..." the Leviathan shuddered from the first pain it felt.


    "Hmmm¡­ maybe my sword was a bit weak..."


    Weak¡­ weak?! That was the first time it got wounded from the day it was born! Enraged, the Leviathan roared loudly that shook the whole continent.


    ***


    "What¡­ just happened?" Lance mumbled as he heard a loud roar from the direction they were heading to. The demi-dragon they were fighting shivered as it collapsed on the ground. With that chance, they immediately struck it with fervor through its thick and tough skin to kill it while it was vulnerable.


    Previously, they took around a few hours to take down one demi-dragon; but now, they could easily take down one in an hour. It was a huge difference from their previous battles. However, they lost a lot of people. From the original 120, they went down to 54. From that point on, they only lost zero to two people per battle.


    But¡­ these demi-dragons that weren''t afraid of anything¡­ was showing fear from that roar, shivering as they collapsed. Well¡­ it was good if that made their enemies vulnerable, but if it is an opponent that was impossible to kill, then they were doomed. However, if someone was fighting it, then they couldn''t do anything about it. Anyway, they decided to just wander around the heart of the forest and hunt more of these vulnerable demi-dragons.


    ***


    The Leviathan''s wound instantly healed and Emersyn whistled in astonishment. She rested her sword on her shoulder, quietly watching the dragon before her.


    "A human dared wound me?!"


    "Yeah. What of it?"


    "You¡­!!!"


    "Oh my! I''m so scared~ What do I do~?"


    "Fu---" before it could finish its curse, it suddenly twisted its neck in fright and saw the human woman brandishing her new acquired weapon. The blade of the sword struck deep on its carapace and blue blood gushed out. The Leviathan roared and immediately summoned the water to strike the human. The water turned sharp like a blade and divided into more blades that chased after the human who kept on avoiding. Emersyn kept fending off the countless blades of water attacking her from all sides. She fended off most of them and the minority struck her hard skin.


    The Leviathan''s icy blue eyes widened. However, its surprise didn''t last long. The lake''s water rose and droplets of sharp ice formed and continued striking Emersyn as she slashed against the monster''s attack. She just struck those that were aiming at her face and advanced steadily. This time, the Leviathan undid the ice shards as it came back into its liquid state and immediately froze the atmosphere along with the lake.


    "Oh¡­," Emersyn mumbled as she watched this unexpected phenomenon. Soon, intense heat came out of her body and melted half of the frozen lake.


    "You¡­"


    "Yes, me," Emersyn chided.


    "You will pay for this!"


    "Do you even have any more skills to use on me?"


    "..."


    "None?"


    "Heh. It is time."


    "Time for what? For you to die?"


    The Leviathan smirked then looked at the sky. Emersyn also turned to look and she could see a huge meteor coming right at her.


    "I will take you down with me!"


    Emersyn''s eyes went wide and her mouth agape.


    "Yes! That''s the one I want to see in your face! Despair, human!"


    "This can fetch a high price in my hometown..."


    "?"


    "Should I keep it whole or just shatter it?"


    "What are you-"


    A huge explosion came afterwards and the planet shook from its orbit.


    The repercussions of the clash between Leviathan and the meteor was groundbreaking that it slightly changed the climate of the planet. Meanwhile, Emersyn, who changed the direction of the meteor towards the dragon, was safe inside her wings of darkness. Once the commotion died down, she unfurled her wings and silently descended down. She touched the meteorite with her index fingers and cracks immediately formed then the humongous piece of space boulder shattered. Despite the countless pieces of rocks, she could see the Leviathan buried under, unmoving.


    She shrugged then collected the rocks as she waited for the fainted Leviathan to wake up.

 Chapter 81 - Aftermath (2)

    Emersyn waited patiently after collecting all the space rocks in the dried up lake. She even started throwing normal rocks at the Leviathan. Grumbling, she approached the dragon and kicked it.


    "Hey, wake up."


    There was no answer.


    "... are you really dead? Not like you can answer me right now."


    She turned to look at the monster''s diaphragm and it wasn''t moving.


    "Oh. You''re dead. I already absorbed more than half of the impact, yet you perished before me?"


    She shook her head then retrieved a sword before carefully cutting the humongous monster into parts, storing them in her inventory. Unfortunately, there weren''t any treasures for her to take. She ransacked every corner of the lake and returned with nothing in her hands. Moreover, she saw that the demi-dragons surrounding the lake started appearing with clarity in their eyes. She c.a.r.e.s.sed her chin, thinking on what to do to these monsters. If she could, she would definitely send the monsters to the group she left behind. Or, she could use this as a training process. However, a thought came into her mind. Killing those that were much weaker than her wouldn''t give her anything but resources.


    Maybe she could just¡­ her eyes suddenly shifted towards the huge mana crystal still floating at the center of the lake.


    "Hmm..." Emersyn tilted her head and tried reaching out to the crystal. As if it came back to life, it rattled then floated towards her before stopping in front of her. It suddenly glowed brighter and started seeping into her veins. "Interesting..." she muttered as she sat down, her legs crossed.


    She closed her eyes as she started to assimilate her body to nature.


    After a few days of meditating and guiding the mana in her circuits, feeding her already wide oceanic Life Energy. When the crystal reduced to an a.d.u.l.t''s fist, it stayed like that and stopped shrinking. However, she didn''t seem to notice and just continued absorbing the material already living in her veins. Her circuit expanded and pure silver energy flowed smoothly, punching through the remaining blockage that would take a lifetime to break through. There, she could feel her old strength coming back to her slowly, but surely. Before she knew it, she coughed out six mouthfuls of clotted blood. A lot of mana flowed into her hungry body and quickly converted it to pure energy.


    "...ster!"


    "My Lady!"


    She slowly opened her eyes and the sight of Flora and Elodiaren running down the slope entered her sight. She chuckled then stood up from her position. However, instead of a warm greeting, she was nagged. It didn''t really matter and she was the one at fault anyway, so she accepted those words as their worries for her.


    "Why did you leave?!" Flora screeched, her face red from anger.


    "Haa¡­ My Lady, even if you are strong, you can''t just run off and do things on your own. Will you please stop doing that? You almost gave us a heart attack."


    "I understand, I won''t do it again."


    "Just how many times did you leave us?! Did you really think that just those mere words can make us feel at ease?!"


    "..."


    "This Master¡­ is so hopeless! Please! Just stop disappearing on your own!"


    "... yes."


    Flora took a few deep breaths.


    "Tell me what happened after you left us."


    "... I was thinking---"


    "What happened after you left us," Flora interjected.


    "I killed a few demi-dragons around the camp and then I headed towards where the mana was so dense. I found a huge, no, humongous dragon that was much likely a Leviathan. I fought and then it suddenly summoned a meteor from space and struck down. I managed to change its course towards the dragon and the meteorite killed it."


    "How strong is that dragon? Hmm?"


    "Uhm¡­ about two Calamity rank monsters?"


    "Why are you asking?"


    "Well, it was so weak---"


    "Look around you! You call that existence weak?! You both almost destroyed the surrounding area! Look at these frozen trees and damages from a sharp weapon, which I deducted as sharp ice, and left even more damage on the lake! There was another crater here! You see this? A crater!"


    "But¡­ it was still weak..."


    "Nonsense! Okay, let''s just say that the monster is weak in your standard. How about us that wouldn''t be able to hold our ground against these powerful attacks?"


    "Then¡­ you all are weaker---I mean, it is pretty strong---"


    Flora smacked Emersyn''s head. Elodiaren''s eyes widened at how Emersyn just allowed someone to smack her head.


    "We''re going back now, you stupid Master!"


    "Yes, ma''am..."


    Flora grabbed Emersyn''s hand and began pulling her out of the dried up lake. True to Flora''s words, there were now two craters in her sight.


    When they met up with the rest, Emersyn realized that they had fewer numbers than they first started. Fortunately, all of the heroes were alive and well. Lance greeted her with clear contempt in his eyes. Emersyn stiffly smiled as they went back together to the kingdom. Moreover, Emersyn just knew that the name of the kingdom that summoned these heroes was Paladius. The rest of the expedition team safely arrived at the border of Paladius and Burundi, and they were greeted with more knights and soldiers as an escort. Then, the proud walls of Paladius came into sight and they roared in victory, overriding their grief of losing their comrades. There, at the entrance of the south gate, Royal Guards, Queen Camellia and the citizens greeted them with warm smiles.


    "Welcome home, brave soldiers, adventurers and mercenaries!" Camellia announced loudly.


    "Welcome home!" The people simultaneously followed through.


    "Come, we are eager to hear your story," Camellia smiled then led the procession towards the castle as if she was one of the people that came back alive from their mission.


    Meanwhile, Emersyn was feeling the unexpected heat coming from her right wrist. She ignored it at first, but when she felt that it was getting intense, she immediately summoned the bracelet and went to the teleportation function that was blinking red. There, she saw that the coordinates of Eucarro were being burned away. Her eyes widened, surprised at the phenomenon happening in front of her.


    "Master? What''s wrong? Why are you pacing out?"


    "I am afraid we won''t be able to come here again," she mumbled.


    "What?"


    "You know how we enter another dimension, right?"


    "Yes."


    "The availability of Eucarro is now gone."


    "We won''t be able to go back now?"


    "We can still go back to Strevalia, but can''t come back here."


    "Oh¡­ then we should finish whatever needs to be done!"


    "Like increasing the mana here using those crystals that you got from the monsters?"


    "Yes!"


    "It could happen, but we won''t be the one deciding that."


    "Ah, yes. I agree."


    "If Queen Camellia agreed to the proposal, then that''s good. They would be able to thrive further than they are now."


    "But¡­ Master, these crystals already belonged to the kingdom. They could do whatever they want with it."


    "True. Should we just let things be? They''ll figure things out sooner anyway."


    "Yes."


    When they arrived in front of the castle and was led towards the spacious ground, Camellia stood before them and loudly announced, "Now that you safely came back from the mission, I was expecting that you would bring what you gained from the mission. But seeing that you don''t have anything, I am thinking of not giving any rewards you deserve. Since our treasury is precious, we can''t just give it to people who didn''t do their jobs right."


    "... this btch," one of them murmured.


    Lance, who was keeping his silence, let out a sigh and immediately went in front of the Queen. He didn''t even bother kneeling down.


    "Queen, we have them."


    "Are you kidding me, Commander? Even the heroes don''t have anything in their hands."


    "No, we have them."


    "Since you are so insistent, go on. Show it to me," Camellia scoffed.


    "Flora? Please take it all out. All of them," he emphasized.


    Flora stepped out of the crowd and immediately took out complete bodies of the monsters they killed. Camellia''s eyes went wide, her mouth agape.


    "Wha-what?"


    "Queen, if you just let us talk before you decide things, we wouldn''t be mad at you. We risked our lives just to fulfill your mission to us; and in return, we got nothing but ridicule?"


    "That..."


    "I understand why you said those words, Queen."


    "..."


    "But you have to discuss things with us before abruptly coming to a decision from whatever you see."


    "I... I understand."


    "Perfect."


    "I''m sorry..."


    "I don''t need your apology. These people need it."


    "Yes¡­," Camellia cleared her throat and then said, "I apologize for abruptly coming to a decision without hearing things first. I will prepare the rewards as promised. We will calculate all of these materials, so until we finished, please wait for at least two days. I promise, in the name of Paladius, that we will properly compensate you. But, please do receive a small amount from your compensation as a down payment. Please follow me, I will take you to the treasury," she said as she bowed and turned her heels and gracefully walked inside the castle.


    Some were still displeased, but they didn''t bother now, so they quickly formed a line under Lance''s orders and followed the Queen. When the line stopped in front of a huge and heavy door, Camellia ordered Lance to open the door.


    "How many are the survivors, Commander?"


    "Sixty-seven, Your Majesty."


    "Give each of them twenty silvers for now. The rest will be given after we are done calculating the materials."


    Those that heard her were shocked and started whispering at each other.


    "As you wish."


    Then, the distribution came after each of them wrote their names on a piece of paper. Exactly twenty silvers were handed to them and they rejoiced.


    "We''re rich! We''re rich!"


    "Treat us to a luxurious meal once we get the whole reward!"


    "Heck no! Treat yourselves!"


    "Don''t be stingy~"


    "Spend your own money, asshole!"


    The heroes came last but they weren''t given anything. They were puzzled at first, but when Lance approached them with pouches in his hands, their eyes twinkled.


    "Since you heroes are the one who contributed the most, you get these," Lance said as he jingled the pouches in front of them. When the noise of metal hitting against metal, all eyes dropped at the pouches in the commander''s hands.


    "Must be nice to be a hero. I wish someone would summon me in their world."


    "Idiot. Being a hero shoulders too many responsibilities."


    "Ah. You are right. I don''t want to be a hero anymore."


    "How much of a wuss are you? If it''s for money, we are going to do whatever!"


    "Shut it! Don''t jinx us!"


    "What''s wrong about it?"


    "What if someone who wants to overthrow the Queen shows up?"


    "... don''t jinx it."


    "See?"


    "Though it is bound to happen..."


    Emersyn, who was quietly listening to the blabberings of this one particular group, was only leaning on the stone wall with the mouth of a bottle in her mouth. She didn''t get anything, but she was okay with it. So, she spent her time alone as she waited for Elodiaren and Flora to come and get her. Though she was getting stared at by these people for some reason.


    "Master, we are done."


    Emersyn tilted her head and glanced at Flora, saying, "Welcome back. I''m hungry."


    "Yes, yes. I will prepare food for you now."


    "Beef curry?"


    Flora smiled widely then nodded her head.


    "Beef curry."


    "Hey, how about me? I like beef curry too," Elodiaren suddenly appeared and interjected.


    "Yes, yes. Sure."

 Chapter 82 - Aftermath (3)

    "If you really entered the Water God''s domain, why are you all still alive? The Water God is very territorial and he wouldn''t let you all alive once you stepped in his territory; if you even killed enough of his servants and made him angry, you will be targeted until you die. And you said that you came back safe? That''s the most ridiculous statement I have ever heard."


    "S-sir¡­," Lance stumbled. "But it is the truth, we came back in one piece. The water god you are talking about was not there when we arrived. Instead, there was a woman that remained still at the center of the dried lake. That''s all there is. Besides, I wouldn''t think at all that the woman killed that water god. Maybe that god went somewhere. That is the only plausible explanation I could accept."


    Sloane, a wise old man, sighed in exasperation as he pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head.


    "Where is that woman?"


    "She would be with Flora, sir."


    "Then get her. We will proceed once she is here."


    Lance''s mouth went agape then said, "But, sir, her job is just scouting and she went on her own without even asking us for permission!"


    "Lancelot!" Sloane shouted, making the people present flinch on their seat, then he continued, "Would you think that way when I say that she was the one who saved you all from grave danger?!"


    "Sir¡­!"


    "Didn''t it occur to you that she went on her own sensing the rage of the Water God on you? That she left for your own good!"


    "That¡­ that''s impossible..."


    "Stop deciding on your own! You even said that to Her Majesty earlier, and now, you are contradicting your words."


    "Can''t I make assumptions?!"


    "That is no longer an assumption, you fool! Get that woman here immediately!"


    Lance looked pleadingly at Camellia who was sitting at the head, but all he got was a nod. He sighed then stood up, "I will get her."


    "Peacefully, Lancelot."


    Lance nodded then immediately went out of the room to search for Emersyn. However, he didn''t know where to start looking. He didn''t have any information regarding Emersyn since she wasn''t really sighted that much in the past few weeks. It was as if she didn''t exist here in the first place. It was the same for Flora. She just appeared out of nowhere. Despite having a tail and great figure, she wasn''t known by anyone besides Emersyn.


    He grumbled in exasperation.


    "Just how will I even find that woman¡­?"


    Suddenly, he heard someone exclaim, "Delicious! More!" He looked down at the castle''s training ground and saw Flora and Elodiaren eating with the knights and soldiers alongside Emersyn who was quietly eating near the pot filled with beef curry.


    "Ah."


    Then he immediately ran down and approached the crowd, pushing his way through the encirclement.


    "Excuse me! Miss Flora!"


    Flora stopped serving someone and looked at Lance with a questioning gaze. She turned to look at Emersyn and the latter looked at her while munching, then she nodded. With that, Flora approached Lance then asked, "What is it?"


    "Your master is being called."


    Flora''s eyebrow twitched. "By who?"


    "Sir Sloane."


    "I don''t know who he is, but he seemed very important. I will tell my master."


    "Please do."


    Flora smiled then went over to where Emersyn was eating. She seemed to be talking to her as Emersyn was looking at her, confused. Emersyn stopped eating and stood up, handing her bowl to Flora. She arrived before Lance and said, "Lead the way."


    Lance was doubtful at first, but he shook his head. This was the woman that endangered their lives and caused the others to lose their life. He turned around and led her towards the meeting room. When they arrived, Lance opened the door and they entered. Sloane, who was quietly sitting, suddenly stood up, his hand fixing his glasses. Camellia''s eyes brightened upon sighting that familiar white hair and red eyes. She became elated and offered a seat next to her, but Emersyn politely declined.


    "Please state why you called me in this important meeting," she declared from the end of the table.


    "Miss Emersyn, I believe that Sir Sloane have something to


    ask you," Camellia said as she gestured at Sloane.


    Emersyn looked at him and their eyes met for a fraction of a second before she bowed. However, Sloane stayed rooted on his seat.


    "I would be honored," Emersyn broke the silence between them.


    "Emersyn, I believe."


    "Yes."


    "Answer me honestly, did you kill the Water God?"


    Emersyn stood straight and tilted her head.


    "Water God?"


    "Yes, a divine existence that can wipe out the existence of humanity."


    "If you are talking about that dragon at the bottom of the lake, then no. Rather, it killed itself from its own power."


    Lance smirked and the rest were silent.


    "Did the Water God''s spell collapse?"


    "No. He summoned a meteor from outer space and then was hit."


    "Meteor? Outer space?"


    "A mountain like rock. The space where the stars live."


    "As expected of an other worlder¡­ you have extensive knowledge we don''t know."


    "Yes. You felt that huge tremor, right?"


    "Indeed. We felt that. It was as if the world would collapse."


    "This is the part of the meteor," Emersyn said as she laid out her hand before the other and a rock suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The people gasped, their eyes wide. However, Emersyn just focused on showing a huge piece of the space rock. "Do you want to take a closer look?"


    "Yes¡­ this is a very mysterious rock¡­," Sloane muttered as he reached out to hold the rock.


    "Please, let me hold it..."


    "... you sure?"


    "Yes, it looks light."


    "... uh, no. It''s heavy. You''ll crush your hand."


    Sloane tilted his head. "But it looks light¡­ you are even holding it in one hand."


    "... okay, try lifting this from the table," Emersyn said as she gently settled the space rock on the wooden table. However, the moment she let go, its full weight destroyed the other end of the table, toppling it over.


    "..." the room was eerily silent. Even Emersyn was silent as she gazed at the rock.


    "Ah¡­ ah¡­," Sloane g.r.o.a.n.e.d. He had no choice but to believe what he already saw.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry, I''ll fix it right away," Emersyn fumbled. "I didn''t know it was that heavy¡­."


    "It''s¡­ it''s fine, Miss Emersyn. We can replace this table anyway..."


    "... this is out of courtesy, sir. This table looks expensive too. With you almost emptying the castle''s treasury, you don''t want to spend on something like this, right?"


    "..."


    "I will also demonstrate something that Sir Sloane and the Queen will definitely like."


    With that, Emersyn took out a large mana crystal then pressed her hand on it. It broke into calculated sizes, floating in the air. She grabbed a small one and used that crystal''s mana to grow a sapling from the dead wood. It grew into shape and, after a few moments of silence and bewilderment, the new side of the table was built. Though they still need to smoothen and burnish it.


    "This is the application of mana from the crystal."


    Sloane stumbled on his feet as he c.a.r.e.s.sed the new side of the table.


    "... this¡­ this is amazing!"


    "I was planning to make Cone suggest it to you since the expedition team brought a lot of them from the demi-dragons they killed. He could use the crystal too, but I don''t know his proficiency," Emersyn said as she settled her finger on her chin.


    "Please¡­ let me see the crystal."


    "Sure," Emersyn spread out the right amount of crystal to each of the people in the room. They carefully held the lightweight crystal as they examined it with newfound curiosity. The rest of the crystal dropped on the table, almost filling the surface up.


    "Wait, no!" Sloane suddenly exclaimed. "I didn''t call you here for this!"


    Emersyn smiled lopsided. "Yeah. About the Water God, right? I can bring out its head."


    Then the people started complaining.


    "Only its head?"


    "Why? Did you covet it all to yourself? You must have gotten a very huge crystal than this one."


    "That''s right! The Water God is an existence in Eucarro! Thus our property!"


    Emersyn cupped her chin with her hand and knowingly nodded.


    "Alright. I''ll bring them all out. We need a bigger room though."


    "How dare you order us! Let it all out at once!"


    Emersyn shook her head then retrieved the Leviathan''s enormous head. It almost covered the whole room and made the room darker. Some trembled in fear from its terrifying expression before it died.


    "Put it back!!!"


    "..." Emersyn obeyed then rested her hand on her hip. "I told you, we need a bigger room. Besides, you don''t have to dismantle its body since I already did it."


    "You should have showed us its hand or feet!"


    "You are right. Definitely, but why did I take out the head? Cause it''s more fun that way~," Emersyn smiled brightly. "I was going to give the monster for free since I was treated so nicely by Sir Sloane, but now, I want you all to pay me."


    "... you bastard¡­!"

 Chapter 83 - Aftermath (4)

    "The head I showed you will be¡­ hmm¡­ 1,000 gold. The tough hide would be around 25,000 gold. Since it''s a huge one and it was a pain to separate from the meat," Emersyn said as she settled her finger on her chin, gazing at the nobles that were slowly getting enraged with her every mention of gold. "The mana crystal is, at the least, at the size of this room and is the purest crystal. Since you all know how to use it now, I would sell it for 1,000,000 gold. I am being pretty generous~ and I will only sell it today~."


    "You btch!"


    "Oh my~. Then I will increase the price. 100,000,000 gold for the mana crystal~."


    "..."


    Sloane''s face paled, in contrast to those around him, his voice shaky, "Miss¡­ Miss Emersyn, please have some mercy on us..."


    "I am being merciful, Sir Sloane."


    "Our¡­ our budget is only at 5,000 gold..."


    "How much do you have in your treasury?"


    "... I''m sorry, I can''t say...," Sloane slumped down on his chair.


    "We have approximately 100,000 gold, Miss Emersyn," Camellia interjected, smiling stiffly.


    "Oh dear~. That''s so little. You can only buy the head, hide and the innards."


    "You are taking advantage of the fact that you were there when the Water God was killed! You don''t even have any money on you! Let''s see if you can bring out more money than ours right now!" One of them finally exclaimed in anger as his pudgy body shook; his face red.


    "I only have this," Emersyn said as she readied her fingers.


    "Only? Hah! You¡­ what?"


    A metallic white sheen entered their sight. Their breaths bated as they looked at the familiar coin that they would never touch in their whole life. A platinum coin that was worth 1,000,000 gold that only the Emperor was allowed to touch.


    "Not satisfied?" Emersyn willfully thought then took out nine of them. The room was eerily silent as they gazed at those ten platinum coins. They couldn''t do or say anything as they were already defeated.


    "... Miss Emersyn¡­ please, don''t pull out any more platinum coins¡­ we understand now."


    "No, maybe she stole those platinum coins..."


    "Otis, enough," Sloane said as he glared down the pudgy man.


    "I inherited these coins. They look pricy," Emersyn smiled sweetly.


    "That just means you stole them," Otis said.


    "Think whatever you want, Otis. How about this, Sir Sloane? Let me go around Paladius and I will give the commoners the necessary meat and crystals in each family member. Of course, the nobles are out of the question."


    "What?! You can''t be doing this! The Water God is the property of Eucarro!"


    "Are you even living as a citizen of Eucarro? Have you done anything that will change the world to a better place? Hm?"


    "Of course! I always spend my money on those commoners to buy their finest crafts. Aren''t I already helping them?"


    "That''s true, but what I am talking about is like funding the orphanages and feeding the poor. A program that everyone should participate in to clean the whole kingdom. Have you done those?"


    "Why should we spend our money on those useless things?"


    Emersyn scoffed.


    "Thought so."


    "Enough, Otis, Raphel. Miss Emersyn, I promise that we will do those if you sell the materials to us. No, only a fourth will suffice."


    Camellia raised her hand and agreed, "I will also promise in the name of the Paladius crown."


    "I will think about it," Emersyn smiled then immediately left without any excuses.


    "That btch!"


    "Fcker¡­!"


    "Tch."


    Sloane smiled in regret then turned to look towards Camellia who was also smiling ruefully at him.


    "Sloane," Camellia called as the commotion died down.


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Send official notice that Miss Emersyn will distribute goods for the commoners."


    "Yes, Your Majesty."


    "Queen?! What are you thinking?! We will lose our money!"


    "Is money all you cared about, Raphel?!"


    "No¡­ I---"


    "Enough with this nonsense! My orders will be followed regardless of your opinions."


    ***


    Emersyn was walking down the corridor and people naturally avoided her as they scattered upon sighting her. When she arrived in the training ground where it was still filled with people vying for Flora''s food, they immediately felt a chilling air enough to freeze them over. They shivered and turned to look at the person who was emitting it; Emersyn.


    "..."


    "... master?" Flora approached.


    "My Lady¡­ have some more beef curry. I asked Flora to put enough spicy sauce for you."


    Emersyn nodded and received the bowl from Elodiaren. She immediately ate it with gusto and then asked for more. With that, her mood lightened and the people around her visibly sighed in relief. They didn''t know how a person could emit such strong bloodl.u.s.t that they couldn''t even move from fright. Once Emersyn''s mood lifted, they continued wolfing down the delicious food they couldn''t pass the opportunity for.


    "Ah¡­ that was delicious¡­ if only I could take Flora as my wife and eat good food everyday¡­."


    "Can''t you see? Hero Cone and Flora are close together! They can''t be separated! Someday, the hero will ask for Flora''s hand in marriage¡­ and that is somewhat pissing me off!"


    "I think the one Hero Cone is smitten for is that white haired woman. Look how he served her with smiles in his stupidly handsome face¡­."


    "She is beautiful after all, but weak."


    "What do you mean smitten for?!" Chloris, a woman with a fiery red hair, suddenly smacked the head of the man who was yapping about.


    "Leader! Can''t I say the truth?!"


    "Shut up, Belmont! He is not smitten with anyone!"


    "Heeeeh. So it is true that our leader is really in love with Hero Cone."


    "Guh! You fcker¡­ So what of it? Huh?! Do you want me to dismember your family jewel, Orellio?!"


    "Eeek! Please not my junior! I''m so sorry, leader!" Orellio covered his lower body and whispered, "Though it is true..."


    "Women are so hard to understand," Belmont nodded. "Why don''t you make a move now, leader? This may be the only time you two would meet each other."


    "... I..." Chloris turned to look at Elodiaren with sadness in her eyes. The object of her affection was smiling fondly at the woman with white hair. She sighed, "It''s fine."


    Jarlath, who was staying quiet all this time, suddenly stood up and grabbed Chloris'' belt where her sword was sheathed, and dragged her towards Elodiaren.


    "Hey! What are you doing?!"


    "Excuse me, Hero Cone?"


    "Yeah?"


    "Do you know Chloris Ivannia?"


    "Chloris? That woman who leads the Red Jaguar?"


    "Wait what?!" Chloris screeched as she was flung towards Elodiaren. "Hey! You bastard!!! Come¡­ back¡­ here? Oh¡­ Hero Cone¡­ um¡­ it''s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you."


    "You were the one who mastered the quick draw, right? I saw you fight a demi-dragon along with your mercenary group. You were amazing back there. Though, it''s a shame that you lost almost five people in your group."


    "Ah¡­ eh¡­ uhm¡­ no¡­ that''s okay."


    "We will give more money to those that contributed to the expedition even if they are dead. We will properly reimburse their family."


    "Yes¡­ that''s great news..."


    "By the way, do you have anything to say?"


    "..."


    "None?"


    "Uhm¡­ my- my name is Chloris Ivannia¡­ twenty-nine years old. Single¡­," she blushed.


    "... uh¡­," he turned to look at Emersyn who wasn''t even paying attention to them as she ate more curry. He sighed, "... Cone Macream. Twenty-four."


    "You''re so young!"


    "Well, yes. I am."


    "Uhm¡­ will you be doing more quests from now on?"


    "I am not sure, but I might."


    "Ahem. If you need any more comrades, the Red Jaguar will accompany you! So, please, call me! Just call me!"


    "... okay? I will try."


    "Please take care of me in the future!"


    "Take care of me too."


    Chloris couldn''t help but blush from his response. She covered her flushing cheeks with her hands and squealed internally.


    "What¡­ what''s wrong, Miss Chloris?"


    "Ah! Ehm¡­ it''s nothing! Please excuse me!" Then she ran away.


    When Elodiaren turned to look at Emersyn, she was looking straight in his eyes with a blank face.


    "What in the world!? My Lady, you shouldn''t do that¡­ you almost gave me a heart attack..."


    "That woman is in love with you."


    "Yes, I see that as well."


    "Too bad then."


    Emersyn''s smirk was even more beautiful¡­ Elodiaren shook his head then sighed.


    "Yes, too bad. Wait, why is it too bad?" His voice turned hopeful.


    "Cause I came to take you away."


    Elodiaren''s heart shook.


    "After all, I only came here to retrieve you."


    "... yes, that''s right."


    "So, do what you need to do and then we will go home."


    Elodiaren smiled at the mention of ''home'' and gently hugged Emersyn, settling her head on his c.h.e.s.t.


    "... what are you doing? I am still eating."


    "I need this, My Lady."


    "I need to eat too," she said as she fought against his strength. "Let go, punk!"


    "Nope~"


    Emersyn was ready to punch the living daylights of this guy, but then, she saw the heartbroken expression of Chloris from the distance. She could even hear her members talking about them. Some were smiling as they won their bet and some were angry for Chloris; for breaking her heart.


    Emersyn smiled stiffly and just stayed still.

 Chapter 84 - Aftermath (5)

    Emersyn continued eating right after the crowd dispersed in the spacious ground in front of the castle. Though she couldn''t see more food in the already empty pot. She turned to look at Flora''s apologetic face then shrugged. She took out a table from her inventory and started taking out ingredients for her next meal.


    "... My Lady, why are you going to cook?" Elodiaren carefully asked.


    "I am still hungry. I need more food, or maybe you could buy some sweets for me? Three whole cakes might do the trick. What do you say?"


    "Master... please, refrain from eating too much."


    "I am still stressed, Flora¡­ give me a break just this once¡­."


    "My Lady, how about we run around the city?"


    "Oh! But that would make me more hungry."


    "Flora will cook some for you during our run. Right, Flora?"


    Flora rolled her eyes, but nodded at the next instance. "Of course I will. Who do you think I am?"


    "That settles it then. Come, My Lady."


    "You should really drop the ''My Lady'' thing, Aren."


    "I can''t really call you by your real name, right?"


    "Ah yes, of course. You know my real name. Just call me Emersyn like how you had been doing before you realized it was me."


    "... Emersyn."


    "Great. Now, we should go."


    "Aye!"


    "Flora, I want a variety of curry."


    "... curry again?"


    "... okay, surprise me with anything."


    "Alright."


    "We''ll be off now," Emersyn said as she waved at Flora.


    "Please don''t run that hard."


    "..."


    Emersyn smiled stiffly then turned around to leave. Elodiaren quickly followed Emersyn then offered his elbow to her. The latter only looked at him, one of her eyebrows raised.


    "... you don''t want to take my arm?"


    "I would rather cut it off."


    "Well, damn," Elodiaren dejectedly walked one step behind Emersyn.


    When they were finally out of the noble''s district of the kingdom, they breathed a constrained sigh then proceeded to greet those in the commoner''s district. Emersyn watched the people greet them with a smile, but the most who were looking at them were that of contempt. She could understand their behavior. After all, they were persecuted and even their dead loved ones weren''t given the respect they deserved. Those that risked their lives for the kingdom could only come back in a dead body. Those that were poorer were left to die on their own as they barely scr.a.p.ed money for the minimum of their living expenses.


    "My---I mean, Emersyn. What''s wrong?"


    "I am getting angry..."


    "...," Elodiaren smiled weakly then continued, "We don''t have anything we could do here."


    Emersyn exhaled then nodded, "Yes. I understand."


    "We should run now."


    "Mhm¡­," then she took off on her own.


    "..." Elodiaren could only stammer as he ran faster to catch up to Emersyn.


    Suddenly, there was a dust storm coming from behind and a figure passed by him. "My Lady?!"


    When she passed by him again, "My Lady! Stop!"


    "My Lady!!! Stop! Agh! She''s just ignoring me!" He bellowed as he tried keeping up with Emersyn''s speed. To no avail, he couldn''t catch up. He wheezed as he collapsed on the ground, letting the female just do her thing. There, he fell asleep.


    Emersyn stopped when she felt that her mind was calm enough. She was heaving as she tried catching her breath. She could feel her legs shaking from overwork, but she tried to go for one last round. There, she found Elodiaren lying down on the ground. She picked him up then returned to the castle grounds. Though, once she entered through the main gate, there was a commotion. Something like that Hero Cone was attacked and was brought over by the weakest of the expedition team, who was unscathed; though the woman seemed exhausted.


    "Miss Emersyn!" Sloane ran over, panting as he settled his hands on his knees.


    "Did you finally decide about the Water God matter?"


    "No, not yet. But! More importantly, what happened to you and Hero Cone?! Is there an attack? There was a gust of dust around the territory of the kingdom, so I was worried!"


    "..."


    "Miss Emersyn!"


    "No¡­ he just collapsed in exhaustion, so I brought him over. Here, take care of him," she tried handing over Elodiaren, but she was incessantly rejected.


    "I am weak, Miss Emersyn. Please, have mercy on this old bone."


    "... okay. Where is his room?"


    "Please follow me."


    "If I may insist, what really happened?" Sloane asked as he guided Emersyn to the second floor of the castle.


    "We ran around the kingdom."


    "You what-?"


    "We had a light exercise, sir Sloane."


    "Oh! You mean around the castle? That''s good."


    Emersyn smiled weakly and just left it be. When they arrived in the spacious room of Elodiaren, she settled the man on his king sized bed. However, just as she settled him, Elodiaren''s eyes opened abruptly and their eyes met. Elodiaren could feel her warm breath as he gulped.


    "You''re awake. Great. I am planning to get a light meal before dinner. Do you want to come?"


    "... yes."


    "Alright."


    Suddenly, Emersyn''s eyes went wide as she spun around to look outside the window. There was a blinding light that struck the place where she was. She managed to save Sloane and Elodiaren from the blast by going inside that light''s strong shadow. Her heartbeat was strong as she tried calming herself down. The blast turned the castle into a ruin, killing all of those who were currently inside the castle.


    "What- what is this?" Sloane muttered as he looked around the blackened version of Paladius. However, when he saw how serious Hero Cone''s and Miss Emersyn''s expressions, he shut his mouth.


    Then, they came out of the shadows and their feet met the powdered stone. Emersyn let them down and immediately took off towards the source of the attack. Its body was humongous, twice of thrice the size of the Leviathan. Her heart shook once again, but she was smiling so wide. She ran and ran towards that monster and it wasn''t even moving as its eyes focused solely on her. There, she knew that the monster''s true purpose was to kill her.


    When she arrived in front of the creature, a black sphere coalesced in front of its maw in only a second before firing it directly at her. The fire range was so wide that she wouldn''t be able to block or run away. The blackened sphere was eating all light and shadows in its wake.


    Emersyn didn''t know what to do since her strongest element was being overpowered. So, she did her best gathering all of the silver oceanic Life Energy in her body to coat a thick membrane on her body. It took her one fourth of the Life Energy to fully form one that could only resist the power it released. It lasted for a few seconds and Emersyn''s coat was being shaved away and reconstructed repeatedly.


    Once its first attack shaved away almost half of its prey''s strength, it smiled seeing its attack also destroyed the surrounding area. However, when the smoke died down, its huge eyes went wide when it saw the target was still alive after its strongest attack.


    "..."


    "Hm? Oh? That was your strongest attack?"


    "..."


    "I have to commend you though. You managed to halve my Life Energy in a single attack."


    "..."


    "Damn¡­ then I still have a chance to fight. That''s great news," Emersyn sighed in relief.


    "..."


    "Why are you so mute? Is it really that surprising? Yes, I know. I managed to survive your strongest attack. So, you came to kill me to avenge your child or whatsoever."


    The monster shook its head then glared at Emersyn. It opened its mouth once again and a shrill scream came after, enough to destroy the eardrum of a human. Emersyn covered her ears, and once she did that, the monster brandished its claws at her. She jumped back, but she could still feel the alarm bells in her body go off. Her intuition was right since the aftermath of the claws cleaved through the earth to the walls of the kingdom. Her eyes were so wide as she glanced at the monstrosity of the effect of its attack. She could see the knights, adventurers and mercenaries running towards here. There were the four heroes and Flora at the front.


    "... fck no," she muttered as she turned back and defended against one of its attacks.


    They should have realized that their help would only get in the way of her fighting, but these people still came. After all, the person who did nothing but scout was fighting against that being higher than the common demi-dragons they encountered and killed. It was way too humongous and its wingspan was over a kilometer. They gulped as they approached this raging creature. They didn''t know why that woman was holding on while she fought this otherworldly being that might destroy the whole planet.


    Suddenly, when they were near the ground turned desolate and ruined, the creature spoke in a loud and deep voice, "I have no business with you weak bugs. This human is the one I am after. Leave immediately if you don''t want to die."

 Chapter 85 - Aftermath (6)

    Emersyn laughed it off and the monster turned its raging look at her. The others also heard her loud cackling and stopped on where they were.


    "What''s so funny, human?"


    "Look, dude, you killed a lot of their people with your first attack and you said you don''t have any business with them? Pfft- what the heck?! Are you dumb? You must be dumb! Ahahahaha!!!"


    "You..."


    "What? What? Am I wrong? I am right, yeah. You must be a very important being here in Eucarro, but you are dumb. Hahaha."


    There was a visible vein on the monster''s forehead as it gritted its teeth. "Human, I demand you to stop."


    "Considering you are a monster and from your size, you must be alive for a couple of thousands of years. You''re pretty old, you know? How can it be that you still care about any of your children being killed? You know that if they are killed, then they are weak. They aren''t worth your revenge plot. Unless the one I killed back then was your only child? Ooh! It must be! And the crystal that it was protecting is one of your treasures? Sorry, but that kid is already inside me."


    "Stop spouting nonsense. The crystal of eternity is not something a human can absorb. Bring it out now, human! Before I kill all of these precious bugs of yours---"


    "Them? Hmm... I don''t really care. Go on."


    "...," the monster looked at the crowd who were shaking under its intimidating gaze. When it returned to look at the human, she was already gone.


    It spread out its mana and immediately saw a lump of terrifying energy condensed into one point and the next thing it knew, half of its face were already blown into pieces. Its body collapsed on the ground lifelessly. The crowd shook with bated breath as they saw a figure suddenly appear from thin air. They watched Emersyn land on the ground before them and quickly turned to work to dismantle the humongous monster. She didn''t seem to care for them at all since she just quietly cut the monster up, being covered with blood.


    "Didn''t you say that she is the weakest in the expedition team who only did was scout and left at the middle of the mission?"


    "... we didn''t get to watch her fight at all¡­ so, we didn''t know..."


    Having expended almost all of the remainder of her Life Energy in that one attack, she barely had the strength to dismantle all of its body, but she persisted until she was finally done. In her process of dismantling, no one approached her or even attempted to. Flora and Elodiaren were quite fearful of the Emersyn they saw just earlier. Even her anger could be felt strongly from afar and it wasn''t really directed at them, they still shivered from fear. It also looked like she didn''t want anyone getting near her. When she finally finished butchering the monster, they could smell the strong scent of iron. After storing the last part, Emersyn didn''t even bother cleaning up and just approached Elodiaren and Flora while the rest of them backed off a few steps away from her.


    "I''ll go and find water to clean up. Go back and wait for me," she said then turned back.


    "..."


    "..."


    Sloane, who was trembling violently, muttered, "That¡­ that was the Guardian Deity of the Water God¡­ she- she killed it in just one attack..."


    "... Cone¡­ did you know Emersyn before this?" Dichen asked as he cautiously stepped beside Elodiaren.


    "... truth to be told, I didn''t know she would be this strong," then he whispered to himself, "She wasn''t even this strong ever since I knew of her..."


    "So, you do know her," Korbin interjected. "If you know her, you should have told us, you know. We could have finished our mission earlier than expected, and saved a lot of people."


    "She revealed that she has the ability to sense living beings at a distance and even directed us to where we would be safe, right? She even made a safe area for us before she disappeared," Elodiaren glanced at Korbin.


    "... well, yes¡­ you are right. But why did she have to disappear? She even seemed like she abandoned us. We could have returned home with more people."


    Elodiaren remained silent then turned his back from the direction where Emersyn disappeared.


    "I will go back now. Flora, let''s go."


    "You humans are so disgusting," Flora growled then followed Elodiaren back to the kingdom.


    ***


    When the mana crystal completely dissolved and the nutrients seeped through her body, she once again dropped another piece from a huge crystal and a liter of the deity''s blood in the hot spring. She repeated that process until she fell asleep when her body finally felt rejuvenated. She stayed in the spring for a few hours before waking up.


    She went through the clothes in her inventory and found something comfortable: a baggy sweater and sweatpants paired with a sneaker. She dried her body with a towel and quickly changed then quietly walked through the wide expanse of greenery before arriving at the Paladius Kingdom.


    There was a camp of people near the gate; consisted of Flora, Elodiaren, Sloane and the three heroes. She saw them stand up from afar and Flora running up to her.


    "Master!" Flora shouted as she hugged Emersyn.


    "What''s wrong now?"


    "Wait¡­ you grew taller¡­ and your muscles grew firmer¡­ what the heck happened, Master?"


    "I just enjoyed a nice bath."


    "... A¡­ bath?"


    "Yes. Let''s go first. Aren is waiting for us."


    "Understood."


    "Cone, are you done with your business here?" Emersyn asked as soon as she reached Elodiaren and the others.


    "The Queen is dead and there is no one alive in the royal family now. It was decided that the neighboring kingdom would take the territory of Paladius along with the heroes. I have no more business here. Let us go home."


    "Understood---"


    "Go home? You can go home?!" Dichen exclaimed as he stepped closer to Elodiaren.


    "... Yes. Emersyn has a way to go back to our world."


    "Emersyn, is it really true?!" Korbin and Reno leaned over.


    "Yeah."


    "Please bring us with you!" The three heroes said in chorus.


    "..."


    "Please! We have been here for almost three years and we just knew that we will be able to grow stronger by going into your world! Miss Flora and Sir Cone are both so strong that we envied them. So, please, take us with you!"


    "Sorry, I can''t. How about your responsibilities as heroes?"


    "We know the truth behind the summonings, actually. I just can''t bear it," Korbin muttered.


    "Besides, we don''t have anything to do here anymore. I don''t want to die here," Reno said.


    "So, please, bring us with you," Dichen begged.


    Meanwhile, Emersyn was pinching the bridge of her nose as she sighed, exasperated.


    "Fine. Give me your traveling fee."


    The three heroes'' expression brightened then brought out their bags containing coins of varying colors.


    "How much are there?" Emersyn raised one of her eyebrows.


    "... Not much, but around 100 gold. We earned them through quests."


    "That''s not enough. Creating a portal required a lot of mana and would cost more once we connected it to our world. Do you think that 100 gold will cut it? If you don''t have enough, then forget it."


    "How¡­ how much?"


    "Five thousand gold per person."


    "That''s ridiculous!!!"


    "You expect us to bring out fifteen thousand?! Working for a lifetime wouldn''t cut it!"


    "Your loss then. We will be going now," Emersyn shrugged.


    "This can''t be¡­"


    "Can''t you just let us off this time?! We will pay you once we have the money!"


    "How about being Flora''s slave?" Emersyn smirked as he looked over at them who paled and shrank from her gaze. "Even if you all are heroes in this world, you are still weaker compared to the one living in Flora''s world. They use mana as a means to attack and enhance their fighting capabilities a notch. Work for Flora and she will supply whatever you need."


    Reno, Korbin and Dichen all looked at each other, their gazes wavering. Korbin smiled stiffly then nodded. The others followed suit. He turned to look at Emersyn then said, "We accept."


    Emersyn nodded then looked at Sloane. "We will leave once the materials are bought and money is given to those that participated in the expedition."


    Sloane''s eyes went wide then nodded vigorously. "I will sell the materials as soon as possible. I still have to report to the Ruviel Empire. It will take a month or more to travel there---"


    "Are you the only one coming?" Emersyn interjected.


    "Well, aside from guards and Miss Flora, I am technically alone."


    "Don''t bother with the guards and Flora. I''ll take it from here. Flora, take out all of the materials you acquired from the expedition."


    "Understood," Flora said then immediately took out all the parts of the demi-dragons they hunted as Emersyn continued taking it all in her inventory. When they finished, Emersyn took a hold of Sloane.


    "Pa-pardon?!"


    "Hold tight."


    "Miss Emersyn?!"


    Pitch black wings sprouted from her back and took off to the east from where they were.


    Flora, Reno, Korbin, Dichen and Elodiaren could still hear the screams of the old man.

 Chapter 86 - Aftermath (7)

    Emersyn descended near the huge and imposing wall of the Ruviel Empire. She settled Sloane down as the old man wheezed, clutching his c.h.e.s.t. The speed of her flight towards the Ruviel Empire was so fast that his ears were still ringing; he was also collecting his breath from fear.


    "Well, at the least, we got here for a few hours."


    Sloane g.r.o.a.n.e.d, regretting everything that he had to regret in his entire life. He fixed his clothes and they proceeded towards the long line of people that were waiting to be let in. They waited there for a few minutes before it was finally their turn. Sloane presented Paladius'' royal emblem and they were led into the huge castle at the center of the empire.


    There, a man came running towards them and greeted, "Sir Sloane! I thought you were going to arrive a few months later, so I apologize for not greeting you properly! And¡­ who is this madame?"


    "Uh¡­ this is the guard that I employed. She brought me here. Oh right! She also has a great idea for using the mana crystals!"


    "Mana¡­ crystals?"


    "Those crystals that came out of the higher evolved monsters."


    "Ah yes! Those are indeed great crystals. But other than using them as a decoration in the inner castle and the noble''s district, they don''t really have any more uses."


    "It was what I thought too, sir Rommer, but this woman showed it to us and I can attest to it!"


    "If that is what sir Sloane is saying, then I can talk to the Emperor for you. Please wait in this room for a while," Rommer said as he led Emersyn and Sloane into a luxurious room filled with expensive decorations and paintings.


    Emersyn sat on the sofa and served herself some tea she steeped. The aroma caught Sloane''s nose as he creeped closer to Emersyn.


    "Miss Emersyn?"


    "Hmm? Yes?"


    "What kind of tea is that?"


    "It''s called Earl Grey tea. Want to try it?"


    "Please."


    Then Emersyn retrieved a cup from her inventory and poured tea for Sloane. He smelled beverage before taking a gulp before his eyes went wide. "This¡­ this is high class tea¡­ that I have never seen before!"


    "It''s from my world."


    "Other world tea is great!"


    "You will also enjoy this," Emersyn said as she handed mini cheesecakes over to Sloane.


    "This is?" Sloane carefully accepted.


    "It''s called cheesecake in my world."


    "Then I will take a bite¡­," he bit the soft cheesecake, his eyes went wide. "This is delicious!"


    "I still have more."


    "Please!"


    Suddenly, they heard a light knock on the door then Rommer entered with his hands behind his back. "His Majesty, the Emperor, seeks your audience immediately. I will personally lead you to the throne room."


    They arrived in front of the door leading towards the throne room. The door was gold with a hint of platinum and there were dragons engraved on it. It was so mesmerising that Sloane forgot how to speak for a moment. Then, the door opened and they were led inside. Once they approached the throne, they kneeled before the high rise throne.


    The Emperor, still in his youth, looked intimidatingly at Emersyn as his gaze hovered over her head. His eyes went wide, suddenly standing unceremoniously from his golden throne.


    "You¡­ state who you are, woman."


    "Emersyn Lachlan, Your Majesty," she said, her head bowed.


    "Your country."


    "I am from the world of Vinerthia."


    The Emperor sighed in relief then sat down, his fingers trembling. He cautiously said, "Lady Emersyn, what would be your business in Ruviel?"


    Emersyn raised her head and their eyes met for seconds before Emersyn took out a small mana crystal from her pocket. It floated from her hand then towards the Emperor.


    "I would like to present to you some of the uses of this mana crystal."


    "Yes, I have heard of it from Rommer."


    "I want you to imagine a fire as you held the crystal with your mana."


    The Emperor carefully held the crystal as he pictured a raging fire in his head. Then, the crystal burst forth incredible fire power and increased the temperature of the room. Emersyn quickly raised another crystal and produced water that caught all the fire and evaporated.


    "... this is..."


    "As you see, Your Majesty."


    "A new way to use these crystals¡­."


    "Indeed. We brought an endless amount of mana crystals to sell in your empire. These were taken from the demi-dragons we recently hunted for an expedition. I would say, one gold each for these crystals."


    "Impertinent!" Rommer bellowed.


    "Your Majesty?" Emersyn quietly signaled to the Emperor and he quieted Rommer down.


    "This is a portable stove I have," she said as she retrieved a small stove from her inventory. "This one has mana crystals in them and they were built to produce fire and cook food. You will only insert a little mana here and the fire would last until you turned it off here by turning the knob."


    "Interesting¡­," Sloane, Rommer and the Emperor quietly mused as they leaned over to look closer at the stove.


    "Then this refrigerator that would last until the mana crystal disappeared completely. This device cools down and preserves food for days, weeks or months."


    "One gold is indeed cheap for this," the Emperor muttered. "The country will buy all the mana crystals we can afford."


    "How much would you like?"


    "One platinum coin."


    "Understood."


    Emersyn was led towards the huge treasury room and she was instructed to lay all one million mana crystals inside. When she brought out huge chunks of them, Rommer''s eyes glistened. However, when Emersyn broke it down to smaller pieces, his eyes shook.


    "Why are you breaking them down?"


    "You just knew how to use these mana crystals properly, right? Why are you expecting something purer and larger? Oh and, you all have little mana in your body, so it would be disastrous if you all would be exposed to larger amounts of mana."


    "..."


    "I''ll continue now."


    "Understood..."


    "Besides, I will leave gifts for the Emperor," she mumbled as she broke down hundreds of huge mana crystals into the size of her hand.


    After completing the task and receiving the money in gold as she requested, they left after Emersyn gave two huge chunks of mana crystals and one chunk of a purer crystal to the Emperor.


    ? ? ?


    "Your Majesty?!" Rommer exclaimed as soon as he saw the Emperor dressed in commoner''s clothes as he came out of his room.


    "Quiet, Rommer."


    "Where are you going, Your Majesty?" Rommer whispered.


    "I am going to follow Lady Emersyn. Besides, I am just plain Clyve right now."


    "..."


    "Don''t make a fuss about it. I am also sure that Lady Emersyn would definitely protect me."


    "Your---I mean, Clyve, you''re the strongest person here in Ruviel¡­ why do you need protection?"


    "There are always unexpected things going to happen to someone like me. If you want to join me, do it quickly," Clyve said as he brisked down the hallway then out to the capital''s adventurer''s guild.


    ? ? ?


    Emersyn whistled as soon as she came out of the guild with Sloane behind her. They didn''t manage to sell all of the materials, but they left the high class goods for the auction and the merchant''s guild. They managed to amass 50,000 gold from the adventurer''s guild and Emersyn distributed them for the remaining survivors of the expedition in her inventory. For now, they were walking towards where the merchant guild would be.


    When they finished their business and received 70,000 gold, they immediately went to the auction to sell the rest of the materials that couldn''t be bought. They also attended the auction that night and the rich people fought over the materials from the dragons. Emersyn could see how greedy their eyes were, so she decided to enter the bidding at the last minute, resulting in the price skyrocketing. She and Sloane became satisfied then collected their earned money in the shocking amount of 849,510 gold.


    ? ? ?


    Emersyn descended down in the center of Paladius then settled Sloane down on the cleaned ground. Since the people that participated in the expedition were told to stay near the castle grounds and look out for Emersyn''s arrival from the Empire. The instant Emersyn landed, the sixty-seven survivors formed a circle with Emersyn and Sloane at the center.


    Emersyn smiled and then retrieved a bag of gold. She loudly announced, "There will be a distribution of 14,400 gold!"


    "What¡­ more than fourteen thousand gold?! Gold!!! How much would it be if those were distributed to us?"


    "Uh¡­ we have sixty seven people¡­ divide by 14,400¡­ ugh! I don''t have a brain for this!"


    "... I can live peacefully for years even without adventuring!"


    "I can feed my family!"


    "Wait!" Emersyn shouted. As soon as the crowd quieted, she continued, "Each of you will receive 14,400 gold."


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    "So, line up and we will distribute the earnings to you equally. Don''t worry though. Your dead comrade''s family will be properly given money too."


    The crowd cheered so loud that the ground trembled.


    "Line up!"


    "Kyaaaah!!! Fourteen thousand gooooold!"


    "I am so glad I joined the expedition!"


    "Hurrah!!!"


    "Calm down, you lots. Geez," Sloane grumbled. "We did our best to maximize our profit after all. So, heroes, your share is also here. The same as the rest of them. Please accept them."


    "... we can pay Emersyn up front now..."


    "But we are still going to be slaves, right?"


    "Of course. We need to be versed in her world."


    When Emersyn finished distributing the gold and the others already dispersed, she sighed in relief and began going to the families of the deceased that perished in the expedition then proceeded to distribute huge chunks of meat and numerous mana crystals---explaining the necessary points to consider---to the poor.


    Emersyn quickly finished her job then returned where she could see Flora and the four heroes waiting for her in the castle grounds.


    "Thanks for your patience. We will be going now."


    Emersyn opened the portal leading to Strevalia and they simultaneously entered before it disappeared. However, when Flora stepped into the soil of Strevalia along with Elodiaren and the three heroes who were enjoying a clean air, she turned around only to not find Emersyn.

 Chapter 87 - Outside of Central Marsh (1)

    Emersyn stepped foot on a soft ground. Her eyes caught a familiar pink tree at the distance. She looked around just to see the very familiar scenery when she first arrived here as Chang Xiuying. The Pink tree showed its face towards her and muttered incomprehensible words then disappeared.


    "Ying?" Someone called right beside her.


    She turned to look at the man whose hair was divided by black and white. Her eyes turned wide as soon as she recognized the man before her.


    Yao Yun.


    "Ah¡­ sorry. I thought you were someone I knew. You look exactly like her¡­," Yao Yun said as he scratched his head. "I haven''t seen you around here."


    "I was teleported here."


    "Even her voice is similar¡­ is this how Ying will sound once she grows up?" Yao Yun muttered. "Anyway, this is the first time that someone got teleported inside the Central Marsh. People would usually be coming through the Divine Lightning Barrier; but now that it was weakened, the oldest people in the Marsh were so skeptical that people would be coming for them. Truthfully, we also don''t know why the barrier is suddenly weakened¡­ but it seemed troublesome."


    "For how long?"


    "Hmmm¡­ it has been months. I don''t exactly know the exact length. You know, I simply didn''t care. If the barrier weakened, we would be free from here and we could explore a whole new world!"


    Emersyn smiled wryly.


    "It smells troublesome to me."


    "What''s your name, by the way? I am Yao Yun."


    "Emersyn Lachlan."


    "Where did you come from?"


    "Vinerthia."


    "Is it far?"


    "Yes."


    Yao Yun smiled.


    "Since this is your first time here, I would like to do the honor of touring you around here."


    "... sure?"


    "Great! Okay. That is the Pink tree. It has been here ever since the Central Marsh was isolated from the rest of the world. At the four directions, there are Pagodas that served as a medium to channel the power of the tree to the Divine Lightning Barrier. I live in the South Garden Pagoda, by the way. Since you are my guest, you will be living there for a while. Come, follow me. I will introduce you to the village chief and to the people of the Pagodas."


    "I don''t think it''s a good idea, Yao Yun. I will leave either way. What''s the point?"


    "Leave? Where would you go when the teleportation function of the Divine Lightning Barrier stopped?"


    "... outside."


    "That''s impossible. When I finally reached the Gold-level, which would be the minimum requirement to leave here, and tried leaving. I was sent back here by the fog. I tried and tried until I gave up¡­."


    "Thank you for informing me. I will still leave."


    "I will come with you then."


    Emersyn sighed.


    "Alright. Introduce me to the person in the South Garden Pagoda. That''s all."


    "Well, if you say so. Follow me."


    ? ? ?


    The scenery didn''t change the last time Emersyn was here. Even the Pagoda was welcoming her wholeheartedly---if it had a heart. There were children playing along the grassy ground and a handsome man that was watching over them. Suddenly, there was a beautiful woman that came out of the Pagoda and called the children for their snacks.


    "Haowin! Don''t take your sisters'' share!"


    "But mom!"


    "Nuh uh, young man. That''s for Rene¨¦ and Haorin."


    The children were a splitting image of the man and the woman. Emersyn smiled lightly as she saw how happy Irene and Jiang Hao were in their life.


    "Auntie Irene! Uncle Hao!"


    "Big brother Yun!!!" The children squealed. However, when they saw a stranger beside him, they froze and then ran back towards their parents.


    Emersyn smiled softly then retrieved sweets from her inventory. She gave them to Yao Yun then pushed him towards the children. They immediately ran towards Yao Yun and received the treats.


    "This¡­ is yummy!"


    "Sweet!"


    "Yummier than mom''s cooking!"


    "..." Irene sighed as she watched her children, but when her gaze went to the mysterious female, her eyes went wide as she stumbled towards Emersyn.


    "Ying''Er?"


    Emersyn tilted her head then shook it. "I''m sorry. I don''t know anyone with that name."


    "I¡­ I''m sorry. You just awfully look like my niece."


    "It''s fine, ma''am. Yao Yun also mistaken me for her."


    "That..."


    "Yao Yun said I could rest here for a while? I was supposed to come to Strevalia, but something happened---"


    "Stre-Strevalia?!" Irene exclaimed.


    "... yes?"


    "Do you know Lasirion?!"


    "Yes. What''s the matter?"


    "Do¡­ do you know anyone by the name of Audrey?"


    "The Queen?" Well, she didn''t know that Audrey Felstead-Cabrera was already executed for the murder of Augustus Cabrera, the King of Lasirion.


    "Ah¡­ she''s a Queen now..."


    "I guess? That was a long time ago though. Like five years in my time before I arrived in Strevalia again."


    "Oh¡­ then¡­ Augustus Cabrera?"


    "I don''t really know, but I know they have a son named Gaius."


    Irene smiled weakly then returned to her husband. Jiang Hao embraced his wife as she wrapped her arms around him.


    "Bis sister! Please give us some more sweets!"


    "Sweets sweets!"


    Emersyn crouched down and gave them more cookies and brownies.


    "Thank you!"


    "Don''t eat too much or you''ll get cavities!" Emersyn exclaimed at the two children who were running away from her. However, Haorin, who was the youngest of the three, clutched on Emersyn''s pants as she nibbled on a big cookie she got.


    "Hey there, little fella."


    Haorin looked up at Emersyn then smiled brightly.


    "Hello, big sister!"


    "Do you want more?"


    Haorin shook her head.


    "Mommy will cook for us later. So I have to ready my stomach to eat more of mommy''s cooking!"


    "That''s sweet," Emersyn smiled.


    Irene called the children then they entered as Emersyn stayed still, looking at the barrier that was slowly being translucent. She could see a blurry building outside that seemed to reach the sky. It was also sending some kind of signal.


    "Emersyn? What''s wrong? You''re not coming?" Yao Yun asked, interrupting her thoughts. He also looked at where she was gazing. His eyes went wide when he also noticed that blurry building. "... that¡­ I have never seen it before."


    "Yun''Er?" Irene called from the pagoda.


    "Coming! Let''s go now, Emersyn. Auntie Irene will cook for us."


    That night, after dinner, Emersyn was back in her old room since it was the only room that was cleaned aside from the ones they were already using. She was gazing at two visible moons in the sky. It was never there before. She always knew that the moon never existed in the Central Marsh, but today, she was proven wrong. There weren''t any energies coming from the moon, so it must still be blocked by the barrier. She sat cross-legged on the fluffy and aired bed then opened her bracelet. Her portal function was blocked, it seemed. She wouldn''t be able to come back until it became available once again. For now, she laid down then slept.


    When morning came, she checked her universal clock and it was 3:14 AM. No one was still awake, so she decided to walk around the pagoda. She got hungry, so she set up her kitchen outside and got ready to cook. Since she still hadn''t had that Guardian Deity''s meat or even the Water God''s, she decided to make those as her main ingredient. But what should she cook? Beef Curry¡­ nah. She had enough of those just the other day.


    Ah! She still hadn''t tried beef cutlets, so that should be it.


    She poured and heated the oil on a pan.


    Cut the sirloin then pounded on them to tenderise the meat. Then, she added c.u.min, paprika, brown sugar, clove, coriander and red chili in the bowl then mixed them. Rub the dry ingredients on the Water God''s meat then left it to prepare for the egg mixture.


    Milk, eggs, salt and pepper were mixed in a separate bowl.


    She dipped the tenderise meat into the egg mixture then to the premium breadcrumbs she bought then fried the meat cutlet.


    Suddenly, she sensed children approaching her cautiously. Fortunately, she prepared enough for them to eat too.


    "Big sister..." Haorin clutched her pants as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.


    "Good morning, Haowin, Rene¨¦ and Haorin."


    "Good morning¡­ what are you cooking?" Haowin asked as he carefully peered on the pan.


    "Water God''s meat cutlets. Do you want some?"


    "Water God? Sounds cool! Let me try some!"


    "Okay. It is still cooking, so wait a little."


    "Yes~"


    After checking that the cutlets were golden brown, she set those to cool on a tissue to also seep the residue oil from frying.


    "This is warm now, but still be careful."


    "Okay~"


    Nom.


    Haowin''s eyes went wide then chomped the whole cutlet down.


    "Wah! Big brother, that''s not fair!"


    "How is it, big bro?"


    "This is so delicious!!! This is better than mother''s cooking!"


    "Hey! Don''t say that to mommy!"


    "But it is the truth! Try it!"


    "Uwaaaaaaah!" Haorin cried.


    Emersyn was taken aback as she turned off the stove to comfort the little child.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "If I tasted big sister''s food, I won''t be able to eat mommy''s cooking!"


    "Ah¡­ but the great taste is from the meat, Haorin. Your mother will be able to cook more delicious food."


    "What''s happening, Emersyn?!" Irene immediately arrived next to her children. "Baby, what''s wrong?"


    Uwaaaaaah!!!


    "Miss Irene, I was cooking for my breakfast when the children arrived. Haowin tasted it and said that it was better than your cooking---"


    "Better than my cooking? So, Haorin is afraid that she wouldn''t be able to eat my cooking, is that it?"


    "Yes, it seems so. However, I could give you a supply of the Water God''s meat."


    Irene turned to look at the cutlets then nodded her head.


    "It will be an honor."


    Then, they called the remaining people and ate Emersyn''s cooking that morning.


    That would be the last meal they would share.

 Chapter 88 - Outside of Central Marsh (2)

    There was a sudden earthquake.


    The people huddled closer in their homes as they trembled in fear. The area around the Pink tree had the most rumbling as it was slowly tilting down to the ground. Those that were outside and stopped moving, quickly warned the people that were inside their homes that the Pink tree was going to fall. They immediately stumbled out of their houses along with their children as they marveled at the fall of the Pink tree. Its leaves turned brown and its trunk wilted. Then, finally, it fell along with its roots. The Divine Lightning Barrier weakened, they noticed, as they didn''t know whether to be glad or not.


    The tremor stopped.


    Emersyn stood up from her crouching position and stared at the barrier that protected these people from the outside. The towering buildings became more apparent. She turned to look around and saw that the pagodas were shining brightly, their string of energies were connected to the barrier, supporting its remaining life. The independent world of Central Marsh was also slowly being connected to the outside, she noticed from high above the barrier.


    Her feet took off as she ignored the surprised gazes of the Jiang Family. However, Yao Yun followed her intently. When she stopped, he also stopped two steps behind her. They were at the center of the Central Marsh, looking at the fallen Pink tree that almost filled their sight.


    "I guess, this tree was the one keeping up the barrier all along¡­," Yao Yun muttered.


    Emersyn smiled wryly. She reflected the light energy from her body then pitch black wings sprouted from her back.


    "Eh? Emersyn?" Yao Yun sniffed the air. When the apparent scent of Emersyn, that was mysteriously trapped in her body, was disappearing, he jumped then clutched on something as he ascended to the sky with the help of something.


    "..."


    "Emersyn, I can smell it''s you. I didn''t know you could fly and disappear from my sight."


    "..."


    "How did you do that? I have never seen anyone do it. Where did you really come from?"


    "Don''t ask," Emersyn rolled her eyes then accelerated towards the sky. She always sent her energy towards the barrier to see if she already escaped its clasps.


    "Then¡­ how is your scent trapped in your body?"


    "How should I know¡­?"


    "Where are we going?"


    "Outside."


    "Outside?"


    When Emersyn finally felt a change, she dashed right through, successfully escaping the Central Marsh. They were in the sea of clouds and Yao Yun was shivering from the cold. Descending on a whitish ground filled with thick snow, Yao Yun jumped down from where Emersyn was hovering. He stepped on the snow carefully and a circular gust of wind appeared beneath his feet, making him light. He looked around the unfamiliar dark world. There were tall buildings that didn''t have any signs of life and the temperature was below freezing point, the snow submerging five floors of the buildings. His teeth chattered then turned to look at Emersyn, worried.


    "Here," Emersyn offered two jackets created with mana threads; a regular and an insulated one.


    "Ta-tank yo---"


    "No problem," she replied as she lightly descended on the snow, her breath creating a mist. She could also feel the mana, so thick that it felt murky.


    "I feel¡­ feel warm now."


    "That''s great then."


    "But¡­ What is this uncomfortable feeling? I feel sick now..."


    Emersyn turned to Yao Yun then saw how pale he had become. She quickly covered him with her Life Energy to protect him from the dense mana while also letting his body slowly get accustomed to it.


    "Are you fine now?"


    "Yes¡­ somewhat."


    "Great. We are going to that place," Emersyn said as she pointed at the tallest building of the abandoned city.


    "What are we going to do there?"


    "I will search the area, of course."


    "... so, why did we leave the Central Marsh?"


    "It would only be a matter of time before the barrier disappears."


    "Wait¡­ so, does that mean¡­ the people will be trapped here forever?! There wouldn''t be any teleportation spells to get them out of here. This¡­ they won''t be able to survive! What should I do¡­?"


    "We can''t avoid that, Yao Yun," Emersyn interjected as she dressed herself in her winter suit and boots.


    "But..."


    "Here, your boots and gloves."


    "Oh¡­ thanks. Wait¡­ how did you know my size?"


    "Measured it. Let''s go," Emersyn said as she turned around and headed towards the city with her hands in her pockets.


    "Wait!"


    Emersyn could hear guttural growls coming at the center of the city and heavy footsteps against the hard snow. Yao Yun seemed to notice it later than her as he crouched down and hid behind the roof of a building.


    "... they are far, Yao Yun. They aren''t moving towards us either."


    "You sure?"


    "I am."


    They traversed through the snowy ground then came face to face with the window glasses of the tallest building. There weren''t any entrances, so Emersyn pressed her fingers on the thick bulletproof glass then it shattered, emitting a loud sound. Then, they heard surprised growls from afar.


    Yao Yun immediately came to a realization.


    "Wait, why didn''t you just fly?!"


    "It''s too tiring."


    "Why do we need to go up?!"


    "To see the landscape. Didn''t you just ask that?"


    "And why aren''t we moving on?! Those¡­ monsters or whatever they would be are coming at us!"


    "Hmm," Emersyn smiled at him, which struck him speechless by its beauty. She pointed at different directions then said, "They are coming."


    "Come on!!! Don''t dilly dally anymore!" Yao Yun immediately grabbed Emersyn''s hand then ran through the hallway, their footsteps ringing through the marbled floor. At the same time, they could hear more growls and the shattering of the windows, and heavy footsteps against the floor. Yao Yun panicked as he desperately pulled Emersyn up the flight of stairs.


    "Hurry up!"


    Emersyn pressed her finger on her chin then looked down below where she could feel more than a dozen monsters that contained far more greater mana than the Calamity rank monsters. She then looked at Yao Yun with a complicated gaze if she should let him fight against these powerful monsters or she should just fight them as a form of training.


    After a few moments of deliberations, she opened her mouth, "I''m tired, Yao Yun."


    "Don''t lie!!! You''re stronger than me!!!"


    "..."


    "I can sense anything, so stop your ministrations!!!"


    "... fine..."


    "Good, so, just run!!!"


    "You know¡­ your shouts are giving away our position."


    "Do you want to fight them?!"


    "..."


    "If so, be my guest! I will just escape!"


    Yao Yun let Emersyn go then continued climbing up the stairs. Left alone, Emersyn stared down and saw monsters covered in fur with their elongated arms and huge hands climbing the stairs like a madman. Their faces were hideous and their canines were protruding from their mouths.


    "Hmm¡­ will they taste good?" She mused.


    Then, she heard his cries, "WHY ARE YOU ALL CHASING ME?! EMERSYN?! ARE YOU OKAY?! YOU DIDN''T DIE, RIGHT?! HELP ME!"


    Emersyn smiled then hopped on the railing and climbed the shaft like an agile monkey. She soon surpassed the monsters that attempted to reach out to her, then she came neck to neck with Yao Yun.


    "Yo! Nice seeing you here, brother!"


    Yao Yun heaved then mumbled under his breath, "You even act like her..."


    "Have you ever felt like¡­ eating some humanoid monsters?"


    "Wait, they are humanoid?!"


    "Of course they are. You can look down. See for yourself."


    "No way!"


    "Aw man¡­ I am planning on eating them. Will you join me?"


    "Nononono! Those are real monsters! I am only a Gold-level practitioner! The gap is too wide!!!"


    "Well, you can totally move like you''re not Gold though. Well, whatever," Emersyn sighed as she landed on the railing. "Then, see you at the top! Bring them all in to me!"


    "What?!"


    "Bye-byee!"


    "Wait a freaking moment!!! I am already exhausted!"


    "Just keep it up~"


    Then she completely became a silhouette in Yao Yun''s eyes.


    "..."


    A loud growl broke him out of his stupor as his panic grew stronger as the monsters almost caught up to him. He shrieked then pushed his body forward, stumbling along the way. When he passed by one floor, he saw a huge number 124 then 125. He could see that his vision were failing him as he pushed himself harder, finally seeing the destroyed door towards the roof. He screamed delightfully then barged into the opening, climbing the rock-like structure of the snowy floor and saw Emersyn grinning at him.


    "You finally arrived. I was getting bored of waiting."


    "... you¡­!!!"


    *GROWL!*


    "There are the main course~" Emersyn cracked her fingers then released the membrane that kept her power hidden inside her body. Yao Yun fainted as he smelled that familiar flowery scent, further relaxing his exhausted body.

 Chapter 89 - Outside of Central Marsh (3)

    Emersyn wrapped herself with her Life Energy, focusing on her hands and feet. She slightly crouched down as the footsteps of the monsters came near then ran towards the broken door. Her fist crashed on the first monster''s c.h.e.s.t, exactly where its heart was. She could feel how hard its skin was since she could only break its sternum, puncturing its heart. However, it was still alive. Then, in a split second, a sword Qi formed in her hand then she swung it on the monster''s neck, cutting its carotid artery. Blood gushed out as more monsters pushed through the blocked opening. Emersyn grabbed the killed monster then threw it over at Yao Yun.


    The second monster came and the rest of them persistently pushed themselves into the roof. Breaking their bones and punching through every vital point of the monsters, she continued on killing each of them with little damage on their bodies. Emersyn rested as her hot breath created mists in the air. She threw the last body, which would be the twenty-fourth monster, to Yao Yun as the man lined it all up nicely.


    "Thanks," Emersyn said with a smile.


    "... how did you¡­ do it?"


    "Do what?"


    "Kill these monsters," Yao Yun said as he threw his strongest punch on the carcass and Emersyn could hear bones breaking. Unfortunately, it was Yao Yun''s as he hissed and grabbed the wrist of his aching hand.


    "The battle was so fast I couldn''t even follow your movements. Your punches could even distort space and defy the laws of the universe¡­ and yet, you want to appear weak?"


    "... is that so¡­," Emersyn muttered then retrieved a higher potion from her inventory. "Here. Drink half of this and pour the rest on your hand."


    "Thanks¡­," Yao Yun smiled wryly and did what Emersyn told him to do. His broken bones and tissues fixed itself without blood clotting and it returned to its former glory. "You¡­ own a lot of good things. Where did you get it?"


    "I bought it with my endless amount of money. Remember? I travel worlds. I was supposed to be in Strevalia, but I ended up in the Central Marsh."


    "So¡­ basically, you dried out all the products in each of the worlds you visit?"


    "... what. I can''t do that. I have another means to buy them."


    "I¡­ see. Will you tell me?"


    "If I know that you aren''t the type to tell people whatever, I will."


    "Hmmm..."


    "You know how to butcher most monsters?" Emersyn suddenly asked as she retrieved two small knives.


    "... what are those knives? Can it cut through all these monsters?"


    "Of course," she said as she handed one over to him.


    "Then¡­ please excuse me."


    Yao Yun calmly cut through the hard skin and muscles as he drained blood into the bottles Emersyn was handing over. Then, they separated each cut of meat, bones, tendons and cartilage. When they finished, they acquired a shocking amount of 279 bottles of blood. Emersyn stored it in her inventory and all of the remaining parts.


    Then, they went down after Emersyn took a look at the landscape. Arriving at the kitchen on the 120th floor, they unceremoniously entered.


    Emersyn settled a heater, then retrieved one chunk of meat and cut it into pieces. Marinating it with a pinch of salt, pepper, chili powder, gochujang, sesame oil and soy sauce. She also made some tofu soup with hot chili peppers. When the soup was finished and the meat grilled, she served it to Yao Yun and to herself.


    They ate well and Emersyn boiled some milk with honey and cinnamon. Perfect for the cold as they gazed beneath with warm cups in their hands.


    Emersyn took a sip then said, "There are quite a lot of them."


    "Of them? Who?"


    "People."


    "What?! Where?!"


    "Underneath. They are moving so cautiously despite being underground."


    "Are we going to them?"


    "Don''t really know. What about you? Are you planning to meet them?"


    Yao Yun smiled wryly.


    "If the barrier came down and people of the Central Marsh came out here, we need to help them adapt. It also means we have to cooperate with the citizens of this world. We have no choice but to meet them and ask for help."


    "Sounds troublesome."


    "It won''t be if you are here!"


    "... me?"


    Emersyn tilted her head.


    "What about me?"


    "You are strong enough to earn their trust¡­."


    "They would fear me, actually, if that time comes. Then they would put restrictions and the likes on me to keep me under their hands. I would rather go alone than cooperate with people I have no knowledge of."


    "... that''s¡­ also true."


    "If, in case, that I would act as your servant, you will be the one who would be in danger. They would do everything to keep you just to keep me here."


    "... you''re just being paranoid¡­."


    "Maybe."


    "..."


    "You can pick whatever room you like to sleep in. You can take the heater."


    "Where are you going?"


    "Roof," Emersyn said as she trudged over the higher floors, leaving Yao Yun alone.


    Right after Emersyn left, Yao Yun suddenly felt strong presences coming from the lower floors. They didn''t sound like monsters¡­ maybe those were the humans the female was talking about? He was cautious at first, but decided to come down and see for himself. Then, a huge shadow appeared behind him, swallowing his figure. He turned around with a kick and that person caught his foot and let him dangle in the air.


    "Hmm¡­ those monkeys are killed by you? Their scents are all over you," that man with a deep and guttural voice muttered as he sniffed Yao Yun. His muscular arms that were as thick as Yao Yun''s t.h.i.g.hs were inspecting his clothes.


    "Nonono! I would never beat those monsters! I---" Yao Yun immediately covered his mouth.


    "You what?"


    "Uhm¡­ I saw a person who beat them!"


    "One? Hah! We can''t even defeat a mob of them alone. Boy, you''re being ridiculous. Are you lying to us?"


    "No! I would never!"


    "Your suit is also intricately woven with mana¡­ where did you come from? These kinds of clothes are all foreign to us."


    "No---"


    "Then where are you from?"


    "I am from around here with my companion¡­ we just happened to pass by."


    "Where is this companion of yours?"


    "She went up¡­ since we have to sleep."


    The man''s eyes twinkled.


    "A woman?"


    "Ye-yes?"


    "Take me to where she is!"


    "Eh? Why?"


    "Hurry!"


    "Can you¡­ uh¡­ let me down first?"


    "Oh right. Okay. Go! Lead me to where she is! She could be freezing!"


    Yao Yun furrowed his brows but obeyed regardless. When they arrived on the roof, they saw Emersyn standing close to the edge with her white hair fluttering in the cold air. The man was starstruck as he gazed over the beautiful and picturesque woman gazing down the world as if she owned it. He happily took off his large outer coat and slowly approached the woman.


    "Excuse me?"


    Emersyn only glanced at him, yet it sent shivers down his spine. The coldness and lack of life in her eyes were all so beautiful! All the beautiful women from where he lived were all so concerned with their appearance that it all took the spaces in their brains. He didn''t like it, so he chose to be single even if he was already twenty-five and managed until now.


    "Here, you must be cold," he said as he dr.a.p.ed the coat on Emersyn.


    She didn''t seem to care as she went back to staring down at the landscape and navigating through the holographic screen before her.


    "What are you looking for?"


    "An accurate map."


    "Where are you going?"


    "We are not going anywhere."


    The man''s eyes twinkled then smiled so wide.


    "I am called Nico."


    "Emersyn. My companion is Yao Yun."


    "How old are you?"


    Emersyn ignored it then retrieved a big sheet of paper from her inventory and pushed it on the screen. After a while, the paper was spit out and there was a detailed map on the paper. She nodded then turned to look at the landscape once again before handing over the coat to Nico.


    "Thanks."


    Then went towards Yao Yun.


    Nico smiled then sighed with joy as he held his coat on his nose. He tilted his head as he couldn''t smell the scent unique to women. He quickly followed Emersyn and Yao Yun down to the lower floor. Emersyn picked a room then Yao Yun picked one beside the woman''s while Nico just stood there, watching. His companions arrived one by one as they saw Nico standing blankly in the hallway.


    "Brother?"


    "... she''s so beautiful¡­ yet she didn''t care about her appearance at all..."


    "Uh¡­ who?"


    "Emersyn..."


    "Who the heck is that?"


    "A beautiful woman..."


    "Don''t bother, Cali. He won''t snap out of it even if you punched him," another man interjected.


    "But brother Althas..."


    "Cali, don''t bother. He will be back to normal once he knew that the woman named Emersyn her true colors."


    "So, Elan, anything unusual?"


    "The door to the roof was destroyed and blood on the ice which would be completely normal if they fought the Scavengers. However¡­ there were so many footprints, yet the blood was only so little. The battle only happened at the door and..."


    "Then!" Nico suddenly exclaimed as his eyes twinkled. "Emersyn beat them all up!"


    "How can you be so sure?" Althas asked with his eyebrow raised.


    "Her companion is so weak and brittle that it would be impossible for him to fight those monkeys!"


    "... that makes sense," Elan muttered.


    "So, this Emersyn woman killed them all off..." Althas mused.


    "Indeed! My future wife is so strong!"


    "..."

 Chapter 90 - Outside of Central Marsh (4)

    "This¡­ this underground city is so fantastic..."


    Yao Yun muttered as he gazed at the maps Emersyn laid out before him on the table. They were inside a room where they could see the perfectly preserved remains of the computers. Emersyn was sitting on a swivel chair as she laid out more maps before Yao Yun.


    "These are all the underground cities near the sources of geothermal energy. I also sensed a lot of dangerous creatures living above those cities."


    "Are we going to all of these?"


    "Your choice. To be honest, I don''t have any ties to the Central Marsh or their people, so I can only follow you as repayment for the hospitality you have shown to me. I am truly grateful for that."


    "Okay¡­ can you still sense that man, Nico, around here?"


    Emersyn sighed as she nodded.


    "They are still in the building."


    "Let''s go."


    Emersyn sighed once again seeing the determination in the man''s eyes.


    "As you wish," then she stood up and left the room as Yao Yun followed her.


    They arrived on the lowest floor and they could see furniture blocking the broken windows. Emersyn nodded then stepped back behind Yao Yun. The man was puzzled, but when he felt a nudge from his back, he stepped forward then cleared his throat weakly. The men, who were camping at the center of the lobby, quickly raised their lowered heads. Nico gasped as Emersyn entered his sight with a wave of acknowledgement. He was so embarrassed that his hard and chiseled face reddened as he waved back to the woman he admired.


    "May we intrude?" Yao Yun cautiously asked.


    "Please! Intrude all you like!" Nico beamed.


    Althas smiled wryly then gestured at Yao Yun and Emersyn to sit down which they obeyed.


    "I''m sorry about our friend."


    "Nono! We are the one who needs to be sorry¡­ uhm¡­ I have a small favor¡­."


    "Please, we are all open."


    "We are finding a place where we could stay warm. Could it be possible for us to enter your city?"


    "Of course!!!"


    "..."


    Cali, Althas and Elan simultaneously looked at each other then nodded.


    "Of course you can stay with us. However¡­ We are still on a mission to purge the Scavengers infesting this location. If we let them be, they''ll definitely find our entrances and invade the city. We all know what would happen if that is the case. So, we need your cooperation," Althas said as he gazed, not at Yao Yun, but at Emersyn who was silently sitting on the carpeted floor.


    Yao Yun turned to look at Emersyn as she fiddled with a stick then nudged her. Emersyn looked at Yao Yun with a puzzled expression.


    "Why are you asking me?" She said as she tilted her head, gazing at Althas.


    "We need your help. The faster we could do the mission, the better it is. Please help us."


    "I could, sure. But the final decision will fall on this guy," Emersyn gestured at the bashful Yao Yun. "I am here to protect him."


    "Oh..."


    "Uh¡­ what is your name, sir?"


    Yao Yun furrowed his brows from the sudden politeness. He shook his head then said, "I am the one who followed her because I intruded in her¡­ you know¡­ uh¡­ mission? Well, she just left us and flew, but I managed to grab her. We just came to an agreement that she will follow me from here on out. So, please, don''t be polite at me. It''s¡­ embarrassing."


    Althas nodded.


    "I''m sorry for that. So, what is your name?"


    "Yao Yun. You can just call me Yun."


    "Can you help us, Yun? Except for the meat, you can have all the rest of the Scavengers¡­ we would like to have the meat for our ration."


    Yao Yun smiled then nodded, "Of course!"


    Althas, Cali and Elan sighed in relief while Nico was seen fawning over Emersyn who was ignoring him, for some reason. Then, when they concluded their plans for tomorrow, they slept in their sleeping bag as Emersyn went up to find a room for herself.


    Tomorrow came and Emersyn was the first one that woke up. She went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast. She decided for something simple. Since she had a lot of stocked meat, she would go for hamburger steak. She retrieved the spices and herbs she would add then grounded the meat with the mithril knives. She put the well-grounded meat in a huge bowl then added salt, pepper, egg, breadcrumbs, paprika, oregano, c.u.min, ancho chili powder, soy sauce and grated parmesan. She rolled the meat in her hands then proceeded to remove the air bubbles in the patty. On a large skillet, she put a fair amount of olive oil. Cook the patties for four minutes then flip and do the same on the other side. Then, she added a thick slice of cheese and poured a small amount of water then put the lid on.


    Having smelled something delicious, Yao Yun and the men peeked out from the door then watched Emersyn steamed some rice and cooked a whole pot of creamy soup.


    Nico''s eyes gleamed as his eyes followed the woman in a trance.


    Emersyn smiled then proceeded to shovel a spoonful of food into her mouth. This made the Locruna men look at her in a daze. It was their first time seeing a woman eat with them toe to toe. They rejoiced then ate more vigorously.


    "Ah¡­ I am so full..."


    "Have some refreshments," Emersyn said as she offered them warm milk.


    "Thank you very much."


    "Emersyn! Please be my wife!"


    Althas smacked Nico''s head then bowed to her.


    "I''m sorry for my friend''s outburst. He is naturally stupid, but he is capable in a fight."


    Emersyn could only smile.


    ***


    "Cali!" Althas screamed as he endured all the attacks of the Scavenger they were facing inside the building they were in. They were already having a hard time fighting one and yet, more were coming from the broken window. Fortunately, Emersyn was fighting the rest of them, and Yao Yun was being trained as he fought in the frontline with Emersyn supporting him from the back. They would throw one for the men to take on, then one again after they defeated the previous one.


    "I''m fine!" Cali shouted from where he was thrown, groaning as he stood up. He breathed out a sigh then ran towards the Scavenger. The snow that entered through the broken window scrunched as he ran closer and landed a surprise attack on the Scavenger''s neck. Cali''s sword got stuck on its flesh as he tried pulling it out. Unfortunately, it got lodged into the space between its spine. Nico also attacked the front using his own sword. Then, Elan suddenly appeared from behind the monster as it writhed in agony. Before the Scavenger regained its reason, Elan spun in the air then hit the hilt of the sword stuck on its spine with his steeled boots. With that, the Scavenger released a wail then collapsed on the floor.


    Althas heaved then turned to look at Emersyn easily fighting the enormous amount of Scavengers they lured in.


    "One more coming!" Emersyn shouted then a wounded Scavenger landed on the floor with a heavy thud.


    Nico smiled widely then immediately lodged his sword in the enemy''s wounded part, instantly killing it. He sighed in astonishment as he saw that the numbers of Scavengers were quickly diminishing. They were also gaining huge amounts of experience as they killed one after one. After all, the Scavengers were at the top of the food chain in most of the areas. Though their numbers weren''t as high like this time. In any case, their party was the only A-rank that was so close to becoming S-rank, so they accepted the request knowing that they would only encounter the weakest ones or a lot of strong ones at worst. However, their expectations crumbled the moment a whole lot of them appeared.


    When the Scavengers finally stopped coming, Yao Yun and the Locruna men lost strength in their knees and gave out. Emersyn smiled wryly then dismantled the monsters on her own.


    "Let me¡­ let me help¡­," Yao Yun wheezed as he tried standing up.


    "Rest. I can do this."


    "Are you sure?"


    "Are you even in your right mind now?"


    "Ugh..."


    "Rest. I will cook something for you all later."


    Emersyn immediately got to work and collected all the parts of the monsters and stored everything in her inventory. Now, she still had to cook a lot for these men who gave their all into this mission of theirs.

 Chapter 91 - Outside of Central Marsh (5)

    Emersyn went down a flight of frozen stairs with the men behind her and Althas in front, lighting their way. The ice was deeper than she thought. She sighed in relief once her feet stepped on the stone staircase. They went down deeper and she the temperature was getting warmer. Yao Yun took off one layer of his clothing and hang it on his arm. Emersyn only had two layers, so she didn''t bother. Once they arrived at the foot of the stairs, Emersyn could finally see the blinding light of the city.


    "Stay here for a moment," Althas said to Emersyn and Yao Yun. "We are just going to take permission for you to enter the city."


    Yao Yun nodded while Emersyn just looked around. The Locruna men stepped out then approached the guards with Althas. They talked for a long time then Althas gestured at them to stay put for a while.


    "Here."


    Somehow, Emersyn was already eating a sandwich she made and offered Yao Yun a basket filled with assortments of sandwiches and desserts.


    "What is this for?"


    "They will take a long time. If you want a heavy meal, I could cook some for you. Oh right! I should ferment some vegetables while I am at it."


    "Can I join?" Yao Yun smiled as he accepted Emersyn''s basket and ate one sandwich.


    "Sure."


    Emersyn took out a table and settled spices and a lot of spicy pastes and powder. She retrieved vegetables then began mixing the sauce along with Yao Yun. They working as if they were already used to it and finished a lot of the fermented vegetables. After cleaning up, they sat down on the ground and ate sweets. Then, Nico arrived with a bright smile.


    "Emersyn! Yun!"


    "Sir Nico," Yao Yun stood up to greet him, leaving Emersyn munching silently on the ground.


    "..." Nico stared at Emersyn with disbelief and surprise.


    "Sir Nico?"


    "Ah. Yes! Oh, yes. I am here to retrieve you two. The Elder is willing to meet you, Emersyn."


    Emersyn stopped munching then nodded her head. She swallowed then grabbed Yao Yun''s wrist and pulled him towards where Nico came from.


    "Eh?! Eh. Eh?! Wait! Emersyn?! Why am I going too?!"


    "I came to protect you, so you are coming with me."


    "..." Nico was left speechless.


    For some reason, he was the one following the woman as she navigated through the halls and arriving in front of a stone wall. She turned to look at Nico then faced back with Yao Yun. He understood, then pushed the button that opened the door to the room. When Emersyn heard the slidding of the stone, she turned around then entered, pulling Yao Yun in the process. The room was clean and the decoration was simple. The Locruna men with them earlier were also standing at one side of the room. There was a table before her and an elderly man sitting on his swivel chair. He smiled at Emersyn then gestured at her to sit before him. However, the woman made Yao Yun sit on the guest''s chair.


    "I''m sorry, Elder, but this man is my master in the meantime."


    "Oh! Is that so¡­," the Elder smiled then locked his gaze with Yao Yun. "I heard all about it. You want me to help your people that would come out of this so-called Central Marsh, right?"


    "Yes, that would be so."


    "We can certainly do that."


    Yao Yun''s eyes twinkled then leaned over towards the Elder.


    "However..."


    His eyes sank.


    "We have a condition. We want Miss Emersyn in exchange of our hospitality to the Central Marsh. They could live here for hundreds and thousands of years, I can guarantee that. As long as Miss Emersyn is at our side."


    Clearly, the Elder was talking down to Yao Yun, who was only a dust before his eyes. Emersyn inwardly clicked her tongue then released her boundless energy in the room. This foreign force kept them from moving or even breathing as their faces went pale. Yao Yun grabbed Emersyn''s hand and c.a.r.e.s.sed it gently.


    "Emersyn, calm down."


    "I am calm."


    "Deep breaths."


    "Hooo¡­," Emersyn took back her energy then the atmosphere went back to normal. They could finally breathe, hunching.


    "Miss¡­ Miss Emersyn¡­ please¡­ calm your anger. We are just merely suggesting."


    Emersyn''s red eyes glinted under the light and it gave them fear that they couldn''t comprehend. She scoffed then fell back behind Yao Yun.


    "If I may be so pretentious, I want to leave this instance," she said as she touched Yao Yun''s shoulder which the man reciprocated. "We will find a way to help our people. Without your help."


    "Wait¡­ wait! We are apologizing for that, Madame Emersyn. We didn''t mean to. So, please! Stay with us! It isn''t an order, but a plea!"


    "Emersyn will help you until we found our foothold."


    "Yes! We will do that! Please, Althas, guide our precious guests to their quarters."


    "Yes," Althas bowed with his hand on his c.h.e.s.t then turned to look at Emersyn and Yao Yun with warm eyes. "Please follow me."


    Once they left, the Elder collapsed on his chair as he heaved. The fine young men that stayed with him gave him wry smiles as their tension loosened, their knees about to give up. Fortunately, Emersyn was benevolent and retrieved back her power immediately, though Yao Yun was the one they were indebted to. He calmed down the terrifying woman and saved their asses from certain death.


    "We¡­ have to be careful around that woman¡­," the Elder mumbled as he tried to regain his footing. "We have to make sure that she will stay here. Until she dies."


    ***


    "This room is for Emersyn and the one beside it would be Yun''s. If you ever need anything, you can come down and feel free to take anything you needed," Althas said as he gestured at the doors that were two meters apart. "I will go now. If we ever need your help, Emersyn, we will be at your door."


    "Mhm," Emersyn mumbled as she opened the door to her room.


    "See you, sir Althas," Yao Yun bid goodbye then entered his room.


    Althas smiled wryly then sighed as soon as the two disappeared from his sight. He didn''t want to do this¡­ but he had to. Turning around, he left the vicinity.


    Emersyn retrieved the tupperwares she bought and then opened it. The smell of fermented radish and green onion was so appetizing that she almost drooled. She selected two whole cartons of milk and lots of mushrooms on the screen in front of her then pressed the buy button. The items appeared before her in wraps. Thankfully, there was a kitchen and oven in her room. She took out a pot then saut¨¦ed minced ginger, diced onions and cut up mushrooms. Bacons cut up in bite size were added then came the two cartons of milk then five slices of cheese. Bring to a soft boil then add five cups of rice then mix. Once it was done, she made five servings of kimchi fried rice then went out of her room to go to Yao Yun''s.


    "Eh? Emersyn? Is something wrong?"


    "I brought dinner."


    "Oh! Come in!" Yao Yun smiled brightly then arranged the tablewares on the clean table.


    Emersyn took out one two plates and tupperwares then settled them on the table. Yao Yun rubbed his hands together, thanked Emersyn for cooking the delicious food then ate. The female smiled as she watched Yao Yun eat in his heart''s content, his eyes widening whenever he tried the fermented vegetables with the risotto.


    "You eat well," Emersyn uttered as she took a bite.


    "Because this is the best!"


    "What is? Eating?"


    "Yes! Eating with someone¡­ someone who resembled the one I only love..."


    Emersyn''s hand, that was holding a spoon, stopped in midair as her eyes stared at Yao Yun''s embarrassed ones.


    "When I finally reached the Gold-level, I was ecstatic to finally go out of the Central Marsh and then find her. Did you know that if you think about the person you want to be with while going in the Divine Lightning Barrier, you will be transported to where that person is? Of course not¡­ you''re new¡­. I was crestfallen when I was suddenly sent back to the Central Marsh and knew that instant that the barrier stopped functioning."


    He took a bite, chewed and swallowed.


    "It¡­ has been two, no, three years since she was gone. Then, you came. I saw you got thrown out of a portal then I mistook you for that very person. It must be a grace! I thought, so, I invited you to where she once lived. The more I see you, the more I see the resemblance¡­. But, alas, I am wrong. You are a different entity than her. So, I just have to accept that I would never meet her again."


    Emersyn nodded empathetically then served more rice to Yao Yun.


    "... but, but I can''t help mistaking you for her¡­. I''m sorry, Emersyn..."


    "It''s fine, Yao Yun. I''m sure she would be watching you from afar, no, maybe she is already close to you."


    Yao Yun smiled then nodded.


    "Thank you for listening to my troubles."


    "No worries. It is perfectly fine. I ordered a few strawberry and mango cakes here. Do you want some?"


    "Cakes?! I''d be delighted!"


    Emersyn smiled as she saw how Yao Yun''s sadness lifted. She took out two whole cakes then gave the man a small plate and a fork.


    "Which do you want first?"


    "I haven''t tasted this mango yet."


    "Coming right up!"


    They enjoyed a hearty dessert then Emersyn bid goodbye after drinking warm milk with cinnamon with Yao Yun. She went back to her room then flopped down on the soft bed. Her eyes naturally went to the window, but she couldn''t see a speck of nature''s wonders. Only the stone ceiling of the whole city. Tomorrow¡­ would be a busy day, she was sure of it.

 Chapter 92 - Outside of Central Marsh (6)

    On the surface of Locruna; Emersyn and Yao Yun were battling a dizzying number of small creatures attacking the entrance of the city.


    They were just having a leisurely walk in the underground city when Nico came running at them, his eyes red, and alerted them of an attack. They hurried off as Nico explained that this would be the work of the Scavengers that sniffed out the entrances leading to the city. However, since they already killed most of them, the strongest one still remained, the leader of the Scavengers, and chose to attack in anger. This time, it picked the most c.u.mbersome of all small creatures. Those creatures were weak, but their numbers were astronomical. They were also easy to control once you promised them a huge share of food. Emersyn smiled wryly as she recalled c.o.c.kroaches and rodents on Earth.


    "Emersyn!" Nico called from the rear as he panted.


    It had been an hour since the infestation began and they were dead tired. Only Emersyn and Yao Yun could push through the encirclement. Emersyn''s strength was understandable, but Yao Yun going neck and neck with her was surprising. They all knew that the man was weaker than they were, but them, who was stronger, couldn''t keep up with Emersyn. They were puzzled and confused.


    "Yao Yun, go help them," Emersyn mumbled as she threw a grenade. It exploded immediately and a shriek of despair came out of the creatures'' mouths.


    "Alright."


    Yao Yun moved so quickly that he arrived beside Nico with a sonic boom. He cleaved his way through and eliminated all the threats. Nico was flabbergasted as he saw how easily Yao Yun moved in this oppressing atmosphere. It wasn''t easy at first, but Yao Yun adapted slowly but surely. Then, the numbers of these small creatures dwindled. Emersyn threw more grenades and went to where Yao Yun and the Locruna men were. They were relieved when Emersyn was beside them. However, the main instigator, the so-called leader of the Scavengers, appeared behind Emersyn. Its body was larger than the normal Scavengers and its skin was twice as hard as well as its bones.


    It roared then immediately grabbed Emersyn. It readied its legs then ran with almost the speed of Mach 1. Yao Yun furrowed his eyes as he watched Emersyn disappear with the Scavenger. It was weird that Emersyn just let the monster take her and didn''t fight back as he expected.


    "Emersyn!" Nico screamed as he ran after them with his meager speed. He turned to look at Yao Yun with a gaze that signaled him to run after them.


    "Alright."


    Meanwhile, Nico was sweating buckets even though the temperature was so cold. He was worried for Emersyn since that Scavenger was stronger than he knew. Though he had a feeling that the female he admired will make it out alive without a scratch. It gave him momentary relief, but soon got nervous once again.


    "... She will be fine, Nico," Althas interjected as he took down the remaining numbers of the small creatures.


    "I know she is stronger than she looks¡­ but¡­ I am still worried¡­."


    "Ah¡­ the joy of love."


    Nico smiled wryly.


    "So, when will you ask her for a date?"


    "Is it really the time to be asking that?"


    "You''re not doing your work, so I guess that you don''t care about us now."


    "What?! No! How could I?!"


    "Ever since Emersyn arrived, you have been going on and on about her. You even bought her a gift that every woman in our city would love," Elan said as he scoffed.


    "What?! Where did you hear that?!"


    "No, not hear, I saw you buy a diamond necklace."


    "Fck..."


    Althas, Cali and Elan shook their heads. Fortunately, the enemy monsters were already retreating and they already relaxed their body as they collapsed on the ice. They breathed deeply, taking in huge amounts of mana into their body.


    "I never knew that Yun is that strong¡­," Nico mumbled.


    "Maybe he is the type that heavily relies on mobility."


    "I noticed too!"


    "He should have used his legs to kick monsters rather than using his feeble hands," Elan said, pausing when he saw sparks going off in the chilly sky. He stood up in panic that alerted the men around him.


    "What is the matter, Elan?"


    Elan pointed at the sky and his comrades saw the same thing. Then, suddenly, there was a huge fire, painting the sky red. There was a loud roar and the ground shook. They could hear muffled screams coming from the city and it horrified them. They didn''t know what was happening, so they stood up then ran towards the scene of carnage. They took a while before they arrived as Yao Yun battled a monster they just saw for the first time, outside the huge fire. The temperature rose further as it melted the ice, creating a basin filled with boiling water.


    They stood aghast.


    "Where¡­ where is Emersyn?!'' Nico grew worried. "I can''t see Emersyn!"


    "Chill out, brother¡­," Cali mumbled. "Let''s just help Yun."


    "Okay," Althas affirmed as he ran towards Yao Yun, followed by Elan then Cali, leaving Nico behind.


    Meanwhile, Emersyn was battling countless waves of monsters in various species while she stored the corpses in her inventory. She left a huge fire to attract the waves and kill the greater monsters living in the area all at once. There were huge lizards, humongous snakes, enormous boars that caught her eyes, and many more coming. She laughed inwardly then continued cutting them down using her strongest katana. She cleaved then picked up and the pattern continued until the monsters were wiped out. She stretched her body as she released a few grunts then checked out all the spoils she got.


    "Ufufufu¡­"


    After all, Locruna had a currency that she still hadn''t gotten. Mithril coins. Who would use mithril for something like coins? Only those that had an endless supply of mithril would definitely use it that way. She grew excited as everything went according to plan. Her feet skipped towards the still on-going fire and found the Locruna men and Yao Yun still fighting some monsters.


    "Yao~ Yun~," she called as she waved her hand.


    "Emersyn! How is it?"


    Emersyn gave a thumbs up then smiled widely, snickering. Yao Yun smiled back at her then smashed the head of the monster he was battling. The Locruna men''s eyes went wide, gazing at Yao Yun who was jogging towards Emersyn.


    "Argh! Focus, you guys! I am already tired!"


    Emersyn took out a gun then shot down the monster before them. The gun disappeared from her hand then she began urging them to go back to the city.


    "Let''s go back now!"


    "... Yes?"


    "Hurry!"


    "Wait! Emersyn?! You are covered in blood!" Nico exclaimed.


    "It''s not my blood," she shot him down then turned to Althas. "Let''s go now! There will be no more attacks, I assure you."


    "O...okay? Let''s go back then¡­ we still have to report to the guild," Althas mumbled as he let Emersyn pick up the monster carcasses.


    Upon arrival in the underground guild, Emersyn and Yao Yun disappeared into one of the guild''s warehouses solely for dismantling monsters. They worked together, snickering, as they promised to share the mithril coins according to their cooperation. When they finished dismantling, they went out of the warehouse then to the reception. The lines weren''t that long, but they still waited for a few moments. Finally, it was Emersyn''s turn now.


    "I want to sell monster parts."


    "Can you take it out?"


    "I''m sorry, but I have a lot, and my companion and I already dismantled them."


    "Oh," the female receptionist seemed disappointed. "I will guide you to one of our meeting rooms. Please follow me."


    ***


    "Hehehehehe."


    "Ahehehehe."


    "Why are they laughing so creepily?" Cali asked as he watched Emersyn and Yao Yun smile so wide as they went out of the guild.


    After all, it was a success. They sold all the parts they didn''t need and divided the mithril coins they received. The mithril coins were the normal currency while the most valuable one were gold coins since gold was scarce; and Emersyn had a lot of them! Her smile widened.


    "No, seriously, why are they laughing?! It''s so creepy!"


    "... don''t mind them¡­," Althas mumbled as he shook his head.


    "So, since there aren''t any more monsters around¡­ how will we get meat?"


    "Oh," Emersyn exclaimed. "I already sold a lot of meat in the guild."


    "Wait what? How?"


    "Well, I have an influx of meat that keeps on piling in my inventory no matter what, so I decided to sell some. I am so glad that I sold some. By the way, where can I buy mithril bars?"


    "... what for?"


    Emersyn winked.


    "It''s a secret~"


    Yao Yun could only smile wryly.

 Chapter 93 - Emergence (1)

    It was an ordinary day to scout the surface of the underground city of Tamel. Above, there were towering buildings and an ongoing fierce snow storm.


    Locruna was once a planet with a bright star and two moons. However, one day, the star disappeared from the sky and was never seen again. After hundreds of years, thick ice covered the planet and their only source of heat came from underground. Then¡­ their two moons also disappeared mysteriously. News spread fast and their hearts grew weary.


    Suddenly, there was an emergence of a thick fog and¡­ three men that came out of that fog.


    "Guh¡­ this mana here is too thick. I hate it! Let''s go back. We don''t have anymore business here; and it''s freezing!" The man with defining lean muscles and gruff face said as he backed out into the fog. He breathed out a sigh of relief when the pressure he felt softened.


    "Egbert, this is a whole new world. We can''t just let this pass!" A man with freckles and lean muscles protested.


    "Daren¡­ we don''t have anything that we could use to combat the cold¡­ and the density of the mana!" Egbert exclaimed.


    "I am fine, you see," his handsome companion said as he gestured at his body.


    "What are you saying?! Don''t pretend---wait¡­ you are fine?"


    "Yeah."


    "What did you do?"


    "Just cover yourself with mana."


    "Jairen¡­ easier said than done, stupid."


    Jairen shrugged. He looked around and saw that he was the only one who could cover himself by the mana in this world.


    "I''ll try and see if I could get some people."


    "... no need, Jai. We have a few visitors," Daren said as he gestured at the group of people running towards them.


    They couldn''t believe their eyes when someone they knew was leading that group. That one face that was so familiar since it was widely known that he sheltered a woman that suddenly appeared in Central Marsh.


    "Yao Yun?!" Jairen exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"


    "Uh¡­ do I know you?"


    "... well, you wouldn''t really know me since we never talked. I''m Jairen. These are my companions; Daren and Egbert."


    Yao Yun smiled then shook their hands.


    "It''s nice meeting you. Please, come and follow us."


    "In this freezing cold?! No way!" Egbert complained.


    "Ahaha¡­ we will die¡­," Daren mumbled.


    "I can give you some coats," Yao Yun said as he retrieved three thick coats intricately woven with mana threads from his storage ring. These were the coats he bought with his own money from Emersyn after selling the monsters they hunted yesterday.


    "These are?" Jairen absentmindedly accepted the coats.


    "It''s a small gift from me, Mister Jairen. You will only need it if you went out of the underground city anyway. If you earned more money, you could buy some for the others that would be coming after you."


    "... thank you. So, you said about this underground city..." Jairen asked as he handed the coats to his companions then wore one. "Oh¡­ this is so soft and nice to wear¡­ who made this?"


    "Yes, we are going underground to see people. The surface is the domain of the monsters while the underground is the domain of humans. And answering your question, I bought it from my companion," Yao Yun gestured at Emersyn who was behind him.


    "Oh! You are that woman who came with Yao Yun to the South Garden Pagoda."


    "Well remembered," Emersyn smiled as she shook their hands. "I am Emersyn Lachlan. Currently employed by Yao Yun."


    "Oh! It was rude of us to not introduce our last names. I am Jairen Chua. This is my brother, Daren Chua. My friend, Egbert Yongbeong. We are employed by the elders of the Central Marsh to scout this place."


    "That''s perfect! We already asked for Tamel''s help for our people."


    "That- that''s great! Thank you so much, Yao Yun! You really helped us!"


    "For now, please follow me."


    "Okay!"


    ***


    "This is¡­," Jairen mumbled as they went down the thick ice that covered the planet. "This is amazing¡­ how many years has it been since the planet turned frozen?"


    "Around 500 years ago," Nico answered. "It wasn''t that bad at first, but each passing day, it was getting worse. It was around 400 years ago that we started living underground."


    "I¡­ I see."


    "What about your world?"


    "Well¡­ we didn''t have a moon at all, only a bright sun. It was normal in the morning, but when night comes, it''s so dark and cold. There were also beasts living outside our village and those are our source of meat. Though we have people who would take care of those, and the three of us are part of those people who would give meat to the village. Now, when the Divine Lightning Barrier completely vanished, we were sent to scout the outside world."


    "How fortunate that you have a bright star in your world."


    "Eh? Wait¡­ I thought it was night since it was dark..."


    "Actually¡­ a few days ago, our moons also disappeared. We didn''t know why it suddenly happened¡­ just like what happened to our sun a long time ago."


    "How¡­ saddening. It must be hard living that way."


    All the Locruna men have stiff smiles in their faces. Silence came washing over them and Jairen scratched his cheek. It was awkward, but the atmosphere soon lifted when they could hear bustling noises. They hastened their pace then came to greet the guards.


    "Oh? We have more visitors?"


    "Good day, Alois!" Althas greeted. "We found more people, but I need to go and report what we found earlier," he said then turned around at Yao Yun. "Please bring these men in your room and wait for us."


    "Copy that, sir Althas."


    "Let''s hurry, boys," Althas announced, then brought Cali, Elan and Nico to where Emersyn presumed they would be; the Elders.


    "Please follow me," Yao Yun smiled then proceeded to walk towards the building the Locruna men entered then to his room.


    Jairen was so amazed by the tall buildings with intricate designs. Even the room they were led into was so spacious that three houses would fit in. There was a huge table and chairs then sofas where they all sat¡­ There was also a built-in kitchen, stove and oven, and refrigerator. Out of curiosity, he opened the refrigerator and cool air permeated out as he stood shocked.


    "Yao Yun! What is this?!"


    "... I''m sorry, I never really bothered to ask about it¡­ Emersyn?"


    "Hm? That is a refrigerator. It keeps food cold and stores them. It prevents food to spoil and ingredients to rot."


    "That¡­ that is amazing!"


    "Yao Yun, I am going to cook for you all now," Emersyn said as she stood up from her seat.


    "Please do."


    Emersyn nodded then equipped her apron. She took out meat, washed then ground it on a chopping board. Set aside then chop the green onions, white onion and kimchi. She reached out for a pot then put it on heat. Meanwhile, she washed rice then settled it on heat. She drizzled olive oil on the heated pot then put a whole load of green onions, then ground meat. Stir fry until the meat is cooked. For some reason, she felt that there were eyes watching her every move. She shrugged then put a lot of minced garlic and white onion then stir-fried. Season with salt, pepper then lots of spicy powder for that extra kick. She put water then brought to a boil, then added lots of tofu and kimchi. She stirred then turned off the heat. She cracked ten eggs she bought in the Japanese online supermarket on the hot stew then slowly stirred. When she turned around, her eyes twitched when she saw how famished these men were. They were drooling as they gulped, watching the pot filled with stew.


    "Can you bring the bowls for your share?" She asked.


    "Yes, ma''am!" Then they scuttled away to look for bowls.


    Emersyn shook her head then brought out a side dish that would go well to this Korean stew. She settled the plates on the big round table then accepted the bowls she got from the men. She just finished scooping their shares when there was a knock on the door. Emersyn removed her apron then opened the door.


    "Good day, Emersyn! I just came to---" Nico sniffed then his eyes naturally settled on the table filled with food. He gulped then¡­ "Can¡­ Can I join? I am also hungry..."


    "Perfect timing then. We still haven''t started. Feel free to eat with us."


    When Emersyn opened the door wide to accommodate the huge size of Nico, he noticed that she had an apron hanging on her forearm and quickly deduced that she was the one who cooked. And damn¡­ brought butterflies in his stomach. It was rare, like, really rare to see a female cook in Tamel or maybe in this world. Now, he couldn''t believe that he would taste the cooking of his future wife.


    "Then, if I may intrude~"


    "So, you came for?" Emersyn asked.


    "Doesn''t matter~ We should start eating now! I am really, really hungry. You see, I haven''t eaten anything since morning, so can I get some for me to take to my room?"


    "Sure? I made a lot anyway. I could send some to your party too."


    "What?! No way! They have too much food in their houses! You can''t just give away your cooking to some jerks!"


    "Jerks, you say?" A voice interjected.


    "Eep!"


    "We jerks are also hungry, so, Emersyn, you wouldn''t mind our joining, right?" Althas said as he unceremoniously entered the room together with Cali and Elan.


    "Of course. I made a lot after all."


    "It is rare to taste a woman''s cooking here, so please excuse our excitement."


    "I''m sure it wouldn''t be that different," Emersyn smiled then served more stew to the newly arrived men. "Please enjoy the stew with some side dishes. I will make some refreshments while you eat---"


    "Oh nonono! We can''t let a woman work while we eat!" Althas complained then went behind Emersyn. He gently pushed her to a vacant seat then sat her there. "Refreshments will come later."


    "Okay?"


    Althas smiled brightly then announced, "Let''s all eat Emersyn''s cooking now!"


    "Ugh..." Nico g.r.o.a.n.e.d but ate anyway. "Why do you all have to come? Wait¡­ this is so delicious! Emersyn, you''re a goddess!"


    "You are taking too long when your destination is so near. So, we excused ourselves for a few minutes to take you back with them. We ended up hearing that we are jerks, so I intervened. And I don''t regret it."


    "I could have enjoyed Emersyn''s cooking in my room¡­ you ruined it, you bastard!"


    Emersyn smiled stiffly as she watched their banters. She shrugged then proceeded eating joyously.

 Chapter 94 - Emergence (2)

    Emersyn sipped hibiscus tea as she waited in her room. Earlier, after their lunch, the Central Marsh men followed the Locruna men to the Elder. They seemed to be secretive about it to her since they left her out. She didn''t pay any mind to those men and just lied down on the couch as she browsed through the sweets sections of countless bakery stores available in the bracelet. She also didn''t pay any attention to the fact that she still couldn''t go back to Strevalia and just wallowed herself to eating sweets.


    "Pudding¡­ waffles filled with whipped cream¡­," she mumbled.


    She decided that she should treat herself with some whole cakes for her hard work. She ordered more strawberries then her order appeared in front of her in wraps. She finally had the chance to use the mithril coins she got and¡­ the currency changed. Instead of a few silver coins, it went to a few mithril coins. So, she tried buying a cask of wine with one gold coin and mithril coins rained in front of her as her change. Her lips curved up as she released a few laughs.


    Once she finished the whole cake and the guys still hadn''t come back, she got up then¡­ she spotted something.


    It was only a small camera, but she inwardly sighed. Emersyn didn''t notice it, so she was ignorant. She badly wanted to facepalm, but she resisted. She waved at them with a chilling smile, "I''ll be back," then came out of her room. She clicked her tongue then exited the building in a bad mood. For some reason, nobody stopped her from going out to the surface. For that, she was grateful at their wits, but not their meddling. She successfully got out to get some fresh air and walked until she spotted a small dragon crawling on the icy ground. It seemed it was just born as its eyes were still closed. She picked it up when she felt that a lot of presences were approaching where they were. The dragon cried loudly, searching for its mother. Emersyn retrieved a blanket then swaddled the baby dragon. Pitch black wings sprouted from her back then flew towards the congregation of monsters chasing after a huge a.d.u.l.t dragon.


    "Kwaaa!!!"


    "Shh¡­ you''ll see your mother soon."


    "Kwaa!!!"


    "There, there. I''m sorry, but I will definitely feed you once we get your mother," she said as she nuzzled the baby dragon''s warm cheeks.


    "Kwaa¡­"


    "That''s a good dragon."


    Dense mana filled her wings then she accelerated towards the flying monster crowd. She hid from their huge numbers as she picked up the pace to reach to the front. When she succeeded, she could see a few eggs dropping from high altitude and a few of the flying monsters came after the eggs. She clicked her tongue then swerved and dived. She caught them before they dropped, then gained altitude to follow the a.d.u.l.t dragon. That dragon didn''t seem to care about the eggs it was carrying as it just glanced back then flew harder. Emersyn noticed that the dragon was getting exhausted and the distance from Tamel was already so far behind. Then, the dragon roared before releasing a fire breath then scorched the flying monsters. However, the flying monsters knew that it was already tired from flying around for days to protect itself and its eggs from this alliance to exterminate the dragon to take its domain. They attacked mercilessly as the dragon couldn''t even fight back. It wouldn''t even let them near him as it constantly fired its breath.


    With that, Emersyn came in between them and stopped the attack. The huge dragon snarled, but saw that its eggs were safely in that human woman''s¡­ well, she was carrying it with something black and long. Then, it saw the defenseless baby dragon snuggled in her arms in a blanket. The dragon let down its guard then carefully descended from the air after it received the eggs and the baby from that human. It didn''t care if that human would buy time for it to rest then escape. However, contrary to its thoughts, that human made a thick net around them with electricity going through the thick mesh of wires.


    Emersyn retrieved her priced weapon then licked her lips.


    "Finally¡­ some birds."


    She released her aura as it heavily pressed on the atmosphere. The flying monsters freezed as she brandished her katana in a flowing fashion, carefully threading through their overwhelming numbers. When their forces were halved and the corpses were even missing, they glanced at the huge dragon resting inside that mysterious contraption then retreated. However, Emersyn didn''t let them go. A huge net surrounded them then electrified those that were inside. She didn''t even let a single one go. She finished storing the countless flying monsters.


    As she descended, she undid the steel dome net around the dragon. It flinched from her presence.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t hurt you. Your newborn is-" after a careful look, Emersyn smiled awkwardly knowing that the dragon was male. "I''m sorry, but can I feed your newborn? I have a milk formula that could help."


    The dragon carefully looked at the baby dragon crying loudly in a blanket then gave the baby to the human woman. He was still cautious, but he decided to trust a human that saved him.


    "Thank you," Emersyn smiled as she accepted the baby.


    She brought a cylindrical can with letters he couldn''t recognize. She quickly worked then heated the bottle up with the perfect temperature with her energy then checked if it could burn the baby''s s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e tongue. When it was done, she offered it to the baby dragon in her arms then shushed it gently, rocking it with care. Suddenly, there was a towering figure that sat beside her. She looked and it was a very handsome man. He was tilting his head when he watched the baby dragon get fed in curiosity. Emersyn smiled then offered him the crying baby dragon and the bottle.


    "You should try."


    "I¡­ I should?"


    "I am not going to take care of your child forever, right?"


    "..."


    "Come on. Try it."


    "I- I should-"


    Emersyn carefully put the baby dragon in the man''s arms then offered him the warm bottle. The man nodded with wide eyes as the baby shushed once it got the bottle in its mouth.


    "I will prepare dinner for you too."


    "Eh? You will prepare what?"


    Emersyn smiled.


    "Dinner for you. The father should be healthy before he could take care of his children."


    She took out a table and her portable mana stone stoves. She rolled her sleeves then prepared a sumptuous dinner. Since she acquired some poultry, she decided to use just that. Also, the man seemed like he was famished. Considering the strength of this a.d.u.l.t dragon, he would have flown for days without rest. So, she decided on cutlets and deep fried poultry seasoned with perfect herbs. It was fast and also easy. She finished a few batches then offered it to the man who was uneasy since the baby dragon was sleeping.


    "I''ll take care of the baby while you eat."


    "Are¡­ are you sure?"


    "You''re tired, right?"


    "... yes."


    "Go eat. I will watch over your eggs."


    "... okay."


    Emersyn sat down with the baby in her arms then ordered mocha latte. The cup appeared and hovered before her. She grabbed it gently then sipped as she watched over the eggs that were showing more and more cracks.


    "Uhm¡­ I¡­ I am done now."


    Emersyn turned then smiled warmly at him.


    "Your eggs are hatching now."


    "Uhm¡­ they are not mine."


    "What?"


    The man panicked as he shook his hands.


    "No! It wasn''t what you think! ¡­ They are my siblings¡­ my mother died when they attacked us in our habitat. I don''t have any experiences when it comes to battle¡­ so I could only escape¡­."


    "I see."


    "And¡­ humans are supposed to hate us¡­."


    "Then I am not human."


    "You aren''t?" The man''s eyes went innocently wide.


    "..."


    "I¡­ didn''t know. I''m sorry, but I am really ignorant. I never knew that there would be someone much stronger than my mother¡­."


    Emersyn smiled wryly.


    "I just got accidentally sent here, for some reason, and I ended up here."


    "You can travel through worlds? That''s seriously amazing¡­."


    "... I can''t for now."


    "You mean?"


    "I won''t be able to travel until I am permitted to."


    "I wish I can go to other worlds too¡­."


    "I see. Is it because you don''t have any more places you could belong to?"


    The man blushed as he scratched his cheek.


    "Yeah¡­ you''re the very first human that showed me kindness¡­ but I wouldn''t be able to pay you back since I have nothing. I¡­ I''m sorry."


    "It''s nothing~ I am helping because I want to. You don''t have to pay me back."


    "Wait¡­ My mother has treasure troves!"


    "..."


    Oh fudge no¡­


    "Dragons are highly attracted to treasures. I am sure that something, no, everything will be useful for you there."


    "... no, use it for yourself."


    "I don''t have any use for them at all."


    "..." she was tempted, but she already had an endless supply of money. She didn''t even know when it would run out since more were coming because of selling more expensive and rare materials to guilds. She grabbed her head then sighed.


    "Okay, I''ll see if something will be useful to me."

 Chapter 95 - Emergence (3)

    Yao Yun was slumped on the table in his room. It had been seven, no, eight days since Emersyn went missing. He asked Althas but the only reply he got was a dry smile. He and the Central Marsh men were grumbling about food. Since they had only a little money, they decided to abstain from eating out. If they started spending it, there would be nothing left for the other expenditures. They shuddered. They had to go up to the surface to kill monsters and earn money. They also had to go back to the Central Marsh to report to the Elders. Ah¡­ they had to also start making connections here in Tamel for their village''s income.


    Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.


    Yao Yun reluctantly stood up as he placed his hand on his hungry stomach.


    "Yes?"


    "... is Emersyn there?" Nico asked worriedly.


    "No. Besides, you will know once she arrives."


    "Uh¡­ that is true¡­."


    "Why do you keep asking?"


    "... I just have to make sure if she is here."


    Growl.


    "...."


    "... you still haven''t eaten yet?"


    "We are saving every penny we have. Emersyn is the only one who is willing to cook for us for free."


    Nico smiled stupidly as the woman he admired came up.


    Yao Yun was dumbfounded as he looked at the man. This man was already claiming Emersyn as his. It somehow ticked him off. He was about to close the door when Nico spoke up.


    "We have a cafeteria. You can eat food there for free."


    "We already ate there. We can''t just take more that is not as delicious as Emersyn''s cooking. Damn¡­ she already took us prisoners of her cooking¡­."


    "I know, right? She is made to be a wife."


    Yao Yun rolled his eyes.


    "Why are you so obsessed with Emersyn?"


    "She is my perfect ideal wife. I could ask nothing more if I took her as my wife!"


    "...." Yao Yun placed his hand on his face. "Okay, fine. Go now."


    "Eh? Why are you making me leave?"


    "You don''t have anything to do with us now, right?"


    "What do you mean? Aren''t you guys going to make connections for your village?"


    "Once Emersyn comes back. We are really not in the condition to talk to people¡­."


    "But there will be a welcoming event later. You guys aren''t coming? If you didn''t, it would be very rude since we prepared this event for all of you. Though we really need to find Emersyn before that¡­. She just said that she would be back and now, she went missing for five days."


    "... she said something to all of you, yet none to us?"


    "Oh¡­ no, it''s not like that."


    "Then what?"


    "Uhm¡­ well¡­ we are monitoring her in her room¡­ and she said that she would be back."


    "No. We didn''t put anything here."


    "Still, why would you do that to Emersyn?"


    "We have our reasons."


    "Oh really?"


    Nico scratched his cheek then bitterly laughed.


    "I''m sorry, but it is for our future."


    Bullshit¡­, Yao Yun thought. Now, he became grateful that Emersyn wasn''t here. He hoped that she would never come back and just go to the Central Marsh for refuge. However, someone broke him from his reverie.


    "Brother Nico! Emersyn is finally here!"


    Elan yelled as he ran.


    "It seems she also brought someone!"


    The Central Marsh men immediately stood up then rushed outside. Yao Yun and Nico also rushed out of the building. However¡­ instead of a feeling of relief, it was met with confusion and shock. Emersyn stood there with a newborn baby in her arms and a very handsome man behind her, carrying two more newborns.


    "E-Emersyn?" Nico called.


    "Hello," Emersyn said as she nodded at him. "He really needs help, so I brought him over. I promise that he wouldn''t do anything bad."


    Suddenly, the baby in the man''s arms cried as he reached for Emersyn. The man gently cradled the baby then handed him over to Emersyn who accepted him. Emersyn nuzzled the baby''s nose then kissed his chubby cheeks.


    "It''s okay, Reagan. Mommy is here."


    Wait¡­ mommy? Mommy?!


    "I''m sorry, but we really need to go to my room. My babies need rest. Follow me, Ignis. I''ll take you to my room."


    "Wait!" Nico bellowed. "You can''t just take a man in your room! What if he assaulted you?"


    Emersyn laughed as the two babies in her arms cooed.


    "He can''t do that. He''s too innocent and cute."


    Ignis blushed as he hid his face in the baby girl''s neck he was holding. The baby squealed. He also lightly kicked Emersyn''s foot as he g.r.o.a.n.e.d.


    Nico was aghast. It can''t be¡­ it just can''t be. Someone already stole her away from him.


    "Hey¡­ Ignis was it?" Nico said through gritted teeth.


    "Yes?"


    "Fight me!"


    "No."


    "Why not?!"


    "My¡­ babies... need me. Also, my¡­ wife¡­ will have a hard time taking care of them."


    Nico''s face turned purple, his mouth agape, shock evident in his face.


    "What? What did you say? Wife? Your babies?"


    "... yes, that is right. What''s wrong with it?"


    "Did you two do it?!"


    "Of course," Ignis replied, though he didn''t know what the man was implying.


    "F.u.c.k.i.n.g¡­. You stole Emersyn from me! I will take her back! Even if she isn''t a v.i.r.g.i.n anymore!" Nico bellowed.


    "Pfft!" Emersyn couldn''t hold her laughter anymore and it just bursted forth. "Ahahahahaha!!!"


    Ignis smiled bitterly.


    "What- what''s wrong?!" Nico was confused.


    Elan, Althas and Central Marsh men were also confused.


    "These are all my babies. They somehow imprinted on me, and Ignis just became my friend when I was outside. He took me around and fought monsters with me. He was endan---in danger, so I helped him. Anyway, Reagan and Alrich are hungry. I am going to feed them in my room. Ignis, please follow me with Chelsea."


    "Okay," Ignis nodded then they left.


    "...."


    "Well¡­ that was anticlimactic. Let''s ask Emersyn to cook for us!" Jairen exclaimed then ran after Emersyn and the Central Marsh men followed closely.


    Meanwhile, Nico lost strength in his legs then sat on the ground. Elan scratched his cheek as he watched his brother sigh in relief. However, Nico suddenly tensed up then quickly followed the Central Marsh men, leaving Elan and Althas behind. Then, Cali approached them.


    "Should we use them?"


    "It seems Nico already thought of it," Althas mumbled.


    "Hah¡­ as expected. He''s crazy about Emersyn after all."


    "Okay, let''s buy a house for Emersyn and Ignis."


    Cali smiled bitterly.


    ***


    It was 10:23 P.M in the bracelet of Emersyn. She was supposed to be asleep, yet she was awake as she gazed on the bed where the babies were sleeping with pillows surrounding them. While Ignis was flipping a book they got in the treasure troves that they raided. She was somewhat tired since she had to carry the babies and Ignis to the locations of the three troves nonstop. It was a hard trip because of the babies, but she didn''t complain.


    "You should sleep, Emersyn."


    "I have to, right?"


    Ignis meekly nodded.


    "After all, you have been carrying us for a long time without any breaks."


    "Well, yeah. Though I still have to hand over all the money your mother had."


    Ignis shook his head.


    "It''s fine. You will stay with us anyway. You can manage the money."


    "Is that so¡­," Emersyn smiled wryly. Did she even have the plan to stay? Her gaze landed on the babies, however, she still felt hollow. Her hand settled on her c.h.e.s.t where her heart was.


    "Besides¡­ you are their mother now. I will do my best to help you."


    Emersyn gazed at Ignis and the man returned her gaze.


    "I would even be your husband if you want to."


    "... sorry, Ignis. My heart will never beat for anyone."


    "Time will fix that."


    "... I don''t know. To be honest, my heart kept on forgetting that someone is loving me unconditionally, yet I am not returning it at all. I spent years with them, yet my heart couldn''t feel anything. When they died, I didn''t feel anything. After all, I couldn''t do anything about it. Even if, as you said, I held great power, I couldn''t do anything. I just have to protect anyone who I can protect. My life doesn''t hold any meaning to me. Everything¡­ feels so miniscule."


    Ignis fidgeted.


    Emersyn smiled.


    "Don''t worry. I am just saying what I want. Don''t mind me. Anyway, I have to go through unknowns to find my memories and my identity. So, I don''t know if I could take you all with me."


    "You are worried, right? You¡­ are just ignoring what you are feeling."


    "Maybe," Emersyn smiled weakly then it disappeared.


    "You became numb¡­."


    Emersyn smiled again.


    "Deep inside you, you are feeling it. Don''t just ignore it."


    "I''ll try. After all, I am not a monster."


    "Wait¡­ you said you aren''t human, but now, you said you aren''t a monster?"


    "It''s a metaphor¡­."


    "Both of them?"


    "Both of them."


    "What does it mean then?"


    Emersyn chuckled then sat next to Ignis.

 Chapter 96 - Emergence (4)

    Emersyn was rummaging through the treasures and money they got in the troves when she stumbled upon a black ball. It didn''t shine or glowed under the light, but she felt a strong attraction to it.


    "Hey, Ignis, where did your mother acquire this?"


    "Hm? Well¡­ I don''t know. She never really shared anything with me."


    "Can I take it?"


    "Why are you asking me that? It''s yours now."


    Emersyn nodded then, suddenly, the black ball shook and it instantly consumed her. She almost heard the cries of the babies and the collective screams of the people. She didn''t know what happened, but it all disappeared when her whole body was swallowed by complete darkness. She fell, and kept on falling. After a few minutes, and hours, she still didn''t see the bottom.


    Meanwhile, the babies transformed into baby dragons as they cried in fear. Ignis also tried to calm himself down and stop his siblings from crying so loudly. Also, he just noticed that the lights were off. Even the whole city is consumed by the darkness. He could hear the screams of terror of the people. He shook his head then turned towards his siblings to soothe them. Then, he could hear a loud banging on the door. He didn''t know where Emersyn disappeared to, but he had to escape from this predicament. If these people found out that Emersyn took in monsters, they would definitely banish her to the surface or worse, kill her. So, he took the baby dragons in his hold and stormed out of the place.


    "What?!" Someone screamed.


    Ignis knew that he was screwed now. However, he still continued to run to reach the exit of Tamel. Fortunately, there weren''t any guards as he dashed out. He finally reached the surface and there were a few people running after him. He accelerated immediately to avoid suspicion and released his wings to fly in the air. However¡­ as if they were waiting for him, a bunch of aerial monsters appeared and chased after him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He released the mana covering him and immediately transformed into a humongous dragon. He flapped his wings harder to, once again, escape from these monsters.


    ***


    Emersyn swam to the edge of the endless pit and extended her arms to touch the dark wall. For some reason, it felt like a soft current when it was raging so violently. When she retracted her hand, there was a residue and it seeped into her body. It felt invigorating¡­. So, she focused her energy in front of her and a huge black hole appeared before her. The dark wall shook violently then immediately entered the black hole. It was a very long process, but she managed to stabilize the black hole for a very long time. She didn''t know how long it was, but she finally floated then gently stepped on a hard floor. There was a loud explosion and a light erupted. She covered his eyes then when she was able to see again, there was a key and a crown floating before her.


    Her fingers touched the cold key then a black chain appeared and made the key as a pendant before it latched on Emersyn''s neck. Then, the crown. She didn''t touch it, but it seeped into her forehead and a black gem appeared on it. She touched the gem and somehow, it felt right.


    She looked around and saw her room.


    "... Emersyn?"


    Emersyn turned to look at the person who called her.


    Yao Yun stood aghast when he saw a gem on her forehead and a floating black crown on her head. In that instant, he knew. He knew that Emersyn was now the crowned Empress of Darkness that he kept on hearing in the Central Marsh. He was flabbergasted. There was only one descendant he knew and ever existed; and it was Chang Xiuying. Was it, perhaps, Emersyn was an illegitimate child? Or maybe¡­ just maybe¡­ that she was Chang Xiuying? He didn''t know. When he was about to call her once again, he saw from his periphery that there were soldiers coming through their way.


    Emersyn smiled weakly when she heard them call her a traitor. So, she had to do one thing.


    "Capture Yao Yun too! He is an accomplice who brought in monsters and Emersyn into our city!"


    She knew.


    So, she waited.


    When the soldiers arrived with the Elders, she cleanly stabbed Yao Yun with a black spike. It was thin and sharp.


    "You fools¡­," she said with a cynical smile. "Come any closer and this man will die. Oh! Maybe I should kill you all too? You all are worthless trash that got deceived by me. What''s the difference between killing you now and killing you later?"


    "Bastard¡­," one of the elders exclaimed.


    "Let me go. I won''t kill you all then. And, I am taking this man as a hostage," Emersyn cackled as she pulled Yao Yun closer who was groaning in unbearable pain.


    When they saw how Emersyn treated Yao Yun, they made way and let her escape. When she arrived at the exit with official people following her, she suddenly threw Yao Yun to them with a laugh then ran up.


    "Bitch¡­," Althas cussed.


    Even Nico was shocked by her betrayal. The wife he was dreaming of was evil. Moreover¡­ She was also the latent descendant of a criminal that killed millions of people and was banished into the other world that they called.


    "This¡­ can''t be¡­."


    Meanwhile, Yao Yun was having a hard time breathing as he coughed out blood. The Central Marsh men immediately crouched next to him and applied immediate first aid. They were stumbling on what to do, but one of the Elders gave sympathetic gazes at them and said, "Put him in his room and a healer will come."


    "Yao Yun! Hang in there!"


    Emersyn was on top of the tallest building as her gaze settled on the people that came to catch her. She was looking at the horizon in an emotionless state. She just disregarded what she was feeling right now as pitch black wings came out from her back. It somehow had feathers on them now. So, she spread it widely then took off.


    The key on her neck shook then led her towards a direction. She didn''t know where, but it seemed like it was pointing at the place where she could use it. So, she followed.


    However, the closer she got as the key shook more vigorously, powerful monsters that could threaten her life kept on appearing. Some were as huge as a building and some were just her size. She brandished multiple weapons from her inventory while using the maximum capacity of her Life Energy. Of course, she also took their corpses. Then, when she struck down the last monster, she stepped on the cold ice and the mist cleared. Her wings folded and she looked at the key before her that stopped vibrating and pointed down. She looked down and saw that the ice was clear and she could see a black roof. She didn''t know how far it was from where she was.


    Still, her fingers touched the ice as it began to crack to smaller pieces. Then, it collapsed as she flapped her wings hard then stepped down on the pitch black roof. She stretched out her hands and willed the shattered ice to float and swept it to expose the infrastructure.


    She could see how majestic this castle was even from where she was. Her wings disappeared and feathers came out as she looked down. There was an open window and she entered through it. It was clean and cold inside, and it seemed that everything was preserved from time immemorial. However, it was too black. Everything was black. She couldn''t comprehend why the mysterious key led her here. She walked through hallways and corridors as she opened every door she could see. There were bedrooms and spacious rooms for guests and a library. The books suddenly disappeared with a motion of her hand as it got stored in her inventory. People in the Central Marsh might be able to understand this and use it to their own discretion. If she could still do anything for them, that was. She almost killed Yao Yun and the Central Marsh men might hold a grudge against her action. She smiled mockingly at herself.


    When she arrived before a huge door, she easily opened it and there was a throne room so huge. The carpet was frozen stiff and the throne filled with an ominous feeling seemed to welcome her warmly. She didn''t know why, but she was drawn to it. Unconsciously, she took a step then approached the huge throne. Her fingers c.a.r.e.s.sed it gently as if it was precious to her.


    Well, it was certainly precious if only she could detach this from the floor---. She left these precious metals alone and left to explore the enormous castle.

 Chapter 97 - Emergence (5)

    Emersyn stopped before the last room in the bas.e.m.e.nt.


    She almost took two whole days just to check every room in the castle. She diligently checked then left for another room. Now, she could certainly feel the mental fatigue that she acc.u.mulated just checking these rooms.


    She opened the huge pitch black door and saw¡­ nothing.


    It was empty.


    Suddenly, the key on her c.h.e.s.t and the jewel embedded on her forehead shook. There was pain, but it was something she could handle. Then, she heard a friction of stone against stone as she looked warily on the pedestal coming out of the floor. Then, a keyhole appeared. Emersyn furrowed her brows as she took a step towards the pedestal. She removed the necklace from her neck then inserted the key on the keyhole. The key disappeared and was replaced with a pitch black pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It hovered then flew towards her. She caught it in her hand and wore it around her neck. Then, the floor opened and... mountains of gold... came out.


    Emersyn put her palms against her face and sighed.


    "Gold¡­ again."


    She couldn''t even bother counting them since it only hurt her head. Everytime she did something huge, gold would voluntarily come to her. Though she was one of the people who liked to ransack every place for money. But now, she had too much money. Still, she would like to loot every money she gained after a day''s work.


    Anyway, she activated the inventory system then all the gold disappeared into her inventory. She left the castle behind her without looking back as it became a haze. Her wings came out from her back. However, there was something familiar in the sky. A flock of flying monsters kept chasing a huge dragon. Emersyn became dumbfounded. She pressed her hand on her forehead and casually rubbed the jewel embedded on it out of frustration. Well¡­ when she left Tamel, she couldn''t see or feel Ignis and the babies. So, it might be her fault that they came out of Tamel and were pursued once again.


    She pressed her index finger on her chin as she gazed up.


    "Kwaaa!!!"


    Her eyes widened when she saw a small dragon swiftly escaping through the numbers and the huge dragon flinching when it left him behind. The small dragon immediately became a baby as it fell down and stretched his short arms towards Emersyn.


    "Reagan?!"


    "Mama!"


    Emersyn panicked and her eyes never left Reagan as she found a spot where she could catch the baby. However, there were some monsters that were targeting the baby as they bared their fangs. Emersyn immediately summoned a gun from her inventory and took aim then shot through their heads in great precision. Then, she caught him in her arms with a little help from the wind.


    "Mama!"


    "That''s dangerous, you brat!"


    Reagan smiled brightly as he buried his face in her c.h.e.s.t. Emersyn sighed in exasperation then immediately wrapped him around her with a cloth then began exterminating the monsters around the huge dragon when it stopped.


    "... Emersyn," Ignis mumbled in his dragon form.


    Emersyn flicked the sword in her hand to remove the blood then brandished it once again. The numbers of the monsters seemed to be lesser than when she first exterminated these groups. Now, monsters kept on piling in her inventory. When she saw the astronomical number, she felt faint. No, she could do it every now and then. Yes, she had an endless amount of days too to dismantle these monsters. She sighed then turned towards Ignis who was covered in wounds.


    "Sup. How ya doin'', bro?"


    "... why are you speaking like that?"


    "Nothin'' out of somethin''. Anyway, I''ll treat your wounds," Emersyn said then mumbled, "Should I just buy a potion¡­? Yes, that would be best."


    "No, thank you. It''ll be good once I get rest. I have good regenerative ability. Don''t worry."


    However, Emersyn ignored him then threw a bottle of potion towards him.


    "There. You have deep wounds. It''ll be a problem for you, me and Reagan. By the way, where are Alrich and Chelsea?"


    "... I hid them."


    "Bring me there."


    "Yes."


    Emersyn''s folded wings spread open then it flapped. After Ignis drank the potion and his wounds healed, his wings also came out of his back in his human form then flew towards where he hid the other babies. However, when they arrived there, they couldn''t find them. Emersyn spread out her energy and was shocked for a moment. She shook her head then proceeded to look for Alrich and Chelsea''s energies. Then, a huge presence trembled under her scrutiny. It emerged from the earth with two small dragons in its hands.


    Its maw opened then spoke.


    "Is this.... Oh my. Ignis, is it? So, these are your children?"


    Ignis narrowed his eyes then widened.


    "Mr. Carnash! What are you doing here?"


    "Well¡­ they are also looking for me. So, I have no choice but to hide or they will catch me. How''s Missus Gerania? She didn''t get caught, right?"


    "... mother died."


    "...."


    "So, I concluded that they will also catch me then kill me. After all, Faria didn''t come for me. She only killed mother in our lair."


    "It wasn''t that long since we escaped, so these children are Gerania''s."


    "Yes, sir."


    Meanwhile, as they conversed, Emersyn was fending off monsters that were coming their way while talking animatedly to Reagan. Monsters kept on piling in her inventory that she was killing with a heavy expression. She shook her head as she tried to ignore whatever was weighing in her head. When the monsters'' number dwindled and there were no more in the vicinity, she took out a small table and began mushing bananas with a small amount of milk. Reagan looked back and was watching Emersyn do her work but soon found it a pain.


    "Mama!"


    "... yes?"


    "Do?"


    "I am making your food. You must be hungry."


    "Foo?"


    "Yes. Food. It will be good for your health. Here. Do you want to taste it first?"


    Reagan tilted his head and Emersyn only smiled. When she was done, she sat Reagan down on the table then bought a small spoon for him. She took a spoonful and fed the baby. Reagan''s doe eyes widened then began anticipating the new taste of food like a baby bird. She finished feeding him, but the baby looked like he still wanted more. So, she bought a jar of baby food in the store.


    "Nu."


    However, it seemed like Reagan didn''t like it even when he just smelled it. Emersyn tilted her head then tasted it. Well¡­ there wasn''t any difference? She gazed at Reagan as the baby reciprocated her gaze. Then, she smiled and bought avocados then began mushing it. She added a small amount of milk then fed the anticipating baby. He smiled widely as he munched the soft food with his toothless gums.


    "Great job, Reagan," Emersyn said as she swept back the baby''s rich red hair.


    Then, his small, doe eyes started dozing off as he attempted to reach out to Emersyn with his cute arms. Emersyn smiled widely then took him in her arms and settled him on her c.h.e.s.t. She patted his back as Reagan s.u.c.k.e.d on his thumb before sleep claimed him completely.


    Ignis, having his conversation with Carnash done, he took back his other two siblings and went towards Emersyn with a middle-aged man in tow.


    "Hello, young miss," Carnash greeted warily.


    Emersyn nodded her head as she continued patting Reagan.


    "So¡­ should I greet you formally?"


    "What for?"


    Carnash looked above her head then to her forehead.


    "You have a crown above your head that signifies the crowned ruler of the dark."


    Emersyn''s eyes went wide then immediately reached up as she touched the cold crown hovering on her head. She sighed in exasperation as she grumbled.


    "What should I do to remove this huge responsibility on me?"


    "All the members of the Imperial family were killed. The jewel on your forehead meant that you are recognized as their direct descendant. If you are here, then it means that someone escaped and produced an heir. So, if you have another person that is recognized as a direct descendant, then you can transfer the crown."


    Emersyn smiled wryly.


    "Then I can''t."


    "Are you the only one?"


    "Yes."


    Carnash nodded.


    "Also, it seems like Ignis'' sibling isn''t afraid of you¡­."


    "What do you mean?"


    "Well¡­ you have this oppressive aura around you and a very thick bloodl.u.s.t. Even I could only handle it when I saw how you took care of this baby."


    "... even I was afraid of you at first," Ignis interjected. "Though I still am, I can handle it."


    Emersyn looked at the peacefully sleeping Reagan and smiled warmly. She gently rubbed her cheek on his small head then pressed a loving kiss on his forehead. The baby smiled widely then continued s.u.c.k.i.n.g on his thumb.

 Chapter 98 - Emergence (6)

    Emersyn was settling Reagan down when the baby w.h.i.n.ed, so she had no choice but to let him sleep on her c.h.e.s.t. Meanwhile, the remaining two small dragons were trying their best to distance themselves from Emersyn with a cry. Ignis tried to pacify them but failed.


    "Uh¡­ Emersyn?"


    "I know. I will just be around," she said as she turned around and walked away from them.


    Ignis bit his lower lip then tended on his siblings, who already lost their connection to Emersyn out of fear. When their object of fear vanished from their eyes, they calmed down and curled their body on the snow.


    Emersyn was patting Reagan''s back as she took a stroll around with the intention of killing the remaining pursuers looking for the dragons. She quietly brandished her sword, afraid that this would wake the baby up. Even after all this mess, this baby dragon was fearless and trusted Emersyn with all his heart. It somehow¡­ gave her an inexplicable feeling in her heart. She didn''t know¡­ what it was, but she thought that it was good, at the least. Maybe. She shook her head anew then looked at the baby on her c.h.e.s.t, sleeping peacefully. She swept back his rich red hair and kissed his small forehead.


    She mumbled, "Thank you."


    Suddenly, Emersyn saw Carnash warily approaching her from a distance. She stopped walking as she waited for the old dragon to come.


    "Sir Carnash-"


    "No. Just call me Carnash. I may be old, but you are in the highest position now, Your Majesty."


    Emersyn smiled wryly then nodded.


    "Did you know how the star disappeared?"


    "Because of something that happened here, it was confined in a space and soon, the moons also disappeared into that space."


    "..."


    "Since you are asking me this, you must have a motive to make me do something to save this planet from completely dying."


    Carnash laughed then said, "You''re unexpectedly sharp, Your Majesty."


    "If you knew this, you are pretty old."


    "Ahaha! I am! Anyway, you are right. I want you to save this planet from dying. Our resources are slowly dying out and we can''t live any longer than ten years before we are completely wiped out from this place. We need to have a better future for those that are still growing."


    He looked at Reagan then to Emersyn.


    "For that baby too."


    Emersyn furrowed her brows from the trap this old dragon laid out. She gazed at her periphery where she could see that the teleportation function of her bracelet was still jammed. If only she could use it, she would have carried Reagan with her to the planets she visited and those that were going to be visited, and ignore these people. She didn''t know when the function would be available, so she was left with no choice.


    She sighed.


    "What should I do then?"


    "Do you have a map of this place?"


    Emersyn tilted her head.


    "I have a way to know, but you can just tell me the place you want me to go."


    "No, no. I just wanted to point you to places where I know the demonic crystals are being protected. You have to go there to revive the whole Demon Kingdom. Then, to the last place where the connection of the isolated space and this world should be broken. That way, the sun and the moons will come back."


    "How about the isolated space?"


    "It will disintegrate into nothingness. After all, it was a space the Founding Demon King made as a last resort for his people. If only that senile old man fought and took over this world, then this wouldn''t happen," Carnash sighed as he placed his palm on his forehead. "Anyway¡­ since there are people inside that isolated space, you have to evacuate them into this world."


    "That''s a problem. Everything is a problem, Carnash."


    "What do you mean?"


    Emersyn looked incredulously at Carnash then sighed. She gently patted Reagan''s back then said, "When I first met the men from the isolated space that they called the Central Marsh, they weren''t in the right condition to live in this place with a mana so dense that they felt incredibly uncomfortable. I only managed to protect them with my energy as a shell until they got used to it. It would be a great plan if I personally took action and did what I did to those that came first. However, I already made an enemy against the Central Marsh and Locruna people and earned their distrust. I can''t just go there and create a mess between them. Besides, someone will definitely take the people of Central Marsh out of their home and live here in Locruna. However¡­"


    "... Central Marsh is their home. They wouldn''t be willing to come out and leave where they grew up. They also wouldn''t like it if they encountered strangers stronger than them. They would fear them and the unknown before them."


    Carnash grumbled.


    "They are the descendants of a powerful race. They would easily get used to this environment and even live comfortably once you activated all the demonic crystals¡­."


    Emersyn closed her eyes then nodded with a sigh.


    "I understand then. I will infiltrate Central Marsh and somehow give the legacy of the castle to them. Then, after that, I will activate the crystals and will cut the connection of Locruna and Central Marsh once everyone is evacuated. Is that fine with you?"


    Carnash''s complexion brightened as he nodded fervently.


    "Please!"


    Emersyn smiled wryly at herself then shook her head.


    Whatever.


    "Oh, right."


    "What''s the matter?"


    "What about those that were after you and Ignis?"


    "Well¡­ I don''t know. But I am sure that it will be alright if we follow you. Right?"


    "..."


    "No, no. We are not really leeching off of you¡­ I think? You can make us do whatever you d.e.s.i.r.e, Your Majesty!"


    "... I don''t need it."


    "But¡­!"


    "I said I don''t need it."


    "Then! I will take care of him when you fight!" Carnash said as he pointed at Reagan.


    "I can protect him on my own."


    "Please, Your Majesty, let me do something for you. I don''t want to die to that evil wench Faria and her goons! If you still decline, I will follow you until the end!"


    "Okay, fine. Geez."


    What a pain in the a.s.s.


    "Ah! If you can''t infiltrate the Central Marsh, then I will do it!"


    "Great, then you are coming with me," Emersyn immediately answered. "How about you, Ignis?"


    Ignis flinched when his name was called then meekly approached Emersyn and kneeled before her. He placed his right hand on his c.h.e.s.t and said, "I will serve Her Majesty."


    "Got it."


    "Wait, why is it so easy for him? While I begged you to let me come!"


    Emersyn incredulously looked at Carnash and at his suggestive phrasing. Sure enough, he never meant anything bad, but it still sounded wrong. She shrugged it off then pointed her chin towards the incoming band of monsters in the air.


    "Never mind that. We have company."


    ***


    "Is that them? I can recognize Carnash and Ignis and the three baby dragons. But who is that woman?" Ulter, a muscled man with two horns at the center of his forehead, muttered to his companion as his wings flapped angrily.


    "I don''t recognise her either, but since she is with them, she must be our enemy," Suria, a huge black tiger with demonic wings on his back, said as his gaze landed on the woman who he felt¡­ something mysterious. "She¡­ I think she would be strong. I can''t fathom her strength from here."


    "No matter. She won''t be as strong from the last. We are the First Army of Her Majesty."


    Suria grinned as his fangs showed.


    "You''re right, Ulter."


    Before Ulter could mutter his reply, he saw the mutilated body of Suria before him. The surroundings also grew darker. Then, there was a woman in front of them with feathered wings. Also, she was the only one they could clearly see. She was carrying a baby on her bosom with a strange contraption wrapped around the baby. It seemed to be securing the little humanoid dragon on her body. Then, everything went pitch black.


    There was a huge sphere floating in the air.


    It disappeared and all the monster carcasses fell on the snowy ground and soaked the white snow with varying colors of blood.


    Carnash, with his mouth wide, was aghast. It only took seconds for Emersyn to wipe out the rest of the army. His eyes shook from fear, understanding why the rest of the children were afraid of her. That power¡­ was dangerous. What if she decided to completely ruin this world? No one would be able to stop her. He became more afraid of the existence before him.


    Meanwhile, Ignis stood frozen with Alrich and Chelsea. They didn''t utter a word, made a sound and moved even for a moment.


    Emersyn quickly stored the carcasses in her inventory with a sigh. Would she be able to dismantle these monsters with Reagan? Worried, she looked over to the baby on her c.h.e.s.t and he was smiling widely with a giggle. He was wiping the green blood off her cheek that somehow splattered there.


    "Mama kewl! Me kwill twoo!"


    Emersyn chuckled as she patted his back, checking if there was blood on his clothes. She clicked her tongue when she felt something warm on his red hair. She had to wash him thoroughly later.


    "Thank you, Reagan, and no. No killing until you are bigger."


    Reagan tilted his head then nodded with a smile.


    "Ung!"


    "Good boy. Let''s go back...," Emersyn didn''t finish what she was saying once she saw her fear stricken companions. She gently smiled then took off somewhere far from their sight.

 Chapter 99 - A Way (1)

    Emersyn marveled before this gigantic demonic crystal floating before her in a bleak cliff despite it being just frozen a few minutes ago. She had seen this before, but where was it? In any case, she had to destroy this after the demon that was guarding the core of the crystal appeared. However, the one that appeared before her was no demon. It was a human. He appeared to be confused then showed a tentative hostility at Emersyn.


    "Who are you? Where is this?"


    "Emersyn. We are currently at the east of the demonic realm."


    "This is not the Central Marsh?"


    Emersyn''s eyes narrowed.


    "State your name."


    "... Chu Jingxing."


    "Where are you living in the Central Marsh?"


    "Why should I tell an outsider? You won''t know anyway. More than that, what am I doing here?"


    Emersyn smiled wryly when he shrugged over her question.


    "Is it the East Garden Pagoda?"


    Chu Jingxing''s eyes widened as he observed Emersyn closer. He put his fingers over his chin.


    "I think I have heard of you somewhere¡­."


    "..."


    Shoot. She recently just had bad blood with Yao Yun and the other Central Marsh men. She couldn''t just introduce herself as a companion of Yao Yun when she first came there as Emersyn. Moreover, if they evacuated in Locruna and had gotten news of her betrayal, it would be worse if she showed goodwill now.


    "Will you move? I just want to destroy that crystal behind you."


    Chu Jingxing suddenly felt a strong protective instinct to that very crystal as he guarded it against Emersyn.


    "I guess this won''t end quietly," Emersyn muttered as she covered her forehead with her palm.


    Should she kill him or not?


    ¡­


    Yep, let''s kill him.


    Now, the question would be, if she would let the man fight longer or just end him fast. Emersyn pondered as her finger settled on her chin. She pointed a finger on the crystal and a red searing line appeared and Chu Jingxing made a big move and deflected the laser as it reached the darkened sky. Emersyn continued pointing at the crystal as Chu Jingxing let out cold sweat. It seemed like he wouldn''t be able to protect the crystal for long since it took him all his strength to defend against just one searing red line. The temperature rose and he sweated more. He strengthened his legs and firmed his arms.


    He didn''t know until when he would be able to hold on.


    Finally, Emersyn nodded her head. She put a little more strength in her finger and it pierced Chu Jingxing''s defenses. In the process, he lost his arm as he screamed, falling down.


    Emersyn broadly smiled as she squatted before him.


    "You should have just let me destroy the crystal, mister Chu Jingxing. Your arm would still be intact."


    "You¡­ you!!! That woman Yao Yun brought! I remember you now!"


    "Ah, yes. That child. I stabbed him. In his heart."


    Emersyn chuckled as she let out a small, thin black spike.


    "With this."


    "You killed him¡­ you killed him! I will kill you! All the Central Marsh will kill you!!!"


    "Ahahaha!!! Show me more of that anger!"


    "You bastard¡­ you''re crazy! Asshole!"


    Emersyn waved her hand as she stood up then walked towards the crystal. Suddenly, she felt something ticklish on her back.


    "Wha¡­?! Why¡­ is it not going in?!"


    Chu Jingxing fell back with a thud.


    "I¡­ I am the genius of the Chu family¡­."


    Emersyn shrugged then settled her hand on the demonic crystal. However, instead of quietly being destroyed, black smoke arose from her palms and covered the whole crystal. The ground shook, cracks showed and black smoke arose. Emersyn tried to pull back her hand and it offered her a strong resistance.


    "What¡­ what did you do?"


    Emersyn looked back and saw that Chu Jingxing''s arm was already attached. He was condensing something to protect himself from the mysterious black smoke. However, his only protective shell was slowly eroding.


    "What did you do?!"


    She bit back her reply and exhaled. She focused on the cold touch of the crystal then injected her energy. The smoke was blown away and the crystal lost its power as it fell on the cliff. Chu Jingxing suddenly heaved as the connection of him and that crystal was broken, leaving him unprotected against the dense mana. He sat cross-legged on the ground and closed his eyes.


    Maybe it could be sold.


    At the other end, in the Central Marsh, Ignis and the two children separated from Carnash and Reagan were inspecting the Pagodas. The first change was seen in the East Garden Pagoda as the crystal above lost its light and the connection from the outside of Central Marsh. The surrounding of the Pagoda became desolate. Its rich greenery wilted as part of the Central Marsh became covered with dark energy.


    "It has begun¡­," Carnash mumbled as his eyes watched how the East Garden Pagoda got engulfed by the black smoke and disappeared.


    ***


    "Eh? Wait, where''s the East Garden Pagoda?"


    "What do you mean?" A woman said as she placed down the knife on the wooden cutting board then looked at her husband.


    "Look! There is nothing there. It disappeared!"


    Someone came running as he heaved, warning the rest of the people.


    "The North disappeared too! Let''s go out of here before the mist covers the entirety of the Central Marsh!"


    "Why are you saying something so terrible?! Are we just going to abandon our home?"


    "We are all going to die!"


    "How did you know that? That''s just nonsense!"


    "Can''t you see that our great forest is also disappearing?!"


    "What? What did you say?"


    "We have to go out! We have no choice!"


    "... wait, who are you?"


    Someone who calmed down suddenly asked the man who warned them. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the countenance of the young man.


    "I believe this is the first time we''ve met."


    "I just came from the outside. It''s me, Jairen. So, please listen to me!"


    "Jairen¡­? Ah! That Jairen! I didn''t recognize you! It seems like you''ve grown. It was just a few years ago that you were running around the Central Marsh in your training."


    Jairen was left dumbfounded. These people''s lives were in danger, yet they had the luxury to be nostalgic.


    "Please! Let''s get out of here."


    "Hahaha! You''re still young, Jairen boy. We basically grew old in this place. How could we leave?"


    Suddenly, there were three pairs of wings that covered them from the light of the sun.


    "... dragons!" Jairen screamed.


    Those three dragons spewed fire at the center of the marsh as they spread terror with their intimidating roars. People came out of their homes and a few remained to protect it. However, those stubborn people only died under the flames and the rest ran, screaming, towards the mist where Jairen, Daren, Egbert and the now recovered Yao Yun outside the mist. Jairen''s pupils trembled from fear as he watched the dragons wreak havoc in their home. Questions flooded in his mind. How did those dragons know that beyond the mist lies Central Marsh? Who informed them---.


    Emersyn!


    He gritted his teeth in anger.


    "How dare you¡­! How dare you!!!"


    Was she also the perpetrator behind the disappearance of the Pagodas? What was going on? What was she doing outside?


    When a huge dragon suddenly appeared in the dark sky where the sun disappeared, they hurriedly ran outside, feeling the strong tremor from the ground. Leaving their home and corpses of their loved ones that stayed stubbornly to protect their homes in vain.


    When they reached outside, the warriors of Tamel were welcoming them in open arms. However, because of the sudden change of the density of the mana, they were uncomfortable. They could get used to it if they cultivated the energy here. In any case, they had to accept that they would be living in a new space since the dragons still hadn''t left in the Central Marsh. They sighed in remorse then followed the warriors to Tamel.


    Also, they suddenly had a peek of the sun rising.


    Sun?


    Sun?!


    "The sun is here!!! It''s here!!!"


    The warriors screamed in delight as they rushed towards the path to Tamel, completely disregarding the people of the Central Marsh. However, the people who were left behind recognized that sun. Their faces hardened as they saw two moons starting to disappear into the horizon. Their hearts stiffened. Suddenly, they felt a horrible foreboding in their c.h.e.s.ts as they continued to gaze at the three celestial objects until the moons completely disappeared.


    Dawn came.


    Jairen knew, and the rest of them knew.


    Central Marsh is long gone.


    Even if they came back, they wouldn''t be able to live there at all. Only fools would go back. For some reason, they wanted to be that fool.

 Chapter 100 - A Way (2)

    Yao Yun felt the darkness surrounding him as he gained consciousness. He slowly opened his heavy eyelids, his vision blurry. Soon, his eyes got used and regained his sight. He was in a room and was lying on a fluffy bed. His hands covered his forehead as a splitting headache came. Memories flooded in his mind. He remembered how he saw the crown above Emersyn''s head and an ominous black crystal on her forehead. How a needle pierced through his heart. In fact, it didn''t even affect him greatly and he saw no problems in his body. He believed that Emersyn was forced to stab him.


    "Oh? You''re awake now, Yun. Here, have some water."


    Egbert suddenly came in with a tray. He went over to the bed and offered him a glass of water that was on the tray. Yao Yun nodded then received the glass with two trembling hands.


    "How long was I asleep?" Yao Yun asked after he took a sip.


    "Hmm¡­ that would be around a week. We don''t know what that woman did to you, so we were hopeless. The healing process only took a few minutes, but you still didn''t show any signs of waking up. Days passed and you were still asleep. We were worried about supplying you with nutrients, but that was, somehow, taken care of. We didn''t know how and why, so we just let it be since we have the advantage. Anyway, I only brought water. I will just get some porridge for you. Is that okay?"


    "Thanks, Sir Egg."


    "Hey! Don''t call me Egg! You just woke up and the first thing you did was to bully me?!"


    Yao Yun smiled then shooed him.


    "Go. I''m hungry."


    "Tch. Sick people like you should just sleep forever."


    Egbert settled the tray on the nightstand then left the room.


    Yao Yun smiled mockingly at himself as he gazed over at his hands that were filled with callouses and scars. He clenched his shaking hands then released his hold. His hand went to his c.h.e.s.t as he felt the steady lull of his heart. For some reason, he felt warm but cold at the same time.


    "Here it is, bastard!"


    "I''m surprised at how fast you are."


    "Well¡­ the kitchen was just around the corner."


    Egbert reasoned out with a blush as he settled the small table on Yao Yun''s l.a.p.


    "Eat before it gets cold."


    "By the way, can you tell me what happened when I was asleep?"


    Egbert rubbed his forehead then took the chair by the dinner table and settled it beside the bed. He sat there then began, "You remember that they don''t have a sun or a moon, right?"


    "Yes. I remember."


    "It suddenly appeared here."


    "What?"


    "Moreover¡­," Egbert leaned then whispered, "It''s our sun. The Central Marsh people are making a fuss, but they won''t dare voice it out or they''ll be killed."


    "Wait, how can you be so sure that it''s our sun?"


    "Dude, we''ve been staring at that sun ever since we were born! Of course we''ll be able to recognize it!"


    Yao Yun looked incredulously at Egbert.


    "What are you looking at?"


    "Nothing. Just continue," Yao Yun said as he waved his hand in resignation.


    Egbert furrowed his brows then cleared his throat. He continued, "Do you know those two moons that appeared suddenly in Central Marsh? They also appeared here. So, we put two and two together; we stole each other''s celestial beings. Also, we already evacuated here in Tamel since Emersyn took control of the Central Marsh using dragons."


    "Wait, what?"


    "Yes. She started reviving the, you know, what they call the demon world in this place. Since we are currently leeching off these people, we are being deployed to the demon world along with the other underground cities to purge Emersyn."


    "..."


    "I know¡­ it''s hard. She is really strong and¡­ you know, I heard that at the borders of the demon world, there are hellfires that forbid monsters and people to come in and out."


    "Do we really have to purge her? You know¡­ she might have done it to protect us¡­."


    "What do you mean? She almost killed you, and you want to save her? You''re crazy!" Egbert scoffed, then grabbed a glass and poured water in it. He drank it all at once, then he coughed violently.


    "Ack!"


    Yao Yun, who became wet from the spluttered water, complained.


    "What in the world are you doing?!"


    "Heuk! Heuk! Can''t you see that I am angry?! Heuk! You can''t just not put any value on you! Ack! It hurts¡­. Anyway, we have to get revenge, Yun!"


    Yao Yun was silent for a while as Egbert waited for him to talk.


    "... don''t you remember what I did back then?"


    "What?"


    "I killed people¡­ how can I put value on myself?"


    Egbert waved his hand.


    "Who cares about that now? That''s already in the past. We have a lot to worry about in the present and in the future, so why waste your time thinking of the past? Besides, we already forgave you; and you only did it to protect whoever those were in trouble. I don''t even remember the details now! Hahaha! So, cheer up! We have to kick some Emersyn b.u.t.t and get revenge for you!"


    Yao Yun whispered, "I still don''t think Emersyn wanted to kill me."


    "What the heck are you on now?"


    Yao Yun shook his head and smiled at him.


    "Nothing, Sir Eggy."


    "This f.u.c.ker! Why are you calling me Eggy now?! Huh?! Do you want me to put you in a coma?!"


    Yao Yun laughed out loud.


    "Where''s the others?"


    "Do you really think I will forget what you did? Eggy! Hah! You suck!"


    Suddenly, there was a knock. Yao Yun and Egbert''s attention went to the door where people were silently watching them. Egbert coughed in embarrassment as he settled his b.u.t.t on the chair. Meanwhile, Yao Yun smiled and gestured at them to come in. Knowing that everything was fine now, Jairen and Daren came in with a snicker.


    "So, Eggy, why didn''t you inform us that Yun woke up?" Jairen teased.


    "This f.u.c.ker!"


    "We only got to know it when you rushed out of the room and hurriedly took a readied bowl of porridge."


    "This shit! Shut up!" Egbert yelled, his face red.


    Daren grinned and jabbed at Egbert''s ribs.


    "Ack! When did you get this strong?!"


    "I''ve been volunteering in monster subjugations with brother Jai."


    "What?! You left me behind?!"


    "You didn''t ask," Daren said as he shrugged. "Besides, whenever we go out, you are out there, partying."


    "Can''t blame me. It''s the first time that I experienced this life. So, why can''t I enjoy this?"


    "Yun, your family is just in the next building. They still don''t know about your situation and we decided to not tell them, since you would be afraid to worry them."


    "You know me quite well, Sir Jairen."


    "Wait, you''re just ignoring me here?" Egbert grumbled.


    "Oh, and tomorrow, we will depart to the border. Do you want to come?" Daren interjected.


    "I want to go," Yao Yun immediately said as he looked at Jairen''s eyes filled with conviction.


    "Alright then. Rest up today. Warm up tonight. We''ll depart tomorrow."


    "Yes, sir."


    "Come on now, Eggy," Jairen said as he grabbed Egbert''s collar. "We have a lot of training to do for you," then dragged him out.


    "Wait! I have to go drinking with Ludo later!"


    "Are you coming tomorrow or not?"


    "Uhm¡­ uh¡­ can I just join the next day? I don''t have anything to do that day!"


    "Excuses. We''ll talk to Ludo."


    "What?! You can''t do this!"


    "Do you really want to fall back behind us?"


    ".... no. That would be truly horrifying."


    Then, their voices thinned out and Yao Yun sighed in relief. He laid down the bed as he settled his hand on his loudly beating heart. He was sensing an ominous foreboding tomorrow. He didn''t know why, but he felt something¡­ it was more like a sad emotion. He turned to look at the kitchen where Emersyn cooked for them with care. Truly, he couldn''t imagine Emersyn doing something evil. It must be all to protect them. But¡­ from where? From who? He didn''t know. He might know something, anything, once he met with Emersyn. He would know for sure what she was planning and beg her to let him help her.


    Even if it cost him his life.


    He would side with her no matter what.


    Determined, he nodded then closed his eyes to rest. He still had a big day tomorrow.

 Chapter 101 - A Way (3)

    Waking up from his rest, Yao Yun stood up from the bed as he checked his body again if there were any abnormalities. He stretched his body for a few minutes then stared at the kitchen. He shook his head then changed his clothes that were closer to a tracksuit and headed out for a light run. He also had to visit his mother and Jiang Hao''s family.


    "Yun!"


    Someone called behind him. He turned around and saw Jairen waving at him.


    "You''re up. Going for a run?"


    "Yes. Though I don''t know if it will be enough for me to warm up¡­. How about you, sir?"


    "We are just taking a break from training Eggy. He is still outside though. Want to join us?"


    Yao Yun nodded.


    "Then I will follow you later. I still have to see my mother."


    "Okay, we will wait for you above."


    Yao Yun bid goodbye then went to¡­ which building was it? He forgot to ask which building where they currently resided. When realization hit him, Jairen was already gone from his sight.


    "Ah¡­."


    He sighed then ran outside to look for someone familiar. When he didn''t see anyone, he resorted to just enter the buildings next to where he resided and asked if there were anyone named Yao Chen there. When sweat started pouring on his face, he finally got in front of the door where his family was. He knocked on the door a few times. Then, there was a crash and small footsteps approaching the door.


    "Who is it?"


    "It''s me, Yao Yun."


    Suddenly, the door opened and a small boy appeared and jumped into his arms.


    "Big brother!"


    "Yao Jin! You¡­ you were just a baby when I last saw you¡­."


    "You know, you know! We killed monsters~ then, ''poof!'' we grew!"


    "... well¡­ I think this is better¡­. Where''s mother and our siblings?"


    "They went out! They said they have to get rosery!"


    "Uh¡­ what? Rosery?"


    Yao Yun''s expression went blank as he thought of a word close to rosery. He remembered Emersyn saying groceries whenever they sold their monster materials to the guild with a glint in her eyes.


    "Jin, is it, perhaps, grocery?"


    "Yes! That! How did you know that, big brother?"


    "I just learned it from a friend. So, do you know when they will come back? How about uncle Hao?"


    "Uncle Hao is upstairs! I want to go with you, but I can''t leave¡­."


    "Then I will wait with you. Let''s go together when they come back."


    "Yay!" Yao Jin jumped around in joy. "Outside was incredible, big brother! They have lots of toys and clothes and shoes! We only got little money, so we only got to buy rosery! Oh, no. It''s grocery. Anyway! I want to buy more toys with my money!"


    "..... how about your clothes and shoes? Don''t you need them?"


    "I don''t care? I want more toys!"


    "This kid¡­," Yao Yun sighed in exasperation as he covered his forehead with his hand. "I''ll buy you clothes and shoes."


    "Eeeeeehh¡­."


    "Shut up and listen. Do you want to appear dirty and get no friends?"


    "What?! I can''t get friends if I am dirty?"


    "Of course."


    "Nah! I have you, mother and siblings!"


    "Even I won''t get close to you if you are dirty."


    "But you are close now?" Yao Jin tilted his head.


    "For now, yes. But if you insist on this, I won''t get close to you."


    The child pouted as his lips trembled. Then, he slowly nodded.


    "Okay¡­."


    "Good boy. I have enough money, so I might buy you a lot."


    "Then I will not be dirty?"


    "Of course."


    "Okay!"


    Suddenly, the knob turned and the door opened. Yao Chen''s figure entered with a few children in tow with bags on their hands.


    "Oh, it''s you. What are you doing here? You have to join Jairen for some hunting, right?"


    Yao Yun weakly smiled as he scratched his head.


    "So, you already knew, mother¡­."


    "Of course. Who am I? I just didn''t tell your siblings or these little shits would scream in worry and look for you all the time."


    "Thank you, mother."


    "No problem. Go now. Aren''t you going to have a small mission with Jairen''s group?"


    "I''ll wait until all my siblings are here," Yao Yun said as he gazed over at the children clamoring at the bags they brought. He smiled at the sight then turned his gaze at Yao Chen.


    "They are all doing their jobs. Since they are the only ones who adapted this fast in this kind of environment, they are tasked to go with the remaining warriors to get provisions. So, go now."


    "Okay, okay. Please let them know I am alright."


    "I will," Yao Chen said before kicking Yao Yun out of the room.


    Yao Yun chuckled as he dusted his knees and went over to the path leading outside of Tamel. When he arrived there, the two guards that were guarding the archway recognized him. They gave him sympathetic glances then allowed him to go outside. Yao Yun climbed up as the light at the end of the passage. He could hear voices that belonged to Daren and Jairen.


    When he finally stepped out of the dark, a blinding sun greeted his eyes. He immediately blocked the light in his eyes.


    "Yun! Aaaah! It''s really great to have a sun!" Daren said as he spread his arms and basked himself under the sunlight.


    "... yes," Yao Yun meekly answered.


    "Alright. The encirclement is that way where Eggy is fighting monsters with the newbies."


    "Newbies?"


    "Your siblings. They are ferocious and fearless¡­ and you could even leave them alone with Eggy," Jairen replied.


    "...."


    "And the ice is melting nicely."


    Yao Yun nodded.


    "Because of the hellfire?"


    Jairen smiled wryly.


    "I have to admit, yes. Emersyn did a good thing for once."


    Yao Yun opened his mouth, but his words didn''t come out. He knew¡­ that Emersyn did more than what they thought. He continued to believe that even if he was wrong. She even did small things to care for their well-being. She took care of their stomach until they were satisfied.


    "I don''t think it''s a good thing. How about the water? Where will it go? If this continues, the whole world will be flooded," Daren mumbled.


    "Ah, yes. I forgot about that. No more good things. I''ll take it back."


    "Anyway, we should go to Eggy and the kids. They might be hungry---," suddenly, Daren stopped as his eyes widened. He whispered, "Emersyn cooked delicious food for us¡­."


    Jairen patted his brother''s shoulder and said, "No matter. Let''s go now."


    When they arrived at where the children and Egbert was, the little children were using their mouths to tear the monsters'' flesh and chewed them before swallowing. Jairen and Daren almost screamed from the bloody sight when even children laughed at. Of course, it was their first time seeing this scene even when he was in Central Marsh. After all, they never encountered these kind of beasts besides Yao Yun. When the initial shock subsided, they sighed deep, their hands on their wildly beating heart. Then, their gaze went to the only a.d.u.l.t in the bunch. He¡­ was also using his teeth to tear up monster flesh, but kept on failing.


    "Eggy¡­ why are you copying these children?" Jairen asked in exasperation.


    "But it seems fun. Now, my teeth hurts," Egbert touched his aching teeth, then abruptly stopped. "The heck! I said don''t call me Eggy! I''ll tear you to shreds!"


    "In your condition?" Jairen raised his eyebrow then pointed at Egbert''s trembling body. It seemed like the children followed what he ordered that they should let Egbert go on his own. Of course, he also ordered that they would help whenever they saw the scene as highly dangerous.


    "I¡­."


    "Anyway, we are going for another run. Since Yao Yun is here now."


    The children stopped whatever they were doing then cheered loudly. Meanwhile, Egbert''s face paled then he fell on his b.u.t.t.


    "No, no! Please let me go just this once. Please?!" Egbert pleaded.


    "I''ll be the one luring the monsters this time," Daren said.


    Yao Yun looked over the scene and asked, "The monsters they killed is already numerous. Are there still some around?"


    "Well, there was a sudden increase of monsters since the day the demon world revived. I heard from the reconnaissance that the monsters were composed of the dark element. So, they focused on recruiting light mages to combat them, but they weren''t enough."


    Yao Yun raised his arm and felt the current of mana. His suspicion was right.


    "The mana thinned," he muttered.


    "Really?" Jairen asked as he also tried copying Yao Yun. "I don''t feel a single change though?"


    "And the current¡­ is getting stronger there."


    They all looked at where Yao Yun was pointing.


    "The demon world?"


    "Something is brewing there, and it''s not good. I don''t think¡­ that we''ll survive if we get nearer."


    "That¡­ does that mean we have to stop forcing our way through the hellfires?" Egbert mumbled.


    "Emersyn might be hiding something from us¡­," Yao Yun whispered to himself.

 Chapter 102 - A Way (4)

    Yao Yun swallowed his spit as he saw from afar how raging and scary the hellfire was. The columns of fire were tightly knitted together as they reached the sky. Also, for some reason, he could smell wet earth. It was very strange considering the rising temperature of the atmosphere. Wait¡­ maybe beyond the hellfire was already flooded with water? But it wouldn''t smell this strong.


    He put his confusion behind and looked back to where the mages were preparing for a strong spell to somehow make a small gap between the columns of fire. They were also kind of rejoicing from finally being freed from the underground. The mana wasn''t too thick like before and the ice was slowly being melted from the hellfire and the heat from the sun.


    Though¡­ they were sweating hard from this sudden rise of temperature.


    "Phew¡­ when will we start? I can''t wait to get away from this extreme heat. My cooling spell is slowly running out," one of them complained.


    "Once everybody is settled," Alton said, the one leading the group from the underground city of Hamel. He was quite tall for an underground resident that didn''t have enough vitamin D and burly as his skin was pale. He was the only one that was tall enough to contend with the Central Marsh people.


    "When is that?!" Another complained as he stepped forward to voice his unrest.


    "Which underground city did you come from?"


    "Barheil," the man arrogantly said.


    Barheil, one of the leading underground cities that was just beside a small gold mine. Because of a gold vein, the mages there were a little more stronger against the thick mana outside that leaked into the mine. All their lives, they believed that they would fare much better than the other low-lives that didn''t even have one pure gold in their pockets. To show off, they only sent their best mages and warriors. They also rejoiced that the mana in the atmosphere wasn''t too thick, so they could put their best into this work.


    "I see. Please get your companions and prepare the spell to open up a hole in that wall of fire. We will assist when you need us."


    The man waved his hand with a smirk then left.


    "What are you doing, Alton?" His comrade, Eulaile, who was a few heads smaller than him, asked.


    "They still don''t know how formidable this wall of fire is yet."


    Knowing his intentions, Eulaile nodded.


    Yao Yun watched the group of mages from Barheil approach the raging columns of fire. They chanted a huge spell as more sweat poured out of their body. The people closely monitored their target to see if they needed help, but after a few moments, nothing changed. They tried harder to chant as a bigger spell circle appeared where they were standing.


    Suddenly, the man leading them vomited blood from the setback and the reaction from the wall of fire.


    "This¡­ this¡­!"


    Instead, it grew larger and the ice around them melted and boiling water was produced. They stepped back hurriedly as another obstacle appeared before them. The water continued to boil as the fire burned more. Suddenly, there was a shriek beyond the wall of fire. The fire exploded and crackled. There was a speck of fire that flew at him, but¡­ strangely, he felt something complex and reached out to touch that speck. Fortunately, it didn''t feel hot as before. The temperature around him dropped as he tentatively approached the impregnable wall of fire.


    "Yun?!" Althas screamed in terror.


    "Hey! Don''t go there!" Jairen tried to stop him in panic.


    Then, a small opening appeared.


    "?!"


    The rest of them were baffled.


    Yao Yun tilted his head when something seemed to be beckoning at him to enter. As he approached, the opening grew larger to accommodate his size. However, when the people started approaching, even at a distance, the opening immediately closed. Yao Yun panicked as he felt the complex feelings in his heart slowly disappear.


    He shouted, "Stay away! I will enter alone!"


    "But¡­!"


    "You saw it! I am the only one who can enter this hell! So, stay back!"


    "...."


    When everybody backed off, Yao Yun exhaled and the opening appeared, narrower than before. He exhaled once again then entered through the gap. The fire engulfed him and there weren''t any more gaps that appeared.


    "Why is he able to enter?" The question finally surfaced.


    "That Emersyn must have left something inside Yun''s heart¡­," Jairen said.


    "Emersyn?"


    "She''s the one who brought the hateful dragons into Tamel and almost killed the person who came into that fire. I also heard from the Central Marsh people that those dragons infiltrated inside their realm and destroyed it before it disappeared. And now, as you all know, she is the one who awoke the demon world."


    "I see. We never really bothered knowing her name."


    "You can just forget it. It doesn''t matter anyway. We will kill her once Yao Yun does his job inside."


    "Alright. Let''s fall back. We''ll wait for him."


    Screams.


    Nightmares.


    And cries.


    Inside a swelling of dark energy, Emersyn sprawled on the solid cloud, her eyes continued to stream out tears as it looked dead. Memories kept on appearing in her head and played so vividly that she could feel her aching heart go numb.


    Incomprehensible mumbles came out of her dried lips.


    "... kill me...."


    ***


    Yao Yun fell on the surface of the exposed earth as he tried to balance himself against the shock of the fall. Then, he looked around and saw that there were droplets of water that kept the earth wet. His eyes gazed up and went wide as he saw that there was a huge congregation of water in the sky.


    "Wow¡­," he exclaimed in awe.


    The temperature was cool as he inhaled the scent of petrichor. However¡­ there was a boiling mana just ahead. He couldn''t really enjoy at this time and went ahead. His feet became heavier each step towards. His breathing became ragged as he, suddenly, halted his steps. He couldn''t go near it at all. He felt hopeless. He felt so weak. He vomited blood as he collapsed on his knees, his mind a mess. He forced himself to calm down as he breathed deeply and exhaled through his mouth.


    He could sense a lot of raging mana ahead and knew that Emersyn was at the center of it all.


    "Emersyn....," he called.


    "Emersyn!" He shouted.


    Then, he heard a faint voice. So faint that he barely caught it.


    "... kill me...."


    But he couldn''t do anything. He grieved.


    ***


    Her consciousness disappeared and the machines surrounding the battered body of a woman. Steam rose from the oxygenated liquid of the cylinder, overheating the machines until it broke.


    "Oh no¡­. Call His Majesty!"


    "No, no, no!"


    "Your Highness! Please hold on!"


    Suddenly, there was a handsome man that ran towards the container that held his beloved. His shaking hand touched the heated glass on the verge of breaking and gently c.a.r.e.s.sed it. He clenched his fist and immediately connected through her that still hadn''t disappeared. Her soul.


    "Your Excellency! It''s dangerous, so please step back!"


    The men called him, but he didn''t stop.


    "Your Excellency! Please!"


    "Stop whining!" He ordered, and the rest held their bated breath. "Don''t stop me. I beg of you."


    "Your Excellency¡­."


    "She still have a connection to her original body. I will take her back, even if it cost me my life."


    Elodiaren said then closed his eyes.


    More people seemed to connect through her mind even though her senses and heart went incredibly numb. She just wanted to die alone, yet these annoying people kept on knocking on her door; loudly at that.


    Suddenly, the image of a child smiling at her as she killed him so vividly came in her mind. Her heart ached once more, then it disappeared fast like how it came.


    Suddenly, there was a slight c.a.r.e.s.s on her cheek.


    The memory of that person who light c.a.r.e.s.sed her cheek then suddenly hitting it with all their might came. The pain on her stomach, face and limbs came back. However, it only put a tickle on her body.


    "Akeevah, do you want to come with us? We''ll play with the uncles and aunties."


    Ah¡­ that name. She already forgot that name.


    "Yes!"


    Hahaha¡­ kid, you don''t have any ideas that it would be the start of your nightmares.


    Shot with a gun. Broke a few limbs. Tortured.


    She still remembered how she cried for nights and pleaded to make it stop. However, her pleas and cries never reached anyone. Even when she was saved, that hope quickly disappeared. No one. No one was there. She lived her life all alone. The hope that someone would save her was gone. Even though people came to comfort her, she couldn''t face their sincerity head on. She felt burdened. She felt like running away. She considered dying, and she did. If only¡­ if only that stupid system never blocked that option, she could have died then and there. Why did it gave her the reason to live? Why was it¡­ why did she just let it be? Why couldn''t she just kill herself until her life ran out?


    She mocked herself.


    Why was it that made her want to live?!


    Ah¡­ she was not completely dead after all. Maybe¡­ deep down¡­ she still wanted someone to save her.


    She laughed at herself derisively.

 Chapter 103 - A Way (5)

    Countless deaths occurred in her mind; those that killed her, relentlessly replaying. Moreover, there was a raging stream of mana that kept on entering her body. It was dense, so dense that the overflow made her want to retch. Her body couldn''t take it, so it was thrown away. However, the mana thrown was shaping into monsters that resembled those that she had seen. The only difference was their color. It was pitch black.


    Emersyn''s instinctively created a border of fire, so that these monsters won''t escape outside of the demonic realm. When she felt some of her energy approaching, she let it in.


    Then, when she felt a light tingle on her body, she tried her to resist it. Her body screamed at her, crumbling. So, she stopped resisting. New flesh started to appear and reconstructed her body countless times. It, somehow, felt invigorating. She could feel a warm embrace started wrapping her very soul. Meanwhile, amidst the storm of mana outside, there was someone that kept on persisting to come towards her. The irregularity of the stream was apparent around this person.


    She wanted to rest her mind from this continuous torture of memories that she forgot and those that appeared unannounced.


    "Emersyn!"


    That voice¡­ it sounded so familiar.


    "You have to wake up!"


    Wake up? What do you mean? I am awake.


    "Stop this!"


    What should I stop?


    "Cough!"


    I don''t know what you are talking about.


    "Please!"


    Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through her heart and through her head. It wasn''t that painful, but it made her open her eyes so abruptly. Her eyes were interchanging to red, black and silver. The roots of her white hair were starting to turn red as if blood was poured on her head. She could feel a tingling pain in her bones. She sighed as her sight was filled with black. She dispersed it and a stone ceiling appeared.


    She sat up and saw that the world was somewhat smaller than what she was used to. It was an unfamiliar feeling, but she welcomed it.


    Her hand settled on her c.h.e.s.t as she felt a warm energy wrapping her body. Somehow, it was pleasant, but it also felt burdening. She shook her head then stood up.


    She stumbled on her feet and found balance against the wall. She felt extremely tired, but she forced herself to go out of this castle she found refuge in. Her hand pressed against her aching head and tried soothing it. She remembered that when she finished destroying the demonic crystals in the west and north, the earth shook hard and the ice that was acc.u.mulated for hundreds of years cracked. She flew up with her pitched black wings and watched as the light from the east, west and north came down upon the summoned Pagodas. She thought that the dragons were successful in evacuating the people in the Central Marsh. So, she hurried off to the south. However, she was met with a storm of mana. It was as if the mana of this world were congregated in front of her. She felt her stomach churn from the density, but she could endure it.


    She successfully retrieved the demonic crystal that lost its light, but the Pagoda didn''t appear before her. She was relieved that she wouldn''t be able to fight against the owner of the South Garden Pagoda. Irene Felstead.


    When she realized that the demonic realm was getting dangerous, she kicked out those owners of the previous pagodas that were cultivating out of the border of the demonic world.


    "Emersyn¡­!"


    Emersyn sighed when she heard someone called her. She ducked down and exited the small underground room.


    When they met outside, Yao Yun was battered and heaving. Emersyn approached and crouched down.


    "Why do you have to come?"


    "I¡­ I thought you were going through something hard, so¡­."


    Emersyn lightly smiled and held out her hand. Yao Yun accepted it and he could feel a strong and pure energy went through his body. He could see his flesh reconstructing itself. He sighed in relief as soon as pain left his body.


    "You grew taller¡­," Yao Yun said as he weakly smiled.


    "Yeah."


    "I''m hungry."


    "I only have leftovers. Is that okay with you?"


    "As I thought¡­ you were forced to stab me back then."


    ".¡­"


    "I won''t ask why, but I always believed in you. Just like how you believed in me," Yao Yun said as he covered Emersyn''s hands with his, enveloping it with warmth.


    "Please, this time, take me with you."


    "This time?"


    Emersyn suddenly had a bad feeling.


    "Ying."


    "Ha¡­ I thought as much," she sighed. "I won''t ask why you knew then, since you won''t ask why I betrayed you."


    "So, I wasn''t entirely wrong when we first met in Central Marsh," he smirked.


    "Yes, yes. So, let go of my hand now."


    "No."


    "Why?"


    "It feels warm. I suffered getting to you, so I deserve this much."


    Emersyn looked incredulously at Yao Yun.


    "Don''t look at me like that¡­. I''m getting embarrassed."


    "Hah! You know, Yao Yun, you shouldn''t really come with me."


    "Are you going to leave me again?"


    "¡­ no, it''s not like that. I have done many wrongs to the people. I beg of you, let me¡ª"


    "No. If you won''t go back, I won''t either."


    "Do whatever you want then," Emersyn huffed.


    Yao Yun inwardly cheered as he shook Emersyn''s hands in his grasps. He was too overjoyed that he failed to see that Emersyn''s attention wasn''t with him now. She was looking skyward as she observed the huge blob of water floating in the sky and to that wall of fire that was still raging. Fortunately, there weren''t any monsters in the vicinity. However¡­ if, in case, she removed her control to the hellfire, those monsters that were waiting at the border would take this opportunity to release their wraths. If she didn''t, this world that she just restored would be scorched earth, at least near the boundary of the human world and demonic world.


    "Emersyn? Are you listening?"


    "Eh? Why are you smiling that way?"


    "Yao Yun, do you want to go on a subjugation with me?"


    "¡­ oh no."


    "Oh, yes," Emersyn smiled brightly. Despite his larger frame, she effortlessly carried him to the border to prevent him to show any kind of resistance.


    "Wait! I''ll follow you, so please let me down!"


    "Do you promise?"


    "¡­ You''re training me again, right?"


    "Correct."


    "Uhm¡­ what are we going to defeat this time?"


    "Well¡­ there were a lot of monsters that I released into this world and trapped them here with the hellfire. I just want you to help me fasten the process."


    "Wait a freaking moment!"


    "Yes?"


    "You released monsters?! You?! How can this be possible?! If you released those monsters¡­ they would be awfully powerful. Please tell me they aren''t!"


    "I don''t know."


    "Eh?"


    "I don''t know."


    "¡­."


    "Should I say it again?"


    "No¡­ no need."


    "Great. Then, I''ll let you down now."


    "Thank you."


    Suddenly, there was a splash and a sizzle above. They looked up simultaneously someone was slowly sinking in the water. Emersyn squinted her eyes at the unfamiliar figure of a man. She could also feel something powerful in that man. When he landed safely on the ground, his ocean blue eyes bore through her. He ran and engulfed Emersyn in a tight hug. Then and there, she recognized this warmth.


    "Aren?"


    "Emersyn¡­," he said as he gently swept over Emersyn''s cheek.


    "What about your body as Ashford?" she whispered.


    "I made it sleep since you were suddenly gone. I came back to my old body to search for you, but ended up knowing that you were in deep trouble. I immediately went here after your original body disintegrated," he whispered back as he drew her closer.


    "What¡­?"


    "The rest of your powers when you were in your original body followed you here. It should have disappeared, but decided to join you. I am relieved at that. For that reason, I knew you were here."


    Emersyn rolled her eyes then gently pushed Elodiaren.


    "Okay, okay. You''re here. Good thing."


    "Do you know how scared I was when you disappeared? I thought you would leave me again."


    "Ahaha¡­ yes, I kind of had an idea," Emersyn mumbled as her eyes wandered around and stopped her gaze at Yao Yun who seemed¡­ no, he looked hurt.


    "So, don''t disappear on your own."


    "Yes, I will remember that."


    "However, you didn''t have any choices back then, right? I understand if it is like that."


    "Thank you. Oh, yes! Since you are here, you can help Yao Yun kill the monsters I released."


    "... not with you?"


    "Screw off, will you?"


    "Ouch¡­."


    Emersyn patted Elodiaren''s back as she went over to Yao Yun''s side.


    "That guy is Elodiaren. He can be trusted. I hope that you two would get along," then Emersyn added in a whisper, "though it''s a hard thing to do."


    She disregarded their unease then resurfaced her wings.


    "Anyway, I''m going now. You both have fun."

 Chapter 104 - His Heart

    Blackish monsters started to appear when they got closer to the border. They were so powerful that Elodiaren took some time to eradicate a few of them. Beads of sweat appeared on his face as he hacked one down while Yao Yun did his best to defend himself against one monster.


    Elodiaren clicked his tongue as he flicked off the blood on his sword.


    "Why can''t you kill one?"


    "Can''t you see I am weaker than you?!" Yao Yun yelled in a huff.


    "True."


    Yao Yun g.r.o.a.n.e.d in protest. He almost spat out curses after curses at this man as he held his anger in. He calmed himself down and focused on what was more important than hurling curses at Elodiaren. He stood guard when Elodiaren lured one into his side then tightened his abdominal muscles, legs and arms. He exhaled and calmed his loudly beating heart. He gathered mana in his hands as he clenched them into tight fists.


    The ape-like monster ran wobbly at him as it gathered dark energy into its body. Its muscles tensed as the surrounding became heavy.


    Elodiaren yelled as he channeled mana into his sword then hurled it towards the monster that was gathering its fallen comrades'' dark energy. However, the monster already perceived this and knocked the sword''s trajectory down. It snickered then roared loudly that shook the earth. They could also hear different roars that came from different directions. It seemed to be calling for more comrades. The monster''s eyes settled on Yao Yun, the weakest of its opponents, and ran while it readied its fist.


    Yao Yun exhaled a misty breath despite the temperature being warm. He readied himself to use the monster''s momentum against it.


    "Hah!"


    He ducked down as he evaded fluidly. His arms grabbed the monster''s arm as he swiped on its legs then threw him with great strength, clenching his teeth. The monster howled then twisted its body to land squarely on the ground. Yao Yun clicked his tongue then guarded himself for another bout. He ran this time then struck while the monster blocked his attacks easily. The monster seemed to be toying around him as it stood guard against Elodiaren who was fighting off with the rest of his comrades.


    Yao Yun''s eyes darted everywhere as sweat poured down on his body and his clothes started to stick on his skin. His hands were trembling as he parried its attacks.


    Suddenly, the monsters'' eyes became red and their expression turned crazed. Yao Yun felt the extreme pressure that came out of these monsters as they fought everything moving in their blurry sights.


    Elodiaren merely changed their directions to fight against themselves as he approached Yao Yun despite the chaotic atmosphere. He carried the fainted Yao Yun on his shoulder and evaded the crowd of crazed monsters. His thoughts went to the woman who went ahead of them alone. When he finally escaped the encirclement, he ran towards where he could feel the dark energies of the dead monsters flown. After arriving where the dark energy was thick, he could see Emersyn crouching down with her hands on her head.


    Sensing the bad foreboding, he threw Yao Yun on the ground and immediately brought Emersyn into his embrace. He could feel her flinch and tremble then pushed him with all her strength.


    However, he held on tightly.


    "No!"


    He shouted.


    Incoherent speech came out of Emersyn''s lips.


    "I shouldn''t have left you alone¡­! I''m here now. I''m here now."


    But it seemed to fall on deaf ears as Emersyn still struggled against him. He tightened his embrace until he could feel Emersyn''s cold figure against his clothed body. Then, suddenly, Emersyn screeched so loud that it made his ears go numb, then limped and passed out. Elodiaren loosened his hold then gently c.a.r.e.s.sed her head. He didn''t stop until Yao Yun woke up.


    Unaware that he was thrown, Yao Yun stretched his aching body.


    "Yun, right?"


    "Yes."


    "Can you watch Emersyn for now? Don''t let her be alone even for a second."


    "Where are you going?" Yao Yun asked as he alternatively looked at where Emersyn comfortably laid down and at Elodiaren.


    "...."


    "?"


    "I''m¡­," Elodiaren scratched his cheek. "I am not confident at cooking¡­."


    "... have you ever held a knife?"


    "I''ve held swords all my life," Elodiaren bluntly said.


    "... true, but what I mean is a kitchen knife."


    "Aren''t swords and knives both blades?"


    Yao Yun sighed loudly.


    "Once again, true. How about any kitchen utensils?"


    "What are those?"


    "Have you even cooked?!" Yao Yun asked impatiently.


    "No."


    "Then why are you trying to cook?"


    "I want Emersyn to know how I care about her."


    "....."


    "She''s going through a hard time right now, so I want to help her and be there for her. That''s the only thing I know though."


    "I''ll do the cooking. The problem is¡­ we don''t have any kitchen utensils and equipment."


    "What are those?"


    "... those things that they use to cook food."


    "Well, I know, but I want to know more."


    "Ask Emersyn once she wakes up then."


    Suddenly, they heard a rustle behind them. They turned around abruptly and saw Emersyn sitting down on the ground. She waved her hand at the two men with a blank expression as she stood up.


    "Great job eradicating the monsters," she said, her voice monotonous.


    "Emersyn¡­," Elodiaren muttered as he slowly approached.


    "I''m fine. You guys need some food, right? I have leftovers," she said then quickly materialised the steaming pot of soup and a few grilled ribs. She retrieved bowls and spoons then poured the steaming potato soup and handed them over to the two men. Elodiaren and Yao Yun looked at each other then accepted the bowls and spoons from Emersyn. They quietly ate as they stole glances at Emersyn who was mechanically dismantling monsters after monsters.


    She only stopped when her eyes regained focus.


    Her bloodied hands reminded her of those days that she was covered with her own blood and the blood of others. It wasn''t that uncommon, so she easily shrugged it off. She looked skyward and sighed. She knew she shouldn''t be like this. When she finished dismantling a monster for today with a light heart, she turned towards the wall of fire with new found determination. After all, Reagan wouldn''t like it if she continued acting like this.


    "I''m going to cancel the hellfire," she abruptly told them.


    Elodiaren immediately stood up and approached her, gently settling his hands on her shoulders.


    "Really? What if it''s dangerous?"


    Emersyn smirked.


    "Who is more dangerous than I?"


    Elodiaren''s eyes softened then mumbled, "... true¡­ but--"


    "Don''t worry, Aren. I am all fine now."


    "Alright. As you wish."


    Emersyn nodded then turned towards Yao Yun.


    "Yun, you still have to pacify the people that came with you. I want you to clear your name before we prepare to head out. I still have some matters to solve."


    "How about you? You''re not going to clear your name?"


    "What is there to clear?" Emersyn said as she tilted her head


    "...."


    "Let them see me as an evil woman. I don''t mind at all. After all, I am one," she smiled.


    "...."


    Suddenly, Emersyn''s ears perked up and heard a familiar roar outside. Her eyes went wide then immediately cancelled the energy supplying the hellfire as she ran towards the north. As she left without any words, Elodiaren and Yao Yun looked at each other.


    "The group would be in there. Can you see them?"


    "I can, but I am not going there with you. I have to follow Emersyn."


    "Alright. I''ll do my best to separate myself from the group after."


    "Do you really think you can come with Emersyn?" Elodiaren suddenly voiced out.


    Yao Yun raised one of his eyebrows.


    "Why not?"


    "Don''t you have a family? Are you willing to let them live being hated by the people of this world? As far as I can see, you are quite pampered. You are loved. Do you want them to suffer with your decision?"


    Yao Yun fell into contemplation.


    "I¡­ can take them too. I can take them with me!"


    "Do you want your people to suffer too?"


    "Eh?"


    "You''re from Central Marsh. Since you''re here, the barrier must have crumbled down and your world disappeared. With a mistake of one of their people, colluding with someone that cared for the dragons that they hated with their whole being, what do you think will happen?"


    "...."


    Yao Yun couldn''t answer. He realized the implications of his decisions as he was blinded by the one who he so cherished before him. He just wanted to be with her this time. He didn''t want her to leave him again. However, he was in a bind. Would he follow his heart and abandon these people he was with for years? He shook his head. No, he had to decide now. He had far more precious people on his side for many years. He cared for them deeply. They cared for him and never left his side. Now, he was going to abandon those people just for that one person who left him to chase her aspirations. For that person he longed for and chased her back that kept on receding from his sight.


    "I''m sorry," he suddenly blurted out as tears welled up from his eyes.

 Chapter 105 - The Dawn (1)

    Emersyn''s breathing became ragged as hopeful thoughts came into her mind.


    Indeed, she was hoping that they were alive. She left them to die in Central Marsh and knowing Reagan won''t survive, she felt her heart becoming heavy. Her feet brisked, came to a jog then ran with all her might as she saw a huge red dragon roaring at her as it also flew faster. Then, it surprisingly turned into a baby as it crashed against her bosom.


    "Mama!"


    Emersyn immediately hugged Reagan tightly, c.a.r.e.s.sing his small head. The baby smiled contentedly as he released a small sigh. Emersyn''s heart swelled, though unfamiliar, she welcomed it.


    "Thank goodness¡­ you''re alive."


    "Ung! I mish chu!"


    "I¡­ also missed you, Reagan."


    Suddenly, she could feed four dragons approaching towards them, but she paid no heed and just pampered Reagan with comforting touches. Then, those dragons turned into humans once they landed before her.


    "..."


    "What? You''re not going to greet me?"


    ".... you¡­ you''re really scary right now. Like, really, really scary. This pressure is real¡­. Can you tone it down? Aidinth and Qaris are trembling."


    "Who?" Emersyn tilted her head as she gazed at the two children behind Ignis. "They changed names?"


    "Yeah, it''s kind of a ceremony. Once their dragon powers manifest, some kind of voice would whisper to them about their new names. That would be the name they would carry until they die."


    "So, what is Reagan''s?"


    "Yvri."


    "A very nice name."


    With Emersyn''s compliment, Reagan''s new name, Yvri, blushed and smiled brightly as he rested his head against her heart. His little hands fisted her clothes then closed his eyes.


    "But how did you escape from the destruction of Central Marsh?"


    "Uh¡­ it was my mistake, Emersyn," Carnash mumbled.


    "What do you mean?"


    "It didn''t get destroyed, but remained. It didn''t get ruined or showed any signs of aging. It seemed like time stopped there with nothing to escape to. In land, that is. We found a gap high in the sky and escaped there. Then, Yvri found the wall of fire which, he said, contained your power. However, we couldn''t go in since the dense mana was suffocating and the wall of fire wasn''t extinguishing. But¡­ this guy¡­ Yvri found a way then entered as soon as it weakened. We still couldn''t enter though, so we waited."


    "I see."


    "And¡­ besides this, I can feel something over there," Carnash said as he pointed at where she could hear the cries of people.


    ***


    Right after the hellfire receded, they could feel a strong oppressive force boring down their bodies. They collapsed on their knees simultaneously, whether they were strong or weaker, they all felt it.


    Alton heaved as he forced himself to stand up using his sheathed sword. His limbs trembled as he gathered his remaining strength, his teeth clenched. His olive green eyes gazed at the distant ground of the demonic realm. There was an icy slope that led down to the scorched and cracked earth. He exhaled a misty breath as the cold overtook the atmosphere. His body temperature dropped and he began to tremble, not just for the oppressive force, but also for the cold. He fetched his thick winter jacket and wore it. He looked around and saw that only a few of them fainted.


    "Eulaile," he called.


    "Yes, sire."


    "This is what we have been waiting for. What our ancestors hid and why they hid from these people."


    "Yes, but this force is stronger than we imagined," Eulaile smiled widely, clearly pleased.


    Alton also grinned as he breathed in this cold and oppressive force into his lungs. He was scared, but the p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e was stronger than his fear. Then, his gaze sharpened and raised his sword with a tremble.


    "Our Lord has come!"


    He screamed from the bottom of his lungs.


    "Lord?"


    A few of them questioned as they looked at the person near them. However, instead of a confused expression, they smiled elatedly. They trembled as their feet took them towards the demonic land, their smiles never faltered.


    "Hey?! Where are you going? You can''t go there! Emersyn is still on the run! What if she kills you?!"


    Alton stopped leading the flock of people and turned around at the man that shouted at them. He only flashed him a sinister smile then resumed walking towards the huge castle at the distance that was perfectly described by their parents. The tales of their parents about the Empire that dominated all of the demonic lands was what they expected. They only heard that once you crossed the border between the realm of humans and the demons, you would instantly feel the monarch''s essence. It would be much stronger from where the monarch would be; the Imperial Castle.


    However, they couldn''t keep marching through once they stepped on the real border of the land. They were puzzled.


    Why? Why couldn''t we enter the land that was ours?


    Suddenly, that person that claimed to be from Barheil and his entourage, released a binding spell against the people marching towards the cursed land. Their expression twisted grimly as they tightened their spell.


    "Are you all traitors of humanity?! How can you just call a demon your lord? Are you also demons?!"


    Alton broke through and approached the trembling man. He stopped a few feet from him and leaned his head down.


    "I am clearly human."


    "Then, why¡­!"


    Alton laughed then severed the mage''s head in a clean swipe of his sword.


    "You people are the one who are disgusting. My mother sacrificed herself to feed me when all you did was to throw us out in the cold to die. I know what you all did to us!"


    "Warrior! Stop this nonsense at once!"


    "Nonsense? Nonsense?! Our kin survived from the indiscriminate killings 500 years ago. The Emperor was isolated from this world for an infinite time and the demon world closed off for good. We lived as humans for five hundred years, hiding our identities with no money on us and chose to serve you people. Yet! All you did was to leave us to die! We were hoping for the supplies to come. We were hoping for reinforcements to come, but there was nothing! We chose to suppress our feelings with no hope to come. But¡­ but now! Now that we have our land and monarch, we will rise once again! History would be rewritten for the greatness of our Lord!"


    "Kill these heretics!"


    Then, Alton''s olive eyes turned crazed as he charged towards the mages that were all preparing their spells against them. All the warriors that heard him, regardless of their homes, all unsheathed their swords and cried as they charged. After all, they sympathised with them. Those that were called demons were the ones who saved them against the rampages of the monsters when reinforcements never came.


    These demons helped them, when their fellow humans didn''t.


    They were afraid to voice out their complaints or they would be either locked or killed with hundreds of soldiers and assassins that were trained solely for human assassination. Now that an opportunity to fight back appeared before them and a new place to reside into, they were fearless against the consequences of their actions. If only the monarch of the demon world would accept them and treat them well. Even if they admonished her without knowing that she would revive the demon world.


    Spell circles appeared in the air as the mages tirelessly chanted their joint spell. Their faces started to sweat as they were being mentally drained of a threat that lied beyond the boundary of the human realm.


    The warriors increased their charge, their bodies heavy against the pressure, and threw a spear towards one of the mages. However, it was deflected by a sword. Their feet stopped charging as they gazed at the person that just protected a mage. They couldn''t believe their eyes at the familiar face of Yao Yun.


    "Yun?!" Althas exclaimed, his grip against his weapon tightening.


    "I could understand, but why do we need bloodshed? Are you going to erase the evidence of your revolt?"


    "Yao Yun," Egbert called from the sideline. In fact, all of the Central Marsh people were just standing where the battle wouldn''t affect them. He continued, "It''s not our business to interfere."


    "But¡­!"


    "Even if we hated Emersyn for almost killing you, we can''t side with either of them."


    When Yao Yun was about to give his opinions, Althas impatiently shoved him to the side.


    Amidst their exchange, the mages continued to recite their strongest spell. Feeling the imminent danger, the warriors had no choice but to run away. They couldn''t possibly contend against these magic users with their physical strength.


    They were swept off in a huge explosion. Most of the slow ones were eradicated and some people were thrown into the air from the huge blast. Althas rolled on the ground once he landed and coughed vigorously from the smoke. The pressure was instantly gone and the mana around them suddenly disappeared.


    The mages panicked as they tried to recite spell after spell, but didn''t work.


    Their cries resounded when Alton grabbed a mage''s head and slammed it on the ice. His eyes were still crazed even when the effect of the pressure disappeared. In fact, all the warriors that lost their comrades in arms were crazed. The men of the Central Marsh, however, were only looking at the person that was quietly watching them from afar. The jewel on her forehead and an ominous crown that was floating above her head caught their attention. Her pitch black wings flapped and the feathers slowly fell. They recognized her.


    The only descendant of the Emperor they once revered.


    Chang Xiuying!

 Chapter 106 - The Dawn (2)

    Emersyn smiled as she released the mana surrounding them.


    The mana around them began to surge into their body and the mages, who immediately noticed the change, began chanting their own spells. The warriors shouted in fervor and charged as they avoided spells that almost hit them. However, the mages predicted this and fired multiple spells simultaneously. Their expression turned into disgust as they watched the warriors struggle under their spells.


    "Stop! Stop this!" Yao Yun screamed as he tried deflecting the spells to protect the losing warriors. However, the rest of the Central Marsh people didn''t move and just protected themselves. They didn''t want to gain the ire of both groups, and whoever survived, they were ready to accept their anger and disregard.


    Althas jumped then reached the encirclement of the mages including his group and Alton. They began massacring them as soon as the confusion in the mages spread. Suddenly, a huge fireball descended upon them, disregarding their comrades. A few capable mages immediately ran with their heavy feet and created a dome to protect their comrades. A few of them died when they were pierced with a spear in their stomach that was thrown at them. Althas and the rest of the warriors who reached the encirclement, ran to escape the fireball and suffered a few burns when it impacted the ground and exploded. They were thrown on the ground and ice spikes suddenly erupted from the ground. It created an impregnable wall around their strong mages. The mages that were outside began cursing. After all, they didn''t have some form of defense against these brutes and only studied attack spells.


    "Abandoned, are we?" Althas smirked.


    One of the mages instantly recognized him as he screamed in realization.


    "You''re one of those warriors under the Elder! What are you doing there!? Protect us this instant! If we survive, we will tell the Elders of your valiant and you''ll be raised in rank!"


    Althas picked his ear then wiped the earwax on his bloodied undershirt.


    "Sure, sure. If you survive, that is."


    "What? You''re supposed to be the Elders'' loyal dogs!"


    "Loyal dogs, huh... they are the ones who are dogs. No, worse than dogs. Bahahaha! Did you really believe that we would wag our tails at them forever?"


    "The Elders raised you! How can you be so ungrateful?!"


    Althas'' expression twisted in anger then stomped towards the man. When the man was about to chant his spell, Althas threw a swift dagger through his throat. The man grabbed his bloodied neck then cried as he stumbled down. Althas crouched down as he listened to the screams of the other unfortunate mages that were left out. He roughly grabbed the mage''s hair.


    "I thought so at first."


    Althas'' rough hands suddenly turned gentle.


    "But when he started ordering me around to collect children that had their families killed, I looked into it. I hid and waited. Then, finally, I witnessed an assassination. I thought that he was doing something great. Rescuing children and taking care of them. Until¡­ I overheard an order. All this time¡­ all this f.u.c.k.i.n.g time, it was his fault that my family died. That those children''s lives were ruined. We were thrown into battle outside to repay what he did to us. Now, that the demonic realm is open, we strike. It''s revenge; and it''s only starting."


    Althas cynically smiled then patted the mage''s head.


    "I don''t have a grudge against you, don''t worry. You might have some reasons and you might not know. However¡­ you ignored it. So, I will ignore you too, Hernan. You''ve been betrayed, I saw and I will ignore. Easy," Althas smiled wide then stood up with a grunt. He looked skyward and saw the fluttering pitch black wings and its feathers slowly falling down. The beautiful creature that was its owner; so beautiful, bright and cold. He laughed merrily. He could finally set free of his bottled up emotions.


    "What happened?"


    Emersyn, who was just watching with a small smile on her face, said with her voice filled with energy, "They teleported out."


    The warriors'' faces crumbled.


    "Their spell didn''t succeed though," she muttered then landed on the ground, her boots muddied. When she settled down, they finally noticed a baby on her bosom, looking around with disinterested, cold eyes. Emersyn continued, "Since the mana here is too abundant, they unknowingly put too much mana into the circle. All I know is it might explode once they arrive wherever they are. Who knows what else will happen to them."


    She stared at nowhere then whispered, "Oh, they died. Poor souls."


    Suddenly, there was a light that appeared behind them. This time, Emersyn felt that the adjustment of power output was perfectly inputted. Then, the mage with gasps leaking out of his mouth, teleported out.


    "That man will certainly come back with a few forces behind him."


    Alton stepped forward, kneeled before her as he announced, "I chose to serve you. Please accept us!"


    The surviving warriors immediately kneeled down and said in chorus, "Please accept us!"


    "What can you do for me though?"


    "We will revive the demonic realm! Reforge the world!"


    "Mama," suddenly, Yvri w.h.i.n.ed as he tilted his head upward to look at Emersyn.


    "Yes?" She lovingly responded.


    "Hungy¡­."


    "Alright. We''ll go home and I''ll prepare your food. What do you want to eat?" she asked as she settled Yvri on her bosom.


    "Nana en cado!"


    "Alright. Banana and avocados. I received my son''s order, I shall serve.''"


    "Uwaaaah," Yvri cheered, then buried his face on her c.h.e.s.t.


    "But you have to eat veggies later."


    "Ung...," he mumbled, then closed his eyes.


    She turned around then carefully walked towards the castle grounds.


    "Emersyn," someone suddenly called.


    Emersyn looked back and Yao Yun entered her sight. She tilted her head with a questioning gaze. "Why are you still here? Don''t you want to protect your family? Go. Report what these people did since you have an eye witness that came from Tamel. Settle there until the feud is resolved."


    "The rest of you," she turned towards the band of warriors still kneeling before her and continued, "Follow me."


    "Yes!"


    Yao Yun reached out at the receding back of Emersyn, never uttering a sound.


    ***


    "Gasp."


    Hernan kneeled down as soon as he arrived at one of the teleportation circles of Tamel. The guards that were in station, flinched at the sight of the bloody man. One of them immediately ran towards the tower to seek out medical help, and one of them approached Hernan.


    "Sir Mage, are you alright?"


    Does this look alright to you?!


    "Just for a few moments, sir. The healers will arrive soon. Hang in there," noticing how dumb his question was, he immediately said, his cheeks flaring red.


    However, only one of their healers arrived and checked Hernan''s throat. She nodded then immediately pulled the dagger out as she chanted a spell. The healing was taking too long that a lot of blood gushed out. He was so close to passing out, if not for his persistence to stay awake. Soon, Hernan''s wound closed up then he quickly touched his throat and felt its every crevices. He sighed in relief when the female healer smiled softly and helped him up.


    "Sir Hernan, right?"


    "I''m sorry. Who are you?"


    "It''s Melody, sir. We''ve been classmates since we took up magic lessons."


    "I''m sorry for not remembering."


    "No, sir. I should be the one apologizing. I couldn''t heal your wounds faster¡­."


    Hernan waved his hands as he shook his head. He stared at the blood soaked white robe of Melody and his brows furrowed deep.


    "You''re only a newbie at this. How about the other experienced healers?"


    Melody blushed as she fiddled with the sleeve of her robe. She mumbled, "They¡­ don''t want to¡­. They said¡­ uhm¡­ that they have¡­ something more important to do than to heal some¡­ whelp."


    Hernan gritted his teeth then nodded at her words.


    "I understand. I will be going now."


    "Sir?! You still need rest, I implore you!"


    Hernan shook his head at Melody''s words.


    "This is no time for rest. I need to report to the Elders about the team they sent out days ago."


    "Ah! I will come with you!"


    "Why?"


    "That¡­ uhm¡­ if something happened to you, I would be really worried since I am the one who healed you, sir. You are also my responsibility! Yes, that''s right! I healed you! So, please, let me extend my services," she said as she bowed down. When no answers came, she glanced up and saw the twisted expression of Hernan and it scared her. She felt that her heart would escape from her c.h.e.s.t.


    "You¡­."


    "Yes?!"


    "Are you sick of this world?" His sudden question elicit a confused expression from Melody.


    "Pardon?"


    "The unfair treatment to us, and us getting thrown away."


    "Well¡­ I am not particularly angry at them. They are humans too, after all. They make mistakes and we are imperfect, so it is natural for people to do something bad. Though these bad things will pass someday! I am hoping for that¡­."


    "What if they betrayed you?"


    Melody smiled weakly.


    "I have no choice but to forgive them. After all, I wouldn''t be able to live peacefully. Where would I go?"

 Chapter 107 - The Dawn (3)

    Screams were heard when Hernan and Melody passed by a busy street. The passersby immediately distanced themselves from the bloody duo. The smell of rotting iron also attacked their noses. There were drops of blood on the path where Hernan and Melody walked through.


    Since they hadn''t seen that much blood, they were terrified.


    Hernan didn''t mind and just kept on walking towards the building where the Elders lived. Meanwhile, Melody was so ashamed that she struck terror on the citizens of Tamel. Her head hung down as she followed behind Hernan with a blush on her face. When Hernan finally stopped before the well-built building, Melody crashed on his back as she stumbled.


    "I''m sorry!" She immediately exclaimed with a bow.


    "It''s fine," Hernan shook his head then gazed at the front door where two guards were stationed. He swallowed his saliva then approached.


    "Sir, I am part of the team that went to the demonic realm."


    One of the guards visibly trembled.


    "What is your name, sir?"


    "Hernan Rava," he said with his eyes squinted.


    "I will inform the Elders."


    "Please do."


    "Sir¡­," she softly called.


    "..."


    "No matter what happened, I will always be with you."


    Hernan finally looked back and gazed over at Melody''s sapphire eyes. He was stricken with grief after what he heard from the female''s mouth. He bit his lower lip then nodded reluctantly. Then, the same guard appeared was covered with sweat as he let Hernan in. However, Melody was stopped by the guards.


    "He is the only one who is allowed to come."


    "What¡­? Why?"


    "You''re not part of the team that went out, right?"


    "That¡­ is right, but I am the one who healed him when he came back! He''s my responsibility!"


    "I''m sorry, but--"


    "It''s okay, Melody. Just wait for me here," Hernan interjected.


    "... yes."


    Suddenly, Hernan leaned in then whispered, "If you sensed that something is wrong, you have to get out of here. Fast," then he entered the building.


    ***


    Every steps he took felt heavy. He already readied his teleportation spell in his mind. Thankfully, he learned how to when he escaped from the demonic people. No, do they even deserve being called a demon? They also lived the way he lived. They were orphaned in a very young age. The only difference was they knew why they were orphaned, unlike him. But¡­ he knew now. They were also thrown away to the monsters'' pit. Where they couldn''t escape from when they finally lost their value.


    Hernan stopped before the door leading to the room where the Elders were. The guard that led him opened the door then closed it behind him.


    "Hernan Rava."


    "Yes."


    "First of all, what happened?"


    "The warriors rebelled and killed mages. They were trying to go to the demonic realm for refuge. I barely escaped through the teleportation circle. I sustained a wound on my throat and was healed."


    "How about the people that came from nowhere?"


    "It''s Central Marsh, sir."


    "Yes, yes. So, what happened to them?"


    "... they fought with the mages and saved a few of us. I don''t know if they''ll ever survive, but I know that they will prevail and come back victorious."


    The Elder sighed as he clasped his fingers together.


    "You can go."


    Hernan''s eyes went wide. Is that all? He mused. He inwardly shook his eyes then bowed at the Elder.


    "I am going to retire to my quarters now, sir."


    When he was about to turn around, "Wait," the Elder called out.


    "Yes, sir?"


    "I forgot. What about the other mages?"


    "They also escaped through mass teleportation."


    "Then¡­ Emersyn? Any news about her?"


    "She wasn''t on site, but I could feel her presence a few meters away from the border," he sweated as his heart thumped against his c.h.e.s.t.


    The Elder settled his elbow on the marbled table, his chin on his palm. He smirked as he observed the change of the young man before him.


    "Is her presence that scary?"


    "... to be honest, yes. I could still feel the tingle on my skin when I was pressed against that monstrous pressure," he rubbed his arm as he forced himself to remember that terrifying force.


    "Interesting¡­ we should have done everything to detain her here¡­."


    "I believe that she would certainly escape one way or another. After all, it was reported that she was the descendant of the Demon King that once ruled over the demonic realm. She also have extreme control over the darkness."


    "I know that, don''t remind me of my mistakes," the Elder said as he waved his hand in exasperation. "No matter. I''ll hear from the others when the report comes in later. You can go now."


    "Yes, sir."


    Once he was dismissed and outside the building, he immediately made a run as he already felt something wrong in his guts. It was all so strange. So strange. Suddenly, he heard that he was being called. His breathing became ragged as he felt pain on his stomach and legs.


    "Sir Hernan! Wait, please!"


    He remembered that there was a powerful family of children at the next building and he brisked through there, forcing himself to continue on.


    "Sir! Please! I''m tired!"


    "...."


    His vision cleared and he looked back and saw Melody chasing after him. She was also heaving as her run becam a jog. He stopped and peered over at her back. One of the guards ran to his companion and informed him of something. They looked at them, and instantly, he knew. Their lives were in danger from now on. He grabbed Melody''s wrist then dragged her over to the building where most of the Central Marsh people lived in. He took a deeper breath then knocked on the farthest door. He could hear little footsteps quickly arriving behind the door, then, it opened and a small child appeared before him.


    Without any questions asked, the child immediately pulled them into her room then locked the door. The child pressed her ears against the wooden door for a few moments then nodded.


    "The coast is cleaw, mistew," she said adoringly as her glare turned soft.


    "Tha¡­ thank¡­ you¡­."


    "Mistew, hewe, watew."


    "What happened, Jiji?" A small head peeked out of a room.


    "Big bwo! Mistew and missus needs hewp."


    "Well, I kind of expected that," his body emerged and approached the two as he crouched down and got the glass of water from Yao Jiji''s small hands. "Jiji, can you get some ice for the water?"


    "Okway!" She saluted then pattered her chubby legs towards the refrigerator and reached for the lowest cabinet and got two ice trays. "Hewe, big bwo. Mummy won''t know!"


    Yao Han smiled then took ice cubes from the tray then carefully put it into the glass of water. He offered the cold water to Hernan.


    "Here. It should be refreshing enough."


    "Hooo¡­ thank you," Hernan weakly smiled as he sat down on the carpeted floor then accepted the glass. He immediately gulped it down in one go and gave the glass back to Yao Han.


    "Jiji, can you get more water?"


    "Okway!" She waddled towards the sink and climbed the small ladder then turned the switch of the tap to get water. When the glass was full, she carefully stepped down then handed the glass to Yao Han. He put ice cubes into the glass then handed it to Melody who was already sitting down on the floor.


    "Thank you¡­."


    "You should also thank Jiji."


    Melody turned to the child and gently grasped her small hands, she smiled then said, "Thank you very much, Jiji."


    "Jiji ish happy, missus."


    "It''s only miss, Jiji," Yao Han softly scolded.


    "Miss!"


    "Great job," her older brother patted her head.


    "If you want to, I can lead you to one of my siblings'' bedroom. You can take a rest there until mother and my siblings come home. You can''t take a step outside on your own, right?"


    "Well¡­ yes, kind of."


    "Figured. Stay here until you can get out then. I am Yao Han and this is Yao Jiji. We are the only one left here since Jiji can''t still fight, and I have to watch over her. So, feel free to use the rooms. We don''t have anything of importance besides our bodies, so we are not worried."


    "I have money, so I can pay¡­," Hernan and Melody said at the same time.


    "Hmmm¡­ we already have our stock of food, so we only have to buy some for your portions. Jiji, we will have to go out with mister and miss for their food. Let''s get you prepared to go out," Yao Han lovingly muttered as he entered Yao Jiji''s room and came out with a coat, gloves and winter boots.


    He was already dressed warmly and had a key dangling on his c.h.e.s.t. Once Yao Jiji was ready, they embarked cautiously outside as they avoided streets that were devoid of people.