Elira watched as the chubby elf disappeared from the forest. She then turned to look at Liam who had a serious expression on his face as if he was contemplating many things.
"Master, I am ready." She said with determination. She wanted to become strong. All her life that was the only thing that she thought about.
Born on a slave breeding farm, she had been suppressed and mistreated since the time she could remember.
And thanks to the long lifespan that elves naturally possessed, her life was on track to be a long and miserable one.
However, all of that suddenly changed when a human being unexpectedly purchased her. He had even promised to set her free.
Elira found herself respecting this human being more and more every day and now he was going to be training her!
Her heart pounded loudly as she eagerly awaited this training, a golden opportunity to completely change who she was.
But the next second…
BAM! Elira found herself flat on the ground, face first.
Little did she know that Liam had had no genuine teachers thus far and the one elf who had trained him for a short while had an eccentric personality and preferred a brutish teaching style.
"Master…" Elira looked up, now fear mixed with determination in her eyes.
And thus began her hellish training.
***
A few months later…
"Tch. Why am I so nervous? This is not even my fight!" Eldrin paced back and forth as he waited for the damned slave. "What is he thinking? That madman! Why couldn't he simply accept my offer? Was it that important to control this little thing? What am I going to do at worst?!"
"Arrrghhh! Brute! Unrefined brute!"
"Why do the brutes of the world get all the nice things!"
"What a disgustingly lucky guy!"
"He came here. Of all the elves, he met me. Now he will claim the blessing. Are all these damn bastard irregulars this lucky? They should all be fucked with one big-"
COUGH! COUGH!
Snapping out of his thoughts, Eldrin turned around to see the elven girl he was expecting. Except she wasn't the same girl whom he had seen a while back. Wait, no. Was she the same girl?
Eldrin looked at the young slave girl who had changed from top to bottom in the few months he had not seen her.
Her malnourished, sickly pale, stick figure was replaced with a vivacious and elegant body at par with some of the most beautiful elves he had seen. More importantly…
"Level 350?" Eldrin was shocked instantly. How could she become this powerful in the span of a few months?
This was impossible! The last time he saw her she was barely level 30 or 40. What was this insane leveling speed?
Eldrin's eyes widened, the rapid calculations in his head temporarily short-circuited by disbelief. "How did you manage this? Level 350 is… It's practically unheard of in such a short time. Even the most talented elven mages of our time took years to reach that level!"
Elira shrugged, her eyes glowing with a chilling light. "I had a good teacher," she said, without revealing much.
"You don't have to be modest, my lady. I must have been blind to not see your talent the moment I met you. No wonder, he chose you." Eldrin slightly bowed and prepared to greet Elira in the royal fashion but the elf took a step back.
Eldrin paused mid-gesture, noting her not so subtle withdrawal. A twinge of irritation flared in him, but he suppressed it.
"Very well. Formalities aside, I am impressed, to say the least. But I must ask, can you win us the recruitment event?"
Elira's eyes narrowed slightly, and her voice carried an edge. "I didn't get this far just to lose. I am ready, and I intend to win."
"Confidence, good. Arrogance, not so," Eldrin cautioned. "One's level is not everything. There could very well be more powerful participants. I trust you realize what's at stake here?"
"Yes," Elira replied, her eyes unflinching. "But do you?"
Eldrin looked at her for a long moment, parsing her statement for its deeper implications. Finally, he nodded.
"I suppose I do, in as much as one can understand such things." He smiled and was about to say something when he stopped abruptly as he noticed the other person who had arrived to stand beside her.
"Shall we?" Liam casually asked.
Eldrin was once again shocked. It was not just the slave girl but the human being had also changed.
Liam was wearing tattered pants, his upper body fully naked, and no shoes or guards or any item whatsoever. His hair was pitch black, long, and disheveled.
But it was not just the appearance. Something else about him had changed. He was stronger than before and when Eldrin tried to analyze his status, he knew why.
The human being had leveled up again!
What level was he now? Did he comprehend another Dao or did he grow a Dao seed he already possessed?
He had just not seen them for a few months. How could the two of them change so much? Is this forbidden area some kind of secret treasure area?
Eldrin stared at the duo with his mouth wide open.
Liam met Eldrin's gaze with an inscrutable smile. "I trust you've been well, Eldrin," Liam spoke, his voice casual, as though the gravity of the upcoming event didn't weigh on him at all. "Shall we leave?"
Eldrin absent-mindedly nodded his head. He then stopped and snapped out of his trance. "Leave? What? No? What do you mean to leave? Are you also coming?"
"Hmmm. Of course." Liam nodded and Eldrin started frantically shaking his head. "Are you crazy? You are coming to the Empire's main territory? You are stepping into the capital city?"
Liam only smiled.
"You would instantly be found out! There are all sorts of old monsters roaming about in the capital. If they glance at you even once, they will be able to see your status clearly and identify you."
"You cannot take that risk! Our plan is foolproof but for it to actually work out, you need to be alive!"
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