Wude’s group finally secured three rooms at an inn in Tuoluo Town. Though Elisa had suggested booking only two, Alreis quashed the idea with a single remark: “If we take two rooms, as the maid, I’d have to share with Master Wude to attend to him.”
“We didn’t find a single clue today…” The three sat in Wude’s room, exchanging helpless glances.
“Wait—your academy really only gave you a mirror?” Wude turned to Elisa. To him, assigning such a vague quest without further hints felt almost absurd.
“Nope,” Elisa replied. “They mentioned a reward for finding *that thing*, but gave zero details about the system. Still… the Sage must have his reasons.” She spoke with quiet reverence—after all, she’d always looked up to figures like him.
Wude glanced at Alreis, silently asking if she sensed anything. True, he’d restricted her power—but she was still an Ascendant Sovereign. Maybe Sovereigns shared some hidden resonance? And she still hadn’t answered why monsters had been unusually plentiful today.
“Hmm… We’ve reached town anyway, and we’ve traveled half a month,” Alreis suggested. “Why not rest two days here and ask the innkeeper for leads? Places like this are gossip hubs.”
“Sounds good. Elisa, what do you think?”
“If Brother Wude agrees, I’m fine with anything!” came Elisa’s predictable reply.
“Then it’s settled. Everyone rest well tonight. We’ll decide tomorrow,” Wude concluded.
“I’ll head back first.” Alreis walked to the door, casting a lingering, meaningful glance at Wude—unseen by Elisa.
“Brother Wude, I want to sleep with you!” Elisa clung to his arm and cooed the moment Alreis left.
Wude gave a wry chuckle and gently patted her head. “Don’t be silly. Sharing a room would waste the fee. Your Brother Wude’s still saving up for Sister Lingyue’s fine wine!”
“…Right. Sister Lingyue loves good wine. If money runs short when she returns… Brother Wude can always come to me!” Elisa reluctantly released his arm, shuffling toward the door while glancing back with every step—as if deeply wronged.
After she left, Wude extinguished the magic lamp, sat cross-legged on the bed, and sank into meditation.
***
Alreis jolted upright in her bed. She checked the door was locked, then approached the wall shared with Wude’s room. With a slight pinch, a distorted passage shimmered into existence. She stepped through.
Wude remained deep in meditation. Alreis noted his diligence. Most untalented commoners would abandon training—why waste effort with no results? Yet that very persistence was why Wude might reach Level Five in his lifetime, while others stalled at Three. *Another year to Level Four… eight more to Five. Beyond that? Impossible.*
She scanned him with spiritual energy—like infrared vision, mapping every contour of his body. *No matter how many times I look… his physique is impressive.* She felt a flicker of envy. Her own strength came from magic forcibly reforging flesh—from clay to steel. Wude’s? Forged purely through sweat. True strength. True aesthetics.
His breathing shifted. He was waking.
A mischievous impulse sparked. *Serves him right for teasing me at the tavern.*
She warped the air around her—light bent, rendering her nearly invisible. In the dim night, the distortion was barely noticeable.
Wude’s eyes snapped open. He frowned. *She gave me that look earlier… where is she?*
*Thump!* Something tapped his head.
“Who’s there?” He leaped off the bed, stance ready.
*Thump!* Another hit. He dodged—uselessly.
*Thump! Thump! Thump!* A rapid barrage left him dizzy. *Who’d do this? …Ghosts?*
His eyes narrowed. “Alreis. Come out now, and I won’t punish you.”
Silence. *Definitely her. Got spooked by the bluff.*
Hidden in the Darkness, Alreis froze, barely breathing. *How did he know?! Should I come out? No—he’d be furious after that beating…*
*Wait.* Her panic stilled. *If he were sure, he’d have commanded me already. He’s bluffing!* She smirked inwardly. *Too green to fool an Ascendant Sovereign.*
“I wonder… is it really not Alreis?” Wude murmured dramatically, feigning fear. “Could it… be a ghost?”
*He’s acting!* Alreis gloated. *Pathetic trick.*
“So… how should I play along next, Alreiiis~?” Wude’s voice dropped sweetly. “How about… step out with your hands clasped behind your back? And don’t let go.”
“Eh?! W-wait—!” Her body betrayed her. Hands locked behind her back. The warped space snapped back. Alreis materialized, flustered. “I—uh—M-Master! This is… um…”
“You seemed to enjoy that,” Wude said, face darkening. “Shall we play a *more stimulating* game? Something fitting for an Ascendant Sovereign… and an isekai traveler like me?”
“N-no thank you!” Alreis squeaked. *What twisted game is he imagining?!*
Wude sighed. “Fine. You came for business, right?”
“R-right!” Relief washed over her. She cleared her throat, sat primly on a chair. Wude faced her.
“First—the Blessing of Life.” Alreis composed herself. “This town *is* closest to where I last battled the Ascendant Sovereigns. Faint traces of chaotic mana linger—ours included. Though after a month, even Sovereign-level energy fades.”
“I can’t sense any of that,” Wude deadpanned.
“Ahem! More importantly—the Blessing of Life might be *here*.”
“Here?! But Elisa’s mirror showed nothing!”
“Of course it did. If a Sage’s trinket could locate a hiding Sovereign… I’d be impressed.” Her tone dripped with disdain. Sovereign pride brooked no challenge.
“How *do* you know, then?”
“Heh. During the battle, they marked me—but I marked them too. I’ve cleansed mine. The Blessing of Life… likely couldn’t remove mine. I felt its echo entering town. Could be a trap. But worth checking.”
“Tomorrow, then. Without Elisa. She shouldn’t know why we seek the Blessing.”
“One more thing,” Wude pressed. “The monster surge today. Explain.”
Alreis’s eyes glowed with a Hexagram pattern.
*Gulp.* Wude swallowed. When her eyes lit like that, she wasn’t maid or slave. She was Alreis—the strongest being across time.
“Wude,” she asked, voice solemn. “Do you truly wish to grow stronger?”
