Air moves in blossoming brilliant arcs within the sun rays of a new day. It was on the fourth day Alex was traversing the Endless Sea.
Gracier could be seen dressed in her training gear heading into her training ground, in one of the special forests owned by the royal family; Artemia had said to head; first, she would join her later.
『[Gracier Alexandra Touch]
「 Rank 8」
Level 80
Class: Fire Empress
Age: 14
Female
Race: High Half-Elf
Experience Value: 2000/37200
Magic Power: 3500 (+20) ➤ 3520/3520
Magic: Fire Magic
Attack: 1335 ➤ 1345
Defense: 725 ➤ 735
Agility: 875 ➤ 885
Intelligence: 825 ➤ 835
Luck: 725 ➤ 735
BP: 20
SP: 10
Gift: Ignia's Bracelet
Skills: [Cooking Level 4] [Sewing Level 3] [Fireball Level 5] [Fire Arrows Level 4] [Meteor Level 1] [Fire Snake Level 4] [Flame Shield Level 5] [Presence Detection Level 5] [Chantless Magic Level 8] [Fire Lotus Level 5] [Archery Level Max] [Blaze Steps Level 5] [Golden Arrows Level 1]
Special Abilities: [Dragon Eye Level 10 Max] [Flame Wings Level 3] [Dragon's Breath Level Level 2] [Lord of Hundred Flames] {Dark Mode (Sealed due to its instability)}
Titles: [Avenger] [Child of Fire] [The Awakened] [The Diligent] [Lord of Flames]』
''Fufufu! Almost Rank 9, I wonder if big brother would be happy with my progress?'' Gracier said with a smile before suddenly shaking her head.
''I must at least become Rank 10 before big brother come back.'' She decided. Flame wings appeared at her back, and she started flying; today, Gracier wishes to venture deeper into the forest, fight stronger opponents to advance rapidly.
At the same time, several shadows traveled the forest.
In another part of the forest, two individuals stood before each other, one woman with pure white hair and a man dressed in black clothing. It was Kamishiro facing Alice, Gracier's bodyguard.
''Young girl, can you let me pass?" Kamishiro tried to make Alice let him pass. Never he would have thought, neither would have the emperor thought that Alex had already placed somebody to protect Gracier.
''I refuse, go back and tell the emperor that my master has everything under control.'' Alice calmly stated, her hand had never left the sword at her waist.
'Sigh! She even knew that the emperor sent me. I wonder where the hell the boy finds this unusual girl. I can't sense anything from her, not even the once of mana which is odd considering that mana dwells in everything. There is only one explanation; this girl is at a level where she could perfectly hide her mana. If it is true, then she would be a terrifying enemy to face.'
Kamishiro, also known as Orochi, quickly analyzed, then he caught sight of something; he was not the only one, though.
Shing!!
Katana and sword were both simultaneously unsheathed as if the two wished to take each other life. However, just as the blade was about to arrive near the other, it suddenly struck the opposite side, heads flew, blood danced in the sky, and the two passed each other and unsheathed their weapons again; another carnage happened.
In less than a minute, four bodies lay headless on the ground.
''You are not bad.'' Kamishiro complimented; he tried to sound calm; however, inwardly, he was shocked because the moved used by Alice couldn't be more familiar to him as it was the same move he performed god knows how many times to perfect it to what it was today. It couldn't be helped that Kamishiro was shocked; imagine the skills you have painstakingly performed to be perfectly copied by a stranger just in front of you at your first meeting? Everybody will be shocked, and also the moment Alice unsheathed her sword, Kamishiro felt something he had never felt before, a sensation of dreadfulness like never before, it like he was standing before an abyssal monster that could swallow every within its sight if angered, the man known as Orochi even back in the Far East, feared by many gulped and took the only logical decision he could think of at the moment.
''I shall take my leave,'' Kamishiro announced and started to blend with the surrounding; however, before completely disappearing, he asked.
''Young lady, what is your name?"
''Alice Nihil.''
''Nihil means 0 in one of your master's world languages, I think? Well, take care, Alice Nihil; I hope we never see each other ever again.'' These were Kamishiro last words before he vanished. He was extremely knowledgeable, almost as he was once an Earthling.
Left alone, Alice calmed her trembling hand; she might have appeared calm on the surface it was only because of her personality, her eternal emotionless face, to be able to copy a man of Kamishiro caliber sword skill perfectly, it took all she had, she almost failed, she could have used other sword techniques. Still, by copying Kamishiro skills, it would have struck fear deep into the man's heart, to make him wary of her, he would see how strong and dangerous she is and at the same time put a brake on the emperor ambition, he would think twice before messing with Alex from now after learning what his men are capable of.
''Sigh! I'm still weak. I must become stronger, not to fall behind as my master kept growing.'' Alice said as she touched her chest where that stone acting as the heart was, she could feel the connection between her and her master, even though faint because of the distance.
Then, Alice's cold face turned even colder as she glanced at the headless bodies on the ground. She turned into a shadow and disappeared; however, a small black flame appeared in the place where Alice was to land on the corpses; instantly, the four bodies were set ablaze and rapidly turned into cinder before disappearing into the wind.
Like the Grim reaper, Alice moved into the forest, reaping life as if cutting off some grasses.
The first batch of men sent by the Elves as they were getting desperate was annihilated, and Gracier didn't even know that a massacre occurred as she was happily slaughtering monsters to level up.