Alister let out a satisfied sigh, his gaze lingering on the crystal-like egg, that was now pulsing with a faint aura as it lay cradled in his hand. A small smile could be seen on his face.
“I think we’re done here.”
But before he could enjoy the moment, Terra’s eyes lit up with excitement. She let the heart hover out of her grasp as she then clapped her hands together, her expression brimming with enthusiasm, her cheeks flushed.
“Wait, my lord! What about poison dragons? Or metal dragons? Or dragons with even denser scales?”
She asked, practically bouncing on her feet. “Just imagine the possibilities! With this power, we could create entirely new types, each with unique attributes!” she smiled at the end, her eyes narrowed, her cheeks flushed.
Alister blinked, a bit taken by surprise by Terra’s sudden burst of energy. He coughed softly, turning to look away from her, his scaled back facing her as he took a few steps forward, trying to maintain his composure.
“Calm down, Terra…”
“You’re… very energetic today,” he added, turning to glance at her over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow. “I’m used to seeing you a bit more reserved.”
Realizing her excitement had gotten the best of her, Terra’s eyes widened, and she immediately knelt, her flushed face returning to normal, as she now wore a more serious expression on her face.
“My apologies, my lord,” she said, her tone much more subdued as she bowed her head. “I didn’t mean to get carried away. It’s just… this discovery is beyond anything I’d ever dreamed of. I’ve never felt such potential within reach.”
Alister sighed, but a small smile remained on his face. “I understand, Terra. It’s… a big deal. We’ve created something entirely new, something that perhaps… hasn’t been seen before. Your excitement is justified.” He walked up to her and lifted her chin gently, his gaze meeting hers.
“But there’s no need to apologize for your passion.”
Terra’s eyes softened as she nodded, her previous exuberance replaced with a more controlled sense of pride. “Thank you, my lord,” she murmured.
“I’ll temper my excitement.”
Alister nodded, pulling back as he let out a soft sigh. “Alright, let’s get back to the others. As I mentioned earlier, there’s still a lot more to accomplish tonight.”
Terra gave a respectful nod. “Understood, my lord.”
She rose gracefully to her feet and began to walk closer towards Alister as they prepared to leave.
Alister glanced around, despite being disconnected from the heart, he could still remember when he saw Mar’Garet and Alzuring’s strings, causing him to narrow his gaze as he mumbled.
“I wonder how many monsters Mar’Garet and Alzuring have taken down in our absence.” With a spark of curiosity, he called out to the system, “System display my prestige points.” In an instant, the system responded, projecting his accumulated prestige points in bright letters before him.
As Alister’s eyes fell on the number, he froze. The sheer volume of points shocked him, far surpassing what he’d expected.
Completely unaware of Alister’s surprise, Terra spoke calmly beside him, glancing down at the tree they stood upon.
“We may need to descend the tree first, my Lord. It’s a way of honoring those who flew down it in ages past, by following in their footsteps and doing the sa-”
“What!?” Alister’s voice echoed through the mind space, filled with shock.
Startled, Terra looked over at him, a touch of worry in her gaze. “My lord, is everything alright?” she asked softly.
Realizing he had startled her, Alister took a steadying breath, quickly offering an apologetic smile.
“Ah-sorry, Terra. I didn’t mean to shout. I wasn’t… I wasn’t talking to you,” he clarified, his heart still pounding as he processed the numbers displayed by the system.
[Prestige Point Balance: 26,789.]
‘Twenty six thousand? Wasn’t it only seven thousand yesterday?’
‘How did it become so much so fast?’
The system suddenly materialized with an explanation
[Notice! The player’s Fame and Reputation have recently been a constant hot topic, hence the rapid increase in prestige points over time.]
‘Fame and reputation?’
With the thought of those words he had remembered what axel and Blitz had told him before The arrived at his living quarters.
“She’s a trending topic! Everyone’s saying she might be more than just a summon to you.”
‘So this is all due to the rumors about Cinder?’ freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Alister thoughts raced, If merely having Cinder follow him around had granted him this surge in prestige points, then what would happen if he openly displayed all his generals?
Each of them had their unique strengths and personalities-perhaps his prestige would skyrocket if he allowed the world to see his entire force in action, much like the wasteland display event. But where would he find such an opportunity?
An opportunity to put his power on display?
‘Tomorrow’s meeting maybe? Perhaps I can have the five of them walk besides me? That would certainly have an effect.’
He thought, but he knew there was a risk in putting on such a bold display. Hatred, jealousy, envy, humans were such fickle creatures, prone to fall under the influence of negative
emotions.
As Alister stood at the edge of the tree, lost in thought about his potential problems his display of power could bring, Terra’s voice broke through his thoughts.
“My lord, is something troubling you?” she asked gently.
Alister blinked, quickly brushing it off. “It’s nothing, Terra. We should head back now.”
But just as he turned to descend, Terra stepped forward, gently but firmly halting him. “Is this about your sister? Are you worried about how to save her again?”
Alister froze. The question had struck closer to home than he expected. He glanced at her, his usual composed demeanor slipping slightly as he met her concerned gaze.
He sighed softly then said.
“I told you before,” he murmured, “there’s no need to worry.”
But Terra didn’t back down. She took a deep breath, her expression growing serious. “As your advisor, it’s my duty to worry about you, my lord. Your struggles are my struggles. If I can’t help carry that weight, I’m failing in my purpose.”
“You’re an amazing person. You tend to think deeply about everything, and while that often helps you make wise decisions, you act as if you plan to carry all your burdens alone.”
“I am your general, and I’ve pledged my absolute loyalty to you. All I wish is to serve you for the countless years we have ahead.”
“But if you never confide in me, never ask for my counsel-how can I fulfill my duty? How can
I truly be of use at your side?”
“How am I supposed to be proud as one of your generals?”
“When I haven’t properly performed my duties.”
“You may not know this my lord, but it brings me greater pain when you do not call forth my strategic expertises in decision making, or the plans you have in mind.”
Alister felt her grip tighten on his sounder as she said, “Altho I have been silent for a while
because I believed things would change in the future, but alas if I do not tell you, you may
never notice.”
“My lord, for a long while now I have felt useless, and would prefer it if you made more use of
my skills.”
Alister’s gaze softened, realizing how deeply she cared about his burden. With a quiet sigh, he
finally relented.
“I do have a way to save my sister,” he admitted, his voice carrying a weight he rarely
showed.
“But it requires that people notice me, that they speak of my actions and deeds.” He avoided mentioning the system, but the meaning was clear.
“I’ve considered bringing Cinder and the rest of my generals to tomorrow’s meeting, showing our power. But I worry… revealing too much could draw the wrong kind of attention. It might lead to enemies seeking ways to harm me… or those I care about.”
Terra listened in silence, then sighed. “My lord, life will always be filled with challenges and threats. Choosing the quieter path doesn’t remove obstacles-it only changes them. And people with the strength and ambition you possess… they’re always going to face scrutiny.” She paused, a glint of confidence lighting her eyes. “Whether you choose to reveal your power or not, there will always be those who stand against you. But that doesn’t mean you should
hesitate.”
“So, my suggestion, as your advisor, is that as an overlord… you should power through anyone or anything that stands in your way.”
“After all, you made a promise to yourself, didn’t you?”
Alister raised his eyebrows, curious about what she was implying-though a part of him
already knew.