Chapter 80: Monarch

Trish looked around, took him to a corner of the square, and after confirming that no one was eavesdropping, leaned slightly toward Luo En.

This kind of intimate posture would definitely not have appeared a few weeks ago, but now it seemed natural.

"I usually don't reveal these things to others."

She said in a low voice, her tone carrying a hint of rare sincerity:

"But considering our... relationship as fellow countrymen and collaborators, I think you are qualified to know these."

The brown-haired girl paused, seemingly weighing her words: "Actually, Li Yue comes from the Fire Flow Tribe in the south of the Black Mist Jungle. She is one of the few survivors."

Luo En raised his eyebrows; this name seemed somewhat familiar: "Fire Flow Tribe? I seem to have seen this name in the sect's archives."

"Your memory is quite good." Trish nodded approvingly, her fingers tapping lightly on the magic stone bag at her waist:

"That was a resistance tribe that Mentor Ke Lin Na personally wiped out about fifteen years ago. It is said that that 'extermination operation' left almost no survivors."

When saying these words, Trish's voice was calm to the point of indifference, as if she were narrating a piece of irrelevant information.

And Li Yue, who was standing beside her, clearly could understand human language, but she was expressionless, without any emotional reaction.

"At that time, Li Yue was just a baby. She has no memory of her hometown and her people."

Trish continued, a hint of almost pity flashing in her tone, but soon returned to that cold narrative tone:

"The mentor discovered that she had monarch blood, so she brought her back to the sect and asked a 'modulator' to transform and train her."

Luo En keenly noticed that when the word "modulator" appeared, Li Yue's ears twitched slightly, and a trace of fear hidden extremely deep flashed in her eyes, and then quickly returned to calmness.

"Modulation?" He pretended to ask unintentionally: "Is that the kind of wizard technique specifically for transforming blood?"

"That's right." Trish nodded, her gaze sweeping over Li Yue:

"For combat slaves, modulators can strengthen blood advantages, suppress unnecessary memories and emotions, and ensure absolute obedience."

Speaking of this, she couldn't help but show a subtle smile:

"After I became an entry-level apprentice and became a student of Mentor Ke Lin Na, she gave Li Yue to me as a meeting gift. This can be considered quite an honor in the sect. After all, a monarch blood leopard girl like Li Yue who has undergone complete training is worth at least nearly ten complete magic stones."

Luo En looked at Li Yue thoughtfully. Throughout the entire process of Trish narrating the destruction of her tribe, the leopard girl's expression remained as calm as water, as if those dead tribesmen had nothing to do with her.

Her golden eyes were focused and vigilant, but she couldn't find any attachment or hatred for the past.

"Truly... amazing training results," Luo En evaluated cautiously: "This level of loyalty to the master is indeed rare."

"This is the rule of the Black Mist Jungle." Trish said softly, her tone carrying a hint of rare sentimentality:

"The strong dominate everything, and the weak must either submit or perish. So we must improve our strength as soon as possible to stand firm in this cruel world."

Her gaze became sharp again: "Speaking of this, seeing you ask so much, are you also interested in cultivating combat slaves? With your current development speed, you should indeed consider this aspect."

Luo En smiled slightly noncommittally: "Just a little curious. I see that your cooperation with Li Yue is so tacit, so I want to understand the relevant knowledge."

Trish raised an eyebrow, a hint of subtle light flashing in her eyes:

"You are always so cautious, aren't you? Don't worry, I won't go around spreading it."

Her tone suddenly became half-joking, and this sense of relaxation was exceptionally rare in her usual cold image.

"This level of combat slave is cultivated by almost every sequence member in the candidate wizard sequence."

Trish continued to explain:

"However, most people like types with huge body shapes and strong destructive power, such as half-orcs, werewolves, or bear people. Types like Li Yue who rely on speed and skills are actually relatively rare."

Speaking of this, she raised her head and looked at the sky:

"In fact, the battles between sequence members are also a test of their respective cultivation abilities. My mentor once said that the combat slaves one cultivates often reflect one's own character and aesthetics."

"How to say, what do you think Cynthia's half-orc reflects about her?" Luo En asked curiously.

"Violence, lack of patience, only valuing superficial strength." Trish sneered:

"The thing she gave that half-orc was a berserk crystal. Although it can significantly improve strength in a short time, the price is severe life consumption. This is her style—pursuing short-term benefits regardless of the consequences."

Luo En nodded to express his gratitude: "Then, based on your experience, do you have any recommended race choices?"

The brown-haired girl tilted her head and thought for a moment, her slender fingers tapping lightly on her chin: "For you, a multi-armed snake demon should be a good choice."

Her voice became professional and enthusiastic; clearly, few people discussed these with her on weekdays:

"They usually have four to six arms and can hold multiple weapons at the same time, which can not only protect you in close combat but also use long-range weapons like throwing spears and bows to provide support. And their intelligence level is not inferior to humans or even higher, suitable for executing complex instructions."

"Multi-armed snake demon?" Luo En became interested instantly, his tone carrying undisguised curiosity: "Are they good at sword

"Quite adept," Trish nodded, confirming his guess.

"Their multi-armed advantage gives them a natural edge in swordsmanship. It is said that in the deep layers of the abyss, some pure-blooded Mariliths can even control eight different weapons simultaneously, forming an attack and defense system with almost no blind spots."

Hearing this, he could not help but start thinking about his own practice of the Corona Sword Art.

If he could teach this set of sword arts to a multi-armed Marilith and combine it with his own spell attacks, his combat power would indeed see a qualitative leap.

Moreover, his basic swordsmanship was already approaching the mastery layer. If he could find a suitable practice partner, perhaps his future breakthrough speed could accelerate even further.

As Trish said this, her gaze became profound, her words tinged with a hint of probing:

"Of course, the price will also be very high. Even for the half-breeds with the thinnest bloodlines, it requires at least three or four complete magic stones, and pure-bloods start at twenty complete magic stones. Generally, only formal wizards can employ pure-blooded Mariliths. After all, they come from the lower layers of the abyss; the difficulty of capturing them is extremely high, and the mortality rate when bringing them back is also high."

Luo En secretly calculated his financial resources. Although his recent income had been good, there was still a large gap compared to such a high price.

"However, you don't need to be too anxious." Trish seemed to see through his concerns:

"You must first pass the potionist certification, then the intermediate apprentice qualification, and only after that should you consider the probationary wizard sequence. By then, with the powerful money-making ability of a professional potionist, buying a half-breed Marilith should be more than enough."

The two talked for a while longer until the crowd around the square gradually dispersed, and the brown-haired girl proposed to leave.

Before parting, he took another look at the tall, lithe leopard-woman.

(End of chapter)