บท 40: A God? A Fallen Angel? An Elf? (6)

Previously

"Have you done it?"

"What?"

"Have you. . .Have you tried to get her out of your body?" I asked with bated breaths, afraid that my question might be stepping on her tail. I was ready to apologize when I saw her hands tightening into fists.

"Have I?" Ivanka's tone was drawn with anger. "I've done everything I can—I've drank a phoenix's blood in hopes of reincarnating without her but the curse pulls me back. I've eaten a piece of the World's Tree, in hopes that my body would be cleansed of her but all it did was make my spirit stronger, fusing it and me even closer together."

She gave a defeated sigh, relaxing her fists. "I've even brought my accursed mother back from the nether realm but she only laughed as my chalikars tore her soul essence apart." She traced a veiny, red tattoo slithering across her toned stomach.

"She brings nothing but destruction and carnage," Ivanka whispered. "And I had hoped that keeping you inside the house would protect you from her but that was naive of me."

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Ivanka held onto my arm and forced me to look into her eyes. "I'll train you."

"Wh-What?" Damn it! This was an option I really hoped hadn't popped out. Ivanka and Nightmare may be two, completely polar opposites but sometimes, they exhibit personalities alike to each other. One such example was that whenever Ivanka trained someone, her disciples would usually want to commit suicide due to how beastlike and savage her training schedule was.

If even battle-hardened and oriented veterans raised the flag to her training, there was absolutely no chance for someone literally carrying the constitution of the Maiden like me. "Um, Do I have a choice?"

"Every living thing under the government of the World Spirit does," Ivanka said before a mischievous smile made its way on her lips. "It's time to earn your pay, boy."

I wanted to cry but I won't give up. My dream is to be a lazy slob living comfortably in the countryside after all. "Bu-But, look at me. Nothing about me screams warrior like you."

"Perhaps," Ivanka checked my small, delicate frame. "But being a warrior isn't the only way to become moderately strong in this world. You have that, don't you?" She pointed at her right hand.

I checked the bronze coloured Emblem etched above my right hand. "My emblem? I've heard whispers. It told me that it's not attack-oriented."

"I'm aware of your constitution," Ivanka said. "However, don't underestimate it just because it's a support type. I've witnessed what someone of your marking has done. You're making the mistake of thinking of your emblem in an attack-type sense when you should learn how to weaponize your support skills instead."

Of course I know all of that! I played the damn game and know how freaking overpowered Willow the Last Maiden turned out to be. The problem was that I didn't want to attend a needlessly tiring training period to awaken the skills that would easily awaken on their own after I collected the other 2 core items. I didn't even need to perform the regular trial by fire that most humans had to carry out, so as to evolve my emblem.

My constitution was special and cursed at the same time. There was a reason that it was on the same level as the Celestial Hero or the Demon God; a natural necessity and law to this world that kept everything in balance. All I had to do to mature and grow my emblem rank was to collect all 3 of the Maiden's core items and fuse with them. That's it. Hell, my emblem rank shot up to bronze after fusing with the [Dress Of Heaven].

Shit. What do I have to do to tell her I didn't want to sweat like some sort of battle-hardened protagonist out for blood?

After a few seconds of tense silence, Ivanka thankfully managed to pick up what I'm leaving on the table.

"Well it was just a suggestion in case you wanted vengeance against the other one. Although you won't have to worry of her for a while," Ivanka said, snapping her fingers so that her light armor returned on her skin.

"Wait what?" I feel like she just dropped a bomb there. What on earth did she just say?

Ivanka started stretching around. "Did I forget to tell you? Well, I don't know what happened the night before but the other one is in a deep sleep. It's never been so. . .silent." She raised a leg to let it sit on the chair as she tried to reach for it. A blush came up to my face when I saw how toned, long and strong her legs looked.

"That's why I'm in a wonderful mood currently, can't you tell?" Ivanka said with the same impassive look on her face. I don't think anyone would be able to tell what she's feeling just by looking at her face.

"Are you preparing for your training?" I asked, curious.

"Training?" Ivanka shook her head. "I'm hunting. You'll need lunch right?" She saw the excited expression on my face. ". .I don't think you're ready for the hunt."

My eyes sparkled even more.

"I don't. ."

My eyes were like upturned stars at her.

Ivanka sighed. "Fine. I've been meaning to see your abilities as well." She looked at the bronze mark on my hand and my dress which sparkled at her attention. "Hm. I see you won't be needing armor or a weapon."

I secretly pumped my fist. This was going to be so cool. It had been a while, perhaps since I was 6 that I had been taken out to hunt by my dad. I wanted to follow along still but as I'd grown into my beautiful body, my dad and Elm were very enthusiastic in denying me my fun. Although, back then, I usually did nothing but hitch a seat on my dad's back and watch as he and young Elm did all the hard work.

"But just to be sure, you'll still need something." She summoned her chakiras and a mysterious small bottle, containing some sort of black fluid. "Drink this. It'll help conceal your presence and avoid alarming prey. . .or predator."

I looked at the bottle with absolute disgust. Ivanka only shook the bottle in response. "It'll go down faster than you think."

Well, I did want to go see Ivanka hunting and I also did want to use my new set of abilities, not to mention check out the effects of my dress. Most importantly, this would be the most entertainment I've had in weeks. But did I really have to drink this slimy, black fluid? If it was anyone but Ivanka telling me to drink it, I'd think they were trying to assassinate me.

"Fine," I sighed, taking the bottle. "Here goes nothing." Closing my eyes, I popped open the cork and drank the thing down like it was cold medicine. It tasted. . .sweet and strawberry-like.

Ivanka must have seen the look of confusion on my face. "It's a high-grade [Potion Of Stealth] infused with the breath of a fruit fairy. Personally, I can't stand the muddy, low-grade ones as well."

I finished the bottle. "I feel. . .nothing?"

"The potion's effects will stream in ounce by ounce," Ivanka said. "No worries. The full effect will kick in by the time we arrive at the spot. By then, nothing short of a demi-god should be able to sense you."

She took the empty bottle from my hands and threw it into her Storage before testing the edge of her chakras. The rounded blades glinted like moonlight as her fingers soothingly caressed it. I could tell then that she loved her chakiras as much as she did in the game, since lore-wise it was probably the sharpest blade created by the old dwarf up north.

"Before we begin, you must remember two rules," Ivanka turned to me and said. "The first and most important rule being that, under no circumstance will you move from your hiding spot unless I tell you to. You can test out your skills after the hunt for lunch, and dinner."

"And the second?" I asked.

"Do not disturb me when I'm hunting," Ivanka said with absolute seriousness that made her usual serious face look goofy. I gulped but managed a nod.

"Well then, if you're ready," Ivanka opened the door while I clenched onto my dress tightly. "Let the hunt begin."