Training

Emerald City, Royal Training Grounds.

As the largest, most luxurious private training facility in the Elven Kingdom, every structure and piece of equipment exuded sophistication. True to elven nature, the arena’s ambiance harmonized with the natural world.

Clang!

A sharp blade’s hum cut through the still air, its iridescent edge refracting sunlight, leaving a lingering afterimage. The tender grass swayed under the force of a powerful gust, helpless until the swift, shadowy figure halted against a wall.

Cuibis hurried forward, offering a towel to the elven girl and a cup of faintly glowing green liquid.

Selina wiped the sweat from her brow, parched from exertion. Cuibis promptly handed her the drink, which she downed swiftly yet gracefully, restoring moisture to her dry lips.

“Thanks, Cuibis.”

With someone to hand her a towel when tired and water when thirsty, such attentive service was hard to dislike.

“It’s my duty, Your Highness. You’re too kind,” Cuibis replied, hands clasped at her waist, poised and humble.

Training exclusively in the Royal Grounds this early could only be the Elven Kingdom’s Second Princess, Selina.

A week had passed since Felicia’s departure. Aside from essentials like eating and sleeping, Selina spent nearly all her time training.

With her upcoming departure from the Elven Forest to study at Tianqi Academy, despite having a recommendation letter, Selina preferred not to draw attention. She aimed to pass the entrance exam on her own merit, concealing her identity.

Training was to bolster her strength. Outside the Elven Forest, she’d lack the kingdom’s protection. While her princess title carried weight, personal prowess was paramount. “Forge your own strength” never failed.

Unlike Felicia’s magic-focused training, Selina honed her physical skills, not her innate elven magic. She’d learn magic properly at the academy. For now, recovering her past strength was urgent.

Her rebirth was like swapping shells—her male body’s cultivation was lost. Her prized skill, Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, was a physical technique, so she relentlessly trained her body.

Despite losing her cultivation, there was good news. Her human body had been limiting. With her mentor’s help, she’d pushed it to three times a normal human’s initial speed. Now, with her elven body and trained instincts, she’d already doubled that.

Initial speed was critical for Wind Spirit Moon Shadow, which exponentially boosted movement speed based on the user’s base speed and technique stages. Higher initial speed meant faster results at the same stage.

Her seemingly delicate elven body held twice the power of her human one, meaning at the same stage, her elven speed surpassed her human speed by a full stage.

Such staggering potential—unimaginable in her human days. With divine elven blood, it made sense.

Drinking the Spring of Life, its potent vitality surged from her stomach, nourishing her delicate frame.

Backing a powerful faction had its perks. In her past life, her mentor offered only hunted game for sustenance.

After a week, leveraging her mastery of Wind Spirit Moon Shadow and soul-deep combat experience, Selina reached stage five—equivalent to stage six in her human body. A 32-fold speed was ample for a student. Further gains would be minimal, so she wisely chose to rest.

Back in her room, she bathed luxuriously.

After a hearty vegetable salad, Selina secluded herself, standing before a full-length mirror, fiddling with the crystal bracelet on her wrist.

This artifact, given by Themis, altered her appearance. She’d been experimenting, and now, pausing mid-training, it was time to finalize her academy look to support her identity concealment.

Gazing at her reflection, Selina manipulated the bracelet’s magic. Despite Themis’s warnings, she stubbornly tried reverting to a male form—a dashing silver-haired man to charm thousands. Predictably, it failed…

Forcing a male guise produced a petite, alluring “pretty boy,” unmistakably effeminate. Rather than risk that ambiguous look, a female disguise was safer.

Her natural body was female, so the bracelet only needed to mask elven traits, slightly dull her beauty, and tone down her captivating aura.

The results were imperfect. Her divine bloodline and stunning looks made blending in impossible. Even subdued, her charm—described by Themis as “a princess of radiant splendor”—could disrupt seers’ visions.

She couldn’t become an ordinary girl, but as long as she avoided her acquaintances’ notice, she was grateful.