After bidding farewell to Roy, Leya walked alone along a narrow path deep within the forest.
‘Don’t think that just because Roy isn’t here, I’m helpless,’ she mused. ‘Leya is about to demonstrate precisely what a seasoned outdoor adventurer of the new age can do. A dense forest like this?’
‘Hmph, with my absolutely world-class hidden divine talent, I’m confident that as long as I don’t provoke any monsters… everything else is mere child’s play!’
‘Well… though that sounds less like outdoor adventuring and more like a child’s game of hide-and-seek, ahem, ahem, ahem…’
‘But it doesn’t matter! Leya isn’t one to fret over such trivial details!’
[Ding—Primary mission formulation complete. Mission One: Master at least three major spells. Mission success rewards: various elixirs, one Advanced Divine Power Reserve Card.]
[Ding—Primary permissions officially activated. Divine Power Reserve Card functionality now available.]
“A Divine Power Reserve Card?”
“Yes, Host. Regarding the Divine Power Reserve Card, simply put, it is a highly convenient item designed to help you awaken the dormant divine power within your body for a limited time.”
“So, if I use it, I can temporarily gain immense divine power?”
“In essence, yes. However, given that the Host has not yet successfully integrated the divine vengeance consciousness, this function cannot be directly utilized at present.”
Leya: “…”
‘Is this what they call reaping what you sow?’ Yet, even so, Leya harbored no regrets. Some things, after all, were simply non-negotiable, weren’t they?
In this regard, Leya could only say, ‘What I gain is my fortune; what I lose is my fate!’
“However, as an alternative, the system has reviewed the Host’s memories and discovered that the Divine Power Reserve Card can be modified for use as a Character Transformation Card.”
“A Character Transformation Card? What does that mean?”
“Simply put, by integrating with the Host’s original memories, the Divine Power Reserve Card can perfectly replicate a character from the Host’s memories—including their personality, appearance, and abilities—to achieve an equivalent effect. For example, a girl named Artoria was found in the Host’s memories. The system estimates that a Mid-tier Divine Power Reserve Card would be required to perfectly replicate her abilities, while her Noble Phantasm would necessitate an additional Advanced Divine Power Reserve Card.”
“This…”
Leya initially wore an expression of delight, but then, a flicker of worry crossed her face as she asked, “This is certainly convenient, but System, can’t the personality replication aspect be adjusted? If a certain character’s mental capabilities are too potent, wouldn’t my primary personality risk assimilation?”
It was no wonder Leya worried about this. She had, after all, experienced it herself! The divine vengeance consciousness, currently sealed deep within her mind, served as a stark, bloody lesson.
Leya certainly didn’t want to face that fate one day herself!
“That is impossible!” The system dismissed Leya’s concern without hesitation.
“The Host is, by all accounts, a genuine deity, the sole surviving divine being in the world, having inherited the power of a hundred thousand gods! While there may still be numerous physical challenges to overcome, your mental fortitude is absolutely impregnable! Furthermore, what is termed ‘personality replication’ is far less terrifying than the Host imagines; the situation you fear will simply not occur.”
Even if it were possible, the system found it impossible to conceive of anyone capable of surpassing Leya’s mental power, infused as it was with the vengeance consciousness of a hundred thousand deities…
Even though the vengeance consciousness was significantly weakened by various factors during its integration, it was still an entity that no mere human could possibly overcome!
“Is that so? Then I feel much more at ease…”
With the system’s reassurance, Leya felt considerably calmer. Moreover, Leya herself would never pass up such a prime opportunity to ensure her own safety! Even if there were a confirmed threat, let alone none, Leya would not hesitate to put it to the test.
It was no joke; Leya had lived her entire life loving adventure. The thrill of pushing the boundaries between life and death, the exhilarating and addictive sense of peril and satisfaction, always captivated her. To knowingly venture into a tiger’s den—that was precisely the kind of person Leya was!
“System, then, let’s begin preparations to replicate Artoria’s abilities immediately!”
Leya spoke with a touch of excitement. Having encountered many Japanese anime series during her time at the orphanage, she was naturally familiar with this character: the epitome of a knight, the undisputed King of Knights!
A hero who led the people of Britannia to successfully defeat powerful invaders and defend their homeland, she single-handedly forged the world-renowned Knights of the Round Table, ushering in a golden age of chivalry! Her own prowess in combat and her character were both impeccably perfect. While she might have seemed a little naive in some aspects, what did it matter? Leya had no intention of ruling a nation or becoming a king above all others, especially since her true identity required no such empty titles.
“Understood. Confirming conversion of one Mid-tier Divine Power Reserve Card. One Artoria Transformation Card is expected to be successfully acquired in six hours.”
“Conversion? Oh, System, is this card a one-time use, or can it be used multiple times?”
This was Leya’s most pressing concern. Receiving only one card after three rewards highlighted its rarity; if it were truly single-use, it would feel rather underwhelming, wouldn’t it?
As expected, the system did not disappoint Leya, stating: “Host, a Mid-tier card currently provides a sustainable effect for thirty minutes. This duration can increase with the Host’s own rise in strength. After use, it requires twelve hours to replenish divine power, and this replenishment time can also decrease as the Host’s strength improves.”
All in all, it was a very useful ability, and Leya was quite satisfied.
However, setting that aside for the moment, after a prolonged period of exploration, Leya astonishingly discovered a dirt road in the forest—one that was highly likely to have been constructed by humans!
Clear wagon wheel tracks were visible upon it, suggesting a caravan had passed through quite recently. What was most striking, however, was a distinct scent on the road. It was highly unusual, for Leya could clearly discern a distress message of unknown origin emanating from it!
[Is anyone there? Erica’s kin, if you can find this scent, please, you must come and help me. I was captured by humans during my retreat. They are numerous, and I am no match for them. So, I beg you, please save me…]
****
Along the winding, muddy forest path, five carriages laden with “goods” were currently traveling. If all went according to plan, they would transport this entire load to the nearest city, Valantis, for sale.
Their luck this time had been exceptional. Benefiting from a recent expeditionary force’s actions, many low-level magical beasts had been forced to migrate outwards to escape the conflict. All the merchants had to do was guard specific routes, and they could continuously capture the “goods” they needed.
Indeed, the five carriages were filled with various low-level magical beasts. Most numerous were goblins and other beastmen, destined to be used as laborers for high-risk tasks. Following them were forest beasts like horned rhinoceroses, phantom wolves, and man-eating lizards, which served many purposes: as familiars, food sources, raw material extraction, or even for sale to circuses—all excellent options.
What’s more, this time they had an unexpectedly grand prize: a lone elf maiden! By the Gods! The last female elf, over 300 years old and having changed hands several times, had fetched a price of 100,000 gold coins. This one, however, appeared to be a genuine elf maiden under 100 years old, seemingly yet to undergo her coming-of-age ceremony!
One could only imagine the frenzy among those wealthy nobles, with money to burn, once they learned of this news!
100,000, 300,000, 500,000, or even a million gold coins was not out of the question! This was a sum that Malfoy, the caravan leader, had never even dared to dream of before.
“Report, Captain! Approximately twelve more kilometers ahead, and we’ll be out of the forest. If all goes well, we should exit the forest by tonight!”
“Mm, good, I understand!”
Malfoy waved his hand, signaling the mercenary to withdraw.
Just then, the mercenary captain, riding a horse close behind Malfoy with a somewhat serious expression, spoke with a hint of unease: “Captain, I’ve long heard that elves can transmit information to each other through scent. I believe delay breeds trouble. Perhaps we should accelerate the pace of the caravan, or better yet, dispatch a small team of my men to swiftly transport this elf maiden back to the city to ensure no mishaps occur.”
“Heh.”
The Captain, with a peculiar expression, gazed coldly at the mercenary captain and blurted out, “There’s no need to trouble your men. For a mere dozen kilometers, I trust that if everyone simply puts in a bit more effort and presses on quickly, no incidents will occur.”
‘As if I don’t know what you’re plotting,’ he inwardly scoffed. ‘Have your men take the elf back? ‘Sending’ her might be true, but ‘returning’ her… that’s another matter entirely!’
At this point, with an elf maiden who was essentially a mountain of gold, who among them didn’t understand the others’ intentions?
“This… very well then. I’ll go and urge the team to pick up the pace, striving to exit the forest before sunset.”
The mercenary captain, named Sherman, nodded, finally speaking with a sigh of resignation. He offered no explanation in the face of his employer’s distrust, understanding that in such circumstances, he likely wouldn’t easily trust others either.
However, his commission had suddenly soared from 1,000 to 5,000 gold coins. This meant that whatever grievances Sherman might have had, he could endure them all for the sake of the money!
‘Indeed, for the sake of the money…’