“Really? But Big White hasn’t come out yet.”
Hearing her daughter’s slightly aggrieved tone, Aya Tone couldn’t help but chuckle.
Reaching out, she gently ruffled Aya Jiu’s small head and instructed, “If one day, Aya Jiu was playing with friends, and then your friends just left without saying anything, how would that make you feel?”
Aya Jiu blinked her large eyes. “Aya Jiu would be very unhappy.”
“Precisely. So Big White needs to bid farewell to the young ladies before leaving; it’s a matter of politeness, you see?”
“Mm…” Aya Jiu nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite. “Are those young ladies Big White’s friends?”
Aya Tone replied, “No…”
“Then why are they all gathered around Big White?”
Meeting Aya Jiu’s innocent, questioning gaze, Aya Tone instantly felt a sense of foreboding. ‘It felt as though she had dug a pit for herself; mishandling this topic could lead to an endless conversation.’
****
Just then, the crowd parted, and Big White waved goodbye to everyone, quickly making her way to Aya Tone.
“Big White~” Aya Jiu slipped from her father’s embrace, throwing herself into Big White’s arms.
Big White dotingly held her little master. Soon enough, this little master would be taller than her.
Aya Tone sighed in relief. ‘Phew, saved by the bell.’
****
Below the Azure Dragon Guild headquarters.
Li Jia walked silently behind Ao Yu. The two remained quiet.
As the elevator ascended, the surrounding sounds seemed to be completely cut off, finally settling into a profound stillness.
“Guild Master Ao, what is your relationship with Aya Tone?” After a prolonged silence, Li Jia couldn’t resist breaking the deadlock.
Her impression of the Azure Dragon Guild Master had always been based on hearsay. Yet, last night, during their first encounter, Aya Tone had treated him like an old friend, calling him ‘brother.’
Li Jia’s mind was still fixated on the unanswered question from the dungeon, the one Aya Tone had sidestepped. She was incredibly curious about the true nature of their relationship. Everything concerning Aya Tone fascinated her. Furthermore, Aya Tone, who usually resisted revealing her identity, had actively contacted this man in her male persona.
Ao Yu offered no immediate reply, merely glancing sideways at Li Jia.
After a moment, he slowly spoke, “You should ask my younger brother yourself.”
Before outsiders, he had to maintain the gravitas expected of a guild master; he couldn’t possibly admit that his camaraderie with his ‘younger brother’ stemmed from matters concerning his daughter. Ao Yu still valued his dignity. Having himself explain it and having others observe it were two entirely different things.
“We’re here.”
The elevator doors slowly opened, and Ao Yu strode out.
Li Jia, not having received the answer her heart desired, quickly followed him.
As the lights flickered on, a massive training space suddenly appeared before them.
“It’s so vast,” Li Jia breathed, marveling. She hadn’t expected such an enormous training ground to exist beneath the Azure Dragon Guild. Its footprint seemed twice as large as the guild hall above.
“This space is exceptionally tranquil and also suitable for you to consume the fruit.”
Without her noticing, a box had appeared in Ao Yu’s hand—the very brocade box Aya Tone had used to hold the Dragon Heart.
He handed the box to Li Jia, who was behind him, and continued walking forward.
“The power within you has fully reached S-rank levels; attaining S-rank is merely a matter of time. This fruit, for you, is merely icing on the cake.”
“While I don’t understand your obsession with the fruit, you must consider this carefully.”
“To consume it means to accept that heavy responsibility.”
Having said this, Ao Yu fell silent, quietly awaiting Li Jia’s answer. The power of choice, he had placed firmly in Li Jia’s hands. Whether to use it or not was up to her.
Li Jia’s fingers gently traced the surface of the box in her hand, her eyes gleaming with an inexplicable light. What the Azure Dragon Guild Master said mirrored Aya Tone’s words exactly. This fruit, perhaps, was not as simple as she had initially thought.
But!
Hadn’t she already made up her mind?
Li Jia’s lips curved into a slight smile. ‘This, she mused, might be her only chance to truly have the upper hand over Aya Tone.’
She was the eldest daughter of the Li Group. From childhood, she had lived in an affluent family, and her parents had always indulged her every desire. This became even more pronounced after she awakened as an A-rank spatial mage upon reaching adulthood. Money, talent—in everyone’s eyes, she was the young mistress who possessed everything. And it was true.
Until she met Aya Tone—this little girl whom Fire Finch had unwittingly entangled. Her world changed. In front of Aya Tone, she was nothing. No longer the princess adored by all, but an ordinary person, just like everyone else. Her once-proud talent, compared to Aya Tone’s, was like a firefly next to the brilliant moon—infinitesimally small and impossibly distant. Over time, an impractical desire began to sprout within her: the desire to have the upper hand over Aya Tone. A twisted form of affection.
So, upon realizing she could never truly ‘possess’ Aya Tone, Li Jia once again became acutely aware of her own weakness. She was no longer content to simply stand behind Aya Tone, merely collecting magic stones for her. She wanted more! Much more! Even if consuming the fruit meant donning metaphorical shackles, she would not hesitate!
“I will not shy away!”
Hearing the resolute declaration from behind him, Ao Yu’s steps involuntarily paused. He turned to meet her determined gaze and burst into laughter. “Good! It seems my younger brother didn’t misjudge you.”
This was the first time Ao Yu had smiled since parting ways with Aya Tone. With a smile on his face, Ao Yu didn’t resemble a high-ranking guild master, but rather a friendly uncle from next door.
He then chuckled and explained, “Actually, you don’t need to overthink it too much; I was just trying to scare you earlier.”
“Consuming the fruit simply means that your identity will forever be branded with the mark of Z-Country. As long as you don’t betray us, there’ll be no trouble at all. Rest assured.”
Li Jia: “???”
The sudden shift in tone left her momentarily flustered, caught completely off guard. Was that all?
Her family, her entire life, was in Z-Country. Betrayal? Only a madwoman would choose that path.
Considering this, she couldn’t help but frown. “What if I chose to give up?”
“Nothing much. Everything would be as if it never happened, including the fruit in your hand.”
Upon hearing this, Li Jia paused, then felt a surge of relief, grateful for her firm resolve. Had she given up, the fruit Aya Tone had sought out for her would have fallen into someone else’s hands. That simply wouldn’t do!
What she didn’t know was that once she consumed the S-rank spatial fruit, her strength and background would automatically meet all the requirements for an official S-rank. Becoming an official S-rank of the nation meant she would become the next Protector. Aya Tone hadn’t mentioned this, nor had Ao Yu. In their eyes, it was an inevitable outcome, something Li Jia should inherently know. Thus, both had tacitly avoided the topic.
During their conversation, the two arrived at the center of the underground training space. Ao Yu promptly activated the training space’s array, and instantly, a silver-gray protective barrier enveloped the entire area. With a subtle mental command, Ao Yu caused the barrier to rapidly contract, finally stopping five meters away from the two of them.
“Begin.”
“How do I do it?”
Holding the now-open brocade box, Li Jia felt a momentary bewilderment. She had heard that consuming energy fruits from dungeons could enhance one’s ability rank. But this Dragon Heart in her hand was larger than a human head. How was she supposed to eat it?
Er in bite at a time