72 – Shunam! (I)

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PART 1 – Leaving!

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Skarla sighed and made her way to her alchemy lab, finding Calah cleaning her hands. Skarla said nothing, just touched her back, pulled her close and kissed her as a greeting.

“Is it too ugly?” - She asked, but already knew the answer.

“I'm surprised she can walk.” - Calah laughed bitterly. - “It's the first time you've sent me a dying person to look after, I was confused until I investigated her body.”

“She's the result of a hideous experiment. A bastard playing at being God, accidentally managing to improve and destroy such a creation.” - Skarla smiled and the two headed for Shunam's room.

Shunam was put to sleep in a healing matrix. Skarla developed this by mixing her martial arts, which have in-depth and detailed knowledge of the body, with the magic that makes the impossible possible.

Putting the two together, she has managed to establish an area geared towards treating wounds, reducing pain and, if she's lucky, reconnecting amputated limbs.

Looking at the young beastkin, a beauty, but in his eyes, nothing more than a freak. Skarla can't see anything but the scars, which remind her of the past and she doesn't like that past.

Her gaze shifted to a pile of papers on a table, she approached, Calah tried to say something, but Skarla wouldn't stop. She looked, there was a lot of data scattered around, experiments with the healing matrix... Skarla realized what it was immediately, regardless of the mess.

Looking away from Calah, she smiled and said. - “You don't have to hide something like that from me, when I get back we can work on it. Don't try to do things on your own, my love.”

“Okay.” - Calah bowed her head and Skarla kissed her forehead.

...

Shunam awoke from the most peaceful and satisfying sleep he'd had in years. When she woke up, the pain returned and the nightmares would come again. She bit her lip, but she had endured this for so long, it wouldn't be now that she weakened.

But as she left the matrix, she glanced back, it took away her pain...

“When we go to rest during the nights, it was installed so that you get a decent sleep.” - Skarla said calmly.

“Thank you...” - Shunam kept her head down.

Noticing that she was naked, exposing her incredible curves and fuzzy body, which was now covered in scars, she looked at herself in the mirror, realizing how ugly she looked.

Her gaze met Skarla's, she hoped to see something, but she saw an indifferent and cold look, there was something deep in those eyes, which made her heart squeeze. Even though she wasn't expecting recognition or respect, she didn't like that look of disgust.

Shunam went over to a table to get her equipment and clothes ready. She looked at a short sword, daggers and throwing knives. Their quality was incredible.

“Your previous weapons were garbage, I took some from my arsenal.” - Skarla said calmly and Shunam nodded, equipping himself and tightening the leather armor on his body, hiding his scars.

“Jinmei... where is he?” - Shunam suddenly asked.

“Who?” Skarla raised an eyebrow, confused, but soon remembered. - “The rabbit?” - She scratched her chin thoughtfully. - “I have no idea, the last I heard of him was weeks after he was thrown in prison and interrogated. Whether he was released or is still rotting in prison, I really have no idea and don't care.”

“I know what he did to me, but... he did something that many others in his position would do. I don't think he deserves to suffer for his father's sins.” - Shunam said sincerely.

“It doesn't matter, speaking your mind about right or wrong, what's fair or not, is irrelevant to me. The one who should know most about him is my wife Letiphia, but she's sorting out business matters on the other side of the country and we won't bother her about something so small.” - Skarla shrugged, she didn't really care.

Jinmei is insignificant in her eyes, she refused him because of his lack of skills and his overconfidence and arrogance, she already had Zenyo in the group with the last two. And being a rabbit, he would undoubtedly try to stick his dick in any hole he could find, so we had Calah wanting to stick anything he could find in his holes.

(Note: Zenyo only appears in chapter 27, Jinmei in 22. Skarla is ignoring the dating times and just making comparisons off the top of her head).

Of course, that wasn't enough to make her hate the boy and she doesn't hate him, she just doesn't care for him. She wouldn't put her hand in the fire to save him, even if she had time to spare. She just doesn't see any reason to waste time on it, with someone who won't contribute anything to her or her life, and could do more harm than good.

So she doesn't want to hear or think about useless things. If the best or worst happened to him, so be it, it's not important to her.

Shunam became quiet after listening to Skarla, staying still and nodding silently.

......

With Skarla informing her that she was leaving, naturally many offered to follow her. Aaron, who was rising through the military ranks, being like a commander for the troops, used the fact that he was their military representative to follow and protect her, as well as solve any problems she might have, as her servant.

Toru didn't hesitate to volunteer, because since they're going to fight, he wants to fight.

Senah also volunteered without hesitation, saying that she needs to prove herself and grow to become his wife.

Gakai, Sasha, Holga, Cecil, Belinda, Pelia and others volunteered to follow him.

“Enough, all of you. I've called you here to let you know that I'm leaving to deal with a potential evil that the empire has decided to ignore or take control of. I'm going to annihilate it and I'll need discretion.” - Skarla scratched her temple.

“So, take me. I may be a princess, but I've been trained and been to every dungeon in the country. I'm good at stealth.” - Smiling Hackel walked forward, full of confidence.

Skarla stroked her head and said. - “No.”

“What?” - Hackel was surprised by the refusal.

“You're not athletic or proficient enough for that. You'll attract a lot of attention because you're beautiful, attractive and look a lot like the princess of the empire.” - Skarla laughed.

“Said the almost 2 and a half meter tall giant, whose face is recognized by 1/3 of the empire.” - Hackel snorted. - “And how are you going to be stealthy? Stealth and almost 2.5 meters don't go together, unless you're infiltrating a giant's house.” - Hackel was irritated by the refusal.

Skarla frowned, rubbed her forehead and lowered her hand, her face being replaced by a man's face, rather brutish and ugly. - “Skarla? The famous owner of Krugar? I think she and I are the same height, and that's about it.” - She said, her voice gradually changing to a deep male voice.

Everyone went quiet, Skarla laughed and returned to normal.

“Okay, you can change your voice and face, but you still have those huge, attractive, delicious things.” - Hackel grabbed her breasts.

“If I want to, I can alter my whole body, these big breasts, they can disappear so that I have a wider, more muscular torso. But I won't do that, it'll be painful and to get back to normal, I might make mistakes and they'll never be the same.” - She laughed.

“That can't happen.” - Hackel said without hesitation and several agreed.

“That's why I'm going to wear big, heavy armor. It will hide my feminine figure and since I have a cock as big as your arm, I think many will accept that I'm a man.” - Skarla laughed.

“But I'm taking Luisel and Nayara.” - Skarla said calmly.

“What?! Why them?!” - Hackel shouted and pointed at the two.

“You want to attract attention? Do it in bed, you'll only look like a child here.” - Skarla frowned, using a harsh tone to reply, Hackel blushed.

“Luisel has decent stealth skills and is quite versatile, his abilities will be useful to me.” - She said calmly.

“Oh, I'm glad I'm of some use and I'll gladly accept. I hated the details about that son of a bitch, so I'll make a point of helping our little cutie here.” - Luisel smiled and looked at Shunam, wearing a mask to hide half his face.

(Note: Luisel is the silver-haired elf from chapter 64.)

Nayara tapped her chest. - “I will do as you command, I am yours to use and discard.”

Skarla looked at Nayara, everyone looked at her. - “Sometimes I forget that Jarletia is very good at indoctrinating his troops. Anyway, I'm bringing you in because no one knows you, you're one of the strongest and have experience with infiltration.”

“Just the four of you?” - Gakai asked.

“Yes. Any more than that and it'll be a mess.” - Skarla smiled.

Gakai sighed. - “Okay, be careful.”

“I was hoping you'd be more insistent.” - Viper teased and Gakai growled. - “There's no point in insisting, she's more stubborn than I am.”

“When are we going on an adventure? I love being your wife, but staying at home and looking after our children isn't what I wanted in my prime.” - Talya crossed her arms.

Skarla smiled bitterly and held her around the waist. - “I'm sorry for not being what you want, it's just that at this point in our lives, I'm so strong that an adventure for me would be so destructive as to put the entire continent at risk. But I've prepared a present for you, just wait a little longer.”

Talya sighed, pulled her hands away and boredly backed away. Unfortunately, you can't make everyone happy.

“I'll take care of her, you take care on the trip.” - Ilyria smiled, she was more than satisfied with her current life, having much more than she had dreamed of achieving.

“You're not taking me because of our son?” - Viper asked.

“You're learning more about life as someone who is at the top commanding and not being commanded. Taking you away from that right now won't benefit you. Even though you've overcome so much, I still see your hesitation, you can't hide anything from me.” - Skarla smiled gently.

[“Actually, you're pregnant. I wanted to take you, but I noticed.”] - Skarla warned mentally, Viper was surprised, but laughed and understood why she didn't say it out loud.

“Aaron, since I'll be leaving, the military forces will be under your command, where only Letiphia and Viper are above you. Keep an eye on our many visitors, strengthen security in case of spies, I've been feeling a lot of eyes recently and they seem to use artifacts to hide from me.” - Skarla said with a sharp look.

“I'll do as you say, Your Majesty!” - Aaron dropped to one knee.

“Leslye, go take two days off, I've got a headache from hearing about you living in the bloody office. I know you're excited and you've recently fallen in love with coffee, Aaron, be careful, or you'll lose your wife to coffee.” - Skarla made a light joke, everyone laughed, but some understood the double entendre. - “Anyway, two days off and with renewed energy, get back to work.”

“I think I'll refuse, without you, the workload will only increase and we know that those useless bastards can't do anything without us around. 2 days is enough for them to devalue our currency and fuck over our funds.” - Leslye growled and rubbed her temples, some dark circles under her eyes visible.

“I've asked Zenyo to take care of the outside trades until then. I'll even split your workload, I saw I was putting a lot on your back, but that was the point, to train you to be good at everything, now you'll be a master at what I want you to be. Leave trade and public interactions to Zenyo.” - Skarla said calmly.

“Zenyo? The dwarf I don't know if he's a man or a woman?” - Leslye frowned.

“Yes, that's the one.” - Skarla laughed.

Leslye sighed. - “At least he's got Bianca's little girl. If she hadn't been so focused on her business, I would have recruited her and left her by my side, but the dwarf found her first. Why didn't you hand her over to me?” - She growled, frustrated.

“I didn't expect her to improve so much. The last time I saw her, she was so pathetic, so it was a surprise to see her clinging to Zenyo and having more skill than I expected her to have.” - Skarla nodded. - “Anyway, 2 days off, spend it with your kids and husband, stop abusing coffee.”

Skarla gave more commands and plans while she's away. Then she turned her back to leave.

“Where are you going now?” - Hackel asked.

“I'm going to say goodbye to my children, then I'm going to visit a certain dwarf.” - Skarla smiled and walked through the door, Shunam following.

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PART 2 – The Weapon!

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In a building near the mansion. This building had four floors and was attached to a forge in a large shed. Just by being close, you could already feel the heat, the sound of the hammers hitting the metal.

“Your Majesty!” - A dwarf came running from the reception area to greet you.

“How is the villa?” - Skarla looked at the building. The ground and second floors are exclusively for her exclusive weapons store, where everything is very expensive.

The second to fourth floors, on the other hand, are homes for blacksmiths and their families. Surprisingly, Skarla managed to get dwarves to stay in high places instead of underground.

Berard brought his family here because as soon as he showed them his creations, everyone was hungry to learn. So he gathered his family and several other interested dwarves.

And perhaps because the building was sturdy, the dwarves felt more comfortable living here.

“It's perfect. We are respected and can forge as much as we want. And since the mines were discovered, the resources keep coming.” - The dwarf said cheerfully.

“Good to hear that. Berard, are you working?” - Skarla scratched her chin.

“The right question is: Is he resting?” - The dwarf laughed lightly. - “He's in his workshop, obsessed with creating the perfect weapon.”

“I love his passion and obsession, but it's my fault. I overestimated his skills and talent, he has plenty, but I asked for something difficult and gave him too little time.” - Skarla sighed.

“It doesn't matter to him. We dwarves love forging as much as we love drinking. But above all, we respect our names, knowing what is honorable. We dwarves never forget kindness and for the Thunderhammer family, Your Majesty is the greatest benefactor.”

“We were never a decent family in the forge, Berard never had a chance, like many other dwarves. You gave him opportunity and hope, you honored our family, you gave it purpose and value. Our weapons and armour are selling for ridiculous prices and we're being recognized as the [Divine Workshop]. So it's only natural that Berard wants to create the best weapon for you, because none of this would be possible without your help.”

Skarla laughed. - “Stop flattering me, you dwarves are no good at this.”

“Hahaha! We certainly don't.”

...

Skarla felt the heat rising and looked at Shunam. - “From now on, stay here and don't come any closer, we're going into the main workshop and... you don't have what it takes.”

“It's just a bit of heat, I can handle it.” - Shunam said coldly, even though he was sweating profusely.

“I don't think you understand.” - Skarla pointed to several dwarves around them. - “None of them have the courage to enter the main workshop, it's something few can enter without protection, we don't have any fire-resistant items left, so don't risk your life for some pride.”

Shunam nodded and stepped back.

“Has the heat risen?” - Skarla asked the dwarf putting on a ring.

“Yes. It seems to have gone up a level recently.” - The dwarf replied.

Skarla moved forward and soon came to a thick metal door. Touching it, she could feel the heat. As she stood in front of the door, several dwarves had brought protective items, waiting for what was about to happen.

She opened the door and a scorching heat rose up, hitting her and making the whole room hotter. Skarla smiled and whistled slightly, stepped forward and then closed the door, having entered alone.

...

As she advanced, the sound of clashing metal echoed constantly, the heat was embracing, easily exceeding 100 degrees. She hardly felt it, using her internal energy to protect herself.

She walked over to a large furnace, which she had built together with Berard, using matrices that mixed martial arts and magic, to have control over the heat, increasing or decreasing it.

And in front of this furnace, probably one of the best on the continent, if not the best. There is a tanned and muscular dwarf, striking and shaping a red metal, molding it into the shape of a blade.

The dwarf's eyes were in sharp focus, but when he felt something, the speed of his hammering slowed, he put down the hammer and threw what he was shaping into the furnace.

He took off the goggles he was wearing to protect his eyes from the sparks and constant heat. By forging high-quality items and being in this environment constantly, he had developed skills to improve his stamina, fire resistance and learned some External Martial Arts to further strengthen his body, taking advantage of the environment to train him.

Even though Berard only focuses on forging, he is as strong as a Level 10 Knight. In Murim, something like this wouldn't happen, because those who devote their lives to forging, even if they are strong, have limits to how strong they become.

But in this world, there is a system that rewards your achievements in forging and potion-making. You gain XP and subsequently level up. As you level up, your strength and talent increase somewhat.

Like her, Berard is getting the best of both worlds, using Murim techniques to forge, while taking advantage of the system's strengthened body, creating a perfect synergy, more perfect than Skarla herself.

Skarla is limited by the laws of the world, which she is constantly trying to break and become stronger. For her, even if the system breaks her standard physical limits, because if it were in the Murim, she wouldn't have even 1/3 of her current physical strength, even with that amount of Internal Energy.

But Berard doesn't fight and won't feel such limitations, he hasn't lived in the Murim. So for him, he's growing with the forging arts and because it's something not related to combat or imbalance, he suffers no penalties or limitations.

“I'm glad you've gotten stronger.” - Skarla said calmly.

“It's all thanks to you Skarla. But to what do I owe the honor?” - Berard laughed, in his eyes there was only respect and gratitude.

“I came to get a sword.” - Skarla slowly looked into a sealed cabinet, which was quite special.

Berard sighed at her look. - “Are you going on some dangerous mission?”

“If I'm here to get a gun, it means that people are going to die and I don't want to get my hands dirty.” - Skarla said calmly and Berard nodded, taking a key from his neck and going to unlock the cabinet.

On opening it, we can see various weapons such as spears, axes, swords, maces and much more. There are all kinds of weapons that have been modified to a larger size than they should be, because they were made exclusively for Skarla.

She smiles, even if they aren't weapons of the standard she desires, they are close and because the materials of this world are so special, it's safe to say that such weapons would be coveted by Murim's finest.

Skarla smiled, touching some blades, taking others out of their sheaths, investigating which weapon she would take with her. Until... she felt something unusual, it wasn't in the cupboard, but in a discard pile.

She calmly walked over to it. - “What are you doing?” - Berard frowned as she went over to the discard pile.

By “discard pile”, he meant a stand of weapons that would be sent to the store. Skarla saw something familiar about it, understanding that it was a weapon modified for her use by its size.

She saw a curved handle, a circular pommel and from the scabbard, the blade looks large, wide and heavy. From what she remembers, this is a Murim weapon, a “Dadao Sword”. She had given Berard many weapon designs and ideas from her past life to train and create something satisfying.

Curious at the feeling she got, she took the sword, pulling on its handle and scabbard, taking it out and exposing it to the world. As soon as she took it out, nothing was felt. A single-edged blade, with a thick body and a high weight, the material used seems to be a metal alloy of Black Iron, known for its weight and hardness, but it seems to have Mythril in the blade part, which is known for being light and sharp, there are also other metals in this mixture, Skarla can only praise.

“This sword has no personality. One of my biggest flaws, if you want one of these, there are two in the closet that are much better.” - Berard pointed out, embarrassed that Skarla was looking at this sword out of all the others.

“What are you talking about? That's the best weapon you've ever created.” - Skarla laughed as she ran two fingers along the blade, feeling it.

The energy flows were incredible, but there was something that prevented the energy from going further and going through the whole sword.

“The best? Skarla, I'm sure this sword isn't up to standard. It doesn't even have 1/3 of the energy flow of the standard weapons I create. I don't even know how or where I failed with this sword.” - Berard clenched his fists.

“It looks like you've made a huge mistake Berard. That sword has an ego.” - Skarla laughed.

“Ego?” - Berard was confused.

“Where I come from, blacksmiths train and forge their entire lives to understand the fundamentals of their arts, perfect themselves and create the best weapons for Martial Artists, creating the best for the best, hoping that one day, the sword they create will surpass other legendary swords and be passed down for countless generations.”

“And the weapons that fit that criteria are weapons so powerful and connected to nature that an ego is developed. Because for a martial artist, his weapon is the one he can trust the most. And Berard, that's what I was looking for.” - Skarla smiled as she shook her.

“But... your energy flow is wrong.” - Berard shuddered and his eyes turned red.

“Berard, a weapon with an ego cannot be wielded by just anyone, including its creator. Normally, such weapons embody some special characteristics that represent it, which will become more powerful when energy is injected by its owner. If it was created with mostly cold energy items, then the blade would embody a naturally icy aura, without even injecting energy.”

“This sword didn't embody anything extravagant, but it is sturdy and strong, meaning that when I exert my energy, it will have such enhanced characteristics. Since it's an ego weapon, it will naturally control the emission of energy to be efficient and powerful, which is why I want one of these.” - Skarla laughed and then injected her consciousness into the weapon, penetrating the ego's defense with ease.

The ego looked at her and didn't resist, because the real test is to get through its defenses; by doing so, you become its owner. And with the bond formed, the blade that had seemed so ordinary and unattractive suddenly emitted a powerful wave of energy.

Skarla injected her internal energy, clearing every energy channel of the blade, which was concentrated in a core, where the sword's ego is, which perfectly managed the energy to come out evenly in every part of the sword.

Within moments, a powerful aura appeared from the blade, 10 times the size of the sword itself, the ground cracked and the room shook. Berard began to shake violently, his mouth falling open and even running out of air.

His knees weakened, his reddened eyes began to tear, he clutched his beard and hair, growling and crying, extremely happy that he had finally been able to create.

“I... can I touch her?” - Berard held out his hand, but the answer was an aura shaping itself in an aggressive tone towards him, startling him.

“It wasn't me, it was her.” - Skarla said as she looked at the sword. - “She seems angry that you discarded it.”

Berard opened and closed his mouth, then burst out laughing. - “STUBBORN LIKE HER FATHER!” - He clutched his stomach as he laughed, looking passionately at the sword. - “Sorry darling, I was blind.”

Skarla picked up the scabbard and tossed it to Berard. - “Go create something better and simpler, I'll be on an undercover mission, I don't want to attract attention.”

“Okay!” - Berard raised his thumb and ran to his finishing table.

Skarla raised her Dadao Sword, smiled and said. - “Your name will be Mountain. It's good to have you by my side, so prepare to tear my enemies apart.” - Her smile widened and the sword vibrated.

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PART 3 – Ambush & Discipline!

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In a small county in the east of the empire.

The land was rotten, covered in swamps. A hostile environment for everyone and everything, yet people live here.

A group of four warriors arrived, three women and one man. The man wasn't handsome, but he was manly and scary, a giant body like a mountain, wearing heavy scale armor and thick cloth clothes.

Looking at this hot, humid and stuffy environment, many would look at this man and wonder if he's all right, if he's not dying of heat inside this armor, or if he'll pass out from the heat at any moment.

Accompanying this strange man in such thick robes were three incredible, stunning beauties, who together would make any man stop and stare. Starting with a strong, hairy figure, with cute features but a penetrating gaze, leather armor firmly attached to his body, a long, swaying tail, which has a few thorns on the end.

Next is a smiling beauty who is wearing only simple cloth armor, exposing her entire torso and arms. She is a silver-haired elven beauty, contradicting the common rule that elves are frail and thin, as well as delicate.

The reason for her exposed torso? She's hot and not as tough as the giant covered in cloth and armor. Not to mention that whether she wears her cloth armor or not, her defense will be practically the same, so in order to reduce the heat a little, she decided on this approach.

And as an elf, it would be quite normal for her to be naked walking around, it's common to see something like this in more liberal cities, which are practically 80% of the cases, with the exception of capitals, where the law is stricter.

Last but not least, the tallest figure, just behind the man. A beautiful young woman with dark skin, long wavy black hair, a slender, athletic figure, moderately large, firm breasts and thick thighs. She is equipped with plate armor, along with two falchion as weapons.

“Is summer in the east of the empire always this hot?” - The elf asked. - “I'm used to cold and hot places, but this... is exaggerated.”

“That's because a school of magic focused on fire magic came here recently, I heard they tested magic in the swamp and they've been gone for a few months.” - The beastkin said calmly.

“They raise the temperature of the place and leave? The empire won't do anything?” - The elf frowned.

“They've probably paid off the lord of the land. Depending on how hot it is, it might even help the mosses to grow.” - The beautiful black woman said calmly.

“You didn't live in the desert, how do you know these things?” - The elf narrowed her eyes.

“Before you reach Jarletia, there is an ownerless territory that borders the empire and two other kingdoms. In theory, it's ownerless and free, but in reality, it's governed by the Khalifa. It has more vegetation and is where we grow some of our food. There's even a marsh connected to the sea, which I spent a few years looking after.” - She replied calmly.

“So such an increase in temperature is a good thing?” - The elf was curious.

“For some mosses, yes. I've heard that there are special mosses that only grow when the temperature rises above a certain point. It wouldn't be strange if the lord of the lands had hired the mages instead.” - The young woman nodded.

“What she says is true. With too much heat, mosses, fungi and other vegetation tend not to withstand it, but there are those that are stronger and more special, that need the right characteristics to sprout. If we find some, we'll collect it, it'll be good for investigations and research.” - The man said calmly.

“Don't you feel hot? I literally have my breasts out and they're already soaked, Shunam's dark clothes are literally soaked too. Even Nayara who was born and raised in the desert is sweating.” - Luisel pointed.

“If you would stop hesitating to formally accept me as your master, I could teach you more powerful and useful techniques. Do you see a drop of sweat on my face? Do you know why? Because I can protect myself from any and all heat.” - Skarla nodded.

“I can achieve that with a skill, but I don't want to waste a slot.” - Luisel waved his hand.

“The skill in question replaces Aura and is much better. It has several effects. Unfortunately I haven't reached his level, but I can greatly reduce the effects of the weather on me.” - Nayara said calmly.

“Have you accepted it? Did you trade Aura for those strange techniques?” - Luisel scratched his chin.

“Yes. I've been a master for almost 3 years, I've been looking for ways to improve my techniques every day, then I saw you train your disciples and wives, I saw the results, how they moved, looking like ghosts... I fell in love and I didn't hesitate to abandon everything to learn this, because I know I've achieved tens or hundreds of times more.” - Nayara clenched her fists.

“I recommend you stop being so proud, I've learned the techniques over the last few days and the results are too good.” - Even Shunam joined in.

Luisel was biting her lip, but as an elf, she had spent centuries of her life training and perfecting her techniques, fortunately, under Skarla's tutelage, she had unlocked Aura, but she hadn't learned the Martial Arts that everyone practiced.

She was afraid to abandon everything she had trained for for so long in order to retire. Elves hardly like change and Luisel is one of them. If she had been at level 10, she might have accepted.

Then there's the fact that she doesn't really like how the master and disciple relationship works from Skarla's point of view. She found it interesting, but she'll lose a lot by doing it.

So she settled for being a servant, being trained, improving her skills and protecting Skarla's family.

“The conversation is good, but it's time to be alert.” - The man said and abruptly drew his sword, hitting a stone that shot at high speed towards his face.

Clang!

The stone disintegrated, throwing dust at the giant man, but the dust hit an invisible barrier. At the same time, creatures appeared from everywhere.

Small beings with moss-green skin, hideous and deformed appearances, they are Swamp Goblins. Their large eyes focused on the women, excitement rising as they advanced with swords, spears and stone knives.

Some Goblins used slingshots, firing the fragile stones at the group. Not to hurt, but to impair their vision and give them an advantage.

“I haven't seen them for a while.” - Skarla said quietly, for it had been a long time since she had last seen a goblin.

(Author: Theoretically, since chapter 8.)

Luisel, with her breasts exposed, became the target of many goblins who were salivating like beasts in heat, some of whom were already having erections, dreaming of how they would destroy her.

With a cold stare, Luisel raised her fists and went into a combat stance, fists clenched, breathing calming down, then her aura exploded and she lunged forward, sending out sequences of fast punches, hitting the goblins in the face.

Within moments, five goblins had been hit, some of whom died at the first impact, their bodies tumbling into the dirty swamp water.

Nayara was the second to be targeted, goblins jumping off her as she was closer to the trees. She grabbed the hilt of her sword and pulled quickly, a trace of energy manifested and the two goblins in the air were broken.

A goblin ran past where Luisel was standing, rushing up to Nayara's back and desperately trying to rip off her armor. Nayara snarled at being caught, but was angry that her companion had let it go.

Bang!

A massive fist fired a wave of energy that manifested itself into a fist the size of a small beer barrel. The fist hit the goblin in its back, sending it flying more than 10 meters, its torso destroyed and blood spurting from its mouth.

The man who had thrown the punch back let his hand return to its normal position.

Shunam, with his eyes closed and having detected this shortly after the man, had several throwing knives ready and didn't hesitate to fire them, piercing 8 goblins in the process, killing 2 of them.

Luisel was shot, a net and ropes were thrown in her direction, more goblins were coming from the swamp, their numbers must have passed 50 at this point.

Faced with such a common goblin strategy, she used aura, using what Skarla had taught her, shaping it into something sharp in her fingers, like claws, and waving it, tearing the ropes and nets apart, much to the frustration of the goblins who were already running, waiting for her strategy to succeed.

And with the plan to suppress her failing, they could only adapt and attack, but Luisel did the same, and with her aura claws, she began to tear apart the goblins who dared to advance against her.

Those who came close to hitting her found themselves blocked by an aura shield, something Skarla had also taught her and it was in the worst possible way, beating her to instinctively know when to activate it, to the point where she had unlocked the [Third Eye] as a skill.

But this world follows rules of luck, even with such an incredible defense, there were still goblins who succeeded in hitting her, penetrating her flesh with their knives that seem to have some poison, others managed to grab her, but were thrown away.

Nayara was advancing against the horde of monsters coming from her side, using her swords to cause a gale of death, where she was also suffering due to the luck of her opponents, where she unfortunately found herself losing the breastplate she was wearing and even received a bite on her thigh.

Her legs are bathed in the blood of goblins, and it turns out that the bastard who bit her had his head blown off like a watermelon by the force of her legs as they closed.

His cuts were powerful and wide, putting into practice what Skarla had taught him. Killing 2-3 goblins per attack, defending several attacks and ignoring the pain, he also began to suppress the poison flooding his body, something Skarla had also taught him.

When Shunam finished throwing her knives, she drew her sword and also attacked mercilessly, tearing the goblins apart, then throwing sharp daggers, retrieving them and throwing again. Of the three, she was the least desirable target.

It turns out that in the eyes of the goblins, a silver-haired elf with her breasts out, as well as a dark-skinned beauty, are more attractive than a hairy woman. But it's not as if Shunam is bothered by this.

As for the man, he stood motionless, analyzing and when a large group of goblins came his way, he clenched the hilt on his sword and threw it, it curving as it radiated powerful energy, cutting through dozens of goblins, before curving and returning to his palm.

He would have been unable to do this before with an ordinary sword, but a sword with “Ego” controls its energy more efficiently, whether it's Internal Energy or Psychic Energy. The sword used both not only to destroy its enemies, but also to return precisely to its owner.

In the past, it would take 4-5 times as much to do this, now it takes around 20% of that amount. He looked at the sword with joy, then waved to splash the blood on the ground, then gathered energy, spun around and made a wide, circular cut in all directions.

The three girls felt something pass through them, their instincts firing, fear rising, the taste of death in their mouths. They opened their eyes wide, touching the area that the cut seemed to hit. Nothing happened to them, but for the goblins around them, they were all cut into two pieces, but they weren't the only ones, several trees received clean cuts and began to topple over.

The man with the calm look on his face had his fist closed, but he opened it and a wave of energy rushed out, blowing away all the trees falling on them.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” - Luisel screamed, still feeling that she had been cut in half, she was even able to see the residue of energy in the area where she had been cut, with her not being the only one.

The man smiled, looking at the sword. A sword with an ego is able to distinguish friend from foe. The three were friends, so he purposely avoided them, while the goblins had no such privilege.

“Just a little attack, no big deal.” - The man shrugged and smiled.

“No big deal?! Looks like I died and came back to life!” - Luisel growled. - “That's distressing! Don't ever do that again, please.” - She shuddered.

“They're not feeling it that much, it's because they've practiced my techniques, their bodies and instincts know what's fatal and what's not. If you'd learned my techniques, you wouldn't complain.” - The man snorted.

Luisel growled as he looked at the pair, where Nayara suddenly lunged forward and punched him in the face.

“Argh! What the fuck?!” - Luisel recoiled from the punch, glaring at Nayara.

“Because you didn't protect our backs properly, a fucking goblin jumped on my back! You can't even defend your side properly and you're complaining? I think that's typical of elves, they can't find fault with their actions, so they blame others.” - Nayara growled disdainfully.

Luisel clenched his fists and without hesitation attacked, Nayara defending herself with her swords, but Luisel kept punching, a powerful sequence of punches that even Nayara had difficulty defending against.

His fists were like hammers, and Nayara was unable to defend herself after the 6th punch, which hit her stomach, her face twisting and one of the swords being dropped, but not because of the damage but on purpose. Nayara grabbed Luisel's head, pulling her hair and landing a vicious headbutt to her face, causing her to trot away.

Nayara dropped her swords and landed a powerful punch to Luisel's face right after the headbutt. Luisel snarled, eyes full of fury, and also landed a heavy punch to Nayara's face, who naturally felt the punch much more.

Luisel is a natural boxer, her body is trained to cause as much damage as possible, Nayara has no such privilege, but she is still a Master, growling and not letting go of Luisel's head, she continued throwing punches.

Luisel didn't back down, both of them punching each other like two animals, blood splattering, noses breaking, but their eyes were determined to finish the other off.

Nayara soon began punching the belly as well as the face. As a royal guard, she has learned all kinds of punches and knows where to hit to hurt. Luisel is even more proficient, knowing how to hit even better.

It didn't take long for their legs to weaken, but they were still punching each other, two proud and wild women, unwilling to give in.

The man stood with his arms crossed, watching this. - “You won't do anything?” - Shunam frowned and asked.

“No. It will be good for them. Luisel doesn't seem to be used to fighting in groups, as a result, her actions caused a fight and put others in danger, she'll notice that afterwards. As for Nayara, she will lose and understand that being reckless and starting fights is not a wise choice from now on. She's angry, but she'll be ashamed afterwards. In a way, they'll both grow up.” - The man said calmly.

Shunam looked at this, not understanding, but surprisingly, his words made sense.

And as expected, Nayara gave in. Even though she was a few levels higher, she didn't have the destructive power of her fists like Luisel, the damage had accumulated and she had lost.

As for Luisel, she could still fight, she was growling angrily, but being proud and confident, she wouldn't attack a fallen enemy, even more so an ally.

“FUCK!” - Luisel shouted as she kicked a rock, recoiling and putting her nose back in place, spitting up blood and... noticing a broken tooth. Looking down, he noticed that he had pissed himself.

Luisel really didn't understand how things had ended up like this. She was embarrassed, as she is a smart woman, and as a result, she thought about the reasons, trying to see herself as the right one.

The man treated Nayara, who was grunting on the floor without any strength. Then Shunam went to look after her with some potions.

The man went over to Luisel, grabbing her face and coldly looking her in the eye, but analyzing her face and also treating her. Luisel grunted, growling and said. - “I'm sorry.”

“It's not me you should apologize to.” - The man said and gave her a potion.

Nayara stood up, snarling at Luisel, spitting blood and looked at the man, shame rising.

“I'm sorry, I should have been more careful.” - Luisel sighed as he apologized.

Nayara grunted, bit her lip and said. - “I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have started.”

“Well, that settles it.” - The man clapped his hands, looking coldly at the two of them. - “This won't happen again, if it does and you want to fight, you can come and fight me, I'll make sure I destroy you both and teach you a lesson. Now get ready and collect the materials from the monsters. Shunam, take a rest, leave the two idiots to it.”

Shunam nodded, throwing two knives on the ground. Luisel and Nayara looked at each other, laughed bitterly and bent down to pick up the knives, then went over to the corpses.

“How long until we reach the village?” - The man asked Shunam.

“Eight hours at best.” - Shunam thought calmly.

“It'll be dark in 5. As soon as you're done, let's speed up the pace, I don't want to rest in this place.” - The man snorted.

“They need to rest.” - Shunam pointed.

“But they won't. I'm not training animals, but if they want to act like one, they'll be treated like one.” - The man crossed his arms, speaking in a tone they could hear.

Shunam decided not to say anything more, understanding that as their leader, he was disciplining them so that this wouldn't happen again.