Chapter 80: Chapter 78: “Monarch” Bloodline
Trish glanced around, led him to a corner of the plaza, and after confirming no one was eavesdropping, leaned slightly closer to Ron.
Such a close gesture would never have occurred a few weeks ago, but now it seemed natural.
"I usually don’t disclose this to others."
She whispered, with an uncharacteristic honesty in her voice:
"But considering our relationship...as compatriots and collaborators, I think you’re entitled to know this."
The brown-haired girl paused, seemingly choosing her words carefully: "In fact, Li Yue comes from the Fire Stream Tribe in the south of the Black Mist Jungle. She is one of the few survivors."
Ron’s eyebrow raised; the name seemed somewhat familiar: "Fire Stream Tribe? I think I saw that name in the School archives."
"Your memory is quite impressive." Trish nodded approvingly, her fingers caressing the Magic Stone Bag at her waist:
"That was a rebellious tribe exterminated by Master Corina about fifteen years ago, and it’s said that almost no one was left alive after that ’extermination operation.’"
As she spoke, Trish’s voice was so calm it was almost indifferent, as if she were merely narrating something trivial.
And standing next to her, Li Yue, who obviously understood human language, displayed no emotion, devoid of any emotional reaction.
"At that time, Li Yue was just an infant, and she has no memory of her hometown and clan."
Trish continued, a hint of almost empathetic emotion flickering in her tone, but quickly reverted to that cold narrative tone:
"The Master discovered the Monarch Bloodline in her and took her back to the School, requesting a ’Modulator’ to transform and train her."
Ron sharply noticed that when the word "Modulator" appeared, Li Yue’s ears twitched slightly, and a deeply hidden look of fear flashed quickly in her eyes, only to return to calmness again.
"Modulation?" He asked casually, "Is it that kind of Wizardry specifically for altering bloodlines?"
"Correct." Trish nodded, her gaze sweeping over Li Yue:
"For combat slaves, Modulators can enhance bloodline advantages, suppress unnecessary memories and emotions, ensuring absolute obedience."
At this point, she unconsciously showed a subtle smile:ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ɴovᴇl(F)ɪre.ɴet
"After I was promoted to an Elementary Apprentice and became a student of Master Corina, Li Yue was given to me as a greeting gift. This is quite an honor in the School, after all, a Monarch Bloodline leopard woman like Li Yue, after complete training, is at least worth as much as near ten complete Magic Stones."
Ron thoughtfully looked at Li Yue, throughout Trish’s account of her tribe’s destruction, the leopard woman’s expression remained as calm as water, as if those deceased tribesmen were completely unrelated to her.
Her pair of golden eyes were focused and vigilant, yet betrayed no nostalgia or resentment for the past.
"Truly...an impressive training result," Ron cautiously assessed, "Such loyalty to the master is indeed rare."
"This is the rule of the Black Mist Jungle." Trish said softly, with uncharacteristic sentiment in her tone:
"The strong hold sway over everything; the weak must either submit or perish. So we must quickly enhance our strength to gain a foothold in this cruel world."
Her gaze turned sharp again: "Speaking of which, you’re asking so many questions, do you have an interest in grooming combat slaves too? Given your current pace of development, you should indeed consider this area."
Ron slightly smiled noncommittally: "Just a bit curious, seeing how well you and Li Yue cooperate, so I’m also interested to learn some related knowledge."
Trish raised an eyebrow, a subtle gleam flashing in her eyes:
"You’re always this cautious, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I won’t be shouting it out everywhere."
Her tone suddenly turned half-joking, a lightness rare in her usual cold demeanor.
"Combat slaves of this level are common in the Candidate Wizard sequence, where almost every sequence member would groom at least one."
Trish continued to explain:
"However, most people prefer those with large builds and great destructive power, like half-beastmen, werewolves, or the bear folk, whereas types relying on speed and skill like Li Yue are relatively rare."
At this, she looked up to check the time:
"In fact, battles between sequence members largely test their training capabilities. My Master once said, the combat slave a person grooms often reflects his own character and aesthetics."
"So in that case, what do you think Cynthia’s half-beastman reflects about her?" Ron asked with some curiosity.
"Violence, impatience, and a focus only on surface strength." Trish laughed coldly:
"She feeds that half-beastman Frenzy Crystal Stones, which can greatly boost strength in a short time, but at the cost of severe life loss. That’s her style—short-term gains with no regard for the consequences."
Ron nodded appreciatively: "Then, based on your experience, do you have any recommended choices of race?"
The brown-haired girl tilted her head in thought for a moment, her slender fingers gently tapping her chin: "For you, the Multi-armed Snake Demon might be a good option."
Her voice became professional and enthusiastic, clearly not many people usually sought her for such discussions:
"They typically have four to six arms, allowing them to wield multiple weapons simultaneously, providing both close combat protection and support with ranged weapons like spears and bows. Moreover, their intelligence level is as good as humans or even higher, suitable for executing complex commands."
"Multi-armed Snake Demon?" Ron was immediately intrigued, his tone carrying undisguisable curiosity: "Are they adept at swordsmanship?"
"Quite adept." Trish nodded, affirming his assumption:
"Their multi-arm advantage gives them inherent conditions in swordsmanship, it’s said in the deeper layers of the Abyss, some pure-blooded Snake Demons can manipulate eight different weapons at once, forming an almost impenetrable offense and defense system."
Upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but start contemplating his Corona Swordsmanship cultivation.
If he could teach this set of swordsmanship to a Multi-armed Snake Demon and combine it with his own magic attacks, his combat power would indeed experience a qualitative leap.
Additionally, his Basic Swordsmanship was close to mastery, finding a suitable practice partner might accelerate future breakthroughs.
Trish’s gaze grew profound, and there was a hint of probing in her words:
"Of course, the price is also quite high. Even mixed-blood varieties with the thinnest bloodlines require at least three to four complete Magic Stones, while pure-blood varieties start at twenty Magic Stones. Generally, only Official Wizards can deploy pure-blooded Snake Demons. After all, they come from the Lower Abyss, the capture difficulty is extremely high, and the death rate upon retrieval is also high."
Ron secretly calculated his financial resources, although his recent income was pretty good, it was still far from meeting such high prices.
"But you don’t need to rush too much either." Trish seemed to have noticed his concern:
"You must first pass the Alchemist certification, then the Intermediate Apprentice qualification, and after that consider the Candidate Wizard sequence matters. By that time, with the powerful money-making capability of a Professional Alchemist, buying a mixed-blooded Snake Demon should be well within reach."
The two chatted for a while longer until the crowd around the plaza gradually dispersed, and the brown-haired girl finally suggested parting.
Before they separated, he glanced again at the tall leopard woman.