Chapter 23: A Simple Guide to Becoming Strong

“Huff, huff.” The heavy breathing of the magical beasts echoed in her ears. Driven to a dead end, she pressed her back against the sheer face of a cliff, nervously watching as the beasts closed in from all sides, feeling the heat radiating from their bodies through her arms.

Her most powerful magical attacks had no effect on them whatsoever. Was this truly the end for her? A chill spread through her body, and she nearly snapped her wand in her grip. Suddenly, a burst of inspiration struck her—an idea emerging from nowhere.

Determined, she raised her wand. Magical energy surged within her, drawing water and lightning elements from the air and fusing them into her body. Two entirely different elements, forced together with magic, merged into one. The intense reaction nearly drained her, but some inexplicable impulse kept her going—as if convinced this spell would save her.

With a hiss, a vanguard vine-serpent sprang at her, jaws wide. Vine-serpents earned their name from their powerful limbs, able to bind prey instantly. Their long bodies would wrap their victims like mummies, leaving them helpless as venomous fangs ensured swift unconsciousness—and, for most, no dawn would ever come.

She aimed at the serpent and released a water sphere imbued with electricity. The serpent was soaked, then instantly paralyzed by the electric charge, collapsing in a heap, utterly defeated.

Elated by her new technique, she dodged a punch to her right, unleashed another water-electric combo, took out another threat, ducked a leaping beast, fired upwards at another, then tilted her head left, releasing yet another spell. The dodging skills she’d honed with Huanluo proved invaluable, weaving between attacks and striking back. She felt as if she were playing a bullet-hell game: dodge every projectile and defeat every enemy on screen. Of course, there was no reward for victory—no sweet, adorable girl to congratulate her for clearing the stage.

With a final thud, the last beast fell, and she collapsed, utterly spent.

Staring at the fallen beasts, she trembled with excitement. Looking at her hands, feeling the faint trickle of magic left within her, she wondered—had she finally gained the power to protect herself?

Before dusk, inside the small cabin in the forest, Liangyin looked at her, sprawled limply on the bed with two magical beasts slung over her shoulder, and sneered, “Is that all you’ve got? You really are still far behind.”

She replied weakly, “I almost died for this, you know. If you’re not satisfied, why don’t you go hunt yourself?”

“Me?” Liangyin retorted indignantly, “If I weren’t looking after you, I’d have gone to Aikacia with Huanluo already! Your job now is to get stronger, so you don’t end up dead in Aikacia. What’s wrong with that?”

“For one, stop stealing lines from anime. And two, don’t randomly act cute and refer to yourself that way,” she muttered in protest.

“What’s anime?” Liangyin asked, puzzled. “And when did I ever act cute?”

If she had any excess blood, she might have spat out three liters to express her current feelings. But since she didn’t, she could only lie there and weakly reply, “So, can I rest tomorrow then…”

“Of course~” Liangyin’s smile was sweet as syrup. “—That’s impossible. Tomorrow, bring back three more. Otherwise, punishment as usual!”

“This is how you treat the benefactor who risked her life to help you escape the White-Edged City?”

“And this is how you answer the savior who nearly died defeating the magical beasts for you?”

“This is your attitude toward the one who, while you slept, tirelessly hunted, cooked, and cared for your every need?”

“And is this your reply to the one who looked after you alone, hunted, guarded the house, and cooked while you were wounded?”

“…So I lose because I was alone?” She ground her teeth in frustration.

“Or do you want to stay in this wretched forest with monsters forever, never going to Aikacia?”

She was instantly defeated.

And so, every morning in that nameless little forest, the sound of commands—and other ambiguous noises—would echo from the small cabin.

“Good job yesterday. Today, bring back five!” “What?!”

“Yesterday’s performance was poor, and you were late. Today, bring back three magical ones to calm my nerves!” “You’ve got to be kidding!”

“Talking back, are you? Five magical beasts today to scare you straight!” “Ugh…”

“My hair’s falling out—go catch a few long-haired strong ones!” “Is that even possible?”

“I’m in a bad mood—bring back some cute ones to cheer me up!” “Hey, wait…”

Thanks to Liangyin’s tireless efforts, her magical energy grew by leaps and bounds. She could freely command two elemental magics, her agility and survival skills soared, and her combat experience increased immensely. Of course, as a side effect, both Liangyin and Zhi Zhi had grown noticeably rounder…

And, naturally, someone else deserved credit for these achievements.

As usual, after stepping out and turning right, she spotted the silver-haired youth waiting for her in the tree.

“What’s today’s bizarre request?” he asked, face tilted upward as if basking in the sun, eyes half closed.

“Her Majesty the Queen wants something cute to take home and cuddle…” she replied, utterly drained.

“Cuddle?” The youth frowned, perplexed.

“Yes, bring back some adorable little creatures for her to pet and amuse herself with…” she explained, doing her best.

“That sounds interesting. I’ll go see what I can find.” Suddenly energized, he nimbly dropped from the tree and vanished.

“I swear you’re actually an animal handler…” The words caught in her throat and went unspoken.

She still didn’t know why, but after Liangyin issued her orders, she’d always encounter the silver-haired youth—sometimes absent-minded, sometimes mischievous, sometimes bored—waiting in a tree. He’d call forth different magical beasts for her to spar with. At first, he seemed to be enjoying a live-action version of “Maiden vs. Beast,” but over time, their daily routines turned into something more like “Discovering the Magical Creatures of the Forest.”

It was harmless enough, and she was happy not to have to find her own targets. The youth, meanwhile, seemed to relish her frantic antics.

Carefully sealing the trembling, fluffy creature before her in an ice-formed cage, she wiped sweat from her brow. This kind of assignment really tested her control. She wondered how these nearly powerless, fleet-footed little things survived in the forest—and how hard it was to catch them unharmed.

“So, what do you plan to do with them once you bring them back?” The silver-haired youth leaned against a tree, standing at an angle.

“Just show them to Liangyin, then let them go,” she replied absently.

“And why do you do Liangyin’s tasks every day?”

“So I can get to Aikacia sooner, help Liangyin look for things, chat with Huanluo, find a place to settle down, get married, have children, grow old, and die—simple as that.” She didn’t even look up, stating her lack of ambition with conviction.

“Is that so?” The silver-haired youth gazed lazily at the sky. “I don’t think so. I can sense something about you that doesn’t belong to this world. Perhaps if you gather all those things, you might be able to…”

Before he could finish, he felt a warmth at his leg. Looking down, he saw the crimson-eyed girl gazing up at him, tears glistening.

“Great Spirit, do you mean I can go home? Please, teach me how!!”

Stardust Chronicle 023_023: The Simple Guide to Getting Stronger—update complete!