https://imgur.com/a/FLgtcA1
Visual Characters of the power-hungry king and Celestienne coming out of the forest of death.
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Forest of Death, 1,200 Years Later
After a long wait of 1,200 years, Celestienne had finally wiped out every monster in the Forest of Death. Even though only three remained, she meticulously combed through every corner, unwilling to let a single one escape her sight.
> "Where's the next one? I need to get out of this rotten place…" she muttered softly, her steps steady as she pushed through the thick fog.
As she moved eastward, her eyes fell on a beautiful dress hanging between the trees. Its fabric shimmered, reflecting the rare sunlight that managed to pierce the forest canopy. But as she approached, a bone-chilling cold enveloped her. From behind the dress emerged a massive, scaly figure—a monster.
"Ah… finally you appear," Celestienne smirked. "Once I kill you, that means only two left to die."
The monster glared sharply at her, growling, "So it's you… the monster slayer of the Forest of Death. That title is real, after all."
Celestienne chuckled. "Hah? So it was you monsters who gave me that nickname? How amusing."
Casually, she taunted, "Let's get this over with. After you, I'll hunt down the last two, then leave this cursed place."
The figure grinned wickedly. "You want a quick death? I… am the Dragon King."
But before the dragon could finish his boast, Celestienne vanished from sight. In the blink of an eye, she was standing right behind him.
"Hey, dragon. You know what? Losers talk too much. The strong don't give their enemies time to breathe."
The dragon's eyes widened. "Since when have you been behind me?"
"Since just now," Celestienne replied coldly. "And from now on, you'll die. Lightning Dragon Magic! A dragon should fight a dragon, right?"
The dragon snarled in anger. "Fine! I'll crush your ugly dragon!"
Two dragons—one made of Celestienne's lightning, the other of the Dragon King's fire—clashed violently. The impact shook the ground, but it didn't take long before the Dragon King began to falter.
> "Why is she so fast? This power… it's absurd!" the dragon thought in panic.
Celestienne raised her hand, magical energy surging until the sky darkened. The wind howled, rattling the trees.
"What's your magic circle? How can you control the weather?" the dragon shouted desperately.
"I don't even know what circle I'm at… maybe the 30th. Just die already."
A thunderbolt struck, obliterating the dragon's body. The last two monsters hid in terror, trembling as they watched even the Dragon King fall.
"No… even the Dragon King was defeated…" one of them whispered.
Celestienne turned, her smile piercing their hearts. They tried to flee, but slammed into an invisible barrier.
"You're not going anywhere," she said flatly. "Now it's your turn. Sagittarius Magic!"
A black shadow behind her released a glowing arrow. It struck and exploded with devastating force.
> BOOM!
A notification echoed in her head.
> [Ding! Mission complete. Assessing your abilities: ERROR… ERROR… Assessment failed. System malfunction. Master, I will be resting.]
[Second mission initiated: Save the world. Claim reward?]
Celestienne smirked. "Rest well, system. I'll take the reward, but as for saving the world… maybe later. I just want to live happily."
Her dress was slightly torn from the battle, so reluctantly, she decided to wear it. Luckily, near the exit, she found a long cloak.
"Hahaha… God is still on my side. Thank you," she said, clapping her hands.
Wearing the cloak, she stepped out of the forest for the first time in over a thousand years. Fresh air filled her lungs. In the distance, she spotted a small village.
> "How lucky… a village. Hopefully they have good food."
Though her face remained cold after centuries of loneliness, her eyes showed a hint of relief. Beside her, a familiar voice spoke.
"Princess, we made it out. So… this is the outside world you always told me about," said the voice from the Demon Sword—her only companion all these years.
Celestienne nodded. "Yes. And remember, keep your aura in check. I don't want humans to be afraid of me."
Ironvale Capital – Ripples on the Throne
Meanwhile, far from the Death Forest, the capital city of Ironvale was in turmoil. Shocking rumors spread through every corner of the streets: Princess Celestienne Aurelith—believed to have died three centuries ago—was still alive.
"Impossible! How could she still be alive? Wasn't she devoured by monsters?" exclaimed a merchant at the market.
The rumors even reached the palace. In the vast throne room, King Thalvorg Duskreign sat on his high throne. His face was lined with age, yet his eyes radiated an insatiable greed. Two knights stood guard on either side of him, while nobles and officials knelt before him.
"So… the whole kingdom is in an uproar because my daughter is said to be alive," the king's voice was heavy and suspicious. "How could she survive more than three hundred years? Only someone with eternal magic could do that."
An old advisor stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "I do not understand either, Your Majesty. But we believed the princess was dead. Besides… it has been twelve hundred years since her departure. Impossible for her to still be breathing."
Thalvorg narrowed his eyes. "No… I know her. She must have broken the mana circle. Maybe… she found a way to use eternal magic."
Whispers filled the throne room.
> "What? The princess who was considered useless… broke the mana circle?" "Impossible…" "If true, she will be a threat…"
The king raised his hand, silencing the whispers. "Find her. Bring her to me. I want to speak… directly."
The knights bowed immediately. "Yes, Your Majesty."
They dispersed across the kingdom. Meanwhile, in another corner of the capital, inside a guild, a young man flipped through a mission list.
"No… no missions to the Death Forest?" he murmured disappointed. "I want to see her again…"
He paused, his face flushing. "She's so beautiful… though her appearance is somewhat boyish. Maybe because she's lived for hundreds of years…"
---
Death Forest Border Village
Elsewhere, Celestienne finally arrived at the bustling village gate. She hadn't expected it to be so lively, even though this village was near the infamous deadly Death Forest.
> "What the… this village is busier than I expected," she thought, watching the crowd.
Her stomach growled loudly, making her smile wryly. She immediately eyed a small building emitting a delicious aroma from its window.
"There it is… a small restaurant. At least I can get some soup," she said as she stepped forward.
Laughter echoed in her head. "Princess… just eating soup? How embarrassing?"
"Shut up, demon sword! My money only covers that," she retorted irritably.
When she opened the door, all eyes turned toward her. The customers were shocked to see a beautiful woman dressed like an adventurer.
"Why is a noble visiting a place like this?" whispered a man.
"Maybe she was cast out by her family," another snickered.
Celestienne pretended not to hear. She sat by the window. A server approached.
"What would you like to order, Princess?"
"Just soup, thank you. And don't call me 'Princess.' I'm just an adventurer. Although… yes, I am a noble."
Whispers resumed. A noble becoming an adventurer was rare, especially only ordering soup.
Suddenly, the door creaked open. A knight entered, carrying a scroll with a portrait on it. The room fell silent.
"Does anyone recognize this person?" he asked, showing the picture.
Celestienne glanced briefly, then smiled faintly. "Never seen her. I'm just an adventurer from the Ironvale Continent traveling in Elarion," she answered calmly—completely lying.
The knight nodded. "Alright, thank you." Then he left with his group.
The demon sword spoke in her mind. "Princess, they're obviously looking for you. Why not go home?"
"Later. I want to go to the capital first… on foot," she replied nonchalantly.
Soon, a steaming bowl of soup was served at her table. Celestienne looked at it as if it were treasure.
"Wow… this is delicious. Better than Death Forest monster meat," she said, then ate greedily. People could only stare in amazement as such an elegant woman ate with enthusiasm.
However, midway through her meal, she felt her hair stand on end.
> "Someone's watching…"
When she finished eating, she stood, paid for the soup, then left. But from the rooftop of a building, a spy still followed her telepathically.
"Sir, I'm still watching her. Her aura… is too terrifying for a human," the spy reported.
A voice replied telepathically, "Leave her alone. If she realizes you're watching, you die."
Before he could cut the connection, a cold chill crept behind him. He turned—and saw Celestienne standing right behind him.
"You want to run after spying on me eating? Too bad… I don't let people like that go so easily."
"Damn… she's here?!"
Celestienne smirked. "How do you want to die? Beheaded? Or… should I just flick you?"
The shadow tried to escape through narrow alleys. But Celestienne raised her hand.
"No running. Shadow Piercing Magic!"
Light pierced the darkness. Blood dripped at the spy's feet, and he fainted. Celestienne lowered her hand, then blew the tip of her finger like a gun.
"Bullseye."
She then vanished like mist, leaving no trace.
---
On the Way to the Capital
On the road, Celestienne looked up at the clear sky. Green grass stretched out despite Ironvale's reputation for heat.
"Amazing… the mages here can grow flowers this beautiful. Usually only elves can do that," she marveled.
The demon sword chuckled. "Yes, humans are great… but hungry for power. That's why I'm hated."
Celestienne nodded. "I know. You were killed by mages and trapped inside this sword. If you want, we can reminisce about the first time we met."
The sword sighed. "That's embarrassing…"
Celestienne laughed. "Ah, I remember it clearly."
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400 Years Ago – Meeting Inside the Cave
Four centuries ago, while hunting monsters, Celestienne felt a demonic aura inside a cave.
"Hmm… a cave here? Maybe there's a way out," she said as she entered.
Beautiful paintings adorned the cave walls. When her finger touched one, the world around her transformed into a sea of fire. In the middle stood a figure resembling herself.
"Why… does she look like me?" she whispered.
Suddenly, she returned to her body. Walking down a passage, she found a black sword stuck in the ground. But before she could touch it, the sword floated, aiming to stab her.
"Hey! Have some manners, I'm not trying to kill you."
A voice echoed from the sword. "Human… how can you survive in the Death Forest?"
"That's a secret. And why do you want to stab me?"
"I hate humans. They killed me, killed my family, then trapped my soul inside this sword."
"Oh, I'm different. I was cast out by my family too, but I didn't give up. I will get out of here. Want to come?"
A moment of silence, then the sword said, "Alright. But you're my master from now on."
Celestienne smiled. "Good. Your name… Soul at the Sword's Edge."
The sword laughed. "Then I'll call you Princess."
Celestienne blushed, then said, "Alright, I'll confess. Actually… I'm a man trapped in a woman's body."
The sword was shocked. "What?! I thought you were a woman… that's why I… liked you…"
Celestienne laughed out loud. "Hahaha! So you liked me at first sight?"
"Forget it! Let's get out of here!" the sword snapped.
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Chapter 2 Completed