Valerie knew about the Revell Clan's history. She was one of its successor candidates, so she had to.
It was something she'd thought a lot about. It was something she hid from other people under her careless exterior.
But, as Damien had found when he tested her, Valerie's thoughts were a lot deeper than she made them seem.
And, she was far more loyal to her family than anyone knew.
Valerie placed her clan above all else. Deep down within her heart, she held the desire to bring her people back into Arulion.
To rule wasn't something wood dragons could do. It was an impossible wish precisely because they didn't want the throne.
However, when she met August, everything changed.
He was a being with an emperor's destiny, and he was supported by a supreme being that even Holy Dragons had to fear.
If he could make it to the top, then her wish would be granted easily.
If she helped him reach that point, then her clan would be raised beyond their previous standing, and she could even grant her grandfather's wish of fixing the dying kingdom.
August was a good person. She felt like his influence would be a great help to her, and she genuinely did see him as a friend.
With their newly formed relationship, her reignited desires found a way to shine.
Valerie wasn't just participating in these things because she was curious anymore.
She had a genuine urge to win, to beat these geniuses at their own game.
After all, they were descended from the same people who drove her clan out.
When they found out her affiliation, wouldn't they all cough blood and die in shame?
Well, that was what she hoped, and her progress through the maze emboldened her.
She rushed at an even faster pace, and that was exactly what led to the fateful meeting of two forces.
The person on the other side was also a woman. She had features similar to Ophelia, likely because they shared the same element.
The woman's name was Remelia Haze.
The Haze Clan wasn't one of the most prominent under the Ignis Clan's banner, but Remelia had been raising their status for the past few years with her existence alone.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})She was just barely below the Holy Clan geniuses. If she had access to the same amount of resources, she'd be on their level or beyond them.
The Ignis Clan had been trying to scout her for many years now, but she refused to leave her family, even at her parents' and siblings' insistence.
The Ignis Clan didn't find fault in her. Instead, they tried to make the terms of their agreement even more appealing to change her mind.
The Haze Clan had become one on the same level as the Scorch Clan, a direct subordinate with a decent amount of contact with the main clan.
She was just on the edge of joining them, but for now, she was still representing the Haze Clan.
'It's just my luck to run into her.'
Valerie's eyes narrowed.
Her opponent had already turned to face her. It was obvious that Remelia wasn't just going to ignore her and continue on her way.
'Wood against fire…?'
She was at an inherent disadvantage already.
'But, this kind of battle is exactly what I've been training for.'
Though Valerie didn't keep her memories of the trial Damien put her through, he allowed her to keep her inspirations.
They would slowly trickle into her mind as they were needed, and the realization that she needed to eliminate all of her most obvious weaknesses was the first to do so.
Fire was a clear nemesis of hers, and it was also one of the most common species of dragon.
Did she want to always be at their mercy even when she knew she was stronger than them?
Absolutely not.
Remelia was a threat, a challenge that she might not have been able to handle.
But, she was also a perfect tool to see if the training Valerie had done over the past two weeks was worth anything.
She stepped forward, unfaltering in the ambient heat created by her opponent's mere presence.
She raised her hand first.
No words were exchanged, but the spirit of battle was already high enough for them to understand each other's intent.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})BOOM!
The best way to deal with a fire user was to corner them before they could take control of the environment.
Roots burst out of the ground and the walls around Remilia, slamming into her and throwing her back.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Like spikes of pure earth and metal, the roots erupted from the ground as Remelia flew by, attempting to skewer her and end her before she could do anything.
However, Remelia was ready from the moment they locked eyes.
VOOM!
The Haze Clan, like the Scorch Clan, had theirownspecialization within the element of fire.
It was "heat."
The air under Remelia's back was superheated to a monstrous degree.
Any roots that approached were vaporized into ashes that floated into the air.
She still hadn't corrected her posture, but Remelia's eyes were still on Valerie. She raised her arm and flexed her hand, mobilizing her mana.
Nothing seemed to happen. That was because Remelia's power didn't have color or real form.
Valerie only realized that something was approaching when the air in front of her started to wobble.
Her eyes widened.
WHOOOOOOOOOOSH!
In the simplest sense, it was just a wave of hot air that blasted through the labyrinth corridor.
But it was far more than that.
Valerie didn't even waste time on blocking.
She put up a barrier for the sake of appearance and leapt into a nearby corridor, blocking off the entrance instead.
She heard the blazing wind passing by.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})She felt as the vines and roots that shielded this corridor were burned.
But the real marker that told her just how powerful the attack was…
That was the moment it struck, the moment it instantly incinerated the barrier she left in the corridor.
'I would've been done.'
In one hit, she would've gone down.
This was a completely different fire element than the one she'd trained to face.
It wasactuallyfar worse. Valerie had trained for the Ignis Clan so she was confident that she could beat them.
The Haze Clan was an anomaly, and their power was practically made to destroy wood dragons.
'It's fine.'
Looking at the bright side, this level of challenge would be great for training.
The situation had to be approached with a calm mind.
As long as she tried her best and did everything she could, it didn't matter if she won or lost.
This was just round one. She would have chances to make back what she lost in later rounds.
So, what mattered now was exploiting this opportunity for everything it could give her.
If she won, it was great. If she lost, it was still good.
As the barrier burned away and heat started to infiltrate the corridor she was hiding in, Valerie grinned.
This was just a competition, so she could view it with that kind of mindset.
With the same confidence she'd entered the battle with, she covered herself in mana and returned to the corridor where Remelia was.
Wood versus fire.
The outcome seemed obvious, but…with the way Valerie was acting, would itreallybe so?
She had an applaudable mentality, but she was outclassed like Terion was against August.
Fate itself was her enemy in a setting like this.
Whether she could overcome it or not…
Well, that was to be seen.
