The time of the great tournament approached closer and closer, and with the passing of a month, several thousands of different forces had made their way to Beast Emperor Star in preparation for the proceedings.
In fact, the world was currently enveloped in a festive atmosphere. With the number of external influences congregating, massive trade fairs and auctions were held all over the place as treasures found their way to their rightful owners.
Even the common people were able to enjoy the festivities, setting up their own carnivals and using the opportunity to make a profit and enjoy themselves during these few days of peace and cultural exchange,
However, with the sheer number of people gathering, there were bound to be those who didn't know how to respect law and order.
Those who killed and stole from others, those who tried to rape the women and bully the common people, all of these types of unscrupulous people also saw opportunity brewing on Beast Emperor Star.
But would the Golden Dragon Clan allow such degeneracy to fester on their soil?
Absolutely not!
Shing!
A light sword not too different from a rapier cut through the air, a spray of blood following behind it.
A man's head flew into the air and slammed against the pavement.
"Phew…" the assailant let out a small sigh.
"Come on, you're okay now. There are people waiting to take you home."
She turned to a nearby group of women with their clothes nearly entirely torn off, bloody scrapes covering their bodies.
They shivered as they looked at the bloodied surroundings, but the woman's words seemed to bring them back to their senses.
"A-ah…!" One of them exclaimed.
"Thank you so much for saving us! We'll definitely make sure to repay this grace!" She continued, establishing herself as the leader of the group.
"No need. Take these blankets to cover yourselves and head outside the alley. The guards will make sure to compensate you."
With those words, the blue-haired heroine disappeared from the alley, leaving the group of women by themselves.
Their eyes remained wide for many minutes before they finally came back to reality.
'So…so cool!' They thought in unison.
Without even realizing it, that woman had become an idol in these young women's hearts.
As for the heroine herself…
'This job is far more difficult than I expected. When is that tutor going to show himself?'
The woman frowned to herself, thinking back to the affairs of the palace.
Right, this woman was none other than our favorite Valkyrie, Elena.
In the past month that she'd been staying on Beast Emperor Star, she had no plans of remaining idle.
According to the Golden Dragon Emperor, the little princess's Master, the man who was promised the Genesis Bead, was currently in the middle of training his disciple and wouldn't be available for a period of time.
Elena needed to have a talk with that man to try and negotiate for the treasure, but until this day, she hadn't even seen a single trace of him!
'Haa…how troublesome.'
Elena stopped moving, bringing two fingers up and touching her forehead.
'Call of Valhalla.'
A pure white magic circle surfaced in the earth around her, soon expanding until tens of shining armors manifested into the Real Plane.
"Go, keep order. Damon, I pass the command to you. Summon your brothers as you wish."
Upon Elena's command, a particular cavalry soldier dismounted his horse and stepped forward, kneeling in submission and affirmation.
After him, the rest followed behind. Evidently, he was the soldier nicknamed Damon.
Under his command, the Undying Warriors of Valhalla's Army spread first through the city, and eventually, through a large portion of the world.
Elena's army was already at the level of tens of thousands of troops, and while she couldn't keep control over the entire planet, it wouldn't be impossible for her to accomplish such a feat in a world the size of Apeiron.
'Helping with the guardian duty is taxing, but it builds trust. If I keep going like this, the Golden Dragon Emperor will be more inclined to listen to my demands. If not...'
Elena didn't think she was powerful enough to take on everyone who wanted the Genesis Bead, but she was semi-confident in escaping.
As she submerged herself in thought, she kept moving and responding to emergencies that her legion couldn't handle. Eventually, a token on her waist began to vibrate.
'Hm? Contact from the palace?'
Elena poured her mana into the token and was immediately met with an urgent voice.
"The little princess and her master have returned! Come back quickly!"
Elena's eyes widened. The message was from a close friend she'd made in the palace, the vice-captain of the palace guards. The second the words entered her ears, Elena dashed into the air and took off.
She arrived near the palace within 5 minutes. The first thing she noticed was that the strange fluctuations coming from the little princess' courtyard were long gone.
Now, a similar presence stood in the throne room.
Elena's senses extended several tens of thousands of kilometers past her body, allowing her to sense these things, however, she was still at least 30 seconds from the palace!
'I can't miss this opportunity!'
According to his previous behavior, this mysterious master was likely to disappear for several months again after this time exiting his seclusion. If Elena missed this chance, she would likely miss her opportunity to get the Genesis Bead without using force!
30 seconds was an eternity and an instant at the same time.
To Elena, these 30 seconds passed like hours. Every step she took was deliberate and geared to move her at the fastest speed possible, every movement in the atmosphere was caught in her perception.
However, in the grand scheme of things, 30 seconds wasn't much at all.
Boom!
Elena arrived before the palace with a sonic boom, rushing through the gates and maneuvering the halls to the throne room.
Within seconds, she reached her destination and threw open the doors to find…!
The Golden Dragon Emperor and the rest of the Golden Dragon Clan's direct lineage seated in the throne room…
Except for the little princess.
Elena's face fell.
'Was I too late?'
She wondered how powerful that person must've been to simply disapp—
'Hm? Spatial fluctuations?'
"Young Elena, I'm afraid you've come a moment too late. Just now, that sir took my daughter away once again to train."
The Golden Dragon Emperor finally acknowledged her presence, willfully ignoring her disrespectful entrance.
Elena shook her head. "It's fine. Say, the princess' master…is a spatial practitioner?"
The Golden Dragon Emperor raised his brow. "Hm? Indeed. According to him, my daughter has a supreme talent in space, which is what led to him accepting her as a disciple. Have you not heard this news throughout the palace yet?"
Elena shook her head, internally this time.
She furiously refused the prodding voice of hope in the back of her head.
"Do you know when he will return?" She finally asked.
However, the Golden Dragon Emperor could only shake his head in resignation.
After all, even if he told her, she probably wouldn't believe him!
Just how could anyone believe that a man not even properly at the extreme peak of 4th class…
…could instantly transmit himself to an entirely different Sector?!
