46 – Movement!
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PART 1 – Information and Bath!
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News flies. All the nobles in the capital learned about Skarla's two daughters, one of whom is a hermaphrodite like her. Needless to say, greed arose with the goal of bringing their families together or creating friendships among their children.
But to the dismay of all the nobles who tried something, they found themselves frustrated by an overwhelming presence that appeared the moment they entered the perimeter of the mansion, pushing them away.
Needless to say, Skarla has no plans to create arranged marriages for her daughters. They will decide their partners in the future, and of course, with her permission. She will not accept a pathetic man or woman beside her precious children.
Even if she angers the entire nobility of the empire, she doesn't care.
…
The empire is reportedly eyeing the Krugar Mountains with plans to conquer them and establish Skarla as their ruler, in addition to the explosive information about Skarla's daughters.
Until then, they were just rumors, but, in fact, they are the plans of the imperial family. They need to see how the nobles and commoners will react to this. Depending on what your reactions are, the approach you may take is different.
Like the Imperial Family, they do not wish to lose influence and power. Skarla, just by breathing, undermines this factor. If your influence among the nobles and commoners is greater than they think, it will force them to make moves, even if they anger Skarla.
Even if Skarla ends up having a relationship with someone from royalty, it doesn't matter. There's no way she can inherit the throne, so there's no reason to share power with her. No more than is necessary.
……
Skarla spent a lot of time with her daughters, as well as taking care of her attention-starved wives. She really wanted a child, becoming even more excited when she discovered Letiphia's pregnancy.
Skarla has no problem getting her women pregnant; if that's what they want, she has no problem. Since she went to the trouble of accepting so many women, she will have to go to the trouble of having so many children.
Princess Hackel visited constantly; the excuse was training, which was not a lie. She trained to the limit, rarely getting sick or vomiting on the training field.
But she had her goals and is a strong-willed woman, going after Skarla, who has a lot of interest. The issue lies in the fact that the children's presence diminished her chances, as her focus was primarily on her daughters.
Apart from that, Hackel believes he is making good progress, both in his relationship with Skarla and in his training. She can better feel the energy in her body and interact with it, learning to have slight bursts of physical strength, much higher than in the past.
Not to mention that her swordplay improved drastically. She had better muscle control, attack speed, and attack power. This allowed him to perform several complex techniques that only Aura users are capable of.
Her brothers had temporarily stopped coming, citing busyness as their excuse, but in reality, they were unable to cope with the training, believing it was not worth the effort. In response, there was a small event in the palace with a few nobles invited. It was a friendly duel, and Skarla was invited and appeared.
In this friendly duel, Hackel entered the scene and did not lose to anyone; she even fought with a Master Knight, giving him serious problems and finally accepting defeat.
But her feats impressed everyone a lot, and Hackel didn't hesitate to say that all of this was because of Skarla's training. If it weren't for Skarla's teachings, she wouldn't be this close to becoming an aura user.
These words led to a flurry of guardianship requests for Skarla. Many wanted her to teach their children; most weren't even at level 11; they just wanted to strengthen their closeness, so Skarla didn't even pay attention.
Those who wanted to place knights and talented people under her tutelage attracted Skarla's attention, but she refused. There is no reason to make them stronger.
Of course, it would be advantageous against the empire's enemies, but she does not want to spread her teachings, as she fears the evolutionary potential of humans.
After she partially spread her knowledge, it wouldn't take long for people to create variations, and even if they didn't reach the cultivation technique, they would come close.
Of course, this will take years to happen, but she still fears what might happen in the future, so she refused to teach others, saying that she was already quite busy.
Kalen and Angelo attempted to avoid the situation, not only due to the challenging training but also due to the imminent danger.
But given these benefits and advantages, it goes without saying that they decided to accept continuing with the training, even if it harmed them in other ways.
She was training three members of the royal family so she could take pride in her role as the torturer of the emperor's children. But on the other hand, the results came quickly, with the achievement of [Effort], increasing their level.
Additionally, Skarla successfully acquired sets of medicinal herbs, entrusting Calah with their multiplication. Naturally, they established commercial agreements with several companies to secure these resources.
What did you do with what you had? Skarla tried it first to be sure, and she found it to be much more efficient than on Murim. But this is due to the fact that magic is abundant and even uncontrolled, whereas in Murim, energy is little and controlled.
Now, what she created was nothing more than “Medicinal Baths”. She had been doing this before, but now, with the materials combined correctly, the results were more impressive.
Their women and apprentices began to bathe, which they initially thought would only be a healing aid, but it was much more powerful. The boiling of the bath itself produced an additional effect that proved difficult to quantify.
All we know is that everyone's bodies were developing much faster; even the lovely Pelia, still very young, began to grow at an accelerated rate, as if she were taking steroids.
The medicinal baths were truly magical, so she let the suffering princes try them, and they were surprised by the effects.
Such medicinal baths work differently depending on the person's sex. Women naturally acquire more supple and perfect skin, as well as more restrained muscle development while maintaining a slim and athletic figure.
For men, this strengthened their muscular and bone structure in a more invasive way, which is naturally denser than that of women. The advantages were not very different, except that men acquired greater body volume much more easily.
And so, the two princes and Berinto, the only three men under Skarla's care, began to notice an increase in their height; their bodies were also becoming bulkier. Even though it's not exaggerated, the difference is very obvious, and they liked it.
Due to the high levels of elixirs they have consumed throughout their lives, they have maintained a youthful and adolescent appearance for a long time, but now their bodies are growing faster than usual. and they are liking the results.
Even the thing between the legs became relatively bigger and thicker.
……
Skarla was summoned to the palace. She doesn't have any upcoming events; the summons came for unidentified reasons, though one could speculate.
Arthur quickly welcomed her. - “Skarla, good to see you. I hope she is healthy.”
"If I appear unhealthy like this, a significant portion of the global population is in danger." - Skarla said, laughing as they were walking side by side.
"For sure. In fact, your advice on how I should use my Aura was extremely helpful. I’ve improved my techniques a lot; I don’t even know what to say.” - Arthur smiled.
“That's good to hear, but you don't need to thank me; I just pointed it out; you're the one who discovered it. But leaving that aside, is this meeting potentially related to training?”
“Yes, the progress of the princes is very apparent and difficult to hide; the princess has not changed other than her skin, but we can ignore that because of the beauty products, but the princes' bodies are growing and they are looking more mature... That is hard to hide, and lots of strange rumors are surfacing.”
“I heard something about me drugging the princes.” - Skarla said, rolling her eyes.
“Yes, but I can’t blame those who spread the rumors. If it weren’t for the princes and princess confirming that this is all natural, the results of special training, I would be heading to your door.” - Arthur said it seriously.
Skarla smiled and didn't say anything else.
They soon arrived at their destination, and Arthur knocked on the door, allowing entry.
When they entered, we could find the Emperor, Lucius Zenirys, standing with a cup of wine in his hands. In addition to him, we can find princes Angelo and Kalen, princess Hackel, and empress Kaleria.
Hackel smiled as she, Angelo, and Kalen made respectful greetings, just as a man would greet a lady. Kaleria remained indifferent.
…
“Skarla, I haven’t seen you since the dueling event. I hope you are healthy.” - Lucius said, smiling and wanting to laugh.
“I am grateful for your kind words, your majesty.” - Said Skarla, bowing in respect.
Lucius smiled and suggested she sit down. - "Since you prefer direct communication, let's get straight to the point. These [Medicinal Baths] that you developed—how do they work? The results on my children were incredible, and I want to know if there is a way to mass produce it.”
Her eyes were filled with greed; he wasn't the only one. Skarla knows they must have collected some of the baths' contents to give to the alchemists, but they must not have been able to recreate them.
Even if they have a list of the resources she uses, she buys them in large quantities. She doesn't care if they know the materials or the process, which is special.
“I understand, but I must apologize. It is impossible for anyone other than me to develop my medicinal baths. I use my martial arts in the creation process, which is much more delicate and complex than the alchemical process itself. If you have the records of my purchases, you will know that I purchased tons of materials, but I assure you that the process wasted around 95% of these resources, making mass production impossible." - Skarla said calmly, and everyone frowned.
It turns out that Skarla is lying and telling the truth at the same time. She purified all resources with her energy, then assimilated them using martial arts, thus achieving a perfect balance. Finally, it was the alchemical process that Calah and Skarla did together.
Through the methods, she is able to bring out the main properties of the resources, throwing away the impurities and useless parts for what she desires. This is a very instinctive process that she developed through experience.
So in terms of mass, 95% of the mass of what she bought was wasted as it was useless for creating the “Medicinal Baths”. However, while impurities accounted for around 1/3 of the discarded materials, the remaining 62% of the material remained usable, allowing for the testing and creation of some supplement products.
Skarla created “Nutrition Acorns”. A very valuable resource in Murim, used mainly when going into Isolated Cultivation, which helps to satisfy hunger by providing ideal nutrients,.
The taste isn't the best, but it doesn't matter.
…
Skarla's words made the atmosphere sour, because if it's as she says, only she can produce such results; now if she doesn't want to share the recipe, there's nothing they can do.
“While I’m here, I wanted to show you something that will be useful in preventing hunger and malnutrition.” -Skarla said, changing the subject and taking out a box she had stored.
Everyone looked on with interest as the inside showed small balls the size of half a thumb. A normal thumb, not Skarla's.
"What would that be?" - Lucius asked, taking one of the acorns. He wasn't worried about being dangerous; Skarla wouldn't use a method like that to murder him.
“I call them Acorns of Nutrition. Eating one of these will prevent hunger for 1 to 2 days. In fact, due to the medicinal herbs in their content, they are extremely nutritious, useful for training, and easy to transport.” - Said Skarla and soon everyone was alarmed, especially Arthur and Angelo.
“These little balls are equivalent to almost 2 days of food? Does it provide all the necessary nutrients that come from meat, vegetables, legumes, etc.?” - Arthur asked.
“Yes, in addition to medicinal herbs, there are small pieces of meat that have gone through special processes. This has everything I said it has. Consuming this during training, even if it doesn't taste the best, will help build muscle mass and provide much-needed energy.”
“How many can you produce?” - Lucius asked.
"I can produce about 2,000 a day, but the process itself is not complicated, allowing for mass production." - Said Skarla and everyone's eyes shone.
This is beneficial for military operations, journeys, and emergency scenarios.
Skarla soon showed the materials, and he said that with the specific quantity mentioned, it is possible to produce 100 acorns. This translates to approximately 200 days of sustenance.
“It turns out that its duration varies from 2 to 3 months in exposed environments; when the climate is very hot, its duration decreases by 1 month. However, when stored in refrigerated environments, its shelf life can range from 5 to 6 months, depending on whether it's cold or frozen." - Said Skarla, which was a final point for this product.
Its manufacturing is very worthwhile; the necessary resources are not difficult to produce in large quantities, and it would be possible to create specific planting areas for this.
“I hope to make one thing clear. In fact, acorns play a crucial role in preventing hunger during disasters, particularly for refugees affected by demon attacks. This will help a lot. But its taste is not good at all.”
“It’s just flavor; whoever is hungry doesn’t care. Much fewer soldiers are in training.” - Arthur said, and others agreed.
“Hungry people, yes. But for soldiers, this is different. An important thing for people is morale and happiness, especially among soldiers, which helps ensure their loyalty and performance. Constantly consuming acorns will only result in an accumulation of unhappiness. So if you are going to implement this in training, you will also have to develop better methods of entertaining and satisfying soldiers, such as delicious food for rewards and quick access to good women or men to warm the bed. Things like that.” - Skarla was very serious in her tone, and everyone took it into consideration.
The conversation continued for a while longer, until it resumed.
“So, related to [Medicinal Baths]. I believe you are willing to sell, right?” - Kaleria asked coldly, because even though the acorns are good, her focus is only on one thing.
"Its production is limited because I don't have time to focus on it, and I am using it to train my disciples and their children. As a gift, I can send some packages that are equivalent to 1 day of medicinal bath each. I won’t price it now, as I have no plans to make this a commercial thing.” - Skarla said calmly, looking her in the eyes.
Kaleria had a cold countenance, trying to evaluate something, but she didn't get what she wanted. - “I understand. I am grateful for sending these valuable products as a gift. But I hope that in the near future, when you are trading them, you will come directly to me to negotiate; I promise you a decent price.”
Skarla smiled and nodded.
After that, the conversation didn't take any interesting turns. Lucius commented on how many nobles are trying to form friendships with Skarla. He spoke about his daughters' future entry into the Imperial Academy.
There was mention of her maybe teaching the youth a bit as a substitute teacher. Skarla refused; she didn't have the time or patience for that.
And so the conversation ended with her having things to resolve, even though she didn't. Arthur guided her, and she took the opportunity to inquire about having some of the medicinal baths. Skarla smiled and gave him some packages that she had prepared as a gift for a friend.
Arthur thanked him and put it in his storage. He carefully read the instructions on how to use it and the ideal age to begin taking these baths.
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PART 2 – Visitor!
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Time passed, and soon news of the “Medicinal Baths” spread, with their incredible effects to accelerate physical training as well as greatly improving health and the flow of magical energy in the body.
He also talked about better physical development in children and penis enlargement... Needless to say, many merchants and nobles tried to run to his house with that information. Nobody managed to get in.
Skarla ignored these problems while focusing on other areas. In addition to training her pupils and, of course, herself, she was also studying the properties of the various resources that came into her hands.
She is still developing better medicinal baths, but she is also looking to create powerful elixirs. Calah accompanies her most of the time, and surprisingly, when she is working, she thinks less about sex.
Ultimately, alchemy is her passion.
Together, they had many failures but also many successes. Calah's skills were improving greatly, and she focused more on meditation after seeing the usefulness of martial arts, which allowed her to more thoroughly study the properties and impurities of resources.
And finally, after so long, Skarla managed to develop an elixir. Its effect was nothing more than an increase in internal energy.
She consumed the elixir in front of her. It fell apart in his mouth, then went down his throat and exploded in his stomach like a ball of fire. It spread waves of energy throughout his veins and meridians, covering his heart, bones, muscles, and everything!
She was breathing deeply, meditating, and generating her own energy. Her ‘8 Trigrams' are circulating and devouring this energy.
In a few hours, she acquired the equivalent of 2 years of internal energy. The feeling was gratifying. Even though the result is small, it went from 82 to 84 years of internal energy.
He could have consumed more elixirs, but he didn't. Consuming too many will cause an imbalance. She still hasn't translated her [Perfect Body Mantra]. If she had translated, she would have consumed dozens of pills without any worries.
…
Soon Letiphia, Ilyria, Talya, Viper, Calah... everyone under her tutelage, with the exception of the princes and the princess—received an elixir, where they practiced cultivation and saw significant results.
Letiphia was excited about the increase in her magical power. Apart from how the energy flows through her body, everything is so incredible and magical. Before, the sensation was tiny, but now it has become potent.
Viper already had a lot of Internal Energy, but this helped consolidate her first 10th Year of Internal Energy. She underwent incredible changes. Her strength increased tremendously, as did her presence.
Her martial arts focus, in addition to strength, on boosting her presence through charisma. As a result, the Demonic Arts she is practicing have become even more potent and useful.
Knowing how to control their presence is what makes a Demonic Arts Assassin truly deadly. The Demonic Arts Assassin has the ability to trick the target's senses, compel them to sense something in an empty direction, and then swiftly cut their throat.
As of today, Viper has entered this stage. Even though it takes a long time to master the use of her presence, she is a killer and has a lot of blood on her hands. She has already consolidated her desire to kill, transforming it into a useful weapon against the weak.
……
Everything was going perfectly well. Conflicts with demons have become less frequent; it seems that they are hiding. The number of corrupted aberrations has also greatly decreased.
Everything is quite strange, which is why Skarla hasn't been shipped anywhere yet.
But in the midst of peace, something had to happen.
One cold night, in a large room, many women were lying on a bed. A naked Skarla went out onto the balcony, drinking wine straight from the bottle and watching the night skyline.
“I didn’t expect to see you.” - Said Skarla, drinking the wine, added. - "Do you want some? Even though I don’t like wine that much, this one is expensive.” - Quick movements occurred as she turned around, making no sound, and soon a blade was at her throat.
A tall figure stands in front of Skarla, but not as tall as her. Feminine curves, adorable furry ears, long blue-black hair, relatively large breasts, thick thighs, and beautiful muscles make their contours difficult to see due to the gray hair.
She is wearing a mask that covers the lower half of her face. The young beastkin with chinchilla and rat blood stands in front of her, a sharp blade pressing into her throat.
“Shunam, right?” - She asked relaxedly; it had been so long. Skarla didn't forget; she just wanted to forget.
She didn't say anything; she just stood there, her gaze deadly cold. It was hard to know what she wanted. - “You won’t say anything? Won't you scream or cry? Living in ignorance would have been better, right?”
“Yes, that would have been better.” - She growled.
“It’s a shame that you can’t live in ignorance for so long.” - Skarla said, sighing and turning around, removing the blade from her throat. - “You know you’re not a threat to me, so let that thing go.”
Shunam looked at her back, so vulnerable, but at the same time, she had the impression of being in front of an impenetrable wall, in front of the eyes of a wild beast on top of that wall, calmly watching her.
She lowered her blade, remaining there, standing still, without uttering a single word.
“Take a little; it won’t take away your hunger, but it can cover it up a little.” - She said, passing him the bottle of wine. Shunam accepted; she hasn't eaten anything in days.
“Did you know I was coming?” - She asked.
"No. I felt his presence, and then I knew. But I didn’t know you were coming to find me.” - Skarla said she was very relaxed. - “But why did you come to me? I expected you to get your answers, get revenge for what they did to you.”
“I looked for him, but I didn't find him. Your tracks led to the capital, and you are here.” - Shunam said, and Skarla raised an eyebrow.
“So is there a specific reason for meeting me, or did you just want to see me?” - Skarla laughed.
“You saw my situation with a single glance. Several alchemists and doctors have never seen anything wrong with me; only after using many methods to investigate my body did they discover what I am.”
“I’m very good at what I do.” - Said Skarla, drinking more of the wine.
“I want to know if there is any way you can help me. I do not want to die." - Suddenly the cold look became one of despair. - “Every day, the pain intensifies, and the memories keep coming back. I want this to stop, but I don't want to die. I’ve lived so much, I’ve achieved so much, and I’m so proud of myself.” - She shivered and hugged herself.
Skarla looked at him with regret, touching his head to offer some comfort. - “I saw what happened to your body because I can see the flow of energy, and due to several factors, I understand what it is. But what flows through your body, how it flows, and how you're functioning—that's not something I understand. It's not something I can reverse or prolong. If I had the data that created you, I could try something, but without that, I would need to open you up, study every part of your body, understand the fluid that flows in your body like blood, and know what exactly your organs are.” - Skarla said, sighing, that she herself is terrified of the situation with Shunam's body.
"Child. Unless you can bring me the relevant information about your situation, there is nothing I can do. But something you can do to heal yourself would be to go after the legendary objects that can grant wishes and ask for a true body that can live as one of your kind would.”
Shunam, shaking, hit his chest with his head while crying, and Skarla, feeling guilty, hugged him to give him some comfort.
…
"Can you help me?" - Shunam calmed down and sat on the balcony fence.
"What do you need?" - Skarla asked.
“My skills are very limited. I need money and support to enter certain places.” - Said Shunam.
Skarla looked at him carefully, then took out an emblem that represents the Verona family—that is, that represents him. She took out a bag filled with numerous gold coins and spoke. - “Go to the Commander of the Imperial Guard, Arthur Cervero. Tell him your situation and show him the emblem; this will indicate my full support. It will help you facilitate your access to various parts of the capital and can help you with investigations.”
"Thanks." - Shunam nodded when he received it.
“Let me know the results, and when it’s time to go after him, call me. I personally need to ask him some questions.” - Skarla spoke coldly, and Shunam nodded.
…
The cold wind hit her body. Skarla watched as Shunam walked away, and a presence appeared beside her with smooth white skin and silky platinum hair.
"Are you well?" - Viper asked, touching Skarla's shoulder.
"Yes." - Skarla said calmly, but the guilt still gnaws at her. Her impulsiveness caused suffering that she would not wish on her enemies.
“Let’s go back; it’s cold out here.” - Viper said, pulling her. Skarla laughed and accepted, taking her in her arms.
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PART 3 – Krugar Mountains!
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On the destroyed mountain, more and more members of the orc army gathered. They dispatched individuals to evaluate the situation, but all of them met their demise.
Makaulu found out, but due to various situations, he couldn't come in person, so he sent his daughter, Gakai Stone'Fang.
When Gakai arrived months ago, he learned about the “monster”. A woman who prevented any advances. She knew how to speak her language and destroyed the earth, rocks, and trees as if they were nothing.
This intrigued Gakai; she asked for more details, and her instincts told her something. Through this, she knew that she looked like the person she had been looking for for so many years.
She licked her lips and waited, setting up camp and gathering information. She learned that the empire's citizens were building a fortress and stationing numerous troops there.
Until then, it is a struggle to collect information. Going up will be problematic due to the rough terrain, but going down is easy.
Even months after the mountain fell, there has been no serious confrontation. However, Gakai found herself troubled by her sister's fate.
She has many sisters, including Pelia. Unbeknownst to her, Pelia fled with her younger brother, implying they were not blood relatives, as Pelia's mother likely had relationships with other men.
This is not uncommon; Makaulu is not the most faithful or responsible man. If he gets tired of any woman, he will get rid of her. Children are what he cares about, but only when they reach maturity; before that, he doesn't care.
Gakai sees herself as lucky. She is the daughter of Makaulu's first love. Even though her mother is dead, her father still cares a lot about her and wants to see grandchildren. He wants her to find her ideal partner.
The problem is that Gakai has no interest in male orcs, much less the humans and dwarves she has in the mountains. She wants a worthy partner who can grow with her.
Those who are strong are very old. Those who are young... needless to say that amidst her many fun activities with various men to pass the time, she ended up accidentally breaking some bones amidst the intensity.
In the end, she never found a strong partner with whom she could have children, nor did she find a decent man or futanari capable of satisfying her lust alone.
Makaulu understood this and felt sad for his daughter. He apparently had plans to send her to the Northlands, where there are many orcs and powerful individuals full of talent. She could certainly find a partner she likes there.
But besides that, Makaulu has also been looking for Skarla. Even though she has never been seen, everyone is looking for her because Gakai wants her. A young woman fled the mountains, having the strength to defeat a Boardogge alone.
A human over 2 meters tall. They say that a human's skin is as hard as rocks.
With this information, it goes without saying that Makaulu is interested in her, wanting the best partner for her daughter. The issue arises from the fact that she fled to the empire, leaving them with limited information.
Even with their empire's trading partner, finding Skarla was impossible.
And now, Gakai, who has been thinking about giving up and marrying some powerful orc and bearing his children, has had his hope rekindled.
So she waited. Since she arrived here, the presence of the "monster" has never returned. But she was still waiting patiently; she had to guard that front anyway.
With the information they obtained, the danger increased, and without hesitation, she sent a night attack.
She led 1,000 warriors down the mountain, where she faced a powerful human in heavy armor. It was a fierce confrontation, a battle that resulted in a stalemate. Their physical capabilities were well balanced.
It was at this point that Gakai retreated, confusing the soldiers and knights. The noble commander laughed at his victory. However, she was unlucky.
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!
10 orcs suddenly let out thunderous roars, and their green skin turned red. Dark tattoos like molten lava appeared all over their bodies; they tripled in size. They advanced and destroyed dozens of soldiers in seconds, wreaking havoc on the fortress under construction.
As a result, they destroyed the supplies and killed many of the workers. One of the out-of-control beasts killed the noble, even though he was safe at the top of a tower.
A brutal frenzy forced them to abandon the fortress they were building.
Gakai, who pretended to run away, laughed when she returned. With a red orb in her hand, she made the Red Orcs chase the fleeing ones, while she and her troops, which numbered from 1,000 to 5,000, began to use the materials to build the fortress.
The main structure remained intact despite the extensive visual damage. There was no record of what materials were coming from the Krugar Mountains.
“THE GREAT KING IS WISE!!!” - Gakai screamed and laughed at the top of the fortress walls; all the orcs and half-breeds below laughed equally and resounded without ceasing.
Makaulu was more than just a brute who knew how to fight. He planned to take the fruits of humans' months-long hard work. A real monster.