"Wh-what does she mean by this?" I murmured. "And who is this Tar guy?"

I put the letter into the ring while wondering, "Was it really just a typo? But why does this Tar sound so familiar? Tar... Tar..."

I tried to recall, but nothing came to mind, so I just gave up.

"I'm going back to my room," I told Ume, rising from the chair.

Ume suddenly held my wrist and spoke softly, "If you wish, you may stay with me here."

"I want to be alone for some time. I need to sort out my thoughts."

"Oh, is that so... I understand you must be feeling betrayed, but don't blame Sister Nym too much. She must have her reasons for leaving like this."

"I do feel betrayed because she left without saying anything. But it's not like we can't meet again. It's just a Mid-Tier Realm — I'll reach it within one year," I declared before leaving her room.

"Vivi, how can I ascend in realm?" I asked the moment I entered my room.

"There are two modes the Host can choose for ascension:

1. Soul Insight Mode [Inactive]: The usual way of cultivation followed by most people. Progress is achieved through diligent training, deep meditation, and pure inspiration.

Pros:

a) Minimal risk of deviation.

b) Safe ascension to higher realms.

c) Increased mental peace and insight into one's soul.

d) Higher chance of obtaining mind-related skills.

Cons:

a) Slow growth.

b) Risk of remaining stagnant for long periods if inspiration is not found.

2. Furnace of Battle Mode [Active by default]: A privileged mode available to the Host thanks to their bloodline. Growth is achieved through life-and-death battles with equal or stronger opponents, or by surviving outnumbered battles.

Pros:

a) Fast growth.

b) No risk of stagnation.

c) Higher chance of obtaining battle-related skills.

Cons:

a) Higher risk of deviation.

b) Might trigger a breakthrough during battle."

"Vivi, can I switch the modes whenever I want?"

"Yes. The mode can be switched according to the Host's command."

To increase my power faster, the Furnace of Battle Mode was obviously the more logical choice. But there was one problem...

"I can't leave the city because of the promise I made to Nymeria — and who the hell am I gonna fight here!!" I shouted in frustration. "Should I start throwing hands at random guards? Nah! That's a terrible idea. I'd be put behind bars for that."

"Hm... hmm... hmmmm... I guess I have no choice," I said after giving it some thought before leaving my room and knocking on Ume's door again.

She opened the door, gazed at me, and sighed, touching her forehead. It hadn't even been five minutes since I left the room looking half-dead, and now I was gleaming with a shameless smile on my face.

"You sorted your thoughts rather quickly?" she said, giving me side eyes with folded arms. "What do you want now?"

"Aren't you gonna invite me in?"

She chuckled, rubbing my head. "This smile suits you. You mustn't lose it again."

"I was curious about something," I said, sitting at the corner of her bed. "How do you ascend through realms?"

"I'm born with divinity, so my realm ascension depends on the number of tails I have."

"Dear goddess, what method do you use to increase your number of tails then?"

"I'm afraid I do not have a definite answer for that, mortal," she replied, joining in my playful act. "Every tail requires different criteria to emerge. One time it emerged when I got furious, while another time it did when I achieved absolute peace."

"How many tails do you currently have, My Queen?"

"Oh my~ mortal, aren't you getting too personal?" she murmured, gracefully touching her cheek.

"Sigh... I accept my defeat. You're way too good at this, Ume."

"Hehe~ I may not look like it, but I did rule over a whole continent for more than a millennia," she replied with a smug smile before continuing, "As for your question, currently I only possess two tails. I have knowledge on how to increase them, but this place doesn't have enough Soulforce for me to reach the bottleneck of my current realm. By the way, may I know what led to your sudden curiosity about my realm ascension?"

"I wanted to ask for your help in increasing my cultivation level, but I didn't want you to do it for free," I replied, rubbing my temple. "So I thought maybe I could offer some help in increasing yours."

"You shouldn't feel guilty for asking my help," Ume replied. "I can do that much for my betrothed. Speak, how can I assist you?"

"I must engage in a life-and-death duel with an opponent stronger than me to improve my cultivation. You are the only one—"

"Ahem... I'm afraid I can't assist you in this," she instantly rejected. "Your mind would subconsciously know that I won't kill you, so having a life-and-death duel against me is useless. Moreover... I can't bear to hurt you."

I let out a long sigh, realizing how thoughtless my request really was. Since Ume had rejected me, I was again stuck in the same predicament.

"I need someone to beat my ass!!" I shouted, raising my arms.

"Do you know how weird you sound—" Ume suddenly flinched mid-sentence, then ordered in a serious tone, "You may come."

The shadow of the table in front of me began wavering, and from within it, Vyaghra emerged, kneeling before Ume.

"Your Majesty, we have found the location of the Death Energy," Vyaghra declared. "Jambavan has already infiltrated, disguising himself as one of the slaves. Please permit me to enter as well."

Ume's playful expression from earlier completely vanished. Her demeanor changed, radiating the authority of the queen she truly was as she said,

"You have done well, Vyaghra. You may proceed further with the plan."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."

Just before Vyaghra was about to vanish again, a shocked voice echoed in the room.

"What the hell is going on!!!???"

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