When she had first taken over this body, she’d been ecstatic, wielding its meager power without a second thought. But it wasn’t long before her own strength was completely drained that she realized a terrifying truth—because the original owner’s consciousness still lingered within, she couldn’t access a single ounce of her own abilities. Everything she did had to rely on the body’s innate, pitifully weak power.

This body was utterly pathetic!

She’d regretted it the moment that realization sank in.

But regret was useless. The second she’d merged with this vessel, the bond had become irreversible. She couldn’t leave unless she found another host infected with a Parasitic Demon Seed.

And that was next to impossible.

The only small mercy was this—now that she had a physical form, she could slowly recover her strength on her own. But even this silver lining came with a catch, and a big one at that.

First, the speed of her recovery was entirely dependent on Alice’s natural talent. Second, this method of regaining power wasn’t a permanent boost; any strength she managed to accumulate was temporary. Once she used it up, she’d have to start all over again from scratch.

Over the past few days, she’d worked tirelessly to gather strength, pushing herself to recover as much as possible—at her peak, she’d even managed to reach Rank B+.

But then, in her haste to take a shortcut, she’d foolishly tried to cut through a certain forest, only to run into a powerful creature. In the blink of an eye, all the strength she’d painstakingly amassed was gone, leaving her weaker than ever.

She had to remind herself constantly that she was trapped in a human body now. Unlike her demon form, which could heal itself from even the gravest wounds, this fragile shell would die if it sustained too much damage. Death meant the end—for both her and this worthless vessel.

That was why, ever since that near-death experience, “Alice” had avoided all areas dangerous to humans like the plague. To conserve what little power she had left, she’d even resorted to sneaking rides on caravans—hiding in cargo wagons, just like she was now.

This wasn’t the first time she’d hitched a free ride, either.

Jingle~!

Before long, the caravan’s bells rang out, signaling their departure. “Alice” huddled silently in the back of the wagon, letting the creaking wheels carry her closer and closer to her destination.

Roughly half a day after the caravan had vanished over the horizon, a ragged young man stumbled into the same waystation.

He wore a tattered gray robe, frayed at the cuffs and stained with dirt and what looked like dried blood. His face was gaunt, his eyes sunken with dark circles, and his entire body swayed unsteadily, as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Hey, are you alright? You look like you’re about to pass out!”

A station attendant rushed over, eyeing him with concern, half-afraid the boy would drop dead right there on the floor.

“I’m fine……”

The young man shook his head slowly, his voice weak and hoarse.

Ignoring the attendant’s protests, he stumbled around the station, searching every nook and cranny with frantic, desperate eyes—as if he was looking for something, or someone, incredibly important.

After a long while, he finally stopped, his gaze fixed on the direction the caravan had taken.

“Alice……”

The name slipped from his lips in a whisper, his tired eyes blazing with an unshakable resolve.

“Wait for me. I’m going to save you. No matter what it takes.”

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……

“Here you go~! One for each of you!”

Irus bounded back over, holding three fluffy cloud cotton candies in her hands.

“Oh! Thank you so much!”

Eileen quickly took one, bowing her head in gratitude.

The three girls wandered through the entertainment district, each twirling a cotton candy in their hands, the sweet, sugary scent lingering in the air around them.

“Well, well! If it isn’t Hulim!”

A cheerful voice suddenly called out, catching Hulim’s attention.

She turned toward the sound, and spotted three familiar faces—Liz, Uno, and Yuris—who were also out shopping.

“Hey, you guys are here too—Wait a minute! Lady Irus?!”

Liz’s eyes went wide when she recognized Irus standing beside Hulim. She froze for a split second, then quickly bowed deeply, her voice trembling slightly with respect.

“Greetings, Lady Irus!”

“Oh! It really is you, Lady Irus! Good day!”

Uno’s eyes darted open in surprise at Liz’s reminder, and she quickly followed suit, bowing respectfully to the S-Rank powerhouse.

“Yuris pays his respects to the Saintess.”

The only boy in the trio, Yuris, went one step further—he dropped to one knee in an elaborate, reverent bow that would have been fit for royalty.

“You two don’t have to be so formal,” Irus said with a warm smile, waving a hand dismissively at Liz and Uno. Then she turned to Yuris, her tone softening. “Yuris, you may rise.”

“Thank you, Saintess. Your kindness honors me.”

Yuris rose to his feet, but his posture remained rigidly respectful, his gaze never straying from the ground in front of Irus’s feet.

His deference wasn’t without reason. It all stemmed from Irus’s extraordinary identity—

The World Tree Saintess.

The World Tree was the lifeblood of Himril, and among the elves, it held a status so sacred that it surpassed all other deities. It was their foremost object of worship—even the Goddess of Life Helim and the Earth Mother Goddess Terra paled in comparison to its majesty.

To honor the World Tree, the elves selected a Saintess every generation to preside over the sacred rituals dedicated to it.

But among these Saintesses, there existed a select few—those chosen directly by the World Tree itself.

Irus was one of these rare chosen ones. She had been blessed by the World Tree from the moment she was born; even her middle name, “Verdant Star,” was a gift bestowed upon her by the ancient tree……

Though the term “select few” was used loosely.

In truth, before Irus, the World Tree had chosen only one other Saintess in the entire history of Himril.

In other words, Irus was only the second being in Himril’s long, winding history to be personally selected by the World Tree……

It was no wonder, then, that her status among the elves was unparalleled—nothing short of supreme. She was practically revered as a living goddess. Even the elven royal family would bow to her with the utmost solemnity, and other elves would follow suit without hesitation.

What’s more, Irus couldn’t easily refuse these displays of reverence. For the elves, bowing to her was an act of faith and devotion. To reject their gestures would be tantamount to rejecting their very beliefs—a fate worse than death for any devout elf.

That was why Irus had told Liz and Uno to treat her casually, yet had accepted Yuris’s elaborate bow without protest……

After exchanging a few brief pleasantries with Liz and the others, Hulim and her companions bid them farewell and continued on their way.

As they walked away, they could hear the sound of playful bickering behind them—Liz and Uno had each grabbed one of Yuris’s arms, yanking him in opposite directions, each trying to drag him into a different shop. Neither was willing to back down, leaving the poor boy stuck in the middle of the street, caught between the two girls.

“Hehe, to be young and full of energy~!”

Irus laughed, watching the scene unfold with amusement.

“?”

Hulim blinked, confused by the sudden comment.

Was she reminiscing about her own youth?

By elven standards, Irus was over six hundred years old—considered quite elderly for a regular elf. But as an S-Rank powerhouse, her lifespan stretched to over three thousand years. In the grand scheme of things, she was still nothing more than a young elf.

The three of them continued strolling down the street, browsing the shops and enjoying the lively atmosphere.

Suddenly, Hulim froze, her eyes landing on a familiar figure up ahead.

She parted ways with Irus and Eileen for a moment, walking over to the man.

“Mr. Monroe?”

“Ah!”

Monroe practically jumped out of his skin, letting out a yelp of surprise. He spun around, his hand flying to his chest as he let out a deep, relieved breath.

“Good grief, it’s just you, Hulim! You scared me half to death!”

“Mr. Monroe, what are you doing here?”

Hulim asked, tilting her head curiously.

“Me? I’m just… uh… nothing! Nothing at all!”

Monroe’s eyes darted nervously from side to side, his body tensing up—he looked so guilty that it was practically written all over his face.

“……”

Hulim didn’t press him. Instead, she stepped around him and glanced at the stall he’d been standing in front of. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the dubious-looking trinkets displayed on the counter, along with flashy signs screaming empty promises like “100x Returns” and “Get Rich Overnight”.

She turned back to look at Monroe, her expression unreadable.

“Mr. Monroe… don’t tell me you’re at it again—”

“Nonsense! Don’t go jumping to conclusions!” Monroe cut her off sharply, his face flushing red with embarrassment. He sounded so defensive that it was obvious he’d been caught red-handed. “This is an investment, alright? Investment! Do you even know what that means?!”

Hulim stared at him, completely speechless. She hadn’t even finished her sentence, and he was already panicking—talk about a guilty conscience.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep