Rise in Status

"Haha..." Trevor laughed. "Don't worry, the Sacred Tree Fruit has no side effects. Over the years, quite a few geniuses from various races have consumed it, and I've never heard of anyone suffering an accident. Among those geniuses, some later reached the Saint Domain, even Godhood."

"Andres, the Sacred Tree Fruit is extremely important to you right now. It can save you a great deal of time, and becoming a Holy Alliance Trainee is the best way for you to obtain one."

"So? Will you join?" Trevor looked at Andres expectantly.

Among Andres, Inori, and Teresa, Andres was the one Trevor valued most.

"Although Inori and Teresa are also geniuses and both have the potential to reach the Saint Domain, no one can predict the future. Countless geniuses have encountered accidents and failed to mature. But Andres can already be considered a prospective Saint Domain expert."

In Trevor's eyes, Andres joining was far more important than the other two.

Andres no longer hesitated.

Whether to meet more geniuses or to obtain the Sacred Tree Fruit, he had to enter the Holy Alliance.

"Lord Trevor, I am willing to become a Holy Alliance Trainee."

"Good, wonderful!" Trevor cried out involuntarily.

Seeing this, Inori and the others' expressions shifted slightly.

Trevor's reaction had caught them by surprise.

Alisson was somewhat astonished. Lord Trevor is this excited? His reaction wasn't nearly this strong when Inori and Teresa joined. But it makes sense. After all, Andres has already comprehended Drawing Upon Heaven and Earth.

Since earlier, he had been standing quietly to one side. Although he was a Level Nine Expert, he was already old and had gained no insight in terms of realms, so he did not meet the standards of a Holy Alliance Trainee.

Teresa, meanwhile, was somewhat unconvinced. Hmph! Treating Light as Heavy? Drawing Upon Heaven and Earth? I don't believe I can't do it! I'll surpass him soon enough!

Inori's emotions were far more complicated. Her gaze flickered as she occasionally stole glances at Andres.

She truly had not expected Andres's progress to be so immense.

It seems I need to change my attitude toward him. Still, it's fine. Given how infatuated he is with me, I only need to put in a little effort to control him.

Everyone harbored their own thoughts.

Naturally, Trevor had no idea what everyone was thinking. Having recruited Andres into the Holy Alliance, he had completed his mission beyond expectations and was in an excellent mood.

"The Holy Alliance is on the Sacred Tree Continent, so the three of you will need to travel there with me. First settle your personal affairs here on the Noah Continent. We will gather in Oga City one month from now and set out officially," Trevor told the three of them.

"Yes, my lord," the three answered in unison.

Trevor thought for a moment, then added, "How about this? I need to make a trip to Oga City as well. If you are willing, the three of you can return with me."

"Then we'll have to trouble you, Lord Trevor," Andres said.

Although Ratslo had left, Andres worried that he might return. For safety's sake, it would be better to follow Trevor.

In the end, only Andres chose to return to Oga City with Trevor and Konrad.

Teresa and Alisson had a Gale Eagle, so there was no need for them to travel with Trevor's group.

As the commander-in-chief, Inori could not leave just like that.

After Resior was killed, the Beastmen's morale had plummeted, and they had begun retreating. The war was drawing to a close, and Inori needed to stay behind to handle some cleanup matters.

"Then we'll meet again in Oga City."

Trevor raised a hand, and a Silver Dragon dozens of meters long descended from the night sky, bathed in moonlight and radiating a warm glow.

This Silver Dragon was Trevor's magical beast, a Level Nine Magical Beast.

"Lord Trevor, please give me a little time to bid farewell to my friends," Andres said.

"Of course." Trevor smiled. He already regarded Andres almost as a Saint Realm expert.

Andres walked toward Pat, who stood far away to one side.

At that moment, the short Beastman assassin had already been subdued.

The members of the Inori Guard stood in the distance as well.

With Trevor and Kondra, two Saint Realm experts, present, they did not dare approach without the orders of those two.

When he saw Andres approaching, Gerant's heart immediately leaped into his throat.

Andres is coming over! Could he be looking to cause trouble for me?

When Andres had first arrived in Black Mountain City, Gerant's attitude toward him had not been very good.

At the time, he had believed that Andres, like himself, was merely a Level Seven Warrior. He had become captain of the guard as he wished, while Andres could only manage a remote fief. Gerant had felt that he had already surpassed Andres, so he had acted somewhat domineeringly.

Now that he had seen Andres easily kill a Level Nine Warrior, how could he not panic?

However, he thought too highly of himself.

Andres paid Gerant no attention and did not even spare him a glance.

Andres had come for Pat.

"Pat, I'll be returning to Oga City with Lord Trevor and the others first. Be extra careful in Black Mountain City."

"Don't worry, Captain. The Beastmen have already begun withdrawing, so there won't be any danger. But Captain, how did your strength become so powerful?" Pat was also excited to see Andres approaching.

Seeing how powerful Andres had become, he was happy for him on one hand and greatly surprised on the other.

"Haha, naturally through my own cultivation." Andres did not elaborate.

After bidding farewell to Pat and several friends in the guard whom he knew well, Andres followed Trevor and Konrad onto the Silver Dragon.

"Miss Inori, Teresa, Alisson, then we'll meet again in Oga City," Andres said.

The Silver Dragon rose into the air and flew westward.

Teresa and Inori both watched Andres leave with complicated expressions.

Afterward, Teresa and Alisson also rode the Gale Eagle back to the Goblin Merchant Guild.

Inori, meanwhile, began directing everyone to clean up the battlefield.

Before dawn.

The Beastmen had already withdrawn.

The soldiers in Black Mountain City were busy treating the wounded and burying the bodies of their comrades.

Secretive voices drifted from a quiet bedroom in the City Lord's Manor.

This bedroom belonged to Mars. Besides him, there was also a middle-aged man wrapped in a black robe.

The middle-aged man had black skin, silver hair, and a pair of long, pointed ears. He was a Dark Elf.

Mars was discussing something with the middle-aged Dark Elf before him. His tone was hurried, and he seemed somewhat agitated.

"What did you say? You want to raise the price?"

The middle-aged Dark Elf said calmly, "Inori's strength differs from our original estimate. If she were merely an ordinary Level Eight Warrior, then an assassin who had just entered Level Nine would have been enough to kill her. But she has mastered 'Treating Light as Heavy.' An ordinary Level Nine assassin may not be able to kill her. We need to send a stronger assassin, so naturally the price must increase."