Complete Enhancement

At Ye Wei'an's suggestion, Ailian began to let her imagination run wild:

Just last night, that alone had turned her from a delicate young woman into someone who could rip a blanket apart with her bare hands...

"Then... if we tried a little more, could I become as strong as Uncle Cain?" Ailian clutched the edge of the blanket and asked, her eyes hazy.

"Of course. If we do it often enough, your agility and perception can get even better." Ye Wei'an nodded with a stern expression, barely containing his laughter.

"Then... what if we went further?" Ailian's voice was so quiet it was almost inaudible. She lowered her head until it was nearly buried in her chest. "I mean... the real, complete kind... could that make me as powerful as you, Young Master?"

"Oh, if it were that," Ye Wei'an said, leaning close to her ear and blowing softly, "you might awaken some kind of special bloodline and even touch the power of the Fairy Realm."

Ailian's heart raced. She didn't know what the "Fairy Realm" her young master had mentioned was, but it had to be something incredible.

She was already imagining herself becoming an unparalleled master, so powerful that even her young master would have to meekly accept her protection.

But I wasn't the only one who wanted to stay by the young master's side...

At that thought, she suddenly seemed to make up her mind and looked up at Ye Wei'an.

Her resolute expression made it seem as if she had made a tremendous sacrifice.

"Since this method is so useful... then, in the future, could you let Big Sister Lina enjoy it too? She always says she's frail and sickly. If you could 'improve' her too, we could both protect you, Young Master!"

"Ahem!"

At that, Ye Wei'an couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at, Young Master?"

Ailian looked puzzled at first, but when Ye Wei'an kept laughing, she finally realized she'd been had!

Once she realized she'd been tricked into saying so many explicit things, embarrassment and anger flooded her. She clenched her little fists and started pounding his chest. "Young Master! You... you're bullying me!"

"Ow!"

Ye Wei'an's amusement turned to pain. He hadn't expected a Lv. 1 Monk to get in close and land a punch.

Of all the classes, Monks were the most skilled at unarmed combat.

Ye Wei'an cried out in pain, baring his teeth.

The solid blow to his chest left his blood and qi churning, despite his improved constitution.

"You... you really hit me hard! Are you trying to murder your master?"

Ailian was startled too.

She stared blankly at her fist, then at the reddening mark on Ye Wei'an's chest. The unfamiliar surge of power in her muscles made her realize that she really had grown stronger. Her once-delicate arms now held enough explosive force to knock a grown man back.

"Young Master! I'm sorry! I... I didn't know..." She panicked at once and threw herself at him, rubbing his chest frantically with her small hands. "Where does it hurt? Let me rub it for you! I really didn't mean to, I just..."

Ye Wei'an recovered and saw how desperate she was to make it up to him. The mischief in his heart faded.

He slipped an arm around the girl's slender waist. He stopped teasing her, but still had no intention of telling her the whole truth about the "system upgrade."

"All right, don't cry." He put on a serious expression. "Actually, I wasn't entirely joking just now... Of course, it had nothing to do with 'that kind of thing.' But I really did use a special magic on you called [Complete Enhancement]."

Ailian sniffled and looked up at him, gazing at him in a daze.

"Do you know why I did it? Because you were simply too weak."

Ye Wei'an sighed, his eyes filled with just the right touch of worry and "tender affection." "The wilderness isn't like Suzar. Danger lurks everywhere. Even I can't guarantee I'll always be able to keep you safe. We'll probably have to come to places like this often, so I need to give you the strength to protect yourself."

As he spoke, he deliberately coughed. "To forcibly improve your physical abilities, I used up quite a bit of my source mana last night. For the next month, I probably won't be able to cast any decent high-level spells..."

"Such a heavy price?" Ailian's heart clenched. Her young master had actually hurt himself to make her stronger!

"Young Master, you... you've been too good to me." Tears welled in her eyes again.

"That's what happens when you're my personal maid." Ye Wei'an managed a "strained" smile to comfort her.

Once the girl's emotions had settled a little, he gave her a solemn warning. "There's one more thing. You must keep secret how you became stronger."

He pressed a finger to her lips, his expression grave. "This magic would be considered astonishing by the outside world, and it could even attract the attention of people with bad intentions. You absolutely mustn't tell Cain or the others a single word. This is a secret between the two of us, understand?"

"Understood! I swear!" Ailian nodded emphatically.

She believed every word Ye Wei'an said without question. After all, she really had become stronger, and her young master clearly seemed to have expended a great deal of energy and effort.

She gently took Ye Wei'an's hand and pressed the back of it against her warm, soft cheek. In a voice more serious than ever, she said:

"Young Master, you've done so much for Ailian... The power I've gained belongs entirely to you. I'll do my best to become your sword and your shield. Anyone who wants to hurt you will have to step over my dead body first!"

Her face still bore the innocence of youth, but her expression was utterly resolute.

Seeing the earnest look on her face, Ye Wei'an felt something stir gently in his heart.

It felt wonderful to be trusted completely, to have someone swear to protect him.

As a transmigrator, only now did he truly feel the warmth of this world.

"Silly girl," he said with a fond laugh, then drew her into his arms.

Since she'd sworn to protect her young master, she naturally had to work hard to improve her abilities.

After helping Ye Wei'an wash up, Ailian couldn't wait to dart out of the tent.

The morning mist had yet to lift. Crystal-clear dewdrops clung to the blades of grass, and the girl took a deep breath, feeling full of energy, every cell in her body dancing with life.

"Good morning, Uncle Cain!" she called cheerfully to the knight busy at the edge of the camp.

Cain was sitting beside a flat stone, sharpening his sword with water from his flask.

"Good morning, Miss Ailian." His voice was a little hoarse. His gaze then settled on Ye Wei'an, who had just emerged from the tent, and he nodded. "Good morning, Young Master. From the looks of things... are you going to do some morning training?"

"She wanted to get some exercise, so I'm keeping her company." Ye Wei'an smiled and pointed at the eager little maid.

Ailian stuck out her tongue, a little embarrassed, then took her place in the open space in front of the camp.

She took a deep breath and, following the instincts that had appeared from nowhere in her mind, settled into a calm, balanced starting stance.

The next moment, a power wholly at odds with her delicate frame burst forth from her body.

Barehanded, she displayed a solid fighting stance. At times she leaped as lightly as a nimble cat, her fingertips slicing through the air with a faint whistling sound. At others she twisted and sank into a low stance, driving a plain side kick through the air in a clean, powerful arc.

Then she drew a small silver knife from her waist. She had kept it with her ever since using it to save her young master's life yesterday.

In her hand, the knife seemed to come alive: thrust, lift, slash, sweep... Every movement was simple and direct. Her technique was so practiced that she looked nothing like a delicate maid who had never held a sword, but rather a professional assassin who had spent years training in the shadows.

After acquiring the Monk class, she had immediately mastered unarmed combat and the use of various weapons.

Cain had been sharpening his sword absentmindedly, but now his hands had stopped moving without him even noticing. His eyes were drawn to the girl's movements.

"That way of putting power into her punches and kicks... that practiced knife work... C-could this really be Ailian?" Cain rubbed his eyes, full of disbelief. "Ailian, when did you learn all that? You can't pick up skills like those just by practicing a little!"

That question left Ailian at a loss.

She opened her mouth, her little face turning red.

She didn't want to lie to the knight she respected, but she remembered her young master's warning to keep it secret. In the end, all she could manage was a few hesitant "Um... well..."s as her eyes darted toward Ye Wei'an.

Ye Wei'an had no choice but to step in and take over. "Back in Suzar, she learned a few moves from the soldiers in the academy's guard unit. The girl has some talent, but she's just too timid."

He glanced at her and added helplessly, "She clearly has the skills, but when we were attacked yesterday, all she knew how to do was hide in the carriage. That's why I had her come out to get some exercise today and work on her courage, so she wouldn't keep acting like that."

Cain was filled with admiration, and his opinion of the young master rose another notch.

Once again, he realized that this illegitimate young master was far more inscrutable than he had imagined.

He wasn't just formidable himself; even his maid was a hidden master.