She had gone from malnourished to being in poor health, but her unawakened status had changed to awaiting awakening. In other words, with an Awakening Crystal as a catalyst, Field could gain a Chosen One immediately!
"My lord, is something the matter?" Ashina fidgeted nervously with her hands.
After eating steaks for ten days, Ashina had become very fond of Field. Before she was captured, life had been miserable, and she had spent every day searching for wild grass to eat. Now that she had met this strange noble, she was feasting on meat and fish every day instead.
Perhaps that was a wolf's life-full of surprises.
"What's this?"
"An Awakening Crystal. A treasure that cost me sixty gold coins." Field winced at the expense. He only had five hundred gold coins in total. "Every year on Awakening Day, the Empire uses these things to find Chosen Ones."
One Awakening Crystal could test nearly a thousand people.
"Huh? You really think I'm a Chosen One?" Ashina was dumbfounded. "Um... let's not joke about that."
"Close your eyes and feel it with your heart. I've received divine guidance, so don't worry." Field made it all up, then placed the crystal ball in front of Ashina.
Ashina did not believe she was a Chosen One, but she did not want to disappoint Field. After spending so much time with him over the past few days, she felt he was a very different sort of noble. At the very least, he treated her well.
The instant her hands touched the crystal ball, countless blue sparks of starlight poured out, gathering into the elegant, aloof apparition of a goddess.
" The Goddess of Deep Winter, ruler of ice and snow!" The demi-human slaves present recognized her immediately. She was the very deity they worshipped. "Heavens! Ashina is actually a Chosen One of the Goddess of Deep Winter!"
Thud, thud!
The slaves dropped to their knees in a wave, trembling with excitement, wishing they could offer up their very hearts.
It was Field's first time witnessing anything like this as well. He was so excited that sweat soaked his back. This was a genuine miracle.
The blue starlight gathered into a strange rune. Ashina instinctively reached out to touch it, and the light gradually faded, finally engraving itself on the back of her hand.
At the same time, Ashina's body changed. She grew taller, her shapely, perfect legs beyond reproach. Her complexion outshone frost and snow, her expression was cool, and her scarlet eyes radiated an icy aura. Her features became even more refined, making her thirty percent more beautiful.
Dominant, disdainful, alluring.
Her allure came entirely naturally.
"I really became a Chosen One? My lord, how did you do it?"
Ashina's mouth formed a small circle, her expression one of disbelief. At that moment, she was filled with awe toward Field.
There was no way to predict the emergence of a Chosen One. Even an empress's daughter might be nothing more than an ordinary person.
The other slaves could not believe it either. They were all slaves, so how had Ashina become a Chosen One after just a few days of training under the lord? They knew how she had been treated lately. They had assumed Field was training a plaything, never imagining he would actually produce a Chosen One.
Chosen Ones appeared by divine will.
The slaves concluded that Field was someone favored by the gods! They immediately began to revere him as well.
"Nothing to it." Field waved a hand, his ego swelling as he made a show of modesty. Then he strode in front of the crowd. "Now, does anyone still worry about our journey to the Northern Frontier or oppose my development plan?"
Everyone exchanged glances. Who would dare?
"Trust me. As long as you do your jobs and complete my tasks, I'll not only restore your freedom, but also give you a life where you never have to worry about food or clothing," Field declared loudly.
"Please let me enter into a contract with you."
Ashina brought it up herself. Field had already said he would make her a Chosen One so she could help develop the Nightfall Territory.
"Of course. This was destined to happen." Field played the prophet for a moment.
Forming the contract was simple. Ashina drew on the power within her rune mark and established a link with Field, bringing the contract into effect.
After concluding the Chosen One Contract, Field took out the Slave Contract. Although her slave mark had already been cleansed away by her Chosen One purification ability, Field still went through the motions. He tore up the Slave Contract in public and announced that Ashina had become a freewoman of the Nightfall Territory.
Smiling brightly, Ashina raised a hand. The rune transformed into an enormous black Dragon-Breed Wolf, which leaped ferociously out of thin air. Jagged armor plates covered its body, gleaming coldly and giving everyone a fright.
"What's this?" Field was a little bewildered.
"A Dragon-Breed Wolf. Hmm, it should be a mount bestowed by the goddess." Ashina tidied her hair, every movement full of poise. "I've also mastered many combat techniques."
Upon becoming a Chosen One, a person might receive all sorts of strange treasures. Even if the Chosen One died in battle, those treasures could remain. The Ross Family possessed a sixth-tier divine lance left by the fallen Chosen One known as Crimson Rose. The family's surname, Ross, had also come from her.
He opened Ashina's panel.
Name: Ashina Level: First-Tier Chosen One Class: Wolf Rider Divine skill: Spear of Piercing Extreme Cold Legion skill: Frenzied Howling Charge (increases the impact power of cavalry under her command by 100%)
Ashina's combat strength soared. Her Dragon-Breed Wolf mount alone could go toe-to-toe with a third-tier Battle Aura Knight.
With real fighting power at his disposal, Field immediately grew bolder. His stepmother, his younger brother-none of them meant a damn thing! Sooner or later, he would grind them into the dirt.
Field smiled. "Now, let's take a look at the barracks and armory."
As they approached the city wall, Field could see scattered skull symbols marked on the map. The icons were moving, too.
"There are some corrupted monsters here." Field drew his sword with a metallic ring. "Helping the local lord eliminate corruption is a duty every noble of the Empire should fulfill."
He lit the Mist-Driving Lamp purchased from the Church. Its holy light immediately dispersed a large swath of Gray Fog, so there was no need to worry about the slaves being poisoned to death by the Death Miasma.
"I can sense the power of a Chosen One," Ashina said, pointing at the golden lamp in Field's hand.
Field blinked. "No doubt about that. It's a shame I don't know how the Church makes them. This business is pure profit. One lamp costs twenty-five gold coins, and it only lasts thirty days."
Once inside the fortified pass, Field did not let the rabble wander freely. Instead, they advanced in a tight group. They were merely slaves who had been forcibly brought along, without any military training. Sticking together was their best option.
Ashina gently pushed the barracks door open a crack and spotted two soldier Corpse Ghouls wearing armor. Neither had a weapon. Presumably, they had been infected by the Gray Fog before they could arm themselves.
"Kill them!" Field said ruthlessly, eyeing the tightly fitted lamellar armor on the Corpse Ghouls. "Try not to damage their armor."
"Understood!"
Ashina kicked open the wooden door and charged inside in a few quick strides.
Becoming a Chosen One not only greatly enhanced a person's physical abilities, but also granted mastery of specialized combat techniques.
Before you continue