Inside a highly heated forge, Andrea raised her hammer and lowered it, wearing a string shirt. Each of her strikes carried incredible artistic beauty, and her glossy sun-kissed skin gleamed with fine beads of sweat. Her heroic and lean, muscular body, coupled with her curvaceous figure, sent incredibly alluring ripples across with each strike.
Her hair was gathered in a fresh, high ponytail, and her light green eyes focused on the treasure she was crafting. However, as she was focused, she heard a small squeal, and her eyebrow twitched, very slightly deviating her hammer strike.
Her lips pursed, a touch of annoyance flashing in her light green eyes, but she continued the process. A few hours later, the treasure was completed, and a snow-white sword manifested into existence.
Heaven shook, and several bolts of heavenly lightning struck the weapon. Andrea didn't even flinch, as if this were a common occurrence. However, when she counted the strikes, she noticed they stopped at eight. This made her sigh.
The woman who had squealed approached, her smile wide. "Impressive! Impressive! You created a Two Star Supreme Ranked Treasure so easily!"
Andrea looked at the weapon, utterly unsatisfied. That mistake had made it drop from a Four Star Supreme Ranked Treasure and lowered its strength into this piece of scrap.
Looking at the red-haired, lively woman by her side, Andrea didn't even show a single emotion. "Here, Princess Tao, it is as you required. A frost and fire sword. Once you bond with it, the sword will gain traces of your energy and transform into your most preferred appearance."
She didn't bother telling her about the mistake. After all, it was the woman's mistake. Princess Tao, though, only settled the sword into her ring as if it didn't matter, her gaze looking at Andrea with adoration and love. "Hehe, as expected of my future wife!"
Andrea didn't even bother answering. She had already denied her so many times that the words had most likely lost any meaning already. So, she turned around to leave.
Princess Tao, sensing Andrea's indifference, couldn't help but blush. Her gaze traced the perfectly outlined muscles on Andrea's arms, her powerful and sweaty neck, and the few rebellious hair strands sticking to her skin. Her body shuddered in delight. 'Ahn~, Lady Andrea is so beautiful!'
"A-Andrea, wait, wait. Father told you already that you needed to accompany me, right? You must do it! You must do it!"
Andrea paused, her gaze gaining a touch of anger, but she didn't deny her. 'Sigh, to think that participating in that one competition to get a precious forging material would gain me the attention of this woman.'
It happened around 20 years ago. She needed a piece of material for Ebirah to strengthen her shell, and therefore, she participated, basically stomping all competition.
Her figure, beauty, and mastery won the hearts of both men and women. However, at that time, Andrea didn't know that Princess Tao, the daughter of the strongest ruler in her world, actually became fond of her.
Princess Tao was an oddity who liked women. Her father had tried many times to correct her, as this world's views, like the grand majority, were very traditional. However, Princess Tao, a pampered princess since birth, never bent and pursued women she liked even more fiercely.
That powerhouse had a headache, but when he noticed Andrea, he eventually gave up. After all, while Andrea's beauty was unmistakably feminine, she had that heroic and handsome edge that would make her look very suitable even by the side of another woman.
So, the King came and spoke with Andrea's Sect Master. The words spoken at the time were the following. "My daughter will become Elder Andrea's fiancée. In 100 years, they will get married. If any of you dare to oppose this arrangement, I will flatten your sect."
Blunt, to the point, and incredibly arrogant. He, being basically matchless, could naturally impose his will on others and did so without any worry.
Andrea was, naturally, strongly opposed to such an arrangement. But she knew that she was not a match for that man. Therefore, she suggested another option to delay it as long as possible. "Forced love won't bloom. If I am with your daughter without proper affection growing between us, then it will only make your daughter suffer in the long run. Please, let our affection develop naturally."
Lies and words that Andrea felt disgusted by just speaking them. Still, she was not reconciled to asking Tatyana for help because something had gone slightly wrong. After all, in 100 years, she was confident her strength would reach a point where she would be able to resist said powerhouse.
If she bided her time well and developed silently, the future would be a perfect reversal.
Still, for that to happen, she needed to act for a few years as if she were helpless.
Even then, the worst-case scenario would be using her communication device and saying, "Tatyana, please come help me. I am in a pinch," and that annoying king would be blasted into oblivion.
In short, Andrea was tempering herself using the pressure to forge her own strength even quicker than usual. With pressure and an objective, her growth speed had actually exploded, and during the last 20 years, she even managed to push her Realm and Intent Domains to the third level. Just in terms of Intent Domain, she was only one level behind that king. In terms of realm, she was three realms behind.
With Andrea's ability to fight those above her level, the strength difference between that King and herself was actually not that much.
Princess Tao's annoyingly sweet voice drilled into Andrea's ears again. "Where should we go, Andrea? Hehe. I really want to spend time with you until the day you give me a smile!"
Andrea glanced at the woman's blue eyes and spoke indifferently. "Princess Tao chooses. I will follow along."
Princess Tao pouted, wanting to hug Andrea's arm, but Andrea easily dodged. After all, Princess Tao was a simple First Level Transcendence realm cultivator. Her strength was far behind Andrea's.
"Hmph. Why don't you let me touch you?" Her eyes flashed dangerously. "Do you have someone you love?"
Andrea's lips arched faintly as she mockingly looked down. "Haven't I said it many times? It is Princess Tao who is clinging to a married woman."
Princess Tao snorted. "Does it matter? Once I discover who it is, they will be gone!"
Andrea's green eyes flashed with coldness. However, one thing Andrea had was patience. Each and every grudge, she was piling them up. When it was time, these people would regret it dearly.
'It is a good way to temper both character and strength, so whatever.' Looking at the sky, Andrea sighed faintly. 'I wonder when you'll come, love? It has been so long already… just a few years short of a century…'
***
A few Heavenly Layers above, Yasenia blinked and looked around, curious. "Did someone call me?"
Tatyana looked at Yasenia, puzzled. "Did someone call you? I have not sensed any spiritual fluctuations."
Yasenia hummed and then shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter. How long until we can go down?"
Looking at the queue in front of them, Tatyana commented. "We should be able to take off in two months. Reaching Andrea's Heavenly Layer will take, at most, seven months. Don't worry, you will meet her soon."
"Is she doing well?" Yasenia asked, curious.
Tatyana's red eyes flashed for a moment, but she just smiled. "You will know when you arrive, right?"
This sentence made our intelligent dragoness frown deeply. "She is in trouble?"
Tatyana's lips twitched. 'Her sharpness when it comes to her lovers is as terrifying as always.'
Tatyana didn't fully clarify, but she still explained superficially. "It's nothing too urgent. Similar to some things you went through in Distancia. Andrea is just biding her time for a counterattack."
These words made our dragoness's face gain a frosty look. "Is there a way to accelerate our descent?"
Tatyana rubbed her chin. "There is, but…"
"No buts. Tell me how."
Tatyana sighed and laughed. "Well, it's not like I didn't expect it." She looked at a certain corner, and she spoke aloud. "We want to take the fast travel portal. Please, prepare the talent challenge."
A man with the strength of a Second Level Demigod appeared in front of them. Looking at Tatyana, he clarified. "Only Sixth Realm cultivators can take this trial."
"She is going to take it." Tatyana clarified, pointing at Yasenia, who was hugging her egg.
The man blinked and nodded. "Follow me, then."
The group moved out of the queue, and they arrived in front of a pillar. The man pointed at the measuring device at the side. "You need to reach energy levels up to this line for you to pass. If you do so, you and your group will have direct access."
"How is it measured?" Yasenia asked indifferently.
"Punch it as hard as you can. The pillar will register everything."
Yasenia didn't linger. She passed her egg to Tatyana, and then, her aura surged like a tyrannical dragon awakening.
A shockwave that pushed away many spectators swept out, making most pale in fright. The sky seemed to darken with her presence, and then, Yasenia punched with all her strength, leaving behind just a few trump cards.
BOOM!!!
The pillar's energy shot up, impacting the top and then…
Crack.
…a small crack appeared at the top.
The inspector's face gained a touch of absurdity, his jaw dropping, and the spiritual pen in his hand slipping.
Yasenia looked at him and spoke up. "Now, can we pass? I am in a bit of a hurry."
The inspector blinked, and looking at Yasenia, he gulped. Even he, as a Demigod, felt intimidated. "F-For sure, please follow me."
Yasenia nodded, and under the astounded gazes of everyone, they were placed in the portal to cross Heavenly Layers straight away.
Star Forge and the others looked at Yasenia and smiled to themselves. 'Whoever provoked her… good luck. I hope your death is not too painful.'
Meanwhile, on the other side of the portal, a group of almost 300 women were waiting, all wearing different, but complementary maid dresses.
The only ones missing were the few who were acting as Andrea and the rest's personal attendants. The spectators looked at the group with curiosity, their eyes wondering who was so extravagant as to have so many beauties of so many races dressed like that.
Many guessed that it was an emperor or a young master, but when the light surged, and the figure appeared, those looking became dazed. 'Heavens… how can such a gorgeous creature exist?'
Yasenia, having not expected this welcome, was momentarily surprised.
The group of 300 perfectly bowed and spoke in unison. "We welcome Young Miss back from your adventures. We, your personal maids, are here to guide you and accompany you forevermore!"
Looking at these familiar faces, Yasenia's heart squeezed before happiness flooded her. She had not seen them since she left her mansion when she was a young 18-year-old girl. Even then, her affection for all of them had never disappeared. She smiled, her facial features lighting up with beauty. "Thank you, and… I am back."