Chapter 373: Secrets of the Past
The air in the tavern grew thick. Lyssandra’s shaken reaction made it obvious that the princess’s true name wasn’t something just anyone on the continent possessed.
Alexander glanced at her sideways, unbothered, maintaining his relaxed posture against the chair.
"Back on Earth, I received an escort mission," said Alexander in a flat, candid tone. "I had to escort someone high-profile during a crisis... and that was where I met her."
Lyssandra stepped forward, unable to conceal the turmoil in her chest as she listened with bated breath.
"At first, they attacked me," said Alexander, letting out a faint laugh at the memory. "Her guards tried to kill me thinking I was just another enemy, but things got out of hand and I ended up helping her escape from her pursuers. We spent quite a bit of time together during that getaway."
Lyssandra swallowed hard, trying to process how a young man from the lower world could share such a connection with the heiress to Sandoria’s throne.
"She never gave me her true title," said Alexander, spinning his glass on the table. "But I know her face, her voice, and I know her name perfectly well. If the rogue princess you’re speaking of is named Liora... then there’s no doubt she’s the exact same girl I dragged out of that hell."
"But Earth?" said Lyssandra, shaking her head in total disbelief. "She would never willingly go to another world; it would be far too risky for the crown."
"As far as I know, she was kidnapped," said Alexander, resting his elbows on the wood. "We were actively fleeing from an armed combat unit, so it’s not like it was a vacation either."
The shock on Lyssandra’s face twisted into terrifying bewilderment. Such information was a top-tier state secret that only royalty and high-ranking council leaders possessed. How on earth did this boy know those kinds of details? What sort of events had transpired in the lower realm?
Moreover, the bond uniting them left no room for doubt. Alexander was her master, and her mind registered not the slightest trace of deceit or manipulation in his words. Everything he said had to be strictly true.
"This is... simply impossible," said Lyssandra, clenching her fists as she struggled to process the sheer scale of the revelation. "If what Master says is true... then the rebel faction didn’t just attack her here; they managed to drag her out of this realm to cover up the crime in a magicless world."
"Seems like it," said Alexander with a cold smirk. "But they made the mistake of crossing my path."
Lyssandra remained silent for a moment, trying to digest the overwhelming information before looking up at Alexander.
"If you truly know her and she trusts you," said Lyssandra in a hurried tone, "the entire situation changes. If the rebel faction discovers the princess is still alive or if they locate her before we do, the whole kingdom will fall under the Spider Queen’s rule."
"I don’t care about your kingdom’s politics or who takes the throne," said Alexander, leaning back in his chair with a cold glare. "But if Liora is mixed up in this mess and those bastards are hunting her again, I’m not sitting with my arms crossed."
"Then we must move cautiously," said Lyssandra, stepping closer to the table. "The south is crawling with spies from both factions. The adventurer guild you just destroyed was merely one piece of their containment grid. As soon as news of Kiara’s death reaches the northern capital, they will send high-ranking enforcers to investigate."
"Let them come," said Alexander, letting out a short laugh as his eyes flashed with a subtle crimson glint once more. "It’ll give me a chance to test the power I just absorbed from her adventurers."
"And what will you do now?" asked Lyssandra, leaning toward him with a serious expression. "You have complete control of the city now. When I heard what you did at the guild headquarters, I ordered all city exits to be sealed immediately. No matter who wants to leave, this city is now on lockdown. That will buy us a day or two at most before news leaks out to the north."
"More than enough time to arrange everything necessary," said Alexander, rising from his chair with a calm, resolute smirk. "I think we can get started. Come, Amy."
Upon hearing her name, Amy stepped forward, feeling a deep blush cover her cheeks in front of so many strangers in the tavern. However, she didn’t hesitate for a second; she knew Alexander’s needs perfectly well and understood what she had to do.
Amy didn’t hesitate. With fingers trembling slightly from shyness, she unfastened her dress and let the fabric drop to the floor, standing fully naked before everyone present. Alexander took her by the waist, lifted her firmly, and slid inside her in a fluid thrust, making the young girl let out a muffled gasp.
Instantly, a translucent screen floated before Alexander’s vision:
[Skill detected. Retrieve?]
[[Yes] / [No]]
Alexander pressed the affirmative option without hesitation, feeling the girl’s energy stream link directly into his core.
[Skill obtained: Regeneration Lvl 1]
[Combination detected: Similar skill found]
[Proceed?]
Alexander accepted the command on the mental system panel, and more floating notifications immediately flashed before his eyes:
[Regeneration Lvl 2 Obtained]
Amy’s entire body convulsed as a spurt of fluids shot from her center, leaving her exhausted and unconscious in Alexander’s arms.
"Seems like everything is working just as I planned," said Alexander, setting the girl down on the seat before locking his eyes onto his status panel.
However, after reviewing the fusion system, a look of annoyance crossed his face as he ran the numbers in his head. Farming enough to secure a Regeneration Lvl 8 was an absurd amount. Would there even be enough beasts or adventurers in this realm to extract that many regenerations?
Following the system’s logic, two Lvl 1 skills fused to create a single Lvl 2; two Lvl 2s made a Lvl 3, and so on until reaching Lvl 8. To fuse that new copy with his current skill and finally push it up to Lvl 9, the math was brutal.
"I need one hundred and twenty-eight Lvl 1 skills..." said Alexander in a cold whisper, adjusting his clothes. "One hundred and twenty-eight exact targets just to gain only a new level."