Chapter 197 Hellish Training (1/2)

You lose some; you win some. Christie understood this meaning.

Now she could finally follow Rhode around Deep Stone City. Out of concern, refrained from sending her out alone. And in fact, after many years of torture and sadness, the little girl was vigilant against crowds. While she hoped to broaden her horizon, she was afraid of getting hurt. And only by Rhode's side would she feel strong enough to do so.

And now, she'd done it.

Bright rays of sunlight illuminated the busy streets of the market. It was noon, and everyone was working hard to begin their daily chores. The sellers were advertising their products and greeting the customers. Rhode held Christie's tiny hand as they strolled along the busy market street of Deep Stone City.

The duo wore a cloak to cover their faces before heading out to prevent unnecessary trouble. This short 'trip' was actually something enjoyable for Rhode, but of course, the main reason was to purchase some of the things that Christie loved. To be frank, Rhode had no idea how to resolve the issue of boredom for Christie. If the two of them had met on Earth, Rhode could still find some activities for her to keep her mind off things, such as browsing the internet or reading a book. But alas, in this world, leisure activities and entertainment were sorely lacking. Most of their entertainment consisted of the city's night-life, which was definitely something Rhode wouldn't allow her to experience at her age.

The little girl stuck to Rhode's side while she tightly gripped his hand. At the same time, she didn't forget to sate her curiosity by gawking at the nearby buildings as well as the little bits and oddities around the Deep Stone Market. For a person who had lived in a small village all her life, she felt that Deep Stone City was simply too unbelievable! From the buildings on the top of the rock walls to the endless pit down below, Christie didn't let any minor attraction slip from her sight. Even the faraway harbor wasn't any less attractive than the marketplace that she was currently at.

Her only regret was that the older sisters who treated her very well weren't able to accompany her on this sightseeing trip. Ever since Rhode's return, Christie had seldom seen Lize and the rest around. Every day, they would leave their rooms with a complex expression, and would only return in the evening with pale faces. Sometimes, they were too tired and simply skipped their dinner.

”What are the older sisters doing?”

Christie asked Rhode curiously. But Rhode's answer was much vaguer than she imagined.

”They want to be stronger.”

Christie didn't understand the meaning of this sentence. But since Rhode said it, so it shouldn't be wrong… but still, she wanted to know what were the sisters really doing.

Thinking of this, Christie turned her head towards the direction of their stronghold.

-

”Ahhhh!”

Marlene let out a huge sigh and leaned against the wall. Her forehead was full of sweat. To the side of her, Lize didn't look any better. As for Anne, she sprawled on the ground, spreading her limbs in all directions. Not far away from them were Randolf and Joey who were even more pathetic. They weren't even able to keep their consciousness alive.

In front of the three maidens stood the illusionary figures which Rhode had summoned from his memories. The illusory figures can last for a long time within the mirage, and could even act on the summoner's interests. So without the need of physically being there, he only needed Marlene to activate the Sphere of Mystery and everyone would be brought into the mirage for training.

”No, this is unacceptable.”

Marlene shook her head, bit her lips and faced forward. A maiden dressed in a blue gown was still smiling at her as if she met an old friend. But Marlene could never forget the scene where she was utterly defeated within three short seconds.

Marlene gritted her teeth in frustration when the previous battle flashed in her memories once more. Luckily, Marlene had always maintained her well-disciplined disposition, which prevented her prideful self from crumbling due to failure. If she were arrogant and self-satisfied with the title of 'genius', then Marlene would have already found a place to hang herself, as this blow to her ego was too huge for her.

While her self-control was strong, it didn't help Marlene's abilities to improve. No matter how well she was prepared for the battle, she would totally falter under the opponent's attack and taste the bitter fruit of defeat within the next five seconds. And furthermore, her opponent displayed magical skills that far exceeded her knowledge.

She knew that the key to victory was to exploit the fact that her opponent only specialized in Wind and Fire, whereas for her, she had a total of five elements at her disposal. Since that was the case, her opponent shouldn't have much variety in her skills, so she concluded that once she understood the casting pattern, she could attempt to counterattack.

After a consecutive series of losses, Marlene's perseverance paid off and managed to memorize her opponent's skill rotation. Just as Marlene had imagined, her opponent's spells were limited.

But even with that knowledge, Marlene wasn't able to clinch a victory.