It's time to go for a trip!
"Alice! What happened to you? You look so ….healthy? How is that possible?" Mark was dumbfounded and couldn't believe his eyes for a moment.
Alice was prepared for this question thoroughly and explained with a smile " Dad just when I was about to go to sleep, I heard a voice in my head from a mysterious man. His voice was ethereal and his every word sounded like a heavenly bell.
He said my constitution was suitable for him to take a disciple and if I agreed to be his disciple he would help me solve my illness. Naturally, I agreed and before I knew it, I felt a strange fruit in my mouth and by the time it entered my stomach all my tiredness disappeared."
Mark didn't answer but instinctively held her hand and checked her pulse. Slowly he injected his consciousness inside her body to take a look. With his pinnacle power on his planet, he could naturally sense the strange fruit and its astonishing effect.
When he realized that Alice was finally cured, he couldn't control his laughter anymore.
"HAHAHAHA"
Mark's laugh was so loud that the entire palace started shaking like it was facing an earthquake. Servants and stewards became so scared that they started hiding under the table to take cover.
Alice didn't stop her 'father'. She knew how much it meant to Mark. He had sacrificed so much for 18 years to cure his daughter and in the process, he even lost his beloved wife. Finally, when he thought that there was zero hope, Alice showed that a miracle really existed in the world.
Mark continued his laughter for a long time but to not collapse his own palace he flew away from the palace with an astonishing speed and smashed a few mountains with his bare fists to let out all his frustration. Finally, when he calmed down he went to his wife's burial place and cried his heart out to share his happiness.
When Mark returned, Alice was leisurely getting familiar with her surroundings. With the help of her memory, she knew the names of each and everyone in the palace which helped her a lot. Palace workers were thrilled to find that their beloved princess regained her health. They were keenly aware that without the princess there would be no king and without the king, there would be no palace.
Looking at Alice who was walking in a carefree manner in the flower garden, Mark's heart suddenly became tender. All that fierceness when he smashed those mountains flat was nowhere, all that left was infinite love for his daughter.
"Alice, I am so happy today that I can't describe it in words. To celebrate your recovery I will treat the entire nation with meat and drinks for the next three days. Oh my….I completely forgot about your master. Can you call him? I would like to personally thank him and fulfill any request he wishes."
Alice naturally prepared for this question, "Dad, my master is not from this planet. As he was traveling in space, he chose our planet for a small break. Coincidentally he heard about me in our nation and after he cured me, he left a soul cultivation technique and returned to his planet. He said that he would naturally come back after he finished his work."
Mark believed her every word as he was aware that many powerful experts existed on various planets of the universe. His small planet was just a speck of dust in the grand universe. Although he was a pinnacle-level expert on his planet, he was not strong enough to roam freely between different planets.
"Alright, no problem. Anyway, we will meet eventually but remember one thing Alice, you should not reveal about your master or the cultivation technique he passed down to you to a second person on this planet. The soul cultivation technique is extremely precious on this planet. Even our nation barely has a few basic ones. I am 99% sure that your technique is a very strong one.
Although I am strong, I can't protect you 24/7. There are many old fellows hiding in the dark waiting for an opportunity. If they came to know about this, they would risk everything to snatch it away from you. Even I can't face an enemy who can risk everything on the battlefield.
I would naturally come up with a story to cover up your recovery and spread the rumor far and wide. Just for the next one or two weeks stay low in the palace. I would make sure that the rumor would become fact in no time and then, you can start leading your normal life without holding back."
Alice nodded in understanding. She decided to use the next two weeks to familiarize herself with the new body and the new world.
"Dad I have a small request. I need a large number of soul treasures to carry out my cultivation. Is there anything available in our treasury?"
Mark shook his head helplessly "Alice, last 18 years we have emptied almost all the treasures in our treasury to find a cure to your illness. It takes a few years to fill up our treasury but there is another shortcut to recoup everything within a short period. Yes, war!
All these years my nation has become passive and only concentrated on defense since I was not in a mood to wage war. I would have long conquered the entire planet but I had no drive. Things are different now, as you are well and good, my hands are itching for a battle.
I will use the next three days to lift the spirits of our people and use the momentum to wage war against those barbarian tribes. Rest assured, no one can beat your father if I want to go all out, and within a few weeks you would be able to receive a fair amount of soul treasures used by magicians from other nations to kick start your cultivation."
Alice didn't find Mark's words as arrogance. When a weak person listens to a person with power, every word appears arrogant because of his insecurities. Alice was not insecure as she had immense faith in her ability to dominate the planet in the near future. Hence she simply nodded accepting the statement as a fact.
Mark found that Alice's personality slightly changed after her recovery but he didn't give it much thought as he was still in the process of adjusting his mindset. Just yesterday his world seemed to have lost all colors but today it was more radiant than any star in the universe.
****
After wasting an entire day watching the live stream Leo obediently got his uniform and went to look for a job in the potion hall. He couldn't possibly wait for a few weeks like Alice for soul treasures. He was not a prince of a nation but a pauper in the underworld.
Leo realized that his investment needed a little more time to produce some results. Also, he decided not to underestimate the underworld after some careful analysis.
Firstly, he would not be able to explain how he improved his cultivation base explosively just by staying in a home. Moreover, he had no backer now.
The Royal family washed their hands clean when they eventually dumped him in the potion hall. Leo was a hot potato in their eyes and for the time being, they didn't have time or energy to deal with him. Leo could forget about any help from the Royal family for any time soon.
Without any backer or taking risks, Leo couldn't explain even a single breakthrough. As for the consequence, it would not be difficult to imagine. It's almost like giving himself up for a pack of hyenas. They would devour him without leaving any bones.
Secondly, Leo needed camouflage to hide his 'black money' from the system. He had to use the truth to cover up the false and use a steady pace to become a big shot in the underworld. His inspiration came from the big shots who survived very long on Earth.
Two reasons were more than enough to pull himself from the high clouds and be humble again. Leo knew one small mistake in the underworld would be the end for him. There was no such thing as plot armor to protect himself as it was not a web novel but reality.
Leo got a simple equipment maintenance job in the potion hall. He was neither happy nor sad, simply accepted his new job. The job itself was six hours a day with four shifts a month. Present week, Leo was assigned to the evening shift from 18:00 to 24:00hrs.
The salary was seven crystals per week, barely sufficient to meet one's expenditure for a month but it was a small drop to a cultivator who wants to progress in his/her cultivation. Hence, the cultivation journey was extremely slow for a common man in the underworld.
Almost everyone in the alchemy alliance did one or the other job to earn a steady source of income. Only privileged people like Richard could spend all their energy and time on research and innovation.
Although a small voice inside his mind protested, Leo gritted his teeth and took the job. While he waited for his shift, he did some small shopping for his essentials. From time to time he would peek at his system portal to know Alice's progress.
A week passed in a blink of an eye but Alice still hadn't received a single soul treasure. Leo was tired of waiting. When he finally received 7 crystals as his first salary without any hesitation he called the system.
"System, it's time to go for a trip."