Freedom

The slave dragged her feet as she limped toward the summoned beast. The purple liquid her Master had poured, drawn from her own blood, not only strengthened the summon but also rendered it mindless. Tears streamed down her cheeks; she didn't want any of this. She felt trapped, forced to obey. Defying her Master would activate the slave mark, sending painful shocks through her very being.

Her hands trembled as she collapsed onto her knees, teary eyes fixed on the distant Serpent. Exhausted from depleting her mana, she could barely move. Summoning every ounce of strength, she raised her hand, allowing it to shimmer with purple energy. Even from this distance, she intended to retract the summon – if it was even possible.

"What are you trying to do?!" her Master's voice boomed as he ran toward her, unsheathing his sword. "Are you insane? After all the effort we made, you want to waste it?!"

He closed the distance and kicked her across the face, the force knocking her to the ground. Raising his sword with both hands, a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "I should end this right now," he said, fury evident in his thick voice. "You've outlived your usefulness."

Accepting her fate, the slave shut her eyes, waiting for the blow. But then, nothing happened. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see a thunderbolt crash down upon her Master, engulfing him in blinding light. He fell, lifeless, his body still.

The girl screamed and crawled away, pressing her back against the wall as she witnessed her Master's demise. The collar around her neck shattered and fell to the ground, and in that moment, she realized she was truly free.

For a brief moment, she hesitated, staring at the remnants of her captivity, her heart racing with confusion and relief. The weight of her shackles had lifted, and for the first time, she could choose her own path. With newfound resolve, she stood, determination replacing despair.

The afternoon air felt different—fresh and filled with possibilities, she could finally… she was finally free… and it was beautiful, it made her happy.

Meanwhile, flames cascaded in the air as the Serpent clashed with Kai. Fireballs shot toward him, but he deftly weaved past them, a weapon materializing in his hand—a Magic Longsword from the Weapon shop. He charged forward, throwing caution to the wind as he appeared right in front of the Serpent's face. The hot breath of the magical beast washed over him, yet he didn't waver.

The scales were too tough for even a magical weapon to pierce, so he opted for a different strategy. He raised the sword over his shoulder, lightning surging around it as he brought it down on the Beast's eye. A loud pop echoed through the air as blood splattered, staining the ground.

The Beast let out a cry of pain, thrashing around as Kai flipped back, floating in the air. The magic sword sparkled even more as he slashed at the creature, creating an arc of lightning that shot through the air and collided with the Beast's scales. Unlike the first strike, this one didn't bounce off, but it didn't damage the creature either.

'This isn't an ordinary summon,' he thought, 'but it looks familiar.' The scales covering its body served as formidable armor, but Kai suspected the insides might be vulnerable.

His thoughts were interrupted as the Serpent screeched, flames erupting and shooting toward him. Kai simply slapped the fireball away, redirecting it to crash into one of the many stalls in Imperial City. The flames detonated in a bright explosion, yet his expression remained unchanged.

"So all I need to do is find a way to strike its insides," Kai muttered, formulating a plan. He shot forward, appearing before the Beast, yanking open its maw with a single hand. His enhanced strength overpowered the beast, which was utterly defenseless against him. With his free hand, Kai condensed a thunderbolt and blasted it into the creature's mouth.

A sizzling sound echoed as he increased the intensity of the Thunderbolt, charring the insides of the beast with precision. The creature fell to the ground, sending shockwaves across the ground as it landed, blood trailing from its mouth.

Kai landed in front of it, stepping atop its body and examining one of the countless scales on its back. 'This wasn't a regular summon,' he thought as he ripped off a scale. The moment it was torn away, it crumbled to dust in his palm. 'An evolution potion was used on it.'

He sighed, realizing the conflict between the kingdoms was intensifying. It was only a matter of time before tensions erupted into open warfare. As he contemplated the escalating situation, he heard footsteps approaching. Turning, he found himself face-to-face with a beautiful young woman in white robes, her purple hair cascading down her back.

'Celine?!' he thought, surprised to see her.