Master and Apprentices: Rise of the Cheat Potion Maker #2
Master and Apprentices: Interlude 2

Phase 3…

In the cloudy skies of the Kingdom of Merridon, Princess Ling sat in a meditative position, eyes closed, while on the back of her cute Nether Mosquito. She found and tamed it only a few days ago. Of course, it was only the size of an ordinary mosquito back then. For it to grow to be the size of an elephant, she allowed it to feast on a minor noble family that was arrested by the Inquisition for plotting against her father.

Ling did not take kindly to traitors. There were only a few things the young woman cared about, really, and that was power, love of family, her squishy but adorable mortal people, the kingdom, and replaceing a husband that could help her breed a son or daughter capable of ascension. If she found someone with the right potential, that child could be born with a core.

Unfortunately, even Ling’s choices were limited while in the capital. The three master magicians were off limits, one of them being a woman, the other two hiding within their sects, sitting as living deities in their heads. They were likely centuries old anyway and all of them were very wary of the royal family. Even Ling wouldn’t go near the sects by herself.

She considered wedding a man from one of the various sects, but they had rules when it came to outsiders. Stronger sect members could only court and marry within the sect. Cultivation partners.

Academies were a no go. She didn’t care for headmasters or instructors that wasted all day on weaklings. Nobles that complained about everything, failed to recognize the value of their gifts and extended life span, and just in general, schemed without an endgame.

That left the hero’s party. Ramon Thunderblade did indeed have the potential, reaching the highcore rapidly at one of the academies. Upper nobles found that uncomfortable. Priests loved it. When he and a few others, now his party, defeated the Midnight Dragon by some miracle, they crowned him hero and gave them all the privilege of being the hero’s party. Positions sought after normally by the strongest generals, court magicians, and outstanding soldiers of the army. Her father saw that as an opportunity to have some powerful magicians under his control, to raise as his personal kingdom control unit. Ling wanted the hero for herself. It was a difficult fight against her father to make the claim.

But ultimately, he was just a magician with potential, nothing more, nothing less. Highcore wasn’t that impressive, but Ling originally planned to train him after becoming his betrothed. Sure, her training could be… ruthless, but the man he’d become as a result would shine upon the world. Then they’d get right to making babies.

She’d be the head of the strongest family in the kingdom. They’d create magicians capable of warding off even the most powerful forces of the Astral Empire, should they become hostile. The current emperor was actually weak and somewhat soft. But soon the old man planned to step down, allowing Crowned Prince Sung-ho to take over. Despite his father’s policies, kingdoms around the world remained nervous about the prince.

Ling looked down, having made it to her destination. While the Black Cross brought back her future husband, she’d sit at her secret spot beneath a mutated black and red tree, and meditate on her Dao of Torment. Though the real name was actually Visionary, it hurt to use it, so she called it Torment.

Despite being one of the strongest women in the kingdom, Ling was a bit of a whiner, and some would probably go as far as to call her a crybaby. It was kind of a miracle how she could inflict the same torture on people, but barely withstood the ruthless onslaught of her own Dao.

Sure, she overtaxed it constantly for training, but if she didn’t stay ahead of the curve, there would be consequences to pay. For one, if any noble magician overcame her in power, she could be dominated, perhaps even lose her purity and not in the good way. Everyone looked at the kind princess façade with lust, greed, and desire in their eyes. Many could not so much as handle her Dao’s passive aura, flinching away from the woman in fear. Such weaklings dared crave her. Ling wished she could set the kingdom ablaze, destroy all the weaklings, rebirth it into her ideal image. But with the hero gone, well, her situation kind of… tossed her back to reality.

She may have to take a hands-on approach to things very soon, though she doubted the Black Cross could fail. Each individual could slay the hero and his party with just a glance. However, she wanted to offer this exact training to the hero. Cuddled with a bunch of love, of course.

“Hunf!” she said as she sat beneath her favorite tree, which radiated enough evil aura to hurt even an angel. Not that she knew that. “That coward.”

Sometimes she just hated dealing with men. Particularly leches, cowards, schemers, traitors, and oddballs. Unfortunately, no matter how much she called Ares the Peace Spawner, he would not show up and take her. That only made him a coward.