You Are Good, Elf! I'm Impress.

"Welcome, I'm Chief Egon," the village Chief greeted with a respectful nod. He scanned the small gathering of villagers and then asked, "Where is the prince?"

"He had something he needed to attend to," Aurora replied, glancing around at the faces of the villagers. "And... where exactly are we?"

"Come, My Queen," Chief Egon said in a low whisper, his eyes darting around. He gestured towards a modest dwelling. "Not everyone here can be trusted."

"What?" Confusion etched on Aurora's face, but she and Lilly followed the Chief towards his house.

"Emily, who are these elves?" Vince said, his voice laced with disdain as he looked at Aurora and Lilly. "First you brought that troublemaker who killed my familiar, and now two more."

"Watch your mouth, Vince," Emily snapped, a fierce glare in her eyes. She scoffed and then followed Aurora and Lilly into the Chief's house.

'Hmm... Do you think I have forgotten that fool who killed my familiar?! Just wait,' Vince thought, a dark look settling on his face.

___

[Inside the Chief's simple home.]

Egon locked the door behind them. "Please, sit down."

Aurora and Lilly took seats, while Emily headed towards a small kitchen area. "What is going on, Chief Egon? Why all the secrecy?" Aurora asked.

"The situation is more dire than you realize, My Queen." He sat down facing them. "As you already know, your... your husband is the eldest son of the Demon royal family—"

"—We aren't married," Aurora interjected softly.

"That matters little," the Chief waved a dismissive hand. "The prince has never shown interest in any woman in all the years I've known him. His feelings for you are clear. So, for all intents and purposes here, you are husband and wife."

Aurora nodded slowly. "Then, what is the Demon kingdom's situation?"

"The Demon kingdom is now ruled by a tyrant king, your husband's adopted brother. This village... it isn't just any village. It is a sanctuary for those who dare to oppose the king. We call ourselves 'The Resistance'. And the tyrant king hunts us all. But the grave news is that not everyone within these walls can be trusted. Some may be spies in his service." A dark cloud seemed to pass over the Chief's face.

Emily returned, placing a simple meal of meat soup and juice on the table. "Forgive our humble offering, My Queen," she said. "The King's men are everywhere, making hunting difficult. Even the cities have our likenesses posted. Going there is too risky." The Chief offered a sad smile.

"Hmm... How powerful is this King?" Aurora asked, picking up her cup of juice.

"He is the strongest warrior class in the entire Demon kingdom. A Supreme Realm being."

"Cough!" Aurora choked on her drink. "Sorry," she mumbled, covering her mouth.

"It's alright, My Queen. This is the harsh reality we face. The King is one of the most formidable powerhouses across all three continents," the Chief reiterated grimly.

'How is this possible? He's even stronger than my father. A Supreme Realm... they are practically invincible,' Aurora thought, a wave of shock washing over her. "What can we possibly do against such a powerhouse?" she asked aloud.

"I believe you can help us with that."

"Me?" Aurora's brow furrowed in confusion. "How?"

"The Prince... he may have given you something. Something precious and powerful. Do you have it with you?"

"Something powerful?" Aurora pondered for a moment. "The only things I remember are the Summoning Book, his sword, and an unusual ruby."

"Yes! The Ruby," the Chief exclaimed, nodding emphatically.

"The Ruby is... incomplete. It's as if it has been broken in two," Aurora explained.

"I know." The Chief turned to Emily. "Emily, please fetch the box."

Emily nodded and went into another room, returning with a small, intricately carved wooden box. She handed it to her father.

"This holds the other half of the Ruby," the Chief explained, opening the box to reveal a glowing, crimson gem. "It contains the powers of the prince and all the royal family's ancestors. Only someone of royal blood can absorb this legacy, gaining the powers and knowledge of a hundred powerful demons." He held up the half-ruby for Aurora to see.

"So precious... Wait. Are you planning on giving it to Aaron?" Aurora asked.

"Yes," Chief Egon confirmed with a nod. "He carries royal blood. He is the only one who can absorb it."

"But... can Aaron withstand so much power and knowledge? From a hundred demons?" Lilly asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Not in his current state, Princess. He must reach at least the Legendary Saint realm before attempting to absorb it," the Chief said with a slight smile. "Until then, our priority is to keep both halves safe."

Aurora reached into her belongings and produced the other half of the ruby. She gazed at it, a mix of emotions swirling within her. 'Is that why he told me to protect our son? So he could inherit this legacy?' She then offered it to the Chief.

"No, My Queen," Chief Egon said, gently pushing her hand back. "Only a royal bloodline can merge these two halves into one. You should hold both." He placed the second half back in her hand.

Aurora nodded, carefully storing both pieces of the ruby.

"Please," the Chief said, rising. "Make yourselves at home. Your room is prepared. Emily, please show the Queen and Princess to their quarters."

"Of course, Father. My Queen and Princess, this way please," Emily said, gesturing towards a hallway.

"Come on now," Lilly said, standing up and playfully slinging an arm around Emily's shoulders. "Call me Lilly. We're friends now, right?"

"Right, Lilly," Emily replied, a small, genuine smile gracing her lips.

___

[Hours later.]

Two figures finally emerged from the dense forest.

"I'm so exhausted," Protean grumbled, now in the form of a massive, red wolf, lumbering behind Aaron.

"Stop complaining. You've devoured the cores of more than five Enraged-stage monsters. You should be ecstatic," Aaron retorted.

"Only six cores," Protean corrected. "The Wolf, Griffin King, Blood Raven, Ogre, Poisonous Serpent, and the Alpha Undead were all quite exquisite. I'd say we're the deadliest duo in all three continents." He grinned proudly.

"We'll be the strongest after reaching the Supreme Realm. Lilly said that's the pinnacle of power in this world," Aaron said, continuing to walk.

"We've been out of the forest for some time now, and you've absorbed the cores of five Enraged-stage and countless lower-stage monsters. Why haven't you advanced in realm?" Protean asked, his wolfish brow furrowed.

"I don't know," Aaron admitted, a hint of frustration in his voice. "I feel like I'm missing something, something that's preventing me from entering the Sky Realm." He walked towards a vast valley surrounded by towering mountains.

"You might be right, but... no one in this world can ascend realms as quickly as you have," Protean conceded.

Aaron stopped, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky. "Nightfall is approaching. We need to deal with that bastard before it's completely dark." He increased his pace, running towards the valley. Protean followed close behind.

"Are you certain that guy is in that valley?" Protean asked, his keen senses picking up something approaching rapidly from above. "What the hell is that?"

"Boulder! Dodge!" Aaron yelled.

"I don't dodge!" Protean roared, his body growing even larger. He slammed his massive paw into the descending boulder, shattering it into a shower of smaller rocks.

"That works too," Aaron said with a wry smile. He looked up to see more boulders hurtling towards them. "Is that bastard actually throwing rocks at us?!" His eyes narrowed, turning cold. He pointed a finger at an incoming boulder.

"Fire Bullet."

A bolt of intense fire shot from his fingertip, incinerating the boulder before it could reach him.

"This guy wants us to waste our energy before he attacks," Protean growled, smashing another boulder with his powerful jaws.

"That's his mistake," Aaron said, his voice dangerously low. "My physical energy might deplete, but my demonic energy is limitless!" His eyes flickered, turning completely black for a moment.

"Wind Walk!"

BOOM!

He shot forward towards the valley with incredible speed, leaving a gust of wind in his wake.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Protean transformed into the magnificent Griffin King, his form far larger and more imposing than any ordinary griffin. With powerful flaps of his enormous wings, he soared into the air and followed Aaron.

Aaron nimbly leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding another massive boulder. He drew his dagger, its blade coated in a potent, deadly poison. "You bastard! Do you think rocks can stop me from killing you?!"

Bam!

He skidded to a halt at the edge of the valley, Protean landing beside him with a heavy thud.

"Are you kidding me?!" Protean growled in disbelief and frustration.

"Come on, we can take them down!" Aaron said, his grip tightening on his dagger.

Charging towards them was an unholy number of Talos – hulking, animated stone figures of varying sizes and heights.

"Okay then," Protean sighed, shifting into his skeletal form. He casually rested his massive broadsword on his shoulder. "It's been too long since I've had some proper fun."

"Shut up. You just decimated a horde of undead an hour ago, and devoured the core of their Alpha," Aaron said with a smirk.

"Inferno," he muttered, and a ring of intense purple flames erupted around his body.

Aaron cracked his neck, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "Let's collect some more cores." He shot forward with blinding speed, Protean's skeletal form loping effortlessly behind him.

"Graaaaa!!!!!"

The Talos roared in unison, their stony voices echoing through the valley as they surged towards the two intruders who dared to trespass on their territory.

BOOM!

Whoosh!!

The two forces collided in a chaotic clash of metal and stone. The sharp sound of blades tearing through the air mingled with the sickening crunch of stone against bone, and the faint smell of roasted earth rose into the air.

Aaron and Protean carved a bloody path towards the heart of the valley, cutting down the animated stone figures as easily as one might clear weeds from a garden.

"These guys are weak!" Protean yelled, his broadsword cleaving through two Talos with a single, powerful swing.

"They aren't weak," Aaron corrected, his movements fluid and deadly as he sliced a Talos in front of him in half. "We're just stronger than them."

"Hahahahaha!!! You are good, elf!"

Suddenly, the remaining Talos ceased their attack and retreated, creating a wide space in front of the duo. Aaron and Protean's eyes widened in surprise as a colossal figure emerged from the depths of the valley – the King of the Talos.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!!"

Aaron and Protean yelled in unison, staring up at the massive stone behemoth.