CHAPTER 304: ISN’T SHE JUST A CHILD?

After he briefed Ellora, Damon did not send her off right away. "Wait. I have one more task for you." He smiled. "I am short on people whom I can trust, so I am going to have to put some extra workload on you. You can take your time with this one, though, and also, I am calling someone to help you with it."

Ellora firmly shook her head. "No need, my Lord. I can handle everything you throw at me. If I fail, you can always punish me as you please." She winked.

Damon chuckled. "If you get these two done properly, then maybe I will take the time to punish you a little."

Ellora opened her mouth in shock as she hadn’t expected Damon to finally give in to her advances and say something like this. "My Lord, I am waiting for that day." She acted coyly, pushing her seductive assets together to make them even more bouncy.

Damon smiled, enjoying the show. He was a man after all. At the same time, he quickly sent a message out.

"Come with me, you idiot." He flicked the head of the flirtatious scoundrel, and the two of them started walking out of the Blood Hall. "I am bringing you to someone I know. She is a human, and she is a precious friend of mine, so you better hold yourself back."

"Of course, my Lord." Ellora smiled and nodded. She was in a very good mood since Damon was not cold and distant like before, and even teased her a little. She loved all of it. She matched his pace, her crimson eyes twinkling mischievously. "I promise to behave... mostly," she added, her voice lilting with amusement.

Damon didn’t bother replying. He just kept walking, leading her outside of Niera City. The city had now completely changed.

Crimson banners embroidered with the sigil of the Blood Hall fluttered from rooftops, and patrols of vampire enforcers marched in perfect rhythm. However, other than that, the whole area was pretty much a deserted city right now with nothing in sight.

The population had dwindled to merely a dozen or so now. It looked like all the humans had run away, leaving behind only vampires and some converted human NPCs. The shops and the stalls had been pillaged, and the houses had been ransacked.

There was pretty much nothing left in the city at the moment. It was a ghost of the thriving and vibrant city it used to be. Only scars of the battle were left behind on the ground.

There were huge craters and scorched lands everywhere, broken down walls and half-melted structures jutting out like bones from the earth. It looked like Varnyx was focused on fortyfying things outside the city first instead of repairing stuff on the inside.

It made sense considering that there weren’t all that many people living in the city yet. Damon did not plan on poking his nose into these things.

Varnyx was an expert in these things. Damon trusted him enough to know the man would rebuild Niera into something far more formidable than it had ever been.

They passed through the ruined gate, stepping out into the eerie calm of the burnt plains beyond. The wind blew gently, rustling what few burnt trees remained, and the scent of ash clung faintly to the air.

Niera City and everything around it were now completely different. Damon chuckled. The change was a bit jarring, as he was used to seeing something else, but he did not care. Change was inevitable after all. There could be no growth without change.

He silently waited with Ellora for a few minutes when a small figure ran towards them from a distance. The girl was panting and heaving, her small frame barely keeping up with the momentum of her sprint.

But the moment her eyes landed on Damon, her exhaustion evaporated into relief and delight.

"Blood God!" Arya called out, her voice breathless but warm. Her cheeks were flushed from running, a soft sheen of sweat making her already luminous skin glow under the pale light.

She skidded to a halt just short of him, blinking in surprise as her gaze flicked toward the woman beside him, especially her overendowed assets.

Arya quickly looked at her own flat chest, and an awkward expression flickered across her face. She straightened her posture immediately, as if standing taller would somehow add to her curves.

Ellora smirked at this. "So this is the human," she said slowly, her eyes trailing over Arya from head to toe. " How is she an alchemist? Isn’t she just a child? A child who is clearly not getting enough sleep. Look at her dark circles and her small features."

"Hey!" Arya timidly shot back, but she quickly looked down again, losing her nerve.

Damon bitterly smiled. "Alright. Ellora, that’s enough." He then turned to Arya and patted her on her head. "I am sorry about that. This one doesn’t know how to control her mouth."

Arya glanced up at him, lips pursed and cheeks puffed out like a pouting squirrel. "She’s mean," she muttered under her breath.

Ellora rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. If that pout was any cuter, I might actually feel bad."

Damon sighed and looked between the two. "You’ll be working together. At least try not to rip each other’s throats out in the first hour."

Arya’s eyes widened. "Why? I don’t need anyone’s help. I am almost done with your elixir." She quickly started rummaging through her satchel and pulled a small vial out. "Blood God, test this and let me know what you think of it."

Damon raised an eyebrow and took the vial from her delicate hands. The liquid inside shimmered faintly, silver and blue at the same time. Just the sight of it made Ellora’s teasing expression shift to one of mild surprise. This wasn’t some beginner’s brew.

Damon opened the vial, and immediately an icy energy wafted from within. "You finished the affinity-increasing elixir?"