Chapter 337: So This Is What You Look Like

Ansu and Vera continued to eat the grilled meat.

The campfire gradually died down. Ansu casually tossed a few dry branches onto it, sending up a shower of sparks that looked exceptionally bright against the dark night.

“Big brother,” Vera suddenly said, “will you still take me with you for the rest of the journey?”

Ansu's hand paused mid-turn on the grill. “Why the sudden question?”

Vera gazed at the quiet camp. Under the blood-red moonlight, the tents looked like rows of crouching, sinister shadows.

She pursed her lips, her voice softening slightly. “I'm guessing you'll only take a very select group of elites for the journey ahead... Someone as weak as me would definitely hold you back, right?”

Ansu did not answer immediately.

He picked up a skewer of grilled meat, handed it to Vera, and looked at her earnestly.

“Vera, you will never hold me back.”

“Ah!” Vera gasped in surprise. Then, as if realizing something, a joyful yet slightly complex smile appeared on her face.

“You're the best, big brother~”

Is it because I'm his sister, his family, that I'll never hold him back...?

Well, that's pretty nice too...

Ansu asked, “Do you want to go?”

“I do!” Vera nodded without the slightest hesitation. “I want to be of help to you.”

“Do you have the Homing Compass with you?” Ansu asked again.

Vera quickly pulled the small magic item from her collar. Its metal casing gleamed mysteriously in the firelight.

This was a magic item Ansu had brought back from the ancient ruins. It possessed the game-breaking effect of an instant, forced teleportation with no distance limits—essentially a town portal scroll that could not be intercepted.

Vera always carried the treasures her brother gave her on her person, never letting them leave her side.

“Excellent. Then come with me.” Ansu reminded her once more, “You still remember when you're supposed to use it, right?”

Vera nodded. “Loud and clear!”

Her brother had specifically instructed her beforehand that if they ever encountered a danger even he could not withstand, she was to disregard everyone else, prioritize her own safety, and immediately activate the teleportation to escape.

Seeing that she had taken it to heart, Ansu finally felt at ease. “Good. That's reassuring.”

This was also why Ansu was not particularly worried about Vera.

The magic items retrieved from the ancient demon ruins were all incredibly overpowered. This had been proven back in the North when he fought Gulzan and his disciples.

Back then, he was merely a mid-tier mage. Relying entirely on layers of protection and continuous bombardment from a heap of magic items, he had managed to hold off four high-tier mages and one Saint Tier expert, stalling until the arrival of the blackened Freya's support.

At this thought, he subconsciously sensed the scarlet, filthy mana permeating the surrounding air.

One could never be too prepared when facing powerful enemies. Since returning to Norvigel, he had never stopped his high-intensity cultivation, and had now successfully stepped into the ranks of high-tier mages.

Ansu's perception of mana and the world had now reached the highest tier possible for ordinary humans. He was highly proficient in high-tier magic above the 7th Circle, and had even dabbled in 9th Circle spells, which represented the theoretical upper limit.

At this level, one's mana reserve increased exponentially. To put it in perspective, a magic apprentice's mana reserve could at most equal a few magic crystals, whereas a high-tier mage's mana was like a surging river, capable of matching the day-and-night output of magitech factories across an entire district of Benalu City.

A mage's mana reserve was their very foundation. Only by continuously raising the upper limit of absorption and utilization could they cast powerful magic that consumed even more mana.

And if he wanted to go a step further and become a Saint Tier mage...

He would need to master "Beyond 9th Circle magic," also known as 【Legendary Magic】. At this stage, the transition was not merely about the volume of mana, but the sublimation of one's very state of existence.

I wonder what the world looks like to Celia when she senses it. When she watches me practice magic... she must think I'm incredibly weak, right?

“Big brother, what are you thinking about?” Vera waved her hand in front of his face.

Ansu snapped out of his thoughts and flipped the fish on the grill. “Nothing.”

“Oh...” Vera rested her chin on her hands, quietly waiting for her brother's grilled fish.

Fat dripped onto the charcoal, making a sizzling sound as the delicious aroma of grilled fish drifted through the air.

Just then, light footsteps approached from behind.

“Sorry... is there any grilled fish left?”

The two turned their heads together.

And then, both froze in unison.

Altina had taken off the hood she almost never went without, revealing her long-hidden face to them without any concealment for the first time.

Her brilliant golden hair was neatly braided, with a few soft, loose strands draping casually against her cheeks, accentuating the signature pointed ears of the elven race.

Her features were so exquisite they seemed almost unreal, like a masterpiece sculpted by the Goddess of the Moon herself. Her skin was fair and lustrous, resembling frost condensed under moonlight, and her emerald-green eyes were crystal clear, reflecting the flickering glow of the campfire.

The two of them stared at that stunning face, transfixed for several seconds.

Feeling a bit self-conscious under their gaze, Altina cleared her throat lightly, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Is... is there any grilled fish?”

As she walked over, a faint, fresh floral scent quietly drifted around her, like the first evening breeze filtering through the mist in a forest after a rain.

“If you were any later, it would have burned,” Ansu said with a smile, handing over the already-grilled fish.

Vera finally snapped out of it. Giggling, she used the dual advantage of her gender and age to loop her arm through the elf lady's, dragging her down to sit by the campfire like a close sister before showering her with praise.

“Altina, so this is what you look like!”

“No wonder you never like taking off your hood. Were you afraid everyone would stare at you all day?”

“No... that's not it,” Altina shook her head, explaining softly. “I simply didn't want to expose my elven identity in the human world.”

She finally got to eat the grilled fish she had been craving, but the two of them still glanced at her face from time to time, making her feel self-conscious again.

“You two... just eat your food,” she said helplessly. “Stop staring at me.”

If I had known, I wouldn't have taken off my hood...

“We're just curious. After all, elves are so rare,” Vera giggled. “Besides... just thinking about such an elegant elf squatting by a campfire with us, munching on greasy grilled meat covered in chili... it just feels pretty amusing.”

Altina pursed her lips speechlessly.

On her exquisite and aloof face, this expression looked surprisingly cute.

After teasing Altina, Vera leaned close to Ansu's ear and whispered in a low voice:

“Big brother, you're doomed!”

“Why?” Ansu asked, puzzled.

Vera subconsciously glanced in the direction of Celia's tent.

Then she giggled, her tone full of mischief. “If our Lady Witch knew Altina looked like this, she would never have let her join the team in the first place! Do you think she'll... be jealous of you every single day from now on, worried that your eyes might wander?”

In Vera's mind, Altina's beauty was on the same tier as Celia's, each stunning in her own way.

So it was a given—when two equally outstanding women met... she wouldn't believe it for a second if someone said they wouldn't want to compete or harbor a subtle hostility.

“What nonsense are you talking about...” Ansu looked at his sister helplessly and stuffed another skewer of meat into her hand.

“I want grilled fish.” Vera pushed the meat away, her eyes scanning the grill. “Huh? Where's the grilled fish, big brother?”

“I gave it all to Altina just now. Go ask her for some.”

“Ah? Big brother! Have you really been charmed by her?”

Vera protested with her mouth full of grilled meat.

“What?” Altina looked at the siblings with a blank expression.

Before she could react, Vera had already rushed over, initiating a small battle for the grilled fish.

“Ah! I'm not even done eating yet! Vera, why are you stealing mine?”

“It's mine!!”

The campfire crackled, casting the elongated shadows of the three of them.

Under the shroud of the dark night, they looked like a small, warm, isolated island.

...