Maxine woke up slowly from her deep slumber and groaned in pain when she shifted her weight. That's right. I'm covered in burns. Ugh, why did it have to be my dominant eye that got zapped? This feels so awkward.

Maxine sighed in frustration as she slowly scanned her surroundings. She never realized how much she relied using two eyes, but she was thankful that she was in her room rather than somewhere else. Time to take stock of my injuries. I need to know if I can move around without worsening my wounds.

She promptly scanned herself with her spiritual sense and internally complained when she saw that she was only wearing a pair of panties while a thin sheet covered her. But her lack of clothing became a dim concern when she saw the state of her hands. Her palms and fingers were covered in second degree burns. When did that happen?! I don't remember my hands hurting at all, but I guess it makes sense. I remember noticing that my blades were heating up early on during my lightning tribulation and the adrenalin flowing through my body must've dulled my pain enough that I didn't notice it until now. The rest of my injuries are about what I would expect. Now, that I think about it. I never got to use my breakthrough potion. I didn't expect that I would have an almost unheard of natural breakthrough. I'll just give my breakthrough potion to Orianna. Physically speaking we're practically identical so it should work on her.

When her stomach growled, Maxine turned her head and looked at the time and date. I've been out cold for five days. That explains why I feel so damn hungry. Enough stalling. I need to get out of bed, get dressed, eat a large breakfast and go to that Alliance meeting. After that, I'll give Emily a call. She's probably worried about me.

Maxine started to get out of bed and nearly screamed as she fell back into it when her bandages pulled at the various burns covering half of her body. THAT was a bad idea. Change of plans. I'll just form some clothes using my energies. It wouldn't even be necessary if I could set up an avatar for that virtual world beforehand. But no, they have to scan the body of the person and what they are wearing to generate an avatar. Sure, I can alter my clothes once I'm there. It doesn't matter how fast I work. Someone will still see me.

Before Maxine could form the clothes, grandma Victoria opened up the bedroom door while holding a tray. "Oh? You're awake!" grandma Victoria said happily as she approached Maxine's bed and sat beside her, "Your father said you would wake up soon and I thought you would want to eat some breakfast."

"Thanks, grandma," Maxine said gratefully, "I could use something to eat right about now. By the way, why am I only wearing a pair of panties?"

"I didn't want your clothes to chafe at your burns. It would only aggravate them," grandma Victoria said as she set the tray down, "Anyways, it's not like we will let your father or Lucas in here without either me or your mother to supervise. Now, time for you to get some food into you." She began to feed Maxine a massive pile of scrambled eggs a forkful at a time.

Maxine went along with it and ate the scrambled eggs, eight pieces of bacon, four slices of toast and a cup of the foulest concoction Maxine had ever tasted. "Ugh, that's got to be the nastiest thing that I've ever tasted," Maxine complained.

"It's an ultra dense form of your nutritional potion. You've been living off of it for the last five days," grandma Victoria said calmly.

"Well, that explains why I wasn't feeling nearly crazed with hunger," Maxine said and a thought popped into her head, "What happened to Vellus?"

"He's still alive and on Earth," grandma Victoria said simply, but Maxine could almost feel the temperature in the room drop, "But he hasn't left his hotel room since your breakthrough to gold."

"I see," Maxine said sadly, "Has anyone tried to contact me?"

"Emily and the UN secretary," grandma Victoria answered, "But your mother told them you were indisposed for some reason or another. I wasn't paying that much attention to their conversation."

"I'll call them later. Could you help me get dressed?" Maxine asked, "I need to go to the Alliance's virtual assembly room."

"No, you do not," grandma Victoria stated firmly, "Guan will go in your place. He has that authority since he's your father and he is already aware of the technologies that you want for your homeworld. So, don't need to worry about it. You need your rest."

"I'd still rather be the one to go," Maxine said stubbornly.

"Fine, but I won't help you get dressed. It'll aggravate your wounds, so you'll just have to form clothes using your energies," grandma Victoria replied and she seemed to remember something as she pulled out an emerald green eyepatch, "How's this look? I made sure that it was your favorite color." At first, Maxine thought the eyepatch was made of snake skin, but it was actually made of tightly woven arachne silk. Each of the scales had been perfectly woven into the perfect shape and lacquered to give them the glossy look of actual scales. It's so beautiful.

"It's awesome. Thanks, grandma," Maxine said as she used her energies to put it on over her bandaged right eye. Next, she formed an emerald green dress over her body and additional bandages with blood stains on them to make it look like she was more heavily injured than she was. This way the Alchemist Association won't expect my retaliation any time soon when their representative sees my current state.

Grandma Victoria raised her eyebrow at Maxine before she said, "I'll go help Hellen look after Lucas. Just call out if you need either of us."

"I will, grandma," Maxine said before grandma Victoria left the room.

After grandma Victoria left, Maxine retrieved her communication disk out of her dimensional ring and connected to it mentally. She felt a slight jarring sensation before she was projected into the virtual room that the Alliance used. At least, my movement in here is unaccompanied by pain.

She looked around and saw several representatives give her a look of concern. "I apologize for my appearance, everyone," Maxine said as she bowed her head slightly and without missing a beat, she walked towards her assigned seat to wait until the meeting started.

She scanned the whole room with her left eye and failed to notice anyone paying much attention to her. I guess it's too much for them to betray their emotional states so easily. These guys are far too old and experienced for that to happen.

"Everyone, please, take your seats," a gender neutral voice above them requested, "The first topic is on a recent development with the Hive. They have requested a peaceful dialog and have sent a single humanoid drone with which they will use to converse with us. Should we hear them out or should we exterminate this creature?" This must've been a very recent event. It wasn't on the itinerary that I received a couple weeks ago.

"I say we hear them out," Maxine said as she stood up, "I know many of you don't trust the Hive, but this is an opportunity to establish peace with them. They've already proven their intent by sending us a humanoid drone, as you put it, to make us feel more at ease while conversing with them. And it costs us very little to hear them out aside from a little time. Whereas continued hostility will cost us lives and money. What say you, my fellow representatives?" Maxine promptly sat back down as soon as she finished speaking as was the protocol in this situation.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

The next person to stand was the Alchemist Association's representative. It was an elderly old man with almost snow-white beard reaching halfway down his chest. "While I am loathed to admit it, the young lady is correct," he said calmly and clearly, "The war with the Hive is costly in more ways than one and hearing them out costs us virtually nothing at all. If their intent is truly that of peace, we can divert the resources used to combat them to battling the evil races threatening our borders."

As soon as he sat down, another bearded man stood up. "Why are we even talking about this?" the bearded man asked, "These creatures cannot be trusted. They are beyond cunning. This could be nothing more than a clever plan to have us divert our forces away, so that they can mount a sneak attack to further expand their territory." Of course, there is always one of those guys, but he is right. It is a possibility, albeit a small one.

After he sat down, no one else stood up to speak. "Since the people that have wish to speak have done so, please cast your votes." A trio of small buttons appeared on Maxine's right arm rest. One button was red, one was yellow and the last one was green. She promptly pressed the green one to vote for hearing the Hive matriarchs out. The buttons vanished an instant later.

"The votes have been tallied and we will be hearing them out in one standard month," the AI stated, "The next topic is the luxury good chocolate and it's lack of supply. Ms. Levings of Earth, as the planetary guardian of the world with this commodity, do you have any suggestions to increase chocolate production?"

"Yes, I do," Maxine said as she stood up once more, "As some of you know, my world isn't as advanced as many others and thus, we do not have access to the agricultural technologies to enhance the growth and production of the trees that bear the cocoa fruit. From which, chocolate is made. So, I request access to more advanced agricultural techniques and technologies. While it may not show immediate results, it will still increase our means of producing more chocolate in the future."

"Why don't you simply expand the orchards?" the Alchemist Association representative asked.

"I'm afraid that is not possible at this time," Maxine replied, "The cocoa tree requires a tropical climate and the beasts in those areas are quite prolific and extremely territorial. Any attempt to expand the fields will result in immediate retaliation and since my world is still relatively new to cultivation, we don't have the means to prevent them from inflicting heavy damage to our existing cocoa fields such retaliation." Not to mention the environmentalists would go nuts at the destruction of the rain forest.

"I do not understand why you're so resistant to allowing such a harmless technology to be given to an underdeveloped world, Alvin," a middle aged woman said.

"Enough," the AI said firmly, "If you do not have something relevant to say, please, do not speak."

"My people are willing to donate soil enrichment and enhanced plant growth technologies to Earth," a younger man in one of the upper rows stated.

"That is much appreciated, sir," Maxine said as she bowed her head towards him. In return, he simply smiled and sat back down. However, no one else seemed to be willing to donate any more technologies. Well, it's not as much as I hoped for, but that tech will definitely not go to waste. I just wish I didn't have to sit through the next eighty, or so, topics that need to be gone over. I just wish the one pertinent to Earth didn't appear so swiftly. I'm going to be so bored. Maybe, I'll get lucky and get to watch the Alchemist Association's representative get embarrassed. I doubt it, though.

The next five hours in this virtual world were as boring as she anticipated. Most of the topics discussed involved arguments over ownership of certain planets, trade disputes, and a few limited war requests. It's not like I'm even needed here, but it would be considered extremely rude if I were to just leave without a good reason.

"Our meeting has adjourned," the AI stated after the last issue was resolved, "Until next time." Maxine didn't waste even an instant and immediately logged herself out. She rather lay in bed than to listen to stay there for another instant.

Maxine opened her eyes and saw Emily looking back at her. "Hey, you," Emily said lovingly as she brushed Maxine's hair to the side with her left hand, "How are you feeling?" Grandma or mom must've brought her here. And it's obvious mom kept Emily appraised of my situation.

"I'm aching everywhere," Maxine replied honestly.

"I don't doubt it," Emily said sadly, "Fifty-seven percent of your body is covered in second and third degree burns."

"That sounds like a lot," Maxine said as she mentally winced.

"It is," Emily said, "In fact, you should've been taken to a burn unit immediately after your tribulation, but Guan said that you didn't need it. And that you would be completely healed in a month and a half."

"Daddy's rarely wrong, but if you think I need to be there, I won't argue," Maxine said honestly.

"Too late for that," Emily complained, "The most dangerous time has already passed and you're not in intolerable agony. So, I really don't see a point in dragging you into the hospital now. Anyways, Vellus has asked about you a few times. Do you want to see him?"

"Not until my injuries heal enough that I can walk on my own," Maxine said and paused for a moment before she asked, "Did mom tell you what he's done?"

"Yes," Emily said with pursed lips, "But we both know that he didn't spy on you voluntarily."

"I know that and I've already forgiven him for it," Maxine said honestly, "But, I'm not sure if I can trust him like I had before."

"I'm not surprised," Emily said, "You're grandma's taking it harder than anyone else. She wants you to have a 'traditional' marriage."

"Yeah, she's like that," Maxine complained, "Still, it'll be awhile before she insists that I talk to any men for awhile after this fiasco."

"That's true," Emily agreed.

"Now, tell me what been going on since I was out cold," Maxine said, "And don't tell me that my new form wasn't seen. Footage of it has probably already been 'leaked' by the nations that don't like me."

"You're right and they found what was left of those men and women at the crash sites," Emily said and looked frustrated before she continued, "The things they're saying are utterly ridiculous."

"Let me guess. They're saying that I lost control of my beastly heritage and partially ate them, even though there was no evidence that I did," Maxine said calmly, "And that my increased aggression in that form is making me behave increasingly more violent and erratic. Which calls for drastic measures to be taken against me. Is that about the gist of it?"

"More or less," Emily said grumpily, "At least, Guan grabbed that screaming alchemist and knocked him out. What did you do to him by the way? I couldn't find anything actually wrong with him."

"I gave him a solution that increased the sensitivity of his pain receptors by an absurd amount," Maxine answered honestly, "It'll wear off in less than a month, and the pain that he's going through should be gradually decreasing."

"Jesus," Emily exclaimed, "Was that really necessary?"

"It was. It'll discourage anyone from willingly spying on me," Maxine stated, "I wish just yelling at them would be enough, but it isn't. Daddy's inheritance is too much of a lure for them."

"Then give it to them," Emily said.

"I wish it were that easy," Maxine said in frustration, "I can already see them claiming that I didn't give them everything, even if I do. You would be surprised how simple his teaching methods are. Would you believe it if I told you that I created a personalized alchemy technique? Those assholes in the Alchemist Association wouldn't. They would literately believe that daddy scrounged up an ancient alchemy technique that's perfectly suited for me, even if one doesn't exist."

"That's ridiculous," Emily said in disbelief, "Why would you deceive them?"

"To have an edge over the competition. That's how they would see it, anyways," Maxine answered simply, "Their greed would blind them to the truth."

"How can you deal with people like that?" Emily asked.

"There are two ways that I know of," Maxine began to explain, "The first method is the dumbest. All I need is overwhelming power. The Alchemist Association only messes with me because I'm too weak to be much of a threat to them as a whole. The second method is to either hurt very badly or scare them. I don't even have to kill anyone." I'll just render a large portion of alchemists in a heavily defended location unable to practice their craft without intolerable pain. The best place to strike is their main headquarters. Unfortunately, my aerosol poisons are easy enough to counter if they react fast enough, so I'm unlikely to get more than a handful of gold stage cultivators with it. But for my first hit on them like this, I'll just use a potent knockout gas to give them a good scare and I think it'll be funny to see their reactions. The best part is that I'll have proven that I am capable of hitting them where they are the strongest. I really can't think of a better deterrent than that. Still, if they insist on coming after me even after I do that, I'll just have to annihilate their means of making money.