When I get my hands on Edwan, there's going to be more than just harsh words spoken. The soldier/delegate had told me that a warm reception awaited my arrival, but his words couldn't have been further from the truth if he tried.

Instead, here I am instilling fear into the nature-loving species next door because they just won't shut up. It didn't matter what Aura tried, or how hard Becca attempted to reason with them, nor how hard I glared; the only thing keeping them from speaking up again is the crater where the forest on their doorstep used to be.

Yeah, yeah. There were many ways we could have played this back and forth out. Mine just happened to be the easiest, quickest and most convenient path to ending the problem.

Since that's happened, no one's said a word. Nada. Not a single peep. Hell, they haven't even looked at me the wrong way. Granted, not many of them stuck around afterwards and the ones that did don't seem to be conscious anymore, but it makes getting where we need to be much easier.

Now that the elves have made themselves scarce, I'm able to take in the beautiful sights their city has to offer. The canopy above has been cropped and the light shining down blends harmoniously with the natural setting.

Passing a fountain in what I assume is the city centre, I wonder how they keep it spurting out water before I settle on "Magical bullshittery" and move on. Last thing I need is to get stuck in thought in a place I'm not particularly liked.

Our destination, the largest tree in sight, gets closer as we continue through the city, which turns out isn't as big as I first thought it to be. Considering the elven capital has been around longer than my city, I'm surprised to see it's not much bigger than Varona. I know I have dungeon magic on my side when it comes to all things construction, but elves know magic too. Evident by the interlocked branches we're walking on, hundreds of feet above the ground.

It seems as though Varona is on track to surpass the natural city of foul-mouthed, tree-loving elves in just a few years. With ample housing options, a variety of employment opportunities, top-notch security measures, a stable environment to level up, and an abundance of amenities and entertainment options, Varona truly has it all. This realization fills me with a sense of pride and satisfaction, as it is evident that my city is a truly remarkable place to live.

In fact, the only thing we're lacking is a crime rate. It goes to show that when problems are handled effectively and efficiently, the only way forward is staying good. Plus, by scaring the worst of them into not reoffending, it's doing wonders for the guards swelling numbers. Increasing Varona's security even more.

That said, there has to be a better way to coerce the world to do my bidding without becoming the supreme dictator I joke about. I don't really want to force people through fear. The elves are a different story, but it still beats torture and the Cycle of Reincarnation, hands down.

A full belly and content life is enough to keep most people on the straight and narrow. With a little bit of dungeon magic sprinkled on the side to help them advance, I can't imagine it'll take more than a few years to see our first successful violet souls. There are already a handful of blues and a small army of greens so I'm definitely doing something right.

Orad was quite neutral in the soul department whereas Tune and Ishda both have their fair share of corruption. On Abi's dungeon path to tomorrow, led by head reformer Raff, Tune's already seen a major turnover in soul colour and is working its way towards a brighter future.

Literally.

On that note; to say they're such a hateful bunch, the majority of elves that reside in the capital have neutral souls. Which is downright shocking after they treated me. There are a few outliers on both sides, but overall, it's not bad on the eye. Just the ears.

As I debate how such an angry species has managed to stay so borderline, we arrive at the Palace. Aura seems hesitant, Becca looks determined, and I'm going to do what I do best.

Wing it.

I'm not going to have another King try and tell me what's what. Not a chance. Especially one that seems to make his daughter feel unwelcome. If anything - and I can almost guarantee my luck bottoming out for this one, he's probably a gigantic, red-souled dick.

With my opinion considered and deemed acceptable by myself, I blast open the doors with a flick of my wrist and stride inside through the aftermath. After my unannounced display of power, Becca and Aura have swapped personas. The Oncoming Storm looks aghast that I'm flaunting my goods, whereas the elven princess is giddy with glee.

I'll have to reel it in there though, lest she asks me to level the whole place.

Inside, the elven guards move to surround us. Only, they keep their distance more than you would expect from trained soldiers. Their armour looks immaculate, almost like it's never seen war. It also appears to have the latest self-vibration feature as they're all rattling away. One's even got a self-cleaning function. Although, I'm not sure where the water's coming from. They also need to do something about the puddle forming at the guard's feet. Not to mention its colour and aroma.

Seriously. It was only a door. I can have it fixed in seconds.

The King makes no motion to move and instead looks upon his daughter with a warm smile. Aura, however, has already reverted back to Scowl City and is hesitant to move closer to the throne. I, on the other hand, have no aversion to getting closer to the man in charge around here. That's what we came for after all.

Giving credit to the King's guards, Becca's observation from this morning rang true when she said they were 'paler than usual'; I step forward, and they attempt to block my path. An attempt is as far as they get as Assassins appear between us, preventing the guards from reaching me and creating a direct path to His Royal Elfness.

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Assassins, right?

Even when they're not killing, they're just the best.

The King, on the other hand, has barely registered anything other than his daughter's arrival. Not the destruction, not the Assassins, not even me as I stride forward with as much authority that owning a tenth of the continent affords me.

That confidence runs side-by-side with the animosity I'm feeling towards their species as a whole. Never before have I felt so humiliated and I was in some shitty situations in my short-lived life as a human. Growing up without parents means I probably didn't have the best soul myself, but that's another story.

Right now, I've almost reached the King and he still isn't taking this seriously.

I get the whole doting father thing, but there's a time and a place. That time not being when a disgruntled Dungeon Core has just blown your doors in and certainly not when she's marching towards you whilst trying to come up with something to say. I know this could have gone better if only I had a little more patience or, at the least, easygoing assistants. The problem is that patience is one of my weaker traits, and thanks to the antics of some people, non-people, and a few thousand elves from this morning, I'm fresh out of it.

"Oi! I seriously hope you're not ignoring me on purpose. Can you not tell how annoyed I am by the fact that your guards are being made to kiss the floor? What is it with you so-called rulers?" Honestly, if world domination becomes an actual thing, Orad's Mayor is in for a big promotion. Out of everywhere I've been, his town was doing the best at the gig we call life.

"Hello?!" Waving my hands in front of his face, I finally get the King's attention. His eyes find their way to me and he scowls. Keeping my shit in check, I resist the urge to slap the shit out of him and destroy his kingdom. Not that the continent would miss this hateful forest and its inhabitants. I know I wouldn't.

"What?" he spits at me. I know he hasn't seen his daughter in a long time, but how does one get to rule the roost when they can't act their station, not pick up on subtle cues? Not that my cues are subtle, but that only makes it worse. I can absolutely guarantee that if someone blew my doors off, I'd know about it. What I would also do is deal with it there and then, or at the least palm it off to someone capable of handling it.

I wouldn't just ignore it like...

Huh?

That does kind of fit my MO. Whenever problems arise that I don't know how to deal with, they're left to gather to dust until inspiration comes to mind. Which in some cases takes a while. It's unfortunate for Aura's father and the ruler of this Core's most loathed species, the Queen of Questions has gotten too large to just sweep under the rug. I'm also a right here, right now, type of chick, so "What?" just isn't going to cut it.

As I debate which insult to throw out first, the Elf King returns his gaze to his daughter and I find myself sidelined once again for puppy dog eyes. It's not often that I'm snubbed these days and I've grown quite fond of being greeted whenever I take to the streets of Varona, so it's a weird feeling being overlooked for someone else. Even if that person is a princess and his daughter.

At least Papa's little girl is on my side. She doesn't look impressed at all, although that's partially because I made her come since she absorbed that piece of my Core. Regarding that event, the roots of Aura's hair have turned the same green as her eyes and the change is certainly noticeable. That's probably why her dad can't stop looking at her.

She's like his very own Rebellion Dragon.

Still, being ignored is vexing me more than I can take, and I'm not sure what's worse. The King's dismissive attitude, or the hate I received from his subjects. This whole thing has been one ridiculous act after another since I arrived. I mean, why did I even say yes? It's not like I go out of my way to receive compliments, but it is nice when they're given freely. Is that why I came? For this guy to blow smoke up arse?

This guy!?

What the hell was I thinking? Has becoming the Goddess of Beauty given me vanity issues? Probably not. I'm pretty sure I already had a few of those anyway, but what if the title makes it worse?

The King's face changes when his surroundings alter in the blink of an eye. A circular wall made of stone surrounds him and an array of empty seating loom above. The main box only has one spectator and his full moon shines down on us. Dressed in red and gold, the Ringmaster's presence is at its peak in The Coliseum.

Before his confusion catches up with current events, the King's vision begins to spin. When it finally stops he finds himself staring up at a headless body before it collapses on the arena floor. The light fades from his eyes and before he knows it, his Royal Elfness is standing in the same spot as before. Said spot being directly opposite the frustrated Dungeon Core that's working through her issues.

I know this isn't a fair fight and it's not like I'm here to torment him, but sometimes you've got to drive that message home before it sinks in. That message being... Well, I don't want to say it's because I was feeling petty, but I travelled a long way to meet this douchebag. I think some courtesy is in order. I wasn't expecting him to lick my toes or anything, but a "Hey, Abi, it's nice to meet you," would have been more than fine.

Instead, I get the worst procession anyone's ever received and for what? All I wanted was a little mutual respect. Would that have been so hard?

Seriously, what's the deal with these elves?

At least Aura and Eduine are somewhat normal. Or as normal as can be at least.

Before my outclassed opponent can voice his opinion, argue an objection, or make any other type of comment I probably don't want to hear, I obliterate him with a Void Ray. Destroying his body on a cellular level.

I've got to say, I love The Coliseum. The walls are strong enough to withstand my spells and I can really let loose in here without worry. Even the moon didn't put up much resistance when my Void Beam hit it. And it had to travel however far away it is to get there. I wonder what happened to it after that? Did it keep going?

Before I can finish my train of thought, it's round three. This time, however, I'm beaten to the punch. The King rushes me, using some type of wind magic to propel him forward. It was really cool up to the part where I cut his head off again.

This continued for a while as I worked out some kinks and even managed to practice some of the lesser elements of magic I've neglected. My opponent knows a lot of spells and every time he uses a new one, I copy it the next round. It makes me happy to see our roles reversed. The frustration on his face makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

As I'm trying to work out how the King used that last water spell, he drops to his knees and bows in my direction. He then proceeds to throw praise after praise upon me and I can't help but think, it's about damn time.

I mean, I know he's only doing it so that he can end his suffering, but that must mean he's learned his lesson. Kings don't grovel to their lessers after all. Or maybe I'm just talking myself up in this? Whatever, we're already here now.

"Alright, alright. You can give it a rest. We'll stop if you've learned your lesson. Just so you know though, I didn't enjoy doing that." I don't think I've ever told such a bold lie. Not only did I work through my issues, but I got a little bit of training at the same time. Plus, he certainly deserved the first one. The rest? Still debatable.

"What have you done to me?" I can't help but take offence again. Out of all the questions he could have asked, he assumes I've already done something malicious. Other than killing him a few times, I haven't done anything. Hell, I even brought him back to life so we could repeat the process. Would he prefer a permanent death?

That could quite easily be arranged, but I don't think it would do Aura any good. That's why he brought him to the Coliseum. It's the one place I know where death isn't absolute.

Not unless you aggrieve the person in charge, that is.