After days of non-stop running, Rydia reached a city, one behind a six-meter tall wall. Two men in gray armor guarded the gate, but she didn’t need to worry about entry. As she passed through the entrance, all she got was a scornful gaze from one of the gatekeepers.

Inside were structures of varying sizes and another wall deep within the city. It was still early – the sun rose just one to two hours ago – yet there were already a number of people going on with their daily lives.

It also seems like her fashion sense wasn’t completely out of place as she could see some wearing plain robes. But since hers was a bit tattered and she was naked underneath, she still stood out. She also had no footwear so she probably looked like a beggar to them.

Eyes followed her as she searched for a shop, but she ignored them. Unless it physically affected her, she wouldn’t care what they do. They could even verbally assault her and she wouldn’t bat an eye.

Once she entered a shop, the middle-aged man behind the counter only looked at her for a second before saying: “I won’t give you anything so go bother some other shop.”

She simply smiled at his obvious disdain and stretched her hand forward. Soon, a hand-sized sphere of lightning appeared on her palm. “Sir, as you can see, I’m not a mere beggar.”

The middle-aged man’s eyes almost jumped out in surprise.

“Now dear sir, I have a stone I want you to appraise.” Rydia pulled a shiny blue stone from her pocket and showed it to him. “I killed quite a number of monsters to get that. Do you know what that is?”

His eyes widened even more. “A- An Aqua stone?”

“So you do know… oops, I mean – Ah, so it’s called an Aqua stone. Geez, I wonder how much it sells. I don’t know.” Rydia spoke in a monotonous tone… she doesn’t know anything but acted as if she does.

He stared at her for a short while before coughing out “Thirty silver coins.”

Rydia chuckled. “Come on sir” Then her eyes turned cold. “Stop testing waters, you’re wasting my time. Give me a proper price now or I’ll sell this for forty silver coins at a different shop.”

“F- fifty, I’ll give you fifty silver coins!”

“Tsk! Just tell me from the start if you don’t want it. I could be selling this at a different shop by now you know.” She spoke with disdain as she returned the stone to her pocket.

“Fifty five! That’s the best I could offer!”

“Shut it old man, we’re done here.” She turned around and walked away.

“Sixty! That’s the highest bid you’ll get in the city for that stone!”

She looked at him with a sweet smile. “I knew you had it in you, sir.”

The middle-aged man shuddered at her sudden change of mood. To think he treated such a scary girl as a beggar earlier… she wouldn’t seek revenge right?

Once she got the money, Rydia asked: “Say, do you have clothes that would fit me?”

It was a shop for magical items so there weren’t any clothes on display.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“If you’re fine with old ones then I’ll give some for free.” He said, wanting to get on her good side.

“Great!” Rydia clapped her hands. “And can I take a bath too?”

***

Now in a gray dress with her hair tied in a ponytail, Rydia walked out of the shop. She was already cute before, but now she looked even cuter – some children couldn’t help but stare at her in admiration. She still ignored them though. Why would she bother with people she didn’t know?

She walked along the street, her direction pointing to a certain tailoring shop that the old timer told her about. There, she could finally get her hands on some needles.

“Why hello there young lady, are you looking for something?” A young man in extravagant clothing said. And from the way he looked at the girl much younger than him, he was probably interested.

“No” She said as she walked past him.

“Wait!” The young man grabbed her by the shoulders. “Do you not know who I am?”

She shoved his hands away and whispered to his ears. “I’m an agent of the king. If you don’t want your family to suddenly vanish then I suggest you stop this foolish act now.”

Her voice carried coldness, yet the smile she showed a bit later was the complete opposite. “I’m sorry, young master. Please forgive this little one for ignoring one such as you.”

“I- It’s fine, you are forgiven.” The young man said, his face visibly pale.

“Many thanks, young master.” She gave a curt bow before leaving.

‘Your ability to lie never ceases to amaze me.’

‘That's nothing compared to the time with Zeus. Too bad you weren’t there to see it.’

‘No, I’m trying to criticize you, not praise you.’

‘I know, I’m just toying with you, oh Cute White Cat.’

‘Y- You… forget it, I’m going to sleep.’

“Aww, aren’t you going to rage like you usually do?’

‘Zzzzzzzzzz’

She chuckled. ‘Enjoy your nap then, Byakko. Sweet Dreams.’

After a while, she reached the tailoring shop and got what she needed with one silver coin. With her goal accomplished, it was time to enjoy a city life.

She wasn’t in a rush anyway, so she decided to spend the rest of the day checking every shop in the city that would pique her interest. It has also been a very long time since she last ate good food so her first stop would be an eatery. ‘Oh, and maybe I’ll drink a bit of wine too.’

***

Wang Xiao Yu was the second daughter of Sky Garden Sect’s grand elder, yet she was the least talented among her peers. No, forget about talent, she couldn’t even get past the Origin stage. Despite the resources her family spent, she didn’t show any improvement.

In the end, her family gave up and disowned her. She was allowed to stay in the outer sect, but she was treated like trash. From a pampered heir, she turned into an insect that even the lowest members of the sect could bully. Still, she didn’t give up. She tried different ways to prove she was worth something.

When none of the sect’s techniques could help, she decided to go on a journey. She was permanently banished from the sect in the process, but that was fine. As long as she grew stronger, she believed she would once again recieve her family's affection.

With her mortal body, she traversed dangerous lands. Most of the time she ran away, but that was all against beasts way above her level, ones that could’ve killed her with a single thought. As for the ones she culled, none of them were weaker than her. In fact, they were at least twice as powerful as her.

Her senses were honed to their utmost limits. Sadly, a mortal was a mortal. There was a limit to how much she could reach. At the age of fourteen, she received a severe injury that further decreased her power. And at her weakest, she was stabbed by a thief.

Now she lay in an alley somewhere in the city of Reid, blood seeping out of her stomach. Tears also dropped, but not due to pain – her life was going to end without seeing her loved ones. Her efforts up till now were all for naught. Why did she even try so hard? Why was she even born?

“Oh, you’re still alive.” A girl’s voice said.

The girl moved her into a sitting position, and looked her in the eye. “I’ll make this fast, serve me. If you do, I will save your life. If you don’t, I’ll leave your life at the hands of a random physician.”

She wasn’t sure if what the girl was telling the truth or if a physician could even help her. As an experienced fighter, she could tell she was a few steps away from death’s door… but she decided to make a gamble. Even though she knew full well that it would be pointless to keep on living, she nodded.

She lost consciousness shortly, not knowing that her decision would change her life forever.

Right Hand of the Lightning Goddess – that would be her title in a distant future.