Chapter 33: The Teammate Transformation Plan

Chapter 33: The Team Member Transformation Plan

“Why do I feel like I’m being entrusted with something important again, like the White Emperor entrusting his orphan?” Ye Tian scratched his head.

“What does that mean?” Taya asked, puzzled.

“Uh, nothing. It basically means leaving very important matters to someone else and then slipping away yourself,” Ye Tian explained.

Taya’s cheeks flushed. “You can’t be serious.”

Ye Tian was surprised. “Did I actually guess right?”

Taya hesitated for a long time before finally gritting her teeth and saying, “Gale, have you ever heard of the Elven race?”

“I think so,” Ye Tian said, recalling a vague memory, probably from inherited knowledge.

“In fact, I am an Elf,” Taya confessed. She slowly removed the hood from her cloak, revealing a beautiful, delicate face, and two pointed, upright ears.

“So this is what an Elf looks like!” Ye Tian rubbed his chin and leaned closer to Taya. Her fair cheeks were now as red as ripe fruit.

“You don’t seem very surprised,” Taya noted.

“Well, I’ve seen cat ears before, and honestly, nothing in this world surprises me anymore,” Ye Tian replied with a bitter smile, for he had already been startled enough.

“You adapt quite quickly,” Taya said, putting her cloak back on. If people discovered she was an Elf, it would cause a bloodbath across the continent, all for the sake of capturing her.

“Cat ears? Have you seen Beastfolk?” Taya suddenly asked.

“Yes, I have,” Ye Tian recalled the clever Snakefolk girls and wondered how they were doing now.

“These days, Beastfolk rarely appear on the continent, most live as slaves. Actually, it’s not just Beastfolk. Besides humans, few other races walk openly on the continent,” Taya sighed.

“Why is that?” Ye Tian asked curiously.

“Elves love peace and seldom intervene, Beastfolk are strong but slow-witted, Dwarves focus on forging and rarely leave their mountains, Dragons are proud and sleep for decades or centuries. Humans, after a generation or two, everything changes,” Taya lamented.

Ye Tian’s words carried an undertone. Taya blushed. “Of all races, only humans are the most numerous and reproduce the fastest. Humans possess a cunning and intelligence that other races rarely match.”

“What does that have to do with you leaving?” Ye Tian suddenly interjected.

“I sneaked out,” Taya admitted, turning away angrily. Ye Tian really was too much.

“You’re worried your family will bring you back, aren’t you?” Ye Tian laughed.

“There’s another reason. It’s not safe for her to be with me. If people knew I was an Elf, there’d be a line of slave hunters stretching down the street,” Taya said helplessly. “So why aren’t you afraid of me?” Ye Tian wondered.

“Because you saved that girl in the restaurant,” Taya whispered. “I feel you’re different from them.”

Ye Tian smiled. “By the way, does Alansa know your identity?”

“She knows. I told her,” Taya replied.

“You think she’s safer with me than with you, right?” Ye Tian suddenly asked.

“At least safer than with me,” Taya said, glancing into the room with reluctance.

“Maybe I’m more dangerous than you!” Ye Tian said, lowering his head to remove the crystal lens from his eye.

“Demon! Demon! Demon race!” Taya shrieked, stumbling back, nearly falling.

“Careful! Is that necessary?” Ye Tian stepped forward, grabbed her waist, and pulled her back.

She found herself pressed against Ye Tian, overwhelmed by his masculine scent. Her face reddened further as she struggled to break free.

“Alright, enough!” Ye Tian complained, giving her a playful smack. She froze, ceasing her struggle.

“Calm now?” Ye Tian smiled, releasing her and putting his glasses back on.

“Gale!” Taya’s voice was as loud as a lion’s roar, waking the entire inn. “What’s going on?” Alansa, clutching her pillow, ran out sleepily.

“Oh dear!” Ye Tian quickly wrapped Taya up in his coat. Taya blushed, pulling Alansa inside.

“A pair!” Ye Tian sighed, then returned to bed.

“Gale!” Early the next morning, Ye Tian felt a weight on his chest and opened his eyes to see Alansa glaring at him.

“Good morning, Alansa!” Ye Tian greeted.

“It’s not morning, and—wait, why is your coat here?” Alansa demanded, clutching his jacket.

Ye Tian recalled last night’s events and looked at Alansa, surprised at her figure.

“Tell me, quickly. Did you sneak into our room last night and do something bad?” Alansa asked angrily.

Ye Tian’s suite had two small rooms, one open and the other with a door—ideal for mixed-gender teams, and much more expensive than a single room.

“No,” Ye Tian denied. “Really, I didn’t. Then why is your coat with me?” Alansa twisted around on Ye Tian, making him uncomfortable.

“Alansa, could you get off me first?” Ye Tian asked with a wry smile.

“Why?” Alansa was puzzled.

“If you don’t get off, I can’t promise I won’t do something inappropriate,” Ye Tian warned.

“Pervert!” Alansa stomped on his face, threw his jacket aside, and stormed off.

“That was close!” Ye Tian sighed in relief. Alansa was easy to fool.

After washing up, Ye Tian went downstairs. Alansa and Taya were having breakfast. When she saw Ye Tian, Alansa huffed and turned away. Ye Tian’s mischievous instincts stirred, and an evil idea formed in his mind.

“Alansa,” Ye Tian said, grabbing the bread in front of her and pulling it towards himself. “Yesterday, Taya told me some things, so today I need to tell you something important.”

“What is it?” Alansa, ready to explode, paused in confusion.

“Hehe, it’s something good! So, do you want to change yourself, become more reliable, stronger, and make others see you in a new light?” Ye Tian asked.

“Yes!” Alansa’s eyes sparkled.

“Or do you want to get rid of your bad habits and become someone who can stand on their own?” Ye Tian continued to tempt her.

“Yes!” Alansa nodded like a drum.

“Really?”

“Really!” Alansa confirmed.

“I can help you, but you must unconditionally obey me. Whatever I tell you to do, you must do. No saying no. Deal?” Ye Tian smiled.

“You?” Alansa scoffed.

“Don’t believe me? Then press this fork into the table,” Ye Tian pointed at the metal fork on the table.

“How could I possibly do that?” Alansa looked troubled. As a mere thief, she could barely use battle energy and couldn’t possibly press a fork into such a hard wooden table.

“You’re just… playing with me,” Alansa’s voice faltered, because Ye Tian had already embedded the fork into the solid table, without any sign of battle energy.

“So, can I teach you?” Ye Tian pinched the fork’s end with two fingers and slowly pulled it out, oblivious to the two girls whose mouths could swallow an egg.

“How did you do that?” Alansa immediately leaned in to ask.

“Want to learn? You must obey me completely. I promise, when we reach our destination, you’ll become the person you want to be,” Ye Tian’s voice was seductive, making Alansa hesitate but unable to resist.

“I…” Alansa glanced at Taya, who said nothing.

“It seems you’ll never give Taya peace of mind,” Ye Tian sighed, getting up to leave.

“I agree!” Alansa cried, grabbing Ye Tian’s arm. “I agree!”

“Hehe, you said it yourself. So hurry and eat. After breakfast, help me shop for some things, and then your transformation plan officially begins. No objections, right?” Ye Tian’s devilish smile made Alansa instantly regret her decision.