BUILDING MY OWN EMPIRE - My Journey from Nothing to Overwhelming Power-Chapter 50 – The Training Arc Begins

"I don’t know what’s going on inside the leader’s head..." Soman whispered, his voice so low his words barely slipped past his lips.

Since my rank had risen, my five senses had improved dramatically. In the past, if someone stood three or four meters away and whispered,

it would have been impossible for me to catch even a single word. But now, Soman’s mouth moved as if he were speaking right in my arms—haha.

His conversation with the others reached me with absolute clarity, as if it were in 4K. Yes, I know 4K is a picture resolution, not sound—I’m not stupid.

I’m just using it as an example, my friend.

Louis walked beside him, along with Joe and the leader of the Stone Fighters.

At the front were Monali and me.

Since the battle, it had become clear to everyone that Monali had become number two in the city after me. Her immense contributions and leadership were undeniable proof of that.

In addition, everyone—even before the battle to begin with—had regarded her as a true camera of bloody authority.

It’s a good thing she earned the second rank, otherwise I would have found myself in serious trouble.

"I informed the princess of everything. She didn’t show any real objection, and that in itself is a good sign, isn’t it?" Joe replied.

Louis shot him a sharp sideways glance and whispered,

"You think the leader might make a mistake while the princess wouldn’t? You idiot."

Haha, it’s good to have a decent lawyer on my side. Louis and I—after our relationship once moved anything but smoothly—now seem far more solid.

Maybe she’s just going easy on me out of pity because I spent a week stuck in bed. Or maybe I earned some real recognition for leadership in her eyes while I was fighting.

Either way... I’m happy that everything is moving forward.

"Nooo! That’s not what I meant. Don’t put words in my mouth!" Joe shouted.

At that moment, Monali turned. The cold glint in her eyes was enough to seal every tongue. A heavy silence fell, broken only by my muffled laugh.

"Those fools," I murmured to Monali, "they truly think the wind of their conversation doesn’t reach my ears."

"You can’t blame them," Monali whispered.

I shook my head slowly. "Of course I don’t. I have my own doubts about that monster lurking in the dark. But the rewards waiting for us weigh far more than suspicion. And now... we’ve arrived."

"Still... do you think he will really give us the flowers?" the princess asked me.

"I have no doubt about that part. What truly makes me uneasy is..."

"What?" Monali whispered, her steps slowing, and I slowed with her.

"What worries me is... why didn’t anyone want the flowers for themselves? Our agreement makes targeting anything related to the village a violation, but..."

I fell silent for a moment.

"I’m nothing but a tiny speck in a vast world... there could be a thousand ways to break that agreement. I hope nothing happens... I hope..."

"What?" Monali asked with a faint smile.

"Heh... why are you smiling?" I said.

"That’s none of your business. Go on," Monali whispered lightly.

"Alright, as you command, haha. What I hope is that you won’t resent me if something bad happens because of my decision."

I think everyone was listening to us... yet none of them broke the silence.

The princess reached her hand toward my shoulder.

Ah...

She pinched me.

Then she moved a little ahead with a sway, turned back toward me, and said,

"Everything we are now... is because of you. One mistake, or two, or even a hundred will never be enough to make you fall from your place in our hearts, Commander. You are a true king, and we will help you build your empire."

She looked toward a certain tree, toyed with strands of her hair, and added,

"In bad times... before the good ones, Commander... we will support you."

I didn’t reply.

Truthfully, those words were pushing tears to my eyes... but I only smiled faintly and moved forward.

We stopped at the cave’s threshold. The scene had changed disturbingly. Strange shrubs had recently grown, dyed in a bright violet my eyes had never recorded before, exuding a scent like a mixture of musk and rot.

{Private Seer Activated}

{Purple Lily = 4000 Accumulation Points}

I let out a low whistle. What an extravagant number.

After carefully gathering the harvest, I turned to the group.

"Listen well... it’s best if none of you speak in front of the monster."

"Yes, sir." they answered in one voice.

Inside, it felt as if nature had lost its mind. Only a single day had passed, yet the cave had turned into a bizarre forest;

rocks had grown protrusions like fangs, and twisted trees swayed their branches as if they were breathing. The transformation was drastic, as though time in this place ran at a mad speed.

After a few steps into that eerie darkness, a hoarse voice split the air, dripping with mockery.

"What a gathering... talented fighters, and the great Daughter of the Moon as my guest."

Their bodies trembled visibly, as if a sudden frost had gnawed at their bones,

yet not a single one spoke.

"Let’s begin," I said firmly.

"Let’s begin," the voice replied, and unlike usual, the mockery was absent this time.

Out of nowhere, four ancient wooden chests appeared, lidless, bearing within them the spoils of struggle;

twenty yellow flowers, fifteen green, ten red, and five blue. But the white flower was missing.

"Where is it?" I asked sharply.

"Come and harvest it yourself."

A corridor of pale light opened toward a dark side.

I followed it until I reached a vast expanse, like a battlefield covered in grass. In the center stood a single stalk, crowned with a brilliance that blinded the eyes—the white flower.

The monster explained in its concealed voice, "The white flower does not like waiting. The faster you consume it, the stronger its effect."

As I approached, I asked, "How do you know all these details about the healing plant?"

It didn’t answer. As always, it chose when to speak and when to remain silent.

As I drew closer, the radiance began to fade until I stood right before it. It looked ordinary, but its scent...

Good heavens, that smell!

"Did the scent surprise you?" the voice whispered near my ear.

It was the smell of soil wet by the first rainfall, the fragrance I had always loved.

"How?" I asked in astonishment.

"Unlike the others, the white and the black change their scents.

The white gives you what you love... the black gives you what you hate."

"So that’s it," I muttered.

I plucked it carefully, and the moment it settled between my fingers, I tossed it into my mouth in one swift motion.

In that instant, I felt a torrent of energy rushing across my body like a cold waterfall... then it vanished suddenly.

{White Flower Healing Ability Acquired – Fifth Grade}

{Notice: Your rank is below the allowed threshold. Power will be restricted to maintain bodily balance}

So... what the monster said was true.

I looked into the darkness. "I didn’t feel the effect I expected." 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The monster replied mockingly, "Because you’re lucky, ’Egg.’ If your rank were higher, you’d be writhing in pain under its force. Consumable elements adapt to the vessel of the soul. If you want to help an ant, give it a grain of wheat, not a mountain."

"I understand," I whispered, then returned to the others. "Your turn."

I stood before the five blue flowers and addressed the fighters. "You’re fortunate your number matches the flowers."

Monali began, and the others followed in a silent ritual of power.

Then I addressed the monster again. "What about our other agreement?"

"It’s completely ready, just as you wanted," the monster answered.

The lights flared...

They led us to a grand door. Beyond it lay an endless white hall, lined with one hundred doors, each marked with a number.

The monster warned us in a tone not devoid of cruelty:

"There are two conditions."

Silence fell.

"First: I will not lend a hand to anyone who falls into danger. These stages are real tests, deadly games. Win to pass, and failure means repeating it until you master it."

It paused, then continued,

"Second, the next stage will not open unless you finish the previous one with an excellent result.

There is normal, good, and excellent...

and only excellent allows you to advance."

Then came the final warning.

"The games are real.

Death... is death."

I smiled.

In a loud voice, to raise their morale, I said,

"Fair conditions. Let’s begin. Don’t worry about food and water, you’ll find plenty.

And remember... days here are only seconds outside.

Train hard."

No one hesitated.

They quickly dispersed, each to his own door.

At my request, the Deception Monster turned the walls of their rooms into magical mirrors, showing them one another’s battles,

with one condition: a fighter could only see those at his level or lower, so the challenge remained. You will not see what you have not yet reached.

Still, they would receive notifications of everyone’s progress.

As for me...

my training was somewhat different.

"Are you ready?" the Deception Monster asked.

I smiled faintly.

"Let’s go."