Reincarnated as the Villainess’s Unlucky Bodyguard

Chapter 147 Core of the Sovereign Flame

Liria surged forward, her Shadowflare Blade igniting with its eerie black-and-purple flames. The monstrous guardian roared, its massive body twisting to meet her charge. Its molten eyes locked onto her, and with a sweep of its colossal arm, it sent a shockwave of force crashing through the chamber.

She barely managed to dodge, rolling under the swing before countering with a precise slash at its exposed flank. The Shadowflare Blade carved into its obsidian hide, sending cracks of dark fire along its surface, but the beast barely flinched.

"Well, that's annoying," Liria muttered under her breath.

Behind her, Enara unleashed a flurry of violet magic, her hands glowing with arcane energy. "Move!" she commanded, hurling a concentrated blast at the monster's head. The impact rocked the chamber, sending bits of stone tumbling from the ceiling.

Daena was already moving, her massive wings unfurling as she took to the air. She summoned a blazing sphere of dark fire between her claws before launching it downward. The explosion that followed sent tremors through the cavern, momentarily engulfing the creature in fire.

For a moment, silence. Then, with a guttural growl, the beast emerged from the flames, its molten cracks glowing even brighter.

Liria narrowed her eyes. It's absorbing the magic.

"Enara! Daena! Hold back on the fire attacks!" she shouted, pivoting as the guardian slammed a massive fist into the ground, sending a shockwave of molten energy rippling through the floor.

Ananara, now towering and adorned with an absurd amount of magical energy, floated beside them with a look of supreme boredom. "Ah yes, another fight where I do nothing but observe your incompetence. Truly, a riveting experience."

"Shut up and help!" Liria snapped, narrowly avoiding a barrage of molten spikes.

Ananara sighed. "Fine. Stand aside, peasants." With an exaggerated flourish, he unleashed a wave of golden energy, striking the guardian directly in its molten chest. The impact sent a massive crack running through its core, and for the first time, the beast stumbled.

Liria smirked. There's the weak point.

"Focus on the cracks!" she ordered, dashing in to take advantage of the opening.

The battle raged on, every attack whittling down the guardian's defenses until, finally, with one last, powerful strike from Liria's Shadowflare Blade, the beast let out a shuddering roar and collapsed into a smoldering heap.

Silence filled the chamber. Then, as the last remnants of the guardian's form disintegrated into embers, a deep rumble echoed through the cavern.

Before them, the stone floor began to split apart, revealing a hidden chamber beneath. At its center stood a pedestal, atop which rested an ornate treasure chest, glowing with an eerie golden light.

Liria wiped sweat from her brow. "Well, that was unnecessarily dramatic."

Enara crossed her arms, breathing heavily. "You say that like you didn't love every second of it."

Daena cracked her knuckles. "I'll break the chest open if it's locked."

"Or," Liria interrupted, stepping forward, "we could just open it normally."

Daena grumbled but stepped back. With a cautious breath, Liria approached the treasure chest, her senses on high alert. Something about this feels... different.

She knelt, placing a hand on the lid. The moment her fingers made contact, a pulse of raw power surged through her body, sending shivers down her spine.

She hesitated. Then, with a slow exhale, she lifted the lid.

Inside, resting upon a bed of deep crimson velvet, was a glowing core a perfect sphere of deep orange and crimson, swirling with an internal fire.

[Core of the Sovereign Flame]

A wave of intense heat radiated from the core, but Liria wasn't burned. Instead, an overwhelming pull gripped her, drawing her hand toward it.

She didn't resist.

The moment her fingers touched the core, a surge of unimaginable power exploded through her veins.

Liria's vision blurred. Her body froze, then burned—an unbearable sensation of something ancient, powerful, and overwhelming pouring into her very soul.

Her system's interface flared before her eyes, bombarding her with notifications.

[Warning: Foreign Power Detected]

[Attempting to Assimilate...]

[Assimilation Successful. Integrating Core of the Sovereign Flame.]

Liria gritted her teeth as a violent heat erupted from within her, waves of raw energy surging through every inch of her body. Her vision blurred, her limbs trembled, and her breath came in short, ragged gasps. It felt as if fire itself had fused into her bones, reshaping her from the inside out.

Then, the system's notifications flared before her eyes.

[Level Up! Level 17 ? Level 30]

[Attributes Increased Significantly]

[Updated Status:]

Name: Liria Silverthorn

Race: Half-Human, Half-Demon

Level: 30

Experience: 0/30,000

Health: 8,500/8,500

Magic: 7,000/7,000

Attributes:Strength: 110 (+57)Agility: 102 (+51)Endurance: 98 (+49)Intelligence: 75 (+35)Magic: 135 (+75)Abilities Unlocked or Upgraded:Swordsmanship (Level 7) ?Endurance Training (Level 6) ?Fireball (Level 7) ?Ember Swipe (Level 6) ?Blade Mastery (Level 6) ?Inferno Burst (Level 5) ?Hellstorm (Level 4) ?Nightflame Shield (Level 4) ?Shadowflare Blade (Level 5) ?NEW ABILITY: Sovereign's Wrath (Level 1)NEW ABILITY: Ember Rebirth (Level 1)

Liria barely had time to process the monumental jump in power before her body seized up again. The energy within her pulsed violently, forcing her to steady herself with one hand against the treasure chest.

Her muscles no longer ached with exhaustion—they burned with raw potential. Her senses sharpened, her heartbeat boomed in her ears like a war drum, and she could feel the very air around her, the heat, the magic, as though she were connected to something greater than herself.

Then, just as quickly as it began, the surge ended.

A breath.

Another.

Liria forced herself to stand upright. The room felt smaller now—no, she had grown stronger, faster. It was undeniable.

The others had noticed.

"Liria?" Enara's voice was hesitant, her dark eyes narrowing as she took a cautious step forward. "What just happened?"

Liria exhaled, rolling her shoulders as if shaking off the lingering traces of the energy still coursing through her veins. "I... don't know," she lied smoothly, tilting her head as if deep in thought. "But I feel... different."

"Different how?" Daena's sharp gaze bored into her.

Liria shrugged, feigning casual indifference. "Stronger, I guess. Like something inside me woke up."

Daena's frown deepened. She wasn't buying it entirely, but there was no physical evidence of what had happened—at least, none that they could see. Only Liria could see her stats, and she had no intention of sharing them.

Ananara, who had been oddly quiet up until now, floated closer, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Hmph. Stronger, you say?" the sentient pineapple mused, his golden glow flickering slightly. "I suppose that would make sense, considering you just absorbed a terrifyingly powerful artifact without a second thought. Truly, your recklessness never ceases to amaze me."

Liria shot him a look. "Thanks, Ananara. Your support means everything to me."

"Yes, yes, I exist to inspire."

Enara, however, wasn't letting this go so easily. "You feel stronger—but how much stronger?"

Liria stretched her arms, testing the flexibility of her movements. The power still hummed beneath her skin, waiting to be unleashed. If she wasn't careful, it might show.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, which was at least partially true. "But whatever that thing was, it did something to me."

Daena crossed her arms. "It didn't just do something. It changed you."

Liria hesitated for a fraction of a second before schooling her expression into one of mild confusion. "Changed me? I don't feel... different."

It was a lie, of course. She felt completely different.

Her strength had nearly doubled. Her magic had skyrocketed. Even her reflexes felt enhanced, her body more attuned to the flow of battle than ever before. But she couldn't let them know that.

Not yet.

Daena exchanged a brief glance with Enara, then sighed, rubbing her forehead. "We'll figure it out later. Right now, we should get out of here before something else decides to show up."

Liria nodded. "Agreed."

They turned toward the exit, leaving behind the now-empty chest. But as Liria took one last glance over her shoulder, she couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger had just been set into motion.

The Sovereign's Flame.

A fragment of power that had chosen her.

And deep inside her, something was watching.

Far away, in the depths of a realm untouched by time, the Dark Sovereign sat upon her throne of blackened stone, her golden eyes glowing with triumphant delight.

A pulse of raw energy had just resonated through the void—a familiar power, one she had long been waiting for.

She closed her eyes, savoring the sensation.

Liria had taken the bait.

The Core of the Sovereign Flame had fused into her, sinking into her very essence. The foolish girl had no idea what she had done—what she had allowed.

A slow, satisfied smile spread across the Dark Sovereign's lips.

"At last."

She could feel Liria now, clearer than ever before. Not just as a distant presence, but as something connected to her. A tether, unbreakable, forged through the ancient magic of the Sovereign's Flame. Continue reading on empire

And that meant one thing:

Liria was now hers to command.

"Oh, my dear child," she mused, tapping her fingers against the armrest of her throne. "You've made this far too easy."

All it would take was a single whisper a mere thought and she could seize control, bend the girl to her will.

Not yet, though.

No, she would wait. Let Liria believe she was still free, let her grow stronger, let her struggle.

Because when the moment was right...

The Dark Sovereign would claim her completely.

And there would be no escape.