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Chapter 487: Sera Reborn
The warm sunlight still brought a scorching sting.
Yet, compared to before, Sera enjoyed the freedom of walking under the sun more than ever.
Glancing at her noticeably lighter skin, Sera couldn't help but clench her fists.
She could clearly feel, aside from the sharp stinging sensations, that her muscles and the tendons guiding them could be controlled with incredible precision.
This feeling of absolute control gave Sera a fleeting illusion that she could do anything.
Shaking her head slowly to dispel the absurd thought, Sera noticed Annie approaching with a curious look in her eyes.
She had expected Annie to look at her with disdain or contempt, and had prepared herself for it.
Yet to her surprise, Annie's gaze held only curiosity, and her tone was gentle.
"How do you feel now? Besides the stinging in your nerves and tendons, is there any other discomfort?"
Sera cast Annie a measured glance, still unable to fully grasp her connection with Matthew, and replied evenly:
"I feel great. No other discomfort. I estimate I'll be fully recovered in two days."
Growing more attuned to her condition allowed Sera to make precise assessments.
She noted Annie's expectant expression, raised her elongated arm, and asked in a detached tone:
"Aren't you afraid?"
Annie paused briefly, then shook her head and replied calmly:
"The Cole Elf Kingdom won't give us time to be afraid, nor will the Nagas to the east."
"Us?"
"Yes. Though there are still many disparities, most Aelven Elves now see themselves as part of a single whole."
"But compared to Bay Territory, we still fall short in many ways…"
Sera watched Annie speak with ease, openly acknowledging her own shortcomings, something completely unlike the elves Sera had known.
The change brought by a different environment became suddenly clear to her.
Taking a deep breath, she felt the rhythm of her dual hearts beating in tandem. Sera turned to gaze at the tranquil cityscape, savoring a peace she had never known, and asked under Annie's curious gaze:
"In your eyes, what is Bay Territory like?"
As she asked, Sera couldn't help recalling the scenes from the underground laboratory.
She still found it hard to believe she had left that place behind.
Sitting under the shade of a tree, Annie pointed to a nearby food street with a smile and replied:
"It's wonderful here—no beggars, no oppression, no distinctions between high and low."
"Look, the children are saluting and greeting the patrolling soldiers. Their eyes are filled with light; they probably dream of becoming like them."
Following Annie's direction, Sera saw a group of schoolchildren laughing and saluting the patrolling soldiers.
On their innocent faces, Sera saw unprecedented vitality and a longing for a brighter future.
It was a feeling she had never experienced in the underground world.
She suddenly found the scheming and plotting of her past somewhat laughable.
What astonished Sera even more was that the soldiers in formation stopped to return the children's salutes.
The nearby pedestrians smiled warmly at the scene, as if it were a daily occurrence.
Such things never happened in Drow cities.
Even newborn infants had to endure brutal tests and screenings.
Growing up meant facing life-threatening dangers every day.
Even the closest family members could plot insidious schemes behind smiling faces.
Like Sera herself, who had killed two sisters, a brother, and a younger sister just to survive.
She had never imagined that children could grow up so healthy and happy.
Annie's envious voice suddenly broke Sera's thoughts.
"Sigh, even we Aelven Elves divide children into categories for training…"
"Aside from spellcasters, most are groomed as soldiers with unevenly distributed resources."
"…"
Sera could hear the frustration in Annie's tone and easily inferred Bay Territory's stance on child-rearing.
She felt a strange sense of envy that she quickly pushed aside.
Among the Drow, even one's offspring were potential competitors.
If not for the gods' "favor" and the Drow's indulgence in desires, the Drow might have vanished from the underground long ago.
"The Lord once said that children must be educated and nurtured collectively. They are the future of the territory, and they deserve the best."
Annie's voice carried excitement and anticipation.
With undisguised enthusiasm, she continued to explain to the astonished Sera:
"Hey, did you know? In all of Bay Territory, teachers have the best benefits, and becoming a teacher requires the highest qualifications."
"Nearly every child is taught to rely on themselves and to study and strive for the development of the territory."
"Everyone in Bay Territory has enough to eat, enjoys diverse cuisine, a wide variety of clothing, all at incredibly low prices…"
"As long as everyone works hard at their posts, the benefits they create are shared by everyone…"
Seeing Annie's excitement, Sera couldn't doubt her deep affection for Bay Territory's system.
To Sera's surprise, Annie had no intention of staying permanently in Bay Territory. Instead, she remarked with deep emotion:
"Lord Matthew once said that everyone must grow and work hard for their own country and land. That's why I'm studying so diligently here…"
As Annie spoke, Sera gradually came to understand the essence of Bay Territory.
It was an unprecedented territory.
With an unprecedented Lord.
Implementing unprecedented systems.
Perhaps it wasn't yet strong, but every resident worked tirelessly to make it so.
They all shared a common dream and goal!
It seemed absurd, challenging Sera's understanding of the world.
"Maybe, I should take a closer look."
"Maybe, I should stay and become part of it…"
"My homeland has no future, but perhaps I…"
As she listened intently to Annie's words, the indifference in Sera's eyes began to fade, replaced by a glimmer of newfound determination.
Matthew shifted his gaze from the reform data in his hands, noting that the accumulation for the fourth surgery was complete—it was ready for formal implementation.
To advance the fifth surgery, he would need the growth of the Life Tree and a fresh supply of Fate Energy.