Chapter 85: Chapter 85: The Newly Recruited Employee Already Reached Eternal Grade?

Five hundred kilometers. Even at full speed, the train would need over seven hours to cover the distance.

Bai Cheng estimated that they would arrive before dawn, which gave her just enough time to get some sleep.

Chi Yan took over the driving duties from her, while Zi Yuan remained responsible for the train’s security.

Now that Bai Cheng had a third employee, she no longer had to worry about leaving the rear undefended.

Lü Duo could be stationed at the back, ensuring the entire train’s safety.

So far, Bai Cheng had never encountered a situation where the train was attacked on a large scale while moving.

But she did it just in case. After all, who could accurately predict the future?

However, after Bai Cheng assigned Lü Duo her task, the girl nodded stiffly, looking as if she had something to say but hesitated.

Bai Cheng frowned. "What’s wrong? Is there a problem?"

Lü Duo quickly shook her head. "No, no, Young Lady."

Her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the window, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "It’s just... I sensed a very familiar energy."

"Hmm?" Bai Cheng followed her line of sight. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

There was only one chest by the window. If there was anything inside that could catch Lü Duo’s attention, it had to be the Evil Totem she had stored there not long ago.

Bai Cheng walked over, opened the crate, and picked up the totem. "You mean this?"

Lü Duo nodded eagerly. "Yes, Young Lady. This object contains immense energy. If..."

She glanced at Bai Cheng cautiously before continuing, "If I absorb it, I might achieve a significant breakthrough."

Bai Cheng’s brows furrowed.

So, employees can absorb the totem?

Seeing her reaction, Lü Duo quickly backtracked. "Young Lady, I was just saying that casually. This must be important to you—"

"Take it." Bai Cheng waved a hand dismissively.

"Eh?" Lü Duo’s words cut off abruptly before she hurriedly bowed. "Thank you, Young Lady!"

"No need for formalities. The stronger you all are, the better you can protect me."

Compared to keeping the Evil Totem as a last resort, improving her employees’ strength was far more important right now.

Bai Cheng understood this clearly, which was why she didn’t hesitate.

But then, another thought struck her.

As a newly recruited employee, Lü Duo was only at Elite Rank 1.

Meanwhile, Chi Yan and Zi Yuan had long since reached the threshold for breaking through the Elite rank. The gap in strength was obvious.

Catching her up wouldn’t be easy.

But she couldn’t just ignore the imbalance among her employees, could she?

Bai Cheng suddenly remembered the magic crystals in her storage. Now was the perfect time to use them.

"Good thing I never used them before," she muttered, taking out four magic crystals and handing them to Lü Duo.

Still, she kept one for herself. They were still valuable crafting materials.

"Take these too. Absorb them all."

"Ah!" Lü Duo was overwhelmed. "Young Lady, you’re too kind!"

"Go on." Bai Cheng waved her off.

Lü Duo’s excitement was palpable. A single magic crystal was equivalent to 100 EXP, equal to slaying almost a dozen magical beasts.

Four of them would save her an unimaginable amount of time.

The magic crystals seemed to be a product refined by the system, and employees could effortlessly absorb them.

In the blink of an eye, all four were gone, and Lü Duo’s aura surged as the massive influx of EXP propelled her strength upward.

Although Bai Cheng herself was still an ordinary human, she had seen plenty of Elite Rank magical beasts by now.

At a glance, she could tell that Lü Duo had grown stronger, but not enough to match Zi Yuan, let alone Chi Yan.

A quick check on the screen confirmed that 400 EXP had only brought Lü Duo to the early stages of Elite Rank 4.

Next, Lü Duo began absorbing the Evil Totem.

Bai Cheng assumed that this would take a while and was about to leave when—

Snap!

The totem in Lü Duo’s hands suddenly activated.

Dark brown vines burst from its surface, writhing like a frenzied octopus.

The abrupt movement made Bai Cheng jump back instinctively.

The nearby Zi Yuan instantly rose to her feet, hand already on her sword.

But then, the vines seemed to lock onto their target, surrounding Lü Duo.

In an instant, they coiled around her, binding her tightly like a cocoon.

Silence fell over the train carriage, broken only by the steady rumble of the steam engine.

Seeing Lü Duo motionless, Bai Cheng turned to Zi Yuan worriedly. "Is absorbing this thing dangerous?"

Zi Yuan slowly sheathed her sword, relaxing. "Young Lady, as far as I know, no plant-based magical creature can harm a Forest Elf Royalty."

Bai Cheng sighed in relief.

"Then it looks like the absorption is going smoothly."

"I wonder what kind of changes will happen." She glanced at the cocoon. Realizing that this would take a while, she decided to not wait.

It was getting late, and Bai Cheng returned to Carriage #1 to rest.

Click.

With a flick of the switch, the carriage plunged into darkness.

The train sped through the rugged, snow-capped mountains, like a lone ember in the night.

Time passed quietly.

Just as dawn broke and the storm receded, a red light suddenly engulfed the entire train.

Bai Cheng felt the train lurch violently before an overwhelming surge of energy rushed past her.

She bolted upright, blinking in confusion. "What was that?"

The energy had come from the front.

"Did Lü Duo finish her absorbtion?"

Pushing open the door, she saw Lü Duo standing still, adjusting to her newfound power. A faint red glow still emanated from her body.

Bai Cheng froze.

Chi Yan remained as stoic as ever, focused on driving.

On the other hand, tears welled in Zi Yuan’s eyes as she sniffled.

"Young Lady, look at her!"

"Lü Duo... Lü Duo has reached Eternal grade! Waaah..."

Bai Cheng’s face lit up with excitement.

"She advanced without an Eternal Heart?!"