"You are right," Diana said, heaving a deep sigh. She recalled what Harper had said to comfort her earlier. Her words sounded harsher than that of Howard's. In fact, Harper didn't comfort people. Rather, she used her words for provoking and goading people into action. And her tactics were effective. Diana remembered how Harper's words had pushed her out of the lull where she had almost accepted her fate to be killed by her sister. Had it not been for Harper, that day, Diana would have died in the Labyrinth Swamp rather than being here at the moment.

"After I bring peace back to the South Kingdom, I will follow her," Diana declared in a determined tone. "I have so much to learn from her. I strongly believe that staying with her is incredibly beneficial for me."

"Only if she is willing to take you with her. It's not so easy to have your way with Harper, you see," Howard reminded her calmly. Then he teased her, "Judging from your intelligence quotient, I don't think she will be willing to take you with her."

"Howard Chu, what do you mean?" Diana asked, rolling up her sleeves. "Do you want to get into a fight with me?"

Howard raised his eyebrows and turned to go outward, without saying anything to Diana. He was aware that this time was not for reveling in such useless conversations. After Diana's secret visit to the r

believe that they must have encountered some sort of lucky opportunities in the Labyrinth Swamp that helped them improve their strength exponentially."

"It's nothing as such. And you certainly need not enter the Labyrinth Swamp for that. If you can control the power in your body that excites you, you can also improve your strength by a level or even more than them," Harper said gently. "I know you feel empowered when you are excited. But that is the time when you even have a risk of harming your companions as well. But if you can control yourself, you'll win."

Fred looked at Harper in surprise. A glimmer of hope played in his eyes. "Can I control it?" he asked.

"Of course you can. As long as your strength is out of your control, it is like a double-edged sword that not only hurts your enemy but will harm you as well. Until the time it is under your control, it will be your own power. So, I suggest, you practice having control over yourself," Harper said, her eyes full of trust. "And I believe you can make it."

"I can make it?" Fred mumbled, staring at his hands. All this time, he had been suppressing his strength for the fear that it might make him go crazy. But if he could control himself, as Harper said, then it would mean a qualitative leap to him. "I can make it. And I will do it," he affirmed to himself.