Become the Strongest Master With a Genius Student

The midday sun beat down on the deserted corner of the eastern border town's market, where Vheena, a produce vendor, sighed. Six hours. Not a single customer. It was a familiar, frustrating refrain.

"If only I had been given a cheat like the Golden Finger when I was transported to this world," she muttered under her breath, her heterochromatic eyes scanning the empty space before her stall. "Instead, just this pointless transformation into a woman."

Folding up her unsold goods, Vheena left the market, choosing a quiet alley as a shortcut home. Her gaze idly drifted, then snagged on a small, emaciated child, clad in rags, hunched in the shadows.

Pity stirring, Vheena approached, offering a piece of fruit. The child, a girl, snatched it with a suspicious glare before devouring it as if starved for days. Seeing her hunger, Vheena gave her the rest of her fruit.

"Little one, where are your parents?" Vheena asked softly. The girl's sharp, immediate reply cut her off: "I don't have any parents."

Vheena felt a pang. In this world, the weak were discarded. This child was clearly one of them. An idea sparked. "Hey, little girl! Wait!" she called out. "If you really have no parents or anyone, you can come with me if you want."

The girl hesitated, then, to Vheena's surprise, refused. "I can't follow a suspicious person like you who hides their face."

Annoyed, Vheena looked around, then pulled down her hood, revealing her striking, otherworldly face. "See, little girl, I'm not a suspicious person, am I?"

The child stared, eyes wide, before her expression shifted to one of profound awe. Then, a sudden, booming shout echoed down the alley.

"Miss! No, Master! Please make me your apprentice!!!"

Vheena blinked. 'Ehhhh…'