Over the next month, Pef and his wives, along with the new Tyrants and their nice weapons, continued their relentless attacks on the Phobia's perimeter, and slowly upgrading hundreds of the Fire Disciples.
Two of the elder Tyrants of the Fire Circle became new Sovereigns after ingesting a White pill, including the woman Pef first picked, Ardent Hestia. However, while Sovereigns were stronger and more able to use their domain, it didn't make them into warriors.
Hestia was ganged up by a spider colony and got cut up awful, by web traps and sharp mandibles.
And while she hanged on, being a resilient Sovereign, the glove predicted she would die in a month, unless she got outside help.
Just then, an unexpected rescue arrived, possibly called by Yuan or the Fire Lord.
A large hawk with green wingtips, circled Vesuvius then came to land on the access platform inside the volcano.
The Druid Lord and his daughter jumped off, and were met by the leader of the Fire Disciples.
"Welcome to Vesuvius, honored druids." the Fire Sovereign said politely, then invited them to follow him inside.
The 6th Circle druid smiled politely and flew after him. "Yes, it's been a century since we spoke, right?"
"Maybe more. It was at the Yellow Marches stalemate, wasn't it? Those mud golems were tough, eh?" the host said with a sad tone.
"Yeah, you're right. You should get out more, fly around. It's all the rage and fashion these days. Where's the prodigy?" the druid asked as he couldn't sense none of the four airship travelers.
"Sieging Phobia, with most of our Tyrants. It's almost over, thank god. He's killed some 5000 Tyrant spiders and 8 queens!" the Fire Sovereign proclaimed in half awe and led them to where Sovereign Hestia lay dying.
The druid blinked, and then glanced at his daughter. She stepped next to the new Sovereign and prayed for healing.
There was a long wait, perhaps 10 minutes, before the communion commenced and some injuries were healed, just enough to save Hestia's life and make her become fertile again.
But her body would still be scarred and disfigured. Gaia cared about life, not its appearance.
Green Blossom sighed, seeing this new Sovereign destined to remain alone and unmarried, for the next million years.
"The Goddess gave life. Your new Sovereign will live. With her veil on." she replied in a dejected voice and stood up.
The two cult leaders shivered a bit then nodded. At least she would have her life and rank, the poor woman.
Another Ardent entered the healing room, a new Tyrant about half to her next rank. She nodded to the Lords and began setting up a bath and some medicine for the convalescent Sovereign, and pointed discreetly at the door.
The Lords sighed and left the room, and went to discuss how to split the new pills and such.
That evening, Pef returned from the siege lines with two more Tyrants, and eight Emperors raised from the lower ranks.
Not that the former Spirit ranked Disciples complained of reaching only Emperor. It was a huge boon, and they could fly!
Some Disciples complained that Lord Pef seemed to favor women for new ranks, as 90 percent of the latest upgrades were done to fire sisters. But most of them shut up, when they observed the beautiful radiant skin and perfect body shapes of their valued female disciples. Surely they might get to taste such forbidden fruits one day!
In truth, Pef preferred being hugged by pretty women. The sect had enough powerful male elders, he could balance the scales and bring more beauty in the world.
Then as he arrived at the volcano, he met with a greener beauty, that Blossom Lady who had healed Yuan a month ago.
"Hello Lady druid. It's been a while." the hero said politely, while his wives landed around him, and the new recruits flew to report to wherever they did that.
"It seems like thousands of years have passed, Lord Pef. You're a Sovereign...and Lady Ignited is a Monarch..." miss Yen said in a meek tone, a bit awed and impressed. Very impressed, to say the truth.
"The Blue pill seems to have helped, right? I sense you're much stronger already." Pef said back, scanning the woman up and down.
"Well, the heavenly pills are very potent. I have brought a few Green Meridian pills, to pay you back, and perhaps cross you over, but it seems the White pills were enough." the lady druid said softly, holding out a storage ring.
'Take them, Aspirant. Shaving off 50 thousand years to next rank is a good reward.' the glove demanded at once.
"Okay sure. I have a White pill for you as well. We can trade!" Pef said with a wide grin, slapping his palms and producing a sapphire ring with a White pill inside.
Miss Yen blushed a bit, looking at the ring with wide eyes. 'Is that an offer? I could get a rank from this! But marriage, with such a young man? Then again, he's a Sovereign, I should be honored...'
Pef smiled and swapped the rings in a split-second, then peered inside the ring. There were 4 Green pills inside.
"Let's take them later, I think. Did you ever eat spider grill with garlic, Miss Blossom?" our young hero asked politely.
The woman had not, and never imagined eating a spider. But after seeing Pef and his wives wolf down ravenously on the divine smelling meat, she took a small bite. Then another, and another.
In a few hours, Pef and these four women devoured tons of juicy white meat, and smelled of garlic from a kilometer away.
Then they sat to drink some wine and share stories, until midnight.
As the Disciples drummed the time and ordered people to sleep, Pef leaned back in his chair and took out a Green Pill, holding it for inspection, then gulped it at speed.
The druid Tyrant smiled a little and gulped her own new White pill.
Blinding light mixed in the cavernous room, white and green qi intersecting and creating interference patterns on the basalt walls.
The glove perked up, memorizing and analyzing the new data. The patterns were a bit distorted, like a huge metaphysical gravity source was around. Not enough data, but another clue.
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It won't take long now, to piece together the true reality of this pocket universe.
The neo knife poked out a little, from the glove compartment, before diving back in and setting to wait. False alarm, for now. But soon, the user would be strong enough to unsheathe the true blade, and let loose the dogs of war.
Jian and Qin looked at each other with some pity. It seemed they won't be getting Green Pills just yet.
Then they elbowed their big sister for a prank, and set their husband on a bed, with the druid on top.
That should teach him, when the druid woke up and screamed his ears out.
Then they went to sleep, as tomorrow would be another battle, and more spiders to kill.
Unfortunately, the druid Lord was a Sovereign and soon spotted his daughter lying comfortably on top of the young Xi Sovereign. 'Well then. If that's your choice, I won't oppose it, my daughter. You've exchanged gifts and drinks and meals, and now you share the same bed. Plus, if a Monarch thinks him good enough, my daughter deserves the best too!'
When morning came, Yen woke up feeling comfortably hugged by the young man, and her qi rank at the peak of Tyrant, along with a stronger soul. He would still be exhausted by all the deadly poisons of the Green Meridian Pill, but such was the pill made.
Twenty powerful plant poisons, mixed and refined to obtain the most powerful cure known on the planet.
It increased fertility and senses range by ten times, and killed half the people who took it. She prayed the kind young man will make it, and live to have dozens of children.
She gently touched his face, and wiped a few tears. The Green Pill was painful beyond belief, such that other pills would even compare. Lord Pef must be truly strong to withstand all this, without even breathing hard.
Inside Pef's mind however, he was seeing the last days of his mother, the pill dredging out forgotten memories.
'Don't worry, ma. I'm almost strong enough now. I'll come find your soul, and send it back to a new life. Just wait a bit more.
Don't cry, mom. I'm almost there...'
A few hours later, Pef woke up feeling fresh and new, and pleasurably hugged by a nice warm druidess.
His body reacted on instinct, poking and molding the bountiful bounty on top of him.
"Ah, Lord Pef...you're awake..." the woman said in a bit of panic, as she enjoyed the hug for too long and remained resting on his chest.
"You're very kind to have stayed with me, Miss Blossom. We can stay a bit longer, this feels really nice." he said softly, calming his hands, and just patting the druid's back gently.
The druid sort of agreed. It felt quite warm and safe. But perhaps too warm, below the waist.
"I'm a more traditional woman, Lord Pef. A meal and some wine is not my style. You'll have to court me properly, okay?" she demanded in a bit of squeaky voice. Why did it squick just now?
Pef sighed and took out another ring, since his offer was still on the table.
Then he turned sideways, keeping both hands in front, and placed the new Sovereign ranked ring on her little right finger, then anchored it there with a formation.
"There, my pretty lady. Engaged to be married. I can wait, til you're sure. My wife Monarch Yuan is still a virgin, you know? We have all the time in the world." he explained with a slight snort.
Green Blossom was a bit happy and not. She expected at least a kiss. But then again, she asked him to wait...
The green haired woman decided to kiss him first, and paw over his body a little. Just to know how he felt, nothing more.
Pef endured, letting the new wife get to know him, at her own pace. Blossom was kinda plain and homey, some pockmarks and scars here and there, but she had big muscles and great airbags, so he wouldn't reject her outright. With the Legion method, the tiny imperfections and scars would vanish, and her body would become a goddess template anyway. But for him, only the soul mattered.
About an hour later, his stomach growled, and they both smiled.
"I should call my wives and cook something. And you, my druid fiancee, probably go do whatever you came here to do."
Yen jumped out of the bed in panic, then took out a green breastplate to draw it over her head.
"Dad's here! Damn it. How did I forget? He must have sensed everything!" she exclaimed in panic and ran out.
Pef coughed a bit, sensing the Druid Sovereign had been indeed watching, while Yuan and her sisters were giggling in laughing fits in the next room.
'So, Green Pills for them too?' he asked the glove in a more wary tone.
'Jian would die, I think. Perhaps Qin as well. Yuan has her skill, so it won't bother her much.' the glove answered after a few seconds of quantum computing projections.
'So, only Aria would be safe, back home...' Pef mused in a thoughtful tone.
'Your Lady Si, would have 50 percent chance to advance. Or die. But she'll die in 400 years or so, at Spirit rank anyway' the system offered with an obvious agenda. It wanted strong recruits.
Pef thought a bit, then shook his head. No point to risk it now. In 400 years, many things could change.
'No. I'll keep one Green pill for the worst case scenario.' Pef decided in the end.
'Okay then, Aspirant. By the way. You'll have kids at 10 years per wife now, instead of 100 years. So, you'll have lots and lots of them. Even more kids, if you keep Aria busy. Yuan will take some time to impregnate.' it explained with a bit of gleeful amusement. The user was really lucky, both to increase his fertility and cultivating children rate by ten times.
Although, it kinda doubted this user would be satisfied, even though these rates were comparable to decent tier 3 universes.
Somewhere in high orbit, and a divine dimension, a messenger arrived in front of its goddess.
"Mistresss.... I think we have a problem!" it said in a pained tone.
"You think so, eh? There's a single queen left in Phobia! Barely enough mounts of my disciples! And that bastard fire god made his play, and created a Fire Monarch!" the unnamed goddess screeched in anger.
"Perhapsss, you could spare some energy? Fortify the defenses? The fog has weakened a lot past month..."
"Spare my energy? What did you think this is, divine buffet? No! You go, and merge with the last queen. Become a Monarch and make me an army of Sovereign mounts!" the goddess ordered, sacrificing this ignorant tool without a blinking an eye.
The messenger hesitated then sighed. It might even work, maybe. Even though, becoming corporeal had risks...