When I woke up, every bit of memory was still there. Eve, her memories, her suffering, I remember everything. Even the tower crumbling.

As well as how she witnessed the end of our world...

...

... ...

Breathing in and out after finally getting my body back, I felt strangely more complete. Like I've retrieved a very important part of me. Of us...

Closing my eyes again I could feel her, conciousness sleeping as a part of my core. She looked frail and tired. So tired... a

Like this was the first time she had the chance to be truly asleep... Her imprint faded and flickered sometimes, as she held her eyes solid shut. As if waking up again will speed up the erosion of her conciousness.

For unlike all of us, her time already ended back in the previous timeline. And yet she exists.

Even without knowing the exact knowledge behind it, I could somehow understand why NOIM temporarily broke her soul into several pieces... To voluntarily go through that process however...

Just why... was she willing to go this far...

As if hearing me, a notification popped in front of me.

[Info] Quest: Fragmented Soul of an Observer of the End. Defeat all five waves, without falling from the top 1 of the Leaderboard to collect all of the fragments of Eve's soul.

Reward: NOIM will help, Mend and fully integrate eve's soul to your Origin Core.

Failure: Removal of all benefits given by NOIM. Death to your current body as well as lifetime of servitude to NOIM upon reaching the 17th of age for seven hundred lifetimes.

'The Observer of the End' huh...

I simply smiled, at the failure notification. As helpful as NOIM is for helping eve maintain her soul. It really likes to collect it's dues whenever the opportunity arises.

I was gonna do it anyway. No need to threaten me to do it. Sensing Eve within my core one last time, I took another deep breath before finally openning my eyes.

...

... ...

………………………… …………………………

I was naked for some reason.

Looking around this seems to be inside one of the houses inside the town. I wasn't tied up or in any danger, well... except for the tip of the spell blade, directly sticking to my neck.

"You're awake."

Zhao Mei's icy voice sounded as my vision stabilized. Still disoriented, I continued to scan the surroundings before finally securing my smile. We were now inside one of the houses.

And both naked for some... troublesome reason.

"I must have passed out after claiming the reward... I'm gonna have to pick a safe place and time..."

"It was easy enough to carry you since I have a body enhancement type skill." I could feel Zhao Mei as she brushed her leg somewhere below my abdomen. Her beautiful and body overshadowed by the absurdity of it all. Finally couldn't take it anymore, I then asked:

"I'm sorry, but is your bloodline acting up again?"

"It is. You know, it wanted me to kill you for dragging us to your mess. Seeing as I didnt feel doing so, it ate away my emotions again as you can see."

"As to why were naked?"

Zhao Mei took a long pause as she eyed me from head to toe. Seemingly amused as to how my body reacts everytime she touches the back of my ear using her other hand. After seeing my other self bulge even more, she finally continued...

"I had to clean you up. You bloody clothes kept staining the bed. I even had to buy another sheet for that."

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"I mean why are you n--"

I raised my hand in surrender as Zhao Mei intentionally let the spell blade lick the skin of my neck. One my arms being used as Zhao Mei's pillow as she comfortably rested the spellblade on my chest, my neck now bleeding a drop as she pressed the blade to my neck.

"-Naked as well..."

I forced myself to finish. Limiting my facial movements to prevent the spell blade from prickling my neck further.

"I was washing you when my bloodline started acting up. It's hard how urges go out of control without emotions keeping them in check."

"Then did we..."

A trickle of blood flowed down to my neck making me stop what I was gonna say.

"No. Not yet. Sooner or later maybe. My thinking seems to be more logical when I'm in this state. Urge and curiosity both navigating my decisions towards where it wants to.

"Though not entirely." She hugged me somewhat tighter. The Spellblade no longer on my neck, but now towards my otherhead.

Well that's different. I almost chuckled, but thankfully I was able to hold it. I doubt she could kill me on that earlier position, much less now... Though I wouldn't indulge my self with the urges of my own, specially now that my other part is in danger.

...

"What is it that you want then?"

"That story. Where did you hear that from?"

Zhao Mei asked. Her eyes a lot more colder this time. She flicked it back and fort as she waited for my answer.

"I stitched together two false stories, and added some real facts here and the--'

"I suggest you start speaking the truth unless you want to spend the rest of the level without your meat stick on." She threatened without a shred of emotion, which only earned me a Chuckle.

"What else there to tell? I may have told something you're not expecting, but it's not like it's something that the people at the level of your Circle didn't already about."

"They call Zhao Xue, your mother, Madame for a reason."

A hint of pride and wariness spread across Zhao Mei before instantly getting devoured by her bloodline. She paused as if, thinking before nodding to herself, nudging my thing to continue.

"That's the reality of it for your case. Those who speak lies create truths. And I'd rather create my own truth than solid others.

Why are you so concerned anyway? The story turned a bit blurry for some lines, but it turned out a lot better if you think about it. "

"Your story is nothing but vague hints." Zhao Mei answered, not a shred of emotion on her face.

"The story I told... sounds a lot more lovely than what you're clan has been circulating throughout their little playpen. What's more strange is that none of your clans renditions ever mentions about the contributions of the Madame herself."

"The Madame seems to be fine with this as well. Or is willing to settle just for an avenue of peace."

"She must really love her daughter."

Seeing her barely react at all, it seems that Zhao Mei took it in rather well. She paused and just looked at me for a while before barely making out a smile. It seems that her bloodline is finally subsiding...

"It's... frustrating if you put it that way. It's not like Mother didn't want the recognition for her achievements, she involved herself even on a lower level point of view, from research, planning, execution and revision just for all of it to come to fruition. She dedicated her life to complete our cause. Why wouldn't she want the recognition. And why would she allow those martial saints to seal off the idea that we finally our mission?

It's just that those people not only hold most of our military might, they're also powerful themselves...-"

She cut herself off. For some reason her bloodline didn't ate away her anger but instead amplified it. As if it shared her situation as well... Zhao Mei's eyes lost in cold anger as I stated at her. I answered after finally seeing her calm down.

"I know them, old martial arts monsters who somehow prolonged their life by modifying their bodies or through meditation and what not, holding martial prestige enough to sway majority of the clan."

"They... I don't know how else to put it... They're really not that much interesting if you ask me."

"As if you could take them all out."

"Easily."

Zhao Mei looked at me, even her emotionless face looked skeptical as even the childhood stories taught to her were tailored to praise the martial saints. It took a while but her anger eventually subsided.

"I might just take you up on that offer."

Zhao Mei smiled some of hint of playfulness returning. Though it didn't look as if she believes me, she seems to appreciate the gesture by the looks of it. By this time she had already placed the Spellblade back to her inventory and was now stroking back and fort. Her hand cold but gentle.

"Ah..."

"What?" Zhao Mei asked with a smirk. She finally wrestled back full control of her emotions. Chuckling at her, I turned sidewards to face her.

"You should really ask your Mother to clean up the old vermin like that sooner rather than later."

"It would be dangerous if you have old powerful schemers lurking behind you specially once the chaos starts."

"Do we look like we need your help?" Zhao Mei smiled sweetly, a hint of pride and the playfulness I hadn't really known about her painted across her face.

Pulling her body close to mine, she shriekd before laughing telling me that I seem to be working with her bloodline to actively seduce her. Telling me that her bloodline finally gave up and just wanted to push her to oblivion instead. Which is me by the way.

"But just incase, I'm gonna have to collect the payment in advance."

"Eaaaka Hahaha!"

She giggled. Probably the first time I'm seeing her do so.

'You're beautiful'. I mumbled softly as I took her.

...

We spent the night together for hours, not knowing that the second wave has already begun. Knowing Eve could access my memories, I'll probably have to explain this to her when she wakes up. This and a whole lot more.

For now, I'll have to give it my all to secure the rest of her soul. The weight of the consequences as well as the negative 70 luck now only properly registering to me, and for all I know everything will only get harder from this point on.

Memories as a form of communication rushed at me to comfort but I suppressed it.

'Sleep for now' I whispered to the conciousness inside me.

'I'll try to manage somehow.'

...

... ...

To be continued.