It would be safe to say that, excluding her neck and head, there wasn't an inch of skin on the woman that hadn't been disfigured in some way. Deep purple bruises were crisscrossed with angry, red scars from a multitude of varied sources.

The most serious and seemingly life-threatening scars had a green, somewhat leaf-like hue, indicating that while they were scars, they were recent injuries that had recovered quickly due to a healing art.

Nyx grimaced realising why his body was feeling so incredibly weak right now, even for a non-cultivating mortal.

Healing arts weren't omnipotent and extracted a significant cost on the recipient if the caster wasn't willing to share the burden.

At the start, healing arts would use the energy cultivated by the recipient before moving onto breaking down the bodies fat reserves. If this still weren't enough, the next target would be the bones, muscles and flesh, before as an absolute last resort, the bodies organs.

While it healed the body of any critical injuries, this process didn't waste any energy numbing the nerves and thus, was agonisingly painful. So much so that there were a few that would rather die than be saved with this method.

Nyx sighed as he returned his attention to the scars, releasing a slight shudder in sympathy for the pain the original owner of this body must have gone through.

Apart from the scars, there were many scabs, some that were still bleeding after being knocked in the earlier ordeal.

The two worst scars were placed near his narrow hips, which at any other time, he might have considered attractive, and in a moment of understanding, he linked them to the words of the fat man from earlier.

While his knowledge of human anatomy was limited, not having gained much by his enemies and his own disembowelments, he understood enough to realise that their positions were at a sensitive place for any woman.

Sympathy for the previous inhabitant of this body momentarily overwhelmed Nyx. It wasn't that she could no longer have children, nor the fate she suffered before he took over her body. It was the pain she must have felt, both physically and emotionally.

This body had evidently been tortured and abused though it didn't appear to have been done over a long period. The reason the previous body's owner had been so thin was, most likely, due to the healing magic that had been used to save her life during that time.

Nyx quietly offered a prayer, hoping that the soul had not found its way to the abyss and could be reincarnated or whatever happened to those that avoided the void yet, as he didn't know her, apart from the momentary sympathy, he instantly forgot about her plight.

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Death had become a regular occurrence to him, whether it be other peoples or his own and that he now occupied her body didn't influence his mindset or emotions in the slightest.

However, a burning sense of injustice and rage still boiled deep within his soul. The pain that the poor woman would have suffered, for no other reason than another's cruel and vile nature, severely tested his already exceedingly low, bottom line.

To Nyx, murder wasn't a big deal but inflicting pain on suffering on another was a different matter altogether. Even against those he had to kill, he would always opt for the method that would be the least painful for all involved.

Unless he suffered excessively at their hands. Then, like a wild demon released from bowls of hell, he would show them the true meaning of pain and despair when he was next summoned.

"Eradicate the white-haired man and destroy my crystal. Gut the fat bastard like a pig, kill all those involved with this... whatever it is and return to the abyss." Nyx loudly proclaimed his goals, his weak, feminine voice standing in stark contrast to the decisiveness it carried.

Without consciously realising it, Nyx had already added anyone who had anything to do with this woman's fate to the things that he must destroy. However, it was a vague goal and, unless he came across any definitive evidence, he probably wouldn't investigate much.

Having exhausted all other avenues, even avoiding processing what he saw in his peripheral, Nyx finally moved his eyes to the small tuft of brown hair between his legs and released a sigh before closing his eyes.

"I am Nyx... I am a woman."

His voice was shaky at first, but after he repeated a few times, it became more and more natural.

Within a half an hour of repeating it, though he had many lingering thoughts and concerns, Nyx had mostly changed his mental image to that of a female.

"I am Nyx. I am a woman." Opening her eyes and taking in the reflection that stood before her, Nyx started into the mirror, accepting everything she saw.

Revealing a tight-lipped smile, Nyx nodded once, happy that now she had resolved her identity crisis and that she could now focus on the more important matters.

Using the mirror, so she didn't have to strain her body too much, Nyx moved so she could see the reflection of the room behind her.

While she would have usually done this at the outset, the situation when she woke up had killed a fair amount of her reason. After it had been done, she hadn't really cared about examining her environment and sort to solidify her soul and sense of self as quickly as possible.

Beside the strange, stone slab that acted as a table and the mirror, the only thing worth any notice was a small straw cot that sat hidden in the shadows of the corner.

On the floor next to the cot, stood a jug while at the other corner, was what Nyx could only assume to be a chamber pot.

Nyx sighed at the lack of materials in the room and returned her gaze to the mirror before starting to examine it.

Seconds later, Nyx couldn't help but release a depressed chuckle.

The mirror wasn't made of glass like she initially assumed, but a polished metal that had been embedded into the wall.

All of the edges of the mirror were smoothed to the point it fitted seamlessly with the stone wall. There was not a single place where Nyx could find leverage, not that she had a tool to prize it off the wall in the first place.