Nyx felt that the best course of action was to create a strong foundation and focus on her strengths. Only then, with her weak power, would Nyx have a chance at surprising the captors that would be, hopefully, severely underestimating her.
"The noisy rattlesnake gets the stick, but the silent scorpion gets the toe." Nyx's thoughts drifted while in meditation caused her to subconsciously mutter a line she had never understood on her homeworld, Earth, but quickly adopted during her subsequent lives.
She had seen what happened to those that flaunted their strength, often just a bluff which would quickly lead to their demise. While Nyx knew that fighting from the shadows, from both a physical and physiological standpoint, wasn't enough to guarantee victory, she understood that it opened up many more options. And having more options at the decisive moment, more often than not, would be the difference between life and death.
Nyx smiled, relieved that she could finally act how she pleased in her body. She had many more such quotes that she once loved to list off.
Most of them had turned into rules that she lived by, but since she had transformed into a mute around the time of her thirtieth death, only responding to her master's explicit orders, most had remained unspoken as she repressed her nature.
Lightly sighing, Nyx refocused her mind on absorbing and refining essence. In the future, when she had complete her innate circuit, she could allow her mind to wander as it would continue subconsciously, but at the moment, if her mind drifted, her efforts to prepare her body would grind to a halt, and she would only be wasting time.
To break the mould and reach the perfection Nyx strived for, just for the certainty of killing those that needed to be killed and destroying her soul gem, Nyx couldn't waste any time.
She was already at a significant enough handicap as it was, and while she wouldn't rely on the inefficient cultivation techniques that were in mainstream circulation, using her own which should give her an edge, every moment wasted was like ten to a traditional cultivator.
Nyx's thinking had become warped over time, and while the situation would be considered daunting to most, Nyx was almost shaking in excitement.
What she planned wasn't just because she had gained an unhealthy obsession with the dark, but because of what it symbolised.
In the darkness, similar to the abyss, she felt like she had complete control and peace. To Nyx, it was perfection.
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As this was her custom cultivation technique, being developed for her soul by her understanding and impression of darkness, Nyx wouldn't let anything corrupt it.
Even though she had experienced something terrible earlier, an event that still was attempting to attract her minds focus and flood her with negative emotions, being able to make a decision, and then act upon it, left Nyx with a sense of peace that rose from deep within her soul.
By using her cultivation technique, focused on achieving the perfect balance and understanding of darkness, Nyx was confident that she would be able to turn this weak, pathetic body into a monster.
A monster that would strike so much fear into the hearts of others that, not even if an apocalypse were to occur, would never be summoned to this world again.
For the first time since being ripped from her mortal life, Nyx felt excitement towards the future, a faint aura of bloodlust emanating from her frail body.
Of course, this depended on Nyx surviving her current predicament. And even though she was fully confident, Nyx couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous.
Though the white-haired man said she must not be killed, she had already died once. The abuse done to her body, along with the lacklustre healing, showed just how much care they were willing to give.
In essence, while they wanted the money, or at least it seemed that way, if she died, the worst someone would get was a bollocking.
Sighing once again, Nyx shook her head slightly, the pain from her muscles making her regret the act immediately. She knew there was nothing she could do but try her best. If she died, she died.
If she suffered too much, she would self-destruct and make sure to pay back the pain with interest when she returned.
Unbeknown to Nyx, it was this mindset that caused the underworld during her previous lives to tremble at the mere mention of her name.
A common saying spoken between crime lords was that, once Nyx's master had decided on your demise, it wasn't a matter of if but when you would meet the reaper. What made it worse that each failed attempt would only strengthen Nyx, each slight and offence avenged in the most brutal, calculating way.
A creature that you could stop once or twice, but would eventually tear out your throat.
At the peak of Nyx's activity, it wasn't uncommon for some to commit suicide, having lost their minds jumping at every shadow or breeze that fluttered past.
A few hours later, after Nyx constantly had to stop her wandering mind and was becoming somewhat frustrated, she finally felt that she had enough essence to advance her body's affinity significantly.
After absorbing the last bits of pure essence that had recovered during her recent refinement, Nyx slowly moved her aching arms down to her stomach and started to form strange, unknown seals with her fingers.
While the act was beyond pointless to Nyx, being something similar to a mental aid in guiding energy, Nyx subconscious completed the seals as she began to push the pure, refined dark essence in a circuit around her body.
Unlike earlier, Nyx succeeded in a complete circuit, even though her body greatly resisted the energy. Especially her bones, organs and muscles, yet after the first pass, it became increasingly more comfortable as Nyx's blood vessels, and channels started to strengthen.
Soon, impurities and toxins were forced from her flesh, quickly followed by her organs and bones as the essence refined her body at an unbelievable pace.