Once again, Nyx was determined not to rush this stage and set a tentative goal of ten layers before she would consider advancing. Of course, that was assuming she could do it. If she started to feel that her foundation was unable to support the layers, she would stop and condense her cultivator's gem.

Also, it wasn't that she as setting the bar low. The most Nyx had ever heard anyone reach was the ninth layer. The man was a legendary figure that's actions had changed the course world forever. As such, even with her knowledge, Nyx didn't hold out much hope for exceeding it by much.

After an unknown amount of time, Nyx was finally awoken from her cultivation by the sound of slow, heavy footsteps.

Revealing a frown, a gnawing fear Nyx hadn't expected started to appear in her chest as her heartbeat increased.

Not wanting to waste the energy that was mid-cycle, and as a way to momentarily distract herself, Nyx quickly pulled the unspent essence close to her heart.

Checking out the results of her efforts, Nyx was pleasantly surprised to find that she was around the fifty per cent mark in her body's attunement.

The number was shocking, and Nyx was torn between thinking that too much time had passed since she started, or that the body she possessed hid an innate constitution towards cultivation.

The footsteps that had been so faint that they were barely audible continued to increase as Nyx lifted herself up on her elbows, being shocked once again.

Most of the injuries on her body, though not healed completely, had improved significantly.

Nyx was aware that the refinement stage would allow her body to use the pure dark essence to heal somewhat, but she hadn't expected it to be this degree.

Sitting up entirely, Nyx flexed her fists, hearing small popping sounds as she stretched her back.

There was still pain, quite a lot in fact, but it was much more bearable before.

"Just how much time has passed?" muttered Nyx, smiling happily before lifting her shoulders and casting away the useless question. "What does it matter?"

A loud bang, followed by the squeaky hinges of a door echoed down what Nyx could only assume to be a corridor, wiping the smile from her face.

A clash of metal on stone, a few mumbled words she couldn't hear, and the sound of the door being closed and locked, resonated soon after.

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"From darkness, I am born, to the darkness I shall return," mumbled Nyx as she subconsciously made sure her robe was covering her body and pulled her knee's towards her chest.

One by one, the sound of doors being unlocked, opened and metal hitting stone reverberated down the corridor, only adding to the quickly building nervousness in Nyx's chest.

Sometimes Nyx could hear feminine sobs, often followed by an evil chuckle she recognised instantly, yet the fat man didn't seem to be spending too much time in each cell, quickly moving onto the next.

Nyx's heart felt like it was beating beside her ears. Her show of bravado early, instantly crumbling however that changed the moment she heard her doors locks being unfastened.

As if someone had pressed a switch, Nyx's heart immediately calmed down as she fell into the family fight or flight response her soul had made second nature. With the sudden calmness, Nyx's mind started to work extremely quickly, analysing everything and producing, then instantly rejecting many plans.

The quote she had subconsciously spoken earlier, floated to the surface of her mind and, as if she had become a completely different person, Nyx's posture changed.

Her legs fell into a cross, comfortable position as her back straightened, resting one elbow on her knee as the other proposed her head up as if she as thinking.

Nyx had decided that no matter if it was just food or water, or if the fat man had come once again to expend his lust. If he gave her even the sliver of a chance, she would end his life without a moment's hesitation.

That wasn't to say she was going to look for conflict, and while she didn't believe in bluffing strength, with how weak she was now, it hardly seemed to matter.

Even if the man didn't have a cultivation base, his natural strength would easily overpower her while she was in this weakened state, and she knew that defeating him would be akin to a mouse strangling a lion.

Before this, Nyx would have thought 'what is the worst that could happen?', planning on dying before she suffered too much but, as the recent experiences haunted her and the words failed to form, even in her mind.

The final bolt was released with a dull thud, yet Nyx remained motionless, looking in the direction of the door seemingly without emotion.

As the door was opening, the torches along the walls magically ignited, however, even though the room was bathed in light, slightly blinding Nyx, the moment the middle-aged, fat man's eyes locked onto Nyx's, he froze.

Dark blue, emotionless eyes stared coldly back, their depth making him feel as he was looking into the abyss.

The memory of the last time he left his charge had caused the man to feel hesitant about meeting the woman again, delaying his rounds. However, after a few drinks, he finally had worked up the courage to come and remove all of the doubts that had slowly crept into his mind.

He planned to enjoy the woman until, not only would she be unable to walk, she wouldn't have the spirit to look at him in that way yet, what he saw caused his already unsettled soul to shake.

There was a counter side to Nyx's ability to hide her eye's intent and emotion. Within a limited range of emotions, she could project what she wanted others to see.

The man, who was still stood awkwardly, one hand on the door nob, felt like it wasn't a human starting at him, lazily sitting as if she didn't have a care in the world, but an ancient monstrosity.

A beast that that had crawled up from the depths of hell for the sole purpose of claiming his soul.

The crazy, illogical thought, that if the were to move even a single finger, the man would be devoured instantly, reverberated in his mind.

Yet, as if he had experienced such occurrences before, the man took a deep, steadying breath before carefully entering the room, closing the door behind him.