Nick hammered away at his Soul Blade, his Soul Core thrumming in response to his actions. He was in his Blade Soulforge, the spherical chamber giving off its luminescent glow. The refined elemental elite–the ice wollywompus–core sank into his Focus with each blow, and his blade started to give off a feeling of powerful cold.
After the first tempering and subsequent ones, if he used his Expert Archaen Swordsmanship, he could create a blade of white light that had amazing cutting power. This was pretty much his default, as he could do this endlessly, so long as the blade stole essence from his targets. The mana cost wasn’t significant.
Since he used his Blade Soulforge to switch his focus to ice, the blade of white light now had blue frost coursing through it too, and it gave off a bit of cold.
It was not a lot. When he infused his mana and essence to form the white blade of light, it primarily increased his cutting power, which was of course valuable. However, he wanted it to do more. He wanted enemies he struck and sliced through to be slowed and weakened more significantly, to make it a part of his fighting style focused on control.
The resource half depleted, Nick took a break. The dome around him receded as he twisted his Soul Blade with a click.
With a smile, Jasmine once again was ready to take care of her master. She handed him a cup and held out a plate of Essence Fruits, the recliner brought out for him to sit down and relax.
Jasmine was wearing her sexy maid costume, her four-armed form looking mostly human or elven, aside from the stone gray skin. “Aren’t you going to try the new function–the Spirit Forge, Master?”
Sitting down, Nick took a drink of the energy whiskey, and felt his body and soul getting revitalized. He took a bite of the fruit, the refreshing taste of the essence filling him, as he pondered the answer to his question.
“I’m still thinking about what I want. In a partner. Then, how I want them to fight, and how I want to shift my blade.”
“Yeah, your father and that big elf woman, Artura were really something else! They made a great team. I’m sure your father put a lot of thought into her.”
Nick let out a breath. “That’s another weird part I’m having trouble with, too. I’m going to make someone? I don’t think I like that.”
“Oh! I can see that’s a little weird, for you. Why don’t you just make a monster, then? It doesn’t need to be a person. They don’t need to be a swordsman, besides. Your dad had those, too.”
“Hm. But it should be someone or something that resonates with my Path. What monster resonates with the Path of Kings? Or Heroes, for that matter?”
“Ah…that does sound kinda hard. Well, I’m sure you’ll figure something out, Master! Here–have another Essence Fruit!”
Nick chuckled as he took a bite of the offered fruit as he pondered. Among his wives, Jasmine and Fang were definitely not the thinking type.
Ultimately, he only had his Concepts to infuse into the Focus–at least for now, as those had the most influence over his blade.
Once someone reached the Third or Fourth Stratum, their understanding of numerous Concepts could reach the Early stages without necessarily making it a part of them. This was common for those with crafting classes, to allow them to imbue Concepts that weren’t a part of them, into equipment and other items.
Prior to then, it was extremely rare for a crafter to have a Concept not related to their crafting profession.
Thinking back to his spirit for his Soul Blade, it was easiest for him to envision his Dominion of Frost and Fealty in relation to the biting cold. It was certainly true that he didn’t have a Concept relating to swords, so why would the spirit need to be a swordsman?
But he was considering it–establishing a third Concept relating to swordsmanship, or the sword itself. It had been present in both of his lives, a drive to be great at it. The blade was how he enacted his will on the world, a tool that carried his power.
And it was more than just a tool. It was the weapon of nobility, a hallmark of civilization. He was familiar and well-versed with a wide array of weaponry, and all of them had advantages and disadvantages. Nick did not truly believe the sword was the best, or anything like that.
If there wasn’t the magical bullshit of these Concepts, and Essence, and he was only allowed to use one weapon his entire life, he would pick some kind of polearm weapon–something with a little more reach. He was fighting behemoth-sized monsters more often than not, after all.
However, in the world of Orion, the essence of something and all of the beliefs, and even history, surrounding it, might matter just as much as the cold hard facts–the science about something. The will of the world was as important as the truths, and it was only by combining them that you could make them a part of yourself and change or replace reality. To create a bullshit magic that could make even a needle that could destroy a mountain.
And the sword was the weapon of kings and heroes. Whether facing another human or a dragon, the weapon one would picture in a hero or king’s hands was definitely a sword.
On Orion that imagery and connection mattered. Thinking on it further, perhaps, the sword was the perfect thing to tie his Hero and King Paths and Concepts together into a singular fighting style. Most importantly, it was something that fit and was true to Nick and who he was–it resonated with him, both in this life and in his last.
He would come back to that or consider it later, but for now, Jasmine was right. He didn’t have to focus on a swordsman partner. Nick could concentrate on a monster that could complement him, and even one that matched his Dominion of Frost and Fealty.
There were a few mythological creatures that came to mind, and he wondered if it would be possible. He knew that the more ambitious it was, the more essence it would cost to trigger the Awakening–both to establish the spirit and awaken it, but also the cost to manifest it in battle.
That was just fine for Nick. Right now, aside from only being able to use it once per several hours, he could really fire Essence Burst at will, as he had plenty of essence to power the ability ever since he had reached the Second Stratum.
He was willing to go back to charging his Soul Blade to accomplish the manifestation, if it meant that it had a greater influence on his chances of victory in any battle.
After finishing his recovery and taking some hot and heavy kisses from Jasmine first, he returned to the forge. With a twist and a click, the dome covered him once again, retracting the cutting light of the Soul Blade as Jasmine went back to making more stone cloth.
Activating the Spirit Forge, the light in the room changed. A door opened underneath and next to the pedestal, and a blast of essence that looked like a flame struck the Soul Blade from it. Nick noticed it drew the essence partially from the material he provided, the wollywompus core once again being used.
The blade ready for special tempering, he began to swing his Spirit Hammer, striking the blade. With every swing, he pictured his future ally, and what it stood for. A creature that could breathe frost as a weapon, able to attack with ice magic at distances far greater than his own. A large, sturdy body, covered in thick and hard scales.
A being that was well known for its dominion, a veritable king of monsters. Monsters and races of all types would bend the knee to its superiority, providing tribute for its protection–or to avoid its hungering gaze.
With every blow, the elemental elite beast core suffused his Soul Blade’s Focus, and a silhouette of a creature began to form around it. Small ice crystals like teeth and deadly claws began to form along the hilt and blade, a manifestation of the monster’s nature, the essence of Orion reacting to his desire. The changes were subtle, to the point where he had to squint to even see them.
He knew this would take dozens of sessions in total, and perhaps require even better, rarer materials, for the spirit to be ready for awakening. Since he had been so ambitious, he had doubts he’d accomplish this before the Third Stratum at all.
However, as he felt exhaustion and finished using the material and retracted the blade from the forge, he could already feel the shift. The blade was now colder, deadlier. The Spirit Forge was truly something special, having a larger impact than the Soulforge on its own.
The downside was that it required far more materials–nearly double for the same result. He had been busy working on the blade, and he was forced to add clumps of refined frostiron ore from the mines before it ran out, as he wasn’t yet done. The forge quickly blew through them until he had consumed four of them, but he managed to reach a point he was satisfied with before stopping.
He could already feel the spirit taking shape within. Even though it was just born in a sense, it already felt domineering and powerful.
Jasmine had watched everything. “An ice dragon for a partner, Master? How ambitious. I do believe your father had a few dragon allies as well, but those aren’t even considered adults until they reach the third stratum.”
Nick nodded. “I doubt the blade will be ready to awaken before I reach that, anyhow. I’m level 18 as it is.”
“You never know, Master, but you might be right. So what’s next?”
“As expected, I’m a bit beat. I’ll rest a bit and work on my Soul Magic, then it’ll be time to…” He grimaced. “Eat some demon cores, I guess.”
Jasmine laughed. “Just like Birdy! It’s not that surprising. Monsters consume essence rather than cultivate, making them more like what they eat. And you’re part monster! But to think it was that simple.”
Nick was a little affronted, being compared to the demon bird. “It’s with Lumos’ precautions and cleansers she made for me, and after she refined the cores in the first place.” He changed the subject, ”Also, Winny will probably call me for help with her spiritual guide in the Spirit Vault, soon.”
Jasmine giggled at his attitude, “Hehe, of course, Master, not like the bird at all.” He narrowed his eyes at her, and she quickly returned to his choice of subject, “Binding that spirit should be exciting, I know Winny has been looking forward to it for a long time. But first, how about you let me help you relax a little? I know just the thing.”
Nick quickly found his butt landing into the recliner, and his Soul Blade and its harness stowed away. All while his belt was unfastened and his robes opened, her four hands working in concert to get him ready to relax in a near instant.
Nick arched his brow. “Well, since you’re offering…”
Jasmine gave him a sultry chuckle as she kissed his lips, and started trailing kisses down his chest. “Anytime you like, Master. Your wish is my command.”
***
“Alright, Winny. You’ve prepared for days. Let’s do this.”
Winny nodded, sitting in his lap with her armor with her bow strapped to her back, ready for battle. “Luna was already successful with her new totem, which was a surprise. It’s very useful.”
Nick chuckled. “She’d be a beast if she could replace all her elemental spirits with ones of that quality, but it seems there are limits to how many of that strength she can bond and connect with. Still, as useful as they all are, all of them could use some upgrading.”
They were sitting in the Spirit Vault, which…reminded Nick more of a prison than anything else. They sat on a prayer mat in a cylindrical room that reached several stories high, and small metallic cubes the size of basketballs lined every level of the room.
Chains ran around and between each of the cubes, and they floated mysteriously around the large room. The wall was lined with special cages, which Nick imagined being some of the more powerful spirits contained within.
Eirwen closed her eyes. “Alright, let’s do this.” She formed the connection to Nick, and made the call to bind a spirit to her. On the mat was a diagram she had created, which contained her requests for a spirit, as per the instructions of the Spirit Vault.
Numerous cubes lit up, and even some of the cages. Looking over them, Nick got a feel for the spirits inside. Among them, many of them were desperate, but all of them matched what Nick was hoping for: the desire to continue to serve the Noblefrost Kingdom.
Focusing on the ones with cages, he got an odd, uneasy feeling for several of them, even the one that he felt a light familiarity with–like the feeling he got when meeting the elves in Silverbrook. He wasn’t sure what the uneasy feeling was, but he felt it best to avoid them for the moment.
However, one stood out as feeling wise and strong. Eirwen opened her eyes and did her best to feel things out, but she accepted his assessment and called upon the spirit.
A small spirit appeared in front of them, looking like a tiny, green silhouette of someone that had burst into flame. The body was insubstantial, soul essence drifting off of it like a fiery haze. Someone else wouldn’t visibly be able to see this creature, and would instead only be able to sense it with their magical ones.
The small person looked like they had long limbs, sitting cross-legged and with their hands folded or clasped in front of them. Their hair almost looked like it was styled like a mohawk, and what looked like a bone piercing their nose. They had long ears like an elf, but their facial structure was definitely more square and what Nick would call handsome rather than beautiful. He had only met the teen at the orphanage and seen a handful in Silverbrook, but he was pretty certain this spirit was a troll.
A woman’s voice came from the spirit. “A sheep beastfolk called me? What a surprise, most I’ve known have been… well, that’s not important. I see you are not so meek, prepared for battle, as you are.”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
Eirwen frowned. “If you don’t like it, I can always call another spirit instead…”
The spirit gasped, and bowed her head. “My apologies for my poor manners, young Archaen Lady. But you know…” She raised her head and grinned, “I’m a troll, after all–it’s in my people’s nature to say what’s on our minds. My name is Shak’terra, and I served the Noble–” The women froze, frowning for a moment.
“I see. Orion has…restricted me, and what I can say here. An Archaen’s Wife needs my assistance, to be your bound spirit? When I willingly entered the ark, I wished to be reborn for War or Tribulation to earn a slot in an Ordeal, not to be someone’s spiritual guide. Since you called me, I take it our Kingdom did not fare too well, in the calamities that befell–” A weight descended, and she coughed. “Never mind that.”
Nick asked, “You wanted to fight in the war? We saw you came from one of those larger vaults, I take it you were someone special?”
Shak’terra chuckled, and shook her head. “Just the second or third string Follower level, I’m afraid, or I would have been reborn and died fighting before they had to cut and run, no doubt. But make no mistake: for someone like you in the Second Stratum, my guidance will be very useful, and I will complement your shamanic powers well. I can sense your budding Concepts, though they are a little odd. Not very shaman-like, but I can see they likely supplement your role in a Climber’s party well. I wonder what your Class is?”
Nick noticed that she seemed eager, and was definitely trying to sell herself. At the same time, her words were all truth.
Eirwen shared his thoughts. “My current Class is Ordeal Supporter, but I’ve learned shamanic magic and was hoping to unlock the Ancestral Guide Class by binding a spirit. You can sense the nature of my Concepts?”
Shak’terra grinned, exposing a large fanglike tooth on her tiny lips. “Not bad at all! And, of course I can, young Lady–some kind of Starlight and Wishes, right? I am a powerful Shamaness, after all, but my skills focus on using spirits to gather information, but also curse, and weaken enemies.”
She paused, thinking. “As an Ancestral Guide, you will find value in how I can assist you, as while some might not be my specialty, I am knowledgeable in all the shamanic arts, and even some sorcery and wizardry. I also have vast experience, so few should get an advantage over you under my watch.”
Nick was more than a little impressed. Sorcery on Orion often involved prepared magic through things like formations and using stored energies, as he learned from the Seraphara Ordeal. Wizardry was more like what Jasmine was accomplishing, but more focused on powerful individual spells and, of course, the average wizard was a lot less monstrous than her.
He himself would be focused on learning some Wizardry, if his Soul Blade and Soul Servants didn’t take up such a substantial reserve of his potential magical might.
Nick asked, “Can you tell us anything about the options we have? You’re the first we’ve met so far.”
She smirked. “Wanting some free information about my competitors, Young Noblefrost? I don’t mind, but we don’t have a lot of time to make this contract. The power any contracted spirit can bring about is going to be magical or guidance focused, as we have no body to influence the world directly, or cores to store essence and mana. We all must use you as a conduit to accomplish anything.”
“Because of your…strange choice of Core, that I have a hard time understanding,” Shak’terra continued, “your mana and elemental stores are weaker than most. So, a more elemental focused shaman, a more specialized sorcerer or wizard, or even an elemental spirit on its own is a poor choice for you. Obviously, a Chieftain or Warlord, a melee combatant’s spirit, would be silly for you. I admit when it comes to scouting or even doing direct damage, a more exotic, monstrous spirit might have me beat. But in terms of guidance and magical superiority, few will be my match, I promise you that.”
She raised her index finger, adding, “Outside the first string of the Noblefrost Kingdom, of course. Those would have even deeper foundations, their talents unique and their fates special. I worked hard for myself, and was at the peak of the Third Stratum for over a hundred years, but I could never obtain a slot in an Ordeal to properly walk a Path. I’ve faced Roaming Trials, a smaller Kingdom’s Tribulation, and several Conflicts, so my experience is deep outside of them.”
That made a bit of sense to Nick. A true mage or elemental shaman, like Agatha and her lightning core, would usually have a core focused on creating either aspected mana or storing much more mana overall, to increase their effectiveness at their role. Eirwen had created her Devotion Core instead, which had less individual utility, all in hopes that she could empower her husband.
She could still form a second specialized core, but it was actually quite challenging to find the right materials, they had learned. Most wouldn’t even imagine trying until the Third Stratum. It was because the material required had to be that much rarer, and often, the cultivation method that much more complicated to be successful.
Rebecca was lucky that the material provided for the Devotion Core was good enough, and that her Faith Core was so compatible. Perhaps it would just work out if they found the right materials, as this seemed to be a unique trait for Archeans. But Nick wasn’t so sure they could just hope for the best from the 20th Floor Path of Kings–not unless he cranked the difficulty up again before they entered.
And while they could hope to land a Fourth Stratum spirit instead of this troll, Nick was actually thinking this woman was exactly what they needed. It might require a full-blown Trial for someone in the fourth, as they would have even more restricted knowledge.
Worse, they might be a little crazy from whatever odd method they might have used to reach it. He was pretty sure the uneasy feeling he felt was that they were, and Eirwen got the same feeling. They both had a good feeling about this woman from the very beginning when they selected her.
As for a unique monster’s spirit, that wouldn’t work for the Class she wanted. She could turn it into a Bound Spirit, but she would have to ditch her Ordeal Supporter Class entirely, it appeared. The Ancestral Class guide, being a kind of side-upgrade, she would keep most of her traits, and perhaps even gain upgrades, or enhanced versions of them.
Nick shared his thoughts, and Eirwen agreed that this person was probably the right choice. Because through their Soul Sense, Nick and Eirwen could both tell she believed what she said. She seemed like a good fit, so Eirwen would get just a little more information first.
Eirwen asked, “Are spirits like you able to bring about the power of your Concepts?”
The spirit snorted. “Of course. I’d be awfully useless if I couldn’t. Why, if your enemy had a Domain, it’d be like slamming my fists against a castle wall. The mana and essence you must supply to manifest my Concept is expensive, of course, but my many afflictions will render most enemies useless and eventually dead, given enough time. It’ll be worth it.”
Nick could see how that would be very useful. And his party didn’t have anyone that could accomplish anything similar, aside from how his party’s frost would eventually freeze something dead.
Between her archery, shaman buffing, elemental, and healing spells, her spirit magic and dream magic, Eirwen was able to do so much already. That she could also do what this troll could do would give her even more options, and make her valuable in even more situations.
Nick asked, “So, what is it that you want, to become Eirwen’s spirit? You said you wanted to be reborn in a War or Tribulation.”
Shak’terra sighed. “I did, but I’ll take becoming a Bound Spirit for an Archaen Wife over the abyss. Quite a bit of time must have passed already, I can tell. I bet the other spirits were quite desperate too, weren’t they? Since you are here, Young Lord, and it’s to be a Bound Spirit for an Archaen Wife, I am already willing to serve the Noblefrost Family once again. Normally, I’d not be good enough to serve directly. As for what I’d like… with enough service, are you willing and capable of granting me a new body, and a slot in an Ordeal?”
Nick nodded. “We can, but if we do, all your memories will be sealed until the Open Relay is opened on this Frontier Shard. I suppose that means you won’t be you, really. I can promise you that once it’s open, we can explore these kinds of options. Eirwen won’t need you as her Bound Spirit so much anymore at that point, right–it means that I would have reached the Fourth Stratum.”
Shak’terra nodded. “I do believe you’ll be able to bind more than just me, later. And that offer is good enough for me. I would like to make the Pact then, based upon our verbal agreement.”
As if her words themselves were the trigger, the room lit up with Orion’s golden light. A dome began to form over Nick and Eirwen, along with Shak’terra, so Eirwen withdrew her bow from her back as she stood.
Eirwen said, “This...feels different from a Pact.”
The spirit smirked. “That means you are in for a fight, young Lady. It seems Orion wants you to face a Test for the right to have access to much of my knowledge and capability. Good luck!”
Nick found himself teleported out of the forming dome with the spirit, forced to watch Eirwen’s fight.
His wife was armed and ready. They were made aware of there being a possibility of a Test or Trial, after all. It was good that this only required a Test. Perhaps, if they had reached out to any of the Fourth Stratum spirits, they’d have required a Trial instead.
What formed out of the light was a tall, lanky humanoid holding a staff of bone and wearing flowing black robes. Its…body and hairstyle resembled the spirit they were speaking with, but looked like a male rather than the female they were talking to.
“A troll?”
The spirit chuckled, as she looked at the troll with narrowed eyes, her magical senses trying to scan inside the dome. “Looks like you’re facing a budget version of me. Do take care not to be cursed and killed, young Lady!”
Eirwen was quick to ready her practiced Charged Shot, infused with her odd shooting star Concept. She loosed her arrow then leaped to the side, pre-emptively getting into motion to evade what the troll sent her way.
The troll was ready for her shot, and crushed some sort of charm at its waist. A wave of darkness blasted out, in an attempt to reject the arrow. However, the arrow pierced this and lodged into the troll’s shoulder, causing it to growl in anger as it began to prepare some sort of spell.
Eirwen then drew several more shots as she kept on the move, leaping side-to-side. With a swipe of its hand, the troll absorbed the next arrow’s starlight explosion, destroying its hand.
After that, the troll erected a sort of barrier made of earth instead, resembling what Luna could accomplish with her totems. Her arrow still took a large chunk out of the earth in an explosion of light that resembled a bottle rocket, but did not reach or damage the troll.
In response to the earthen barrier, Eirwen began preparing a barrage of frost. However, she had to cancel her casting to erect her sparkling Omni-barrier around herself, as a curse shot out from behind the stone, homing toward her location despite shooting out the back of it.
Nick did feel a Concept coming from it, but the curse must not have been overly strong, as it completely burned up before it could penetrate her barrier. Likely at the fragment level.
The spirit was impressed, whistling. “Not bad. We might be better suited for each other than I thought. That her weird star magic counters the curse magic so well means enemies my curses are poor against, she’ll likely be strong against. And the reverse should be true.”
Eirwen finished preparing her frost spell, and Nick noticed she twisted it with her Wish Concept. It looked like the usual spear of ice, just larger, before it was twisted. It spun much like a drill as it launched toward the earthen barrier, and with a burst of essence, she leaped forward at the troll on top of that, getting closer.
A barrier of darkness surrounded the earthen shield, but both were pierced by the drill, stabbing into the troll’s chest. Chilling cold washed over the troll and the barrier, before with a wave of her hand, Eirwen added even more with a Breath of Cold spell, blasting it chilling air and ice.
The earthen shield crumbled away, and the troll was reaching slowly for some other charm or talisman with its remaining hand. It was then that Eirwen released another arrow at its head, her shot striking true.
With that, the troll was defeated.
A golden light surrounded Shak’terra, the spirit being bound to Eirwen with assistance from Orion.
The spirit smiled at Winny. “Pretty good, young Lady. It didn’t have all the tools I did, even when I was in the Second Stratum myself, but I had instruction from some powerful ancestors. You have fought well and have earned my aid.” She grinned, exposing her lower fang further, “You’re pretty tough for a sheep beastfolk, and I know we’ll make a great team.”
“I’ve worked hard to keep up with my Hubby, you know. I look forward to how you can help me better help him.”
Shak’terra laughed. “Ah yes, of course. ‘Tis common amongst us trolls, too. Many of us get stronger to land a man and keep him interested…and breathing, for many of them speak their mind and pick fights with the wrong people.” She winked.
The spirit flew inside Eirwen, and then the sheep girl smiled at Nick. “There we go. Now the Ancestral Guide Class is available. I’ll spend the next few days recovering and then cultivate what’s in my chamber, and then I’ll be ready for battle. But having her around is going to be like always having someone more experienced than Agatha with us when we need her.”
Nick ran his hands through her curly hair, and kissed her on the lips. “That was pretty badass, Winny. You practically steamrolled that troll.”
She giggled, her ears wiggling. “I take it that’s a good thing?” Eirwen arched her brow.
Nick snorted. “Right… forgot about that.” He imagined the vehicle and what it could do, and sent it through their connection, helping her understand what he meant. “It’s like in one go you suddenly flattened them.”
“Ah,” she chuckled, “I suppose that’s right. I figured it was best to be on the offensive, as I really didn’t know what magic the troll could do. That my starlight seemed to pierce the spells it used was a bit of luck, but we’d seen the same already.”
She selected her class, and the main skill she gained was the [Manifest Spirit] spell. She also received a Trait, [Elite Bound Spirit], from making the Pact with Shak’terra. This granted her a few attributes, and reduced the cost of channeling spells cast by the spirit.
Eirwen kept all her earned spells and Traits from Ordeal Supporter, as it was a lot like she had become a powerful shamanic version of the same class. The spirit was a powerful multipurpose tool, that rivaled things like totems or familiars and similar on its own.
And it was rare to have such an affinity with spirits. Often, mastering such a magic would skip generations in most orc tribes, Agatha had told them. That Eirwen could accomplish this without ancestral blood carrying the connection was a big boon.
Nick noted, “When you’re ready, I think we’ll be good to go. It’ll be time to take Shadowvale.”
“I don’t think it will take me long. That spring really put me in a great place, body and soul. After that, I do think I’ll be ready for anything Orion can throw at us.”
“Don’t say that. Orion always seems to find a way to make things tough for us.”
Eirwen grinned. “I welcome it. If we were never Tested, then I would still be weak like I was before I entered the Ordeal. A meek sheep, as Shak’terra would say.”
“Yes, but we could live with an easy win for once.”
Eirwen shrugged. “For me, I’d relax much better knowing I’ve been Tested as much as possible, that I’m as strong as I could hope to be for what challenge might come.”
Nick sighed. “Fine, you win. I guess I’ll get back to eating some more of those demon cores.”
“That working well? I admit I was a bit busy getting ready for this, and I haven’t had much time to track what you were doing.” She grinned. “Though I did notice you having a bit of fun with the gals without me.”
He coughed. “You were so in the zone, I didn’t want to bother you.”
Eirwen giggled. “I was just playin’, Hubby, I know that. We’ll find some time for ourselves before we go, no doubt. So, show me this new ‘bod of yours.”
Nick flexed his arm, his muscle bulging with darkness energy. He was now at the level where it was like he was permanently at the second stanza of his Ideal. When he used it now, the levels grew even higher, faster.
It was all locked inside by his Tithed Faith essence, like a shell that kept it all under control. He had a barrier around his Soul Core, but his Body Core now had some darkness running through it. It had taken him several tries to master this way to grow the darkness within him, without allowing it to take control of his mind and body.
After bathing himself in the essence for hours and days, it seemed to become a consistent process in his body. That even if he was knocked out, this shell wouldn’t disburse, causing a terrible imbalance. It helped that he was so far ahead with his Tithed Faith energy, and he could even safely draw some of it stored in his skin, and use it in battle.
Eirwen ran her hands over his muscle. “Mmm…so strong, Hubby. All that from eating some demon cores? What about the Ideal, and Concept?”
In response, he activated his Heroic Concept, his body bursting with power. But now, a bit of speed was included, like he had mastered a powerful version of Dash and infused it in him. The darkness roamed his body like a living liquid, a contrast to the light, which had grown even brighter.
“Wow! You must be nearing Middle Mastery already?”
Nick shrugged. “It’s still a ways away, I think. Probably just a few more heroic deeds, and Judging of some bad guys, and I’ll reach it. As for the Ideal, I’m still working on it. It’s taken some work for me to keep the light balanced with the dark. The Archaen language is complicated.”
He needed to grow the two at the same rate, as best he could, to have a viable Ideal. As he worked on his Ideal, he drew out the darkness and light from the prison that was Archaen Law, and infused a small amount into his body. He grew the shell with the light and the Tithed Faith Energy, and grew the darkness in his body with the demon cores and from the prison.
After a moment of thought, he realized it had been a while since he Judged anyone, and he suddenly got a little excited about the upcoming fight. There will be plenty of bad guys to Judge in Shadowvale.
Eirwen responded to his thoughts with a chuckle–she was a bit excited about that too. “That’s true. That reminds me… The Lord of Silverbrook said he’d have the last of those criminals transported soon. They are done with their own interrogations and binding of them. Then, we got few weeks or a little over a month before those slaves you ordered and the mercenaries we commissioned arrive, but soon we’ll get more allies that way, too.”
That was good news. Everything was truly falling into place. When Blackthorne and his army arrived near Frosthaven in a few months, Nick’s own army would be ready. And so would he.