[Mistress, please!] 6-3O said as D3-V1 stomped him into the floor.

No wonder there are scuff marks everywhere, Eon said, looking at the pummeling being dealt out.

Finally, D3-V1 lifted the droid by its ankles, dangling it at Eon. [Don't feel sorry for him. I've tried to kick some sense into him ever since I got here. He just doesn't learn.]

"No, thanks," Eon said, grabbing the essence case and walking back to his new room. "I have a different punishment for him."

A few minutes later, the miniature droid, roughly one meter tall, dragged a king-sized mattress out of Eon's room. D3-V1 kicked him on the way out, causing the droid to fall and become completely smothered under the bed's weight.

Closing the door, Eon went to eat his pizza when he noticed D3-V1 go stand silently in the corner. "Is something wrong," he asked?

[Everything is wrong. But if you're asking why I am here, it's to check on your progress.]

"I finished one crystal," Eon said. "I'm still level 16, however."

[That's enough for entry into the Arena,] D3-V1 said. [But you'll need to reach level 25 to qualify for anything worth our time.]

Eon examined the void crystal that he hadn't even begun to crack open yet. By the rate he was going, he didn't expect to have absorbed all of its energy for at least two days. By then, he could absorb all the remaining lightning-attuned crystals. Doing so would stagnant his void affinity growth, but from the hint D3-V1 had given him, that seemed to be his only option.

"Can you replace the void crystals with unattuned crystals?" Eon asked, stuffing a slice of pizza in his mouth.

D3-V1 agreed, informing him that the skills he generated in the Class System would remain unbalanced until he raised his two elemental affinities to the same level.

But Eon shrugged, deciding it was best to focus on one element anyway. Regardless of his situation, spreading yourself thin never helped anyone.

The two sat in silence as Eon ate, his comfortability with her growing as they secretly planned an escape. He didn't know her exact plans, but he knew she was training him for both their benefits.

"Did you recently join this ship?" Eon eventually asked. "You mentioned something to the effect."

[Three years ago,] D3-V1 said. [After the death of my previous master, his alcoholic son sold me for an Artifact.]

Eon frowned, not understanding the reasoning. Battle droids were notorious for their physical prowess and advanced fighting capabilities. Their lethality only increased with time, gaining experience through countless battles against psionics. All one had to do was order an assassination, the same way psionics obtained Artifacts that were bonded to another. "Why didn't he force you into a Nexus Realm?"

[Well, I didn't say he was smart, the fool had plenty of opportunities to make a fortune. I even bet him a hundred Artifacts to relinquish his claim over me. But no, he just had to have that hammer.]

"You tried to buy your freedom?" Eon questioned, surprised at the notion. As far as he understood, droid intelligence had never developed true sentience. They were designed to pair with another being, acting as a support system. Is there an issue with her code? That would explain her personality. I've heard of droid quirks, but she takes it to another level.

[Buy, bribe, you name it. But the Lordling wouldn't have either of it. Claiming that the Artifact gave him insights that would advance his Traits.]

As D3-V1 finished, Eon recalled his own Trait; [Vampirism]. He had attempted to activate the Trait in the Dexterity trial, using it to siphon energy from the werewolf, but D3-V1 had blocked the ability, raising the werewolf's resistance. Now, looking at the void crystal before him, he activated the Trait—feeling his energy stir as the nature of his element came to life.

The effect wasn't instant. Rather, it built inside Eon's chest, coursing through his outstretched arm. But finally, after a handful of seconds, a small spark of lightning laced with a hint of purple leapt out of his palm and struck the void crystal. A connection was formed, flowing between the two as [Vampirism] siphoned void energy out from the Essence Crystal. Eagerly, Eon's cells drank in the nourishment, invigorating his energy reserves and enhancing his void affinity.

The siphon continued for almost double the time it took the Trait to fully activate. Eon effectively had ten seconds to utilize the ability, however the difficulty he first experienced when trying to absorb the void crystal was severely cut in half. [Vampirism] processed energy differently, drawing in attuned arc energy irrespective of his affinity to the element. His previous method required an affinity match to draw in elemental energy, which was less effective the lower his affinity level. Now he could cheat using his Trait, and the process would only grow easier as the ability leveled.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

[Where are you going?] D3-V1 said as Eon stood out of his chair, walking across the room.

Instead of answering her, Eon took one full breath and stretched out his arm. His mind was flooded with endless possibilities, and he had to test the limits of his new ability.

As he activated his Trait again, all of his cells awakened, beating with excitement. Together, they forced his energy to dance to their tune, and a spark of void lightning crackled at the center of his palm. Tendrils of sparkling blue plasma reached out of his hand, grasping for the void crystal. Eon even noticed some lightning formed away from his palm, as if they entered the void to obey his commands. But sadly, the Essence Crystal was too far away. He stood back a distance of six meters, where the effects of [Vampirism] were unable to take hold.

Having accessed his Traits' range limit using the sparks that formed a foot away from him, Eon went to grab another crystal to test the amount of targets he could siphon at a time. But as he stepped forward, a thought popped in his mind and he stole a glance at D3-V1, wondering if he should stop gauging his ability and conceal his limits in front of her.

His Trait was undeveloped, basic. The likelihood of her knowing his abilities was high due to the fact that most Traits weren't unique. Through an understanding of nature and the workings of the world, a psionic could create new Traits for their energy. Aspects that enhanced their function. Currently, that was outside the realm of possibility for him. He was nowhere close to giving birth to a new aspect or understanding for his energy. But regardless of his skill set, an enemy couldn't prepare for a weapon they didn't know you had.

Was D3-V1 an enemy? Eon questioned. The lines were being blurred, but he wouldn't drop his caution just yet. Having made his decision, Eon went to the void crystal on his desk when the door to his room opened.

Both Eon and D3-V1 turned towards the short man who walked in unannounced. The blonde haired, gray skinned man was short, no taller than the droid thief who attempted to steal Eon's Essence Crystals. He looked like a goblin, if somewhat handsome and pudgy, but Eon couldn't tell what species he was from.

[Master,] D3-V1 said, causing Eon to steal a glance at her.

"D3-V1," Carl smiled. "I see you've taken a liking to this one."

[He's a good pet,] D3-V1 shrugged. [A little rough around the edges, but I'll whip him into shape.]

"Good, I like to hear that," Carl said, his eyes never swaying from Eon, whose lip twitched.

Controlling his irritation, Eon watched the short man saunter over to him, when he noticed a case in his hand. The case was similar to an essence case, and he supposed it was, however its size was much smaller, making him wonder what was in it.

"I'm Carl, Slave," Carl introduced himself, offering his hand as he stepped before Eon.

Eon's hands burned for action as Carl stood in front of him. He knew he could snap the alien's neck, but before he made a decision he looked to D3-V1 and found her standing directly behind him. At that moment, his heart skipped a beat. She had moved without him sensing her presence at all. If he were careless, he would have died before he raised a finger.

So, that's the reason he came here, a power play? A show of force?

Eon looked at the stoic battle droid whose presence tied his hands behind his back. On the off chance he managed to out speed her and kill Carl, would her Master Code force her to kill him in an act of revenge? It was a life or death question, and Carl's smile asked him if he wanted to find out. Eon stewed in silence, but eventually reached out his hand. One day, he'd wipe that smile off the imps face.

"Good," Carl said, shaking Eon's hand. "It seems you're learning well, and for that, I think you deserve a treat."

Carl opened the essence case in his hand and the contents had Eon's undivided attention.

"Is that…" Eon trailed off, feeling void energy flow off the knife inside the case.

"Not quite," Carl said. "It's not an Artifact, but a natural treasure. A Relic found inside a Nexus Realm."

Unlike Artifacts that evolved from a Nexus Realm's Core, Relics were items modified by ambient energy. That included high tiered Essence Crystals found inside Nexus Realms, to equipment lost by psionics that died at the hands of Realm Beasts. But the most significant difference was the skills and quests Artifacts generated.

A fitting gift, Eon said as he looked at the oversized karambit soaked in the essence of void energy. He must have chosen this after seeing me fight the werewolf. I guess it's not surprising I'm being watched.

Carl urged Eon to grab the weapon. "This was once Uillourn's, but he tossed it aside, preferring to fight with his fists."

[Good thing that did him… What?] D3-V1 said as they both turned to her. [It's true.]

Remembering the green void walker, Eon reached out and grabbed the dark blade. It was heavier than he expected, but the weight was perfectly balanced and expertly made. He could see bright folds of Astrium on the blade's edge, forged into the metal alongside void crystals. The blade was a true work of art, mirroring the talon of a large raptor.

Relaxing his grip on the handle, Eon tested the agility of the blade, finding its smooth edge trail a splotch of void energy. It rippled as the blade slashed through the air, then dissipated before his very eyes.

Continuing to get a feel for the weapon, Eon circled the blade in a series of flourishes, showcasing the foundations of A'steri's blade arts. He got lost in a trance after a minute, staring at the flowing stream of purple, when Carl coughed, and he realized the short alien had taken a few steps back. It didn't occur to Eon how threatening he must have looked, but a small smile crept on his face as a result.

With D3-V1 behind him, Eon reassessed the alien before him, and he found the man wanting. Carl had led a raid on his home planet, and was one of the many ships in the fleet that invaded Estera. Yet, his power was a facade. A hall of mirrors that made him look larger than life. A mouse that wore the mane of a lion.

An inflated ego… Eon thought as he traced a finger on the edge of his dagger, noting that void energy inflicted cold damage.

A biting chill crept into his finger as blood trickled out of the small wound. And as he winced, he noticed Carl hesitate. The alien's breath caught, questioning Eon's sanity and his own safety in Eon's presence. But before Carl's guard rose, Eon put the blade away.

"This Relic is amazing," he said. "You like collecting treasures?"

"My life's calling," Carl said with a proud smile.

"Then, would you mind telling me what that coffin is for?" Eon added, recalling the Grim Sarcophagus. "And why did it take a fleet of you bastards to retrieve it?"