Jacob was sweating profusely while the Plague Doctor infused some Qi through needles directly into his legs’ acupuncture points.

“Blade Tyrant, tell me when to stop,” the other man said with a serious expression. “We can’t damage your body too much. It’s still too fragile to endure extensive changes all at once.”

“Bob, go ahead. It’s not our first ride.”

The Plague Doctor kept the flow going. He was using his Qi to destroy the very flesh that made up Jacob’s Meridian; the process goal was to overstimulate the regenerative capacity of Jacob’s body and guide his vessels to expand, be more flexible and withstand energy.

The most amazing part of the process was the increase in durability and absorption of the Meridians. However, the pain generated was almost impossible to withstand for a common person.

Jacob had to stay perfectly still. His own body tried to convulse from time to time and he had to rein in his muscles, stopping them from twitching.

“The scar tissue in your leg has almost disappeared, but you will need at least a week before we can push them to the next stage.”

The process had created a great imbalance between his various Meridians. Some were getting stronger faster than others. Every day that Jacob spent with such an imbalance could throw his entire cultivation astray. When the body tried to compensate, it inevitably created problems for the stronger parts. His Qi and Mana were naturally driven to the more resilient parts of his body, making it so that the weaker ones would slowly ‘starve’ themselves to avoid accepting an amount of energy they could not tolerate.

They were halfway through their session when the pain started getting unbearable. Nonetheless, Jacob gritted his teeth and focused on keeping his body perfectly still.

There was no conversation in those crucial moments.

Bob was too focused on guiding the entire process and Jacob had to avoid moving.

Hektor and Epagogia were staring from the other end of the corridor that connected the three cabins.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“The Plague Doctor’s legend has its merits,” Epagogia noted with a worried expression. She knew very well how much pain Jacob could withstand and her heart couldn’t help but ache at the sight of her lover having to go through all that.

“Having the title of ‘Tyrant’ is no joke, Devil.”

In those rare moments, Hektor contempt for her race came out. It was almost impossible to remember just how much Hektor had hated every other race; but every once in a while, it came to the surface.

The Vermillion Tyrant had exterminated races without batting an eyelid, convinced it was the only way the humans would one day prosper again.

Epagogia didn’t move her gaze from Jacob, but still curled her lips in disgust.

“I’m surprised by how a wolf can become a dog once it finds a new owner, Vermillion Tyrant. Maybe you would have witnessed my rise to the same title you care so much about if you hadn’t died like the bastard you are.”

Hektor looked at the woman with purplish skin. Her tantalizing beauty was hard to ignore for almost anyone, but he didn’t seem fazed at all by her.

“Jacob found a solution I was too blind to see. I just wonder if every choice he made was the right one,” he punctuated his words by looking at the woman from head to toe.

“Don’t worry. Keep that sewer-drain shut long enough and you might get a little half-human half-devil that will call you ‘uncle’. Oh, right, that’s if you will still be alive by then. I wouldn’t want a Charybdis to eat your face while you sleep.”

Hektor stayed silent and refocused on Jacob.

They all needed the man to become stronger as quickly as possible. In their past life, Jacob had fought insane battles. When South-America fell, no one had believed it would be possible to reclaim the continent.

No one but a man who traveled and fought among strangers to avoid a worldwide calamity.

“Charybdes would have come to Europe’s shores without him. He and the Volcano Queen were the tip of the spear that pierced through those monsters. If I have to give my life to see him succeed, I will gladly do so. In fact, I won’t allow him to die before me, whatever the cost.”

Epagogia tightened her fists.

It needled her that Jacob had chosen to die in their past life. It didn’t matter that they were now sharing a bed again and that he was warming up to their past relationship.

“How long till we arrive?” Epagogia asked the man.

Hektor was the one who had plotted their course. Only he and Bob had any true sailing knowledge.

“We can’t go too fast if we want to avoid monsters we cannot yet kill. Currently, it will take at least a month to reach South America. And without knowing how the currents are moving, we might land anywhere. Let’s just hope we avoid the big cities. It would be unlucky to die by the hands of 8th Realm monsters right when we arrive.”

“I wouldn’t mind as long as you died first,” Epagogia sniggered.

In the meanwhile, something moved into the depth of the ocean.