Virno: Take good care of it, Rel. When I'm ready to wield it, I'll come back...

Virno stumbled down the city streets, leaning against nearby buildings for support.

Virno: ... It's no better than a paper weight at this point.

Looking down at his hands, an arrangement of sigils emerged -- akin to the ones that would etch themselves onto the sword's blade.

Virno: Whatever power it held... It belongs to me, now.

Visualizing his intention, Virno directs his palm at the ground as a soft breeze emanates from his hand.

Virno: This body... It's not like it used to be. It can withstand the strain, I know it. I feel it.

As his wind blows calmly through the darkness of the city, he is once again able to leverage the paths it takes as it bends and twists around the structures around him, to form a clear image of the surrounding area.

Virno: Which means I can learn to control it. By myself. If I was to keep relying on the blade, I'd most likely end up dead...

With his re-established sense of sight, he can once again stride confidently. Picking up the pace, Virno makes his way through the empty, labyrinthine pathways of the slums.

Virno: Whenever I held it, it was as if it wanted me to pour all that I am into it. There were no restraints. It is the perfect vehicle for my magic -- too perfect, even. It made it all too easy to exhaust everything I have... So please, keep it safe for me. Because the next time I square off against Lunalus...

He clenches his hand into a fist, thinking back upon his defeat and how rapidly he depleted all of his stamina during the battle.

Virno: I don't want to rely on anybody or any sacrifice to win.

Leaving the city that had become his home behind, Virno sets out in search of something, or in search of someone... In the meantime, Lunalus had returned to Nox's cathedral.

Lunalus: ...

Dominus was sitting on his throne, as per usual. Although, this time, he had a wide, eerie smile on his face.

Dominus: Well, Spymaster... I'm all ears.

His back was arched forward, as his elbows rested on his knees. Both his hands supported his chin, an overall posture that betrayed a certain excitement in anticipation of what Lunalus had to share.

Lunalus: ... Novilunium was a failure.

Dominus laughs as he hears the words coming out of Lunalus' mouth. His voice is so powerful that rubble falls from the top of the cathedral, as it vibrates in resonance with it.

Dominus: Well, clearly...! The boy remains at large, after all. The question is... Will he be a threat?

Lunalus sighed softly, betraying a slight nervousness before replying.

Lunalus: His eyes had already been sacrificed... And after meeting with him, it became clear he will oppose us when the time comes to see our mission through.

Dominus' expression sours as he hears the news, and he sulks back into his throne.

Dominus: I take it you've killed him, then?

Another brief pause. Dominus was now picking up on Lunalus' reticence, and was growing rather weary of it.

Lunalus: I could not. The Lion himself appeared.

Dominus: The Lion...?!

Dominus' eyes glow brightly, as the thrones' arm rests begin to crumble under the strength of his grip. It was plain to see he was greatly displeased with the current turn of events.

Dominus: You mean to tell me that, not only is the wielder both willing and capable of sacrificing his own life to achieve victory above all else... He is also under the protection of Eclipse, who have been sabotaging and maiming our efforts for decades now...?

Lunalus: Yes, Dominus.

The arm rests shatter as his hands clench fully. Dominus stands up from the throne, furious.

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Dominus: Spymaster Lunalus... I have placed great, GREAT faith in your abilities. I gave granted you power unlike any other Nox member possesses. I have even given you free reign to carry on your questionable "experiments"... All I ask for in return are results. Yet it seems to me that, as of late, you have delivered NOTHING but FAILURE after FAILURE.

Lunalus remains quiet, merely listening to Dominus.

Dominus: SPEAK, LUNALUS! This is not the time to cower with your tail between your legs! You are the eyes of Nox. You are supposed to give us the all-knowing edge we require to win this war. And this... This is all you can muster...?

Lunalus grits his teeth in anger.

Lunalus: This... Is a travesty. Utter nonsense!

Dominus stops in his tracks.

Dominus: What...? What did you just say?

Lunalus' gaze meets with Dominus'. At that point, it was difficult to say which of the two carried in them more wrath.

Lunalus: I said that THIS is NONSENSE.

Dominus looks at Lunalus. He does not move. He does not speak. He merely waits, as if the next words to be uttered by Lunalus could decide whether his life would end in the coming moments.

Lunalus: Powerful as I may be... I am but one. My network spreads far and wide across the kingdoms... But I cannot peer through their gazes all at once. I am limited. Still, under these limits, I have gone above and beyond to try and expand my domain of influence. I have forged alliances with slum lords, I have attempted to create the next generation of agents that could give us an edge in the conflict, I have used my own to hands to put down members of Eclipse... I have done everything I could for the cause. But no effort was great enough to overcome the core limitation of my abilities. If an all-knowing edge is what we desire... All-knowing power will be necessary.

Dominus listens attentively to Lunalus' words.

Lunalus: The wielder of the Sword of Greed is an important pawn. But, there are others. Greed is but one of the seven deadly sins... There are six more to be claimed. With the release of the sword's power, it is likely that the other artifacts, too, will awaken sooner rather than later. I have instructed my agents to keep their eyes and ears peeled... The sword caught us by surprise, we arrived much too late. But next time, we will be the first to know. The first to get to them.

A grin begins carving itself onto Dominus' face.

Dominus: Your words are sweet, Lunalus... But they are just that, words. We will see what transpires when the next weapons awaken. Moreover, this core limitation you speak of... It is a product of your own shortcomings. The power bestowed upon you is as great as your essence allows it to be. If it pales when compared to your goals... You have no one but yourself to blame for it. So... How are you planning to overcome that? How are you planning to overcome your own, limited nature...?

Lunalus: ... By subjecting myself to the same experiments I have been working on for all these years. I must shed away what I no longer need... In doing so, I'll be giving place to even greater power. I have seen it happen. I know it can be done.

Dominus' face contorts in disgust.

Dominus: And then what...? Are you to become a mindless puppet like the one you brought before me?! The one who got squashed not long after its inception?

Lunalus shakes his head.

Lunalus: Despite his untimely demise, Novilunium was a promising result... I must shoulder the blame for his imperfections. I was much too hasty. I needed him to be completed sooner, rather than later... As a result, he did not have enough time to mature. Novilunium took less than a couple of weeks to be created... And yet, I fully believe his strength rivalled that of your average member of Eclipse. I do not plan the procedure to take weeks... It will not even take months. Indeed... To achieve the required level of excellence we need, it will take years.

Dominus' armoured boots stomp the ground, shaking the entire cathedral.

Dominus: YEARS?! Are you delusional?!

Lunalus: No, Dominus... As a matter of fact, I have thought things through in much, much detail. Out of the three warring factions, Nox is currently the one holding the most power. We have agents spread across the world, eyes and ears in almost every city. We have started this conflict with an undeniable edge. As Eclipse and Lux begin making their moves, we can afford to lose some settlements, it could even play in our favor by making them grow overconfident... As they start optimizing their efforts to conquer a dormant, more lethargic Nox... Our power will grow beneath the surface. We will be actively seeking the other weapons. I will be developing my abilities further. When they least expect, we will retaliate with immense force. Their subjugation will be unavoidable at that point. I am exceptionally confident in this because, you see... There is yet another ace up our sleeve.

Dominus squints upon hearing word of this mysterious ace.

Dominus: And what would that be...?

Lunalus: A vessel for Tentoria, Nox's imprisoned goddess herself... In the coming years, she will rise again. When Mortmundus falls, Tentoria's soul will once again be free from that realm. We have good reason to believe we have located the most suitable vessel for her re-incarnation. Under the guidance of our goddess, Nox's power will be unmatched.

Despite the good news, Lunalus did not seem overly satisfied at the prospect of their goddess returning...

Dominus: I see... But still, that does not detract from the fact that we will be left without a Spymaster for the duration of your... "Procedure". Correct...?

Lunalus: N-not n-neccessarily...!

Lunalus reached into his own eye sockets.

Dominus: What are you doing, Lunalus?!

Screaming in agony, he removes his own eyeballs from his skull. They were two glowing black orbs, pulsing with dark magic.

Lunalus: I-I won't need these for the next years... A temporary Spymaster can take my place. Someone else can become Nox's eyes, until I return.

While somewhat disgusted at first, Dominus now seemed greatly satisfied with Lunalus' commitment to the cause. He takes his eyes from his palms, then sits back down on his throne.

Dominus: The lengths to which you would go for Nox... Commendable. A reminder of the reason you were appointed such a high role to begin with... Very well, Lunalus. We will begin the necessary arrangements for your leave of absence.

Lunalus bows before Dominus.

Dominus: May you blend with the eternal black, Lunalus...

He rises, blackened blood dripping from his now empty eye sockets.

Lunalus: Blend with the eternal black, Dominus.