I hummed to myself as I added some salt and pepper onto the chicken I cooked, along with some crushed and dried parsley. I pulled the chicken onto the plate and cut off a piece to see how it tasted. It wasn't much, but it would do for now, at least until I collected more cooking materials.

I bit into it and nodded my head as I rolled it over my tongue. It was a little dry, maybe a tad bit more salt, and it would be passable. But I didn't care about that. I was just happy that I had food for once. I ripped off another piece of chicken, relishing the taste. It's been so long since I've eaten food, I feel like I could cry from happiness. I had to tear myself away from my food as I looked around the kitchen to ensure everything was turned off and nothing would catch fire. Once I was happy, I grabbed the plate and wandered back to my office.

I sat down at my desk, scarfed down my food, and looked over my notes. Let's see, the city planning is finished; all that is left is building it. My domain has been stocked up and resupplied, so that's good. It just left me to train my soul, which I didn't know how to do. I mindlessly ate at the chicken wing while preparing myself for the experience. The last time I did something with this, it hurt, and that level of pain was something that I wasn't all that keen on feeling again.

I gobbled down the last of the chicken greedily before I pushed the plate away and looked around. My office was empty, with Alessia gone once more. I had no idea where she was going, but it was lonely here without her. The wolves were gone as well, doing whatever it was they did. Maybe I was just procrastinating like I usually do.

I know why I was doing it. But I guess if I kept putting it off like this, I wouldn't benefit. With a heavy sigh, I pushed away from my desk and sat on the floor, crossing my legs. I shifted slightly as I tried to prepare myself. I took one last deep breath and closed my eyes, and I felt myself plummet as I fell through my realms.

When my eyes opened, I was staring up into the night sky. The constellation of a dragon stood tall and proud. Its face reared up towards the sky, with its wings expanded. Underneath it was a sphere with a light that shot towards the sky in a radiant beam, cutting through the darkness with ease.

I stood there, staring at my soul. The white energy danced and blended with flairs of purple as the orb sat there with a single white flame that seemed to orbit it. The light flickered in the darkness and seemed to recede as I got closer to it. Now, what was I supposed to do here? I reached out to my soul, and my fingers pushed into its surface. The energy flowed around my hand as if it was syrup, and I felt a strange stirring deep within me.

I pulled my hand out, and the energy seeped through my fingers, much like water, as it rushed back into its place. Now, how was I going to do this? I bit my lip as I tried to think about everything I could do. I reached my hand back in and gently tugged at it once more. A spark of pain exploded in my chest as I quickly let go of it. The memory of what it felt like before was all too painfully fresh for me.

Come on, think there has to be a way. Let's see, for my Ki, I meditate, so maybe I have to do something of the sort for this as well. I adjusted my cloak, sat down from where my soul originated and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and felt the energy swirl around the room.

Unlike my ki which seemed to originate in my body, this energy seemed to come from outside and gather inside of this core. With another deep breath, I tried to focus on the energy that rushed around me and catch it. But it kept slipping through the spaces.

I bit my lip and chided myself for getting a little antsy. I remembered what happened when I did that while trying to meditate with my Ki, and that was a mistake that I wasn't willing to make with my soul. Instead, I calmed my mind and focused on the energy that flowed around me.

I focused on gently guiding it into a tight orbit around my soul, but instead of a torrential rush, it was just a tiny trickle. Eventually, I felt my soul tug on the energy. It was only the faintest of traces, but it was a start. I repeated the process in and out, even though I was extremely bored. I guess I was going to be here for quite some time.

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After what felt like an eternity, I opened up my eyes and felt a heavy presence deep within me. Though I wouldn't describe it as painful, just uncomfortable. I glanced at my soul and saw that it swelled up a bit, and a couple of notifications scrolled across my screen.

Congratulations! You have unlocked the first stage of soul cultivation! Your soul reserve has grown slightly, and overall usage has been reduced.

You have unlocked a new passive!

Soul Pressure I: Your soul has gained enough mass and pressure to affect the environment. Anyone caught within it suffers from scaling penalties based on the strength of the skill, and any soul skill used in its radius is increased in strength.

I sat back on my hands and watched as the constellation flickered as the ray of light grew in intensity for a second before it settled. Not so bad. I thought it would have been worse. I rolled my shoulders and stood up and gazed at my soul, and I could hear a faint rumble as if a giant was slumbering within. There was still the dragon soul to cultivate, but I honestly had no idea what to do with that, and I was a little too tired to mess with it.

My body fell back into place in my office, and I saw Alessia sitting on a chair with a book in her hand, reading it over. I stood up to stretch and get used to the weird pressure that seemed to be pushing on my insides as it tried to settle in. "Hey, you're back. Where did you go?" I asked as I walked over to my desk and sat down.

"I went off to interrogate the prisoners. I convinced the assassin to turn his coat and join us. For now, he will train with Amari in a secure area, and she will pass on her skills to others." She replied as she flicked to the next page.

"I see. That's good to hear. Did you get anything vital out of him?" As I talked to her, I quickly organized my desk a bit, trying to bring some sort of order to the chaos here. Not that I needed it since I knew where everything was, but more out of me not wanting it to look too sloppy.

"Nothing too vital. He was sent to kill the adventurer that you conversed with. Also, that he hails from a kingdom called the Velcrest Theocracy." She flicked through to another page, not making eye contact with me like she usually does.

I sat back in my chair and thought it over. A theocracy is a religious government, and knowing how radical religions on Earth could mean that I have to prepare for the worst. I did have a domain filled to the brim with the undead, which was certain to attract attention. Especially that of zealots. With a sigh, I sat forward and rubbed my forehead as I worked on a plan to counter a potential invasion. Why does this have to be so hard?

"Are you alright, Empress?" Alessia's voice sounded next to me, and I felt a cold hand press against my back.

"Yeah, just stressing is all. Can you have the guard train around the clock? We may have another threat to deal with in the future, and I might as well get ready for it." I pinched the bridge of my nose as I felt another

headache start to bloom as I considered the implications. I wanted to do nothing more than curl up into a ball and forget everything.

But just as I spiraled, I felt a pair of arms wrapped around me, and then a head pressed against my own. "Don't worry, my lady. Everything will be okay."

I froze, unsure how to react to this. I don't think anyone has been willing to do something like this with me, at least in recent memory. My breath hitched in my throat as my heart skipped a beat, and I closed my eyes placing my hand on top of hers. "Alessia."

"Yes, Empress?"

"Thank you." I sat there, relishing the happiness that was threatening to overflow in my heart.

"What are you thanking me for?" She asked as she held me a little more tightly.

"Everything," I replied as I gave her hands a gentle pat. I could feel her hands clench slightly at my words, and I couldn't help but grin at it.

"Anyway, I'm going to take a nap. Make sure that you focus on the training. I'm going to pull out a few of the veterans and start preparing for the expansion."

She unlaced her arms and gave me a curt bow that was deeper than the one that she usually gave me. "Of course, my lady."

I flashed her a smile as she quickly scampered off. The happiness that was in her movement was as clear as day. I'm glad to see that she was happy. I grabbed a pen and started to toy with it as I sat back and glanced at my map. It was time to do my daily check-ups and message Rikard. The onyl way onwards was forward!