Mia looked down and back up at Sunny.
M: I don't know. I feel human, just like you and Nephis and Luna. Still, I don't remember anything beyond my name.
S: Why would you tell me all that?
M: Because I felt like it.
Sunny narrowed his eyes and looked at her. Not her physical body, but her soul body.
S: If I forcefully infuse my essence, her essence should stabilise. Am I right, Luna?
She nodded.
S: Is there some risk to it?
Luna pointed at Sunny's soul and at Mia, after which she slowly lowered her head.
S: If the process fails, both of us will die? Well, what are my odds? Or you know what? I don't really care. I will just go for it.
Sunny took a long breath and looked down at Mia.
S: What if I told you I can help you make a core from scratch? Since you already have a large amount of essence in your body, it is rampaging and has nowhere to go, draining your life force. That's the reason for your stagnation and low stamina.
Mia nodded slowly.
M: Still, only a miracle could save me. So I will live my life to the best of…
S: So I will be that miracle.
M: What?
S: I did tell you, didn't I? I will help you create your soul core from scratch using my essence as a base. Don't ask for more details for now. After the procedure is over, you will find out what changed anyway.
Mia, instead of doubting, just let a tear roll down her cheek.
M: I trust you. What do I need to do?
S: Since I do need physical contact. Remove your clothes.
Said Sunny while pointing his finger at her.
Mia blushed but smiled while she started to slowly remove her clothes.
S: What are you doing?
M: What you asked for?
Sunny sight and rubbed his temples.
S: Face the other direction and just lift up or reveal your back. There are the most vital essence signs so you know.
She awkwardly plopped on the ground facing away from him, burning from embarrassment.
She removed her shirt, and as she did, Sunny surrounded her and himself in thick shadows.
S: Once we start, we can't stop until we finish. No breaks.
M: understood.
Sunny places his palm on her back, and as he does that, all his 4 shadows appeared behind him holding his back as well, enhancing his soul reserves drastically.
As essence flowed from Sunny's palm to Mia's soul, she opened her mouth, releasing quite scream which was swiftly stopped by Sunny.
S: Don't react. Essence has to stay inside the body.
She did not react, but Sunny felt her jaw tighten as she grabbed his hand with her hands to calm herself.
From outside, there was no reaction. No one was outside other than one person coming closer, and once that person got to the door, they heard Mia's muffled scream and tried to enter.
N: Sunny? No, that was a female voice.
Saint appeared in front of her and slowly shook her head while looking at Nephis.
N: Can't I go inside?
Sain did not react, just stood there motionless.
N: I see. Alright, I will stay here then.
Back inside the cathedral.
Ha: Master, you are spending way too much essence, calm down.
They secretly looked at each other with a smile on their faces.
Sunny calmed his breathing and focused more.
After hours of this, he finished with a satisfied sigh and fell on his side just like Mia, completely drained and totally exhausted.
Sunny opened his eyes in almost pitch black space, the only thing he saw one he stood up was an enormous round table with 7 magnificent chairs, as if thrones, 6 of them were occupied by entities covered in impenetrable darkness.
One of the figures stood up and looked in Sunny's direction. At that moment, Sunny felt as if something that should not exist was looking at him, seeing everything, even things he could not see in himself.
?: Niyati? Wejdź raz ty get stärker. Septième.
(I will leave it like this. If you find out a language combination, I will be impressed. )
As he said that every phoneme sounded as if reality itself was a shattering combination of forgotten languages from the dark times that Sunny did not understand, he only knew that it had to be something important. And as he finished, Sunny woke up shaking and drenched in cold sweat.
By the time morning came, Nephis had already left, seeing that Saint returned inside. This, however, was not a great thing because it left the half-circle unprotected from monsters, and as some of them were getting closer to the cathedral, Sunny woke up with a tired expression on his face.
He opened the door to the cathedral and saw 10 slaughtered monsters by the Guardian and the Saint individually.
Mia woke up and adjusted her clothes again, and felt something changing inside her body.
Sp: name: Mia
True name: ---
Aspect: ???
Aspect rank: ???
Class: ???
M: Master Sunnny...
She narrowed her eyes.
M: I have to get his approval.
The first few days were brutal for everyone, mostly Seishan laughing from her other handmaidens having a hard time focusing because Sunny was determined to get them to the position that he wanted, regardless of how embarrassing it felt to them.
As for the top 10, depending on what they decided on, that's what Sunny trained them in. His strongest student was without a doubt Mia, who dominated anything Sunny put her through.
S: You really are something. Are you a legacy?
M: Outskirts of another collapsed continent.
Sunny looked at her and nodded.
S: same. I have an open position in my personal cohort. If you wanna join. Decide.
M: Who is in that cohort?
S: me, Kai, Seishan, Effie, Cassia and in the future Nephis as well.
M: It would be my honour.
S: Alright. Get to the cathedral this evening. Alone.
With that, Mia became the 6th person to learn how to consume essence from the world.
As for their battle gear, they had boots, thigh-high straps with daggers or arrows, depending on what weapon they were using. Shin guard, as well as wrist guards, and lastly form-fitting bodice, which was their own memories basically.
Mostly what everyone was talking about during their free time was Sunny's relationship partner.
Some thought he was free for grabs, some thought he was too innocent to be a partner, yet others thought he was dating Mia. Sunny didn't know about any of this, but compared to other factions, these rumours were the least annoying ones.
In the Bright Castle, he was feared mainly because of a rumour that slaughtering others is fun for him; some said they saw him slaughter a dozen soldiers while laughing with every kill as if it were a game.
The worst possible rumour that could spread about Sunny was in Neph's faction. It consisted of basically him being a womaniser and having his way with each of the handmaidens by this time. Of course, the main item was him and Mia. It was said that they spent hours daily in the cathedral, sometimes even deep into the night. She was definitely very pretty, so no one blamed him. As for the other 3 brothers, they kept their composure, so what they thought of if something happened in their groups remained secret.
Nephis narrowed her eyes and looked into the Dark City direction.
S: Ha-achuu.
K&M: bless you… Are you alright?
S: Yeah, I just got a chill for some reason.
They were in the hall, sitting by their round table. Sunny, Kai, Seishan, Cassia, Mia and Effie.
Ca: Nephis wants to attack Crimson Spire.
Cassia started.
S: I know.
Sh: What about other factions, tho?
M: Kido isn't strong, but she is not very trustworthy, since when we say she is leading them is not exactly correct. After all, Tessai is the main lead. He is more of a loose cannon.
Sunny thought for a second and said.
S: Kai, you and Effie for to Neph's camp and tell her that we want to discuss when to attack Crimson Spire. The meeting would be this evening. Cassia Seishan go to the Bright castle and tells them the same thing.
M: What about me?
Sunny looked at Mia, who was now standing right behind him.
S: Train your essence consumption. I want you and Effie both awakened and beyond that for you, Mia, before we leave this place. Got it.
M&E: Yes, sir!
S: Alright, let's do this.
Sh: What if they refuse?
S: That we will go without them, and they can die here.
She smiled and all 4 of them left.
In the Neph's camp.
N: So he wants to meet this evening? Alright. We accept.
C: but, lady Nephis.
N: As it stands right now, his faction has the strongest warriors in it. Do you have a good reason to refuse?
C: No. I don't.
Nephis faced Kai and Effie.
N: When do we leave?
K: Now.
She nodded and started to head with Caster and 3 other firekeeper members. In total, 2 females and 2 males.
As for the bright castle.
The atmosphere was tense when they entered.
Ki: And if we refuse?
Ca: You can die here alone.
Te: Are you threatening us?
Ca: What if we are? If Lord of Shadows wanted to wipe you out, he would have done it a long time ago, but he didn't.
Ki: Fine. When do we leave?
Ca: now.
Kido nodded and also headed out with Tessai and 2 of their strongest men.
When they entered both Nephis and Kido, and Tessai, no one said a word from either side, they were welcomed or watched by 100 now warmaidens, black serpent showing on their skin brightly with slight darkness to it. The darker the tattoo stronger you are. That also comes with Serpent becoming larger with Shadow's Step Mastery. All with calm expressions facing each other.
S: Please take a seat.
Kido sat down in front of Sunny, Tessai next to her and their men standing by their side.
Nephis sat down on the right side, glancing at Sunny with a neutral expression. And slightly looking at Mia, who was standing right behind Sunny with a strange but very dangerous look in her eyes aimed at people who just entered the Cathedral.
As she looked away, she thought.
N: She really is pretty.
S: Let's get straight to the point.
N: Sure. We are planning on attacking Crimson Spire.
Te: It wasn't even 3 months from the slaughter you pulled in the Bright castle.
S: So what?
Ki: You really don't care?
S: No, why? Should I care?
Te: What if we refuse?
Sunny looked at Nephis for a bit too long and opened his mouth.
C: What are you staring at, punk?
S: How many men do you have, Nephis?
Sunny ignored Caster as if he weren't there at all.
N: 300
S: I have a little over 100, you Kido, Tessai?
Ki: slightly under 100.
Te: yeah something like that.
S: I will tell you how I see it.
Ki: Go on.
S: Either we will attack and survive with hopefully over 300 men, or we survive with slightly under 300 men because 100 that could have helped were too scared to fight.
Tessai slammed his hands on the table, stood up, and grabbed his axes.
As soon as he did that, pretty much instantly, Mia had her blade on his neck from behind him.
Te: How in the hell is she so fast?
S: Careful now. Is there really a reason for us to spill any more unnecessary blood?
Kido looked at Tessai got closer and said.
Ki: If we fight now, we will die. We are outnumbered, and I think his idea is not bad. I hate him; he is a bastard, but think about it. If we awaken, we can be rich and famous in the real world.
Tessai lowered his hand and accepted the deal. As he lowered his hand, Mia appeared behind Sunny again as if she were always there.
Nephis looked at Mia and thought.
N: No wonder she is his strongest member. That was a combination of 3 steps of Shadow dance. She learnt it in such a short amount of time? That is incredible.
Ki: When.
S&N: day after tomorrow.
Ki: Is that all?
S: I was planning a last big meal for everyone. From my faction, and since you are here, wanna stay?
Ki: Thank you, but I will pass.
C: Same here, we will also pass.
N: I will stay. You can go.
She looked at Caster and the other 3 coldly.
Caster reluctantly nodded and left with the 3.
It took Sunny a couple of hours to prepare all the food that was hunted by his warmaiden, Kai, Effie, Seishan, Saint and Guardian.
But after a long wait meal was served and everyone enjoyed it.
Every Warmaiden (WM1-10)
WM1: So he can cook as well; whoever has him is a lucky woman. I swear it was the best decision of my life to join this clan of his.
WM2: If this is the last meal of my life, I can die happily right now.
WM3: We are not allowed to die.
WM4-10: If I can eat his meals, I will make sure I do not die.
Inside their reconstructed kitchen were Sunny's strongest + Nephis eating with happy smiles on their faces.
E: So, Sunny, are you taken by any chance?
Sunny looked at her and thought.
S: Is her memory non-existent? We just talked about our body count not too long ago. How could she forget something like that?
S: What? Yeah, I am.
Everyone froze and stared at Sunny. Including Kai, Cassia, Seishan, Mia and Nephis.
E: By whom?
S: Nightmare spell, what else? I was taken here by a nightmare spell.