When Rakna woke up the next morning, the first thing he did was obviously grab the cat that was sleeping on his face and throw it out the window. He listened to the sweet sound of Higure falling and stretched his limbs.
An Eion pulse briefly coursed through his body, signaling his body functions being refreshed and restarted after a night of sleep. The cyan energy reached the veins of his neck before finishing its duty and Rakna walked out of the room with Allegro forming around his body into casual clothes while Sonata flew to his neck and wrapped itself around it.
The therian did a quick check to see who was still in the house and smiled wryly when he noticed that Nyx was already out. "I guess Higure is right. She's quite a hard worker," he commented and went to visit Evelyn's lab, where he could sense Natsu as well.
When he got there, it was exactly as Allan described it. The succubus was scribbling notes while staring at a concoction and mumbling very quietly. Natsu, on the other hand, had a neutral look as he used his flames to fuel an experiment.
"Looks like you're making yourself useful," Rakna remarked and the Celestial Blaze finally noticed his arrival.
"Oh, My Lord. Well… my flames are apparently good for alchemy as well," he answered. He looked at the dazed Evelyn with half-lidded eyes, "And she hasn't bothered to tell me when I should stop as well. I don't even dare to move in case it disrupts her."
"How polite of you. Though you're probably used to staying immobile," the therian said and Natsu shrugged. "By the way, you'll also be helping me forge later on. That's 50% of the reason I got you as a member of my Imperial Guard, after all."
"Forging, huh? What about the remaining 50%?"
"Fighting potential, of course. You're a physical nemesis. Tyran is a magical one. Pronos is mostly a tank and damage dealer. He's hard to kill and extremely deadly depending on how much he is allowed to charge infinity and poison. Then, there's Higure who is unpredictable and polyvalent; and a counter to dimension-bending threats."
"Hm, put like that, you've indeed acquired an interesting roster."
"I try," Rakna joked and approached Evelyn. "All right, it's time you 'wake' up," he said and snapped his fingers near her ear, shooting an inoffensive soul bullet at her mind.
"Yes?!" She abruptly yelped and looked around in haste. When her eyes fell on him, she pursed her lips and her face reddened. "Ah… uh… um, how long…?"
"Well, it depends," Rakna smiled. "How long have I been here? Or how long have you been here? I've only been here for about a minute; you've been here since yesterday afternoon."
"…it's morning?" She asked with genuine surprise and the therian snickered.
"What? Is it the first time you lose yourself in your thoughts?"
"Not really…" She mumbled. "But it's the first time it lasted this long," she said and her wandering gaze caught the sight of Natsu. "Ah!" Her face flushed. "I'm so sorry! I forgot to tell you it was done!"
Natsu chuckled wryly. "I figured, little lady. Don't fret; it doesn't bother me. I'm used to this."
"Still…"
Rakna watched her panic like a lost child with an amused smile. "It's okay, Evelyn. This guy isn't the type to be reproachful. More importantly, did you advance on our little project?"
"Oh, yes! I couldn't work on your personal pills since I haven't gone to Trafford yet, but I managed to optimize the common version," the succubus instantly switched attitudes and walked to a pile of pills and potions she had placed on a counter.
Rakna's pupils briefly flashed gold and a window popped up.
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Designation: Consumable/Pill
Name: Cardiac Scavenging Pill
Tier: Special
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Description:
A pill refined by an advanced alchemist with the heart of a deceased creature. This pill should normally have been nothing more than a nutritious supplement considering its ingredients but due to the maker's ingenuity, it became a special consumable containing the transmuted form of a complete heart, performed thanks to the unique properties of the Legendary Wolf Emperor's Nirvana Skill and Magic Crest.
The flame of a Celestial Blaze was used to purify its ingredients, the effects have been boosted and the pill gained a small elemental infusion.
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Effects:
- Heals physical wounds and mild illnesses.
- Increases Heat Resistance for 10 minutes.
- Recovers 35% of MP
- Recovers 35% of STA
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Consumption Cooldown: 1 Hour.
Note: Ineffective for beings above Level 100. Must be consumed by beings above Level 25 at the very least.
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Designation: Consumable/Potion
Name: Cardiac Scavenging Potion
Tier: Special
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Description:
A potion refined by an advanced alchemist with the hearts and blood of several deceased creatures. This potion should normally have been nothing more than a nutritious supplement but due to the maker's ingenuity, it became a special consumable containing the transmuted form of a complete heart, performed thanks to the unique properties of the Legendary Wolf Emperor's Nirvana Skill and Magic Crest.
The flame of a Celestial Blaze was used to purify its ingredients, the effects have been boosted and the potion gained a small elemental infusion. The organic concentration of this potion has been raised to its limits thanks to the celestial flame and more than five hearts have been transmuted into it.
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Effects:
- Heals physical wounds and illnesses.
- Increases Heat Resistance for 30 minutes.
- Recovers 75% of MP
- Recovers 75% of STA
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Consumption Cooldown: 12 Hours.
Note: Ineffective for beings above Level 100. Must be consumed by beings above Level 60 at the very least. Consuming this item twice within 12 hours has high risks of directly causing Internal Mana & Internal Force Suicide.
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Rakna nodded as he read the descriptions. "This is definitely much better. I also didn't expect the potions."
Evelyn nodded. "These potions were made possible thanks to Natsu. It's nearly impossible for me to use more than one heart in the making of a pill with my current skills since it has a low breaking point. But when it comes to potions; liquid solutions have a far higher capacity. I can use between three to seven hearts maximum for each. This is grandly in part thanks to Natsu's ability to heat up every single molecule. It makes it much easier to compress. I've also noticed that using blood as the heating bath conducts the energy provided by your Nirvana Skill's Crest better."
Rakna sweatdropped as she continued explaining all the manufacturing details with the boundless enthusiasm of a scientist. 'She's talented… and dedicated,' he thought. 'The fact that her designation changed from 'intermediate' to 'advanced' in only the span of a night only proves it...'
"…that's how I resolved the unstable mixture of mana and blood ki when forced to their overload point according to Wolder's Transmission Theorem… ah…" She eventually realized what she was doing and bashfully cleared her throat. "Yes…"
"'Yes', is it?" Rakna said teasingly and she pouted at him. "Hah, all right. Sorry. If you don't mind, I will meet someone right now to talk about founding a company. I plan to sell materials, weapons, and what will probably be one day called Magic of Science. How does it sound to you to add these consumables to the lot? We can revive the name of the Malcanthet."
Evelyn's eyes widened and raised her head fast enough to give her a whiplash. When she saw the small but gentle smile on the therian's face, her expression brightened and tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. She quickly wiped them and beamed, "Yes, please! I won't disappoint the name of my family!" She declared with a determined tone.
Rakna snorted and patted her head. "Let's go then. I'll wait for you outside," he said and left her alone in the lab.
The succubus watched him go and then slowly put her hands on her head. Her blush eventually calmed and her mouth curved into a joyful smile.
"Hoho! Little lady, are you lost in your love-stricken bliss?" Natsu commented with a smirk and he failed to react in time when a flask was promptly hurled at his head.
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Meanwhile, on the 60th Plateau, Nyx exhaled a crystalized breath as the freezing winds surrounded her. She lowered her hand that was sparking with black lightning after it had blown a hole through the body of a yeti-like monster.
The creature let out a dying grunt and collapsed on the ground, scattering snow and shattering a layer of ice. The night goddess glanced at the killing notification and then focused on her hand that was still wrapped in Aeter.
"I really can't do it…" She whispered. Her Eternal Night Magic had been stuck at the Exceled level for the past week. She had long Ascended her Lunar Magic, but for this one, nothing worked. She had even tried to use a precious Skill Point, only to be returned an error.
"What am I missing? Is it that I am unconsciously scared of it? No, that can't be it…" She shook her head and sighed. She walked past the monster's corpse, storing it at the same time, and continued walking toward a sort of ice tower in the distance.
When she arrived at the edifice's entrance, she was asked to select a difficulty. She considered her options for a few seconds and chose the highest one; Hell. She was teleported inside the Dungeon almost instantly and found herself in the middle of an icy room, surrounded by unliving creatures of snow.
Some were the size of giants, others smaller than a rabbit, but all of them were twisted. Arms bent in two directions, heads with half smirks, eyes of red diamond, or vacant holes. They had claws of ice and a visible wooden skeleton buried inside the snow sticking out in some places.
One of them roared, invoking a short-lived snowstorm and Nyx impassively looked at its dozens of rows of sharpened glass teeth. On cue, every monster rushed at her and the instant they stepped into her range, a mayhem of black-red lightning burst around her, shredding the weakest to pieces and shoving away the bigger ones.
She proceeded to conjure an Aeter Urumi sword and swung it at the closest target. The whip blade of the weapon split into dozens of electrifying and scorching small sections that encircled the snow monster like a serpent. She rotated her wrist and the sectioned blades closed in and tore into the creature, summoning a lightning bolt into the room.
Nyx's expression did not change for even an instant as she pulled back her weapon and created a second one in her free hand. This time, it wasn't made of lightning but shadows. She pointed it at a small group of monsters and opened her mouth, "[Union Magic – Dark Moon – Shadow Fang of Lunation.]"
The apparition of a wolf shot out from the tip and howled. It dashed toward the Dungeon monsters and decapitated them with a bite each. "[Styx's Swamp,]" she didn't stop and invoked a swamp of darkness below her feet that overtook the floor and trapped the monsters.
She then pressed the two swords together and the black lightning fused with the shadow and lunar energy. Her eyes glowed and a dark mass emerged around her hands. "[Union Magic – Eternal Dark Moon – Aeternus Gladius Umbrae Lunae] (Eternal Sword of the Shadowless Moon)."
She gripped the shapeless sword forming before her as it whistled with power. She waved it with a relaxed motion and thunder roared one last time before the monsters were swallowed by a bolt of lightning that consumed their bodies after striking.
As the remnants of her spells died down, Nyx indifferently headed to the next floor as she recalled a conversation she had yesterday. She had been training at one of the Basilicas of Eternal Night in front of a replica of the Kind Demon Cross when a visiting Archbishop noted the flaws in her magic.
"You certainly own up to the title of Eternal Maiden. Your Aeter is magnificent," he had said with a nod. "But you seem lost in your practice. Perhaps is it a problem of faith? No, you don't need that, do you? I can see the diligence you possess. Even if you don't heartfully pray to Eternal Night, you respect him more than most of us… I can see it."
The old archbishop stroked his beard and Nyx glanced at him. "…I cannot advance," she eventually admitted. "I don't lack insight, experience, or determination. But I still fail to improve further," she added and looked at her hands. "And I cannot find the reason."
'Is this all that I amount to?' Nyx paused her reminiscence as she blasted a Dungeon monster with a condensed beam of lightning. 'Without the divinity that I was born with, despite all the advantages I naturally possess, I am still weak. I cannot catch up to him… Perhaps I never was talented.'
When she had voiced these doubts, the archbishop had laughed. "Dear, talent is subjective. No one is born for the sake of being better than another. If one trains for ten years and defeats someone that has trained for a hundred years, does it invalidate the hard work put in by the loser? If you feel like your path has suddenly put an obstacle in front of you, look around and search for a way out; always."
Nyx remained silent as she gazed at the Demon Cross and the old man smiled. "Perhaps the rants of this old man are of no interest to you. After all, how convenient would it be if a few words had the power to break limits… I have a suggestion, Maiden."
She looked at him and he continued, "Your problem might be related to your relationship with the Eternal Night God. You might simply lack a perspective. There is someone else in the System that has met and battled the Kind Demon in the past."
Nyx widened her eyes and fully turned toward the man of faith. "Who? Where?"
The archbishop closed his eyes solemnly. "Find a way to the Celestial Plateau. A resident God that lives there knows the Eternal Night God very well. At least, what's left of him. He was depicted by the Kind Demon Cross as a vile and evil man. He is called Day Breaker by the Basilica. None of us appreciate his existence, but something tells me that meeting him is something you ought to do."
"Who is he?"
The old man opened his eyes with a sharp look. "The one they curse and eulogize as the Architect of Eternal Night. The Kind Demon's nemesis; the God of Dark Slumber and Madness, Karaskan."
Nyx ended her memory with a loud explosion of lightning that engulfed the entire floor she was in before proceeding to the Boss floor. It had barely taken her half an hour to complete this Dungeon, even at the highest difficulty.
The boss was a creepy snowman with wooden arms and a jagged smirk. She scowled at it and her swords appeared in her hands.
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* * *
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When she came out of the tower, she was sporting a wound across her arm, spilling white blood that blended with the snow; it had already started to heal.
Nyx breathed in and opened her status, looking at the skill called 'Celestial Gate'. Something that she had quickly acquired due to her identity as the Night Goddess. She could head to the Celestial Plateau at any time with it.
She hesitated for a while before closing the window. "No, not now, if it must be done…" She relaxed slightly. "It would be much better to tell Rakna first," she muttered and went off to train more, feeling instinctively comfortable with the idea of receiving help from the therian.