"Has the copper been gathered"
"Yes, My Lord, it has been deposited in the warehouse."
"That's good" I reply absentmindedly, taking out an aether core.
'Evolve'
I evolved the core until it was the highest I could make it, white emerald.
It was after I had finished evolving the core that I realized how powerful it was.
Before when I had last evolved a core to this level I had not had any personal power nor did I have my pathways open.
Now that I did I could feel the overwhelming aether flowing out of the core.
Taking a breath filled my lungs with aether which was quickly dissolved and circulated into my pathways.
[You have advanced to Tier/Level 8/3]
Looking at the notification I couldn't help but gasp.
It had only taken a couple of seconds but just breathing the aether emitted from the core brought me up 2 levels.
The core was snatched from my hand before I could even think of doing anything else.
"Don't my Lord you risk aether poisoning if you breathe in that amount of aether in such a short amount of time."
With the aether core in her hand the ambient aether that I had been breathing in lessened.
"Ok" taking a shaky breath I stepped out of the room to the forest outside to get fresh air.
My mind was fuzzy, it was like I had inhaled toxic fumes.
"I have placed the core in a secure location,
My Lord"
Tama came out of the house walking towards me.
After she had gotten close enough she pulled me down to sit.
"Sit, my Lord, this is your first time experiencing an overdose of aether"
"Overdose?" I ask
"Yes, your body is not yet used to aether in such high densities at such a close proximity."
"Breath in and out" as Tama directed my breathing she handed me a stick.
"Reinforce this or just coat it, it does not matter, my Lord, you just need to use the aether stuck in you.
"Mmkay" I hum, already focusing on manipulating the aether in my arms, head, and back to all flow towards my fingertips.
A vast amount of aether, more than I had ever handled even when I was pushing myself to the limit in my evolutionary realm.
The stick instead of evolving as I had been used to instead decayed.
Instead of the vibrant green aether I was used to, a corrupted gray flew out.
The stick reflecting this change in aether started to decay instead grow.
Until eventually it turned to dust.
Another stick was in my hand before I knew it.
This time the aether I exerted was only partially gray.
Again and again my aether grew ever closer to the green that I had known.
…
"Hah"
Finally after an exhausting time my aether had finally turned back to green.
I look up to find a chastising look coming from Tama.
"I know that you did not know better my Lord, what you did was incredibly dangerous."
Her look softened and her voice fell, "Greater men have tried and greater men have died"
"That method is not suitable for anyone, the act of absorbing an aether core is inherently dangerous even when it is only the same tier as you"
"Same tier, what do you mean?" I ask, seeing her pause in her explanation.
"As you know aether cores are categorized by their color but those colors can correspond to different tiers."
"Nn ok" I groan out growing increasingly exhausted as the seconds wane by.
…
It was to the sound of construction that I woke up.
Looking around I found that I was in my bed, however Aoif was not there.
Heading outside I found where Aoif was.
The backyard of the house had a large empty space that we currently had not used.
But now there was a huge doorway.
Engraved with incompressible markings the white emerald glow of the portal emanated outwards.
[Pandora's Portal]
[Allows crown'a to traverse to the Pandora sub-realm]
…
"Only crown's"
"It seems so"
Going back inside I grab my spear that was resting upon my desk.
With Aoif following me I ready myself to enter.
"Wait here I'll be back" before I could lean down to give her a goodbye she pulls herself to my arm and with a determined look declares imperiously, "I'm coming with"
I go to respond, to point out the potential danger.
But nothing comes to my mind, for some reason every argument I have with myself leads back to one conclusion.
I want Aoif by my side, I want to protect her.
That means that I need to let her grow, to come with me and fight is better than leaving her with no combat abilities at all.
After much deliberation I finally agree and with a nod of my head and a hand holding hers I step in.
…
[Welcome to Pandora's Realm]
[Exorcize the spirits and get rewards]
With the black out of our visions I finally saw the new realm we were in along with an oddly peppy system.
"Aoif" I ask looking around and seeing nothing
"Yes" a distant voice echoes.
Sighing in relief I see that Aoif had just been transported to a distant grove.
Walking over to the voice of Aoif I find a strangely empty grove.
Suspicion filled me, I knew that Aoif would not have left and if she had she would have been able to find me despite her lack of vision.
A glint of something metallic was the only warning given to me.
Quickly swinging my spear up and by instinct reinforcing it I hit something.
Immediately I jumped back before the projectiles following it could hit me.
*THUNK* *THUNK* *THUNK*
Looking towards where the objects had landed I found a strangely claw shaped dagger.
Before I could examine it closer more objects were thrown at me.
I knew I could not hit these out of the air like I had done the previous so instead of trying I instead ran straight towards them.
*SHINK* *SHINK* *SHINK*
The projectiles that I could not dodge were wedged into places I deemed non fatal.
By the time another volley of those claw-like daggers had been sent I was close enough to see what I was facing.
It was a silhouette of a woman, wrapped in cloth like armor and a veil covering her head.
"*&^%**^ ^%$$&*"
It spoke an unknown language.
However that did not stop the creature, ghost, it didn't matter from attacking me.
I finally found out what those daggers were.
Turns out they were actually claws.
Whenever she would wave her hands, the claws attached to her hand would be launched in a volley.
Of course at such a distance I was unable to dodge, so I did the next best thing I charged straight at her, spear at the ready.
As soon as I got into striking range I slashed upwards.
The creature tried to dodge but she was too close.
[You have killed a remnant of the veiled guard.]
[You have gained…]