’Uhh...’
"Mias... Are you alive?"
The Reaper of Knowledge clutched at his head with one hand. The other curled into a thumbs-up.
Vale continued:
"Can you explain... what the hell just happened to you? And what do you an by ’Greed is coming’?"
Thankfully, his odd state seed only temporary. After shaking his head a few tis, Mias managed to claw his way to a sitting position, then said:
"Ophelia... she woke up a few minutes ago."
Vale’s eyes went wide.
’Huh?!’
Mias rubbed his head, which was exuding smoke.
"Greed was close to us, so we had to run. But in our escape, I lost connection with my other half."
Vale’s face grew almost as pale as Mias’s.
’Shit... she found , didn’t she?’
Mias continued:
"My other half wasn’t killed. I can sense it’s still alive at the very least. But sothing odd happened to it. I don’t think Greed is the one to bla."
Vale quietly asked:
"But, is Greed coming here?"
Mias shook his head one more ti before he finally adjusted to whatever was wrong with him.
"I don’t know if she was truly coming here... but she was moving toward the dungeon. I can’t really explain much more; my mind is quite fragnted. All I can say is that it would take her two days or less to reach us."
’Two days?!’
Vale cried internally.
’Oh woe is !’
From when he t Greed at the council of Vice, he knew damn well his life and property would be forfeit in her presence.
’Shit...’
All he could hope was that she didn’t demand too much of him.
’I should try and get as strong as I can in the next two days.’
Well, he was going to do that anyway.
He was going to saturate his core.
However...
’Ember of Lust.’
It would soon be ti to stoke the fla of passion.
***
Mias, still reeling from having his mind half lost, went and lay down in his bed...
’I didn’t think he’d actually use that thing.’
In the anti, Toy was sent to watch the entrance while Vale and Sivian stayed where they were.
Vale would love to converse with the Naga and get to know her more, but he had to put himself first right now.
aning...
[Would you like to absorb 102 Aether?]
’Yes...’
[Your Core has been saturated: 700/700!]
[Hidden condition for ascension: (2/4)]
Vale’s eyes lit up, and desire flowed through his veins.
’Finally...’
With this new influx of Aether, his body had managed to flush out the remaining toxins — freeing him from the constant pain.
Cracking his neck, Vale staggered to his feet, then sauntered over and sat on the stone throne.
’So, now I only need to conquer a certain Level.’
Vale looked at his scarred palm.
’And find the last hidden condition.’
Then he flipped his hand and looked at the crest of Lust tattooed on him.
’Do my tattoos have so relevance?’
Vale looked over at Sivian, who was quietly following him.
While he’d love to try and dissect [Ember of Lust] and push it beyond its current stage, there was sothing he wished to discuss with Mias to help him on that point — there was sothing he wanted clarified.
’Love Story.’
Sadly, it seed like he’d have to wait for Reaper to recover.
Vale smiled at the serpent.
’I guess it’s about ti I look at your stats.’
’Legion.’
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Champions:
[Salo] [Xina] [Mias] [Awilix]
♡♡♡
Workers: [35]
Warriors: [16]
Archers: [5]
Mages: [0]
♡♡♡
Affiliated:
[Toy] [Sivian]
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Vale focused on the serpent’s na.
♥︎♥︎♥︎
Na: [Sivian]
Title: [---]
Aspect: [Caustic]
Class: [Mutant]
Core Rank: [Ergent] - (0/200)
Loyalty: [15/100]
Traits: [Projectile Venom] [Blood Bane]
♥︎♥︎♥︎
’How... simple.’
As Vale looked over Sivian’s status, he couldn’t help but compare how straightforward everything was to comprehend compared to everyone else — save for Toy.
He felt he didn’t even need the descriptions to learn what the abilities did. Though he read them anyway out of curiosity.
The only periphrastic one was [Blood Bane].
But starting with the Aspect...
[Caustic] enhanced her natural venom and gave it a corrosive quality.
’Simple, but effective.’
Especially in conjunction with the first Trait [Projectile Venom].
Which, as the na suggested, allowed her to propel her venom out of the glands.
Finally, there was:
[Blood Bane] - [Blood is the essence of life, and you are life’s bane.]
Now, Vale had no idea what that short sentence ant, but Sivian actually had an explanation when he asked.
She’d said:
"It allows to replenish my venom by drawing from the poison in my blood. It also allows to replenish my own blood by absorbing others."
It was an ability that acted like Edith’s [Blood Fiend], but it was more geared toward replenishing her offensive power rather than healing.
’Is that why she liked my blood so much?’
Vale didn’t think it was the whole reason, but perhaps it was part of it.
In any case, Sivian, an Ergent Mutant, was a much-needed addition to the Dungeon of Lust, especially in turbulent tis.
’Though, I guess there’s a silver lining in it all.’
It pained Vale a bit to admit this truth, but...
’With how many warriors died in the village invasion and this defense, we don’t need to hunt as much ga.’
Vale sighed and wiped the depressing and pessimistic thoughts away.
He continued his assessnt of the snake.
Done with her abilities, he turned to her personality.
’She’s quiet... but it always looks like she’s judging.’
When she greeted everyone earlier, Vale didn’t bla Awilix’s interpretation of her gesture.
Sivian’s tone had felt feigned and false.
Like it was a mask. As if her true feelings and goals were hidden sowhere beneath the surface.
It also felt like she was giving a look of hate to anyone who got near Vale, even Mias.
Vale internally sighed.
’Don’t tell I have another secretive plotter on my hands.’
Mias and Salo were enough!
’At least be an open plotter like Awilix!’
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