The morning light grew brighter as Damien yawned loudly, stretching his arms. “I need some alone time,” he muttered, his voice laced with weariness.
Arielle, seated nearby, raised an eyebrow and grinned. “Alone time? You’re just going to sleep, aren’t you? After saying you wouldn’t?”
Damien shook his head, smirking as he leaned back against the headboard of the bed. “Not sleepy,” he said, his grin widening slightly. “I’m hungry.”
Arielle laughed, crossing her arms as she stood. “Hungry already? How do you get hungry so fast? You eat like someone who hasn’t seen food in years!”
Damien shrugged, his expression turning faintly nostalgic. “When someone’s been deprived of good things for a long time, they tend to make the most of it when they finally have it again.”
His words carried a deeper meaning, though he didn’t elaborate. For two years, Damien had lived a nomadic life, surviving on what he could find in the wild.
Mana beast meat, scavenged vegetables, and the occasional mana plant like the Orchid had been his staples.
None of it compared to the meals he had enjoyed here in Westmont—especially Arielle’s cooking.
Arielle tilted her head, her expression caught between confusion and amusement. “I guess I get that. You mean my food, right? I knew you liked it!”
Damien chuckled softly but said nothing, letting her interpret his words however she pleased.
“I’ll make you something different this time,” Arielle said with a determined look. “Something even better than before!”
Damien smiled, nodding his thanks. “Thanks, Arielle. You really don’t have to, but I appreciate it.”
She waved him off, heading toward the door. “You’re welcome, but don’t think you can get rid of me that easily. I’ll be back soon.”
As the door clicked shut behind her, the room grew quiet again. Damien shifted on the bed, crossing his legs into a lotus position.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and focused inward, scanning his body with practiced precision. He traced the flow of magic essence through his veins and checked for any lingering injuries.
After a few moments, Damien sighed in relief. Everything seemed to have healed properly. His body was in peak condition, but his essence reserves were another matter entirely.
The battles he had fought, combined with Cerbe’s transformation, had drained him significantly.
“That transformation… it’s incredible but costly,” Damien muttered to himself. The ability to turn his summons into humanoid forms was far too valuable to ignore, but the toll it took on his life force and magic essence made it something he couldn’t use lightly.
His thoughts wandered to Fenrir, the Monstrous Wolf, and Luton, the Stellar Slime. Fenrir’s transformation would undoubtedly cost even more than Cerbe’s, but the one he was most curious about was Luton.
The slime had no gender, and Damien couldn’t help but wonder how its human form would manifest. Would it be masculine like Cerbe or take on a more feminine appearance?
A small smile crossed Damien’s lips. “Something to figure out later,” he mused.
For now, he needed to focus on replenishing his reserves. Summoning Luton, the red slime appeared before him, its gelatinous form glowing faintly. “I need essence cores,” Damien said simply.
Luton quivered in response, producing dozens of essence cores from its (Universal Space) ability. The glowing orbs hovered around it, each one pulsing faintly with stored energy. Damien picked up one of the cores and activated his (Devourer) skill.
As he brought the core close to his mouth, it began to shrink, its size diminishing rapidly until it was small enough to swallow like a pill. Damien repeated the process, steadily consuming the essence cores as his reserves began to replenish.
~~~~~
Far away, at the grand estate of the Acheon family, the atmosphere was far heavier. Lord Acheon sat in his elaborately designed office, the room reflecting his status as the head of one of the Fated Families.
The walls were lined with shelves filled with tomes, scrolls, and records, and the large mahogany desk in front of him was carved with intricate patterns that spoke of generations of tradition.
Leaning back in his ornate chair, Lord Acheon stared at the letter lying on the desk. It bore the royal seal of King Aythore, and its message was grim.
Eldham, one of the kingdom’s towns, had been completely destroyed in a demonic attack. The king was calling for an urgent gathering of rulers and the Fated Family heads to address the growing threat.
Lord Acheon tapped his fingers against the desk, his thoughts heavy. The implications of the letter were troubling, and he knew that ignoring it was not an option.
As he pondered his response, the crystal orb on his desk began to glow faintly, signaling an incoming communication.
Leaning forward, he activated the device. “Who’s calling?” he asked, his tone calm and measured.
A familiar voice answered. “Acheon, did you receive the same letter I did?”
Lord Acheon nodded, though his gesture was invisible through the link. “I did,” he replied simply.
“What do you intend to do?” the voice asked.
Lord Acheon sighed, rubbing his temples. “I don’t have much of a choice. Declining would bring the wrath of Great Elder White Fang down on me. And you?”
The voice on the other end chuckled lightly. “The same. The old man has no patience for dissent, and I’d rather not test his temper.”
Lord Acheon allowed a rare smile to cross his lips. “So, we’ll both be there, Terrace?”
“Yes,” Lord Terrace replied. “It’s not as if we can refuse. I’ll see you at the gathering. Let’s hope this meeting doesn’t spiral out of control.”
The two men exchanged a brief laugh before ending the call. Once the orb dimmed, Lord Acheon leaned back in his chair again, his smile fading. “Things are moving faster than I anticipated,” he muttered to himself.
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He glanced at the letter one last time before closing his eyes, bracing himself for the challenges to come.
~~~~~
Back in Westmont, Damien continued consuming essence cores, each one bringing him closer to full strength.
The soft glow of the cores reflected in his calm expression as he methodically replenished his reserves. Though his mind was already thinking ahead to the battles and mysteries he would face, for now, he allowed himself to focus solely on the present.
The quiet hum of Luton’s presence and the rhythmic sound of Damien’s breathing filled the room, creating a moment of peace in the midst of the chaos surrounding them. But soon, Arielle would be back to ruin the tranquility.