Ogre Tyrant

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 82 – Within and Without – Part One

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 82 - Within and Without- Part One

Preoccupied with watching Sebet ply her craft, I didn’t notice Mud’s presence until he stepped into the light of Sebet’s magical lantern. Awkwardly squatting on the blood-slick floor, he began poking about the small pile of severed fingers, toes and flayed skin Sebet had taken from Horangi.

Initially irritated by Mud’s intrusion, I decided that there might be a sick sense of poetic justice in forcing the Horangi to watch as Mud consumed his discarded body parts in front of him. Leaving Mud be, I turned my attention back toward Sebet and the Horangi.

“Tyrant?” Mud had retrieved something from the pile and was holding it up for my inspection. No doubt acting under the assumption that he would need my permission before stuffing it in his mouth and eating it.

Suppressing my irritation and anger, I waved him away dismissively.

“Tyrant?” Mud repeated, this time more insistently, straining himself to raise his arm higher.

“WHAT?!” I snarled, rounding on the puny reject with my fist raised and half a mind to put him out of our collective misery.

Mud cowered like a beaten dog, his dark eyes looking up at me with earnest regret and confusion. Too stupid to know what he had done-

What had he done?

Mud was just standing there, trying to show me something...What was so infuriating about that?

I closed my eyes and took a long deep breath.

Opening my eyes again, I could now see that there was a small wooden talisman in Mud’s outstretched hand. Threaded on a simple leather cord, I vaguely recalled having seen it worn about the Horangi’s neck.

“It isn’t magical,” Sebet commented distractedly, grinning to herself as she slowly worked a barbed needle into the Horangi’s left eye. “Oh! My mistake! It is magical. It carries a Cultivation enchantment for...mental clarity? One moment, that didn’t seem quite right...” Sebet stared intensely at the Horangi for several seconds in silence while twisting the barbed needle ever so slightly. As if she was a safecracker honing in on the correct combination. “Mental fortitude!” Sebet declared proudly. “He was hoping it would prove sufficient to...to...” Her expression hardened almost immediately. “To protect him while he feasts on imprisoned Demons? Ah...That was the deal they made.”

“Demons?” I reached for the talisman so I could inspect it more closely. “Why would he need the talis-” The instant my fingers touched the wood, waves of exhaustion crashed through my body and mind. Leaving me feeling thoroughly abused and beyond exhausted. However, the anger and rage were also gone, providing a moment of clarity.

Drawing the talisman from Mud’s palm with shaking fingers, I fought hard to suppress the early stages of an entirely justified, but otherwise unproductive, panic attack.

Someone had been inside my mind!

The enormity of the violation filled me with a sensation of near-overwhelming revulsion, and once it had settled, it was replaced by RAGE!

With a thought, the spear materialised from my Storage Ring. Disgusted at the thought of touching it, I used my Earth Affinity to make it float unaided.

“Let me make one thing absolutely clear!” I growled, barely holding back the thoughts demanding I succumb to my more destructive impulses. “If you EVER try to mess with my mind again I WILL DESTROY YOU!”

A red-skinned human with white hair and wearing silver-white robes tumbled out of the spear, seeming to appear from thin air. His slitted pupils, shark-like teeth and protruding horns left no doubts in my mind that he was the Demon Lord I had imprisoned within the spear. Or, at the very least, some form of limited projection.

Sebet looked on with naked curiosity, studying the Demon Lord with intense interest and baring her own teeth in a show of intimidation and willingness to assist in carrying out my threat. “Gric will want in on this!” She purred dangerously, creating a Breach with a wave of her hand.

The instant the breach formed, Gric stepped through and immediately began stalking toward the Demon Lord. “YOU DARE?!” He snatched the Demon Lord by the throat, effortlessly lifting him off the floor and holding him at eye level with only a few inches between them.

“I do as-urk!” The Demon Lord’s confidence evaporated as Gric began to squeeze. In a panic, the Demon Lord struck at Gric with his fists and feet, launching several destructive Techniques in rapid succession.

Just as quickly as he was injured, Gric’s torn flesh knit itself back together. “BEG!” He snarled, fangs bared and eager to rip into the Demon Lord’s face. “BEG THE TYRANT’S FORGIVENESS!!! THROW YOURSELF AT HIS MERCY, FOR! I! HAVE! NONE!!!”

Sebet cackled with amusement and waited to see how the Demon Lord would react.

Striking a downward blow on Gric’s forearm to try and break or disrupt his hold, the Demon Lord’s form blurred for a moment. A loud crunching sound echoed through the chamber as his body abruptly moved to one side while his neck remained firmly locked within Gric’s fingers.

A series of more muted crunching noises emanated from the Demon Lord’s neck shortly afterwards and his limp body suddenly jerked to life again. “Let me go!” He demanded fiercely, baring his teeth in an attempt to intimidate Gric into compliance.

“No!” Gric hissed back without a shred of fear.

“ENOUGH!” I waved the spear out of my way and fixed the Demon Lord with a glare, gathering my Death Affinity and injecting it into the spear.

The Demon Lord grew deathly still, all vestiges of resistance having evaporated in an instant.

“You will swear Oaths of fealty, obedience and whatever else I can fucking think of!” I growled menacingly. “Because if you don’t, I will end you here and now! AM I UNDERSTOOD?!”

The Demon Lord timidly nodded his head.

Sebet, Gric and I spent the next hour binding the Demon Lord under every conceivable Oath we could think of. By the time we were finished, Sebet’s Contract and Oaths looked like a joke in comparison. A fact she had taken great pains to accomplish.

Even now, I was struggling to hold myself back.

The more time I had been given to consider what had happened, the more violated I felt. If the Demon Lord had been allowed to continue spreading his influence in my mind, everything I had fought for would have been in jeopardy...

I had been seconds away from striking Mud down and almost certainly killing him outright.

The memory-filled me with absolute revulsion.

At least under Enslavement, there was the choice between obedience and pain. This had been different. The decisions felt like they were my own...I hadn’t even considered someone else had been pulling the strings...

Leaving Gric to watch over the Demon Lord and the stone spear, I returned to Yi Gim’s city with Sebet’s projection and Mud in tow.

Standing in the open grounds of Yi Gim’s estate, it didn’t take long for his surviving servants and guards to pass along news of my arrival.

“Apologies, I have not had enough time to-” Yi Gim stopped abruptly, his light-hearted apology all but forgotten. “Is there a problem?” He asked, worriedly scanning our faces for signs of trouble.

“Several...” I grunted awkwardly, unsure of how I should broach the subject. “Sebet?” I motioned for her to take the lead.

“The contracted assassins and betrayal of the Hong clan were only parts of a larger conspiracy,” Sebet explained, presenting a stained scroll she had uncovered from the Horangi lair. “The mastermind employed the shapeshifters known as Horangi to instigate the Beast Tide. The Horangi also manipulated the Monkey Clan into joining the Beast Tide to seek revenge for killings the Horangi had enacted while assuming the form of local Cultivators.”

Yi Gim’s face paled at the first mention of the Horangi and only grew paler as Sebet continued her retelling of events.

“Of course, the Monkey Clan was not intended to keep or even hold the city for any meaningful amount of time,” Sebet continued, flourishing her hands for dramatic effect. “The Horangi had also used their shapeshifting powers to establish a feud between the Monkey Clan and Tiger Clan. They had intended to pit the two clans against one another. Either wiping themselves out or becoming weakened to the point of insignificance.”

Accepting the scroll, Yi Gim scanned its contents with mounting concern. “And the Horangi?” He asked with reluctant optimism. “Can I assume they have been dealt with? Or...-”

“All save the ringleader are dead, Monarch,” Sebet interrupted politely.

Surprised, I looked to Sebet for confirmation.

<Your pet was rather liberal with the instructions you provided while indisposed...> Sebet explained apologetically.

“And this ringleader?...” Yi Gim pressed.

“Currently under guard and in our custody,” Sebet replied reassuringly. “Fit to answer questions, if required.”

Yi Gim nodded in understanding and then turned to address me instead. “Would you relinquish the Horangi to me?” He asked. There was steel in his tone that made it clear that there was a great deal riding on how I decided to answer. Not that it made much of a difference to my intentions.

“Do you have a prison capable of holding it?” I asked in return. More than happy to turn the Horangi over, so long as it wouldn’t be free to escape immediately afterwards.

Without skipping a beat, Yi Gim nodded firmly. “I do.”

<He does.> Sebet confirmed. <At least in his mind, the prison has defences ten times stronger than those originally possessed by the city.>

“Then I have no problems with leaving it in your custody,” I replied and gave Sebet a nod to make a show of my approval as the explanation for what would come next.

A breach opened between Yi Gim and myself. The Horangi's surgically mutilated body was cast through the Breach and landed in an unceremonious heap. The Breach closed again immediately afterwards.

Yi Gim’s face contorted with obvious disgust.

“A byproduct of our interrogation,” Sebet explained apologetically with a smile that undermined the effort.

Yi Gim’s expression hardened and became decidedly neutral. He nodded in thanks and then waved forward one of his retainers. “Take it to the black cells,” he commanded, refusing to look directly at the Horangi as it was clapped in irons and hauled away.

“I intend to take the Tiger Clan away as well,” I stated bluntly, deciding that addressing the issue now would be better than waiting until later. “Even without the Horangi manipulating them, leaving them would likely just cause more problems.”

I was also incredibly curious to discover why there were anthropomorphic Beasts in the first place, and two sources would prove less vulnerable to bias than one.

“The Transcendent Beasts?” Yi Gim qualified before shrugging dismissively. “You may take them with my blessing. Although more reasonable than their unenlightened kin, we have never managed to broker a peace between us. In this time of uncertainty, it is better that they are not a concern.”

It was a rather callous way of talking about sentient sapient beings, but in the circumstances, I couldn’t fault him for it.

“There is something I would like to ask, if I may?” Sebet probed diplomatically.

Yi Gim nodded, motioning that she could continue.

“The Horangi were gifted prisoners as payment for their services,” Sebet explained with mounting enthusiasm. “This is confirmed by verbal accounts as well as the document you now possess,” she pointed to the scroll in Yi Gim’s hands. “The exotic nature of the prisoners themselves could provide a vital clue in identifying the mastermind behind this attack.”

Yi Gim’s composure cracked. “How?” He demanded, raising the scroll and hastily scanning its contents for a second time. Searching for the answer Sebet claimed lay within. “It mentions only specific tastes...” He challenged with disgust before lowering the scroll again.

“One of the prisoners survived,” Sebet replied with a wide smile. “They are in no state as of this moment to answer our questions. However, their existence provides the opportunity to narrow the potential list of suspects.”

Yi scowled and stared at Sebet impatiently, waiting for her to be on with it.

“These Horangi, they are considered quite rare, yes?” Sebet asked, deliberately edging around the answer Yi Gim wanted.

“They are,” Yi Gi replied curtly. “In all my years as Monarch, I have seen only one with my own eyes.”

Sebet nodded confidently. “Their nature as shapeshifters would ensure as much. But tell me, what about Oni?”

<Oni?> I asked, struggling to keep up with Sebet’s sudden shift in focus.

<A type of Ogre from the folklore of your world.> Sebet explained with a hint of confusion. No doubt having taken that knowledge from my mind. “Also known as demons or devils?> She projected images pulled from memories I had nearly forgotten existed, and a number I sorely wished she had not seen. However, her claim held merit beyond just the physical. Which was good, considering the prisoner’s miserable state. The prisoner had also ‘felt’ like an Ogre in the same way the Horangi had.

Yi Gim was slow to react, seemingly as confused by Sebet’s abrupt shift in focus as I had been. “They are rare...” He hedged but began to frown, knitting his brows together as he began making connections I was not aware of.

<Patience, Great One, all will become clear.> Sebet promised appeasingly.

“You are insinuating my ally, Ouji Akira, is responsible?” Yi Gim asked darkly.

“Of course not,” Sebet replied with a smirk. “Just that whoever IS responsible has access to both his realm and yours. Although it is quite likely a fellow Monarch and ally is responsible,” she insisted. “Only a friendly face would require so much chaos and collateral damage to justify and facilitate their rule. Only a close ally would be positioned to take advantage of the family members who survived the slaughter, seizing their territories and the Realm at large...”

Yi Gim appeared to have grown physically ill, and I couldn’t blame him for it. Sebet had raised one of the immense weaknesses of trivialising the Supremacy Challenges. The trading of territories functioned only because of trust. And that trust could be wielded as a weapon to stab an unsuspecting scion in the back. Taking them for all they were worth and leaving no witnesses.

Sebet wasn’t finished. She was only waiting for Yi Gim to finish processing what he had been told before dropping a far more dangerous truth. Something I had learned already, but now realised, explained the presence of the surviving Oni that had been held prisoner.

“Whoever is pulling the strings has access to imprisoned Demons.” Sebet’s claim cut just as deep as we had expected. Causing Yi GIm to stagger several steps backward before regaining control over himself and reasserting a semblance of composure. “Impossible...” He breathed incredulously in denial.

We had witnessed the liberation of an imprisoned Demon Lord only a handful of hours prior. I didn’t doubt Yi Gim would come around, but I could understand why he would prefer to live in denial.

“The Hong clan had a Demon Lord squirrelled away,” I commented, forcing Yi Gim to address the reality of our situation. “Is it so hard to believe that a Monarch has done the same with weaker targets and on a larger scale?”

Yi Gim winced but I could see he was already coming around. In a position like his, he couldn’t just pretend that threats didn’t exist because he found them upsetting.

Sure enough, Yi Gim took a deep calming breath and stowed away the scroll within his Storage Ring. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention,” he said, wearing a strained smile. “With things such as they are, may I ask if your offer of sanctuary is still on the table? I believe there is sufficient evidence to now justify this measure without the need for debate.”

“Of course,” I replied supportively.

<I have recommendations that would need tacit approval.> Sebet interjected. <If I may?>

I nodded and motioned for Sebet to take the lead again.

“The city that served as the Hong clan’s base of power could prove a valuable teaching tool for a future Monarch and their attendants,” Sebet suggested with an open smile. “Of course, we would sweep the territory to ensure certain threats are eliminated, and the populace adheres to the Tyrant’s laws.”

“If there is no danger, then what will there be to learn?” Yi Gim asked hesitantly. Not immediately adverse to the concept but he obviously held several reservations.

“There is more to running an empire than spilling the blood of one’s enemies,” Sebet replied calmly with a faint teasing tone. “It will provide an opportunity to study economics, politics and broader social interactions in a comparatively low-risk setting. It should also be noted that the locals will not automatically abide by the edicts of their new ruler. Presenting the opportunity to learn the finer points of diplomacy, specifically in regards to obtaining leverage when violence is absolutely not an option.”

Repeating and rephrasing her point appeared to bear fruit, causing Yi Gim to reconsider.

“And, of course, you would be free to provide or withhold advice on your own initiative,” Sebet observed, eyes flashing with anticipation of imminent victory. “Just as you intended before,” she reminded him.

Yi Gim remained silent for the better part of a minute before appearing to make up his mind. “Alright,” he agreed with minor signs of reluctance. “May I ask an additional favour?” He asked, directing the question toward me rather than Sebet.

“You may,” I agreed amiably.

Yi Gim bowed slightly as a show of gratitude. “I am in immediate need of resources to train new guards and servants and accelerate the Cultivation of those who will remain behind. Would it be possible to take the Hong clan’s treasury as an advance payment for our previous arrangement regarding the Alchemists' recruitment?”

“I may want to keep samples of certain materials,” I hedged, erring on the side of transparency. “Otherwise, I see no problem with it,” I agreed. “After the territory is secured, your people can take inventory and I will send the materials directly to you. Does that sound agreeable?”

“Most agreeable,” Yi Gim confirmed, breathing a little easier and losing a handful of the deeper wrinkles from around his eyes.

I remembered the business I had been conducting with the Oba clan and figured it would be worth offering another mutually beneficial business opportunity. “If there are more Beast eggs available for trade, I would be willing to buy them for a good price, or offer materials in trade.”

Yi Gim was momentarily taken aback but rallied quickly. “Do you have anything particular in mind?”

“Not particularly,” I admitted. “However, higher tiers would be preferable. Although I am open to taking lower tiers as well. I am promoting the recovery of the clan of Cultivators you helped recruit for me. Bonding with Beasts is one of the steps I am taking in that endeavour.”

Yi Gim nodded in understanding and absently fussed with the Storage Ring on his right hand. “Hatching and then Bonding with powerful Beasts requires access to rich sources of matching Affinities...”

<He wants another favour but knows it is too much to ask. He does not wish to overreach and unravel all that has been established thus far.> Sebet prompted.

“I am willing to provide access to your people, under the same conditions we have agreed upon already,” I stated magnanimously. “Although, any Beasts that are hatched will be required to make Oaths as well. I have been experiencing a discipline issue with my Abyssal Serpent, Kwan, and would prefer to avoid potentially dangerous incidents where possible.”

“Oh! Of course! That is a perfectly reasonable request, given the circumstances!” Yi Gim agreed with a combination of extreme relief and excitement. “I have only a few eggs set aside and already promised to younger members of my family. However! I am more than willing to serve as an intermediary to the reputable merchant halls of the Realm. Our previous dealings have already made quite the stir in certain circles, so I am certain they will prove quite accommodating of your request.”

“It’s a deal then,” I agreed.

After finalising preparations for the transfer, Yi Gim provided me with a new communication talisman and a manual detailing their creation so I could make my own.

Before Sebet’s projection ran its MP dry, I had her deliver a message to Gric.

He was to take the Demon Lord’s projection and the spear to a newly isolated territory and leave them there. I hoped that the isolation would give the Demon Lord cause to reflect upon his poor choices. If not, I was more than willing to make things far more unpleasant. Destroying the Demon Lord outright wasn’t off the table.

With nothing requiring my immediate presence, I gathered Kwan and then returned to my Realm.

Recent events had given me more than enough cause to revisit the shrine and purge my Heart Demons. So that was exactly what I intended to do.

Igniting the incense, I assumed a meditative pose in the centre of the floor and took several deep breaths.

After spitting out a golf ball-sized globule of ichor, I tensed in anticipation for the gut-wrenching torrent that would follow. Only to be left kneeling on the floor for several long awkward minutes before realising that was all there was going to be.

Relieved and also deeply concerned, it took the better part of an hour to come to grips with my conflicting emotions.

I was relieved that purging my Heart Demons had been so easy. However, I was also deeply concerned that my more questionable actions leading up to the events involving the Demon Lord had been made without external interference. My choices and actions had been entirely my own.

For peace of mind, I remained in the shrine and meditated for a couple of hours.

Relocating both groups of Transcendent Beasts was going to take the better part of a week at its current rate. So, with a small degree of reluctance, I set about assembling a mass transportation device.

Little more than a giant stone plate embedded with mana stones and enchanted with the Spatial Breach Spell, the mass transportation device would accelerate the relocation efforts up to a hundredfold. The main limiting factor was the mana stones themselves, which were easy enough to replace.

Even with the sustained Breach providing near limitless travel, the relocation still took two days to complete. At a certain point, the monkeys and tigermen simply couldn’t be coaxed to move any faster. The fear of the unknown was just too great, as for the tigermen, they had serious concerns that they were walking into an ambush.

The extra time allowed me to amend my plans with the Oba clan and inform them of my intent to provide Beast eggs for their healthy clan members and the Affinity-rich locations to hatch them. The news seemed to have made up for the unease and uncertainty experienced during my unexplained absence.

The subjugation of Divine Trident City, the former power base of the Hong clan, went faster than expected but was not without issues. The Hong clan members within the territory had rebelled and taken control of the city in a near-bloodless coup before the territory had changed hands. However, the success of their rebellion had given them an undeserved feeling of invincibility.

Gric approached the highest-ranking family members first and then worked his way down through the hierarchy. Each man and woman was given the same choice for themselves and their immediate families. Swear the Oaths or face exile.

The majority of the primary family line attempted violence, which earned immediate exile. Or chose exile of their own accord. The branch families proved more pragmatic, opting to take the Oaths and reorganise into new minor clans after negotiating for a portion of the clan’s former wealth for themselves.

Word of what had happened to the Hong spread quickly within the city and the lesser clans and sects were quick to bend the knee for fear of losing their treasures, lands, or members. Especially once it became obvious that everyone, from the lowest beggar to the highest nobles, would be bound by the same Oaths.

Performing recruitment and extracting Oaths from the general population was a much smoother affair. The common folk lacked Cultivation to begin with and had no preconceived hangups regarding the swearing of Oaths. Even after the effects of the Oaths became known, the common folk remained largely indifferent. Of the opinion that honest men and women had nothing to fear under the heavens. However, it did present a rising need for gainful employment.

According to Gric’s observations, there were few beggars, but many thieves, and against his expectations, the majority of the thieves had chosen to take the Oaths over being exiled. Expressing a desire to become honest men and women now that they had been given a second chance. The only problem was a shortage of available sources for legitimate employment.

An issue Yi Gim’s people would need to address in the near future, but was forestalled by temporarily employing the reformed thieves as custodians for the city. Putting them to work repairing damage caused during the coup and generally cleaning the city.

True to my word, I sent the Cultivation materials taken from the Hong clan to Yi Gim alongside a large shipment of Spiritual Jade to serve as payment for the Beast eggs. Yi Gim would probably keep most of the jade to use in repairing and replacing the Arrays and Formations damaged in the attack, but that was his concern, not mine.

I had continued my Cultivation training but often found myself more interested in watching my children’s lessons rather than undertaking lessons of my own. Hearing how talented they were never got old and filled me with an immense degree of satisfaction

Lash had taken to attending their lessons for the same reasons, making it that much harder for me to remain on task instead of bonding over our children’s continued development.

It wasn’t until Lash suggested helping Suzy with her training that I found a comfortable middle ground. Prone to becoming over-excited and losing control over her augmented strength, I received no shortage of bruises to fuel the development of the Iron Titan Body.

Despite my relative complacency, the threat posed by the beetlemen remained at the forefront of my mind. They had not returned to the city or made attempts at a second invasion of my Realm. However, I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were making preparations of their own.

Each day I delayed our counteroffensive added more levels and more recruits to our forces. Increasing our chances for victory through strength of arms. Of course, this was assuming the enemy wasn’t doing something similar.

I had realised early on that the beetlemen wouldn’t be the only danger we would face. If my worst fears were realised, we would be fighting Slaves beyond counting as well.

I briefly considered turning the Demon Lord against our enemy but decided against it. Even bound by Oaths, his powers were too much of a wild card. Furthermore, it had taken a direct immediate threat made with the Death Affinity to bring him into line. This was a problem because only Kwan and I had that particular Affinity.

At least, for now.

I had been considering the potential consequences of assigning a Cultivator as one of my champions. If the addition of the Grimoire of Flesh functioned the same as it had for me, the Cultivator would gain Affinities matching the core element or nature of each Spell. Assuming it worked at all.

The biggest problem was that the Cultivators didn’t have Classes or information panels from the other System. So it was unclear whether they would even qualify as valid subjects for the Ability.

I decided to pay Zhu Min, the Daemonic Cultivator, a visit. She had been engaged in deep meditation when I last checked in on her, so we hadn’t had the opportunity to talk.

Zhu Min had been training on her own for quite some time and I was curious to see what progress she had made with controlling her energy-draining Ability.

Unfortunately, Zhu Min was meditating within a special energy gathering Array in her isolated territory when I arrived, so I had to settle for Summoning a projection so we could have a conversation.

“Patriarch!” Zhu Min’s projection hurriedly inclined her head as a sign of respect. “How may I be of assistance?” She asked earnestly. No doubt eager to prove herself, believing she somehow owed me a debt for pushing her onto the path of becoming a Daemonic Cultivator.

“I wanted to see how your control over your Abilities has come along,” I replied calmly while debating whether I should also reveal my ulterior motives.

“Oh!” Zhu Min bobbed her head in understanding and assumed a standing meditation pose. Taking a calming breath and then exhaling, she began slowly moving through the motions of what looked similar to Tai Chi exercises. It was almost certainly something else but had no other frame of reference for the movements and it seemed to fit well enough.

The moment Zhu Min began going through the motions of her exercise, she very slowly projected her internal energy into a surprisingly large area around both of us. While her internal energy came close to me, it came short on all fronts, deliberately held back by Zhu Min’s control.

The small amount of ambient energy in our vicinity was drawn back to Zhu Min as if carried on a strong current. The ambient energy was quickly converted into internal energy and was projected outward, increasing Zhu Min’s reach.

While using my authority to relocate a wild Beast to further test Zhu Min’s limits, it came as a shock when I realised she should not have had internal energy to work with, in the first place. Summoning Cultivators with MP did not provide them with Chi or internal energy.

To make certain, I Summoned a second projection, Zhu Min. Scanning the second projection for traces of internal energy, I only became more confused after confirming the projection was indeed devoid of both Chi and internal energy.

“Is something wrong, Patriarch?” Zhu Min’s second projection asked nervously.

“Join your other projection in the demonstration,” I directed, convinced that I had missed or otherwise overlooked something important.

Zhu Min’s second projection bobbed her head obediently and settled into the same motions as the first projection.

Following every movement, I quickly realised that what I had missed had begun right at the start.

The act of taking in her first breath drew in small, almost negligible amounts of ambient energy. Which was then converted with her Daemon Veins into internal energy. Which allowed Zhu Min to cast a net out of that internal energy to draw in more ambient energy. Like priming a pump, she only needed a small amount of ambient energy to get herself started.

What was particularly interesting was how quickly the ambient energy could be converted into internal energy.

Other Cultivators spent hours carefully and meticulously refining the energy and binding it to their foundation.

Refining energy with a matching Affinity seemed easier, which made it faster as well, but my sample size wasn’t large enough to be certain other factors were not skewing the data. Especially since Pete and Suzy not only had a plethora of Affinities, but also had Inheritances of their own. There was a genuine possibility that I was attributing the effects to the wrong source.

Momoko was such an extreme outlier that using her rapid progress as any sort of reference point was just asking for trouble.

Which left me just about where I had started. Uncertain of what to believe and no clear idea how to begin looking for the answers.

With a sigh, I set my questions aside and exercised my authority to drop a low-tier Beast into one of the empty cages.

After only a moment's hesitation, Zhu Min’s projections latched their nets of internal energy over the Beast. A spectral echo of the Beast was ripped free of its body and torn in two as the projections each sought to draw the spirit into themselves.

Drawn into the bodies of the projections, the sundered halves of the Beast’s spectral form disappeared. Rapidly disintegrating on impact, as if cast into a vat of caustic acid. Or perhaps torn apart by tens of thousands of tiny threads...

Despite being broken apart into raw energy, the remains of the spirit took longer to assimilate than the ambient energy had and didn’t provide as much energy as I had expected.

As best I could determine, the resistance provided by the Beast’s spirit made processing the Beast’s energy less efficient than the otherwise unresisting ambient energy.

Repeating the experiment several more times and arriving at the same outcome, I decided to try something else.

Despite acquiring internal energy, the projections’ bodies were still created from and fuelled by MP. Eventually, the MP would run dry and their bodies would collapse. Curious to see what would happen to the internal energy, I prematurely terminated the second projection.

No longer bound by the form of the second projection, the mass of its internal energy began disseminating into the immediate surroundings. However, before it had time to spread, the remaining projection seized and promptly devoured the energy.

To my immense surprise, the energy was assimilated in a mere handful of seconds.

The tier one Beasts, divided as they had been, had taken close to half a minute to fully internalise into each projection’s foundation. So it was quite a shock to stumble across a potential shortcut to the development of Daemonic Cultivators.

And perhaps others?

There were Cultivation treasures explicitly designed to draw upon Chi and internal energy to fuel their functions. The source of power required appeared directly linked to the degree of explosive power or scale of the effect produced by the treasure.

Unfortunately, the only means I could think of to transfer internal energy to a non Daemonic Cultivator involved the use of a Technique. Which limited the number of people I could call upon to participate in further experiments. If I didn’t include my children, there was only one Cultivator I was aware of who could serve as a candidate.

“Thank you for your patience, Zhu Min, you have put my worst concerns to rest.” I produced a small jade token on a silk cord and pressed it into her hands. “This will allow you to move through the Cultivation territories at will. When you are done meditating, wait for me at Momoko’s Peak.”

The pendant was keyed to several of the most stable Teleportation Arrays I had managed to create thus far. While not as convenient as teleporting through the use of authority, it allowed the crossing of greater territory boundaries that no other Cultivator, except for Lurr, possessed.

“I-I...Uhm...” Zhu Min’s projection stammered, becoming flustered by the unexpected praise. She took a really deep breath and appeared to regain control. “Thank you! Patriarch!” She bowed at the waist coming just shy of the established limit.

It amazed me how the Cultivators were capable of such precise movements, and committed to bowing just shy of the precise degree that would earn my displeasure. It was becoming a source of mild amusement in its own right.

Leaving Zhu Min and her projection behind, I used my authority to travel to Momoko’s Peak.

I had assigned the mountain peak the name after installing the Teleportation Array and linking it to the greater network. While it was possible to travel the Teleportation network without the use of named locations, it was much easier to conceptualise the location when it had one.

Besides, in my mind, it was Momoko’s mountain. The tree that was bound to her soul had claimed the mountain in a very literal fashion by sinking its roots deep and spreading them wide. Going so far as to lay claim to a solid ring of forest at the foot of the mountain as well, coming just shy of the barrier enforced by my authority.

Besides the tree and the Taotie, Feng, I was all alone.

Lurr was visiting his family in Sanctuary, and Momoko was training with the Oba clan alongside Pete and Suzy.

Sending Feng down the mountain with instructions that I was not to be disturbed, I Summoned a projection of Oba Kei. My children’s teacher and the grand elder of the Oba clan.

“My Tyrant! How may-” His wrinkled eyelids flew wide with surprise and his unnaturally bright jade green eyes flashed with astonishment. “Such dense energy!...” He gasped, looking one way and then another with awe. “And such Affinities!...”

While I had not expected such an extreme reaction, I realised that I should have.

The difference between the energy-gathering Arrays established in the city, and those surrounding the mountain and atop the mountain, were like night and day. This was only exacerbated by Momoko’s tree actively enriching the ambient energy with the Wood Affinity. Although saturating would perhaps be a more accurate description.

Coming to his senses, Oba Kei coughed and made a show of bowing in respect. “Apologies, Tyrant, I had thought such disrespectful displays were beyond me at this age,” he apologised awkwardly. “I did not intend any disrespect.”

I dismissed the apology with a casual wave. “It’s fine. There is nothing to forgive. Sometimes I forget how different things are for those not actively involved in my projects.”

Oba Kei’s nervous smile twinged a little as I downplayed our surroundings to something as mundane as a project. Or at least that was my assumption.

“On the subject of your Summoning, I have an experiment I believe could benefit from your participation and experience,” I explained, shifting the subject toward more productive matters.

“If I can be of assistance, it would be my sincerest desire,” Oba Kei answered with earnest sincerity.

I nodded in both thanks and as a show of my approval. “This is a touchy subject, I know, so I apologise for asking. We have previously spoken regarding the damaged foundation of your clan members-” I paused, allowing Oba Kei the opportunity to affirm the statement and adjust before moving on. “What I would like to know is why the medicine is required to restore their foundation? And can it be repaired through other means?”

Oba Kei remained silent for quite some time, his eyes downcast and distracted. “The medicine is not the only way...At least, in theory...” He hedged uncomfortably. “The most ancient texts make claims that new veins can be carved and damaged veins repaired, with internal energy...Unfortunately...” Oba kei briefly lost his momentum and had to take a few moments to centre himself again. “Unfortunately, all our attempts using the Techniques at our disposal have failed. It is not enough to just inject internal energy into another person. One needs to be capable of shaping and maintaining the veins long enough for them to heal. otherwise...It is like building a castle from mud in the rain...”

Cultivation was strange in that the Chi flowed through the vascular system of the body, but also had much smaller veins that lacked physical structure. Internal energy resided in the same location as the bladder but had no physical presence either. The ‘science’ was difficult to accept, but my first-hand observations were even more difficult to deny.

“There may be alternatives...” I hedged, not wanting to oversell my suspicions.

Despite my intentions, Oba Kei perked up immediately at the news. New hope burned brightly in his eyes.

“It is purely theoretical,” I warned “And could prove incredibly dangerous, potentially fatal...”

It was clear by the look in his eyes that Oba Kei was not deterred in the slightest.

“We would need relatively healthy volunteers...” I held up a hand signalling the grand elder to remain silent. “You are responsible for the education of my children, and I will not proceed with coerced volunteers. I need you to understand that even if what I am proposing succeeds, the subject may need to be terminated or imprisoned to ensure the safety of the realm...”

Oba Kei’s enthusiasm was curbed ever so slightly with confusion and curiosity. Unaware of the concerns I had only recently put to rest with Zhu Min and Daemonic Cultivators.

Just because Zhu Min had proven capable of the mental discipline to achieve the minimum level of control I required, did not mean others would be able to do the same.

Of course, there would be entirely new dangers to consider as well. Assuming the Daemonic Veins and Gric’s best efforts met with failure. Would Sebet fare any better? And what would her efforts create in place of the Daemonic Veins?

For that matter, what would happen if Orphiel or Ophelia tried healing them by reversing and taking the damage upon themselves?

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