Crystal Core 4: A Litrpg Cultivation Adventure, page 11
She’d stood up to angry kings in her tenure as the head of House Bara. She shouldn’t be this shaken by her fiancée—a man who had only ever been kind to her. She barely caught herself as her legs started to give out.
Ryan swept her up in his arms, and before she knew it, she was resting on a cot that some of the masters had set up for when they wanted a quick nap. The blanket didn’t smell particularly good, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Ryan.
He was perfect. It was like a corona of goodness encircled him.
“Are you okay?” he asked, concern evident in his eyes.
Amaya thought his voice was melodic. It called to her, demanding her obedience and even her worship.
“I’m anything you need me to be, M’lord,” she replied.
Ryan blinked, seemingly confused by her answer.
Had her words displeased him?
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She felt a buzz of mana cycle through him, but when he spoke again it wasn’t the same.
“I’m so sorry,” he apologized. “I got a new ability today, and it seems to always be active unless I consciously suppress it.”
His voice was still nice to hear and there was kindness in his eyes, but the sense of compulsion that made her go weak in the knees was gone. Amaya shook her head.
“I… I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
He stroked the side of her face, pushing back a strand of hair that had fallen into her eyes. “You have such pretty eyes, like pools of amber. But you don’t have anything to apologize for, Amaya. It is I who am at fault. I opened…” His voice trailed off.
Ryan snorted, then smiled at her. “You know what? That’s just cultivator mumbo jumbo and likely won’t mean much to you—at least not yet. My new ability is called the Voice of the Law, and it seems to have quite the effect on others. I should have been more careful with you, my fiancée.”
She sensed his genuine concern for her, but her head was still foggy. “Hard to… think straight.”
He smiled, “I might be able to do something about that. Open yourself up when you feel the mana I’m going to push to you. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
“I trust you.”
He formed a cultivation circle with her. She’d briefly experienced this before, but with no real control. Elu and the others talked about it like it was almost as good as the other more intimate types of union they had with their husband.
Amaya found she couldn’t put words to it. She felt his power coursing through her, but instinctively knew that he was holding back a great deal. Still, it felt like she was suddenly full inside, and all the fatigue from using her mana was simply wiped away. A different kind of energy washed over her, and her thoughts became clear, her mind quickly parsing everything that had happened.
“Ohhh,” she all but moaned, “whatever that is, don’t stop. I’m getting all kinds of idea about how and which glyphs to inscribe into the horse shoes. They don’t have to be limited to aiding movement, we could even turn them into weapons—like trails of fire or lightning.”
She sat up, eyes wide. “I can’t believe I never thought of this before. I can even picture how to pair the glyphs so that they work across all the shoes! They just need to be forged from the same block of ore.”
She stood up, excited. There was so much to do… so much she wanted to prove to Ryan! She tried to move, but couldn’t. He’d kept his hand on her arm and wouldn’t let her go. The man was so impossibly strong, it was like he was made of stone.
“I need to try this while the idea is still fresh.” But even as she spoke, some of the clarity left her.
Ryan smiled. “What you just experienced was psi. I hope you aren’t angry that I didn’t explain about it before.”
Amaya shook her head. She didn’t care what it was called, she just wanted that sensation back.
“Why would I be angry? You refilled my core and now I can get more work done. You washed away my fatigue and now I feel like I could work all night. And my mind was absolutely racing! It was like I could see the realm in ways I’d never considered before. Glyphs made so much more sense.” The words poured forth from her lips. “I’m sure I could do master level work or beyond with the way I was feeling.”
Ryan explained about the benefits of the cultivation circle while keeping it running. Then, he talked about the dangers of pushing her body too hard because, despite how she might feel, exhaustion removed this way was never truly gone. It would come back with a vengeance later. Finally, he explained about psi and his bloodline.
They talked for more than an hour about it.
Amaya found herself ever so curious about everything he revealed. She understood the concept of a bloodline, but was stunned when she realized that her husband wasn’t fully human.
Finally, she asked, “Are you a god?”
Ryan snorted and then shook his head. “I wish I had an easy answer to that question. I think my father was a pretty big deal on what the cultivators call the third peak of the heavens.”
“Third peak?”
Ryan nodded. “You’ve heard of angels or celestials, right?”
She nodded. “We’re taught that they serve the gods in the divine realm.”
He shrugged. “Maybe they do… but as far as I know, the celestials are running that peak. Then there is the exact opposite—and it might seem strange to call it part of the heavens, but I think that really just means another part of what I call the system. Anyway, you’ve heard of demons and devils?”
Amaya nodded again; she was beginning to understand. “Oh, are modrons what stands between those two extremes?”
The way he smiled at her sent flutters into her tummy.
“That’s my working theory. I don’t think the heavens are nearly as personal as people want to believe, but they do seem to be more aware than I originally thought. I was first thinking of it like…”
Ryan seemed to search for a word, “I guess a machine is the closest I can think of. That would probably be the best way to explain my thinking. I believe the system is made up of three poles—good, evil, and neutral… or maybe law… not quite sure about that last one.”
Amaya could listen to Ryan talk all night. “Whatever gives you that ability…” Her eyes brightened. “You have absolutely no idea! It would be such a boon to our crafting. Oh, and I made something. It’s just a proof of concept that we’ll need to test out tomorrow, but I hope you like it.”
Ryan seemed happy as he followed her back to her workstation. And he paid absolute attention as she showed him the bridle and talked about the complex weave of glyphs she’d inscribed to assist the horses. Communication and perception were much more complicated than simple speed or strength.
They discussed a few other options and decided to work into the night, creating an entire set of gear for a single horse that they could test. He smiled at her, and she felt that rush of clarity open her mind once again.
“Okay,” Ryan said with a smile, “this is great stuff. Let’s see what you can do with a little psi boosting you.”
_______________________
Elu sighed in relief when Lian walked into her room. Kumo was already here, and Elu had been trying to stall the overly anxious assassin ever since they’d gained the massive Agility boost from Lian. That alone was enough to tell her that something major happened. She’d shaken her head, wondering what Ryan had gotten up to now, but couldn’t completely hold back a smile.
She might act like she wanted to rein him in, but in her heart, Elu wanted to see how high her husband could soar. The path to the heavens was supposedly a lonely trail, but he was making it fun for her. Well, for her and for her sister-wives.
Elu wouldn’t say she had the same type of love for them that she had for their husband. It certainly wasn’t physical. But she loved them more than she’d ever cared for any of her sisters growing up. Of course, she had always been pitted against them to earn the favor of her father, so it was exactly a high bar to clear.
Elu realized that things could have been much the same between her the other two sect scions. It would have been all too easy for their relationship to devolve into a competition for the attention of their shared husband. Instead, they’d come together. They’d bonded in their affection for him and the desire to push him higher.
That was what good wives did. The fact that he was the Hero and that the fate of the realm rested on him, only made it that much more important that they work together. That her relationship was so much more than even the strictly business-like affiliation of her mother was a pleasant surprise.
Lian held up a hand before Kumo could ask anything and Elu dropped her musings and focused on what her Baku sister had to say.
“I’ll fill you in on all of it, but it’s quite the story, so let me get it all out first before you ask your questions. Then, I’ll show you my status sheet. After that, you can ask questions. Okay?”
Kumo didn’t look happy, but she mumbled something that sounded like an affirmation. They both listened as Lian described everything she’d watched Ryan do and how their cultivation circle had gone. It took the better part of half-an-hour to explain it all, and Elu found herself surprised time and time again.
Lian’s mana was solid? And Dryden was A-rank? Was there anything that her husband couldn’t do?
When Lian showed them her status sheet, Kumo erupted. Jumping to her feet, she paced back and forth. “This isn’t fair!”
Elu realized words weren’t going to work, so as Kumo passed her, she wrapped the smaller woman up in her arms.
“Little sister, think about what this means rather than feeling jealous. Ryan will do all of that for you, too. Perhaps you can even help him open another of his meridians, just as Lian has done.”
Kumo tried to squirm away at first, but eventually she leaned back in the embrace of her sister. It had never been a real struggle, as neither would actually harm the other.
She was still pouting as she admitted, “My head knows you’re right.” Then she looked at Lian. “I’m not upset that you reached B-rank or that you gained so much power. I’m actually proud of you.”
Lian smiled, and Elu held her breath. Kumo was growing up.
The petite assassin with the doll face continued, “If I’m jealous, it’s because I want to be there for every moment of my husband’s life. I want to witness all of his victories.”
Elu gave Kumo a squeeze and said, “We all do, little sister.”
She allowed the sensation of shared purpose linger for a moment before looking at Lian and asking, “Besides what you described to us, what conclusions have you drawn about Ryan?”
Lian considered the question for a moment before responding. “It’s clear that he is becoming less and less human. I still don’t fully understand what a modron is, but his primary bloodline seems to be influencing him. He is making decisions and not hesitating as much as he used to.”
Kumo pulled away and sat on the bed. Her expression said that she appreciated the hugs but now wanted to talk. “He needed to do that. These nobles are snakes. You should hear some of the conversations I’ve overheard as I stalk the halls.”
Elu felt concern blossom in her chest. “Traitors?”
Kumo laughed. “No. They’re all far too afraid of him for that. They also seem to genuinely respect Amaya.” The petite assassin nodded to her. “Which is one of the reasons that you put forward their match. As reluctant as I was to agree when it first came up, I have to admit that you were right, big sister. It will validate Ryan with the People of the Land, and that is very important to him.”
“Making it important to us,” Lian added.
Kumo nodded. “It’s more like they all think they can manipulate Ryan like he is just another noble. They’ve even discussed sending serving girls in to seduce him, though none of them seem willing to put their own daughters or sisters or even themselves up for the chore. In fact, a couple of them have said that the only reason they haven’t is because of that crazy poison girl who is always hanging on him.”
Elu frowned, and Lian chuckled. “You do know they're talking about you, right?”
Kumo winked at Lian.
Elu sighed. “Not to change the subject, but we’ve gotten off track. What do you think we should do moving forward? Should our plans change in any way?”
Again, silence reigned for a few seconds before Lian spoke up. “No. He may be harder to move, but I, for one welcome him taking a firm hold of things. I still believe we should stick with the original plan.”
Kumo asked, “We’re each still sponsoring a cultivator to join his harem?”
Elu shrugged. “That seems to be the most equitable solution. We are in agreement that our husband needs every advantage he can get, correct?”
Lian nodded but added, “I am still in agreement, but after what I saw today, I almost wonder if he can collect the power on his own without them.”
Elu listened not just to Lian’s words, but also her tone. Her mind raced as she wondered just where Ryan’s path would take him.
“I will suggest again that we push Lumi first, as she is already connected to him because of how he altered her bloodline, and she is part modron. Taking her yin might very well increase our husband’s bloodline, and you seem to think that is a great source of power for him.”
Before Lian could reply, Kumo interjected, “Oh, no, we agreed. We will each provide opportunities for one of the girls to catch his eye. If he chooses all three, so be it… but we can only push, not force. Besides, I believe Neki is a better fit. She brings skills that he lacks and could grow into.”
Elu held up a hand. “I take it back. You are right. It is best if we leave it up to Ryan to decide, but each of you must remember to push him. No matter how powerful his bloodline is, our husband needs every advantage he can gain.”
Lian echoed her concerns. “Especially since all the elders of the Baku now know that Ryan is capable of breaking binding oaths.”
Elu thought about that. A cultivator’s connection with their clan or sect was thought to be sacred and inviolable. That was why the wandering cultivators were looked down upon so much. To think that her husband could simply undo such things? That was… well, disconcerting.
_______________________
Senga crouched next to what she now realized were tombstones. Humans were so strange that they created monuments to the fallen. Those who fell were weak and obviously deserved to be forgotten. But she didn’t crouch because of the stones, she hid because of the creatures she had encountered.
In her hand was a rusty axe. It wouldn’t be good for more than a couple of strikes, but it was better that using a bone club, which is how she’d had to fight at first. Shurriel had left her with nothing but the clothes on her back in this desolate place—not that she expected any more from such a mistress.
Now, if only she could find this potential ally that Shurriel had mentioned. Or rather, find them before she was overwhelmed by the hosts of undead in this place. That was another reason not to inter the dead. Flames were not only cleaner, they left nothing behind to rise again.
Senga knew enough history to know that the horde had encountered undead on other worlds. There was one tale told to children of an entire horde being slaughtered. The world they went to would rather die than to let the orcs win. It wasn’t really that unusual of an opinion, but in that case, they had called upon fell magic to animate the dead.
Necromancy was very different from the orc’s blood magic. Her blood magic was also filled with death, but it was a balance of life and death. The curse that the necromancers unleashed upon that world had caused even the fallen members of the horde to rise and fight against their former comrades.
Supposedly, within hours, the entire horde had been turned and threatened the orc’s home world. The portals had been cut off and that world marked as banned. It still managed, somehow, to connect with other worlds and spread its bane of undeath.
Senga now found herself in a graveyard surrounded by undead. The skeletons and zombies were hardly a threat, it was more powerful undead that she feared. Vampires likely wouldn’t be much of a problem because of her blood heritage, but the intangible undead would be the hardest for her to deal with—especially without her enchanted weapons.
As she rushed from one position to the next, she heard a low moaning as a pack of ghouls gave chase. Senga was making her way closer and closer to the massive keep in the center of the graveyard, but it looked like she’d have to fight again before she reached it.
Senga gritted her tusks as she turned to face a pack of ghouls. Their rotting flesh hung in tatters, and their eyes glowed with an unholy hunger. The stench of decay filled the air, and her nostrils flared in disgust. She hefted the rusty axe, its weight unfamiliar and unbalanced in her hand.
The first ghoul lunged at her with its claws outstretched. Senga sidestepped, bringing the axe down in a vicious arc. The blade bit into the ghoul's shoulder, sending a spray of putrid flesh and congealed blood across the tombstones. The axe stuck, and Senga had to plant her foot on the ghoul's back to wrench it free.
Two more ghouls attacked from either side. Senga ducked under one's swipe and used the axe’s haft to deflect the other's bite. She spun quickly, her muscular frame moving with a grace that belied her size. The axe found its mark again, cleaving through a ghoul's skull with a sickening crunch. But Senga wasn't fast enough to avoid all attacks.
Sharp claws raked across her back, tearing through her leather armor and drawing blood. It didn’t help that her armor had been all but destroyed in her battle with that human. That defeat still stung worse than these minor wounds.
The ghouls were efficient, but far weaker than her.
She roared in pain and fury, her yellow eyes blazing with hatred. Grabbing the offending ghoul by its throat, her orcish strength enabled her to lift it a foot off the ground. With a savage twist, she snapped its neck. The sound echoed through the graveyard.
The rusty axe was beginning to warp, its edge dulled by repeated impacts with bone and rotting flesh. Senga knew she couldn't rely on it much longer. She backed away, her eyes darting between the remaining ghouls and the massive obelisk that loomed behind her.
