Killing a few Spawns did not sound like a bad idea. If that was all it took to appease Volca for stealing a part of him from right under his nose, I would do it a thousand times. Although stealing was a bit of an exaggeration since the Elemental Phoenix forcefully entered my World and bonded to it, having a future Emperor Rank Soulkin was worth the pain.

  Rulers were already a nuisance to me, especially the part where I had to hide Volix, but the wrath of a being even stronger than an Emperor was truly terrifying.

  That left me with yet another issue: Volca’s invasion.

  The Fire Spirit had not only manipulated Volix without my notice, he had affected the bond and entered my mind unnoticed as well. Sure, Volca’s authority had been exiled–if Volix was not mistaken–but how could I be sure the Fire Spirit wouldn’t return? What if I lowered my guard in the future and he simply barged back into my mind and World to manipulate Volix again? Or worse, sever the Elemental Phoenix’s bond.

  I shuddered at the possibility.

  How can I prevent that? Is that even possible?

  Uncertainty bloomed in my chest.

  The Spirits, Emperors, and even Rulers wielded power far beyond my understanding. They could do things I could only dream of, which posed more issues than I cared to count.

  I could strengthen the mind and reinforce the World, I mused, rubbing my chin.

  Acquiring Soulkins with strong mind-empowerment and traits that protected the mind and World sounded simple, but how was I supposed to find several perfectly suited beasts in this place? Then there was the power issue. I could only bind a few Evolved beasts, maybe a weak Unblemished beast at this moment. A trait meant to protect the mind and World would have to surpass the Unblemished rank. It might help temporarily, perhaps be enough to withstand a Master’s intrusion, but Volca? He would crush a trait’s mental defense instantaneously.

  The trait would have to originate from an Overlord-rank being, amplified by an even stronger mind, to have any hope of blocking Rulers, Emperors, and hopefully those transcending the Emperor Rank as well.

  Do you really need a trait for everything? Did you grow dependent on your traits in my absence? Aureus mocked me playfully, his massive frame circling above.

  The accusation stunned me for a second. Dependent on traits… me? No, I wasn’t dependent on my Soulkins’ traits. I was just… Thinking about it–giving it real thought for the first time–I froze.

  Aureus was right.

  The first thing I thought of when faced with an issue was binding another beast. Acquiring the right traits to solve it. Worse, I didn’t even see a problem with that. It felt natural. After all, I possessed a highly malleable World and could bind a wide variety of beasts. There was no reason not to exploit my greatest strength.

  How much more can you split your attention?

  The question struck harder than a warhammer.

  How many traits can you wield until your body gives in? Until the weave can no longer endure the strain? What if one of us dies in the future and the bond is severed?

  One question after another crashed into my mind like a hammer striking iron. Worse still, I couldn’t answer any of them.

  A severed bond would result in the loss of traits. The Gates bound to the weave would remain, but everything else would be lost. The damage caused by fractured bonds, cracks spreading across the surface and deep into their essence, had already demonstrated just how much I depended on my Soulkins’ traits.

  I couldn’t tell how many more traits my body could accept. That thought had never occurred to me before. Surely, I would feel resistance once my body reached its limit.

  Still, the question that troubled me the most was the first.

  How much more could I split my attention?

  Most bonds were already at the Second Stage, while the Mirage Serpent’s bond would soon advance to the First. It progressed faster than expected, given how little attention Resh demanded. All he wanted was rest and food. A lot of food, admittedly, but I provided the best, and beyond that, I did very little.

  How many Soulkins could I bind before someone felt neglected?

  Nox and Volix required little attention. Their desires differed, but both were largely self-sufficient. Aureus, however, wanted more than power. He wanted attention. Our bond was so strong I could almost touch that desire. Ignoring it for too long would, at best, stagnate the soulshare’s growth. At worst, the bond would shrink and weaken, and that was the last thing I wanted.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I will be more careful with the beasts I add to the family. We will make that decision together, I offered Aureus.

  He had followed my train of thought. While it wasn’t what he’d intended to convey, the Earthheart seemed pleased nonetheless. The sensation of his satisfaction swelling within me felt weirdly natural.

  Maybe my next Soulkin would be able to play with Aureus. Nox certainly wasn’t one for games, and I still hadn’t figured out whether Aureus and Volix liked each other. Their dynamic was hard to describe. They gave each other space, yet never flew or rested together.

  There’s literally no reason to stress yourself this much. Aureus just finished his transformation. We all have time to adjust. We’ll understand each other better in the future. I said that mostly to remind myself.

  I was in the middle of nowhere, pressured by no one but myself. With no enemies nearby and no clear direction back to the Bastions, I turned my focus to the onyx ring. Specifically, Ruler Kazriel’s library.

  Thousands of books filled the library within the ring. Surely, at least one of them contained information on defending the mind and World.

  Probably.

  ***

  Two empty vials of Accelerated Regeneration and Intermediate Healing disappeared into the onyx ring. Combing through a mountain of books was not particularly challenging, but that did not stop the wounds from hurting. The pain affected my concentration enough that I drank a serum.

  The stockpile of serums decreased slowly, leaving me with only a few that a Blessed could use safely. The only exception was Accelerated Regeneration, but I could only consume one vial a day to maximize its effect.

  “Get out of there, Nox!”

  My head snapped toward the small lake Aureus had found hours ago. Beasts approached the lake in the dozens. They took note of us, their gazes lingering for a while, yet we weren’t attacked. Nobody did. The Ferronox Mantis hated that. He was so angry that he leaped into the lake, stabbing the water ferociously.

  The lake water was clear, revealing a magnificent ecosystem with dozens of fish species and other aquatic beasts. They did not attack Nox even as the Ferronox Mantis hissed at them, his blades missing the larger fish by a scale’s width. If anything, the fish looked like they were having the time of their lives, fooling Nox as they evaded certain death at the last moment.

  Not even Predator was efficient enough to pick up on the fish’s sudden movements, which drove Nox crazy.

  No!

  Nox hissed, not even looking back at me.

  “They’re playing with you, Nox. You’re too slow,” I groaned.

  Not slow! Wait. See.

  Forcing the Ferronox Mantis into submission was a feasible idea, and I considered it for a moment. But as the black scythes dipped into the water, Nullblade pressing more firmly along the edges to reduce resistance, I let him be. If Nox’s stubbornness helped him improve his understanding and proficiency with Nullblade, that wouldn’t be too bad.

  I just hoped he wouldn’t harm or kill one of the fish. It might not have been a problem elsewhere, but this part of the forest was different from the rest. There was almost no violence. Not even the larger predators in this area were hunting. Either something controlled everything, ensuring no blood was shed, or something else was at play. Regardless of the circumstances, shedding blood for no reason seemed like a bad call.

  A deafening growl echoed through my mind as the old Mirage Serpent materialized before me. He slithered onto my lap and curled up, his head lifted high enough to meet my eyes.

  No exchange of words was needed. I retrieved several strips of Monarch jerky and fed Resh slowly, his scales shifting into vibrant colors in excitement. He disappeared for a second, turning invisible, then reappeared to swallow another piece.

  Resh was a great companion to have. He possessed a powerful natural ability and was uncomplicated in all but one way. If not for his almost endless hunger, he would have been perfect.

  The Mirage Serpent’s hunger was a complicated issue. He processed food naturally to a certain degree. In the first steps of digestion, ether was spliced from the nutrients, a procedure similar to that of most beasts. Without that, using Soulfusion to digest the Monarch jerky would have been difficult for me.

  However, the processes that followed were different. Nutrients seeped into the Mirage Serpent’s body and seemed to assimilate with Resh himself. His body digested them well. Too well, considering how much the Evolved beast ate.

  One strip a day should already have been too much for someone of Resh’s Rank and size. Regardless, it was the ether disappearing into his core that confused me the most. It was an odd combination, since the Mirage Serpent didn’t grow or show any visible changes. He slept and did little else.

  “I’ll figure out what’s wrong with you,” I promised, fingers gliding gently across the invisible beast’s scales.

  Resh devoured a total of three pieces of Monarch jerky before he was done for the day. He stayed with me a little longer, sleeping curled up in my lap, enjoying the peace and freedom.

  I liked it as well. Hell, I loved it here. The Grand Camp had been a feast of tension, and the Bakurean attack had only worsened it. Escaping one threat after another while injured in the forest had been terrifying too, but that no longer mattered. The threat hadn’t followed me here. It was peaceful. A place free of violence and rich in pure ether.

  It was perfect. Almost too perfect, but I didn’t let that bother me. What I needed most right now was time. Time to recover. To research. After that, I could rest a little. Or a lot.

  Gathering my stray thoughts, my mind refocused on the stashes of books sprawled around me. A few scrolls had joined them over the last hour, some containing techniques that may or may not prove useful.

  The next book flapped open, speaking of knowledge I would never have been able to understand as an unBlessed. Only with a severely empowered mind and fire-attuned ether swirling through my brain was it possible to read, acknowledge, and digest the content written in atrocious handwriting.

  My mind sank into the knowledge unraveling before my eyes, pure ether swirling around me, brushing past my senses like a gentle current.