D.G. Chapter 261 - AWAKENING

Mayalyn woke with a deep gasp. She sat up in a jerk. The unexpected strength in her ascended body threw her off the comfortable mattress and into the air. Jiran's aura snatched her before she crashed. Her own aura seeped into his with a delicate, almost ethereal touch. Her eyes widened, moistening in a burst of emotion at the contact.

She sought him in the darkness of the chamber, finding him hunched over Mathayes, already turning her way. Jiran’s expression slackened upon noticing her twisted face and the tears welling in her eyes. He didn't know why she was so overwhelmed, and now wasn't the time to ask.

His form flickered and he was at her side. She immediately relaxed from a combination of strong arms wrapping around her, and a manly scent bombarding her nostrils. She breathed deeply, a blissful smile pulling at her cheeks. Jiran couldn't tear his gaze from her.

The fifth ascension was known for ‘locking in’ the physical form, including facial features. Due to reaching it so young, she looked a little older in all the right ways. Her jaw and cheekbones were sharper. Any semblance of youth had been erased, replaced by captivating, mature beauty. When her voice blasted into his ears, the spell was shattered and Jiran jerked back in surprise.

“I dreamt you were gone again,” Mayalyn almost laughed at how loudly she spoke, unused to how little pressure was needed to elicit sound.

Jiran shushed her softly, squeezing her tighter than he used to be able to get away with, “Take some time to adjust. But first, let's get you some new clothes. Any more of this and I'm going to lose it.” They both glanced down at her nude form held tightly against his chest. 

Mayalyn’s grin turned predatory, her voice more controlled as she purred up at him, “Did I forget to mention that ascending interrupts my cycle. You can lose it all you want now.” She pressed herself against him, savoring his reaction.

Jiran’s jaw dropped and the large room turned fuzzy as a rush of hot blood shot through him. His teeth clicked shut and he shook off the temptation, “Not now!” He hissed, “I have to watch over everyone's ascensions.”

Mayalyn carefully turned her head left and right, finding the rest of the party in various states of sundered. She pouted, “Fine. Do not expect to escape me for long.”

Jiran swallowed hard at the heat in her mannerisms. He nodded stiffly, Mana Transcendence hard at work forming her a new dress. Olive wasn't quite put back together yet. He made a mental note to make sure she, and everyone else, got new clothes before they woke up. Being fully consumed playing with venom had created a dangerous situation he wasn't about to repeat.

“Not like that. Lower, here,” due to her newfound strength, it took Mayalyn three tries before she correctly pointed at herself. Seeing just how low she wanted her dress cut, Jiran breathed deeply, setting her down and closing his eyes tightly. She laughed diabolically, “The back too. Make it wider around the legs. Yes! Perfect.”

His aura gently supported her balance as she slowly spun in place to inspect the gown snugly wrapped around her frame. Then, she fell backward, trusting him to catch her.

Jiran remembered her earlier melancholy, speaking softly, “Was it only the dream?”

Mayalyn shook her head at his question, “I did not expect how good it would feel for our auras to touch for the first time.”

His brows shot up, “You already have a sense of touch with your aura?”

“I have not been idle these days. Olive helped me locate and accept my inner demons while you were away. Though, I still must undergo regular aura training. In case I missed anything.”

Jiran was happy to escape from her hungry gaze with an intellectual discussion, “It's got to be more than that. Even after aligning with their auras, the others don't have a sense of touch. Is that normal for the People? Maybe your kind has a higher affinity for the Manabody?”

“It is not abnormal, no,” she shook her head, sending dark blue hair cascading in waves, “Though typically it takes some time to develop.”

Niya's body was almost reformed. She stirred, releasing a barely audible moan. Jiran quickly created her a dress in a much more modest style than the one Mayalyn demanded. He left it beside her, erecting a wall of reflective light to give her privacy.

He turned back to Mayalyn, excitement creeping into his tone, “Hopefully, we find the answer soon. The second phase will be diving into your tap. So far, each one I’ve seen has been wildly different. Can’t wait to see what yours looks like.”

Mayalyn’s eyes lit up and she licked her lips, “By all means. Dive away.”

Jiran smacked his forehead, filling the large room with laughter, “You're ridiculous.”

Mayalyn didn't share his mirth, huffing in disappointment, “It is your fault for being so pretty.”

“You mean handsome?” He shot back.

She kept up the ruse, refusing to look at him, “I did not misspeak.”

Jiran made his way back to Mathayes, refusing to show how embarrassed he was by the compliment. Instead of further provoking her, he wisely kept his mouth shut about how stunning she had become, “Take some time adjusting to your strength. Let me know when you're ready for the first stage of your aura training.”

“Yes, my Aajiran,” her low, throaty response caused a shiver to creep up his spine. With her boosted attributes and Concentration, she was easily able to see the hairs on his neck and arms straighten. Her facade cracked and tinkling laughter splashed against his back.

***

Niya and Cameron completed their ascensions to the sixth tier and woke only minutes apart. They remained behind the curtain of light for some time. Their auras blocked sound and Jiran had no desire to pry into their private moment. 

Olive woke before they were up and about. When her eyes fluttered open, the first thing she saw was Mayalyn sitting beside her in deep meditation. Their own reflective wall of light allowed her to take a good look at herself. Regressing in age like Lostrifar had been constant nightmare fuel since she was young. Seeing she was physically unchanged, she released a relieved sigh.

Jiran formed a tube in his aura, allowing his voice to reach her, “She's adapting to her aura. Take your time getting up.” 

Olive responded with a soft grunt, then began adjusting by vibrating her body without making any excessive movements. A short time later, Niya and Cameron made an appearance. She was wearing the dress he made her, though it was significantly altered.

Does no one appreciate modesty anymore?

Cameron peeked out from behind her. Unbalanced, he nearly fell but caught himself with his aura. Amused by his newfound power, he grinned widely at Jiran, “How far did you get?”

“Only three percent. Any more and it would take a year for their population to recover.”

“Bummer. What's the plan then?”

“Supposedly, Ardon has been culling the undead. I'll absorb his leftovers, then we'll finally get out of here.”

“Good,” Niya interjected, looking more relaxed than Jiran could remember seeing her, “I'm worried about Lulu and Chokkra.” She narrowed her eyes at Jiran and tilted her head toward a nearby tunnel, “We need to talk.”

He followed, allowing her to lead the way at a carefully measured pace. He couldn't go too far since he was compressing Mayalyn's aura. Once out of sight, they both hardened their auras at the same time, sharing a grin at the accidental coordination. The smile quickly slipped from Niya’s face. He waited patiently while she collected her thoughts.

“I got some strange notifications after waking up. None of my skills hit a threshold, but I have three options for an evolution anyways.”

Jiran sucked air through his teeth, eyes widening in shock, “Was the first message about authority? Do the options have unusual verbiage at the ends; things that don't seem to have anything to do with your existing skills?” She nodded and Jiran’s brows knit as his minds raced.

She can evolve her race already? I know she got authority from all three of her subskills, and more from charging Sanctuary's crystals. Her ascension must have pushed her over the minimum requirement. That means the others are close too! If they each get powerful race changes, I won't have to worry about their safety as much when I’m not around.

“This is great news!” Jiran’s sudden exclamation elicited a flinch.

She scowled, her usual grumpiness rearing its head, “So you know what they mean?”

“Yes. How much time do you have?”

Niya pushed her lips to one side, “What do you mean?”

Jiran was just as confused, “You don’t have to make a choice within a certain amount of time?”

“No…” She trailed off, growing more annoyed by the second.

Damn Gheratross. She must have forced a time limit on me because she didn't want to wait around until I made up my mind.

Jiran’s eyes narrowed, feeling like his sponsor had slapped him across the face, “Lucky you. Well, they’re race evolutions. The last sentence of each description is the most important. Pick one that sounds like a good fit for your personality.”

“R-race evolutions?!” Niya fell back a step and would have thrown herself against the wall if Jiran’s aura hadn’t intervened. Her eyelids slammed shut, twitching back and forth as she re-read the descriptions. “Do you think I’ll make an egg thingy like you did?” Her voice trembled with eager anticipation.

He shrugged, “No clue. Since you have time, I suggest making your choice after getting used to tier six. My body was completely different after evolving. If I was still adjusting to my strength then, I probably would have accidentally blown up Rheinhardt’s manor.”

“Good point! Thanks!” Ecstatic, she ran off to tell Cameron the good news, leaving Jiran shaking his head.

We’re fortunate to have solutions for willpower. How many parties in the empire’s history have fallen apart because one of their members could no longer safely progress? Better add charging crystals to their training regimen. Now that I know where their taps are, they can start the second and third phase of aura training, too.

So much to do. The next few days are going to be fun.

Entering the chamber again, Jiran resumed experimenting on Mathayes. Niya and Cameron had their heads together, talking so animatedly that they kept falling over before bursting into laughter. Seeing them consumed with joviality was only one of the many reasons that made it impossible to wipe away the smile stuck on his face.

When was the last time I felt this good? No, I've never been this happy. Helping everyone grow stronger while learning so much myself. This is the best.

Jiran savored every second of the next two hours. Olive dressed and stood quietly by his side. She flowed through her family's version of the soratta, straining her muscles in the quest for adaptation. Her proximity, and the warmth radiating from her filled him with a profound serenity that made him all the more determined to overcome his curse; lest it toss them headfirst into another potential catastrophe.

When Mayalyn came to, they were all itching to get back into the sunslight. There was only one thing left to do before they could. Elemental Castigation and Mana Transcendence formed a new wall that sectioned off an unused corner of the room. He made a door and covered the new room’s floor with a thick carpet. After making a strong bed, he turned both walls into formations packed with a few nasty surprises.

Jiran applied a final dose of Mana Venom to Mathayes. The man’s eyes snapped open and he bolted upright. Jiran’s voice dominated his thoughts and will, imprinting upon him the last commands he would ever receive, “This is your room now. Remain here and protect this place from beast and man alike. Only those approved by myself or Lenton may pass. You are not permitted to die. If your life is in danger, activate these formations by placing your hand here and injecting any element into the wall. Then, retreat to the surface and inform the highest nearby ranker of the danger. If you understand your orders, repeat them to me.”

Mathayes robotically repeated everything Jiran told him to do, then entered his new room. Leaving the door open, he sat on the corner of the bed, somehow managing to look both confused and resolute. Not wanting to, but knowing it was the responsible thing to do, Jiran dipped into Armament’s reserves to restore a quarter of the tier eight’s mana.

The group left in a hurry. Jiran didn’t miss the concerned glances they shared after witnessing what his new skill was capable of. He stared at his hand. While opening and closing his fist in consternation, he answered their unvoiced worries, “You're all thinking the same thing as me. This new skill is dangerous. The power it gives me over others could easily turn me into a monster. I wanted you to see what it could do so you can make sure I don’t stray.”

His words failed to placate Niya and Cameron’s concerns, and he wasn’t done yet, “You don’t even know the worst part. With a slight twist when I use it, the skill can travel from person to person through their aura, touch, or mana, spreading out of control. Before coming back to the empire, I tested it, purposefully attempting to infect an entire species with a fairly harmless version of it.”

He deserved the terrified looks they gave him. Under normal circumstances, what he’d done would be an unforgivable atrocity. He quickly explained, “They’re called the Meersvant. Hundreds of years ago, their entire race was taken over by brainwashing parasites that live inside their manapools. To them, anyone without a parasite controlling them is an evil that cannot be allowed to exist. Their children aren’t born parasitized though, so they have a coming of age ceremony where they… Anyways, I only made it so they would ignore me and my mana. That way, I can return to their lands unnoticed. It's a good thing too, because I have to go back there soon.”

Olive took his tale the worst. She wrapped her arms around her shoulders, trembling as tears tracked down her cheeks. Every fiber of her being denied such a horrible existence could befall a whole race. With the emperors presumed dead, and much of the empire’s responsibilities falling on her shoulders, the story hit different. “Such a cruel fate. Is it possible to save them? Is that why you have to go back?”

Jiran shrugged, annoyed the conversation had so thoroughly spoiled the mood, but knowing it was necessary, “No. I can’t do much for them yet. I only tried to free one of them: he died. After the connection between parasite and host matures, the brain of the host is turned to mush from underuse and all the body's nerves are re-routed to the parasite. There isn’t much left to save. The children though, we can definitely help the next generation.”

Olive’s expression brightened, though Jiran was quick to douse her enthusiasm, “They are highly advanced in the use of formations and poisons. One of their skills allows them to grow crystals inside their bodies that can amplify the Concentration of their mana. So far, those crystals are the only thing I couldn’t replicate with my mana and I accidentally broke the ones I brought back. The primary reason I can’t risk helping them is because they have a few ascenders at the emperor tier, or higher. The empire is no match for them. At least, not yet.”