273 DON'T CALL ME MOM
Leo shook his head. "Once merged, the Giga Codex can't be unmerged. And it's only useful once, there is no reason for you to keep it. We need more stones to improve it."
Gubana nodded thoughtfully.
"He's right. There's no point in holding onto a useless stone. But now that we know how it works, it's time to get the other stones," he said.
Kabana looked suspicious but didn't argue about keeping the stone. He's gained more from the stone than he ever did before.
"So, we need more of these stones for more improvements?" Rabana asked.
"Yes… and we know where to get them," Leo said with a determined smile.
Gubana paused, then turned to Leo with a curious look. "What was your earlier plan to draw the Temple of Hera's assassins here?"
Leo's gaze shifted to Hanna, and without a word, Gubana immediately understood.
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[In a secret chamber in the Koresh palace dungeon]
Emperor Ramses gazed at Lady Dassa, or the Godmother who possessed her body, his expression was sharp with curiosity and concern. "Mother."
"Don't call me that in front of the servants", Lady Dassa said as she waved her hands. All those servants in attendance quickly left the hall leaving the emperor and Dassa behind.
"Yes, I'll be careful… We don't want others to know about your existence... it could be dangerous", the emperor uttered.
"The game system must not know of my existence in this realm, otherwise they would send handlers to exterminate me... for there can only be one of us allowed in this realm", Dassa said before she added slowly, "just call me Lady Dassa, the godmother of the Temple of Hera."
"Right Dassa… Godmother.. whatever… what happened to you on your expedition to Sodom city? How did it go so wrong?" the emperor asked.
Dassa's face was drawn with frustration. "We'll discuss it later. My magic was severely weakened by the loss of my shadow minions. Something must have devoured them, or else I wouldn't be in this state."
"You lost? You've never lost before… not in chess.. not in strategy… never", Ramses said before adding, "Its this body's fault, she's too weak to contain your powers."
Dassa looked at the emperor, her fingers lifting his chin affectionately. "This body has a powerful constitution, the Constitution of Doppel. None of my previous body has the ability to summon shadow minions. I may be weak now but in time I'll become stronger."
Ramses' eyes narrowed before returning to the situation at hand, "Impossible. Who could consume your shadow minions? Did someone from the Hunter Association discover you?"
"I don't know," Dassa admitted, her voice laced with unease.
Ramses exhaled through his nose, deep in thought. Then, he straightened. "First, let's restore your magic."
At his command, the doors to the chamber swung open, and a procession of prisoners was led inside, bound in heavy chains.
The air grew heavy with dread as the soldiers forced them to their knees. Once the last prisoner was in place, the guards swiftly exited, leaving only Ramses, Dassa, and the doomed captives.
With a slow wave of his hand, Ramses concentrated, and a deep, malevolent energy pulsed through the chamber.
Suddenly, some of the prisoners convulsed violently, their bodies writhing in agony. Blood and flesh liquefied, seeping from their forms as they collapsed, drained of vitality.
The thick essence of their lives lifted into the air, twisting into swirling streams of raw magic. One by one, the rest of the prisoners fell, their husks left as brittle remains—empty shells of what had once been powerful mages.
The gathered magic coalesced into a luminous circle around Dassa, the dark energy sinking into her, restoring the depths of her power. She let out a breath, the tension in her body easing as the magic invigorated her.
When the last wisp of energy faded, Dassa stepped forward, her voice tinged with dissatisfaction.
"Such a waste… We gathered these peak-tier Svad sacrifices to push me into the second tier of Man, but now it's all gone—spent just to heal me."
Ramses remained unfazed. "We'll find more peak-tier sacrifices soon enough. For now, at least you've returned to your full strength."
Dassa smirked. "Thanks to your remarkable gift, son… emperor. If not for your abilities, losing my shadow minions would have been a catastrophic setback."
Unlike most mages, Emperor Ramses did not wield destructive spells or elemental forces.
His power was far more insidious—he could extract and channel the magic of others, sacrificing them to elevate the strength of those he chose. With enough sacrifices, he could push even powerful mages like Godmother beyond their natural limits.
Using the blood of peak-tier Svad mages, he could have propelled her into Man tier and beyond.
"But now," Ramses said, his tone turning serious, "let's return to the matter at hand. What exactly went wrong with your expedition?"
Dassa's expression darkened. "That's the problem—I don't know. None of my operatives have returned. Not a single one. Not even my shadow minions."
Before Ramses could respond, the doors creaked open once more. A guard entered, bowing before them. "Your Majesty, a woman has arrived asking to see Godmother. She says her name is Hanna."
Dassa's eyes flashed with recognition. "Hanna?" she repeated, a mix of surprise and intrigue in her voice.
"Bring her to me. Immediately."
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Lady Dassa's gaze was sharp as she regarded Hanna. "Weren't you the one we sent to Eoloth to retrieve the Giga Codex?"
Hanna lowered her head, ensuring her eyes would not lock onto her mistress. "Yes, we almost succeeded… but we were captured at the last moment. All my sisters were gone. I barely managed to escape."
Dassa's eyes narrowed. "You escaped?"
Hanna nodded. "The young lord of Eoloth killed all my sisters—except me. He kept me alive… because he secretly desires my body. I was imprisoned for months and was forced to give in to his… pleasures."
Emperor Ramses chuckled darkly, stepping toward Hanna with a predatory gleam in his eyes. He lifted her chin, studying her features with amusement before leaning down, his tongue briefly grazing her neck.