295 IS SUJIRA DEAD?
"She's not dead, that I can confirm," Yun-Yun continued, her voice firm. "Her magic is weak, but it's still flowing. I can feel it."
"That's great news."
Leo's expression was uplifted by the good news before he darkened, his resolve hardening. "Then we'll have to change the plan," he said, his voice low but commanding.
Yun-Yun nodded.
The fragile hope of Sujira's survival ignited a new fire in all of them.
With a simple wave of his hand, a shimmering jade throne materialized before Leo, its surface gleaming with an otherworldly glow. He gently carried Petunia to the throne, laying her down to rest.
Petunia, her voice weak but tinged with curiosity, looked up at him. "How did you summon the jade throne here? The Palace of Willow is so far from this place."
Leo's eyes flickered with a faint spark of pride as he explained, "that is a long story."
-----
[Shortly after Leo's shadow minion was destroyed in Godmother's Secret Vault]
Leo lounged on his jade throne, its cold surface grounding him as he waited impatiently.
His shadow minion had been dispatched to the Temple of Hera to retrieve the fabled Giga Codex, and he expected its return soon.
"Whooosh."
Suddenly, a wave of unfamiliar energy surged through the chamber, rattling the walls of willows and unsettling the magical wards in the dungeon.
Leo stiffened, his hand gripping the armrest of the throne. "What is this?" he demanded, his voice sharp and commanding.
Yun-Yun, standing nearby, felt the pulse of energy and paled. "It's your shadow minion," she said, her tone laced with both awe and fear.
"It's returning to you."
Leo's eyes narrowed. "What? That's not possible. If it's returning, then something's happened to them.. to Petunia and Sujira."
The essence of the shadow minion surged towards him, a swirling mass of black energy. As it entered his body, he staggered slightly, his mind overwhelmed by the sudden influx of memories and experiences.
When the storm subsided, he stood taller, his face grim but with understanding.
"What happened?" Yun-Yun pressed, her voice trembling. "Something happened to the mission?"
Leo raised a hand, and with a flick of his fingers, two glowing stone structures materialized before them. The air hummed with power as the Giga Codices revealed themselves, their ancient magic pulsing faintly.
"Giga Codex."
"Yes," Leo replied, his tone clipped.
His victory, however, was overshadowed by a darker truth. "But Petunia and Sujira have been taken prisoner by the Emperor of Koresh."
"How can that be? They are already at peak of Svad and with all their equipment and your shadow minion escorting them?" she asked.
He sank back onto the throne, his expression stormy as his mind raced to formulate a rescue plan.
"We underestimated that bastard emperor", he replied remorsefully,
Yun-Yun stepped forward, her presence steady despite the grim news.
"Their connection with us is still active," she informed firmly. "That means they're alive. There's still a chance to save them."
Leo's eyes flicked to her with surprise and relief but also sharp and questioning. "Connection? What connection?"
Yun-Yun nodded. "When I allowed the girls to marry you, they performed a simple rite to offer me tea. That wasn't just a ceremony. It was a magical contract. By marrying you, they became subordinate wives, and I became their elder sister. That bond is a connection between us, one that transcends distance."
"That bond I can still feel it."
Leo leaned forward relieved, "So, you're certain they're alive?"
"Yes, they are not harmed… yet," Yun-Yun said, her voice resolute. "But we must act quickly and carefully. The Emperor of Koresh and Dassa are formidable opponents. A misstep could cost us dearly."
Leo's grip on the armrest tightened as determination blazed in his eyes. "Then we'll prepare right away."
-----
Leo swiftly redirected the energy flow within the two stone Giga Codices, manipulating their intricate channels with precision. As the Codices glowed with an otherworldly light, he fused them together, upgrading their potency to tier two.
"Giga Codex Tier 2."
With deliberate focus, he merged this newly forged tier two Codex with the tier two Codex he already possessed, creating a formidable tier three Giga Codex.
"Giga Codex Tier 3."
"It is ready," Leo announced, wiping beads of sweat from his brow as Yun-Yun watched with marvel.
"Then we must make use of our time within the realm of the Giga Codex to improve our magic," Yun-Yun said, her voice steady but eager.
Together, they allowed their consciousness to enter the ethereal realm of the Giga Codex—a plane of infinite knowledge, where the greatest secrets of their world resided.
Yun-Yun began to inscribe intricate runes, the likes of which she had never encountered before, each line brimming with untold power.
Meanwhile, Leo delved into the programming language of magic, deciphering commands that could bend reality to his will.
When they returned to the physical realm, the changes were evident.
"My knowledge of magic in this realm has greatly improved," Yun-Yun said.
Yun-Yun's mastery of magic had ascended to unprecedented heights.
Leo had unlocked the ability to craft simple yet profound programs capable of altering the fabric of their reality. Previously he was merely doing simple alterations in the existing codes to manipulate the magic but not creating new magical codes.
Now it's different.
"With the knowledge we've gained from the Giga Codex, we must now focus on saving Petunia and Sujira," Leo said, his voice resolute.
Yun-Yun nodded but cautioned, "The Emperor of Koresh is a formidable foe, especially within his own magic domain. Even the demon army would struggle against him."
Leo thought about their predicaments.
"Wait a minute, we can use the demons," Leo suggested. "Let them weaken Koresh's forces before we make our move. We can also use the opportunity to test the strength and conditions of the emperor's bloody chess realm."
Yun-Yun hesitated, then added, "There's a problem. We'd need to move our dungeon to Debauchery City. Without it nearby, we won't have access to its powers."
"Yes, against the chess realm, we need the dungeon's magic."