Creak…
The iron hinges groaned as the chamber door closed shut, sealing in the stale, suffocating air.
The inquisitor's playful voice rang out, light yet venomous. "Shall we begin today's session?"
Her crimson eyes gleamed as though lit from within, and with a languid step she drew closer to the shackled prisoner.
The spirit saint's head sagged forward, strands of hair sticking to her sweat-slick face. Her lips were cracked, her breath shallow, yet her gaze burned faintly with defiance when forced upward.
Drip… drop…
A bead of saliva slid down her chin. Another droplet struck the stone floor.
The inquisitor's pale skin shimmered faintly, and with it came an almost invisible haze. Toxins seeping into the air.
The scent was sharp, metallic, like rust and flowers rotting together. Each breath the saint drew sent fire through her chest, magnifying every wound, every ache.
"Haaah…" She exhaled, her knees trembling, her body shivering as if her flesh itself were rejecting the air.
The inquisitor smiled, tilting her head. "Marvelous, isn't it? How the body betrays itself when touched by me. Every nerve sharpened, every lash of pain sweetened a hundredfold."
Hhhsshh…
The air itself seemed to hiss, carrying the invisible venom deeper into the prisoner's lungs.
Yet the saint forced her lips apart, her voice hoarse, barely more than a whisper.
"You… will not… have it."
The inquisitor's smile widened. "Mmmhh… that fire. That stubborn little spark. I adore watching it flicker. I wonder…" She leaned close, her breath brushing the saint's ear, "…how long before it gutters out?"
Thwack!
The crack of the whip echoed, each strike made harsher by the venom amplifying the nerves' screams.
The saint gritted her teeth, a strangled cry escaping.. "Aahh!" but her eyes, glassy with tears, refused to break.
The inquisitor's laughter rippled through the chamber, not loud, but soft and intimate.
"Sing for me. Cry for me. Every sound you make is music. But no matter how much you resist, remember this…" She pressed her hand against the saint's trembling cheek, her toxin-filled skin burning like acid on contact. "…I enjoy the game far more than the trophy."
The saint's body convulsed at the pain, yet through clenched teeth, she forced out a rasping whisper: "The glyph… stays… hidden."
Silence.
Then the inquisitor chuckled low, almost purring. "Exquisite."
Clink… clink… The chains rattled as the saint slumped, her spirit unbroken though her body screamed.
Thud, thud.
The heavy knock echoed through the chamber door.
A moment later, the lock clicked from inside, and the door creaked open. Out stepped the inquisitor. Her legs trembled slightly as she leaned against the frame, her breath ragged.
Huff… huff… Sweat clung to her skin, running down in trails, staining the curves of her body and the blood that smeared her revealing clothes.
The guard waiting outside stiffened at the sight. Dressed in black, a sword at his hip, he straightened and gave a salute.
He pulled a scroll from his belt, the seal of the SBV gleaming faintly in the dim corridor light.
Inquisitor's smile curved unnaturally, pleasure still lingering on her lips. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, then gestured impatiently.
"Get it over with. I have work to do." Her panting grew heavier, almost deliberate, the sound low and sultry.
The guard's throat tightened. His eyes flicked downward for the briefest moment, catching sight of the sweat sliding into the valley of her breasts.
He swallowed hard, the dryness in his mouth betraying him.
He fumbled with the scroll, but before he could read, a violent cough tore out of him.
Hhhack! Hackhkk! His knees buckled as he clawed at his throat, air refusing to pass.
The inquisitor tilted her head, blinking as though she had just remembered something trivial.
"Oh… right. I forgot."
She snapped her fingers. Instantly, the crushing weight on his lungs vanished. The guard gasped, falling to one knee before scrambling upright.
The inquisitor's divine blessing, Nerveblight Pheromone (A+), allowed her to release a subtle haze of pheromones from her skin.
To enemies, it worked as a potent neurotoxin, searing through their nerves, bending their will, and choking the breath from their lungs.
Allies were spared the full effect, yet those whose mana reserves were far below hers still found themselves struggling to breathe in her presence, as if the very air bent to her dominance.
She leaned forward, her crimson eyes narrowing. "So. What is it?"
The guard steadied himself, though his hand trembled slightly as he unrolled the letter. The mark of SBV glowed faintly on his wrist as he spoke.
"Miss Merin Scourge, you are hereby transferred to the SBV branch in Larkshade."
Her brows arched. "Larkshade? That's a village in Sinclair Duchy, near the forest, isn't it? Why would they send me there?" Her lips pressed into a thin line, irritation showing as she tapped a finger against her thigh. "Plenty of low-level inquisitors already rot in that cathedral. Why me?"
"The transfer is task-bound," the guard explained carefully. "A very important patron of SBV has requested your service… regarding his son's murder."
Merin clicked her tongue. "Tsk. Babysitting for fat purses now? That's beneath me."
The guard shook his head quickly. "The request would have been dismissed… if not for the suspect." His voice lowered, almost hesitant. "A guardian knight title holder."
Merin's eyes widened. "A guardian knight? In a backwater village?"
"Yes." He glanced down at the scroll again. "Your task is to hunt down a girl named Sera and… persuade her to join SBV. Another suspect, a man called Rune, is believed to be with her. You are to pin the murder on him, while ensuring Sera's recruitment. And above all... her guardian knight status must never be revealed."
A slow, wicked smile curved Merin's lips. "Ahh. No wonder they're sending me." She licked the edge of her teeth, her expression twisting into something dark. "How delightful."
Her gaze slid back to the chamber door, a question forming. "And what about the spirit saint inside?"
"Due to an unforeseen threat, she is to be transferred to the underground torture chambers."
Merin scratched idly at her neck, then let out a low laugh. "That's a problem. She's a sword saint. Even shackled with mana insulators, her presence alone is unbearable for most here. To be frank.." She arched her back in a stretch, her waist loosening as her breasts shifted with the movement, ".. it's taking a toll even on me."
The guard's throat bobbed as he tore his gaze away, forcing himself to keep his eyes forward. He coughed lightly into his fist before speaking again. "Do not worry about that, Miss Merin. After all…" His tone turned heavier, as though the words themselves carried weight. "…the spirit saint is now assigned to him."
Merin froze mid-motion. Her eyes narrowed, sharp as blades. "So… he has returned."
Her lips curled into something between a smirk and a sneer.
"The only inquisitor stronger than me."
********
"Wow… I didn't expect the wolves to fetch us a hundred silvers," I said, eyes widening at the weight of the coin pouch.
Beside me, Sera's eyes sparkled as she counted each silver carefully. "I told you they're strong. You were the one who insisted we hunt them."
I scratched my chin, grinning. "Well… that paid off."
I slung our luggage over my shoulder and headed for the door. "Now then… shall we make for Shadowfen Valley?"
Sera tucked away the last coin and followed, her face bright with delight.
At the counter, I dropped the keys in front of the innkeeper, that smug-faced old woman who always seemed to know too much.
"We're checking out. Thanks for the service," I said, forcing myself to keep calm despite remembering last night.
She smirked knowingly. "I hope the inn helped you in more ways than one."
The vein in my forehead nearly popped. "You old bi—"
Before I could finish, Sera grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the counter. She bowed quickly to the innkeeper, pushing me through the door.
"Safe journey now," the old witch called after us, her tone dripping with mischief.
"Hmph…" I adjusted the luggage on my shoulder, still fuming.
Once outside, Sera's tone softened. "It's dark. To be honest, I don't think the forest is safe right now. Wouldn't it be better to book the room for another night?" Her brows were knit with worry.
I shook my head. "We don't want to extend our stay in a town so close to our village."
She looked down, nodding faintly. "Right…"
I smirked. "Besides, that inn isn't exactly suitable for what we're about to do." Just the thought of using Etherium made my grin widen.
Sera muttered something under her breath, her face turning pink as her eyes darted left and right.
Hm? What's wrong with her?
[I dont know... Do you want to examine her with soft touch?]
I sighed. Good try, but don't try again.
We entered the forest. Sera was quiet, too quiet, but her hand never left the sword I'd given her. Even if her lips weren't moving, her sharp eyes scanned every shadow around us. That silent vigilance was answer enough.
Two hours later, we reached a stretch of grassland where the trees thinned out. I stopped, stretching my shoulders. "Sera, this place should do."
She nodded, though her fingers fidgeted nervously at her side.
I opened my bag, pulled out my sleeping mat, and spread it over the grass. As soon as I sat down and turned to grab the Etherium, I felt the mat drag under me.
I looked to the side. Sera had sat down right beside me.
…Huh? I blinked.
I shrugged it off and turned again, reaching for the Etherium.
Another drag on the mat.
I glanced back. She'd scooted even closer, almost closing the gap between us.
…Maybe she didn't bring her mat. Makes sense.
I placed the glowing Etherium crystal on the grass.
And then.. sudden warmth wrapped around me from behind. A soft embrace, her arms tightening around my back.
I jolted. "W-what is it?"
Her breath brushed my ear, her voice trembling. "You know… it's my first time."
"First time? Yeah, I haven't used Etherium either. No way we'd get our hands on it back in the village," I said casually.
She pulled away instantly.
She looked at me, then at the glowing crystal beside me, then at me again.
Her puppy-like eyes slowly hardened into something else. Disappointment. Her cherry-coloured lips pressed into a thin line.
"Tsk.."
I swear I heard her click her tongue.
She stood abruptly, her blue skirt swaying just enough for me to catch more than I should from my angle.
She walked to her bag without another word, pulled out her mat, and spread it across the grass.
"Stay away from me," she muttered, her back to me.
"Hey, you're the one who suddenly fell on me," I said, offended.
"Hmph!" She puffed her cheeks, still muttering as she laid down her mat. "…Because you never do that."
Sera sat across from me, the Etherium crystal glowing faintly between us.
I cleared my throat, trying to sound serious. "Sera," I said.
She looked at me, eyes steady, her expression full of determination.
"Just like I told you yesterday… the Shield King overcame his weakness, his lack of mobility, by boosting himself with aura to increase his agility."
She nodded firmly. "Right."
"So," I went on, "we should train ourselves to awaken aura."
Well.. for me, it's about improving the aura I already have. For her… awakening it for the first time.
I leaned forward slightly, keeping my voice steady. "Aura and mana… they're both energies. The only forms that can't be interchanged by any means, but both pass through the circuits we lay inside us."
Sera tilted her head, her smile proud. "I knew you were always good at academics."
Good assumption. Please, keep assuming.
Then she asked, "So if I awaken aura, I can overcome my weakness? Diminished perception?"
I shook my head. "I wouldn't say that."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Because aura has stages. Five, to be exact... just like mana has ten circles of mastery."
She nodded slowly, taking it in.
"The five aura stages are: novice aura, intermediate aura, master's aura, sovereign's aura, and emperor's aura."
I saw her throat bob as she swallowed, but I continued. "Novice aura users can boost strength and agility. In other words, if the Shield King awakened aura, he could overcome his weakness in speed."
"But my weakness isn't in strength or speed," Sera pointed out.
I nodded. "That's why you'll need to push past novice and train for intermediate aura. At that level, it doesn't just boost strength and speed, it heightens perception. And stealth, too. So much that a non-aura user wouldn't even notice if an intermediate aura user slipped right past them."
Sera shivered slightly. "That's… frightening. But if it improves perception, it can cover my weakness."
"Exactly."
I sat back, looking at the crystal between us. "To get there, we'll need to cultivate, to increase the number of circuits inside us. Etherium contains pure mana. We can't absorb it directly, not unless you were a spirit saint or spirit king, but its presence alone speeds up cultivation tenfold."
Her gaze lingered on the crystal with open awe. She tapped a knuckle against its glassy surface. "Where did you even get this?"
"Uh.. I found it in my hiding place. Maybe… some animal left it there. Haha."
Her eyes narrowed, suspicious. But she finally shrugged. "Whatever. Let's cultivate."
She crossed her legs neatly before me. My eyes betrayed me, darting to the smooth line of her thighs and the way her skirt struggled to cover the rest.
"Pervert," she teased with a mischievous smile.
I coughed into my hand, dragging my gaze away with pure effort. "Ahem. So, shall we start?"
She ignored my fluster, instead asking, "How long will it take to awaken aura?"
I hesitated. "…Don't know. Maybe five years?"
She slumped forward, groaning. "And I'll need to reach intermediate too…"
"Awakening is the hardest part," I reassured her. "Once you break through, it's easier to move from novice to intermediate… and then to master. It's only at master that things get tough again."
"At master? Why?"
"Because the tiers split. Master is ranked from five down to one, then sovereign, also five to one. And finally, emperor. Only one person in history has ever reached emperor's aura. So there's no tier system beyond that."
[Come on, make it two. Don't be shy.]
Yeah, for like five days before my astral spine got destroyed by Galad? No thanks. I'll do it properly in this life.
Sera gave a small nod, eyes bright. "I see. …I'm ready."
I smiled, returning her nod. "Then let's begin."
Under the soft glow of moonlight, we closed our eyes, Etherium's pale light spilling between us as we began to cultivate.