[Ruins of Archades Imperial Palace]
A day had passed since Hecate’s hands-on training session with the "Crowned."
She had led her revenants through the problematic areas they’d scouted, each place revealing something new about their teamwork.
Under Hecate's command, they learned to analyze terrain, use binds effectively, and assign roles according to each revenant’s strengths. She taught them the art of "kiting," or luring enemies strategically—an approach that used their Ethereal Form skill to weave through solid obstacles. By phasing in and out of reach, they could reposition and evade enemies with ease.
She also made Free Cast a mandatory skill for them to master, allowing for versatile spell casting that enhanced the revenants’ ability to adjust to dynamic battle situations. Once the training concluded, Hecate set them to apply their knowledge independently with their squads, reminding them to file regular reports on their progress.
For this reason, she had no plans to create more revenants for now. After all, they needed to digest the knowledge first before moving on to lead larger armies.
And then to the present.
Now, Hecate conducted her hunts in a certain area of the partially restored ruins of the Imperial Palace of Archades, which also served as her primary headquarters.
Here, the walls, ground, and ceiling were covered in a thick, fleshy membrane, and the air teemed with giant-sized Maggots. Without spiders, they are now thriving so much and respawned from the fleshy floors, walls, and ceilings every so often.
<img src="https://images-ng.pixai.art/images/orig/a64464b7-1596-4759-b4a7-011b95ddd974" alt="" width="292" height="292" />However, today she was less concerned with leveling up and more intent on collecting a certain material.
With Yuna’s support, this collection went smoothly. The Crowned revenant bound ten Maggots at a time with her Shadow Bind spell, allowing Hecate to approach each writhing creature.
— Touch of Pleasure.
This skill, inherited from the unnamed Orc Lady’s Soul Essence and compounded onto her +10 Superior Saintess Necklace. It was said that this skill was usually learned by people who had the Prostitute or Pimp Subclass, whose effects were self-explanatory. However, Hecate found another use for this skill.
The moment her hand made contact, each Maggot’s body spasmed, the skill’s effect pushing them into a violent, immobilized wriggle. Trapped by Yuna’s Shadow Binds, they could do nothing but spew acidic mucus from their orifices as she efficiently bottled the substance.
Of course, Hecate had to be careful not to let the acid touch her body, as it would cause DoT damage.
Not only that, if the acid touched her clothes, the durability of her clothes would decrease drastically and holes would appear, ruining her clothes. Worse still, her private parts could be exposed for all to see.
Although she didn't mind because if that happened, the holy light would undoubtedly censor her body. But if possible, she preferred to avoid incidents that would result in her having to repair her equipment.
As Hecate gathered the liquids, she gave a nod.
“Yuna, strengthen the bind once more.”
“Of course, Mother,”
Yuna obeyed, recasting the spell.
This cycle continued until the Maggots were fully drained, leaving them shriveled and motionless. The remnants disintegrated in a puff of experience points, their Soul Essences left behind in place. ɽã𐌽ô𐌱Ɛṩ
Spoiler| Item Name: | Soul Essence: Maggot |
| Rarity: | ★★★★★★★ |
| Effect: | Slot: Armor - Body: • MaxHP +800 • <small>If UpgLv ≥ +6:</small> Change the Armor property into Acid. • <small>If UpgLv ≥ +12:</small> MaxHP +1000 ×<small>UpgLv</small> Slot: Armor - Garment: • MaxMP +800 • <small>If UpgLv ≥ +6:</small> Can use Acidic Splash (<small>UpgLv</small>) times per day. • <small>If UpgLv ≥<small> </small>+12:</small> MaxMP +1000 ×<small>UpgLv</small> |
| Description: | The extracted soul of a Maggot. It can be compounded into any Slotted Equipment. Incorrect slot placement will not grant any effect. |
With each harvest, her inventory filled with items.
From this batch of Maggots, she collected 1648 bottles of Acidic Liquid, and seven Soul Essences were gathered. As expected, it was easier for enemies to drop their Soul Essences with this method. The downside to this method was that their carcasses could not be looted because once they were completely withered, they would simply disappear.
“I also need a few of their meats,”
Having stored a considerable number of Acidic Liquids and Soul Essences, she prepared to switch to her regular hunting methods.
Now this area has become a meat farm that can supply meat constantly. The most valuable item in this place was of course the "Flesh of the Corrupted One", which was the wall of flesh attached to the interior itself.
In terms of its usefulness, Hecate herself still doesn't know much other than being able to make people who eat it explode. Maybe Rena-chi and Grim could make good use of it.
After some time passed, her inventory was nearly full, and Hecate stopped.
"Bring these back to the crystal, and then come back here."
Hecate then handed out all the loot in her inventory to the revenants equally and ordered them to bring the loot back to the Chapel room.
This way, she could fully focus on her work more efficiently. Saving her the time for the usual need to pause, teleport back to her base, and empty her inventory. By the time her 8-hour limit notification appeared, Hecate ended her hunt and prepared to log out, content with the resources gathered.
♠♠♠
[Kyoto: Ruri's Residence]
In the real world.
Ruri logged out from the game, opened her capsule pod, and sat up, stretching her body with a satisfied sigh. She relished the sensation of her muscles awakening after hours in the game.
"Hmm... that was a good hunt,"
After her mind cleared, she then checked the forums and saw the latest developments in the game.
As she browsed, she saw that the aftermath of Leon’s coup had settled more smoothly than expected, without any major disruptions. There were a few complaints here and there, but nothing serious. Likely, with exams coming up, many players hadn’t had time to stage any significant response.
She noticed that the Genesis Guild's new policies had gained a lot of popularity among both Natives and Players.
The teleportation gate's fee remained at one million Gold coins per use, but now there was an option for scheduled group teleportation. Every three hours, a Genesis Guild member would gather everyone wanting to use the gate, collect fees, and activate it for the group.
This approach was similar to public buses that carry many people at once in one vehicle, thus saving fuel costs compared to if they all took their own cars.
Other improvements were also underway.
In the capital’s slum area, several new facilities were being constructed: a Training Institution, a Hall of Healing, and even a Church of Light branch. The improvements generated a steady stream of construction-related quests for Players.
Once completed, similar projects were set to begin in other cities, and while these facilities were still under construction, public sentiment was overwhelmingly positive.
"This has Astrid written all over it,"
Ruri couldn't help but impressed.
With Genesis Guild's recent moves and growing support from both the public and the Church of Light, any opposing guilds would have to think twice. Since Genesis Guild was now firmly associated with the forces of order, attacking them outright would likely earn any assailants a reputation as villains.
Seeing no cause for concern, Ruri closed the forums, feeling reassured about the situation for now.
Now, Ruri turned her attention to a new message from Astrid.
Her Dreamhouse order was complete, and the digital key had been imprinted on her citizen ID. Thanks to the latest construction technology, the entire project had finished in under a week.
"That's quite fast,"
Ruri let out a satisfied smile on her face.
The message included a link to a gallery showcasing hundreds of photos and videos taken from various angles by drones. She clicked through each one, admiring how closely the design matched her specifications. It was a luxurious three-story home with high ceilings, an artificial waterfall, an onsen, and the cutting-edge integrated greenhouse facilities.
Worth every bit of the 2 billion yen she had invested.
“It’s time to move,”
After confirming the gallery, she quickly navigated to the Mercury website to arrange a courier service for the move.
Of course, the house has been filled with the necessary furniture and is ready to be lived in without bringing anything. However, she still need to bring her Capsule Pod, the Elixirs in her refrigerator, and all the tools, robots, and drones she had crafted. Most importantly, she needed to take her beloved plant companion, Kuu.
Initially, she thought it would be easier to let the courier handle everything, with her simply catching a bullet train to the new house. But before she pressed the order button, a new thought crossed her mind.
"No, Kuu will feel lonely in transit. I should bring Kuu with me personally,"
After all, Kuu wasn’t an ordinary plant and had a personality of its own.
But then, Ruri realized she’d also need a container to keep the plant comfortable and safe during the journey. A regular pot wouldn’t be enough, given the potential bumps and jolts along the way.
Thinking it over, she designed a special flight case to securely hold Kuu's pot in place. The case would include shock-absorbent padding to cushion against impacts, ensuring Kuu wouldn't feel any rough handling.
And then, there was one more crucial detail to address. She had to ensure that no one would discover Kuu’s existence during the move. The last thing she needed was her unusual plant companion going viral, with people speculating wildly—or worse, the authorities getting involved. There was no telling what might happen if Kuu’s unique nature became public knowledge.
With that in mind, she added another essential feature to the case design: soundproofing.
Kuu could make noises, and any unexpected sounds would risk drawing attention. The case would need to mask Kuu's occasional munching or grumbles while still allowing for ample ventilation so Kuu could breathe comfortably.
"This should do it."
Once the plan was set, Ruri began her preparation.
She then looked in the mirror, admiring her petite body. Since she had to go out, it made sense to wear proper clothes. Her long, untied hair, though beautiful, felt a bit obstructive for the day ahead. Trying to decide on a hairstyle, she realized her choices were limited, she only really knew how to do a ponytail or twintails.
Both looked good, but after a bit of consideration, she settled on twintails. The style highlighted her youthful charm, making her appear even younger.
"As expected, I look cuter with twintails. But what should I do about my clothes..."
Ruri was satisfied with her choice.
However, she didn't know what to do with the clothes she needed to wear, as she hadn't worn them for a long time. She was not so sure about the latest fashions in the real world, since in Ascension, the outfits were often bizarre or extravagant, far from everyday wear.
Just as she was starting to worry, another idea struck her. At 18, she was eligible to apply for a driving license. Rather than using public transportation, it would be more convenient and private—to drive to her new home. Inside a car, there’d be no need to worry about her outfit or Kuu accidentally being seen.
This could be said to be like killing two birds with one stone!
"Ah, yes! I can do that."
With that decision, Ruri quickly returned to her Capsule Pod, ready to apply for her driving test. In the virtual space, the process should be quick and easy.
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