“That’s when you decided to bring up the inscription,” the Dragon lady pointed out.

  ~Yes. Looking deep into my heart, I felt comfortable enough to share my secrets. Even if someone does take notice of them during your journeys, there’s nothing they can do to steal them since I’m technically no longer alive. They can’t use you to find and capture me. The only known method is to seize my Tree, which is gone, and I don’t think my current one is willing to get seized, even if it wouldn’t work in the first place,~ the Dryad reasoned. ~I’ll answer the question regarding potential candidates for the inscription’s application. Miria was the best prospect. I don’t mean any offense by it, but the value of your potential was fairly low on your own.~

  “I’m not offended since I know it’s the truth.” Miria smiled sadly. “Or was, actually.”

  ~With that in mind, you were the perfect vessel for this ritual. To make it easier to visualize, think of the adventurer ranks of Ast’s world. The gap between F-rank and S-rank is larger than between B-rank and S-rank. And the bigger the gap, the stronger the effect since there’s more space to fill up with carefully shaped potential.~ Tia hummed to herself. ~I’m currently analyzing if and which of you are suitable for this too. I’m afraid Selene is out of the question due to the nature of her advancements, which are strictly related to the cultivation of oneself. It could hurt her more than help. Silvia is in a similar situation, albeit her methods are a tad different. Althea is out due to being a Lesser Dragon. The gap thing. Tina and perhaps Grea could work, but this might interfere with their summoning capabilities.~

  “That sounds so tough to figure out,” the fiery princess commented. “And extremely situational.”

  “True, but mostly because those who used this technique didn’t care about anything other than their personal benefits. Their pawns would end up dead or crippled anyway,” Althea said with a disgusted sneer.

  “I’m such a lucky girl.” Miria giggled and pecked Ast’s cheek sweetly.

  “Since we more or less understand how this soul inscription works, what can you tell us about the rest of the things that happened to Miria?” Selene wondered out loud.

  ~You are better off asking the person in question in regards to that.~ The Dryad giggled. ~It didn’t feel like you only worked on your source, isn’t that right?~

  “Yep!” The merry panthergirl bobbed her head up and down. “I really didn’t want the opportunity you and Master gave me to go to waste. Slowly reinforcing my source felt good, but… that would just make me a little stronger where I was already good. So I started looking around until I peered into my bloodline. Then I just knew it was the key. The Elders assured me that I was already one of the strongest beastfolk amidst the tribes. But compared to species like Selene’s, it was still nothing.”

  “And so you used my violent Hearts to destroy its structure.” Asterios cocked his head back in understanding.

  “You did WHAT?!” Selene shot to her feet, and everyone winced at her sudden shout.

  Miria blinked numbly at her. “Uhhh… I heard you mention many times how important the foundation is and how it impacts one’s entire path… Since mine was just so-so, I figured I would… make it a little better?”

  “By shattering your very bloodline?! You can’t abolish your foundation on a whim, stupid girl! You could have permanently crippled yourself and your entire lineage going forward!” the fox lady bellowed, leaning forward. “Think of your descendants! Your children!”

  The scolded girl shivered with every sentence, curling into herself and Asterios. She continued looking remorsefully at her sister-mate’s furious face, her feline ears laid flat atop her hair. Ast’s arm wound around her waist and squeezed her side reassuringly.

  Finished with her sudden outburst, Selene took note of Miria’s body language, and her expression softened, shifting slightly into a more guilty look.

  “I… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to shout at you…” The vulpine beauty glanced aside shamefully.

  “I know…” Miria whispered, causing her fox friend to turn back. “And I know that I could have hurt myself really bad…”

  “You did? Then why?” Selene’s brows pinched together.

  “I was weak. I thought it was worth the risk. I had Master’s and Tia’s support. And Master said… that he would love me even if I ended up powerless…” the panthergirl admitted. “I made up my mind. If something happened, I wouldn’t blame anyone. I would be happy just to be Master’s supportive mate, taking care of all our children while everyone accompanied him on his journeys. But now, I understand I have been foolish. I didn’t think of the consequences hard enough. I didn’t know I could hurt… our kittens… Did I make a huge mistake, Selene?”

  As Miria’s lashes fluttered to clear her eyes from the tears rolling down her cheeks and her lip trembled, Selene’s heart stung deeply. She almost choked on her breath and hastily walked over the picnic mat, falling onto her knees next to the panthergirl. Miria flinched but then froze when she was tightly hugged from the front and a shaky voice whispered into her ear.

  “I shouldn’t have said that… You weren’t aware… None of this would have been your fault… I should have noticed how much attention you were paying to my carefree words… I should have noticed how desperate you were… As your friend, I should have been the one to teach you about everything…” The fox lady ran her fingers through Miria’s hair. “You are such a courageous panther… Few would even attempt something so outrageously dangerous, and fewer would pull it off… It wasn’t a mistake… You made a miracle, Miria…”

  Slowly brushing her hand over Selene’s back, Miria smiled wryly. “I should have thought how others would feel, not just Master…”

  Selene drew her face back, now also stained with a few tears. “Silly girl. We all know how big of a part he takes in your heart. None of us can dare to compete.”

  As she wiped the trails off her furry sister-mate’s cheeks, the other girls scooted closer and warmly patted both of them over their shoulders and backs. They had stood aside earlier to give the beastfolk pair a moment to talk it out, knowing how much these two cared for each other, which resulted in it showing very emotionally. But, they still had to display their support as a family.

  “How did you do it, then?” Selene asked after they both calmed down a little, Ast’s fingers helping out a lot by caressing their ears.

  “Well, as Master said, I made his draconic energies destroy the… tree?” Miria scrunched her nose. “Then, I used Tia’s life energy to keep the fragments in place and reconnected them in a different way while supplying them with the power of the cluster.”

  “This girl…” The vulpine lady looked into the sky and chuckled in disbelief. “You have no idea about the feat you have achieved. If Ronye or Lerisse heard about it, they would have fainted on the spot and then called you Esteemed Master after waking up.”

  “You would have loved to see that.” The feline girl giggled impishly, and everyone laughed.

  “What then?” Tina inquired, invested in the tale more than she would have expected.

  “I rebuild this pattern while willing for the part at the top to be as vast as possible,” Miria continued. “I lost the ability to control the stages between, meaning that I can only be either in the one where my fur reaches up to my elbows and knees or the one where I’m like this. But, from this form, there’s so much more I can do now, including becoming bigger without Master’s spells and shifting into my animal form while so. I still need to explore every option, instinctively understanding only a few.”

  “That’s already a massive improvement,” Silvia said. “Combined with what Tia’s inscription allows you to do, your power and capabilities increased multiple-fold. We are so happy for you.”

  “Thanks.” The panthergirl grinned at everyone cheerfully as they all nodded in agreement.

  “Your group continues to amaze me,” Abyss announced, capturing their attention. “You keep doing things that defy many rules and norms, not to mention customs and traditions. I’m starting to think you might be the best thing that could have happened to my Little Shadow and this realm.”

  “Undoubtedly,” Umbra agreed. “I can’t wait to see what the future holds in store for Master and his peerage.”

  “Right now, the future holds the location of the remaining clusters and the key to all of this,” Asterios responded. “And it looks like your shadowy friends are just wrapping their work up.”

  It was as he had said. Barely any monster remained alive as the floating Shades patrolled the vicinity of the spire. Soon, the situation would be resolved. Thankfully, Umbra’s home didn’t suffer any additional damage from the cave-in, most likely due to the underground passages having already been cut in half on arrival.

  “Where are we going to go next?” Tina glanced at him.

  “Don’t know yet.” He shrugged. “But I know we will figure something out.”

  “Why not try feeding the token more natural energy?” Althea suggested. “Maybe if you loop it through Miria, it’s going to provoke some kind of a reaction?”

  “See? I can always rely on your smarts, ladies.” Asterios grinned while getting up, leaving Miria in Selene’s arms. “Let’s see if two clusters are enough to make this thing cooperate.”

  They slowly packed up and headed for the surface.

  Chapter 19

  Beacon of Misfortune

  Selene created a spiritual platform for everyone to hop onto, so Asterios didn’t have to shift. Miria grumbled under her nose a little at the lost opportunity, but since that also meant she could stay in his arms and keep getting pampered, she didn’t raise much of a fuss. They floated towards the black mirror-like surface on the ceiling while taking one last glance at the lands below.

  The Shades had finished dealing with the monsters and moved to clean things up. Those shadowy guys worked quite effectively and devotedly, which wasn’t that surprising with their earlier displays. Umbra’s little personal dimension would soon be back to usual. Save for the slight change to the spire.

  Before Ast’s party snuck out, Umbra joined them, having split up from everyone to exchange a few words with his worshippers. Since the Shades didn’t care for the remains of his enemies, they were going to simply get rid of everything, but the Duke instructed them to retain any parts that could turn out to be valuable. With so many materials, at least a few should prove to be useful in the future or even inside this dark world.

  Leaving the restricted area, Asterios and the girls made sure that there was no more danger in their close vicinity, expecting another Titan or wave of monsters after their recent encounters. Thankfully, nothing jumped at them, and they could gather a distance away from the secret entrance. They found a cozy spot to land, stepping onto the ground.

  “What’s the plan, then?” Tina asked. “Are you going to examine the broken sigil more, or are we going to try activating it or something right away?”

  “Both, more or less,” Asterios answered. “I have already tried figuring it out before without it bringing any meaningful results. But maybe it’s different now that it has absorbed more energy. As long as Umbra doesn’t mind us messing with it next to his home, I’ll get to it.”

  “There should be no problems.” His familiar nodded with clear permission. “The entrance isn’t that easy to pierce, and even if something manages to slip through, the Shades could use some more practice if I’m going to rely on them one day.”

  “Oh, are you now going to raise a cultist army?” Selene teased with a foxy grin.

  Umbra shook his head. “Nothing as grand. Let’s just say that I’m beginning to think slightly ahead now that the chances of our realm becoming open are slowly rising. I gotta discipline them a bit or they might even follow me into whichever world I’ll go to, creating unnecessary chaos for its inhabitants.”

  “That could be problematic,” Silvia agreed, stroking her chin. “In the end, we haven’t even established enough worship for our Dragon Emperor for another deity to make an appearance.”

  The person in question sighed tiredly while the ladies chuckled in amusement.

  “Don’t worry.” The Lord of Shadows laughed too. “I’ll be sure to teach them the hierarchy correctly. They’ll know their place.”

  Asterios glared at his treacherous companion, who was only making it worse instead of helping him out. Perhaps it was time for him to remind the sly summon who was the master in their relationship.

  “We can deal with all that much later.” Miria was the one who actually changed the direction of the conversation back onto its rightful path, offering her beloved mate a loving smile. “What do you need me for, Master? Or are you first going to check the badge alone?”

  “Give me a second.” He smiled back and ruffled through her soft fur.

  She finally peeled off his side and skipped away to give him some space. Bringing the damaged piece out, Asterios took a good look at it once more. With his Draconic Sight, he had previously been able to spot some traces of energy past the recovered ethereal edges, but right now, it was possible to see the full schematic. Three more segments could fit into the empty section.

  Simply roaming his eyes over it didn’t yield any further discoveries. So, the next part was to try and interact with it without a locked gate and a slot to push the token into.

  Closing his eyes, he focused on his third source and felt Tia guide him with a gentle hand. She helped him draw nature mana from within, bringing forth the sunny aspect that had not yet been fully assimilated, adding this specific flavor to his energy. He could feel her sharing some of her own too, and while he initially rejected it politely, she mentally explained that it was an excess anyway.

  As their power flowed into the palm-sized disc, it flashed brightly, shocking everyone. The violent shine quickly faded, turning into a spectral image of a curved surface hovering horizontally over the artifact, looking like a mesh of hexagons onto which someone dropped an iron ball in the very middle, creating a dent. It was golden, of course.

  The shimmering image put everyone in awe. No one had any idea what it could be, but it was certainly pretty regal. Thinking that it maybe was some shielding spell, Selene tried to tap it, but her fingers went through the illusion without any resistance, disturbing it only briefly.

  “This has to be some kind of information. Or a hint,” Althea mused. “Does it look familiar, Abyss?”

  “Not in the slightest, I’m afraid.” The mocha-skinned woman squinted. “It could be anything, but I don’t think it has any offensive or defensive value.”

  “I have a feeling like it’s missing something.” Miria hummed.

  “No way. It’s not like one-fifth of the thing is gone.” Selene smirked, making the panthergirl roll her eyes.

  “A bit less now, actually,” Tina pointed out. “Look. When Ast is infusing it with his mana, one more segment lights up.”

  “You are right.” Asterios brought the object higher to let everyone see it better. “Oh. Now, this is interesting.”

  “What is it, Master?” The panthergirl tilted her head, uncertain about what he had figured out.

  “When you look at this golden net from below, there are some weird smudges on the sky,” he explained, moving the illusion around. “Can’t think of any use for this, though.”

  “Maybe we need to find all the pieces before this thing fully activates,” Althea suggested. “Or at least two more so that the missing area is fully covered by the golden energy.”

  “Possibly. But let’s try something else first.” Asterios lowered the object and walked up to Miria. “We’ll go with the loop theory first. Since you now share my affinities, you should be able to do this easily enough. Want to help me out a bit?”

  “Always!” Miria beamed at him. “Just tell me what to do, Master.”

  Placing a quick peck on his lips, she stood before him eagerly, her eyes glimmering with excitement.

  “Hold onto it. I’ll transfer more mana into the badge, which should push the existing one towards you. Absorb it, guide it through your circuits, and return it when I give you the signal. If we coordinate our efforts properly, we should be able to push the mana at the same time and create something akin to a whirlpool,” he instructed his adorable mate.

  With a resolute nod, she grabbed the disc with her furry fingers and closed her eyes to focus. A few deep breaths later, she was ready.

  Asterios joined Miria a moment later and began. He forced another batch of natural power into the token, and she noticed the movement in a blink, pulling energy from the middle. The mesh flickered out of existence, but the token continued to glow. A few seconds later, Miria transferred the gathered power back, and Asterios repeated his actions. The girls gasped and covered their eyes, assaulted by another bright flash.

  “Woah. It seems to be working.” Tina watched through her fingers. “Only one gap left.”

  “Can’t we fill it with another person?” Selene thought out loud. “Althea?”

  “I lack the fresh touch of the cluster’s mana, but it might be worth a try,” the Dragon lady hesitantly agreed. “Just in case, take a step back. It’s not exactly wise to join a rushing stream of energy in the middle of it.”

  With a spiritual barrier raised to protect the others, she nodded appreciatively at the foxgirl and stepped towards the focused duo. Observing the flow intently, Althea chose the best possible moment to join in, touching the token too. But the moment she did so, something jerked, and a small shockwave burst out of the badge, pushing the trio away.

  She wanted to apologize, Asterios wanted to assure her that it was alright, and Miria wished to complain that she was finally getting the hang of it, but words died right on their lips as they dazedly locked on the white-gold disc, which should have fallen to the ground. Instead, it hovered in the air while spinning slowly.

  Then, without a warning, a massive pillar of light the width of an ancient tree shot into the sky, bathing the surroundings in a bright glow rivaling that of a real sun. The nearby area had most likely never been this illuminated before, and it looked quite weird for it not to be shrouded in almost complete darkness. But that wasn’t what was important at the moment. The mighty column continued its journey until it suddenly separated into three equal beams.