-----

  The power of the River of Time maed itself within the corresponding area, and all the magis’ bodies went back to their former appearance before I killed them. And even their souls, which were left wandering around, quickly went back to their bodies.

  However, through this act, their souls were being worn down quite siderably. People who are revived usually feel a strong headache and some symptoms of anemia if they aren’t strong enough. The reason is simple: their souls get damaged.

  “W-What happened?”

  “Ugh, my head...”

  “I-I’m alive? But wasn’t I...?!”

  “S-She’s there…!”

  The fifty or so magis, a rge battalion of their own, panicked as they saw me standing right in front of them with a desding smile. Of course, they would panic.

  “Men, calm down; she has revived you,” the king said. “We’ve agreed with her. And she has even agreed to revive you. For now, you are dismissed; you should return to our kingdom through the teleportation magis a for the rest of the week.”

  “King Caesar…”

  “Your majesty, is this real?”

  “Well, if he says so...”

  “Ugh, my head...”

  The magis were about to shoot fireballs into my face, but I quickly accepted the truth ohe King told them to calm down aurn to the castle. The magis that could use teleportation spells were there, and they quickly brought them all back.

  “It looks like they’re fine, but I won’t be able to do this a sed time with them, I believe.” I said. “Their levels were high, but their souls were very weak, as weak as the soul you have once you’re born. They’re magis, yet their souls have yet to even improve o, huh?”

  “Their souls, you say?” The king wondered. “Wait, your revival ability has to do with souls?”

  “Yes, I restore their bodies without problems, but the soul itself is the problem,” I said. “No matter what, the damage it takes ot be healed normally, and not even Time Regression heal the wounds of a soul. Of course, this doesn’t mean I hurt their souls when I killed them, but when they’re revived, their souls are forcefully pulled bato their bodies and undergo a severe amount of strain and damage as a result. The stronger a soul is, the easier it is to get back to their body, but the weaker it is, the less it is possible.”

  “I had no idea your revival ability had such a limit, Katherine,” my mother said. “But it makes some sense, I suppose; not everything es without a price, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, more, or less... But your souls are growing stronger over time thanks to my teags and the formations I pced into your bodies,” I smiled. “It is both a way to slowly assimite your system status and also a way to reinforce your souls, so they’re no longer vulnerable.”

  “Will we also learn to enhahe strength of our souls?” wohe King.

  “Naturally, of course,” I nodded. “It es with the training and the cultivation process! But even then, my prehension of the Dao of Souls is low, so I ot teach you to be a master of Souls themselves. At the very least, to make your soul strong, that’s not hard.”

  “It’s better than nothing, to be ho,” Seth said.

  “Yeah, you’re n,” the King nodded. “Thanks again. Then we shall go back to our castle for a brief moment to prepare first, and then we’ll return in a couple of hours.”

  “Nah, you take the day off; e tomorrow in the m if you’re free,” I said. “I will be waiting for your arrival with my Doppelganger.”

  “I guess that’s more uandable; my reckless husband was already pnning to e train here after everything that happeoday; he’s so rash sometimes,” Elphiette pined. “Now let’s go look for Cecil aurn home. There’s a lot we o talk about too! Also, you o rest.”

  “Hah, I uand,” the King smiled.

  Returning to the Pagoda, they retrieved Cecil, who ended up getting slightly along with Hekita—more than I imagined—and quickly decided to move back to their castle with their teleportation magis.

  “Bye Cecil! See you soon!” Hekita said.

  “Yeah…” Cecil didn’t seem as enthusiastic.

  Ohis entire ordeal was finally over, I decided to sit down a for another hour while my party prepared themselves to climb the tower. In the end, I was only going t Merkite and Urbosa. Hekita was going to stay here, and my mother and my sister would take care of her. Well, my Doppelganger also take care of her; I trol it with my mind right now, after all.

  As for the rest, Yanisse insisted on ing, but I believe she still required another week of training befetting into more dangerous pces, so I told her to remain here. The only ohat was ing along too was Seth, due to his knowledge and such.

  While waiting, Yaered the living room, where I was enjoying some tea and looking at my smartphone. We were alone.

  “I ’t really e along?” wondered Yanisse, closing the door behind her. “But I am strong; I want to go on an adveh you, Bing Xue.”

  “You’re better here for a week, I already said,” I sighed. “Yanisse, please behave, okay? Once you reach rank 4, you e with me. Until then, you ’t.”

  “But those towers are easy; I’ve pleted them all,” she argued.

  “Of course you had, but have you fought their gods?" What about their divine minions?” I asked. “I am not saying that those with me are strohan you, but they’re ing with me for a reason; they have a e with Floor 2 or know of a secret to it.”

  “I get it; I’ll stay then,” she said, looking slightly down.

  Hm, what I do to lift her spirits?

  “Yanisse…”

  I held her hand as she tried not to look into my eyes.

  “Yanisse…”

  “Hm? W-What?”

  She looked at me while blushing adorably.

  “You know I care for yht? I want the best for you. You are my most talented disciple, so I want the best for yrowth. Believe in me, I am not sidelining you or something. If I say something, it has a reason to be.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really.”

  I caressed her face gently, looking into her eyes.

  “Will you be alright without me?” I asked with a smile.

  “Who do you think I am? Of course I will,” she said.

  Our faces grew clether.

  “Good, I know my Yanisse is strong and do many things on her own, isn’t it, dear?” I caressed her fad then her long blonde hair.

  “Yeah… I guess it ’t be helped.” She grew redder as I spoke to her.

  “You’re such a good girl.” I caressed her head. “You deserve a reward.”

  “R-Reward?” she wondered.

  I gently touched her lips with my finger.

  “What kind of reward do you want~?”

  “E-Eh?! A-Ah… I-I… well…”

  As she grew nervous, our faces were very, very close.

  “Um… You know what I want already, right?”

  “Is that what you want, then?”

  “Yes…”

  As she nodded and gave me the prettiest smile in the world, I moved my lips towards hers and kissed her.

  “Hmm~? Hmm~!”

  She was slightly surprised but didn’t fight back; she let me kiss her with love and passion; I grabbed her hips and pulled her body towards mine; and she pced her hands over my shoulders.

  Eventually, her lips became more pyful, kissing me and chasing mine; our toouched, lig each other; her kiss was sweet ale; and her lips were slightly cold, but I warmed them up for her.

  Her kiss was so gentle and lovely.

  Eventually, after a couple of minutes of just kissing, our lips separated.

  “Bozhe moy, ya vlyublena...” She looked at me, caressing my face.

  It looks like she liked it so much that she started talking in Russian.

  “Hm? Did you like your reward~?” I giggled.

  “A-Ah! Sorry, did I talk in Russian?” She looked embarrassed.

  “Yes, I wonder what that meant~?” I asked.

  I actually uand most nguages now after hearing them a couple of times. I mostly uood what she said, but it was better to ask her and make her feel even more embarrassed.

  “I-I didn’t… Well, I… I said that... That kiss made me fall for you,” she pouted a bit. “You kissed me with so much love... Bing Xue, do you love me?”

  “I do,” I nodded. “Is it too fast? I waited a week and all, but I just couldn’t help it. You’re too precious.”

  “I don’t mind it,” she said. “I love you too... Um, I know it’s sudden, and I’m gd you als. Let’s take it oep at a time?”

  “Sure, I don’t io rush you into anything.” I nodded. “Then…”

  “Then I be your wife, right?” she wondered.

  “Eh? You said you didn’t want to rush it.” I sighed.

  “I-I mean for ter…!” she said.

  “Haha, of course, if you want, I could make you my bride right now,” I said, walking back to her and holding her hands. “Hm? Are you sure you want to take this oep at a time?”

  “Hahh… Pochemu ty lyubish' menya draznit'?” She talked in Russian again. “Just go now; that was more than a reward for now... I bet you got a bit horny, huh?”

  “E-Eh? Me? N-No way! I am a powerful, heavenly immortal venerable and-”

  “I tell you’re all red too~” She smiled, teasiebe nravilis' eti guby, ak li?”

  “Yes, I did love your lips, okay? And yes, I uand Russian, so there’s not a secret nguage you talk around in front of me, little Miss Yanisse,” I giggled.

  “Eh?! You uood everything?” she gasped. “Aaah! Tak stydno! Tak stydno!”

  I don’t know why, but she’s even cuter when she speaks to me in Russian.

  “Anyways, I’m off, dear,” I said, giving her another short kiss on her lips and then another on her little nose and forehead.

  And stly, a tight, warm hug.

  “I love you; take care.”

  “I will… Well, your Doppelganger will be here, right? And you trol them?”

  "Yes, we share the same mind; it’s like a sedary body.”

  “Oooh…”

  She seemed enthusiastic about that somewhat.

  “Haha, well, once I’m back, we tinue where we left off, alright?” I said.

  “A-Alright…” she nodded. “Um, this is the first time I have had a retionship like this… Is it okay for Urbosa ae? I really don’t want to disturb their time aloh you…”

  “They’re fih it; I had already asked them, and even before, they seemed enthusiastic, didn’t they?” I said. “Don’t worry.”

  “Okay then… They’re nice; I kind of like them,” Yanisse smiled. “And they’re very fluffy... I pet them one day?”

  “Haha, I’ll have to ask them about that! But they’re not pets, okay? They’re people; you o be polite when asking,” I said.

  “Yeah, yeah, I know, sorry! "Anyways, another kiss?” She asked, running to my side. “Pozhaluysta? Pozhaluysta?”

  “Hehe, okay~”

  After a third and st kiss, which finally satiated her hunger for love, I moved out, and she followed me to say goodbye anyway.

  A portal ened leading to the tower's first floor, which I created using my spatial manipution abilities and the help of the two ods, Umbra arel, waiting for me over there.

  “We’re off! Mom, sis, take care,” I said.

  “Please return in one piece, okay? I know the gods are weaker than you, but you never know what could happen,” my mother said.

  “I uand; I will make sure to prioritize my safety.” I nodded.

  “Big sis, you got this! Go fuck 'em’ over!” My sister was cheering for me.

  “Haha, I will.” I smiled.

  “Mommy! ’t I go?” Hekita rushed towards us.

  “Not until you bee a bit stronger,” said Urbosa. “Children shouldn’t be sent in the middle of wars, after all, Hekita.”

  “We got this Hekita, so don’t worry,” Merkite smiled, patting the girl’s head.

  “Umm… Okay! I will be strong too! Also, mommy’s light form is here tht?” she wondered.

  “Yes, I am right here too,” I said through my Doppelganger as I gently carried Hekita in my arms made of golden light.

  “Then I’ll be fine!” She happily said.

  After saying goodbyes to everyone, which I think was being a bit overdramatic about it, we stepped into the Tower once more.

  It has been a while since my st time here, so as I smelled the Mana-filled air, I was greeted by the two small Gods.

  And also Leviathan.

  -----

  Pach