15

Xie kept trying to copy Pef's smithing during the flight, as a way to increase her strength and separate her mind from pain.

Of course, she mostly claimed this second Awakening to be a pleasant vacation, but it wasn't true.

Pain can devour people, eat them from inside out, and drive them mad. Xie has already been through that, but without the safeguards the Legion method provided for the recruits.

And now, the Legion method was nearly insufficient to assure the recruit will swiftly dissociate pain from the consciousness.

It wasn't just the pain from the Awakening, but the old pain and shame and despair.

Evil faces floated in front of Xie's eyes, naked men with lecherous smiles.

The Legion method had a fix, of course. It had a fix for anything. Xie's case wasn't that special in the multiverse.

In Xie's case, it was called an adoration imprint. A new person will become the focus of affection, allowing the recruit to experience love again, and continue fulfilling their duty as a Legion soldier.

Her eyes focused on the young hero, as he nearly exploded his copper bowl.

"Damn it. Thermodynamics are a pain! Stay hot, damn bowl..." Pef muttered loudly.

Xie smiled despite the pain. "Use embers to maintain a sympathetic link"

For a Sky rank, this young man was a novice at magic. No matter what fancy words he used for fire.

Pef eyes rose in wonder. "Thanks Xie! You're wonderful!"

Then he continued his magic attempts, ignoring her trembling heart. Damn idiot!

She took a while, then gathered her courage. "You still have to marry me, even if I grow maize. You promised."

"Sure thing, dear lady. I already like you. Imagine how much I will, once you'll be stronger than I am!" Pef exclaimed with a wide grin.

Xie smiled and relaxed, her worries set aside. "Come and rest for a while. Also, I need you to hold me, because...pain"

she lied with a kind voice.

Pef stored his toys and tied the levers, then came to hold her. The pain was far away now.

Ten days later, the airship arrived over Yellow Tear, and circled the town a few times.

The last remaining of their target, a hundred surviving Tang adepts fled, trying to hide in the forest.

Pef and Xie got to spend the afternoon pleasantly, hunting rapists and scumbags.

When they returned to the city, the airship had a hundred skulls floating under the ship.

"Okay, jumping off" Pef announced as he took the mooring rope in his hand.

His fall was too slow, and people began to suspect the truth. A Sky rank had appeared on the continent.

A minute later, Pef touched down gently in the stone square, and began to coil the rope, bringing the airship down.

He kept the ship afloat at some 6 meters above ground, and amplified his voice.

"Aboard this airship, is her Lady Xie Xi, born Xie Langyu. She is my wife, and the ruler of this city. Whatever nobles are in the town, come pay your respects, now!"

His voice reverberated for kilometers, making sure everyone alive heard it.

Minutes later, various nobles came running or via palanquins and knelt before the airship.

Pef waited half an hour, to give more nobles the chance to arrive.

"Come now Xie. Your subjects would love to see you" Pef asked in a normal tone.

As Xie began falling, Pef jumped a little to hold her hand, and slowed their descent by a thousand times.

Adding in her majestic alligator armor, the spectacle made the thousands of locals in the plaza stare with their mouths open.

"Come closer, whoever has the rank" Pef demanded at half volume.

Some 5000 people of Core rank approached and awaited for more words.

"I have exterminated the Tang sect. Also, the Disciples of Arachne. Their kind is not tolerated on my continent. From now on, everyone living on the Saint continent is a citizen of the Pef Empire. You are all subjects of my laws. Those who desire to advance in qi rank, can become Guardians, and advance a hundred times faster. Now, those of you who own large portions of land. Come, we need to talk"

A dozen people approached, while a few others hesitated.

"I can also confiscate the land and then you'll have nothing..." Pef added in a playful voice.

Two dozen more landowners ran towards their new lord.

Pef headed towards the largest stone house in the square, and one of the nobles rushed to open the gates of his mansion.

Xie remained silent, her eyes scanning the nobles with an ice-cold gaze.

The owner arranged some benches and seating, for all the guests.

Then Pef jumped lightly and floated above the assembly.

"My name is Pef Xi. Sky rank, age 17. Some of you might remember my father, Emperor Xi who visited these lands some 20 years ago."

People faces became a bit terrified and pale, as they clearly remembered.

"Now, some Tang or Disciples might have escaped. Point them to me, and they'll die. Hide them and you'll die. Simple!"

"What about our land, your highness?" a woman asked shyly.

"Ah yes. I will need all of you to write on a scroll, the surface, and what the land produces. Lady Xie will buy most of the land from you, as she enjoys a certain plant, and she wants to cultivate it. Payment will be made in copper plates, or Earth ranked armor."

The noblemen looked around in confusion and uneasiness.

Pef produced a few samples to circulate among nobles.

Wide smiles grew on their faces. Soon, leather scrolls and painting instruments were brought out and nobles wrote down whatever they claimed to own.

By the next day, half of the lands around Yellow Tear were bought by the Xi family.

Pef began constructing a thousand maize farms, hiring locals as smiths and guards, and generally spreading wealth like it was infinite.

A few dozen Disciples were turned in and executed, while their spiders added to the stock of Earth rank materials.

"Why are you insisting on growing this ugly town, husband?" Xie asked one day, while checking on the crop reports.

"It's my mother's town. Plus there's zinc nearby. And also, it's your own town, even if you hate it" Pef replied while preparing more tea for Xie.

"Any luck with your formation?"

"Hmm. I need to take a dozen concubines or something. Developing the Sky rank abilities takes too long. Maybe some love will help..." Pef grumbled while offering Xie her tea.

"Don't...not concubines. Look around for a wife. You were right, love helps. But it needs to be real love" Xie whispered back, sipping her tea with small warm sips, and cold tears.

"Small chances here. Those bastards kidnapped all the nice girls." Pef said in a sad tone.

"I know, right? Keep looking though. How long can you stay?"she wondered, knowing he only stayed for her sake.

"I kinda need to leave, in a month."

"Leave sooner then. Go to Stoneport. Go to Port Li." Xie advised him in a loving voice.

Pef scratched his cheek in deep thought. "Okay then. I'll Awaken a dozen guards for a week. Then I will leave."

'Your new wife...she is separating from pain. Don't let her Awaken for more than one year. You won't like the result.'

'Got it. Sociopath personality.'

'And worse. Pain is necessary to remain human. If you reach Stoneport in two weeks, there will be a nice new wife for you.'

'Oh? Really? How nice?' Our hero wondered, very curious.

'The kind that you like the most. Strong.'

'Okay then. I can barely wait.' Pef responded, hopelessly trying to stop salivating.

A new airship took off from Yellow Tear Airport, heading towards Lacrimosa with two brand-new Guardians on board, and a ton of zinc. It was the product of the new soul smith Xie Xi, and was just a Core rank artifact.

But hey, if it can fly, then it can make profit, right?

Pef himself was almost in reach of Stoneport, with a day to spare. He flew openly now, as he feared no one…

Soon, the river Agate and the farmlands around the city became visible, and our hero peered down with high expectations.

He scanned for a nice aura, or anything of importance, but nothing yet.

On his left hand, he had four brass rings, which he kept trying to condense into storage rings, with little results.

'It's not working!' the teenager complained like...a teenager.

'Practice more. Bending gravity is not easy.' the glove responded with heavenly wisdom.

Pef sighed and continued to breathe deeply, attempting to refine more qi. But after a few circulations, the qi slowly dissipated and flew away, like water following a mountain slope.

'How do recruits advance that fast then? I feel I haven't gained a single percent.'

'Neutron stars. Make a great environment for controlling gravity.'

'Loses at those gravities must be horrific!'

'Sure, getting crushed into paste hurts a bit. But next day you're revived and can try again!' the glove explained in a cheerful voice.

Pef considered the news and wondered if perhaps learning a bit slower wasn't healthier. Give time for Practice and foundations to be laid down, and perhaps keep the recruits a bit saner.

Sure, the stories he heard about the Legion made them seem bad ass and brave beyond belief, but with some better tactics and planning, they could reduce those horrific loses a thousand times.

Losing a thousand Soldiers every day, instead of a million. Veterans will have a chance to recover and then fight again, and become elites. And some of those elites would become Sergeants...

The familiar layout of Stoneport appeared under the airship, and a few soul searches scanned the ship, proving the appearance of stronger cultivators in the town.

Pef looked down, his eyes noting the large stone docks from which the town got its name, the conical fort of the Volcanic Fire sect, constructed to resemble a small volcano, and the million of locals staring up at him.

'I think I'm famous' he mused with an inner chuckle.

'The airship would be visible for in a 5 kilometer radius...'

Pef sighed and folded the airship, beginning his slow glide towards the ground.

He tried slowing even more, attempting to balance his mass, but it wasn't possible. Not yet.

Gravity kept pulling him down, its tendrils now a bit visible to his senses, but still impossible to block.

More Nascent Souls attempted to scan him, but now it was easy to simply divert those weak souls away.

A powerful white aura erupted just below, a Spirit rank. He quickly covered himself in a water shield as that person appeared to generate intense fire qi.

A minute later, Pef landed slowly in front of a delegation, a dozen disciples wearing red robes, and this sage, wearing a veil as well.

"Good morning Stoneport!" Pef proclaimed with a bit of enhanced voice.

People stared at him in confusion.

"Should I say it louder? But then I'd be repeating myself..." Pef muttered to himself, as nobody bothered to respond.

"Sigh. It's just a kid. A moron kid too!" a woman's voice spoke beneath the veil, then she turned and walked away, while another disciple ran to her side.

Pef blinked confused way, scratching his head in embarrassment. He waved away his shield, while he checked of this Volcanis disciples.

"Are those two women okay?" Pef wondered, gesturing at the nearest disciple.

"Ah, Senior Sister Jian Fire Flower is tired from the long road. And her apprentice must tend to her..." the disciple answered with a respectful bow.

Pef walked closer, his head tilted in confusion. "What? No, the two women I saved from the Tang. They seemed barely hanging on"

The ten disciples froze then bowed to the ground, not daring to raise their faces.

'Was it something I said?' Pef asked himself while scratching his cheek.

'Keep talking. You're doing great!'

"Anyway, name's Pef Xi, the new ruler of this continent. You guys work with fire right? Ever tried melting metals? Maybe casting formations?" Pef asked while sitting down beside the kneeling disciples.

A copper bowl appeared in his hand, and he began trying to embed a formation on the bowl, again.

The nearest disciple, one with a red aura and curious eyes, rose his bald head and blinked in confusion as well, staring at the moron alchemist.

"Your eminence...while your rank is unfathomable, perhaps you can attempt blowing yourself up, away from the city?"

"Hmm? My rank is only Sky. Though I can't really fly yet. Only glide a bit. Like falling really slow" our hero complained while putting the bowl away.

The other disciples rose as well, now less terrified and more shocked by this youngster who complained about his Sky rank.

Then they sat down on their butts, since it wasn't polite to lord over a higher rank. They were Practitioners and Core, and could only dream of achieving Spirit like a few Elders had.

"Master Pef, how...how did you reach Sky rank?" a younger man asked, after gathering some courage.

"Ah. Well, about two weeks ago, I got into a fight with the Disciples of Arachne...so I killed them all. And voila! Sky rank!" Pef explained with a wide grin.

"Their spiders can kill a Spirit rank Elder!" the red aura guy exclaimed in outrage.

"They can, I guess. I was a Spirit a long time ago, when I turned 14. Ah good times. I just killed a Sky ranked Ice King Morse out at sea..." Pef reminisced, like it had happened millennia ago.

"How old are you now, honored master?" the disciple inquired politely.

"Just turned 17. But I look younger, that's why people call me a kid!" Pef explained while gesturing at his face.

"You are a kid! I mean...I'm 87, for Volcanis sake!" a young (looking) man exclaimed in outrage, then stomped away towards his fort.

His fellow disciples shook their heads, not daring to voice their outrage.

"So, Big Sister Jian eh? Is she pretty?" Pef wondered while staring at the sky.

"We don't know, since she wears a veil... I bet she must be pretty though. Fire qi is rumored to cleanse the skin and ..."

"Alright then. You have a kitchen at your fake volcano, I hope? I'm kinda hungry, so I'm going to cook. And you're invited, my new friends!" Pef proclaimed as he rose up and dusted his butt.

"It is our home...of course we are invited..." a morose disciple grumbled in his robe.

On the way to the fort, Pef delighted the disciples with stories of his (short) new life, enticing them to the exploration and wonders of defeating strong enemies and getting married, like five times. Or six.

A thousand disciples gathered to receive the famous flying alchemist, and then got to experience eating the flesh of their enemies. In this case, spider legs.

Took a whole day to cook that many spiders, but Pef didn't mind. It was Practice, and his skills got better with every new dish.

Later in the evening, the Spirit Elder returned, attracted by the divine smells and rumors of heavenly tasty food.

"Ah Sister Jian. Come, try this Earth rank spider! I cracked the shell already, so just nibble on that white meat..." Pef offered with a small bow.

She rose her veil a little and bit cautiously. Then wolfed the whole leg in minutes, forgetting about decorum or face.

It was just that good.

Pef munched on his fifth leg for today, as cooks grow by tasting the food often, everybody knows that.

"How are those women?" Pef asked a bit more serious, after cleaning the kitchen and pouring some tea.

"Badly hurt. They may never recover completely"

"Well, I exterminated those sects. Both Tang and the spider ones. Took me three months, but it was worth it"

"You have a good heart, Honored Alchemist. I heard rumors of you in Port Li...but the truth is better"

"Not a moron anymore?" Pef asked with a hopeful face.

"Oh, that wasn't in any doubt..." Sister Jian said with a small laugh, then walked away with gentle steps.

'Jian's the one, isn't she? The strongest woman here at least...'

'She is also 400 years old, and not a moron' the glove explained with a smirk.

Pef sighed and prepared to leave. Time to buy a house, and fix this town as well.

The fire in the stove became brighter and flew out, forming a holographic construct, like a man on fire.

Our hero peered in, trying to make out the face features, but it was all fire.

A thin tendril extended out, then veered away as Pef tried to grab it with his gloved hand.

'Come meet me when you're ready, young soldier. The fire awaits' a voice resounded in Pef's mind, then vanished, along with the man of fire.

Sounds resumed in the kitchen, and Pef blinked as he felt some time had passed.

'I think that was Volcanis...' Pef deduced with a spark of brilliance.

'Just a messenger. He's too busy right now'.

'Right. The war of the gods'.

'Exactly. Brilliant ploy, by the way'.

Pef slapped his face a few times, to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

Then he walked outside, nearly stumbling over a disciple standing guard.

"Master Xi, we have prepared a room for you. Please follow me"

Pef shrugged and followed, as it was quite late.

In the morning, he woke up to look in a pair of beautiful brown eyes, enveloped in a bright white aura.

Pef slapped himself again, but it wasn't a dream. The elder sister was sharing his bed.

"Did we get drunk and partied till morning?" Pef asked cogently.

"My god suggested I keep you safe and warm your body. You have our god's favor, Holy Pef" the woman spoke with reverence, opening the blanket to reveal her nude body.

Pef poked the soft airbags, making sure they were real and intact.

Then he rose his eyes and examined the woman. Her face was indeed beautiful, and her hair had red highlights, like painted with fire somehow.

"So, we're married now? Volcanis didn't say anything about that" Pef wondered while washing himself and getting dressed.

"You spoke with god? But...no wonder...the disciples. Your actions have weakened Arachne. And you fed us the spiders she so loves. For a small Sky rank to influence the war between gods..."

"Here, have a brass ring, my lady. Not yet a storage ring, but should suffice as a wedding ring" Pef said gently, ignoring her beauty for now, while placing a ring on her finger.

He wasn't one to refuse such an exceptional wife, no matter what religious drivel she believed. In time, he will indoctrinate her to his needs, but for now a bit of love will be enough.

Not yet though. They will need some time to get comfortable to one another.

"So what is your plan for today, husband?" Jian asked while admiring her ring with a slight blush.

"I will make breakfast, then start modernizing the city. Let me help you dress, beloved wife" Pef explained, while deftly dressing the woman in her disciple garb. He stared at the veil for a few seconds though.

"There's no need for that, husband. I am yours now" Jian said softly, pocketing the veil.

"Great! I hope you don't mind being my seventh wife though. Women like me, for some reason..." Pef declared while gesturing hopelessly.

"Don't kill him yet, Jian. God needs him, for whatever reason. Even morons have their use..." Senior Sister Jian Fire Flower muttered to herself, as Pef skipped happily towards the kitchen.