The artificial fireplace light cast a warm glow across the comfortable bed chamber. It was a room in Jack's personal Mirror Space.
No fancy decoration. Just carpeted floor. Clean wooden-panel walls and ceilings. A warm flickering fireplace. And a king-sized luxurious bed bed in the middle.
On it, Queen Mirage lay. Naked. Her breathing was deep. Her body was slack with exhaustion. But the last vestiges of the drug's frantic energy had finally bled out.
Jack sat on the bed. Half naked. Showing muscular torso and arms. His expression was unreadable.
He looked at the naked woman beside him. And activated his [Judgement Eyes]. The ethereal glow pulsed within his sight. Overlaying his vision with an information panel.
[Name: Reina Reverie]
[Codename: Queen Mirage]
[Age: 22]
[Affiliation: Jack Night]
[Karma: Evil]
[Power Level: High]
[Power Class: Supernatural Sorceress]
[Power Traits: Short Distance Teleportation, Illusion Magic, Fog Magic]
[Personalities: Opportunistic, Selfish, Cunning]
[Attitudes: Obedient, Devoted, Loyal]
[Current Status: Exhausted]
[Crimes: Murders (162), Betrayals (12), Frauds (57),…]
[Inheritance: Law of Illusion, Law of Fog]
The information shown by the [Judgement Eyes] had significant changes. Jack's gaze swept over them. Processing each detail with cold efficiency.
Her age was shown now. Twenty-two. Jack's brows furrowed slightly. Surprisingly young. Given her high power level and her extensive list of crimes, he had expected someone older. More weathered by years of malice.
She had gained so much power and accumulated such substantial numbers of crimes in such short span of time. Terrifying 'talents'.
His attention then snapped to the 'Affiliation' line. He narrowed his eyes. It was no longer tied to Night Salvation, the criminal organization. It now linked her to him, 'Jack Night'.
Jack sighed. The [Subjugating Intercourse] characteristic from his passive trait [Dominator Physique] was indeed potent. Too potent. Overpowered, some might say. It redefined a person's allegiances entirely.
He scanned her 'Power Traits'. Her power class was clearly a Supernatural Sorceress with an innate teleportation ability. After inheriting the Law of Illusion and Law of Fog, she had gained magic respective to those elements.
Jack narrowed his eyes even further. He hadn't seen her use any illusion at all during their duel. She had relied only on brute force and her fog magic. Along with her teleportation. Why hold back?
A suspicion surfaced. He used his [Eyes of Judgement] on himself. The familiar blue panel popped up. He scrolled down, past his strength, his skills, his accumulated traits. He found it.
[Characteristics: Mysterious Nature - Paralysis Immunity, Illusion Immunity]
He had [Illusion Immunity]. When had he acquired it? He couldn't recall the exact moment. It must have happened either during the chaos of the Mist Palace. Or amidst his duel against her. He might accidentally close and ignore the notification.
And the [Illusion Immunity] was under [Mysterious Nature], not [Mythical Adaptation]. Quite surprising.
His [Mythical Adaptation] trait granted him resistances or immunities as he adapted to new threats. It was mentioned in the description. He had expected he would gain more types of immunity there.
And he was not wrong. He did have one more additional immunity under the Mythical Adaptation section. [Aphrodisiac Immunity].
He had felt it actually. The effect of the aphrodisiac on him had disappeared fast. Much faster than the one within Queen Mirage.
That explained why he had only been partially incapacitated. While she had remained significantly affected. Vulnerable enough for allowing his reckless activation of the Mirror World to drag her in.
He returned his gaze to Reina's panel. His eyes lingered on the entries below her [Personalities]... [Attitudes: Obedient, Devoted, Loyal]. As expected of the [Dominator Physique] trait. It was irrefutable. She was bound.
Now, he couldn't kill her. Despite her long list of murders, betrayals, and frauds.
Her 'Karma' was still read 'Evil'. A stain he typically targeted with extreme prejudice. But the 'Affiliation' and 'Attitudes' put her under his authority. She was now his subordinate. His woman. His responsibility.
The concept was alien. Yet undeniable. His purpose was to punish the guilty. To be a harbinger of vengeance.
Yet, he had a bottom line. He wouldn't execute his woman. He wouldn't turn loyal pawns into corpses. He was... wearing double standard in these cases. He realized that.
Jack considered the implications. She was a powerful asset. Her innate teleportation, combined with her mastery over fog and illusion, provided capabilities he lacked.
He had always worked alone. Sometimes, in temporary alliances. But, this was different. This was very likely... permanent.
'Let's just consider Queen Mirage dead already.' Jack thought. His internal monologue blunt and decisive. 'She was no longer Queen Mirage. She would no longer be Queen Mirage. Now, she was Reina Night. My woman.'
He repeated the designation in his mind. Testing how it felt. It didn't bother him too much when he thought it like that. It settled. It was a pragmatic solution to an inconvenient ethical dilemma.
...
Jack stood up. Walking away from the bed. Leaving the exhausted Reina resting there. He activated his [Mysterious Mirror World] trait. The Mirror Space shimmered around him. The familiar pull in his gut confirming the transition.
The humid air of the Tideless Island riverbank hit him first. The scent of damp earth and distant salt. He stood precisely where he had vanished.
The dark water of the river still flowing sluggishly a few feet away. But the world had changed. It was no longer morning. It was already night. The twin moons were already in the sky. Casting long, distorted shadows through the dense canopy.
How long had he been gone? Hours, certainly. The forbidden aphrodisiac grenade had been potent. Too potent. Its effects were lingering, twisting time into an unrecognizable blur.
He ran a hand through his hair. A grimace was on his face. Such an unpredictable variable. Never again.
He scanned the immediate vicinity. The ground was still churned in some places. Mud splattered. Tree barks damaged... But there was no sign of Mosk Oaklane.
No body. No blood trail leading away. Had the mercenary managed to drag himself off? Wounded but alive? Or had some scavenging beast dragged him away?
Jack considered it for a moment, then dismissed it. No matter. Mosk was an acquaintance, nothing more. If he hadn't thrown that grenade, Jack might be concerned enough to search for him. But now...
His survival or death was not Jack's concern. Not when larger, more pressing matters demanded his attention.
His immediate plans had shifted. Returning to Sapphire City with the archaeological expedition survivors was no longer a priority. Not for several months, at least. Queen Mirage – no, Reina – was a new, volatile element he needed to control and integrate.
More importantly, what happened these days made him realized. His own incarnations, powerful as they now were, needed refinement.
The Inheritance Trial had granted him immense potential. But potential was useless without active cultivation.
He needed to use these months on Tideless Island for intense training. A hostile, isolated environment was precisely what he required. And Reina, once her 're-education' was complete, would be another asset. Or at least no longer a liability.
Jack contemplated his new plans...
First, his specter form: Jack Mystery. He was a perfect scout. Untouchable infiltrator. Undetectable spectator. But his offensive capabilities were still lacking.
He needed a direct, potent attack spell. More powerful than his current [Magic Missiles]. Something that could rip through defenses. Not merely confuse them.
He envisioned inscribing such a spell within his spectral grimoires. Perhaps even a few other useful utility spells for wider application.
Then, Jack Night. His human form, the engineer. He had three steamrunes integrated. Steamrune Fusion. Steamrune Enchantment. And Steamrune Compression. He could use them to create more powerful devices.
He should try to advance his understanding, familiarity, and experiences with these steamrunes. So that he could level up and integrate more steamrunes.
Finally, Judge Jack. The Black Buto. The hulking rakshasa. He was a beast of raw strength. A titan of physical might capable of completing Trial of Strength alone. But he was just that... a brute.
The Strength Trial had amplified his physical prowess to a terrifying degree. But it hadn't given him true versatility. He didn't even have a power class yet.
He needed one, so that he could be more effective or efficient. Something that transcended mere physical combat. He had considered Martial Monk or Primordial Warrior. Two classes he encountered in the Trial of Freedom.
He needed a teacher for learning the way of Martial Monk. Or a mystical concoction to awaken Primordial Warrior true power.
He had no way finding a teacher for Martial Monk path here in the island. As for the Primordial Warrior concoction... he actually had a way. A cheating method.
Jack reviewed what he had known about Primordial Warrior. It was a path that promised to awaken a deeper, more fundamental power within. Transforming the practitioner into a living embodiment of primal force.
It wasn't just about hitting harder. It was about wielding the very essence of creation or destruction. Channeling it through physical body.
The ritual to awaken this required a mystical concoction. A deadly potion that tested the very limits of one's being.
The problem, he knew, was the recipe for this concoction. Primordial Warrior had practically been extinct in current era. Such knowledge had been lost in time.
But Jack had a cheat. His [Eyes of Judgement]. It wasn't just for assessing guilt. Or identifying threats. It saw truth. Potential. And the underlying properties of all things.
He closed his eyes, focusing. He pictured the chained Primordial Warrior he saw in the Trial of Freedom. The raw power it promised...
He envisioned the concoction. A swirling vortex of ancient magic. A brew of forgotten ingredients...
He concentrated. Pushing the intent through his mental pathways. Directing it like a laser. He opened his eyes, the piercing glow of [Eyes of Judgement] shimmering into existence within his grey irises.
He swept his gaze across the riverbank. The dense foliage. The dark shapes of the trees. He was looking for a source. For an ingredient.
And then, his enhanced vision caught it. A faint, ethereal glow. Coming from a cluster of plants growing near the base of a gnarled, ancient tree. Just a few yards from the river's edge.
Small, unassuming plants. Black vines coiled tightly around a decaying log. And from them sprouted leaves of a deep, unsettling purple. Almost black in the low light.
He walked over. The inner glow intensified, becoming clearer through the [Eyes of Judgement].
It pulsed. A subtle, dark energy emanating from the heart of the plant. He knelt, extending a hand. But not touching.
He focused his ocular skill. A panel blossomed in his vision. Information cascading directly into his mind:
[Object: Felheart Herb]
[Type: Plant]
[Danger Level: High (poisonous)]
[Notable Properties: One of the seven herbs required to concoct Primordial Warrior Concoction]
[Residual Energy: High]
Jack felt a cold smile slowly spread across his face. This was it. This was the breakthrough.
His [Eyes of Judgement] had not only confirmed the existence of the ingredients but had pointed him directly to one.
He could use it to track down every single one of the seven components. To analyze them. And perhaps even to deduce the precise methods of purification and combination.