Corrupt Creations

On the next day, Seth woke up feeling revigorated. He spent a lot of energy on the last night, but recovered it after a long sleeping session. He was about roll on the bed, but felt that there was something pressing on his arm. 

He opened his eyes and saw that Serene was laying there, enjoying her sleep. He finally remembered that the last night was really intense for them. If he, a Mana Control powerhouse felt that he spent too much energy, you could imagine how much tired Serene was now. However, even though they were really tired, there was a satisfied smiled hanging on their faces. 

Seth preferred to not wake her up and stood there, observing that beautiful fairy lying on his arms. He felt fortunate for having her on his life and would do anything to protect her, even if it meant destroying the entire Demonic Shadow Royal Clan. 

As he was building up determination, Serene lightly moved. She woke up, feeling his warmth, since she was lying on top of him. 

"Good morning, Serene. Or should I say, good afternoon?" Seth could see that it was already past noon. 

"Seth. Good morning... I think I will sleep a bit more." She weakly replied. 

"I'm sorry, but I'll have to deny you that, hehe. We do not have much more time together, so I will make sure to thoroughly enjoy the little time we still have." 

"Wha!!!" 

Seth took her out of bed, princess carrying her all the way to a bathroom inside her huge bedroom. After bathing and playing a bit more, they sat down on her bed. 

"I want to give you some things, but before that, I need you to show me how much you can control the Qi you are able to feel in the air." Seth started to instruct her on the way of cultivation. 

"Alright." Serene closed her eyes to concentrate better, trying to feel the energy inside and outside her body. She tried to move that energy and a huge torrent of Qi started to move in a crazy manner, totally out of control. 

"Ah!" 

"What? Qi Transformation initial-stage realm?" Seth felt the wild energy that came from inside her body and could not believe she was at the Qi Transformation realm. No, he didn't dare to believe it.

She was a total newbie until yesterday and the only things that happened after she awoke her cultivation ability, was the Soul Link Ritual and their great nighttime. 

Seth used his Mana to appease her uncontrollable energy, making things come back to normal. 

"Seth, was that supposed to happen?" 

"No. I've never seen something like this before. You are already at the Qi transformation initial-stage realm, totally different from what I expected. That realm is something that a normal person takes at least a hundred and fifty years to attain, but you just achieved it in a single night." 

"What? How?" 

"That is what I'm trying to figure out now." 

Lexi's voice resounded inside Seth's head: "Try checking her Soul." 

"Alright... Serene, I need you to close your eyes and relax, I will check your soul state." 

"Okay." 

Serene knew Seth was probably an expert if it was concerning matters about the soul, so she trusted him hundred and ten percent. He was always a fast learner and has probably attained a good amount of experience on that field of knowledge already. Just the fact that he was able to utilize some of the Hades Manual techniques, even though he didn't know how to cultivate the soul yet, was the proof that he was indeed talented. 

Seth entered her soul space and saw that it was like a white and small room. Serene didn't know how to form her soul body, so Seth didn't bother to bring her there, since he was planning to do just a quick check up. 

"Try feeling your Soul Link connection with her." Lexi guided him precisely, because she already had an idea of what could possibly have happened. 

He felt that deep inside her soul essence, there was a link formed of his soul essence, that she had absorbed while the ritual was done. It was emitting a bright light that seemed to be filled with Mana. The Mana had his signature so he immediately recognized it. 

Seth connected the dots and asked Lexi in order to confirm his theory. 

"Lexi, does it mean that I've given her a bit of my Mana through the Soul Link?" 

"Oh! You went directly to the point. I didn't think you could make your brain work if not for courting a woman. Incredible!" 

Seth eyebrows twitched in irritation, but he didn't try to retort her. 

"I don't feel that my own Mana pool was depleted at all. So how come was I able to enhance her strength?" 

"Seth, you're forgetting about something. Hades was a God. He was one of the strongest figures that mastered the soul and its properties. It's only natural that his arts were going to be heaven-defying. What I am good at other than purification, is on understanding the soul too. I can faintly smell that there is something deeper and way more mysterious about his arts, but we will only discover after we get stronger on the Soul Cultivation. 

"Soul Cultivation... Have you discovered how to do it?" 

"Unfortunately, I didn't. There seems to be some things missing." 

"Well, don't worry about it, since we kind of figured out what was the cause let's get back." 

When Seth was about to leave Serene's soul space, Lexi felt an energy that she was familiar with. 

"Wait! There is something hiding inside her soul space." 

"What do you mean? Something hiding here?" Seth furrowed brows. 

"Yes. I need you to release some weak pulses of soul energy in a quick succession. I'll be ready to act if you're able to reveal it." 

Seth was annoyed by the idea that there was something hiding inside Serene's soul space, so he didn't even question Lexi, he just did what she told him to do. 

With the colorless soul energy pulses passing through Serene's soul space, Lexi quickly spotted a spatial disturbance on a particular area of her soul space. 

"There!" A white energy appeared near Seth, quickly assaulting a determined area, circling something that seemed to be invisible. After Lexi completely enveloped that thing with soul energy, it was revealed for Seth to see. 

It was a purple condensed energy, a malicious skill designed to corrupt the soul essence, killing the person and leaving no traces behind. It was the same skill that someone planted inside Seth's soul a long time ago. The Soul Trap. 

Seth gritted his teeth so hard that they almost shattered. The one who planted the Soul Trap inside Serene's soul and the one who planted it inside his soul could only be a person that knew the both of them, a person that was shrewd and evil and only a single person capable of that came into his mind. The Demon Emperor Velgor. 

He had probably planted it inside every single person and subordinates that took part on his plan. 

Understandings kept dawning on Seth as he recalled some things of the past. 

Velgor has always shown a strange interest for Seth. He was practically indifferent with anything else other than him. If things concerned Seth though, he would always send someone to keep an eye on him, or even someone like Valic, that would end up working behind the scenes to erase the traces left behind by the Cerberus Clan. 

'The Cerberus Clan... He is probably the one behind the Cerberus Clan research!' 

Seth felt his rage and hatred spike while thinking that Velgor may be the one behind the tortures he was put through. He could even be the one behind his adoptive mother's death, since the demons attacked his village in order to gather some specimen. 

"Lexi, seal that damn Soul Trap. Do not destroy it, but make sure it will not be able to be triggered. I have to get stronger faster. Velgor might be the one behind those dark chapters of my past and If he really is, then I will destroy him alongside with anyone that has helped him." 

"It's already done. That Soul Trap is as good as useless now." 

"Good. I won't be able to confront him the way I am right now. However, I already have a plan on how to obtain some good resources for free." 

"Will you go to the Elven Kingdom then?" Lexi asked a bit cheerful. If there was something she liked to do, was to travel to different places. 

"Heh... Such a good opportunity, why would I let it pass by, right?" A wicked grin formed on his lips. 

"Tch. Shameless. I bet you're thinking about how beautiful would that Fairy of Nature be." 

"Hey... Why would I think about that? I already have Serene and the other girls, I don't think I would need any Fairy of Nature." 

"Humph! Do you think you're able to deceive me? You have the disposition of a shameless beast. You cannot hide the truth from my eyes." 

Seth facepalmed and gave up trying to discuss with Lexi. He knew he couldn't win against her at all. He left Serene's soul space and looked at the beautiful girl in front of him. He swore to himself that one day, he would bring her out of this toxic environment.