Monarch of Darkness, Arsene

Closing my eyes in response to Lilith's wishes, I couldn't help but be a little confused. Just what was I doing? Am I going to be a paragon? Is it so easy? I thought I had to master the blood laws first.

After looking at Archduke Bune, I saw how lacking I was. The body of any being held almost limitless power. The only restriction one could have was their imagination. Creating hundreds of clones just as strong as the original seemed almost impossible. ????????????????ℯ???????? c????????

Where did that energy come from? To create hundreds of clones with the same level of power should be impossible. In fact, It doesn't even make sense.

Even when I shadow step, there is an equivalent and exchange. I don't pay with Divinity, but bits of my core. Shit is a massive price, but it felt like nothing ever since I went to the Origin Realm. My soul had adapted in such a way any price I paid via soul seemed small.

"Ok, Sene. You'll feel Abyssal Qi entering you shortly; direct it to your soul and use it to your will. But be careful. If you fuck up, we're both dead. And there are no takebacks when it comes to this level of Abyssal Qi. You fuck up. You're dead."

"... That's some confidence you've got in your husband."

A solid giggle caught my ear, " I know you like to take risks and are a little lazy. I just wonder what foolishness you'll do once you gain this seemingly endless level of almighty essence.

A bit of a snort left me, but I didn't bother to test Lilith when my life was in the middle of her palm. Although… If something did happen, I could guilt trip her later. Naw. It's not worth it.

Falling into a trance, I called upon the foreign energy I'd felt so many times before when Abyss-chan and I spent time together, I couldn't help but feel at home once again. Within the Palace of Night, I felt so close to her. Despite not being able to see her, I could feel her presence. It was so much like Lilith, yet so different. It was older, regal in a way.

When Abyss-chan spoke, I listened. She'd taught me so many things. And this Abyssal Fragment delivered the same sensation I felt when she was with me.

Pushing the Abyssal Fragments energy through my body into my mind, I rushed into my soul to begin molding my new technique. But as I entered this astral world. Ideas and realizations I had never considered exploded out of me.

Blood Laws… They were required for unification. The soul Connects to the mind, and the mind will connect to the body via the blood. Once I created a hive mind with the Arch angel Yesh and Sitri housed in my spear, I'd be complete.

Those two should have mastered blood laws long ago. And even if they haven't, their comprehension will flow into me. While I can't share the same experiences as them, it's not like they are dead. The soul is a living entity. They're alive, meaning I don't need to share their experience as Lilith does with her people. They'll live for this king.

Opening my eyes deep into my soul space, I stared at the black flame and the spiraling nebula of Abyssal Essense surrounding my soul.

Narrowing my eyes, I also allowed the few hundred thousand souls I've collected to materialize alongside the soul of Sitri and Yeshimel.

The entire point of slitting my soul into four sections a few cycles ago was to help fuse them into the other soul in order to enslave them and share their lives, but soul fusion was way out of my reach. Even now. I'm not a soul practitioner. And I don't plan to be. The body is my forte.

I need to—

"You need to continue splitting your soul to help match the number of souls you have." Said Lily calmly. "But you need to always maintain a fifty-fifty equilibrium.

"Eh? What do you mean?" I asked her, a little taken aback.

"If you still want to be you, you need to keep fifty percent of your soul. Sixty percent is ideal, but knowing your family, I'm sure you'll go for fifty. Any more than that, and you'll lose yourself; this is not without risk, you know. Ever since you fused with the Abyssal Sin of Pride, you've been acting more prideful."

I frowned, and I found myself nodding after a second or two. Lily was right. If I gave up half my soul, there is no way I'll be the same. My cognition would change entirely. And I can't have that.

"Lily, do you have control over this energy?"

"I've as much control as you," she replied stoically and suddenly gasped. " Wait, you want me to do it?"

"My soul is far stronger than any of these souls, including Yesh and Sitri. It's like buying stock. Sitri can afford two hundred shares, while another soul will only be able to buy a single share. So the more we cut it down to size, the more we can do. So I want you to split my soul into—

"The maximum you'll be able to handle is seven billion fragments… but Arsene, I hope you understand what that means. You'll go mad. You'll feel so stuck in your body that—

"That's why before anything happens, we're going to protect half of my soul with the same energy that's about to cut it to pieces. I like the idea of running my soul like a business. It just makes sense to me."

I frowned for a bit, and my eye narrowed into slits. "How much do you think a person like Yesh and Sitri can afford?"

Giggling at my inquiry, Lily answered. " Your so weird. They'll need a hundred thousand each if you plan on having me split your soul so many times. But I recommend we link the fused souls to your main souls. You—"

"No. We'll protect my soul first, then split it. I can use the extra minds helping me out building a link later. It'll be a struggle at first, but efficiency should be far higher in the future."

'... You sound like your little brother. Fine. Get ready. This is going to hurt… And might make you a simpleton for a few cycles."

"Eh? Wai—AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~"