Hello, dear readers! Here's your chapter!
The first case of my new detective story is available on youtube, along with the first chapter being available on patre0n if you're interested. it's a story following a detective and a new police officer who partner together to resolve crimes committed or linked to extraordinary beings. The setting is a 1920 style parallel world.
Do check the first case of 'Everlight City's Extraordinary Investigations' : https://youtu.be/BKCr9mg4OeQ
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Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
A while later, Demian and Seraphine found themselves back on Bright Star Island around the oh-so-familiar river pavilion in the Serene Mansion's Main Courtyard.
After taking a sip of the bitter but mind-refreshing tea in his cup, Demian commented jokingly.
"We've only been away for a year and a half, but it feels like it's been ages. Still, this place hasn't changed one bit."
The words brought a few chuckles from the people around him, with Sergei replying with a calm smile.
"What's a year or two when one can live for tens of thousands of years?"
Nodding his head slightly, Demian replied with a simple 'true' before Ling turned toward Seraphine with a curious look on her face as she asked.
"So, the girls told us you were refining a treasure... Did it succeed?"
Indeed, when refining a treasure, failure was a possibility, though for someone with the memories of a Peak transcendent along with using a core bloodline technique, the odds of failing were extremely low, and the result proved that fact.
With a satisfied smile, Sera responded.
"It succeeded, of course. Still, the Realm Bead treasure is a bit special, so I still need to merge it with my body before I can actually use it."
Hearing the term 'Realm Bead', a hint of wonder appeared in Ling's and Sergei's minds as they tried to imagine what sort of powerful treasure could bear such an impressive name.
This time, Ling could not resist and asked.
"What's the use of that 'Realm Bead' treasure?"
With her smile growing more mysterious, Sera answered.
"Improved cultivation speed and spatial storage. There are other miscellaneous uses, but these two are the main ones."
Seeing the young elf's expression, both Sergei and Ling could tell that the item should be a lot more extraordinary than her simple explanation seemed to convey.
However, the purple-haired woman seemed unwilling to say more, and thus, Ling chose to give up on inquiring more and instead asked something else.
"Previously, Liya said you'd have a way to return to the Origin Islands despite you four having broken through to the Void Seed Rank. Is it true?"
With a small nod, Sera replied.
"It is. But for that I need to merge the Treasure Bead with my body first. It should take two years if fast and five if slow. Once that's done, even a Tier 6 detection formation won't be able to probe into our cultivation."
Nodding inwardly, Demian recalled what Sera explained to him not long after she had started refining the realm into a bead.
'Using the Bead, a core bloodline cloaking spell and his Soul Shield Perk should be enough to create a fake layer above our own cultivation, making the formation believe that we've only reached the Early Core Formation Level. It's a level not conspicuous enough to attract the attention of those Guardians from the Immortal Crimson Autocracy, and that should give enough 'overt' strength to deal with most potential problems.'
Indeed, Demian had not forgotten that disgusting guardian they had met in Molvograd last time.
Although anyone from outside the Origin Islands should be protected as long as they followed the rules, as someone part of the faction making those rules, it would not be too difficult for him to break them, and it would most likely only incur some light punishment from those above him.
It was especially true with Demian and the girls since they came from a Low Tier 5 Force, a level of strength that would not even make a ripple on the Main Continent.
Thus, it was better to be more cautious this time and avoid any situation that would force them to use their real strength.
Shaking his head inwardly, Demian exclaimed.
'The stronger I get, the more I realize how weak I am. It's truly humbling...'
While Demian was daydreaming, Sergei nodded and suggested.
"It's better to take your time with that sort of dangerous endeavor. With your current lifespan, waiting a few more years to ensure success is the best path to follow."
Hearing the concern in the older man's voice, Sera felt a hint of warmth in her heart, prompting her to respond more seriously.
"Don't worry, Uncle Sergei, I'm not one to risk my life recklessly. Not when I have so much to live for. So, I'll only act when I'm completely certain of success."
Seeing the glint of calm confidence in the younger woman's gaze, Sergei, despite being considered a youth in the cultivation world, had a feeling of the old being left behind by the young.
After letting out a wistful sigh, a wry smile appeared on his face as the older man replied.
"Well, you know your capabilities better than I do, so just act as you see fit."
On the side, Ling felt the difference even more strongly than her husband as she commented in a tone filled with complicated emotions.
"We haven't taught you four much, and you've already surpassed us. I feel a bit useless as a teacher..."
Hearing the words coming from the woman who looked barely over 20-years-old, Sera recalled a phrase she had heard in her previous life.
'Teaching geniuses is enjoyable, but teaching monstrous geniuses is mentally crushing'.
Despite being the monstrous genius in question, Sera could still empathize with the couple and thus grabbed Ling's hand before stating.
"Teacher and Uncle, you've taken us in and given us everything we needed without asking anything in return. For that, you'll always be my teacher, and Uncle will always be my uncle, no matter how strong I become."
Her statement was immediately echoed by the other three Mikhailovs, erasing the heavy feeling in the husband and wife's hearts, leaving only a comfortable warmth, which prompted Sergei to say in a joking tone.
"It seems like I do have great eyes for finding students, wife. Good thing I didn't listen to you when you said you were too lazy to take care of 'some brats'."
Hearing her husband 'betraying' her, a light red hue appeared on Ling's cheeks, with everyone around finding the uncharacteristically bashful expression adorable.
Noting the other five's amused expression, Ling's eyes moved away, avoiding their gaze as she mumbled a half-hearted justification.
"It wasn't my fault. I just didn't know you'd be so easy to teach, alright...?"
After the group bantered with each other for a while longer, the four Mikhailovs went back to their courtyard where Sera explained to the other three that for the next few years she would focus on merging with the bead and that she could not be disturbed or the merging might fail and she would incur some serious foundational injuries.
After giving a few more instructions, the female dark elf bid them goodbye and disappeared inside one of the courtyard's four cultivation rooms.
While looking at the closed door in front of him, Demian commented with a hint of reluctance.
"Three-and-a-half years have passed since we started cultivating, and now it might take as long, if not longer, before we can see her again..."
In a way, that was the downside of being too much of a prodigy and cultivating too quickly, which tended to result in genius cultivators being more prone to impatience, and Demian was a perfect example of that lacking mindset.
Of course, it was not a fatal flaw, and time would naturally resolve it, though the exact length was unknown.
Although Liya and Bryn shared the same feeling, it was to a much lesser extent, as the two had been out on hunting missions for a year-and-a-half without seeing Demian and Sera much during that time.
Still, the slight reluctance was there, and Liya decided that to remove the longing in one's heart, love and care were needed.
Thus, she swiftly grabbed both Demian's and Bryn's hands, and while pulling them toward one empty bedroom, she declared.
"Darling, you've been practicing a lot with Sera for a while now, so it's my and Bryn's turn now. Let's go dual cultivate right now. You can sulk after we're done."
While feeling amused at her half-joking, half-serious words, a thought appeared in his mind.
'I did seem to have neglected the two lately. Well, I'm all for fairness in a romantic relationship.'
As the three disappeared in an empty bedroom, the sound of their chatter was cut off by the room's formation, returning peace to the courtyard, with only the sound of the gentle breeze still resounding in the otherwise deserted building.
Days and weeks passed leisurely, with Seraphine entirely focused on merging the bead with her Void Seed, while Demian and the other two women divided their time into two parts.
The first was cultivation.
Although most was the dual type, it was not rare that the three exchanged on Elemental and Void Spells, doing their best to improve their understanding and thus their strength.
As for the massive amount of energy needed for their cultivation, it was all provided by the 'portable Qi generator' inside Demian's mind: The Chaos Soul Ring.
The second part was 'taking a walk' outside, with the three scouring Bright Star City, from the expansive Inner City to the somewhat crowded Outer City, doing so much window-shopping—and real shopping—that the young man's mind had been on the verge of shattering more than once.
Aside from these 'fear-inducing' moments, something else happened that brought a complicated feeling to his mind.
Indeed, the mother and daughter duo had at one point brought him to a 'girl friends' date' with Lydia Silvenir, the Head Shopkeeper of Bright Star Island's Fairy Dust Branch.
Unlike Liya and Bryn, Demian had had little interaction with the Moon elf after what happened that day at the Fairy Dust shop, and if it were not for Liya's previous 'joking words' about Bonding with the female elf, he might have completely forgotten about her.
As for the intent behind bringing him to their 'date', even if he were to think with his foot, Demian could guess it had to do with Liya's previous suggestion.
However, unlike with the three Mikhailov women, the only thing Demian felt for the woman was at most a slight physical attraction.
Coupled with Seraphine refusing Liya's 'offer', the young man's mind tilted more toward the 'not bonding' option.
Still, Liya's and Bryn's insistence did end up convincing him to follow them to their date, if only to stop them from constantly pestering him.
Shaking his head inwardly, the young man told himself.
'I'll just go there casually. These two aren't too unreasonable, so once they see that there's no feeling, they shouldn't insist much longer... I think...'
Thus, the three met with the Moon Elf at a high-end coffee shop on the Inner City Main Street.
The shop was somewhat empty, though instead of feeling deserted, it added a touch of elegant tranquility to the place, matching the stunning woman seated in one of the private booths scattered strategically around.
The woman in question had silky long white hair held in a wave-like bun by a simple golden circlet, with two locks of wavy hair framing her perfect face.
With fair cheeks, soul-stirring silver eyes, and plump red lips, along with striking curves that were tastefully highlighted by her long-sleeve, long golden-colored dress, she was the picture of devastating beauty.
It was so much so that if it were not for her leaking a hint of her Void Seed Aura, many men present in the shop would have come to approach her already.
However, unlike her calm exterior, Lydia was actually extremely anxious.
While fidgeting slightly, questions kept popping up in her mind.
'Will he like the way I dress? Should I have chosen something simpler? Now that I look at myself, it may be a bit too provocative...'
The woman who seemed like a goddess to the outside world was actually growing more and more agitated, to the point that she had to force herself to take deep breaths to calm her nerves.
However, she could not be blamed, as finding someone who matched her criteria for a romantic partner was already difficult, let alone someone who surpassed them by so much.
As for having romantic feelings, it would be a lie if she said she had any, though she did feel some attraction the last time she saw him.
Love was, after all, something that took time to develop, though as long as both parties felt some interest in one another, it was only a matter of time and effort before it could grow between two people.
After growing very close to Liya and Bryn, Liya offered to bring Demian the next time they had their 'girl date', which was immediately accepted by the Elven woman.
Maybe she had been too enthusiastic, or they may have known all along about her intention toward the young man, but neither of the two commented on her 'excessive' reaction, with Liya only saying that she could create an opportunity, but the rest was Lydia's responsibility.
Of course, the female Moon Elf was already delighted that the other two women were open to the idea of accepting her, so she did not ask them for more help, and instead prepared as much as she could for their four-person date.
As for the result, Lydia could only leave it to the Heavens, as she had done all she could already.
Thus, when the three Mikhailovs arrived at the coffee shop, with their exact appearance veiled under a subtle cloak of Void Qi, no one took much notice of them, leaving them free to swiftly arrive at the booth where the white-haired woman had already been waiting for them for a while.
Seeing the three appear, Lydia's gaze immediately fell on Demian's face, her mind blanking out for a few moments when the latter gently smiled at her.
Although she did not consider herself a shallow person, the man's impossibly handsome appearance and perfectly harmonious body were already difficult for her to calmly deal with, but when his aura was added, it was akin to a dimensional strike on the single woman's mind.
Indeed, although Demian used his excellent mastery of his own Qi to hide most of his presence from the outside, it was impossible to hide the difference in Life level between him and the female Moon Elf.
After all, the two may have had the same cultivation Rank, but in reality, it was akin to a Mortal meeting an Immortal, with the latter possessing unfathomable appeal for the former.
For cultivators, charm was more important than appearance, as ugly cultivators were virtually nonexistent.
That was why people refer to a Kingly aura, or Immortal aura...
If the current situation was put in mortal terms, it was akin to a slightly above average-looking woman looking at a man with features so perfect that her mind was not able to fully comprehend it.
Thus, the mental reboot.
Of course, the fact that her intentions toward him were somewhat 'impure' did not help her at all.
As for Liya's and Bryn's appearances, although Lydia was still affected by their otherworld beauty, she had grown somewhat used to it after meeting them so often.
Seeing the stunning white-haired woman in front of him freeze completely once she laid eyes on him, Demian felt both amused and a bit proud.
Still, he did not comment on it and instead gestured for Liya and Bryn to sit before doing so himself right after.
After all, he knew what, or more specifically, who, was more important here.
Once the three sat down, Lydia woke up from her daze, a crimson hue painting her fair cheeks from the embarrassment, which grew a tad deeper when she felt the man's appreciative glance on her face.
Inwardly, however, she felt a surge of delight, thinking that her blunder may have unexpectedly helped her.
Still, she could not rest on her laurels, and thus, after apologizing for her reaction, she started chatting with the three about common topics, throwing glances at the young man from time to time, both from admiration and to stir the conversation toward things that would interest him.
Indeed, she wanted to leave a good impression in his mind so she could not act as casually as she usually did when she was alone with the other two women.
Despite not observing the woman too closely, his Soul Sense was so powerful that Demian could read every micro-expression on the woman's face, and, coupled with what he knew about her, it was easy for him to deduce what she was doing.
With her making so much effort to gain his favor, the young man felt a bit guilty at how nonchalant he had been during the date.
Granted, he did not owe her any feeling, but as a great man once said, 'the hardest thing to repay in this world is a beautiful woman's favor'.
Thus, seeing how mindful of him she was, his opinion of her started to subconsciously slowly shift, though to bring him to face his fierce dark elf lover for her, it would take much more than that.
His fickleness had limits after all.
Unbeknownst to the group, a few hours had passed, with the golden afternoon sun turning a shade of red as it started its slow descent toward the sky's western part.
Seeing the time, the group decided to end the date there, and after bidding goodbye to Lydia, the Mikhailovs left for the Serene Mansion, leaving the lone woman sitting thoughtfully in the shop.
After seeing them leave, Lydia let out a relieved sigh, with a bead of sweat running along her now somewhat pale cheeks.
Putting her arms on the table, she set her head down on them and, after closing her eyes, mumbled tiredly under her breath.
"Who could have guessed that a simple date would be so mentally draining? And I wasn't even alone with him..."
Once she had taken a few breaths to recover from her mental fatigue, she opened her eyes and straightened her back before exclaiming inwardly.
'But I think that went pretty well. It may take some time, but from his reaction, I might have a small chance... I think... Still, it's unknown who will fall for whom first...'
Recalling the few times when he had given her some simple compliments which had made her heart skip a beat, she felt a bit exasperated at herself, cursing at her weak heart.
A brief moment later, she went to pay for the drinks and left the shop, her charming figure filled with a mix of expectation and apprehension for the future.
During the following three years, the four met very often, though what passed for 'very often' in the cultivation world was merely every few weeks or a month.
Different lifespans dictate different time perception.
During that time, Demian's initial reluctance slowly turned into mild interest before finally feeling a slight attraction beyond her mere appearance.
It seemed slow, but one had to remember that the young man had already been bonded to three women with whom he had pretty much grown alongside.
Coupled with the fact that his Heart cultivation had improved massively, trying to enter his heart had become an almost impossible task.
Objectively, if it had not been because Liya and Bryn had insisted that he give her a chance, that he was still extremely young, and the fact that her appearance and character completely matched his taste, Lydia's chance of gaining his affection would have been pretty much zero.
Even now, it was only mild attraction, though compared to the start, the progress was indeed significant.
As for Lydia herself, the way she saw him had quickly shifted from 'young, handsome and talented' to 'respectful, charming and kind', the change in focus matching the change in her heart.
On that day, Lydia was waiting in the same coffee shop where their first date took place a few years prior, her mind filled with thoughts of Demian.
'This is going to be the first time I'll be alone with him... I can't help but feel a bit nervous. Hopefully it goes well... I wonder how much longer it will take before we take the next step...'
Despite having lived for thousands of years, the woman whose strength granted her the status of 'Queen' felt a strange hint of helplessness mixed with anticipation, akin to a young, inexperienced girl having feelings for a boy.
It may have been due to her somewhat strict upbringing, but she had never experienced that sort of feeling, though her long years made it easy for her to understand what it meant.
Recalling the difference in their respective age, Lydia then touched her face absentmindedly while commenting inwardly.
'It feels a bit funny to think that he's barely over 24 years old and I'm... Anyway, I'm just a few... A lot more 24-year-cycles than him. Plus, looking at my face, anyone would think I was the same age as him! Look at how smooth my skin is! And my breasts are still full and round, with no trace of sagging! My butt is also...'
As she was thinking about some nonsense, lifting her bosom as if she was carefully weighing it, she suddenly received a message on her Guest ID token, something granted to foreigners visiting or living in the Federation.
Since Demian had not arrived yet, she took out the token and checked casually, still busy creating ridiculous scenarios in her mind while subconsciously wearing a silly smile on her face.
However, her smile was quickly replaced by a frown when she read the whole transmission.
It then shifted into a wry expression as she mumbled.
"This day has finally arrived, huh?"
Feeling a bit lost for a moment, she could not help but reread the message Demian sent her.
'I'm sorry, Lydia, but I can't make it this time. Sera just got out of seclusion. See you later. Demian'
A simple message but one that she had been dreading for the last three years, for no other reason than that, as a Moon Elf herself, which was a dark elf sub-race, she knew how difficult it was for members of their race to accept sharing a romantic partner with others.
It was even worse if the other in question was also a Dark Elf like herself.
Of course, it was not an absolute rule, and some, like Lydia, were not subject to a strong aversion to sharing the same man with others, especially when the external circumstances, like a man having already married several women beforehand, forced them to accept it.
So, it was not too difficult for Lydia to accept being Demian's fourth wife, but for Sera to accept her...
'Liya told me before that Sera had become a bit more lenient, but unless Demian says something, she might still not accept me. And here it was going so well with him... What about now, though? Will he still want to see me now that she's out of seclusion?'
While the beautiful Moon Elf's mind was filled with worries, in the Mikhailovs' courtyard, Demian, Liya, Sera and Bryn were currently lounging on a comfortable sofa that was as long as a bed.
Seraphine was seated between the young man's legs, her back resting on his torso while Liya and Bryn were on his left and right side.
Letting out a contented sigh, Sera commented.
"Finally out! I missed this! Among other things..."
Chuckling at her innuendo, Demian's arms tightened around her waist, bringing her deeper into his embrace as he asked.
"So, did everything end up the way you expected? No side-effects?"
Nodding her head, the young female elf replied.
"It went even better, actually. The merging was pretty much done after a year and a half, but the reason it took me three years in total was that your Perk was helping me alter the bead to fit my Void Seed perfectly."
Despite her having reached Peak Tier 6 cultivation in her previous life, she was still amazed by how heaven-defying her lover's Perks were.
Put into simple words, it was akin to rewriting the fundamental blocks of reality, turning something rotten into a precious treasure.
From her experience, that sort of thing was beyond the average Immortal to achieve, though to ask her to say which level it corresponded to was impossible.
Shaking her head slightly, she added.
"So now, my Void Seed and the bead have perfectly merged, and I get the best of both, without any downside. In other words, I've got a whole realm inside me which can easily bear living beings up to Peak Tier 4. That and my cultivation speed has increased by a few times. It should be that way at least until I reach Tier 6."
Before, she would have needed around 20 to 30 years to reach the Void Sapling Rank, but now, less than 10 years should be enough.
Of course, Demian's Perks, his Chaos Soul Ring and her Immortal Foundation, were the main factors for that incredible speed, with the merged bead only serving as a sort of magnifier for energy absorption.
Once she described the benefits, the first thing that Demian felt was not amazement, but relief.
After all, although the rewards were incredible, the potential risks were just as staggering, and to him, her being completely fine was the best reward he could get.
On the side, Liya tilted her head slightly and asked in a curious tone.
"Now that you're done, when do you want to leave for the Origin Islands?"
A thoughtful expression appeared on Sera's face as she responded.
"Well, I need at least one whole week with Demian—you two can join the two of us, by the way—, and then one week to get used to my new strength and make sure my preparations are complete... Better to be a bit more careful this time, so let's add one more week, which makes three weeks total. Are you three fine with that?"
Having waited for four and a half years for her to refine and merge with that treasure bead, none of the other three minded waiting a bit more, and thus, once they agreed, the four started with the first part of the plan: The one week dual cultivation session.
Time passed quickly among their coming trip's preparation, with each of them busy with their own tasks.
Around two weeks later, as Demian was instructed to 'secure' a batch of 'essential' items—which were actually some delicious specialty cakes the three Mikhailov women had become addicted to lately—, he suddenly received a message on his ID token.
With a light soul sweep, the words swiftly appeared in his mind, bringing a complicated expression to his face.
'Hey, Demian. How have you been? I hope everything is well with Sera and the other two... Anyway, do you want to meet? When you have some time, of course. My schedule has been pretty empty lately, so I'm free anytime. Lydia'.
While flying toward the bakery he was supposed to get the cake from, the young man fell into thought, torn on how to proceed with the elven woman.
'If I go through with it, Sera is bound to be extremely pissed at me, and I wouldn't blame her one bit. But on the other hand, I've got to admit that she's starting to grow on me....'
Whatever he opted to do, though, it was best to do it soon, as leading someone on was not something he enjoyed doing.
Either do it or stop it completely.
That was his way of doing things.
Thus, he fell into deep thought, and it was only when he had gotten the cakes that he finally made his decision.
Thus, he swiftly sent a response to Lydia, promising that once they were back in the Federation, he would come see her and talk about their 'situation'.
Although her voice through the recording seemed a bit tense, she still answered 'okay' before wishing him a good trip and bidding goodbye.
Letting out a sigh, the young man thought.
'I feel a bit bad letting her wait like that, but the timing is a bit bad...'
With his mind filled with unknown thoughts, he teleported back to the mansion.
Thus, another week went by, and everything was finally ready.
The only thing left for them to do was to take a Teleporter to Central Star Island, where they would then proceed to teleport again to the Origin Islands.
At that time, the group of four was standing in front of the Mansion, with Sergei, Ling, and a few other people from the Mansion bidding them farewell.
Seeing the four subdued auras, Sergei commented.
"Be careful, and if you see that it's not possible, just give up for now, alright? Roman's lifespan is still very long, so he can wait."
After assuring him that they would be careful, the four Mikhailovs left for the Bright Star City's Relay Station, their minds filled with anticipation for the journey ahead of them.