The Gamer's POV-Chapter 259: The Essence of Essence Cores

The morning sun washed the inner sanctuary in a pale, golden glow, filtering through the high windows of the fortress. Cedric and Aika were both now in their private quarters, standing in the center of the Lord’s Suite.

They had both spent the last hour exploring the vast expanse of the castle, and it was far more expansive and beautiful than they had ever imagined.

Beyond the echoing Throne Room, the private quarters, and the many formal and informal dining chambers, the fortress held a labyrinth of luxury. There was a vast library with empty shelves that climbed toward a domed ceiling, a sun-drenched conservatory filled with exotic plants, a quiet observatory at the highest peak, and even a few bathing chambers.

Cedric and Aika noticed something during their extended tour of the lower levels. The castle was divided into two, with the other part being a darker, more subterranean wing hidden behind heavy, reinforced obsidian doors.

If Cedric were to guess, that section was probably designed specifically as a barracks or a sanctum for where his Kleshas were meant to be. To him, this arrangement was good actually. Having a place separate for creatures like the Blight meant the main halls would remain a place of elegance and peace.

That aside, after their tour, they both got to the large master suite they were in now. Walking past the intricately carved bedposts and velvet furniture, Cedric headed to the heavy glass doors. He pushed them open and stood at the balcony overlooking the sea of yellow daffodils that stretched toward the horizon.

He could see his temple in the distance, and he could also see where the darkness and shadows began on the horizon.

’I wonder... just how much will this sanctuary change after I evolve to the grade four.’

Cedric couldn’t help but feel a surge of quiet anticipation, because now that he had his essence core, it meant that his inner sanctuary would continue to change as he evolved.

Now, it is important to note that the changes to a Dominant’s inner sanctuary usually follow a specific pattern.

Every Dominant is granted a sanctuary upon their awakening. At this stage, their inner sanctuary only has a temple which they must visit in order to evolve to a Grade Two.

Upon evolving from a Grade Two to a Grade Three, the inner sanctuary expands and every Dominant gets a castle, just like Cedric’s.

But that is where the expansion ends for the average Dominant.

However, the case is different for those who develop an essence core.

When one who has an essence core evolves to Grade Four, their inner sanctuary continues to expand and change, and it only gets more magnificent the higher up the levels they climb.

To understand why this change is so, it’s best to know how evolving to a Grade Four works.

You see, the general knowledge is that unlike the first three grades which grant a dominant different magical powers, Grade Four does not.

As a Grade Four, the only change you get after your evolution is that your physical body reaches the peak of what a mortal vessel can sustain. At this stage, it is difficult for mundane weapons or ailments to even affect you.

This change is essential because once a dominant reaches Grade Five, their soul takes on the full majesty of their true form in their sanctuary, while their body, which is now at the peak of its physical potential, becomes their avatar in the real world.

To completely kill a dominant at this stage, one would need to first kill their avatar, after which they would need to go into that Dominant’s sanctuary to kill its true self.

Anyway, returning to the essence core benefits, as mentioned earlier, the general knowledge is that those in Grade Four only receive physical evolution.

However, a few people know that that is not all.

Those who have successfully developed essence cores do actually get a power which takes them from being a minor lord into a full lord. The power they receive is the ability to create beings within their sanctuary using the essence from their essence cores.

For this reason, every evolution expands their sanctuary, eventually turning their inner sanctuary into what Cedric believes to be somewhat of a realm.

See why an essence core is important as one progresses up the grades?

Without it, one cannot even progress past the sixth grade, even if they meet the evolution requirements. That is why people of the seventh grade, people like Cedric’s parents for instance, are regarded as something close to gods.

And that is why Cedric shudders whenever he remembers them. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Anyway, setting the stuff of the future aside, Cedric outstretched both his hands and closed his eyes. Then he inhaled deeply. The scent of the freshly bloomed daffodils filled his lungs, and a smile slowly spread across his face.

He was satisfied.

Slowly opening his eyes, he reached out and held the stone railing of the balcony, then exhaled a long breath. And then, he frowned as he began to feel hungry all of a sudden.

’I guess it is time I returned to the real world,’ he thought, realizing that his physical body’s needs were finally catching up to his soul’s journey.

Turning away from the balcony, he walked back into the room where he could see Aika. She was lying on the bed as a small, cozy figure, clutching the pillow and making herself into a ball.

Upon getting close to her, Cedric sat on the edge of the mattress and gently brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face.

She slowly opened her eyes, and when those beautiful blue irises regained their clarity, he said with a faint smile, "I think it is time we return to the real world."

Aika exhaled and slowly sat upright while also muttering quietly, "Yeah. I need a smoke."

She reached out and pulled Cedric into an embrace, burying her face into the crook of his neck. Cedric shut his eyes, and when he opened them again, he was staring at the ceiling of his chamber in the fortress of the Hollow Ones.

At that moment, his eyes went wide and he lurched to the side, clutching his stomach.

"What the...!"