Debauchery of a Soul-Eating Wraith

Back in his room, Evian sent his Spear into his Spatial Ring and called out his Decadence for an update on his Soul Point Balance.

-

[Decadence: Denounced Wraith {1600/700 Soul Points}]

-

"Increase my Decadence.'

[Are you sure?]

'I am.'

[Very well.]

As usual, he felt an increase in his physical attributes as well as an increase in the potency of his Eldritch energy as he took yet another step forward on the path of Decadence.

Daria watched it all. Having seen it once before, she was not surprised by the act. It mostly just spurred her on to fold her legs beneath herself, surrender herself to the Arahamt Scripture, and take a step forward in her own cultivation and Spiritual growth.

Meanwhile, as he clenched and unclenched his fist to view the increased strength he now possessed, Evian stared ahead at the holographic screen in front of him with his balance and current decadence so clearly depicted;

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[Decadence: Fallen Wraith {900/800 Soul Points}]

-

'Do I go for another? Make it a double increase in a single night- Hmm,' he thought before shaking his head, "Nah. Not yet. It's wiser to keep enough Soul Points for emergencies."

He decided he would revisit the thought of another Decadent increase tomorrow should there be enough kills to bolster his Soul Points.

'In the meantime, I should practice Precision.'

Phasing blindly was getting annoying and it was about time he put an end to it, so he did.

He worked on it for hours.

Night came... The moon rose in the sky and Evian was still at it.

Thanks to his experience with Wraithic Phasing  so far, he knew just where to stand to limit his outshooting so he didn't accidentally surface outside of his room. Daria could not help but be distracted from cultivating as she watched him sink and surface repeatedly in a way that almost looked comical.

Eventually, of course, he got it right.

His success was based more on instinct and 'feel' rather than stringent calculations of the angles of entry and exit but all in all, Precision was perfected... Now, it was time for that Vault.

-

***

-The Next Day-

-The Larnak Estate-

*Clink* *Clink*

Herbert and Yvette sat at a large dining table, their cutleries clinking against their plates as they ate through their breakfast.

Even before the state of insecurity the Territory was currently in, this was not a common occurrence so when Herbert invited her to a proper breakfast, Yvette accepted while confused at the change in protocol.

Herbert even ordered his guards to remain outside the dining hall just to give him the illusion of intimacy with his wife.

Meanwhile, uninterested in striking up a conversation, Yvette remained quiet right after they exchanged pleasantries. She just stared at her plate dutifully while cutting at her meal with her cutlery.

Herbert did not like the silence so of course he broke it first,

"This is nice, isn't it?"

"It was," Yvette answered simply and Herbert smiled,

"We haven't done this often enough," he said.

"Because you've been keeping away," Yvette answered.

"I've been busy," Herbert told her still keeping his smile.

"I know," Yvette answered as simply as ever, "And I've stayed out of your way. It would be such a shame if I was a distraction to your cause."

"I appreciate that," Herbert said, clueless enough not to notice the passive-aggression in his wife's tone.

"Glad I could be of help," Yvette answered before taking a sip of the wine in her delicately carved goblet.

"It's almost over, you know," Herbert said, "We've driven the infidels from the Territory and cracked down on the very hint of a Resistance."

"That sounds good for you," Yvette said in a nonchalant detached voice.

Herbert's smile got even wider as he stretched out a hand and grabbed hers,

"It is. It really is," he said looking up from Yvette's face and staring off into the distance, "Our coffers are full, our subordinates are subdued, all that's left is to to put our enemies down. Permanently."

Herbert was so lost in reciting his goals for the future that he did not notice the look on Yvette's face was getting worse by the second. The longer his hand touched hers, the more repulsed she appeared.

'Get off me. Get off me. Get off me. GET OFF ME!' she recited over and over in her mind while tightening up her lips to resist the urge to yell it out loud.

Herbert finally took his hand off hers just so he could clench his fist angrily and shake it at an invisible enemy,

"Evian Stygian- Only his death will end this War," he said with a sneer, "He and his fellows can seek refuge at the Renan Territory however long they want. When they decide to return, I'll make sure there's no Stygian Estate for that bastard to return to. Oh, and that bloody Witch too."

The doors into the dining hall opened and Captain Donan stepped in,

"My Lord, they're here," he said immediately to justify his intrusion.

"Who are?" Larnak asked, so lost in his thoughts of glory, that he did not immediately piece together what Donan was referring to.

"Your Relatives," Donan said with a small bow, "They're here to discuss the state of the Territory."

"Ah," Herbert said with a smile, "They're punctual. Good, I'll be right with them."

"Alright, My Lord," Donan said before bowing his way out of the hall to allow Herbert to give his wife proper parting words.

"My dear, I must be on my way now," he said with a smile, as he took her hand again which brought back Yvette's feeling of repulsion that she hid with hard work from every single one of her facial muscles,

"Let's make this a more common practice," Herbert told her. For a second, he looked like he might go in for a kiss but when he didn't and instead let her hand go before walking out of the hall, Yvette let out a sigh of relief.

*Bang*

The doors of the hall closed shut and left alone, Yvette tried to wash away her feelings with a big gulp of wine. The last drop had just slid down her throat when she felt hands on her shoulders.

Fingers dug into her shoulder blades and started working her muscles and relieving her of her tension. Somehow, although she could probably count how many times she had been at its mercy, she recognized the touch and subconsciously settled into it even as she put down her goblet.

"So tense," Evian said into her ear as he massaged her, "Did you dislike being close to him that much?"

"Hhng- His touch, Argh, so rough... So appalling. He's nothing like you, dear." Yvette said.

"And he will never be," Evian told her as he kissed her cheek, "I'm indeed one of a kind but I can't be the sole cause for this sudden dislike, can I?"

"You are- in principle at least," Yvette said.

"Oh, tell me more," Evian whispered, his voice in that mellifluous soothing tone that urged openness in the hearer, although Yvette hardly needed any more incentives to be vulnerable to his touch and words.

"What's there to say really?" Yvette said with a sigh, "A marriage of convenience only to discover my waste of a partner lacks the drive to keep up with me. Two children and the interest is nonexistent- on both sides.

I had to resort to my weekly self-gratification which put me in that sweet spot of vulnerability that let you take advantage."

"So perhaps he deserves some thanks?" Evan said with a smile.

"Perhaps," Yvette admitted, her lips curling into a similar smile, "He was useful for something."

"Hmm," Evian let out as his hands went from her de-stressed shoulders to her breasts, large and enticing as ever, "So, suppose something were to happen to Herbert."

"Something-" Yvette muttered, "You want to kill him?"

"I've entertained the idea," Evian nodded as he grabbed her breasts and squeezed.

"Nghh, You? You can't do it," Yvette said.

"Well, obviously NOT me," Evian said with a chuckle as he released Yvette's breasts and grabbed the back of her chair instead to turn it around so she was facing him, "I was thinking someone more on his level."

Herbert Larnak going down in battle had always been the plan. A more subtle approach would have been something like poison but any mildly extensive research will show that it is hardly the way to go with a Knight. Herbert was sure to have enough potions to save his life. All he would need is to survive long enough to swallow a vial of it and he'd get that time thanks to the purifying strength of Spiritual energy.

"I see," Yvette said, "Well, good luck."

"Good luck? Haha, don't act so detached. You have a part to play," Evian said.

"I do?" Yvette asked with eyes wide. The concept of her involvement sounded so alien to her when she had done her best so far to stay quite well out of it all.

"Of course," Evian said, "You promised me a toll, remember? I'll accept your involvement as payment."

"But- what can I do?" Yvette asked.

Evian grabbed the armrests of her chair before leaning his face closer to hers,

"Tell me," he said in a breathy whisper, "How much do you desire power and how well can you work to seize it?"

---