Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 780: Thinking Together

I narrowed my eyes at the meager list.

Just two elite souls. One of them, I was sure, had to be Veyrin. The foxkin prince Iʼd killed in our duel. But the human warrior? I had no idea. That mystery needed unraveling.

There was only one real way to figure it out.

With Vex still curled against me, I extended my free hand toward the open Codex.

”[Awaken].”

Mana surged up my spine into my hands, which then moved into the open Codex, feeding its pages with fuel. The symbols etched across the leather binding flared to life: pale veins of blue light traveled along its surface, reminding me of how lightning etched in flesh looked. The book hovered a little higher, vibrating faintly as it drank in the energy I provided.

Then, with a low, whispering hum, it responded to my call.

From its pages, a thin strand of spectral light uncoiled and slithered through the air, carving an arc to the spot Iʼd mentally chosen; the floor beyond the side of the mattress, just beyond Vex and me. The light spread toward the spot I willed it to, creating a small circle the size of a basketball ring.

And then she rose.

Not as some grotesque, monstrous entity that would fit in perfectly with the undead army of a Corpse Animator, but as something precise, cut from memory.

A female warrior stood before me.

She wore ghostly plated armor and a longsword hung at her side, spectral and weightless just like the rest of her.

Despite wearing armor from head to toe, her visor was raised, allowing me to see her face.

And I recognized her instantly.

She mightʼve been pale blue, lacking the warmth of a living creature, but the sharp lines of her cheekbones, the defiant set of her jaw, and the braid of hair that once was golden blonde…

”Eve,” I said aloud, more in realization than greeting.

The bodyguard of the Greenvale twins. Iʼd killed her cleanly when I ambushed their ride traveling back home from the Grand Auction in the royal capital. I remembered how sheʼd stepped between me and her charges without hesitation. Noble-spirited. Loyal. Unquestioning. And now, she was here.

”Take off your helmet,” I ordered.

The soul obeyed without hesitation, with one hand lifting the phantom helm and letting it fall away into the ether. It seemed they could summon and de-summon their equipment. R𝐀ŊőΒËṡ

Her face became clearer—well, as clear as a ghost could be. No doubt remained.

It was her.

”Do you understand me?”

No response.

Not a nod. Not a blink. Not even a flicker of her ethereal form.

I frowned.

The soul stood perfectly still, eyes locked forward, blade at rest. No will. No personality. Only form.

A puppet of memory, nothing more.

I stared at her, not understanding one thing.

Why was she here?

How had she become an Elite Soul?

She was barely in the level 30s when Iʼd slain her, if I remembered right. And it wasnʼt some titanic battle either; thereʼd been no clash of wills or drawn-out struggle. Iʼd struck cleanly, decisively, and sheʼd died within seconds of our battle starting. That was it.

But during the war, Iʼd harvested the souls of warriors far more powerful. Late 30s. Even some in the mid 40s. Hundreds. And none of them had made it to this archive. None of them were included among the elite souls of my Necromantic Codex.

It made no sense.

My brow furrowed as I stared into her vacant eyes.

”Something wrong, hubby?” Vex murmured in a voice that was still husky from our recent indulgence, yet laced with a great deal of curiosity. Her hand left its previous post on my sack and rested against my chest, fingers tracing circles around my nipple.

”You look like youʼre trying to solve a very hard puzzle.” She then giggled after landing a loving kiss on my cheek, ”You look like a doggy trying to chew through the bone of a wyvern. Itʼs so adorable!”

… I didnʼt know what to do with the weird image her final sentence created in my mind, so I elected to just ignore it and reply to her previous statement.

”I am. She shouldnʼt be here. Not as an Elite. She wasnʼt strong enough. Iʼve killed dozens, no, hundreds, of enemies more powerful than her. Some were in the level 40s, yet theyʼre all considered lesser souls, like the ones I summoned to hold the Sunfang down. So why is she, a level 30 bodyguard I killed with little effort, considered an elite soul?”

Vex shifted her posture without offering a response to my question, rolling her body atop mine in one smooth motion. Her skin was warm against mine, and tantalizingly soft and supple where her delicious breasts were pressed against my chest. The heat of her bare lady flower brushed teasingly against my member, but this wasnʼt her attempt at seduction.

She laid her hands flat against my chest, then lowered herself until her cheek rested just above my heart. Her eyes found mine. That mesmerizing, red gaze of hers was bright, sharp, and glittering with curiosity.

There was excitement there, yes, but not only the carnal kind. This was the thrill of discovery, of solving a riddle alongside someone she cherished greatly. A flicker of that signature mischief danced in her gaze as her smile curved upwards and she tilted her chin to nudge closer, her voice now a low, enthusiastic purr. ”Letʼs find it together. Just you and me, hubby~”

After she comfortably settled herself on top of me, she asked, ”Are you sure strength is the only measure we should consider?”

I understood where she was going with her question, but I shook my head. ”She wasnʼt even close to the strongest opponent Iʼve faced, and she was just a simple bodyguard. The twins have told me she was on their payroll, but their father had much stronger bodyguards. They didnʼt take those guards with them out of pure hubris.”

”The twins?” Vex raised an eyebrow.

”Oh.” It was only now that I realized I still owed my sexy woman a few stories. ”Long story short, I kidnapped and enslaved the Greenvale twins. Theyʼre under my control now.”

”…” A completely flabbergasted face welcomed my declaration.