When Nick, and the others appeared in front of the company building, the two security guards on duty were frightened, and panicked before they remembered that the Magicians were employees of the company. The security guards then tried to compose themselves before the Magicians noticed their panic.
Nick immediately spoke to the others:
"You have all now seen how brutal a battle between rank 3 Magicians can be. Work hard so that you don't end up on the losing end, someday. I still need to do some cultivation, so you will be going to lectures, and cultivating for the foreseeable future. Don't worry, you will enter the field again, but not now."
The rank 2 Magicians were actually not all that upset about not having to go into the field because they understood now more than ever how dangerous being a Magician was. They were glad to cultivate in peace for a few months. Zane soon asked Nick a question:
"Nick, how did you become so strong?"
Nick stared blankly at Zane for a few seconds before his gaze focused again, and he answered:
"If you are asking about the mechanics of my process. I guess you could say that I like books, and that I trying dumb things more than I should."
The nine rank 2 Magicians were bewildered by that answer, but Nick did not plan to explain any further, thinking:
(If they can't take the hint, then they still have more growing to do. More explanation is just a waste of my breath.)
Without warning, Nick activated Cursed Vessel, and suddenly disappeared. The rank 2 Magicians were left in confusion, but Zane still clenched his right fist tightly, feeling hope well up in him.
Nick instantly appeared within his fourth floor office, at which point, he called Dewy to inform him of something:
"Dewy, I will be cultivating at my house in Forgotten Peril for a while after a few days of rest. If anything comes up, even if it seems trivial, you can call me."
Dewy replied simply:
"Understood, Nick."
Nick ended the call, after which, he completely focused on healing the remainder of his injuries using Dragon Recovery. Nick's injuries had mostly healed on the surface, but his internal ones were still filled with ice path laws which hampered the process.
(I will have to spend a few days to deal with my injuries, or I am of no use to myself…)
Nick spent a total of three days ridding himself of the ice path laws that plagued his internal injuries, and healing his flesh and organs. He felt relieved when he was completely healed. He then started thinking about what he was going to do next:
(I will go to Sidon to cultivate, making use of the time difference between Grand Earth, and Forgotten Peril. Should I replace Stoic Grave, first? No, I need to revise my combat system, and I don't think that I actually need two swords. Hard Marvel will do for now…)
Nick was about to act on his intentions, but he received a call from James before he could do so. Nick quickly accepted the call, asking:
"What is it?"
"Nick, there is a woman at the entrance that says she wants to speak to you. She says her name is Carla Jenner, and that she is your fiance."
Nick's eyes nearly popped out of his head because of how much his eyebrows raised when he heard the news. Soon, he calmed down, and contemplated the situation:
(So, she has finally lost her patience. This is annoying, but I can cope. She wont dare to act against me here with my security system recording the happenings inside the building.)
Even though he had those thoughts, Nick rubbed his temple in anxiousness using his left hand. He was anxious because Carla was still a rank 4 Magician, and from what he knew about the success of the Soul Healing Scrolls, a very rich one at that.
(I cannot handle her lightly.)
Nick replied to James using a weary tone:
"Yeah…she is very special to me. Please escort her to my office on the fourth floor."
James could not believe it, but Nick had basically just confirmed that he had a fiance. It is not that James doubted Nick's ability, but as far as he knew, Nick did not socialize at all. He wondered:
(How did Nick get a hot fiance before me?)
James suppressed his suspicions as Nick ended the call. James then very politely guided Carla up to Nick's office. Once there, he opened the door to let her inside, and once she boldly entered, he closed the door, and went back to his own office.
Carla Jenner stood in front of the door, eyeing Nick for close to one minute without saying anything. Nick felt awkward the whole time, and only opened his mouth to sigh three times in response to Carla's knowing gaze. Carla was a woman who looked to be in her early thirties, she had dark brown hair that reached all the way down to her lower back, she had a white complexion, a slim build, and dark eyes.
Carla wore a slightly loose, long-sleeved, purple dress that reached down to her ankles. She was sporting four black, beaded bracelets, two on each arm, and she was wearing a pair of slightly elevated women's shoes. Carla's accusatory expression soon turned into a neutral one as she approached Nick, bypassing his desk.
Nick did not know what to expect, but he knew that trying to run was pointless when Carla was so close to him, so he swiveled his office chair to face her as she loomed over him. To his surprise, however, in the next moment, Carla did not bite into him using her words, or her power. Instead, she actually lowered herself to sit on his lap, saying:
"I was told that you defeated Adam Nefari today. If you had told me about the battle, I could have arranged to be there. They may be the Nefaris, but rank 4 Magicians basically have a passport to any event. It is good that your cultivation has reached rank 3 late stage, although I did not expect the development so soon."
Nick heard her words, but was too confused, and uncomfortable because of her manner to respond immediately. Carla noticed his silence before speaking after a brief chuckle:
"What? Did you think that I would sweat you because of how you suddenly disappeared on your own, or because of the tone you used with me while you were still at the academy. Lucky for you, honey, I am a forgiving woman, and we are still to be family, someday."
Nick heard the latter words, and a shiver went down his spine. He thought:
(She still doesn't plan on letting me go. Rank 3 late stage is still a great distance from rank 4, so she is not afraid that I will suddenly be outside her reach. Despite that, the fact that she is here after hearing about my battle means that my value might have increased in her eyes…)
Nick sounded another sigh before finally speaking:
"Why are you here, Carla?"
Carla lightly smiled, happy to see Nick so well-behaved. She had been worried that being outside the academy for so long had made him arrogant, or foolish. She thought:
(It is good to know that he has maintained his good senses.)
Carla replied plainly:
"I just wanted to see you, as well as inform you of the state of things. The Magic Scroll Company is doing well, and has made me, and my partners quite the profit. I have also gained a few contacts in the military, but due to the culture there, dealing with the top brass as a woman is very onerous. In any case, the magic formations that you designed to produce the Soul Healing Scrolls have become insufficient to meet demand, and so I will need you to design more cost effective ones with greater capacity, or I will have to hire too many Magicians to operate them."
Nick was not surprised that the demand for the Soul Healing Scrolls had reached such a level after a few years. Even he knew how great they were after using thousands of them during his soul path cultivation. Nick mused:
(She is here to get me to contribute. I suppose that is natural since I am still a shareholder of the company, even though I do not receive dividends. When it comes to the magic formations, she could have either hired a licensed Formation Magician to reformulate the magic formations, or come find me. I guess the latter choice was easier for her…)
After thinking for a while, Nick decided to do the work, and get it over with. After all, he did not expect it to be any measure of difficult. After thinking further, he also decided that he could not seem too quick to comply with this troublesome woman. Nick therefore took a risk, and reached out towards Carla's left side using his right hand.
Nick then began gently rubbing the left side of Carla's waist, saying:
"You know, these days, I am really busy with cultivation..."
Before Nick could even continue his words, Carla curled her right index finger, and lightly knocked Nick on the forehead with it, causing him to become silent, and to keep his right hand still. Carla then reproached him:
"Do not test my patience, honey. Be straight with me, and everything will be fine. If you try to play me, I might get angry, and you do not want that at all. Sigh…"
Carla sighed because of frustration. She hoped that Nick would be easier to control because of her obviously higher cultivation, but she realized that he was ambitious, and strong-willed.
(I have not looked into this Realm Exploration Company, yet. But considering that it has been around for months, and still looks orderly, Nick should be doing well. I swear…I have never been the type of woman to rely on a man, but I have my own ambitions, and cultivation needs. I will not allow Nick to drag his feet, or push our agreement aside.)
Carla spoke with an authoritative tone:
"You are to send the designs for the new magic formation to me within a few days so that our company can move forward. Do you understand?"
Nick stayed silent for a while in response to Carla's demand. After all that Nick had been through, although he was wary, and cautious when it came to Carla, he was not truly afraid of her, the tigress in his lap, because he had in recent times grown tired of being afraid of people, what people might do, or what people might scheme. He knew that it was in his best interest to comply with Carla, but he also knew that he could not let her believe that he thought of himself as her crony. The latter point was also in his best interest.
(Women are a problematic addition to the process because they remain irrational despite going through their own process…I think.)
Nick steeled his resolve, and moved his right hand from Carla's waist to the center of her back, and drew her towards himself. Carla immediately noticed what Nick was doing, and rolled her eyes in response, thinking:
(You are growing stronger by the day. Every time I see you, you have made extreme progress in some form. I don't care to submit to anyone, and I won't, but I understand that I have to make a few concessions to support your growth if I am to sufficiently benefit from our relationship…)
Carla simply went along with Nick's intentions to achieve her obvious aims. Nick drew Carla in enough to begin kissing her lips. Both Magicians closed their eyes while maintaining this intimate contact for one minute before Nick let Carla go, After that, she straightened her posture. Nick then informed her:
"I will send the magic formation design to you in a few days. Next time, please call ahead before you just show up. I might not be here if you don't."
Carla plainly replied:
"I will do as you say. I am leaving, now."
Carla then raised herself from Nick's lap, following which, Nick stood up, and led Carla back to the ground floor, where he watched her leave through the glass door, and enter a black town car before being driven away. Once Carla had left the property, Nick sighed aloud while thinking:
(I really cannot underestimate that woman. Despite her higher cultivation, she yielded to me, even just a little. Although it was a risk on my part, her actions reveal that she is tolerant, patient, and scheming. That is a truly problematic trifecta, as far as I can estimate. If I don't get to rank 4 in reasonable time, I might end up in trouble…)
Viewing the intimate episode just now as mostly a warning, Nick did not intend to delay his cultivation for much longer. He went back to his office, and spent three more days sufficiently modifying the magic formation design that he had originally given Carla to facilitate greater production of the Soul Healing Scrolls while maintaining, or reducing cost depending on Carla's management skills.
Nick sent a secure email to Carla that included the new magic formation design only hours after he finished it. Nick had taken so long on the modification because he was working out how to automate as much of the process as possible.
(Creating magic formations to mine minerals, and cultivate is very different from creating magic formations for industrial processes. I had to make sure that I did it correctly, or Carla would probably show up here with a less than pleasant disposition.)
Nick had encountered many kinds of people in his younger years who played nice so long as they received what they wanted. Nick had already concluded that Carla was that kind of person from their interaction three days ago. He had already learned how to handle such people:
(Such people need to be given what they want until either you no longer need them, or you can no longer be hurt by them. Their own pride, and selfishness will keep the relationship going even if they suspect that you know what they are actually up to, right up to the point that you drop them like a stone. Best I can do is make use of Carla's good qualities in the meantime. Sounds devious, but learning all that was also a part of me growing up…)
Nick was no longer going to delay going to Forgotten Peril, so he activated Cursed Vessel to teleport to the third basement floor, his usual workspace, where he used one of the space magic formations there to travel to his house in Sidon, Forgotten Peril.
When Nick got to his house in Sidon, he immediately went to work by spending about ten hours laying his modified Soul Examination Formation while minimizing its size so that it could be effectively used. After that, he summoned the soul containing crystal, and poured his magic energy into it, which resulted in it shattering like glass before the pieces turned to vapour without falling onto the floor.
The glowing, white dragon soul that was housed by the soul containing crystal was therefore released. Nick quickly activated the Soul Examination Formation by speaking its trigger phrase, and then used its power to guide the dragon soul to the center of the formation where it floated about one meter above the ground.
Nick also moved near to the center of the magic formation where he sat cross-legged, and willed for a projection of the dragon soul's laws to appear all around him. Nick could see the soul path laws clearly thanks to the power of Eyes of the Fated, but the laws of other paths were a blur. The soul could have laws related to other paths for many reasons, and not just because a talent of another path was present. That is what made it difficult to determine which laws involved talents.
(At the very least, based on my experiments, laws that are related to talents are relatively simpler than they are for laws related to other purposes. Talents are derived directly from nature, which often tends towards the simplest manifestations of laws to achieve anything, untainted by other influences.)
Nick examined the dragon soul for one month before he determined that one specific set of laws was probably related to a talent. At that time, Nick concluded that the set in question was probably the only such laws that were carved into this dragon's soul. In fact, it seemed to him that the dragon's soul had been weakened due to the use of methods from all kinds of paths. That was why Nick so easily found laws related to other paths on the soul.
(Midwar Nefari…did he know that he gave me defective goods? Hmph! It does not matter. What he could have meant for harm, I made good use of it.)
Nick went through the process of creating a minor split soul as well as detaching the portion of the dragon's soul that he was interested in. He then used the power of the modified magic formation to merge the two split souls. The merger took about twenty days to complete. During that time, the rest of the brutal-blade dragon's soul dissipated, but Nick did not try to save it because it had no more real value to him.
Nick moved on after that to merge the resulting minor split soul with his own soul using the rank 3 spell, Return Soul. Unexpectedly, when the minor split soul merged with Nick's own soul, he only became severely ill for one week before he recovered.
(I had thought that the recovery would have taken longer. Does the lessened recovery time have to do with the fact that my soul has draconic characteristics, now?)
Nick asked that question because his intuition demanded it, but he did not have an answer, and could not determine one, so he moved on. Nick went on to use the power of the Soul Examination formation to view the new laws added to his soul. He then began his attempt to decipher the meaning of the laws until he came up with a coherent description.
Surprisingly, even while using Eyes of the Fated, Nick took five months to create a description for the talent. At the end of those five months, Nick looked at the description that he typed out on his tablet computer's screen:
_______________________________________________________
Blade Signature -> the blade path laws that the host creates are difficult to erase using foreign magic energy.
________________________________________________________
Nick's expression indicated his excitement as he read the description of the law. He mused:
(Blade magic's highly offensive nature stems from the fact that its laws create wounds and cuts easily Those laws also persist, usually making those cuts hard to mend. When a person is hit by a directly offensive blade path spell, if they do not have a good healing method, their health will deteriorate quickly. Based on its description, with a talent like Blade Signature, my blade path spells should be more deadly than before, like a fast acting cancer if the deed is not done using one slash.)
After figuring out what his new talent was, Nick willed for the magic formation to self-destruct before moving on to his next self-assignment, and that was to modify his spells, and maybe retire existing ones.
(I have to keep modifying my combat system until it makes as much sense as possible. Adam Nefari wasn't even the most powerful rank 3 late stage Magician the Nefaris had, but he bought me to my knees, literally. I have to adapt my methods to my increasing cultivation or I might die when I next fight a worthy opponent.)
Nick went to work immediately, spending the next four and a half years working on his spells. Thirty days within Forgotten Peril was about the equivalent of one day on Grand Earth, and so after spending five years in Forgotten Peril, only two months had went by on Grand Earth by the time Nick had completed his new combat system.
One morning, Nick summarized the spells that his new combat system consisted of on his tablet computer:
________________________________________________________
Malevolent Altar -> a rank 3, advanced grade, space path, and blade path spell that creates many formless blades that cut into targets around the user. The targets have to be saturated with magic energy to successfully resolve this spell. The base cost of activation is approximately 40,000 magical units, but may be more depending on the caster's needs.
Dragon Light -> a rank 3, advanced grade, rule path, soul path, and blade path spell that conjures blade light that can flexibly take on shapes according to caster's will. The blade light is much stronger when this spell is cast using a bladed weapon. The base cost of activation is approximately 22,000 magical units.
Dragon Phantom -> a rank 3, rule path, soul path, and blade path, advanced grade spell that produces a minor split soul that binds to a target's soul. The split soul can induce false realities that may result in physical injury to the afflicted target. The split soul cannot be directly controlled by the caster after this spell has resolved, and this spell must be cast while wielding a bladed weapon. The rule path, and blade path laws carved into the soul by the effects of this spell can have deleterious effects on the mind. The base cost of activation is approximately 40,000 magical units, or more depending on the quality of the target's soul, and other resistances.
Dragon Cleave -> a rank 3, intermediate grade, rule path, and blade path spell that allows the caster to cut into a target's center without the use of a bladed weapon. The base cost of activation is approximately 8,000 magical units or more depending on the target's magical resistances.
Dragon Sever -> a rank 3, intermediate grade, rule path, space path, and blade path spell that allows the caster to cut into a target without the use of a bladed weapon. The target can be cut while ignoring foreign resistances. The base cost of activation is approximately 10,000 magical units or more depending on the target's magical resistances.
Seeker Sever -> a rank 3, intermediate grade, rule path, space path, and blade path spell that allows the caster to cut into a target that he cannot aim at. This spell can be cast without the use of a bladed weapon. The caster must have the current image of the target in mind to resolve this spell. The base cost of activation is approximately 12,000 magical units or more depending on the target's magical resistances, and the distance the target is from the caster.
Seeker Physique -> a rank 3, advanced grade, rule path, and space path spell that forces the caster's body into an artificial, adjacent space while maintaining an identical spatial projection in its place. The spatial projection cannot be harmed or blocked by conventional, magical or non-magical influences. The base cost of activation is approximately 15,000 magical units, or more depending on foreign influences, and 200 magical units every ten seconds thereafter, or more depending on foreign influences.
Seeker Recovery -> a rank 3, intermediate grade, rule path, soul path, and space path spell that heals damage done to the caster's body in proportion to the quality of his soul. Lingering foreign magic on the caster's body is broken down to heal the soul. This spell becomes more effective in proportion to the magic energy concentration of the space that the caster resides in. The base cost of activation is 9,000 magical units, and 200 magical units every second thereafter.
_________________________________________________________
Nick was satisfied with his new spells.
(I have mostly removed redundancies, increased efficiency, reduced risk, and attempted to consider possible blind spots with this new combat system. Malevolent Altar has even been improved to the point of me not needing to be stationary to cast it, but it still cannot be cast on objects that have been drained of magic energy. I can live with that flaw, for now.
I have finally retired the Armor series of spells because soul path is inferior to space path in terms of defensive, or evasive potential. Seeker Physique is a much better alternative to Dragon Armour which was often penetrated by heat, light, and cold even without collapsing.
I have also retired the Form series of spells because they required me to get too close to my opponents. My rank 3 body cannot be allowed to bear the brunt of extreme conditions so often just so that I can cut my opponent. That will eventually result in victories where the cost exceeds the advantage gained…)
After justifying his changes to himself, Nick stored his tablet computer back into one of his space bands. He then made use of one of his space magic formations to return to his company building on Grand Earth. When Nick returned to his workspace on the third basement floor, he proceeded to the elevator, using it to get to the fourth floor where he went to his office. After sitting in his office chair, he muttered:
"It's nice to stretch my legs every now, and then."
Nick then thought about his next plans:
(I have a little over a year left until I need to report to the Order of the United Realm. For now, I am going to focus on raising the quality of my magic energy further. That usually means meditating for a long time, but the quality of my magic energy is already very high. It shouldn't require too many years to get where I need to be…)
After some more thinking, Nick came up with an idea:
(To power Space Craft, I outfitted it to convert magic beast souls to magic energy. I did not think much about that conversion method, since it only required a few years of light, mental work to formulate, but come to think of it, I was already a soul path scholar by that time. Hmmm…I do know that I can make use of magic beast magic energy to to aid my cultivation using hope marrow, and a great deal of soul magic power can be obtained from magic beast souls, and broken down into magic energy that possess' the soul path signature.
If it is just to raise the quality of my own magic energy, using such unconventionally derived magic energy might be enough. I would preferably require the souls of powerful soul path magic beasts to make that kind of cultivation efficient, though.)
Soul path magic beasts had a high concentration of soul magic power in their souls. Most people killed magic beasts to obtain their bodies, but for Nick, the soul of a soul path magic beast was the real treasure because it had an immense concentration of soul path laws. He, however, felt troubled by his this route.
(Where would I get good enough magic beast souls to cultivate with? Ideally, they should be souls of soul path magic beasts in the regular ranks, but that is beyond my ability to obtain. No company would sell such goods to a rank 3 Magician, and even if they did, I may not be able to afford it…)
The convenience of Grand Earth towards cultivation was the developed economy, meaning that almost anything could be bought as long as one had the correct status, and enough money. This time around, Nick was lacking in both status, and probably money too. He did not even have much time to spare.
After thinking for a while, however, Nick realized that he knew someone that had the correct status, and was probably far wealthier than himself.
(Her family probably also has some kind of treasury that stores magic beasts souls. Midwar Nefari had told me he had no use for the soul of a rank 4 magic beast! Maybe the Jenners have a similar issue…)
Nick did not delay in calling Carla using his smartphone after he thought of the possibility. Carla accepted the call promptly:
"Hello, honey. What is it? Are you going to ask me how the new magic formations are coming along? Actually, they work better than I thought they would. I knew that you would help me to succeed in my aims, even if I had to be a little demanding with you."
Nick's expression became bitter after he heard that last part, and he did not fail to notice Carla's half-grudgeful tone as she said it. Nick soon replied to her:
"I am not calling about the magic formations. I already knew that they would work well when I sent you the design. Look, I want to talk to you in person. Please come to my office, today."
Carla went silent for a few seconds before she started speaking again using an amused tone:
"Oh. Is it that Mr. Capitol feels that he has grown in influence so much that he can determine my whereabouts at the drop of a hat?"
Nick sighed before replying:
"Your fiance is asking for your attention for just a few hours. Please come see me at my office."
Nick could hear Carla chuckling into the phone, and his indifferent expression almost collapsed into one of embarrassment. He had to endure the embarrassment of playing Carla's game, though, if he wanted her help. She had not truly harmed him before, anyway. Carla soon replied with a more serious tone:
"I will be at your office within the hour, Nick honey. Make sure to have a chair waiting for me when I arrive this time."
Carla ended the call after speaking those words. Nick placed his smartphone onto his desk, and slumped down in exhaustion due to that one call.
(I had no choice but to ask her to come here. I cannot just wander into the tigress' lair, and assume that I would be allowed to leave afterwards. Even if there is a small amount of hope, I will seek it. Getting the souls of high ranked magic beasts would save me a lot of time, theoretically…)
Nick thought some more about his plan while the time passed, and soon enough, he received a call from James. Nick picked up the phone on his desk using his right hand, and accepted the call using his usual, indifferent tone:
"Is she here, James?"
James answered without suspense:
"If you mean Carla Jenner, she is here to meet with you. Should I escort her up, now."
"Yes, escort her to my office."
Nick ended the call, and then summoned a simple office chair from one of his space bands, so that it was positioned in front of his desk. After his office door opened five minutes later, and Carla walked through his doorway, she immediately closed the door behind her. She was wearing a slightly loose orange dress that went below her knees along with a white blazer, a pair of slightly elevated female shoes, and the same four black, beaded bracelets from before.
Carla silently sat in the office chair in front of Nick's desk, and waited for him to speak his mind while maintaining an expression that indicated her amusement. Nick ignored her expression, and activated Cursed Vessel to teleport next to her. Carla's amused expression deepened after witnessing Nick's method.
Nick simply kissed her lips for a few seconds before using Cursed Vessel to teleport back into his seat. He then began speaking:
"I will get straight to the point, Carla. I know that you are busy. I need a favour, and you are the one that I need it from."
Carla chuckled a little before replying:
"Naturally."
Nick's right eyelid twitched a little, but he composed himself right after, and spoke further:
"I need the souls of high ranked soul path magic beats. Can you get those for me?"
Carla's amused expression became serious when she heard that request. She had not expected it one bit, but she knew how to respond:
"That is quite the ask. Hmmm…I do in fact remember that my family has at least three such magic beast souls stored in our treasury, but those resources are meant for family use. Are you family, Nick?"
Nick's right eyelid briefly twitched again after being asked that question, but he did not let Carla's playfulness get in the way of his goal. Nick activated Cursed Vessel again to appear next to her. He immediately kissed her lips, but maintained contact for one minute while looking squarely into her eyes.
After that minute, Nick remained at her side, and asked:
"Let's not play games, Carla. What do you want?"
Carla immediately stood up, and said:
"You tried my patience for a long time, Nick Capitol. Hmph! It turns out that even you need help, sometimes. I will not make things difficult for you, but I need you to commit to me right here, right now, or I will deny your request."
Nick felt a headache develop immediately. He knew what she likely meant. He asked:
"When do you want the ceremony to happen?"
Carla's serious expression changed to one of amusement again. She plainly answered:
"Now you are understanding the situation. I will arrange a private ceremony at my family's estate one week from now. I was not lying by the way, you really do need to be family to get your hands on those magic beast souls. Those are the rules, and it just so happens that those rules suit my agenda.
I won't bother asking where your engagement ring is, or I might get mad. I will arrange for you to receive the magic beast souls after the wedding ceremony, and not a moment sooner. You are a very slippery, and cunning man."
Nick sighed aloud before saying:
"I will not be taking on the Jenner name."
Carla replied disinterestedly:
"I don't care whether you do. Just be loyal to me, and everything will be fine. Oh, and I expect you to fully support my cultivation when I call on you."
Nick indifferently replied:
"Naturally."
Carla smiled lightly before moving to kiss Nick on the lips. This time, she even put her tongue into his mouth before stepping back. Nick, however, quickly held her lower back using his right hand, and drew her in again before kissing her lips. Nick held Carla for close to one minute before he lowered his right hand onto her bottom, at which point, she slapped his right hand away, stepped back, and reproached him:
"Do not be presumptuous, or naive. You have to earn such submission from me. That won't change after the ceremony either."
Nick swallowed a bit of his saliva, relieved that Carla had stopped him:
(Crap, my emotions got the better of me there. I almost made a mistake. I briefly forgot that touching this woman carelessly could get me killed.)
Nick then indifferently replied:
"Have it your way, Carla."
She maintained her light smile while responding:
"I always do."
Carla briefly kissed Nick's lips once more before she had him escort her to the ground floor. Carla soon left in the same black town car as before, and drove off the property. Nick quickly cast Cursed Vessel to return to his office where he mused about what had taken place:
(I had refused to marry Carla before because she was strong while I was weak, and I did not want to be her puppet. That was when I was still rank 2, though. Now that I am rank 3 late stage, I just need one final push to get to rank 4. At that point, she will not be able to act against me lightly wherever we are. If I play this right, I can win. I just hope the woman doesn't try to take anything important from me in the process.)
Nick did not really want the impending marriage to occur, but for the sake of his cultivation, he would see it through. What? Aren't you selling yourself?
(Don't be naive. We all give up parts of our lives for a time to further our goals. It is the cost of living with ambition. Do not confuse me reaching an agreement with Carla, with sacrificing my body. I am no little lamb, and neither is Carla. Carla wants to further her wealth, and cultivation, same as me. She has not acted excessively because of my evident competence, and potential, and that will keep her in check. For now, I only need to work on getting stronger, so that when the time is right, I will be the one directing the flow of things. Plans change…needs change.)
Nick summoned his tablet computer from his space band, and started writing his plans down. After one day passed, he sent a list of magic materials to Riley so that she could begin to procure them. Nick then began meditating within his office until the day of the wedding ceremony arrived.