Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 784: Upgrading My Elites

Her voice sounded utterly lost, letting me know that not even Black Fangʼs dusty tomes held this knowledge. Or, at the very least, the purple-eyed, horribly antisocial, and, Goddess help me, turbo hot milf didnʼt share it with Vex.

Anyhow. Iʼd already decided to trust this awesome existence, so I spent the next few minutes delivering my information about all that Iʼd kept from her regarding this topic.

Once I was done delivering the truths of the universe, such as the almighty Goddess they all revered as if she were some all-knowing, omnipresent entity, was a brat in need of severe correction in reality, Vex stood silent for a moment with her eyes wide and face pale. Her lips parted, and the first thing out of her mouth was:

”I need a drink.”

Without waiting for my response, she spun on her heel and strutted across the room with her hips swaying in rhythmic motions that would capture the attention of any man. She moved toward a wide, reinforced barrel nestled into the corner, one I had assumed held wine or something equivalent.

A pop of suction echoed as she twisted the tap embedded into the wood, filling a crystal glass with a dark crimson liquid.

She raised the glass to her lips, took a sip, and her entire body immediately relaxed. Color returned to her face like a tide rushing in. Her cheeks flushed a warm pink, and a breathy murmur escaped her lips.

”Ah… So tasty.”

But as she turned back toward me, still sipping, my nose twitched. There was something off about the scent. Metallic. Tangy.

”Why,” I asked slowly, ”do I smell blood?”

She gave a light shrug of her bare shoulder, utterly unbothered.

”Oh, I mix in a bit of lionkin blood. Just a dash. Makes it more satisfying to drink.”

”… That sounds like it would be horrible.”

”It might have an unconventional taste, but I find it more delicious than the Molten Anvil Mead I shared with you guys in the bath.” She smiled and raised the glass toward me in invitation. ”Wanna try? Itʼs fresh. Donʼt worry, no plague, no rot. I added a preservation crystal to it. Breaks down pathogens, keeps the blood from coagulating, and locks in the flavor profile.”

I declined the offer with a shake of my head, watching her take another contented sip after murmuring, ”More for me, I suppose.”

Honestly, I wasnʼt overly shocked to learn she drinks the blood of slain lionkin. After all, crossing the border and going on a murder spree until she passes out from exhaustion is her ideal holiday vacation. Or at least that was the case before today. With their Sunfang executed, their capital city burned to the ground, and their people actively being hunted by their fellow beastkin, her need for vengeance has been satisfied.

With her wine glass in hand, she moved back toward me.

Now that the fusion was complete, I turned my attention back to the [Necromantic Codex] and navigated to the page of Elite Souls, where I focused on Eveʼs name in particular.

[Elite Soul – Eve]

[Type: Warrior]

[Soul Rank: 1]

[Fusion Progress: 0.001 / 1000]

Her page opened with a soft shimmer, displaying the bare-bones statistics of her existence. A single thin bar glowed beneath the header. It was so faint, I had to focus to see it at all. řÂŊꝊᛒЁṨ

The progress indicator had nudged forward by the slimmest margin. From nothing to something. 0.001 out of 1000. A single drop in an ocean.

The [Soul Fusion] had worked, but it also made one thing painfully clear.

The ranking-up of Elite Souls was mercilessly slow without the right fuel. Civilian souls barely registered as kindling.

Still... kindling could build a fire.

And I had a million more to burn.

But before I started blasting, I wanted to experiment a bit more.

With her wine glass in hand and that satisfied blush still warming her cheeks, Vex leaned against the wall beside me and observed as I selected the next candidates.

”Letʼs see what better fuel looks like,” I muttered, summoning three souls. Warriors, all of them. Level 10, each with a Potency Rating of 20.

I selected Eveʼs name once more and cast [Soul Fusion].

The process of soul merging happened once again, with the resulting single orb entering Eveʼs body. The progress bar ticked upward, ever so slightly more noticeable than before.

[Fusion Progress: 0.001 → 0.161 / 1000]

So thatʼs what better material looks like. It wasnʼt a flood, not even close. But it was the difference between a single raindrop… and a modest splash. At the end of the day, level 10 Warriors werenʼt exactly rare. I believed that it was fair to assume that this soul necromancy business was meant to be more than me going around hunting level 10 rookies.

Wishing to study one particular theory of mine, I conjured three more souls. They were of the same level, same potency, but this time, they were non-warriors. An Archer, a Mage, and a Tank. Their forms shimmered less potently, more passive in their energy.

I performed the fusion again.

A quieter resonance welcomed the fusion, and the increase was noticeably weaker.

[Fusion Progress: 0.161 → 0.2 / 1000]

Just 0.04. As opposed to the previous 0.16 increase. This meant only one thing: with the same level and potency, the soulʼs class greatly affected the result.

So… role alignment mattered. Warrior souls fed Warrior Elites better. There was likely a deeper compatibility layer beneath that, too. Maybe specific traits, emotional resonance, perhaps even shared kills.

With a quiet flick of my wrist, my robe materialized from the void of my pocket ring.

Without a word, I stepped behind Vex and draped it gently over her shoulders, covering her naked form. I ensured it was closed in front of her body, hiding her most sensitive areas. She blinked, puzzled.

”I wasnʼt cold…”

I didnʼt answer.

Instead, I extended my hand forward and channeled power into the air. ”[Awaken].”

A surge of soul energy swirled at my command, coalescing in front of us until the blue form of the second Elite Soul emerged. It was a tall, noble figure with fox ears, a princely mane of silver-streaked auburn hair, and a well-kept, lush tail trailing behind him.

Vex looked at the newly arrived soul warrior. Then looked at herself, still holding the edges of my oversized robe around her body.

Realization dawned across her face.

”Wait. Wait a second.” She turned toward me slowly, brows lifting. ”Did you seriously make me cover up… because you didnʼt want your own soul soldier seeing your woman naked?”

I offered no defense for my case. No apology, either.

Instead, I grinned, shamelessly ignoring any further inquiry she mightʼve had for me regarding the topic. ”My tome is way too hefty. I say itʼs time we reduce its page count!”

With a mental command, the [Necromantic Codex] flipped open again. I navigated to Veyrinʼs page.

[Elite Soul – Veyrin]

Type: Archer

Soul Rank: 1

Fusion Progress: 0.000 / 1000

I raised my hand.

A flood of light surged from my soul storage as I selected and summoned one hundred thousand Level 1 Lesser Souls. Their potency was minimal as weak civilians, but together, they formed a glowing, buzzing storm of potential.

With a sweeping gesture, I funneled the entire mass toward Veyrin.

”Letʼs see if a hundred thousand nobodies can build a prince,” I murmured.

And cast [Soul Fusion].