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I opened my eyes and saw that Alessia had vanished. A small flitter of disappointment filled me as I realized I would be lonely again for a while. I glanced at my clock and saw that it was only around nine am. I didn't feel like going out and training today, which would leave me with two options. Either work on some content for the domain or meditate and work on my Ki and soul.

I wasn't really in the mood for writing content, so that just left me with meditation. I glanced around the room, and it reaffirmed my thought. It was better than being lonely again. I really needed to work on my issues rather than running away by working myself to death to ignore them. I stood up and stretched as my body slowly woke up. Now I had to figure out a pleasant spot to meditate. Did I want to do it here or find a place in the forest?

I mean, for me, either place was safe enough. There wasn't really anything out there that would hurt me, though I had a feeling that Alessia would probably have a conniption on the matter. Which was funny enough made me laugh a bit. It was weird having someone who was overly protective. Weird but not unpleasant.

I opened up my map and looked across the domain to find a place for me to meditate. The only place that seemed quiet and far away was the lake. For some reason, the surrounding area still seemed full of life, though a few meters out, the forest was slowly graying and dying. That was an odd interaction, and I wasn't sure what was causing it. But I wasn't complaining. It would give me a clean and beautiful area to meditate in. Though not so much once the adventurers came in. I could always block it off, but that didn't feel right. I wanted everything to be open to the Adventurers; adding restrictions to places would ruin the charm. So I would just leave it as it is for now.

I opened another screen and quickly shot Alessia a message, telling her I would be at the lake when she finished doing whatever she was doing. The second that the message was sent, I quickly teleported over to the lake. Once my nausea had passed, I looked around, trying to find a decent place for me to sit. A vast portion of the area was covered in vines and small plants. There was a small dirt-ridden road that I usually used to get into the lake when I took my baths, but other than that, it was just a crowded cost line. But I wanted something prettier than this. I stared at the lake as I tried to create an image of my mind on how I wanted the place to look. I wanted to make a beach or something close to it, so let's see what I can do.

I waved my hand, and a small, runic circle appeared below four of the trees. It was a three-layered circle connected with a few dozen star-shaped symbols that all twisted opposite each other and glowed with a dark maroon light. The trees looked as if they were being eaten away by a fire. They were flaking and turning into ash and getting sucked into the symbol on the ground. This was probably the first time I saw this skill as clear as this, and it did not disappoint me.

The entire process didn't last more than just a moment, as the trees vanished without a trace, leaving a small clearing. I changed the ground by making it a solid piece of rock with a smooth top and extended it up and outwards to overlook the lake a bit. It wasn't pretty, but it would do for now. Once I was happy with the overall appearance, I climbed on top of it and quickly began to work the land around the lake. I consumed various plants and materials, replacing them with golden sand, all around the perimeter of the lake. Once I was happy with it all, I sat down and enjoyed the look of my mini beach.

I had to shift a few times to get comfortable on the rock, but really it wasn't all that bad to sit on. It was hard, but nothing that a pillow couldn't fix. But it didn't matter that much to me. I mean, once I activated my meditation skill, I wouldn't feel it, anyway.

I crossed my legs and closed my eyes. Before I went into my subconscious, I decided to just sit here in silence for a moment. The kiss of the sunlight left a quiet warmth on my skin, and the wind gently caressed my exposed flesh. Since I decided not to wear my cloak or mask today. The subtle scent of the water was far different from what I thought it would have been. It was like that of a freshly bloomed rose, with the scent of grass that was recently watered touched with moss. It was peaceful and serene. The perfect place to meditate. With one last deep breath, I activated my meditation skill.

My eyes opened to my Ki realm, and the air felt different. The fog was less oppressive and was slowly being sucked up into a giant sphere that was rotating behind the outline of my body. The seven padlocks were still there, hanging tightly on, while the fog was pressing through my body's outline. I pushed through the fog and walked across the air towards my foundation. I crossed my legs and took a deep breath, and the surrounding haze shifted with my breath.

The bolts of lightning struck the ground even more fiercely than before, and in the back of my mind, I knew I should not do what I did last time. At least until I got better with Ki manipulation. I pulled my gaze from the lightning and stared up at my Ki core. As it twisted, it yanked on the fog, pulling it into itself. Its surface crackled with power, and small bolts of lightning danced across its surface. It was like having my very own sun, in a way. I watched it as it twisted and spun, leaving behind trails of fog that were slowly being sucked up into it. Now I had to figure out how to strengthen it, so my Ki reserves could be more plentiful. Kharon said to meditate on it, but I still wasn't sure what to do with it.

I watched it rotate for some time, and how the surrounding fog seemed to ebb and lull in a pattern. I dragged in a deep breath, and the surrounding haze pushed towards me. With another deep breath, the haze wrapped around me and seeped in my pores. So all I had to do was breathe and be calm. That wasn't a problem. I wish I would have known just to do this the first time, and I would have spared myself all that extra pain. But that was in the past. I had to keep moving forward.

The haze of Ki pushed further into me, and instead of the overwhelming power, it felt like a heavier version of air settling in my lungs. I fought back the sense of panic and tried to embrace how it felt. The Ki was heavy and only grew thicker with each deep breath that I took. After a few minutes, it felt like I was breathing in syrup. Each breath grew harder, but I had to stay relaxed. A few more deep breaths later, it felt almost impossible to breathe anymore in. My lungs couldn't possibly fit anymore. But I needed just one more breath. One more, and I would stop. I had to keep pushing my body if I wanted to get any stronger. I needed to be strong. Not just for myself but for everyone in the domain. If I wanted to be the Empress, I needed to prove to everyone that I was worthy of that title.

That last breath was the hardest thing that I had ever had to do. My body fought against it as I felt like I was about to explode from the pressure inside me. As another small tendril of fog pushed its way inside of me, and a thunderous explosion shook my foundation. The pressure threatening to tear me apart was torn from me as the haze was sucked away.

My eyes shot open, and I swallowed a deep breath that soothed the burning in my chest., I watched as the first padlock fell from my body's outline. The lock was shattered in a dozen places and fell in a rain of metallic debris, falling into whatever void lay below. A small hole stood where the lock once was, and the fog was quickly sucked into it. The core quickly consumed its newfound food and swiftly grew in size. Its surface rippled and pulsed with an unbidden power. The lightning that dotted its surface crackled and roared as its strength grew.

I stood up and noticed that my limbs were much lighter than before. My head pulsed with a sense of clarity, and each breath I took seemed easier and lighter. I glanced at my notifications to see if I could get a bearing on what I did, and oh boy, was I surprised.

Viscera saturation: Your body has absorbed an enormous amount of Ki. It has now augmented your internal organs. Your heart has been reinforced, your muscles are more robust, and your brain is more efficient. All your organs have been improved and now operate more efficiently than before.

-Increase strength, agility, dexterity, health by +2

You have unlocked the first vital Ki point.

Your basic Ki core is now a Nescient Core. Your Ki replenishment rate has slightly increased, and you have gained two levels in Ki manipulation.

A wave of excitement washed over me as I got to see the results of all of my hard work. Nothing was more satisfying to me than seeing the amount of progress that I could make. I glanced at the clock and saw that it only took me a few hours to do this. So I still had time to work on meditation. However, I think I made enough progress in the Ki department for today. Now I think it was time that I worked on my soul. I haven't given it enough time lately, and I needed to make sure I was training everything.

I forced myself deeper into my mind and went into my soul realm. The only thing that had changed since I was here last was that my outline grew and was plastered in the sky just like in my Ki realm. However, in place of padlocks, there were stars plastered around my body. There was an uncountable number, much like the cloudless night sky. However, what drew my attention was that a small number was brighter than the others and formed a few constellations.

One was the shape of a sword and comprised six stars. They sat outside of my body, near my left hand. On the right was a bow that was made by eight stars. Above my head was a crown, made by four. By my feet was a shield in the shape of a diamond made of five stars. However, the biggest constellation sat behind my outline. It was composed of ten stars and showed the face of a dragon that stared at me, with its maw at the ready to consume me if given a chance.

I stared up at them, unsure of what each was. First, I glanced at the sword and tried to work through what it meant based on what I already knew of this world, plus what I could conclude based on common sense. I should probably ask Kharon for help and see what he says before I make any choices, but at the same time, I want to be independent and make a good choice.

The sword, to me, represented aggression and combat. Something that I have been practicing for quite some time. The bow is for ranged attacks and was methodical in use and pinpoint its accuracy. The crown would represent leadership and be reflective in my role as the Empress of Asteria. The shield would reflect my desire to protect everyone under my command, no matter the cost. But the dragon eluded me. I knew it represented a few different things in various cultures, but I wasn't sure what it meant here.

I stared up at the sky and thought it all over. They clearly wanted me to select one of them, but what did I want? Combat? Leadership? Accuracy? Defense? Or whatever the dragon represented. Ugh, choices sucked. They all seemed fantastic, and I didn't want to make the wrong one. Nor did I want to rely on Kharon for this. This was my choice, and my soul, after all. The dragon, though, kept drawing my attention. There was something about it that kept dragging me in. The curiosity of what it could be was too much, and I decided I wanted it. I was already working on mastery of everything else in the constellation. But the dragon? That was something unique, and whatever it was, I wanted it.

I raised my hand and gathered a portion of my soul in my hand, and pointed it at the dragon constellation. I took a deep breath with no lack of anxiety in my chest. Every day, I was growing stronger, yet there was still so much I didn't know. Yet, with each passing second, my thirst for knowledge and the desire for power was only growing stronger. I steeled my hand and released my soul shot towards the dragon constellation. Ready for whatever was to come.