Edwin was once more in darkness. Thick and viscous, it was a far cry from the dream he'd had of this place before. It was like his entire body was weighed down. He couldn't hardly move. Even breathing was difficult.

Unlike last time though, there isn't anything there to greet his presence, and the void was so dark that he could barely make out his own body at all; a bare outline that had gone so pale that even the red was missing from his skin.

He looked like a ghost.

“He... hello?” He finally sputters, but his voice was just as weak and soft as the rest of him.

-You have returned, Edwin Cast. But you are close to death.

The mysterious voice comes out of the darkness again, and for a moment Edwin cannot do anything but twist up his face. He was dying?

He could still remember the pain that had ravaged his body, as if his blood had turned into fire running through the whole of him. No part of him was spared.

But he still couldn't say anything. Simply trying to open his mouth was as physically draining as if he were climbing a mountain.

-Do not try to speak. I know what has transpired. The Mana Egg that you caused to birth was unexpected, and contained a very large amount of the power I had put to slumber in your body. You were not ready for it.

The voice that echoes in the Void seemed to know what was going on, so all Edwin can do is give a slight nod. Trying to do any more would have taken far too much effort.

-You will not die, Edwin Cast. But you will not be the same as you were, either. That power was far too great for you to touch this early, so it has warped you...

That didn't sound good. Not good at all. Edwin desperately tries to talk, to ask about what was going on, but even with his mouth open, no sound came out. Only a croak little more than a sigh, not even a whisper.

-Do not fear. The power will settle in time, and as you grow strong enough to use it, your body will return to what it properly was. You should be grateful to that girl, Deloria Bargest, for she saved you from complete annihilation. The mixed elements of the Void, and the Fire and Earth that flows through her veins kept you from disappearing completely. Now go, sleep and regain your strength. We will meet again soon.

The voice was quite a bit more talkative than last time, but at the same time its tone had turned curt and just a tad sour. Like a god, it didn't enjoy unexpected surprises. But Edwin was thankful all the same as he fell back into the blackness of unconsciousness.

He slept for two whole weeks.

-|- -|- -|-

Waking felt far more natural this time, even though the room was shrouded in darkness. He could make out the shape and the furniture though, and thus could tell that it was his chamber within the Citadel. But the windows were thickly covered, and there wasn't a single candle to be found in the room. Nor lamp for that matter.

He felt fine though, as if he had just woken from a restful nap instead of having been in utter unconsciousness. At least until he tries to sit up. And couldn't.

Not only could he not sit up, he couldn't feel his arms or his legs, just a silky sort of sensation running up and down his otherwise working nerves.

His shifting is enough to awake someone else, and suddenly a soft blue glow erupts from his chest, casting just enough light to see by.

“Edwin! You're awake!” The voice was that of Jottenhiem, coming from the crystal facet buried in the flesh of his chest, above his head.

“Ah... Yeah. I'm awake, Jottenhiem. How long was I out for?” Edwin asks, although his throat was dry, and thus his voice was scratchy and thin at best.

But it wasn't until he'd already asked the question that he notices that he couldn't even see his limbs. Instead there seemed to be some sort of black, foggy gauze covering most of his body, up to his mid-chest. He could neither feel nor see anything that lies beneath it.

“Oh... Um... You've been unconscious for two weeks.” Jottenhiem's tone suddenly became soft and even a touch fearful.

“If that wasn't bad enough... most of your body has disappeared.” She finally finishes, although her words had gone almost so soft that even Edwin couldn't hear her.

“Disappeared?” He blurts out, trying to move his arms again. This time though, he notices a slight ripple in the black foggy -stuff- that covers him, and that's when it sinks in.

It wasn't clothe, or even gauze. It wasn't any sort of covering at all. It was like an inky black fog.

It was the change that the voice in the Void had told him about. Most of his body had turned into fog.

*DING*

You have consumed the Mana Egg of the Void!By touching the Mana Egg of the Void you have absorbed it.

The power was too great for your body due to your lack of Void Affinity, forcing a transformation to accommodate itself.

The characteristics of this transformation are currently Unknown.Void Affinity +200

Void Transformation (Incomplete)The Void Transformation is the second Power of the Void.

It turns the body into a black vapor or fog, immune to the effects of the physical world. Only mana and magic can affect this form. It allows the user to pass through the tiniest crack or hole, and with a high level of practice can even pass through solid objects altogether.

But because this transformation was forced it is incomplete, and thus a part of the body is not able to properly transform.

Movement penalties have been applied.

Stat penalties have been applied.

-95% Movement.

-64 Strength.

-46 Dexterity.

-73 Constitution.

You have gained a weakness to bright lights and sunlight. Strong light will cause the dispersion of your Void form, damaging your health. Once the light is removed, the mist will gradually rebuild as you regain your health.

Applied Attributes are unaffected.

Mental Attributes are unaffected.

Leadership and Luck are unaffected.The Void Form (Incomplete) Ability has been Unlocked!The Void Movement Skill has been Unlocked!

Several things had popped up, and instead of losing his cool, he simply takes a couple of deep breaths.

Okay, so it was bad. Worse than he'd imagined after his very strange dream back in the Void. But he'd been told that he'd almost died, and yet would remain alive but changed.

But he was alive. So that's a plus.

“Thank you, Jottenhiem. I'm okay. Just trying to catch up with everything.” He says after a moment, after hearing the spirit trying to hide a choking sob coming from the crystal in his chest.

“It seems something bad happened, and now I'm stuck between forms. But apparently I am still able to complete it and reverse it after a while.” He isn't so sure about that, but its better than thinking negatively about it, right?

The drop in his stats was a big hit though. He was basically down to level 1 again. But his overall health, mana and stamina remained the same. It also didn't affect any of his mentality, either.

Moving though was going to be a big problem.

In truth, it was going to be a major pain in the ass.

“Ah. None of us knew what was going on. It started at your fingers, where you'd touched that really big Mana Egg, and then slowly crept up your body. By the time we got you back to the Citadel, you were almost dead from the light exposure.” Jottenhiem finally starts speaking up about what happened.

“I see. So it wasn't just the pain.” He says, giving a slight nod to his head. At least he could do that, and even look around. But more than that, his mind was working furiously.

This was a major setback for both his plans and his own work. He wasn't the sort to take rest days or use his vacation time unless ordered to or was very sick. This basically qualifies, but there's still too much to do.

While thinking that, Edwin notices a small bell that's been hung up by a string hanging over his head, connected to the large ornate headboard. For a moment a large question mark appears over his head, before he realizes what it is for. To alert others that he's awake.

Unable to move much from his position, he takes a deep breath and blows; causing the bell to jingle just a little. But the small runic script engraved on the bells surface casts a soft glow, and outside his chambers' door he can hear someone suddenly shouting.

Too bad Edwin cannot make out the words. But that bell is neat. Almost like a trap. Hm. He'll have to save that information for later.

Within moments the door bangs open, but there's a thick sheet covering the outside to keep out any light. But the one who rushes in is Allisa, and not Lucien, whom Edwin had been expecting.

“AAAH! My Lord!” The blue elf is basically in tears, and doesn't hold back at all as she flops onto his chest with a hug that would have been crushing... except her arms pass right through the black fog. He barely feels a tingle.

“I'm okay, Allisa, really.” He says soothingly after a moment, more than a little taken aback at her sobs. It was bad enough not knowing what to do about a crying woman, but not being able offer even a soothing touch was more than a little heartbreaking.

“Awwwh! You idiot!” Allisa's yell is muffled against his chest, and all Edwin can do is sigh. It takes the Head Maid more than a few minutes to finally calm down and come to her senses, pulling back while wiping her eyes with the back of her hands between sniffles.

“Yes, yes. It is alright, Allisa. I'm an idiot.” He says gently, trying to placate the still crying blue elf while also shifting a little using his shoulders. She is surprisingly heavy on his chest, although he barely feels anything where her touch passes right through the fog-form that the rest of his body is.

“I know it looks bad, but it is reversible once the transformation finishes.”

Those words snap the blue elf out of her stress and worry induced cry, and she suddenly jerks up and looks down at him with a stern gaze.

“You think the fact that you almost died is the only thing you have to apologize for?! Sleeping with that pixie hussy and then almost getting killed and worrying us all to death is only part of the problem!”

It seems that Allisa isn't her usual self. That causes Edwin to flinch a bit at her tone. Still, he meets her stern gaze evenly, as well as he could before he bobs one of his shoulders, which far less range of motion than he'd have if he was still able to move his arm. That in itself proves that there is still substance there, connected to the joint, cause it does cause a slight shifting in the fog that covers where his arm had been. It was slight, but it does catch his gaze out of the corner of his eye.

“That hussy didn't do anything wrong besides getting on my nerves. But I do apologize for all of this.”

His voice is still rough and scratchy, his throat still very much dry, but something in his tone causes Allisa's features to soften a little, before firming back up as she looks at him. Her quivering chin however shows that she isn't nearly as composed as she seems now, however.

“If you'd wanted to sleep with someone you should have come to me first. Idiot.” Allisa says, although she mutters the first part, which Edwin almost misses. Still, his brows raise at her, causing the blue elf to blush so much that her face nearly goes violet in color. Blue skin and red blood would do that to a person.

“Ah, there you are, Allisa. I hope I'm not interrupting.”

The dry, amused voice jerks both Allisa and Edwin to look at the doorway, where Lucien has stepped in through the curtain with a slight smirk on his otherwise placid features. Edwin is thankful for the interruption, given the subject matter that Allisa had just brought up. It wasn't really a conversation he was ready to have, and no doubt Allisa was just as thankful to have a reason to pretend she hadn't said anything either.

But that is one secret that's out of the bag.

“Allisa, can you please get me something to drink? Lucien, I need an update. Jottenhiem said that I'd been out of it for two weeks now, and I have no idea what's been going on.” Edwin steps in before anything else could be said, bringing the subject back around and taking that 'work now' tone he uses without realizing it when he's slipped into command.

Allisa simply nods and removes herself from him, giving a slight bow without really looking in his direction, still blushing as she makes a beeline for the door even as Lucien steps aside, still looking slightly amused although it doesn't reach his eyes. That wasn't a good sign, from Edwin's perspective. It means trouble.

“Things have been progressing as well as expected without you. We've kept most of the plans on track, except Miss Bargest has been here in the Citadel, under house arrest. Things have gotten complicated concerning what lead to your... injury.”

Edwin lets out a sigh and nods, although he blows out a breath before looking down at his chest, where Jottenhiem's crystal is still glowing slightly.

“I take it Jottenhiem was able to fill you in?”

“No, my lord. While you were unconscious we weren't able to contact Jottenhiem at all. She's been active, aware, as far as we can tell, but unresponsive.”

That causes Edwin to blink, but he doesn't get the chance to respond when Jottenhiem's voice echoes out from his chest again.

“While you were unconscious I wasn't able to speak, Edwin. The connection of your Void Space closed down almost completely during that time. I've been able to see out, but nothing else.” Jottenhiem's tone is apologetic, but Edwin just scuffs instead of waving it off, although he was tempted to try; not that he could move at the moment.

“Okay, so I didn't know that would happen. Now, how is Deloria? I hope Cormic didn't treat her too harshly if she ended up under arrest.”

That finally gets a laugh out of Lucien, who shakes his head, even as the goblinoid steps up to Edwin's bedside.

“Deloria is fine. She requested the house arrest because everyone found out that you'd laid her.” This time the old manservant is smirking a bit, although Edwin can only roll his eyes at that.

“She rushed off to get help almost as soon as you consumed the Mana Egg, which she said was very large. Your screaming had already drew attention, but she got you help within moments of you passing out and started to transform. Without her there you likely would have died before anyone knew what was going on. She's just been kept here in the Citadel to keep the other women away.”

Oh, great. So not only had he been unconscious for two weeks, everyone knew that he'd fucked the Iron Pixie. After beating the crap out of her, as well. At least she wasn't in any serious trouble, which he is thankful for.

“Okay...”

He stops when Allisa comes back in, carrying a tray with a large pitcher of cold water and a bit of food, which scent causes his stomach to rumble with a sudden need. It is loud enough that all three of them hear it, causing a smattering of chuckles to erupt.

“Seems I'm just in time. We haven't really been able to feed you while you were out, so I thought you might get hungry. It is simple soup and warm bread fresh from the kitchens, but one of us will have to feed you~ Hehe.”

Now that Allisa had gotten over her outburst, she's almost bubbly again, and taking far too much amusement out of Edwin's emancipated state than he'd prefer. He ends up scowling up at the blue elf head maid, which causes her to grin cheekily and dimple a bit. Lucien simply looks amused again.

“Fine. Feed me then so we can get back to work. I'm not going to be staying in this bed however. I've learned that it is possible to move in this situation, just rather slowly. Lucien, I need a heavy cloak or robe that'll cover me completely. Any bright light or sunlight will hurt me right now.”

“I'll see to it personally.”

That snaps both Lucien and Allisa into action, with the goblinoid manservant quickly retreating to see to getting something usable for Edwin while Allisa sets about to feed him. The first bites are heavenly, but Edwin soon finds that he shouldn't eat too fast, and ends up being fed little by little over a short while along with gentle sips of water from a small cup.

Edwin is of serious mind of bringing in the notion of 'straws' to this world, if only to make the bedside manner much more hospitable. Spilling half the cup of water down his chest almost convinced him of that.

He didn't get back to work that day, however.

-|- -|- -|-

Edwin was out of bed, and moving. If slowly. Very, very slowly. He was wearing a thick, heavy black robe, although he could only feel it down his shoulders and across his chest and back that remains. That, along with the deep hood that'd been enchanted to shield him completely in shadow gave him a creeping, almost ghostly appearance.

Especially given that the hood was extra large, in order to fit around his horns without letting them peak through.

They'd tried that at first, leaving his head bare. The light still hurt though, with anything over a dim glow causing him damage. Not to mention the pain it brought, which was kinda ridiculous. It was like having sandpaper being ground against his flesh.

So the hood had been a necessity along with the rest of his robes.

Moving proved to be the next obstacle, one that took several hours to figure out. If left alone, the black fog that the rest of his body has transformed into doesn't have a 'form' stiff enough to support his own weight, much less move with. But it is affected and can be somewhat condensed with mana.

It had taken Edwin, Allisa, and Lucien quite a while to figure out the trick of manipulating Edwin's mana until he could affect himself. He had to create a cage of mana around himself that pulled his fog into two thick, stiff legs attached to the bare part of his waist that remained solid. It was awkward, but it allowed him a slow, stiff gait that was basically a shuffle.

Like a zombie who's legs were petrified stiff.

It did allow him to move around his chambers without assistance, however, and once he had the robe on it actually turned out to be a bit easier. He could expand the fog all the way against the cloth and then just sorta glide along across the floor. Balance was an issue there, cause he wasn't really walking and instead using the contact to the floor to pull him along. Which was very jerky at first.

Edwin also found that he could generate more of the fog by pouring mana into it, essentially filling it out with power that allowed him a bit more sturdiness and control. It was very draining however, and left him more than a little weary. But learning to control it, even in this limited fashion helped.

It also let him finally venture out of his chambers and into the Citadel itself, although not far or fast. Going down the stairways also proved to be an interesting challenge in and of itself. But he was much more comfortable once he reached his destination in the study, closer to everything that has been going on.

During his absence it had been partially converted into an office, where Lucien spent most of his time organizing and keeping track of everything going on in and around Jottenhiem. Two weeks isn't a whole lot of time, but things have been progressing at a breakneck pace as one part of the infrastructure was built and used to expand the next.

There are also quite a few new people running around, both in the Citadel itself and in the study. Many of them are carrying reports written on parchment or magic slates that can be copied to paper with a touch. They all make way for Edwin though, as he ghosts up into the room and looks around, so silent that many of them didn't realize he was there until they nearly ran into him.

“Ah, Lord Edwin, please take a seat. Allisa should be around shortly with food and drink, and I've already invited Deloria, Cormic, and Cernette to attend in order to fill you in on what's been going on during your absence. Also, please excuse the fact that I haven't introduced you to my new staff. Things have progressed at such a pace that I required assistance in order to keep track of it all. Most of these are pages and scribes.”

Lucien calls from where he's leaned over a nearby table, not even bothering to look up from the scroll he's jotting down on with a quill, although the inkwell beside him is nearly empty. Where before the study had been almost barren, with the bookshelves nearly empty, now many of them are stuffed with sheets of paper or parchment that are all individually marked and cataloged. There's also several large tomes set about open on various desks that have been set up around the space, holding records and the bookkeeping required to keep track of everything.

It is far more busy than Edwin is used to, but he slides himself toward his customary seat that had been moved along with the others and the coffee table that had once barely filled up the room. They'd been shunted toward the back of the study, near the fireplace. Actually sitting down proves to be far more of a issue though, given that he doesn't have any thighs or arms, and nearly tilts over more than once as he backs himself up and ends up cutting himself off at the figurative knees.

This his landing is heavy, which draws more than a few glances in his direction although Lucien's stern look up from what he's doing keeps the others from snickering and sends them hurrying to get back to work. Edwin still ends up blowing out a breath and giving his own rueful chuckle.

“It seems that learning to move around like this is proving to be more of a challenge than I'd bargained for.” Edwin's tone is a bit wry, but without any hint of recrimination. Only determination.

“Yes, I imagine it is. I've already taken the initiative of finding you a trainer, however. A Spectre is already on the way, and should arrive by the evening. Or rather, a half-Spectre. She has some of the same issues that your current state has, being half corporal, so she should have some useful insights to teach you, my lord.”

That gets Edwin's attention, and he turns his hooded head toward Lucien.

“Spectre? As in a ghost or phantom?”

Lucien ends up snorting and shakes his head, although he doesn't stop working even before starting to explain.

“Different sorts of beings, my lord. Ghosts are dispossessed spirits of previous living beings. Phantoms are a type of spirit, similar to Spectres but of a different breed. Spectres are spirits that are able to retain a physical form for a period of time, using their magic. They are fairly rare, as are all spirits, because they tend to gradually weaken the longer they remain away from the Underworld.”

That was news to Edwin, but he nods and decides to save his questions for later. Thankfully he doesn't have long to wait in silence as Allisa shows up with Deloria in tow. The two of them are actually talking and giggling, which is odd, especially because Deloria isn't yelling or being bossy. Nor is she carrying her pickaxe.

That isn't something Edwin is used to.

Instead the two of them are carrying covered trays of food, which smell very nice, at least in Edwin's opinion. It doesn't take much to verify that either, as several scribes turn their longing gazes to the coffee table when Allisa sets the trays expertly on it. Allisa smiles at Edwin though, still wearing her usual maids outfit.

Deloria however isn't, and instead is wearing a short robe of browns and grays that hangs around her ankles as she flutters a couple of inches off the floor. She barely looks at Edwin however, and every time she does her cheeks flush and her wings flutter a bit more, causing her to bob up and down in the air.

“Thank you Allisa, Deloria. It is nice to see you, and that you are doing alright.” Edwin says tactfully, not really understanding the dynamic between Allisa and Deloria or why the latter is acting the way she is. He expected shouting and demands to know what is going on or something similar, not giggling and blushing.

“Of course, my lord. Cormic should arrive any time now, and Cernette is being picked up now by carriage. She had a few things left to handle on the farms and sent word that she had to clean up before making an appearance.” Allisa says respectfully, although Deloria doesn't do much more than bob her head before turning back to whisper at Allisa, who giggles again.

Okay, that's sorta creepy. Thankfully Cormic shows up only minutes later, barging into the study and looking just as gruff as always. His uniform is a new touch, however, as is the gleaming burnished iron chainmail and boots he's wearing, along with the skullcap helmet covering his head.

“Edwin! Finally out of that bed, aye? About time! A dwarf wouldn't be caught dead nappin' for two weeks!” The man booms, which draws a laugh out of Edwin.

“Except when you get so drunk that you cannot stand on your own feet, Cormic.” Edwin replies, amused.

That causes both Allisa and Deloria to break out laughing, and Cormic actually cracks something of a grin as he moves to claim another chair, although he has to hop up onto it due to the normal height.

“Aye, lad. But a glorious night it would be to get drunk enough to sleep it off for two weeks. I wouldn't want to deal with the hangover afterwards, though.”

Lucien cracks his own grin at that, finally rolling up the scroll he'd been working on and straightening up from where he'd been bent over, handing it to one of the pages running around before stepping up into the group.

“Don't make excuses, Cormic. You were out of it for four days after the Labyrinth raid, when you got a hold of that bottle of Fire Troll whiskey.” Lucien smoothly shoots back at the dwarf, which causes Edwin to laugh again while both Allisa and Deloria snicker.

“At least I didn't pass out after only a single shot, Lucien. What's your excuse, eh?”

The small talk and jabber carried on for another twenty minutes or so, while Allisa finally opened up the trays and started handing out small plates of freshly baked goodies for the others while the group waited for Cernette. Edwin ends up not taking anything, mainly for the fact that he still couldn't feed himself and wasn't about to publicly announce that fact.

Cernette showed up and slithered in, after being escorted to the study by one of the other servants. She was the same as always, and seemed a bit amazed as she looked around. As far as Edwin knew she'd never been inside the Citadel, much less in one of the personal studies.

“Ah, good. Everyone is here. You may leave. Go grab some food from the kitchens.” Lucien takes over and shoos the scribes and pages out, then closes and locks the door behind him with a slight flourish.

Edwin though didn't miss the sudden tense looks that crosses everyones faces once they were alone, and a shiver runs down his spine heralding the feeling that things weren't as good as they had made it out to be.

Lucien is the first to speak into the sudden silence, after audibly clearing his throat.

“We have a problem, Edwin. Things are going well for Jottenhiem's reconstruction, so it doesn't concern that, however.”

The others nod and even Cernette lets out a slight hiss as she curls her long tail up and sits on it instead of taking a seat in one of the chairs. None of them volunteer any information, though.

“Okay, you have my attention. What's up?” Edwin finally asks, shifting his head enough to look at Lucien, who doesn't miss his gaze.

“Adventurers, Edwin. A group of twenty five of them. They showed up a week ago, after hearing about you through the small Adventurer's Guild that remains within Jottenhiem. They wish to test the newest Master of Dungeons... Except that's a problem.” Lucien sounds both bitter and angry, and for a moment Edwin doesn't understand why. It isn't about his physical condition, which is bad, but not what is obviously wrong.

“Oh, tell him already!” Cormic is the one that comes out and prods the goblinoid, although even he is tugging on his braided beard in agitation.

“One of the Adventurer's is the Imperium's Princesses, Angela Harper Steele. She's a Priestess of some renown, and third in line for the Imperium throne. If you build a dungeon for them, and succeed... she's likely to be killed...”

There's definitely a growing sense of frustration there, and even Edwin ends up grinding his teeth a little at the revelation. If he crafts the dungeon and they fail, then Jottenhiem is likely finished. They don't have the resources or the golds put aside to go into debt. If they succeed, they risk war with the Southern Land's Imperium over the death of a princess.

“Between a rock and a hard place... Great.”

It seems there is even more work to do, and a whole lot more riding on it than what Edwin had thought.

-|- -|- -|-

Hi guys! It has been a while, but I finally completed the chapter! Hahahahaha.

It took a while to re-write what I had lost previously, so I apologize for that! It wasn't as clean as I'd have liked to have gotten it, but it'll work and picks up the important threads of what I had in mind.

I hope you guys enjoy!

I'm going to try to get donations going back here on the MoD posts, because I could use the help again. I've been working a lot in real life, but I'm still a bit short for the month, which sucks on my end. So any support you guys can offer would be great!

But otherwise I hope you enjoy the story! Next up is going ot be a treat! Hahaha. An Imperial Princess and a dungeon to build! Hehehehehehe.

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