The refining period was over and some insight was definitely gained, but overall it wasn't enough to conclude a breakthrough in his soul energy.

Of course, the other Mages could only dream of having their first soul creation. They did not even know that the culmination of their strings was a soul, for them training just enhanced their magical power. Comparing themselves to Willem was like comparing a mouse to an elephant.

Soul creation was not a term used by anyone besides Jörmungandr, Ashkatar and Willem anyways. Even if the Mages knew what they were working towards, it did not change the fact that bitter training only allowed for dismal results. To the Mages, time would be better spent fighting to develop new techniques or creating potions or enjoying hobbies. The thought was that one needed talent and luck in order to succeed in cultivation, not just training.

However the Private Sanctum that they currently resided in flipped that thought process around. Dense magical energy could be felt no matter what area the Mages went to, and just being inside the Sanctum allowed their soul strings to attach without focusing too hard. Training was now actually viable and became a valuable resource. Other Grand Mages had already folded their Private Sanctums and moved in to Grandia's, with his permission, in order to reap the benefits of his wisdom and soul energy.

Willem was not stingy with his techniques or cultivation either, imparting wisdom to the Mages who were eager to learn.

"Power can be harnessed from within the body and mind and from the outer world. The path through your body is a gateway to unlocking the power in your mind." Willem was talking to the Mages inside the Private Sanctum.

He showed the group in front of him a breathing technique that allowed the Mages to forcefully revolve their magical energy, refining it within their bodies and bolstering their soul strings.

Most of the talented Mages from the Bastion of hope were given a choice, secretly, to join the other Grand Mages and learn from Willem personally, helping to fulfill his mission, or remain in the Bastion of Hope, where their future would be bleak.

Many made the wise choice of leaving the Bastion of Hope and pursuing their unknown future behind the strongest banner they could find.

The books that the Grand Library had collected were all taken out by the Grand Mages, including the ones in the restricted section, and were given to Willem who placed them in his own newly created library.

With Willem's ever-growing power, his Private Sanctum expanded from three floors to five to seven and finally nine, each with their own designation and purpose.

The library itself was open to all who would go to it, there was no longer a restricted section.

"Knowledge is not inherently good or evil, it's how you choose to use your powers that determines what kind of person you are." Willem often said.

With Willem's personal guidance, Mages who had been stuck in their cultivation gained many insights that they previously could never have imagined.

Within the Private Sanctum, their magical power circulated much better than in the outside world, and just by focusing a little they could feel the dense magical energy around them. It was truly a Mage's paradise.

Due to the need to get stronger, many of the Mages in the Sanctum kept their mouths shut when asked of their opinions on borrowing the power of a Grand Mage to achieve their current strength. There were dissenters, who hated Magical Beings or spread gossip that hurt the image of Willem. They were found and forced out by the denizens of the Private Sanctum, not out of fear for Willem's wrath but because they could not stand someone harming the name of their Young Master.

Now that Mages had joined the Private Sanctum, they could assist the soldiers and hunters in missions to explore the forest and beyond, using earth magic to survey the land, wind magic to tell if enemies were approaching, water for healing and fire for hunting. The risk of death no longer weighed upon the minds of hunters who were pushing into deeper unmarked territory.

The war to come was not going to be won by Willem alone, so most of his focus was on preparing the army at his disposal. If he could get them equipped and ready to challenge the Magical Beings, his focus could be on gaining new ground in regards to magical energy. Thus leading to an overall strengthening of the Mages and himself.

For two straight weeks, Willem taught some of the more creative Mages how to imbue magic into weapons with the runebinding technique he had found from the Red Book. Those with fire and earth magic had made weapons with immediate effects, like casting bolts of fire or causing earthen tremors. The wind and water Mages focused on having the weapons and armor help with hastening movement, dismissing wind resistance and boosting healing arts.

The hunters and gatherers went with the soldiers and Mages, securing raw goods to be processed by the smith family, various leather workers and seamstresses. Everything from raw goods to potions were tagged and processed through the Kuro family to be documented for Willem. This allowed Willem and the Kuro family to keep track of things that the Private Sanctum may be running low on. If Willem needed a specific ingredient or potion for an experiment, it was provided or tracked down and secured.

The Kuro family became indispensable in ensuring that the Private Sanctum ran smoothly, yet they understood that this was specifically due to Willem giving them the task. They did not abuse their power, as they could clearly tell Willem had the capability to wipe their family out without a second thought. They did not pretend to be in a higher position compared to the other major families, and would always use polite speech no matter who they dealt with. They were not prideful and the citizens of the Private Sanctum appreciated this, since most of them had been treated like dirt their entire lives.

The Private Sanctum acted like a well-oiled production line, creating average to high quality weapons, armor and potions to the army. Compared to the low quality gear the army used before, the equipment they had now was much more powerful. The potions that were created ranged from healing potions to utility potions like water walking or low grade flight. This allowed the army to do much better reconnaissance and mapping, and the scouts could warn Willem of the Magical Being's movement without worrying if they would be found.

"Ah, I almost forgot." Willem reminded himself of something he had been intending to do since the invasion a month ago. "Arania, make your way to my room."

Arania had previously been busy carving into the skull of a rank seven magical beast, the Bone-Reaver, when she got the call from Willem.

"As you wish, Master." Arania set down her magic imbued chisel and hammer and walked away from the massive winged creature.

Before she made her way to Willem, she took a quick bath, scrubbing the dirt and blood off her body. She had been working on dismantling the vulture looking bird for three days as per the request of the soldiers and Mages whom had hunted it. She carefully clothed herself in her best self-spun attire, a red and black robe akin to a fashionable dress often found in the Bastion of Hope. The dress wrapped from front to back, tightly wound around her body to show her immaculate curves.

Due to the body she was rune-bound to, her human form had larger than average hips and breasts, and her gait made them sway side to side erotically. She was a good head or two taller than the men and women in the Sanctum, towering over them like a giantess. She found the body quite cumbersome herself, but she quickly understood that the qualities she hated were actually adored by the men in the Private Sanctum. The lustful glares were second only to the fear they betrayed in their eyes when she would come out of her room covered head to toe in thick blood. Each time she saw the men looking at her, her teeth would sub-consciously clack, rows of sharp fangs snapping together to show her hunger.

"Master, I am entering." Arania whispered as the door in front of her unlocked and opened by itself.

As Arania entered the room, the door closed behind her quietly. She could feel no magical manipulation from Willem, and could only surmise that either the door was a magical tool or he had gotten to the point in controlling his magic that she can no longer feel it like before.

"It has been a month since the invasion of Blood City, but I forgot that you provided information that proved indispensable in solving the crisis quickly. Therefore, if you have something you want, I will grant it to you." Willem looked at Arania as if he could see through her. He did not force her to talk like when she was in charge of torturing the Magical Beings, since this was meant to be her reward for helping him.

"Simply being in your service is reward enough." Arania could not immediately think of anything she wanted. Truthfully the relationship she has with Willem was still quite in her favor. She could feed on magical beast blood whenever she was hungry, and occasionally she had someone to torture. Asking for more in her current position was not wise.

"That was a good answer, but to not reward you for your work is not something I could stand for, and I think you knew that already." Willem sat behind the desk, speaking neither with haste or impatience.

Arania thought deeply about what she wanted, but still could not figure it out.

"I request to tap into the various desires of Kinsey and Anna, to better understand what it is I should want." Arania thought of something that could help her figure out what she wanted.

"Acceptable." Willem shared the feelings of Kinsey and Anna, making a one-way neural path from them to Arania.

A flood of emotions poured into the mind of Arania, whom had never felt such feelings before in her life. Besides the obvious feeling of elation when she tore into the flesh of someone weaker than her, or to sate the hunger she felt, she now had access to many different emotions to choose from. The emotions in her mind were overwhelming, so she chose to focus on one particular emotion at random.

From Anna she chose carnal desire, and from Kinsey she mixed that emotion with maternal-bonding, creating a strong desire to procreate and protect her young.

Willem looked at Arania dumbfoundedly, not sure if she chose the emotion accidentally or on purpose. He could clearly see everything that was happening in the neural pathways, so he could see her choosing randomly. However the course of events was just too surreal.

"Master, I have chosen. I wish to bear a child with you, as a reward for my actions." Arania clacked her teeth together, not with typical hunger, but instead excitement.

Willem held his palm to his face, his fingers stretched over his eyes. He sighed gently, then materialized a bed with red sheets and a thin layer of cloth as a border.

"Master, please." Arania could not control her new emotion, and began to undress as her face flushed red.

Willem removed his clothes silently, and laid down on the bed as Arania approached him. He pushed magical energy to his groin, making the blood flow faster.

Arania was about to reach the bed, but her desire overtook her and she began to place a finger inside herself gently. She could no longer restrain herself as she began to fondle her breasts at the side of the bed.

Willem rolled his eyes and reached out, grabbing a fist full of her black hair and dragging her onto the bed. She lustfully began to lick Willem's penis like it was going to suddenly disappear from in front of her. When she could no longer stand it, she positioned herself over Willem, towering above him, and guided him into her.

Her teeth clacked excitedly as she bounced up and down, her large breasts swinging wildly. Willem gripped her thighs tight to ensure there were no "accidents" from the vigorous love-making.

Arania could not suppress the feelings of having Willem inside her, and she began to hit her peak as her vaginal walls tightened. The already tight intercourse had suddenly doubled in pressure, like she intended to wring Willem of all of his semen. He could hold on no longer and released inside her, spilling his seed as deep as he could.

Arania collapsed beside him on the bed, but her newfound emotions were still bubbling, so she continued fingering herself while Willem re-dressed and went back to his desk.

"You have received your reward, you are dismissed." Willem looked over at Arania as he recalled the bed into his spatial spell. The bed disappeared below her and she fell to the floor with a thud.

Still love drunk, Arania put her clothes back on and left the room, an erotic expression on her face.