Wolf’s Mental Aspects’ chests tightened. Mind Palace’s spreading fractures stifled them for reasons beyond their comprehension. For one terrifying moment, it was as if a mountain range pressed against them, trying to crush them while they resisted, attempting to break the mountain instead.

Finally, the invisible massif snapped like a thread and disappeared, leaving behind two stunned Mental Aspects.

***

Observing the echoes of a distant building, the sliver of seething madness morphed into a sea of smiles, revealing teeth of various forms in his innumerable maws.

“Wonderful!” a chorus of deranged voices shrieked. “The authority he touched upon has reached the grade of third dilution for a flicker of time. I wasn’t wrong. He has the potential to evolve.”

South crushed a scuttling roach to make his point heard, while the soundless wails in the distance widened his countless grins.

He hated that fourth generation thing. The control it commanded and the laws of the world it had created obscured the only person the vagrant cared about. Even though it was justified, this act spawned vitriolic feelings. Especially given this fragment world’s nature.

“I can’t describe the joy I feel witnessing it writhe in pain.” The teeming mass shifted and bubbled. “This means I should no longer interfere directly. While the wisp failed to break his bindings completely, it’s only a matter of time. Should I trust him? I have little choice; all my attempts ended in failure.”

Then, the roach’s already fading life-force winked out.

***

“No!” the incubo screamed without a sound.

The candidate frayed a thread of its masterpiece, bringing the strand near snapping. Worse still, it had invested its body and soul into its creation. Any damage this fabricated world and its laws suffered wounded the maker’s true form.

“Candidates can’t have descendants. The first candidate revealed it, but the failure of the third candidate confirmed it. A tiny wisp of a wisp nearly ruined eons of preparation! No connections, no relatives, and most importantly, no offspring!” The entity squirmed in agony. Hosting a mere fraction of a universe’s madness for so long damaged it beyond repair.

South hated it, but it hated South even more.

***

After a moment, the pain passed. Wolf’s Mental Aspects regained clarity and examined their surroundings. The Mind Hall’s layout was identical to the first one, save for its materials and aura. It had ten tree-like pillars, a dais with ten grainy wooden steps leading to it and the throne.

On the wall behind the seat of power, Wolf’s Mental Aspects saw sets of tapestries, matching those he had in his first Mind Hall. However, each tier missed two scrolls, which had appeared after Wolf refined their corresponding columns.

After confirming they were safe, Mental Aspects examined each other.

“I look like a glass one step from shattering.” Two Wolfs gasped. Cracks covered their forms, and they noticed identical pattern of destruction extending throughout the Mind Hall.

A moment of silence passed.

“It isn’t worsening.” Wolfs sighed. Then they focused on their surroundings and sensed no influx of Soul Force.

“At least that fountain of Soul Force stopped spraying out of me.” Soul Force violently gushing out of his Mind Palace reminded Wolf of Van Dale’s arrow and how it punched a hole through his torso. “Did I cripple myself? How do I fix this?”

Wolf’s Mental Aspects shuddered. This state was like what he guessed had happened to his father. His Mind Palace suffered damage and he couldn’t gather Soul Force. He panicked.

“What the fuck! I was trying to advance and ended up destroying myself!” Mental Aspects shouted without moving.

Silver glanced at them as she entered the room. She continued walking, pretending not to notice her master’s latest eccentric change. The six-legged egg gave Wolfs a wide berth, then climbed the stairs and settled in her place on the eighth step.

“What now? I revealed my identity, I publicly support Wayde, I have enemies ready to assault me as soon as I reveal a weakness…” Wolf’s Mental Aspects despaired. “Was this what Father experienced when they wounded him? Should I also run and hide? But what about Anna and Mandy? What about Wayde and Frida and Oakwood Freeland? Should I seek asylum from Matilda?”

Wolf’s mind flashed with hundreds of thoughts and scenarios of the grim future which awaited him. Then he realized something.

“Wait. I’m an Eleventh Order Sword-Sage. Even though it’s expensive, I can still destroy most enemies by relying on my body, energy and Book. That kooky old man said Northshields are arming and fortifying their border. Although I’m weak, they shouldn’t launch a full force attack. They will send assassins at most.” Wolf settled down after concluding he wasn’t helpless.

“I should first assess the damage.” The two Mental Aspects moved through the Mind Palace, checking its state. Unfortunately, they found that a web of cracks covered everything.

However, once he had calmed down, Wolf realized he could compensate for his lack of Soul Force by harvesting it from women. He was a noble and oversaw a large territory with plenty of subjects. Women would come to him if he offered a suitable reward. Even if he failed to fix things, he could maintain his fake True-Namer status.

Wolf plotted and planned, then opened his eyes. One of his Mental Aspects froze, but the other still operated freely.

This! the unrestricted Mental Aspect cried out. This is shit! Why didn’t I have this before? I could’ve carved the columns all the time, saving myself years of effort. What am I supposed to do with it now? I can’t refine my Mind Hall without Soul Force.

Like every spoiled brat, instead of appreciating his achievement, Wolf threw a tantrum over a good thing which fell into his lap.

While Wolf’s Mental Aspect calmed down, his body left the Hall of Names. He settled down, thinking of an excuse to avoid Lord of Steel when Mandy came to his mind. Wolf needed to apologize, maybe dump her. Whatever he chose, he had to admit he had wronged her.

So, Wolf rushed to the finance department. However, Mandy wasn’t there. Her assistant explained the Chief collapsed during a meeting, and that they brought her to the academy’s sickbay.

She’s at the infirmary? She’s a Fifth Order Sword-Sage. What could happen to her outside combat? Did someone poison her?

Wolf sprinted to the hospital and headed straight towards Mandy’s room. His lip drew into a smile when he saw Mandy’s guard.

“Master!” Frida’s eye twitched, then she moved to bow. During their morning spar, Mandy told her how Wolf had “improved” his formerly beautiful appearance.

“Don’t bow. How’s Mandy? Is she alright?” Wolf blurted out, then spotted one of Frida’s rare smiles.

“Madam is doing just fine. Congratulations.” That last word came out a bit forced, and Wolf didn’t understand it, but he entered the infirmary room.

Inside, Mandy lay on the bed with a dreamy look in her eyes. She wore a simple white gown. She smiled and held her hand on her tummy.

“Mandy, are you alright?” Wolf asked as he stepped into the whitewashed room, which smelled of antiseptics.

The unfocused woman looked at him, then her grin widened, revealing perfect pearly whites.

“I never knew humans could be so happy!” she said, laughing like mad. “Thank you, Wolf. I… I don’t know what else I could say. Thank you! Thank you!”

Tears of joy streamed down Mandy’s face, and behind Wolf’s back, Frida closed the door to give the couple some privacy.

Wolf had no clue what was happening.

“Mandy, I—” but the ecstatic woman didn’t let him finish.

“I’m sorry. All along I misjudged you. I thought you were with me because you felt forced by guilt. It left a really nasty aftertaste every time we kissed. To think you had such deep feelings for me—”

“Mandy,” Wolf interrupted her. “Are you well? Is your head alright?”

For a moment, he believed his brutality last night unhinged the woman.

“I am better than well! I—” Mandy tried to say something else, but sobbed and covered her mouth with her hand. “We’re having a baby!”

That statement struck Wolf like a meteor. Even his second Mental Aspect was stunned by the announcement, unable to process it.

“The doctor said I fainted because of the Soul Force deficit, and I have called for a diviner to confirm it.” Mandy continued explaining, but Wolf didn’t hear her. Instead, his mind slowly lurched into motion.

I can’t have children. I’ve been sterile as a mule ever since I started practicing Star Body. The composition of my body differs from yours. That means I can’t sire children. If you’re pregnant, that only means one thing.

Unreasonable anger and hatred overwhelmed Wolf. Mandy cheated on him. He didn’t love her. He hardly cared about her, but she was his and now she betrayed him.

“You unfaithful whore! Wolf erupted with rage. Internal Energy surged into his arm and he punched the blissfully smiling woman’s face with a fully empowered fist.

Mandy’s head exploded like a melon. Blood, gore and bone painted the window and the wall behind her into a gruesome sight.

Wolf drew in a ragged breath, shuddering.