We spent two days making the preparations, I took care of the items we could buy in the Black Market, meanwhile, the Lord of Shadows was taking care of the ritual, as I had to stay a few days away while he was below the sewer in the secret room where the Dungeon was sealed.
When I entered there, I saw hundreds of people tied up, all of whom emit Auras of the Lower Catastrophe Grade or the Catastrophe Grade, but looked weak while bound by tentacles of shadows.
I put all the items I bought in front of the Lord of Shadows, his vessel was very different from how it was two days before.
His nose had fallen off leaving a grotesque hole in its place, one of his eyes was rotten, his body was covered in hideous sores, his horns were cracked and his hair had fallen out.
There was nothing left that could resemble the childlike, innocent appearance this Vessel once had.
But even in this horrible state, he acted normally, pain didn't matter to him, besides this Vessel was expendable from the beginning.
"Everything is here, Lord of Shadows." (I)
"You did good, now I want you to do this for me." (Lord of Shadows)
I pick up the reading crystal to read, it was instructions for creating a humanoid Kimera.
"Are you sure they were it?" (I)
"The Black Market is an older and more powerful Organization than you can imagine, as long as I give them instructions with the specifications I want like I'm doing now, they'll get an Alchemist to do it." (Lord of Shadows)
"One of the inconveniences I have to endure, this Vessel will break beyond repair upon activation of the ritual." (Lord of Shadows)
"If I don't have that Vessel I asked for then I'm going to use your body, so better not fail me." (Lord of Shadows)
I know very well that it won't just be a matter of death if he takes my body, he consumes the Soul of the body he steals, and that's why he keeps them alive.
I like everyone else swore loyalty to the Lord of Shadows in exchange for power, I can't escape him and if I try I will die in seconds while my Soul will be consumed by him.
"I will not fail you sir." (I)
I turn and walk away letting him continue building the ritual, I saw him grab one of the bound people with a large hand of shadows as he crushed her letting his blood and energies build the ritual circle.
With that, I take off running so I don't waste even a second as I run straight to the Black Market.
When the morning was starting I still chose not to sleep, I ended up staying up all night talking to Nicolas or should I say all I did was listen to him talking about how amazing his new body would be, I must say it was a new kind of torture.
But from the little I could understand I realized how valuable this thing was, it used my blood and scales not to mention the dozens of crystal cards, I don't even want to imagine the materials like metal and potions used in this thing, it also seems that many types of rituals and even curses were used.
I'm not like Nira, so I don't have a sense of the price of it all, but I can safely guess the answer that this new body of Nicolas has the fortune of a Great Kingdom or a new Empire in value.
I know I told him not to skimp and make the best body possible, but he took it to another level, I don't know whether I'm happy to get such a capable subordinate or I'm maddened by the absurd amount of money and materials this madman spent.
But in the end, I remembered that most of this money and other things belong to those we killed or people we robbed, so I stopped thinking about it.
"Some people say that money that comes easily also disappears easily." (I)
After eating together with everyone in the morning, I say what will happen today, on Vanessa's advice, I will perform Nicolas's Awakening Ceremony in the Communal Temple.
Also, I'm going to need Hela's help to move Nicolas' Soul from one body to another safely.
After everyone had finished eating we went to the Communal Temple, Nicolas went ahead to fetch his new body and take it to the Communal Temple.
Besides my group, I didn't let anyone else watch the Awakening Ceremony.
Vanessa took me to a room she had prepared for this from the beginning, the main hall where the statues of the Gods are.
As the others watched from afar, I stood beside Hela watching her transfer with great ease Nicolas' Soul from her robotic body, her horrible workmanship, her new, perfected, and stupidly expensive new arrangement.
Once Hela is done I ask her to step aside as I move closer Activating my Aura and Skill in my hand before putting her awareness in my head where I know her to be.
<[ Ability [ Demon Dragon Authority: 1 ] activated ]>
<[ Nicolas (Otherworld Soul) agreed to be subjugated by you ]>
At that moment I feel my mana, spiritual energy, vital energy, and, incredible as it may seem, my Holy Power started to leave my body and enter directly into Nicolas's new body.
<[ Choose 3 powers to grant Nicolas (Otherworld Soul) ]>
I choose to give him the synthesis skill, I give him the parallel processing skill, and lastly, I give him a drop of my blood to perfect the blood already inside this robotic body.
<[ Power grant ended ]>
<[ Wake-up process starting ]>
<[ Wake up process completed ]>
I feel my power being sucked into him, I endure it until I realize a mist of blood was forming around Nicolas's new genderless body.
This time I had a lot of power, so I didn't feel the exhaustion from the accelerated consumption of energy.
Nicolas is trapped inside a bright red crystal that I imagine is my blood, what makes me more worried is what will come out of there, I didn't know I have the slightest idea what he will miss tomorrow.