Chapter 144: Demoness Powers
Grasping the soft locks of hair, Shino allowed his warmth to gush into the cold container, an attempt to repair the temperature issue. But the chill persisted, radiating from the container and through his fingertips and limbs.
Releasing his hold, Shino's gaze fixed upon the soft lips that expertly slipped away, parting to reveal the contents of their discussion. "I thought she was teaching you genjutsu, but it seems Kurenai sensei has also imparted many other crooked methods to you."
Gulp. After Ying cleared her throat, she replied in a calm tone, "Don't blame Kurenai sensei, master. It was Ying who asked to learn from her, all in an effort to please master. Master, are you satisfied?"
Hearing Ying's question, Shino responded by gently petting her head before he shifted his focus, surveying the room. What was once a prison had transformed into Yakumo's luxurious boudoir, her nostalgic room in her villa.
And through the window, Shino glimpsed the peaceful scene of the surrounding forest. It stood in stark contrast to the chaotic mess within the room, where Yakumo lay sprawled on her bed while Shino perched on its edge, with Ying sitting gracefully on the ground before him, her legs folded beneath her with her knees spread apart, a posture that allowed her body to restore its chilling cold temperature by letting the excess warmth flow out.
And the truly intriguing aspect of this scene was that it was not a product of Shino's illusion, but rather Yakumo's - or, more precisely, Ying's doing!
Through Ying's connection with Yakumo, they were able to manifest an illusion domain using the new ability they had acquired through their merge. If their physical bodies were in reality, they could create their own illusion domain!
This revelation astonished and also excited Shino greatly. It meant they now possessed a second illusion domain, separate from his own!
They could summon two illusion domains simultaneously, each functioning independently or merging together to form complex illusions within illusions. The power of this new ability was undeniable!
While Yakumo's illusion domain had a more limited coverage compared to Shino's, due to the limit of two units of combined computational power of Yakumo and Ying, it still proved to be a significant addition to his arsenal.
Even if he didn't utilize Yakumo's separate domain, he could let them integrate into his own genjutsu domain when necessary. And with the upgrade in Yakumo's inherent computational units from one to two, the computation units Shino had to allocate to sustain his domain had been reduced as well!
But this was not the full extent of their abilities. And right now, Shino was about to explore and discover more. "Ying, I remember you mentioning that Yakumo's power can grow?"
Ying didn't answer immediately as she calmly and gracefully lifted herself upwards, her movements calm and calculated. Shino didn't urge her as he patiently awaited her response, enthralled by her technique.
Unlike Karina, who surrendered herself completely to him, and Kurenai, who focused on technique but accommodated him like a sister figure, Ying took a different approach. Her movements exuded serenity and nobility, a slow dance that kept him on his toes for extended periods. And it wasn't until now that she revealed the full extent of her abilities to him.
As her tongue concluded its sensual dance, Ying raised her head and spoke in a composed tone, "Will master feed Yakumo and Ying?"
Shino's eyes grew deep as he responded in a husky voice, "Hmm?"
In response, Ying delicately wrapped her mouth around the feed dispenser, her tongue gliding across it before she released it, "Master knows what Ying desires. Ying requires souls, human souls."
Curiosity piqued, Shino inquired with interest, "And Yakumo can grow by devouring them?"
"Yes, master. When Yakumo devours a soul, it becomes assimilated into her, coming under our control and becoming a part of master's army. From then on, they can dwell within master's genjutsu domain, retaining their memories, personalities, and potentially even their abilities," Ying explained, bowing her head to tempt him once more.
Shino fell into deep thought for a while before posing another question, "Can you devour any souls as long as they are human?"
Ying gently shook her head amidst her repetitive movements, and then gracefully lifted her head, a trail of saliva connecting her lips to her objective. "According to Mistress Karina's initial estimation, we can only devour normal human souls at present."
Shino's disappointment was evident. Only normal human souls? That means even with an army, they would merely be ordinary humans trapped within his genjutsu domain. Meanwhile, his enemies are likely powerful ninjas who would pose a challenge even to his zergs, let alone normal humans who would easily be crushed by his zergs, especially since they don't have the high-tech scifi equipment.
Sensing Shino's frustration, Ying diligently flourished her tongue, before she began showcasing the power of her new devouring ability. To display the deep extents of her ability, she slowly and gradually allowed her head to descend, stopping at her limits and holding it there as she performed a slow, tantalizing dance with her tongue.
Shino's desire to hold her down grew, but he resisted the urge as there were far more important answers he had yet to acquire from her mouth. So, he patiently endured and awaited her reply.
Soon Ying raised her head, unfazed by her previous breath-holding endeavor as if she didn't require air, resuming her explanation calmly, "Do not be too disheartened, master. Theoretically, each additional soul devoured will provide feedback to master, who is the core of our existence. As master grows, our ability to devour stronger souls will also expand as Yakumo will grow along with master. Eventually, Yakumo will possess the strength to consume souls beyond those of normal humans."
"So it still relies on my own progression in the end?" Shino mused, a heavy frustration bubbling within him.
"Who knows how long it would take until my soul grows strong enough? And even if I do reach that point, the field of souls is far more complex than mere theories. Even an average human may possess a soul far surpassing the norm, such as the protagonist of a given world. How can we determine your current limits or discern which souls you can devour?"
Ying sensually licked her lips as she responded, "We do not, master. We only need to obediently devour whoever and whatever master tells us to devour."
"So you leave the troublesome part to me?" Shino grumbled unhappily. "What if I am not careful enough and have you consume something beyond your current capabilities?"
Ying's lips curved into a slight smile as she replied, "Then it is simple. Yakumo and Ying will be obliterated."
Frowning, Shino questioned, "Doesn't that render this devouring ability useless unless we find a way to gauge the strength of the enemy's soul? After all, I don't want to lose my ability by accident."
Ying shook her head slightly, her fingers gracefully maintaining the flow of conversation. "No. In fact, it matters not if we are obliterated. Because..."
Ying then planted a kiss to emphasize his dominance before locking her gaze with Shino. Though her eyes remained hidden behind her mask, her fervor shone through. "As long as master exists, even if we are obliterated, we will recover and be reborn within master. The same applies to all souls assimilated into the army. We are not afraid of being broken, not afraid of sacrificing ourselves, for we are master's eternal army, forever bound to master, loyally guarding master's side for all eternity."
Shino's eyes glimmered with excitement. His own immortal army!
He could already envision the possibilities of this army. Though they would merely be ordinary humans with limited combat prowess, the fact that they had the quality of immortality added an immense weight to their value. If he could further equip them with his other abilities...
A multitude of ideas danced through Shino's mind, and he couldn't contain his excitement as he pressed his hand down, unleashing his exhilaration. "Perhaps the player army will not stay as mere imagination and may become a reality in the future!"
However, that dream remained distant for now.
After all, Yakumo had yet to consume her first human soul outside of Ying.
Additionally, despite not requiring his essence, which had no apparent upper limit to assimilation except for his supply, it remained unclear if there was a maximum number of souls Yakumo's new ability could assimilate.
So, careful selection was crucial as the chosen humans would retain their personalities and memories. Shino didn't want a rabble that couldn't even understand his instructions, lest they be counterproductive. After all, he could force intelligent ones to comply to his demands, but his instructions might not get through to the airheads.
Not only that, if Yakumo devoured the wrong soul and was obliterated, the growth of the army would stall until she recovered. So, procedures must be established for stable development.
Furthermore, were there any risks associated with bringing souls under Shino's control through Yakumo? Is there a possibility for the masses to rebel? Can the souls leak his intel to enemies? And, are the souls truly immortal and to what extent? Can they be sealed away?
All of these questions must be resolved before he could use this ability without worrying about repercussions.
And to solve this requires time, lots of time, both to understand the intricacies and risks of this newfound ability and to accumulate souls to nurture its growth.
So, the rise of the immortal army would be a long-term business.
As Shino's excitement gradually subsided, he was suddenly struck by another intriguing piece of news that rekindled his attention.
[Shino, are you finished there? You may want to join me so I can discuss my new discovery with you.]
"What is it, Karina?" Curious, Shino inquired calmly while petting Ying's head in praise, gesturing towards the mess she had inadvertently caused.
Understanding his command, like a demoness catering to his dark thoughts, Ying silently licked her lips before relinquishing her dignity, getting on all fours to wipe away the mess. Observing this, Shino's excitement surged further as he took the plunge from behind as he awaited Karina's revelation.
[Shino, I believe I have found the key to the system space.]
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone