He'd already removed himself from her life and though he thought about it more than he thought he would, he had no plans to go back.

A memory of his own mother flashed in his mind and he licked his lips.

He watched her as she bought some greens. After a few seconds of this, he shook his head, turned and walked in the opposite direction.

What he needed were vessels, and not just rat vessels. Now that he had a rank two vessel, his options had increased. His range of control, too.

He could now control vessels up to a hundred and forty metres.

The maximum number of vessels I can have without them beginning to corrupt me should have also increased.

He channeled some essence and warmed the cup of tea in his hand. He didn't really like the mud water looking drink, but he was trying things he previously didn't have access to.

For me, I can rise in rank like this. Without the pandemonium realms.

Taking another sip of the tea, he stopped and poured it all out on the ground. Next he flicked his wrist and the small wooden cup disappeared.

Yeah, I don't really like tea.

The bearded man and groper mage vessels walked in the furthest distance they could in his control range.

He'd thought of dropping and replacing them since they were already known as compromised, but they were good fighters.

For groper mage, it was more than just physical distance.

With time, he'd learnt the longer he spent with the vessels and the more he needed to act like their previous selves to stabilize himself, the more of their personalities would also start to break through.

This meant their desires too.

This can't be allowed to grow. Even though I no longer feel corrupted, I don't want my vessels to dissociate into new selves.

What would happen if I had a vessel for ten years?

By "corrupted" he didn't mean like the kritas.

The Alia vessel, his first human vessel and the one he'd been with the longest, had a better integration with him.

Perhaps, it's because she was just a child like me. Her identity had not completely taken shape.

Through the glimpses of memories, he'd seen they'd led completely different lives.

She, even though they weren't in that much better of a situation, still had someone to look after her. Someone to call mother. And though it was twisted, she still thought back to that lord's son as genuine family.

If I ever run into that bastard, I'll be happy to reunite them.

Perhaps the reason my vessels, especially grown adult vessels, seem to be becoming their own new selves is also because my own identity isn't completely formed?

No. I know who I am.

The streets were already getting crowded. It was like this at that hour everywhere, he felt. How many people are in this city, he wondered.

Tens of thousands?

If I were to let loose and start turning everyone into a vessel….

It was just a wandering thought. He didn't have the heart for it. And as it was everywhere, a familiar site of wrapped dead bodies in a carriage came in front of him as he took a turn.

It could have been anything, murder, disease or taking their own lives.

When he was still simply Hadrian in his previous life, though he'd seen the sight multiple times, it wasn't something he'd become accustomed to.

After his own personal death, however, and the death of multiple of his own vessels, some through ugly mutilations, the sight didn't make his stomach churn as much.

It did still affect him, and made a particular feeling, not quite fear nor disgust, grasp at his heart and chest.

Peering into the dead bodies, all he was met with was darkness. It still surprised him that he could see anything at all.

He called at it and unlike the flowing essence, the dark viscous tar like substance didn't respond to him at all.

He moved to let the carriage pass. Ninety metres away to his right in a different street, bearded man reacted the same. It happened sometimes, mixing the motion of his vessels. The people passing by bearded man gave him strange looks but that was all.

The death smell lingered long after the carriage had left, mixed in with the smell of sweat and steaming fried foods.

Now, I'm back to not knowing where Haldon is.

He threw some coins to some street kids as he passed them by.

My goal is still those mages.

At the metal workshop, he'd gotten a pretty good look at them.

I have to be careful though.

Previously, when he still had injured knee and Aisha as vessels, he only had one core. Now, he had three rank one cores and two rank two cores.

If I move with too much haste, I might miss on opportunities when I'm forced not to turn them into vessels or take their cores if I cannot stabilize fast enough.

Reluctantly, he substituted the rank one elemental path core to the groper mage.

Well, it doesn't help accumulating cores in one vessel.

…

"I've gotten word there's more people awakening in such paths."

Emil and Aelia's face lit up hearing their father, the Viscount say this. Maybe now, they won't have to be kept a secret and can interact with others like them.

They were having their lunch in the garden outside, on a long table that they only sat at one end.

The wind blew and the short pretty leaf coloured trees bristled. Right then, the rich smell of the food in front of them is what filled their noses, but usually the flowery and vegetation smell is what kept Emil here most of the time when she read.

Short white pristine pillars stood decoratively at each side of the long table in a row.

They looked like miniature towers of a collapsed castle.

"It isn't just the soul and mind path, your brother says." Their fathers voice was deep and calm as he took a bite and chewed. "There's a new flesh path too, apparently."

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