The warning of Arthur made Seeker serious. Meryl also became guarded.
As Arthur said, Lioncourt and Richie's power suddenly disappeared.
The two seemed to have been brought into a strange trance and their Paths began to appear on screen.
There was a strange shaking occurring around Quera, but then it vanished. The Realm of Lioncourt had fallen.
"Hello." The alluring voice of Quera appeared.
Seeker couldn't understand what had happened, and the Quera Sapphire managed to overcome the seals of the two Overcomers.
It was perfect! Lioncourt kept the Tyrant Empress in her place and locked out her locality to move and affect others through the dimensions, and Richie used his sounds to lock the Empress and create an 'echo' that would allow her voice to be mimicked and sent back.
But now, the Realm and the Sound blocking the power and reach of the Empress had fallen.
The other Overcomers were affe also resisting the voice of the Empress. Lennox, Ceasar, Eagle, and Meng were unaffected by the Tyrant Empress but Eagle and Meng had worried looks as they looked at the others. Everyone else was resisting the attacks of the Empress as the soundproofing of Richie had failed.
"Overcome, my brethren! FIght sin. It desires to devour you, but you must overcome it!" Eagle encouraged.
"Impressive, Pastor. You're doing well."
"The burnt hand is the best lesson. I've cheated on my wife in my time as a Pastor. And I received the Lord's discipline as I saw what it did to my wife and kids. Never again." Eagle gave a calm smile.
"No matter. I'll have you soon and all of you once I have Seeker."
Quera glanced at Seeker and licked her lips. Her power was starting to affect Seeker.
Deep inside Seeker's thoughts, a nefarious being was born. It was born from the lust and imaginations of Seeker that were sealed to stop the spread of lust.
This was embedded in Seeker and the rest who had personally scene Quera. Her cells and pheromones continued to exist with the rest and were lying dormant. But now, these cells have begun to affect the brain.
The cell entered the brain and somehow created a thought of her own. A succubus was born within Seeker's thoughts.
Quera smiled as her awakening occurred and found herself inside the conflicted mind of Seeker.
"Now, time to go look for that adult!" The succubus smiled.
"Or not. I've been watching you." Zeraphine appeared.
The succubus was stunned at the appearance of the woman.
"Nice to see you again. It's time to pay you back for what you did to me." Shakstress laughed.
Nove l B(in).C OM
Almost immediately, the strange thought was eliminated as Shakstress attacked her.
"You've been saving your little husband more times than I accounted it for." Shakstress laughed.
"That's what wives do." Zeraphine smiled.
"All that's left is for Seeker to resist it."
"Resist what? I thought we'd gotten rid of the little parasite."
"Yes. But unlike the other Overcomers like Richie and Meng, they only had the cells of the Empress being injected into them through her pheromones. It didn't die, but it continued to live in its vanity. Those pheromones were affecting their brain, giving birth to that succubus spirit. The thoughts are gone, but Seeker had trodden on the Tyrant Empresses cells."
"Ah... Now I understand. I'm so slow without my Nefilus Suit and Throne. I get it. Right now, the cells of Seeker, which had trodden and tried to find the foundation of the Empress's powers, are being activated by the Empress. They have become like sleeper agents."
"Exactly. The cells within Seeker will obey the vanity of the Empress. And so, Seeker and the Empress will fight over this physical body. If Seeker loses, he will be a slave to the Empress as his mind will be incapable of controlling the body. "
"But If Seeker wins, then his ability to use the powers of the other Overcomers will double." Shakstress smiled.
"Yes. Seeker's Realm will be beautiful. The Realm and powers of the other Overcomers will be attracted to it and will obey it. I knew it would be a dangerous gamble. But if my husband is to fight the Primes, he will need this power."
"Ah. Becoming Conquerors through unity! Seeker has been trodding on this Path for longer than he thinks. Maybe it is the Right Path? It looks fun and exciting." Shakstress thought.
"I've begun to think about that too. I don't want to sit alone on a throne. I want someone there to be with me. Maybe this is why the Lost Primordial is so attracted to this earthly religion as it talks about being a co-heir to a kingdom."
"I could imagine that. Instead of the Throne of the Primordial, there would be many thrones of those who conquered in unity." Shakstress chuckled.
"Well, no time to fantasize about it. It's starting." Zeraphine had a fearful expression.
The cells of Seeker began to suddenly change. More and more cells were becoming that of the Tyrant Empress.
Seeker felt it and saw his arm transforming. It was becoming refined. While it wasn't feminine, it had a strange form of perfection.
Seeker didn't hesitate. His hand used telekinesis to call his sword, and he immediately cut off his other arm.
Eagle smiled as he saw this.
"That's right. If your hand causes you to sin, pluck it off."
"A futile attempt." Quera laughed.
Seeker was sensing that more parts of his body were becoming like the Tyrant Empress.
"Tread on me!" Meryl shouted as she slapped her arm into Seeker's body.
Seeker acted immediately, and the bright light began to appear. It was fighting off the changing cells.
"Ah, yes. Meryl. It's amazing that even with my cells there, you can still hold off from my allure with your desire to outshine everyone. In that area of outshining, you really are an Overcomer!" The Tyrant Empress laughed.
"But it's too bad! Seeker doesn't have that attitude. He's not like Lynd, who can copy your mindset!"
Seeker felt more of his cells changing and began to cut off the lower part of his leg.
"You can't cut me out of this, Seeker. You've trodden on me, after all!" Quera laughed.
Seeker was desperately thinking of purging the raging powers at that moment, and Time stopped in his perceptive.
It was the power of Madison as Seeker began to think.
"We're screwed." The Adult sighed.
"Yeah. It seems like it. I can't think of another way. I knew she was strong, but to think our own body would betray us."
"It's because of our Path! That fight against her gave her the chance to plant the most nefarious of time bombs!"
Zeraphine appeared before the other thoughts of Seeker and was in her usual disguise as Zoe. She knew Seeker would lose and had to join. She already made the resolve to reveal herself, hoping it could save Seeker finally.
"Wait! What's that?!" The child called out and pointed to a certain direction in his vision.
It was Jake. He was seated and had an angry expression on his face. But no look of lust.
"Is he... immune?" The Child asked.
"Could it be, Kristine?" Zeraphine was stunned.
"No! Look! His cells are active! He's using his Path!" The Adult pointed out.
"Oh, I get it! His power to be intangible also works in the dimensions beyond. So the Tyrant Empress's attacks of affecting the emotions aren't working. Maybe you can try that." Greg suggested.
Everyone looked at Greg.
"Did... he just give a good suggestion?" Zeraphine marveled.
"I think so..." The Adult nodded.
"Better than nothing! It's good that I already got a few of his cells! If my emotions in seeing the Empress is stopped, then this trigger that is creating more of her cells should stop too!"
"Then go!" Zeraphine called out.
"Hey, old man! You have the Passover! We'll need to work together. Your power to Passover this attack is necessary!"
"I know, Kid! We have to Overcomer together!"
Time resumed, and Seeker closed his eyes and sought for the cells that still heeded his commands.
The power began to condense, and Seeker forced his cells to perform it and try to keep himself from becoming a tool of the Tyrant Empress.
The body of Seeker was growing more and more restless as lust began to spread out.
"I can't... concentrate!" The Child cursed.
"It's too strong!" The Adult exclaimed.
Zeraphine's soul was sighing as she decided to take action.
But suddenly, the door to the room opened.
"Erm... Seeker? Meryl? Oh! Sorry. You guys seem to be in the middle of something. We're you training?" Kristine saw Seeker's limbs on the floor. She had seen Arthur in stranger scenarios and wasn't bothered by what she saw.
"Anyways, Arthur sent me. He said you would need my help?" Kristine politely asked.
Meryl and Seeker froze as they saw Kristine. Even with their Unlocking, they still couldn't believe that she was there.
...
Seeker and Meryl looked at each other in disbelief.
"I... could come back here if it's too inconvenient." Kristine offered.
"KRISTINE! USE YOUR PATH!" Meryl and Seeker shouted.
Kristine was shocked at the sudden yelling but immediately followed as she ran closer and used her Path.