9 cores

As Adrian's glass emptied, he instinctively reached for the bottle to pour more, only to discover it was already depleted. He turned his gaze toward Emilie, and upon seeing her, he couldn't help but blurt out.

"Who are you?"

Seated before him was a strikingly beautiful woman, her allure so captivating that Adrian found himself momentarily entranced. She, too, was taken aback by the sudden sound that disturbed her during her meal, causing a forked piece of food to slip from her hand as she glanced at Adrian.

"Adrian?" Her voice quivered slightly, as if she were afraid of receiving a negative answer.

"Emilie? What happened to you?" Adrian was utterly perplexed. Just moments ago, they were eating together, and now he was confronted with a fully grown young woman, as beautiful as any deity. While he had no idea who these goddesses might be, he couldn't help but use the term to describe her.

A sudden chill of realization swept over Adrian. "How long have we been sitting here? What is happening?" he thought. He attempted to rise from his seat, but his muscles seemed paralyzed, as though they had been sitting in that place for countless years, or perhaps some other force was at play.

"I can't get up, Emilie. Something is wrong here. Try to get up and see if it works," Adrian urged, his voice filled with an urgency he had never experienced before.

Sensing the urgency in his tone, Emilie recognized that something was amiss. She examined herself and couldn't resist exclaiming, "Adrian, I did say I'd turn out hot."

Hearing Emilie's humorous reply in the midst of their predicament, Adrian couldn't help but facepalm. He found her thought process bewildering. However, before he could respond, Emilie let out a piercing scream.

"What happened?" Adrian inquired urgently, startled by Emilie's uncharacteristic display of emotion. Emilie met Adrian's gaze, her eyes wide and her words faltering, unable to articulate the extent of what had gone awry.

"Tell me, Emilie, what happened?" Adrian implored, his aura pulsating with a hint of impending power. However, as he unlocked the lid of his aura, a dense, viscous energy began to emanate from him. It was so formidable that it consumed everything in its path, reducing the once-magnificent dining lounge to a desolate wasteland of ash and ruin.

He glanced down at his plates to inspect the meal he had been consuming for who knows how long, and immediate regret washed over him. The sight was so revolting that he nearly retched, realizing how inconsiderately he had savored the meal.

Fortunately, he regained his composure and was able to move freely. Rising to his feet, he continued to extend his powerful aura as he approached Emilie, who regarded him with awe as though he were a god.

"Don't come any closer!" Emilie exclaimed, her voice trembling with fear.

Adrian stopped in his tracks, a perplexed look in his eyes as he sensed that something was amiss. He gazed at Emilie, his expression silently urging her to explain.

"Your aura is disintegrating my cores," Emilie admitted, her voice tinged with unmistakable fear, leaving Adrian with a suffocating sense of dread.

"What do you mean? Are you saying you only have one core left?" Adrian asked, his horror deepening as he grasped the implications. He knew that they needed both of her cores to escape this place.

"Tell me if I drool while sleeping." Emilie responded, her behavior seemingly disconnected. It then dawned on Adrian why she was acting this way. How would he feel if he witnessed someone close to him aging and becoming so powerful that they could potentially harm him beyond recognition?

"Yes, you do. I still hold a grudge for that suit you ruined," Adrian admitted with a wry chuckle. Emilie's guard began to lower slightly, although she still harbored some doubt about him.

Seeing Emilie gradually calm down, Adrian sighed, realizing the gravity of the situation. If what she was saying was true, then she had likely faced a similar predicament, which explained her astonishment. He pressed for more information.

"I had nine cores. You shattered one just now. I'm down to eight," Emilie replied, her voice carrying a tremor of disbelief, as though she herself couldn't fathom the reality of what was happening.

Upon hearing what had driven Emilie to scream, Adrian's own agitation subsided. It was a minor matter. Approaching Emilie, he couldn't help but admire her once more, but he quickly refocused his thoughts.

This situation was far from ordinary, and Adrian couldn't believe he was having such thoughts about Emilie, someone he had never viewed in this light before.

Observing Adrian's perplexed and unusual demeanor, Emilie couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction and pride in herself.

"Let me help you up. We need to leave this place. I'm not sure how much time has passed, but things have become too bizarre here," Adrian stated as he extended a hand to Emilie, assisting her to her feet. Slowly, Emilie rose from her spot as well.

"We're not going to explore the remaining floors." Emilie questioned, causing a momentary hesitation in Adrian's heart. However, he maintained his composure and simply helped her descend. As they reached the third floor, they were greeted by the sight of the massive pool once again.

Adrian, sensing that something was amiss with the entire place, unleashed his aura in waves that coursed through every corner of the third floor. As his aura spread, the surroundings underwent a startling transformation, with the pool morphing into a pool of viscous, dark, and sticky substances.

The sight filled them with dread, and it was clear that they needed to make a swift exit. Emilie, too, began to grasp the gravity of the situation.

"Emilie, you're an 8-core bearer now. Would you like to test your newfound powers?" Adrian inquired, guiding her down the stairs, but his curiosity was piqued.

Hearing Adrian's suggestion, Emilie couldn't resist the temptation to explore her enhanced abilities. She wanted to know if she could match Adrian's power and how it would feel. Setting aside all other thoughts, she closed her eyes to sense the changes happening within her body.

When Emilie opened her eyes, they held a dreamy and alluring quality. They were so captivating that had Adrian been facing her at that moment, he might have found himself completely entranced by her gaze.