Champion Of Lust: Gods Conquer's Harem Paradise!

Alera looked at him, her dark eyes filled with uncertainty. "But what if I can't? What if the Void takes over, and I become something worse than these corrupted beasts?"

Pyris leaned forward, his gaze steady and unwavering. "Then I'll stop you. But that won't happen, Alera. You have control over your power—it's just buried beneath your fear. We've fought together, and I've seen glimpses of your strength. You just need to trust yourself."

Alera swallowed hard, his words both a comfort and a challenge. She didn't want to admit it, but she did trust Pyris. He was the only one who had ever seen her potential, the only one who believed she could rise above the darkness that constantly threatened to consume her.

"I'll try," she whispered, her fingers clenching tightly around her cloak. "I'll try to control it."

Pyris nodded, satisfied. "Good. Tomorrow, we'll push even harder. We're only two days in, and the Grove hasn't shown us its worst yet. Rest up—you'll need it."

Alera nodded, but sleep didn't come easily. As the fire crackled softly beside her, she closed her eyes and tried to push away the whispers of the shadows. The Void was a part of her, but she couldn't let it define her.

Not if she was to survive this training—and not if she wanted to stand beside Pyris as an equal.

The third day came with a foreboding air. Pyris and Alera packed up their camp in silence, both knowing that today would be their hardest yet. The beasts of the Grove had grown more vicious the deeper they ventured, and there was no telling what awaited them further inside.

The morning was quiet, eerily so. The sun barely broke through the thick canopy above, casting everything in a dim, greenish hue. Even the usual rustle of leaves and distant growls seemed muted.

"Stay alert," Pyris warned, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Alera nodded, her shadows already shifting around her like an ever-present defense. The Void still whispered in the back of her mind, but she had steeled herself against it, determined to control it today.

As they moved deeper, they entered a section of the Grove that seemed unnaturally still. The trees here were blackened, their bark cracked and dry, as though drained of all life. The ground beneath them felt soft, almost spongy, as if decaying beneath their feet.

A sudden roar broke the silence, shaking the ground. A beast much larger than any they had faced before emerged from the shadows. It was an amalgamation of flesh and bone, with horns twisted and jagged like broken tree branches. Its eyes glowed a sickly green, and its skin was covered in patches of armor-like scales boosting a rank 9 aura.

Pyris's eyes widened. "That's a high-ranked corrupted beast. We'll have to hit it with everything we've got."

The creature roared again, charging at them with terrifying speed. Pyris reacted instantly, summoning a massive wall of earth in its path. The beast slammed into the barrier, sending cracks spidering through the stone, but it wasn't enough to stop it.

Alera took a deep breath and threw her arms forward, summoning her shadows. They lashed out, wrapping around the creature's limbs and slowing it down, but this beast was far stronger than the others. It ripped through her shadows as if they were nothing, charging again.

Pyris blinked forward, using his space element to teleport behind the creature. He slashed at its exposed back with his sword, the blade crackling with lightning. The beast howled in pain but retaliated quickly, swinging a massive, clawed limb toward him.

Pyris barely managed to blink away again before the claws raked through the space he had just occupied.

Alera watched in awe, but there was no time for hesitation. She knew she had to contribute more—she couldn't let Pyris shoulder the entire fight. Summoning all her willpower, she unleashed the full power of her shadows, sending them surging toward the beast like a living wave of darkness.

The shadows wrapped around the creature's throat, constricting it. For a moment, the beast slowed, struggling against the choking tendrils. Alera's heart pounded in her chest as she fought to maintain control, but the whispers of the Void grew louder, urging her to let go, to unleash everything.

"Pyris!" she called out, her voice strained. "I can't hold it for long!"

Pyris didn't waste a second. He summoned the elements of fire and wind, combining them into a fiery vortex. The flames spiraled around him as he charged forward, his sword blazing with elemental power. With a mighty roar, he slashed at the beast's chest, the fire exploding outward and searing through its flesh.

The beast screeched in agony, its body writhing as it tried to escape the combined assault. Alera tightened her grip on the shadows, but she could feel them slipping out of her control.

"Finish it, Pyris!" she cried, her voice shaking as the Void threatened to overtake her.

Pyris's eyes glowed with fierce determination. He summoned the death element once more, channeling it through his blade. The sword pulsed with dark energy as he dashed forward with blinding speed. In one swift motion, he plunged the sword into the creature's chest, releasing the full power of death, time, and blood into the strike.

The beast let out one final, bone-rattling howl before its body began to disintegrate. Shadows writhed around it, and its massive form collapsed into a pile of dust and bone, the corruption finally purged.

Pyris fell to his knees, panting heavily, his body trembling from the exertion. Alera stumbled, nearly collapsing, but she managed to catch herself, her shadows retreating back into her body.

Panting, Pyris looked up at her, his expression a mixture of exhaustion and pride. "You did it, Alera. You controlled them."

Alera stared at the pile of ash that had once been the creature, her heart still racing. She had done it. She had harnessed the power of the Void, albeit briefly, and helped bring down the monster.

"I… I think I did," she murmured, her voice shaky. "But it was so close, Pyris. I almost lost control."

Pyris pushed himself to his feet, his sword sheathed once more. He walked over to her, his gaze soft. "But you didn't. That's what matters. You fought through it. And next time, you'll be even stronger."

Stay connected with empire

Alera nodded, though the fear still lingered in her chest. She wasn't sure if she would ever fully control the Void, but Pyris was right. She had to keep pushing forward, no matter how terrifying it was.

___

As the sun began to set on the third day, Pyris and Alera set up their final camp. The fire crackled softly, casting warm light over the clearing. Both of them were battered and exhausted, but there was a sense of accomplishment between them.

Pyris sat with his back against a tree, his eyes closed as he rested. The day's battles had drained him more than he cared to admit. His elemental reserves were nearly depleted, and his body ached from the strain of channeling so many different powers.

Alera sat across from him, staring into the fire. Her mind was still racing from everything that had happened—the battle, her near loss of control, and Pyris's unwavering belief in her.

"Why do you trust me so much?" she asked quietly, breaking the silence.

Pyris opened his eyes, glancing at her. "Because I see potential in you, Alera. The kind of potential that others are too afraid to see." His words mindful not to mention the undeniable connection he felt from her, which she was oblivious about.

Alera frowned, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her cloak. "But what if I can't live up to that potential? What if I'm just a danger to everyone around me?"

Pyris studied her for a moment, his gaze intense. "You're not the only one with dangerous power. I've seen what happens when people are consumed by fear of their own abilities. You can either let it control you or take control of it. You've already proven you can do the latter."

Alera's shoulders slumped slightly, her gaze dropping to the ground. "I still don't understand why you saved me in the Grove that day. You could have just walked away."

Pyris's expression softened. "I've been where you are—lost, unsure of my own strength. I had people who helped me find my way. Now, it's my turn to do the same for someone else."

Alera looked up at him, surprise flickering in her eyes. She had always seen Pyris as a figure of power and confidence, someone who never doubted himself. To hear him admit that he had once struggled too made her see him in a new light.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling fire.

Pyris nodded, closing his eyes again. "Get some rest, Alera. Tomorrow, we leave the Grove. But this won't be the end of your training."

Alera smiled faintly, the weight of the past three days beginning to lift. She wasn't alone anymore. Pyris had given her hope—hope that she could control her magic, hope that she could be more than just a girl with dangerous shadows.

As the night wore on, Alera drifted into a peaceful sleep for the first time in years, the whispers of the shadows didn't make their presence.

But something else did, something so dangerous...

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