The other centipede in Nova's sight was undeterred by its companion suddenly bursting apart, continuing its attack through the air. But Nova now had time to dodge with ease while preparing his next spell, weaving through the air, not even looking at the creature.

'What to do this time? Do I make it more surgical, to show Anny how it's done?'

He didn't feel like using the same spell again, instead choosing to go for a creative and efficient solution.

The centipede whirled around, coiling like a spring as it prepared for another attack. Its compound eyes locked onto Nova, tracking his every movement.

'The main issue is that it's entirely covered in armor... Should I use sound waves to cook its brain? Or freeze it to death? The legs would make for great heat-sinks... Straight up cook it?'

"Hey, are you gonna get that last one?!" Anny yelled at him, standing still next to two dead centipedes. Dark fluid pooled around her feet, but her stance remained confident and relaxed. She seemed almost bored watching Nova deliberate.

"What does it look like I'm doing! Just watch!"

He abandoned the clever approach, going instead with his instincts and preparing a magic missile in front of his hand. It was large, spun rapidly, and was packed with energy.

As the centipede approached him again, he flew backwards and fired the missile with shocking speed toward the monster's face. The projectile cut through the air like a comet, leaving a trail of distorted space in its wake.

The centipede closed its mandibles, sensing the danger. But the missile didn't care, suddenly turning sharply around the thick bones and entering through its mouth. The projectile disappeared from sight, swallowed by the massive creature.

A silent blast sounded from its insides, and then it fell to the ground, dead. The missile had destroyed the insides of its head with exactly enough essence to kill. No external damage was visible—just a beast that suddenly stopped living, collapsing mid-charge into a lifeless heap of armored segments and still-twitching legs.

"You see?! That was only ten percent of my max essence!" Nova called out, dusting his hands together with obvious satisfaction. Maximum effect with minimal waste, a perfect attack.

Anny clapped excitedly, but Nova got the impression she was being sarcastic. "Amazing! I used a total of twenty percent for both centipedes, so that's very good... for a mage."

"You barely use yours!"

"Exactly! I don't see why you do. You're strong enough to fight these guys with physical strength."

"I have the strength, sure, but I can't use it effectively. Unlike you, I can't swing a sword like it weighs impossibly much, so I would only be able to punch to inflict any damage. All my physical skills also use essence."

"And you were a master assassin? A warlord? An immortal?"

"...Just you wait until I have the power to start breaking physics. Right now, I'm like a master swordsman in a toddler's body—no offense." Nova crossed his arms, feeling oddly defensive.

"It's not like I'm able to fight as I wish either." Anny glanced down at her sword, waving it casually around. The distortion was still present, but it didn't seem as heavy as it had at other times.

"...Either way, I lack access to the tools I'm used to fighting with. When that happens, I'll show you what an archmage can really do."

"Well, you did kill a god… I'll look forward to it." Her golden-flecked eyes met his, filled with complex emotions.

He studied her eyes for a moment, finding a hint of shame, fear, excitement, and doubt.

"...Gods won't be the same from world to world, I don't think. I believe each world I've lived in has its own gods, and they seem to vary in both power and personality." Nova's voice softened as he spoke, trying to offer comfort without being obvious about it.

"You don't have to try to make me feel better. It's in the past." The scales around Anny's eyes tightened slightly, almost like a smile. She saw through him as easily as he saw through her. Perhaps even easier.

"All I'm saying is, me defeating a god doesn't mean I was stronger than you've ever been."

"But it means you've stood at the peak of power. You've felt the unshakable confidence in your own abilities. Then you died, never feeling it challenged… Maybe that's why you're so fond of your magic."

Nova stood in stunned silence, opening his mouth, then closing it again without a sound. He did rely more on magic than anything else, because that's what he was most confident in. It would be hypocritical to say that his achievements didn't matter when compared to hers.

"Okay, fine. Let's reach that peak together in this world. Each in our own way."

"...I'd like that." She smiled ever so lightly before turning her head upwards. Her scales caught the light as she moved, sending brief flashes of crimson across Nova's eyes. "Let's keep going. Surely your essence has regenerated a bit by now?"

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"...Enough. I'll scout ahead again."

The chamber was now quiet except for the steady drip of fluids from the slain creatures. They prepared to continue their climb through the twisted gravity of the eighth floor.

For the next few hours, the duo fought and rested three more times. Each battle stripped away more of their essence than they could recover, leaving them weaker with every encounter. The snakes grew larger, the centipedes more numerous, and the odds less favorable with each passing chamber.

Nova wiped sweat from his brow after their latest victory. A dozen giant snake corpses littered the floor around them, their scales glinting in the blue crystal light. Blood soaked into the ancient stones beneath their feet.

"This floor will take us a while, as I expected," he said. "Better rest up soon."

Anny nodded, leaning on her sword. The manticore blade trembled slightly in her grip, betraying her fatigue despite her stubborn expression.

They pressed on through one more chamber, where they encountered a writhing mass of giant serpents. The battle stretched their reserves to the breaking point. Nova used wind blades to sever three snake heads in a single motion, while Anny's sword carved bloody arcs through the rest. When the last serpent fell, they both slumped against the stone walls, breathing hard.

"Okay, that's as far as we can go without resting," Nova said. His adult body ached from the constant channeling of essence. "Our reserves are too low."

"Agreed." Anny wiped blood from her face. Her scales gleamed with sweat and snake ichor. "Another fight would be reckless."

They found a small alcove on the side of the last chamber, nicely positioned for holding a defensive position. There was a large entrance, but if they were attacked, they would at least know where from.

"Haah, these bodies aren't made for prolonged days of fighting," Anny said as she sat down on a flat rock, massaging her shoulder. Fatigue etched lines into her drakeling features.

"Even with the drake body?" Nova asked. He sat opposite her, rolling the tension from his neck.

"It's not like I change completely. This is just a half-transformation. My four-year-old half is tired." Anny flexed her clawed fingers, wincing as joints popped.

"Right. Well, keeping the Unification active all the time is draining as well. A good night's sleep would do us both well." Nova felt the strain of maintaining his adult form. The constant flow of essence taxed his control.

Anny glanced toward the open doorway, into the greater chamber outside where they had just fought. "Can you make sure nothing comes to bite us in our sleep?"

"I've got enough essence to make a few formations, sure." Nova knelt on the stone floor, already tracing patterns with his finger. Blue light trailed behind his movements. "They won't be able to protect us fully, but they will at least wake us up if anything happens."

"That's good enough..."

Anny's form shimmered, scales receding into pale skin. Her large drakeling body shrank until a small girl sat in her place. The loose, oversized clothes hung from her frame for just a moment before they vanished. Fresh garments appeared in their place, having appeared before the oversized ones were removed, perfectly sized for her child form.

"Oh, you're getting good at using the storage ring," Nova noted with approval.

"Yeah, it's really useful..." Anny twisted the ring on her finger, looking down at the smooth metal. "Uhm, after making the formation, do you have enough essence to..."

"Make food? Of course, that barely takes anything." Nova finished the last sigil in his protection formation. The blue lines pulsed once, then faded to a subtle glow. A barely visible barrier formed outside the entrance, tinting the outside blue.

"...Yeah, that too. But I was thinking about..." Anny's voice dropped lower, almost shy. "My storage is running low."

Nova paused, suddenly understanding her meaning. "...Oh! Yeah, that should be fine. Not as much as last time, but you can get more in the morning."

She smiled, turning away from him and mentally reaching into her storage ring. A pair of bedrolls materialized in her hands, thick woolen blankets that would cushion the hard stone.

Nova completed three layers of protective formations around the chamber. The first would alert them to any presence. The second would slow intruders. The third would create a flash of light bright enough to blind an attacker for several seconds.

'It's not perfect, but it will give us time to react.'

With protection in place, Nova prepared their meal. He shaped essence into his palm, creating a small ball of flame, too weak to burn his skin. Over this impromptu stove, he cooked strips of preserved meat and compressed vegetables from their supplies. The aroma filled the small chamber, making both their stomachs growl.

They ate in comfortable silence, savoring the hot food after hours of battle. The meat was tender and seasoned with herbs, the greens juicy and fresh despite days in storage. Nova found satisfaction in Anny's appreciative nods as she ate.

After the meal, they sat next to each other on the flat rock. Anny held his arm in her hands, fingers cool against his skin. Nova stared straight ahead at the opposite wall, waiting for the bite.

"...Are you hesitating?" he asked after several seconds passed.

Anny frowned, staring at his wrist. "...This is making me feel weak—dependent, a slave to my urges."

"It makes you stronger. And it lets you regenerate bothersome wounds, like that chimera bite." Nova kept his voice matter-of-fact, free from judgment.

"Yes, but I feel like I'm using those things as an excuse to indulge." Shame colored her voice.

"Is needing food an excuse to enjoy a tasty dinner? Is needing sleep an excuse to buy a comfy bed?"

"...No." Anny admitted after a moment.

"Indulging doesn't have to be a bad thing, as long as you have control over it." Nova kept his gaze fixed on the wall ahead, giving her space to think.

"What do you indulge in, then?"

"...Being around people I care about, I guess? And good food is always nice. Oh, and research. And forging." Nova listed each item casually, as if revealing nothing personal.

A sharp pain shot up his arm as Anny bit into his wrist without warning. Her fangs sank deeper than last time, making him wince.

Nova glared at her, feeling blood flow from his body into hers. The sensation was strange—a pull that tugged at more than just his veins.

(Eyes forward.) Her voice echoed in his mind through their rings.

Nova hesitated, irritation warring with amusement. Then he did as she asked, turning his face away from her. He felt her draw more deeply on his blood, more greedily than last time. The connection between them felt strangely intimate in the quiet chamber.

'It feels like I'm understanding her less and less... Am I missing something?'

Minutes passed in silence before Nova stopped her from continuing. His essence was already low, so his regeneration had slowed.

With formations in place, bedrolls ready, and a full stomach, the two old children went to sleep.

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