Mira woke up and looked down at the children sleeping soundly in her arms, their faces serene and content. She swept her gaze across them, eventually landing on Hana.
She hadn't forgotten about the girl's past. Her mother was held captive by the Lionel family, her status unknown. Mira still felt that the most likely scenario was that Hana's mother was dead, but there was also the slight possibility that she wasn't.
'Dominique seems quite fond of the girl.' Mira tilted her head in speculation. 'It'd also be nice to have someone here to take care of these two while Maria and I are away.'
Thinking of Maria turned her mood somber, but she hurriedly shook her head and pushed it to the back of her mind.
'When I breakthrough into the Soul Transformation Realm, I'll pay the Lionel Family a visit.' Mira inwardly declared before carefully getting out of bed.
Of course, she didn't only make this decision in consideration of Hana. From the information Hana had provided her a while back, her family, the Silvermoon bloodline, was quite powerful.
Although Hana's mother was said to be crippled, that didn't matter to Mira. She was sure there was something in the FLDIL that could cure her. Even if there wasn't, the knowledge and experience of a talented, high-level cultivator were invaluable.
That way, when she was gone on a mission, she could leave Dominique's training to Hana's mother.
Worst comes to worst, she could just extract the Mother's bloodline and infuse it into Hana. So, when Hana begins cultivating, she'd be able to keep up with Dominique, and the two wouldn't have to separate.
'Speaking of Dominique, I should think of a bloodline to fuse with her.' Mira thought as she made her way to the training yard. Sitting down, she unleashed all her affinities and began transforming them into different shapes and sizes.
Her first thought was to give Dominique the Ouroboros bloodline, but she denied that pretty quickly. Although it was plenty powerful, it didn't suit Dominique's temperament. She also had other plans for it.
Mira also thought of giving Dominique a piece of her bloodline but denied that as well.
'However, I'd like to give her some kind of fox bloodline. I'm a progenitor, after all. It wouldn't do if my d-…' She paused, '...if she wasn't the same species as me.'
Aside from that, Dominique also needed a good Physique, a customized Cultivation Technique, Martial Skills and Techniques to complement her fighting style, a strong will, extraordinary Meridians and Dantian, and a proper understanding of her Dao.
They also had to understand the future of her Inner Body Cultivation (Body Refinement), but that'd come later.
'Hmm~ Now that I'm free for a while, I should resume my Body Refinement.' Mira mentally noted, but she first had to finish preparing Dominique to deepen her foundation as much as possible.
She didn't want her disciple to be any weaker than she was!
Mira could help Dominique with just about everything, other than her Dao, but there was a slight problem.
'I shouldn't be the one to do all that shit!' Mira grumbled. For one, she had other things to do and couldn't devote who knows how long to completing ridiculous trials.
Secondly, she wanted Dominique to earn everything herself!
She didn't want to be the kind of Master that just handed out goodies to people simply because they were related to her! Mira had done enough of that with Maria, Celaine, and a few others. In fact, Mira wondered if one of the reasons Maria left was because she didn't feel worthy of the things she had received.
So, if Dominique wanted something, she had to get it herself.
'Oi, Mr. Home Security!' Mira mentally shouted, 'Is there a way I can have Dominique take those trials instead of me?'
"...M-Mr. Home Security? I-Is that really how you see me?" The Guardian's shaky voice echoed in her mind.
'Just answer the question,' Mira ordered.
"...It is one of the features of the Firmament, but there are limitations." The Guardian replied, a little downcast at Mira's cold attitude. He knew that Mira's opinion of him was incredibly low, and if she could, she would definitely 'remove' him as soon as she became strong enough.
So, in order to recover his lost reputation, he decided to be a good bodyguard and listen to her demands instead of messing around.
Mira nodded at his words, motioning him to continue.
"For one, you'll have to unlock the feature yourself. It'll cost all your current points and heading deeper down the Abyssal Torment Steps." Just those two conditions made Mira flinch, and she instantly felt like banging her head against a wall!
'Fuck!! I forgot about the Abyssal Battle Ladder!' She had participated in it while she was in the Forbidden Forest, but it didn't even cross her mind when she shot all the way up to the 6th Stage of the Nascent Soul Realm!
Not that it would've mattered. She had to put her full attention on breaking through.
"You'll also have to form a pact with whoever you want to enter. It's nothing bad, but only those deeply connected to you are allowed to enter." The Guardian continued, "Lastly, you'll have to bear the mental burden of the trials. The trial takers will also have to bear a burden, but their minds won't be permanently affected, only yours."
Mira was a bit confused by that last condition, so the Guardian further explained.
"Alright, let's say that Dominique takes a trial and dies. While she'll still remember the sensation of dying, it won't leave any long-lasting trauma. Whereas that death and whatever happens during the trial will scar your mind. You have to take the brunt of all the negatives while receiving none of the positives."
'Will she still keep all comprehensions and experiences from the trial?' Mira asked.
"Of course. It's only you who's losing out." The Guardian answered as a matter-of-factly.
'...What a scam.' Mira muttered.
"I know, right?" The Guardian chuckled.
Mira fell deep into contemplation as those were some serious drawbacks. Just having to spend all of her Points was a huge downside, as those were rather precious and finite. However, the fact that she had to not only bear the mental burden of the trials but go down the Abyssal Torment Steps…
That was just pure torture!
She knew how sadistic those trials were! The average person's mind would collapse after experiencing just 1% of what she had to go through!
Mira remained silent, mulling over the information. Yes, the trials were harsh and punishing, but she wasn't an ordinary person. She had walked through fire and ice, braved death itself, and defeated countless adversaries.
The trials might be demanding, but they were worth the risk for Dominique's growth. Dominique deserved more than the current, simple path she was on. She had the potential to be more, to be as strong, if not stronger, than Mira herself as long as she was willing to put in the work.
Mira was, however, still concerned about the other side of the coin: bearing the brunt of the mental burden. Could she handle the trauma from the trials?
The answer to that question was undoubtedly a yes, but the real question was: Could she handle it while doing other hyper-intensive activities?
Honestly, she wasn't sure. For example, just simple cultivating was a life-and-death experience for her that required all of her focus.
Could her mind handle experiencing death while doing something like that?
What about in a life-and-death battle?
She was confident in her mental fortitude, but this was on another level.
'Haaa…' Mira sighed, 'Do I really have a choice?'
The only way for Dominique to become strong was to go through hardships; she wouldn't grow if she were constantly handed everything. Nor did Mira have the time to dedicate to these trials.
Moreover, she trusted Dominique. The girl had the potential to withstand these trials, and Mira believed in her. Mira was ready to bear the brunt of the trials, even if it meant pushing herself to the brink of her mental capacity.
It was a gamble, but she had to take it for Dominique.
'Alright, what's the first step?' Mira asked, the determination clear in her voice.
The Guardian paused, before speaking, "The first step is to unlock the feature. You'll have to spend all your current points."
Mira didn't hesitate. "Alright. Let's do it."
As the guardian processed her request, Mira stood from her spot, her gaze lingering on the training yard. Her thoughts went to Dominique, her future, and the trials she would face.
She was ready to guide her, ready to bear the burden. After all, she was her responsibility. And as her guardian, it was her duty to ensure Dominique reached the peak of her potential.
***
[A/N: I've been wanting to do a little segment on Dominique for a while now, so I figured I'd use this little spot in-between plots to build her character and relationship with Mira. I also think showing Mira's 'cute' side is rather fun. Thanks for the support!]
