With Madison off exploring True Reality, Nia had already visited, using the time to clear her mind.
Well, it wasnât exactly Reality Nine...
Now, she sat at a small outdoor table in a bustling city within Reality 12.
Though it resembled other Realities, this one was a Mana-Qi verse, where cultivators grew stronger through battles, losses, and more.
[A/N: Think Super Saiyans...]
She sat watching the streets, alive with movement, leaning back in her chair with one leg crossed over the other.
Yet she wasnât really enjoying the atmosphereâher mind was elsewhere.
For the past two months, ever since Ashâs emotions had grown so turbulent, she had decided to enter True Reality and had been searching for ways to make herself useful.
Over 80 millennia ago, Nia promised she would always stand by Ashâs side, but lately sheâd been nothing more than a shadow trailing behind him.
And it wasnât just thatâthere were plenty of other things sheâd neglected to do herself, one of them being building a construct for Pantheos.
"Iâve been too caught up in everything..." she muttered with a sigh. "Well, I wonât be dead weight anymore," she added as she stood up.
She had already decided what she would do, which was why she entered Reality Twelveâto begin devouring Realities.
"If Iâm not mistaken, Ashy would eventually give the order anyway," she said. "Wouldnât it be better if she started now?"
With that, she took one final step and vanished.
-----
Nia appeared in an open area inside Reality Twelve â a wide, grassy plain bordered by dense, ancient forests and distant mountain ranges.
The sky above was a clear, deep blue with faint streaks of white clouds drifting lazily. It was quiet here, far from the bustling cities and cultivation hubs, the perfect spot for her to establish a temporary base.
She glanced around, giving a small nod to herself.
"Creara," she called through their bond, the usual way the wives communicated with one another.
Through it, they could essentially video chat, projecting real-time images of each other.
This time, however, she chose to call in the ordinary way.
In but a moment, a swirl of light appeared beside her.
Creara materialized in her full form â long black and red hair flowing freely, the elegant black infinity symbol under her eye catching the sunlight.
She stretched her arms with a dramatic yawn.
"Seems like someone has calmed down."
Nia rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
"Tsk, tell me, howâs Ashy doing?"
Creara floated closer, tilting her head with a playful grin.
"Hmm, the situation is still a bit complicated. But heâs fine, he wonât be lashing out like that anytime soon."
Hearing that Nia nodded, then gestured around them.
"Thatâs good...." She said as a smile graced her face. "Make sure to tell him, I wonât be attending the Grand Ball." She revealed.
While Crearaâs brow rose, Nia continued, "And I need you to create something fitting for my stay here for a while."
Crearaâs head tilted, "Oh? I wonât ask... but consider it done."
SNAP!
With a snap of her fingers, the space around them rippled slightly.
Then in the center of the plain, a fortress rose smoothly from the ground â dark stone walls reinforced with subtle crimson runes, tall towers that blended into the surrounding forest, and a wide courtyard with a central fountain.
It was imposing but not overly ostentatious, practical yet clearly made with care.
Creara floated around it once, admiring her work.
"Hmm, not bad. It should be able to secure you from beings up to Ancestor Seekers level."
Nia walked forward, running a hand along the cool stone wall.
"And whatâs that the Seventeenth Dimensional existence?"
Creara nodded, "Right, but I think sheâs a bit stronger than that...."
"Alright, this will do then... thank you~" she said as Creara playfully bowed.
"Anything for you, my lady." Creara teased, "Now, if youâll excuse me, I have to get back to Master before he destroys something."
With that Creara left, and Nia simply entered into the base.
Today it will be the beginning of her new journey, one where she steps beyond being the simple Obsidian Devourer...
----
Nia appeared in one of the central rooms of the fortressâa spacious chamber with high ceilings and simple, sturdy furnishings.
From the outside, the fortress didnât seem all that massive, but inside, it had enough space to hold her entire battalion, which numbered in the millionsâif not billions.
SNAP!
With a snap of her fingers, several large rifts tore open in the air before her, connecting directly to her personal universe within the Sacred Dimension.
Through those rifts marched millions upon millions of women â the members of Ashâs Eternal Guard, the elite battalion that answered only to Nia and, by extension, to Ash.
They moved with precise discipline, their black armor gleaming and weapons resting at their sides.
In moments, the room filled as line after line of formidable female warriors entered, their presence casting a dense, unified energy across the space.
When the last had arrived and the rifts closed, Nia stepped forward with a smile.
She stood before her battalion, her voice steady and commanding.
"Listen up. Today marks the start of something new," she said.
"Itâs been a while since youâve done anything truly meaningful, and I take the blame for that. But that changes nowâweâre going to start devouring Realities, one by one."
She went on to reveal bits of her plan, which, honestly, was surprisingly simple. It was just to... consume everything in their path until this entire reality was left empty.
Still, she knew it couldnât be that easy, since she wasnât actually the strongest in this Realityâand she was well aware of it.
But that was only on paperâsomething she planned to change.
As sheâd realized before, she and her sisters had actually done nothing but hold Ash back.
Heâd already told them he could grow even stronger through their own accomplishments, but with their ranks tied to his, they hadnât bothered to rank up.
Which meant Ash hadnât really gained much from them beyond their evolutions.
She paused, her dark eyes sweeping over the silent, attentive ranks.
"Prepare yourselves. Tomorrow, we begin... and weâll make sure everyone knows about Ashâs Eternal Guard!"
The women struck their fists to their chests in unison, the thunderous sound reverberating through the fortress.
Niaâs lips curled into a sharp, satisfied smile.
"Go, get accustomed to the fortress," she said as they began to disperse.