The house of darkness was just too damn big, with countless rooms and decorated with expensive jewels.

It was a ready to move in house, everything looked so perfect that there was no need to change anything.

For now, Vritra kept its size relatively small, but it still looked enormous and lavish, with black flames burning all over the walls.

And thousands of armoured knights guarding the house.

As they explored it, finding all sorts of defences and attack mechanisms, there really was a lot to see.

His wives were also going to level up here, and if he used Null then the time would be greatly shortened.

He gave the energy core to Yasmine for now, he would have to wait until Yennefer's soul was out of the pill.

Then they used the doors in their respective rooms to head to different kingdoms.

This time even Fiona had to go and check on the Phoenix Kingdom, while Yasmine decided to go along with Vritra and Teresa.

She barely cared for the dragons, and now even that was gone after the last incidents, they really betrayed her.

Before and now again.

She was sure even without her they could survive, and she just wanted to spend more time with her husband.

Vritra sent soul wraiths and powerful guards with all his wives, he didn't want any such incident to repeat like what happened with Yasmine.

Finally, he opened the door in his bedroom which opened directly inside the Yate realm.

Even in the separate realm, the condition was the same.

There was snow everywhere and spores filled the air, Vritra had a feeling that these spores might affect the environment itself.

"You both aren't feeling cold, right?" While walking over the snow, Vritra looked at Teresa and Yasmine.

"Not really, we can handle this much." Yasmine shrugged, and her field was fire so it affected her even less.

"Husband, can you give me that ring for some time? I will upgrade it and create rings for everyone." Teresa asked, now that she had obtained those creation cubes, her creations would be even more powerful.

"Sure." Vritra took off the ring and handed it to her.

They arrived outside the palace, here too, there were no guards in sight.

'If this cold was someone's doing, then it would be so easy for them to attack all top organizations.'

Vritra thought, the Trant and Grant families were absorbed into the Ford family so they were able to survive.

Arriving outside Gunter's room, Vritra knocked.

"Who is it?" He asked from inside, everyone was wrapped in several blankets and present on their beds in such weather.

"It is me." Vritra said, and in the next second the door opened.

Gunter and Ava appeared, they were surprised and overjoyed to see him and Teresa.

"Art!! Where have you been all this time? Do you know how worried we were, we have been searching for you all this time…"

Ava rushed forward to hug him, her eyes filled with tears.

The couple were really relieved and Vritra made something up, not that it really mattered, they were just happy he was back.

"Now don't go anywhere and just stay here safely, outside is too dangerous." Gunter said.

"Because of this cold or these spores? I will be fine-" How could this cold or spores affect him, but Gunter interrupted.

"Not only that, but I have been hearing rumours recently that in the north, something far more dangerous is present and all this cold might be because of it."

"Oh, do you know anything else about it?" Vritra asked curiously.

While Vritra was talking with Gunter, Ava was talking with Yasmine and Teresa, she was happy that her daughter in law was fine.

And curious as to why the dragon empress was here.

If these changes were really related to the trial, does that mean the trials were about to start?

So the hero was close to defeating a demon lord? Was Jack close to reaching the lord rank?

'I need to find Jack as soon as possible, I can't let the fate of this planet fall into his hands.' Vritra thought, he still needed to steal the hero's fate.

"Not really, but anyone who has gone to the north has not returned, so let's just wait and see if things change.

Maybe it is some beast from older times who would soon return to its slumber?" Gunter said, worry evident in his voice.

"Alright, I will be careful."

They chatted for a while longer, and then had some warm food together.

***

In one corner of the Quartz Continent, a group of three was thrown out of a portal, their bodies full of injuries.

"Sob Shorty, I will forever remember your sacrifice, thank you for letting us escape first, we would be dead without you." Jack spoke while wiping his eyes, as the portal began to close.

"You motherfucker, son of a bitch, I am going to kill you. Baldy bastard, you are going ughhh to die a horrible death, you conniving bastard, you wannabe hero, you rotten ugly piece of…"

The angry curses of Shorty rang out from inside the other realm, as he got dragged in by strange tentacles.

Escape seemed impossible, so Jack used Shorty as a shield to escape, pushing him back into the immoral tentacles.

"Yeah, I know how much you love me, I will forever remember you." Jack looked on sadly, waiting for the portal to completely disappear while Shorty's curses continued to ring.

"W- Will he be fine? Shouldn't we try to pull him out?" Raino asked, his body had gotten a lot thinner.

The girl now really looked like a zombie, her complexion pale since Jack kept making her use her ability again and again.

If things continued like this, then she too would be dead soon.

"It was his choice, we should respect his bravery, he has martyred himself to protect humanity. I promise, history will remember your name before mine after I kill the demon lord."

Jack swore, though he crossed his fingers secretly.

Finally, the portal closed as Shorty disappeared into the shady confines of the tentacles, strange screams ringing just a moment before the portal closed.

"Haa, I am quite close to the lord rank, I quickly need to level up and kill the demon lord and save this world- ughh why is this place so cold?" He rubbed his bald head and got to his feet.

Somehow, after that bald bastard had burned off his hair, they never regrew.

'This bald monster has gone mad in search of fame and women, I should escape before he turns me into a martyr too.' Raino thought, looking pitifully at the zombie girl.

***

Vritra sat inside his room, Yasmine and Teresa were busy talking.

The two were actually sisters, it was quite shocking for them as well.

But with Yasmine's nature, the two's bond seemed even stronger, they naturally seemed to enjoy each other's company.

Teresa was happy to have a sister who was more like her best friend.

"Husband, I will be working on the rings now, it will take some time." Teresa said, and moved to her room in the house of darkness.

It was especially designed for when she needed to work on something.

As soon as Teresa was gone, with a seductive look, Yasmine spoke: "Hubby, now that I think about it, it has been quite long since we did it, so how about we…"

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