Chapter 221 Awakening Mana Cores Of Maids Kara and Ulriya

The gentle, marathon session of lovemaking left Griselda utterly depleted in the most blissful way possible. When Alaric finally let sleep claim him beside her, she was already deep in an exhausted, contented slumber.

The morning sun climbed high, filling the luxurious bedroom with light, but Griselda didn’t stir. The previous night… or rather, the night and the following morning… had taken its toll. Her body, though thoroughly pleasured, ached with a deep, satisfying soreness. She remained lost in dreams, cocooned in the soft bedsheets, her breathing deep and even.

She drifted in and out of consciousness through the day, vaguely aware of the passage of time, but too deeply tired to fully wake. It wasn’t until the sun began its descent again, casting long shadows and painting the sky in hues of orange and purple in the early evening, that Griselda finally surfaced fully.

She stretched languidly, a soft moan escaping her lips as muscles protested gently. A smile touched her lips as memories of the previous night flooded back – Alaric’s surprising tenderness, his stamina, the overwhelming pleasure. She felt cherished, adored, and completely owned.

Pushing herself up, she wrapped a silk robe around her still-sensitive body and padded towards the ensuite bathroom to tidy herself, feeling refreshed yet deliciously weary.

While his wife slept the day away, recovering from his affectionate attentions, Alaric Steele was anything but idle. The successful hunt had provided the final, crucial component for his plans: the Seventh Order magic core from the Thunder Tyrant Behemoth.

There was no time to waste. The demonic threat was real, advancing steadily, and while the Steele territory was somewhat insulated, complacency was a luxury he couldn’t afford.

Leaving Griselda to her well-deserved rest, Alaric headed directly to the designated perimeter zones around the vast Steele Estate – areas pre-surveyed for the installation of large-scale defensive arrays.

With him were teams of loyal Steele family mages (mostly Adept and Expert level, sadly lacking in higher ranks, reinforcing his decision about Kara and Ulriya) and engineers, ready to assist with the physical construction and mana channelling conduits he had designed.

But the core work, the intricate weaving of runes, the calibration of energies, the integration of the powerful beast cores – that was Alaric’s domain alone.

He worked with breathtaking speed and precision. Drawing upon his vast knowledge of ancient runes, array theory, elemental magic, and even incorporating insights gleaned from Iridelle and his own system, he began laying down the foundations.

Trenches were dug, conduits laid, focusing crystals precisely positioned. Alaric moved like a whirlwind, his hands tracing complex patterns in the air, mana flowing from him in visible streams, carving glowing runes directly onto prepared obsidian plinths.

He started with the outer layer – a broad dispersal field designed to repel lesser demons and disrupt basic scrying magic. He powered this layer with a dozen of the newly acquired Sixth Order cores, carefully balancing their elemental affinities – wind cores for dispersal, earth cores for grounding, water cores for purification.

‘Layer one: deterrent and early warning,’ Alaric thought, mentally checking off the step. ‘Sufficient to handle scouts and minor incursions without draining the main power source.’

Next came the primary defensive shield – a multi-frequency energy barrier, interwoven with holy energy patterns derived from his discussions with Ceanna and Iridelle. This was designed to withstand significant physical and magical assault. He used another twenty Sixth Order cores for this, creating redundant power nodes linked in a complex network.

‘Layer two: main defense. Should hold against sustained attacks up to the Grandmaster level, maybe even brief assaults from an Archmage.’

Then, the offensive arrays. These were integrated subtly within the main shield matrix – targeted energy cannons drawing on ambient mana, automated curse launchers keyed to demonic signatures, and discharge nodes capable of unleashing localized elemental storms. These required careful calibration and were powered by another cluster of Sixth Order cores, including some with more volatile affinities like fire and lightning.

‘Layer three: active countermeasures. Deterrence isn’t enough; we need teeth.’

Finally, the heart of the entire system. The anchor. The ultimate power source.

In a specially constructed chamber deep beneath the manor, Alaric carefully placed the pulsating blue core of the Thunder Tyrant Behemoth into its receptacle. The Seventh Order core hummed with immense power, latent storm energy crackling around it.

Connecting this core to the vast network of arrays spread across kilometers of territory was the most complex task. Alaric spent hours meticulously weaving the final connections, creating buffered mana pathways, failsafe mechanisms, and control interfaces. He had to ensure the immense power could be drawn upon safely and efficiently, without overloading the system or causing catastrophic feedback.

By mid-afternoon, the final rune was etched, the last connection sealed. Alaric channeled his own mana, activating the sequence.

A low hum resonated through the ground across the entire Steele territory. Faint lines of light briefly traced the paths of the buried conduits before fading. A subtle, almost imperceptible shimmer enveloped the estate’s borders – the defensive arrays activating, settling into a stable, powered state.

Alaric let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. He could feel it – the thrum of controlled power, the layers of protection humming beneath the surface.

‘Done,’ he thought, a profound sense of relief washing over him. ‘It’s active. Stable.’

He accessed the control interface he’d built into a disguised artifact in his study. Readings were optimal. The Seventh Order core was providing immense baseline power, easily sustaining the passive fields, with vast reserves ready for the active defenses.

‘Now,’ he felt a grim satisfaction, ‘let the Archmages plot. Let the Archdemons scheme. Breaching these defenses will cost them dearly. This territory is now a fortress. My fortress.’ He could finally focus on consolidating his power, expanding his influence, and advancing his own cultivation in relative safety.

Of course, there was the matter of the demons who had already infiltrated the territory before the barriers went up. Minor scouting parties, perhaps, or stragglers pushed ahead of the main demonic advance.

He sent out the order via communication artifacts: “All Steele forces, commence Operation Clean Sweep. Locate and eradicate any demonic presence within the territory borders. No survivors.”

The response was immediate.

Leading the charge were the family’s most powerful martialists: Lyra, Cassandra, and Fiora. Their Grand Martialist ranks, significantly boosted by Alaric’s system and their own diligent training, made them formidable fighters.

Lyra moved with the lethal grace of a seasoned warrior, her movements economical and deadly. Cassandra, despite her voluptuous figure, was surprisingly agile, her attacks powerful and decisive. Fiora, though the newest to the Grand Martialist rank, fought with a fierce determination, eager to prove herself, her youthful energy compensating for her lesser experience.

They worked together seamlessly, a trio of blonde powerhouses cutting through demonic scouts like wheat.

Assisting them, and coordinating other clearing teams composed of guards and the newly hired mercenaries, was Saintess Ceanna. Her role was crucial. Her holy magic was poison to demons, weakening them, burning them, while her healing abilities kept the Steele forces fighting at peak efficiency, instantly mending injuries that would sideline ordinary soldiers.

But Ceanna was also fulfilling another directive from Alaric.

“Remember your focus,” Ceanna instructed a group of nervous but determined-looking servants and junior guards gathered in a training yard back at the manor. These were individuals identified for their unwavering loyalty to Alaric and a basic spark of mana sensitivity. “Faith is the key. Not faith in a distant god, but faith in the one who protects us, who empowers us. Faith in Lord Alaric!”

She demonstrated a simple blessing, channeling the ‘system’s’ holy energy – a warmer, more vibrant light than the Radiant God’s – infusing a practice dummy with protective energy. “Feel his power flow through you. Let your devotion be the conduit. Try!”

Hesitantly at first, then with growing confidence, the recruits began attempting basic holy chants and blessings, focusing their intent on Alaric. Faint flickers of golden light appeared, weak but present.

‘It works,’ Ceanna thought with satisfaction and a touch of awe. ‘This power… it responds directly to loyalty towards him. No complex dogma, no distant deity. Just devotion.’ She was building Alaric’s personal clergy, a force unique to the Steele family, capable of providing essential support magic without relying on the increasingly suspect Radiant Church.

While the territory was being secured and his new Saintess was building his holy support structure, Alaric turned his attention to another matter. Personal assets that needed… upgrading.

He summoned his two personal maids, Kara and Ulriya, to one of the private, reinforced training fields behind the main manor.

They arrived promptly, curtsying deeply, their eyes filled with the usual mixture of reverence, fear, and carefully concealed desire they always showed him.

Kara, in her late twenties, was stunning in her simple maid uniform. It did little to hide her incredible figure – plump breasts straining the fabric, a surprisingly narrow waist flaring out to wide, curvaceous hips and a round, prominent backside. Her black hair was neatly tied back, framing a beautiful face with soft features and intelligent, light black eyes that held a hint of wariness behind their subservience.

Ulriya stood beside her, slightly older, perhaps in her early forties. Motherhood had only enhanced her already spectacular voluptuousness. Her breasts were even larger, heavier than Kara’s, practically spilling over the modest cut of her uniform. Her waist was similarly small, leading to truly impossible curves at her hips and buttocks – wider, rounder, more pronounced than even Kara’s. She had the body of a fertility goddess, ripe and overwhelmingly sensual. Unlike Kara’s wariness, Ulriya’s eyes held only complete, utter devotion, tinged with a desperate, constant hunger.

Alaric stared at her with a hint of possessiveness in his eyes. He’d taken her years ago, abducted her from her husband and child, drawn by her incredible body. He’d broken her will through repeated rape and relentless sexual use, day and night, until her previous life was a forgotten memory, replaced only by her all-consuming need for her master, her owner, her god. His cock was her only reality now.

He had enjoyed both maids thoroughly over the years. Countless nights, afternoons, even snatched moments in supposedly public locations within the vast estate. He’d used them together, pitted them against each other for his favour, explored every position, every orifice. They were his property, body and soul.

Yet, despite their long service and intimate connection to him, neither possessed any significant power. No awakened battle core, no active mana core. They were beautiful, utterly loyal, sexually enslaved baseline humans.

‘Time to change that,’ Alaric decided. ‘Loyalty and beauty are valuable. Loyalty, beauty, and power are even better.’

He looked them over, his gaze lingering appreciatively on their curves. “Kara. Ulriya.”

“Young Master!” they replied in unison, heads bowed.

“Come stand before me,” he instructed.

They obeyed instantly, moving to stand side-by-side a few paces away, eyes downcast, bodies trembling slightly in anticipation. They never knew what he might demand when he summoned them like this.

“Relax,” Alaric said, his voice smooth. “Today isn’t about your usual duties. Today, I have a gift for you.”

They looked up, surprised, curious.

“For years,” Alaric continued, circling them slowly, “you have served me faithfully. Your devotion has been… noted.” He paused before Kara, letting his gaze drift over her chest. “But you lack the means to truly protect yourselves, or to serve me in more… significant ways.”

He stopped before Ulriya, lightly tracing the curve of her hip. She shivered violently but remained still. “You have potential within you. Dormant power. Today, I intend to awaken it.”

“Young Master?” Kara asked hesitantly. “Awaken…?”

“Your mana cores,” Alaric stated simply. “I am going to unlock your innate ability to wield magic.” He kept his explanation brief, omitting the crucial detail about the intended level of awakening. Let it be a surprise.

Their eyes widened. Magic? Them? It seemed impossible.

“But… Young Master,” Ulriya whispered, her voice trembling, “we are but simple maids… we have no talent…”

“Do not question my judgment,” Alaric cut her off gently but firmly. “I sense the potential within you. All you need to do is trust me completely. Sit. Close your eyes. Clear your minds and relax your bodies. Accept what I am about to give you.”

Their ingrained obedience and absolute trust in him overrode their disbelief. Without another word, they sank gracefully to the ground, sitting cross-legged as instructed, closing their eyes and trying to still their suddenly racing hearts.

Alaric retrieved the two remaining Sixth Order beast cores from his storage artifact – the ones from the Crimson Apex Wolf alpha and the Stonehide Goliath. They glowed faintly with condensed elemental power.

He knelt between the two seated women, placing one hand on Kara’s back, just below her neck, and the other hand in the corresponding position on Ulriya.

He closed his own eyes, focusing his intent. He drew upon the potent energy within the beast cores, channeling it carefully through his hands, directing it towards the dormant mana cores nestled deep within the maids’ bodies.

Simultaneously, he reached out with his own spiritual energy, connecting to the latent power that had accumulated within them over years of intimate contact – trace residues of his own potent mana, amplified and altered by the unique energy of the Harem God System (now Divine Harem God System). This hidden reservoir was the key to the explosive growth he intended to trigger.

‘Now,’ he thought. ‘Begin.’

The process started subtly.

Kara and Ulriya felt a gentle warmth spread from Alaric’s hands, permeating their bodies. It was pleasant, soothing. They focused on relaxing, trusting their Master completely.

Then, the warmth intensified, concentrating deep within their chests, near their hearts. A strange tingling sensation began, like dormant nerves waking up.

Alaric carefully guided the initial trickle of beast core energy towards these nascent points. He felt their dormant mana cores resist for a moment, like unopened buds, before yielding under the gentle but persistent pressure.

Flicker.

Both women gasped softly as something deep inside them seemed to ignite. A tiny spark, a faint inner light. Their mana cores activated.

‘Cores unlocked,’ Alaric noted. ‘Now for the surge.’

He opened the floodgates.

He channeled the full, potent energy of the Sixth Order beast cores directly into their newly awakened cores. Simultaneously, he triggered the release of the vast reservoir of system-infused energy that lay dormant within their flesh and blood.

It was like pouring high-octane fuel onto a spark.

WHOOSH!

Kara and Ulriya cried out, their bodies arching involuntarily. An overwhelming torrent of energy surged through them, violent and uncontrollable. It felt like being struck by lightning, like drowning in a river of raw power.

Warmth exploded into searing heat. Tingling became painful pins and needles across every inch of their skin. Their minds reeled, overwhelmed by sensations they couldn’t comprehend.

Faint light began to glow beneath their skin, pulsing erratically. Their bodies trembled violently.

Alaric gritted his teeth, maintaining the connection, carefully guiding the chaotic flood. He used his own superior control to prevent the energy from tearing them apart, forcing it to integrate, to expand their mana channels, to elevate their cores at an unnatural, impossible rate.

From their perspective, it was chaos. Flashes of insight – understanding basic mana manipulation, sensing elemental energies – bombarded their minds, only to be immediately washed away by the next wave of power. They felt their very beings expanding, strengthening, reforging at incredible speed.

Apprentice Mage… Adept… Expert… Master…

Each threshold was crossed in mere moments, the surge barely slowing. The energy from the Sixth Order cores provided the raw fuel, while the accumulated system energy acted as an incredible catalyst and compatibility agent, allowing their bodies to absorb and integrate the power far beyond normal human limits.

Finally, the torrent reached its crescendo. The energy roared through them, pushing them past the Master Mage bottleneck, forcing their cores to evolve one last, agonizing time.

Grand Mage!

The surge peaked, then rapidly began to stabilize, settling into a deep, powerful hum within their newly forged Grand Mage cores. The intense light faded, leaving them trembling, gasping, slick with sweat, but undeniably, irrevocably changed.

The entire process took less than five minutes.

Alaric slowly withdrew his hands, observing them closely. Their skin had a new radiance, their features seemed subtly refined, and an undeniable aura of magical power now clung to them.

Kara was the first to open her eyes. They were wide, dazed, filled with confusion and shock. She looked down at her trembling hands, flexing her fingers. Faint sparks of uncontrolled elemental energy – mostly earth and shadow affinity, Alaric noted – danced around her fingertips.

“M-Master…?” she whispered, her voice hoarse. “What… what was that? I feel…” She struggled for words. “Full… strange…”

Ulriya opened her eyes moments later, tears streaming down her face, though her expression wasn’t pain, but overwhelming awe and confusion. She felt a powerful surge of water and ice affinity energy swirling within her, completely untamed. A nearby puddle spontaneously froze over, then melted, then froze again as her control wavered wildly.

“This power… inside me…” Ulriya gasped, looking at Alaric with eyes that held more devotion than ever before, if that were even possible. “Young Master… what have you done to us?”

Alaric allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. “I told you. I awakened your potential.” He stood up, looking down at his two newest Grand Mages. “You can now wield magic. Considerable magic, in fact. You have both reached the rank of Grand Mage.”

“G-Grand Mage?!” Kara squeaked, her eyes nearly popping out. That was the rank of powerful nobles, guild elders, figures far beyond a simple maid’s wildest dreams!

Ulriya simply stared, speechless, tears of disbelief and overwhelming gratitude flowing freely.

“Yes,” Alaric confirmed calmly. “The energy I sensed within you, accumulated over years of… proximity to me,” he chose his words carefully, “combined with the beast cores, allowed for this rapid advancement.”

He could see the struggle as they tried to comprehend, tried to even feel the vast power now residing within them. It would take time, practice, and his guidance for them to control it.

But the awe, the shock, the sheer, unadulterated devotion radiating from them was palpable. This ‘gift’, this impossible transformation, had bound them to him even more tightly than years of servitude and sexual enslavement ever could.

“Young Master!” Kara scrambled to her knees, bowing low, pressing her forehead to the ground. “This gift… it is too much! We are unworthy! How can we ever repay you?”

Ulriya followed suit immediately, sobbing openly now. “My life was already yours, Young Master… now… now even my power is yours! Command us! Use us! We exist only to serve you!”

‘Perfect,’ Alaric thought, the familiar thrill of absolute ownership warming him. Two beautiful, utterly loyal Grand Mages added to his roster. His power base grew stronger by the day.

“Rise,” he commanded gently. “Repayment is simple. Master your new abilities. Learn control. And continue to serve me faithfully.” He paused, letting a predatory glint enter his eyes. “In all capacities.”

They looked up, understanding dawning in their eyes, mixing with their awe. Their servitude wasn’t just continuing; it was entering a new dimension.

“Yes, Young Master!” they breathed in unison, their voices filled with trembling, absolute commitment.