Day 95 Post-Impact - Dawn
The training yard had become a battlefield.
Not a real one, not yet, but the simulation was close enough that Sarnav could feel the tension humming through the network. All ten wives had gathered for their first coordinated combat drill since his breakthrough, and the difference S-rank made was immediately apparent.
"Harmony's Embrace," he called, and the network blazed to life.
Ten abilities synchronized through his consciousness, each one distinct yet perfectly integrated. Ishani's light merged with Elena's shadow, creating the foundation for Eclipse Strike. Nisha's nature magic wove through Jade's digital manipulation, reality and data becoming interchangeable. Sana's healing energy formed a constant background hum, ready to mend any damage. Minji's illusions layered over everything, making their true positions impossible to track.
And Ananya's rhythm magic tied it all together, synchronizing their movements into a single, devastating dance.
[HARMONY FORMATION: ACTIVE]
[NETWORK EFFICIENCY: 97.3%]
[ALL ABILITIES: SYNCHRONIZED]
Impressive, the system observed. Your wives have been practicing while you were breaking through. The coordination improvement is significant.
"Formation three," Zara called, her military training asserting itself. "Ishani, you're point. Elena, flanking shadows. Nisha, terrain control. Everyone else, support positions."
They moved like a single organism. Ishani charged forward, light blazing around her fists in what she'd started calling Solar Flare. Training dummies scattered before her, their basic defensive enchantments no match for S-rank enhanced abilities.
Elena flickered through shadows, appearing behind targets and eliminating them with surgical precision. Her Void Step had improved dramatically since bonding, the shadow dimension responding to her with almost eager enthusiasm.
Nisha raised her hands, and the ground erupted. Vines burst from the earth, entangling dummies, creating barriers, reshaping the battlefield itself. Nature's Wrath was more than just an attack now. It was environmental control on a scale that would have been impossible at D-rank.
Through the bond, Sarnav felt Ananya's concentration. Her Resonance Wave wasn't flashy like the others, but it was arguably more important. She was the metronome, the heartbeat, the rhythm that kept everyone moving in perfect sync. Without her, the formation would have been chaos. With her, it was art.
Ananya's contribution is often overlooked, the system noted. Her ability makes the network thirty-four percent more efficient. You should acknowledge this.
Sarnav made a mental note. The system wasn't wrong.
"Enough!" Zara called after twenty minutes of simulated combat. The dummies were destroyed, the yard was a mess of scorched earth and wild vegetation, and everyone was breathing hard despite Sana's constant healing support. "That was better. Much better."
"Better than what?" Minji asked, sprawled on the ground with her illusions flickering around her. "We've never done this before."
"Better than most military units I've worked with." Zara's expression was grudgingly impressed. "The synchronization is... unusual. Effective, but unusual."
"That's the network," Serena explained, helping Jade to her feet. "We can feel each other's intentions. Adjust in real-time. It's like having ten brains working on the same problem."
"Eleven," Jiyeon corrected. "Don't forget our illustrious leader."
Through the bond, Sarnav felt her teasing affection. The idol had come a long way from the guarded strategist who'd arrived at the compound weeks ago.
"Shower and breakfast," he announced. "Command center in two hours. We're planning the intercept mission."
The command center had become the nerve center of Harmony's operations, Jade's systems displaying real-time data from across their territory and beyond. Chen Wei had already assembled the relevant intelligence when Sarnav arrived with his wives.
"The closest Ascendancy remnant faction," Chen Wei began, pulling up a map. "Approximately eighty converts, led by someone calling themselves 'The Voice.' They're moving northeast at a steady pace, avoiding major population centers."
"Toward the sealed rift," Serena confirmed. "My Singapore contacts tracked their trajectory. At current speed, they'll reach the site in approximately eighteen days."
"The other two factions?"
"Further out. The largest group is still consolidating in the south, probably thirty days from any attempt on the seal. The smallest is... disorganized. Infighting. They may eliminate themselves before becoming a threat."
The Voice, the system mused. Presumably attempting to replicate the Herald's conversion ability. Unlikely to succeed. The Herald's power was unique.
"Can we confirm that?" Sarnav asked aloud, earning confused looks from the non-bonded council members.
No. But probability suggests they're imitating rather than innovating. The Ascendancy attracted followers through the Herald's charisma. Without her, they're cargo cult practitioners hoping the rituals still work.
"Intel suggests their leader has some kind of persuasion ability," Chen Wei offered. "Not on the Herald's level, but enough to maintain loyalty among the remaining converts."
"Then we intercept them before they reach the seal." Sarnav studied the map. "Strike team composition?"
"I'd recommend a small, mobile force," Zara said, her military expertise asserting itself. "Eighty converts is significant, but with your S-rank abilities and network coordination, a surgical strike would be more effective than a large engagement."
"Agreed," Elena added. "Large forces mean logistics, supply lines, opportunities for ambush. A small team can move faster, hit harder, disappear before reinforcement arrives."
"Who goes?" Ishani asked, already knowing she'd volunteer.
Sarnav considered. "Me, obviously. Ishani for combat. Elena for infiltration. Zara for tactical coordination. Serena for probability support."
"That leaves five of us here," Nisha said quietly. "Defending the base."
"With Jade's systems and your abilities, the base is secure." He met her eyes through the bond, feeling her reluctant acceptance. "I need you here, Nisha. You're the anchor. If something goes wrong, you hold everything together."
First wife responsibilities, the system observed. She understands. She doesn't like it, but she understands.
"When do we leave?" Elena asked.
"Tomorrow dawn. That gives us time to prepare, rest, and..." He glanced at Ananya, who had been characteristically quiet throughout the meeting. "There are some things I need to attend to first."
Through the bond, he felt Ananya's surprise, then understanding, then a warmth that made his chest tight.
Evening, Private Quarters
Ananya's room was smaller than some of the others, but she'd made it her own. Soft fabrics draped the walls, muffling sound. Candles provided gentle illumination. Music played from somewhere, a traditional Indian melody that seemed to resonate with her ability.
"You didn't have to," she said softly as Sarnav closed the door behind him. "I know you're leaving tomorrow. You should rest."
"I wanted to." He crossed to where she sat on the bed, taking her hands in his. "I've been neglecting you. The network tells me everything, and I felt... you've been patient. Too patient."
Her cheeks flushed. "I'm not like Ishani or Jiyeon. I don't demand attention."
"That doesn't mean you don't deserve it."
Through the bond, he felt her emotional walls crumbling. The sweet, gentle dancer who always put others first, who supported from the background, who never complained even when she needed connection.
"The others are so... bright," she whispered. "Ishani blazes. Jiyeon calculates. Even Nisha, as calm as she is, she has this presence. I'm just..."
"The rhythm," he finished. "The heartbeat. Do you know how important that is? Without you, the network falls apart. Without you, we're just ten individuals fighting separately. You make us one."
Tears welled in her eyes. "You noticed."
"I always notice you, Ananya." He cupped her face, thumbing away the tears. "I just haven't been showing it. Let me show you now."
He kissed her, soft and slow, the way she liked. Not the aggressive passion of Ishani or the calculated seduction of Jiyeon. This was gentleness, tenderness, a promise of care rather than conquest.
Her hands found his chest, fingers tracing patterns through his shirt. Through the bond, he felt her desire building, sweet and warm like honey. She wanted this. Needed this. Had been waiting with quiet hope for him to notice.
"May I?" he asked, fingers at the hem of her traditional kurta.
"Please, sayang."
He undressed her slowly, reverently, pressing kisses to each inch of skin he revealed. Her brown skin glowed in the candlelight, soft curves and gentle planes that made his breath catch. She wasn't as dramatically beautiful as Jiyeon or as athletic as Ishani, but there was something deeply alluring about her quiet grace.
"You're beautiful," he murmured against her collarbone.
"You don't have to say—"
"I'm not saying it because I have to. I'm saying it because it's true."
He laid her back against the pillows, taking his time exploring her body. Her breasts were sensitive, nipples hardening under his tongue, soft gasps escaping her lips. Her stomach trembled when he kissed it. Her thighs parted willingly when his hands traced their inner curves.
"Sarnav..." Her voice was breathy, musical even in desire. "I need..."
"I know what you need."
He settled between her legs, pressing his mouth to her center. She cried out, hands fisting in the sheets, her rhythm magic pulsing unconsciously. He felt it through the bond, a beat that matched his movements, that guided him to exactly where she needed him.
"There... sayang, right there... don't stop..."
He worked her with tongue and lips, learning her rhythms, synchronizing with her ability. It was different from the other wives. Less frantic, more flowing. A dance rather than a sprint.
Her moans grew louder, musical, almost like singing. Tamil escaped her lips, endearments he didn't fully understand but felt through the bond. Kannamma. Enna kannu. Words of love, of desperate need, of surrender.
"I'm close," she gasped. "Sayang, I'm so close..."
He increased his pace, and she shattered.
The orgasm rolled through her in waves, her rhythm magic pulsing with each one. Through the network, he felt the echo, felt the other wives stirring in response to the shared pleasure. Ananya's climaxes were different. Not explosive like Ishani's or intense like Elena's. They were sustained, musical, a crescendo that built and built before finally resolving into harmony.
"Inside me," she breathed when she could speak again. "Please. I need to feel you."
He shed his remaining clothes and positioned himself above her. Their eyes met, brown gazing into brown, and he felt the depth of connection through the bond. This wasn't just sex. This was communion.
He entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust, savoring the sensation of her warmth enveloping him. She was tight and wet, her body welcoming him like coming home.
"So full," she whispered. "So connected. I can feel everything..."
He began to move, matching the rhythm her magic provided. Slow, deep strokes that made them both gasp. Her legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him deeper, her hands clutching his shoulders.
"Sayang... you feel so good inside me..."
The rhythm built naturally, her magic synchronizing their heartbeats, their breathing, their pleasure. He felt what she felt, she felt what he felt, the boundary between them dissolving in shared sensation.
"I'm going to..." she started.
"Together," he promised.
He thrust deeper, harder, and her rhythm magic surged. Their climaxes synchronized perfectly, pleasure crashing through them in matched waves. She cried out, tears streaming down her face, and he groaned her name as he spilled inside her.
For a long moment, they simply lay together, breathing in sync, hearts beating as one.
[DUAL CULTIVATION: COMPLETE]
[ESSENCE GAINED: +45,000]
[ANANYA'S CULTIVATION: C-RANK (BOND DEEPENED)]
[RHYTHM MAGIC: SYNCHRONIZATION RANGE +15%]
Well done, the system observed. Her cultivation was stagnating due to emotional neglect. This should correct the issue.
Sarnav ignored the clinical assessment, focusing instead on the woman in his arms. Ananya was still crying softly, happy tears, her emotions overwhelming her in the aftermath.
"Thank you," she whispered. "I didn't realize how much I needed that."
"I should have noticed sooner."
"You notice now." She pressed a kiss to his chest. "That's what matters."
They lay together in comfortable silence, her rhythm magic still humming between them. Tomorrow, he would leave for combat. Tonight, he could simply be present.
Through the bond, he felt the other wives' awareness. Nisha's approval, Sana's gentle happiness, even Ishani's grudging acknowledgment that this had been the right choice.
Family, he thought. This was what family felt like.
Affirmative, the system agreed. Also: recommend sleeping. Tomorrow's mission requires optimal performance.
For once, Sarnav agreed without argument.
Night, Command Center
The strike team assembled for final preparations.
Elena had changed into combat gear, dark and practical, her platinum hair tied back in a severe ponytail. Ishani wore her preferred light-colored tactical outfit, designed to complement her abilities. Zara was in full military kit, weapons checked and rechecked. Serena had dressed pragmatically, her focus on survival rather than style.
"Route is plotted," Jade reported from her station. "I'll maintain communication through the network as long as possible, but expect interference once you're more than fifty kilometers out."
"Extraction points?" Zara asked.
"Three alternates, here, here, and here." Jade indicated positions on the map. "If primary fails, fall back to secondary. If secondary fails, we have a problem."
"Optimistic as always," Ishani muttered.
"Realistic. There's a difference."
The Voice's faction is moving predictably, the system noted. Intercept window: approximately thirty-six hours. After that, they'll be too close to the seal for a clean engagement.
"We move fast, hit hard, and get out before they can organize a response," Sarnav summarized. "Primary target is The Voice. Without leadership, the converts will scatter."
"And if The Voice has abilities we're not expecting?" Elena asked.
"Then we adapt." He met each of their eyes in turn. "We're the most powerful strike force in the region. Whatever they have, we can handle it."
Confidence is good, the system observed. Overconfidence is fatal. Recommend maintaining awareness.
"Dawn departure," Zara confirmed. "Everyone get some rest. It's going to be a long few days."
The team dispersed, each to their own preparations. Sarnav remained for a moment, staring at the map, at the marker indicating The Voice's position.
Eighty converts. One persuasion-capable leader. Standing between them and the sealed entity that could end everything.
You've faced worse odds, the system reminded him. The Herald was S-rank. This pretender is not.
True. But the Herald had been one threat. Now there were three factions, all racing toward the same apocalyptic goal.
He needed to start eliminating them. One at a time.
Tomorrow, it began.
[DAY 95]
[SARNAV: S-RANK (HARMONY SOVEREIGN - FIRST STAGE)] [PROGRESS TO SECOND STAGE: 4%]
[WIFE CULTIVATION STATUS] [1. NISHA - C | 2. ISHANI - D+ | 3. ANANYA - C] [4. MINJI - D | 5. JADE - D+ | 6. SANA - C] [7. JIYEON - C | 8. SERENA - C | 9. ZARA - C] [10. ELENA - S]
[HARMONY SAFE ZONE: 1,270 SURVIVORS | 3 SECTORS]
[MISSION: ASCENDANCY INTERCEPT] [TARGET: "THE VOICE" FACTION - 80 CONVERTS] [DEPARTURE: DAWN, DAY 96]
[WIVES BONDED: 10/32]