NOVEL NEXT Chapter 157: The Soul’s Signature
Jax closed his eyes and felt his consciousness sink into the dream realm. This time it wasn't forced, it wasn't a half-assed attempt the sea of faith he had gathered gave him enough power to keep the world open.
The first thing he noticed was Jayde. She entered straight away, like she had been waiting. The reason was simple: the first time he had forced her in, something fractured inside her soul. That break had created a bond, an invisible mark that let her return every time she slept. Like a permanent signature burned into the dream realm.
Jax tried to guide the others in, but it wasn't the same. Their souls resisted. Jayde was the weakest, that's why she was easy to drag in, but pulling the others by force would only wound them.
Then he saw it: their souls fighting back, defending themselves like warriors guarding their most sacred core. And that's when the idea hit him.
"I don't need to drag them here… I just need to mark them."
He condensed the laws of dreams into his hands and began to forge a seal. It took hours, the flow heavy and dense, like carving fire into stone. In the end, the shape emerged: two wings spread open, embracing a sword. His symbol. His unique mark.
One by one, he pressed the seal into his women. The moment the symbol clung to their souls, the resistance vanished. All of them were pulled into the dream realm.
The dream world vibrated with energy, an infinite space painted in mist and shifting light. The moment they crossed over, several of the girls let out nervous laughs, looking around like kids in a theme park.
"This is real!" Manaia ran barefoot over the ground that looked like water but didn't sink. "It feels so weird!"
Zela crouched down and punched the floor. It echoed like metal.
"Tsk… How the fuck does a place like this even exist?" But even with her serious face, her eyes glowed with excitement.
Leila and Karely held hands and floated awkwardly, squealing like little girls.
"We're flying, we're flying!" Leila laughed.
"We look like witches without brooms!" Karely shouted, almost crashing into a tree made of crystal.
Jayde, arms crossed with her signature catlike smirk, watched them like a smug older sister.
"See? I told you. This place is different. You can shape whatever you want… if you know how."
She snapped her fingers and her figure was instantly wrapped in a tight black suit with razor-sharp claws.
"This is how you play here," she added, showing off.
Zyra pointed at her, half amused, half jealous.
"Tch, fucking Jayde, you've been here once and already think you're the queen."
"That's because I am, babe." Jayde winked and climbed onto a stone pillar like it was a stage.
Anya and Elnara just stared, silent, with that mix of fear and excitement of girls unsure whether to dive into the river or just watch.
Meanwhile, Jax sat in the center, watching them with a smile. That mix of innocence and raw power turned him on more than any battle. He had done it. All his women were now inside the dream world—his world.
Jax stood up and looked at them all.
"This place has no shape because I haven't done anything yet. That's why it feels empty. But my plan is simple: I'll make a world like the real one, where everyone alive will come here… and give me power."
The girls glanced at each other, confused. Zela spoke first.
"And what the hell do you mean by 'give power'?"
Jax smirked.
"This world isn't as simple as it looks. While you're here, it's like you're kneeling in prayer—without actually needing to. Just being here is enough."
"So every second we stay here…?" Manaia asked.
"Exactly. I grow stronger. Remember my battle against the sea races, when I was pushing past what should be possible in this world? What I was using wasn't just mana—it was faith. The faith all of you gave me during the years I hovered above the skies. That terrifying power came from the worship of millions of subjects."
The women were stunned. The idea that simple prayers could fuel such absurd strength went against all common sense.
"Sadly, that power was almost completely consumed in one fight," Jax continued. "Five years of faith, from millions, burned away in a single battle. That's how insane this power is. But the amount needed is just as monstrous. If I want to protect you again from another invasion, I'll need more than what I had. If you were just my surviving subjects, the flow would be too weak—I'd have to wait hundreds, maybe thousands of years. We can't depend on luck anymore. The sea races broke the peace treaty once. If they come again, we'll all die."
The women's faces fell. The urgency hit them hard. Some even panicked. Jayde noticed and rolled her eyes.
"More, huh? You want us to bow every five seconds too?"
"No, though if you want to kneel and worship me I won't complain," Jax teased, easing the heavy mood. "What I want is for this world to always stay open to you. Just lie down and think about entering… or dream about this place while you sleep, and you'll be here."
He raised his hands, and the whole space shook. The void stretched outward, pillars of energy shooting into the horizon.
"I've expanded the world," he said. "I want each of you to have your own territory, shape it however you like. But more importantly, you'll create missions. When others arrive, you'll be the ones giving them things to do."
Several blinked at him, not fully understanding. Jax grinned sideways.
"Relax… I'll show you exactly what I mean."
Jax raised his hand and began condensing the energy in front of him. The air trembled, the very world shrinking around him. Without hesitation, he reached into his own chest and tore out a glowing fragment of his soul. The girls froze, wide-eyed, as he held that pulsing piece of fire in his palm. Slowly, he kneaded it, molding the raw essence into a smaller form while sparks crackled and space itself twisted.
No one dared to speak. They just stared at him, eyes locked on every movement, waiting to see what the hell their god was about to create.