(Leo's POV, Planet Vorthas, the following morning)
Next morning at the Skyshard Mansion, as daylight broached through the curtains in Amanda's room, the duo finally woke up amidst tangled sheets that lay in ruin after a night of intense passion.
Amanda's head rested on Leo's chest, her hair wild, her breath soft and uneven, as the faint smile on her lips betrayed just how thoroughly the night had claimed her.
Amanda stirred, groaning softly as she tried to sit up, only to freeze when her body refused to obey.
Her legs trembled uselessly beneath the blanket, her voice breaking into a half-white, half-laugh.
"Leo... I... I don't think I can walk. My legs are done for..."
Leo chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek, his eyes gleaming with mischief. "Well, I did warn you I'd show you what a Transcendent's stamina felt like. Looks like you underestimated me."
Amanda pouted, smacking his chest weakly. "You brute... What am I supposed to do now? I need to finish the adjustments on the mana heart today. Carry me—princess style. Right now."
Leo's grin widened at her commanding tone, and without hesitation, he swept her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest as though she weighed nothing.
Amanda gasped, clutching his shoulders, her face buried against him to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks.
"You're impossible," she muttered, though her voice softened with affection as he carried her toward her work desk, each step steady and unhurried, as though he liked delaying the journey on purpose.
"Uhm.... So, I'm pleased to report that I finally made a working mana heart that's not the size of a fridge anymore.... It's more like the size of a TV," Amanda said, as she showed off her creation to Leo, which looked like a computer sized black box with whirring motors and several filter sheets inside.
"On the plus side, this unit can detoxify an area the size of a room for about a month of any and all impure mana.
But on the bad side, it's still too big and heavy to be worn around the neck."
Amanda said, as she began tinkering with the device and making some small adjustments to its output.
Leo mused as he studied the device and its internal mana flow, sensing how the device was pulling mana from its surroundings and pushing it through the filters, before finally releasing it back into the air as purified mana.
"That's terrific babe, I'm very proud of you—" Leo said as he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss against the top of Amanda's head, as he acknowledged her progress as a terrific blacksmith.
However, Amanda only puffed her cheeks, her lips forming a pout as she twisted in his lap to glare at him.
"No, it's not terrific! I'm at my wits' end here, Leo. I don't know how I can make it any smaller than this. I've literally thought about every element known to the universe, and nothing—absolutely nothing—compresses this design to the size of an amulet!"
Her voice cracked between frustration and exhaustion, her fingers drumming on the black box as though hoping it might suddenly shrink on command.
Leo mulled over her words in silence for a long moment, his gaze tracing the whirring filters and faintly glowing inscriptions inside.
Then, with a thoughtful hum, he finally said, "You know... there is a guy I know on Tithia. Supposedly the Cult's best blacksmith. If you want to consult him, I could perhaps make an introduction...."
He offered, as Amanda's eyes lit up instantly, her exhaustion forgotten as she practically bounced in place despite her limp legs.
"Oh my god, yes! I've been wanting to visit the forges of Tithia for a while now. Please, take me there."
She begged as Leo smirked at her sudden burst of energy and nodded, filing it away in his mind as a promise.
"Alright. Later today, I'll take you."
He agreed, as his gaze returned to the device, the faint thrum of mana filling the silence between them.
"Yeah... Also I need this artifact mass-produced as soon as possible. If we can install these across the Cult, we'll massively improve the quality of warriors under our banner. And more importantly...."
His hand brushed the black box, eyes narrowing as his voice dropped into something heavier.
"...it can be our ace card for a rainy day. Should that time ever come."
The ominous weight of his words hung in the air, as Amanda's excitement softened into quiet curiosity.
Leo always talked about this device like it was something extremely important, however, he never explained to her as to why he felt that way.
"What rainy day? Why is this device so important to you?" She asked at last, as Leo let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.
On one hand, he wanted to tell Amanda about why this device was so important to him.
However, on the other hand, he did not want to burden her with his paranoid fears that may never come to pass, and hence, in the end he decided to give her a mild version of the true reason of why he wanted to do this.
"It's to help me sleep better. With this device, there's a place in the universe that we can safely run back to, where no-one can track us or try to kill us......
So just in case the Cult ever falls, or they turn against me.
There's still a place in this wretched universe where I can keep you safe—"Leo said as he tried to force a smile after those gloomy words, but failed to put on a convincing one.
"Oh you poor thing...." Amanda said as she noticed his poor attempt to hide his true fears, as she gave him a reassuring hug to calm him down.
"Don't worry.... If the artefact can be made, I promise to you, that I'll find a way to make it —" Amanda swore, as her words made Leo light up in genuine joy.
"Oh, how did I get so lucky to get a girlfriend like you...." He mused as Amanda giggled and blushed at his words, clearly pleased with the compliment.
(More chapters in Buyers club for TMT)