The words of the Supre landed like a stone dropped into still water.
Alia froze.
The offer was good. Too good.
That was the first sign sothing was wrong.
Supre never gave without expecting sothing in return.
She straightened her shoulders, forcing herself to speak calmly.
"Why do you want to be your Loved One? What do you get out of it?"
The Supre of Water tilted her head slightly.
A faint smile curved her lips.
"What do I get out of it?"
She let the question linger before answering.
"Just once, I will issue a task to you in the future. Complete it. We can seal the deal with an existence vow if you prefer. You complete my task, and in return I will make you my Loved One."
Alia blinked. "That’s it?"
"Yes."
Alia did not believe her.
The Supre was asking for only one thing.
Yet the price she offered in return was enormous.
Becoming a Loved One ant inheriting a portion of the Supre’s power, available whenever she wished, without cost.
Most Supres only did this for their children, a sworn friend, or a lover.
Even then, the decision was dangerous.
If a Loved One died, the Supre would suffer imnse backlash, and they would be unable to appoint another Loved One for a long ti.
And for the Supre of Water to extend this to her, a normal God, made no sense.
Her brows furrowed.
"You could ask anyone else to do that task. You have followers, worshippers, gods who kneel to you. Why choose ?"
The Supre of Water’s smile deepened, but it did not feel mocking.
She folded her hands before her chest, almost like a teacher addressing a student.
"I can tell what you are thinking, and you are correct. I would not choose a weak or untalented being as my Loved One.
"But you are thinking too little of yourself, child.
"You reached Stage 5 in just fifteen thousand years. Your talent is extraordinary. Any Supre would be tempted to make you their Loved One."
Alia’s lips tightened.
Complints rarely swayed her.
She needed facts.
"What kind of task will you ask to do?"
"That, I cannot tell you now."
Her tone carried no hesitation, as if withholding the truth was natural.
Alia weighed the situation carefully.
The Supre wasn’t lying about the benefits.
The task, whatever it was, could not possibly outweigh what was being offered.
The Supres had countless believers, who would obey them without question.
Choosing Alia specifically ant she was helping Alia for little returns.
Still, hesitation gripped her.
"Are you truly certain?" Alia asked quietly. "That you want to be your Loved One?"
"Yes."
The Supre’s expression softened.
"You must stop doubting yourself. You are gifted, Alia.
"You think yourself ordinary only because of the company you keep.
"The ones around you are rare, extraordinary beings—devils, heirs of destiny, chosen of higher powers.
"But you are no less than them."
Her words struck deeper than Alia expected.
She had always felt overshadowed, always compared herself to monsters like Jack, Mars, Percival, Morrigan, Arthur, and Felix.
Their strength blazed like burning suns.
Even Felix, the weakest of the bunch, was capable of killing any God.
Alia was nothing special in contrast.
She had reached Stage 5 fast, but her strength was lacking compared to average Stage 5 Gods.
Her hand trembled slightly.
She already had access to the Blood Sea.
But if she accepted the Supre’s offer, she would wield strength beyond imagining.
She would no longer need to cling to hatred to move forward. She would no longer need to loathe her own fragility.
The Supre’s gaze never wavered.
Alia drew a breath.
She made her decision.
"...Okay."
The chamber shifted.
A shimr of light rippled across the air as the Supre of Water lifted her hand, and placed her palm over Alia’s heart.
Cold, clean energy surged from that touch.
It flowed through Alia like rivers breaking through a dam, flooding her veins, sinking into her bones.
The divine aura expanded, wrapping around her body in layers, sinking into the very essence of her existence.
Symbols Alia had never seen flared briefly in the air.
Circles of light ford, rotated, and vanished.
A bond was being carved into her existence.
Alia gasped but did not resist.
She let the current consu her.
And then the world itself seed to pause.
The chamber dimd, shadows stretching unnaturally.
A presence appeared.
Its weight was beyond all description. It was shapeless, formless, and yet it filled every corner of the room at once.
The Universal Will had arrived.
Alia’s shoulders trembled under the sheer pressure, but the Supre’s hand steadied her.
The Universal Will regarded them in silence, though it had no eyes to look with.
Its focus pressed heavily on the Supre of Water.
The Supre smiled in return.
For a long mont, nothing happened.
Then, slowly, the pressure shifted, lessening by degrees.
Approval.
The vow was acknowledged.
The bond was accepted.
The Universal Will lingered, casting one last unreadable glance at Supre of Water and Alia before fading away.
When it was gone, Alia’s chest rose and fell sharply.
Her body trembled.
Power humd within her.
She felt as though she carried a piece of the endless ocean inside her.
The Supre withdrew her hand, smiling gently.
"It is done. From this day onward, you are my Loved One."
Alia stared at her hands, feeling the strength coursing beneath her skin.
She could not form words.
For once, she was speechless.
Supre of Water was channeling her strength into Alia, causing rapid increase in her power.
"Unless you try to stop it, you would soon reach Stage 6, and then peak of Stage 6."
The Supre’s expression softened further.
"Do not be afraid of what you have gained. Use it. Shape it. You are no longer bound by the chains you hated. You are free to beco who you truly are."
Alia lowered her gaze, hiding the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
She did not know if this path was right, but it was hers now.
Deep within her, she swore she would never let this gift go to waste.
The Supre of Water rose gracefully.
She looked down at Alia one last ti before she left.
"The Supres are not allowed to interfere too much with the universe. However, now that you are my Loved One, I can step in a little more if it is to help you."
"And...?"
"Go to the Shattered Domain."
The Supre’s eyes glimred with sothing unreadable.
"You might find clues regarding your mother there."
The words struck like thunder.
Alia’s eyes widened, and for the first ti in what felt like years, life returned to them.
Her pulse quickened.
"My mother...?"
The Supre gave the faintest nod but raised a hand before Alia could speak further.
"However," she added, her tone firm, "before you leave, deal with what is soon going to happen. Do not step outside Golden Domain until that is resolved."
Alia opened her mouth, desperate to demand more answers, but the Supre of Water was gone already.
Her presence faded like the tide receding from shore, leaving only silence behind.
Alia clenched her fists tightly.
The ntion of her mother reignited sothing in her.
But the warning echoed in her ears. She recalled the Supre’s warning.
Sothing was about to happen.
...
Neo POV
Neo appeared in a barren expanse.
The ground was dry and cracked, scattered with jagged rocks that rose like crooked towers.
The sky above was a muted gray, heavy and lifeless.
Neo scanned his surroundings.
Then he closed them briefly and expanded his senses outward.
Energy rippled from him, spreading like invisible waves.
Yet no matter how far he reached, there was no end.
The place stretched endlessly.
"This place is quite big."
He frowned but quickly cald himself.
This was not the ti to get distracted.
With a flick of his hand, a familiar screen of glowing text appeared before him.
"Show information about my inherent trait," he commanded.
The system responded instantly.
[Crownless King (Grade 1)]
[Progress: 100%]
[Crownless King Trait is ready to evolve. Please choose one of the new evolution pathways for your trait to advance to Exalted Rank.]
"Advance to Exalted rank?"
Neo shook his head with a faint chuckle.
"Well, I knew evolving a single trait won’t give a big boost, but this trait cos from my main bloodline. So perhaps, it can give useful abilities."
He focused on the screen.
"System, show the new traits I can choose from."
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