"I'm curious, Aster..." Ryuk suddenly said, prompting Aster to turn to him.
"After you leave Endearth, where are you going?"
"I know you were imprisoned by some pawn of the Eternal Warlock of War, who I think I killed during the trial..."
"But then I started thinking — if he was just one of the pawns, then maybe your enemy is the true Eternal Warlock of War."
"Are you going out there to look for him, or are you returning to your world in the Upper Realm, or…?" he asked.
Aster shrugged, then turned around and sat by his side, her back resting against the bed's headrest.
"You really want to know?" She asked with a grin, but then noticed Ryuk's focused expression.
"I do want to know, Aster." He said, seriously, as Aster faintly knitted her brows, as if debating before eventually agreeing.
"The Upper Realm is divided into two major factions, and each of them has layers to its existence," she began.
"There's the Celestial Races Faction — the so-called good side — and then there's the Evil Conqueror Race Faction, which is the bad side."
"And within the Celestial Races, there are three floors."
"The third floor is the lowest. It consists of many races that are like small tribes, less powerful."
"The most well-known experts on the third floor are at the Apocrypha Stage. and also the Atheri's barbarian race, which Antares belongs to, is on the third floor," she explained, and Ryuk nodded, listening intently.
"The second floor has fewer races, but they're significantly stronger."
"Apocrypha Stage beings are common there, and those who hold real power are the Exigners."
"You could even encounter Nihil-level experts, though those are rare occasions."
"These races are quite powerful — I belong to one of them."
"The Soul Flora Race," she said.
Ryuk's eyes widened slightly; it was the first time he had heard her reveal her race.
"Our race isn't built for battle. We're a knowledge-based race, and we've had an ancient alliance with another race — a battle-focused one."
"Since we specialize in knowledge and they in combat, we formed a symbiotic bond. We guide them, help improve their civilization, tutor their young ones, and they defend us when needed."
"Many races in the Upper Realm form such bonds. It's nothing new," she added.
Ryuk tilted his head slightly. "So I'm guessing this Eternal Warlock of War belongs to the Warlock Race?"
"Then how did you end up imprisoned by him in your own realm?"
"There was a ridiculous rule binding both races. The leaders decided that the royals of each race should marry to strengthen the alliance."
"But here's the catch — the leaders themselves chose the partners. One royal from the Warlock Race and one from the Soul Flora Race would be selected."
"The Warlocks chose their candidate. He was the most promising talent of their race. They called him the Eternal Warlock of War… or whatever." Her voice dripped with disdain.
"He was chosen for the bond. But the elders of my race didn't want him," she said, as Ryuk raised a brow in confusion.
"Because both races believed their royalty was sacred and therefore, the ones who will be chosen for the bonding must have their hearts untouched by anything or anyone."
"But that bastard, the Eternal Warlock of War, was a lecherous scum."
"Forget having his heart scarred, he probably doesn't even remember how many women he's slept with."
"He saw them as trophies to be accumulated, bragging about the numbers."
"The Soul Flora elders were completely against it, same for the Warlock race Elders too, but they didn't do anything."
"Beacuse he, the Eternal Warlock of War, was the most pure in bloodline, so they hoped that by combining his pure bloodline with a royalty of our Soul Flora Race" The most update n0vels are published on novel⟡fire.net
" A stronger, purer dual bloodline might emerge from the bonding."
"So, the elders of the Soul Flora Race — unwilling to destroy more than centuries-old alliance — decided to offer one of the less important members of royalty for the marriage."
"The one who is unimportant and who they don't mind being one of many of the collections of a lecehrous scum!"
"And guess who they chose?" she asked, her tone dry.
"Exactly..." she said.
Ryuk sat in silence for a moment. "That must've been a nightmare."
"It was…" she admitted, her voice dropping lower.
But then Ryuk noticed something strange — a faint smirk curling at the corner of her lips.
It sent a chill down his spine.
"Why do I feel like you did something worse…?"
"I actually agreed to the marriage. They held the ceremony and everything. But that night… I made sure to save countless women from ever falling prey to his lust again."
"And that, of course, led to my imprisonment."
"What did you do that night?" he asked carefully, watching her face as the color in his own slowly drained.
Aster tilted her head, her expression playful and wicked.
"Hehehe… You really want to know?"
Just then, the system chimed in:
[If she said she saved many women from becoming prey to that lecherous bastard, then the only way to do that is by severing off his manhood.]
Ryuk's lap muscles unconsciously tightened as he folded his legs, a cold shiver creeping up his spine, something that didn't escape Aster's eyes as she giggled.
"Don't tell me…" he muttered.
She nodded with a devilish gleam in her eyes.
"That's...That's quite cold." He murmured.
"Yes, It sounds extreme, but trust me — that night, when his scream echoed across the entire universe, I was praised as a hero by everyone."
"The elders of his race were, of course, furious… But even they were secretly grateful. His lecherous ways distracted him from his potential. Slicing off his manhood was something they likely wanted done long ago but never dared to act on."
Ryuk stared at her, stunned, with bits of sweat dripping down the back of his neck.
He didn't have a third leg, but he could imagine getting it caught off would probably hurt more than having a finger ripped off.
"But was it really worth it for you, though, getting stuck in your realm for so long?"
She shrugged without hesitation.
"But now… I'm lost. Returning home is so complicated…" she murmured.
Ryuk understood in an instant.
Things weren't just complicated, they were dangerous, and the Eternal Warlock of War was just one of the factors that made things worse for her.
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