The transformation began gradually but soon became a spectacle impossible to ignore. The divine mana surrounding her began to pulse as if it had a life of its own, compressing and expanding in harmonic cycles that resonated with the very fabric of the universe. Each pulse generated a wave of energy that seemed to dance around her, in a rhythm that defied any logic. Tiny sparks of golden light started to emerge from her skin, initially subtle but quickly growing in intensity until her form became enveloped by a celestial halo that radiated an almost palpable sense of power.
The space around her, already distorted by her presence, seemed to yield even more to her influence. A vortex was formed, sucking in the pure essence of the cosmos, as though the very universe was contributing to her ascension process. Each pulse shaped not only her aura but also her soul, which began to exhibit traits beyond mortality. The changes were visible even to mortal eyes; for Kayden, they were a spectacle that transcended any transformation he had ever witnessed.
The absolute silence of that moment was almost deafening, charged with the weight of what was to come. She was crossing the thin line between mage and divinity, a rare process that few had the privilege of witnessing.
The spectacle intensified. The woman’s soul, which until then had maintained a uniform form, began to granularize with small points of divine mana interspersed with traces of mortality. To Kayden, this was a true enigma. It was something unique, never before recorded in the history of the universe. The cosmos seemed to react to this transformation in a peculiar way as if trying to open the doors for the heavens to enter and complete the ascension process. But then, something unexpected happened.
A colossal rune sliced through the space, cutting everything in its path for 100 billion kilometers. Its structure was so intricate that it seemed like a tangle of thousands and thousands of symbols and drawings, connected by lines of mana glowing with an intense golden light. It was one of the most complex magical structures Kayden had ever seen in all his existence. He tried to memorize as many details as possible in that brief moment, but the vastness of the rune was simply impossible to absorb fully.
The execution of that rune was something so insane that it was only possible thanks to the artifact Netero held in his hands. A small statue about one meter tall, emitting a golden glow so intense that it outshone even the surrounding galaxies. The amount of mana contained in that object was incomprehensible—far superior to the energy of hundreds of thousands of galaxies combined. Moreover, it contained enough divine mana to fill thousands more galaxies. Kayden, observing the artifact, was astonished. It was clear to him that this small invention was something that only a god could have created.
Kayden knew that no rune, no matter how powerful, could prevent the heavens from carrying out their decrees. At most, they could delay the process. This meant that this specific rune, as incredible as it was, was there with the permission of the heavens. Its intense glow gradually faded until the rune began to close, fulfilling its purpose.
In this brief interval, the woman began to gather mana even more wildly, especially divine mana, which flowed toward her like an uncontrollable river. In a matter of seconds, more than 40% of her soul had been imbued with divinity. The process was so fast and fluid that it seemed to defy all known natural laws.
In just 30 seconds, with the runes finally closing, 70% of her soul had become divine. But at that moment, the woman made a decision. Her soul closed over the divine part, leaving the mortal part exposed. When the heavens’ scan passed through the location, nothing happened. It was as if there were not a single god present.
Then, the most extraordinary phenomenon occurred. The two halves of her soul began to merge and complete in a slow but steady manner. What emerged was something Kayden could never have anticipated. A new soul arose, completely different from anything he had studied before. It wasn’t exactly a recreation, but it wasn’t entirely new either. It was an unknown, something that defied the limits of his vast knowledge.
The soul began to pulse in perfect resonance with space. The vibrations generated were so intense that they could be felt billions of kilometers away. Any mage nearby felt the space vibrating at high frequency, altering its very nature. The amount of space Kayden could no longer manipulate began to increase at a dizzying rate.
Ten million kilometers, one hundred million, one billion... and it finally stopped at 25 billion kilometers of pure altered space. It was insane. Kayden knew that this woman was undoubtedly one of the most powerful mages he had ever encountered.
Her aura shifted from something mortal to a semidivine force. With a mere thought, she could alter entire galaxies. Kayden found himself facing a true monster, a tenth-realm demigod. Her strength was so absurd that it could rival mages of ten rays from smaller realms combined.
Then she spoke. Her voice was clear, but loaded with an intensity that made the very space tremble.
"Kayden Heart, I’ve heard much about you. My name is Jasmim Heart."
Her words resonated like thunder in the minds of those around her, but it was the mention of her surname that surprised Kayden. He raised an eyebrow, trying to process the information.
"You’re a descendant of Milena, aren’t you?"
Kayden took less than a minute to identify her lineage by analyzing her soul. Jasmim confirmed with a nod and explained, revealing fragments of her past. She had been born at the same time as Astolfo but was abandoned in the jungle due to a lack of talent. Her destiny, however, had been shaped by Han, who had raised her. Now, after thousands of events, she was standing before Kayden, her very own father.
Silence settled between them as they stared at each other. Each one lost in their thoughts. Kayden reflected on the surprises of the universe, while Jasmim sought some trace of regret or pride in his eyes.