Looking at the woman in his arms, Maximus was dumbfounded.
Turning to his wives, he didn't know how to answer either.
"Girl, who are you?" Maximus asked gently.
Although he didn't know why, he felt a strange sense of familiarity with the woman.
Otherwise, how could just anyone approach him so closely?
"I'm Scarlet…" The woman introduced herself, looking at him emotionally.
Before he could finish, Scarlet kissed him forcefully.
Too shocked by the sudden situation, Maximus didn't have time to dodge.
Wanting to break the kiss, he was suddenly hit by a flood of memories.
His first life as the tribe leader of an ancient people, his second life as a hunter, his third as the king of an ancient era, his fourth as a wandering merchant, his fifth as a top scholar…
As his deep-buried memories resurfaced, his eyes returned to clarity, understanding everything that had happened.
From all those blurry images, Maximus finally remembered his past lives.
The destruction of the universe plane, the last spark of fire, the son of a plane, and finally, his mission: to rebuild the universe plane and raise civilization from zero to ten billion percent!
"You are… the will of Earth," Maximus said softly, looking at Scarlet.
As the son of a plane, he was its incarnation. Everything it saw, created, thought, and manifested was imprinted in his very being.
Earth—the last bastion of civilization, was his birthplace and training ground to prepare for the upcoming journey.
It was the last card, the carrier of hope that would continue their existence.
This woman, the will of Earth, had carried him through an unknown amount of time to the Aeon Plane, where he could safely begin his journey.
Feeling her trembling body, Maximus hugged her tightly.
"You worked hard… Now leave everything to me."
Feeling his warmth, Scarlet teared up as if all the burdens she carried had disappeared.
Although she didn't fully understand the universe plane's plan, her love for Maximus was as real as it could get.
Etherium Realm, Shadowcrest Castle.
After such an ordeal, Maximus was no longer in the mood to inspect the Shadow Void Land.
Returning with his wives and Scarlet, he began to explain their identities.
"So, you're the son of another plane?!"
Instead of disbelief and questioning, his wives were more amazed by his identity.
A son of a plane! It was an identity more glorious than an overlord.
Turning to Scarlet, their eyes were filled with both pity and gratitude.
Just hearing her story, they couldn't begin to imagine how horrifying her experiences had been.
Experiencing the destruction of her plane, wondering alone holding for a little hope, finally arriving in the Aeon Plane yet still separated from her beloved.
They didn't know if they could handle the same despair and loneliness she had experienced.
"If you need anything, just say the word…"
If not for Scarlet, they might never have met Maximus.
They would have remained mere mortals or wandering powerhouses, lost in the unknown, waiting for the Aeon Plane to be swallowed by the dark disaster.
"It's my duty." Scarlet smiled.
She had saved Maximus because of her unwavering love, not for anything else.
"Even so, we'd like to thank you."
"If that's the case, then…"
Meanwhile, watching his wives and Scarlet chatting secretly with smiles, Maximus heaved a sigh of relief.
Recalling his memories and inheriting the will of the Universe Plane, his heart was in turmoil from nostalgia, loneliness, despair, hope, and excitement all clashing within him.
The dark disaster was more serious than he had imagined.
What made it truly terrifying wasn't just its strength but its sheer numbers.
From the memories he inherited, the Universe Plane had once been on par with the Aeon Plane, both being Tier 12 planes.
However, instead of magic, it had advanced through technology.
Gene evolution, harnessing power with absolute efficiency, the study of every material, the manipulation of time and space.
At its peak, it had thousands of plane ships capable of one-shotting a Tier 12 dark beast.
Yet, even with such overwhelming power, after suppressing the dark beasts for trillions upon trillions of years, the dark disaster never ended.
Even when the Universe Plane created its ultimate weapon, a Tier 13 universe destroyer, the dark beasts remained unkillable.
As the stars burned out and all energy in the Universe Plane was depleted, the dark beasts only grew stronger, as if they had no end.
As a last resort, the plane gave birth to him, the final hope, the last spark of fire that could revive its civilization.
"Everything seems to be falling into place."
Although the dark disaster was terrifying, Maximus felt unprecedented excitement.
With the True Path guiding his destiny, he now possessed the Tier 13 ultimate physique—Plane Source.
Even if the dark beasts were endless, so was his energy.
With an equalized battlefield, victory would come down to who had more resilience and power.
With the combined knowledge of the Aeon Plane and the Universe Plane in his grasp, Maximus had every advantage.
Unfortunately, the knowledge he inherited was still blurry.
Perhaps due to his current strength, he couldn't fully absorb the vast amount of information contained in the Universe Plane.
Thinking of the Tier 12 plane ships and the Tier 13 plane destroyers, Maximus felt lost.
There was even knowledge about the fundamental birth of planes, their unique laws, and manifestations, yet everything remained unclear.
Aside from a general idea, he couldn't form a complete picture.
"It seems I need to reach the Tier 12 realm as soon as possible."
He had a feeling that once he did, all details, from the birth of the Universe Plane to its greatest creations, would become clear.
Meanwhile, as he was deep in thought, his wives surrounded him, gently urging Scarlet to step forward.
"What is it?" Maximus asked with a smile.
"I-I want to stay with you," Scarlet said nervously.
Looking at the nervous Scarlet and his wives, who were ready to beat him if he refused, Maximus couldn't help but smile.
"You've always been with me… Now, we're just being reunited."