Patting the very sensitive Brood Hive, Ren cast his gaze across the entire consciousness space.
"As the Sefirot are replenished, my consciousness space also becomes richer. This place gradually gives me the feeling of an inner world."
Every time a Sefirot was added, the scale of this consciousness space expanded slightly.
At first, when there was only Sefirah Castle, the entire consciousness space only contained the scenery inside Sefirah Castle. But with the addition of River of Eternal Darkness, the space gained an external view.
The arrival of Chaos Sea brought about the earth's core.
The appearance of the Nation of Disorder made the sky even wider.
And now, the arrival of the Brood Hive had brought a touch of vitality into this consciousness space.
"I wonder what will happen when the other four Sefirot are gathered."
Such a thought sparked Ren's interest, though only slightly.
He knew gathering Sefirot was not an easy task, especially since many major events had already occurred, and the fates of many people had already been altered. It would likely depend on opportunity to obtain Sefirot so easily in the future.
Ren naturally understood the difficulty of collecting all Sefirot, but he had both time and opportunity, so he could wait patiently.
"The Brood Hive corresponds to the Moon and Mother pathways. One side is the power of earth and nature, and the other side is the power of vampires contained in the Moon."
Ren stretched out his hand, and a hint of green slowly spread in his palm. Green vegetation sprouted within his hand along with the light.
With a casual wave, a mass of vegetation flew like projectiles toward the surrounding trees.
Each piece of vegetation was like a sharp thorn, embedding deep into the trees.
Visibly, the impaled trees began to wither, their life force fading as if their years had suddenly reached an end.
"The power of earth and nature can create strong vitality, but it can also drain life away, just like plants."
"It can transform natural vegetation, making it harder, more destructive, and more penetrating."
"It can even produce unknown and potent poisons."
"If this power were given to a doctor or an assassin, it could truly be used to its fullest."
Having witnessed the Mother's power, Ren highly acknowledged its strength.
Even in modern society, this power was extremely practical.
The Moon's power, however, seemed a bit more feminine, and it also overlapped somewhat with the Mother's authority.
The Mother was about hybridizing organisms to create different forms of life, while the Moon derived the authority of life primarily from itself.
The Moon used charm to increase affinity with creatures, forming contracts and summoning them to fight.
If the Mother was like an alchemist, then the Moon was more like a summoner.
"Good power."
Ren praised it and gently stroked the Brood Hive's outer wall.
The delighted Brood Hive responded with a pulse.
At the same time, a surge of life flowed into his body along with the Brood Hive.
"The Moon's authority over life? It acts on oneself, enhancing affinity with animals and extraordinary creatures, as well as granting exceptional self-healing."
"Animals and extraordinary creatures are naturally drawn to those with vitality and charm… Hmm, that is quite reasonable."
After tidying up his gains, Ren calmed his mind and withdrew from the consciousness space.
Back in his study, he opened his eyes and first assessed his physical condition.
Life authority… it did not increase his physique much.
A mirror appeared before him. After removing his glasses, he saw his reflection looked slightly different from before.
Even Ren himself found it hard to pinpoint the exact change. He could only say his appearance looked a bit fresher.
The affinity and charm enhanced by the authority of life… worthy of the Moon pathway.
At Sequence 1, this pathway was called the Beauty Goddess. That title perfectly embodied the manifestation of life authority within oneself.
The authority of life transformed the self into a more perfect image.
Ren shook his head slightly, dispersed the mirror, and put away the diary. Now, he needed to go to the living room and speak with Miyano Shiho.
He walked out of the study toward the living room.
Miyano Shiho, who had been sitting upright, immediately straightened further at the sound of the door opening.
She turned her head and saw Ren walking into the living room from the hallway. Shiho stood up, bowed slightly, and said:
"Thank you very much for saving me, Lord god."
"...As Miss Miyano Akemi's younger sister, you really continued your sister's way of addressing me."
The title of Lord god still made Ren feel a little unaccustomed.
"My name is Ren. You can call me Ren, or Amamiya, whichever you prefer. As for Lord god, if you like it, you may use it in private."
Shiho nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then said again:
"Mr. Ren, thank you very much for saving me. Without your help, my sister and I would not have been able to escape that organization."
"You should already understand why I helped Miss Akemi. She chose to repay the condition of changing her fate, and my help, with a lifetime of loyalty and faith. It was not free help."
"Yes, I understand."
Shiho had already learned this clearly through her sister.
Perhaps the price of this transaction was high, but Shiho also understood that it had been the best choice for both her and her sister.
"So, I also hope to be like my sister, to become your believer and receive your protection."
"…Hmm."
Ren had not expected Shiho to make such a choice.
"Even if you don't make this choice, as long as you stay with Miss Akemi, I will still protect you. Why insist on this? Or did Miss Akemi not tell you the cost of becoming a believer?"
"My sister didn't say. It wasn't an accident. I think she deliberately avoided telling me, to prevent me from taking this step."
"So, are you going to waste your sister's kindness?"
"No, I am not going to waste it. Instead, I want to walk the same path as my sister."
Shiho shook her head slightly. She knew of her sister's care and concern, but this time, she wanted to walk the same path as Akemi.
"In the first half of my life, my talent and abilities only brought trouble to my sister. For the rest of my life, I want to choose my own path, and I also want to walk the same path as my sister, instead of always being looked after by her."
(To be continued.)