"Mother, please. I'm already strong enough to fight alongside you—let me support you in this war against those humans," said a boy who looked no older than fifteen, standing before his mother.
The woman facing him looked extraordinary. Her long white hair cascaded down her back, and pointed ears peeked through the strands. Her golden eyes, and the omega symbol marked on her forehead—unique to the royalty of the elves—glowed gently as she offered him a reassuring smile.
She stood up, her long white robe brushing against the floor, covering her feet, as she looked at her youngest—and only child still alive.
"You are right, Lorion. You are strong, maybe even strong enough to join this war. But if we know how talented you are, then so do the humans. And they won't hesitate to kill you."
"But Mother! I'm not that easy to kill. And with my Everbreaking Supreme Physique, the more I fight, the stronger I become—you know that too! I'd be more helpful out there fighting than hiding like you always make me do," Lorion said, his voice tight with frustration.
"Mother, I want to fight!" he repeated, eyes full of determination.
His mother smiled faintly, then spoke. "I understand what you're saying… but the humans know about your Supreme Physique. And the only reason you're still alive is because we protect you."
"Our enemies aren't fools. They'll send someone vastly stronger than you. And if we don't shield you, you won't even know how you died."
"But—" he tried to respond.
"Lorion!" she shouted, her expression turning serious as she met his gaze.
"I won't repeat myself. You will not participate in this war. You are the only hope of our race. You're the one who will help us fight for the future."
"With your Supreme Physique, if given time, you will grow strong enough to stop the conquest of the humans."
"What future would I fight for if you and everyone else are already dead? I'd rather die with you," Lorion said, tears forming in his eyes.
"Don't worry about it. We will not die," she said while smiling.
His mother then looked at him for a long moment, then closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her irises were glowing. Before Lorion could speak again, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
She gently picked up his small body and began walking down a grand corridor. Along the walls hung pictures—her, her husband, and their children who had already died in this endless war.
At the end of the hall, she stopped in front of a door with a golden handle. She opened it and stepped through.
The room beyond wasn't large. At its center stood an altar, dimly lit by a narrow round window set high in the wall behind it.
Around the altar stood four old men clad in full sets of dark steel plate armor, lined with gold-edged accents. Their armor was layered and angular, with large spiked pauldrons, segmented chest plates, and long, split waist drapes flowing from their belts.
They exuded an impressive aura, but looking at them more closely, it was clear they were on the verge of death.
"Ancestors," the woman said as she knelt, "thank you for accepting my selfish request—for trying to save my son."
One of the old men smiled. "There is no need to thank us, Aeris. Everything we do is for the survival of our race. That child… is our only hope for the future."
Another spoke. "We know that while he remains here, you cannot fight freely. Your thoughts will always be tied to his safety."
"We've lived for hundreds of thousands of years," a third said. "And still, we failed to reach the Realm of Legends. Now, at the edge of our lifespan, if we can use our final strength to help you breach the spatial boundary between galaxies—just long enough to send Lorion far from here and give him time and peace to grow stronger—then we do so gladly."
Aeris stepped forward and laid her son upon the altar, then retreated five steps.
She had spent much of this war searching for a galaxy far enough away that even with the humans' conquest, they wouldn't be able to reach it—one that was also not too dangerous, among the countless galaxies scattered across the universe.
She had wanted to find one with no threats at all. But time was short, and she had to settle for the least dangerous one she could sense.
It was untouched by the humans of her galaxy. She had selected a planet within it that radiated the faintest energy signature.
There were humans there as well, but they were too weak and had no link with the humans seeking to dominate the galaxy.
Despite her hatred for the humans, she knew that not all of them were evil. That's why she decided to send him there, even knowing that humans also lived on that planet.
Raising her head, she looked beyond the planet and into the void. Her people were still fighting. They were being massacred despite giving their all. Her rage boiled inside her, but she had to finish this first.
She cut a small piece of her soul, creating a remnant that would travel with Lorion and give him all the information he needed when he arrived.
She then looked at the four ancestors who were willing to sacrifice themselves for her son. Even if it was for their race's future, the thought weighed heavy on her.
She stretched out her hand toward two of them and gently closed her fingers. Neither resisted. Their bodies shimmered, breaking down into tiny particles of light.
Gathering their combined energy, she extended her glowing hand and focused on the space in front of her.
BAM!!!!
CRACK!!!!
A loud explosion echoed through the room, reverberating as the energy tried to spread outward—until ancient formations around the room lit up, canceling the noise and preventing the energy from being felt outside.
A breach formed just behind the altar, just wide enough for Lorion to pass through.
She had created a void passage to another galaxy—one that would allow Lorion to travel without being detected by anyone.
Though she could observe other galaxies, Aeris wasn't strong enough to create such a passage on her own. But with the sacrifice of the ancestors, she could open one just long enough to send him through.
She then extended her arm again. The last two ancestors dissolved into light, smiling throughout the process. The particles merged and formed a glowing orb that floated to Lorion and surrounded him.
Their energy would protect her son in the turbulent void passage—without it, he wouldn't survive. Even she would struggle to make the journey herself.
Without hesitation, Aeris enveloped her son in energy and launched him through the breach, aiming for the distant galaxy.
The moment he passed through, the crack sealed itself—like it had never existed.
"Grow stronger, Lorion… and come back to free us from humanity's tyranny," she whispered.
Then she turned her gaze toward the void.
Her eyes burned with fury.
"Now it's time to make you pay."
---
She took a step—and instantly appeared outside her planet, her white dress fluttering in the void.
An immense pressure descended across the void. All human cultivators felt it at once.
The fighting stopped. Every human froze, weapons lowered. Their gazes turning toward Aeris.
She stood like a god in the middle of chaos. Her dress shimmered like silk beneath the starlight, golden patterns weaving across the fabric. Her golden eyes calmly scanned the wreckage—without releasing any aura.
And yet, the void itself felt heavier.
Their energy trembled. Their limbs felt sluggish. Even with their cultivation, the humans struggled to resist the pressure.
Aeris looked around.
Stars dimmed. Planets shattered. The star system—once the elves' last stronghold—was crumbling. Her kin's broken bodies floated through space. Shattered limbs, drifting weapons.
The humans, with their greed, had almost wiped them out.
The few surviving elves stared at her, eyes wide with hope.
"Empress Aeris is here!" one shouted.
"Empress Aeris!"
"She will save us!"
Their voices echoed across the void.
"Humph!" A mocking snort reverberated through space.
A new figure appeared—a human commander clad in black armor, a sword at his hip, long black hair trailing behind him.
"Oh, Empress Aeris… finally," he said with a smirk. "Have you finally crawled out of hiding to join your husband in the netherworld?"
Aeris stared coldly.
"I hope Lucan doesn't think you alone are enough to stop me."
The commander laughed. "Don't try to act tough, Aeris. Everyone knows your husband was the strongest of your kind—and he was only in the early stage of the Sacred King Realm."
"Even if you've been hiding your strength, you're likely no more than the late stage. That level doesn't qualify you to meet our Emperor."
"I, Brannic Vaelor, peak Sacred King… am more than enough to deal with you."
He sneered. "And once I'm done with you, I'll erase the rest of your pathetic race."
He grinned wider. "What about your son, Aeris? I've heard he possesses a Supreme Physique. Very gifted, isn't he?"
Aeris's eyes narrowed.
A crushing aura erupted, rippling through the void and suffocating every human in range. It slammed into Brannic with ferocity.
"Don't use your filthy mouth to speak about my son," Aeris said.
Brannic trembled.
How is her aura this strong?
An artifact? No… this pressure seems real…
He refocused, watching as Aeris began walking toward him.
As she moved, the humans around her began to explode—one after another, bursting into clouds of blood and mist. Even those who tried to flee couldn't move. Space itself locked around them.
It seemed to last forever, but she had only taken a single minute. Yet in that time, she had traveled hundreds of millions of kilometers—and by the time she reached Brannic, every human in the void was gone.
Only the elves remained.
Aeris tilted her head and smiled. "Hmm. Your kind is very fragile, Commander."
"So now it's your turn, human," she said coldly.
"Humph." Brannic stepped back, creating distance.
"Don't think you can intimidate me, prepare yourself, I'll offer your head to our Emperor myself."
He then frowned while thinking.
She's stronger than the reports… Could she be peak Sacred King like me? But I still can't see her realm… Is she concealing it?
Without further hesitation, he disappeared—then reappeared in front of her, his fist blazing forward.
BAM!
The shockwave ripped across the void. Broken fragments of nearby planets trembled. Some elves coughed up blood from the aftershock.
But Aeris didn't move.
She blocked the punch with a single finger.
She turned her head slightly, eyes glancing at the elves. They wouldn't survive another attack.
She raised her arm—and a portal opened beside them. In a flash, the elves were sucked in, vanishing into the inner world within her body.
When she looked back, Brannic was staring with disbelief.
"Well," she said. "I thought you were more than enough to deal with me. What happened?"
"I'm not feeling very threatened."
Brannic stepped back, face dark.
How did she block it so easily? And where did she send the elves?
"You really hid your strength well… stronger than your husband, it seems."
"Your mastery of the law of space… even more terrifying than the rumors. But no matter where you hide your kind—"
Before he could finish, Aeris was already in front of him.
In the next instant, he saw his body—arms, legs, torso—floating in pieces.
"What… how?" he whispered.
"Why are you panicking, Brannic?" Aeris asked with a faint smile. "This strike didn't touch your soul. You should be able to recover… no?"
Brannic's body glowed and reassembled in seconds. He floated back, stunned.
"How is this possible?!"
"Even if you're stronger than me, it shouldn't be by that much… unless…" He stopped cold.
"Unless you're in the Sacred Emperor Realm… the same as our Emperor."
He froze.
The difference between a Sacred King and a Sacred Emperor was said to be like that between a Sacred King and a mortal. Unlike lower realms—where resources and talent could let someone challenge higher stages—here, realm difference was absolute.
Knowing that, he didn't think much and decided to flee.
Within seconds, he crossed the borders of the elves' star system—intent on warning the Emperor.
He glanced back—
Aeris still stood there, looking at him with her cold golden eyes.
He exhaled—
And froze.
She was already in front of him.
"Why are you running?" she asked. "Weren't you supposed to be in the same realm as me?"
He stood paralyzed with fear.
"Pathetic," Aeris said coldly. "You're not even worth playing with."
Her eyes glowed.
Brannic exploded into a mist of blood, his soul shattering with it.
Aeris then turned her gaze toward the void.
"Lucan," she called, her voice echoing through space.
"I know you're watching. What are you waiting for?"
"I didn't take you for a stalker."
She narrowed her eyes at the empty space ahead.
"If you've got the guts, come and fight."
"And if it's too much for you… can go cry to your father," she said, mocking.