Chapter 20

Yuu nodded like a contented old wise man, and even though he didn't have a white mustache, he stroked his chin as a soft chuckle echoed through the castle.

"Very well, Jasmine. Given your keen interest in being my disciple, I'll give you a hint."

Jasmine, who had settled back into her chair, glowed with happiness at the thought that having this generous man as her master wasn't so bad after all. With interested eyes, she simply listened to what Yuu would say next.

"Currently, one of the Seven Heavenly Profound Treasures has no owner, or rather, it is in the hands of someone weak. However, don't look for it in the Low-Rank Star Realms or higher."

An ownerless treasure? Jasmine's happiness grew more and more. Certainly, she had thought that she would have to face powerful enemies to obtain such a treasure.

In fact, Jasmine only knew the location of the Eternal Heaven Pearl because it was the only Heavenly Profound Treasures that was publicly known in the Realm of the Gods. At that time, it belonged to the Eternal Heaven Realm. This treasure was quite powerful because it had the unique power to control time.

Of course, she could not steal the Eternal Heaven Pearl. Even though she was strong, there were cultivators as powerful as her in the Eternal Heaven Realm, not to mention the elders, who were surely as strong as her father and the elders of her family.

Therefore, although it was not publicly known, it was safe to assume that some of the Seven Heavenly Profound Treasures were held by great realms like the Moon God Realm or even her own family. This was because their inheritances came directly from True Gods who were truly powerful, with ancient and profound arts and skills, powerful treasures, and cultivation methods that made them much stronger than cultivators without someone powerful to back them up.

Jasmine tilted her head curiously and said, "Lord Aegis, if this Heavenly Treasure is not in the Low-Rank Star Realms or the Royal-Rank Star Realms, where should I look?"

Yuu leaned back in his chair with a small smile, "In a special star."

"One of the treasures, Sky Poison Pearl, resides in a small, lonely star in the far reaches of the Primal Chaos Dimension. This star was created thousands of years ago by the one you know as the Evil God. Throughout the ages of tribulations, the star has survived solely due to the protective measures put in place by this cultivator. In fact, there are treasures and legacies that even powerful cultivators from the Realm of the Gods would covet."

Yuu carefully seasoned his words with a hint of temptation, watching Jasmine's reactions closely. He wondered if she would be consumed by greed.

However, as expected from the heroine, her eyes widened in surprise, but there was no hint of greed. Only genuine happiness at the realization that her mission might not be so impossibly difficult after all, despite having to track down a hidden star in the vastness of the Primal Chaos Dimension.

"Thank you for the information, Mast-Uhum! Lord Aegis," she finally replied with a slight blush on her cheeks, eliciting an amused smile from Yuu.

Loki had listened to the conversation between the other two with growing interest. Although much of the information was beyond her own knowledge, she found the whole encounter quite entertaining.

With that in mind, she could not resist the temptation to interject. "Mr. Aegis, would you mind arranging more meetings like this in the future? Of course you would include me too―you can't leave me out! Although you are under no obligation to do so, please consider it."

"Don't you find this place a bit monotonous and lonely? It would be more fun with our company. No doubt, there are also certain restrictions on what you can do directly, such as intervening in the mortal worlds. But someone like that pretty redhead could act on your behalf."

Loki directed a glance at Jasmine. "She must have unique experiences, knowledge and resources from her home world that could be exchanged with us for mutual benefit."

From her perspective, all the arguments she presented were completely valid. But more than a genuine interest in otherworldly resources, what she really craved was the added fun these meetings could bring to her routine.

Besides, couldn't she visit one of these other worlds in the future? Maybe even a completely different reality?

Like the other gods of Tenkai, Loki had lived for millennia, and the familiar Tenkai landscape had become rather boring over the years. This endless boredom was the main reason why many gods decided to descend to Genkai, the mortal world.

They longed for some excitement and fun in their eternal lives. So they sealed their divine powers inside mortal shells and mingled among humans and other common races. Although such lives were trivial in comparison, they quickly fell in love with the unique mortal cultures. They gave their Grace in exchange for the entertainment the children provided. It was a fair exchange that benefited both.

Before Yuu could answer, Jasmine interrupted rudely.

"Hmph. Don't listen to her, Lord Aegis. You'd better throw this annoying woman out right now." She fulminated at Loki with a cold, disdainful look.

"Huh, why?!" Loki was startled and opened her eyes wide at the red-haired loli. "I just gave you a perfectly good reason!"

Jasmine shot her a look of disdain and pursed her small pink lips. "Hmph. Of course I see right through you. You're just trying to take advantage of Lord Aegis' kindness."

"As his future disciple, it is my duty to regulate who is trustworthy enough to approach him."

Cocking her head to the side in an arrogant gesture, she continued. "Besides, who said he has limitations or can't intervene in the mortal world? You must have chicken brains not to notice Lord Aegis' magnificence! Do you really think someone like him would be interested in the puny resources of our little world?"

"Hey! It's not even decided if you're going to be his disciple!" grumbled Loki, behaving like a child throwing a tantrum as she pointed an accusing finger at Jasmine. "As a goddess, I know very well how creation works. There must always be a balance, so of course, Mr. Aegis must have his own limits."

Just when it looked like the petite redhead and the tall redhead were about to pounce on each other and pull each other's hair, Yuu softly tapped the arm of his throne to silence them.

"All right, that's enough, you two. The truth is, I have no further interest in the resources of your worlds, as they turn out to be quite useless to me in the end."

Loki visibly deflated at that and shot a venomous glare at the smug brat who was taunting her.

"However, I'm not opposed to you continuing to arrange these little get-togethers. You may exchange information or resources from your own worlds if you wish. Of course, any exchange must be on equal value for the deal to be considered fair. In this way, both parties could evolve into new states of existence."

Yuu said all that with apparent disinterest. But inside, he had already made up his mind. He was severely injured at the moment, so it was certainly in his best interest to have these three people from different realities around him. He could use the opportunity to get something he really needed to heal his injuries and regain his power.

Especially the possible resources from Jasmine's world.... There were many treasures there that could be very useful to him.

{Is that why you asked Jasmine to retrieve the Heavenly Poison Pearl?} Siara's voice echoed in his mind.

Yuu nodded inwardly. 'That is correct. Although the Pearl only has the power to counter poisons at the moment, it can also be used to make Pills. If I obtain it, I could make one that would increase my power or even weaken the chains that seal my true power.'

{But that's what you have me for...} Siara sounded rather discouraged, her host was not pleased with her!

Yuu just mentally mocked her system. There was no way that he hadn't realized what the blue weirdo really wanted in all that time. But he preferred to keep those thoughts to himself.

Before Jasmine could say anything, Loki interjected excitedly with sparkling eyes. "Then it's settled! We should set specific days and times for these meetings. Tell us, Mr Aegis, what would be the best time to clear in our schedules to convene?"

"Excellent question," Yuu nodded. "The problem is that time runs differently on each of your worlds. One hour on Loki's world is one year on Yue's world and ten years in Jasmine's dimension."

"Such a difference!" Loki and Jasmine exclaimed in unison, feeling lost.

This meant that Jasmine would not see Lord Aegis for many years to come. For someone like Loki, who had lived for millennia, that span of time was insignificant, but Jasmine was just a child exploring the world! Waiting ten years would be an eternity for her―so much could happen in that time!

However, Yuu simply smiled and tapped the armrest of his throne. A ripple of energy spread out from his fingertip, leaving the castle and disappearing into distant points of the multiverse.

"Done. Now your worlds should be running in real time. We will meet in 8 days at nightfall. Make sure to be alone at that time so that no one notices your disappearance."

From Jasmine and Loki's limited perspective, it seemed that it was Yuu himself, not the castle, who had unleashed the mammoth energy to manipulate time. Their souls trembled as they felt this overwhelming pressure on their bodies, as if an entire world had fallen upon them!

Just as they expected... this man possessed a truly awesome power. If he wanted to, with this energy, he could easily wipe out the Primal Chaos Dimension without the slightest effort.

"Alright, that's all for now," Yuu finally declared, even though he had enjoyed the encounter. After using a large amount of the castle's energy to manipulate time, he could sense that both women's summons were about to expire.

Still, Jasmine quickly snapped out of her daze and managed to pull herself together. "As you command, Lord Aegis."

"Alright... See you later!" Loki pouted a little.

It was a pity, because she still had so many questions to ask him, she wasn't ready to leave yet! But there was nothing she could do about it.

Jasmine's and Loki's bodies had begun to glow, golden and purple respectively, and were about to fade. Just as Yuu waved his hand in farewell, the small figure in his lap clung to his waist and stopped him. But by then, Loki and Jasmine had disappeared.

"Wait..."

"Hm?" Yuu curiously canceled the energy enveloping the girl.

In fact, before she was sent back to her world, Yue had latched onto him with a silent plea in her eyes for him to stop.

"Do you need something, Yue?" He asked her sweetly as he stroked her head.

She looked up at him with her big crimson eyes full of sadness, though her face remained expressionless as always. Yue shook her head softly and whispered in a trembling voice. "I... I don't want to go back...".

The realization suddenly hit Yuu. Those who were summoned here would be returned to the same place they were summoned from. This meant that if Yue returned to her world, she would return to that dark abyss with no one around her.

What would she do once back there? Even if she made it out of that labyrinth, what then? Besides, she was a vampire, and knowing how the Church in her world promoted hatred for other races, she would surely be persecuted.

Not to mention how powerful she was compared to the other beings in her world. Fearing her power, the Church itself might try to capture her. And if Yuu remembered correctly, there was also a false god there. In the main storyline, this being tried to take Yue's body as a vessel.

That had been its intention from the beginning: Yue was nothing but a vessel to him. It was very likely that when Yue surfaces, this false god would order his apostles to capture Yue for some kind of possession ritual.

And since it would take a few years for the protagonist Hajime to arrive for the plot to begin, this time Yue would be completely alone and helpless without the person who would go out of his way to help her.

"Does that mean you want to stay here with me?" Yuu finally asked.

Yue's small head nodded several times. "Mm... I want to stay with you forever, Aegis..."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

"Very sure... I have no home... my own family betrayed me... but you brought me out of that darkness," her crimson eyes seemed to soften. "Mm. You are my home now."

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