Chapter 251: My Promise To You!

Chapter 251: My Promise To You!

Gastro's mouth fell open, his thoughts spinning in a whirlwind of disbelief and anticipation. "Promise? What promise?" he stammered, his eyes darting from her face to the glowing remnants of her power. "You don't mean… Are you saying I'll have… what you have? That this,"—he gestured frantically, his hands sweeping up and down her glowing figure—"is something I can become?"

His voice trembled with a mixture of hope and fear, as though daring to believe the impossible.

Tessa chuckled softly, the sound warm but tinged with mystery. "You always did have a flair for dramatics, Gastro," she said, taking another step forward until they were mere feet apart. She placed a hand on his shoulder, her touch gentle yet commanding.

"What you seek," Tessa began, her voice steady and filled with gravity, "this power you desire, does not come freely. It carries with it a burden, a responsibility you must embrace. You need the heart of a warrior—unyielding, resolute. But more than that, you must safeguard the secret of its source. People will come, probing, questioning how you came by it. When they do, you must either mislead them or keep silent. The day you reveal me as the source, Gastro of the Bull Race, is the day you sever our bond forever."

Her blue eyes locked onto his, a sharp intensity burning behind them. "So, I ask you—are you ready to bear the weight of both the power and the responsibility that comes with it?"

Tessa's words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken truths. But none of it seemed to penetrate Gastro's thick skull. His broad, muscular frame stood unmoving, yet his head bobbed up and down with a rhythm almost comical in its eagerness. He nodded like a chicken pecking at scattered grains of rice, oblivious to the deeper implications of her warning.

"Yes, yes," Gastro said absentmindedly, though his words were drowned in the whirlwind of fantasies swirling through his mind. He heard nothing of the cost, the secrecy, or the risk. All he latched onto were the shimmering fragments of possibility—power, strength, and the glory they would bring.

Tessa couldn't help but smile, though it was a bittersweet one. She had seen this look before—the reckless hunger, the untempered excitement of someone blind to the reality of what they sought. Gastro had doubted her at first when she mentioned an alternative path to power, a way to bypass the treacherous trials of the Power Realm. He had followed her not out of faith but out of desperation, driven by his own lack of belief or conviction in his ability to forge his destiny alone.

And yet, here he stood. Now, it seemed, he finally realized he had made the right choice and was about to be rewarded for that.

Gastro's chest swelled with pride, his heartbeat quickening as his thoughts raced ahead. How strong will I become? How invincible? Will my name echo across the lands like the great warriors of old? A grin broke across his face, wide and unguarded, as visions of glory filled his mind.

Tessa's smile faltered slightly, but she said nothing. Power changes people, Gastro. It magnifies who they already are. If you don't heed my warning, it won't just destroy our friendship—it'll destroy you.

"Very well," she said finally, her voice softening. "Let us begin. But remember, this is your final chance to turn back. Once the power is yours, there's no undoing what comes next."

The light around them dimmed as the air grew heavy with anticipation. Tessa raised her hand and a faint glow began to swirl around her palm, golden and pulsating like a living heartbeat. The glow cast dancing shadows on Gastro's broad, eager face. His breath hitched as he stared, transfixed by the raw, untamed energy that radiated from her. For all his bravado, for all the cocky smirks and confident nods, he could not hide the awe that flickered in his eyes.

Tessa's expression remained neutral, though her thoughts raced. She had no intention of letting him see the true source of the power she was about to bestow—the sap of the Universe Tree. It was far too precious, far too dangerous, to risk exposure. This way, even if Gastro ever betrayed her, he would remain ignorant and the real power factor. He would believe she had transferred some mystical portion of her own energy to him using an unusual method.

"Close your eyes," she commanded, her voice cold and unyielding, leaving no room for debate.

Gastro hesitated for only a moment, then complied. His grin remained, as wide and arrogant as ever. Soon, he thought, the power will be mine.

Tessa studied him for a moment, a flicker of doubt crossing her sharp features. She exhaled slowly, steadying herself. You don't know what you're asking for, Gastro. I hope you would remain the playful and ever adorable Gastro that I get along with, let's see how you handle what comes next.

With deliberate movements, she took a small vial from her pocket. She had already stored a drop of the universe tree sap which she took from the container holding so much more in the secret pocket wooden spaceI. Inside it swirled a droplet of the sap, shimmering faintly with hues that seemed to shift and dance like liquid starlight. Carefully, she tipped the vial, allowing a single drop to form. Shielding it behind the golden glow emanating from her palm, she obscured its true nature. To anyone watching—even Gastro—it would appear as though she was merely transferring pure energy to him.

"Open your mouth," she commanded, her voice calm but resolute.

Gastro's brow furrowed slightly, his curiosity piqued. For a moment, his mind raced. 'What does opening my mouth have to do with anything?' But his thirst for power silenced his questions. Without hesitation, he opened his mouth, his trust in Tessa—or rather, his desperation for the promised strength—overriding his rational thoughts.

Slowly, Tessa moved her glowing hand toward his face, the golden energy swirling in mesmerizing patterns as it fell towards the throat of his widely opened mouth. At the last moment, she drew the energy away with a subtle flick of her fingers, leaving only the obscure sap to slip down his throat. Gastro swallowed, none the wiser, his mind consumed by the thought of transformation.

To the onlookers hidden in the shadows, it was a flawless act. They would swear that Gastro had consumed the golden energy itself. Tessa's meticulous plan ensured that even if someone tried to uncover the truth, they would be met with layers of obscurity and misdirection.