In the most important city of the entire Main Plane, the magnificent floating city of Dalaran, activity never ceased.
Thousands of beings traveled daily between its enormous islands suspended in the sky. Bridges of light connected every district of the city, while countless formations shone beneath the floating structures to keep them stable. From afar, Dalaran looked like a cluster of stars hanging above the clouds.
It was normal.
After all, that city was the largest economic center on the planet and also the connection point between countless races and territories. All one had to do was request transportation from the System to gain access to it.
Of course... there were conditions.
But that had never stopped millions from wanting to visit.
However, there was someone who seemed incapable of enjoying that place.
Genesis.
As always, he was locked inside his office, working without rest. Documents, reports, administrative requests, and projections related to countless regions of the Main Plane were piled across his desk.
And that was only a small fraction of his responsibilities.
Not only was he the being with the greatest combat power in the Main Plane, but he was also, by far, the most intelligent.
Although he had once been human and possessed ordinary limitations, that had been left behind long ago. He was now a living planet. An entirely different existence.
His mind could process absurd amounts of information simultaneously.
Even so...
He still felt exhausted.
"When will I finally be able to stop doing this...?"
His tired voice echoed through the empty office.
At last, he set down his pen and leaned back against his chair. He closed his eyes for a few seconds.
Just a few seconds.
What could possibly happen in that amount of time?
A mischievous smile slowly appeared on his face.
"System, call Elena."
[Request in progress, Administrator.]
The response arrived almost immediately.
A translucent screen appeared before him, displaying Elena's image.
"What do you want now, Genesis?"
Her voice sounded cold, as always.
But Genesis only smiled wider.
Though he would never admit it in front of her, he genuinely enjoyed these conversations.
"Can't I call just to ask how your day has been?"
Elena looked at him with obvious disapproval.
"There's nothing to talk about. We both work all the time."
She was busy as well. Building and maintaining the Celestial Realm consumed enormous amounts of effort and attention.
Genesis let out an exaggerated sigh and adjusted himself more comfortably in his chair.
"If we keep working like this, it'll kill us."
Elena raised an eyebrow.
"That would be concerning... if we could die that easily."
Genesis burst into laughter.
"Always so optimistic."
"And you're always annoying."
Her response was immediate.
Genesis rested an arm on the desk and smiled in amusement.
Although Elena maintained that cold attitude, he knew she wasn't truly distant. She simply... didn't know how to express herself any other way.
Besides...
If talking to him really bothered her that much, she could simply ignore his calls.
But she never did.
With an elegant motion, Genesis stood up from his chair. A rose slowly appeared in his hand, and he performed an exaggerated bow worthy of a noble.
"Beautiful lady, would you not grant me a few minutes of your precious time?"
Elena rolled her eyes.
"Clown."
The call ended immediately.
But just before it disappeared, Genesis noticed something.
The slight curve at the corner of her lips.
"Hahahaha..."
He slowly sat back down.
Silence returned to the office.
For a few moments, he simply stared at the documents before him without doing anything. Then he let out a sigh and returned to work.
Dozens of screens appeared around him.
Information.
Maps.
Reports.
Economic movements.
Everything floated around Genesis as he worked.
Time passed slowly.
Until a different notification appeared before him.
His gaze stopped.
Genesis raised an eyebrow.
"Umbra...?"
He read the contents again.
For several seconds, he remained silent.
The System had just officially registered the name change of Corrupt Energy.
It was now called Umbra.
Genesis rested a hand on his chin as he analyzed the matter.
He couldn't deny that the new name sounded much better.
More elegant.
More fitting.
Although...
That wasn't the important part.
The important part was something else.
Only three beings possessed the authority to make a change like that directly through the System.
And one of them was Loki.
Genesis let out a small sigh.
"That'll be his problem when he comes back."
He had no intention of getting involved any more than necessary.
He already carried far too many responsibilities on his shoulders to start dealing with Loki's whims as well.
With that in mind, he dismissed the notification and continued working.
However...
Something changed.
It happened suddenly.
The countless screens floating around him stopped at the exact same time.
Silence filled the office.
The relaxed expression on Genesis's face vanished completely.
His gaze slowly shifted toward a specific direction.
Rasganorth.
Several seconds passed.
And then...
He felt something.
Genesis's pupils contracted.
Slowly, he rose from his chair.
All traces of his earlier relaxation were gone.
His expression was now completely serious.
"...Loki."
He murmured that name under his breath.