Mason stared silently at the glowing profile floating before him.
For a long time, he did not move.
His eyes remained fixed on the words.
Name: Mason
Rank: Initiate
Class: Beast
Data: None
Flaw: You can never be free from your master. If your master dies, you die.
God Body: Blind Bat
Beast Core: 0 / 1000
Echoes: None
Legacy Practice: Soul Evolution
Mastery Level: 0
Power: Fate Mark
True Name: Lost from Crimson Fate
Lost from Crimson Fate. You have become a slave out of your own will. You tried resisting but could not. You tried your best, yet the bond remained unchanged.
Master: Heir of Crimson Fate
Citadels: Moonlight Citadel, Lava Citadel, River Shell Citadel, Death Lava Citadel, Flames Citadel, Flame Fire Citadel, Jade Crystal Citadel, Diamond Flame Citadel, Cold Frost Citadel.
Mason read the profile again.
And again.
And again.
Each time, the words felt more unbelievable.
An Initiate.
A Beast.
No data.
No authority.
No sovereignty.
Nothing.
The man who had once made Ascendants kneel with a glance was now weaker than countless creatures he had slaughtered throughout his life.
His expression twisted.
A faint tremor ran through his hand.
For the first time in centuries, Mason felt fear.
Not fear of death.
Not fear of battle.
But fear of helplessness.
His eyes settled on the line mentioning his master.
Master: Heir of Crimson Fate.
"Nora..."
The name escaped his lips like poison.
Immediately, a strange pressure squeezed his heart.
The bond.
It was real.
Terrifyingly real.
He could feel her existence.
Far away.
Like a distant star connected to him by an invisible chain.
He hated it.
Yet no matter how much he resisted, the chain remained.
His thoughts drifted toward his citadels.
Nine citadels.
Nine territories.
Nine foundations built through bloodshed and centuries of conquest.
But now?
Now their master had disappeared.
If his followers discovered the truth, every one of those citadels would descend into war.
The strongest would seize power.
The weak would be consumed.
Everything he had built could vanish.
Mason clenched his fists.
"I need to return."
But before he could think further, his surroundings shifted.
His soul sea vanished.
The darkness dissolved.
The next moment, he found himself standing inside a familiar room.
His home.
Not the Spiritual Realm.
Not a citadel.
Home.
Mason froze.
The room felt enormous.
Not because it had changed.
Because he had.
A nearby mirror reflected his appearance.
The sight nearly made him stumble.
Gone was the middle-aged man who had ruled for decades.
Gone was the hardened face carved by countless battles.
Instead, a young man stared back.
Seventeen.
Perhaps eighteen at most.
A lean frame.
Sharp features.
Dark eyes.
A body completely remade.
Mason slowly touched his face.
Then his hair.
Then his chest.
His old body was gone.
Destroyed.
Recreated.
Reborn.
"Nora..."
For the second time, he spoke her name.
Only now did he truly understand.
She had not merely trapped him.
She had changed his fate.
---
Meanwhile, in the Spiritual Realm.
Nora was making her way out of the Essence Portal Chamber when the system suddenly whispered.
You have obtained a slave.
Name: Lost from Crimson Fate.
Nora stopped walking.
"...What?"
She blinked.
Then looked around.
Nothing.
No explanation followed.
No additional information.
Only silence.
Nora frowned.
"A slave?"
The words made no sense.
People below Master Rank couldn't obtain slaves.
That was common knowledge.
Even many Masters never managed to gain one.
Yet somehow she had obtained one as an Initiate who had only partially awakened.
"This system gets stranger every day."
She shook her head.
At the moment, she had more important concerns.
Her God Body had already been dismissed.
The Seven Arms of Destiny had vanished.
Her black armor remained, protecting her weakened body.
She had barely taken three steps when a scream echoed through the chamber.
A horrifying scream.
Nora immediately turned.
"Uncle!"
The room trembled.
The walls shook.
The Essence Portal flickered violently.
Her uncle's voice echoed directly into her mind.
"Leave!"
Nora's eyes widened.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know!"
His mental voice sounded strained.
"I feel... power."
The pressure intensified.
The chamber cracked.
Ancient runes lit up across the walls.
Her uncle's voice became heavier.
"Something beyond Transcendent."
Nora's heart skipped a beat.
Beyond Transcendent?
That wasn't a level people casually mentioned.
Then came another explosion.
BOOM!
The shockwave blasted Nora backward.
She slid across the floor.
Dust filled the air.
The entire citadel groaned.
Yet somehow, her uncle was still suppressing the power.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
The pressure began settling.
When the smoke finally cleared, a tall figure emerged.
Nora froze.
The aura surrounding him was terrifying.
Not violent.
Not murderous.
Just overwhelming.
Like standing before an endless sky.
Even breathing became difficult.
Her knees almost gave out.
Thankfully, the pressure weakened slightly as her uncle controlled it.
"What happened to you?" Nora asked.
Her uncle was silent for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
"I don't know."
Another pause.
"But I think..."
"...I became something greater than Divine."
Nora's eyes widened.
"A god?"
He laughed softly.
"You could say something like that."
Outside the citadel, the sky suddenly split apart.
A colossal crack stretched across the heavens.
The entire world seemed to tremble.
Far away, Rylan and Seraphine immediately looked upward.
Their expressions changed.
"What is happening?" Rylan asked.
Neither of them had an answer.
Moments later, Nora and her uncle emerged from the citadel.
The instant Seraphine saw Nora, she rushed forward.
"Nora!"
"Mom!"
Nora ran toward her.
The two embraced tightly.
Rylan joined them moments later.
For a brief moment, the dangers of the Spiritual Realm disappeared.
"We missed you," Rylan said.
"We missed you too," Seraphine added.
Nora smiled.
"I missed both of you."
Then everything changed.
The crack in the sky expanded.
An invisible force descended.
Her uncle's expression shifted.
He looked upward.
The pull had begun.
Before anyone could react, his body started rising.
The sky itself was dragging him away.
"Nora!"
He shouted.
"Stay alive!"
Then he looked toward Seraphine.
His voice softened.
"I'll miss you."
Seraphine's eyes widened.
The next moment, he was pulled higher.
And higher.
And higher.
Until the crack swallowed him completely.
Silence fell.
Everyone stared at the sky.
Nobody understood what had just happened.
Finally, Seraphine lowered her gaze.
"We need answers."
Rylan nodded.
"The Ball."
Seraphine looked at Nora.
"I don't think we'll have our family reunion tonight."
Nora sighed.
"That's okay."
Then she smiled slightly.
"I'll stay at Sophia's house."