Holding Eleonora’s hands in his, Kilian kept her pinned down, meshing his lips with hers in muffled, slurpy sounds. As their tongues entangled, each strove to savor all their partner had to offer. And at times, they broke the kiss long enough to exchange ardent gazes, then started it all over again.

Engrossed in their preparations, the suras and aistis missed the scene. But unwilling to expose his master and mistress to the plebe’s eyes, Inyoka hissed, concealed them in a shroud of shadow magic, then turned to stand guard. His services wouldn’t be necessary.

Breaking the passionate kiss, Kilian slid down to Eleonora’s neck, suckling her tender flesh and leaving hickeys as he went. Within his pants, his cock hardened, pressing against the lady’s leg with its rising heat. But when Kilian’s lips lowered on Eleonora’s cleavage...

“Yo Kilian, what’s up?” Urag’s voice echoed in his mind, breaking the magic.

“You really know how to pick your moment. What’s going on? Kilian asked, suppressing a tinge of irritation. Of all the people in this world, he didn’t expect that Urag would be the one to cockblock him. Knowing that something snatched Kilian’s attention, Eleonora smirked, and alongside him, shifted to a seated position.

“I’m currently whacking some golden toy soldiers. But they’re too persistent and not willing to let me go unless I give them the Anke gal.”

“Golden toy soldiers? Anke gal?” Confused by Urag’s words. Kilian asked.

“Golden crystal toy soldiers. Here’s what happened…” Urag then retold all the events, from the clash between Lena and Tamara to the appearance of the Blood King, their subsequent battle, and the arrival of Klaus’ troops to bring Anke back to safe hands.

“I see. You have three choices. First, since your boys and you are weakened, the best course is to give Anke back to open an escape road—proclaim that the real Kilian is waiting for you—and bolt with your guys. Knowing her, she will tail you alongside the new Crystal Lords. You can thus lead her wherever you want to.

Second, you assemble your fehl troops in layers of defensive walls and escape as the Blood King did. Third, you prolong the battle long enough to recover your strength and counterattack. In any case, make Lena and Tamara’s safety your priority. Nothing can happen to either,” Kilian ordered, making Urag’s eyes twitch in confusion.

“What do you care about the Tamara gal? Hoho, want to plow her? Finally, you live up to my depraved name!” Urag burst into laughter.

“Since I gave her brother my word that I’d find and keep her safe, I naturally will. As for the Technocracy’s brainwashing, I have my ways,” Kilian replied and cut his connection to Urag. His eyes fell back on Eleonora, who eyed him with glaring interest.

“For now, The Lady gives you a pass. Turn around and close your eyes,” Eleonora said, and with her right index, motioned for Kilian to face the opposite direction. With an eye-roll, he turned 180, sitting crossed-legged with his back facing Eleonora. Standing on her knees, Eleonora wrapped her hands around Kilian’s torso; bright, golden flames surged from her form, enclosing Kilian and her in a radiant blaze.

Though he kept his eyes shut, Kilian could feel the blinding light surrounding him from all sides, threatening to ruin the eyesight of those unfortunate enough to glance at it. Fortunately, Inyoka’s Shadow Shroud prevented the suras from witnessing Eleonora’s flames.

Driven by Eleonora’s will, the brazier shrunk to a swirling golden arc centered on Kilian’s form. As if he’d turned into an inviolable deity, Kilian’s skin shone in that same hue, and his Dra Control level rose at a frightening pace.

Mid-level Archon, top-level Archon, Exarch. In less than one breath, Kilian’s Dra Control rose to Exarch-tier and still kept rising. Astral Master? Hierarch? When his Dra Control’s rise stabilized, Kilian couldn’t tell what level he’d reached. Yet in that instant, he held the firm belief that he could hold the sun in his palm.

All Dra Particles across the Sura Plane appeared in Kilian’s mind. He saw the Blood King recovering in the Sura Queen’s headquarters, saw Ayden rising to Archon level, Bjorn and Carmen lobbying Sura tribes, Esther regrouping the Technocracy, Urag escaping the Crystal Lords’ pursuit to retrieve both Lena and Tamara.

In each case, it was as if he stood beside them. As if by reaching out, he could bind them all to his will. Breaking free of the misconception, Kilian stretched out his hands, condensing the emerald ruby and grape-sized star representing his Atomkinesis and Crystal Sovereign bloodlines.

Again, green lightning arcs flew back and forth between the two items. But this time, Kilian felt no dra resistance, enabling the two forces to blend to perfection. But as all seemed secure, a broken constellation chart appeared in Kilian’s mind, with bright stars flickering alongside dim astral bodies to form an incomprehensible puzzle.

Realizing that this puzzle was the key to forming his new bloodline, Kilian shut himself from all distractions and focused on the astral bodies’ alignment. Soon, he realized that his Dra Control allowed him to stop the endless position shifting, but couldn’t help him further. It needn’t. Stopping the shuffling, Kilian analyzed the astral bodies to find the swiftest path to solving the puzzle.

Connecting stars to planets, and planets among themselves to form solar systems, Kilian modified the gravitational forces of each body, reducing it in some, and enhancing it in others to reach his desired equilibrium.

And while he moved on borrowed dra, little did Kilian know that thanks to this puzzle-solving, he would later achieve the impossible and free himself of all those that attempted to rule his destiny.

After establishing the solar systems, Kilian set up new bonds between the stars, designing patterns to unite them all in a new goat-shaped constellation. Outside his mind, the emerald ruby and grape-sized star merged into one—becoming a glittering, emerald ruby with seven stars swirling around it. Turning into a luminous ray, the new force flew back into Kilian’s soul—marking the completion of the bloodline fusion. Still, his eyes remained shut.

Letting go of Kilian, Eleonora panted against a tree. Her purple hair turned into golden flame serpents while her eyes shone like blinding rays. At her left, a purple-haired maid with a long ponytail and the type of voluptuous curves that made most men salivate appeared, and kneeled beside her.

“Mistress, is it worth it?” Ailith asked in a low but concerned tone. Her mistress’ recovery relied on restraint and dra consumption. But though thanks to Kilian, they gained full control of Nargoz’s population and sped up the recovery, Eleonora’s move just wasted several months of hard work.

“Mistress, be it the Sura Plane or Arcadia, the fehls’ influence in these worlds has reached an insurmountable level. You must recover your strength as soon as possible and rally your loyalists back home. Only then can we prevent the likes of Adramelech and Ashera from obtaining what they want. Why did you waste your Splendor on him?” Ailith inquired, fearing that the time spent in mortal lands had started to corrupt her august mistress’ mind.

However, Eleonora’s lips curled into a smile and she said, “Ailith, I don’t want to return home.”

Dumbfounded by the admission, Ailith let her eyes trail between Kilian’s back and her mistress’ eyes, not knowing how to handle the words.

“When my Splendor kept countless worlds in awe, no one dared approach me. When I fell from grace and became a simple mortal princess, all wished to suppress me. Only Kilian reached out, looking beyond the shell to grasp my fears, my heart and my soul. Kilian is my light, my hope, my salvation. I want to cling onto him, to hold him against my chest and never let him escape. So if he wants something, as long as I can give it—give it I shall. If one day I go back to the Astral Planes, it must be with him by my side,” Eleonora declared, and Ailith thus realized that after experiencing mortal warmth, her mistress could no longer endure her throne of eternal void. With a sigh, the huntmistress vanished in swirling red light—leaving Eleonora to watch Kilian’s back.