Chapter 201: Chapter 201: Hunger Chapter 201 – Hunger After everything was decided, Noah sat alone in his room, still thinking. His women had given him time—for once. Normally, they would have all been here, surrounding him, each one trying to pull him into their arms, their laps, their beds. But not this time. Because right now... he needed to think. The Shadow Realm was dangerous—massively so. He couldn’t just send Shadeva, Ester, Sari and Eric in without safeguards. It wasn’t just about strategy—it was about peace of mind. His and theirs. He didn’t want anything to happen to them. So the question burned in his mind, What could he give them? Artifacts? Potions? Skills? Or... Talents. That word stuck. Because after five years—or rather, fifteen within the realm—Noah had grown far beyond what he once was. Especially in his control over the Record Language. The Record Affinity. He could now create talents. And not basic ones either. A-Ranks and below, it was quite easy. S-Rank, tricky, but doable. As for SS and even SSS? Difficult, yes. But with enough focus, he could pull it off without failure. But EX-Rank? That was a whole different level. Since creating Copycat, he hadn’t succeeded in making even a single EX-Rank talent. And looking back now, it really did seem like beginner’s luck. "...Or maybe," Noah whispered to himself, eyes narrowing, "I was just too weak back then." He’d been SS Rank when he last tried. So maybe the problem wasn’t his talent—but his rank. So, It’s time. "It’s time to step into SSS Rank," Noah said softly, sitting up straighter, his expression calm. Almost... indifferent. As if he wasn’t a twenty-year-old preparing to step into a realm that even monsters a hundred years old hadn’t reached. Because most people needed centuries. Either to rack up feats grand enough for the Akashic Records to acknowledge them—or to train hard enough to be worthy of SSS Rank on their own. But Noah? Noah had seen what true power looked like. From the elves. From the abominations. From the shadows. And it made him feel something he hadn’t felt in a long time: Powerless. And that was a wake-up call. He was an abomination, wasn’t he? The Records’ favorite. A walking anomaly. But that wouldn’t matter if the universe didn’t give him time to grow. Because no matter how monstrous your potential was—without time to develop it, you were no different than someone with none. And Noah knew it. He knew he had grown complacent. After everything he’d accomplished, it was easy to think he was doing "enough." But he wasn’t. Not anymore. Back when he first arrived in Laeh—when he was weak—he was desperate. Hungry. Starving. He wanted. He craved. He obsessed. And because of that, he climbed fast. Hard. Unstoppably. But over time... that hunger faded. Success became comfort and something that was always guaranteed. And as you all know, you can’t be hungry when you’re already full. And Noah had been full. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮 But not anymore. The comfort was gone. The threat was real. And in a twisted way... that was a good thing. Because now, Noah had returned to the beginning. He was hungry again. Thirsty again. No more ease. No more rest. And so— He grinned. Not his usual devilish, arrogant grin. A sharper one. Quieter. Deadlier. "I’m ready." And the moment those words left his mouth— {DING!} {Noah Vaelgrim, you have reached the threshold to ascend to SSS Rank.} {You have accomplished feats both impossible and magnificent. You have become something... exceptional.} {You made an Original your shadow. You created a new hybrid race within Laeh. You were blessed by Laeh. You struck a deal with a demoness. You enslaved a being of Lust. You created a race with a bloodline powerful enough to rival the great factions. You uncovered a fragment of an Origin. You defeated champions of multiple races. And...} {...you enslaved a Mythic Rank being.} Even the Records paused. They had to. Because even they were surprised. And that wasn’t all. There were things they didn’t even mention. Like becoming the Record’s favorite. Their favorite. Like creating his own Talent. It was insane. Maddening. {You are a being of multiple affinities. You are the root of a concept. You are the beginning of a race. You are cunning. Treacherous. Beautifully dangerous.} And then— The option. Just one. Not five. Not three. Just one. {Domain: The Genesis.} Simple. Clean. Absolute. Noah smiled. "Start the process." Moments later, a muffled groan filled the room as the ascension began. He was stepping into a new realm. And truly, What an unfair domain it was. ... Far away, in the territory of the Bloodhearts, Red Bloodheart was floating peacefully in a pool of blood. Alone. Her daughter, as usual, was nowhere to be seen—too busy playing with her boyfriend. "Tsk. What a disappointing daughter," Red muttered, clicking her tongue, her voice laced with genuine irritation. But the reason for her frustration... wasn’t what it seemed. It wasn’t because Rouge had a man. It was because she didn’t. Well... not quite. Let’s be honest. She had a husband. But... "I want him," Red thought darkly, her crimson eyes glowing with barely-contained madness. She didn’t want her husband anymore. He’d done his duty. Given her a child. That was enough. Now? Now she wanted a man. A man who could break her. A man who could dominate her—not just in battle, but in bed. Someone who could make her weak. Not a pathetic thing who couldn’t last two minutes. And over the past few days, Red hadn’t even paid attention to the chaos in the world—the wars, the destruction, the political shifts. No. Her mind had been locked on one thing. One man. Noah. She thought of ways to get under his skin. Under his pants. She thought of ways to seduce him. Or even better— Ways for him to claim her. It didn’t matter how. As long as it happened. But after hours of fantasizing, scheming, and internal screaming— "I have nothing in mind! FUCK!" she shouted, slamming her fist into the blood beneath her, causing waves to erupt and rain down across the pool. She was frustrated. Strategic thinking wasn’t her strength. She just liked to fight. Kill. Bleed things. And sadly, many others—including Noah—could do those things better than her now. She sighed. Loud. Irritated. Resigned. There was only one option left. Ask her daughter. Red’s lips curled into a grin. "Call that rebellious daughter of mine here. And tell her—she better come fast." Her voice dropped. "Or I’m coming to meet her boyfriend..." "...and he won’t like what I’ll do to him." Her voice was stone. A servant’s voice echoed back immediately. "As you will, Matriarch." Red leaned back into the blood. And now, she had one more thing to figure out. How to tell her daughter... that she planned to kill her own father... For a man hundreds years younger than her. —End of Chapter 201—