Chapter 77: Chapter 77: No time for that Chapter 77 — No time to waste After everything that happened today, Noah lay on his bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. The world was silent around him, but his mind was anything but calm. Thoughts raced through him. Plans. Dangers. Opportunities. He knew Solaris wouldn’t underestimate him anymore. From now on, she would act with caution. With purpose. More than that...She would be afraid. Afraid that he might expose the church’s true nature to the world. But Noah had no intention of doing that. At least, not yet. After all, what weight would the words of a mere A-rank child carry? Even if he had an SSS-rank ice affinity, no one would take him seriously. He could show the world his true strength... But what a foolish move that would be. He wasn’t ready for that yet. No. The only real path forward was clear: He had to take Solaris directly. If he controlled Solaris, he controlled the church. And if he controlled the church, the idea of ruining its reputation would only hurt his own future. The plan was simple. The problem was execution. How to get Solaris? He couldn’t use the same methods he had with Leona. Or Yuki. Or Sophia. Solaris wasn’t the kind of woman you could charm, trick, or tempt. She was a predator. Not prey. Noah grinned to himself. A dark, wicked grin. "Good thing I came prepared," he muttered. He laughed quietly, remembering the card he had left behind. Shadeva. His second shadow. His Originel. He hadn’t taken her into the White Realm. Instead, he had left her behind, with one command: Bind yourself to Solaris’s shadow. As a Sovereign of Shadows, with Shadeva being part of his very being, communication between them was possible even across such a distance. ’Any good news, Shadeva?’ Noah asked telepathically. A moment of silence. Then Shadeva’s cool, emotionless voice echoed in his mind: ’The Saintess is planning a coup. She wants to overthrow the Castria Royal Family and make the Church the only ruling power.’ Noah arched an eyebrow. ’How?’ ’Spies within the royal court,’ Shadeva replied. ’And... a secret. A devastating one.’ Noah’s stomach twisted. He had a bad feeling about this. ’What secret?’ he asked, his voice sharp. Shadeva didn’t delay: ’The Empress cheated on the Emperor with his own brother. When the Emperor found out, he killed his brother in a fit of rage.’ Noah’s hands clenched. But Shadeva wasn’t finished. ’It was all orchestrated by Solaris. She had the Empress’s family under her control. She forced the Empress to marry the Emperor, knowing full well she was in love with his brother. Then she tempted the brother into betrayal. And when the act was done, she made sure the Emperor discovered it.’ ’All of it... just to have a weapon. A scandal strong enough to destroy the royal family whenever she decided the time was right.’ ’And now, she’s ready to unleash it.’ For a moment, Noah didn’t move. His mind went blank. Then he cursed. "Fuck!" He didn’t give a damn about the Emperor. Nor the Empress. But Sophie— Sophie was everything. Once this secret came out, the royal family would be dragged through the mud. And Sophie, as a royal by blood, would be stained alongside them. He couldn’t allow that. His jaw tightened. "I won’t let Sophie suffer because of them," he muttered, voice cold. Noah sat up, resting his elbows on his knees, running a hand through his hair. The weight of the situation crushed down on him. "So... I’ll have to ask Elira," he said grimly. He hated dragging her into this. He wanted to keep her out of his mess. But now? He had no choice. ’How long do we have?’ he asked Shadeva. ’She’s preparing everything tonight,’ Shadeva answered. ’She’ll announce it to the world tomorrow.’ Tomorrow? So soon? "Damn it..." Noah cursed again. ’Keep listening. I’ll contact you soon.’ He ended the link and stood up. His face was a mask of icy determination. "System," he said, "show me Elira’s profile." The familiar mechanical voice answered: << PROFILE >> Name: Elira Varnis Age: Better not know Race: Soul Dragon Rank: Supreme Titles: The First Soul Dragon, The One Loved By Soul, The Genius, The Architect of Skills, The Walker of the Worlds, etc. Affinities: Soul (Transformation rank), Space (SSS rank), Time (SSS rank) Physique: Dragon Queen of Soul’s Physique Bloodline: Soulweaver Bloodline Talents: — The Queen Of Soul (EX Unique rank) — Teleportation (SSS rank) << END >> Noah stared. His eyes widened. "...Soul Dragon? Supreme Rank?" He almost couldn’t believe it. "System," he asked, voice tight, "what is Supreme Rank?" [It is the rank beyond SSS. The point where one steps beyond mortality, into divinity.] The answer hit like a hammer. Elira wasn’t just strong. She was a god among mortals. And not just that— She wasn’t even from this world. She was the first Soul Dragon. A being that had crossed worlds. Noah breathed out slowly, controlling his emotions. This changed everything. But one thing remained true: Elira’s affection for him stood at 80%. It was solid. Strong enough to trust. "I’ll ask her directly," he said. "I’ll listen. If she lies... I’ll know." He chuckled slightly to himself. "No wonder no one dares mess with her," he muttered. "At this point... I should just accept my suggar mommy Elira and let her spoil me rotten." He laughed softly. "System," he asked, "can I bond with her? Share her talents?" [You must reach S-rank first.] Noah nodded, unsurprised. He expected as much. "Fine," he said. "Show me Elizabeth’s profile too. Talent, bloodline, physique—just the essentials." [Race: Celestial Affinities: Soul (SS rank), Mind (SSS rank), Destiny (SSS rank), Fate (SSS rank) Talent: Hollow Oracle (EX Unique rank) Bloodline: Twilight Visionary Bloodline] Noah studied the information carefully. Elizabeth was no longer human. She was Celestial now. Her bloodline awakened. Her talent on the same godlike level as Elira’s. The same as me. And eventually, thanks to his gift, he could claim it all. He smiled. Dark. Hungry. "Celestial. Demon. Dragon. Shadow..." he mused. "If I take all those races... all those powers...and combine them together, what the hell will I become?" A being the world—no the universe even, had never seen before. The first of his kind. His heart thudded with excitement. But first— He had a Saintess to deal with. Noah stood tall, his aura sharp as a blade. There was no more room for hesitation. "I wanted to make Solaris fall for me slowly..." "But fuck it." "No time for that." He cracked his knuckles. "Let’s go meet Elira." "Kidnap that damn Saintess." "Threaten her until she breaks." "Solve this mess." "And..." "Well, see what else I can do after all that." With a final smirk, Noah vanished— Teleporting into the White Realm once more. For the second time today. —End of Chapter 77—