Lu looked utterly exhausted. After a moment’s thought, I understood why—of course. Between fighting pursuers before the sealing and the energy drained during the sealing itself, she’d likely used up nearly all her strength.

Even royal Demonfolk possessed formidable power before coming of age, but against such relentless pursuers, Lu must have poured every ounce of her might into survival.

Moreover… the ambient energy in this world was pitifully weak. I could feel it—the very fabric of heaven and earth here was feeble. Lu couldn’t possibly replenish herself quickly by drawing on external forces. Only sleep and nourishment would slowly restore her.

As for me, this Phoenix body remained at full strength. Phoenixes were inherently resilient; even if destroyed, they’d reborn from their own ashes with baseline power intact. Judging by Amelia’s memories, my current strength could handle a group of Legendary-tier experts without issue.

But Demigods…

Amelia had barely been a mature Phoenix. Adulthood didn’t mean peak power—I still had room to grow in this body.

Honestly, I was strong enough to face most high-tier experts. Against a Demigod? My immortality might let me endure. But a true god-tier being? I’d have to run.

A millennium had passed, yet for the long-lived races of that world, it was but a blink. Many would still hunt the missing Demon Emperor and his heir. And I… I’d need to protect Lu while helping her reclaim her throne.

At the very least, I had to guard against those who coveted her.

I recalled little of the chaos from a thousand years ago. Yet fragments surfaced—humans, angels, dwarves, elves… even light-aligned races joined Vampirefolk and Werewolffolk in assaulting the Demon Realm. What truly happened then? It demanded answers.

But one truth was clear: to shield Lu properly, my current strength wasn’t enough.

I needed to grow stronger.

*How?*

The question snagged my thoughts instantly.

A Phoenix’s physical power grew naturally with age—I had no shortcuts there. Beyond brute strength, I wielded racial gifts: devastating violet flames, plus some magic from Amelia’s memories…

After weighing options, only two paths remained: rare treasures to enhance my body, or mastering more spells.

Problem was, Amelia had barely dabbled beyond fire magic. She was a master of flames, yes—but other elements? Mediocre at best.

And… even if I wanted to study magic now, I didn’t have a single spellbook to learn from.