“Wude! If you keep this up, we’ll both die! Snap out of it!” Alreis warped the space before her with all her current strength. Finally, she deflected the black distortion aside, shielding herself and Wude.

“But I’m not wrong, am I? Once you regain full power, breaking the Slave Contract would be effortless. Then… the last thing Lingyue left me vanishes, doesn’t it?” Wude stared blankly at the black sphere, pupils unfocused.

“Besides—this black sphere is Lingyue’s signature technique: ‘Abyssal Gaze.’ *I* named it… Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Beautiful or not, dying leaves you with *nothing*!” Alreis nearly screamed. She knew Wude’s mind was fractured. *How deeply did Lingyue matter to him?* This couldn’t continue. She had to act.

“You’re saying this is Lingyue’s signature move?” Alreis turned to him, voice dripping with mockery.

Wude finally met her gaze.

“Pity. When I fought her, she never used it. For an Ascendant Sovereign? Pathetically weak.” Alreis had abandoned the sphere—she had no strength left to resist it.

“…Impossible.” Wude denied flatly.

“Verify it yourself via the Slave Contract. I don’t care.” Alreis shrugged. Truth was, Lingyue never used it.

“Such a feeble technique means nothing to an Ascendant Sovereign. Too weak. I deflected that distortion with barely Second Rank magic power—less than you wield now. What use is it against true power?” She stated the cold, undeniable truth.

Trapped, Alreis pressed on. “An Ascendant Sovereign could spawn countless like this in a breath. Which means… in Lingyue’s eyes, you were only ever *this* level.”

“Stop acting like you mattered so much to her!!!”

As the words left her lips, Alreis punched hard into Wude’s stomach. He crumpled with a choked gasp. Simultaneously, the contract backlash slammed into her—Alreis collapsed, face flushed crimson, biting back a cry.

“Pfft—urk!” Wude clutched his gut, dry-heaving. Struggling, he pushed himself upright.

“You’re just a slave… yet so bold?” Wude’s haze cleared. He forced his trademark wicked smirk, eyes dropping to the flushed Alreis on the floor.

“Wait till we’re back… I’ll deal with you.” He turned toward the black sphere—the “Abyssal Gaze.”

“But… you’re right. This level of technique is meaningless to an Ascendant Sovereign. Why was I so hung up? Should’ve just let you regain power sooner.” He paused, catching the flicker of hope in Alreis’s eyes.

*Perfect.* Alreis felt her plan unfolding. Regain strength. Shatter the Slave Contract. Then make Wude regret everything.

But reality was cruel. Plans rarely survived contact with it.

“Wait—if you deflected that distortion with just Second Rank magic… you don’t need full Ascendant Sovereign power to handle it, do you?”

“?!” Two mental question marks popped over Alreis’s head. *The script’s off…*

“I’m weak, but I can gauge energy tiers. This? At most a Sixth Rank spell. Alreis—you *can* handle it at Sixth Rank, right?” Wude’s smile was wicked. At least, to Alreis.

“…Yes.” Alreis hung her head. No lying—he’d verify instantly. Eighth Rank might’ve broken the contract. Given Wude’s weakness, it would’ve sufficed. But Sixth Rank? Impossible.

“Then it’s settled. Alreis—permission granted to use Sixth Rank power. Destroy the ‘Abyssal Gaze.’ This black sphere.” Wude gave the order.

“Understood…” She could regain strength—but felt no joy.

A gale of raw magic power, stronger than any wind Wude had conjured, swirled into her. Fleeting. In an instant, her power surged to Sixth Rank—mid-to-high tier strength restored.

“Sixth Rank… Spatial Blade is barely usable. Spatial teleportation? Too risky. Forget it.” Savoring the familiar power, Alreis felt a hint of intoxication. Space twisted in her palms, forming a blade—unseen, yet unmistakably *there*.

*Unreasonable.* Wude marveled inwardly. Continental texts said shaping space required Seventh Rank—the “inhuman” tier. Yet an Ascendant Sovereign did it with Sixth Rank magic. Truly worthy of the title… His thoughts drifted to Lingyue.

Alreis stepped slowly toward the sphere. Each stride compressed the distance. Basic spatial magic—yet wondrous.

A light slash. The sphere split cleanly—then disintegrated. Such was the composure of an Ascendant Sovereign.

After dispelling it, Alreis frowned.

*This sensation…* She wrapped her hand in warped space and reached toward the vanished core.

“Clang!” A crisp metallic ring echoed.

“??” *An object that clashes with warped space?* Rare. Earth mages past Eighth Rank could withstand spatial distortion—but something hidden by an Ascendant Sovereign? Should’ve been from The Chaos.

She retrieved it. Confirmation: Lingyue wielded spatial magic too. Not as strong as Alreis, but teleporting herself to Wude at the end? Likely Eighth Rank.

“Take it.” Alreis tossed the box to Wude after confirming safety. She disdained prying into another Ascendant Sovereign’s legacy—and knew it was meant for him.

Wude caught it, examining the plain wooden box. No carvings. No ornaments. Utterly simple.

He glanced at Alreis.

“This was left by *your* Lingyue. Hidden in the sphere’s spatial pocket—she probably calculated you’d enslave me.” Alreis’s tone was sharp. “But she kept her spatial magic secret from you. At least Eighth Rank.” She twisted the knife.

“…” Wude stayed silent, thumb stroking the box’s lid. After a long breath, he composed himself and opened it slowly.

No blinding light. No monsters. Only a single black crystal chip lay within—deceptively ordinary.

“What is this?” Bewilderment flickered in Wude’s voice. He’d never seen it.

“Is this… a Soul Crystal?” Alreis stepped closer, surprise flashing in her eyes.

“What’s a Soul Crystal?” Wude’s voice lifted with sudden hope. The name alone sparked possibility…

“As the name implies—a crystallized human soul. Not the kind necromancers refine… Though with Lingyue’s affinity for ‘Darkness,’ dabbling in Necromancy isn’t shocking. Still… necromancers should’ve been extinct in my era.”

“You mean… Lingyue’s soul is *inside*?!” Wude’s hands shot out, gripping Alreis’s shoulders. “Then… is there a chance…?”

Alreis knew his hope. “A possibility exists. But… it’s not as simple as you imagine.” Her gaze held deep meaning.

Wude felt a chill under that look—unease prickling his skin.