Eric was fully aware of how his protagonist-like life over the past few years had been orchestrated by the very being standing before him.
Because of this, no matter what accomplishments he achieved, he never let himself become arrogant. He understood that everything he experienced had been meticulously arranged. He was like a puppet on a stage, his strings pulled by an unseen hand.
Knowing this made it difficult for him to feel truly proud of anything. Even the relationships in his life, including his current lover and child, felt tinged with doubt.
"There's no need to be so modest. You're underestimating yourself," Muria said with a warm smile as he looked at the fully mature "crop" he was about to harvest.
Although 70% of Eric's success and dazzling string of titles could be attributed to Muria's intervention, Eric's own efforts could not be overlooked.
After all, as the saying goes, "You can't make a wall out of mud." Eric clearly wasn't "mud." He was a person with enough potential to rise, unlike those completely hopeless cases.
"Your Majesty, you flatter me. I know exactly what I'm made of," Eric replied with composure, his experiences over the years having thoroughly tempered him.
"Ha! This isn't flattery; it's a fair assessment. Even without my intervention, you might have still had a chance to become a marquis. You have the talent for it," Muria said without adopting the usual airs of a monarch. There was no need—Eric had already decided to give him everything.
"But without your intervention, I think it's more likely I would've died on the battlefield than become a marquis," Eric countered.
"That's true," Muria agreed with a nod. The saying "One general's success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers" wasn't just empty words. Every general in the Seraphic Empire who had earned a marquis title through military achievements had climbed a mountain of corpses and waded through rivers of blood.
"Are you ready?" After a few casual exchanges, Muria got straight to the point.
"The moment I stepped into this palace, I was ready," Eric replied. He had been preparing for this moment for five years.
"Good. The process may be very uncomfortable, but I assure you it won't endanger your life," Muria said, offering reassurance.
"Go ahead, Your Majesty!" Eric said resolutely.
"Sit down," Muria instructed.
Eric crossed his legs and sat down as directed. Muria extended his hand toward him, and a six-colored mist emanated from Muria's body, spreading like a ravenous serpent. In an instant, the mist enveloped Eric, swallowing him whole.
A muffled groan escaped Eric's lips as the seemingly sentient mist wrapped around him. He could feel the power he had painstakingly cultivated being pulled from his body.
A sound like waves crashing and tides surging echoed from within Eric. Behind him, a reflection of a vast, azure ocean materialized—his power made manifest.
As the power emerged, blue water began to flow out of Eric's body, attempting to resist the force that was consuming it. But before the water could fully form, Eric forced it back into himself.
Eric knew exactly what he was doing. This was the price he had to pay for the wondrous experiences and infinite glory he had enjoyed over the past five years.
"Good. Keep cooperating with me," Muria said with a satisfied nod as he watched Eric's actions. "Your will has been honed through years of battle. The process ahead will be painful, but it's all within your ability to endure."
"I understand," Eric replied, gritting his teeth as the pull around him intensified. His power was now flowing out of him, forcibly extracted.
The sensation of losing his power was deeply uncomfortable for someone like Eric. But no matter how unbearable it was, he had no choice but to endure it.
As time passed, the azure energy was gradually pulled out of Eric and devoured by the force extending from Muria. A surge of joy spread across Muria's face as his power grew exponentially.
In stark contrast, Eric's face twisted with pain as he felt his body being drained. This wasn't mere exaggeration—it was an accurate description. Eric's suffering grew as the process continued. Initially, his power instinctively resisted the external force trying to devour it.
But as the extraction progressed, the resistance weakened until his power ceased to fight back altogether. Eventually, it even began cooperating with Muria's energy, pouring out of him willingly, without any regard for its owner's feelings.
The sound of waves persisted in the hall, but the oceanic shadow behind Eric gradually faded as his power rapidly diminished.
At the same time, behind Muria, an oceanic image began to take shape, growing from blurry to vivid as he absorbed the final piece of the Seven Cataclysmic Demon Gods' powers—the power of the sea.
"Plop!"
Though the extraction process wasn't particularly long, to Eric, it felt like an eternity. Utterly drained and weakened, he collapsed backward onto the carpeted floor of the hall, his face pale as a sheet.
"Finally, I've gathered all the powers," Muria said, momentarily reveling in the oceanic power he had just claimed. But soon, his attention shifted to Eric, who lay completely exhausted on the floor.
"This feeling of weakness... does it bring back memories?" Muria asked with a smirk as he walked over to Eric and crouched down beside him. He knew that this young man, the holder of the final epic power, had come from humble beginnings.
In an age of chaos, anything was possible. A royal palace could crumble overnight, turning its noble residents into beggars on the streets. Likewise, a beggar might rise to greatness through sheer luck, becoming the founder of a new dynasty. Such was the nature of tumultuous times: chaotic, yet full of opportunity.
Eric's ancestors had likely once been wealthy or noble, but Muria had no interest in verifying this.
In a world where countless nations had risen and fallen, almost any commoner's lineage, traced back far enough, would reveal noble or royal blood. Eric was likely no exception. However, the fact that his bloodline had dwindled to a single surviving member like him was somewhat unexpected.
Of course, there might still be others in the world who carried the same epic oceanic power as Eric. But so far, Muria hadn't found any.
Eric's parents had been ordinary, unawakened people. It was purely by chance that Eric had awakened the power in his generation. If he hadn't, Muria might have been quite frustrated.
"Memories? No, not at all. I've never been this weak," Eric said with a bitter smile, pale as he was, in response to Muria's teasing.
"Really? I've experienced what it's like to have no power at all," Muria said with a knowing tone.
"You… what?" Eric's face froze in shock, his expression turning slightly twisted as he imagined the implications. The idea that the mighty king of the Seraphic Empire could have been stripped of his power was deeply unsettling.
"Surprised? Even I was born powerless. When I first came into this world, I had nothing," Muria said, his tone casual.
"Ah…" Eric's stunned expression froze further, his disbelief plain on his face.
"Alright, enough teasing. Now, I'll grant you what I promised," Muria said, placing his palm on Eric's chest.
A brilliant blue light radiated from Muria's hand, and soon Eric felt a familiar energy surging back into his body.
"This is…?" Eric's face lit up with joy, though it was tinged with confusion. The power he had just lost seemed to have returned to him completely.
"Take a closer look. It's not quite the same as before," Muria reminded him.
After a moment of focus, Eric noticed the difference. "My power is weaker?" he asked, bewildered. If the power Muria had taken was like a solid object, what he returned felt more like a diluted liquid.
"It's only weaker temporarily. Once I break through the final barrier and complete the last step, everything will return to normal. In fact, you'll become even stronger because of it," Muria said cryptically before rising to his feet. Turning away, his posture indicated it was time for Eric to leave.
"I…" Eric wanted to ask more questions but held his tongue when he saw Muria's unyielding demeanor. With no other choice, he left the royal court, his power reduced by an entire level.
Despite his diminished strength, Eric wasn't upset. This outcome far exceeded his expectations. More importantly, he sensed a subtle connection forming between himself and Muria. Somehow, it felt like he had gained more than he had lost.
"You've turned him into your vassal?" A figure with six radiant wings, exuding divine light, appeared beside Muria after Eric left.
"Not yet. He won't truly become my vassal until I fully erase the Seven Cataclysmic Demon God's consciousness and perfectly integrate its powers," Muria replied.
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