"A drunk woman is harder to deal with than a Honkai Beast. Eden, you've embarrassed yourself."
Elias looked at Eden, who had fallen headfirst onto the bed beside him, hugging the pillow and blanket without a care for her image, her cheeks still flushed. He sighed, realizing that even a superstar of the era could lose control when drunk. And now, she was completely exposed.
But to be fair, Eden was still relatively obedient when drunk. At least she wasn't throwing a fit. However…
"Laaaaaa~~!"
Da-da-da-da-da.
She liked singing while scattering her gems.
Elias glanced at the priceless gems falling to the floor like fragments of stars and thought to himself that this habit of hers really needed to change. Luckily, he was the one here. If it had been someone else, Eden would have lost both her money and herself.
And right now, Elias felt that he was also relying on unimaginable willpower just to restrain his impulse to do something bad to Eden while she slept.
After all, if Elysia was the embodiment of "cuteness," then Eden was the very definition of "beauty"—a woman who embodied humanity's pursuit of beauty and elevated it to its ultimate form.
Even without considering her singing and artistry, Eden herself was the very symbol of beauty.
(A certain Knight of Beauty passing by gave a thumbs-up.)
Eden: "More… I want more… Let me sing another song… may time… forever stay in this moment…"
Suddenly, her hand reached for Elias' clothing and tugged it tightly. Elias' eyelid twitched. He thought: I'm not doing anything to you, and yet you're the one making moves on me?
Eden lay there before him, her graceful and perfect body defenseless, her chest rising and falling with her breaths, as though about to burst through her clothes. Her long, wine-red hair carried a faint fragrance, and her breathtakingly beautiful face bore a serene smile.
Her eyes were closed, her consciousness muddled.
Right now, Elias could do whatever he wanted to Eden, and she wouldn't notice. Even if she did, she'd likely just go along in her daze and offer herself up.
There were countless excuses and reasons he could think of. All he had to do was open his mouth and Eden would be his. And yet…
"Wait, why don't I just use my Authority to dispel the effects of alcohol? Tch, I'm an idiot."
Elias slapped his forehead, ready to activate his Authority. But after a moment of hesitation, he decided against it. She was already lying down; letting her sleep would be fine.
Looking at Eden tugging on his clothes, Elias felt a little envious of those who could get drunk.
He suddenly thought mischievously: maybe he should use his Authority to make Eden just like him—incapable of getting drunk.
Elias raised his hand and gently stroked her head, her silky wine-red hair sliding smoothly between his fingers.
The boy's lips curved slightly. He would never commit any vile act. The woman before him was far too beautiful; he would never taint her with anything ugly.
Nor would he ever allow anyone else to.
Snap!
With a snap of his fingers, the entire space was sealed.
Now, without his permission, no one could enter or leave this room. Elias clearly remembered the greedy, envious look the hotel receptionist had given them when they checked in.
Seeing Eden calm down a little, Elias draped his clothes over her body. Then, opening a portal, he stepped away—there was something he absolutely had to do.
"I'll be right back, Eden. Stay here obediently and don't do anything."
"Okay~~!"
"Oh? You can still respond?"
Elias chuckled softly, then stepped into the portal.
...
Meanwhile, in a small town near Varenna—
A woman walked out of the town's church. Her body was whole, her limbs fully restored, and her face beamed with joy. The ecstasy of being reborn had not faded, even after several hours.
This was none other than the terminally ill girl in a wheelchair who had attempted to assassinate Eden earlier that day. Now, no trace of gloom or madness remained. Bathed in the gentle sunlight, she seemed like a completely different person.
The woman believed she had received an angel's mercy.
The woman who had committed an unforgivable crime was not only spared judgment and punishment but had even been healed. She knew she would never forget the white flower that had bloomed upon her body, nor Elias' flawless and handsome face.
At that moment, the Herrscher of the Void's portal opened before her, and the white-haired, golden-eyed boy stepped out leisurely.
"Heavens, you really aren't an ordinary person~!"
"Hm? You look much brighter now."
"Yes, my lord. Thank you for your generosity and mercy—for healing the body of someone as sinful as me. I can never repay such great kindness, but I swear with all of myself that I will never do evil again."
As she spoke, the woman knelt before Elias, her fingers clasped together. The way she looked at him was as if a devout nun were gazing upon the god she served.
Being healed by Elias had filled her heart with ecstatic joy—a salvation even Eden's songs could not give. That act of grace swept away the shadows in her heart and made her radiant again.
In short, she had truly turned over a new leaf.
She had already drawn up a basket of future plans: she wanted to travel the world, to try new things, to find a decent and upright job.
And to remind herself constantly, she resolved to go to church every week and pray for forgiveness for her sins.
"Think nothing of it. It was a small matter."
Elias gave the reformed woman a smile, and in that instant she felt she had ascended to heaven itself, her heartbeat racing uncontrollably—for an angel was smiling at her.
She had once regarded Eden as her faith, but now she already saw Elias as her god.
Yet just as she was about to bow down several times to express her gratitude—
"Since you're healed, it's time for you to die."
"Eh? Ah!"
Before she could react, pain pierced her abdomen. She looked down in shock to see a dragon claw hand thrust clean through her stomach, scarlet blood spilling onto the ground.
She collapsed helplessly, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked up at Elias' expressionless face.
"Wh-Why…"
"Hm? Why what?"
"Didn't you… save me? Why… why kill me…"
Just moments ago she had been radiant, but now her eyes filled again with darkness and despair. Her fingers dug into the earth, leaving deep gouges as negative emotions consumed her.
This sudden death shattered her dream, but she could not accept it! Elias' sudden betrayal filled her with both fury and confusion.
If he was going to kill her now, why had he saved her earlier?!
"That's it? You're about to die, and that's all you can ask? Of course I did it to punish you."
Elias spoke with an air of utter certainty.
A crime must be paid for. Did she think repentance alone could erase the cost? Who would truly believe that putting down the butcher's knife could instantly make one a saint?
This was the punishment Elias had chosen for her: first to grant her the hope of rebirth, then to kill her once she believed herself saved and filled with hope for the future.
The result was very effective.
Now her eyes blazed red, her admiration and worship instantly overturned into rage and hatred.
"Even if you glare at me like that, it's useless. This outcome is what you brought upon yourself. You deserve death—and not a peaceful one."
Elias' voice was cold and merciless.
It was his Authority that had granted her new life, so of course he had the right to take it back. There was nothing wrong with that, nothing anyone could contest.
At most, it was exceedingly cruel.
But given that his target was a fan so twisted she had once tried to drag her idol into hell with her, this cruelty was more than satisfying.
"You don't deserve a beautiful ending. Die in despair, with the pain of falling from heaven back into hell."
Elias withdrew his dragon claw hand and flicked it. The dirty blood scattered away instantly, leaving him as immaculate and handsome as ever.
If this woman had attacked someone else, Elias might have given her a swift death. But the misfortune was that she had attacked Eden—someone firmly within the range of his "bias."
Naturally, he would never let her off so easily.
In the end, the woman died with eyes wide open, filled with resentment.
Elias then neatly used his omnipotent Honkai energy to "cleanse" the surroundings. If vengeful spirits truly existed in this world, they would surely be dispersed by this act.
(Elias: "Don't even think about turning into something unclean and coming after me.")
After finishing the punishment, he reopened a portal and returned to the hotel—only to find the clerk desperately trying to pry the door open.
Elias raised a brow, walked over, and asked casually:
"Hey, what are you trying to do?"
"Hah? Isn't it obvious? I'm going to xxxx the woman inside who looks so much like Eden." The clerk didn't even look back as he spoke.
"Is that so? Good. Then die."
Another piece of scum. Without wasting any words, Elias activated the Herrscher of Death's Authority. Unlike the white flower of creation, the black mist of withering enveloped the clerk.
Moments later, every cell of his body was annihilated. Not a trace remained.
"Hmph. Trash."
Elias may have been a savior, but that didn't mean he saved everyone. People whose deaths benefitted the world—he never showed them mercy.
Afterward, he dispelled the space lock and returned to the room.
"I'm back, Eden. You're not asleep yet?"
"Elias, welcome… back…"
As he entered, he saw Eden sitting elegantly at the bedside, drinking water. She frowned a little, wondering why it had no flavor.
When she saw Elias return, she smiled and waved at him. Then she reached into her pocket and took out several precious gems.
"These are for you, Elias."
"Uh… gems?"
"Mhm. This ruby has the fewest impurities in the world. I received it from the Speaker of Tacol's National Theatre after a performance."
As she spoke, she shoved the gem worth hundreds of millions into his hand, then pulled out another gem of opposite color—a sapphire.
"This one is for you too. This aquamarine has many impurities, but as if to defy nature itself, the craftsman invented the rose-cut technique to make it shine brighter. This is one of the very first gems ever cut with that method. I hope you like it."
"…Can I ask about the price?"
"Only a few tens of millions, I think? Very cheap."
Eden mumbled hazily. To her, it was indeed nothing worth mentioning. Elias twitched at the corner of his eye, remembering her habit of giving away gems when drunk.
Then, to his shock, Eden pulled out even more.
"Here, I still have plenty. This blue crystal isn't transparent, but it's said to hold the power to grant wishes."
"This cross-shaped gem is called the Primal Stone, with alternating pink and blue hues. They say it's formed from unclaimed dreams and hopes—romantic, isn't it?"
"And this orange-and-blue gem, called Star Dome, hasn't even been carved yet, but it still shines brilliantly. Countless people have sought it, and they say it's a fragment of a shooting star."
Ruby, aquamarine, crystal, primal stone, star dome… Eden kept pulling out one priceless gem after another, shoving them all into Elias' hands.
In just seconds, Elias had "earned" several billion. Holding all these gems, he had no idea what to do with them.
Meanwhile, Eden had finally emptied herself out. She groped all over her pockets, even reached into her "fourth-dimensional cleavage," but couldn't find another one.
Seeing her about to strip herself down to keep searching, Elias couldn't take it anymore. He flicked her forehead, knocking her out cold, and tossed her onto the bed—forcefully shutting her down.
"Haah… I finally get it. Every woman has her troublesome side. But seriously, is marrying a rich lady really the fastest way to get rich? These gems seem to be mostly one-of-a-kind treasures…"
Elias glanced at the glittering gems in his hands. They were dazzling beyond words. Amused, he picked out a few and began embedding them onto his draconic form.
Elias: "My colors are too plain. Let's try on a new skin for fun."
His dragon wings had just the right grooves to fit two gems, and the backs of his transformed arms could each hold another.
The pure white of his draconic armor and exoskeleton, now adorned with blue gems, looked even more striking.
With the Herrscher of Death's Authority, he altered the details of his draconic body, fitting in all the gems Eden had given him… At this point, he had gone from a pure white dragon to something resembling the Ultimate Gem God Rainbow Dragon from a certain card game.
...
The next morning, when Eden awoke—
Her eyes lit up at the sight of Elias in his draconic form. She had no memory of giving him the gems, but seeing them embedded on his body, she thought he looked beautiful.
At the same time, Elias, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened them to find Eden studying him as though he were a work of art. It made him a little embarrassed.
"Good morning, Eden. Giving away gems while drunk isn't the best habit. Here, let me return these." He reached to remove them.
Elias was satisfied with his new look, but it didn't feel right to accept gems she had given away while intoxicated. He figured he could later construct some with the Herrscher of Reason's Authority.
But Eden quickly stopped him.
"No need, no need. They're just external possessions. More importantly, Elias—you can actually… change yourself?"
"Mhm. I have the ability to alter the structure of my own body. And these claws, horns, and tail after transforming—they're all parts of me, not decorations."
"I see… they're beautiful."
Eden's eyes sparkled brilliantly.
An indescribable sense of fulfillment welled in her heart. Seeing her gems set into Elias' body felt as though she had added her own colors to his pure white canvas.
(Hmm… not bad, very nice. But it's still not perfect. The colors of the gems should be symmetrical on both sides. I think I still have some twin gems—next time, I'll make sure to give them to him.)
"Alright then, I'll take you home now. Where do you live?" Elias stretched his body as he spoke. Last night had been a true test of willpower—with such a peerless beauty lying beside him, hugging his tail even in her sleep.
Eden looked around in confusion, only then realizing she was in a hotel. Honestly, it might have been the smallest one she had ever stayed in. As a superstar, she found it rather novel.
"Going home can wait. Elias, could you take me to Fire Moth first?"
"Uh? What for?"
"Nothing much… I just plan to make a little investment."