[Aurelia Sol
Title - Scion of Eternal Dawn
Age - 750,000 Years Old
Rank - Early Cosmic Overlord
Race - Prime Phoenix (Eternal Solarix Bloodline (???))
Law(s) - (View?)
Concept(s) - (View?)
Authority - (???)
Absolute Precept - ???
Aspect - The Phoenix's eye (???)
Remarks - One of the Youngest Scions of the Progenitors.... Increase Rank to learn more.]
---
"So many laws at 100 %?" Ash thought as he sized her up. Over twenty at full comprehension—impressive, the most he'd seen from anyone so far. Not nearly his number, but still enough to make lesser cultivators weep.
'And they just keep getting more powerful…' He shook his head faintly, a wry smile tugging at his lips.
Aurelia hovered before him, with multicolored flames curling lazily around her form like playful pets. Her affection ticked upward slowly—curiosity, intrigue, and a spark of attraction.
There was no animosity... which was safe enough for the moment. However, once it hit 50 %, he'd have nothing to worry about.
"Hmm, you know me?" Aurelia asked, arching a brow as golden hair whipped in the void-wind. Her mismatched eyes—one void-black, one snow-white—sparkled with mischief as she noticed his state.
A blush crept across her cheeks when she realized he'd been completely bare the entire time.
Ash's ring activated with a thought—rose-pink light weaving casual black pants and a loose long-sleeved shirt around him, wings folding neatly.
"Not necessarily," he said smoothly, the lie sliding off his tongue like silk. "But I've heard… things."
He didn't know her at all, but it was a bit ironic that he was seeing her now.
'Heh, it's kind of funny now that I'm thinking about it… I just witnessed your mother's birth, and now I'm chatting with you.'
And another thought.
'Wait... did my Nirvana send out a signal or something?'
Aurelia floated closer, flames dimming to a playful flicker, grin widening.
"Things, huh? Care to share, mystery man? Or are you just going to stand there looking ridiculously pretty and pretend you're not impressed by little old me?"
Ash's smile turned teasing, dual-hued eyes glinting.
"Pretty? I've been called worse. But you—tall, fiery… I'd say you're the one turning heads. Though I'm wondering how you found me?"
Aurelia laughed—bright, unrestrained, flames flaring gold for a heartbeat.
"Found you? Your little rebirth lit up the void like a supernova. Not just that... those flames of yours... they're a bit special. How could I not come say hi?"
She leaned in, wings unfurling slightly. Her eyes the shone brightly as she looked above his head and smiled even more.
"Besides… you're interesting. Fateless.... carrying the flames of my mother.... and not even a phoenix?"
Ash chuckled low as his brow arched. "Interesting enough to stalk across worlds?"
"Stalk? Harsh. I prefer 'curious investigation.'" She winked. "Though if you keep smiling like that, it might turn into something else."
Ash shook his head, amusement softening the lingering rage.
"Flattery from the Progenitor's daughter. Dangerous."
"Oh? You pieced the puzzle together?" she shot back, flames curling teasingly around his wings without touching.
He stepped back slightly, smile fading to something more serious.
"As fun as this is… I'm about to leave."
Aurelia pouted playfully, but her eyes held genuine interest.
"Already? We're just getting started."
Ash nodded. "Duty calls. Worlds to claim, promises to keep."
She floated closer again, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Fine. Go be mysterious. But I'll be watching closely—you're too interesting to ignore. Maybe I'll pay you another visit?"
Her grin returned, mischievous and promising.
Ash's smile returned—sharp, teasing.
"I'll be waiting."
He vanished in a ripple of rose-pink space.
Aurelia hovered alone in the void, flames flaring brighter, eyes sparkling.
"Oh, I definitely will."
Two figures materialized behind her in bursts of restrained phoenix flame—her elder guards, ancient phoenixes with scarred lava skin and wings of muted crimson-gold. Their auras pressed the void subtly, eyes sharp with duty.
The first elder—broad-shouldered, voice like grinding magma—spoke first. "Young Mistress… why did you not question his use of the Nirvana flame? That power belongs to the Progenitor alone."
The second—slender, voice like crackling embers—added, "And the Matriarch's instruction was clear: remain at his side, observe, guide if needed. You let him leave."
Aurelia turned slowly, flames curling playfully around her fingers as she tilted her head, grin widening into full mischief.
"Because," she said, voice singsong and teasing, "if I asked about the flame directly, he'd just lie with that pretty smile. And if I glued myself to his side like a good little guard… where's the fun in that?"
The elders frowned—magma grinding deeper.
"Young Mistress—"
She laughed, bright and unrestrained, wings flaring as she spun once in the void.
"He's fateless, remember? Chasing him is half the thrill. Let him think he escaped. I'll find him again—when he least expects it."
Her eyes sparkled with psychotic delight.
"Besides… Mother wants observation. She didn't say boring observation."
The elders sighed—resigned, flames dimming.
Aurelia winked. "Now come on—let's go before you two start lecturing me about duty again."
She vanished in a flare of multicolored fire.
The elders exchanged a weary glance before following.
The dead world fell silent once more.
-----
After a few hours of teleporting across worlds, Ash arrived at the Vossmere Consortium Auction—not a single world, but an interconnected star system of unparalleled scale.
And knowing what he was about ask.... Elysia spoke.
single world, but an interconnected star system of unparalleled scale.
[It's not a world, Master,] Elysia corrected gently in his mind. [Once you reach Stellar Sovereign, you'll see it clearly—thousands of worlds linked by spatial folds, all orbiting the central auction nexus. A self-contained economy spanning light-years.]
The sight was breathtaking.
Ash floated in the skies of Vossmere Prime, the central world of the Consortium, and even from this vantage the scale felt impossible.
The sky above was not a simple dome of blue or black, but a living tapestry of interconnected realities. Golden spatial bridges arced across the heavens like rivers of light, linking to distant satellite worlds visible on the horizon—some gleaming green paradises, others stark fortresses of crystal and steel, a few shrouded in illusion mists.
Starships streamed along those bridges in endless caravans, silhouettes against the perpetual twilight created by the system's artificial suns orbiting in perfect harmony.
Below, the surface was a single, endless city of wealth. Towers of translucent gold and mana-crystal rose higher than mountains, their spires piercing clouds that rained sparkling dust—condensed mana that cultivators below harvested with casual gestures.
Auction halls dotted the landscape like colossal jewels, each one a continent-sized structure with domes that displayed holographic previews of items for sale: weapons that warped reality, beasts in stasis, relics from lost eras.
Rivers of liquid mana flowed between districts, ferrying barges laden with treasures, while floating platforms carried bidders from every race—dragons in humanoid form bartering with elves, void-beings trading secrets with light cultivators, all under the neutral banner of Vossmere.
The air itself was rich—thick with ambient mana that tasted of opportunity, scented with exotic spices from a thousand worlds, humming with the constant buzz of deals being struck. Billions moved below, auras flaring in restrained displays of power, the ground paved with jade etched in wealth-runes that glowed softly underfoot.
"Impressive," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the hum of mana-rich air as he floated above the sprawling expanse of Vossmere Prime.
[Master, wear a mask,] Elysia advised, her tone firm yet gentle in his mind. [Quickly create one using the Laws of Fate and Paradox… the items you sell will surely draw eyes upon you.]
Ash smirked, the suggestion sparking a flicker of amusement. With a subtle flex of his will, he wove the Laws together—Fate to shroud his destiny, Paradox to bend perception. Rose-pink light shimmered around his face, coalescing into a sleek, enigmatic mask.
It was a work of art: black as the void with intricate silver filigree that shifted like living threads, the eye slits glowing faintly with dual hues—white flame and golden fire—mirroring his reborn eyes.
The mask felt alive, its surface rippling with an aura that made onlookers' gazes slide off him, unable to pin his identity.
"Better?" he thought, testing its fit.
[Perfect,] Elysia replied. [Now, let's make some noise.]
He descended toward the nearest auction hall—a colossal structure of golden crystal and jade, its dome pulsing with holographic displays of artifacts mid-bid. The entrance was a grand archway guarded by two Ninth Calamity appraisers, their robes neutral but their auras sharp as blades. Ash approached, his steps light, wings folding as he landed.
"I have items for auction," he said, voice smooth and unhurried, masked face tilting slightly. "Ultimate to Paragon rank. Bulk."
The lead appraiser—a stern man with silver-streaked hair—raised an eyebrow, his aura brushing Ash's without penetrating the Paradox veil.
"Bulk, you say?" His tone was skeptical but intrigued. "Show me."
Ash extended a hand, and his storage ring flared. A controlled wave of items materialized before the appraisers—hovering in neat rows, each piece radiating its own distinct power.
Their presence was intense—space seemed to bend around them, and the air buzzed with power so pure they almost felt alive.
The appraisers froze, breaths shallow.
"By the void…" the silver-haired one whispered, stepping closer to Primordia Edge. "This quality… it's beyond anything we've cataloged."
His companion, a woman with piercing violet eyes, scanned with a jade talisman. "Ultimate and Mythic—superior to known standards. Divine… on par with low Paragon relics. And these Paragon peaks… they're transcendent."
The lead appraiser straightened, aura flaring briefly. "This volume—thousands of Ultimate, hundreds of Divine, three Paragon—exceeds the opening hall's capacity. Follow me.... for VIP appraisal."