Three months had passed for the Venia Galaxy—bounties spreading like wildfire, wars escalating, whispers of the "Mysterious forger" haunting every corner. Yet in that span, Ash had spent a little over seven years in Layla's private training realm, the thirty-fold time dilation turning weeks into eras of relentless focus.
Since stepping into the Peak of Stellar Sovereign, he had done nothing but hone his sword skills.
With Elysia's guidance, he unlocked sword intent at the first stage. Like aura, intent had ten stages—each exponentially more devastating. But Ash's intent was unique, born from layers of experience no one else could claim.
Ash was a figure shrouded in mystery. Back on Elaris, his journey with the sword was far from flawless, with everything he knew being self-taught—until he met Vaeloria, who shaped him into a true swordsman.
From his Sovereign, he learned lethality, deception, and the cunning grace of a fox wielding a blade.
That defined his style until he began to evolve.
In the First Cycle, his incarnate devoted every moment to the sword.
Though conceptual powers were nameless and existed as pure energy, he retained the vast knowledge of those trillions of years. This wisdom not only refined his technique but deepened his mastery to a level unmatched by anyone.
His sword aura remained nameless for this very reason—it was simply a manifestation of pure power. If not for certain parameters in the current Cycle, absent in the First Cycle, it would have been even more terrifying.
For seven years, he moved without thought—simple cuts, swings, and motions. Minimalism at its peak. To anyone watching, it might have seemed monotonous, almost like a trance.
Yet with Elysia's guidance and the echoes of ancient memories, he began to rebuild from the very start.
About halfway through the seven years, Ash had already formed his intent. It was invisible, colorless, yet carried the weight of inevitable death—a formless power with a single purpose.
Still, Ash felt deeply unsatisfied wielding it.
There were a few reasons for this. First, he knew intent was the final stage of the sword; once one reached max-level intent, their weapon had essentially peaked. Though a sword user could still grow stronger, there was nothing beyond intent.
This fact nagged at him and led to his second source of dissatisfaction. He knew better than most just how strong the sword could be, yet it felt like…
"Am I being restricted or something?" he muttered, pausing midair.
He couldn't shake the thought.
His sword aura had never reached the same heights it had in the First Cycle. Some might blame his cultivation, but no—as he'd noted before, power then had no ranks. In the First Cycle, you either had power or you didn't, and it all came down to imagination.
[Master, I have a theory… but it may not be entirely plausible,] Elysia said, sharing his suspicions.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
[The Records of Eternity… what if they are the restrictions?] she whispered.
Ash's eyes narrowed. "The records weren't present in the First Cycle… nor at the start of the Second Cycle."
[Tsk… we need to explore more right away, Master. The more galaxies, universes, and realms we visit, the more I can expand my knowledge. Maybe we're trapped in a far bigger maze than we imagined,] Elysia urged.
Hearing this—this possibility of being on yet another chess—Ash felt his stomach churn in disgust.
He trained for another three and a half years.... not just learning, but he was creating something never before seen. With his Aura formed and Intent, he begun to fuse them both into one. Not, how one might combine the two to stregthen an attack.
No, he was combining the two concepts down to their roots. So for those three years he maxed out his sword intent to level ten. While he did that, Elysia using their powers created a ring that fit onto his left hand. It was an artifact specifically designed to combine conceptual sword powers to their most fundamental level.
Truly one of a kind.
For five more months, he drifted high above the world, working to merge the two concepts until something devastating emerged.
He called it Primordia Truth.
It embodied the entire path of the sword—every strike from his blade was inevitable, every sword would yield to him as if he were their very origin. Against him, swords were meaningless; this was the 'truth' of the sword.
It could be anything one imagined, and that's exactly what he made it.
With a single thought, his blade could do whatever he envisioned. It was deeper than anyone could yet understand but perfectly suited for someone running far beyond the bounds of normality.
Ash floated in the realm's skies, eyes closed, smile wide.
He was a different monster now.
Peak Stellar Sovereign in rank—but with Primordia and Truth, at full power he could contend with a Cosmic Emperor.
[Hehe, Master. Shall I say it again?] Elysia teased.
"Oh, of course, my lovely nexus~" he responded, dual-hued eyes snapping open.
[You're utterly ridiculous!]
He laughed, shaking his head.
"Although, I'm still not strong enough for my payback. I have other plans... by the time I'm finished, the Nocturne Clan will be no more. Give me a year at most."
Then he vanished.
Reappeared in the Vossmeres' private realm—lavish chamber of shadow-silk and golden orbs.
Ash reappeared in the private realm of the Vossmeres—a lavish chamber of shadow-silk drapes and floating golden orbs, the air scented with starlight incense. He had expected quiet. Instead, he walked into a scene that stopped him cold.
Layla Vossmere—ancient, composed, terrifying old monster—sat on a plush chaise, robes discarded, body arched in pleasure. Her dark hair cascaded wild, skin flushed, fingers working between her thighs as a holographic projection played from her own Cosmic Eyes of Truth: the recording of Ash and Elara from the VIP room, every moan, every thrust vivid in perfect clarity.
"AH~" she gasped, voice breathy, lost in the moment. "He's so big...~"
Ash froze—shock, amusement, and a flicker of heat warring inside him.
Elysia's voice rang in his mind, teasing. [Master… I'm surprised you're not helping yourself.]
He held back the Desire.... barely.
'Nah. I'm rather fond of Archie.... He seems like a nice fellow. I'll at least warn him first… if he doesn't listen, then…'
He coughed deliberately. "Ahem… cough… cough."
Layla froze—body tensing like a coiled spring, aura flaring dangerously as Cosmic Eyes snapped open, golden truth-runes spinning. Her hand shot out—void-dagger manifesting, ready to strike.
Then recognition hit.
Her eyes went wide, panic flickering across features that had seen centuries.
"A-Ash?!"
The projection blinked out. She scrambled, robes forgotten on the floor, face flushing crimson as she realized her state.
Layla Vossmere—an ancient being who had witnessed eras—suddenly seemed shy, hands fluttering aimlessly, voice tripping over itself. "I—I wasn't—this is—you weren't supposed to—"
Ash's smile was teasing, but kind.
"Relax. Everyone has their private moments... I'm the one who walked in."
He leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed, gaze wandering appreciatively—her flushed curves, dark hair tousled.
Layla caught on at last and yelped, snatching up a silk drape to cover herself, cheeks burning hotter.
"Don't—don't tell anyone," she said quickly, voice steadier but still shaky. "Especially not Archie."
Ash chuckled. "Your secret's safe. Though… that body... it's gonna be hard to forget."
She blushed at his words, but her expression froze when she sensed his power.
"You... you reached Peak Stellar Sovereign? In three months?!" she exclaimed, utterly shocked.
"Haha, took you long enough to notice... I thought my little stellar law might dull your senses," Ash chuckled, having been curious if he could evade the perception of someone beyond Stellar Sovereign.
[Master, I've already told you... it would be better to create something to help with that,] Elysia reminded him.
He gave a mental nod as Layla recovered from her surprise and spoke.
"Well... Archie and I planned to tell you when the time was right, but we didn't expect you to reach this rank so quickly," she said, before continuing.
"In five years, the Celestials are holding the Grand Cosmic Prodigy Convergence—a universe-wide tournament for the most gifted. We have two spots: one for Elara, and the other for you... if you want it."
Ash raised a brow. "Celestials? Are they so important they get to host something like that?"
"Of course... they are the eyes and ears of the Universal Lord," Layla replied.
'What the hell?' Ash thought, hearing the term for the first time. But instead of digging deeper, he simply said, "Alright... count me in."
He turned to leave, then glanced back with a teasing look.
"Though... that body of yours? Criminal to hide it."
Layla flushed again, her glare lacking force.
"Out."
Ash laughed, vanishing in a ripple of rose-pink light.