Haruto quickly escorted Lilith to the mansion hall. He didn't want to waste another second. Lilith paused at the entrance of the living quarters, giving him a slight, graceful bow.
"I had a wonderful time with you today, Haruto," she said softly.
"Thanks," Haruto replied shortly. His mind was already at the forge. The moment Lilith turned the corner, he pivoted and started heading toward the workshop to check on Toya and the blade.
But halfway there, the world suddenly tilted.
A cold shiver raced down his spine, followed by a suffocating heat. His breath started coming in ragged, sharp gasps, and his heart hammered against his ribs like it was trying to break free. It wasn't just panic—it was a physical, crushing weight. Sweat poured down his face, stinging his eyes.
Suddenly, the workshop didn't matter. The only thought screaming in his brain was: GET TO YOUR ROOM. NOW.
It was an instinctive, primal urge. He felt that if he didn't reach the safety of his own room in the next ten seconds, his entire system would collapse—he would die. Haruto spun around, his legs nearly giving out, and sprinted back through the corridors. He ignored the confusion of the servants as he practically threw himself into his room and slammed the door shut, twisting the lock with trembling hands.
The moment the lock clicked, the crushing weight lifted. He slumped against the door, sliding down to the floor as he tried to regain control of his breathing.
Haruto's surroundings vanished in a blink. The walls of his room, the smell of sweat, and the sound of his own heavy breathing were replaced by the infinite, crushing silence of the Void.
He was still gasping for air, his lungs burning, but as he looked up, the familiar humanoid figure made of pure, blinding starlight stood before him. The entity tilted its head, watching Haruto's panicked state with a calm, almost mocking curiosity.
"Hmm..." the figure's voice resonated through the emptiness, sounding like a thousand overlapping echoes.
"Why are you so late? You look like someone who's been trembling in a corner. Haven't you been eating or drinking properly? Or has the world finally started to reject you?"
Haruto clutched his stomach, his breath still ragged as he glared at the glowing silhouette.
"What do you want, AETHERIS?"
AETHERIS let out a cold, melodic laugh that vibrated through Haruto's very bones.
"Want? I don't want anything, Star-Child."
"Then why now?" Haruto spat, his eyes narrowed.
"What was that feeling in the hallway? Why did you force me back to my room like I was about to die?"
"Consider it a security protocol," AETHERIS replied, stepping closer, the starlight from his body casting no shadow.
"I gave you that 'feeling' to ensure we had some privacy. The mansion is full of eyes, Haruto—some of them belong to the very Gods who want your head on a platter. I needed you behind a locked door before I pulled your consciousness here."
Haruto's mind raced. Last time this guy showed up, he jacked up the stakes of my entire life. Is he here to mess with the game again? Subtly, Haruto tightened his mental grip. He thought of the workshop of Toya, and the "Star-Core" blade pulsing with his own mana. He felt a surge of cold confidence. I'm not the same defenseless player you met before. I have my own Weapon Spirit now. If this humanoid glitch tries anything, I'll end kalean in a single swing the moment I'm back in the real world.
Haruto clutched his chest, finally finding his footing in the weightless Void.
"What do you mean? Speak clearly for once!"
AETHERIS didn't answer immediately. Instead, the blinding white light radiating from his form began to shift, swirling with a dangerous, glowing red hue. The temperature in the Void seemed to plummet and boil at the same time.
"Why the rush, Star-Child?" AETHERIS asked, his voice now carrying a sharp, jagged edge.
"You have all the time in the world."
"Is this a joke to you?" Haruto snapped, his anger momentarily overriding his fear.
"I have exactly one day left before the Wizard Quest. One day to prepare for a duel that determines everything!"
The humanoid figure stepped forward, the red light intensifying until it felt like a physical pressure against Haruto's skin.
"Exactly. One day. And what have you been doing?"
AETHERIS's voice turned into a low growl of disappointment.
"Instead of pushing your limits, you're obsessing over a weapon. Instead of grinding for levels to break that 'Level 5' barrier, you're taking romantic evening walks in the garden."
Haruto felt a cold sweat break out again. This wasn't just a conversation; it was an audit.
"You are playing a game of survival against the Heavens," AETHERIS hissed, the red glow pulsing like a warning siren.
"But you're acting like a tourist. Tell me, do you really think a piece of metal from a forge is enough to stop the gods who are already tracing your signal?"
Haruto gripped his stomach, the red pressure making it hard to even stand.
"Everything you're saying is going way over my head! Just speak clearly!"
AETHERIS let out a sharp, mocking hum.
"Oh? Is it too complex for you? You certainly seemed to understand things just fine while you were taking that little stroll... acting like a proud father holding his child's hand."
Haruto's face flushed deep red at the jab, but the crushing pressure didn't let up.
"Cut the metaphors and talk straight!"
"Fine," AETHERIS said, the red glow stabilizing into a menacing pulse.
"You think you've found a 'Player Two' in that Goddess's Child, don't you? You think she's your shortcut to information. And you're right—she's lived through the hell you're just starting to see. Honestly, she almost looks more worthy of my power than you do right now."
Haruto flinched. "What are you saying about Lilith?"
"I'm telling the truth," AETHERIS hissed, stepping into Haruto's personal space.
"She is the only reincarnation in history who completed her 'mission' and then decided to devour her own Goddess instead of dying. She's a monster who turned the Heavens into her personal playground. She is, without a doubt, the most powerful human soul I have ever witnessed in this glitch of a world."
The entity paused, the light around his hands flickering like dying embers.
"But there's a problem, Star-Child. She's come back as a 'weak little girl.' She's playing at being human, wasting time on romance and 'normal life.' And now, she's dragging you into that same slow, boring rhythm."
Haruto stood his ground, the weight of Lilith's revelation fueling his defiance.
"Speaking of Lilith," he said, staring into the blinding light,
"she told me the truth. She said you gods just use us as filters. You wait for us to hit our peak, then you kill us to take back your 'purified' power. Is that what you're planning?"
The crimson glow surrounding AETHERIS suddenly vanished, replaced by a flat, clinical white light. The pressure eased, but the silence that followed was even more unsettling.
"She told you that, did she?" AETHERIS's voice lost its jagged edge, returning to a calm, terrifying echo.
"Yes. She spoke the truth."
Haruto's blood ran cold. "Why? Why summon us just to execute us?"
AETHERIS cut him off with a dry, hollow laugh.
"Why? Because it is the cycle, Star-Child. And yes—once you reach Level 100, I will kill you. I will reclaim what is mine."
"Then I won't level up!" Haruto shouted, his voice cracking in the empty Void.
"If the 'reward' for winning this game is death, then I'm not playing. I'll stay right where I am. What kind of goal is that?"
AETHERIS stepped forward, the white light of his form now so bright it felt like it was dissolving Haruto's very skin.
"Listen carefully. I gave you exactly what you wanted. You wanted a life that felt like a game, didn't you? A life where boredom didn't exist? I gave you that. In return, you will act as my vessel. You will process my aura, you will cleanse it through your struggle, and you will give me back the purity I require."
He tilted his head, the featureless face staring into Haruto's soul.
"It's a simple transaction, Haruto. I provide the game; you provide the labor. That is the only reason you exist in this world."
Haruto's gaze turned ice-cold, the fear finally hardening into a sharp, jagged resolve.
"What if I take the same route Lilith did?" he asked, his voice steady.
"What if I decide to hunt you down and delete you instead of letting you harvest me?"
AETHERIS went still for a moment, the white light of his form rippling like water. Then, a low, melodic hum escaped him.
"Hmm... that is entirely possible. In fact, you're more than welcome to try."
Haruto blinked, caught off guard by the entity's lack of concern.
"Think about it, Star-Child," AETHERIS continued, drifting closer until the heat of his presence was overwhelming.
"By the time you reach my level, you will possess power nearly identical to mine. At that point, it won't be about who has more mana—it will be about whose tactics are superior. It will be a battle of wits to see who can delete whom first."
Haruto gritted his teeth, his mind reeling.
"So... you're saying I can actually delete you? You're fine with that?"
AETHERIS let out a sudden, booming laugh that shook the very foundations of the Void.
"Hahaha! Of course! I'd expect nothing less from my own creation!"
Haruto stood there, completely stunned. He had expected threats, rage, or a divine curse. He didn't expect the God of Creation to treat his own potential murder like a high-stakes PvP match.
Haruto glared at the fading light.
"Fine. That's exactly what I'll do. Just you wait, AETHERIS—I'm going to beat you at your own game and take you down."
AETHERIS chuckled, the sound echoing like a glitching audio file.
"There's plenty of time for that later, Star-Child. But I didn't pull you here just to chat about the future. I'm here for the present. It's time to raise the stakes."
Haruto felt a surge of pure irritation. Again? How much higher can he push this? "What now? What kind of twisted rule are you adding this time?"
AETHERIS leaned in, his voice becoming a cold, absolute command.
"Listen carefully. The use of a Weapon Spirit is strictly forbidden in this duel. If you even think about calling upon weapon power during your fight with Kallen, I will instantly eject your soul from this world and send you back to your original reality. It will be counted as an automatic, permanent loss."
Haruto's eyes widened in shock, his heart skipping a beat.
"What?! No! You can't do that! Why?! I spent everything on that blade! I worked for it! You can't just ban my primary weapon!"
AETHERIS looked at him, the featureless face of the humanoid figure shimmering with a strange, appreciative rhythm.
"A simple rule for a simple test," the entity replied.
"This isn't a test of your sword's craftsmanship or Toya's spirit power. It's a test of you—your physical limits, your raw skills, and your own internal code. Using a god-tier weapon is just a shortcut, and shortcuts don't cleanse mana."
Haruto let out a short, dry laugh, his fear being replaced by a sharp realization.
"I get it now. I see what you're doing, you massive troll."
He stepped closer to the light, a smirk playing on his lips.
"You're putting these limits on me because you're trying to keep me under the radar. If I use a SSS+ Rank weapon spirit, every god in the Heavens will pinpoint my location instantly. You want me to level up safely and quietly so I can reach Level 100 without being intercepted by the 'Reapers' too early. You're not just raising the stakes... you're trying to protect your investment."
AETHERIS went silent, the white light softening into a gentle, pulsating glow.
"Oh? You've figured all that out, have you? Well, if that's how you choose to see it—that I'm just a protective 'parent' keeping his child safe—then go ahead. I won't say a word to correct you."
AETHERIS's form began to flicker, the white light turning into a static-like haze, his voice echoing from every direction at once.
"One final thing, Star-Child," the entity whispered.
"Do not mistake me. I am not your enemy, but I am certainly not your friend. I am the Admin, and you are the Player.
Remember this: Your emotions skill is your greatest strength, but they are also your fatal flaw. To be powerful, you must feel. If someone were to erase your emotions, you would revert to being a 'Normal' Human—a useless, hollow shell. You are the God of Creation; you create through passion, through boredom, through rebellion. Without those, you are nothing.
Haruto gritted his teeth, his frustration boiling over.
"I get the philosophy! But why the restrictions? Give me a reason that actually makes sense! Why tie my hands before a fight?"
The light of the Void began to fracture like shattered glass, but before the darkness took over entirely, AETHERIS leaned in, his voice becoming a heavy, resonant hum that vibrated in the very core of Haruto's soul.
"Remember this, Star-Child," the entity whispered, the words burning into Haruto's mind.
"When God wants to make someone powerful, He doesn't crown them first; He breaks them. He first strips away their comfort, their pride, their lust, and their plans. Do you know why? Just because... once all of that is gone, all that is left is REAL."
The logic hit Haruto with the force of a physical blow. He realized that the God of Creation wasn't just being a "troll" or a "villain"—he was stripping Haruto down to his rawest code. By taking away his ultimate weapon, his safety, and his ego, AETHERIS was forcing the "Real Haruto" to emerge.
"Remember," the voice of the entity whispered one last time in his mind, "you still have tomorrow. You still have that physical boost I gave you. Your body is capable of compressing months of training into mere hours. Don't waste the time I've bought you. Keep at it."
The Void collapsed in a final, blinding flash of white.
Haruto remained seated on the cold floor, his back pressed heavily against the locked wooden door of his room. The physical world felt steady again, but his mind was a chaotic storm of contradictions.
He stared into the dark room, trying to process the entity he had just faced. Is AETHERIS really the villain of this story? he wondered. If he is the 'Final Boss' waiting at Level 100 to harvest my soul, why is he helping me right now?
The God of Creation's words echoed in his head. The entity had spoken with such harsh, deliberate wisdom. He was actively trying to make Haruto stronger, deliberately stripping away his shortcuts to forge him into something "real." But why? Why would a God cultivate a player's power so carefully if the only end goal was to kill him? Was AETHERIS genuinely just a bored creator looking for a worthy opponent, or was there a deeper, more twisted logic to this divine game that Haruto still couldn't see?
As he sat there tangled in these thoughts, a sudden realization hit him.
The workshop. Toya.