"You have succeeded the training for becoming the next Mage God in record time, and as such I shall no longer disturb you, my darling apprentice. I'll leave behind my spatial rune in your care. When you are able to cast spatial spells, you can use it to reach me no matter where I am."
"When you are done with your business and are free, come to me. I would like to introduce you to the other Titled Gods and allow you to see the true pinnacle of the mortal world."
Richmond said this gently, looking at Draco with gentleness in his eyes. Draco himself felt similar emotions in his heart as he gazed at Richmond.
Draco couldn't believe it, but he actually felt… sentiment? …towards this shameless old freak. He also couldn't help but feel grudging respect, as such he bowed.
"Thank you, Master Richmond, for your care and teachings. I, like you, will bring honor to the title of Mage God in the future."
Draco's solemn vow made Richmond extremely pleased as he laughed happily.
"No problem. Here's my rune! I'm already looking forward to your visit, you monstrous genius!" Richmond flung a black rune towards Draco, which he caught with ease.
Richmond waved and blinked away, his disappearance a bit saddening.
Somehow, the maids had known that today would be the last day of Draco's training, and they had gathered in the courtyard, witnessing the apprentice bidding farewell to his teacher.
Even though he hadn't addressed them, the maids felt very sad that this shameless old freak was leaving, as - despite the endless troubles - his presence had filled their usually boring everyday life with a strange kind of excitement.
Draco sighed and watched the empty space where Richmond had been. It would be a lie to say that he wasn't a little bit lost, but he might have inherited his master's ability since he managed to immediately regain his composure.
He left the maids to their emotions and returned to the foyer of the Rank 7 Castle, patiently waiting for two very important people to arrive.
While there, he met Happy Saint who was chatting with Camilla about something as they traversed the hallways. Upon seeing him, they both became startled, but Happy Saint smiled while Camilla became nervous.
Draco nodded to the two of them and chatted with them lightly in order to pass the time. Happy Saint was his normal self, but Camilla caught his eye. She was slightly pretty, but what surprised Draco was that he could passively detect her desire for him through his Horned Demon Inheritance.
It was just like when Draco had detected King during the Flora and Fauna Unique Quest, his Black Dragon had sniffed out these intense emotions lying in Camilla's heart with ease.
Draco found this interesting. However, he wouldn't bother with Camilla unless she became able to create Legendary items. Even though she was semi-indentured under his rule, her status as a Master Rank Blacksmith was no doubt high.
Even though his own status was like the sun to her moon, she still had the right to demand for more should he show interest. She would have to be put in the same bracket as Hikari, Roma or Zaine.
That was something impossible, as it would bring an imbalance to his genealogy. Zaine, Hikari and Roma would never infight or try to play tricks on each other, because they didn't need to.
They understood their places - especially Zaine - and they were loyal to their very atoms. That was why he had hidden nothing from them, telling them about everything except his reincarnator status.
Draco wasn't interested in seeing into her mind because he never considered her as someone worth his seed, but if he did, he would reconsider. Her dedication to improving in order to win his heart was definitely commendable and worth a look.
Soon enough, the people Draco had been waiting for arrived. Camilla and Happy Saint took their leave at this time, realizing that Draco might have some important matters to handle.
Riveting Night stood beside Loving Aunt, who was sizing up the castle with an interesting expression. However, when she saw Draco, her eyes lit up.
"My darling nephew~~"
She practically flew into Draco's arms and hugged him tightly. Draco could only accept his Aunt's overbearing fixation on him, but he really felt stifled because her two mounds covered his whole head.
If it wasn't for his tyrannical rebuilt body, he might have suffocated to death... not that it would be the worst way to go out. Aunt Fyre's chest was somehow even slightly bigger than Sublime Notion's.
Riveting Night could only smile bitterly. After she had gone to pick up Loving Aunt, she had also caused her endless trouble.
After all, Loving Aunt already knew Riveting Night's real identity was Princess Eva of the Reiwa House, the prodigy of the Amaterasu Lineage and Draco's soulmate.
As such, Loving Aunt treated her like a daughter, and even tried to teach Riveting Night some 'tricks'. However, Riveting Night didn't have the heart to tell her that she was a seasoned veteran who had explored Draco's body hundreds of times in their past life.
"Yes, yes, Aunt Fyre, I've missed you too." Draco 'resisted' weakly.
Finally, Aunt Fyre released him from her two soft mounds and sized her nephew up and down.
"You're getting into that phase, eh? Dyeing your hair white and getting contacts." She teased with a smirk.
Draco laughed at that. "I just wanted to look handsome so that my darling aunt can be proud."
Aunt Fyre knew that Draco was just being coy with his words, but who didn't like being praised? Her face softened greatly as she gazed at her beloved nephew with love.
"Sigh, you are just too…"
Draco felt his scalp tingle. Even though he sensed that there was no s.e.x.u.a.l desire in his Aunt's heart and mind, the amount of love and obsession she had for him as her nephew was scary.
"Well, let me get someone to accommodate Aunt Fyre." Draco offered quickly.
He called over the new head maid, who was a light-skinned pretty girl named Darnia. As for Verita and the other maids he had seeded, they had all headed over to the Vita City State to hasten their pregnancies.
9 months was 270 days, so with the 5x boost from Vita City State, it meant that his children born from humans would take 54 days to see the light of day.
Darnia was slightly cute, with blonde hair that was cut into a light bob with a feathered layout. Her eyes were a light black and her nose was small. She had small thin lips and a soft chin that made her face look round.
She was slightly short, just barely reaching Draco's neck, and she had a moderate bust and average h.i.p.s. She was the very definition of a cute teen.
She took Aunt Fyre away, making Draco and Riveting Night sigh with relief. Loving Aunt was a walking bomb, a more a.d.u.l.t - and unfortunately more volatile - version of Sublime Notion, and the Evil Duo were sure she would easily bring calamities wherever she went.
Draco then turned to Riveting Night and hugged her. Even though it had been just a day or two, their unique bond made it hard for them to tolerate being separated.
Even during the Flora and Fauna Unique Quest, both of them had felt extremely uneasy being away from each other for slightly over 10 days, especially after just having been reunited and cleared out a lifetime's worth of regret/misunderstanding.
Both of them only felt whole when they were together.
Draco took Riveting Night to the courtyard, much to her surprise. After all, Richmond should've left by now, so what did he plan to do?
When they got there, Draco smiled and took out some items. Riveting Night naturally inspected them and she immediately understood and felt her heart warm.
"These are for you. No one in the entire world deserves these more than you. Only in your hands can they display their best effects." Draco stated with a tender smile.
Of course, Riveting Night knew this, but she also understood that should there be an item which could be used by both of them equally, Draco would most likely give it to her.
Similarly, if she were to discover something that could benefit herself and Draco, she would present it to him.
Draco had presented her with the God's Heraldry token, the Phoenix Contract, and the Lightfire Mystic Flame.
First, Riveting Night decided to use the Phoenix Contract. She activated it with one drop of her blood and the parchment lit up as it began to brighten the area.
The parchment began to float in mid-air, slowly expanding as it created some sort of wormhole in the area before Draco and Riveting Night. The two old monsters watched this with a bit of anticipation and curiosity.
What kind of Phoenix would Eva get? A Dark Phoenix? A Light Phoenix? A common Fire Phoenix? Or an Ice Phoenix? The possibilities were endless.
Eventually, the wormhole grew large enough for something to cross over. At first, all the Evil Duo was able to see was a bright flash as a silhouette crossed over so fast that the eye could not keep up.
The wormhole closed and the brightness instantly died down, allowing them to see the creature which had perched in front of Riveting Night with a curious expression.
It was a Light Phoenix. It was of the purest white color, looking like an angel had descended onto this earth. Its feathers were perfectly groomed and added to its majestic beauty.
The very light around them seemed to gather around the Phoenix awaiting its master, which made it emanate a suppressive effect on beings affiliated with the dark elements.
Naturally, Draco felt a bit stifled, but that was mostly because his racial State of Being had been lowered after the rebalance. The Light Phoenix only glanced at him and then focused all its attention on its new master.
It watched Riveting Night with a mixture of curiosity and wonder. After all, it felt something deep down that tied it to Riveting Night like they were kin.
Making sure that there was no one spectating with her Void of Perfection, Riveting Night pulled down her hood to reveal her face.
The Light Phoenix was naturally surprised that its new master looked so beautiful, but that only made its impression more favorable towards her. It didn't mean that it was wowed to death like how normal humans were.
However, Eva allowed herself to take the form of the Sun Goddess for a split second. Still, it was long enough for the Light Phoenix to sense her bloodline. Once it did, its face displayed the highest amount of shock possible.
Her Sun Goddess form was similar to Amaterasu's permanent look, where she had a circle of matagama surrounding her back while wearing a pristine white kimono that seemed to consist of Light Energy.
She also had a coronet that tied her hair into a regal hime cut and her usually green hair became pure white as well.
Even though it had been for a minute amount of time, her transformation had affected Draco so strongly that his own true form had been forced out, which was the form of a Dragonoid.
The Light Phoenix went from stunned to mad with excitement. It jumped towards Eva and rubbed its big head against her body with utter love and devotion in its eyes.
It was like it had seen its own beloved mother, and the Light Phoenix immediately became docile. Even if it had been in the wild, it would have offered everything up to become her contracted mount, much less when it was already on contract.
Eva patted its head lightly while she gazed at Draco apologetically. She knew that her Sun Goddess form would resonate with Draco and force him to transform, which was why she had never used it in his presence.
However, she needed to win over the Light Phoenix completely, as it had a boundless future with her. After all, this Phoenix was of the Supreme Rank!
On the State of Being rankings, Phoenixes were number 4, right below Dragons! Even though they were much weaker than Dragons - as the top three on the rankings were simply unmatched - it was still greater than any of the other hundreds of races.
It was so great that if Draco were to extract some of its blood for Alchemy, he could vastly increase his chances to make Legendary potions with it. Legendary!
Had it accepted Eva merely as its contracted master, it would have never allowed for something like that. However, after showing it her true form, it would even die for Eva, much less give up some blood.
Eva activated the God's Heraldry token next, and it also floated into the air while glowing greatly. After connecting with the divine realm, a hole opened up in the heavens, displaying a bright light on the other side.
From there, a voice echoed out which every living thing in the entirety of Boundless was able to hear.
"Henceforth, Immortal Adventurer Riveting Night shall be my herald, my only vassal on this mortal plane. This is the decree of I, Sunna, Goddess of the Sun."
Every being in the world got onto their knees in worship. The status of True Gods was unparalleled in the world, as they were the highest existences.
Aside from Origin Gods, there was nothing above True God, neither was there anything equal to it. In the Western Fantasy world, the matter ended at the level of the Gods.
There were no higher realms or external universes or the like. There were essentially two worlds, the Realm of Gods (Heaven) and the Mortal Plane (Earth). The rest were just side realms, like Hell, the Devil World, the Abyss Realm, etc.
At best, they were beside the mortal plane if considering hell and the other side realms. As for small worlds, they were like satellites to the main planet using modern terms.
After the voice left, Draco saw that Eva had a badge pinned to her chest as well as a nifty and cool cape. The badge was designed like the sun, a bright orange color with little spikes that represented rays of light.
The cape was embroidered with symbols of the sun and light, yet it immediately became transparent, making Eva retain her normal look.
She shared the stats of both items with Draco.
｢Divine Herald's badge – Unique Item
Effects:
No Liability
Free selection at all rank 1 to 5 shops.
Granted Empress rank worldwide
Granted passage to all Field Zones and Dungeons in the mortal plane
No fees for any transaction made｣
｢Divine Herald's cloak – Unique item
Effects:
Divine Acquisition
Light Manipulation
Free Movement
Perfect Existence｣
Draco began to breathe roughly as he checked out her boons from the God's Heraldry. He had once thought that Richmond's Heraldry would be the pinnacle, but he now realized how naive and foolish he had been.
The badge had blessed Eva with five boons. First, she faced no liability for any of her actions. This meant that should she r.a.p.e all the men, kill all the babies, side with the demons or even genocide a race of angels, and no one could even fart in her presence.
This included the Impartial Arbitration. She was immune to even that. What a pity that Eva would never do half of those evils, but many others she would.
After all, she was an assassin and one who practiced 'evil' Tradeskills. Expecting her to be gentle and kind was but a pipe dream.
She also could take anything she wanted from Rank 1 to Rank 5 shops. Rank 5 Shops had many Epic materials and even a few Epic items on sale. If Eva went around collecting them for free, she could become the richest entity in the world after selling them.
But only a fool would do that. Just because one could, did not mean one should. Draco and Eva were dedicated to maintaining the stability of the world's finances and combat for as long as possible.
They only planned to utterly shatter the balance once they had acc.u.mulated enough power and wealth in hiding. At that time, it would be either join them or die.
Eva was also an Empress, but one without an empire. She could take any Field Zone and begin building an empire there, but why would she? Draco had created and named Vita City State for her.
She would rather put all her effort into helping it bloom. Vita City State had a very symbolic meaning to Draco and Eva, and she wouldn't abandon that.
Eva also had access to any and all dungeons or Field Zones. Excuses like 'this is my Kingdom's Royal Hunting Ground' or 'this is our Empire's National Dungeon' meant dogshit to her.
If Eva wanted to enter, she would enter, whether you were willing or not. It was truly a great power she had.
There were many dungeons that they knew of that had denied them entry even at their strongest. They needed certain qualifications that mere talent and potential wouldn't grant, but this solved everything.
When it was time to farm experience for their items, this alone would prove extremely useful.
Finally, the badge exempted her from paying ANY FEES. Whether it was auction fees, travel fees, building fees or anything, the person providing the service would have to waive the fees for the service provided.
This included tax, but players didn't pay that in this Update.
This meant that Eva could use the various building tokens to upgrade buildings to Rank 7 without paying squat.
This was the most overpowered benefit of the Divine Herald's badge probably.
There was the even more tyrannical Divine Herald's Cloak. Its boons were what made Draco grab tufts of his hair, ready to pull it out from the roots.
Each of these four boons came in the form of an absurd passive skill, but they were far greater than anything Draco had seen till today. Just the names alone made him feel trepidation.
What made him go mad like this was when he opened the descriptions for each of these boons, as he saw what no man had the right to see.
｢Divine Acquisition – Passive skill
Effect: Once a day, you are able to receive a minuscule iota of Divine Energy from your master.｣
｢Light Manipulation – Passive skill
Effect: Control natural light energy freely and with no restrictions.｣
｢Free Movement – Passive skill
Effect: Suffer no movement inhibitions whatsoever.｣
｢Perfect Existence – Passive skill
Effect: Attain the highest State of Being below divinity within your racial ranking.｣