In a room with just the two of them, with the door blocked, Sophia showed no sign of panic. She was even calm enough to educate Luca on the laws of the Empire.
She spoke plainly, “Entering a woman’s room without permission, according to Imperial law, would be classified as attempted rape, not just breaking and entering or molestation. I hope you’re prepared for a prison sentence.”
“I only came to apologize, you should trust my character,” Luca shrugged, his expression showing disbelief. Did he really look like some sort of pervert?
Sophia ignored his protest, turning and sitting down in a chair beside the coffee table. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she said, “Zenobia has been suppressed by the Frost Divine Rank and has fallen into a deep slumber recently. Pandora has also disappeared for quite a while now.”
“I haven’t heard from them in a long time. This is not a good sign.”
Luca’s face immediately lost its playful expression upon hearing this.
In the silence, there were only two outcomes: either death, or an eruption. Zenobia’s obsession with the Celestial Pearl was something they could all sense. Now, as they neared the Sea of Mist, Zenobia was silent—who knew what kind of schemes she was plotting in secret?
What frustrated them most was that, despite knowing Zenobia was likely scheming to take their prize, there was nothing they could do to stop her.
Unless they were willing to watch Via Empire take the Celestial Pearl, but that was impossible. Via Empire had the backing of the Ancient Gods. Giving the Celestial Pearl to them was almost the same as handing it to Zenobia, the Goddess of Lust. At least Zenobia, if she got her hands on it, would likely use the Celestial Pearl to destroy the Ancient Gods’ stronghold rather than wipe out two worlds.
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to control them once we find the Celestial Pearl,” Sophia said, placing the coffee on the table in front of Luca and rubbing her brow with a sigh. “That’s my biggest concern.”
Luca looked up at her and saw something rarely seen on Sophia’s normally composed face: a hint of fatigue, one that was impossible to hide. Despite her assistance from the Frost Divine Rank, suppressing a god and a King-level monster was definitely no easy feat.
“I’m sorry, Senior,” Luca’s voice softened with a touch of sympathy. Zenobia, Pandora, and Sophia’s relationship was one of mutual coexistence, yet fundamentally different. It was impossible to separate them, and attempting to do so would likely backfire, potentially liberating Zenobia entirely. So, all the pressure in this area had to fall on Sophia’s shoulders.
Luca couldn’t help her, and the guilt weighed heavily on his heart. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and grabbed Sophia’s wrist, pulling her toward him.
Sophia’s body stiffened slightly, but she didn’t resist. Luca felt her soft form lean against him. At first, she felt cold, but soon her warmth seeped through.
She rested her head on his shoulder and spoke slowly, “This is my fate, one I was born with. You don’t need to blame yourself. And, I should thank you. If it weren’t for you, I might have given up a long time ago.”
Her voice was unusually gentle, and Luca found himself feeling soothed, as if he were the one being comforted. Perhaps this was her true nature, after all…
As he thought this, he looked up, intending to say something, but found himself locked in the mesmerizing gaze of her ice-blue eyes. There was an emotion in them that neither could quite identify. It was as though something stirred in both of their hearts at once.
An air of subtle intimacy began to fill the room.
The space between them continued to shrink until they could feel each other’s breath. A soft, warm sensation brushed his lips as they sat together on the luxurious sofa, their bodies growing warmer with every passing moment.
Luca felt as if a fire was burning inside him. Without thinking, his hand slid up her skirt, gently caressing her skin. Her skin was smooth and delicate, like a piece of warm, polished jade.
The closeness, the proximity to someone of the opposite sex, caused Sophia to shudder involuntarily. She instinctively resisted, gripping Luca’s hand to stop him from going any further.
But soon her grip loosened, growing weaker until it disappeared entirely. Her clothes gradually came off, piece by piece, until her perfect form was fully revealed to Luca.
Her satin-like long hair cascaded down like a waterfall. In the light of the chandelier, her pale skin glowed softly, and her full, perky chest rose like a mountain. Her slender waist was free of any excess flesh.
Her rounded hips formed an enticing curve, and her long, elegant legs led down to a pair of small, delicate feet. Her pink toes curled nervously into the luxurious carpet, an image so beautiful it almost felt surreal.
Luca stood there, staring at the beautiful woman before him, completely entranced.
He had always thought that Sophia’s beauty would rank among the top three of anyone he’d ever met, but he never imagined that someone could truly be so blessed by the heavens. It was as if every perfect thing in the world had been bestowed upon her. She was flawless, like a work of art personally created by God, leaving him awestruck and captivated.
“Are you done staring?” Sophia’s words pulled Luca back to reality. Her sapphire-like eyes shimmered with emotion, and her delicate face carried a hint of shyness, though she tried to maintain her composure.
Seeing her mixed signals, as if she both wanted and didn’t want it, Luca’s heart raced, beating more than twice as fast.
Even hesitating for a second would be disrespectful to himself. He quickly scooped Sophia up in his arms and walked to the bed, then, amidst her startled gasp, he moved in on her.
“Senior, I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice.
…
Meanwhile, at the border of the Via Empire. The metal hulls of flying ships reflected the cold light of the sun, dozens of magical airships hovered in the sky like a swarm of wasps.
Soldiers of the Via Empire, dressed in silver uniforms, held their standard weapons. They were arranged in perfect formation, stretching for miles, with no end in sight. There were at least a hundred thousand of them.
At the forefront, on the viewing platform, stood a figure clad in golden battle armor, facing the wind. His red cloak billowed behind him. It was none other than Rod Valvis, the King of the Five Seas!
Behind him stood a dozen generals in black armor, many of whom were Sky-level and Star-level Superclass experts.
The Via Empire’s dominance as the number one empire on the Eternal Continent was not just due to its economy and technology, but also because of its millions-strong military force and the top-tier experts who ranked among the best on the continent!
“Everyone!” Rod suddenly spoke, his voice echoing across the land, resonating for miles. All the soldiers lifted their eyes to look at the figure on the platform, their gazes filled with fiery passion.
To these soldiers, the name Rod Valvis represented more than just the Empire’s top powerhouse; it symbolized a belief!
Rod surveyed the soldiers below, then spoke slowly, his tone calm but commanding. “This campaign will be led by me, Rod Valvis, and our destination is the Western Sea within the territory of the Clinton Empire.
“You should all know what this means. That’s right! It means war! It means invasion!
“And we have no choice but to do this, because this battle will decide the future of the Via Empire and the lives and deaths of countless people in our Empire!”
“I don’t care what you think, and I don’t want to hear it. Don’t ask why, and don’t question why we’re doing this. This is not something for you to consider!”
“As soldiers, there is only one thing you need to do!”
Rod’s gaze swept over the soldiers, his eyes suddenly turning cold and sharp. He spoke with a deadly calm: “That is to obey my orders, break through Clinton’s defenses, seize the eight counties of the Western Sea, and accomplish the mission that the Empire has entrusted to you!”
“Do you understand?!”
Almost as soon as Rod’s voice echoed across the platform, countless soldiers, their faces flushed and veins bulging in their necks, shouted out in unison, their voices rising to the sky: “For the Empire!!”
The roar was deafening, like the sound of a mountain and a sea colliding, shaking the heavens!
The momentum soared to the skies, and their might reverberated through the air!
…
When Luca finally awoke, it was already evening. The room was bathed in a greyish haze, with no visible light. He fumbled to turn on the lamp, and bright light poured down from above, illuminating the entire room.
A soft down comforter covered him, and he was alone in the bed. The room was spotless, as though nothing had happened, as if last night’s passionate chaos had been nothing but a fleeting dream.
But Luca knew it wasn’t a dream, because this wasn’t his room. There was still a faint trace of Sophia’s scent on the sheets, which meant she had probably tidied up the room after waking up.
Just as he was about to get up, the door opened.
A familiar, graceful figure entered, holding a steaming bowl of fish soup. Her blue hair was tied up, and she had changed into a purple long dress, making her appear even more mature and dignified.
Seeing Luca awake and staring at her, Sophia blushed, an awkward expression crossing her face as she said, “I had the kitchen make some fish soup. Come eat a bit.”
Luca thanked her, but then felt something was off. Shouldn’t he be the one bringing her the soup and taking care of her at this time? Why was it the other way around?
But thinking about her unique constitution, it didn’t seem too strange after all…
Two hours later.
Luca was walking out of the room, holding half a bowl of fish soup.
He was about to go and ask the first officer about their current position when he turned a corner and bumped into Ellie, who was passing by.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Luca, but then she couldn’t help but scold him, “Where have you been all day? I’ve been looking for you for ages.”
“I had some personal matters to take care of,” Luca replied truthfully, then looked at her curiously. “What do you need me for?”
Ellie didn’t think too much about it. She replied anxiously, “We’re about to reach Shipwreck Strait. I just wanted to remind you to prepare. That place is dangerous!”
“Already at Shipwreck Strait?” Luca was surprised. He had thought it would take a few more days, but they had arrived much sooner than expected.
Then he quickly realized it was thanks to the two warships that had drastically shortened their travel time.
He was just about to reassure Ellie.
When suddenly, loud shouts came from the other side of the ship, as though warning everyone to be cautious of something.
Before he could fully understand what was happening, the Windrunner Ship, which had been sailing steadily, suddenly rocked violently.
Then, a deafening explosion echoed in his ears. Had they collided with something?