William asked his final question with a clear sense of purpose.
"What is a god physique? And how can it be refined?"
He did not ask this out of simple curiosity. The refinement of a god physique was directly connected to the path toward becoming an Eternal Sovereign. If he wished to get stronger, then he needed clarity about his task from the beginning.
William felt that completing the tasks defined by the path was the way forward.
This time, Xythia did not appear surprised. If William truly had connections to a being as powerful as he had described earlier, then his awareness of such knowledge was not unexpected.
She gave a small nod and began to explain.
"A god physique, as the name suggests, is the physique possessed by every god. It is one of the five essential prerequisites required to get the status and authority of a god."
Her voice remained calm, as if she were explaining something very basic.
"Children born to gods like me naturally inherit a god physique. However, those who seek to ascend to godhood must refine it on their own."
William listened carefully, not interrupting her.
"A long time ago—thousands of years in the past—there existed something known as the Ascension Cauldron,"
Xythia continued. "It was located at the junction between the scarred land and the realm above it. Back then, any being who possessed the required materials and sufficient strength could attempt to refine a god physique."
She paused briefly, as if recalling a distant memory.
"Once the refinement was complete, those individuals would have no choice but to ascend to the higher plane. The heavens of the scarred land did not permit them to remain in the lower plane."
Her tone grew slightly heavier as she moved to the next part.
"However, a few thousand years ago, the gods of the adjacent upper realm decided that mortals from the scarred land would no longer be allowed to become gods. To enforce this decision, they destroyed the Ascension Cauldron."
A faint silence followed her words.
"At present, there is no known method to refine a god physique."
With that, Xythia stopped speaking.
The golden scale between them slowly adjusted itself, and for the first time since the beginning of their exchange, it reached a perfect balance.
William noticed it immediately.
At the same time, he sensed a subtle hesitation in Xythia. It felt as though an invisible pressure was surrounding her, preventing her from continuing further. She did not elaborate beyond what she had already said.
After a brief pause, she spoke again.
"Let us end the conversation here," she said with a soft smile. "It is time for me to leave."
As she said that the artifact that looked like the balancing scale disappeared, the energy symbol and the green glittery dust in the air dissipated instantly.
William understood the situation without needing further explanation. Maintaining this form must have been placing a burden on Samantha’s body, which she was using as a medium. At the same time, the natural laws of the heavens were likely resisting her continued presence in this realm.
He gave a slight nod, then asked, "How can I contact you again?"
As Xythia’s form began to fade, her voice echoed faintly.
"I observe everything through Samantha, who serves as my medium. If you need me, stand before her and call my name. I will temporarily take control of her body to speak with you."
As William heard this, something suddenly clicked in his mind.
His eyes widened. There was still one question he had forgotten to ask.
"Why have you made Aunt Samantha your vessel?" he asked quickly.
Xythia’s figure was already fading into nothingness. For a brief moment, a soft smile appeared on her face as she heard William’s question.
She let out a chuckle, "Later..."
And then she was gone.
With her exit, a pin drop silence returned to the cellar with only faint bubbling of lava sounding in William’s senses.
Samantha lay unconscious nearby.
William let out a slow breath before raising his hand. With a simple motion, he brought both Tamasya and Anastasia out of the Domain of Infinite.
For William, the conversation had lasted only a few minutes.
For them, it had literally felt like days due to the time difference between the two realms.
The moment they appeared, both women rushed toward him with visible worry on their faces. Their expressions carried fear, relief, and lingering anxiety all at once.
Before Anastasia could step forward and embrace him, she saw Tamasya reach him first.
Tamasya almost threw herself onto William, holding him tightly as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I thought you were dead!" she cried, her voice trembling.
For a brief moment, Anastasia simply stood there. Relief washed over her as she watched the scene.
Even in her absence, the bond between William and Tamasya had clearly grown stronger. There was no doubt in her mind that Tamasya had taken care of him. That much was certain. After all, they were sisters.
As Tamasya continued to cry, Anastasia remained a step behind, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.
The truth about her relationship with William—the fact that they were mother and son had been overwhelming for both of them.
William had accepted her. She was sure of that.
And yet... something still felt incomplete.
There was a distance between them that neither of them had crossed yet.
She remembered what had happened in the cellar. William had cried in her arms, letting out his emotions. But after that moment, something had changed.
He had stood up, his eyes filled with conviction, and declared that he would avenge his father. He had promised to protect her, no matter what.
That determination had frightened her.
She wanted to stop him from walking such a path. She wanted him to remain a child at heart, free from the weight of bitterness and revenge.
But how could she say that? She, who had failed to protect him, now stood as someone who needed his protection. The roles had reversed too quickly.
She felt as though William was growing faster than she could understand, and was this what they call the weight of a bloodline’s honour? Lost in these thoughts, she suddenly felt a gentle warmth.
William had stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
"Do not worry, Mom," he said softly. "I am fine."
Those simple words eased her somewhat, although a mother’s instinctive worry remained.
A few minutes later, William brought Samantha’s son out of the domain. The young man was still unconscious, but William could tell that his condition had stabilized.
He conjured a small amount of water and sprinkled it over the boy’s face.
At the same time, Samantha began to regain consciousness. Though she looked weak, she managed to sit up.
The young man soon opened his eyes and looked around in confusion. Seeing unfamiliar faces around him, he seemed uncertain.
Samantha, despite her fatigue, immediately moved toward him and embraced him tightly, relief evident on her face.
Her son, Dereck, began asking her questions one after another. She answered patiently, reassuring him as best as she could.
It took nearly a full day after that for everyone to settle down.
During that time, William and Tamasya chose to keep their relationship hidden from the others.
Meanwhile, William and Dereck grew familiar with each other surprisingly quickly.
Dereck had a calm and composed personality. He was humble, polite, and carried himself in a way that felt almost too perfect. How could someone be so white? was what William thought after talking to him for a while.
For a brief moment, William even wondered if he was pretending.
But as time passed, that thought faded.
By the end of the day, William found himself calling him "big brother" without even realizing it.
It was unusual for William to respect his elders that much.
Dereck was the first person to earn William’s respect so quickly.
There was something about him, a presence that made others feel calm and patient in his company.
William noticed that this effect varied depending on a person’s strength. The stronger someone was, the less influence it seemed to have.
He quickly found out that this strange ability was thanks to Dereck’s talent, Sage of the Moon (S).
Even though Dereck was not consciously using it, the passive influence of the talent was clear.
Anyways, William came out of the cellar where his small family was sitting and walked towards the exit pathway to meet Ronin and get a report on the progress of the new dawn legion.
While he was walking in the cavern silently, suddenly a notification rang from his absolute adaptation talent.
[Ding!! You have altered the flow of even and have disrupted fate significantly]
[lawless awakening is activated...]
—————————
Lawless Awakening:
-Whenever the host interferes with or significantly alters the destined flow of events, there is a chance to awaken a new talent.
-The scale depends on the magnitude of fate disrupted. There is also a small chance to evolve existing talents.
—————————