Cassandra had spent thousands of years in her self-created temporal acceleration space, all in an attempt to do the impossible: to self-ascend to godhood. Unfortunately for the catwoman, Alexander's words rang true.
The task was an impossible one. No matter how much time she spent contemplating or mulling over Alexander's guidance, she could not do it. Even so, she did not give up. After all, there was nothing else for her to do.
One day, her cultivation was interrupted when Alexander appeared at the centre of his universe, accompanied by the leaders of his world. She had kept her presence hidden and watched the show unfold.
Alexander had created a subspace around the centre, where he layered the foundation of the Universal Accord Commission headquarters over the subspace, creating a sort of vault for the core. To gain access to the universe's core, one had to break the subspace.
But that was an impossibility if one did not have the power to interact with his Nexis Radiant. It was a simple but effective plan that hid the universe's core right under everyone's noses.
Curious to know what the base was about, Cassandra went to meet Alexander's main body in the true centre, where the core continuously flew around him like an excited puppy. The catwoman then expressed her desire to be a part of the UAC, and Alexander had no qualms about making her one of the heads in charge of a division.
However, Cassandra was not eager to throw her strength around. She only coordinated the members assigned to the Sentinel Division, making sure the greedy leaders and their organisations did not go too far in their dealings with others.
The catwoman spent most of her time at the base, familiarising herself with the rules and training her subordinates. Her cat-like features made her stand out as she was unlike anything they had seen. Because she kept to herself most of the time and masked her cat features when she mingled with the populace, she was not very well known.
But Cassandra won their loyalty after showcasing her capabilities. Her abilities were unmatched when it came to physical combat and ability use. The Sentinel Division had the shock of their lives when they learned that she was like Alexander, a one-of-a-kind powerhouse.
From time to time, she would take time off to converse with Alexander, wanting to know what went on in the heart of the Empire. While she could go there herself, she preferred getting the deeds from Alexander, where he would grant her access to Xex, who spilt every detail she wanted to know about.
It was how she found out about Alexander's date with Julia and his plans to propose marriage to her. Like everyone in the inner circle, she received a screen to watch it unfold live.
Naturally, the catwoman laughed her ass off seeing a somewhat nervous Alexander popping the question. Unfortunately for her, Alexander was too thick-skinned to be affected by her teasing, leaving her disappointed and pouting, a side Alexander had never seen before.
The sight brought a warm smile to Alexander, as Cassandra looked to be more at home than ever before. The catwoman had had a hard time blending in, and despite what she projected outward, Alexander was not blind. He could not force the situation; Cassandra had to get there herself.
It had been a few weeks since the proposal, and things were proceeding as normally as they could be. During that time, a few things had changed. Alexander no longer spent his time locked in the centre, trying to break through.
Try as he might, he could not find a way forward. He knew his goal, but no one said reaching it was going to be easy. Alex had spent hundreds of thousands of years trying to figure out a way. He did, however, grow more powerful and proficient in the use of his abilities, laws and unique energy.
An estimate he made of himself showed that his prowess had increased by 5%. While it appeared insignificant, Alexander was a walking universe, far stronger than his home universe was.
A five per cent increment in prowess was more than enough to stare at another mid-level universe Veilwalker to death, shattering their core and soul back to pure and unorganised energies.
He was that broken.
Alexander and Cassandra found a new hobby when they weren't working or cultivating. In one of the many sparring facilities in the UAC base, the two Veilwalkers were having an intense sparring session, where they had most of their strength and powers sealed and capped at the F-Tier.
BOOM…!
Alexander caught a straight blow coming from the catwoman with his left hand, dispelling the force behind her punch with unrivalled steez. Both were dressed in all black, with Alexander's T-shirt being a tight-fitting short-sleeve that highlighted his toned muscles and physique, while Cassandra wore a similar style in a tank top.
"Tsk, how do you make sense?"
Both were Veilwalkers with access to all forms of martial arts ever created. They grasped all existing laws like learning the patterns of counting numerals. They had had numerous sparring sessions witnessed by their subordinates. And yet…
"How am I supposed to answer that?" Alexander chuckled as he pulled the catwoman in and delivered a gut punch, sending her skidding backwards on the almost smooth and metallic grey platform.
"You lose… again." He added, straightening his posture. "This makes what… twelve wins for me, two draws and zero losses."
"You know, for a guy who is engaged to be married, you sure are ruthless." Cassandra complained in frustration as she slowly stood up, her left hand on the spot Alexander had punched.
"I don't see how that is connected with you losing the match." Alex feigned a puzzled look, thoughtfully staring at the ceiling, as if to make sense of what he heard. "Also, that punch barely stung, so stop exaggerating."
Alex shook his head in amusement, finding this side of the catwoman very refreshing. "Unless, of course, you want another beat down." He directed a challenging gaze at the catwoman, folding his arms over his chest in a domineering manner.
"Yeah, hard pass." Cassandra scoffed, not falling for the challenge. "I've had enough beatings for one day. Maybe another d…"
An abrupt turn in Alexander's head cut her words off. "Alexander… What is it?" She asked sceptically, extending her senses to the absolute limit.
However, there was nothing out of place that would turn Alexander's gaze serious and stern. He didn't look in any direction in particular, but Cassandra could tell he was looking at something, something she couldn't see herself.
"We have visitors."
Alex replied calmly, waving his right hand beside him and conjuring a screen for the catwoman to see what he meant. Cassandra closed in on him in a flash, appearing beside Alexander.
"Who are those guys?" The catwoman furrowed her brows as she enquired. She glanced at Alex and then at the screen, waiting for his reply.
"Chief Enforcers of the Supreme One," Alexander replied, staring at the six cloaked figures standing just outside his universe's boundary. He recognised them as Chief Enforcers because the one at the forefront was someone he had interacted with before.
But his response left the catwoman slightly puzzled, making her tilt her head in confusion. "I thought you said the Supreme One won't bother you until the time comes or you ascend to complete independence. Why would they be knocking at your door now?"
"There's no use wondering. Let's go meet them." Alexander said, dispelling the conjured screen.
"Wait, I'm coming with you?" Cassandra called out, stopping Alex in his tracks.
"Don't you want to come with me?" Alex shot back, turning to look at the catwoman with a puzzled gaze.
"Right."
She chided herself, not sure why she thought Alex would keep her aside. Perhaps it was because a part of her still saw herself as a guest, and not a native of this universe.
Alexander conjured a Veil Tear leading straight to the outside. Standing at the edge of the Veil, Alex waited for Cassandra to approach.
"Aren't you changing into something suitable?" The catwoman asked as her attire changed into something more regal and befitting of her status as a Veilwalker.
"Why bother?" Alexander scoffed, not seeing any appeal in it. "I do what I want and wear what I want. Besides, they came to my home unannounced."
Cassandra shook her head at his words, following behind Alexander as they disappeared from the training facility and into the true void. The catwoman made sure to stand a step behind Alexander to assert her position to the guests.
"Lord Drakmor," Alexander called with arms folded across his chest, his muscles bulging under the gesture. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? I didn't think I would be hearing from the Supreme One anytime soon."
The catwoman looked at Alexander and then at the six imposing figures, their sheer presence making her feel disoriented and weak, causing her to swallow hard. 'Just how many cores would they have fused with to have this level of presence to them?'
Alexander had not mentioned anything about the number of cores these beings had fused with, and she didn't bother to know about that little detail either. Now, however, she was curious.
The dragon at the forefront of the group did not immediately reply, his companions standing behind him like guards. While Drakmor's companions had seen and heard of Alexander, this was the first time they were standing before him.
"Alexander Gray…" The dragon finally spoke, his tone calm and heavy. "We need your help."
"My help?"