At the edge of the cosmos, a breathtakingly beautiful woman engaged in fierce combat with a colossal lifeform. Her hooded cloak partially obscured her features, but the radiance of her face shone through, an epitome of ethereal beauty. Her expression was one of intense concentration and unwavering determination, eyes sharp and steely as they locked onto her massive opponent. Sweat glistened on her brow, highlighting the physical and mental exertion she endured in the heat of battle.

The lifeform towered over her, its size comparable to that of a medium galaxy. With a swift and graceful slash of her sword, the woman severed the giant’s left arm, causing it to bleed a thick, black blood tinged with golden hues. The droplets of this otherworldly blood fell onto a barren planet below, melting it instantly. Each drop had the same devastating effect, obliterating celestial bodies across a vast expanse of space.

In a matter of seconds, the bleeding ceased, and a miraculous scene unfolded. The severed limb began to regenerate, a new arm sprouting in place of the old one. Simultaneously, the scattered blood drops reversed their course, rejoining the giant’s body along with the molten remnants of the planets and celestial bodies they had destroyed. The new arm, though slightly weaker and thinner than the original, was a testament to the giant’s regenerative power.

Roaring in fury, the giant’s eyes blazed with anger, but sensing its growing weakness and fatigue, it chose to flee. In its retreat, it teleported away, the sheer magnitude of its presence distorting the space around it and creating a black hole. The black hole gradually shrank, consuming itself until it vanished entirely.

The woman watched the disappearing figure with a mixture of disappointment and frustration, unable to pursue due to being exhausted. However, her exhaustion was not from this single battle alone but from having slain dozens of giants on her own. From a distant vantage point, one could see the bodies of these colossal lifeforms floating lifelessly in the void. The once-crowded space was now a graveyard of giant corpses.

As she caught her breath, the woman removed her hood, revealing her full features. Her ears were slightly pointed, and her hair, a stunning golden white, shimmered in the starlight. She was not just any elf; she was the queen of the elves, Althaea. Her regal presence and the remnants of her fierce battle spoke volumes about her strength and resolve.

Althaea looked at the place where the behemoth had disappeared and frowned. The vast emptiness of space was now littered with the remnants of celestial bodies destroyed in the fight. "It's weird. I've never seen any behemoth flee. Was it someone special, a coward, or just a coincidence?" she murmured to herself. The void around her, once a battlefield filled with intense energy and violence, now felt eerily quiet. She then shrugged and made her way back to her spaceship, unaware of the significance of the behemoth that had escaped.

The behemoth that fled was indeed unique—a Quasar-bloodline behemoth, possessing the royal or god bloodlines within the abyssal tribes. These rare creatures had the ability to devour any physical material and convert it into pure energy, a coveted ability in the abyssal universe. A single drop of their blood was so precious it could incite a cosmic Armageddon. Typically, such blood was reabsorbed immediately, but today, a drop had been left behind in the severed hand cut off by Althaea. This loss weakened the behemoth's regenerated arm, making it thinner and less robust.

Returning to her sleek, elegant spaceship, Althaea activated her communicator device, a delicate leaf-like contraption that glowed with a soft green light. The interior of her spaceship was a blend of advanced technology and natural beauty, with walls that seemed to pulse with life and floors that mimicked the gentle flow of a forest stream. A hologram of an elderly elf lady flickered to life. Before Althaea could explain the situation, the old lady began berating her.

"How could you leave alone like that? You are the queen! What if something had happened to you? You should have told me you were leaving. I would have arranged the Royal Escorts to accompany you. And to top it off, you bought that fancy spaceship instead of a sturdy and strong one, just because it has a big shower and bathtub!" The old lady sighed, rubbing her forehead in exasperation.

Althaea's face flushed with annoyance and her tone completely opposite of her pure demure. "Don't say anything about my darling spaceship, you old hag. I like to take baths, but I didn't buy it only for that. It also has a Botanical Garden—a serene, lush garden with exotic plants and flowers from various planets. It provides a tranquil retreat."

The old elf lady sulked and retorted, "Why don't you marry someone who has a garden? Then you two can flaunt off both of your gardens."

"I will!" Althaea snapped, sticking out her tongue. Her appearance betrayed her saintly image, a mixture of petulance and defiance that seemed at odds with her regal appearance.

The old lady shook her head, her tone turning serious. "What is the situation there?"

Althaea sobered, her expression reflecting the gravity of the situation. "I sensed some energy fluctuations and decided to investigate. When I got closer, I felt the abyssal corrosion, so I hurried here. I found Abyssal Behemoths in large numbers, trying to corrode and absorb the celestial bodies from our universe to strengthen themselves. They were at the desolate zone of the universe, but they still destroyed billions of lifeforms." Her fist clenched in anger. "I will destroy them one day for what they have done."

The old lady's voice softened, her eyes filled with worry. "They started appearing three thousand years ago, and their frequency is increasing every day. Their strength grows each time. I'm worried that one day we won't be able to stop them."

Althaea reassured her, her tone firm. "Don't worry. We have many strong individuals in our universe to stop them. We even have the Sovereigns, and don't forget, we elves have 'that' to protect ourselves. With its help, we are almost invincible here."

The old lady nodded slowly, the lines on her face deepening with concern. "Let's hope 'that' remains a secret and a strength we can always rely on."

As the hologram flickered off, Althaea gazed out into the vast expanse of space, her mind already planning the next steps to ensure the safety of her people and the universe she had sworn to protect.

As the communicator connection severed, Althaea grunted, realizing she had forgotten to ask about the latest happenings in the galaxy. After more than a month battling at the border, she was out of touch with current events. Her mood lightened as she remembered the Galactic News Beacon she had bought at an auction. The small, sleek device floated into view at her command, projecting a holographic news feed in vivid colors. "That's why I love auctions—they have such good things," she mused, setting the return journey on her spaceship and activating the news feed.

The holographic news report caught her attention with a headline: "Mysterious Entity Destroys Over a Dozen Space Pirate Fleets." The report detailed the obliteration of the top criminal gangs in the galaxy. The screen displayed a black outline of a person with a question mark. Althaea leaned forward, her curiosity piqued. "Interesting," she muttered, her eyes glinting with intrigue.

Meanwhile, Ajitha and Reginald stood on the deck of their ship, watching the pirate fleet assemble. The cold expanse of space stretched infinitely around them, dotted with distant stars and nebulae. Reginald turned to Ajitha, concern etched on his face. "Do you really want to fight alone?" he asked, his voice tinged with worry.

Ajitha replied confidently, "A fight between Divine Lords can create so much destruction that you'd get swept up in it. Remember, I was already powerful enough to defeat a Divine Lord before becoming one. Just keep your distance." His eyes burned with determination, a stark contrast to the tranquil void around them.

Putting on his hood, Ajitha began walking forward, ready to fly. Without looking back, he said, "I've always concealed my strength, but now that no one can recognize me, I can fight freely." He felt a surge of excitement for the upcoming battle. As he reached the end of the deck, he vanished and reappeared near the pirates' flagship, launching an attack with his fist. A large projectile resembling a palm shot toward the flagship, shimmering with power.

Before it could reach, a slashing projectile intercepted it. The first attack failed to destroy the palm, but a second and third strike from the flagship finally succeeded. An angry voice roared from the flagship, "Who the hell attacked us, the Nebula Raiders? Do you want to die?"

Ajitha laughed and shouted back, "That depends on whether you have the strength to kill me." He launched another palm attack. This time, a person in a red robe with a saber emerged from the flagship, sending three slashes to counter the attack. The slashes failed to destroy the palm projectile, so the robed figure slashed twice more, barely managing to disperse it. He was left haggard and breathless.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Ajitha smirked. "Is this how you were going to kill me?" The man in the red robe, enraged, charged at Ajitha. Ajitha flicked his finger, sending the attacker flying back, his red robe torn apart. Blood trickled from the man's lips as he warily asked, "Who are you?"

Ajitha replied nonchalantly, "Ask the other pirates in hell when you meet them," and flew toward him. The red-robed man, desperate, said, "I am Bloodsaber, an officer from the Galactic Commerce Guild. I am delivering a very important consignment to our base. If you leave us, we will forget this ever happened. But if you refuse, our guild will find you and kill you. Our president is a Celestial Monarch with connections to the Infinite Ascendancy. He can crush the likes of us with his fingers. He..."

Before he could finish, Ajitha slashed his neck without moving an inch. "Don't count me with the likes of you," Ajitha said, manifesting his MystiCrest and destroying the remaining pirate ships with a sweep of his hand.

He walked to the flagship door, calling Reginald. "Is it over? I saw all the ships getting destroyed. Can we now come and capture the storage ships?" Reginald asked.

"Yes, come. I will clean the flagship. I think there are some important items that need to be transferred. You come here first and take those things away," Ajitha instructed.

Reginald acknowledged and gets going towards Ajitha. Just as Ajitha was about to enter the flagship, a sweet feminine voice whispered in his ear, "You are quite bold to destroy ships carrying the Galactic Commerce Guild's goods and even kill an officer. They are one of the top ten chambers of commerce in this galaxy. Do you know what will happen to you? You will vanish from the galaxy like stars after a supernova. I'm curious—are you bold or just stupid?"

Ajitha didn't look back, sensing the immense strength of the speaker. He sighed, realizing he was dealing with someone who had ascended beyond the level of a Cosmic Monarch. His own strength was equal to a high-level Cosmic Monarch, but the fact that he couldn't sense the person speaking indicated a power far greater than his own. "Are you from the Galactic Commerce Guild?" he asked.

The voice responded, "I'm not from that shitty chamber of commerce. They appear righteous and admirable but are immoral and evil behind the scenes. Slave trafficking, occupying low-level planets, selling them—whether with life or not—and more. I want to destroy them too but can't due to some reasons."

Ajitha grinned. "So, I did a good job, right?" He felt a strange sense of camaraderie with the unseen speaker, despite the tension of the moment.

Ajitha's grin disappeared as a finger flicked his forehead. Standing before him was Althaea, a vision of beauty that seemed almost ethereal. For a moment, Ajitha was mesmerized, his mind slipping into a trance. He quickly shook his head, snapping back to reality, and looked directly into Althaea's eyes with unwavering clarity.

Althaea was taken aback. It was the first time someone had met her gaze with nothing but pure intent. With a smug smile, she asked, "Aren't you enchanted by my looks?"

Ajitha replied, "Why should I be enchanted? You might be a princess from the heavens, but I am just an ordinary man. But I do have a beautiful garden outside my home, one that I take great pride in. Would a princess marry a commoner that have a garden?"

Althaea blushed, recalling a recent conversation with an old lady about marrying someone who tended a garden. However, she quickly regained her composure, scanning Ajitha with a critical eye. "Are you not interested in me because you truly aren't, or is it because you know you don't have much time left? Your nebula-core is broken, leaking continuously. If my calculations are correct, you have about one star cycle left. Yet, instead of seeking an elixir or herb to save yourself, you're slaying pirates and challenging a top chamber of commerce that secretly runs a dangerous illegal organization."

Ajitha was secretly stunned. He had meticulously concealed his injuries, determined to fight without revealing his weakness. Yet, Althaea had not only uncovered his ailment but also accurately predicted his remaining time. With an inquisitive gaze, Ajitha asked, "You won't believe me if I told you I want to purge all the evil before I die, to bring peace to the galaxy."

Althaea’s laughter rang out, and she pretended to wipe away tears. Ajitha shook his head, his voice steady as he continued, "I am gathering resources and searching for a chance to ascend, to extend my lifespan. I plan to keep ascending until I acquire the strength needed to compete for mythic-grade herbs to cure my nebula-core."

Althaea looked at him with renewed interest. "Quite the ambition you have. Mythic-grade herbs are highly coveted by Sacred Imperators, essential for ascending to Omniscient Overlord. Even ordinary Omniscient Overlords seek these herbs, as primordial-grade herbs are exceedingly rare and difficult to cultivate. The few that exist are held by the top overlords."

Ajitha was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "What do you mean by ordinary Omniscient Overlords and top Omniscient Overlords?"

Althaea looked at him with a hint of surprise. "Don't you know that within the same tier, there are levels of distinction? Even if two individuals are at the same tier, their strength can vary based on their comprehension of the laws and other factors."

Ajitha’s voice grew tense. "I know that! But aren't there only ten Omniscient Overlords? We call them the Ten Sovereigns."

Althaea began to explain, "There's a common misconception that there are only ten Overlords, largely because most of them rarely make an appearance. They only show themselves during universe-threatening events." She glanced toward the border of the cosmos from where she had just come, muttering to herself, "Events like this."

Continuing, she addressed Ajitha, "The Sovereigns are indeed the ten strongest Overlords. Their fame makes them the representatives in the minds of people, leading to the belief that there are only ten. The last time any Overlord appeared before people was ages ago. Even if they did appear, their presence is rarely recognized, as they don’t flaunt their strength or engage in battles that would reveal their true power. If they did fight, anyone close enough to witness would be obliterated by the sheer magnitude of their power."

Ajitha, still grappling with the revelation, asked Althaea with curiosity, "How do you know so much about them? Have you met an Overlord?"

The question made Althaea pause. As an Omniscient Overlord herself, she was an apex being of the universe, capable of creating or destroying galaxies, distorting space to form black holes with a mere flick of a finger, and extinguishing suns with a breath. Yet, she chose not to answer Ajitha directly. Instead, she said hastily, "I'm in a hurry. I have to go. But before I leave, take this."

With a wave of her hand, dozens of ethereal corpses of Abyssal Behemoths materialized behind her. From the spectral heap, she extracted a massive, disembodied hand and handed it to Ajitha. "I don’t know what this monsters are. They appeared out of nowhere in the universe. We’re all trying to understand them. Maybe it could be the opportunity you’re looking for."

Unbeknownst to Althaea, the hand she had given Ajitha belonged to a Quasar-bloodline Behemoth, its faint remnants of Quasar blood still clinging to it. Without another word, Althaea vanished, along with the ethereal projection of the corpses, which had been equivalent to dozens of galaxies.

Althaea then disappeared from in front of Ajitha and, as she did, playfully muttered to herself, “Thank god I got to dispose of the arm of the Abyssal Behemoth. That old lady would have definitely teased me for not finishing off the behemoth and just coming back with its hand. Hmph.”

Ajitha stared at the spot where she had disappeared, marveling at the sheer scale of her power and wondering at her true level of existence. Then, a sudden thought struck him, and he muttered to himself, "I forgot to ask her name."

At that moment, Reginald’s voice crackled through the communicator. "Whose name?"

Ajitha replied, "The lady I was talking to."

Reginald’s voice carried a hint of confusion. "A second ago, you told me to come to the flagship. I’m on my way."

Ajitha was bewildered. "What do you mean, a second ago? I told you to come a few minutes ago. I’ve been talking with her for a while."

Reginald’s voice grew increasingly agitated. "When did you talk to a girl? Are you hallucinating? How could you talk to her for a few minutes in the span of a second? Holy shit! What the hell is that?"

Ajitha glanced back toward the flagship and saw Reginald’s eyes fixated on the massive hand that now lay in front of him. The sight of the giant hand caused Reginald’s voice to tremble with awe and fear.

Reginald finally reached Ajitha, his eyes wide with confusion as he stared at the massive hand that now rested beside them. He was still grappling with the sight of the giant appendage that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Ajitha, noticing Reginald’s dazed expression, said, “The lady I spoke of gave this to me. Didn’t you see the large number of enormous corpses a moment ago, and then the arm floating out from them, drifting toward me?”

Reginald, still in a strange tone of disbelief, replied, “I was traveling towards you without stopping, my eyes fixed on the flagship the entire time. This giant hand appeared like a magic trick, materializing behind the flagship right before my eyes.”

Ajitha frowned, perplexed. “It clearly came from the group of giant corpses and slowly floated towards me. How could this be?”

A sudden thought struck Ajitha, and he muttered to himself, “Could she have been using Chronokinesis, the power to stop time? Was she truly just a Celestial Monarch, or was she something more…?” He hesitated, the notion of her being an Overlord seemed impossible. How could an Overlord appear here just to converse with a Divine Lord?

Shaking off the thought, Ajitha refocused on the giant hand. He began to chant a mystical incantation, his voice weaving through the air with ancient, arcane energy. As he spoke, the hand started to shrink rapidly, its colossal form condensing into a manageable size. It was soon absorbed into Ajitha’s spatial pocket, an ability he had mastered through extensive study of spatial laws.

With the hand now safely stored, Ajitha turned to Reginald, who was still staring at the spot where the hand had been. “Let’s go now and check on the items the Galactic Commerce Guild wanted to transfer.” He gestured towards the flagship, leading the way.

As they walked inside the flagship, the enormity of their task ahead loomed over them. The interior of the flagship was a sprawling expanse of sleek metal and advanced technology, illuminated by soft, ambient lights. Holographic displays flickered with information, and the hum of machinery created a steady background noise. Ajitha and Reginald moved purposefully through the corridors, their footsteps echoing in the vast, empty spaces.