Liya brought Shen to what spring fairies had taken to call the Blooming Heart Terrace.

It was a wondrous spot in outer space surrounded by nebulae. The view was breathtaking even for her, much less for an inexperienced D-rank like Shen.

Liya looked at her date's wide mouth fondly as she felt the warmth from his hand.

This was her first time holding hands with anyone in such a context. It didn't compare to the feeling of mastering the very Laws of Reality, except in one way: fraternity. Shen was here with her, and he wanted to get closer to her. She had never experienced something like this—though, in part, because she had never allowed herself to.

Alas, they were doomed to go nowhere.

It was unfortunate, but there was no way around it. Just as there was no way around making an attempt.

Liya's Realization was Karmic Balance. She was bound by it as much as she was it. And her story with Shen had created such a deep and messy connection that even under her barely started Realization, she couldn't help but feel drawn to him.

It wasn't much different from biology and hormones controlling the average commoner, so she didn't feel as if she had lost her freedom. In fact, it was in her freedom and self-knowledge that she found herself controlled by her own truths. She couldn't be mentally affected by anything but other Realizations any longer.

How many had that privilege in the multiverse?

Their karmic connection was messy, indeed. The human owed her a lot, but she had also downplayed how much she owed him.

Shen hadn't been crucial merely for Liya to decide to fight Uk'Gaar with her all. The moment she first heard of Shen, when Uk'Gaar came, she took the first step into an admittedly muddy route to the culmination of her Path. If not everything had happened the way it had, she might've never realized her Path.

Every single thing had assisted, like a track of breadcrumbs that Liya had followed without ever noticing.

Liya had been summoned to Earth's pioneer tutorial because Shen was her charge. Not only had she revisited the terror her race had gone through, but she had witnessed humanity being experimented on together with the Void Spawn. Now, Liya could see that it had been the first spark that would reignite her suppressed sense of justice down the line—today, after so long.

In fact, news of that experiment had spread far and wide way too fast. That's how the high elven queen had found out about it and decided to sell her help to the drow. Liya wasn't sure about the responsible, but drow had learned it was connected to the dragons. She also had a vague karmic connection to a faraway place she had never visited before but knew to be in the general direction of the Republic of Imperia—and it wasn't only due to the antidron. Indirectly, Shen seemed to also be related to that.

In the tutorial, Liya also found out Shen was a cultivator. That set her on a vendetta against the Orc Rising Star. The orcs tricked her, and the drow race declared war against them. If not for that, the drow might not be fighting against the drow today. She might not have found the perfect opponent for her Realization.

Then, she went to Earth to hide. In there, she had come in contact with Earth's culture at a moment when his C+++ magic stat made her willpower start to break free from her indoctrination. She also came into contact with someone who seemed to try his best to take only what was good about that culture: Shen.

In the gnoll rift, Liya saw him develop an aura much stronger than she thought possible. She also got in touch with A and S-ranks, learned that dragons could cultivate, that the system had an Admin, and that Valentina had a mysterious backing that even S-ranks were afraid of. That expanded her horizons and further helped unlock her narrow perspective on some things.

When Shen came back from the Void Incubator, she ended up talking to the Void and learned she had the potential to reach S-rank. The Void never lied. That planted a seed of self-confidence that would today bloom into what she needed to let go of everything to find herself.

Then came the year she had spent training Shen. Throughout it, she had been surprised by his first-class talent and learned to respect his sense of honor even when she disagreed with parts of it. Of course, she wouldn't admit that respect even to herself.

Afterward, she and the drow race benefited from the antidron and its secrets. It helped her revisit many of her beliefs about how to reach A-rank. She increasingly understood that her people's ways were doomed to fail.

All that mixed and was fueled by how she learned from his drive and single-minded certainty, his willingness to die for people he didn't know that well despite being so young, and his unwillingness to give up no matter what.

And finally, everything exploded into a momentous instant where Liya let go of all concerns to fight for what she believed in.

Shen had been the initial spark, fed the flames, and assisted with the final step.

Of course, without Liya's own fuel—her place in life and experiences—the spark would never have caught and turned into flames. But without him, she would either have taken much longer to get where she did or not get there at all.

But even that wasn't enough to explain it.

Liya had Realized her Path. It was as if she had been a fish controlled by billion chains, swimming in muddy and polluted small lake waters without ever understanding her situation. That man had accidentally pushed her a little as he passed through and let her notice the truth. And so, the fish found a way of freeing itself and swam into an endless sea of crystal-clear water, which had been just above—so close but so far.

Liya's past and present selves were more distant from each other than a tiny amoeba from a B-rank.

That's the kind of change she greatly owed to Shen.

All that put him firmly at the core of her Path to her Realization—and a Realization was pulling her Path into oneself. Her view of Shen was unshakeable.

Her every thought of her actions went through his image. It would change in time, fade, as any moment stopped being as important as the continuity of one's Path. What let one rank up was a crucial part of any Guardian, but soon it became just another important step on an endless journey.

But now was now, and that hadn't happened yet.

Liya felt lonely, and the first person she thought of was Shen.

She hadn't lied to him even once. She didn't lie at all anymore unless it was crucial. Lying accrued karmic debit. Doing it altruistically for the listener's benefit only lowered the debt. She didn't want to owe anyone needlessly.

So, when Liya said they were a good match, she meant it. With her new perspective on many things, she found herself liking some parts of him.

So, when Liya declared she was willing to wait for him to rank up, she wasn't misguiding him. She understood the passage of time and what it entailed. For the current her, a sweet hope was better than a blank unknown. Waiting a few extra hundred Standard years for an answer, whatever it might be, also meant not wasting time or energy on similar pursuits because her heart would be filled enough. It was worth it for that alone, if nothing else.

And so, when Liya stated her desire to date him, she wanted it much more than he could guess. She had investigated and watched him for a while but wondered what more was there to know.

If nothing else, she was curious; who exactly was the one who had changed her life so much?

Oh, Liya knew Shen was only a young man. His life was short, and he had too few experiences that might interest her. As she had once said, he lacked the power to understand her; his anxieties and fears were things she had long overcome, and he couldn't understand hers. She had joked about kissing him with her eyes closed, but she would have to shut her entire mind down if she wanted to have any contact beyond holding hands. He was already a man, but it would feel like kissing a child. It disgusted her—for now.

Fortunately, reaching B-rank, and the experiences he would accumulate to do so, would change him enough. He couldn't understand that. She did.

Yet, Liya knew Shen was limited by her youth in more ways than one.

She was three hundred Standard years old. In Earth years, she was 3,600. She understood the weight of time and was willing to wait a few extra thousand Earth years for him to mature, but he didn't. He was filled with the momentum of youth, the curiosity of a Guardian at the start of his Path, and the drive of a cultivator who became enlightened in battle rather than cultivating—a man of action, not patience.

Maybe future-Shen—the Shen whom Liya knew he would become thanks to her expanded B-rank mind and B-tier learning ability upgrade—would fit her.

But present-Shen lacked the means to see that and decided to give future-Shen a chance.

Still, Liya had to try. Everything she was demanded it, even if she knew the undesirable end in advance. Karmic Balance was about actions as they happened, not about their expected future consequences.

To be honest, she was curious about experiencing it, too. It would be an deeply emotional moment now that she no longer controlled her emotions—and after such a long period of doing so. She anticipated the disappointment of rejection from the first romantic interest she dared to pursue. She was old and high-ranking enough to no longer have many surprises left for her, and the novelty of such a simple thing filled her with excitement.

That would be good for Shen, too. As far as Liya knew, he was as inexperienced as he had said. She acknowledged that her reaching B-rank and upgrading her stats had turned her body into the epitome of most humanoids' dreams. His wasn't the first look of admiration she received, though only he had been bold enough to comment on it. An unexpected intrepidity that she appreciated. Honestly, she hadn't thought he had enough willpower to even talk to her for minutes after seeing her new appearance; she had become that gorgeous.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

And so, Shen would go on his first date with the most stunning woman he would see for a very long time, and it would be fruitful, only not in the way either of the two parties hoped for.

Both would learn a lot.

Though, to be fair, Liya had more to gain from the exchange.

The last thing that made her seek a date with him that much was his care for her. He was worried about her anger and wanted to talk to her about it. She had agreed to bare herself to him and listen to his opinions.

Drow didn't share like that. If something was wrong with their indoctrination, they presented themselves for correction. They also didn't care about others beyond locating and fixing weaknesses that might compromise their entire race.

Liya had never talked about herself in a friendly setting, much less about a sensitive topic. More importantly, she had never been altruistically cared for.

Regardless of the conversation result, she knew she would love the genuine care—and would likely not find it elsewhere.

Even to non-drow, to walk the Path of a Guardian was to give up on many personal convictions. Two of the earliest to go were caring for anyone beyond the bare minimum to keep them functional and letting yourself be cared for. To care or to trust was to invite betrayal in a multiverse of limited resources and a clear path of progression. Self-interest reigned absolute almost everywhere.

So, she would benefit by gaining a sweet memory—though there was also risk.

Liya's own Realization prevented her from betraying anyone. It was even more important to her than it had ever been to the drow. She could accrue negative karma here and there, but betrayal was against everything she believed in, the antithesis of the justice she sought. If she tied herself to someone, she would be more vulnerable than anyone else.

She was an oddity—but so was Shen's care and sense of honor.

It wasn't all his credit, of course. He was young enough not to have been betrayed yet, at least not in a way that completely shut him off from caring or being cared for. Even so, Liya knew she could never trust anyone else as she was willing to trust the naivety that came from his youth.

Paradoxically, the only way for their relationship to work was by starting to slowly build on it now, when it was impossible to flourish, rather than when the cultivator became a viable partner.

And Liya wasn't a coward—she wasn't afraid to admit that there was also a hint of nervousness in the what-ifs of this conversation.

She feared genuinely falling in love because she didn't control her emotions. Maybe not falling in love with Shen but with the idea of what could've been. Her mind wouldn't be affected beyond some stray thoughts, she had enough willpower, but she had never been heartbroken.

High willpower or not, feelings were hard to deal with, especially when she was beholden to being true to herself—and them as an extension.

She wasn't anticipating that.

Liya finally understood why humans acted so stupidly.

At last, after almost ten full seconds, Shen got over the wonder of the surrounding nebulae. He patted the invisible platform they were sitting at, which she had created with her domain. Then, he looked at her hand on his, clenched it slightly, and caressed the top with his thumb.

The man didn't stop there. He pulled his hand slowly, and his fingers caressed her palm. Lastly, he held her hand, turned it so her palm would face up, and traced her lines with his fingers.

Honestly, it was underwhelming—she had felt non-sexual pleasures in her journey that would put orgasms to shame—interesting—it was new!—delightful—the intimacy of the mutual discovery, simple as it was, was amazing—and adorable.

Shen smiled and intertwined his fingers with hers.

"I didn't know anyone's skin could feel so amazing," he said.

Liya smiled back. "It usually can't. I'm peak B-rank, and drow genetics is better than most."

He chuckled. "I also didn't know self-confidence could sound so non-arrogant. You're just making a passing comment. I... Your self-assured gentleness is as unique as your skin. It's refreshing. I never saw it before, not even in the..." He stopped. "The cthulhus read my mind, so I feel more confident revealing some things to you. But maybe the B-rank monitoring me wasn't informed of everything they found. Can you cut us from the system for this date?"

She could—at a cost. The mess in Planet Seventeen had already been concluded, but also at a price. Cutting the system off again would attract unwanted attention, especially when only she and the monitored Void Herald were involved, but this was important enough for her.

Liya surrounded them with an invisible layer of her domain and cut the system off. "Done."

He nodded thankfully, then took a deep breath. "Before we start, there's something you need to know. We can't walk close Paths without you knowing that I betrayed the Alliance. I hid information about a B-rank Void Prophet hidden among the Phoenixes United Council."

That alone was almost enough for her to fall for him—or maybe, for his pure naivety.

In a single instant, he put his life in her hands in a way that would greatly benefit her to betray him. Denouncing Void spies would net her a system favor, at least. And he had done that simply because they might become romantically involved, and he didn't want to implicate her. Because they were on the way to becoming at least close friends.

It was stupid. So, so very stupid. Enough that she hadn't predicted it and couldn't understand it despite all her mental advantages.

"Do you trust me that much?" she asked gently, but her tone also made it clear how dumb she believed he had just acted.

The cultivator smiled cunningly. "Do you recall when you taught me that my spear techniques can be extrapolated into pure movement techniques to compete against others in a race? You exemplified seeing the track and obstacles as enemies and going from there."

"Of course," she replied.

"Well, I went a little further. My Concepts of War and Combat aren't about social interactions. War might include information warfare, but that's not what I focused on when I mastered it. But I managed to apply them to decide whether to talk about the Void Prophet.

"If you have ill intentions in dating me, I'll be screwed anyway. I'm too dependent on the drow race to stay alive, and as a D-rank, I wouldn't see the trap springing. By revealing this to you now, I can test you. If you plan on killing me in the future, I might as well force you to advance your schedule and just die already. However, if you don't tell on me at once, you'll become an accomplice. It lets me trust you more."

Liya shook her head. "You could've waited to reveal it until we decided whether to go ahead with it or not."

He nodded. "I could, but..." He paused. "A date is about mutual learning, is that right? Very well, I'll go first." He took another deep breath. "This is also about honor. I could never put anyone I'm considering becoming romantically involved with at unknown risk. You deserve to know.

"But there's another facet to my honor in this. When I thought about whether to tell you, I decided not to at first. You're right; this is too early. But then, I realized that if I had died to Yinhu Lanfen, I would've brought this knowledge to the grave with me. You saved me there, so I owe my life to you. If you're going to plot against me, I at least want to die knowing I informed someone of the hidden danger to Reality. I... I only ask you to pass the information on. At least full this last wish of mine."

That was also beyond her calculations. He knew he cared about honor, but not this much. No one would know he had brought that secret to the grave, so his public image wouldn't be tarnished after death.

But to him, that didn't matter; he would know, and he couldn't bear it.

Liya had expected Shen to care a lot about his honor, but more than his very life? What's more, she knew he had disobeyed the Grand Senator when he was ordered to bring the antidron to other C-ranks. A good, honorable little soldier would obey the order without question even if it led to their deaths, yet he hadn't done that. She had thought Shen's honor was malleable.

Liya had nothing against such malleability; he was young and learning. He was at the beginning of his Path, and he would evolve. That he had any moral compass at all—well, one close to her own beliefs—already resonated with her Realization. She already valued it.

But she had underestimated him.

Liya suddenly realized Shen was already walking the first step toward his Realization: ultimate self-understanding without any chains or external weight. He was building his honor to reflect everything he believed in and shedding away what didn't fit as he moved on. After he was done, his honor would be the perfect image of himself. He would be his honor and have acted according to it from the beginning.

A few things were still missing for her to fall for him, but one had just been crossed from the checklist: pristine admiration. She marveled at his potential and honor without hidden intentions. It was legitimate, pure, and unadulterated.

Liya felt goosebumps.

She had never felt this beholden to her feelings before.

Liya felt like a silly commoner teenager being bewitched by the... Well, not the mediocre football player who had status now, but a quick analysis would reveal he wouldn't get anywhere in life. Rather, she was the top student in class who had been bewitched by the newcomer who had scored low on his first test but showed outstanding drive and unmatched potential.

Not feeling in control of her emotions after so long—and even acknowledging what they told her!—was terrible...

...but also part of her Realization.

Karmic Balance would reward and punish but never control beforehand. She had to walk her Realized Path. It was herself, and everything she was demanded that she didn't refuse herself.

Liya shook her head.

It was a shame they wouldn't work; she had chosen much better than expected.

Shen raised an eyebrow, taking her gesture for something else. "Is that a no on my request?" he asked. "You won't inform the Alliance after you kill me?"

Liya smiled sadly and replied, "I won't kill you. But I resent your plotting against me like that." Turning her into an accomplice to treason had decreased her karmic debt to him, though she still owed him a lot. "I want you to agree to never do that again, to be transparent at all times, including letting me decide if I want to know something that can put my life at risk. Before you do that, to be clear. If you can't do that, we should stop here."

Shen's face twisted in willingness, then sighed and pulled his hand away from hers. "Let's stop, then."

The drow opened her eyes wide. That's not what she expected from what he knew of him; he should also hate lies.

How much had she miscalculated?!

"What?" she asked.

"I'm okay with honesty, but to me, such transparency also means not hiding anything," Shen explained. "I might want to hide a feeling or another at times. For instance, if I feel jealous, know it's unreasonable, and don't want to let anyone know, not even you. Also, I already know you will keep secrets from me, supposedly to not affect my willpower growth. I won't enter a one-sided agreement like this, not even with a peak B-rank. You know many things better than me, but we won't get anywhere without pursuing equality in the few places we can find it."

Liya frowned. What he said mostly made sense, though, at some point, she believed no emotions should be hidden at all. Rather, they should work together on their causes. For instance, jealousy should be shared so it might be treated or prevented.

But more importantly, Shen was behaving maturely. Too mature. More than he had any right to be.

Could it be...?

"You said a cthulhu talked to you," she said. "Did it have any consequences?"

He raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Yes. I almost lost myself."

Realization Impartation!

That explained a lot, including why his mind hadn't frozen when he saw her figure.

"Aren't you a lucky bastard?!" She said with a laugh of only half-mocking jealousy.

"Huh?"

"Congratulations, your mind touched on some secrets of Reality that even I might not be privy to. You won't remember any details until you reach A-rank, but it should've improved your willpower by at least ten times, expanded your mind to be on par with a C-rank, and improved your learning ability by about twenty percent, making you surpass any D-rank standard I know about. It is an enormous blessing of immeasurable worth that can only be bestowed by A-ranks—though you have to be strong enough to survive, too."

"What? Why?"

Liya shrugged. "Who knows? If you tell me everything they told you, we might guess."

"Then the Void Prophet..." Shen said, suddenly afraid.

Liya shook her head. "If you're still alive, they didn't inform the Alliance about it. I don't know why."

"I see."

"As a side-effect, you also became more mature," she continued. "The memories you received are gone, and you could barely think through most of them, but you should've concluded something about a few. You retained said conclusions. It's not as good as actual experience, but much better than nothing."

As Liya looked at him, hope blossomed in her heart.

If he was somewhat much older... Could they get anywhere, after all?

Or was it the opposite?

Realization Impartations were known for turning their target distant and distrustful. For instance, Shen's earlier show of cunningness when trapping her on the news of the Void Prophet could be laid on that. His paranoia might also partly come from that as much as it had come from how she had trained him.

She felt her heart clench.

Was the Shen whom Liya wanted gone already?

She hated feeling so out of control as much as she loved letting herself feel without restraints.