"What do you need from a friend, Milord?" the human asked.

Bai Yuefeng shook his head, saddened at the question. What child asked what someone needed from a friend? Friendship was about sharing burdens together and spreading happiness with each other, not about needs and offers.

To see the son of Feng Yang so lost hurt Bai Yuefeng. It hurt more than omitting this connection from Shen. Sure, he and the boy had similarities, but he mainly liked the boy because he owed Feng Yang, the boy's father, for everything.

Everything.

But Bai Yuefeng couldn't explain their connection without touching secrets that the Mandatary would kill him for spreading. Only Realizators could know the secrets of Phasespace and its intricate connection to the Main Space. It would be a long while before the boy knew his father and clan were...

Bai Yuefeng shook his head. Better not to even think about such things. The Shaft had too many unique techniques, and who knew if the kid had found one that could read his mind?

What mattered was that fate had brought them together. Thus, Bai Yuefeng would repay Shen Yang through his son. The boy needed friendship more than anything right now. He was so lonely that the Axioms twisted around him, trying to reach him despite his Severing. The High Heavens wanted to fill him with something, anything. He had been used and discarded. The Shaft's Karma demanded he be repaid, but the same Karma couldn't find the boy.

He wondered if he should interfere more. Killing Octo would be slightly risky, but it would make Shen's life safer. Alas, Bai Yuefeng decided against it. The boy evidently was looking forward to the clash.

The extent of Bai Yuefeng's friendship would be money and a relaxing friendship. He would only help in a fight if the boy asked for it.

If Shen died in the end... Bai Yuefeng had lost others before. He would survive it.

It might even further fuel his Doom.

"Everyone needs to walk their own Path," Bai Yuefeng finally replied.

It wasn't the answer the boy wanted, but some things needed to be said. Not for Shen; for himself. When a powerful Realizator said something they deeply believed in, it became Truth. Although Bai Yuefeng had yet to reach that level, he bound himself to that Truth. Henceforth, to help Shen beyond his self-imposed rules would be akin to striking against his Path. He would survive, but at a significant cost.

Bai Yuefeng continued, "But many Paths go through a similar landscape, at least for a while. Companionship can be nice in such moments. I don't need anything from you, boy, not until we're strong enough to destroy the Shaft. I seek company to talk about my woes free of the worry about scheming or it reaching the wrong ears. I also seek to be an ear for your woes. I'll help if you ask me for help. I'll respect your individuality any other time. I'll be rude when you make a mistake and make a toast when you do something right."

The boy thought for a while. "There's a significant age gap between us, Milord. Is friendship even possible?"

Bai Yuefeng closed his eyes and sighed. "Time will tell, won't it?" He shouldn't say more, but he had to. It might save their friendship when Shen learned the truth one day. "Let me tell you one thing, kid. You can Sever the Heavens and the Self, but you can never fully sever relationships. You'll find someone connected to you at the places you least expect. Would you rather find a friend or a foe?"

That was a half-lie. You wouldn't always find people connected to you everywhere. Still, Bai Yuefeng had lived for a very long time, and meeting Shen in the Shaft wasn't the most remarkable coincidence that happened to him. When a drop of water falls on a surface and spreads out, it can only go in so many directions. Likewise, people from the same point of origin could only move in so many directions through Spacetime. Sooner or later, a coincidence was bound to happen. And it was best for it to happen among friendly beings. Shen receiving Bai Yuefeng's help right now was proof.

The kid squinted his eyes. "Is that a threat, Milord?"

The half-titan suppressed another sigh. Such a traumatized boy. People did disappoint or betray you throughout your Path, but isolating yourself wasn't the answer.

No; the answer was to bring the Ultimate Doom to the shitty Reality that demanded conflicts for growth to happen.

Bai Yuefeng replied tiredly, "It's not a threat. Go, use my money. Come repay me if you survive. We can discuss our friendship after you've given it some thought."

"As you wish, Milord," Shen said, stood up, and left.

Bai Yuefeng felt the boy and the two Void Infiltrators leave. A friend would've informed another about the Infiltrators and the actual meaning behind the experiences on his property's underground floors. They had been made to look like sex slavery but were even worse.

Alas, Shen wasn't a friend yet, and as much as Bai Yuefeng owed Feng Yang, everyone had to walk their own Path. Choices mattered. He knew that better than most.

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"A Lawful Realization befriending a Lawful Overlord?" the silkiest voice he had ever heard said behind him as a female holin approached, though her voice wasn't friendly. "Explain yourself, Doombringer, or meet your doom."

That was a worthy challenger. E'livia had sent another Lawful Realizator packing shortly after she arrived in Cylek. Bai Yuefeng was confident she and Shen didn't know about that. Regardless, that was the fight that solidified her position in Cylek.

Not that she could best him.

Ultimate Doom threatened to leave his tight grip to attack the holin behind him, but he clenched it firmly inside himself.

"Don't overestimate yourself, succubi," he replied.

E'livia was shocked and confused at his words before growing angry at the offense she evidently thought nothing more of. Interesting. He might have to find out where she came from. He had only seen one other holin before, and they had claimed to be a race of undead that seduced their victims to consume them, who had then been forced to change due to a Warden with a Death-related Axiom.

Her physiological structure was identical to the holin he had met. It was also full of Life instead of Death, which he had found curious in the past, but nothing more. Now, he wondered.

Could the very same species and race of holins be born in more than one way? That was very, very, very, very rare in Reality. That would make them a much more special race than he had given them credit for. It would place them on the level of eternal phoenixes, abyssal dragons, and the other three Heavenly Races known to him.

It would also make E'livia a target. She was strong enough to protect herself in the Overlord Realm, but she would be crushed if targeted as soon as she reached the Seeker Realm.

He continued before she could say anything, "I'll say this out of kindness for your boyfriend, not you: reveal to him you were listening behind his back. That is the only way for your relationship not to fall apart. Actually, do it for yourself if not for the good of your relationship; you'll need help when you reach the Seeker Realm. You have one week to tell him before I do."

She released her domain. The world was tainted greenish-gray. Life, Space, and Time were an annoying combination to fight against, to say the least.

The holin said, "Dead people tell no tales."

He snickered and stood up. "I'll give you one last chance, girl. You're growing controlling and manipulative because you fear losing him. That's not sustainable. You need to sit down with him and have an honest talk."

Bai Yuefeng would know about honest talks. He had lost his beloved one out of a similar idiocy. She had been long dead when he learned better and returned to make amendments.

She hissed. Literally. "We don't need your meddling. We don't need anyone's help. We have each other."

Bai Yuefeng squinted. She was behaving too feral to suggest she had once had undead instincts. At least, nothing that would transfer if her race had been undead in the past. No; feral meant biological origins. The overprotectiveness felt unnatural, though he couldn't pinpoint exactly why.

Something was bothering him, so he released his domain. He felt her, and the truth became crystal clear.

She was dying.

Holins were obligatory social creatures. The one Bai Yuefeng had met in the past had evolved from an undead species that used sexual connections to make up for the emptiness within themselves. E'livia, however, wasn't doing that. Instead, she had lost a fundamental connection to someone else, leaving an enormous gap within herself that only a domain with mastered Laws could detect. The missing connection had to be replaced with someone else within the year, or she would die.

She knew it; she had to know. She also knew that the new connection had to be with someone at least as strong as her, and Shen wouldn't make the cut at his current growth rate. The stupid, moronic, idiot holin would rather die than tell her man the truth and let him make an informed decision about whether to push his cultivation at a potential personal cost or not.

Could she not tell that the only way for Shen to fight the incoming battle was for him to push ahead regardless? And that connecting to him might help stabilize him?

She also wanted to keep him away from anyone like Bai Yuefeng, who could figure out the truth and reveal it to him. Probably. He wasn't good at figuring out such things.

In fact, he was already overextending himself. Bai Yuefent didn't care to guess anything. Ever. That was not his way.

As he had told Shen, he had never brought Doom to his friends. But maybe it was time to bring Doom to a potential friend's girlfriend's idiocy. His Will of Unstoppable Power demanded him to impute his rightful desires upon all Reality around him, and he only kept it in check for select people. E'livia wasn't one of them.

"I see," he said with a sad sigh as he reached for the scythe on his back and willed his boots to fit on his feet. "That's almost noble of you, and as I told your man, everyone must walk their own Path—to the end. But some Paths must be set straight. Teleport us to wherever you want us to fight."

She was surprised at his request. Had she thought he would be intimidated? He snickered.

Instead of complying, she retracted her domain. "I meant to test your intentions with Shen, Milord. I will tell him of my eavesdropping, as you suggested. I appreciate your kind intentions about our relationship."

He smiled. This time, his smile was feral. "That isn't enough anymore, girl. I will beat you up. Whether I do it before or after fighting you is of little consequence to me."

She was confused. "What? Why, Milord? I apologize for my offense. I'm willing to repay you for the slight."

He chuckled, then laughed maniacally. His Ultimate Doom flared, and he let it run wild. His Realization couldn't leave his One Self, and he couldn't even make it do anything useful inside himself while he was in the Overlord Realm. But it fueled his desire to destroy.

He said, "You'll repay me by telling Shen of your suicidal actions. And you'll do that after I beat you up and bring Doom upon that stupid part of your Path."

He expected her to complain or even get ready to fight him. Instead, she used facts and logic. "Shen won't like that you forcefully changed my Path to fit what you believe to be best. Even if he agrees that my Path changed for the better."

Bai Yuefeng frowned. That did sound plausible. He should've thought things through—as often. He still didn't care to and would keep doing things his way.

Ultimate Doom couldn't be caged, not if it was meant to destroy an entire multiverse.

"One week it is, then," he said, putting his scythe away and reining his domain. "Tell him everything, or I will."

She almost bowed but stopped when he squinted his eyes. No bowing to him. He hated mock bows the most. Forced bows, too.

"Thank you, Milord," she said and left.

Bai Yuefeng looked at the projected starlight and willed it to be destroyed. The visage shattered, and the ugly underside of the city level above became visible.

That had been petty of him, but Ultimate Doom couldn't be quenched after ignited unless he released some of his emotions.

He flew away; time to kill some old enemies he had allowed to run amok.

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