‎ ‎Shen didn't invest much time thinking about the friendship offer. It sounded too good to be true. He would digest it and decide by the time the war ended.

Instead, he went on a shopping spree while restructuring his troops and territory. Whitemetal Park was rebuilt with Conceptualizer-tier materials but became "merely" his strongest advanced fort. Symphonia was rebuilt with similar materials and became the new Blackhall Headquarters.

The costs were astronomical. Even at the quote of one week of service per peak-Overlord-tier artifact, it took Shen only a few days of spending to start owing the Doombringer half a year of service. He purchased a lot of equipment at inflated prices as news of the incoming war quickly spread.

By the end of the first week, he took a rare break to visit E'livia's apartment. It would be the last visit until the war ended. He couldn't afford to stay too far from his operations henceforth.

She was incredibly dedicated to making him happy that day. He thought it was because of their impending time apart until she revealed the truth.

"I spied on you every time you talked to a Demi-Dominator in Cylek," E'livia revealed, her speech haggard after their exercise.

Shen had to give it to her: she knew when to confess. He was still mesmerized by her beauty and the way her sweat looked on her skin. His mind was still lost in the aftermath of absolute pleasure as their bodies and souls connected. He could think straight if he forcibly muted the stimuli, but he definitely didn't want to do it.

He cared a lot about being spied on, but his state of spirit allowed him to ask a question before growing too upset. "Why?"

"I was scared," she said as she hugged his arm. He wouldn't be distracted by feeling her attributes in his skin. Not too much, anyway. "I'm dying."

Suddenly, Shen became completely alert. All traces of pleasure and anger disappeared. He forced himself to be present. He sat up, released his domain, and used Absolute Horizon to scour every inch of her being. He looked deeply into her with his Allvision. He saw nothing wrong.

"Who dared?" he demanded.

She was confused. "Who dared what?"

"Who dared to threaten your life. You're not injured, so that's not why you're dying. Who wants to kill you?"

She smiled slightly while sitting up. It was a sad smile. "Only Demi-Dominators can tell what's wrong with me. Even with a domain, you need to master a Law to perceive certain things about how Reality works. I'm incomplete. My connection to my father was more than emotional support, but I swear I didn't know about it when we arrived. I thought I would heal in time. I didn't. The hole is... festering, in a way. I need..." She trailed off and bit her lower lip. Hard. She drew blood.

"What? What do you need?"

She teared up. "I didn't want to tell you. I don't want to tell you. You don't deserve a whiny, needy girl. I swear I'm not asking you to do anything. I swear."

He was worried. And upset. He tried to be kind, but if he understood correctly, someone had forced her to tell him about it, and no one forced his woman to do anything against her wishes.

"E'livia," he said somberly, "what the hell is going on?"

"The Doombringer said I needed to tell you everything. Tell you how I was eavesdropping on you and about my impending death. He said... He said our relationship wouldn't last if I kept hiding any of it from you."

Well, he was right. He would break up with her if he learned about it in any way other than through her mouth. Or much later than now.

But the Doomsbringer had no right to force her to confess.

Wait a second...

He asked, "When did he tell you this?"

She bit her lower lip hard again, and he kissed her. Deeply. It forced her to heal herself to stop him from tasting blood. After they split apart, he looked her in the eyes.

Shen said, "I need you to trust me. I don't hate you. I'm saddened, yes. And disappointed and hurt. But I care more about your damn death than your actions right now. Just know... Learning about it right now won't be enough for me to give up on what we have. It's... It's close, but not enough. I... Have been hiding things, too. We can get to that later. For now, can you answer me? When did he tell you this?"

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That calmed her down. She gulped. "When I confronted him last week. After you left your meeting."

"Why would you do that?"

"I... I didn't want him to take advantage of you after I died. I'd have killed him. You had his card. You'd be rich."

Shen was flabbergasted. That was juvenile-level scheming, but scheming all the same. She was learning. He was actually impressed.

He half-smiled and replied, "Not bad for a rookie schemer." The sudden compliment surprised her at first, but she smiled pleased after a moment. He continued, "I also didn't approach him innocently. One of the reasons I sought him instead of anyone else was because he's straightforward. He probably wouldn't charge you for my debt. Even if he did, he probably wouldn't demand unfair terms. And I hoped he would protect you from my enemies if they came for you. You know, so he could get revenge for the investment he lost when they killed me." He paused, then added unwillingly, "And I wanted him to need me alive so he would stop me if I tried to kill you, and you were forced to kill me instead."

She became the most confused she had been until now. "What?"

"Less than one year from now, I'll force myself to start mastering all my Laws without stopping to stabilize my foundations after each Law. I'm keeping it slow for now, but only until I reach halfway through with every Law. Then, it should take another six months to a year for the final push. I might go crazy from the influence of all those suddenly mastered Laws, considering I won't take the time to actually master them. I'll master my expertise on them, get to know them, but not place them thoroughly under my rule. Not at first, at least." He paused. "But that doesn't matter anymore. We have to save you. If you haven't healed yourself yet, I guess it can't be done in Cylek. Let's pack up and go. We have one year? If nothing works, we can beg Habnor for help. I'll accept any price he demands of us."

E'livia's mouth was hanging in shock. Eventually, she asked, "Did you tell the Doombringer about your cultivation plans?"

He frowned. "No, but it should be obvious if Octo is really my enemy. I can't beat a Demi-Dominator unless I become one myself. Why do you ask?"

"I think he knows. And I think he thought I knew and was being extra obnoxious about it. I'm so stupid! I should have known, but I was so focused on my own troubles... Heavens, I'm such a self-centered bitch."

"Huh?"

She looked him in the eyes. "I need to connect my blood essence to someone else's. It must be someone at least as strong as me."

"I'm guessing there's a but."

She hesitated, nodded, and said, "But it's an intimate connection. I won't accept anyone but you, Shen. But I swear it's as I said: I don't need you to rush for me. I'll die happy knowing you'll be strong enough to deal with any issue the Shaft might throw at you. That's all I need. I mean it." She was tearing up by the end.

His heart shook. "E'livia, how long do you have?"

E'livia looked away from him but whispered, "Nine months."

Shen stood up. "This whole thing hurts. This hurts more than you seem to imagine. How do you think I would feel if you died and I learned I could've saved you all the while but was dragging my fucking feet?!" He raised his voice, and she was shocked at his outburst. He calmed enough to say, "Yes, I'm mad. Now, you better put some clothes on, find the Doombringer, and bring him here. Then, you'll keep your beautiful, round ass in that bed and act as my Path Guardian as I focus on cultivating."

"What? Why call the Doomsbringer?"

"I want him here in case I try to do something stupid against you, but you don't defend yourself because you're dying anyway."

More importantly, he needed the Doomsbringer to stay in that house for months so he and E'livia could get acquainted with each other. Shen hated the idea of giving up on her, but if the price for her survival was hooking up with someone else, so be it. He was sure he could convince her by threatening his own life, as immature as that was.

What a fucked up situation!

He swore to himself that the threat of becoming a cuck would push him to master his Laws in time. If he failed, Heavens help him, for he would destroy the entire Reality for forcing him to convince his lover to give herself to someone else to save her damn life.

He would destroy it thoroughly.

"What if he doesn't want to come?" she asked as she put on her clothes. He could see how much she wanted to argue, but his anger had shocked her into motion.

"Tell him I need a friend by my side right now."

He pulled Un'Re out of his soul. He felt wholer with it in his hands. It would help him focus on the Axioms.

E'livia hesitated, then approached and hugged him. He tensed but ended up returning her hug. He was still upset, though.

"Shen..." she started.

He interrupted, "We'll save your life first. We can talk after you're safe."

She bit her lower lip but nodded and left.

Shen started looking at and meditating upon Reality.

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The Doombringer didn't fit the house's first two floors and had to stay on the rooftop. His presence was a clear statement for all of Cylek: Shen and E'livia weren't to be bothered.

News came about Blackhall being destroyed two months after Shen entered reclusion. Octo also sent a challenge for Shen, which Shen forfeited. He was being protected by E'livia, which meant he had to abide by his promises. He was out of the gang game.

That bothered him a lot, but E'livia's incoming death bothered him more. He swallowed the bitter pill and kept cultivating.

Four months in, he pushed the last of his Laws halfway through to mastery.

Five months in, the mastered his first Law.

That day, he understood what E'livia had meant; mastering a Law changed everything. Reality was laid bare to him. Not in the way he barely recalled when the Heavens burned his talent for a final attack against Valentina. But it was the deepest he had pried to day with only his power, and he marveled at Reality's secrets.

Shen looked at the Law of the Shaft in Un'Re and seemed to peer into the source code of existence itself.

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