[A/N: I'm going with a no-harem. Someone called me lad, and said person sounded wise... so yeah, no harem... unless enough of you change your minds with the information to come in the future.]
She was undeniably powerful now, having achieved a level of strength that most elves could only dream of. But this still wasn't her absolute limit since she could continue training diligently to further increase her combat power over time.
She turned her attention downward to examine her naked body, genuinely amazed by her transformed physical figure. She had thought she possessed a perfect body before the purification, yet somehow it had gotten noticeably better in every way. If before she had fallen slightly short of Chu Yin's exceptional beauty, now she could genuinely be considered a rival who stood on equal footing.
Just as she was about to mentally call for her equipment and armor to dress herself, she suddenly froze in place. She felt something ancient and powerful calling out to her from across vast distances.
Slowly reaching out into the void of space itself, her hand seemed to phase through an invisible thin barrier, reaching into an entirely new dimension that existed parallel to this one.
Her palm made contact with a new set of legendary gear—that of the ancient ancestor herself, the mythical Sun Moon Gear Set that had been lost for countless generations.
As she mentally called for the armor to come to her, it materialized and appeared on her body instantly, forming itself around her perfectly. The moment it was fully equipped, she felt her power skyrocket dramatically, reaching an absolutely shocking combat power of 6.48 million. She let out a deep and heavy breath, genuinely caught off guard by the overwhelming new level of power now coursing through her body.
She stepped confidently out of the purification pool chamber. But she immediately paused when she saw her father, Ray, standing silently at the entrance and clearly waiting specifically for her arrival.
"Father," she said respectfully, acknowledging his presence.
Her father nodded lightly in response, carefully sizing her up and down for a long moment, examining her transformed state. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he spoke.
"We have no time for lengthy explanations or emotional conversations," he said gravely.
"You are now the true hope of our entire bloodline's survival. So long as you continue to live and exist, our blood persists in this world. It wouldn't be very long until the Sovereign rulers find out about your existence and your restored bloodline. At best, they would simply kill you immediately to eliminate the threat. But if they are smart and strategic, they would instead capture you alive to forcibly have you birth their new generation of supremely talented offspring."
His blunt words caused Evelin to experience a moment of genuine shock. But after processing the implications, she nodded slowly in grim understanding of the danger she now represented.
"You must leave with Seth when he returns to his world," Ray continued firmly.
"Grow strong in that place, far from the Sovereign's reach. And one day, when you have achieved true power, return here to us. If we still exist when that day comes, then with your overwhelming power combined with ours, we can finally break apart from the Abyss Elven Empire. And maybe, just maybe, we can reclaim what was lost to our people millions of years ago."
He spoke calmly and with certainty, though Evelin found herself opening and closing her mouth repeatedly, completely unsure what to think or how to feel about all of this sudden information.
She had just discovered who her true father was, learned about her destiny and heritage, and now she had to leave immediately? But despite her emotional turmoil, she nodded in acceptance. Even now, after everything, her loyalty to her empire and its people remained completely unchanged.
"Going forward from this moment, you shall officially become the rightful Queen of the Sun Moon Empire," Ray declared solemnly.
"I wish you nothing but the best in your journey. Although I might continue to rule as King for now in your absence, I would only hold the title temporarily for you until the day you return to claim it." He spoke softly but with deep sincerity, watching as Evelin slowly got down on one knee before him, formally accepting this enormous responsibility and burden.
"Go and get Seth immediately. You two should leave as soon as possible," Ray said with finality.
With those words, he used his magic to teleport Evelin away instantly. She found herself suddenly standing directly before Seth's door, disoriented for just a moment. Standing up straight with a look of fierce determination settling on her face, she knocked firmly on the door. But she froze completely when Alara opened it instead of Seth.
She knew exactly who Alara was—who didn't? The woman was a celebrated performer and beloved public figure throughout the empire. But why was she here, in Seth's private residence?
"Lady Evelin... what are you doing here?" Alara asked, clearly shocked to see the legendary knight who had recently awakened an SS-tier talent standing at the door.
"Where is Seth?" Evelin demanded, though her head was already turning towards where she could sense Seth's presence in the room.
There, she saw Seth sitting back in a chair with a blindfold covering his eyes, appearing as if he were simply sleeping or meditating peacefully. This sight made her stomach turn uncomfortably with an emotion she didn't want to acknowledge.
"What is she doing here?" Evelin asked sharply, walking past Alara without waiting for permission and approaching Seth directly.
She honestly didn't know why she cared so much, but this situation bothered her far more than she would ever like to admit. Why was it that after all the moves she had made, after all her attempts, Seth—although he seemed tempted at times—always ultimately ignored her advances? Yet here was Alara…
"Lady Evelin, Seth graciously took me in as his student, and he has been teaching me about music from his world," Alara explained happily, completely unable to read the tense atmosphere in the room.
Instead of sensing Evelin's displeasure, she happily picked up Seth's phone and pulled up the recording app, eager to show off a song she had recorded. But Evelin completely ignored her demonstration, though her visible displeasure did diminish slightly upon learning this was merely a teacher-student relationship. That didn't mean she wanted Alara here, though. This was a single male's private room—a female couldn't just casually come here alone.
"Leave now. I have sensitive matters to discuss with Seth that don't concern you," Evelin said coldly, looking at Alara with a sharp, intimidating glare.
"I'm a married man, please stop hoping about stuff..." Seth said calmly from his seat, still not removing his blindfold. Evelin ignored Seth's words; after all, a harem was a common thing for elves. Males or females, they can have a harem.
"Let me guess—stronger powers would eventually figure out that you've awakened something extraordinary, and now we need to flee immediately? Honestly, I'm too lazy to deal with all that right now." Seth asked with a yawn.
Seth had genuinely enjoyed just sitting back and doing absolutely nothing productive for once. Oh, how wonderfully relaxing it was to have zero worries and simply sit back while his combat power grew stronger automatically from him doing nothing at all.
"How did you possibly know all that?" Evelin asked in complete shock, since that was exactly the whole reason she had rushed here.
Seth simply pointed lazily towards the closet without explanation. Evelin frowned in confusion, sensing something unusual within it. Walking over cautiously, she opened the door and found one of her own brothers, the third prince, knocked out cold and bound.
"He was actively trying to contact someone from the Abyss family or something like that… i didn't care to remember," Seth explained lazily, still lounging in his chair. "I caught him before anything could actually happen, and he could send any messages. I also caught and detained all those supporting him."
His casual revelation made Alara's pupils shrink in shock as she recognized the third prince lying unconscious.
"Why would he betray us like this?" Evelin asked, unable to believe her own brother would commit such treason.
"Simple greed thinking," Seth said with a knowing smile. "He already had an extremely low chance of ever taking the crown legitimately, but with everything that's happened recently, he desperately needed to do something dramatic to change his position. And what would be better than secretly contacting the Abyss Empire about incredibly valuable information—specifically about an SS-tier talent awakening, and revealing how the two formerly warring empires had suddenly become one after such a long time?"
"Your father was honestly foolish to not ensure that information was kept absolutely top secret from everyone, including family. But regardless of what precautions were taken, with all the rare things currently going on, the news will inevitably hit the Abyss Empire soon anyway. The best strategic thing for you to do now is to stage an assassination attempt—make it look like you tried to kill the king in a fit of rage or madness. Leave him badly injured but alive, then flee dramatically. After you escape, your father should immediately report this betrayal to the Abyss Empire, which will start an official manhunt for you across all territories."
Seth's cunning plan left Evelin stunned and speechless for a long moment as she processed the implications. She turned slowly towards the door, where her father, Ray, now stood, having teleported there silently to listen.
"I like your plan," the Emperor said softly, a slight smile on his face despite the circumstances.