The leader of the Explorer Association, Adam, sat at his desk with a frown on his face. The place he lived was Wert's previous office, which evolved, expanded, and changed through his orders. On top of his desk, he had a strange artifact with a screen that transmitted images. The person on the other side of the screen was a middle-aged man with brown hair and clothes too unique to be part of Ceperet's culture.

"Lord Quince, why are you still ignoring my achievements? The Association of this world is already part of the main power; they can't ignore our words."

The man on the other side looked at Adam silently for a few seconds before speaking. "You are too naive." The man looked at a sphere in his hand and sighed softly.

The sphere Quince held was almost entirely black, with a few spots of light here and there. Strangely, the colors were not fixed; as time passed, those spots of light were slowly being swallowed by the prominent darkness.

Adam felt a sense of unease when looking at that sphere, as if it were something he shouldn't be seeing. The man named Quince spoke lightly. "Do you know what this is, Adam?"

"No, Lord Quince. I am unaware of what that artifact does."

Quince smiled faintly. "It is an artifact that can only be used on those with weak strength and potential. Someone like you, who is from a faraway corner of the galaxy, is perfect to fall under its influence."

Adam didn't dare talk back, even if inside he felt indignant. "...What's the effect of such an artifact, Lord Quince?"

"Well…" The man looked at the sphere and spoke. "It is a sphere that shows the future luck of a person. A very rare artifact that reacts to the <Destiny> of a target. Still, as I said, it only works on mediocre people. It's a failure of an artifact. For example, we tried to use this on your resident World Tree or any other people in the list you showed us, and they all exploded. Only when used on you or those close to you did the sphere react."

Adam's expression couldn't help but worsen, even if he didn't want to. He didn't feel any less than those people from this backwater planet. "That's… Hard to believe, Lord Quince."

Quince smiled. "I know. You, who are affiliated with us, should have at least enough life left to fill your natural lifespan. Like that boy Wert did before you. However…" Looking at the sphere again, Quince chuckled. Adam still didn't understand the meaning of the darkness and light, so he didn't speak.

"These white spots are the paths left that guarantee your survival. A normal person would have at least over 60% of the sphere filled with white spots. But you… You only have seven… Excuse me. Six left."

Adam finally couldn't hold it back and slammed his palms on the table. "Lord Quince, you are a powerful elder, so I respect you. However, you've been indirectly wishing for my death since a few moments ago, and I can't overlook something like that!"

Quince looked at the sphere and smiled. "Three spots left."

Adam's expression crumbled, an ominous sensation creeping up his spine. "... I am part of the association. Lady Heavenly Willow wouldn't dare mess with me, as she didn't with Lord Wert! I already know that Lord Wert went against some of Heavenly Willow's ideas, and they never touched the association."

Quince looked at the sphere again, his eyes filled with interest. It felt as if he were observing a fascinating experiment. "One light spot left. Think well of what you say next; there are no recorded cases of someone whose sphere turned completely black surviving."

Adam's heart strangely started to pound. He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. He looked at the single white spot among the darkness of the melon-sized sphere with nervous eyes. While in his head, he thought that the man's words were a lie, inside his heart, he somewhat started believing in them.

"T-That…" Before he realized it, his mouth was dry. His eyes darted around his desk, his mind racing to find a connection. "I, I don't understand, Lord Quince. What do you want from me?"

Quince glanced at the young man, whose expression was twisting, and smiled. "Nothing. You are a little branch that, even if pruned, we won't even feel it. Whether you exist or not matters not to me or the association. But, since the <Destiny Sphere> worked, I placed that value on you. You are… an experiment."

Adam's face hardened, but he didn't dare answer, anxious about the Sphere's reaction to his words.

Quince continued, his tone relaxed. "How could a person placed in the position of Explorer Association Branch Manager have such a bleak fate? I am honestly… impressed. You are probably the branch manager with the most bleak <Destiny> I've ever seen." Quince smiled. "That's your value, Adam. Now, will you grab this last white spot… Or be swallowed by darkness?"

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Adam was terrified. He really felt as if he was being looked down on from above, as if a godlike being was toying with his existence for being unique in a way that interested him. "W-What must I do to grab the white spot?"

"Who knows?" Quince shrugged calmly. "We are as clueless about this failed item as you. We only know what it reflects and how to build it. The inner workings are a mystery not even our best experts can explain."

Adam pondered deeply, his hands rummaging through the important documents on the table. 'Should I put stricter protocol when handling matters regarding the Golden Sap Arborarchy? Are the four vice-chairmen angry with me for something and want to usurp my position? But that's impossible. I have Heavenly Willow's backing because I am Wert's chosen successor. I worked so hard for that valuable spot so that no one looked down upon me.'

"Adam."

"Y-Yes?"

The amused voice of the powerful person on the other side of the screen brought him back from his thoughts. "Look."

Adam looked over and saw that the white spot had disappeared. "W-Why? I didn't do anything!"

Quince shrugged again and mused. "Perhaps you needed to do something. Who knows? Now, will you be like the rest? Or will you be able to survive your predestined dark fate?"

Adam wanted to answer when a presence descended on his office. The presence that felt like the vastness of the sky was unmistakable—only one being carried this aura wherever she manifested. Even then, Adam's eyes showed bewilderment. 'Heavenly Willow shouldn't be able to look into my office without the alarms I've placed activating!'

"Adam." The gentle voice of a woman filled the space, as if it had taken over the surroundings. "A week has passed since I discovered something unpleasant. I've investigated everything deeply, trying to find a reason or a cause. I didn't want to punish you hurriedly, even when I was angered. After all, Wert personally recommended you, and I trusted his eye for people."

Quince's eyes shone with interest, looking at everything as a mere spectator.

Adam spoke, trying to keep his quivering tone under control. "W-What do you mean, Lady Liu Shu? I do not understand what you are referring to."

"Do not call me by name, Adam. For you, I am the Heavenly Willow."

Liu Shu's cold voice when saying those things was like a hammer striking the heart. Adam naturally was knowledgeable of Liu Shu's dislike for formal titles. Yet, this time, she was prohibiting him from speaking her name. That kind of attitude was reserved for those whom the World Tree abhorred.

"L-Lady Heavenly Willow. Please calm down and think again. I am unaware of how I offended you and would want to listen to it slowly."

The World Tree fell silent, yet the aura in the room became suffocating to the point where breathing became difficult. After the silence, the World Tree's voice boomed in the room. "You still refuse to confess when I am giving you so many chances!? Asinine creature! How dare you play dumb after making my children go through the experience of being unable to communicate with their mother!?"

Adam was Level 72. Nevertheless, right now, he felt like a Level 1 facing a Level 100 creature. The sheer pressure on his internal organs and body was constantly depleting his <Phoer> reserves. Trying to hold back from coughing blood, Adam refused to admit any wrongs. The black sphere flashed in his mind, so he refused to accept his fate. "I-I don't know… what you are talking about! L-Lady Heavenly Willow, please listen to… me!"

Liu Shu's real body moved this time, her eyes snapping open as she glared at the Explorer Association tree building. Then, her voice exploded outward from her real body, spreading around for hundreds of kilometers like a thunderous command from the heavens.

"All who protect the people who are being named from now on will be treated as traitors and put down with them! Gather in your respective city plazas to receive the announcement and be witnesses to the public executions of those who thought they could defy me in my domain by manipulating my children!"

Almost everyone who heard her voice felt their knees wobbling in fear. The usual gentle voice carried coldness and ruthlessness in it. It was a bloodthirstiness that was so foreign to a World Tree's usually gentle voice that it caused many to feel genuine terror from deep within their souls.

Inside the <Core Room>, Cinderielle extended her arms and hugged the Avatar tightly. "Shh… I know you are angry, love. But don't take it out on others."

The Avatar's expression and Liu Shu's real body quickly calmed down. The Avatar looked up with an apologetic expression in her gorgeous amethyst eyes. "I… Sorry. I lost my temper. That man didn't admit it even when I clearly hinted that I knew everything… I was so angry…"

Cinderielle rubbed her nose with Liu Shu's and gently caressed the Avatar's swollen stomach. "I know, love. I know. Just hug me tightly and breathe in my scent, okay? We'll take care of the executions and the rest. You just oversee everything, alright?"

Liu Shu frowned a bit, looking at Cinderielle with worry. "No… I'll do the killing. You don't need to do those—"

Cinderielle bit her lower lip, her passionate eyes filled with warning. "Why is my beautiful pregnant wife speaking about killing, eh? I said to leave the rest to us, so you should be good and listen to us."

Liu Shu's flaring temper completely calmed down after Cinderielle's words, and she obediently nestled inside her arms. Cinderielle hugged Liu Shu like a precious gem while her eyes flashed coldly. 'To think that all the main Association buildings were disconnected from Liu Shu… No wonder she is so angry. Thankfully, they had a minimum amount of conscience and didn't abuse any of them beyond forcing them to open secret rooms. If they did something more grave than that…'

Cinderielle shook her head and focused on her job: taking care of Liu Shu and pampering her until she filled her Dear's heart with tender and warm love.

In her mind, she felt somewhat guilty towards her adorable wife. 'It seems that her temper is slightly more volatile after dealing with the Nexus. Is this some kind of lingering influence from her actions back then? Sigh… My beautiful and lovely girl. You've gone through so much alone because we were weak.'

Determination burned in Cinderielle's heart. 'Never again. I'll become strong enough to share your burdens.'

[Your determination fuels your <Passive Skill: Heart Of Fire>. Your Experience Earning Rate is boosted by 200% until you achieve your objective.]

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