The next moment,

a middle-aged man shrouded in Starshine appeared silently.

He was none other than the ruler of the Starborn Clan—their Patriarch, Stahl.

Stahl gazed upon Lilith, a flicker of both admiration and regret passing through his eyes.

The clan's laws were strict and unyielding.

The disgrace from the Hathaway incident years ago still lingered in their history. And now—

"Trisha, you shouldn't have brought her back."

Patriarch Stahl pondered for a moment, then chose to uphold the clan's rules.

Chief Steward Cooper let out a subtle sigh of relief.

Lilith tugged lightly at Trisha's sleeve and whispered,

"Aunt… maybe I should leave."

Trisha's heart twisted with pain.

But then, determination flashed in her eyes.

She suddenly placed her hand firmly on Lilith's shoulder, forcibly awakening the dormant Star Bloodline within her!

Buzz—!!

A resonance far deeper and grander than before erupted through the hall.

A wave of pure, boundless bloodline pressure burst forth like a storm, shaking the entire snow mountain to its core!

"The Star Bloodline… a perfect awakening!"

"How could such purity appear in a human body?!"

Patriarch Stahl was utterly stunned, unable to maintain his composure.

Even he felt a trace of fear from this overwhelming power.

What kind of terrifying talent was this?!

Chief Steward Cooper's face turned deathly pale,

and the clan members behind him were forced to retreat, unable to withstand the pressure of Lilith's starborn might.

But it didn't end there!

Within Lilith, the essence that Leo had once elevated—her most fundamental origin—was now triggered.

The innate characteristic of the Child of Stars manifested of its own accord!

Hum!

An invisible ring of starlight expanded outward from Lilith,

freezing even the very fabric of space as it spread.

Cooper had to unleash his own bloodline power just to resist,

while his subordinates were left completely disoriented.

"C… Child of Stars!"

"That's the legendary being whose soul perfectly resonates with the Star Bloodline!"

A dazzling light burst from Stahl's eyes.

This wasn't mere talent—this was a destined brilliance meant to illuminate the cosmos itself!

"This girl is unquestionably one of our Starborn Clan!"

Stahl's voice rang out with divine authority, echoing across the realm.

His earlier hesitation vanished completely.

Rules?

Rules could bend before such a prodigious gift—

a gift capable of leading their entire race into a new era of glory.

Even Chief Steward Cooper let out a cold snort, yet inwardly he agreed.

For someone bearing the Child of Stars trait, even if she were a fool, he would welcome her into the clan.

How could he object to Stahl's declaration? Had it been him, he would've made the same choice.

Before the assembled Starborn could recover from their shock,

Stahl had already stepped toward Lilith, his voice gentler than anyone had ever heard.

"Child, what's your name?"

"Lilith Grey."

"Lilith… a beautiful name."

A warm smile spread across the Patriarch's face.

"Would you be willing to become my student?"

The words struck like thunder.

The crowd collectively gasped in disbelief.

The Patriarch himself—taking a personal student?!

Trisha was nearly trembling with excitement, gripping Lilith's arm and urging her with her eyes to accept.

But Lilith hesitated.

"I… I already have a mentor."

She thought of Elarielle, the gentle elf who had been both her teacher and friend.

Trisha hurriedly interjected,

"Lilith, it's common to have multiple mentors! Each one can guide you in different ways."

Stahl nodded with a patient smile.

With his status and power, he was confident he could easily become one of her mentors.

Lilith looked at her eager aunt, then at the kind yet imposing Patriarch.

"…Alright, then."

Her reluctant tone nearly made the Starborn prodigies around her spit blood.

This was the Patriarch's personal tutelage!

One of the highest honors across the entire Sakend Universe Plane, and she sounded like she was doing him a favor!

If she didn't want to—they would gladly take her place!

Even Stahl's lips twitched slightly,

but when he remembered the terrifying potential this girl possessed, all his frustration melted away.

"Good. Good!"

Under Trisha's guidance, Lilith formally bowed and performed the student's salute.

Thus, she was officially under the protection of the Starborn Clan.

But peace never lasts long.

Not long after,

a clan elder attempting to break through to a higher Rank failed his advancement and was on the brink of death.

During his weakened state, he happened to encounter Lilith.

Sensing her pure, radiant Child of Stars bloodline,

the elder was overcome by greed—he wanted to seize her bloodline and essence to extend his own life!

Although Patriarch Stahl tried to dissuade him,

the clan's upper echelons fell silent, weighing the value of an existing peak god-rank elder against the future potential of one gifted child.

A living God Rank elder was of immediate use to the clan.

Thus, no one stopped him.

When the elder struck—

the protective power that Leo had left inside Lilith flared to life.

At the same time, she unleashed several life-saving artifacts,

gravely wounding the unsuspecting elder and using the chance to flee from Eclipsera entirely!

The humiliated elders, ignoring their injuries,

issued a galaxy-wide bounty across the entire Sakend Universe Plane.

The reward was unimaginably high—

including personal mentorship from a Peak God Rank powerhouse!

The news spread like wildfire.

To most, the treasure or wealth meant little—

but the chance to receive guidance from a god-ranked Starborn elder?

That was a reward worth defying death for.

If one could earn that, even walking sideways through the entire universe wouldn't be a problem…

assuming they lived long enough to enjoy it.

Countless factions and powerhouses turned their eyes toward one target—

the human girl named Lilith, now branded as a fugitive by the Starborn Clan.

On the summit of the Starry Peaks,

Patriarch Stahl gazed into the distant void where Lilith had vanished,

his expression a mixture of sorrow and helplessness.

"Let's go back," he said softly to the tearful Trisha beside him.

"It's too late. There's nothing more I can do."

His heart was filled with regret,

but even he could not defy the collective will of the clan elders—or the cruel logic of survival.

Trisha's face went deathly pale.

"Lilith… I'm sorry. It's all my fault…"

Meanwhile,

deep within a desolate mountain range,

Lilith walked carefully, draped in a cloaked enchantment that concealed her presence.

"Damn those old geezers!"

"I didn't think they'd be this ruthless! Good thing Dad gave me so many escape trinkets."

She sighed softly, looking up at the unfamiliar starlit sky.

"Dad… when are you coming to get me?"

"If you don't come soon, Lilith's going to become the most wanted girl in the whole galaxy…"

"And that stupid bird-man—just wait! When my dad gets here, he'll blow your precious nest to ashes!"

Despite her defiant words,

the tension in her heart only grew heavier.

She could feel it—

countless eyes, both hidden and open, were scouring the barren wastelands for her.

The temptation of a Peak God Rank mentorship was simply too great.

It would drive even noble heroes to risk everything.

She needed to leave the Starborn territory as fast as possible—

and find a place, any place, where she could survive long enough…

…to see her father again.

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