[Would you like to assimilate the love essence of the Goddess of Love and Beauty?]
[Due to being bathed in the essence of the Goddess of Beauty, you have unlocked a new innate ability - Cosmic Allure (Passive)]
[Cosmic Allure - Your presence commands inevitable attention, both benevolent and perilous. Your beauty transcends the very concept of 'beauty,' potent enough to ignite wars across the stars. Conceal your true visage with utmost care, lest you awaken fanatical devotees.]
The prompts flickered across Set's unconscious mind, unseen and unread.
Time flowed like an endless, shimmering river of pink nectar. Two full days drifted by in the goddess's realm before Set and Elise stirred. They awoke entwined in the velvet-soft pink grass, the air still thick with jasmine and the lingering musk of their union. Silence cloaked them—heavy, introspective. Neither spoke nor met the other's gaze. Their eyes fixed on Aphrodite's distant, slumbering form, her curves rising and falling like gentle waves under the rose-hued sky.
'Weakness is a sin…' Vyrak's earlier words echoed in Set's mind, a relentless drumbeat. This was his first brutal taste of true power's hierarchy—a savage, dog-eat-dog cosmos where laws and morals dissolved like mist before divine whim. Power alone dictated reality. If one could shatter worlds or force civilizations to kneel in terror or awe, who would dare exploit them?
Before this week, Set thought he understood power's weight. He'd never imagined colliding with a God in his inaugural days as a cultivator. The act itself hadn't been unpleasant—far from it—but the violation of his will burned like acid. 'Never again,' he vowed, his heart forging steel.' Gods, huh? I'll make every last one bow their heads!'
Only then did he shift his gaze to Elise. Another shock rippled through him. She was radiant—transformed. Her long blonde hair cascaded in lush, golden waves, each strand shimmering as if woven from sunlight. Her skin glowed with an ethereal luminescence, enchanting yet grounded, elevating her to one of Earth's most breathtaking cultivators. Aphrodite's essence had refined her beauty beyond mortal limits, though not to Set's extreme.
Set himself was a catastrophe of allure. Describing him as handsome was laughably inadequate. His perfection had shattered mortal and divine thresholds alike—flawless light brown skin, white hair like cascading moonlight, golden eyes that pierced souls. Aphrodite's bath had amplified what was already unparalleled, and unknowingly, his allure was destined to grow even more catastrophic.
He waited, letting Elise process her storm of thoughts. Hers diverged sharply from his. She didn't resent the act—her body still hummed with remembered pleasure—but the consequences loomed like thunderclouds. 'Father will try to kill Set… and will he still marry me off to that prince?'
Finally, she met his eyes and sighed. "Set… we weren't in our right minds. But this has implicated you in matters I can't shield you from."
His brow arched, curiosity piqued. "Implicated how?"
"I am Elise… Elise Sunbelt. Sole daughter of the Sunbelt Family." She revealed her lineage, voice steady. "As you heard, my family alone cleared an S-rank Gate years ago—my grandparents and parents. They uncovered staggering truths. First, we're not alone in the galaxy. Countless worlds exist, unquantifiable. Earth is a mere low-level world under Humanity's Empire."
She paused, expecting shock. Set merely nodded. "I saw similar murals in a Gate I cleared. But this Empire is new to me."
Elise exhaled. "The Empire governs myriad worlds like ours. Three years ago, we learned representatives arrive in five years. To secure our status, my family betrothed me to an imperial prince."
'Why does this feel so cliché?' Set thought, then asked, "And the other revelation?"
"Gods and Goddesses exist. We know little, but my family was rewarded with Fenrir's blood—the Wolf God. It's why we dominate Earth's Hunters."
Set absorbed this, then spoke firmly. "You won't be married off. By their arrival, you'll stand on your own power."
Elise smiled, relief softening her features. Then, shyly, she dropped her gaze. "So… are we together now?"
Set's smile was gentle but honest. "I'm not seeking a relationship—yet. I mentioned friends with benefits because… well, I'm hypocritical." He scratched his head. "This bullshit wasn't planned. We don't need labels. You're mine, exclusively. But I—"
"Tsk, save it!" Elise rolled her eyes, standing—still naked, her enhanced curves defiant. "I wasn't born yesterday. Fine, no titles. But don't let me find out you've jumped into a relationship with another woman!"
Set laughed, rising to embrace her, hands cupping her ass. "Deal, madam~ If I choose a woman, it's you." He whispered, "Another round before we leave?~" His breath sent shivers down her spine; her cave leaked instantly. She knelt, taking his cock into her mouth—amateurish but eager.
"Oooh," Set groaned, caressing her hair. They lost themselves in pleasure once more.
----
Hours later, clothed and composed, they stood before a newly manifested exit Gate. I could get used to this, Set mused. He handed Elise a mana ring containing 100 Legendary Cores, 500 million dollars, and 25,000 S-rank cores.
She peeked inside—and dropped it in shock. Set caught it, sliding it onto her finger. "You're mine. Don't overthink it," he murmured, caressing her glowing cheek.
Speechless, she hugged him. "…Thank you…"
As they stepped through, Aphrodite's voice brushed his mind: Don't take too long, my love. Grow stronger… I'll come for you~
Set's lip twitched. 'Bitch, just wait. I'll make you pay~' His vow made her shudder even in sleep.