Chapter 101: Cold Logic

Cassian fell silent as he processed the revelation.

​Three million light-years. That wasn’t just a battlefield, that was an entire sector of the universe.

And the mere aftershocks of two Blessed Lords colliding had been enough to make that reality tremble.

​The thought lingered in his mind, sparking a quiet, dangerous intrigue.

​’And that was with only one Divine Blessing each... So what happens when someone with three enters the fray?’

​A faint, subtle smile appeared on Cassian’s face.

​Of course, he wasn’t arrogant enough to believe he had already reached that transcendent level, not even close.

At the moment, he was barely an Established Lord. Compared to those ancient cosmic monsters, he wasn’t even qualified to stand in the same room, let alone the same conversation. ℯℯ𝑙.

​Still... the potential existed.

​Besides, when he finally reached that level, who said he needed to fight personally?

​If things became troublesome, he could always send Morghanna with an endless supply of mana and let her crush her opponents with [Weight of the World]. Or Nyxara, the elf possessed a level of lethal efficiency that bordered on terrifying.

​Why risk his own neck when he had champions perfectly capable of doing it for him?

​The thought amused him deeply. Other Lords certainly had their own champions, but was their mana infinite? Could those champions be sustained indefinitely in high-tier combat? Every single factor tilted heavily in Cassian’s favor.

​That was why Cassian couldn’t help but compare himself to the two Blessed Lords Louis had described.

​Normally, the healthiest comparison was between your current self and your past self; comparing yourself to others was a fast track to dissatisfaction.

​Still... once in a while, it didn’t hurt. Especially when the people being compared against were godlike legends capable of shaking galaxies.

​Across the coffee table, Louis carefully observed the young man.

​He recognized that look: the quiet desire to compete, the unyielding ambition to rise higher, and the complete refusal to accept limitations.

He knew that expression intimately because he had worn it himself for most of his life.

​The Overseer finally broke the silence, his voice steady and resonant. "Do you understand what a Blessed truly means for the Astral Dominion?"

​Cassian remained silent, offering only an attentive nod.

"A Blessed would not simply allow us to dominate neighboring interplanetary civilizations. It would open a door, a door we have spent generations desperately trying to reach."

"The Astral Dominion has grown for more than a hundred years. We have expanded, we have conquered, and we have survived. But every civilization eventually hits a wall."

​Louis clenched his withered fist until his knuckles turned white. "And ours has stood before us for a very long time: the barrier between mediocrity and true cosmic greatness. The divide separating those who merely endure from those whose names echo throughout history."

"A Blessed changes everything. A Blessed becomes a beacon, a symbol, a supreme rallying point."

​His voice gradually swelled with long-suppressed passion. "Do you know how many Lords are born every year? How many dream of becoming Sovereigns, spending their entire lives climbing, only to die before reaching their destination?"

​"They need something to believe in," Louis urged, leaning forward. "They need absolute proof that greatness is possible. That their civilization can stand as equals among the giants, and that they are not destined to forever bow beneath others."

"A Blessed would inspire generations. It would attract unmatchable talent, endless resources, and powerful allies. Entire star systems would willingly join our banner, and enemies would think twice before ever opposing us. The entire trajectory of the Dominion would change!"

​For a brief, extraordinary moment, the old man’s frailty vanished. The tired, overburdened ruler disappeared, and in his place stood the visionary who had spent over a century carrying the hopes and dreams of countless worlds.

​"I have watched too many promising Lords die," Louis murmured softly. "I have watched golden opportunities slip through our fingers while stronger civilizations looked down upon us."

"But, If the Astral Dominion possesses a Blessed..." His voice trembled slightly with emotion. "...then perhaps our children will inherit a future far greater than the one we received."

​Silence descended upon the room once more. Even Seraphina had stopped sipping her tea, watching the old Overseer.

​Louis took a slow, deep breath, steadying his chest. Then, he finally asked the question once more.

​This time, there was no subtle probing, no suspicion, and no political maneuvering.

​There was only hope.

​"Cassian Voss." The Overseer’s gaze remained fixed on the young man. "Are you... a Blessed?"

Cassian met the Overseer’s hopeful gaze and answered without a single moment of hesitation.

​"Yes."

​The single word struck Louis harder than any physical attack could have.

​For a brief, stunned moment, the old man’s eyes widened. Then, pure hope ignited within them, not cautious hope, nor the kind born from wild speculation, but genuine, blinding hope.

​The kind of hope that could sustain an entire civilization through centuries of hardship.

​A Blessed.

​The Astral Dominion truly possessed a Blessed.

​Louis felt his heartbeat quicken as his mind raced through endless possibilities: the future, the unprecedented opportunities, and the countless doors that would now open—

​"However."

​Cassian’s voice abruptly cut through his soaring thoughts.

"You seem to have misunderstood something."

​Louis frowned slightly.

"I have no intention of becoming a beacon. I don’t want to become a symbol, I don’t want to become a banner, and I certainly don’t intend to spend my time carrying the overwhelming expectations of billions."

​His voice remained even, as though he were merely discussing the weather.

​"A weak man has no business pretending to be a ruler."

​Silence fell over the room once more.

"If I cannot even guarantee my own absolute survival, what right do I have to promise prosperity to others?"

​Louis opened his mouth to reply, only to close it again.

​He couldn’t refute a single word of it.

​"I’ve seen what happens when people gain authority before gaining true power," Cassian said, his eyes narrowing slightly. "They become dependent on others. They compromise. They stagnate."

​He shook his head faintly. "I have zero interest in any of that. I intend to focus entirely on my own growth, my own development, and my own absolute strength. Everything else comes afterward."

​The Overseer’s hopeful expression gradually dimmed, not because he disagreed with the boy’s logic, but because he understood it all too well.