Chapter 82: Grand Boon

The Eternal Serpent continued, its voice echoing with cosmic authority:

​"The cosmoses were not accidental creations. They were designed, cultivated, and nurtured for a singular purpose: to create species with high potential."

​Cassian listened carefully, taking in every word.

​"The natives of the Lord’s Domain possess mana circuits," the serpent explained. "They are born with them, cultivate them, and strengthen them. But every traditional path has its limits."

​"A mana circuit is powerful, but in the grand scheme of things, it is too slow and tedious. Although a path beyond Transcendence is possible through it, that road is paved with immense difficulty. The Eternal Will desired something different, something fast and efficient."

​Cassian immediately understood. "The Lord Seed."

​The serpent nodded smoothly. "The Lord Seed, the greatest power source ever introduced into creation. Unlike mana circuits, Lord Seeds are not born complete. They grow, evolve, adapt, and are directly influenced by the soul itself. Because of this, no two Lord Seeds are truly identical."

​Its voice carried a distinct trace of admiration.

​"The inhabitants of the cosmos were deliberately created without natural mana circuits. The absence of one rigid path allowed another to emerge, a path with far greater potential."

​"Naturally, rules were required," the serpent continued. "Without rules, the entire system would collapse."

​"The first rule: a civilization may only enter the Lord’s Domain after expanding beyond its homeworld."

​Cassian nodded. That rule was common knowledge across the cosmos, though few understood why it existed.

​The serpent answered the unasked question: "Expansion proves capability, adaptability, and ambition. It proves a civilization possesses sufficient strength to survive beyond its cradle. A species incapable of leaving its homeworld would contribute little to the Lord’s Domain. The Eternal Will does not care for idle potential, it respects results."

​Cassian found himself agreeing with the cold logic.

​"The second rule: a Lord must remain anchored to a civilization," the serpent stated, raising a second point.

​This was another law every Lord knew from the moment of their awakening, yet its deeper function remained a secret until now.

​"The cosmoses exist within the Lord’s Domain, but they are not naturally attached to it," the serpent explained, its tone growing serious. "They drift, slowly and imperceptibly, but they drift. If left unattended, a cosmos may eventually drift too far from creation. And anything that drifts too far inevitably approaches the Endless Blackness."

​Cassian’s pupils contracted.

​The serpent nodded in confirmation. "A civilization serves as an anchor, while a Lord serves as a stabilizing point. Together, they secure a cosmos to the Lord’s Domain, preventing it from being lost to the void."

​The Eternal Serpent paused briefly before continuing:

​"The third rule: a Lord must expand their territory."

​"Territories are not merely land," the serpent revealed. "They are domains of influence, domains of order, and domains of stability. Where a Lord’s influence spreads, reality itself becomes stronger. The formation of interdimensional wounds becomes more difficult, and the influence of the Endless Blackness weakens. In truth, every territory conquered is another victory against entropy."

​Cassian blinked in realization.

​Suddenly, the system’s relentless drive toward conquest made complete sense. Expansion was not merely greed, it was structural maintenance.

​"There are countless additional laws," the serpent added. "Some known, some hidden, each serving a purpose, and each maintaining the delicate balance of creation."

​The immense serpent lifted its head slightly, its scales reflecting ancient starlight.

​"And in the end... the administration of this entire system was entrusted to me."

​A faint, unmistakable pride entered its vast voice.

​"I am the [Cosmic Pillar of Order]—the overseer of the Lord System, and the custodian of the Eternal Will’s greatest project."

​Cassian wasn’t surprised. If any Pillar were suited to managing a structure spanning countless realities, it was Order itself.

​"However," the serpent noted, its tone turning solemn, "a Lord may not truly participate in the war against the Parasites until reaching the Transcendent Stage. Before then, only echoes of the wounds may be faced, fragments, projections, and shallow manifestations of a deeper infection."

​Cassian’s thoughts immediately snapped to a familiar phenomenon. "Rifts."

​The serpent nodded. "Precisely. The phenomena your civilization calls Rifts are little more than protrusions, the tip of a blade, the shadow of the true wound. Yet even these fragments remain dangerous, and thus rewards are granted for closing them."

​Cassian knew that reality all too well. In his previous life, he had cleared countless Rifts; some had nearly claimed his life, while others provided opportunities beyond measure.

​In fact, the single greatest opportunity from his past timeline lay hidden within a Rift that had yet to open in this era.

​And this time... he had no intention of letting it slip through his fingers.

​The Eternal Serpent observed his sudden shift in demeanor for a quiet moment before speaking once more:

​"That concludes your final question."

​The stars around them seemed to brighten, and the endless void trembled with raw energy.

​The ancient being’s golden eyes focused entirely upon him, pinning him in place.

​"And now..."

​A suffocating pressure older than civilizations descended upon the space.

​"...it is time for your boon."

....

The Eternal Serpent gazed down at Cassian.

​"As for the Grand Boon... it is not chosen by me, nor is it chosen by the recipient."

​"Many mortals mistakenly believe a boon is a reward tailored to their desires," the serpent continued. "It is not. Others believe it is something the Lord’s Domain thinks they currently need. That is also incorrect."

​The Eternal Serpent’s golden eyes glowed softly.

​"A Grand Boon is a possibility, a gift born from the convergence of fate, potential, and achievement. It reflects neither desire nor necessity; it simply reflects what could be."

​Cassian nodded slowly.

​That explanation felt far more fitting. After all, if the Lord’s Domain granted exactly what people wanted, there would be countless invincible Lords running around with absurd, unearned abilities.

​The serpent seemed amused by the thought. "It appears you understand."

​Its voice carried a distinct trace of approval. "Then receive your reward, Lord Cassian Voss."

​The moment those words left its mouth, a tiny speck of light appeared before Cassian.

​It was small, almost insignificant, like a lone firefly suspended amidst an endless sea of stars.

Yet the moment it materialized, the surrounding void seemed to warp and bend around it.

​The speck drifted forward slowly, silently, until it touched Cassian’s chest.

​Then, it sank straight into his heart.

​Cassian instinctively tensed for an impact, yet no pain came, no burning sensation, no violent surge of energy, and no explosive awakening.

​Nothing.

​It was as though the light had simply vanished into thin air.

​For a brief moment, genuine confusion crossed his face.

​Then—

​Ding.

​A familiar sound echoed directly through his consciousness.

​Cassian’s eyes widened.

​The Lord’s Ledger, the system interface that had remained completely silent throughout his entire audience with the Eternal Serpent,finally reacted.

​Countless lines of glowing text exploded before his vision in rapid succession:

​[Grand Boon Detected.]

​[Analyzing Boon...]

​[Processing...]

​[Evaluating Compatibility...]

​[Synchronizing with Lord Seed...]

​[Synchronizing with Blessings...]

​[Synchronizing with Troop Type: Undead...]

​More warning notifications flashed across his screen:

​[Warning.]ℴ

​[Boon possesses multiple developmental pathways.]

​[Determining optimal integration route...]

​[Integration successful.]

​Cassian watched in silence as the notifications continued to scroll. Even the Eternal Serpent seemed content to wait, observing the process with quiet curiosity.

​[Grand Boon Processed.]

​[Boon Successfully Converted into Lord Authority-Compatible Skill.]

​[Generating Skill...]

​The scrolling text finally slowed to a halt before a final, glowing window materialized in the center of his view:

​[New Skill Acquired: Undead Summoning]

....

Author’s Note: Guys, please... I’m kinda voteless!

Ahem... On a serious note, the Audience of Origins arc is finally coming to an end. I know this short setup was a bit info-dumpy, but it was essential to lay the groundwork for the next phase of the story. Thanks for bearing with me through it!

With that out of the way, I’d love to ask for your support! Please drop your votes, Power Stones, and reviews. These little things give me the energy to write more Chapters and brainstorm crazy plot twists!

A massive thank you to King_dom01 for this month’s Golden Ticket, I really appreciate it! That’s all for my rant. Thank you so much for reading!