The negotiations stretched on for most of the day, and by the time they concluded, the sun had already set. Alistair watched wearily as Aramemnos rose from his seat, his commanding presence once again drawing the room’s attention.

  "To summarize," Aramemnos began, his voice steady and precise, "the Synth Alliance will be recognized as a neutral party and will no longer be considered an outsider faction. Trade ships may pass through the gates on pre-negotiated dates, subject to thorough inspection by Coalition military personnel. It will be the Synth Alliance’s duty to prevent the passage of any unauthorized factions during these dates, as per sections T1 to T11 of the accords. Any breach of this duty or risk to security will result in the revocation of the trade ships’ protected status."

  Alistair rubbed his temples, exhaustion settling in as the room’s time dilation had reached an uncomfortable intensity hours ago. He was just relieved that the Coalition had already drafted most of the articles and demands beforehand. Negotiations had mainly involved reviewing, modifying, and finalizing the terms, but the process was still tedious. Sitting through the reading of an entire legal booklet had been far from his idea of an enjoyable day.

  Aramemnos paused briefly, his gaze sweeping the room to gauge the reactions of those present. Once satisfied that no immediate objections arose, he continued.

  "Furthermore, the Synth Alliance will be granted generous access to the Aegis Coalition Universal Network for trade and communication purposes. In exchange, the Synth Alliance will forgive any alleged transgressions of intellectual property, relinquish associated licensing fees, and provide appropriate licensing for modifications to all affected factions.

  "In accordance with Multiversal rights, the Aegis Coalition formally recognizes the Synth Alliance’s right to licensing and intellectual property. The Coalition will also honor any trade agreements that do not violate Coalition protocols or basic Multiversal laws."

  Aramemnos’s tone grew firmer as he addressed the matter of military conduct. "Regarding military activity, any expansion or militarization by the Synth Alliance must remain within the defined parameters outlined in the accords and be coordinated with the Aegis Coalition. The Synth Alliance agrees to limit its expansion according to sections M1 to M55 and is prohibited from initiating aggression in any conflict. Any violation of the accords through offensive actions will result in the loss of its status as a neutral faction."

  His gaze swept across the room, ensuring the gravity of his next point was clear. "The Synth Alliance is permitted to recruit individuals as citizens, provided it is done voluntarily. Any forceful conversion, use of social manipulation skills, or the social engineering practices outlined in sections S22 to S89 of the accords will trigger an investigation and could lead to the termination of this agreement."

  Alistair glanced around the room, hopeful that no one would raise another objection and prolong the meeting any further. All he wanted was for it to finally conclude so he could head to bed and forget about the entire ordeal. He wasn’t alone in his sentiment—many others around the table wore weary, strained expressions.

  Through his resonance with Riseth, Alistair could feel her exhaustion mirroring his own, along with a simmering annoyance that was impossible to ignore. Following her gaze, he spotted the source of her ire—an octopus-kin delegate who had raised objection after objection and made countless amendments.

  She looks like she’s about to strangle him, Alistair thought, doing his best to stifle a smirk as he watched Riseth glare daggers at the oblivious delegate. He almost missed it when Aramemnos finished outlining the terms of the accords, but the subtle flare of the Tok’eall’s aura pulled him back to attention. Quickly, he gave the sign to indicate their acknowledgment and agreement to the terms discussed.

  Glancing around the room, he felt a surge of relief as nobody interjected or tried to force yet another concession into the agreement.

  "With that, these negotiations have come to a close. I thank you all for your time," Aramemnos declared, bowing low. As he did, the room’s time dilation snapped back to normalcy.

  Alistair felt an immediate wave of relief, mirrored by the audible sighs and groans from others around the table—though most quickly caught themselves and straightened, regaining their composure.

  Once the doors to the outside opened, they didn’t linger long, exchanging only a few brief words with Adam and Esta before taking their leave. Esta, equally eager to escape before anyone could pull her into another discussion, accompanied them partway. Before parting, they agreed to meet the next day for a spar.

  Later, as they collapsed onto their bed, Riseth murmured into her pillow, "I don’t think I can do that again."

  Alistair let out a groan. "Do you think we can just let Nessyra handle these things on her own from now on?"

  A muffled, tired growl came from Riseth’s pillow. "Probably."

  Exhaustion overtook them so quickly that Alistair barely noticed when sleep finally claimed him.

  Juliana sat on a balcony at the edge of the Lotus, her gaze fixed on the storm wall within Nivareth. The flickering lightning illuminated ever-changing images that shifted with each strike, their outlines both mesmerizing and elusive. She hadn’t been able to discern any pattern in the types of challenges they represented or the order in which they appeared.

  Some of the shapes had seemed promising, and several other members of the clan had eagerly delved into them before they disappeared. But for Juliana, none had felt right. None had called to her or ignited the sense of purpose others often spoke of—a pull so strong it left no room for hesitation. Instead, she remained on the sidelines, watching and patiently waiting for the one image that would truly resonate with her.

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  It was then that she felt it—a sudden tug at her consciousness as the image of a dense forest flashed within the storm. For a moment, she questioned if her mind was playing tricks on her, but she could swear she heard it—a faint, pathetic whimpering cry, muffled beneath the deafening roar of desperate battle.

  Juliana shot to her feet, her body responding before her mind could catch up. A surge of protective instinct overwhelmed her, paired with an undeniable urge to intervene. She couldn’t be certain if those feelings were truly her own or a byproduct of the storm’s strange magic, but she knew, without a doubt, that this was it—the challenge meant for her.

  Before stepping forward to brave the storm, she paused, focusing on her senses. She probed the storm for any hints of the danger awaiting her and confirmed, with relief, that while it was real and formidable, it was not beyond her grade. Resolute, Juliana steeled herself and moved to face the challenge ahead.

  As Juliana passed through the storm, the intense time compression hit her, far stronger than what she had felt within Nivareth’s Lotus. She took a moment to steady herself as the distinct smell of forest and loamy earth filled her senses. Before she could fully adjust, a cacophony of roars and wet, squelching sounds echoed through the forest, reverberating in all directions and making it difficult to discern their exact source.

  Juliana extended her senses, probing the space around her. It didn’t take long to locate the origin of the disturbance, just beyond her usual perception—a powerful entity consuming something large and elongated. Her focus sharpened as she zeroed in on the source, but before she could act, the entity’s power flared, reacting to her detection.

  Teleporting above the scene, Juliana took in the grisly sight below. A massive, furred beast, its muscles rippling beneath black armor-like plates, was tearing into the body of a creature that resembled a blend of a weasel and a Chinese dragon. The predator’s horns curved wickedly, almost as long as its bulging arms, while its face was lined with jagged teeth. The claws on its four legs gleamed like curved shortswords, glistening with blood.

  A faint, weak sound drew Juliana’s attention. Beyond the large corpse, within a small cave, she spotted the crushed bodies of four juvenile beasts sprawled across a nest still wet and glistening with crushed eggs. Only one of the litter had survived. Its feeble cries for its mother were heartbreaking, its legs and tail mangled, its life force fading rapidly as its breaths grew shallow.

  For a moment, rage flared in Juliana, but she quickly caught herself. These were beasts, and such things were natural. Still, that didn’t mean she would stand by and let the last survivor perish.

  She teleported to the creature’s side, immediately drawing the predator’s ire. The beast lunged at her, but with a flick of her hand, she teleported it a kilometer into the air, buying herself precious time. Pulling out a health potion, she carefully fed it to the small creature she identified as a [Juvenile Celitar - lvl 100]. Its white-and-teal fur was sticky with blood, but as the potion took effect, its breathing began to stabilize.

  Juliana felt a pang of concern as the creature’s condition improved, but its movements grew erratic, its aura radiating fear and panic. Extending her calming aura, she cradled the small beast in her arms and stepped out of the cave. Her gaze rose skyward, tracking the [Noxotan - lvl 179] she had displaced as it continued to fall.

  While she had casually dismissed the creature once, she wasn’t certain she could do it again. Even at this range, she could sense its rage and unyielding determination burning like a beacon.

  Reassuring the small Celitar with a gentle touch, she attempted to store it in her ring. The attempt failed immediately, the magical rejection clear and absolute. Her intuition and understanding of space helped her make an educated guess that the creature’s connection to the trial prevented it from being removed, making any attempt to store the creature futile.

  Frowning, Juliana conjured four battlespheres, each rapidly charging before unleashing short bursts of plasma beams in a precise, rhythmic pattern at the descending Noxotan. Its obvious rage skill provided little help as the plasma strikes tore through its sturdy body, burning holes at an alarming pace. Sensing an opportunity, Juliana channeled more energy into the battlespheres, quickening the rhythm and amplifying the beams’ intensity.

  As the Noxotan closed in, its wild, bloodshot eyes becoming visible even from her distance, she used her gravity manipulation to yank the beast downward with terrifying force. The creature plummeted like a comet, slamming into the rocky terrain with a violent crash. The impact left a massive crater, a red smear marking the beast's obliteration as gore sprayed outward, splattering the nearby trees. Yet, the blood and debris flowed harmlessly past her, deflected by the distortions of space around her.

  Juliana watched calmly as a small silver scale coalesced from the remains of the Noxotan. She extended her hand, letting the scale absorb into her palm before turning her attention back to the Juvenile Celitar in her arms.

  Juliana was quite pleased with herself. The training she had undergone with Alistair, Riseth, and their master was paying dividends. Beasts that weren’t at least early grade 7 posed little threat to her unless they were extremely high-tier, like a dragon, phoenix, or a similarly formidable creature.

  Looking down, she noticed the little weasel-like creature in her arms was staring at her, its wide light-blue eyes filled with awe after witnessing the battle.

  "You’re a smart little cookie, aren’t you?" Juliana said with a soft chuckle, lifting the small creature for a closer look. Its light-blue eyes met hers, filled with a mix of wonder and expectation.

  The moment broke as the Celitar turned its gaze toward the still body of its mother. It began to squirm in her arms, letting out small, pitiful squeaking sounds, its movements frantic and filled with longing.

  Juliana winced but allowed the small creature its moment as it pawed at the still form of its mother. The sight was heart-wrenching, and she quickly decided to store the bodies of its siblings, intending to bury them later. When her gaze fell on the larger body of the mother, she hesitated. It felt wrong to take and process its body, so she resolved to store it as well, out of respect.

  After storing the mother’s remains, Juliana gently picked up the small creature, letting her soothing aura wash over it. The Celitar’s sorrow and distress were palpable, tugging at her heart. She murmured softly as she used simple cleaning magic to rid its fur of blood and dirt, her chest aching as she sensed the depth of its grief.

  The distant roars of other beasts caught her attention, snapping her from the moment. Deciding it was best to explore the area while keeping the little one close, she began to move.

  Hours later, Juliana had gained a decent understanding of the lay of the land. She mapped out various paths and identified potential threats, but she hadn’t found any concrete clues about what she was supposed to do to complete the challenge. One thing, however, was clear—when she tried to leave the area with the small Celitar, she found it impossible, just as it had been with storing the creature.

  The realization left her uneasy. Whatever this trial demanded, the creature was undeniably central to it. When she tried to reach out with her Akashic Link, she found it completely cut off, the heavy distortion of time and space making it impossible to connect with anyone outside the subspace.

  It became clear that she had a decision to make. She could remain within the challenge, taking care of and raising the juvenile Celitar, or she could abandon it to its fate, leaving it to die.

  The choice wasn’t difficult.

  "Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together, little one," Juliana said with a faint smile. "I guess I should give you a name." She gently ran her fingers through the small creature’s incredibly soft fur, feeling it relax ever so slightly in her arms.