Book 9 - To The End Of The World Chapter 17

New Lease Of Life

Apeiron ended the kiss looking calmly at a softened Richard, "I don't love you, I don't feel grateful to you. But for some reason, you being alive gives this world some meaning. Sharon would be better, but I can settle for you."

Richard simply stared at the woman who seemed so beautiful and calm, a far cry from the fear-inducing lunatic she normally was. However, he still recognised that fire of determination in her eyes; she was not someone who could be swayed. He heaved a sigh, "I still need to find Master, and if I really get her back then I'll need to go to the Darkness. My chances of survival aren't great in either scenario."

She fell silent for a moment before responding, "Then you can go die after rescuing Sharon!"

"I can... You know what, nevermind. Help me heal first."

"Nope, don't know how."

Richard grew extremely annoyed, but he still managed a smile, "I don't expect you to heal me yourself, Your Majesty. But maybe there's something in this place that can help a mage. I don't know... Maybe a mana pool?"

"..." A look of understanding dawned upon her, and she immediately picked him up and humped to the side of the pool. She threw him right into the centre, causing a loud splash.

"YOU BLUB—" Richard couldn't even finish his bellow, sinking down all the way to the bottom with a trail of bubbles left behind. Regardless of his discontent, his limbs were powerless and couldn't bring him to the surface even for a moment. Lying at the bottom, he could only seethe in annoyance.

...

The pool rippled after a short while, Richard leaping out from within. Almost moaning in relief, he glared at Apeiron for a moment before going quiet. The Empress was just standing there silently, her purple eyes filled with a strange sense of vacancy that was mirrored by her expression. She looked like any lost youth, not knowing where destiny would take her. Unable to vent, he could only continue glaring resentfully, "I didn't think you're one to act like this."

She smiled softly, "There are a lot of things you can't think of. How about some?"

"You mean..." Richard frowned. He understood her meaning, but their last time having sex was a failure of judgement on his part after losing to his instincts post battle. This time, they were both sober.

"You don't want to do it?"

He furrowed his brows with doubt, "You're not thinking of dying again, right?"

"Of course not, I'm finding a reason to live. Your Grace, if you won't come over, then I will. Don't call me a rapist then."

Richard's eye twitched. He had just regained his mobility and didn't have any ability to fight her off. Apeiron was someone who walked the talk, and he didn't want another partner where he felt like he did with Sharon, especially with someone he'd already defeated. He bounced forward with large strides, stripping her and pinning her down.

Things went quite smoothly, and to Richard's surprise he wasn't even decapitated midway through. He was basically powerless right now, completely at her mercy, but she didn't turn out to be as evil as she supposedly was.

...

Once they were done, Apeiron slowly sat up and hugged her knees, staring at the endless void outside the demiplane.

"What is it?" he couldn't help but ask.

She turned to face him, a beautiful smile on her lips, "Thank you. I feel like there's some meaning now."

Richard was a little taken aback by the reply, but he managed to chuckle, "You're welcome, but what is it? I know I'm charming, but... Heh."

"No, it's your luck."

"My... luck... Sigh, alright," he nodded.

She looked towards the void once more, asking calmly, "You've gotten more energetic, Sharon is alive I presume?"

He smiled bitterly, "Maybe, and I have a small clue as to where she is. That portal... Do you recall our talk about the alter world?"

......

The timing of Richard and Apeiron's return surprised most people, especially those hidden in the darkness. They found it difficult to believe that an investigation into the Eternal Vortex would only require a few months, and many started speculating that they had been met with a setback and simply returned.

Richard naturally wasn't one to explain himself to these people, so once he parted ways with the Empress he returned to the Archeron island. Most of the buildings were already complete by this point, leaving only the internal decorations.

Strangely enough, the nobles of Faust had their heads held higher than ever. Richard's unimpeded Blood Path was a slap to their faces, but now he was a member of the Sacred Alliance once more. The fact that he had defeated Empress Apeiron implied that there were now two epic beings in the Alliance, allowing them to match the other two human empires of Norland.

In fact, their situation was now better than ever. While Sharon had officially been the Sacred Guardian, that was only in name and she didn't have much tying her to Faust. This was especially evident during the battles against Apeiron, leaving her support of the Alliance unknown. However, Richard was different. He now owned the highest island in all of Faust, and was also a noble who had been born and raised within these lands. He was similarly at odds with the Empress, but even before the two had embarked on their journey together people already had ideas to fix that disharmony.

With a few months having passed in Norland, the changes to the Archerons were rather great. Nasia had successfully pulled Dragon Valley and the Genesis into the special zones of the island, with portals leading there situated within Blackrose Castle and the island itself. Nobody had tried anything foolish with the island, and the reward point system had continued as usual. All the runes and equipment Richard himself had left behind were depleted, but Rosie had taken on the load and managed to keep people interested.

Richard had spent his time on the Blood Path crafting, so six pieces of Midren had been released by this point, with Ironshield collecting three of them and the rest going to other random powerhouses. The Mana Armament that Richard left behind in the exchange was also taken by a legendary mage. The family was out of goods, but now they were so wealthy it was mind-boggling. Even Richard himself didn't dare believe his eyes when he saw the fifty top-tier offerings in his warehouse. He could definitely attain many difficult goals with these, especially Sharon.

Another pleasant surprise came from the bounty program for the Scholars. The giant rewards had encouraged many to step forward with traces, many of which proved to be real enough to merit the reward. The Scholars had their own weak points as well, with not all of them being able to hide themselves with no trace left behind. Once the entirety of Norland was searching for them, many of those worms had been exposed to the sun.

The greatest reward was reaped by the Millennial Empire, who had transported a corpse proven to be a member of Soremburg's Council. Nasia had given them a whopping 15 million gold, the other nine they brought amounting to merely three.

When Richard saw these figures, he knew that the Scholars had been dealt a heavy blow. However, he wasn't so easily satisfied, and the taste of blood only left him thirsty for more. He summoned Olar to his office and ordered an announcement that the rewards would now be doubled, leaving the bard with a vicious look on his face as he left to carry out those orders.

The last report Richard had to see was the work schedule Nasia had prepared for him. He had to complete at least three more parts of Midren right away, and any random grade 5 rune on top. He also had to get a batch of legendary and sub-legendary equipment from the Eternal Dragon, only after which would he be allowed free time. However, he actually had to complete this set of tasks thrice in a row if he wished to leave for any length of time.

Such a demand left him feeling rather helpless; Nasia felt more like a slave driver with every day. However, he had to admit that having someone like her helping was a huge stroke of fortune. Quickly penning down a list of items to be sent to Faelor, he decided to go make the offerings and then finish off the runes.