Runner quietly swallowed another spoonful of curry before casually raising her hand. Moments later another glowing system screen briefly appeared in front of the group before disappearing just as quickly after only a few seconds.
Unlike Shimmer, she did not particularly care to explain every single detail because frankly, most of it sounded absurd when spoken out loud, though the important difference was immediately obvious to Natalis and Denisia. While Shimmer's existence felt strangely split between species, Runner was far more straightforward in one terrifying aspect. She was a Royal Aeterium, exactly like Vastarael.
Name: Runner Richinaria
Alias: Runner
Age: 17
Title: Richinaria Princess
Species: Royal Aeterium
Affiliation: Dynasty Richinaria
Status: [Fourth Enlightenment 99%]
Pinnacle Tethers: [Speech Manipulation]
Base Tethers: [Soul and Body Reconstruction], [Limitless], [Soul Vision], [Inventory]
Major Divinities: [Speech]
Minor Divinities: [None]
Codex: [None]
Artifacts: [Nanorune Armor,] [Crystal Lotus]...
Overwrite: [None]
Divine Transformation: [Runetalker]
Boon: [Defense Invocation]
Bane: [Weapon Defiance]
"Honestly, I'm mostly fine because of that. Being a Royal Aeterium is good."
Denisia slowly crossed her arms.
"Mostly fine? You nearly destroyed your body reconstructing yourself repeatedly."
Runner pointed her spoon at her.
"But I did reconstruct myself."
"That is not reassuring."
Natalis looked thoughtful for a moment before glancing between the two sisters, clearly trying to piece together something that had bothered her ever since the battle started. None of this added up under normal circumstances. Being at the Fourth Enlightenment at seventeen was already abnormal enough to sound fabricated, yet somehow the two sisters acted like this level of absurdity was completely normal. Even their combat adaptability alone rivaled beings centuries older than them, which made the entire thing increasingly difficult to rationalize.
"You both are exceptionally young for your Enlightenment Rank. How exactly did you become this powerful so quickly?"
Runner and Shimmer exchanged a look. Then Runner casually answered.
"The main reason is because we don't suffer from the Ascension Curse. We're not originally from Spheraphase. I was originally a Krepsuna from Dimensium. A long time ago, my mother and siblings were killed by the Frozen God. When that happened, I landed on Erna Moon and ended up sleeping there for around three hundred years. Most of it was unconscious."
Denisia stared. Runner raised her hand next.
"I'm from the same moon. I belonged to a Rune Speaking tribe. The Crimson Verdarite killed everyone though so yeah. We're not originally from here. I'm sure you knew about it but not that much."
Natalis looked between them slowly, clearly processing far too much information at once while Denisia seemed equally stunned. Runner sighed and elaborated a little more.
"The Ascension Curse… doesn't work on us because we aren't from Spheraphase. So out development is faster."
The Ascension Curse existed to slow growth, suppressing absurd advancement while ensuring beings of Spheraphase could not ascend too quickly without severe consequences, which was why reaching higher Enlightenment usually took centuries or even millennia. Without it, growth speed would become horrifyingly unfair, especially when combined with extraordinary bloodlines.
Runner pointed at herself and Shimmer.
"Then things got even more ridiculous. The Primordials changed my race into a Frost Dragon."
"Dad turned me into an Aeterium in the Fallen Bridge," Runner added.
Denisia slowly rubbed her forehead.
"So, you are both originally foreign beings who do not suffer from the Ascension Curse, then received superior bloodlines from the Primordials and Vastarael and that somehow became normal?"
Runner smiled brightly.
"For us? Kind of, yes. The reason we even follow Enlightenment Ranks is because we're connected to Aunt Phae's System."
Biolumine quietly stared into her food for a moment before speaking.
"I am glad that I met Veneri. Still, as a Divine Creature… I have not done much."
Runner froze mid-bite and immediately looked offended.
"What? That is a lie."
Shimmer nodded instantly.
"No. That's actually not true In the Fallen Bridge, we literally survived because of you. Do you remember how cold that place was?"
Biolumine looked away.
"A little."
"A little? It was basically torture. Heck, Dad had to turn me into an Aeterium because of it."
Shimmer quietly laughed.
"You carried us around in your giant cat form while we explored the snow regions. And whenever temperatures got too bad, you kept us warm."
Runner nodded aggressively.
"You were basically transportation and survival support combined. You even protected us while we slept."
Biolumine's ears twitched.
"Really?"
"Yes. And even though Dad doesn't say things directly very often, he's always happy having you around. The only problem is that Dad is way too strong. He doesn't really rely on people for combat. He's too self-reliant."
Runner lazily leaned back.
"Father's basically the type to see a world-ending problem and go, 'I'll handle it myself.'"
"He absolutely would," Shimmer agreed.
Biolumine quietly lowered her gaze for a moment before she smiled.
"Still, I am glad I stayed."
Biolumine's small smile lingered for a moment before the quiet atmosphere underneath the gigantic pillar shifted again, though this time it was subtle enough that nobody immediately reacted because after seven straight days of fighting, exhaustion had dulled everyone's instincts.
"Veneri sounds like a very good father."
Shimmer smiled immediately.
"He is."
She instantly pointed Annihilator directly at the person who spoke.
The giant sapphire zweihander appeared so fast that a slight shockwave emerged from it while frost spread across the ground beneath Shimmer's feet. Runner was already halfway summoning her lotus while Denisia and Natalis immediately shifted into combat stances. Standing only several meters away, leaning casually against one of the enormous pillars like he had been there the entire time, was a man none of them had sensed approaching.
He looked strangely relaxed for someone currently being threatened by four Fourth Enlightenment Divines.
The man had long white hair that reached past his shoulders, dark skin and golden eyes so strangely bright they almost looked artificial under the station lights. He was absurdly handsome while wearing something so painfully casual it almost became suspicious—a simple white shirt and white pants with absolutely no armor whatsoever. He looked more like someone arriving late to family dinner than somebody appearing mysteriously in front of exhausted warriors.
The man slowly raised both hands.
"Okay, very understandable reaction."
Shimmer narrowed her eyes.
"Who are you?"
"I could answer, but preferably without the giant zweihander pointed at my face."
Runner, however, suddenly froze.
"Wait."
Everyone looked at her.
Runner pointed slowly.
"He's Aeterium."
Aeterium recognized one another instinctively on a level difficult to explain, especially Royal Aeterium. Runner could feel it immediately beneath the strange calmness this man radiated. More importantly, the feeling was familiar somehow, resembling something oddly close to what she felt from her father, though it was ancient beyond comparison.
Runner slowly lowered her hand.
"He's not hostile. If he was we would have been dead by now."
Shimmer hesitated for several seconds and then reluctantly lowered Annihilator. The man sighed dramatically.
"Thank you. I was really hoping not to start this conversation with attempted murder."
"You appeared out of nowhere."
"Fair criticism, Miss Denisia."
The man casually walked over before stopping beside the giant sapphire bowl, glancing between everyone.
"Can I join?"
Nobody answered immediately. Runner awkwardly cleared her throat.
"Sure?"
"Fantastic."
He sat down cross-legged beside them like, immediately helping himself to curry without even asking further permission while somehow showing absolutely zero tension despite being surrounded by people fully prepared to attack him moments earlier.
"This is actually pretty good. Veneri makes excellent food."
That sentence immediately made everyone stare.
"You know Dad?"
"Oh. Right. Introductions."
He wiped his hands dramatically before smiling.
"My name is Vasreveilder Nov Aeteria. Veneri's grandfather."
Then Vasreveilder casually continued eating like he had not just dropped world-altering information.
"You may also know me as the Aeterium who made the Hidden Citadel," he said casually between bites. "Created the Ascension Curse, accidentally caused the Destras Cataclysm, got cheated on by his Omniscient wife, had a kid to save the world and such stuff. Oh, and I ended the First Krepsuna War."
Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. Nobody even blinked. Runner slowly looked at Shimmer who then did the same. Natalis quietly looked horrified. Denisia was shocked as well. Biolumine looked like she was about to sprint and run.
"Excuse me? You caused the Ascension Curse?"
Vasreveilder casually nodded.
"Yeah, Miss Natalis. Those were busy millennia."
Runner stared for several long seconds.
"No. No way."
"What?"
"You are way too casual for someone that terrifying."
Vasreveilder looked offended.
"That's profiling."
"Dad never mentioned you."
Vasreveilder suddenly looked awkward.
"Yeah. We kind of have a complicated family communication. I've never seen him face to face and I doubt I will anytime soon."
"That sounds suspicious."
"It is."
Then, without warning, he casually reached into his inventory and pulled out a knife. Everyone immediately tensed again.
"Oh relax."
He chopped his own hand off. The hand hit the floor and golden blood splashed from it. Runner couldn't help but shout.
"What the hell?! Get that away from the food!"
Vasreveilder calmly held up the missing arm stump. Flesh reconstructed and almost immediately, his hand healed. Meanwhile, the severed hand dissolved into floating golden particles before disappearing entirely alongside the blood. Vasreveilder casually flexed his fingers.
"There. Proof."
"You cut off your hand," Denisia said flatly.
"Yes."
"For proof?"
"Yes."
"You could have literally just explained."
"That's less dramatic."
Runner slowly rubbed her forehead.
"Oh by the Primordials. He really is related to Dad."
Vasreveilder laughed softly before leaning back comfortably against the giant pillar.
"You know, I did not expect to meet my great grandkids. I always thought I'd die before something like this happened yet somehow, here I am."
He looked toward Runner and Shimmer.
"I'm talking to Veneri's daughters."
"Wait," Runner said slowly. "You knew about us?"
"Oh absolutely. I stalk family developments. Oh. That sounded worse out loud."