"There is something I have always wanted to understand. Why is the World so afraid of Nexuses?"
Melody blinked once.
"Nexuses?"
"They literally saved Spheraphase. The Nexus Heroes ended the Destras Cataclysm, killed every First Generation Deity and created the foundations for the Dynasties that exist today. Without them, civilization would not even exist anymore. And yet somehow, the world exiled them. I don't not understand why but it feels wrong."
Melody was quiet for a while.
The wind moved through her blonde hair as she looked toward the horizon, thinking carefully before answering. Unlike most people, she never rushed difficult topics. When Melody explained something, she always made sure it had weight behind it.
"I cannot give you a perfect answer but I do have theories."
Veneri looked at her.
"You already know more than most people. That's enough."
Melody folded her arms behind her back.
"The explorers of Musica learned fragments of memories over the centuries. We never interfere with Spheraphase directly anymore, but information still reaches us. To understand why Nexuses were exiled, you first have to understand what Spheraphase actually is."
Veneri stayed quiet.
"Spheraphase is not merely a planet. It's sentient and multifaceted. It does not exactly have a gender either. Or perhaps it possesses all genders simultaneously. A world that old and powerful no longer functions in ways that Immortals can barely understand. Every action Spheraphase takes is ultimately centered around survival, even cruel and unfair decisions."
"So you think the exile happened intentionally?"
"I think it happened for a reason. And if I had to guess, that reason was probably to pave the way for the Third Generation."
"The Third Generation?"
"Yes. Your generation."
She stopped walking for a moment and looked directly at him.
"You need to understand something important about Spheraphase. It is an Origin Planet."
"I know that much."
Melody shook her head.
"No. It's not merely an Origin Planet. Spheraphase is an extraordinarily powerful Origin Planet and one of the strongest ones in the known universe."
Veneri looked surprised.
"Its that significant?"
"Yes. Origin Planets are worlds that play foundational roles in universal balance. Their existence influences reality itself. Spheraphase is essential to the universe in ways most people cannot even begin to understand. That is why its gravity is so dense and why the natives born there are monstrously powerful compared to beings from ordinary worlds. You grew up there so you never noticed, but the natural conditions of Spheraphase are absurd. The issue is that powerful beings suppress growth."
Veneri frowned again.
"What do you mean?"
Melody glanced at him.
"The presence of too many powerful existences in one world lowers the potential of others. A world can only sustain so much influence before natural development begins stagnating. It's similar to becoming a Primordial Deity. If someone becomes the Primordial Deity of Energy, then they gain complete dominion over energy within that world. Your father, for example. Dilasyus is already terrifying as a Nexus of Energy but as a Nexus-Level Existence, he dominates energy. And because he is a Nexus, his influence extends beyond ordinary planetary laws."
Veneri slowed down and looked at the sea.
"So someone like him becomes too heavy for the world to carry."
"Precisely. The stronger someone becomes, the harder it becomes for a world to sustain them. And the Third Generation is dangerous. You might be the strongest generation Spheraphase has ever produced. The Ascension Curse exists for a reason you know. It prevents growth because if your generation developed freely, the balance of the world would collapse."
She crossed her arms.
"Even now, if enough Third Generation beings worked together, they could kill Deities. The Nexus Heroes were worse though. Those ten Nexus Heroes who ended the Destras Cataclysm possessed abilities so absurd that even the world itself struggled to contain them."
She raised one finger.
"Dilasyus, your father, is the Nexus of Energy."
Another finger.
"Lysameria. Nexus of Oceans and Blades."
Another.
"Skyrover. Nexus of Lightning."
Another.
"Fedres. Nexus of Transformations."
Another.
"Vazakiel. Nexus of Knowledge."
Another.
"Arthrea of Mintheris. Nexus of Nature."
Another.
"Hanabas, Eldrigan's mother. An Outer God who exists at the Nexus Rank."
Another.
"The Demon King. Nexus of Darkness."
Another.
"The Heavenly Mother. Nexus of Light."
And finally—
"Starisnova, The Celestial. Nexus of Space and avatar of Spheraphase itself. Those ten saved the world. They killed every First Generation Deity and ended a four-thousand-year apocalypse. But their existence became too overwhelming."
The wind passed between them again.
"They were so powerful that reality itself began bending around them. The natural order could not develop while they existed on Spheraphase. Maybe that's why you never felt how strong they were because they suppressed their power completely. So perhaps the world exiled them."
"To protect itself?"
"To protect the future. If the Nexus Heroes stayed forever, the next generations would never surpass them. No new legends could rise. No new powers could emerge. Maybe Spheraphase simply chose survival over gratitude."
Veneri stayed silent for a while.
"That sounds cruel."
Melody sighed.
"Worlds are practical. And frankly speaking, Veneri, you are already beginning to experience the same problem."
"What does that mean?"
Melody pointed at him.
"Your existence already bends rules. You are not at the Nexus Rank yet, but if you continue growing like this, do not be surprised if Spheraphase eventually starts trying to push you away too before you get there."
Veneri stared at her for several seconds.
"That sounds incredibly rude of the world."
Melody laughed.
"You inherited the bloodline of people reality actively struggles to tolerate. At some point, you should stop acting surprised. Oh. There's another thing you should understand. The direct children of the Nexus Heroes are all absurdly powerful by normal standards. You and your sister Anamorsia might actually be the strongest."
"What?"
She looked at him with complete seriousness now.
"I'm not exaggerating. The problem is that neither of you has reached the Seventh Enlightenment yet, so most of your potential is still dormant. You are the son of the Nexus of Energy and the Nexus of Oceans and Blades. Those are not ordinary bloodlines to inherit."
Veneri sighed.
"Trust me, I know."
"No, you really don't. Most mixed races inherit diluted blood. Even among hybrids, one side becomes dominant while the other weakens over time. You and your blood sister don't not possess half-blood inheritance. You inherited both bloodlines completely. You are fully Aeterium and fully Hydroborn."
For a second, he simply stared at her.
"That makes absolutely no sense."
"It should not but somehow, reality allowed it. As I said, the Universal Laws like you. That means you can theoretically access both Aeterium and Hydroborn capabilities at their highest possible level."
Veneri crossed his arms.
"Then where exactly are these Hydroborn powers? Because I'm fairly certain I've never used anything remotely ocean-related apart from summoning water."
"You already are."
He looked confused.
"What?"
"The problem is that you don't understand how Hydroborn function. Hydroborn do not possess Base Tethers like all races. Their system functions differently. They are born with the Divinity of Water. That Divinity acts as the foundation of their race and grants all Hydroborn capabilities. They possess natural water manipulation under the authority of a Royal Hydroborn. They can breathe underwater naturally. They are immune to mystical oceanic pressure and deep-sea energy suppression."
She paused briefly.
"And perhaps most importantly, their energy flow is absurdly efficient."
"Wait. You mean the reason my energy circulation has always been this good and vast is because of Hydroborn blood?"
Melody gave him a look.
"You thought that was normal? Aeterium focus on Soul Energy and the soul, not the body. That was all Hydroborn."
He looked away.
"I grew up in Richinaria. Everything there is abnormal."
Melody laughed.
"That is fair. For you, many Hydroborn traits are already active. You simply never recognized them. You are the son of the two strongest Nexus Heroes. Frankly speaking, you were born absurd."
Veneri sighed dramatically.
"Everyone keeps saying that and somehow it never becomes comforting."
Melody ignored him.
"There is also another universal rule. Across almost every race in existence, the firstborn child is the strongest. It is tradition rooted in natural law. Unless Fate or Destiny deliberately interferes, the firstborn typically receives the strongest inheritance. That means you."
Veneri groaned softly.
"So the pressure of expectations somehow got worse."
"You are handling it surprisingly well. Look at what you have already achieved. You reached Master level in Weapon Mastery before adulthood. You survived an entire Epoch Cycle while staying a First Phase Ascender. You created your own Runic Language. Do you understand how absurd that is?"
Veneri scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I mean… when you say it like that, it sounds impressive."
"Because it is impressive. Even your father could not accomplish that."
Veneri looked surprised.
"Really?"
"Dilasyus never possessed Rune Manipulation. His Magecraft followed a completely different route. You became a First Stellar Mage while creating a mystic language from absolute nothing. That is the kind of achievement that entire civilizations would write myths about."
Veneri stayed quiet. For some reason, praise still made him uncomfortable. Melody noticed.
"You really are terrible at receiving compliments."
"Because they usually come right before something horrifying."
Melody grinned.
"Well, you are learning."
He narrowed his eyes.
"That sounded threatening."
"It was. Rune training is finished. You understand Nepenthes now, your Rune Speaking is refined and your Rune combat has stabilized. That means we move onto the next stage. Your Mystic Circles are going to be built them from scratch."
"That sounds manageable."
Melody's smile widened.
"Oh no. Not the way you think."
She stepped closer.
"You destroyed your old foundations. Which means rebuilding them normally would be a waste. This time, we are doing it perfectly."
Veneri immediately looked concerned.
"That word has never once meant something pleasant coming from you."
Melody ignored him completely.
"I finally figured out the ideal method for someone like you. A First Stellar Mage with Limitless, complete Rune authority and absurd energy reserves. You are not going to recreate Mystic Circles."
"Then what am I doing?"
Melody smiled like someone about to ruin another person's peace.
"You're going to invent an entirely new system of Circlecraft."
The silence that followed lasted several seconds. Veneri slowly looked at her.
"I regret becoming your student."