"Would you like to be my disciple, Arielle?"
Her voice echoed like a divine decree, calm yet carrying unfathomable weight.
I lowered my head, heart pounding.
"If I become the disciple of the Lord of the Universe," I said slowly, "I will grow strong in less time. Then I can protect my god-parents and help you whenever the Sacred Realm is in danger. With a master of unfathomable power, I could ask for guidance… even for miracles."
I raised my eyes and spoke with absolute resolve.
"Yes. I wish to become your disciple, Your Supreme Holiness."
"Then," she replied, "we shall form a pact… with blood."
Without hesitation, I cut my finger. A single drop of blood oozed out. I offered it to her with both hands. She accepted it, merging it with her own blood. The moment they fused, a terrifying yet sacred aura surged through the air.
An eternal bond was formed master and disciple,
I knelt on my knees and bowed deeply.
"From this day onward, you are my master This disciple shall serve you for eternity."
She looked at me silently before speaking.
"From today onward, you are my only disciple… and the heir of the Lord of the Universe. As your master, I expect you to make me proud."
"Yes, Master," I replied without hesitation.
"But I have a request."
"I know," she said calmly. "You are worried about the Sacred Realm. Do not concern yourself. I will handle everything. You must focus on your cultivation."
"Thank you, Master."
She waved her hand, and a pill appeared in her palm
"Take this. It will aid your cultivation."
I stared at the pill in disbelief. Half of it was white, the other half pitch black. The aura it emitted was something I had never felt before—ancient, terrifying, and divine.
"Could it be…?" I whispered.
"Is this… a Legendary Black and White Pill?"
"Yes," she replied. "It is refined from the cores of two God Kings one from the White Realm and one from the Black Realm. After their deaths, their cores were extracted and refined into this pill. It is the highest-grade pill in existence."
My breath trembled.
"How far… how far can I advance if I consume it?"
"You will reach the Golden Realm," she answered. "And once there, advancing through each star will become far easier."
"What?!" My eyes widened. "Such power… it must have severe side effects. My body may not survive it."
"You are correct," she said calmly. "If you consume it now, your body will burst apart. You must first strengthen your physique to withstand the pill's effects."
"Is there a way?" I asked urgently. "A way to prepare my body?"
"Yes. You must consume a highest-grade Body Strengthening Pill. There is also one secret ingredient but that is something I alone know how to obtain."
I asked eagerly, "Where can I find such a pill?"
She smiled faintly.
"Do you truly think your master possesses a Black and White Pill… but not a mere Body Strengthening Pill?"
With a wave of her hand, another pill appeared.
"Take this. Absorb it. I must leave for now there are matters I must deal with."
"Is it related to the Sacred Realm… or the Netherworld?" I asked anxiously.
"Do not worry," she said. "I promise that nothing will happen to the Sacred Realm for now. Focus on your cultivation."
Before I could say another word, she vanished.
Zariel
"If anything happens to the Princess," I said coldly, "I will destroy the entire domain especially the Sacred Realm."
"Our Netherworld army is ready," the Demon God declared. "We await your command."
"Then we march," I said. "To the Sacred Realm."
I looked up at the crimson-and-black sky of the Netherworld.
"Princess… are you safe? I'm coming for you."
Suddenly, a chilling voice echoed behind me.
"Your Princess is perfectly safe."
I turned and my blood froze.A woman stood there, clad in a black robe. Her presence alone caused space to tremble. Time itself stopped. A shiver ran down my spine as everything around us became still.
Who is she…?
Anyone with such overwhelming power in this domain anyone capable of stopping time there was only one.
"…A Lord of the Universe."
And she stood right before me.