An awkward tension spread between them as they separated. Neither had expected their meeting to end like this, but David realized he liked it a lot.

  Something buried beneath all the chaos and danger resurfaced—and it burned brightly.

  Desire.

  The excitement about growing stronger was one thing—addictive, even. Watching Orhain expand filled him with satisfaction.

  But feeling someone’s warmth, embracing that one person you held dear, was different. It awakened David’s drive to work even harder and to ensure the Earthen Union would emerge unscathed from the never-ending war between the Origin and the End.

  Neither spoke—a glance between them said it all.

  “I’m pumped,” David snickered, cradling Maja’s long hair for a moment.

  He hadn’t realized how much he missed the warmth of another person—to be close to someone, to have someone to rely on. Maja couldn’t fight the End for him, and he doubted she could handle Ascendants like Zachariah either, but she didn’t have to. All he needed was someone to be there—wherever that may be.

  Only now that he felt Maja’s warmth did he recognize how much the Naughtrealm and his rise to an Ascendant had worn on him. The last two years had pushed him further and further away from himself. From being human. The integration transformed him into a supernatural being, and the strength he’d gained made it increasingly difficult to bond with someone.

  The bonds of the Divine Seed were one thing. They allowed him to feel how others thought of him. As long as they had a bond of Favor or Conflict, he could tell how they thought of him, and that had affected him a lot more than he wanted to acknowledge.

  He could no longer connect to others, and he realized that he no longer wanted that in the first place. David was tired of fake friendships, shallow relationships—and he didn’t want to lose any more people. Yet, it was he who killed William.

  He killed his friend—the one who had changed more than anyone else since the integration.

  David didn’t want to end up like William. He didn’t want to transform into an abomination. But it wasn’t like his strides toward godhood were any different. He wasn’t an abomination. But was he really all that different from William?

  Looking at Maja, pinching her beet-red cheeks, he could confidently say that he was not like his old friend. Maybe he would have become like William if not for the people around him, but the fact that he’d missed being around people, that he missed Maja, and that he didn’t want any more people to die, was more than enough to confirm that he and William were nothing alike.

  He may be a bit of a jerk more often than not, but he wanted to help those around him. He... wanted to be around Maja and make sure she was safe. Not seeing her for so long, only to nearly lose her, had been devastating. A lot more than he expected. It showed him all he needed to know.

  So what if he was acting out of character? So what if people would look at him oddly? He could do whatever he wanted!

  “Do you want to rebuild Kamia with me?” he asked Maja with a smile. “It will take a while, but it’s not like we’re in a rush, right?”

  Maja was still overwhelmed with everything that had happened; her heart was thumping loud enough for David to hear.

  She squirmed as his fingers gently caressed her searing-hot cheeks, and he had to pull back to give her some space. It took her a few seconds to regain composure, and she took her sweet time to respond with a vibrant smile.

  “Is that even a question?” she giggled. “Of course I will help!”

  That was great news, and it made the next part much easier.

  “I want to share a portion of my power with you,” David said, trying to sound matter-of-fact as Maja stared at him, agape. “You are not much of a fighter. You cannot fight close combat, and you’re more of a glass cannon, too. You can throw buildings at your enemies, but once they bypass your spatial distortion or take you by surprise, you—”

  He grimaced as pictures of her dying figure reappeared in his mind. Oddly enough, seeing her half-dead again hurt a lot more than before. David did not want to see her like that again.

  “I cannot accept your power. If I take your power, you will be weaker, and you—” Maja tried to sound grateful for his offer, but she did not want to endanger his life.

  “I am an Ascendant, and I want you to be one of my Champions. Electra is my Prime Champion, so I cannot offer you that spot, but I can make you a Major Champion.” David ignored her rejection and added a quick explanation as to what Champions actually do. “As a Champion, you will be able to wield my power. You will represent your Ascendant, which is me, and you can create bonds in my name. Bonds are ethereal connections that connect mortals with Ascendants through the Weave, empowering the latter depending on the bond’s level.”

  He went into a more detailed explanation revolving around Ascendants, Champions, Sworn, and the Weave, but he avoided her brilliant eyes as she stared at him.

  “You don’t think I can become an Ascendant?” she asked, and David winced.

  Why did she have to ask the very question he avoided?

  “I…don’t know,” he answered, though he doubted she had what it took to become an Ascendant. Zachariah mentioned that only a dozen natives from the Earthen Union became Ascendants in the last Cycle, and that he was the only one who’d survived. This Cycle, half of those who managed to become Ascendants in the last Cycle were already dead, devoured by Voidlings long before Zachariah could reach them.

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  David didn’t want to take any risks, but he felt a pang of guilt when Maja’s eyes remained locked on him.

  “We can play the game a little bit,” he said, finally looking back at Maja. “You can increase your Body, Mind, and Soul stat to 100 percent of Transcendent much easier with a portion of my power. By then, I should have more control over the Law of Unbinding. I’ll weaken our bond and sever it, removing your Champion status. You’d be able to form your Divine Seed then,” he considered his options for a moment and added, “I will help you then.”

  Maja pressed her lips together but nodded. “That was not what I meant…but okay. I still don’t want to weaken you, though.” She looked conflicted. “Can you give me only a little power? I only need enough to form bonds for you. But if you think that will drain you a lot, I don’t want it.”

  David nodded, even though he did not agree with her. As long as she reached the peak of the Transcendent stats, she would live a long life – if she survived the terrors that awaited them. And that was the problem. The Voidlings hadn’t moved for a while, but that didn’t mean anything. The Poisonous Beast God, other Ascendants, gods, and a lot more enemies were bound to interfere with their plan to claim the entirety of Kamia. They would attack, use dirty tactics to harm them in every possible way, and they were bound to target Maja the moment they found out she was dear to David.

  He pulled Maja close and planted a passionate kiss on her lips before channeling Might into her.

  Maja yelped in surprise and separated from him, her eyes bulging. However, the surprise was quickly replaced by confusion and lingering doubts.

  “No, I don’t have to kiss every Champion and Sworn I create,” he said to clear her doubts. “That is a privilege I reserved for you.”

  She smiled bashfully in response, but all shyness was forgotten as the blazing flames of lust ignited within her eyes. She pounced on him, unleashing the feelings she had bottled up.

  The space around them distorted, and the scenery changed. They appeared in David’s house, on top of his bed, and engaged in the creation of his first Champion.

  ***

  “That was amazing.” Maja slumped back on what remained of the bed. She was exhausted, physically and mentally – even her soul was strained – but David highly doubted she was talking about the induction of her new title.

  “That was indeed…something,” he gazed at her, discarding the blaring system notifications that informed him how much the ‘creation’ of the High Champion had cost.

  David had not only shared his Might with Maja. He made sure she was given most of his Class Skills. It was a bit tricky, especially while he was busy destroying the bed, but he managed to deal with everything to a more-than-satisfactory degree. The Class Skills, specifically the Class Path that evolved into Herald of Origin, had been etched into Maja. That included [Reinforce], [Mind Palace], [Soul Domain], [Indomitable Will], [Primeval Pulse], and the like. It granted versatility and everything Maja needed to create a formidable foundation that should block almost everything – maybe even newly inducted Ascendants, though David hoped it would never be necessary for her to fight an Ascendant.

  It would take time, a lot at that, to push her new Skills to the peak, but Maja had the resources to move through the Tiers much faster than he did. As long as she managed to put enough time aside to create a Spark for [Aether Breath], she would be fine.

  As he infused more and more Might into Maja, he also made sure to include Divine Compass and a portion of all his healing abilities. Unfortunately, the healing abilities combined and transformed into something exclusive to Maja. She could only heal herself, which was exactly what she needed at the end. She was sore and in pain, but David didn’t worry, as the bond flooded him with satisfaction—her satisfaction.

  Divine Compass wasn’t his and probably never would be, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t share the Intent with her. It worked, and so did the transfer of Vitae Nihilum infused into Might. Since it had worked on the Guardian Idols and, more or less, on Electra, David tried to incorporate it into the creation of his first Champion as well.

  David had quickly realized that Vitae hurt Maja, but it seemed only he noticed anything wrong. Maja, as cute and innocent as she looked, transformed into a feral feline the moment they were alone in his room. Fortunately, he only had to heal her a little while she pushed him further than any of his former companions ever had. His power as a 1-Star Ascendant was highly appreciated.

  At some point, he blamed Vitae Nihilum for her behavior, but that turned out not to be the case. Vitae’s power was greatly reduced when it settled within Maja. It barely affected her, and he had to infuse more for her to even notice it.

  He could tell that Maja would never be able to produce her own Vitae. Instead, he would have to use a mixture of Might and Vitae to infuse it, empowering her more than should have been possible. Even though she was already a High Champion, he could infuse more and more Might into her—as long as it was fused with Vitae—so he did just that.

  Her lifeforce is abundant. She won’t die easily and can probably live longer than most, immortals excluded, David noted with satisfaction. That was perfect—stronger than ever and long-lived.

  He gently freed himself from Maja’s confinement and got up to resume work.

  “What are you up to?” Maja looked up, and David just smiled at her.

  “I’ll be off to add a few Sworn to the roster.”

  He chuckled and kissed her on the forehead as her brows creased.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t pounce on anyone but you.”

  ***

  Nobody rushed him, but David felt restless after everything that happened with Maja. She was not only his High Champion, but had become a lot more than that in the last few hours. He was still struggling to accept the situation and how much everything had changed him, yet he was also… satisfied. Happy, even.

  And David didn’t want to lose that happiness. He was no longer alone, and it would be terrifying to lose all of that to complacency.

  “You want us to become your Sworn, Your Excellency?” Lilia asked, looking around the hall to study everyone. “All of us?”

  “I’m willing to share my power with all of you, yes. If you work hard and help me transform Orhain into a safe haven for more refugees, I’ll consider investing more power into your growth,” David explained. He had already told them about the situation before, but it didn’t hurt to repeat himself. “And if you impress me, I will make you my Champions. You will be able to wield my Skills and Sparks—some of them—and your lifespan will extend drastically.”

  The last sentence was more than enough for Lukas and his cohort. They stepped forward with eager expressions. Their willingness was great, and it was exactly what the others needed to follow. Lukas was a bit hesitant, probably hoping to become an Ascendant like David, but he caved when Maja emerged from a portal.

  “Hello there.” She smiled, winked openly in David’s direction, and added, “I have become David’s High Champion. He granted me the strength I would have needed to defeat the Sworn Giants.”

  That wasn’t a barb. Rather, it was a declaration that showed everyone how much he was willing to give to his people, although David doubted it was even necessary. Maja had yet to learn to control her power and radiated a tremendous amount of Might as she stepped beside him.

  Lukas stared at Maja with wide eyes, and David sensed a trace of jealousy. Not directed at him—but at Maja instead. He was jealous of the power in her grasp. Even though Lukas wasn’t the strongest, he was ambitious. He wanted to become an Ascendant, that much was obvious, but seeing Maja—sensing her power—was enough to push all doubts aside.

  “I am willing to become your Sworn!” he announced, and the others followed.

  “Great,” David said with a smile. “Welcome to the family.”

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