Eternal Master: Path to Godlike Status-Chapter 30: Seal Part 1

Slowly, he opened his eyes. The room was very quiet, save for the faint, crystalline hum of the lumen stone on the table.

It cast a warm, amber glow that fought against the oppressive chill of the marble floor.

Beside him, Alicia slept soundly. Even with all her strength, she collapsed from exhaustion after hours of intense action.

Rain, on the other hand, already returned to his normal state. His Viel erupted from his wrist, reshaping into the familiar black long jacket.

He looked back at her. She was probably the first woman who ever made him feel sane and normal by comparison.

Brain, power, beauty... and plenty of red flags. That was the best way to describe her.

Still, at least he wasn’t bored in her presence. Though he got to admit, her violent tendencies were off the charts.

His eyes drifted to the blood-stained sheet—yeah, it was his own blood—because apparently, normal intimate moments weren’t enough for her.

’What made you like this?’ he mused quietly. After observing her, he was certain—her personality grew from a traumatic experience.

If he could figure out what it was, he could use it as a shield to protect her—or as a weapon to put her in her place.

In a way, it promised an even sweeter revenge than simply overpowering her.

Sensing that she wouldn’t wake for another few hours, he decided to check her belongings for clues.

After rummaging through them, he found no photos or even paintings of her family.

His first guess: either she didn’t have a good relationship with them, or she was an orphan.

Alicia’s eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks before her eyes snapped open.

No groggy transition. No soft waking. One moment she was under — the next, her gaze swept the room like a blade clearing a scabbard.

Rain was sitting at the small wooden table, bathed in lumen stone. He was focused, turning a page with a flick of his wrist.

She didn’t make a sound.

Her bare feet were silent against the cold marble as she crossed the room.

Then she leaned down, winding her arms around his neck from behind, pressing her bare chest to his back.

She inhaled deeply, obsessed with his scent.

"I knew it," she murmured, her lips curving against his dark hair. "You won’t kill me even when I leave myself open.

She pressed a slow, lingering kiss to his temple.

"Don’t flatter yourself," Rain replied, not looking up from the page. "I just had nothing better to do."

"So. How about you tell me the secret to wielding holy power?"

He wasn’t asking for a tutorial; he wanted the source. If she could wield the light despite her twisted nature, then he got all the right to be the same.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, feigning ignorance.

"Everyone has a price, Alicia," he added, his eyes locking onto hers with intensity. "What did you pay to make the light obey you?"

"You want a clue?" she bit her ear playfully before walking away. "Fine. But don’t get your hopes up. You will never master Holy Power. Not in this lifetime, nor your infinite life."

Rain shifted in his chair, his brow furrowing as he tracked her movements.

"Why? I read a book that said it depends on your luck, but I’m sure there are other ways to acquire it."

"There is another way," she interrupted, pausing by the window as the moonlight kissed her pale skin. "But your immortality is holding you back."

She turned to him, her expression becoming uncharacteristically solemn.

"Holy Power isn’t just energy; it is the power of Fate," she explained, gesturing broadly.

"To wield it, one must suffer first to shape fate—but you’re incapable of that. Even if you died a million times, you would never know true suffering."

Rain cut in. "So even learning and following the church’s teachings won’t help me?"

She placed a hand over her heart, her gaze intensifying.

"Look at me. I’m a monster, aren’t I? I enjoy killing, and my ’violent tendencies’ make even you blink. But I am devoted."

Rain’s eyes narrowed. "You don’t even respect the church’s teaching."

"I can badmouth them all I want. I can spit on the priests and burn the cathedrals, and it doesn’t affect my Fate one bit. Because the Gods don’t care about the Church; they care about the conviction."

She reached out, tapping a finger against her chin.

"But you? You’ve lived so long for that. You have no ’Fate’ to offer, so the Light has no reason to answer you."

Rain sighed. He was looking for a repeatable secret, but she was describing a spiritual surrender.

He understood then that genuine faith was beyond his reach. Years of living, guided by reason and science, had already tempered his mind and heart.

Before he could dwell further, a deep, bronze clang rolled through the marble floor, slicing through the quiet of the room.

Without a word, her silhouette blurred as she snatched the pristine white robe from the foot of the bed.

The fabric snapped over her shoulders like a whip in the quiet room. Fastening the gold-leafed collar, the "devoted monster" he knew vanished—replaced by a high-ranking instrument of a terrifyingly violent faith.

"Someone just tried to break the seal."

She didn’t look back to see if he was ready. She simply gripped the handle of the door.

"Follow me," she commanded, her voice no longer a purr, but a decree.