Michael’s body ached, every fiber of his being pushed to the brink of utter exhaustion.

’What was I...’

He pondered quietly, the memories of his breakdown slowly resurfacing.

"CYBERFANG! RUBY!"

He shouted abruptly, standing up straight.

Lord Eleanora was dead, as were her spiritual beast, the ant queen, and the Monarch... Yet he wasn’t the least bit happy about the outcome.

Cyberfang had fallen, sacrificing himself just to ensure Ruby’s safety.

And what had Michael done? To speak to his feline companion like that when she had been so distressed... Even worse, he remembered the negative emotions boiling up inside him, making him sick.

Ruby had always been the one to care for him, yet when she needed his support the most, he had acted so selfishly.

’I didn’t do anything to her, right?!’ He paled, worried about her safety more than his own.

Out of everyone, his feline companion was the one who least deserved such harsh treatment. Not after everything she had endured!

"Goddamn, I am such a dumbass!" Michael bellowed, about to rise to his feet.

"Settle down."

A gentle voice came from behind him, a hand resting on his shoulder, preventing him from getting up.

Alarmed, Michael spun around.

His heart stopped momentarily.

Although he might have interacted with Nicole many times by now, each time he saw her, his heart couldn’t help but falter for a second.

Blinking slowly, he remembered that at the peak of his rampage, he had fought with Nicole... and fallen in the end.

"Nicole...?" He spoke, noting that amidst her elegant demeanor, traces of exhaustion were visible. "What happened?"

The Supreme Lord shrugged. "Don’t ask me. I came to help, found out you had turned into some kind of deranged monster, and barely managed to get you back to your senses."

Michael’s eyes narrowed. "T—Then what about Ruby and Robert? Did something happen to them?!"

"No need to worry. Here they are." Nicole said, gesturing toward Cyberfang’s remains, where the two lay in deep slumber.

"When Ruby saw that you were back to normal, she beamed with relief before collapsing on the spot. That woman was running purely on adrenaline the whole time... She really does care about you."

Michael felt like a mountain had been lifted off his shoulders, easing his breathing.

"Yes, she does." He took a deep breath, massaging his temples. "Not that I deserve it... I told her some messed-up things when I wasn’t right in the head."

"To me, it didn’t seem like she took it to heart." Nicole tilted her head to the side.

Michael shook his head. "Of course not, she’s too good-natured for her own good... That just makes it even worse."

Not being in control of his own actions was something Michael despised to the very core. It was one of the reasons he stayed clear of alcohol and anything with similar effects.

Regardless, although he regretted his actions, there was no changing the past. There were many things he needed to do.

One of the primary objectives was to test whether, after being infected by the Hreh’tar, he could really create a cure for the feline plague. He also had to make sure that everyone in the crew was alright.

His muscles strained, attempting to rise.

Nicole didn’t share the same sentiment. Applying greater pressure, she pulled him down, making him lie in her lap.

"?!"

Understandably, Michael was taken by complete surprise. Given Nicole’s status as a Supreme Lord, most would kill for a chance to get close to her, much less to rest upon her thighs. Even more jarring, her left hand was idly playing with his hair, leaving him too stunned to react.

"Don’t look at me like that." Nicole exclaimed. "You’re too exhausted to be going anywhere."

He was about to refute yet realized there was merit to her claim.

Attempting to do anything when he could barely stand was moronic in every sense of the word.

Noticing his internal debate, Nicole added. "Since the Monarch fell solely by your hand, you have the right to do whatever you deem fit with its corpse. I advise you to make use of its spiritual energy and cultivate."

Michael blinked slowly. "You’re right, but cultivating like this?"

Nicole raised an eyebrow. "Don’t tell me you aren’t comfortable enough... or perhaps you just can’t concentrate?"

’The problem is that it’s too comfortable... I might fall asleep on the spot. The good impression I wanted to maintain is pretty much shattered now. It wouldn’t be wise to make things even worse.’ Michael’s rationality wanted to argue, but his body chose to keep his mouth shut, treasuring the moment.

’My mind is really exhausted. If I didn’t know any better, I would almost think that she was teasing me.’ He sighed in compliance.

Using Spirit Radiance, he gradually started to absorb the spiritual energy, his body slowly refilling with vitality.

As for Nicole, she silently studied the man resting on her lap.

By all accounts and measures, it was a miracle. He had killed a Monarch. Cleared the hollow valley of any hostile life, only to end up dueling her in short succession, even managing to make her sweat.

"I am proud of you." She whispered out of the blue.

"Did you just say something?" Halting his cultivation. Michael’s eyes snapped open, pupils narrowed to the size of needles, certain he had misheard.

"Did I?" Nicole giggled in amusement, finding his reaction oddly endearing. "Don’t worry about it."

"..."

’Am I even hallucinating now?’ Michael wanted to facepalm himself. ’It seems assuming Demonic Form has many hidden costs. I will do better to leave it as a last resort in the future.’

Trying to salvage what little dignity he had left in Nicole’s eyes, Michael closed his eyes. The last thing he wanted was for her to suspect he was taking advantage of the situation just to ogle her figure.

It turned out to be rather difficult. Her casual fingers threading through his hair, the faint scent that drifted into his nostrils, and the steady rise and fall of her chest didn’t help his concentration one bit.

She deliberately waited a few minutes, giving Michael a moment to regain his composure before she spoke again. Her gentle teasing worked exactly as she intended, making him fumble.

"Since you’ve single-handedly slain a Monarch, I must inform you that the Supreme Lords are contemplating using the Titan tier portal. They plan to work together to slay a Titan, harnessing its spiritual energy in an attempt to ascend to the next realm... Technically, the only qualification to take part is to have killed a Monarch solo, which means you qualify..."

Nicole paused momentarily, her piercing gaze shifting downward to meet Michael’s eyes.

"So... how about it? Want to tag along with me?"