Inside a spacious room decorated with countless symbols of trees, birds, and adorable creatures, dolls and stuffed toys were scattered everywhere. The ceiling was adorned with a massive mural depicting stars, tiny fairies, and numerous Elves kneeling before a sacred tree.

This was Queen Elena’s chamber.

At this moment, Rios entered, pulling Queen Elena through the air with one of his whip-like branches before tossing her gently onto the bed in the center of the room.

"M-My Lord, what are you trying to do?!" Queen Elena curled up like a frightened kitten and looked at him with nervousness and embarrassment.

Rios walked over, sat beside her on the bed, and lightly patted her head with a smile.

"The truth is... I could have saved the Tree of Life."

"What?!" Elena cried out in shock. Her eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief before continuing, "Then why didn’t you save it? Why did you do this? Wouldn’t it have been better for there to be two sacred trees? Wouldn’t that have been safer?"

"The truth is... I’m not from this world," Rios said calmly before adding, "Or rather, part of me isn’t."

"W-What do you mean?!" Elena instinctively moved back, her body trembling as she stared at him in astonishment. "You’re joking, right?! This has to be some kind of prank! Please tell me you’re joking!"

"I’m not joking, Elena. But before I tell you anything, I need to make sure that what I reveal will never reach anyone else."

She looked at him with hesitation and doubt but eventually nodded gently.

"You can tell me whatever weighs on your heart. Don’t worry—I won’t tell anyone."

After hearing her words, Rios smiled faintly and shook his head in amusement.

"You’re far too naïve, Your Majesty, if you think I’d trust you based on nothing more than a few words with no guarantees."

"I respect and value you, but don’t mistake that for trust. Think about it—how long have we actually known each other? A few minutes? An hour? Slightly more than an hour? The time we’ve spent together is far too short for me to place this level of trust in you."

Queen Elena stared at him in stunned silence, blinking several times as if hoping she had imagined his response. But after waiting a few seconds, she realized she had heard correctly.

Out of all the replies she had expected, she had never imagined this one.

It struck directly at her pride.

A woman blessed with unparalleled beauty often believes the entire world revolves around her and that no one would ever reject her requests. Such thinking was common among extraordinarily beautiful women, and Queen Elena—whose beauty surpassed all standards—was no exception.

Rios adored women.

But his love for women had never once surpassed his desire for power or his caution toward the future. He knew exactly when to charm a woman and when to stop and draw a firm line.

"Then how will you trust me? If you’ve already revealed this much, you must have some way of ensuring it," Elena asked after quickly suppressing the emotions stirred by her wounded pride.

Seeing how swiftly she accepted reality, Rios smiled with satisfaction.

"All you need to do... is swear a Soul Oath."

"A Soul Oath? What’s that?" Elena asked in surprise.

"Abyss Tomb... activate!"

Power surged through Rios’s body before expanding in a two-meter radius around him. The environment transformed as black and crimson mist spread throughout the room.

Elena’s body shuddered violently.

An icy chill coursed through her while it felt as though thousands of needles were piercing her soul and countless crawling insects were slithering across her skin. The healthy blush vanished from her face, leaving her deathly pale, almost corpse-like.

The sensation lasted only a few brief moments.

To Elena, however, it felt like an eternity.

Gradually, color returned to her face along with her vision and focus, and she looked at Rios with undisguised terror.

Only now did she truly understand the extent of Rios’s power.

Only now did she realize what the Centaur army had endured five days earlier.

Seeing that fear in her eyes, Rios smiled.

That was exactly what he wanted.

No one could rule an entire people unless others feared them enough to think twice before doing something foolish.

He extended his hand toward Elena and gestured gently.

"Give me your hand."

Although still shaken by what she had experienced, Elena eventually nodded and placed her hand in his.

"You’ll repeat every word after me. Once we’re finished, the Soul Contract will form automatically. You may feel something strange or a bit uncomfortable, but everything will be fine in the end."

After explaining the process, Rios’s expression grew serious.

"But let me warn you—this Soul Oath is no joke. Breaking it carries a punishment as severe as death."

Elena’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"You’re joking... right?"

She desperately wished he was.

But the cold indifference in Rios’s expression, combined with the spiritual suppression emanating from Abyss Tomb, made her realize the harsh truth.

With trembling hands, Elena reached out and clasped Rios’s hand.

He tightened his grip and began reciting the oath.

"I swear that I..."

"I swear that I..."

Elena repeated every sentence after him, word for word, without the slightest deviation.

The oath was merciless, leaving no loopholes or room for manipulation.

It consisted of more than ten thousand words.

Not only did it forbid revealing Rios’s secrets, but it also demanded absolute loyalty and unwavering assistance in helping him gain complete control over the Elf race.