[Later that evening]

Kyle was back home, resting on the bed with his eyes fixed blankly on the ceiling.

His mind was occupied with the thoughts of what he had seen earlier in Melissa’s mindscape.

The moment he received the reward from WarHorse and gained absolute control over Genesis, countless memories came flooding down the lane as if they had been locked behind a gate for far too long. And the instant even the slightest opening appeared, they stormed into his mind without restraint.

He remembered it vividly...creation, destruction, and the chaos in between. He had witnessed things that even modern movies could never hope to depict with technology alone. There was no doubt about it. He wasn’t daydreaming.

They were a part of him. His memories.

But why now of all times? Was he somehow connected to something ancient?

Were his ancestors tied to higher beings in some way? He doubted it. And even if they were, why would Kyle inherit their experiences and memories?

He hadn’t even awakened naturally. Those powers were forced upon him against destiny itself.

And what he perceived in those memories wasn’t a deity, but something standing far above them. Something that looked down upon them as if they were nothing more than pawns...no, that sounded wrong.

But calling them children felt strange too.

"Haah...this is staggering," he muttered under his breath before sitting up. He couldn’t dwell on the matter for long since there were far more important things demanding his attention.

Starting with the Orb of Blessing he had extracted from Melissa.

"System...are you sure there isn’t another safe way?" Kyle asked while summoning the orb into his hand. The six-hour limit was almost over, so he had decided to make the choice now.

[Yes, Host. You cannot hand over this blessing to anyone else because they may do something even worse than the previous Blessed One.]

"And what if I trust them? Like Blake?"

[The blessing would not be compatible with them. After all, this blessing was tailored specifically for the former Blessed One.]

Kyle let out a wry smile. "And yet you think I can manage it?"

[Host...there are questions better left for later.]

"Yeah, yeah. More of that stupid crap you’re prohibited from answering." At this point, Kyle had begun to realize that his origin might be far more complicated than he ever wished it to be.

First, his source of magic. Second, the absence of Aether Circuits.

And now...this.

Taking a deep breath, he asked the System, "Would this hurt?"

[No, Host. The System assures you that this would not even sting.]

Kyle hummed softly before finally slamming his hand against his chest.

Thunk

The light was absorbed into his body.

Golden energy surged wildly through him, flowing into his veins while his eyes burned with a faint, searing heat.

"Agh..." he winced as his pupils turned white before fading completely blank.

No iris.

No sclera.

Nothing but endless emptiness.

And in the very next instant, Kyle found himself sitting before a being.

The same being whose blessing he had just absorbed.

"Brother! We finally meet!"

.....

Several miles away from the apartment where Kyle was having a divine meeting, a far more ordinary conference was taking place among the department heads of a company under the command of the Astortia family.

Blake sat at the head of the table, the position he had inherited some years ago and managed ever since.

His brows furrowed as he read through the latest marketing reports, his expression growing darker with every page.

The atmosphere in the room was tense.

The department members sat in silence, nervous glances occasionally passing between them. It wasn’t normal for their boss to suddenly summon an conference without warning.

Thap

Blake tossed the file onto the table before asking, "Can anyone here tell me the limitation of the business we’re in?"

His gaze swept across the room, only to find most of them lowering their heads.

Until the head of the marketing department finally spoke.

"There is no limit, sir. Development never stops, and neither do we."

The man answered with absolute confidence, even wearing a brilliant smile.

Blake slowly turned his eyes toward him.

Meanwhile, Lara, the only person in the room who had actually seen the contents of the file that triggered Blake’s displeasure, resisted the urge to slap her forehead.

But the damage had already been done.

Blake hummed softly before asking, "Mister Thompson, as the head of marketing, you should be aware of all the major development sites currently active in Guhang, correct?"

The man’s confidence visibly faltered, though he still nodded. "Y-Yes, sir. But why do you ask?"

"How many are there? The major ones."

A stiff smile appeared on the man’s face. "Umm...I can’t give an exact count right now, but if you give me some time..."

"I am giving you time," Blake interrupted calmly. "One month. Find another job, Mister Thompson."

The man’s eyes widened in shock.

But before he could speak, Lara shot him a sharp glare, instantly shutting him up.

Blake let out a quiet sigh before addressing the entire room.

"I am aware that business is going well and that we still hold the top position in Guhang’s market. But satisfaction with your current position only comes when you compare yourself to those beneath you."

His gaze turned colder.

"And I despise that mindset." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Silence swallowed the conference room.

Blake leaned back slightly before delivering his final words.

"Anyone who believes we have already reached the pinnacle, and that there is no room left for growth, should reconsider their mindset...or leave."

"That will be all."

As Blake rose from his seat, the others exchanged uneasy glances before slowly standing as well.

Lara let out a quiet sigh after the last staff member finally left the room.

Only then did she mutter, "I’ve already prepared a list of potential replacements and new recruits who can handle marketing more efficiently."

Blake nodded. "Alri—"

"Blake!"

The door was suddenly flung open.

Lara nearly rolled her eyes the moment she saw the familiar face of the Astortia Patriarch.

Fuming with rage, the man slammed a gift box onto the table.

"What’s the meaning of this?!"

Blake turned toward him with a faint smirk.

"Why? Didn’t you like it? Lara packed it quite neatly."

"Thank you, sir," Lara replied with a polite bow.

Mathew’s face flushed crimson with fury as he slammed his palm onto the table hard enough to crack the wood beneath it.

The impact caused the box to flip over.

A human head rolled out from inside.

It belonged to the company’s former financial director.

The same man who had informed Mathew about Kyle’s new residence.

Blake had trusted him.

He betrayed Blake.

And now the conclusion of that betrayal rolled across the table.

"You think you can get away with something like this?!" Mathew growled. "You’ve been underestimating me far too much lately."

Blake’s expression slowly lost its amusement.

His gaze turned cold as he stared directly at the man.

"Anyone who puts Kyle’s life at risk will meet the same end. Remember that."

His voice dropped lower.

"And that includes every single person."

Mathew stiffened at those words.

His eyes remained glaring at Blake for another moment before he wordlessly turned and left.

°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.