In the Imperial Region of Asterion, the city of Alpine thrived with wealth and luxury. Because only the strongest of the Awakeners ever got the opportunity to live in this region, buying a home here was almost a dream for most people.

Alpine City was famous for its business and trade management across the continent, acting as the largest global supplier of Mana Stones. Because the city was such an important factor in the overall economy of the Human Continent, security here was incredibly strict.

One might think that a city with such a booming economy would have a high crime rate, but that wasn’t true. It was actually known as one of the safest cities on the entire continent.

This was because it was the home of a being who had reached the 7th Stage of the Ascension Realm—a being whose power was vast enough to destroy several cities with a single attack.

It was the home of none other than Damian Empyrea. Famous under the title of ’Supreme Sage,’ he was considered one of the most powerful battle mages in existence, and he was also the father of Serene Empyrea.

Reaching such a high stage without breaking physically or mentally was no small feat for anyone.

The Ascension Realm is an unpredictable and bizarre place. Its trials are designed to be deadly, constantly searching for a person’s weak spots to defeat them. Only those who are able to push past their limitations can ever hope to succeed.

For a human, the greatest achievement isn’t reaching a goal they were already suited for. The true greatest achievement is conquering a target they once believed was impossible. In truth, nothing in this world is truly impossible; things only seem that way because humans can be so narrow-minded.

Humans naturally decide early on what path feels most suitable for them, choosing goals they can achieve easily. Few want to take the hard path. Everyone wants to choose the easy route that makes their life comfortable. That isn’t necessarily wrong, as everyone wants to reach a state of peace where they don’t have to worry about anything.

But the Ascension Realm does not allow such luxury. It does not forgive shortcomings.

As people climb the Stages, the trials become deadlier. Challengers have to overcome their flaws, grow, and walk their true path. They have to climb until they reach the very end of the Ascension Realm to achieve what is known as ’Perfection’.

A ’Perfect’ person is someone who has zero shortcomings and has fully realized their Path. But since no person has ever been able to reach the absolute pinnacle of their path to achieve ’Perfection’, no one knows what that state actually entails.

Will they achieve immortality?

Will they become a god?

No one knows.

Because no one has ever actually been able to reach that final realm.

The most difficult task in the world is overcoming one’s own shortcomings, and many fail to do so.

...

In the center of Alpine City stood a massive mansion.

It was the very picture of luxury and beauty. Just a single glance at the estate was enough to tell anyone that the people living inside were filthy rich—rich enough to buy a person’s entire life and throw it away just for fun.

It wasn’t just the mansion itself; the sprawling gardens outside covered a massive area. Filled with beautiful trees and vibrant white flowers—mostly daisies—the gardens alone would take a person hours to fully explore. The distance from the front gates to the grand entrance of the mansion was quite a long walk.

The estate was guarded by several strong Awakeners, and maids bustled around the grounds, busy with their daily work.

On the second floor of the mansion, inside a luxurious bedroom, a girl sat at her table. Resting her flushed cheeks in her hands, she sat there pouting. Her sky-blue hair was slightly disheveled, and her silver eyes looked out at the bright blue sky with an expression of sheer boredom.

Behind her, near the door, stood a maid with a worried look on her face. She walked over to her young miss.

"My lady, are you okay? Do you need anything?"

Serene glanced at her, feeling extremely bored.

"Hmph... I want to go outside. Why am I stuck in here?" 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

The maid shook her head.

"It was an order from the Master that you are not allowed to leave the mansion until your next trial..."

"Hmph... Why is that? I’m not a baby who has to stay locked in her room to keep herself safe from danger." Serene stood up, determined.

"I am going to meet Dad and ask him to let me go out!"

The maid shook her head again.

"The Master is currently busy with some work. He can’t meet with you right now."

"What is he so busy with that he can’t even see me?"

Serene pouted, folding her arms across her chest.

"I don’t know about that..." Mary replied softly.

"Mhmm... You really don’t know?"

Serene’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the maid. There was absolutely no hint of her usual naive, bubbly self. She looked sharp, as if she already knew several dark secrets.

"Mary... I already know you are not a normal maid."

The maid’s eyes widened at her tone. Her face turned completely blank as she looked at Serene, slowly parting her lips.

"Since when did you know?"

"I realized it a long time ago. I was suspicious at first, but I finally figured it out after seeing you sneaking around late at night..."

"Sometimes, you have far too much information—things that should be impossible for a normal servant to know about."

"I won’t ask about your real identity, or why you are here, or whether you are working for my father or someone else. And I won’t tell Dad or anyone else that I am suspicious of you. I know you must have your own secrets, and I won’t do anything to hurt you, since you have been here helping me since my childhood."

Serene looked at the maid, her silver eyes turning dangerously cold for a second.

"But know this... If you ever cross the line and hurt my family, even indirectly... I will never forgive you."

The maid looked at her and bowed deeply in respect.

"Thank you for understanding, my lady... I am happy to serve you with all my heart. And I promise you, I will never do anything to hurt you or your family."

"Hmph... That’s good."

The maid straightened up. Looking at Serene, she replied without hiding her true self.

"The Master is currently busy with something related to the artifact he found during his last trial. The artifact isn’t actually working, or it might be a broken one. He is currently testing it to see if it is a treasure worth saving or if it should be sold. Because the artifact releases no mana or aura, it is very difficult for him to judge its true value."

"Hmm... That makes sense. He has a knack for collecting strange artifacts," Serene sighed. She looked back at the maid.

"Mary... Can you help me sneak out of the mansion, please? I know you can help me with that."

The maid looked away awkwardly. "Ahem... I am sorry, miss, but I can’t help you with something like that. Even while working, the Master can easily sense your presence."

"And... the Master ordered us to give you everything you need right here in this room. You are strictly not allowed to leave the mansion. You know the Master and the Lady are just worried about you."

"Ugh! I want to go out! I feel so bored. Where is Zane? I want to see him."

The maid sighed and replied,

"Master Zane is currently in the guest room. He is in a similar situation to you... Or, it could be said, an even worse one."

"Mhmm... I will go and check it out."

Serene stood up. The maid bowed slightly and opened the heavy door for her. Serene walked out of the room, heading straight toward the guest wing where Zane was stuck dealing with his own set of problems.