In a mere ten hours, the Blazing Ice Viper would awaken.

Once the night passed, the viper, driven to a certain location, would burst forth from the earth, unleashing the brutal power of etheric creatures upon the world.

The atmosphere in the Red Frost territory began to churn with an increasingly unnatural pressure, and in an unknown region and time, an extraordinary battle of great significance was about to commence.

As the net tightened, everything progressed in the direction Ansel had hoped for, except…

Except for one crucial decision he had yet to make.

The battle against the Blazing Ice Viper was a grand stage he had prepared for Seraphina, a declaration to the empire, the world, and even fate itself that Ansel of Hydral would officially step into the torrent of the era.

However, at this critical juncture, Seraphina had not yet achieved the third stage, and confronting the Blazing Ice Viper was undoubtedly a fanciful tale.

After their conversation that night, Ansel had made preparations but had not yet made a decision, filled with both hesitation and caution.

He had once made the most erroneous choice in a decision, and that choice had brought him the deepest despair.

Now, faced with another issue that caused him to hesitate, Ansel did not want to make another mistake.

He absolutely could not make the wrong decision at this seemingly tense moment. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Even if it meant letting Seraphina remain as she was, even if it meant allowing this grand play he had planned for so long to end in the most ludicrous and hasty manner, Ansel would not force a choice. “Seraphina, Seraphina…

He murmured the girl’s name softly. Since the day Seraphina had returned and been deeply hurt in his office, they had not spoken.

Even now, as the threat of the Blazing Ice Viper loomed, there was no sign of her movement. “Binding Seraphina with reason, changing her fighting style and mindset has failed.”

Ansel conducted a final cautious review, standing before a mirror, gazing at his reflection as if speaking to another person.

“She has ultimately found the path most suitable for her, and the slumbering beast soul has awakened once more. As long as she advances to the third stage normally, the awakening of her spiritual essence will be inevitable.”

“Binding her personality with love and desire, forcibly placing her self beneath me, can only be effective for a time. If Seraphina still awakens her spiritual essence, she will eventually become a beast unwilling to submit to any existence. Therefore -‘

In his hand appeared that vial of Redemption Water, and Hydral gazed at the viscous liquid, whispering, “I must use the Redemption Water, an more inferior element compared to the beast essence, to force Seraphina to ascend and avoid the process of awakening her spiritual essence.” Redemption Water, a top-tier extraordinary product from the Holy Church, was extremely rare. Its function was quite simple: it allowed anyone – note, everyone, even a cripple without any

extraordinary qualifications, to instantly ascend to the third stage of extraordinary beings upon consumption. Furthermore, depending on the elements contained within the Redemption Water, it granted the key to the fourth stage.

In other words, Redemption Water possessed the ability to create fourth-stage extraordinary beings. For Ansel, this method of advancement was undoubtedly of very low quality, but at this moment… it was precisely what he needed.

This inferior forced advancement would cause Seraphina to lose the opportunity for her soul and body to achieve perfect unity, and naturally, she would have no way to awaken her spiritual essence. On this basis, all Ansel needed to do was bind and twist Seraphina with love and desire, ensuring that she would not become a self-centered, wild beast.

Ansel of Hydral needed neither a puppet devoid of self nor a self-centered beast king. What he required was a loyal companion who possessed a strong subjective mindset but would never betray him.

Did he trust Seraphina? Of course, he did. But how long could he trust her? Even without considering the growth and change of human hearts, the mere nature of the beast dictated that Ansel had to respond.

“So tonight, I must make love to Seraphina!

He spoke softly, his tone unwavering. “Afterward, I will have her drink the Redemption Water, ensuring her loyalty in the most perfect way!”

Ansel of Hydral had sacrificed so much along the way; why couldn’t he sacrifice Seraphina Marlowe’s future?

In truth, he had already made his choice.

Ansel looked at the clock in his study, placed the Redemption Water in his ring, and headed toward Seraphina’s bedroom.

After this brief self-analysis, he did not hesitate to execute his plan.

Ansel analyzed the outcome of this choice, the consequences it would bring, and the unavoidable negative impacts… In the end, this was undoubtedly the best solution.

By ensuring that. Seraphina still possessed an absolute sense of self while also preventing her from undergoing a change in thought and personality due to the beast element, the only price to pay was the diminishment of her power and future. The Sky Wolf Emperor would cease to exist.

But as Ansel had told Seraphina, he did not need an existence as terrifyingly powerful as the Sky Wolf Emperor. For Ansel… that would be far too dangerous.

Only Ansel himself knew what it meant to confront the Flamefeast Empress.

“Without a doubt, this is the correct choice.”

Standing before Seraphina’s door, Ansel whispered to himself.

Then, just as he placed his hand on the doorknob, the door suddenly opened.

To his surprise, it was Marlina who emerged.

She usually worked at this time and had no reason to suddenly return to her bedroom and leave

again.

In that instant, Ansel effortlessly caught the hint of… panic, on Marlina’s face.

“… Mr. Ansel,” she said, feigning composure as she bowed slightly.

“Are you looking for Seraphina?”

“Yes,” Ansel smiled. “And you, Marlina? Were you just chatting with Seraphina?”

“Yes, I was a bit tired from work.”‘

The young girl tilted her head playfully. “I hope you don’t mind me slacking off!”

“If only you really would slack off, then I wouldn’t have to worry about you getting exhausted at your

desk.

Ansel patted Marlina’s shoulder. “Make sure to rest, alright?”

“Alright, I won’t disturb you and Seraphina any longer.

Marlina bowed again and hurried away.

Ansel entered the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He gazed at Seraphina, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, munching on a piece of fruit. IIe prepared to deliver the speech he had rehearsed countless times.

First, he would apologize to Seraphina, inciting guilt within her, followed by a simple physical touch. He would avoid discussing anything related to her ascending, instead reminiscing about everything that had transpired since they met, stirring up her emotions.

When the moment was ripe, he would initiate physical contact, focusing his words on expressing his feelings, further arousing Seraphina’s affection for him.

Although Seraphina had said she wanted to stop that night, Ansel had not abandoned his original strategy in these past days. He had merely toned it down. Under these circumstances, Seraphina would undoubtedly be moved.

Then, everything would fall into place, and he would completely win over both Seraphina’s body and

heart.

Finally, he would have Seraphina willingly drink the water of redemption. After her ascending, he would place the ring of power on her, making Seraphina his first pact head. Everything would be

settled.

Ansel had arranged the entire process with utmost clarity and appropriateness. As soon as he began speaking, the rhythm of the conversation would fall into his hands.

But…

“Ah, Ansel.”

Seraphina, who was chewing on her fruit, looked up and exclaimed with a face full of surprise,

“You’re here!”