Published at 16th of December 2025 8:21 am

Chapter 1839 Cockroach Lair 1

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After their repeated insistence that she officially become a Wing... Helen decided to stay.

Perhaps the only small comfort she found in this decision was that her second brother had also not moved yet, still observing from a distance. Yet, despite this minor reassurance, the war was growing more tangled and perilous by the day, creeping ever closer to its climactic moments-and Helen wanted to

participate. She needed to be part of it.

"...My Lady, if you truly wish for protection without being forced to join as a Wing, there is a way," Seraphina said suddenly, breaking the silence that hung over the quiet morning. Her voice, calm yet urgent, carried a note of anticipation that Helen hadn't noticed before.

"What way?!" Helen turned sharply, startled by the sudden interruption, her dark eyes narrowing.

Seraphina straightened and took a deep breath before speaking. "When you went to the planet. Orginos and submitted your request last time, they told us the only way to secure protection is for you to go personally-to meet Marshal Caesar yourself and request it directly. If you go there in person, for the very first time, they will take your request seriously. They will listen. They will grant the protection because, after all, you have already proven yourself countless times in major army campaigns, and your reputation precedes you."

"I... go myself?!" Helen's expression shifted between disbelief, irritation, and incredulity. "To meet a commander of ground forces? Someone who barely even employs the Fourth Stage of the Laws?!" Her voice rose slightly, betraying both shock and indignation.

"It is not shameful," Seraphina replied quickly, her tone firm, yet gentle. "Even Centennial Emperors have had to go crawling to him at times. He is still the one controlling the Cradle Empire, the very empire threatening this sector while simultaneously supporting Lord Hedrick the Elder. His influence is undeniable. And yet... he respects strength and reputation." She paused for emphasis, ensuring Helen understood the gravity. "I am sorry, my Lady, but your objection to going in person no longer carries weight."

Seraphina's voice softened slightly, though her words cut with precision. "In fact, it would be strange if they still do not know who you are by now. Even if your identity remains excellently concealed, I-your servant-would have to go and deal with them openly, revealing my face and my true name. Even as a mere servant, it would be utterly unusual, after all these years, if they did not recognize the name Seraphina and know exactly whom she serves."

"...." Helen's brows furrowed slightly. Something deep within her throbbed, a pulse of unease she wanted to deny but could not. She had anticipated this moment for years. This was why she had finally resolved to take the step: to request protection for her holdings personally before departing to join the war in Middle Sector 101. The powers involved already knew-or could easily deduce that she was the ruler of the Crater of Destruction Empire. And yet... "Why is he so insistent that I go myself?!" Helen clenched her hands tightly, nails biting into her palms. "It is obvious- he wants to humiliate me!"

"Perhaps he simply wishes to meet you personally, my Lady," Seraphina reasoned, trying to calm her mistress. "You have served the Cradle Empire for decades, yet you have never met him. Maybe... just maybe, he wants to thank you for your decades of service. Haven't they always treated us generously?" Seraphina's words carried a hint of excitement-she had waited many long, lonely years for this exact conversation with her mistress.

"And secondly," Seraphina continued, urgency lacing her tone, "you will not need to reveal that you are Lord Hedrick's younger sister, nor that you are the child of the Behemoth of Destruction. None of that. No. There are already periodic missions sent to fight in Middle Sector 101. You may simply say that you wish to participate in a cosmic war to gain experience, and that you are requesting protection for the Crater of Destruction planets for a limited number of years. Perhaps you might agree to complete one or two missions before departure, and that would be sufficient. It is simple and practical."

"...Look at it this way," Seraphina pressed on, her tone gentle but persuasive. "You will only be telling them something they already know. In return, they will meet the star who has assisted them for decades and feel a sense of immense satisfaction. Protecting the Pit of Destruction Empire will be a trivial matter after that a brief meeting, a short exchange, and everyone leaves contented and reassured."

"....." Helen lingered on the balcony, staring into the far distance, lost in thought for an uncertain length of time. Finally, with a slow, deliberate motion, she donned her black mask, adorned with feathered plumes, and rose into the air. She flew with measured determination, her voice cold and resolute. "If I am humiliated in any way today, Seraphina, you will bear the consequences." "What do I have to do with this?!" The servant flew after her, wings flapping rapidly. "Wait! I'm coming with you!"

A short while later-Planet Orginos

Bzzz

The portal of the Imperial Palace activated with a low hum of energy. Helen stepped forward cautiously... her first time setting foot inside the headquarters of the empire she had long served.

Then, slowly, almost reluctantly, she began to take in her surroundings...

The garden was vast beyond imagination, a sprawling expanse that seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon. Trient creatures frolicked and darted across the manicured lawns, their movements light and playful, weaving in and out of the tall flowering trees. Floating palaces hovered effortlessly above, their spires glinting in the soft glow of the radiant sun, and luminous beings drifted gracefully among them, leaving trails of shimmering light in their wake. The ground beneath her feet was paved with radiant marble, polished so finely it reflected the sky above, and colossal pillars of light -each studded with fiery Pearls- cast warm illumination across the garden. Every surface glowed subtly with energy, as if the very earth itself pulsed with life.

The sheer extravagance of it all was overwhelming. The garden, the palaces, the glowing creatures, even the walkways and bridges-they all exuded an air of deliberate opulence, a pride and arrogance carefully placed behind every stone and under every decorative flourish.

For some reason, it reminded her of a memory she had long tried to bury, a scene from her past she did not wish to revisit. The thought made her chest

tighten.

"...I suppose he is not the only one using wealth to assert authority," Helen murmured under her breath, her eyes scanning the environment with sharp perception. "Fools are abundant." Her tone was quiet, almost contemplative, yet there was an undercurrent of irritation. She observed how the design of this place-the grandeur, the controlled chaos, the almost theatrical display of power-was meant to dominate and intimidate anyone who entered. The very air seemed to press down on her, urging her to feel small, insignificant, and

powerless.

After a long moment, she drew in a deep breath and forced herself to divert her gaze, shaking off the subtle tension that tried to grip her. Her attention shifted deliberately to the portal guards standing at attention nearby.Calmly, with the effortless authority of someone who had always been in command, she addressed them. "Marshal Caesar... where is he?"

Immediately, a flicker of surprise passed across her face, her brows knitting slightly in a questioning arch. "....?!"

Something felt... unusual.

Helen's beauty was undeniable-breathtaking in a way that defied conversation.

From the moment she had appeared beside her father at the age of fifteen, she had been a figure of awe, a living example of power and elegance combined. Over the years, her reputation had grown until it became almost unbearable for her. She desired strength, not beauty, yet both were inseparable in her, and that combination had forced her to cover herself entirely in modest clothing whenever in public. A mask became her constant companion, not only hiding her face but also shielding her from unwanted attention. Over time, the mask became a part of her identity, inseparable from her presence.

Yet no garment, no mask, could conceal the refined, sculpted contours of her body or fully obscure the magnetism of her features. Her eyes, a deep crimson, glowed faintly, and her lips, glossy and cherry-red, seemed to carry a dangerous allure. One look from her could unnerve even the strongest of minds, drawing attention in ways that were both inevitable and irresistible. Naturally, the portal guards could not resist.

At that moment, ten guards encircled her. Six were World Cataclysm-class beings, towering and formidable, and four were Combat Emperors, skilled and lethal. Their eyes followed her every move. Some gazes lingered on her form with obvious admiration, appreciation, and subtle desire. A few measured her presence with professional respect, evaluating the power and elegance she

carried naturally.

All except one...

One Martial Emperor's eyes burned with an unnatural intensity, radiating pure

animosity.

Though he maintained his silence and tried to look away, the tension coiling in his chest and the subtle tightening of his jaw betrayed him completely. His hatred was unmistakable-focused, deliberate, and deeply personal. He despised her, with a purity of spite that was almost palpable. Helen froze for a brief moment, caught off guard by the intensity of his loathing. What had she possibly done to deserve such hatred from a nobody? she thought, incredulous. Not even the planetary Emperor, Ghasan, would dare regard her in this way. She felt a flicker of irritation mixed with curiosity. "You-?!" she whispered under her breath, her tone a mix of disbelief and sharp

indignation.

Bzzz

From behind her, the gate hummed to life once more, and Seraphina appeared, moving with swift grace. Without hesitation, she patted Helen on the back, reassuring her. "This way, this way. The Marshal is always in his office. Come, I'll guide you. Don't pay attention to the guards." Helen's gaze lingered for a few more seconds on the hostile guard, assessing the depth of his loathing. Finally, she turned away, rising into the air with a quiet grace that drew the eyes of every guard still standing. "...Let's go."

It was an odd, almost surreal scene. The air was thick with unspoken tension and unbalanced power dynamics. The guard's hatred remained a minor annoyance, an irritation she would note but not act upon.

Yet, she thought as she soared forward, the day had not yet arrived that would

make her care enough to truly understand the reason behind the hatred of some random cockroach.

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