DING!
〘Enhancement Confirmed.〙
The black cube suddenly erupted with a blinding golden radiance only he could see.
BOOOOOOM!
An overwhelming pillar of brilliant light engulfed the corridor.
Arthur instinctively threw an arm over his face.
"...What the hell?!"
The golden brilliance continued to intensify.
Crack!
Tiny fractures of crimson and white energy spread across the cube’s surface before shattering outward like fragments of glass.
Then suddenly...
The light vanished.
DING!
〘Congratulations, Player.〙
〘Your item has successfully been enhanced to Divine Grade.〙
A new status window appeared.
〘Divine Hyper Battle and Pattern Foresight Assistant: GENESIS〙
Grade: Divine
Level: 1
Item Type: Bound (Cannot be Unequipped or Sold)
Status: EGO Soul Awakened (The item can grow and learn.)
Unique Skill:
〘Deductive Probing EX〙
• Cannot be used on other Divine-ranked items unless they are owned by the player.
• Usable once per day.
Arthur slowly lowered his arm.
"..."
His eyes widened.
Floating before him was no longer a tiny black cube.
Instead...
A humanoid machine of pristine white armor, roughly his height, hovered silently in the air.
Elegant crimson lines traced across its mechanical frame like flowing veins of light.
Above where its head should have been...
Hung a perfectly spherical black hole.
Within that miniature abyss burned a single enormous crimson eye.
It stared directly at Arthur.
Unblinking.
Watching.
"..."
Arthur could only stand there in silence.
His mouth slowly fell open.
"It really worked?!"
"How much do I have left...?"
His eyes immediately darted toward the enhancement point balance.
〘Enhancement Points Balance: 999,999,999,999,999,999+〙
"...It didn’t change?"
"It really is bugged..."
For some reason...
That fact excited him.
Before he could think any further...
DING!
〘Would the player like to equip the Divine Hyper Battle and Pattern Foresight Assistant: GENESIS?〙
Arthur nodded.
"...Equip."
The moment the command left his lips...
Buzz.
Brilliant crimson circuitry briefly spread across the area surrounding his right eye before fading beneath his skin.
〘Item Equipped. Notice: Only the designated player can see owned Divine-grade items.〙
At the same time, the towering humanoid machine before him dissolved into countless particles of white light.
Until only a tiny black sphere remained.
Several thin metallic rings orbited around it at different angles, rotating silently while a crimson optical sensor glowed at its center.
The small device hovered calmly beside Arthur’s right shoulder.
A second later, a mechanical female voice echoed from it.
〘Initialization complete.〙
〘Greetings, Master NebûlaKing.〙
The crimson eye pulsed once.
〘This unit, GENESIS, expresses gratitude.〙
〘The bestowal of a soul has elevated this unit beyond its original operational parameters.〙
〘Henceforth, this unit shall devote all processing capability toward assisting Master NebûlaKing in any manner deemed necessary.〙
Arthur stared at the floating AI for a moment.
Then a smile appeared on his face.
"...You know..."
"I’d rather you just call me Arthur."
The crimson eye flickered once.
A brief pause followed.
Then the mechanical voice responded.
〘Acknowledged.〙
〘Designation updated.〙
〘Henceforth, this unit shall address the user as Arthur.〙
The small machine continued hovering beside him, its metallic rings rotating in silence.
As much as Arthur wanted to open the two other crates, he thought it best not to keep his mother waiting any longer.
...
Arthur eventually arrived before the enormous metallic doors leading to the Grand Central Meeting Hall.
Standing motionless on either side of the entrance were two female guards clad in silver combat armor.
Iron Maidens.
Elite warriors sworn to the service of House Ashbourne.
The moment they saw him approach, both women placed a fist over their chests and bowed their heads respectfully.
"Young Master."
Arthur acknowledged them with a slight nod as he walked between them.
Whoosh.
The massive doors slid open.
Arthur stepped inside.
His eyes widened ever so slightly.
The hall was colossal.
A gigantic holographic projection of the entire Ashbourne Star System floated high above the chamber, with countless stars, planets, asteroid belts, and orbital stations slowly rotating in breathtaking detail.
At the center of the room stood a massive circular white table.
Hovering above it was a detailed hologram of the family’s inhabited homeworld, surrounded by countless streams of tactical data, fleet formations, and orbital defense grids.
Seated around the table were several of House Ashbourne’s highest-ranking generals, each woman dressed in black-and-gray military uniforms as they quietly studied the holographic display.
At the very end of the hall, elevated above everyone else, rested an imposing command seat.
Seated upon it was a woman with long, silky black hair cascading down her back.
Her head remained lowered, her eyes fixed on the holographic display before her.
She was...
Lord Elizabeth of House Ashbourne.
The moment Arthur reached the center of the chamber, he lowered himself onto one knee.
He placed a hand over his chest and bowed his head.
"Arthur Von Ashbourne pays his respects to Her Ladyship, Lord Elizabeth of House Ashbourne."
There was a pause...
Then...
One of the female generals rose slightly from her seat before speaking respectfully.
"My Ladyship."
"The Young Master has arrived."
"I believe it is time he is briefed on our plans."
A quiet sigh escaped Elizabeth’s lips.
She slowly rose from her throne.
The room instantly fell silent.
Arthur instinctively straightened.
Elizabeth’s deep black eyes settled upon him.
For reasons he couldn’t explain...
A faint sense of unease crept into his chest.
Just then, GENESIS’s mechanical voice echoed privately inside his ear.
〘Threat Assessment Complete.〙
〘No hostility detected from the target.〙
Arthur resisted the urge to glance toward the hovering AI.
Instead, he continued watching the woman approach.
She wore a calm, almost emotionless expression.
Cold.
Elegant.
Unreadable.
Despite being Arthur’s mother, she didn’t appear to be a day over twenty years old.
Each step she took echoed softly through the vast hall.
She stopped directly before him.
"Stand up."
Arthur hesitated.
Did she figure it out...?
Does she know I’m not her son?
A hundred thoughts flashed through his mind.
But there was no time to hesitate.
He obeyed.
"Yes, Mother."
Arthur rose to his feet, standing slightly taller than Elizabeth.
For a brief moment...
The two simply stared at one another.
Then...
Without the slightest warning...
Elizabeth stepped forward and wrapped both arms tightly around him, a warm smile appearing on her face as she giggled softly.
Arthur’s eyes widened.
"W-What...?"
She rubbed her cheek affectionately against his, her previously expressionless face melting into one overflowing with motherly affection.
"My sweet baby boy!"
"Your mummy would’ve died if she had to go one more minute without seeing you!"