The next morning arrived far sooner than Amir would have liked.
He had barely slept.
Not because of danger.
Not because of the Eclipse Covenant.
Not because he nearly blew himself apart again.
No.
The reason was significantly more ridiculous.
Verona Valeris had asked him to become her disciple.
Every time he closed his eyes, the memory replayed itself.
And every single time his brain reached the exact same conclusion.
This is insane.
Eventually, he gave up on sleeping altogether and stared at the ceiling.
Then a familiar notification appeared.
[The host has spent four hours repeatedly questioning reality.]
“I was recruited by the strongest woman on Earth.”
[Correct.]
“That’s not normal.”
[Your existence ceased being normal approximately seventeen catastrophes ago.]
“Fair point.”
A knock sounded at the door.
Before Amir could respond, the door opened.
Lyra stepped inside.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then—
“You look terrible.”
Amir pointed accusingly.
“So do you.”
She blinked.
Then frowned.
“I do not.”
“You absolutely do.”
“I slept.”
“You slept badly.”
“…”
“…”
“…Fine.”
“See?”
The corner of Lyra’s lips twitched upward.
Somehow, things had become much easier between them after everything that happened yesterday.
Less awkward.
Less distant.
More natural.
It was nice.
Before either could continue, another knock echoed through the room.
This time they both knew who it was.
The door opened.
Verona entered.
As always, she looked flawless.
Elegant.
Composed.
Dangerously calm.
The sort of person who could probably walk through a battlefield without a single wrinkle appearing on her clothes.
Her golden eyes moved between them.
“I see you’re both awake.”
“We were just discussing sleep deprivation.”
“We were not.”
“You literally admitted it.”
Lyra glared.
Amir grinned.
Verona watched the exchange with visible amusement.
“I assume you’ve considered my proposal.”
Immediately the room became serious.
Amir exchanged a glance with Lyra.
Then he looked back at Verona.
“Can I ask something first?”
“Of course.”
“If we become your disciples…”
Verona nodded.
“Yes?”
“Do we get paid?”
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Lyra looked horrified.
Verona stared.
Amir stared back.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
Verona laughed.
Actually laughed.
A clear, genuine laugh.
“I have never been asked that before.”
“That’s not a no.”
“It is not.”
Amir immediately sat upright.
“Excellent.
Continue.”
Lyra buried her face in her hands.
“I don’t know him.”
“You absolutely know me.”
“Unfortunately.”
Verona’s amusement only grew.
Eventually she shook her head.
“You’ll both be provided with anything necessary for your growth.”
Amir’s eyes sparkled.
“Anything?”
“Within reason.”
“That’s exactly what rich people say.”
The strongest woman in the world looked genuinely speechless.
Lyra turned away.
Her shoulders trembled slightly.
Was she laughing?
Traitor.
Eventually Verona recovered.
“Are you finished?”
“No promises.”
Her golden eyes narrowed.
“Amir.”
“Yes?”
“Answer the question.”
He smiled.
Then nodded.
“Sure.”
Verona blinked.
“Sure?”
“I’ll become your disciple.”
For the first time, genuine satisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Then she looked toward Lyra.
The silver-haired girl hesitated.
Only briefly.
Then she nodded.
“I accept.”
A soft smile appeared on Verona’s face.
“Good.”
Just like that.
Their future changed.
Again.
Verona stood.
“In that case, gather your belongings.
We’ll be leaving shortly.”
“Leaving?”
“You’ll be staying at my estate.”
Amir froze.
Then slowly looked at her.
“Estate?”
“Yes.”
“Estate as in mansion?”
“Essentially.”
“How rich are you?”
Verona simply smiled.
That answer somehow worried him more.
Half an hour later they were sitting inside one of the most expensive vehicles Amir had ever seen.
The car practically screamed money.
The seats were softer than his bed.
The interior looked like it belonged to royalty.
Even the windows felt expensive somehow.
Amir didn’t know how that was possible.
Yet here they were.
Lyra sat beside him while Verona occupied the opposite seat.
For several minutes nobody spoke.
Then—
“How much does this car cost?”
Verona looked up from her book.
“Around six million.”
Amir nearly stopped breathing.
“Aurels?”
“Yes.”
“I hate rich people.”
“I am sitting right here.”
“Exactly.”
Lyra looked out the window to hide her smile.
Amir caught it.
For a moment she seemed noticeably more relaxed than usual.
The constant tension she normally carried had weakened.
Not vanished.
But weakened.
Which was good.
She deserved that much.
As the city gradually disappeared behind them, the scenery changed.
Towering walls.
Private roads.
Forests.
Lakes.
Properties so large they looked like small kingdoms.
Then they reached their destination.
Amir stepped out of the car.
And immediately forgot how language worked.
“…”
“…”
“…”
The mansion was enormous.
Actually enormous.
Not rich-person enormous.
Not celebrity enormous.
Kingdom enormous.
The structure stretched across the landscape like something taken from a fantasy novel.
White stone walls reflected sunlight beautifully.
Massive glass windows overlooked sprawling gardens.
Fountains decorated the grounds.
Perfectly maintained pathways wound through flowers and trees.
Statues stood throughout the property.
Training fields occupied one side.
A private lake occupied the other.
“What.”
That was all Amir managed.
“What.”
Verona walked past him.
“You’ll get used to it.”
“I don’t think I will.”
Lyra stared silently.
Her expression wasn’t much better.
Several servants appeared near the entrance.
Butlers.
Maids.
Gardeners.
Security personnel.
Dozens of them.
Every single one moved with practiced professionalism.
The main doors opened.
And the interior somehow looked even more expensive.
Crystal chandeliers hung from ceilings nearly three stories high.
Marble floors reflected light beautifully.
Elegant staircases curved upward toward multiple levels.
Paintings decorated the walls.
Rare artifacts occupied display cases.
Everything radiated wealth.
Amir felt personally attacked.
“This isn’t a mansion.”
Verona glanced back.
“No?”
“This is a final boss dungeon.”
For the second time today, Verona laughed.
One of the butlers looked shocked.
Apparently that wasn’t a common occurrence.
Interesting.
A distinguished older man approached.
His suit looked immaculate.
His posture perfect.
“Welcome home, Lady Verona.”
Verona nodded.
“Thank you, Sebastian.”
The butler’s gaze moved toward Amir and Lyra.
“They are the new disciples?”
“They are.”
His eyes sharpened briefly.
Evaluating.
Observing.
Then he bowed.
“Welcome.”
Amir immediately bowed back.
“Please don’t assassinate me.”
The man blinked.
“I beg your pardon?”
“I don’t know how rich people work.”
Sebastian looked at Verona.
Verona looked suspiciously amused.
Lyra looked seconds away from laughing again.
It was rapidly becoming a trend.
Meanwhile, far away from Verona’s estate, another young man sat comfortably inside a luxury vehicle.
Unlike Amir, Lucien was in an excellent mood.
Everything was progressing according to plan.
Mostly.
The academy arc was approaching.
Several opportunities existed there.
Several future powerhouses.
Several legendary artifacts.
Several heroines.
Why should Kael get the women?
They were mine now.
Lucien smirked at the thought.
He had a System.
And countless advantages that only he possessed because he knew the future.
A smile rested on his face as he gazed out the window.
Kael might have been the protagonist of the original novel.
But Lucien had no intention of allowing things to play out as they originally did.
Why should they?
He knew everything.
Every major event.
Every hidden treasure.
Every future powerhouse.
Including one particular individual.
Lyra.
His smile widened slightly.
Most people only remembered the future Villain Queen for her strength.
Lucien knew better.
Lyra wasn’t born a monster.
She became one.
Years of abuse.
Years of betrayal.
Years of isolation.
The Slave House had broken her long before the world ever learned her name.
In the original novel, she eventually escaped on her own.
No rescue.
No miracle.
No hero.
She clawed her way out through sheer determination and hatred.
By the time she appeared in the story, entire organizations feared her existence.
Entire cities trembled whenever rumors of her movements surfaced.
She was beautiful.
Terrifying.
Powerful.
And completely broken.
Eventually Kael encountered her during one of the later arcs.
They were enemies, so of course they fought.
But even then she gave the protagonist the hardest time of his life.
She would have won if not for the protagonist’s cheats and plot armor.
She died at his hands during their final exchange.
Lucien had no intention of allowing that to happen.
If he could find Lyra now, before she escaped, before she became the future Villain Queen, then everything would change.
A future powerhouse would become his ally.
A future catastrophe would become his weapon.
It was the perfect opportunity.
Then the elderly man driving him suddenly spoke.
“Young Master.”
Lucien looked up.
“What is it?”
The old man hesitated.
That alone immediately caught Lucien’s attention.
This was an [S] Rank Awakener.
A man who rarely showed uncertainty.
“The Slave House.”
Lucien sat straighter.
One of the most important locations connected to Lyra’s future.
“What about it?”
“It no longer exists.”
The smile vanished from Lucien’s face.
“…What?”
The old butler maintained his calm expression.
“The facility was destroyed several days ago.”
Lucien stared.
For a moment he wondered if he had heard incorrectly.
Destroyed?
That wasn’t possible.
The Slave House remained operational for years in the original story.
“What do you mean destroyed?”
“The reports are unclear.”
“Unclear?”
“The location suffered catastrophic damage.”
Lucien felt unease crawl down his spine.
No.
Something wasn’t right.
The butterfly effect caused by his reincarnation should not be capable of something like this.
Small changes?
Sure.
Minor deviations?
Expected.
But this?
This was ridiculous.
“Take me there.”
The butler frowned.
“Young Master—”
“Now.”
The S-Rank Awakener immediately nodded.
“As you wish.”
The vehicle changed direction.
As the city gradually passed by outside the windows, Lucien’s thoughts became increasingly chaotic.
How?
How could this happen?
He hadn’t even interfered with Lyra’s storyline yet.
He had intentionally avoided it.
The plan was simple.
Wait.
Arrive at the correct time.
Rescue her.
Gain her loyalty.
Prevent the birth of the future Villain Queen.
Everything should have been straightforward.
So why was the Slave House gone?
His fingers tightened against the armrest.
The more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he became.
Was there another reincarnator?
Another regressor?
Someone else who knew the future?
It sounded absurd.
Yet standing at the center of a rapidly changing timeline, absurdity was becoming increasingly common.
Eventually the vehicle slowed.
“We’ve arrived.”
Lucien immediately stepped outside.
And froze.
His mind went blank.
Because the Slave House was gone.
Completely.
Utterly.
Gone.
In its place stood a massive crater.
A gigantic scar carved into the earth.
The surrounding landscape looked devastated.
Nearby buildings had collapsed.
The terrain itself appeared warped.
As if reality had suffered a violent injury.
Lucien simply stared.
“…”
“…”
“…”
What.
The.
Hell.
This wasn’t destruction.
This was annihilation.
His heart began racing.
Lyra was supposed to be here.
The future Villain Queen.
The woman who would one day shake entire nations.
The woman Kael was supposed to save years later.
The woman Lucien intended to recruit before that future could ever occur.
Yet now—
Nothing remained.
Only a crater.
A giant crater.
Lucien slowly walked forward.
His eyes scanned the devastation.
There were signs of battle.
Signs of overwhelming power.
Signs that someone had unleashed enough force to erase an entire facility from existence.
His face turned pale.
This wasn’t supposed to happen.
The entire storyline surrounding Lyra had vanished.
A major future event had simply ceased to exist.
Who got to her first?
More importantly—
What kind of monster had created a crater this large?
Lucien felt cold.
For the first time since arriving in this world, genuine uncertainty appeared within him.
His greatest advantage had always been his knowledge of the future.
But standing before this enormous scar in the earth, he realized something terrifying.
The future was changing.
Not slightly.
Not gradually.
Dramatically.
Violently.
Someone was rewriting events.
Someone was altering the story itself.
And whoever they were…
They had reached Lyra before he did.
Lucien stared at the crater.
Then nearly screamed inside his own mind.
What kind of butterfly effect could possibly do this?
But don’t worry I’m getting better, so I managed to squeeze out this chapter.
Hehe I feel proud of myself.
Also have you’ve seen I’ve changed the currency to ‘Aurels’