The ultimate pleasure exploded from the base of her spine, like frost shattering in her bone marrow. A freezing shudder rapidly ascended, instantly engulfing her entire sensory world.
A burning numbness also spread through her fingertips, as if countless tiny electrical currents were roaming beneath her skin.
The world before her eyes became illusory, and in her trance, unfamiliar faces appeared.
A blazing heat ignited on her back, accompanied by a chaotic white light bursting before her eyes, like the intense midday sun reflecting off a snowy field.
Su Cheng closed her eyes, yet she could still see the brilliant red spinning in the darkness, turning into a blood-colored heart surrounded by thorn-covered vines.
Those coiling, twisted vines gradually pulled away, revealing the naked red heart in the center.
Blood roared in her eardrums, one wave higher than the last.
She panted rapidly, sweat soaking her hair. Her senses gradually blurred, and in that complete integration, the boundaries of reality seemed to dissolve.
Her consciousness seemed to be drawn away by an invisible force, up, and further up—
Piercing through the black mountain rocks, the dark red sky, and the veil of the planes, arriving at a silent, dim hall.
The dome was a profound cosmos of countless swirling stars, and someone stood ahead, looking back at her.
At first, it was just a blurry figure, but as her focus sharpened, the entity's body quickly took on clearer lines.
It was a shape seemingly condensed from desire and craving itself. Strong sinews supported bulging muscular contours, and a nebula-like faint light flowed over snow-white skin.
His face remained a constantly shifting shadow, yet there seemed to be a pair of eyes piercing through the spatial barrier, calmly watching her.
The next second, that seemingly perfect, robust body suddenly melted and collapsed, revealing a strange, incomprehensible form—
Su Cheng saw countless flashing eyes, reflecting thousands upon thousands of souls driven mad by their drowning in desire, and saw countless limbs endlessly extending and folding, presenting shapes that could not be explained by geometry.
But it only lasted for a fleeting moment.
All the chaotic anomalies retracted back into that perfect, masculine body, as if it were merely an illusion.
Su Cheng heard his voice.
...You have completed the trial.
Go and master that flame...
It was an echo branded deep within her soul, a sacred ballad composed of the very concept of desire.
In that deep, beautiful voice, every syllable felt like a promise, making one see everything they ever wanted—the supreme power, the most ancient knowledge, the deepest love.
It was like an invisible hand stroking her spirit.
And like some silent declaration.
—I am your end.
It was the quest of life, the void waiting to be filled, the manifestation of all yearnings.
He was the imagined companion in the dreams of the lonely, the burning flame in the chest of the ambitious, and the screaming inspiration in the mind of the creator.
He was desire itself.
Anyone with a weak will, upon hearing just one such syllable, would fall into endless madness, exhausting their life to chase this empty echo.
Ultimately burning themselves to ashes.
Su Cheng had read similar records in books and knew this was no exaggeration; there were plenty of such examples.
Let alone a true Ancient God, even the lesser gods elevated after the war could drive people to such an end.
Now—
Listening to that song-like voice, she did not feel the helplessness of being dominated, nor was her mind completely swayed.
Deep in her soul, Su Cheng could already feel the blazing flames of desire and the river of love converging, playing a complete and harmonious movement.
She gazed at the ancient deity, feeling his power surging into her body.
Burning fiercely on her back.
Yet it would never bring any pain again.
All the illusions vanished.
Su Cheng opened her eyes.
She lay on a man's broad, hard chest, looking up into those bright golden eyes.
Kai looked down at her, a gratified smile appearing in his eyes. Enjoy the trip?
Su Cheng looked around and found they were still in the Lightless Ruin. ...Well, although it was very bizarre, I think I have officially become a favored of the God of Desire.
She did not need to turn her head to look at the brand on her back; she knew the tangled thorns had dispersed, and the red heart in the center had gone from being imprisoned to being embraced.
...Or more accurately, I can use the power of that authority. Wait, do you know what happened?
Not exactly, he shook his head slowly. I know who you met. As for how His power operates, I do not really understand it.
Su Cheng generally understood.
At the moment she passed the trial, she had received the answer.
Thinking about it, her expression became subtle. ...This so-called test has different ways to pass. Achieving just one counts as success. My situation was, ahem, having relations with someone I love after the curse flared up more than five times.
Kai lowered his eyes to look at her, the smile in his eyes deepening. So I really should feel honored.
Su Cheng hesitated to speak.
And, Kai reached out and cupped her face, I believe I am not the only one who fits the criteria, but you do not need to stress over that.
Su Cheng grabbed his fingers. ...Leaving everything else aside, the moment I came out of the Echo Plane, the person I wanted to see most was indeed you.
He curled his lips into a smile, asking in a light, joking tone, I believe you, especially since you are still mad at him.
Hey, Su Cheng puffed out her cheeks, that is one aspect. On the other hand, we have not seen each other for a long time either, at least for me it has been a long time.
Kai did not want to argue with her, nor did he want to compete with someone who was, in a sense, an enemy, so he lowered his head and kissed the top of her hair.
I know, he said softly. I missed you very much too.
Su Cheng hugged him in silence.
They sat on the pitch-black mountain rock, quietly overlooking the cliff ahead.
...The Mark of the Surge, she said softly. The curse on my back. It intensifies a person's desires. As for what kind, for most people it is sexual, unless they are extremely repulsed by it, or have some other particularly intense craving—
Su Cheng considered herself not particularly enthusiastic about that, the type who would not even think of it if nothing happened, but she was still a bit far from the latter two situations.
Su Cheng: ...The craving I am talking about is the indulging kind; simply wanting to stay alive does not count.
Kai nodded thoughtfully. If it is His mark, then if one's will is not firm enough, or if they indulge themselves too much, releasing their desires indiscriminately, recklessly, and too frequently, they will ultimately be swallowed by this power. Their capacity to perceive love will permanently wither, and they will turn into mindless lunatics.
Su Cheng paused. Yeah, I can imagine certain people turning out like that.
But this was the mark of the God of Desire; why would it be related to the power of love?
Are the two of them one entity? They are not, right?
"No, they... are more like brothers, except that race doesn't have the concept of blood ties."
"That race?"
"The Ancient Gods," Kai thought for a moment. "Initially, they were just spirits wandering and shuttling through various planes. Later, one of them forged a body for itself and created the elf race, so some of them began to interact with the elves..."
Su Cheng was listening intently, but he stopped.
"...I really wasn't interested in any of these things back then. Whenever I was awake, I felt very uncomfortable and just wanted to go back to sleep."
Kai sighed softly. "I can't give you more details, but I know what happened in those years, especially since some of them had contact with us."
The elves built a civilization, developing newfound emotions and wisdom that illuminated the path to the core of the laws.
Thus, those primordial spirits comprehended the ultimate form of power from this—they realized that just as the ancient dragons were incredibly powerful because they were incarnations of natural forces, they too could actively bind themselves to certain concepts.
Authority.
They went to absorb and control it.
Some embraced the elves' desire for exploration and knowledge, becoming the incarnation of truth and wisdom.
Some experienced the elves' art and emotions, becoming the masters of love and desire.
One by one, the spirits ascended to the divine throne through this method, becoming truly immortal beings.
When races with stronger reproductive abilities like dwarves, orcs, and humans appeared one after another, more concepts emerged, giving new gods the opportunity to be born.
Of course, to the elves, they had always believed those beings were gods.
After all, even the ancient spirits that had not yet merged with authority were far more powerful than the elves.
This was even more true for the other races.
"...I understand."
Su Cheng leaned into Kai's embrace, resting her head on his muscular arm, idly tugging at his bracer.
"I had conversations with them in the Echo Plane. So that's what it meant."
"Yes," Kai let her mess around. "When I woke up from my slumber, I knew who I was, but I had forgotten many things. Otherwise, I might have been able to help you sooner."
He paused as he spoke. "...Never mind. Even if I had those memories back, it probably wouldn't have helped much."
Su Cheng couldn't help but smile. "Stop dwelling on it. Everything is resolved anyway. But how did you meet Camus and Sasha? Hmm, Camus must have been beaten up, and Sasha must have escaped from that kingdom early on—"
"I just recognized them," Kai reached out and combed through her slightly messy black hair. "When I left the Lightless Ruin and entered the Northern Continent, the first people I met were mercenaries. I didn't look quite right at the time. They thought I was a fellow mercenary in distress, cursed by some magic, so they kindly helped me and took me to a nearby town..."
He recounted his experiences from that time in a low voice.
In fact, there weren't many dramatic twists and turns; it was mostly just eating, drinking, and doing simple quests everywhere.
When he met the semi-amnesiac God of Memory and the unlucky Progenitor of the Vampires, he recognized them, and they recognized him too.
"It's a pity I didn't meet you from back then during the trial," Su Cheng couldn't help but say. "That would have been interesting."
Kai rubbed her head. "Ilthiant could only obtain memory fragments of me from thousands of years ago. He used them to construct and enrich that Echo Plane, making the entire plane more stable. He didn't mind letting you see me in the Echo Plane, he just felt that the me from back then wouldn't be able to... have more interesting experiences with you."
Su Cheng curled her lips. "True."
She already knew that was the divine name of the God of Light. Based on her understanding of that guy, the commander's words were definitely not just trying to make him look bad; it was ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent the truth.
"Speaking of which, can you give me a mark?"
"Me?" Kai was slightly taken aback. "The essence of a God's Favored mark is the sharing of authority. The deity, as the anchor and manifestation of a certain rule, grants you the use of that portion of power—"
"So that means no," Su Cheng understood. "Because I can already use your power anyway, right?"
Kai reached out and pulled her closer into his arms. "Actually, to the other ancient dragons, your learning of elemental magic is essentially sharing their authority. Although the method is a bit different from that between a Favored and a god, given the connection between us, if it weren't for my special circumstances, they would probably think of you more as my mate rather than a subordinate."
Su Cheng tugged at the leather straps on his chest. "Speaking of this, did you know I come from another world?"
"Yes, although I always felt it wasn't important. I mean, it wouldn't affect how I see you."
Kai pondered, "The day you were summoned, the God of Desire awakened, and that succubus regained her power as a result, escaping from the church's prison—"
Su Cheng: "..."
Su Cheng: "Who summoned me here?"
Kai was silent for a few seconds. "I could only sense that some kind of power opened up space for you, so I figured you were summoned. But since you said you've met, or rather slept with Metashil, clearly this has His hand in it."
"The God of Illusion?"
"Yes."
"...Then I know why."
"Hmm?"
"It's easy to guess," Su Cheng said in exasperation. "What else could it be for? All the races they created are restricted by the laws and cannot reverse the aether, so they had no choice but to summon a soul that doesn't belong to this world."
