Olivia shook her head.

“It’s deeper than that. It’s going to affect all of his relationships, including the one he has with himself. I wouldn’t be surprised if he grew indifferent to his own lifespan.”

Liam mentally slapped himself. It was true. The higher he rose, the more he would feel like getting rid of his mortal shell. For a long time, everything he had done for humanity was out of sheer desperation because of his limited lifespan. If he didn’t care about humanity or the people around him, he would have already ascended. Liam cursed under his breath. Not only could this issue hurt his loved ones, but it could also shorten his life. He glanced at Cassandra. Her dead expression was telling enough. He didn’t have to read her mind to know that she was thinking about their relationship and its future. Liam spoke with a firm voice.

“However, I’m getting it under control. It has cost me four months, but for now, it won’t be an issue. I will attempt to find a more permanent solution, which brings me to the other reason why I’m talking to all of you.”

Arthur and Cassandra trembled as he spoke. The others’ expressions grew heavier. Every time Liam’s lifespan decreased suddenly, it caused a ripple effect. This was most obvious in reunions like this. Liam continued to speak.

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I’ll need to do to counter this; I don’t know the lengths I’ll be forced to go to. Most importantly, I don’t know if I’ll be able to stay around watching over Zancorix. I know I promised to spend my days enjoying the time we have left, but this changes things. Luweth,” He looked at the Vampire, who nodded, “I’ll need to count on you.”

“Don’t mention it. I’ll cover your absence. Do what you need to do.”

Liam let out a relieved smile.

“Thank you. Truly. I want all of you to know that I’m grateful for everything we’ve been through together. I have no plans to give up on my humanity. I will do whatever I can to keep myself from losing it.”

Alexander spoke loudly.

“We should be the ones thanking you. Even after everything you’ve done for our species, we never had the chance to thank you for it properly. Now that we don’t know if things will stay as they are, I thank you. In the name of humanity, I thank you. We’re all grateful.”

Liam smiled, stepping forward to shake the man’s hand. The atmosphere in the room got lighter, but some dread still remained. Luweth sent everyone to their quarters except for Cassandra, leaving her alone with Liam. She stared at the ground listlessly. Liam sat next to her.

“Cass. I’m sorry.”

Her hands were clenched into fists. She gritted her teeth. The words were spat out of her mouth.

“There’s always something. We can’t ever enjoy our days like a normal couple. There’s always something going on, something about you. First, you run around like a madman trying to save every living human; then, I find out you’re dying. We got a few weeks before we needed to go to war and start exterminating other species. Now, you tell me that after some time, you won’t even love me or anyone anymore. How do you think I feel after all of this?”

“…”

“How am I supposed to feel about this relationship? For years, you were my entire world. The moment I try to become someone better, another bombshell just gets dropped on me. Now I feel like I can’t let go of you because you’ll die or change if I do. Haven’t you realized that you spend most of your time chasing faraway goals instead of just staying with me?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“No, you’re not! You’re about to go off on your own again, and I understand why, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s happening anyway! I’ll be left alone! Again! For who knows how long! The date of your death keeps drawing closer, and there’s nothing I can do to stop it! And I-”

Her voice was broken up by her sobs. Liam hugged her. She didn’t reject his touch. In fact, she clung to him tightly.

I’ve been neglectful.

It was a realization that was long overdue. Truthfully, Liam had already talked about this with her in the past. It was just that, in spite of his words, his actions never matched them. He still acted in the name of the bigger picture, not stopping to foster his relationships. He spoke with a soft voice.

“I promise I’m going to find a solution, and I’ll spend as much time as possible with you as I try. I needed to talk about this with everyone in case I needed to leave the planet, but it’s unlikely. Everything I need should already be available.”

Cassandra buried her face in his chest, speaking with a muffled voice.

“What do you mean?”

“The Primordial Essence says it can’t solve this issue, but it’s the most powerful key piece in the Convergence. Finding other things won’t be helpful. The solution has to be related to my Will somehow, and I already possess the fastest method of increasing it.”

“…That sounds even more discouraging.”

“No, it means that I’m already close to the solution. I only need to grasp it.”

Liam teleported both of them to the skies above Cinzolia Fortress. Cassandra watched the clouds and the structures below as she slightly moved her head. Liam continued to speak in a soothing tone.

“Everything’s going to work out, and we’ll get to spend as much time with each other as we want. I love you, Cass. That won’t ever change.”

“…I love you too.”

The duo grew silent. They wordlessly enjoyed each other’s company. Only after a few hours did Liam teleport Cassandra to her quarters. He took a deep breath, focusing his mind.

There’s only one other being who can help me.

The being closest to perfection in the Convergence. A creature made in the shape of the First Star. Liam sent out a message to the edge of his perception.

Clyranth. Can you help me?

It took less than a second for a faceless blue figure with the shape of a human female to appear.

“What do you need my help with? I’ll decide if I’ll help you after listening to your request.”

“…I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing you leave your homeworld so nonchalantly.”

“Focus, Liam.”

“Right. I need your help with keeping me human.”

Clyranth tilted her head. Before Liam could say anything else, her voice reached him.

“I understand. It’s finally hitting you. It took quite a long time, given how far removed you are from everyone and everything else. This must be giving you quite the trouble.”

“…Yes. I do not want to lose my attachment to my loved ones or my emotions. You seem to have kept your personality and traits in spite of your level of power. I don’t get the same feeling from you as I get from… Other beings.”

Clyranth’s voice was calm.

“Yes, I did keep my emotions intact over my journey to power, but you must first understand two things. One, you and I are very different. You’re on an infinitely higher level than me, and so is your growth. The two of them aren’t really comparable, as they’re not even on the same scale. Two, it’s an active effort. The more powerful we become, the greater the sense of distance and loneliness. I’m sure you already know what problems this can cause for the leader of a species.”

Fuck.

Liam cursed in his mind as he listened to her words. She was right. Her development and his couldn’t be compared. He was being shaped by Chaos and Order; whatever Clyranth had done, there was absolutely no guarantee that it would work on him. In fact, it was far more likely that it wouldn’t. However, her words about making an active effort caught his attention.

“What do you mean by ‘active effort?’”

“It means that you must temper your Will and continuously remember who you are and where you came from. Experience the life of lesser beings in their entirety. It’s possible with your perception. See the world from other perspectives while not losing yourself. It is the only way to keep your sense of self intact.”

“…I suppose that also includes understanding the Law of Will?”

“Naturally. It’s a process that takes a long time, but I believe you’ll be able to shorten it dramatically.”

Neither of them bothered to discuss the difficulty that lay in comprehending the Law of Will. It was something that they had already achieved.

“Thank you, Clyranth. I’ll try my best.”

“Good luck.”

She disappeared in the blink of an eye as if she had never been there. Liam faced a dilemma. In order to comprehend more of the Law of Will at a faster rate, he needed to increase his Perception. However, carelessly raising his Perception would make him feel more distant and hasten the process of his ascension.

I should follow the rest of her advice before messing with Laws.

Understanding who he was, where he came from, and looking at life from different perspectives. Liam perceived the entirety of the human race. For the first time, he didn’t hold back and read all of their thoughts without qualms. He experienced life as they did, down to the smallest details. It was like living hundreds of millions of lives at the same time.

Simultaneously, he considered all of his story, without caring if it was fictional or real. From his birth to the present moment, he remembered all of it. His Will rumbled within his Inner World. It unceasingly increased with the help of the Primordial Essence.

Ever so slowly, Liam’s Will started to change.