Chapter 27: The Power of An Apple
[Logic Affinity]
Hearing Akasha’s word in that moment Harlan subtly activated his affinity for Logic.
The world around him sharpened instantly.
Threads of logic sprang to life, intertwining through every word, movement, and unspoken motive in the room.
In that single moment, Harlan understood exactly what Akasha meant by "friends with benefits."
He nodded slowly, his expression calm and steady.
"Friends with benefits," he repeated, his voice smooth.
"So, you’re after mutual support. Shared resources. Protection. Power. A partnership where both sides benefit greatly."
With the affinity active, every undercurrent in the negotiation became crystal clear to him—the hidden motives, the calculated risks, the potential outcomes.
It was like watching an intricate web unfold in real time.
Harlan leaned forward slightly.
"You’ve mentioned having your own faction outside the surrounding continents. That’s... quite the claim. As far as we know, there is no uninhabited land left beyond the five continents."
Which wasn’t wrong—the entire world of Kalpa had been thoroughly explored for everything visible on the surface.
Akasha’s mountain was, quite literally, the only thing perched at the edge of the continents bordering the Southern Continent.
It had remained unclaimed simply because, at first, there was nothing there but a solitary towering mountain.
Akasha only smiled, calm and unperturbed.
"Well, instead of wondering... you should visit one day. I’ll extend a proper invitation once I leave."
It wasn’t that he was concealing the identity or location of his Peak; after all, it would be impossible for anyone to enter regardless.
But if he admitted that he was the sole member, there was no way they would take him seriously.
Harlan’s eyes narrowed with intrigue, noting his reluctance to elaborate on the faction.
Adjusting his approach, he subtly maneuvered closer, seeking out the threads that might guide him toward a way of aiding the Academy.
"Tell me then... If you’re seeking benefits, what exactly do you have to offer?"
The other Peak Masters shifted uneasily in their seats, the tension thick enough to taste.
Victor’s expression clouded with suspicion, his eyes narrowing as if searching for hidden motives.
Dexter’s shadows coiled and twisted at his feet, restless and alive. Marcus clutched the edge of the table, knuckles white, clearly wrestling with the impulse to rise once more.
Serena Hale, the elegant elf, sent a mental message directly to Harlan, her thoughts sharp and urgent.
’Headmaster... Is there something you see that we don’t? He’s only True God Rank.’
They all knew Harlan was far more thoughtful in situations like this, which was likely the only reason he was holding back from attacking Akasha.
Maintaining perfect composure, Harlan responded in his mind with two, weighty words.
"He’s dangerous..."
At that moment, Akasha casually waved his hand.
A single glowing white apple with golden leaves materialized from his inventory, resting lightly in his palm.
The moment it appeared, every eye in the room locked onto it.
The air seemed to hum with its power, drawing shocked and greedy stares from the Peak Masters.
Akasha held it out casually.
"This is one of the many things my faction has to offer." He said, "Consider it a small token of my faction’s gratitude... if we are to be allies, of course."
In this moment, for the first time Liliana finally spoke, her voice low and intense as she looked him directly in the eyes.
"What does it do?"
The instant their gazes met, Akasha’s Divine Starvation status flashed violently in his vision.
[Divine Starvation Commencing within 30 Minutes.]
A sharp wave of thirst slammed into him.
’What the hell is up with this woman?’ He thought to himself as his light brown skin paled noticeably.
Liliana noticed the subtle shift instantly, arching a delicate brow as her obsessive thoughts confirmed what she had suspected.
’Divine Starvation, huh?’
’So... he really is some sort of Vampire–Dragon hybrid,’ she mused.
And... Akasha wasn’t the only one feeling the strange tension.
Though, unlike him, she was thoroughly familiar with every quirk and instinct that came with being a Vampire, so Divine Starvation was something she’d never have to endure.
Normally, Akasha wouldn’t either—except that when he first awakened and assimilated his Vampire bloodline, the very first thing he’d done was retreat into a ten-year seclusion.
That isolation had let his Divine Starvation quietly build over time.
But now, there was something about the connection between them, an undeniable pull, that sent his hunger surging beyond control.
Akasha masked the discomfort well, smoothly handing the apple to her.
"Why not trying it for yourself," he said with a smile. "However, it works best if you simply imagine yourself ranking up one major rank while you eat it."
One of the Peak Masters—Victor Black—shook his head in disbelief.
"What nonsense are you spouting? Ranking up from eating a mere apple?"
Liliana, however, stared at Akasha for a long moment, almost testing him.
Their eyes locked again.... and in that moment Akasha paled once more as the starvation clawed harder at his throat.
Seeing this, Liliana’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile.
’Found you... husband~’ she thought, and in that instant, it felt as though the blood in her eyes began to swirl as she turned her gaze toward the apple.
Without a moment’s pause, she sank her teeth into it.
HUMMMMMM!!!!!
The moment she swallowed, a violent blood-plasmic burst of divinity erupted from her body.
Pure, scorching energy exploded outward in a roaring wave that slammed into the walls and rattled the ancient stone of the hall.
Glowing plasma-ink runes spiraled wildly around her, forming a swirling cocoon of burning scripture and blood-red light.
The temperature in the room spiked dramatically as raw power flooded the space, making the air itself feel thick and metallic on the tongue.
CCRRRACKKK!!!!
The whole hall shook hard, cracks spreading like spiderwebs across the floor as the torches flickered and sputtered.
The Peak Masters shot to their feet in pure shock, chairs clattering behind them as their auras flared instinctively in response.
When the cocoon finally shattered in a dazzling explosion of light and ink, Liliana descended slowly, her long hair whipping dramatically as waves of newfound power rolled off her in visible ripples.
Her bloody crimson eyes blazed with ecstasy and disbelief.
She clenched her fists, feeling the overwhelming surge coursing through every vein.
"I-I’m at the Star Union, Tier 18 Rank?!" she gasped, her voice cracking with raw emotion.
A wild, almost manic laugh escaped her lips as she threw her head back, drunk on the sudden leap in strength.
She slowly lowered her gaze as she looked at Akasha.
In that moment, her body trembled with euphoric power, the obsessive fire in her eyes burning hotter than ever.
’Oh... Husband, your first gift to me,’ she thought, ’I LOVE IT!’
Sensing her gaze, Akasha felt a slight chill run down his spine and quickly looked away.
’Luna... am I imagining things,’ he wondered, ’or is she giving off crazy vibes?’
’Fufufu~ I’d say you’re definitely imagining it,’ Luna teased, sitting casually on the table beside him, unseen by anyone else.
Eventually, the stunned silence that crashed over the room was broken by the ragged gasps and disbelieving murmurs of the Peak Masters.
"She... she actually ranked up... from a single apple?"
"Impossible..."
"How—?!"
Akasha smiled, his bloody eyes locking directly with Harlan’s.
"There’s much more where that came from."
Harlan swallowed deeply, the logical threads in his vision flaring brighter than ever.
Multiple paths that previously led to the Academy’s potential destruction were now rapidly strengthening into viable routes of survival—all because of this mysterious young man.
Seeing the undeniable effects of the apple, Harlan finally came clean, his voice steady but laced with rare openness.
"With power like that... I have to ask. Why would someone as capable as you be willing to form an alliance with the weakest of the five Academies?"
Akasha simply shrugged, casual as ever.
"It was closer to my faction... and the first one I passed by."
As he spoke, he pulled out another glowing white apple from his inventory and placed it on the table with a soft thud.
"So... do we have a deal?"
BOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!
However, before anyone could respond, loud explosions suddenly erupted outside the hall.
Distant screams tore through the mountain air—sharp, panicked, and growing louder by the second.
Akasha turned around with an arched brow.
Through the grand windows, the horrific scene unfolded: the entire Academy of Veils was under sudden, overwhelming attack.
Thousands of dragons roared through the skies, their scales glinting under the seven suns.
Thousands more humans, angels, and warriors of various races charged forward, all wearing the distinct colors and insignia of the Academy of Revelations.
HUMMMMM!!!!!!
Seeing this, the Peak Masters shot up in a panic, auras flaring wildly as they rushed toward the windows, preparing to fly out and defend their territory.
Harlan stood as well, his usual composure cracking under the weight of the crisis.
He fixed Akasha with an urgent, intense gaze.
"Lord Dream, I know this is abrupt... but if you can somehow help us out of this, I’ll agree to whatever demands you make."
Akasha let out a low, amused chuckle, his blood-red eyes gleaming with a dangerous promise.
"Oh? I like the sound of those terms," he murmured as he rose to his feet.
"However, don’t go back on your word, Headmaster... that wouldn’t be very leader-like."
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