Forge Goddesses to Rule the World

018

The silence of the midnight hour in the Shaw mansion was heavy, broken only by the low-frequency hum of the city’s Defense Matrix and the occasional, distant cry of a Purple-Feathered Heron soaring above the estate’s gardens. Leo Shaw lay back on his imported silk sheets, his eyes tracing the intricate, gold-leaf patterns on the high ceiling of his suite. His heart was still hammering against his ribs, not from the physical exertion of the night’s events, but from the sheer, staggering weight of the potential resting in the palm of his hand.

“Sky-Rending Spear,” he whispered, the syllables feeling sharp and metallic on his tongue. “A name that promises to pierce the firmament itself. If the vision I saw was even ten percent accurate, this isn't just a weapon; it’s a cosmic event.”

He sat up, his Spirit-Forged Body reacting with a fluidity that still felt alien to him. With a flicker of his will, he accessed the Inventory of the Goddess Affection System. The translucent screen shimmered in the air, the icon of the spear glowing with an intense, violet light that seemed to pulse in time with his own heartbeat. He reached out mentally, attempting to manifest the Divine Artifact into the physical world. He imagined the cold, heavy weight of the obsidian shaft and the crackling energy of the Nihility Divine Thunder that would surely accompany its arrival.

Nothing happened.

Instead of a weapon, a sharp, warning chime rang out in his mind, followed by a surge of resistance from the system’s interface. The icon of the Sky-Rending Spear flickered a dangerous shade of crimson, and a block of text materialized before his eyes.

[Warning: Access Denied. The Host’s current biological parameters are insufficient to anchor a Divine Artifact of this magnitude.]

“What? System, what are you playing at?” Leo asked, his voice echoing in the empty, moonlit room. “I won it. It’s mine. Why is it locked?”

The Loli Voice chirped back, though it carried an uncharacteristic note of caution. [Oh, Master... please don't be mad! It’s for your own protection! The Sky-Rending Spear is forged from the heart of a dying star and tempered in the blood of a Tier-10 Three-Legged Golden Crow. Its localized gravitational mass is measured in hundreds of thousands of pounds. In your current 'Unawakened' state, the moment you tried to grasp the shaft, your Spirit-Forged Body would be crushed into a fine paste, and the floor of this mansion would collapse into a five-hundred-foot Sinkhole!]

Leo felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He looked at his hands—hands that could now snap a steel bar like a twig—and realized just how deep the ocean of power in this world truly was. Even with his "top-tier" start, he was still just a mosquito trying to lift a mountain.

[So, Master, until you complete your Awakening Ceremony tomorrow and begin refining high-purity Spirit Energy, the spear stays in the vault! Consider it a goal to work toward, tee-hee!]

“Fine,” Leo grumbled, falling back onto the pillows with a frustrated sigh. “I’ll play by the rules for now. But once I awaken... that spear and I have a date with destiny.”

He shook off the disappointment. He still had the Mystery Gift Box he had earned from reaching 100% affection with Monica Bailey. Given that the previous gift boxes had yielded an SSS-tier elemental power and a permanent ten-fold cultivation booster, he was eager to see what the "Leggy Goddess" of the night market had brought him.

“System,” he commanded, his eyes narrowing with anticipation. “Open the Mystery Gift Box from Monica Bailey.”

The virtual box on his screen began to vibrate, emitting a soft, ethereal light that wasn't the violent purple of the spear, but a shimmering, translucent silver. It felt warm, inviting, and strangely profound.

[Congratulations, Master! You have obtained a Rank-less Special Ability: Talent Enhancement!]

Leo blinked. “Rank-less? Is that... is that below a D-tier?”

[Oh, Master, you really need to stop thinking in terms of standard tiers!] the system squealed, its voice dripping with excitement. [In the Metahuman World, 'Rank-less' means it doesn't fit the scale because it’s a 'Fundamental Law' ability! It’s a 'Seed of Creation'! Check the description!]

Leo focused his mind on the new skill entry.

Ability: Talent Enhancement (Origin Tier)

Description: This ability allows the Host to intervene in the genetic and spiritual blueprint of others. By consuming System Points, the Host can elevate the inherent quality of another person’s talent. (e.g., Turning a C-tier flame into an S-tier Heaven-Burning Flame).

Note: As the Host’s power grows, the 'ceiling' of the enhancement rises. Currently, the Host can only enhance the talents of those who have reached a 100% Goddess Affection Points rating.

Leo’s breath hitched. He sat bolt upright, his mind racing through the terrifying implications of such a power. In The Grand Dominion, talent was the ultimate, immutable law. If you were born a Tier 1 civilian, you died a civilian. If you awakened a Rock Turtle Possession or a simple Wind Blade, that was your lot in life. You could train for a century, consume a thousand Precious Medicine pills, and you would still just be a slightly stronger version of a low-tier fighter. Talent was destiny.

But Leo had just been given a hammer to shatter that destiny.

“I’m a kingmaker,” he whispered, his eyes wide with a manic, realizing light. “I don’t just have to find powerful women. I can make them powerful. I can take Monica Bailey, whose family has no history of Spirit Power, and turn her into a goddess that rivals the Empress of the Capital City.”

He imagined the future: Yuna Lynch, May Lewis, and Monica Bailey, all standing beside him, not as mere supporters, but as SSS-tier sovereigns. He could create an entire cabinet of goddesses, each one a pinnacle of their respective elements, all bound to him by blood, love, and the divine intervention of his system.

“This is better than any weapon,” Leo said, a dark, ambitious smile spreading across his face. “This is the power to reshape the hierarchy of the world. System, you’ve outdone yourself tonight.”

[Hehe, I told you Master would be happy! I love it when you’re this enthusiastic!]

Leo took several long, steady breaths to calm his racing heart. He needed to be clinical. He needed to be strategic. The Awakening Ceremony was only hours away, and he had a fortune to spend and a legacy to build. He turned his attention to the final tab on his interface: the System Shop.

“Let’s see what the market of the gods looks like,” he said. “And let’s see just how far this 0.1% discount coupon can take me.”

The System Shop materialized as a massive, scrolling grid that seemed to stretch into infinity. It was organized into categories that would have made a high-ranking general of the West Martial Military District weep with envy.

He skipped past the "Consumables" section, ignoring the Fire-Devouring Pill (50,000 USD value) and the pirit−BacklashInhibitor(1,000,000 USD value). He bypassed the "Equipment" section, barely glancing at the Mecha-Arm Gauntlet or the Astral Sword. He headed straight for the "f*******n" tab—the section reserved for those who had already bent the world to their will.

The prices here were astronomical.

*SSS-Tier Ability: Power of the Water God. Price: 10,000 Points.

*SSS-Tier Ability: Sun-Moon Torrent (Fusion Core). Price: 15,000 Points.

*Divine Artifact: Excalibur (Sealed). Price: 25,000 Points.

*Rare Artifact: Source of Spirit Stones. Price: 50,000 Points.

Leo’s eyes lingered on the Source of Spirit Stones. In this world, Spirit Power was limited by the environmental Spirit Air. Most cultivators spent hours in meditation, trying to suck every drop of energy from the air or consuming expensive Spirit Stones to fuel their breakthroughs. But a Source of Spirit Stones was a literal engine—a permanent, internal generator that would provide him with an infinite supply of high-purity energy. It was the ultimate foundation.

“Fifty thousand points,” Leo noted. “Normally, that would require me to conquer five hundred Goddesses. But with my coupon...”

He did the math. 0.1% of 50,000 was exactly 50 points.

“I could buy a world-ending energy source for the price of a couple of burgers,” he laughed, the absurdity of the situation making his head light. “This isn't just a discount; it’s a cheat code for reality.”

But as he moved his finger toward the "Buy" icon, he caught sight of an item at the very bottom of the list, hidden in a sub-category labeled "Celestial Sovereignty."

Item: Nirvana Spirit Tower (Personal Pocket Dimension)

Description: A portable training sanctuary that exists outside the flow of standard time. Within the tower, the density of Spirit Air is 1,000% higher than the most sacred Mystic Zone. Furthermore, the tower possesses a Time Manipulation factor of 10:1. Ten days of training inside equals one day in the real world.

Price: 1,000,000 Points.

Leo’s heart skipped a beat. A million points. That was a number so large it didn't even feel real. But with his 0.1% coupon, the cost was exactly 1,000 points.

He checked his current balance: 760 points.

“I’m short,” he whispered, a pang of frustration hitting him. “I’m exactly 240 points short of the most powerful training tool in existence. If I use the coupon on the Source of Spirit Stones now, I’m wasting the potential of the century.”

He closed the shop with a snap of his will, his mind already churning with plans. He couldn't afford to waste the coupon on a Tier-SSS energy source if a "God-Tier" dimension was within his grasp. He needed points. He needed more Goddesses.

“Tomorrow,” Leo said, his eyes fixed on the moonlit window. “Tomorrow is the Awakening Ceremony. Every high-potential girl from Forest City, Flame City, and even the Capital City will be there. Thousands of them. If I can't find two or three more Goddesses in that crowd to bridge the gap to 1000 points, then I don't deserve the Shaw name.”

He looked at the three names already at 100% affection on his list. Yuna Lynch, May Lewis, and Monica Bailey. They were his foundation, but the house he was building was meant to reach the stars.

He decided to check the "Misc" section of the shop one last time, looking for anything cheap that might give him an edge for tomorrow’s ceremony. He found a strange item listed for only 10 points.

Item: Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans (System Variant)

Description: A single bean that, upon consumption, grants a random, temporary environmental effect. (e.g., Extreme luck, temporary Void Step, or the ability to speak the language of Mutated Beasts).

“Ten points for a random chance?” Leo shrugged. “Why not. It’s better than sitting here staring at the wall.”

He made the purchase, and a small, striped box appeared on his nightstand. He reached out and pulled out a single, mottled purple bean.

“Here goes nothing,” he muttered, tossing the bean into his mouth.

The flavor was indescribable—a mix of high-grade Spirit Wine, gasoline, and raw cinnamon. For a second, his vision swam, and his ears began to ring with a high-pitched Loli Voice that wasn't coming from the system.

[Ding! Temporary Effect Triggered: 'Predatory Aura'. For the next 12 hours, the Host’s natural charisma is boosted by 200%. Your gaze will be irresistible to any target with a Metahuman Potential score of A or higher!]

Leo looked into the mirror on the opposite wall. His eyes, usually a calm, obsidian black, now seemed to hold a swirling, hypnotic depth. There was a predatory, magnetic edge to his expression that he hadn't possessed five minutes ago. He looked like a wolf about to descend on a flock of sheep.

“Perfect,” Leo grinned, his teeth white in the moonlight. “If the Awakening Ceremony wasn't going to be a bloodbath of broken hearts already, it certainly will be now.”

He lay back down, feeling the steady, rhythmic pulse of the Nihility Divine Thunder within his core and the latent weight of the Sky-Rending Spear in his digital vault. Tomorrow, the world would wake up to a new reality. The Shaw family’s "slacker" was gone. In his place was a man who held the keys to the future, a man who could turn peasants into gods and kings into dust.

He thought of Sia Shaw, his "sister" who was currently thousands of miles away at the Azure Dragon Academy. He wondered what she would think when she saw his new rank. He wondered if her "Double-S" talent would be enough to stand beside him once he was finished.

“I’m coming for you, Sia,” he whispered to the darkness. “I’m coming for the whole world.”

As sleep finally began to pull at his consciousness, the system gave one final, playful chime.

[Master, don't forget to set your alarm! The Awakening Ceremony starts at 8:00 AM sharp! And remember... there are plenty of Goddesses waiting to meet their new King! Goodnight, Master!]

Leo Shaw drifted into a dreamless sleep, the violet light of the Nihility Divine Thunder flickering softly under his eyelids, a silent promise of the c*****e and glory that was yet to come. The Grand Dominion was about to face a storm, and he was the one holding the lightning.