The Conquerors Path Chapter 1008 - 1006-See If You Can Get Me.

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Initiating Celestial Asset Database...

Access: [Classified Archive – Deity Tier: Supreme]

Unique Identifier: DEATH_0001_GENESIS

NAME: Nyxara Thanatos, the Silent Sovereign

AGE: ∞ (Endless Existence, Chronologically Indefinite)

[System Comment: "Whatever, who bothers keeping time past the inaugural apocalypse?"]

GENDER: Female

DOMAIN: Absolute Death | Entropy | The Finality of All Melodies, Hopes, and Second Chances

AFFECTION STATUS: 1.3%

[System Note: "Truly? You’re fortunate the needle is above zero."]

TEMPERAMENT: Aloof | Sarcastic | Darkly Amused

[System Remark: "Envision a goth who is simply too exhausted to maintain the aesthetic."]

CURRENT DISPOSITION: Mildly entertained

PREFERENCES:

Equilibrium between existence and void

Sharp-witted individuals

Emotional experimentation she refuses to acknowledge

The stillness preceding the end of creation

DISLIKES:

Excessive sentiment

Any mention of "hope"

Comparisons to other gods ("Particularly that one. Pathetic.")

Being disturbed during study

SYSTEM WARNING:

[Caution: Continued interaction risks existential erasure or extreme emotional volatility. Advance at your own peril—but then again, the danger is half the appeal, is it not?]

SYSTEM REMARK:

"Well done... you’ve snagged her interest. Don’t let that sudden surge of pride delude you, though—cadavers often experience a similar rush."

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[Be warned: Supreme deities who do not experience love at first sight carry specific deterrents for the intrusive.]

"Ahem... is anyone there?"

I spoke aloud, causing the eyes that had been fixed on the tome to drift toward me. Her voice, melodic yet profoundly indifferent, echoed back.

"Speak."

"I... I simply wanted to inquire if I might be permitted to experiment with the trial associated with that forgotten remnant of death power nearby."

"Negative."

The blunt refusal caught me off guard. It appeared my luck had officially deserted me.

[Indeed, whereas your initial meeting with a Supreme Goddess resulted in an immediate bond, and the subsequent encounter was similarly favorable, that streak has evaporated. Encountering a deity does not guarantee success, particularly when dealing with Death, who remains utterly unmoved by existence.]

Ignoring the system, I narrowed my eyes into a pleading gaze, staring fixedly at the girl lounging upon her massive throne.

"Listen... is there some sort of arrangement we could finalize? A transaction that might convince you to look the other way, rather than becoming irritated?"

My proposal elicited a slight smirk from her, though she kept her focus on the book.

"Possibly. What can you offer? Unlike the pathetic, mindless gods who trade everything for a sliver of affection, I have no such base desires. If you wish to sway me, your offering must be genuinely stimulating and worthy of my time."

My jaw tightened as I suppressed a sharp retort. Prior to my arrival, I had invested heavily in information from the system. Data regarding these gods is notoriously elusive and exorbitantly expensive.

It was becoming clear that she was far from disinterested. On the contrary, she was deeply intrigued. Why else facilitate my summoning to her domain? It was evident that, for the moment, I provided an amusing spectacle for her enjoyment.

The challenge, however, was that she was immune to the emotional tactics that worked on the others. Nevertheless, just because she remained indifferent on the surface did not mean the underlying effects were absent.

For those unfamiliar with the process, once the influence takes root and one truly internalizes it, the results are exponentially more powerful than one might guess. It was the same path taken with Razellia, Orpheus, and Lala—when subtle influence fails, one must resort to the classics.

The plan was straightforward, yet I was now targeting the Goddess of Death, who oversees every cessation within the realms.

[And a death-wish, to boot.]

I cast the system’s chatter aside, deciding to act.

[A quick caution: your logic is sound, but unlike the volatility of the imprisoned Razellia or the protective affection of Orpheus, the consequences here could be disastrous. Lala remains tethered to her domain out of a fear of the Goddess of Life, so her interactions are merely obsessive. This one, however, is the direct antithesis of life itself. Proceed with extreme vigilance.]

[Which is code for impending chaos.]

Silencing the system, I turned my attention back to the girl, painting a warm, luminous smile across my features. As I exerted my will upon the surroundings, my crown shimmered with a radiant glow. She raised an eyebrow in curiosity but allowed it, and I conjured a sturdy chair, positioning myself respectfully lower than her immense throne.

Settling in with a relaxed, composed posture, I reclaimed a measure of authority.

"If you truly lacked interest, you never would have permitted my entry. You claim to despise the motions of love, yet your curiosity belies that statement. Everyone wonders about love, especially you, Death, given that you have witnessed how deeply love is intertwined with every finality."

As I delivered this, she finally shut her book. The volume dissolved into streaks of light as she shifted, sitting up straight. Her movements were unnervingly elegant, and for the first time, our gazes locked directly.

"Proceed..."

Her soft murmur was accompanied by a cryptic smile.

"I can offer you an experience that no other entity in the cosmos can replicate. Consider it a matter of research. You are a brilliant Goddess, after all—would you not want to empirically experience the love that mortals so passionately cling to?"

"It seems Orpheus has been whispering to you. Even so, this is passable, yet it remains insufficient."

My smile widened at her response.

"What if we raised the stakes? Perhaps you would be interested in stealing away the most treasured child from Life herself? Surely that would prove entertaining?"

Those words struck home. A wide, lethal grin stretched across her face. It was so intense it bordered on the grotesque before she regained her composure, the crackling tension in the air settling into an eerie silence.

"Excellent. That sounds promising, but I sense there is more to your proposal?"

I nodded, continuing to weave my narrative.

"The final touch is to experience a vitality that death is usually denied. Life envies the permanence of death because life is exhausting, yet death envies life because of its ongoing momentum. I can provide you with a moment that feels truly alive. The pinnacle of living is the capacity for love. What could be a more compelling prize than that?"

I left the question hanging in the air, though I knew I had her hooked. Death is essentially an inquisitive intellect; she seeks experiences that challenge her understanding and satisfy her desire to outmaneuver Life.

"Those are solid terms, but I wish to propose an addendum."

I gesture for her to continue.

"If I manage to fully sever your affection from that busty woman, you shall become the Prince of Death. You will abandon Life to embrace my claim, mine alone. Do we have an accord?"

I paused, pretending to weigh the option carefully. Ultimately, I offered a slow, deliberate shake of my head.

"No deal. Orpheus has granted me too much; I cherish her as my mother and a pillar of my family. I will not sacrifice that, regardless of the incentive. What I offer is the thrill of competition—the challenge of drawing my devotion toward you, to create a different kind of bond. You would even get the satisfaction of teasing a mother-in-law, which is a pleasure in its own right."

My rejection was clearly not what she had anticipated. The air turned pitch-black instantly, and a cacophony of demanding whispers flooded my mind, pressing against my psyche with unbearable force. My chair vanished, and a crushing, mountainous pressure pinned me in place.

"Oh? And you believe Life is superior to me?"

The frigid shroud of death began to coil around my throat, suffocating me. The situation had spiraled into grave danger.