Apollo nodded, and then they went for a walk as they talked through.
Her voice broke the silence first, calm yet carrying an undertone that made the air feel heavier.
"Little brother, you should have already guessed something about my identity… right?"
Apollo's steps slowed for a moment. He had indeed pieced together fragments. the strange man who named her at birth, the treasures she had attracted as a child, her disappearance at three years old, and now, the shocking truths she revealed with such certainty.
He looked at her carefully. "I have my suspicions," he admitted, his tone low. "But I want to hear it from you." Astraea's lips curved faintly, though her eyes seemed far away, looking past the stars themselves.
"I... as you might have guessed, didn't belong to this epoch; in fact, I came from the previous era, the ninth epoch, and reincarnated as a member of the Fletcher family."
Apollo's eyes narrowed, his heartbeat quickening. The calm way she spoke contrasted sharply with the enormity of her words.
"You're saying… you survived the destruction of the Ninth Epoch?"
Astraea's lips curved into a faint smile—neither denial nor full confirmation. "Survival is a complicated word. I did not escape untouched. What you see now is a rebirth… a complete new beginning."
Her eyes softened as she looked at him directly. "But even as a rebirth, I still remember enough… enough to know what dangers are coming for Rion."
"You also needed to be careful. From what I saw, I didn't feel the hint of reincarnation or aura of a previous epoch, but you were still able to reach true god level in your late twenties, which would definitely attract others hoping to find your secrets."
"There aren't many who can improve as quickly as you, and only the sword god that rose in the ninth epoch can come close to you."
Apollo's eyes glowed as once again he heard about the Sword God that shocked the Rion with his strength; even his fifth senior brother from the Sky Tower mentioned him.
And now his sister also mentioned him.
The mere repetition made his heart stir. Just who was this Sword God?
Curiosity burnt within him, but so did a competitive edge. Would his Eternal Sword Rule, the culmination of his path, truly surpass that legendary existence whose very name had become an epitome of the sword itself?
The thought of one day crossing blades with such a figure—whether real, reborn, or lingering in some unseen legacy—made his blood quicken.
He then continued to ask, "Then, sister, how strong were you in your previous life?" he asked, feeling curious.
Hearing this, she didn't feel surprised, as it would be normal to ask that.
"Brother, did you know how the strength of people above the eternal god is divided?" She asked.
Apollo shook his head. "No, I only know that above the eternal god realm is the transcended realm, and how their strength is divided I didn't know really, but I guess it had something to do with rules."
Astraea's lips curved faintly, as if amused. "You guessed right—but only barely. The truth runs deeper. It is not simply the rule one controls, but the depth of one's comprehension of it and how far it can merge into one's existence."
"To become a transcendent, you needed to merge the internal world and rule completely to create a perfect world that embodies you perfectly and is independent from your body, meaning they can be placed anywhere in the universe. It can exist independently, hidden anywhere in the vast universe, even in the deepest voids."
Her eyes turned distant, as if recalling countless battles. "Because of this, a Transcendent cannot truly be killed unless the world they created is completely destroyed. That is why killing one is almost impossible… and why they stand above Eternal Gods as untouchable beings."
Hearing this Apollo was bit surprised but he continued to listen as there more to it.
"As for the strength of transcendence, it is mostly dependent on rules, but it isn't simple, as there are many factors of it that decide the strength of transcendence."
"If a Transcendent only comprehends a single rule to the fourth layer, they are considered ordinary—the weakest among Transcendents. Such beings are simply called Transcendent Beings".
Her tone deepened slightly as she continued, "The next step lies with those who go further. When a Transcendent not only masters a single rule but also understands multiple rules to the sixth layer and manages to combine them to forge a Transcendent Divine Ability, they ascend to the rank of 'Supremes'."
Finally, her gaze grew solemn, as if speaking of legends she had once glimpsed with her own eyes. "And beyond even that… when one attains the seventh layer of the rules themselves, they become 'sovereigns'." The almighty rulers above all existence, standing at the peak of the Transcendent Realm."
Hearing this, his eyes glowed with surprise, and he finally understood how strong the Flame Flame Sovereign was and those two abyssal entities; they all should have reached the sovereign realm.
Seeing her younger brother's thoughtful expression, Astraea smiled softly.
"There's something else you must remember. The type of rule and the number of rules you comprehend—and how you merge them to create a transcendent divine ability—will determine the true depth of your strength."
"Not all rules are equal. Some hold unimaginable powers, while others serve as supports. If you are wise, you will fuse the powerful rules with the simpler, more flexible ones to create a divine ability that no one can counter."
Her gaze sharpened slightly, though her tone remained gentle. "Brother, your talent is something rarely seen across any epoch. You will certainly step into the Transcendent Realm one day. That is why you must think of this early."
"The Transcendent Divine Ability is the very core of every Transcendent… and according to the oldest legends, it even holds the key to stepping beyond the Transcendent Realm itself."