The next day, the twins received an invitation to have breakfast in the royal dining room, needless to say who sent this invitation. Their father, the Emperor.
Illios and Elena walked through the corridors of the Imperial Palace, amazed by the beauty and magnificence of the place. The building was huge and decorated with a large number of statues, paintings, and other works of art that made it look like a sort of museum. The walls were made of white marble with gold and silver details, and the floors were covered in fine, soft carpets.
They arrived at the dining room and found the emperor and empress there. The emperor had silver hair and silver-grey eyes, with a dignified expression. The empress, on the other hand, had dark black hair like the darkness of space, and dark blue eyes, with a slightly interested evaluating expression.
They greeted the emperor and empress, and sat down to have breakfast with them. As they enjoyed their meal, the emperor began to talk to them about the path of cultivation and the allocation they would receive.
"As you know, when you begin the path of cultivation, you will receive an allocation of resources to improve your skills and body. However, in exchange, I expect you to contribute something to the empire. Whether it be participating in battles, managing public problems of the empire, or anything else that can help strengthen our position in the world."
Elena, always calculating, began to analyze the situation in her mind. "I understand, Your Majesty," she responded with a polite smile. "However, I would like to ask for a few days to think about this. I would like to make sure I can offer something valuable to the empire before accepting any responsibility."
The emperor nodded with a smile, seeming impressed with Elena's sensibility. "Of course, Princess Elena. Take all the time you need to consider it carefully. We don't want you to feel pressured into making a hasty decision."
Illios, on the other hand, seemed not to be paying much attention to the conversation. He looked around, amazed by the beauty of the dining room and exquisite decoration. But Elena knew that eventually, she would have to make a decision, and she was determined to make the right choice.
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After breakfast, Illios sat on his bed and reflected on the morning's events. "The reason I didn't speak," he thought to himself. Although he didn't want to admit it, he knew that decisions like that had to be taken with caution, so he let Elena take care of it.
Illios remembered his days as an ordinary person on Earth, with no future prospects and working long hours just to survive in an increasingly expensive world. He had never had a girlfriend, as beauty and stability were valued at that time, something he did not have. He could barely be considered an average-looking man, so he immersed himself in the world of fantasy and cultivation novels, yearning for a different destiny every day.
When the supreme universal system summoned him to fight for universal hegemony, Illios decided to leave everything behind and live as he wanted, enjoying multiple women and eating the best of worlds. Knowing he had that opportunity, he maximized his brain, burning every possible neuron to find the path to success. Fortunately, his strategy was successful.
The reason Illios decided to leave important decisions like that in Elena's hands was because, as she herself had told him, on Earth she had been a high-level person in the entertainment world and had had to fight in an environment full of the worst human scum. She had survived conspiracies, betrayals, and deception, and had learned to apply all those experiences to achieve success. Her confidence in her manipulation ability was such that she even believed she could survive in a world full of difficulties and reach the top thanks to her skills.
So although Illios was uncomfortable with it, Elena turned out to be a great disguised blessing. Reflecting on that, he also remembered the conversation that started this alliance.
--------
At the duchy mansion, a year ago.
Illios turned to Elena with a serious look. "Elena, I need you to explain something to me, why did you say that you will be the one to make the decisions?"
Although he said that, ironically, Illios for some strange reason, thought it's an excellent idea to leave some decisions in Elena's hands.
Elena smiled calmly. "Illios, I understand your concern, but I think I can handle this situation better. I have been in a very dirty world and I have a deeper understanding of what it takes to move forward on this path. Also, I'm willing to take responsibility if things don't go as we hope."
Illios nodded slowly. "So, what role am I going to play in all of this?"
Elena looked directly at him. "Your role will be that of a support. In case my plans don't work, your powers, which are greater than mine, will help us, plus in an alliance both parties, must bring something to the table, and my greatest asset right now is my brains and experiences."
Elena reached over and gave him a small slap on the back. "Don't worry, Illios. I really am confident in my decisions, I assure you that someone like me is a great ally to invest in."
Illios decided to trust his instincts and Elena's words, he nodded with a smile on his face. "Then, I will trust some decisions to you, Elena."
Elena nodded excitedly. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, excellent decision illios, when it's my turn to shine, you will know well that you have invested in the right person, but first I need you to stay by my side and lend me your body when I need it."
Illios was a bit surprised by the request, but nodded slowly. "Sure, I'll be there and help you in any way I can."
---------
"I didn't understand what she meant by borrowing my body," thought Illios.
[Ding!]
[Ding!]
At that moment, what he had been waiting for over the past ten years appeared: the system mission.
[Immortal World Mission (Catastrophe): The Heavenly Dao of the Immortal World has detected that its world is very weak.
Introduction: The Heavenly Dao has analyzed the situation of the Immortal World and has concluded that even if the Son of Fortune develops optimally, he cannot avoid the catastrophe and destruction caused by invaders from other worlds. Therefore, it asks you to do what is necessary to strengthen the Immortal World.
Completion Conditions: At least 20 native people must have the potential to reach the "Sovereign of Existence" rank (0/20).
Failure Conditions: If, after 15 years, there are no people with potential for the "Sovereign of Existence" rank.
Completion Reward: 200,000 universal points for each person with potential for the "Sovereign of Existence" rank!
Failure: You will be expelled from the Immortal World.]
"As expected from a Catastrophe World, the mission is insane," thought Illios as he remembered the cultivation realms in this world.
There are a total of 12 realms, each divided into early, middle, and peak stages:
Celestial Initiate
Earthly Disciple
Star Sage
Dao Lord
Spirit King
Earthly Emperor
Fate Master
Sovereign of Existence
Celestial Emperor
Earthly Immortal
Sky Saint
Dao Paragon
"Excluding the last three realms of cultivation, even my father, the emperor, has only reached the Fate Master realm," reflected Illios. The last three realms of cultivation are considered the most powerful since they have no limited lifespan and their increase in power is only a matter of time. However, most of them were exterminated, and those who didn't decayed to realms like the Celestial Emperor, dying due to lack of vitality.
"It seems like it was a difficult war for all the powers of those levels to die," thought Illios.
"Although I have the necessary resources to cultivate people, the problem is finding people with the appropriate potential and loyalty," Illios analyzed and found himself in a dilemma.
"No matter how much you teach a monkey, it can't go to university. Raising a crow to later pluck out your eyes is not a good idea either," Illios concluded.
"The mission presents a Son of Destiny, which indicates that no matter how powerful one becomes, there will be many similar level powers at that time. In addition, it seems that the 15 years are a conditioning period to find and select those 20 people. This suggests that there may be follow-up missions in the future..." Illios thought as he considered the information from the Immortal World mission.
While trying to find an effective way to approach the mission, Illios was in his room thinking intensely. At that moment, his twin sister Elena entered the room, who had also received the same mission from the system.
And so a conversation began with uncertain consequences.
Illios: sighs "So, how could we increase the number of people with potential for the 'Sovereign of Existence' rank?"
Elena: smiles "It's simple, Illios. All we need are your children."
Illios: blinks and furrows his brow "My children? What do you mean?"
Elena: laughs "Well, the potential to become a Sovereign of Existence is inherited, isn't it? You yourself have an ability for that and have great potential. So, if you have children, it's very likely that they will also have the necessary potential."
Illios: makes an incredulous face "That sounds a little... simplistic, don't you think?"
Elena: shrugs "It's not. You yourself said it, we need a way to increase the number of people with potential for the 'Sovereign of Existence' rank. And your children are the easiest and most effective solution."
Illios: purses his lips "I suppose you're right. But I can't just have children for the sake of the Immortal World. I need to find someone suitable to be the mother."
Elena: nods "I know, I know. But that's something we can solve later. First, you need to focus on finding the right candidates for the mission."
Illios: nods "Yes, that's true. But this is still a big commitment. I'll have to think a lot about this."
Elena: smiles "I understand, Illios. But remember, we're talking about the future of the Immortal World. Sometimes drastic measures are needed to ensure our survival."
Illios: sighs "I suppose you're right. I'll think about it seriously."
After listening to Elena, she simply withdrew, leaving Illios feeling foolish for not having thought of something so simple before.
"It's not easy to have children," Illios reflected. Besides finding an ideal partner, the idea of having children is complicated.
"Although, what if Elena raises them?" he wondered. After all, she also has the same mission and is unlikely to be able to give birth to 20 children in 15 years. Illios thought that would be the best way to approach the situation.