"And where is the fun in that?" The mysterious woman said, her red lips curving into a small smile.


    "I don''t believe this is a game." Sam replied.


    ''This isn''t good…''


    Despite doing his best to keep his emotions under control, his hold was weakening the longer he stared into the woman''s eyes. Her rxed tone wasn''t an attempt at easing the tension in the room. To her, his presence was the same as a spider weaving a web in the corner. Disgusting as it might seem, a harmless insect was not worth getting worked up for.


    "Indeed, it is not a game." She waved her hand leisurely. "Care for some tea?"


    A tray appeared out of thin air,nding soundlessly on the coffee table. Two cups and a teapot rested on its surface, each filled with a clear golden brown liquid, steam slowly rising from it.


    Sam stared at the tea set then turned his eyes to the mysterious woman.


    "Don''t worry, it''s not poisonous." She said. "Oh, but poison does not work on you… are you worried that it''s made out of my bodily fluids?"


    Sam could only sigh at the remark.


    "Considering this is my room, serving tea should''ve been my job." He reached for one of the cups and picked it up. "Unfortunately, I wasn''t expecting any guests."


    Hesitating for a moment, Sam forced himself to rx and take a sip. Just as the appearance and smell suggested, the cup contained nothing but tea. Although it was a bit too sweet for his taste, he couldn''t detect anything weird about it.


    The mysterious woman held her own cup.


    "I believe introductions are in order." She took a sip and savored the taste. "Unfortunately, my name isn''t something that can be pronounced by lower life forms, even Awakened ones. Until you reach a level that allows you to understand ournguage, you can refer to me as Selene."


    Sam held her with his eyes for a few seconds.


    "Greek goddess of the moon?" He raised an eyebrow. "Didn''t expect you to be associated with the Olympians."


    The white-haired woman blinked a couple of times, seemingly surprised by his statement. A momentter, a refined giggle escaped her, adding to Sam''s confusion.


    "Fufufu… I see…" She said. "Considering yourst confrontation, I suppose it''s only natural that such a name would earn your err. Rest assured, I am only affiliated with Zeus'' bunch as much as I''m affiliated with you."


    Hearing the madman''s name did little to lessen Sam''s worries. Still, he understood that there was nothing he could do, even if his guess were correct.


    ''Hopefully she''s telling the truth…''


    Atropos used to be one of the most powerful individuals under Zeus'' rule, but she was still on the same level as most of Freyja''s Children. In conclusion, even though they were still considered a Lower Realm, Sam''s world had the same fighting force as the Olympians, a self-proimed Higher Realm.


    Someone capable of infiltrating their world and taking him away right in front of his guards was unquestionably levels above theirs. He didn''t want to imagine that their current enemy had such a monster working for them, though that only meant that they caught the attention of a much stronger foe.


    "Ms. Selene-" Sam began. "Am I right to assume the objective behind your visit is a peaceful one?"


    He saw no need to introduce himself, knowing the mysterious woman was already aware of his identity, and most likely a lot more.


    "That depends on your answers." She replied, taking another sip. "At the very least, I can assure you nothing will happen in the near future, no matter the result of our discussion."


    A sigh escaped Sam, his relief being the result of her response meeting his expectations.


    "I''m all ears."


    Knowing she held a neutral position was much more preferable than her pretending to be an ally. The most expensive things in the world are those handed out for free. If someone of her level extended a helping hand to a lower realm such as his iming it to be an act of kindness, it would be only a matter of time before she asks for something in return, something of a price he couldn''t afford.


    Being upfront about her intentions saved him the headache of trying to discern them on his own.


    cing her cup down, the mysterious woman leaned into the back of her chair and crossed her legs. For one very long minute she kept her crimson eyes on him, and in turn, he didn''t avert his gaze. Seeing that he didn''t bend under the pressure, Selene eventually sighed as if to admit defeat.


    "About a week ago, your battle against Zeus'' forces came to an end. Though you lost that world to the Fallen in the process." She shed him another smile. "I suppose I should congratte you. You fulfilled all your win conditions with minimal losses on your side. That is quite the impressive feat for a Lower Realm."


    "I appreciate the words of praise." Sam was a hair''s breadth from scoffing.


    Selene''s smile didn''t falter as she kept going.


    "As a consequence of your victory, your camp now has ownership over a single Aether Key, and since your world is ready for harvest, I''m guessing you n on obtaining a second one."


    "Indeed."


    "I see…"


    Silence permeated through the dimly lit room. Selene allowed her eyes to wander down as if in thought. A few secondster, she picked up her cup and took a sip but still kept her silence.


    ''Now, what will it be…''


    Sam wanted nothing more than to jump to conclusions. That said, with so little information to work withthe only thing he could see the woman doing was demanding the Key in his possession. Why else would she bother setting up this meeting?


    "Your case is a curious one, Doctor Sanderson." She said after a while. "A Lower Realm like yours joining the race to Akasha even before dealing with your world''s Primordial. That is entirely unprecedented."


    "..."


    "Either way, you have done more than enough to earn yourself the title of a Higher Realm." She said. "May I ask about your goals now that you have ascended?"


    Sam didn''t rush to offer an answer.


    "Is that a request, or an order?" He asked after much contemtion.


    His question wiped the smile off Selene''s face.


    "An order? Is that how it came across?"


    No matter how friendly one''s tone might seem, the difference in standing dictated the weight of their word. A simple request would be an order if it''s made by a king and peasants have no right to refuse it.


    "It is fine if you don''t wish to answer." Said Selene. "Though that would force me to specte."


    "I don''t believe it''s possible to hide anything from you," Sam replied. "Won''t you learn everything given enough time?"


    "True." She shrugged her shoulders. "Unfortunately, now that I have revealed myself to you, spying on you would be distasteful. I would much prefer that we build a rtionship of trust rather than going behind your back."


    "Trust, huh?"


    ''Was that supposed to be a joke?''


    Laughing sounded like the appropriate response, but Sam held back.


    "To be honest, I don''t think I understand your question." He said after a while. "If you''re asking about my current goal then it would be ensuring the stability of my people. As I''m sure you''re already aware, we have been at war until only recently. It''ll take time to recover and build our strength, until that happens I don''t n on making any big moves."


    Everyst word has been nothing short of honest. Since she mentioned the Aether Keys and the race to Akasha, Sam decided to limit his answer to that topic. Though its importance can''t be understated, reaching that mystical ce was just a side quest, with the main one being catching Loki and getting Alice back. Unless hepleted thetter two he couldn''t divert his full attention toward it.


    "I see." Nodding once, Selene smiled once more. The air around her seemed to change at that moment. "The Aether Keys, there are two ways to obtain them. Do you know what they are?"


    Feeling a strong pressure fall on him, Sam unconsciously straightened his back. He couldn''t tell whether she saw through him or not, but the slight change in atmosphere seemed to be a warning; the white-haired woman was telling him to be very careful with his choice of words.