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[ he's quiet as he listens to Kim Dokja's explanation, and then he shakes his head ]

This isn't a matter of making him stop "resetting" our world. From my understanding, he's already done that and has merged himself with a being that is meant to bring destruction to the stars beyond Amphoreus - in an attempt to halt it, and buy us additional time. Had Phainon not held on for those 33 million cycles, not just Amphoreus, but all worlds beyond it would have also been destroyed.

If you wish for more details, you will have to ask him. I only remember two different cycles — one of which was after he'd merged himself with the Lord Ravager.

[oh okay. somehow does NOT burst into laughter because, OH. HE SEES...]

I'm surprised you think you can even convince him to do anything other than what he plans on doing, with this in mind, then.

I could say something like "just remove the god-like qualities from him", but you already provided the reason why you wouldn't. If you did such a thing, then all the universes are destroyed.

"Take away his memories of those 33 million cycles so he can relate to humanity more", but you again provided the reason why you wouldn't. Him living through those cycles means that those worlds and universes were saved.

You're tying your own hands. And that's why. It's a rather pointless endeavor.

But that's fine.

I don't plan to give over the Queen's crown to Phainon in the first place. And I'm someone who's destroyed over a thousand universes just for sheer entertainment, so I have no qualm in ruining one that needs to be ruined.

... He is still human. And he is still my student. I will not abandon him.

But you will do what's good for him.

Even if he won't like it, yes.

That is why we're similar.

At least we can agree on this point.

But I think I will talk with him just so I have a better understanding of other masters here. So far, I know there is Dan Feng, Linnea, and Phainon to contend with.

You will find that Phainon does not have that much drive toward the title of Queen. I believe he is simply indulging Mydeimos, Mydei and myself. It took some convincing for him to even contract with me, and then those two.

But perhaps you two fools may point at one another and realize your foolishness.

Unlike Phainon, I have plenty of drive to obtain Queen.

So don't get your hopes up too much.

As I have said, I do not truly need Phainon to become Queen. I only need him to climb up the ranks.

If I can observe you, then you could serve the same purpose.

And what does that entail, exactly?

Would you be surprised if I said I'd need to experiment on you?

No.

Experiment how?

Since I would be shooting in the dark, the first step would be to take samples of your blood - and then of varying tissues. There are different approaches, and most of them will fail. Obviously.

But the real question is whether you would be willing to let me do such a thing. Just because Phainon is not interested does not mean I am not also willing to carry him to victory, no matter how many times I have to destroy my body for it.

... so if you have someone to run those experiments on, you don't have a need to do them to yourself?

Only for the purpose of figuring out this place's power. This is assuming you do reach the position of Queen, and that I am willing to slow down enough to let you.

Any experimentation on myself is still on the table, so do not think you can convince me to stop with that.

[rolls his eyes]

The real problem is that drawing my blood... is drawing from my stories. Stories are a Constellation's life's blood, basically. I may not even be able to recall what fragment of stories you take with that.