My SSS-Rank Innate skill: Infinite Adaptation core

The other Emperors nodded.

With that, they left the ruined area together. By then, the soldiers had already taken the children away toward the temple.

...

”What are you? An idiot?”

A cold, familiar voice came from behind him. Nova turned around.

Nova saw her standing there.

Nyxara.

Her breathtakingly beautiful face was filled with coldness... yet beneath it, clear sadness lingered. She glared at him with a deep frown as she spoke again, her voice sharp.

”What were you thinking? Did you really believe you could take on those Emperors? Instead of running away, you just stayed there!”

Her words sounded cold, but the worry and concern beneath them were impossible to hide. Every sentence carried more emotion than she intended.

Nova simply watched her quietly as she spoke.

He understood.

She must have noticed the battle, sensed his aura, and watched the entire fight while concealing her presence.

She hadn’t interfered because she knew he could win... but if he had been truly in danger, she would have stepped in without hesitation. Even with everything that stood between them, her heart was already moving against her will.

She would never have revealed herself if he had simply fled. But when she saw him remaining near the battlefield — almost as if he were about to head toward the approaching Emperors — she couldn’t hold back any longer.

Of course, Nova had planned to hide inside the system space if necessary... but she didn’t know that. That was why she had pulled him away and brought him here, to these mountains.

Nyxara glared at him again.

”Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Nova smiled faintly.

”I would have died. You shouldn’t have cared about me.”

”You—!”

Her glare intensified the moment those words left his mouth. Nova slowly stepped closer, his voice calm and steady.

”You care about me that much... enough to save me even without me asking.”

”I wasn’t helping you!” Nyxara hissed. ”I was just passing by!”

Nova’s smile softened, becoming warmer and more tender.

”You’re lying.”

He took another step forward.

”You watched my entire fight while hiding your presence... ready to save me at any moment.”

Nyxara instinctively stepped back as he approached.

”I already said I don’t care about you!” she hissed again.

Nova chuckled quietly at her reaction. Was this truly the same mighty Demon Princess? Her crimson eyes continued to glare at him, but the emotion behind them was far more complicated.

He spoke again, still advancing.

”Then... do you hate me?”

”Yes! I hate you!”

”You don’t want to see me again?”

Nyxara gritted her teeth as she continued stepping backward.

”Yes! I never want to see you again!”

By now, it was no longer only about the lies he had told her. It was about her pride as a princess. She couldn’t accept how complicated her feelings for the man in front of her had become.

She could no longer think clearly — she was simply denying everything, even when the conversation itself no longer made sense.

Nova’s steps finally stopped.

Nyxara felt something solid against her back.A tree.

For a Sovereign of her level to completely lose awareness of her surroundings... it showed just how deeply her emotions were affecting her.

Nova looked at her face. She looked back at him.In the next instant, his figure blurred. He appeared directly in front of her.

Even though she had seen him move, the sudden closeness still left her slightly startled.

”You—!”

Before she could finish, Nova wrapped his arm around her soft waist and pulled her into his embrace.

Nyxara tried to protest, but her body went numb the moment she felt his warmth. Strength seemed to leave her all at once.

”I’m sorry,” he said quietly.

Tears immediately welled up in her eyes. Her long lashes grew wet as the tears began to fall one after another.

”I should have come after you,” Nova muttered as he gently stroked her hair. ”I didn’t understand my own feelings either.”

Nyxara wanted to say something — to deny his words — but every sentence only made her more emotional. In that moment, she simply wanted to remain in his arms. She had completely forgotten that she was a mighty Sovereign.

Nova slowly pulled back just enough to look at her face. His heart trembled slightly.

Her enchanting features, usually cold and proud, were now filled with vulnerability as she looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

”But I can say it clearly now...” he said softly. ”I’ve fallen in love with you. And I know you love me as well.”

Nyxara’s body trembled along with her heart.

It would be a lie to claim that Nova had no feelings for her before. He did... just not as deeply as she had already fallen for him.

She herself hadn’t realized when those feelings had taken root, and she had continued denying them simply because she didn’t fully understand them.

Nova’s voice remained gentle.”But I already have other wives. Are you still alright with that?”

If she said no, he would not force her.

Nyxara had already expected something like this. For a man like him, having more than one woman was not unusual. She couldn’t bring herself to speak... so she simply nodded.

Nova smiled softly.

”Then... let’s make our acting real from now on.”

With those words, he leaned in and pressed his lips against her soft, tender, rosy ones.

Nyxara’s eyes widened in surprise. Her hands instinctively pressed against his chest in protest... but the resistance lasted only a moment.

She melted into the kiss.

Her arms slowly wrapped around his neck as she returned the passion. Nova held her firmly by the waist, supporting her as the kiss deepened between them.

This kiss was completely different from the one they had shared in the Abyss.

That earlier kiss had been filled with tension, confusion, and unspoken emotions. This one carried something far more genuine — love, longing, and quiet acceptance.

Their tongues slowly entangled as the kiss deepened. Nova kept his eyes open for a moment, gazing at her beautiful face. Nyxara’s eyes remained closed, her expression soft and vulnerable in a way she rarely showed anyone.

He pulled her even closer, tightening his arms around her waist as the kiss grew more passionate.

Time seemed to blur.

The kiss lasted for a full half hour before they finally pulled apart.

A thin, glistening strand of saliva still connected their lips for a brief moment before breaking.

Haa... haa...

Both of them were breathing heavily, their chests rising and falling as they looked into each other’s eyes.

Nova gently raised his hand and brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping away the remaining traces of her tears.

”You know...” he said softly, ”I don’t like seeing tears in my women’s eyes.”

Nyxara looked at him but didn’t reply. At that moment, she simply didn’t know what to say.

After a short silence, she finally spoke, her voice quieter than usual.

”You’ve grown stronger... Your aura has already reached the level of an Emperor.”

There was clear surprise in her crimson eyes. Nova wasn’t concealing anything in front of her.

In truth, after killing an Emperor Realm dragon, his actual level had risen significantly. Previously, he had only been at the initial stage of the King Realm. Now, he had already stepped into the mid-King Realm.

However, the aura he naturally released was already comparable to that of a true Emperor Realm powerhouse. That was his real combat strength — and it clearly surprised Nyxara, who still didn’t fully understand the nature of his powers.

Nova smiled and leaned in, placing a light peck on her lips.

”You look so cute right now...”

Nyxara’s cheeks instantly turned red.

Nova couldn’t help thinking that, despite her usual cold and proud demeanor, she was actually the easiest to fluster among all of them — even more so than Rieka, Asia, or Liya.

”Don’t change the subject,” she said, glaring at him in a way that only made her look cuter.

Nova chuckled.

”I have a lot to tell you... but I already told Velena that I would explain everything to both of you together.”

At the mention of Velena, Nyxara’s expression shifted slightly. She s

uddenly remembered that she had gotten angry at her twice because of matters related to Nova. She still needed to apologize.

After a brief pause, she spoke again.

”Then call her.”

**

Thanks for reading...