She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

Viktor watched his teammates carefully.

Damien, Dimitri, Andre, and Pavel were still holding the crystal vials as if they were holding their entire future. Their eyes burned with barely restrained impatience... the same hunger Victor himself had once felt when he first tasted true power.

A quiet, knowing smile curved his lips. He understood that feeling better than anyone in the room.

”Go,” Viktor said in his deep, steady voice. ”There’s no need to wait any longer. Find a quiet place, settle your minds, and break through. The Apex Realm is waiting for you.”

The four men shot to their feet almost at the same time, as if they had only been waiting for those exact words.

They turned toward Alex one last time. Gratitude, respect, and fierce loyalty shone clearly in their eyes. None of them spoke — words felt unnecessary. A single deep nod from each of them carried everything they wanted to say.

Then they left the meeting room in a rush of excited footsteps.

Alex and Viktor both chuckled softly as the door closed behind them.

”They’re like children who just received the greatest toy in the world,” Alex remarked with a faint smile.

Viktor shook his head, still smiling. ”I was the same once. You never forget the first time the Apex Realm opens to you.”

Danny and Mike stood up more slowly. Their bodies still carried the heavy fatigue from training.

”We’ll take our leave as well, Alex,” Danny said politely. ”We need to rest properly tonight.”

Mike nodded in agreement. ”Thank you... for including us in this.”

Alex gave them a warm look. ”Go rest. You’ve earned it.”

The two young men bowed slightly and left the room.

When the door finally closed, only Alex and Viktor remained in the quiet meeting room.

The earlier energy had settled into a calm, comfortable silence between the two men who trusted each other the most.

Alex leaned back slightly in his chair, his expression calm but genuinely curious.

”Tell me more about the Apex Realm, Viktor,” he said. ”What’s the real difference between it and the realms before it?”

Viktor was silent for a few seconds. His gaze grew distant, as if he was looking at something far beyond the walls of the meeting room.

”Apex...” he repeated the word slowly, almost reverently. ”It’s exactly as the name suggests.”

He turned his eyes toward Alex, his voice steady and heavy with experience.

”It’s not just another realm. For people like us... those who started cultivating without the backing of a great family or a powerful organization... the Apex Realm is a dream. An unreachable fortress that most will only ever see from afar. It is the most cherished goal of every cultivator who began from the bottom... and at the same time, the most ruthless wall they will ever face.”

Victor’s expression darkened slightly.

”Not everyone reaches this realm. Maybe one in a thousand... or even less. Most of them die trying to break through that wall.”

He paused, his voice growing heavier.

”The Apex Realm is not merciful. It demands everything from those who dare to approach it. Talent alone is never enough. Will, foundation, opportunity... and sometimes pure luck. Without all of them, the wall remains unbroken, and the cultivator is left behind forever.”

Alex listened to Victor’s explanation in complete silence. His expression was serious, thoughtful. He could feel the weight behind every word... the danger, the cruelty, and the near-impossible odds that came with the Apex Realm.

After a long moment, he spoke.

”If the path is this deadly... if most people die trying to break through that wall,” Alex asked quietly, ”then why are so many still so desperate to reach it?”

Victor let out a slow breath. A faint, almost nostalgic smile touched his lips.

”Yes,” he said. ”It is hell. The breakthrough into Apex is pure hell.”

He looked straight at Alex, his eyes steady and clear.

”But once you succeed... the rewards compensate for everything.”

Alex leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp with interest.

”What kind of rewards could possibly be worth risking one’s life for?” he asked. ”Other than simply becoming more powerful... what else is there?”

Victor smiled faintly, as if he had expected the question.

”It’s not just some more power, Alex,” he said. ”There are things that cannot be explained properly with words alone.”

He paused for a moment, then continued in a calmer tone.

”I don’t have a better way to explain it... so let me show you.”

Victor raised his right hand slowly. He extended his index finger, and with a single, quiet act of will—

A strange light appeared at the tip of his finger.

The light pulsed gently, carrying a presence that felt deeper and more refined than anything from the realms below. The air around it seemed to grow still, as if the space itself was acknowledging its existence.

Alex stared at the soft, refined light hovering at the tip of Victor’s finger.

For a brief moment, something deep inside him stirred. He could feel it... not just power, but a pure, living essence. It carried the weight of life itself, refined and elevated far beyond ordinary energy. The light felt ancient yet vibrant, as if it contained the very foundation of existence.

Victor watched Alex’s reaction carefully before beginning to explain.

”This is what we call Vital Essence,” he said calmly. ”An internal energy that only awakens once a cultivator truly breaks through into the Apex Realm. Every Apex cultivator possesses their own Vital Essence, but the color differs depending on their journey, foundation, and comprehension.”

He slightly rotated his finger, letting the light pulse gently.

”This energy alone changes our entire existence. Once Vital Essence awakens, the body is no longer that of an ordinary human. It undergoes a fundamental transformation. Bones, muscles, blood, even the organs... everything is refined to a higher level. Most ordinary methods that could harm a Peak Enhanced cultivator become nearly useless. Poisons lose most of their effect. Physical injuries heal far faster. The body becomes at least ten times stronger than it was before the breakthrough... and that is only the beginning.”

Victor continued in the same calm, measured tone.

”There is more. Once Vital Essence fully awakens, the body undergoes a profound rejuvenation. Youth is restored. Wrinkles fade, vitality returns, and the cultivator appears decades younger than their actual age. Along with that... their lifespan increases by at least fifty years.”

He let the words hang in the air for a moment before looking at Alex with quiet intensity.

”So... what do you think? Are the rewards worthy enough for the risks?”

Alex nodded without hesitation.

”How could they not be?” he replied. ”The lifespan alone would make countless people risk everything. Adding the physical transformation and the other benefits... it’s more than enough.”

Victor smiled faintly at his reaction.

”That is why those who succeed say the Apex Realm is not just another step. It is a complete rebirth.”