In a small garden, with a mansion-like house standing behind and a few new buildings steadily rising at the front, there was a table set with all kinds of luxurious sweets.
There were trays of chocolate-dipped strawberries, delicate fruit tarts, flaky croissants, rich velvet cupcakes, and slices of layered opera cake — each one looking like it came straight from a high-end New York patisserie.
Two cups of freshly brewed coffee steamed in porcelain mugs beside them. It was a setup meant for relaxation between work — quiet, indulgent, and steeped in wealth.
Sitting around this table were two beautiful women, each with her own distinctive style.
"So, with the corporate procedures of the deal now finished, what’s the next step?" Annabelle asked curiously as she sipped from her cup.
The deal with Vincent had included many terms. Setting aside the more obscure ones involving essence and ancient families, the core clauses were clear: Olivia would be acknowledged as his granddaughter, receive 10% of the Infinitel’s shares, and be given control over a few smaller subsidiary companies.
Naturally, the rest of the terms also leaned heavily in their favor — Vincent was the one who had to make most of the concessions.
"Now that we’ve already encroached on the Infinitel company," Eva replied calmly, her voice as smooth as the cream in her coffee, "we can afford to take things slowly. Just like Christian wants."
She paused, then set down her cup and asked, "Anyway, what do you think about the androids? And those weapons Christian’s been developing?"
Her mind drifted briefly to the video from California — the battle Christian had went through just a week ago. Even now, the sight of it stayed vivid in her memory. And as she reviewed her own plans, she couldn’t help but feel that adjustments would be necessary.
"Well, they’re strong," Annabelle said after a short pause. "And I feel like he’s advancing too quickly."
She glanced down at the table, her finger trailing lightly at the edge of her cup. It was a quiet gesture, but it revealed her unease. They really couldn’t keep up with Christian’s pace.
Still, she was glad she had supported Eva’s argument back then — back when they made the decision to secure the Infinitel company.
Because while, at the end of the day, she had already made up her mind, that she would devote herself to supporting her brother.
But if possible... she wanted to do more.
Fighting? She could barely take Alpha in a one-on-one match. And while she was improving, Alpha was too — especially with all the upgrades Christian kept giving her.
That’s why Annabelle knew she had to find another path — another field where she could make her presence felt. And that’s why she had been spending more and more time with Eva.
After all, Eva wasn’t fixated on combat. She was a woman who knew how to make herself valuable in many other ways.
Annabelle’s conversation with her continued. While it started with business, the topic gradually shifted, as it often did, to Christian.
If they didn’t talk about their man, then who would they talk about?
Their lives revolved around him, and Annabelle — knowing that Christian was currently buried in his workshop while she sat here in the garden, resting, drinking coffee, and eating sweets — couldn’t help but feel how much things had changed.
She would have never imagined it before... that Christian would throw himself into work . And even though he kept saying that all of it was just a hobby, and that the workload would eventually shrink with time—
That wasn’t what was happening.
He would always find something more to do.
First, it was about gathering information.
Then came the androids.
After that, their training — which he needs on managing himself, since neither of them had a proper technique to follow.
And then... blacksmithing. The latest obsession that had completely absorbed him.
Instead of shrinking, the list of things he needed to do only kept growing. And Annabelle found herself wondering if he was truly happy .
On the surface, and in the way he spoke to them, there didn’t seem to be any problem. But at the end of the day, her brother’s middle name was Lazy.
So how long could he really keep going ?
"When do you think Iris’s body will be finished?" Eva suddenly asked, drawing Annabelle out of her thoughts.
Christian was currently working on Iris’s body again — after pausing that project for a while, he had gone back to it. Both of them were naturally curious.
Annabelle narrowed her eyes, thinking carefully. In the end, she just shook her head and replied, "I don’t know. But Chris is replacing all the parts he originally made with new ones."
"He’s using the most precious materials — the ones they call natural treasures — the ones we hardly acquired. And instead of processing them with modern tech, he’s forging every part himself, as a blacksmith. And he’s really taking his time with it."
"So... it’ll probably take a long time before the body is finished."
She chuckled, her gaze drifting as her thoughts wandered back to everything she knew about essence. Then she added, "But more than how long it takes to finish the body... I’m wondering about its strength."
"Because I feel like Iris might end up even stronger than Chris by then."
Did she really know the exact extent of Christian’s strength?
Actually, no. Not really.
But she did know this — there were some materials that Christian still couldn’t handle properly, not with his current skill. So what did that mean? What kind of strength would be required to match the body he was building?
Those were her thoughts... but Eva just chuckled, brushing them off as impossible.
Her faith in Christian was unshakable, and Annabelle found that strangely provoking.
That’s how a light conversation turned into a light argument.
Time passed naturally after that, and eventually, when their brief period of rest came to an end. Each of them stood, returning to her respective work.
The day faded. And by nightfall, inside his office, Christian sat alone, the room brightly lit by all kinds of lighting. He was staring at a file he’d been working on for more than a week — while telling both his sister and Eva that he was still working on Iris’s body.
A small, satisfied smile played at the corner of his lips.
He had just finished writing the first Chapter of the Void Art.
It had taken a long stretch of research through his Idle System. And even after completing the core structure of the technique, it took him nearly two more weeks to finish the writing — his progress interrupted by the need to travel to California and deal with Zero’s problem, before finally returning to continue where he left off.
But now, everything had come together — compiled and refined from the storm of thoughts in his mind.
Now, it was finally time for his sister to begin practicing the Space technique she had desired!