Christian went silent. If she came at him like that, there was nothing he could say.
So, with a sigh, he turned his gaze toward the android — trying to move on, and maybe forget his loss.
It was a woman-shaped android, mature-looking — but only to a certain extent.
His preferences weren't fully reflected here. Anastasia's input had made its way in more than a few times.
Still, even if her appearance didn't have the same striking uniqueness Alpha had…
She was the most advanced android he had built so far. In every aspect.
Which only made the lack of a third gift hurt more.
It really felt like a huge loss.
But Anastasia, completely unbothered by his unspoken disappointment, didn't retract her words.
And so, with no other option, Christian gave up on the subject and asked instead, "What about its name? Have you decided on that?"
"Of course," Anastasia said immediately, straightening up proudly.
"It will be: Aelithra Vyrenn Galmorin Shae."
Christian blinked. Slowly.
He wasn't sure he heard her right.
"Aelithra what?" he said, staring at her. "What the fuck kind of name is that?"
"It's elegant," she replied calmly.
"It sounds like a fantasy queen who fell into a vat of syllables," Christian muttered. "Just give it one name. One normal name."
"No," Anastasia said firmly, wearing a radiant smile.
"That's the full name."
Christian ran a hand through his hair and groaned. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by novel{f}ire.net
"What are you trying to do, name her or cast a summoning spell?"
They bickered for a while after that.
Anastasia passionately defending her majestic naming skills. Christian insisting that she wasn't naming a dragon — or a forgotten elven lineage from a dead MMO.
Until finally — with a dramatic sigh — Anastasia rolled her eyes and relented.
"Fine," she muttered, clearly offended by the downgrade.
Christian crossed his arms, satisfied.
"Well, that's acceptable."
He then watched as Anastasia casually swiped her hand, storing the android away into her ring.
After that, she turned to him — her gaze softening noticeably — and extended her hand toward him.
"Extend your hand," she said.
Christian blinked, suspicious.
But a rare moment ? He wasn't about to miss it.
So, without hesitation, he reached out — and instead of just placing his palm in hers, he took her hand completely, fingers sliding between hers and locking together.
A few black lines twitched at her forehead as she stared at their joined hands in visible silence — seemingly regretting every life decision that led her to this moment.
Even then, she didn't pull away.
Instead, she said in a clipped tone, "The other hand. The one with the storage ring I gave you."
'She's taking it back?'
That was Christian's first thought — but still, he obediently extended the correct hand, the one bearing the silver-ringed treasure trove she'd once gifted him.
He looked at her innocently, like he hadn't just hijacked her fingers a second ago.
And Anastasia stared at the hand he still refused to release, visibly weighing whether she should punish him right then and there.
But in the end… she sighed.
She decided to indulge him. Just this once.
With her free hand, she reached out and lightly touched the storage ring with her fingertip.
"I gave you another pile of books and techniques," she said.
"This time, they're even more precious than the last. Some of them can help one reach the very top of the Mortal rank — so take better care of them. Don't lose anything."
Her voice carried a casual air of importance. But the truth was — for Anastasia, this kind of knowledge wasn't valuable anymore.
Still, she had a reputation to maintain, especially in front of him.
And Christian, not knowing any of that, looked at her with eyes that sparkled with genuine excitement.
"Thank you," he said sincerely.
Anastasia's cheeks flushed — slightly embarrassed.
To be thanked so sincerely for something she had to lie about… it felt odd.
Still, she shook her head and pushed the feeling aside. For him, these things really were precious. That was all that mattered.
And now, finally, she took out the real gift she had been planning to give him all along.
Christian, still focused on the storage ring, going through the pile upon pile of books and small crystals she'd just given him, suddenly noticed something new.
A crystal had appeared in Anastasia's hand — accompanied by a puppet.
It was wooden, and unlike the more elegant one she had shown him weeks ago, this one looked… shabbier.
"This is the real gift," Anastasia said, her voice carrying a note of pride as she stepped closer.
"There's more to puppetry than you think."
She launched into an explanation, going into the puppet system, how it differed from the android, and just how rare this kind of inheritance was.
Christian listened, only half-following her words at first — but it didn't take long for him to focus more.
If he had to summarize what she said, then it was simple:
The android path couldn't be compared to the puppet path.
And what Anastasia was handing him now — was a full inheritance.
A crystal containing all her knowledge, discoveries, insights, and secrets on the puppet path.
And more than that — she was also giving him a puppet.
Not just any puppet, but one made of materials so rare and resistant, no one beneath the Transformation rank could even scratch it.
Christian's gaze, which had been skeptical at first, finally narrowed in curiosity.
He leaned in closer, his eyes settling on the puppet first.
At a glance, it looked plain. Too plain. But there was something about it. Something that felt… off.
Not in a bad way. Just different.
Then, his gaze moved on to the crystal.
And immediately, he noticed the difference.
It wasn't like the others.
The air around it was denser somehow, tinged with a pressure that brushed against his skin.
Christian smiled, satisfaction swelling quietly in his chest.
Anastasia had been very generous.