"Shall we negotiate now, Evadam?" Noah said, smiling faintly as his pale eyes locked onto the progenitor.

The tension in the room eased. Evadam had stopped releasing his presence, and Virgo visibly relaxed, exhaling a soft yet meaningful sigh of relief, finally letting go of the pressure that had been crushing her chest.

It was terrifying to face an angry progenitor. But what was even more terrifying was how calm Noah remained before an event capable of erasing galaxies.

Once again, Noah's standing in Virgo's eyes climbed higher.

Evadam, meanwhile, didn't respond immediately to Noah's question. He simply stared back, clicking his tongue inwardly at how crafty and devious Noah truly was. At that point, he no longer had any choice but to listen.

He got him good.

Evadam sighed quietly. "How problematic. All signs point to the third being far more troublesome than the other two," he said, looking at Noah with open dissatisfaction.

Noah made a hurt expression, his mouth dropping open in mock offense as he pointed dramatically at himself. "Me? Mind you, I'm just minding my own business. Everything I do is either because someone provoked me and I had to retaliate, or because I had no other choice." He defended himself, unwilling to let anyone make him sound like a reckless child.

"That's what tyrants say to justify their tyranny," Evadam replied flatly. "You're no different from them."

'Oh,' Noah thought, amused. 'Not a child, then. A tyrant. Well, I'll take that.'

"Them?" Noah tilted his head innocently. "You mean the Progenitors?"

Evadam didn't bother answering. Instead, he simply said, "My attention span is limited. So… speak."

Noah decided to be a good boy and play along. His thoughts began to drift, flowing like a soft breeze, as he considered the best path forward, one that would grant him what he wanted while still giving Evadam something to be satisfied with.

Otherwise, the Progenitor would never agree.

So… what did he gather about him so far?

Evadam wanted to see Lucie. That much was clear.

That was the one thing he had openly shown interest in. But beneath that desire — to witness the creation of his children — there was something deeper. A trace of longing, an unspoken nostalgia. Somewhere inside him, Evadam missed the old Earth.

That would also explain why he still kept a relic of it. It was to hold on to that era of light and glory.

But Noah knew that understanding alone wouldn't be enough to win this.

The true obstacle in his path was that Earth was still Evadam's main world, the core of humanity's legacy, even if most humans were completely unaware of its existence.

It wouldn't be easy for him to abandon it. Doing so would mean lowering his power significantly, cutting away at least forty percent of it, since the world core was directly linked to his own.

He would be left weakened. Not weak compared to others, but weak compared to the other progenitors…and that alone was enough reason to hesitate. Those beings were no longer as close as they once had been.

Maybe that was another reason behind his refusal, besides the emotional attachment he held toward Earth.

Taking all of that into account, Noah finally saw a faint outline of a path forward, a way to conclude this negotiation while leaving both sides satisfied.

And so, he parted his lips.

"I have a proposal for you," he said, leaning slightly over the table, placing both elbows upon it, then resting his chin on his folded palms. "First, listen to me and do not interrupt."

Evadam said nothing. He simply fixed his eyes on Noah, the faintest flicker of interest betraying his silent acceptance.

Noah exhaled softly, then continued.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the situation of Earth actually pains you," he began. "You might act as though it means nothing to you, as though you don't care for power or the glory of your race, but…"

Noah shook his head slowly.

"I don't believe that, Evadam."

Evadam's expression tightened, the faintest tremor of irritation flickering across his face. But Noah didn't mind it. He continued, his tone steady, deliberate.

"You're a progenitor. It's in your nature to care for your creation. It's in your nature to want your race to flourish, to be glorified, to be given the respect it deserves."

He paused there, not breaking eye contact.

At the side, Virgo watched with an unreadable intensity.

"But I also know that what you pursue isn't the same as what the others do," Noah said softly. "You chase something beyond a concept as basic and widespread as strength."

A faint smile tugged at his lips.

"You pursue wisdom. You pursue evolution built upon knowledge, upon science, if you'll allow me to use the lexicon of your own world."

Again, he paused, letting the weight of his words settle, letting them sink deep into both Evadam and Virgo before continuing,

"I can give it to you," he said at last.

"I can give you whatever you need to continue your path of research side by side with your children, in a world where no mana will ever taint. I will let you take that step, and I will give you the opportunity to make gods in a world parched of mana."

"I will give you protection. No one will find you, no one will touch you. And for anyone to reach you… they would have to reach me first."

He chuckled softly, his tone carrying that dangerous confidence only he could wield. "And with all the modesty I have left in me… it's very unlikely."

"So tell me, Evadam…do you know what will happen then?" He smiled faintly. Yet before the progenitor could answer, Noah continued,

"It means you will create your own power system, your own progression…from mortals to gods and even beyond. You will craft it step by step."

Evadam instinctively shuddered, something flickering deep within him, something ancient and long buried.

"Of course, it won't be easy. Of course, you will fail many times. But you have me…"

Noah leaned back in his chair, that ever-present hint of a smile ghosting his face. "And you know me. I am an Abomination. I am the Blasphemer. I am made to walk paths forbidden to others and with me…your chances will be far higher."

"With that, you will no longer be alone. Humans will no longer be looked down upon, their worlds no longer destroyed simply because others can."

"With that, Evadam, Progenitor of Humans…" his voice lowered into a whisper, as though afraid the universe itself might eavesdrop,

"…you will become something beyond just a Progenitor. You will take a step above your peers."

"Now…" his lips curled upward, "…do I have your yes?"

Evadam fell silent. He didn't answer right away. It hurt to admit how deeply he still cared for Earth, and it hurt even more to recognize how his dead heart had begun to burn again under Noah's words.

Yes. Noah was right. That was all he had ever wanted…to learn, to understand, to reach a wisdom that could only be found by bleeding oneself dry.

Not on the battlefield. Not in training grounds. But in the most dangerous place of all…within the mind.

Strength had always been meaningless to him. Perhaps because he had been born at the summit of creation, with no predators save for his fellow progenitors — creatures who knew too well the danger of their own kind to provoke one without cause.

The truth was, the time he had spent watching his children create something out of nothing but their own intellect… that had been his greatest era. His purest joy.

And ever since the destruction of that world, the agony and loneliness had gnawed at him relentlessly, burning him like a murdered sun, blinding him in the darkness it left behind.

So Noah's words touched something deep within him. They stirred something he thought had long died.

Hope.

And oh… hope. What a dangerous word. What a dangerous thing. What a dangerous concept.

Hope is a cloud.

One that can either shield you from the darkness of the universe… or blind you from the light just beyond its reach.

But he was trapped now, unable to stop the fire of hope from spreading through his heart like oil catching flame.

Sighing heavily, Evadam lifted his gaze to meet Noah's.

"What will you do with Earth? And what would be my place in all this?" he asked.

"Earth… will be integrated within me," Noah answered, prompting one of Evadam's brows to rise. Noah's smile deepened as he went on.

"Earth will be my heart. It will not stop turning until I stop walking. It will not die until I draw my last breath."

"My glory will be its glory. My light will bathe it in eternal radiance."

"And you, Evadam, you will be exactly what you've always wished to be." His tone softened, a faint warmth slipping into his voice.

"You will be the pioneer of a new path. A path to make humans something greater…by their own hands, their own methods, their own nature."

He smirked.

"You will be, if you'll allow me once more to borrow the lexicon of your world…"

His smirk widened.

"…an Evolutionary Biologist."

—End of Chapter 362—

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