The moment they sat down didn’t mark the beginning of the day’s horde.

In truth, the 901st wave had already appeared early this morning.

This time, three million strong in numbers, a number of horror that stretched for kilometres.

Even the surrounding lords noticed this commotion from afar. To the point that the regional chat was filled with this topic.

"Have you seen what's happening around that freak Lord whale territory?"

"Yeah, holy shit. I am inside his territory, I already forfeited mine and started living here for the past few days. But holy shit! There's millions of monsters constantly attacking this territory since yesterday"

"Shit, look at his rankings in the event list. 917th wave? No wonder"

"But that is so scary. How can anyone reach that point?"

"Rarity wise I guess, his profession is extremely broken. Coupled with the fact that there's rumours about his wife profession too, a goddess"

"Someone tried doing a background check on him and his wife in the real world didn't they? How did it go?"

"Dead, as for how I know, don't ask"

"But still, for those top ten people to keep up. The power ranking changed many times too, it seems there's a lot of hidden people that finally decided to come out"

"Hahaha, I wonder how those original ones on the ranking felt like when their spot got snatched away"

"Eat shit! Eat shit!"

Then, the scene turned back onto the distant horizon, focusing on the incoming tide.

Stretching endlessly along the horizon, all Mize could see was a sea of black and red, an unbroken tide of horrific figures advancing in terrifying unison.

Their approach filled the land with tremors, an ever-thickening wall of shrieks and distorted battle roars rushing toward the dome.

Even the sky seemed complicit in the atmosphere.

Tinged with a deep, unnatural red, it cast the world in a strange crimson hue that refused to fade.

Mize only needed a glance.

Her divine sense swept across the battlefield, clean and wide, scanning every corner of the wave.

After a long breath, she leaned back slightly, her gaze calm.

No signs of other-race lords today.

That alone gave her a sliver of relief.

"Don't be too comfortable" Liam's hand pinched her nose, earning a muffled protest, "There should be more today, so be prepared to run for safety while I fight"

"I know" Mize shrugged, bitting the finger with her Sharp tooth.

Of course she knew, she herself doubted that goblin lord had been the last of them.

However, they were prepared.

Especially Liam, who had gone a few steps further since yesterday.

Quietly. On his own.

He had prepared some… things.

That at the cost of something unimaginable, he had gained power beyond anything before.

Just for her.

Things designed to shift the tide if it ever turned too far against them.

Below their throne, stationed high in the sky, the earth beneath was now layered with an army of shadow summons.

Each one standing perfectly still, row after row, like pieces of an enormous, living war machine.

Black banners fluttered across the plain, each marked with a twisting serpent emblem.

Their presence filled the field.

Ranked from Tier 1 to Tier 3, the lower units stood neatly on the ground.

Above them, in silent flight, hovered the elites, Tier 4 to Tier 6.

Their armor glinted faintly beneath the red skies, weapons drawn, eyes empty but motionlessly staring ahead.

Behind them, at the far edge of the formation, was another force.

Smaller.

But far more "equipped"

Looming figures, easily twice the size of the regular summons, clad in thick, heavy war power armor.

Their broad shoulders carried immense weaponry, massive swords strapped to their backs, bolter cannons latched at their sides.

The faint clicks and whirs of their internal mechanisms gave them a dangerous vibe, a death air just by staring at them.

Precision built into muscle.

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly, catching movement near the rear of the group.

A cluster of ten floated steadily in the air, each with their own distinctive appearances that was as human as they looked.

But he noticed the strangeness in them, as if they weren't human at all.

Then, he could feel the density of their strength, which was quite a suprise to him.

Tier 7.

True Lords.

That was unexpected.

“When did you…?”

Mize smiled softly beside him, almost sheepishly. “I ordered them to hold position yesterday,” she said, her voice quiet.

Liam turned to her, brow raised.

“By the time you stepped in and fought the goblin lord,” she continued, “everything ended before they had a chance to act.”

Liam nodded slowly, eyes still fixed on the ten figures in the sky. “I see...”

He studied them a bit longer, his expression hard to read.

“There are Tier 7s among them. You made these?”

“Mm,” Mize nodded, lips barely parted. “They cost a lot to create, but I’m planning to make more. After what happened yesterday… I can’t help but feel uneasy.”

As for how, Liam didn't ask.

Instead.

He glanced at her again, gaze thoughtful. “Can you push it higher? Tier 8? Tier 9?"

“I believe I can, tier 8 only that is, tier 9 will drain me directly.” Her response was flat and yet certain.

“The cost scales steeply, but the power gap is worth it. They’ll be strong enough to deter even the worst of threats.”

Liam leaned back into the throne with a small exhale, clearly relieved.

Yet, something still puzzled him.

Why hadn’t she made them earlier?

But then again… he understood.

She was the kind of person who easily settled into comfort.

That rare breed who treated danger like an afterthought, until it stared her in the face.

It wasn’t carelessness. Just a different rhythm of thinking.

He gave a subtle shake of his head at the thought.

Perhaps it was his fault too. He gave her too much comfort that made her "naive".

Then, as if breaking from his own musings, Liam’s hand crept upward, unhurried, and gently groped against her chest.

Mize flinched, just slightly.

A muffled sound caught in her throat.

But she didn’t speak.

Her cheeks colored, and her gaze tilted downward, as if unsure whether to stop him or let him continue.

Yet she didn’t pull away. Her breathing changed.

And her eyes shimmered faintly with something else, something expectant.

His hands moved with a deliberate touch, one resting firmly at Mize’s waist, the other tracing subtle circles across her nipples through the fabric that made her flinch ever so slightly.

It wasn’t rushed or forceful, just patient, slow pressure that built steadily over time.

As for Liam's purpose?

He needed his own share of points, to become stronger.

He had been Holding himself back for too long, but now, the urgency was there, so that was the reason why he kept on teasing Mize today.

And then.

Soft, breathy sounds slipped from Mize's lips, now and then, too quiet to echo, yet unmistakably loud enough.

The sort that carried both surprise and something else more reluctant.

Liam played with her nipples several more times.

Pulling, earning a shriek, pinching, earning a moan, and her thighs squirmed against each other below.

Eventually, Liam let go.

Mize’s chest rose and fell, her breaths uneven as she looked back over her shoulder.

Her gaze was hazy, a little unfocused, clearly trying to process what just happened.

“W-what’s gotten into you today?” she murmured, cheeks flushed. “You’ve been... relentless.”

“I guess I just couldn’t help myself,” Liam said, voice low as he leaned in.

He pulled her gently back against his chest, arms circling tighter this time.

His lips brushed near her ear, a whisper of warmth following as he let his breath linger.

A light nibble, barely there, Mize's ears felt tingly.

Then a teasing trail of his tongue down the curve of her ears surface. Wet, and undeniably inviting for something more.

Mize shivered.

She tried to resist, to squirm away at first, but the resistance didn't last long.

Her posture softened again, letting his hand explore her stomach with slow, quiet motions.

Rubbing, and rubbing. Occasionally groping her chest and tasting her whole body through his hands alone.

It wasn’t too much, nothing that crossed a clear line, but it was definitely enough to fluster her.

And evidently enough to earn her some system points, not that she said anything aloud.

Liam, meanwhile, seemed to enjoy every second of her reactions.

His mood light.

Below them, far from the air-borne throne, the battlefield roared.

This wave was unlike yesterday’s chaos.

More organized, more brutal.

The wave came like a crashing tide of red and black, but Mize’s legion didn’t falter.

The massive soldiers she had summoned were first to strike, unleashing volleys of heavy artillery that ripped through enemy ranks like blades through parchment.

One of the monsters, lunged through the smoke, but before it could land a blow, a shadow of steel intercepted it.

Boom!

A single punch caved in its skull, sending the body spinning through the air.

These armored giants, the Broken Blade warriors, tore through the monsters like walking fortresses, shredding tier 1 and tier 2 beasts with frightening power.

On one flank, a smaller shadow soldier was caught between three tier 2 monsters. It looked grim.

Then, a blur crashed from above.

One of the elite warriors landed beside him, chainsaw-blade in hand, and cleaved through the enemies in one sweeping motion.

The massive figure gave a brief nod to the smaller summon before dashing toward the next target, each step shaking the earth.

Above, Liam watched it all unfold from his throne.

He leaned slightly forward, eyes narrowed, silently impressed by the coordination and raw power of the Broken Blade legion.

Even tier 4 monsters were falling one-on-one, which said more than words could.

And yet, his attention didn’t stay on the battlefield for long.

His hand moved again, this time toward Mize’s chin, gently tilting her face up.

She shifted downward, a blush blooming across her cheeks, gaze refusing to meet his.

Then, she moved down the throne, kneeling on the air before his crotch, and hesitantly looked at Liam's face.

"C-can I?"

Her posture changed subtly, movements unsure, hands resting lightly on his lap as if testing his reaction.

He raised an eyebrow, lips curling into a half-smile as he leaned back slightly, resting against the throne’s edge.

“Mimi,” he said, voice teasing and quiet, “Are you really planning to do this here?”

"This isn't the right time, you know"

“Shut up,” she snapped, glaring up at him, but there was no real anger in her tone, just mounting frustration.

Her voice lowered, almost a whisper. “You’ve been teasing me all day. I can’t take it anymore... so let me have something in return.”

"L-let me have your seeds"