Lord: Sequence Master

As Rosen ascended higher and higher, he gently reached out to touch the bark of the Life Tree. It felt cool and smooth, much like jade, and through the semi-transparent bark, he could see golden sap flowing within. The sap seemed to form intricate spiritual symbols as it flowed.

After several hours of ascending on the vine elevator, it finally stopped. Rosen inhaled deeply, enjoying the refreshingly pure air. He really liked the environment here and felt confident this would become a satisfying new home for him.

Led by the Sequence 4 wood elf, Rosen was taken without hindrance to the Elven Palace in the Sky Garden. Although the Wood Elf Principality was technically a "principality," its overall power was on par with that of a kingdom. The Wood Elf royal family, protected by a demigod, wielded immense power, while the Grand Duke, at Sequence 4, was not part of a hereditary line. Unlike other principalities where titles were passed down through generations, the Grand Duke of the Wood Elf Kingdom was chosen from among the queen's consorts, meaning every Grand Duke had been the spouse of the elven queen.

Inside the fully wooden and artistically crafted dining hall, Rosen met the elegant and regal Wood Elf Queen. The meal was entirely vegetarian, and the queen glanced at Rosen with a hint of arrogance.

"You claim you can save the Life Tree?" the queen asked, her tone dripping with disdain.

"I can," Rosen replied confidently, taking a seat opposite her and casually biting into an unfamiliar fruit.

"And how exactly will you do that?" The queen frowned slightly, her dislike for this human growing.

"First, have everyone else leave," Rosen said, looking at the elven attendants.

The Wood Elf Queen, not worried about her safety, signaled for all the attendants to leave.

"Miracle Life Spirit: Nature Fairy," Rosen summoned the Nature Fairy he had painted.

"A real Nature Fairy capable of becoming a miracle life form?" The queen was shocked and immediately teleported to Rosen's side, cradling the fairy in her hands.

But soon she realized that the Nature Fairy in her hands was merely a spiritual painting. Despite that, it carried the miraculous power of a true miracle life form, revealing that the human in front of her was an artist who had enslaved a Nature Fairy through a spiritual painting.

At that moment, the Wood Elf Queen's heart stirred with a desire to kill Rosen. Part of her wanted to take the Nature Fairy for herself, while another part of her was outraged that this human had enslaved such a precious being.

But she calmed herself. This was, after all, the human world, and her wood elf branch was merely a vassal. Even though the World Government had granted them autonomy, every Grand Duke was still chosen from among human nobility. If she had a choice, she would never willingly marry a human.

This human artist had the power to enslave a Nature Fairy, and he had the audacity to appear before her so fearlessly. If he had powerful backing, making a move against him could invite disaster.

"I'd like to purchase the Nature Fairy," the queen said after careful thought.

"You can, but I will set the terms of the deal," Rosen replied. He de-summoned the manifested fairy and then re-summoned it, gripping it tightly in his hand.

"State your terms," the queen said, heart aching at the sight of the suffering fairy.

"Three conditions," Rosen held up three fingers. "First, I will become the consort of the elven princess. Second, the Nature Fairy will only be bound to the princess. Third, the elven princess must become my contracted pet."

The Wood Elf Queen barely managed to endure hearing the first condition, but when she heard the third, she nearly exploded with rage.

This wasn't just a lack of sincerity—it was outright trampling on the dignity of the wood elves.

Suppressing her fury, the queen asked, "What makes you think you can make such demands?"

"I have my reasons," Rosen said confidently. "As far as I know, the Wood Elf Principality has three hereditary dukes. Every royal consort has historically come from one of those three families, forced to marry a human duke. Haven't the wood elves already grown used to this arrangement? As for the second condition, I doubt you have any objections. The third condition may seem harsh, but I have mastered a special skill called Body Painting. Combined with the divine properties of my Godly Domain, I can perfectly contract the elven princess as my Sequence 5 pet. In doing so, our powers will be perfectly shared, and the wood elves might even produce a Sequence 1 transcendent."

"You're saying my daughter could reach Sequence 1 by following you?" The queen looked at Rosen like he was a madman.

Rosen simply smiled. He summoned Little Dragoness, Stormbird, Nightmare Slime, and the Feathered Serpent form of his self-portrait doppelganger. He then manifested the projection of the Time Tower and Sea God's Ring, finally releasing spiritual energy to display his mastery of the power of creation.

The Wood Elf Queen was increasingly stunned as she examined the four beings, each bound by nightmare shackles. A miraculous life-form fairy dragon, a divine Stormbird, a slime wielding godly powers, and a divine Feathered Serpent. Not to mention the miracle structure of time, and a high-sequence ring radiating a power that even made her feel fear.

A mere Sequence 6 painter possessing all this? His potential was beyond anything she had ever encountered. Even those of divine lineage couldn't compare. Perhaps, it wasn't madness after all to believe he could raise her daughter to Sequence 1.

"Is there no other condition you can offer?" the queen asked, finally abandoning any notion of forcibly taking the Nature Fairy. Given his background, she couldn't simply sell her daughter, even if his resources were vast.

"I initially came here just to get local status so I could hunt king beasts," Rosen said, shaking his head. "But then I saw the bounty offered by the Wood Elf Principality and found myself loving the environment. Plus, your arrogant attitude has annoyed me. These are my terms. And you wouldn't want the Life Tree to die, would you?"

"I accept your conditions," a clear, cool voice like a babbling brook echoed from outside the dining hall.

Rosen turned to see the elven princess enter, her regal bearing shining through. In that moment, he realized that his initially harsh terms were more than worth it—this elven princess was someone worth fighting for.

"However, I have one condition of my own," the elven princess said as she stepped up to Rosen. "My consort must be able to fully conquer me."

"Fully conquer you?" Rosen stood up, locking eyes with the princess as he instantly projected his Ashen Veil into her spiritual consciousness.

The veil depicted a stone, and in that instant, the princess believed herself to be that stone.

Though she quickly broke free of the influence, having reached Sequence 5, Rosen took advantage of her brief vulnerability, moving in to embrace her and kiss her.

The princess instinctively tried to cast a spell, but found her spiritual energy completely suppressed. The hand gripping her waist seemed to imprison her very essence. All she could do was struggle with her physical strength, but it was no use—Rosen's grip was as unyielding as a bull.

"Enough!" the Wood Elf Queen shouted angrily, her face darkening.

Rosen pulled back his Seductive Tongue, but kept the princess in his arms, weakened from the tongue's effects.

"She agreed," Rosen said with a satisfied grin, holding the now limp princess.

"That seductive power of the Abyss won't win you my daughter's heart," the queen warned.

"So, what do you suggest?" Rosen asked in return.

"My daughter is proud and strong. If you want to hunt king beasts, show her your strength. And absolutely no pet contract," the queen said, outlining her bottom line after much deliberation.

She had been too slow to stop Rosen from taking advantage of her daughter, but she still needed time to investigate his background. Hunting a king beast would reveal more of Rosen's true potential, allowing her to assess whether or not her daughter's sacrifice was worth it.

The Life Tree of the Wood Elf Kingdom was a Sequence 3 entity, and though it was the nation's strongest asset, it had been afflicted by mysterious parasitic worms. Despite their best efforts, even these Sequence 9 parasites had stumped the entire kingdom.

The worms needed to be destroyed using the power of annihilation, but that alone would harm the Life Tree, requiring a combination of life energy to counterbalance the destruction. The Nature Fairy, with its mastery of nature's dual forces—life and destruction—was perfect for the job. However, beings capable of wielding this power were typically Sequence 1 transcendents, far beyond the reach of the Wood Elves.

Thus, Rosen set aside the idea of contracting the princess and instead sent her into the spiritual painting that held the Nature Fairy, allowing them to converse.

Soon, the elven princess successfully contracted with the Nature Fairy, and Rosen observed their entire conversation. They had bonded over their shared dislike of Rosen, and the Nature Fairy, inherently close to elves, had no qualms about the contract, especially as it longed to escape the hazy confines of the painting.

Rosen retracted the painting, now devoid of the Nature Fairy, but still retaining about 30% of its power. Freed from the seal, the Nature Fairy instinctively tried to attack Rosen, but shrank back fearfully when he shot her a stern glare, retreating to hide behind the princess, only to make faces at him from her safe perch.

It was clear that mending their relationship would take some time.

However, the previously angry princess now looked at Rosen with a mix of aloofness and a hint of shyness.

"I am Rosen Howard. Can I ask your name?" Rosen moved forward, pulling the princess into his arms, much to the distress of the Nature Fairy, who was squashed between them and struggled for air.

"Alicia Edas Carly Astorga…" the princess answered reluctantly, having failed to free herself from his embrace.

"Rosen, could you kindly let go of my daughter now?" the Wood Elf Queen asked through gritted teeth, her face turning darker by the second.

Rosen considered sneaking in another kiss, but Alicia quickly swapped places with a nearby plant to escape. Meanwhile, the overly eager Nature Fairy had flown too fast and collided with Rosen's face, nearly getting swallowed in the process.

Terrified, the fairy darted over to Alicia's ear, chattering nervously, until the princess finally managed to calm the hyperactive little creature.

The Nature Fairy then turned its body into pure natural energy and slipped into the Life Tree. It worked tirelessly for over half a day, weaving a net of natural destructive energy to extract thousands of Sequence 9 parasites from the tree.

The Nature Fairy was still hiccuping with satisfaction, sweet green nectar dripping from its mouth.

The sight made the Wood Elf Queen envious. That was the Life Tree's purest life essence, something she had only tasted a little of when she was pregnant with Alicia. It was clear the Life Tree adored the little fairy.

But now was not the time for jealousy. The queen stepped forward to examine the parasites closely.

She knew parasites wouldn't naturally appear within the Life Tree. They must have been deliberately introduced by someone.

Yet before she could inspect them further, the parasites dissolved into nothingness.

The Wood Elf Queen stood silent for a moment, deep in thought. She already had a few suspects in mind—there weren't many people capable of such a thing.

But without evidence, her suspicions were useless.

While she pondered who the most likely culprit could be, Rosen had already uncovered the truth. He simply had his self-portrait doppelganger use the Main God Computer to hack into the Spirit Web. Within moments, he had identified the mastermind behind the plot. Since the wood elves couldn't access the human Spirit Web, the culprit hadn't even bothered to clean up the evidence.

Rosen looked at the Wood Elf Queen with pity in his eyes. "I think I know who sent those parasites…"

The queen stayed silent for a moment before casting a green teleportation light beneath their feet.

When the teleportation ended, they were in the Life Space of the Life Tree—a place so secure that even a Sequence 1 transcendent couldn't enter without alerting them.

"Tell me. I'm prepared," the queen said, taking a deep breath.

"The truth is harsh. The mastermind is your king consort…" Rosen sighed.

Humans weren't long-lived species, and even at the same Sequence level, most human transcendents lived far shorter lives than their elven counterparts. When the queen had ascended to the throne at Sequence 4, her chosen king consort had also been Sequence 4. Though similar in rank, their ages were vastly different. At the time, the Wood Elf Queen was a young woman, while her husband was already middle-aged.

Over the course of two thousand years, the Wood Elf Queen had maintained the appearance of a woman in her twenties, while her king consort had aged into an old man. And while she had risen to the rank of demigod, her husband remained stuck at Sequence 4, with no hope of advancing further.

The disparity in power and age had bred resentment in him. He grew envious, nurturing a deep inferiority complex. That jealousy eventually turned into greed. If he could siphon enough life essence from the Life Tree, he believed he could extend his life and regain his youth. Perhaps even reach demigod status.

Never mind the fact that doing so could destroy the Life Tree and doom the Wood Elf race. His greed knew no bounds. In his mind, even the bonds of marriage and fatherhood were expendable. If the Life Tree couldn't be healed, the queen would likely have sacrificed herself to restore it, leaving Alicia, only a Sequence 5, as nothing more than a puppet for her father's ambitions.

To Rosen's surprise, the Wood Elf Queen didn't appear saddened by this revelation—only enraged.

It wasn't until later that Rosen discovered the truth: The Wood Elf race had always been under the protection of the World Government. The queen's marriage had been a political arrangement, forced by the government's pressure to choose from one of three human dukes. From the very start, there had been no love in their union—only a sense of obligation because of their shared child.

After thousands of years of knowing him, the queen was well aware of her king consort's ambitions. He had long been exploiting his royal status to seize the resources of the wood elves, and had it not been for Alicia, the queen would have dealt with him long ago. Now, she saw this as her chance to be rid of him once and for all.

The queen produced a leaf from the Life Tree and, after tracing a few hundred words onto it, placed it into a wooden box. After a few moments, the leaf vanished. A short while later, a letter from the World Government appeared in its place.

The Wood Elves weren't merely protected by the humans because of their beauty. They were master cultivators of transcendent plants, and the Life Tree was a vital resource, producing the incredibly valuable essence of life. For the king consort to dare harm the Life Tree was a direct threat to the interests of the World Government.

Two days later, the government's investigation concluded.

In negotiations between the queen and the government, the king consort, Sahise Coburn, lost his title as duke and was imprisoned for life. The Coburn family's hereditary nobility was stripped, and the Howard family was awarded the title of one of the three great hereditary dukes of the Wood Elf Principality.

All parties were satisfied with the outcome—except for the other two dukes, who now found themselves out of the running to become the next king consort.

In the vine-woven balcony of the Sky Garden, shaded by green leaves, sunlight filtered through the Life Tree, creating beams of light around Alicia.

She lay on her side on a hammock of vines and leaves, while Rosen stood nearby, admiring her sleeping form from every angle.

In his hand, Rosen's divine brush continued sketching in the Void Sketchbook, as he painstakingly drew a lifelike portrait of Alicia.

Though Rosen planned to settle in the Wood Elf Principality, he knew he wouldn't stay forever. Alicia had her duties as the heir to the throne and couldn't abandon them to travel the world with him. The portrait would allow Rosen to return to the Wood Elf Kingdom whenever necessary.

He wasn't in a rush to acquire a Spirit Messenger, as he now had a replacement.

Death's Judgement could not only be used to curse enemies but also to cross vast distances and appear by the side of the subject in the painting. In terms of speed, it was more efficient than most spirit messengers.

Rosen finished the last stroke, closed the Void Sketchbook, and walked over to Alicia.

In just a few short days, he had nearly won her over completely.

The innocent little rabbit was no match for the cunning wolf. Her downfall was inevitable.

The Wood Elf Principality was very isolated. There was almost no advanced technology here, and even the virtual network that the Sacred Wood Empire had tried to introduce had been rejected by the wood elf leadership. They feared exposing their people to the temptations of the outside world.

The outside world was vast and alluring, and compared to it, living in the Sky Garden felt like being imprisoned.

In this environment, Alicia had no resistance to the wonders of the outside world. All it took was a short tour of the fantastical movie world within the Void Realm, and Alicia was already growing increasingly dependent on Rosen. Despite the queen's warnings to stay guarded, her defenses were slowly crumbling under the influence of Rosen's Seductive Tongue.

Rosen opened the Void Sketchbook to show Alicia the portrait he had just drawn of her as the Dawn Elf.

Elves were naturally drawn to art, and seeing the vivid likeness of herself in the painting, Alicia couldn't help but be moved. For the first time, she took the initiative.

Rosen didn't need to use his Seductive Tongue this time—Alicia surrendered to him on her own.

In the soft glow of dawn, Alicia was blossoming into maturity.

When the Wood Elf Queen learned of her daughter's "growth," she nearly killed Rosen in a fit of rage, unleashing her domain of rules.

But despite the scolding, what had been done could not be undone.

The queen, seeing Rosen hiding behind Alicia, could only sigh in resignation.

With the final obstacle removed, Rosen fully indulged himself. By day, Alicia took him on tours of the Sky Garden's many beautiful sights. By night, the two of them explored the fantastical worlds of movies. Their bond grew deeper with each passing day.

During this time, Alicia also learned about Li Shiqing and the many lovers Rosen had.

But Alicia had no objections. Her father, after separating from her mother, had taken many wives. She had several half-brothers and half-sisters, though she barely knew them. Now, with her father's downfall, any chance of reconnecting with them was gone.

Two months passed quickly, and after so much indulgence, everyone was ready for a break.

Rosen was enjoying a meal of giant beast skewers, freshly prepared by gourmet hunters from the Hunter World. With the Gluttony Stomach's digestive ability, he would be the first to recover. As he was savoring his meal, the Wood Elf Queen arrived.

"What brings you to see me?" Rosen asked, surprised. His mother-in-law had been less than friendly toward him recently.

"I wanted to find you earlier, but you weren't exactly available," the queen replied, tossing a fist-sized seed to Rosen.

Catching it, Rosen scanned it with his spiritual sense. His eyes widened in disbelief as he looked back at the queen.

He had no idea the Wood Elf Kingdom possessed something so valuable.

And he certainly hadn't expected the queen to give it to him.