Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

Valerie was not too far from the celebrating hall when she turned round to face Hal who was already in front of her in barely a second.

For almost a full minute, the two just stood in front of each other, staring at one another- Hal with a smile and Valerie with a frown.

And then Hal, who had spread about his senses and was sure that there was no one around to see what he was about to, stepped forward and grabbed Valerie's arm and say,

"Come on"

Just before he pulled her through a portal that suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

Valerie's eyes widened at the portal but she did not have time to resist Hal's pull (and would not have been able to anyway) before she was pulled through.

On the other side of the portal, Valerie was treated to the view of a different world where despite the space, there was no other building besides a magnificent mansion.

The design of the mansion was impressive and it was not a type that Valerie had ever seen and she could not deny that she was impressed by it.

Hal, who had pulled her into this strange space, was already walking toward the mansion without another look behind him, and eventually, Valerie followed after him.

"Where the hell are we?" she asked Hal as they were almost upon the mansion.

Try as she might, she could not see a possible exit from this space and despite having access to her cultivation and strength, she doubted they would help her out.

She was ready to try though, the moment Hal tried any funny business.

Hal smiled but did not look back as he said,

"Somewhere we can speak without worry of being overheard" 

Despite what he said, when he entered the mansion, Valerie found that there were ladies all around and all of them grinned at Hal as they saw him.

He acknowledged their presence, greeted them, kissed them, fondled them, and overall treated them all with affection shamelessly without care for Valerie's presence,

"This place is teeming with women" Valerie pointed out obviously referring to the fact that she and Hal could not really be alone in the mansion with all the women present.

Hal shrugged with a lady in each of his arms as they both snuggled when closer to him,

"But these are my women. They are not new to the sort of situation that you and I have. Besides, they don't really care about you and will be going about their own business without minding your presence here.

Later ladies..." he told the ones in his arms but his words were loud enough to go all about the mansion and inform every one of the expectant ladies that they would not be getting his attention for now.

There was disappointment all around but they had mostly come here to take advantage of the mansion's time warping to extend the duration of their cultivation.

Hal had not even known the ladies had began to enter the Harem space but he was glad that they were all finally taking advantage of the Harem keys that he had granted them.

Anyway, with the ladies off him and back in various parts of the mansion to cultivate, Hal led Valerie to a large room that was unoccupied but had what looked to be a sitting region that was apart from the bed chambers which was demarcated with curtains.

Hal sat on the sofa and leaned back in it with a smile, 

"Ah yes, here we are. Bare your mind to me now" he said.

Valerie looked around,

"A different space and area where we would not be overheard and you still bring me to a bedroom?" she asked.

Hal shrugged,

"A bedroom is a part of the room used to sleep and used for activities that are, by nature, private. Practically, it's the most private room in any residence. 

Also, I feel like this place will be far more comfortable" he said.

"Comfortable for what?" Valerie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you think?" Hal asked her with a smirk and a chuckle at her attempt at acting oblivious to what he suggesting.

"Ah yes, that's it, isn't it? That's your plan... To get between my legs. To sleep with me" Valerie said with indignation and Hal nodded,

"It definitely is part of the agenda. What, you don't want it? You were quite enthusiastic that day in Tretch forest. You had all the power and had your way with me" Hal said and even as he said the last part, he smiled shamelessly to himself at the thought of the actual events of that day.

The fact that he had not actually been an innocent bystander.

"That was an entirely different circumstance. I was drugged by a demon beast. I needed to burn off the sexual energy I had been corrupted with. You were there and hence the valid choice" She said.

"You mean you used me," Hal said.

"No, I..." Valerie began but Hal interrupted,

"You used me and then you got all upset because I acted like a mature person and still decided to take responsibility for being your first," Hal said and Valerie opened her mouth to retort but she found that no words came out of her mouth.

Hal continued,

"You know, when I said it that day that you would always be my woman, I did not care about your stronger cultivation or your -at the time- better status... I was only focussing on the relationship we had shared.

But I had no way of knowing that you had such a huge ego, and you would immediately take my words the wrong way and claim I was trying to 'own you'.

I always knew we would meet again and I always said that when we did meet, I would make good on my promise but ever since I saw you again during the Entrance exams, I have been silent. I have let you act as your please and your ego has only grown. Your sense of right has only grown..." Hal said and stood to his feet to walk closer to Valerie who was frowning and tensing.

Valerie felt it was almost about time for Hal to try some funny business and she would be quick to burst out all the strength in her arsenal to try and fight him back and also make her way out of this beautiful but strange space.

"You can't be in the right and it does not matter what you say or do, my plans regarding you will not change. That said, I have been curious and would like to know, what happened with you after that day?" Hal asked in a tone that soothed Valerie's tense muscles and she found herself relaxed enough to answer,

"After what happened between us, I felt different. I no longer had any interest in being in a relationship with any man... That wasn't you. 

I no longer wished to be married and when I told my father, he considered my decision unacceptable... Apparently, my family was in too deep with my Fiancee for me to break off the marriage. 

I was adamant about not wanting to be married and my father was stubborn about going through with commitments or at least planned commitments.

There was only one way I could attempt to break off the engagement and only one way I could be sorta allowed to make my own decisions and that was by attempting to claim the Cruz family inheritance.

The Cruz family inheritance had long been abandoned by the family because all who tried usually went insane before being subjected to violent convulsions that would kill them.

When I went through the process, I understood the reason for the insanity... The consciousness of the ones who left the inheritance tried to take over my mind but there were all individually dominant and not only fought against my mind but also against each other... It was Overwhelming.

When I went through the process, I was ready to die. I was ready to accept my fate... But somehow I survived. I succeeded where so many others had failed.

I was different...

I was special...

A genius of the Cruz family...

My father realized he was wrong to have been so stubborn about the engagement because he could see that my going through the inheritance process was me saying 'I would rather die than do what he wants'... He apologized and I accepted his apology but something had broken between us.

Our relationship was no longer the same.

I no longer looked at him the same.

The fact that I had to prove myself so that I would not get married infuriated me.

And it was all because of you" Valerie said.

She had been looking down at her feet but when she said the last sentence, she looked up at Hal with her eyes tinged with red as she seemed close to tears.

"So we are back to me" Hal said with a frown.

Valerie took a step forward and there was only an inch of space separating her from Hal.

"I went to Tretch forest that day as one of my last few moments as a single woman. I went there to hunt demon beasts in one of the only cities to still be infested with demon beasts.

I went there for a taste of adventure and I found trouble instead.

I have not been sure but I have always known within me that if it had been someone else I slept with that day, my life would not have changed so much.

I have always known that if it had been someone else, I would have simply dusted my clothes, returned home, and gotten married as I was expected. 

I would not have the lingering feeling of you inside me... 

I would not have been longing for a feeling I only felt once...

You ruined me for other men...

You're the reason my life choices and major decisions had such a drastic change.

It's all your fault!"