The Sinful Life of The Emperor

Anastasia's appearance completely changed. Her raven-black hair turned to auburn while her disfigured face morphed into someone Zed had revered a long time ago.

Veronica.

She was the most beautiful woman he has known. The beauty wasn't strictly physical, but rather that of the inside, the one people call internal beauty. 

He had always admired it, for when he was on the brink of desperation, she has emerged in his life and taught him things he never forgot. Things he reminisced with nostalgia even after acquiring the Cosmic Spark.

"The greatest gift Creator gave to all of us is to dream. You can imagine the impossible and live it, even if only in the dark hours of the night."

"The first step in the path of dreams is seeking what you truly desire. Something that is borne out of you and not created by others."

"To dream is to hope…."

Perhaps these words were meaningless and redundant, but to someone who has lived in extreme poverty and sufferings, they were the right way to tell to not give up on life, at least not yet.

After all, it was the wisdom that when one has nothing, they can dream of having everything… and just hang on till the dream was in sight.

This wisdom wasn't just words, though. It was a spark of enlightenment planted in his mind, in the form of Eternal Wisdom of Dreams. 

It was something he barely understood or used, for when he was a slum dweller, he didn't have the time and knowledge. After that, he never felt the need to.

If the impact she had on his life couldn't be seen from this, perhaps it could be seen from his name.

Dream Seeker.

In the old tongue of Celestial Elysian Plane, that was Kiba.

A name she conferred upon him when he was nothing but a beggar. 

A name he truly accepted when he acquired the powers to chase what he truly desired. 

A name that became synonyms with fear for the male gender.

"It has been a long time."

Kiba said as the memories of her flashed by in his mind. 

She has only met him for some minutes back then, and it was only in passing. But he always knew they would meet again. Though, it was certainly not in this manner.

"For you, perhaps," She replied. "But for me, it wasn't."

Kiba didn't ask what she meant by that. Instead, he checked her appearance. 

"So should I call you Veronica or Anastasia?"

The Veronica he knew has a profound aura and an elegant vibe. It was nothing like the woman in front of him who gave him an impression of profanity. 

"What's in the name?" 

She asked.

"Actually, there's everything, isn't it?"

"…!" Kiba's eyes narrowed. He suddenly thought of the old tongue from which his name originated. 

Then Anastasia should mean…!

A sense of dread washed over him.

Feeling his tensed state, Anastasia or Veronica, whoever she was, smiled. 

She spread her arms out, and energy freely flooded out of her. 

It knocked Ashlyn and Agatha into the wall, but that was just an unintended side effect. 

The energy spreading from her transformed into projections that could only be described as outlandish. 

There were supernatural creatures, impossible phenomenons, unbelievably rich lands of magic, gardens of orgasmic delights, and things one couldn't even imagine.

It was like she has released a flood of every fantasy out there. Something people could only desire deep in their hearts and experience in the comfort of sleep.

"I'm what gives people hope, the reason to exist, and the power to chase life!"

She said as the projections multiplied, one of them projecting Kiba's ultimate fantasy. 

"I'm the weaver of dreams! I'm Dream Weaver!"

Her left pupil flashed with infinite depth, and in it, countless celestial objects appeared, turning into a universe of its own. 

Kiba's expression changed further, and his breathing stopped. 

All because the pupil holding the universe was in the shape of a slit.

A slit that looked like a shard!

"The Cosmic Spark!" Kiba exclaimed. 

Veronica smiled further and ran her fingers in the air like she was playing a piano. In response, the projections began to superimpose over each other, like they were being stitched together.

"Urgh!"

Simultaneously, Kiba grabbed his head. He was having a terrible headache like needles were stabbing into his mind. 

Whatever she did with projections of dreams was causing a terrifying impact on him. 

But he wasn't the only one. Throughout the world, no matter how powerful one was, as long as they were dreamers, they began to feel brutal pain in their heads. 

And who wasn't a dreamer? Even Alphas who need no sleep would often sleep and dreamt of their desires.

Dreams might be illusory, but they gave them something to look forward to, something to achieve in real life. 

Many of these dreamers were in flight, fighting, or training. The sudden headaches resulted in tragedy, with many dying.

The headache turned stronger, and Kiba felt he was about to collapse.

"You are a master of psychology." 

Veronica said as the projections completed stitching together. The combined projections of dreams began to swirl around her, like she was their queen.

"Yet when it came to me, you forget the basics of the first impression. Ironic, isn't it?"

Kiba smashed the floor and planted his feet there. Using that as support, he forcefully remained in his position and lifted his head to look at her.

First impressions are what one wants to project! What one wants others to "feel" about them!

"So everything was fake?" 

Kiba asked, this time with a smile. He made a connection with the Cosmic Spark, and the power surging out of it exploded into him. 

BOOOM

Pure power Cosmic bathed him like he was the Celestial King, and he transformed into his Holy Form. 

Veronica's smile didn't waver. Instead, it spread further into a grin.

"Yes and no," She replied while easily blocking the shockwaves spreading from him. She even protected the tower from collapse.

"Why?" Kiba asked.

"Why ask when you already guessed it?" She asked in return. 

"The Cosmic Spark!" Kiba exclaimed the name of their power source again, this time in disgust. 

"Again, both yes and no." 

Veronica corrected him. She disappeared in a twinkling haze and appeared before.

She slipped a hand on his face and said:

"Also, it isn't for what you are thinking. I have no interest in acquiring the Spark, never had."