As Genesis advanced through Rasganorth, his expression grew colder and colder.
The wind roared violently.
Snow was swept away by chaotic currents racing across the region in every direction, forming white whirlwinds that rose into the sky.
Above him, massive dark clouds covered the heavens.
And at the center of it all...
A gigantic pillar of Umbra energy stood tall.
The dark column pierced the clouds and seemed to connect the earth to the skies.
It was impossible to ignore.
With every step he took, his mood only worsened.
His gaze swept across the area again and again, searching for an explanation.
Because it simply didn't make sense.
Loki was not impulsive.
He was not someone who acted on a whim.
Much less someone who would break an agreement without a compelling reason.
If he had been that kind of person, they never would have become friends.
Genesis knew better than anyone how dangerous Loki truly was.
Manipulative.
Calculating.
Cunning.
He could influence the hearts of others with terrifying ease.
On top of that, he could perceive negative emotions directed toward him.
Deceiving him was extraordinarily difficult.
For that very reason, the more Genesis thought about the situation, the stranger it seemed.
—What are you doing, Loki...? —he murmured.
Then his eyes stopped on something.
A portal.
It remained open not far from the enormous dark egg.
Constant streams of Umbra energy poured out from within it and spilled into the surroundings.
The dark energy spread across the region like an invisible tide.
Just looking at it caused Genesis's expression to harden even further.
That wasn't part of the agreement either.
He shifted his gaze away from the portal.
And then he looked at the egg.
Its size was enormous.
Dark currents of energy continuously flowed across its surface.
Strange patterns appeared and disappeared across the shell as if they were alive.
The amount of Umbra contained within it was absurd.
But that wasn't what worried him most.
He closed his eyes.
Expanded his senses.
And felt something else.
Something familiar.
Very familiar.
His eyes snapped open.
Deep within the egg...
He could sense Origin Energy.
An energy that belonged to the Main Plane.
An energy that should never have been there.
And alongside it...
A presence.
Weak.
Distant.
But unmistakable.
A living being.
An inhabitant of his domain.
Genesis's fists clenched tightly.
The veins on his arms bulged.
For several seconds, silence reigned.
Then came the fury.
—Loki...
His voice came out low.
Dangerously low.
Origin Energy began to stir around him.
The air trembled.
Nearby snow was blasted away in every direction.
—What the hell are you doing?
His gaze remained fixed on the egg.
Now he understood part of what had happened.
And that was precisely why he was even angrier.
This was no longer merely an environmental disturbance.
Nor a simple name change.
Not even the opening of a portal.
Loki had taken someone from the Main Plane.
And he was transforming them.
Genesis's eyes shone intensely.
—When did I give you permission to corrupt the beings of my domain?
His voice echoed throughout the entire area.
Cold.
Authoritative.
Filled with restrained fury.
That was one of their most fundamental rules.
The inhabitants of the Main Plane fell under his authority.
Those of the Celestial Realm belonged to Elena.
And those of the Realm of Nightmares belonged to Loki.
If any of them wished to directly interfere with the inhabitants of another's domain, they first had to obtain permission.
It was one of the foundations that maintained the balance.
And Loki had completely ignored it.
Yet the one responsible for all of this didn't even turn around.
He remained standing before the egg.
One hand resting against its surface.
As if he hadn't heard a thing.
As if Genesis's presence held no importance.
That only caused Genesis's anger to rise further.
—Are you not going to answer?
The wind intensified.
Origin Energy swirled around his body like a hurricane.
For an instant, a dangerous killing intent flashed through his eyes.