Chapter 203: The Hub of Knowledge
’Uhh... she’s not like Liliana, is it?’
The thought flickered through Akasha’s mind for only a brief moment before he deliberately set it aside.
If Calista truly carried the same obsessive intensity as the Red Lady, her favorability would already have been locked at its absolute maximum.
Yume and Luna both chuckled at the same time—clearly having caught both Calista’s kneeling declaration and the private flicker of Akasha’s thoughts.
They stepped in from either side and linked their arms through his without asking permission, pink-and-purple hair brushing one shoulder while cool blue-streaked strands brushed the other.
Hearing his thoughts, Yume’s voice slid effortlessly into his mind, calm and faintly amused.
’...I wonder when you’ll drop the act?’ she asked, as she and Luna both knew full well that Akasha was doing a fine job maintaining his façade.
’You do realize... we’re connected to you, right, Master?’
Luna agreed instantly, her tone warm yet laced with playful mischief. She leaned in, closing the space until her lips hovered just shy of his ear.
’...Right, you can’t keep running from your own desires... that’s not healthy, my love~’ she whispered directly into his mind.
Bridging the final gap, she let the tip of her tongue trail slowly along the curve of his earlobe, her voice slipping into a low, knowing chuckle.
’Even if we weren’t connected,’ she went on, ’I can see desires the way others see colors. And I know, my love... I know exactly every single one you’ve been trying to hide. It’s alright to let yourself run free.’
Hearing their words, Akasha chuckled and shook his head.
He didn’t bother to respond, because deep down he knew they were right.
Ever since becoming a Lesser Unus, his desire—for women and for physical pleasure in general—had grown to absurd levels.
It wasn’t exactly shocking to him, though... not entirely, at least.
When he first became the Lesser Infinite Dream Unus, it hadn’t just come with the traits he’d unlocked; it had also come with an innate knowledge of the race itself and detailed insight into his own evolutionary process.
At the time, he skimmed over most of it to avoid overwhelming himself, but now, thinking back on it all, he could only sigh in resignation.
’Who knew... such a thing would be so literal?’ he mused inwardly, recalling that the Unus race was considered the most lustful beings ever to exist—and he was only experiencing a fraction of those urges.
It made him wonder what would happen once he evolved into a True Unus.
In the end, he shrugged, letting the thought fade.
It wasn’t as if he’d never considered having more women in his life before.
Beyond Yume and Luna, there was the undeniable connection he had always felt with Liliana, one that hadn’t diminished even after becoming a Lesser Unus.
If he were honest with himself, he wouldn’t mind having Liliana as his woman—after all, who wouldn’t want a beautiful vampiric siren?
Still, he wanted their bond to be genuine, not something dictated by some fated vampiric love.
With his thoughts finally settled, Luna and Yume exchanged a knowing glance and smiled.
In the next moment, Akasha reached out with his free hand, fingers closing gently around Calista’s wrist, and drew her up from the polished wooden floor until she stood before him once more.
When his gaze met hers, the nine swirling purple stars shifted, reshaping themselves into clear purple infinity signs that turned slowly in the depths of his eyes.
"If you want to be in my bed," he told her, voice light and openly teasing, "all you have to do is ask. There’s no need to offer yourself up like that... I’m a straight man, after all."
Calista’s eyes widened, caught off guard by the sudden shift from the calm, distant Master she’d always known to this playfully teasing version.
"I... Master, that’s not... I didn’t mean..." she stammered, her words tangling together in a rush of flustered confusion.
Akasha only laughed, the sound easy and unbothered, and stepped back from her.
He turned toward the endless rows of empty shelves that stretched into soft purple mist and spoke over his shoulder.
"Alright... Relax. It was only a joke. Come along, you have full reign over how this Library will be organized."
Akasha walked at the center of the small group, Calista keeping pace at his right while Luna and Yume remained linked to either side of him.
The vast wooden hall stretched around them in every direction, its empty shelves vanishing into soft purple mist, and for a time the only sounds were the quiet rhythm of their footsteps against the polished floor.
Calista used those silent moments to steady herself.
Everything of recent still moved through her body like slow aftershocks, yet she forced her breathing into an even pattern and lifted her gaze toward the man beside her.
"Master.... So, what is the name of our Pantheon again?" she asked, clearly not having looked at her status.
"The Pantheon of Infinite Dreams," Akasha answered, voice calm and unhurried.
Her curiosity sparked at his words.
She shot him a glance from the corner of her eye before turning her gaze forward again as she continued speaking.
"And your title... Lord of Dreams. What is the full reason behind that? Why dreams at all?"
She paused for half a step, then added more quietly, "Do you simply enjoy helping others achieve theirs?"
Akasha turned his head just enough to regard her, one brow arching in mild surprise at the directness of the question.
For several moments, he remained silent, as it was not a matter he had given much consideration. When he did speak, his voice was steady, carrying a tone of quiet reflection.
"Hmm... I’m not sure at the moment. Many different things could cause my dreams, and right now, I can’t say for certain which is the real reason.
Maybe if you asked again in a few centuries—or even a few millennia—I might have a more definite answer."
Calista gave a single, firm nod.
"Then, I won’t forget."
She continued walking a short distance farther before coming to a complete halt in the center of the hall.
Her gaze swept across the endless rows of empty shelves, the towering wooden pillars, and the vaulted ceilings lost in purple haze.
"If we are a Pantheon of Dreams," she said, "then this Library should feel like one. I say... we remove all of the shelves and the empty structures."
Akasha lifted one hand and gave a single, almost lazy wave.
HUMMMM!!!!
The solidified dream essence that had formed every shelf, every pillar, and every dividing wall dissolved in an instant.
Within moments, the entire interior had become one continuous, boundless space of ancient wood and open air, empty and waiting.
Calista began to walk in slow circles, fingertips lightly tapping her chin as she organized her thoughts aloud.
"The most important sections will need to be these," she said.
"First—Power and Advancement Knowledge...."
"Everything that deals with possible star evolution paths, detailed star knowledge, hidden paths of growth, the structure of ranks, the amounts of divinity gained at each stage, and anything related to deliberate advancement."
She continued without pause.
"Next, Affinities... and any higher forms of power that might exist above them."
"I’m not certain something more fundamental is truly out there, something that connects directly to the fabric of the world around us, but I have theories. Somehow..."
She glanced at Akasha with a small, knowing smile.
"I’m fairly sure that uncertainty will change soon."
Hearing those words, Akasha smiled before replying, "Touché."
Calista began pacing again, her voice steady as she continued.
"We’ll also need thorough knowledge of Worlds and Territorial matters... then Combat and Warfare, Artifacts and Materials, Factions, Bloodlines and Races, and lastly... Forbidden Information."
She stopped once more, turning to face him directly.
"The best part," she said, "will be deciding exactly how all of this is set up... and how it will be presented."