Free Web NovelAsher's rooms were too quiet for a man of his power.
They noticed it the moment they pushed the door open — no pressure, no weight, none of the subtle force powerful beings usually let slip into the air.
He contained it all, drew it inward so thoroughly that at first glance, he looked like nothing more than an ordinary man sitting by a window.
Then he turned.
The illusion lasted exactly that long.
He smiled when he saw them.
Arazee walked past him with her eyes fixed just above his head. Not at the ceiling—just the precise distance that said I see you and decided you're not worthy to be called father.
Aroc's wing stayed locked against his back, arms clasped behind him, posture so formally rigid it read as its own insult. ƒreewebɳovel.com
Astra pressed against a wall near the door, crossed his arms, and looked at his father the way one looks at grass.
None of them spoke.
Asher couldn't even bring himself to be angry, even if he wanted to.
"Say what you need," Arken broke the silence.
Asher settled back in his chair.
"I'm leaving this world for a time. I want to take you with me—to meet your brothers and sisters."
Crack!
Arazee snapped. "Why? Just so you can show us the people you favor over us? Over our mothers?"
"I don't want to talk about that. It would get us nowhere," Asher said.
"You—" Before she could continue, Arken grabbed her shoulder and shook his head.
"Don't waste your words on him."
Her eyes blazed, but she stayed silent, fists clenching at her sides.
"He's right," Asher stood. "Just treat me like a stranger if that makes it easier."
"You really are a terrible father!" she spat, irritation boiling over his insensitive comment.
Even as she acted out, she was still a girl craving a father's love. How could he just brush it off? Why not apologize and try to repair the bond?
Unfortunately, Asher's mind had moved past such human concerns. If she wanted love, she would have to ask for it.
"Let's get down to business. You're all old enough to make your own choices, and I won't force you to help if you don't want to."
His eyes scanned the four, and three already showed signs of refusal.
"I'll reward each of you for your help." A brief pause. "Name it. Power, wealth, land—a planet, if you want. More than one. It doesn't matter."
They didn't react loudly. The response went the other way.
He offered planets like someone handing out candy.
"You're giving us worlds?" Aroc looked completely dumbfounded.
"Yes, it's that simple. And it's not just that—I can make you all stronger too. You might think what you have now is real power, but the universe is vast, and you're barely scratching the surface."
A long pause stretched between them. In the end, they all felt tempted by his offer.
"We'll go," Arken said for everyone.
"Not for you. We're going because it's the logical choice. When it's done, we walk away clean. No debts. No expectations. No pretending this is something it isn't."
"Understood," Asher nodded.
Arken turned for the door. The others followed without being asked. None looked back. Somehow, that felt exactly right.
With everything in place, Asher began teaching them to create Mana Bodies properly.
Unlike his other children with dragon blood, the four had to rebuild their perfect magic circuits from scratch—a dangerous process, but possible under Asher's guidance.
After a month, all four fully grasped the logic, proving his DNA ran through them.
Their mana reserves skyrocketed, allowing them to defeat older versions of themselves instantly.
Not only that, they learned more magic, and Asher perfected their old abilities, making them seem weak in comparison.
Now, they understood just how vast the gap remained between them and their father.
When they met again, Arazee began chugging glass after glass of wine. Despite their progress, she didn't look happy.
"I can't believe we ended up relying on him," she muttered, pouring another drink.
Aroc ran a hand through his hair, staring at the floor.
"Yeah… I hate that we need him. But I can't deny it—he made us stronger. Faster than I expected."
Arazee glared. "Don't justify it. I'm not thanking him."
"Neither am I," Aroc said quickly. "But we can't ignore the results."
The room fell silent as they sipped their drinks, wrestling with the hard truth: their father was godlike in every way, and as his children, a flicker of pride lingered despite themselves.
Arken watched his siblings and wondered if letting go of pride to mend their relationship with their father might be better.
He had observed Asher over the past month and the changes he brought to the palace.
Even Lizana smiled more often, and the mothers of his step-siblings practically threw themselves at Asher, as if he had never committed a single sin.
Part of him bristled at how easily they forgave, while another part doubted.
Was their father really a scumbag, or had they only painted him that way because he left them?
'What am I thinking?' He shook his head and drained his glass. It felt unbecoming to be swayed like this.
Time passed, and at last, they were ready to leave.
Since direct long-distance teleportation was too dangerous, Asher brought a modern spaceship along for this exact purpose.
Inside, everyone was greeted with a sleek, clean interior, lights tracing the curves of the walls and panels that showed different images.
All four had a hard time staying composed. The technology around them outclassed anything their planet had ever seen.
Asher saw their reaction and smiled. Technology like this might impress most, but it was virtually useless to peak existence like himself, who could withstand spatial distortion.
Regardless, seeing them get excited brought him joy, and he decided to gift each of them one after their mission so they could explore space themselves.
"Let's go."
Without ceremony, the spaceship pierced the atmosphere and slipped into the vastness of space.
