Rise of the Cosmic_Emperor

The connection and link that was forming was the kind that Hal could always see unlike anyone else who only got the chance when the connection actually becomes Visible.

No one in the Dane Family all over the Dane Duchy capital was safe from the connection and once the Dane family was indoctrinated into the faith, it was time for the rest of the Duchy capital to follow suit.

Before this began, Hal took to the sky and unleashed the full might of his Demi-god pressure which he magnified with Infinity to the point where no being in the Duchy capital was free from feeling reverence for him.

The feeling of reverence preceded the corruptive desire of the rest of the Duchy pushing to make the capital just like themselves and there was no chance of resistance.

"I am Your God"

Those words rang in the head of every resident of the Dane Duchy while Hal reveled in what was notably a massive jump in his area of influence.

When the symbol faded along with the tentacles, the permanence of what had been done did not change and with Hal in mid-air, arms spread out and his whole body radiating the radiance of divinity, everyone in the Duchy Capital bowed.

Everyone acknowledged his command and it did not matter whether they did so happily or grudgingly... The fact that Hal now had command over their very lives remained true nonetheless.

But Hal was not done...

The corruptive spread of his Devil seed was complete over the Dane Duchy but only in the spiritual faith sense but also in a physical manner.

The spread of his corruption was not moving in terms of Devil energy alone but was also accompanied by Infinity... With infinity, Hal took physical control of the terrain of the Dane Duchy to shape it according to how he thought it should be.

Every expert at the mid-stage of the Semi-Saint realm and above as well as those who possessed insight into ordinances and were in tune with those Ordinances were able to feel a large territory become a part of the Duchy capital... That territory was the Territory of Sapphire City.

Sapphire city was taken, by Hal, away from the outskirts of the Duchy where it previously used to be and was placed right at the center of the Duchy Capital.

The seed that Hal had planted in the region, now sat at the very center of the entire Duchy.

The temple of the Sapphirine Prince was now standing at the very center of the entire Duchy with the height of the building surpassing any other building around no matter their grandeur or impressiveness.

Sapphire City, the area that was populated, was not the only part that was transported to the center of the Duchy but rather every single part of its territory including regions that had yet to be populated.

Sapphire city, as well as its wide region, was not attempting to become a part of the Duchy capital, and, Selina, the high priestess of the Cult would go on to deny them being united... Sapphire City was there to be superior to the Duchy Capital.

Whatever authority the Danes had over the Duchy (authority that they would hold on to) would be subverted beneath Sapphire City's religious supremacy.

Within Sapphire City was the prime base of all combative forces of the Sapphirine Prince's army and also the base for the Legion... Why shouldn't Sapphire City be superior?

Now, of course, with Hal at the very helm, commanding came to the higher-ups of Sapphire City easily and they had no obstacles to overcome.

Also, with Hal as the wide banner over them all, Sapphire City was cooperative with the rest of the Duchy but the hierarchy remained the same and established.

In a week after the arrival of Sapphire City to the very center of the Duchy, it became far more reasonable an aspiration to attempt to be recruited into the Blood Knights or the Emissaries rather than the army of any family in the Dane Duchy and that was even though they would all be fighting for Hal.

Once Sapphire City was at the center of the Duchy, everyone in the Duchy capital bowed and proclaimed Hal's power almost like a ritual and once that was over i.e when they were directed by Hal that it was over, there came the matter of dealing with the change. Especially with the Dane Family.

Hal was not with them and did not sit with them to discuss how they would deal with the change and rather retreated into his throne hall within the temple.

When he left though, he did leave behind an order which referred to the drafting of a message to be sent to the Imperial Palace.

The message was meant to be short and just make mention of the fact that the entirety of the Dane Duchy now belonged to the Sapphirine Cult.

Hal did not doubt that the Emperor and the Harons would already be alerted to their loss of influence in Dane Duchy but the message would be a terrifying piece to confirm their thoughts.

Besides, Hal already had Makena stoking the ominous flames by predicting the return of the Cult after one year of hiding and through her, he would likely get to see the reaction to such a swift takeover.

Seating in his throne within his temple and having that throne smack dab at the very center of the Duchy had a sense of superiority that stroked Hal's sovereign ego wonderfully.

Hal's throne, which was still very simple (pending additions and better designs), was on a swivel of sorts and Hal had turned it to the large window usually meant to be behind him.

He was not looking out the window and his eyes were actually closed although that did not stop him from seeing.

He saw the moment someone walked into the throne hall and he knew exactly who she was before she said a word.

"It's like you're actively trying to annoy me," Adeline said with both her hands on her waist.

Hal, without turning around or opening his eyes said,

"How so? Because I moved the Capital almost as soon as you left it?"

"So you know," Adeline said with a small smile.

She knew she was reaching with her words as Hal could not possibly have moved the whole of Sapphire City just to annoy her but it did surprise her that Hal played along,

"It worked didn't it?" Hal said and turned his throne around to face her while simultaneously opening his eyes.

Staring into them had Adeline finding it hard to string words together and that went beyond the fact that she was finding it hard to see reason in what she had wanted to confront him with in the first place.

Taking her eyes away from his eyes and focusing on somewhere else on his face did nothing to help on account of the perfection in literally every single aspect of his face and body.

"What am I to you?" Adeline finally managed to ask and she was almost surprised by how normal her voice sounded.

"In simple terms, you are a Devout. Your faith is at the bare minimum but you're a devout nonetheless" Hal said.

Adeline shook her head,

"That is not what I meant," she said.

"I know," Hal said simply and smiled. "However, because it's not what you meant does not make it less true. You have tasted the benefits of being a part of the cult; your cultivation technique, your development with my Array... There is no turning back anymore for you as a member of the Cult.

It's a very binding scenario"

"You're not making any sense," Adeline said and she appeared a bit frustrated with how Hal did not seem to understand her very simple question.

The thing was, whatever thoughts were going through her head, whatever argument she had brought with her, Hal was well aware of.

"But I am. You are already a part of the Cult, you are my follower but that is only the bare minimum. Are you satisfied with the bare minimum or will you strive to attain a much higher level of importance?

You asked me what you are to me and I told you what you are; You are a Devout.

Are you satisfied with only being a devout or do you desire a status upgrade?" Hal asked.

Adeline opened her mouth but no words came out. She was not confused about what she wanted, she just was not able to put what she wanted into words...

However, as it turned out, she did not have to speak...

Keeping her eyes on Hal, the Silva lady took off her clothes and exposed her body to Hal's Sapphirine gaze.

As she did, she could not help but think back to the first time they met- She had now gone from aiming her Ax at his neck to craving his touch on her body, and yet her only question was how the hell it had taken so long.