Infinite Returns : The More I Give, The Stronger I Become

Airi stood there, staring at Ethan, her eyes wide not just in surprise—but in realization.

Only now did she truly begin to understand who she had become… or rather, who she was becoming.

She was no longer Airi, Saintess of Zeus. She was no longer Airi, the Fallen Saintess, cursed and abandoned by the very people she tried to protect.

No.

She was now Airi, the Saintess of Ruin.

But above all, she was Airi—

The Divine Messenger of The Allholder.

And as that truth settled deep into her soul, her eyes brightened, and the chains of the past—the shame, the grief, the betrayal—melted away like smoke caught in sunlight.

"I am… your Saintess. I can be anything. I can have anything," Airi said, her voice steady, affirming.

'Well, maybe not anything like me, but… pretty close,' Ethan thought silently, but wisely kept that to himself.

Instead, he nodded with a smile.

"Indeed. So be confident."

He sat on the ground, not caring in the slightest that his finely woven, very expensive clothes would be dirtied by dust and soil.

Airi joined him without hesitation.

Side by side, they sat, staring out at the black river and the massive statue of a beast whose name had long been forgotten, water spilling from its mouth like it was vomiting the sins of all who dared gaze upon it.

Ethan broke the silence. "Was there anything in this forest before you were sealed here? They call this place the Forest of Death. Was that because of you, or was it always like this?"

Airi shook her head gently.

"The name came long before I was imprisoned here. My presence just… gave it more reason to be feared."

Ethan's curiosity flickered.

"Do you know why it was called that in the first place?"

Airi sighed. Deeply. Twice.

"I had hoped you wouldn't ask that," she muttered. "I hoped we could just leave and go to that kingdom you mentioned… but of course, I should've known better."

Ethan was too curious. Too fearless. But also too special.

So she gave in.

"The forest you're standing in… this entire area—it's just a part of the real Forest of Death," Airi said gravely.

Ethan finally turned away from the river, his brows drawn together.

"What do you mean, just a part?"

"The Tower is vast, Ethan. Vast beyond comprehension. There are realms upon realms, powers that defy logic, truths hidden from even the gods."

She took a breath.

"What I mean is that this place you're in—this forest—it's only the outer zone. The real Forest of Death has a core zone. A zone that doesn't exist in this dimension."

Ethan blinked. "It's hidden in another dimension?"

Airi nodded.

"Why?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper.

"Because the aura leaking from the core… would kill half the beings on the tenth floor instantly—and the other half would be cursed to walk through endless torment."

Ethan's body tensed as he reinforced his physique on instinct. His back straightened, eyes sharp.

"What's inside?" he asked calmly.

Airi hesitated, then finally spoke.

"The corpse of a True Demon.An Archdemon…"

She paused, her voice low.

"…The Archdemon of Pride."

…

While Ethan and Airi were casually strolling through a forest wrapped in death and old demonic power, two of Ethan's wives were having a very different kind of moment.

Mei and Ellie.

Or rather—The Sword of Oath and Umbra Fortunae.

The sword of Ethan, and the lucky, shadow-shrouded star in his sky.

"It's been so long…" Mei groaned dramatically as she collapsed onto the bed like a corpse. And for her, this kind of waiting felt worse than death.

They were in one of Castria Kingdom's finest inns. A place so luxurious only a handful could afford it. Golden sheets, silken curtains, and mana-forged furnishings—everything oozed extravagance.

The two of them shared a room, they even shared a bed. By now, after all they'd been through, they were closer than blood sisters.

Ellie sighed, not even looking up. "This is the tenth time you've said that, Mei. Can you not repeat it every hour?"

Mei instantly disappeared in a burst of golden flames and reappeared in front of her, reaching toward the sphere Ellie held.

Inside the hovering orb was a projection—a younger Ethan with soft black hair and lazy green eyes, looking like he'd just woken up and wanted nothing more than to sleep again.

Ellie dodged smoothly, her deep, ink-black eyes glowing faintly.

"How many times do I have to tell you—don't touch this one?"

Her voice was cold.

Mei didn't flinch. "That's not fair. You keep all the cute pictures of Ethan!"

"Obviously. I took those pictures. I built this archive. Be happy I even gave you some."

"Ungrateful! Greedy!"

Ellie just hummed and kept flipping through the album, unbothered.

Mei huffed, then slumped into a chair of fire she summoned beneath her. Her golden eyes dimmed slightly.

"Did you do what he asked? Ethan told you to try contacting the King of Swords."

Ellie shook her head. "It's not that easy. He's a legend. You don't just walk up and ask for tea and a meeting."

Mei raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you just say Ethan's name? If Ethan told you to meet him, then obviously there's a connection. How he knows him though is another question…"

"I don't know what kind of reaction Ethan's name will bring. I'd rather not gamble on that," Ellie said. Then, with a smile, "Besides… I feel it. He's close. He'll be here soon."

"I feel it too," Mei admitted, lips curling up.

They couldn't wait to see him again.

Their husband.

Their heart.

But then Ellie's smile faltered.

"…What if he comes back with someone new?" she asked suddenly, voice low—like the words themselves were cursed.

Mei didn't answer.

She didn't have to.

The room's temperature spiked instantly. Golden flames burst to life, crawling up the walls, warping the air with searing heat. Even the furniture started to blacken and smolder.

Mei's crimson hair rose, dancing like fire around her face, and her eyes burned like miniature suns.

"We kill," she said coldly.

Ellie watched her quietly, then spoke again—voice calm, composed.

"What if she's stronger? What if she's someone Ethan actually likes? Are you going to kill someone he cares about?"

That made Mei freeze.

The flames slowly dimmed. She sat back down on her burning chair, still frowning.

"…Then what do we do?"

Ellie sighed.

"You saw Ethan. You know who he is. He'll have more wives. That's just a fact."

She looked into the firelight.

"So instead of panicking every time someone new appears—let's make our place unshakable. We're the first. That won't ever change."

She paused, then added in a softer tone:

"And I might be able to accept others… for him."

The room darkened slightly.

Her smile sharpened. Shadows rippled around her, twisting unnaturally like they were alive.

"But if someone unworthy tries to take what's ours—"

Her voice turned cold. Absolute.

"Then next time, we kill her."

Before Ethan makes her worthy.

—End of Chapter 75—