Despite accumulating a massive amount of Merit Points from a series of battles across Paradise Star, the Thirteen-Star Cluster, and Pluto, being merely a shadow meant all commendations belonged solely to the glorious and magnificent pure-blood Roman noble, Bolpot Hoerm. He himself accrued not a single shred of credit.

Even though he had unprecedentedly completed two Christo Fusion Rituals, gaining a power that caused the High Priest of the Pantheon to gasp in admiration, a half-blood remained just one face in the crowd within the Hoerm Family—no more, no less significant. The backbone of the Hoerm Family consisted of pure-blood direct descendants, represented by Bolpot Hoerm; not Ducat, the base-born half-breed mutt who was only lucky enough to have survived this far.

"Lucky Ducat"—this was Ducat’s latest nickname within the Hoerm Family.

In the eyes of the arrogant Roman nobility, all of Ducat’s achievements were nothing more than sheer luck!

Consequently, Ducat Hoerm still resided in the cramped, messy large room he had inhabited since childhood; his treatment had seen no improvement whatsoever.

Walking along the base of the wall through the expansive great hall, under the scornful gazes of the sentinels looking down from on high, Ducat exited the main gate of the Hoerm Family's primary fortress. Dodging a squad of haughty sentinels marching in formation past the main entrance, Ducat crossed the enormous plaza before the gate and entered the hangar built into the base of a cliff. Hopping aboard an aged, small shuttlecraft, Ducat piloted the vessel—which continuously spat black smoke from its nozzles and whose engine incessantly clattered and groaned—out of the valley where the Hoerm Family castle stood.

Dressed in opulent robes, trailed by a dozen incredibly beautiful but equally haughty Roman handmaidens, Bolpot sauntered over, languidly fanning himself with an oversized, gold-flecked ebony-framed folding fan decorated with ink-wash landscapes, smuggled in from the Earth Federation.

Bolpot was in high spirits. He wouldn't even mention the accolades from Paradise Star and the Thirteen-Star Cluster. Although the battle of Pluto had cost him many troops and specialized hunter ships, he had brought back unprecedented colorless Christo crystal spheres and a large quantity of high-grade spheres. All told, Bolpot’s Merit Points had already placed him first among the elite of the younger Roman generation.

In other words, if the Roman Garden King were to suddenly perish right now, according to the harsh Roman succession laws, Bolpot would immediately become the next Garden King.

The glittering Garden King’s Throne was within sight; it was difficult for Bolpot’s mood not to sour, especially when an upcoming mission promised an astronomical amount of Merit Points for relatively low risk!

His good mood vanished without a trace the moment Bolpot stepped outside the family castle gates. Seeing that decrepit shuttle slowly lifting off, Bolpot’s face instantly turned ashen. Slapping the folding fan against his palm in fury, Bolpot roared, “That bastard, he completely disgraces our Hoerm Family! Does our family not even have enough money to buy a new shuttle? He insists on flying that wreck! Damn him! Why is he still alive?” Bolpot’s teeth ached with rage.

Ducat’s entire performance on Pluto had thoroughly enraged Bolpot. Especially when, amidst a massive assault by the Crystalline people, Ducat chose to protect a lowly Spirit Race woman instead of himself—this act twisted Bolpot’s heart into knots.

Coupled with a few choice provocations from Gu Xiechen, Bolpot found Ducat utterly repulsive. All the merit belonged to him, Bolpot; what credit did that half-breed mongrel deserve?

Thus, as soon as he returned to Mars, Bolpot immediately moved against Ducat. Utilizing the large cache of high-grade spheres he brought back, Bolpot bribed a powerful High Priest of the Temple, forcing Ducat and Lily into a Christo Second Fusion—a procedure so dangerous that even surviving it was deemed miraculous. He intended to eliminate both Ducat and Lily in one fell swoop; he could no longer bear to see those two figures lingering before him!

What astonished and enraged Bolpot was that Ducat and Lily actually managed to survive the Second Fusion, emerging with an unprecedented level of power!

Ducat, perhaps, could be excused; he was merely a mixed-blood bastard. A half-blood held no status in a Roman family; no matter how strong he became, he was just a strong mongrel destined for hard labor!

But Lily was a Spirit Race member of the purest bloodline. As the loyal servant race to the Romans for generations, the Spirit Race received much better treatment than Ducat. Especially powerful individuals among the Spirit Race were usually favored by the Roman nobility and the Priesthood. Already, the Spirit Race Elders Council had begun grooming Lily as their future leader, a decision tacitly approved by the High Priest of the Pantheon after testing Lily’s current strength.

“That bastard Ducat has entangled himself with the future Queen of the Spirit Race!” The thought of Ducat’s good fortune made Bolpot’s heart feel as though it were being seared by hot oil.

Stomping his foot heavily, Bolpot angrily spun around and seized one of the handmaidens, dragging her into the nearest resting chamber. Not long after, delicate moans and gasps began to emanate from within. After a full minute and a half of vigorous activity, Bolpot let out an exceedingly ecstatic gasp. Lying weakly upon the handmaiden’s slick body, Bolpot idly toyed with her breasts while squinting his eyes, calculating: “Perhaps I can be proactive with that little woman?” Roman nobles were notorious for their licentiousness and weak ethics, but the Spirit Race was traditional and conservative. If Bolpot could forcibly take Lily, he could possess her forever!

Picturing Lily’s delicate face and small body sent a wave of heat through his lower regions. He mustered his remaining strength and unleashed another wave of storm-like bombardment upon the handmaiden beneath him, lasting a full minute and fifteen seconds. “Hmph, the Spirit Queen, she is certainly qualified to be my concubine.”

“If I acquire Lily, my chances of becoming the Roman Garden King will greatly increase. After all, the current King is still robust, and I’ll need significant future Merit Points to secure my position!” Bolpot let out a sinister, cackling laugh, feeling utterly exhilarated to the point where he could no longer control his impulses. Thus, Bolpot, exhibiting uncharacteristic vigor that day, summoned another handmaiden and subjected her to a ground-shaking conquest lasting fifty-eight seconds. The shuttle, smoke trailing from its stern, pierced through the thick energy shield above the Hoerm Family domain and sped forward, flying almost parallel to the ground.

After flying for about two hundred kilometers, clearing the surveillance range of the Hoerm Family’s outer defenses, the aged, battered exterior of the shuttle suddenly diffused a faint silver light. The old hull began to morph as if it were liquid metal. In the blink of an eye, a shuttle, its surface the exact shade of the crimson desert of Mars and its shape sleek like a sea gull, materialized out of thin air.