Legendary Vampire in the Apocalypse
Chapter 40: The Natures of Ascension, and Awakening

Chapter 40: The Natures of Ascension, and Awakening

Anastasia’s expression had fallen solemn once more, though her eyes quivered visibly, the blue in them, and in the trails running down them pulsing a little.

"My Lord, I understand the presumption in asking this of you, but before I explain, I must first have your promise. Do not ascend to a higher Order until you have raised every Dimension of your Being as far as you possibly can. Ideally, each should reach at least S Grade—no, forgive me. If it is you, then I am certain you can raise them all to SS."

Dion’s brown inadvertently furrowed a little, and the thought had come by that same reflex, ’All of them?’

Anastasia’s expression didn’t waver, though her eyes only quivered more through them few seconds that he had remained silent. Even then, she did not try to take back what she had asked of him.

In that time, Dion had been thinking to himself further about why she would make the adamant request, and a shiver ran through him, as thanks to it, he had been brought further into awareness of what kind of position he was in.

’If my vassal is already so strong, then... essentially she, and their strengths have to at least be the floor of my strength. Otherwise...’

Dion did not want to think that they might betray him, staging a coup or something.

However, he knew of their histories, and their personalities, and why he had been able to bring some of them in through Asmodeus, who was stronger than them.

Not to mention that fundamentally, with the type of world that he was in now, one’s own power would become a large part of what anyone could fundamentally do, as well as on their influence in anything.

Her request here ran far deeper than only what she wanted from him.

"Is there a reason you specified before my ascension to a higher order?" he asked despite what she had said.

"...Each Order of power resets all Dimensions of Being, to I, except for the Soul. What you possessed before ascension is folded back into your underlying capability. The Soul does not change, and it is otherwise considered static because beyond its association with soul and by some extension vital essence, it represents the Grade ceiling for one’s Dimensions of Being."

Dion had already made the decision to promise her what she had asked for before he asked. It was the minimum of what he could do towards his goals.

Once he had heard the true purpose of the Soul dimension, though, everything changed about his consideration.

’So there is no playing catch-up later on...’

He felt a slight shiver go through him then; after all, he didn’t know what the dimensions of the other vassals were.

If he skimped on effort here, not only could it potentially make him a less capable emperor, it would put his safety, and his families, in this world that would only go on to evolve more.

After all, at some point, humans would be able to bring some kind of order to the world. That order would definitely be largely shaped by people who had power, so awakened like them would become crucial.

His progress here was critical to everything for the future.

Thus, he sighed faintly.

"...I would promise, however, you did not ask me properly."

For several moments her expression had gone confused.

Then, upon her realisation, all of the intensity in her face melted, and a faint blush tinted her cheeks.

"...Dionysus, I understand the presumption in asking this of you, but I must ask for your promise to not ascend to a higher Order until you have raised every Dimension of your Being as high as—"

"That is enough, I promise." Dion laughed a little to himself.

His eyes fell to the two drinks, and he squeezed the peels that he had cut off from the orange slices a little.

Once he had put them in, he offered her one of the other orange quarters, and he smiled wider at the indignation on her expression.

"Don’t look as if I’ve bullied you. You should have known this would be coming."

Anastasia had still been silent without moving when he had spoken. Her mouth slightly parted to say something, and rather than wait, he moved the orange slice right between her lips.

"Now, what does the state of my Magi and Mana dimensions have to do with what we discussed?"

Dion laughed faintly as she sat still to let him do it.

With her dimensions, it would have been easy for her to dodge if she didn’t want it.

Anastasia took a few seconds to eat the orange.

In that time, having finished the drinks, Dion raised one of his hands, and in it, appeared his underwear.

He had walked himself closer to the table, so she could not see anything, but the sound of his towel falling to the ground resounded through the place.

Dion leaned himself down and swiftly put on his underwear as he heard her swallow. His gaze lowered to make sure he fit his legs in properly.

Anastasia, in her waiting, had brought her hands together, the redness to her expression lingering.

But by the time he had lifted his head to look at her, and stood upright again, she had forced herself calm.

"There is a third factor that contributes towards an entity’s awakening, and thus the dimensions of being as a whole."

Anastasia’s brows began to furrow, and he watched as the frustration on her expression only fell deeper as she explained:

"Your first awakening should have been sacred, for both the reasons of your rebirth into a Sanguinis, and for your power. It is the genesis of everything, the first time that magi is born, and the first instance of all other dimensions being aroused.

The third variable is what was central to this, and it is, unfortunately, the only one beyond our control."

As she spoke, Dion removed another black pair of bottoms, though these were jeans, from his treasury.

"Your dimensions of being are not as high as they should have been because of how lacking this world is in natural energy."