In true reflection of all that they had lost, the eleven angels stood behind Shireen, just as they always had - silently. They communicated with each other through their spirit sense, yes. After all, they had not been turned completely into puppets, nor were they dead. They were simply a pale reflection of what they had once been.

But just as the actions of the angels were a reflection of their new reality, Shireen's reaction too was a reflection of the strength of her character. She was beaten, weakened, distraught by her new reality, but she let none of that truly overwhelm her.

In only a few seconds, she recomposed herself and looked at Lex with the same strength and authority she always had. A lot had been stolen from her, but she was not entirely crippled just yet - far from it.

"I may need to reassess the suitability of all our previous plans," Shireen admitted frankly. "However, I feel that I should anticipate a proposal

forthcoming from you as well. Perhaps you merely sought to enlighten us of our situation, but I feel like you have more in mind."

Lex smiled, admiring Shireen's resilience. It was not for nothing that she was the leader among her sisters.

"I have a few things in mind, but the level of our cooperation is entirely up to you," he said casually. "In truth, although you have lost much, it's not as if you have lost everything. Now that the issue has been identified, you can slowly work on recovering your strength and yourselves. Your intel network that you built at the Resort might be compromised and unreliable, but your experience is still valid. If you did it once, you can do it again."

"You do not need a pitch, Lex," Shireen said with an even voice, even now holding onto her dignity. "You are selling water in a desert. Just tell me what you have in mind so I can decide just how much water I can afford to buy."

Lex found Shireen's resilience very admirable. The truth was, he could have given his proposal right from the start, and that he could have explained her circumstances in a less brutal way. The reason he chose to do things this way was not because he was cruel, but because he needed all the leverage he could get, while Shireen and the rest needed to truly understand their situation.

"I'll tell you what I want from you, and how you can help me. If you agree, we can come up with some kind of understanding between us - there's no need to consider any trouble I may have to face from your prior actions. That will all be in the past. But, if you're interested, I have another deal I can offer you. However, like I said, that's for later.

"In truth, what I need from you is simple. You once told me that the angels and devils discovered some secret of the Cosmic Ascendance Spectrum, and it was related to giving birth to a Nephilim. I need your help in finding out more about what the secret was, or at the very least, I need you to tell me as much as possible about the Nephilim."

Shireen shook her head, as if she had been asked an impossible task.

"That concerns secrets that only Dao Lords should know. How can I learn a secret like that, let alone share it with you? I have no connections anymore, for even the contacts I did have are now suspect."

Lex studied Shireen's expression for a moment. Even now, she showed no defeat in her eyes.

"Do not be so quick to dismiss this task," he said. "Right now, the universe is at war. It's not just the Angels and the Seraphim - many Major realms have been invaded simultaneously, and this is merely the beginning. For such a massive invasion to happen entirely undetected means that this has been planned for a long time. Chaos will spread, and things will get a lot worse before they get better.

"Chaos, however, also brings a lot of opportunities for those looking. Surprisingly, at least as far as I know, war has only spread to Major realms. The minor realms have been left largely untouched, or even if they are attacked it's more by opportunists than anything else. But even those are weaker minor realms, with weak backing. Realms like the Midnight Realm, with solid backing, have little to fear.

"That means that from a relatively safe point, we can take advantage of the chaos. While news of the Nephilim was once a huge secret, the moment the plan was discovered, it was no longer so. The Angels are trying now because they're also taking advantage of this opportunity, but if it seems like they might win, many will want to interfere. Since basically many people want to ensure that the Angels cannot succeed, at least some level of the secret will be disclosed in closed circles.

"Whether you use your connection to your granddaughter who has a high position in Eden corp, or take advantage of your situation as someone abandoned by the Angels, there are many ways you can try to find out these secrets. Not to mention, I'm sure there will be many people who want to replace the Angels and gain the benefit of the Nephilim themselves. Gaining access to this information should be hard, I admit, but it is certainly far from impossible.

Shireen took in Lex's words and reflected on them, finding that his words were reasonable. But his request was far from simple. If she accepted his offer, then that would be basically cementing her broken relationship with the Angels as a

whole.

Then again, what was left to break anyway?

Shireen's gaze fixed on Lex once more as she studied him.

"I've already heard rumors that the Midnight Inn is trying to create a Heaven and a Hell inside its realm," she stated, as if she had guessed his motives. "Even if you succeed, you won't be able to get your hands on the Nephilim. Such a thing requires two, full Major realms with one being a Heaven and another being a Hell."

But instead of being unmotivated by her words, Lex merely chuckled.

"See, you're already sharing new information with me, and it wasn't even that hard. I'm sure if you keep trying, you'll find this an easily achievable goal."