The sun had just risen over the horizon, bathing the high white stone walls of Comers Palace in a golden glow. Birds twittered in the gardens, unaware that within, the atmosphere was charged with an electric tension.

Andrew stood, a silk robe loosely wrapped around his waist. His black hair, slightly damp, fell to his shoulders, while the purple glow in his pupils betrayed the recent awakening of his power. Around him, the private meeting room was already filled with extraordinary presences.

Crhono had arrived first, standing by a window overlooking the garden, his long cloak barely flowing with the power contained within him. His usually sarcastic expression was hardened.

Zaros stood at his side, the elegance of his bearing intact, though his silver tattoos flashed with a flickering gleam that indicated wariness. Further away, Draneg, enormous and muscular, with his iridescent scales, occupied almost half the room, casting inquisitive glances.

Elidyr, ethereal and serene, stood slightly apart, his hands clasped in front of him, his blue robes fluttering gently as if caressed by invisible breezes. They had been joined by other demigods and powerful allies.

Leviar, the goddess of strategy, her face unchanging; Yansor, the beastman, with feral eyes fixed on Andrew; and Talyndra, the elven archmage, her staff emitting pulses of light. They were all there for the same reason.

"So you confirm it?" Crhono asked, breaking the silence. His voice was a restrained rumble, almost paternal, but with a dangerous edge. "You released the Seventh Seal?"

Andrew ran his hand over his face, taking a deep breath. "Yes. Last night." He looked up at them and added, "And before you ask… yes, it was during a sex session. Expect nothing less from a candidate god, Eros."

Draneg let out a snort that made the air tremble. "Damn it, Andrew! Do you even know what releasing the Seventh Seal means?! You're a walking bomb. If you don't stabilize that power, you could destroy half the damn dimension."

Zaros interrupted, his voice cold and measured, "Not just half the dimension. If the power overflows, your consciousness could expand beyond mortal limits, become something… different. Or be lost forever."

Andrew looked at them one by one, his purple eyes heavy with weariness and resolve. "I know. But I can't back down now. I need to stabilize the power before I attempt to release the Eighth Seal. And… there is a way to accomplish that." He turned to Crhono and said, "I want the divinity of the body of the fallen god you claimed."

A deathly silence fell over the room. Only the distant echo of a fountain in the garden could be heard. Crhono narrowed his eyes. His power pulsed through the air like a whip.

"Do you know what you're asking for?" he asked. Andrew met his gaze and replied, "Yes. I need to absorb a portion of that divinity to strengthen my soul. I don't plan to take it all… just enough to stabilize my seals."

Crhono uncrossed his arms and advanced on Andrew, his figure imposing. "This is serious business. It was our plan, but there's no need to rush it. Are you sure you want to do this right away?"

Andrew lifted his chin and said, "You know as well as I do that leaving that divinity there will only bring the angels back for it. Sooner or later. It's best to use it. And there's no one better at containing it than I."

Talyndra chimed in, her voice melodious but firm, "Andrew, what you're saying is madness. A god's divinity isn't just power. It's imbued with their will, their memory, their fragments of existence. To absorb it is to invite their consciousness to devour you from within."

Zaros nodded and added, "Even for a demigod like you, it's an immense risk. Your seals aren't a perfect containment gate. If their essence is too vast, it will blend with yours. You won't be Andrew… you might become something else."

Andrew lowered his gaze slightly. His voice lowered. "Do you think I don't know? But I can't stay still. If I don't take this step, I'll never be strong enough. Chrhono, I know you want to protect that divinity… but you need to trust me."

Elidyr spoke at that moment, with almost supernatural calm, "The question isn't just whether you can absorb it, Andrew. But… what kind of being will you be if you do? So far, you're still a man… even if you're a candidate for god. If you absorb the essence of a dead god, even a partial one… will you still be Andrew?"

Andrew didn't respond immediately. A long silence stretched out as he stared at his own hands, with flashes of gold and purple coursing through his veins. Finally, he raised his face, determined.

"I can't promise you that I'll remain exactly the same." His eyes flashed with a spark of purple fire, and he added, "But I can promise you that I won't lose sight of who I am or what I protect. I'm not a god… but I'm going to become one so I can keep this world standing."

Draneg roared, sparks of energy escaping between his fangs, "Understand that we only care. We know we depend on you, but like Crhono said, there's no need to rush. Remember what happened last time."

Andrew sighed, almost amused, "Believe me, Draneg, if I could solve this with just sex, it would be over." He became more serious and said, "But you know things are getting complicated. Purgatory, the fallen angels… they're about to make their move. I can't continue being the weak link in the group."

Crhono stood very still. His energy diminished slightly, as if he were meditating. Finally, he spoke, "I will give you access to the corpse's divinity, but under conditions."

Andrew nodded slowly, "Tell me." "First," Crhono said, his voice like an unsheathed sword, and continued, "You will only be able to absorb a quarter of the divinity. Not a drop more. And everyone here will oversee the process."

Andrew nodded, saying, "I accept." "Second," Crhono continued, "If you lose control… or if that divinity tries to possess you, we will not hesitate to seal you away. Or… to destroy you if necessary."

Elidyr spoke softly, "Andrew… no one here wants to go that far, but it is a reality. If you lose control, we cannot allow a new cataclysm to roam freely across the continent."

Andrew swallowed, feeling an icy knot in his stomach. "I understand," he said calmly and understandingly. "Third," Crhono continued, "This will not be spoken to anyone else. Not your wives, not your concubines, not your followers. This is absolute secrecy. Even between us, no record will be left."

Andrew nodded again, "All right." Zaros chimed in, "Fourth… and most importantly," his eyes flashed silver, "Once you absorb that divinity, you will have to allow us to analyze your soul. We need to make sure there are no remnants of divine consciousness trying to take root within you."

Andrew let out a long breath. He looked exhausted. But he didn't hesitate, "I accept it. All of it." Draneg glared at him, "I don't care how many women you've fucked, kid! This is not a game!"

Andrew, with the hint of a smile, looked back, "Believe me, Draneg. This… is the one thing I've never treated as a game." Talyndra watched him, her green eyes flashing. "If you achieve this, Andrew… you might be one step closer to becoming a true god, but every step you take takes you further away from being human. Are you prepared to live with that distance?"

Andrew looked at her for a long time, "I don't know if I'm ready… but I have no choice." Fluffy appeared at that moment, floating beside Andrew. Her tender little voice echoed in the room.

"Master Andrew. Calculations completed. Probability of success for partial absorption: 68.7%. Risk of soul collapse: 31.3%. Recommendation: Maximum supervision protocol."

Crhono raised an eyebrow and asked, "Only 68%?" Fluffy spun around and replied, "Data updated. Increased success rate possible if Master Andrew maintains constant sexual activity during absorption to catalyze the excess divine energy."

Draneg brought a claw to his forehead, "Damn it…!" Andrew clicked his tongue as he admonished Fluffy, "This is no time for jokes, Fluffy," but she retorted, "This is no joke. Serious recommendation. Extreme sex recommended. Don't you remember last time?"

Talyndra sighed, "Eros… always Eros." Zaros looked at Crhono and asked, "When will we perform the ritual?" Crhono took a deep breath and replied, "This very night. While the city sleeps. It will be in the underground chamber. No one must see it."

Andrew nodded, "I understand." Crhono looked him straight in the eyes, "Just a warning, Andrew. I don't care if you are my ally, my friend… or the future god of sex. If anything goes wrong, I will destroy you with my own hands."

Andrew held his gaze without blinking, "I know, Crhono. I trust you to do it… if the time comes." A heavy silence settled over the room as everyone absorbed the looming risk.

Outside, the first rays of sunlight illuminated the gardens. It seemed like a beautiful day, but everyone knew that that night, the fate of the continent would once again hang on a knife's edge.

And as the meeting concluded, Andrew looked down at his own hands. A golden spark danced across his fingers. And although he didn't say it out loud, a single thought throbbed in his mind.

If this is the price to protect everything… then I'll absorb even a god. And so, with the echo of his footsteps resonating throughout the marble halls, Andrew, candidate for god Eros, walked toward his next challenge… determined to embrace divine power, even if it consumed him completely.

In the end, they decided to follow Fluffy's recommendation. Although it seemed unheard of, they understood that Andrew is a candidate for god Eros, something like this was normal. No one could deny that Eros is strengthened by sex and eroticism.