CHAPTER 737: THE POWER OF ORIGIN

*Whoosh!*

The Life Crystal Ball floated above the girl, glowing with a soft blue light that slowly mended her wounds.

Meanwhile, Leon returned to his spot and resumed eating.

The sudden appearance of a girl from the Spirit race had certainly surprised him, but it wasn’t enough to distract him from his meal.

"By the way, Miranda, how do you lift the curse placed on every member of the Spirit race?" Leon asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Not long ago, he’d been frustrated with Miranda for never mentioning such an important matter.

It was a serious matter—yet she had chosen to keep it from him.

Still, the more he reflected on it, the more his frustration began to ease.

Back then, his mind had already been burdened with the crises of the Elven and Dwarven races—each overwhelming on its own.

Had he known about the Spirit race’s curse back then, he likely wouldn’t have been able to focus on resolving either issue.

In the end, Miranda’s decision to withhold the truth might have been for the best.

"The way to cure it is actually quite simple, Master," Miranda replied gently. "You must unite the chaos power and the holy power into one. In the past, Demon Emperor Amon Crimson and Hero Luminus Troya failed to do so because those two forces were fundamentally opposed. But that limitation doesn’t apply to you—you were born with both powers naturally."

Leon fell silent at her words. After a moment, he took a deep breath and asked, "Don’t tell me—by uniting the two powers, you don’t just mean using them simultaneously?"

He recalled the time he healed the Dragon Ancestor. Back then, Miranda had helped by controlling his chaos power while he concentrated on channeling his holy power.

But that wasn’t truly a union of the two—it was simply using them at the same time.

"Yes, you’re right," Miranda replied solemnly. "What I mean is a true fusion—combining them into a single, unified power."

Leon: "..."

"Combining the two powers? Is that even possible? That sounds like nonsense."

As Miranda had said, chaos power and holy power were complete opposites—like fire and water. The very idea of merging them felt absurd.

And yet, as if sensing his doubt and confusion, Miranda’s calm, reassuring voice echoed once more in his mind.

"Don’t worry, Master. I admit that uniting the two powers is incredibly difficult—but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Although holy power and chaos power oppose each other, the truth is they both originate from the same source. That’s also why the Great Sword of Chaos and the Holy Sword of Zenith are called twin swords—just like me and my sister, Sylvia."

She paused to take a breath before continuing, "The union of holy and chaos power is known by another name: the power of origin. I don’t know much about it myself, but I remember hearing that a god in heaven once said this entire universe—including the planets and stars—was created from that power."

Hearing that, Leon was left stunned. He stopped chewing his roast meat, his jaw frozen mid-bite as his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Origin power? You mean... the power that created the universe?"

If anyone else had said it, he would’ve laughed it off as nonsense.

The universe was vast—practically infinite. Back in his former world, he had once read an article by a renowned scientist claiming that the universe spanned tens of billions of light-years.

It was a concept far beyond the comprehension of any living being—even those born into this fantastical world.

And yet, just moments ago, Miranda had claimed that this universe was created by the power of "origin," born from the union of holy power and chaos power. How could he not be shocked?

"Damn..." he muttered, trying to steady his racing heartbeat. "If what she said is true... does that mean I have a chance to become a god?"

His throat felt dry, and his head began to spin. What did it even mean to be a god?

He didn’t fully understand it himself, but one thing was certain—it was a level far beyond anything he had ever imagined.

"Anyway," Miranda’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, "that’s the only way to free the Spirit race from their curse. I know it’s difficult, but I believe in you, Master!"

Her words of encouragement eased Leon’s anxiety. He had come this far, overcoming challenges he once thought impossible.

And every one of them had proven that there was always a path forward—even through the impossible.

"You’re right, Miranda," he said with a faint smile. "I’ll keep pushing forward. I’ll work even harder."

"Good! That’s my wonderful master!" Miranda giggled.

After that, their conversation continued, accompanied by the steady sound of rain still falling outside.

***

Morning...

The sun shone brightly, its warm light breathing life into the dense forest.

Birdsong echoed from all directions, wrapping the forest in a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere.

At that moment, a white-haired girl suddenly opened her round eyes.

"Ugh..." she groaned softly, clutching her aching head.

Her vision was blurry—just for a moment. Seconds later, it cleared, and she finally saw where she was: a cave.

"Am I dead?" she wondered.

She slowly sat up and examined her body, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"My wounds... healed? How is that possible?"

She pinched her cheeks to see if she was dead or alive. The pain she felt made her flinch and groan again.

"I’m... really alive," she muttered, pressing a hand against her pounding chest.

At first, she’d thought she was dead—that this place was the afterlife her father often spoke of.

But she was wrong. This was still the world of the living.

"By the way, who saved me? I need to thank them," she whispered, attempting to stand.

Her legs were weak, and she nearly lost her balance—but she managed to stay upright.

The cave was small—about seven meters wide and ten meters high—but there was enough space to move around freely. Thankfully, the air didn’t feel stifling.

"Um... Is there anyone here?" she asked cautiously.

But there was no response. A quiet unease began to creep into her heart.

Then, by chance, her eyes landed on a large leaf lying about a meter away.

On it rested a surprising variety of food: pieces of meat, vegetables, beans—even a container of milk.

"Am I hallucinating? How could there be this much food in a place like this?" She rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

But the food didn’t vanish. It was real.

*Krrk!*

Her stomach growled softly, and the sharp pangs of hunger made her head spin.

Gritting her teeth, she took a hesitant step toward the food and whispered, "I’m sorry for eating your food... my savior."

***

"Alright, that should be enough firewood for tonight. Time to head back to the cave," Leon muttered cheerfully, balancing ten bundles of wood on his back.

As he stepped into the cave, he was met with the sight of a girl eagerly devouring his food.

Leon: "..."