Chapter 377

BOOOOM!

The aftermath of Kalinan and the Sand Soldier’s fall was enormous.

The earth split, shockwaves rippled outward, and a thick cloud of sand rose to blot out the sky.

Darkness fell over the area for a brief moment.

Through the hazy dust, Gaia descended.

Zeon was riding on her back.

Gaia had caught Zeon as he fell after using Mushura’s Mirror.

Thanks to her, he had safely landed on the ground.

Zeon gently stroked Gaia’s head and offered his gratitude.

“Thanks.”

—Piii!

“Yeah. If something like this happens again, I’ll be counting on you. Go stay with Brielle for a while.”

—Pii!

Wagging her tail gently, Gaia flew off in the direction where Brielle was.

Zeon watched her go for a moment, then turned toward the massive crater that had just formed.

It was the spot where Kalinan had crashed down.

The sight of Kalinan, who had plummeted from the sky, was horrific.

His limbs were twisted in unnatural directions, his abdomen torn open with intestines spilling out.

Half of his skull was missing, exposing the pale gray of his brain.

What was even more grotesque was that he was still alive.

Ssslkk...

Hearing Zeon’s footsteps, Kalinan rolled only his eyes to look at him.

Zeon frowned slightly at the unnatural sight.

“You’re still alive.”

“Khrrrk... Sand... Mage...”

Kalinan croaked, phlegm bubbling in his throat.

Zeon felt a strong sense of dissonance.

Kalinan’s voice was different from before the battle.

Sure, he was at death’s door—but even so, the flat, emotionless tone didn’t fit the situation.

The sand around Kalinan was stained red with his blood. Just a little more, and not even he could survive.

And yet, not a trace of concern could be found in his voice.

Kalinan spoke again.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect this body to end up like this.”

“This body?”

“Kalinan.”

“You speak as if you’re not Kalinan yourself.”

“You really are sharp. You don’t miss a thing.”

“So, you’re admitting you’re not Kalinan. Then who are you?”

“Well now—who do you think I am?”

“Are you... Krasias?”

Heh.

Kalinan suddenly burst into laughter.

Blood spurted from his nose and mouth, but he didn’t care.

With a look of amusement, he stared at Zeon.

“Why do you think that?”

“It reminded me of what Nigel once asked me.”

“What did he say?”

“He asked if I truly believed Krasias had perished.”

“And that’s all it took for you to think I was Krasias?”

“That alone is enough. There’s no other explanation for how Nigel and Kalinan were able to so easily surpass the limits of their kind.”

“Impressive. You concluded I’m Krasias based on that? Are Sand Mages all that sharp? Or is it just you?”

Kalinan didn’t deny it.

His eyes grew even deeper—like a well with no bottom.

The monster that had turned the world into this lay collapsed at Zeon’s feet.

Just how powerful had he been to leave Earth in such ruin?

Zeon asked Kalinan,

“That violet gem... is it a fragment of you? A vessel of your lingering will?”

“Excellent. You’re becoming more and more tempting. The only class I missed... turning out to be this brilliant. Through me, you could become even more complete.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you want to transcend the limits of being human?”

“Like Kalinan?”

“Yes. You could become something close to a god.”

Kalinan’s gaze burned intensely as he looked at Zeon.

From his golden eyes, a radiant light burst forth like the sun.

A mesmerizing sight that could captivate anyone.

But Zeon only furrowed his brow slightly—he was neither swayed nor enchanted.

“I’ll pass.”

“Why? You have no ambition?”

“I don’t want to become a god if it means not being myself.”

“You misunderstand. Your ego would remain intact.”

“Maybe at first. But the moment I weaken, you’d take over—that’s what would happen. Just like now…”

“Hmph. You’re quite the stubborn one.”

Kalinan smiled.

It was eerie—smiling with a face already half-dead.

“You’ll regret today’s decision. In the end, I will be the one who remains until Earth’s final day.”

Fwoosh!

At that moment, a violet gem shot out from Kalinan’s chest.

Soaring high into the sky, it flew off like a meteor in some unknown direction.

It happened so fast that Zeon didn’t even have time to react.

He stared blankly in the direction the gem had vanished, then turned his gaze back to Kalinan.

With the gem gone—the vessel of Krasias’s will—Kalinan was dead.

Zeon let out a sigh.

“Haaah... Krasias, huh? The scale just keeps getting more ridiculous.”

“Hyung!”

“Zeon!”

Levin and Brielle were running toward him.

Zeon waved his hand over Kalinan’s corpse, and crimson flames burst to life.

The fire consumed the body in an instant.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

Levin and Brielle, now at his side, immediately checked his condition.

Zeon raised both hands and answered,

“As you can see, I’m fine. What about you two?”

“We’re okay too!”

“Not even a scratch.”

“That’s a relief.”

Zeon smiled.

To come out of such an intense battle without a single serious injury—it was nothing short of a miracle.

Levin stared at Kalinan’s body, still engulfed in flames, and said,

“Just who was this guy to be so powerful?”

“I’ll explain later. Let’s head back to the Black Forest. Everyone’s waiting.”

“Okay!”

There were still many unanswered questions, but since Zeon said so, Levin didn’t press further. He figured Zeon would tell them when the time was right.

Just then, Levin spotted Gaia.

She was easily seven to eight meters long, from head to tail.

About the size of a large orca.

“Wow! You’ve gotten huge.”

—Pii!

“So what now? You won’t even fit in the house.”

Hearing Levin’s worried tone, Brielle’s face also fell.

If they tried to bring Gaia into Zeon’s house, she’d fill it completely and wouldn’t be able to move.

—Piii!

Gaia tried to comfort Brielle.

“You’re saying not to be sad because we’ll still get to see each other?”

—Pii!

“Can’t you... shrink or something?”

—Pii.

“Yeah, I figured.”

—Pii! Piii!

“No, it’s not your fault. Don’t feel bad.”

Brielle hugged Gaia tightly.

Gaia wrapped her large fin around Brielle.

* * *

When Zeon’s group returned, the first to welcome them was the spirit.

Like a lover reunited after ages apart, the spirit gleefully circled Gaia.

Gaia, too, seemed delighted and swam through the air with joy.

Hahr watched the pair drift through the sky in awe.

“That must be the spirit Yuri spoke of.”

“She’s not a pure spirit, but yes—she holds the power of one.”

“She’s beautiful.”

“She is.”

“Maybe…”

“What?”

Zeon looked at Hahr with curiosity. She blushed as she replied,

“Maybe a new spirit could be born between them.”

“You think that’s possible?”

“I’m not sure. Just a feeling.”

The birth of spirits remained shrouded in mystery.

Even though Hahr played a major role in Yuri’s birth, that was only because they had obtained a spirit egg.

She didn’t know where the egg came from, nor how spirits were truly born.

Yuri and Gaia swam together through the sky above the Black Forest, exchanging resonance.

The dark elves watched the scene in a trance.

“There was another spirit like Yuri?”

“I’ve never seen one shaped like a whale.”

“She’s so beautiful…”

Gaia, enjoying their attention, flaunted her graceful form.

Yuri circled her and scattered radiant particles of light.

The sparkling motes rained down across the Black Forest.

And then—an unbelievable transformation began.

“Wooooow!”

“Look! The forest is coming back to life!”

“This is insane!”

The dark elves’ eyes widened in astonishment.

Wherever Yuri’s light particles touched, the forest changed.

Sprouts that had barely broken through the charred trees rapidly grew.

Tiny shoots, no bigger than a fingertip, became saplings in moments, stretching out their branches.

Leaves bloomed from the limbs and quickly became lush.

Across the entire forest, the dramatic transformation unfolded.

The Black Forest was turning green.

The elves couldn’t hide their shock at the forest changing in real time.

The dead forest was being reborn—

Shedding its decay and returning to its true form.

All were awestruck by the miraculous sight.

Elves and humans alike.

Before their eyes, a miracle was unfolding.

“Oh, God…”

“Please let this not be a dream…”

The humans knelt and prayed.

Zeon, Brielle, and Levin stood dazed, watching the forest transform.

It was the first time they had seen such a spectacle of green—they couldn’t tear their eyes away.

Zeon brushed his palm against the mist-like spirit particles drifting down and murmured,

“So this is the power of a spirit… To revive a dead forest perfectly.”

“This really is a miracle.”

Levin’s eyes grew damp.

But even their shared awe couldn’t compare to what Brielle was feeling.

Sniff…

She had dropped to her knees and wept.

The emotions of an elf—child of the forest—were far deeper than those of humans.

Something was welling up from deep inside her chest.

It was different from what she’d felt when she first saw Yuri.

Her heart was filled with a feeling beyond words.

Brielle said nothing. She just cried.

Zeon didn’t rush to comfort her.

He knew it was best to let her cry freely.

—Piiiii!

Even then, Yuri soared through the sky with Gaia, scattering radiant particles of life.

Like a divine blessing falling upon the land.