Chapter 81: Until Winter Passes, Spring Arrives
Wherever I walk, there is only blood and death.
Because battle itself means the defeat of one side.
...But I cannot stop.
Anything can serve as a reason for battle—protecting loved ones, safeguarding a cherished world, or something like that. If one wishes, they can easily find any number of noble justifications.
But those are merely reasons.
A friend of mine once said that my thirst for battle drives me mad... but that is not actually the case.
Only battle can satisfy my craving; only the blood of my enemies can suppress my rage—
A skeletal arm, already reduced to white bone, gripped the long spear tightly. Divine power surged, causing ripples in the surrounding light. Joshua stood proudly in midair, maintaining that pillar of black light that pierced heaven and earth.
At this moment, he was merely a component transmitting divine power. Whether it was his hands, feet, body, or brain, every single organ had turned into a cold machine, operating persistently to better convert divine power into a destructive pillar of light. Even though he was nearly worn to nothing, he continued.
"Earlier, the convergence of countless souls created a miracle that even I cannot comprehend. This miracle altered the nature of the divine power, allowing Joshua to shatter the meteorite sent down by the Evil God. But now, this divine power is no longer what I lent him."
This ancient deity cautiously stated his judgment: "A mortal body cannot bear divine power. Even awakening the Ultimate Essence of Force merely allows one to endure a little longer. Thus, his flesh was burned away, leaving only the toughest bones. But these bones have now gained a trace of divinity due to the entanglement of divine power, so the wounds upon them cannot be healed by mortal strength."
"Then, Father of Nature, Your Majesty—"
Lin couldn't help but raise his head to look at the giant tree, his voice filled with pleading: "Can you heal Master?"
Beside him, the others also looked up at the giant tree.
The branches of the Father of Nature swayed slightly. He spoke seriously and affirmatively: "I can."
But before the crowd could cheer, the giant tree added: "But not now."
The scene immediately fell silent. Seeming to sense the atmosphere, the Father of Nature then explained: "Look around you."
Hearing this, everyone looked around.
The Ten Plagues Star had been shattered by the pillar of light, falling to the earth as countless fragments. It ignited the forests, carving terrifying wounds across the land. Dust laden with chaotic energy drifted everywhere, killing all that had previously survived by chance.
The spatial rift in the sky had completely closed. That chaotic world overflowing with twisted darkness seemed to have drifted away. After sending down the great star, the Calamity Evil God had unhesitatingly left this world. But the wounds it left behind remained. If these dust clouds and meteorite fragments were not purified immediately, this world would still become silent and dead, no longer suitable for life.
Even Ying and Lin could not raise objections to the Father of Nature's approach.
"The potential of humanity truly astounds me."
The Father of Nature gazed at Joshua's body and sighed with emotion: "Courage that fears no pain, a will that never wavers. Even in the Era of Radiance, this human could be called a great warrior."
Although the silver-haired girl's heart was still troubled by the warrior's injuries, hearing the deity's unreserved praise, she couldn't help but feel proud of her master. But seeing Joshua's arms reduced to white bone, Ying's heart still surged with uncontrollable sorrow.
If such praise required such a price, she would rather not have it. Moreover, as his weapons, they had emerged unscathed due to the warrior's deliberate protection, which made the girl feel especially ashamed.
Letting her master suffer harm in her place—this was the greatest disgrace.
Without making the crowd wait long, a green light surged once more from the canopy of the Father of Nature. Sacred runes appeared, activating the purification network that covered the entire world. As the light spread, the chaotic energy gradually receded. The world, which had begun to grow silent and dead, began to show signs of life again.
The elves hidden in the deepest parts of the underground shelters sensed the changes outside. Some brave ones moved away the rubble blocking the exits and cautiously went out to observe. They were shocked to see the stone demons that had turned into lifeless stone statues, and then bursts of cheers erupted.
Although the surviving elves were less than one in ten, and most were in the best-preserved central bay area, the seeds of civilization remained. In a thousand years, this place might once again become a prosperous world.
Having completed the purification, the Father of Nature turned his attention to the warrior.
Most of the divine power that shattered the Ten Plagues Star came from Him. The warrior had merely converted it into a force more suitable for destruction. Thus, the Father of Nature was now exceptionally exhausted. After barely managing to purify the chaotic energy of this entire world, He was nearing His limit.
But regardless, the final task had to be done well.
Once again, emerald green divine power, brimming with life force, appeared around the warrior's body. This time, it was not an infusion of power, but a deity exercising the authority of healing.
Amidst Loranda's exclamation, Ying and Lin's joyful cheers, and Black's excited neighing, the missing flesh on Joshua's body slowly began to grow back from the bones that shimmered with a hazy light. Before long, as if a miracle had occurred again, a perfectly strong physique appeared before everyone's eyes.
Ignoring the cheers of the crowd, the Father of Nature seemed to have exhausted His remaining strength. Perhaps because the Azure Orb had completely merged into the warrior's body, healing Joshua's body consumed far more energy than He had anticipated.
The time for Him to return to slumber was near.
—Perhaps He would sleep for another tens or hundreds of years.
He thought of the elves emerging from the ruins, His heart full of regret.
Unable to accompany those children out of their predicament, as a deity, He had truly failed in His duty...
Thinking this, He used His last remaining power to open a teleportation portal before the crowd.
A flicker of deep blue light, and the space-time channel opened its gate. Beyond it was the familiar scenery of the Great Aias Mountains.
"I have opened a portal based on the coordinates of your arrival in this world."
The grand will had already begun to grow hazy. The Father of Nature spoke in an increasingly faint voice: "Go quickly. Return to your world, return to your homeland..."
"Black, hurry!"
Sensing something was wrong, Loranda knew this was not the time for formalities. While Joshua was absent, he had taken on the responsibility of command. After thanking the Father of Nature, he had no time to say more and urged Black to quickly pass through the space-time channel and return to the Mycroft Continent.
Just as they left the Ilgena World, the Father of Nature immediately closed the space-time channel. He was silent for a long time, then let out a sigh, whether of satisfaction or regret.
"My friend, this time, I did not run away..."
With these words, the emerald green network that had covered the entire world instantly lost its light. Countless cyan light particles spread across the world with the wind, bringing the breath of life. But the emerald green leaves hanging from the giant canopy all turned gray, becoming stone flakes. Gray spread along the branches and trunk, forming large patches of rock layers.
Before long, the body of the Father of Nature had transformed into a rocky giant tree, just like the one underground, standing tall upon the earth.
The deity had fallen into slumber once again.
But whenever the elves faced a crisis, no matter the circumstances, He would awaken again.
...
[Mythic Event - Ten Plagues Star]
[Federal Calendar Year 71, Ancient Calendar Year 1315, Sigma Volcano. Visitors from another world descended upon the Ilgena World. They helped the elves resist the stone demon army and gradually discovered the traces of Chaos behind them. Finally, at the Ruins of Miracles in the Origin Mountains, with the help of the ancient Elven God, the newly born Soulflame King raised his spear high, supported by the soul-light of all living beings, and shattered the Chaos invasion that had crossed the worlds.]
[Mythic Achievement - World Savior]
[—One who bears the hopes of all beings, fearless.]
...
Holding his parents' hands, a young elven child stumbled out of the passage of the underground shelter.
The child looked around blankly. The familiar streets had vanished. Houses had turned into rubble everywhere. Rock and soil were all he could see.
His homeland had been reduced to a broken ruin by the stone demons and the meteorite. Too young to understand why, he could still sense a hint of unease from his parents' suddenly tightened grip.
But why?
They were still alive—although he didn't understand what death was, every elf knew that even if a blade of grass was pulled out, as long as the roots remained, it wouldn't be long before green would reappear on the soil.
A faint cyan light drifted down from the sky. The young elf couldn't help but pull his hand free from his parents' grasp and caught this light point.
Just as winter will eventually pass, followed by a spring full of hope.
This was the eternal, undying light of hope.
—Volume Five, The Calamity of Falling Stars·End