Chapter 1108
As the deluge of mana cascaded from the heavens, Raon narrowed his gaze, observing the shimmering downpour.
'This isn't an offensive strike.'
The concentrated spite that Rimmer had dragged into Sepia had been thoroughly filtered by the World Tree’s power. What remained was essentially the purest form of life energy; absorbing it posed no inherent threat to a healthy body.
-You are correct.
Wrath gave a sharp nod, as if validating his subordinate's assessment.
-The density of this mana is staggering because it was forged from such a massive amount of purified malice, but it won't harm you. Nonetheless...
'True. I'll be fine, but Lord Sterin and Lady Siyana are in a different position.'
Sterin’s constitution was so fragile that a strong breeze might shatter him, and Siyana was so drained from her vocal performance that she was practically swaying on her feet. Even if the mana was pure, the sheer pressure of it could be fatal to those in such a precarious state.
"You two need to move—"
Raon began to speak, intending to use Garunua’s gale to physically relocate them to safety. However, he froze mid-sentence.
'Hold on. I saw that idiot elf's expression just a moment ago.'
Through the thinning crimson haze and mist, Rimmer’s spectral face had flickered into view. He had been wearing that specific, mischievous smirk—the one he always wore when he was about to pull a prank back at the fifth training ground.
'He’s up to something. Most likely...'
The goal was to mend Lord Sterin and elevate Lady Siyana into a legitimate Guardian. Rimmer had previously expressed his desire through Haerang to prolong Sterin’s life and ensure Siyana earned the respect her title deserved. It seemed he had orchestrated this downpour of refined energy specifically for them.
"It is alright..."
Sterin’s jaw set firmly as he reached for the bow propped against his seat. Using the weapon as a makeshift crutch, he forced his elderly frame upright.
"I will not turn away my grandson's final gift, even if it costs me my life."
Recognizing Rimmer’s gambit, Sterin stood tall, exposing his fragile form to the descending torrents of light.
"I... I also believe in my brother, and..."
Siyana offered a small nod of agreement.
"I believe in Lord Raon."
She gave him a respectful look before stepping forward into the deluge.
"I guess I have to follow suit."
Raon let out a small sigh, knitting his brows as he followed them into the center of the mana tempest. Contrary to his fears, the massive spheres of energy didn't crush them; they felt weightless and welcoming. It was akin to being submerged in a warm, translucent ocean.
Thud.
When Raon’s boots finally met solid ground and he blinked his eyes open, the landscape of Sepia had vanished, replaced by a dense, familiar woodland.
'No, this place is...'
It was the grove located behind the annex. The path leading toward North Grave Mountain, a place where he, Rimmer, and Glenn had spent countless hours. The autumn light felt nostalgic and soft, and the scent of the earth carried a drowsy, comforting heat.
'But this is an illusion.'
Wrath was no longer perched on his shoulder, and since he hadn't felt the physical sensation of travel, he knew he had been pulled into a mental projection.
'This is Master’s inner world.'
The unmistakable, crisp aroma of a forest breeze—a scent unique to Rimmer—convinced him. It appeared that Rimmer’s spirit had found a sense of serenity after his time within the Blade of Requiem and the resolution of Martha’s vendetta.
'Where are the others? Lord Sterin and...?'
Raon’s eyes darted around until they landed on a figure in a nearby meadow. Sterin stood there, bow in hand and eyes shut tight.
"Lord Sterin?"
There was no response. Sterin remained motionless, and though his body fluttered like a dry leaf in the wind, he didn't collapse. His grip on the bow remained white-knuckled and steady.
'I shouldn't interrupt.'
He couldn't bring himself to disturb the old man’s profound state of focus.
'Then where is Lady Siyana?'
Raon pivoted and trekked deeper into the woods. A melodic voice began to drift through the trees. He followed the sound to find Siyana, her hands clasped in a silent plea, singing a melody that resonated with the very soul of the World Tree.
Floating around her were spirits of every imaginable hue, all appearing joyous.
'Is her voice calling to them?'
Siyana had always possessed a voice of unparalleled beauty, but her crippling self-doubt had always muffled it. Now, having shed her inhibitions, her song flowed with a sweetness that felt almost physical, capable of soothing any soul.
The spirits circled her in a rhythmic dance, pouring their essence into her. As their vitality merged with her, Raon could feel her presence expanding and strengthening.
'She's awakening!'
Raon watched with bated breath.
'Was it just the mana that did this?'
He knew it was more than that. Siyana had undergone a massive psychological shift while working on the purification hymn. She had transitioned from a girl who needed shielding to a woman who chose to shield others. The mana was simply the catalyst that met her at the moment she was mentally prepared for this evolution.
'I should leave her be as well.'
Knowing this was a pivotal moment for her, he quietly retreated. Just then, a low, whistling sound echoed from the clearing.
'What's happening now?'
Raon hurried back to the meadow.
"What...?"
He couldn't hide his astonishment. The former Guardian, who had been a mere shadow of a man wasted by time and grief, was now pulling back his bowstring.
It wasn't a display of raw power or speed. His arms shook, and his movements were agonizingly slow, yet he managed to draw the string back to its maximum tension.
'Can his body handle this?'
Sterin was drenched in sweat, exerting every ounce of his remaining life force. Raon feared the man might expire then and there, but Sterin’s resolve was like steel; he refused to let go until the form was perfect.
He was practicing the most basic principles of archery: the stance, the nocking, the draw, and the aim.
Much like the foundational sword strikes Raon practiced religiously, Sterin was returning to the roots of his craft. He loosed the string, sending an arrow soaring into the blue. Raon watched in reverent silence, unsure if he was witnessing a final act or a rebirth.
"L-Lord Raon!"
Dorian panicked the second the mana swallowed Raon, trying to rush forward. His devotion had finally eclipsed his cowardice.
"Stop."
Martha held him back with a firm arm.
"Look at them. They aren't in pain."
She pointed out that none of the three seemed to be suffering.
"Eh?"
Dorian blinked, confused by Raon's statue-like posture.
"Are you sure? They look... frozen."
He gulped, looking at the eerie stillness.
"It's a forced awakening," Evelyn remarked, her finger tracing the curve of her lip.
"A what?"
Dorian nearly gave himself whiplash turning to look at her.
"A rare event where a person is pushed into enlightenment because they are suddenly bathed in an overwhelming amount of high-grade mana."
Evelyn watched Raon intently.
"I've never seen three people go through it at the exact same time, though. It’s likely only happening because this mana is so incredibly pure—like a fresh start for the soul."
She looked at Sterin and Siyana with a scholarly fascination.
"I’m actually a little jealous."
Evelyn’s eyes narrowed as she scanned Siyana.
"Uh oh..."
Dorian felt the sudden drop in temperature as a murderous aura began to leak from Evelyn.
"I-it’s just business! She’s a client! Nothing more!"
He gestured wildly, trying to de-escalate the situation.
"Hmph, I suppose you're right," Evelyn said, retracting her killing intent with a dismissive wave.
"Awakening...?"
Martha’s voice trailed off as she watched Siyana.
"Is that truly what's happening? All these spirits..."
Entities from across the elemental spectrum were converging on the girl. It wasn't just the primary four; spirits of lightning, the deep sea, light, and shadow were all hovering near her.
"Look at Lord Sterin! His hands!"
Dorian shouted, pointing toward the old man. The wrinkled, grey skin on Sterin’s hands was smoothing out, turning supple and tan as if decades were being stripped away in seconds.
"This is unbelievable..."
Martha watched in awe as Sterin’s face regained its youth and Siyana became the center of a spiritual vortex.
"It’s only the beginning."
Evelyn looked toward Raon, who stood positioned between the two.
"Raon, I wonder what you will take from this."
An hour passed before Sterin managed to loose his first arrow. But then, the pace shifted. The second shot took fifty minutes, the third took forty, and by the fourth, he was down to twenty.
Twang!
The arrows, which had initially tumbled uselessly to the dirt, were now cutting through the air with such force they left ripples in their wake.
Sterin’s physical transformation was even more jarring. His sagging features tightened, his skin glowed with health, and his thinning hair was being replaced by thick, dark strands. This wasn't a dying man’s last gasp; it was a total restoration.
The old Guardian had always possessed the wisdom; he simply lacked the vessel to contain it. With Rimmer’s mana providing the fuel, his stalled progression was jump-started.
Now, Sterin’s arrows were thunderous, tearing through the air with a power that shook the mental space. He was firing in rapid succession, his body overflowing with newfound vitality.
Whiz!
By the end of it, Sterin looked even more youthful than he had when Raon first met him. His spirit, body, and internal energy were all synchronized. After thirty minutes of showcasing his mastery, he drove his bow into the earth. When he opened his eyes, they held the clarity of a mountain spring.
"..."
Sterin gave Raon a silent nod of gratitude before dissolving into a emerald mist and exiting the vision.
"To see a legend reborn like that... it’s a whole new perspective on power."
Raon smiled and walked back into the woods to find Siyana. She was still in her trance, but now, she wasn't just surrounded by spirits. She was at the center of a swirling nebula of raw, primordial energy.
This cosmic power, vibrating with enough intensity to make Raon's skin prickle, was being absorbed into her very pores.
Faint, glowing patterns appeared on her skin, and her internal spirit force surged to a level that defied logic. When she finally opened her eyes, the gold within them seemed deep enough to drown in.
"..."
Like Sterin before her, she gave Raon a respectful nod before turning into a stream of pure water and vanishing. The forest felt empty and quiet in her absence.
"They both made it."
Raon took a deep breath, looking around the now-vacant mental landscape.
'It looked so easy, but it wasn't.'
Sterin had the map but no legs to walk the path; the mana gave him those legs. Siyana had the strength but was lost in the woods; the training and the mana gave her the compass.
'How did Master foresee this?'
Haerang said Rimmer brought that malice here on purpose. He had intentionally set the stage for their growth, but Raon couldn't fathom how Rimmer had calculated such a perfect outcome.
'Well, he was always an unpredictable elf.'
As Raon chuckled to himself, a light, citrusy breeze brushed past his ear.
"Master?"
The wind felt playful and sharp—classic Rimmer. It seemed that with the malice gone, his true personality had returned, though he remained without a physical form.
"Wait, don't tell me..."
Raon’s heart sank as the green wind began to fade.
"Did you give everything you had left to ensure their success?"
The wind ruffled Raon's hair affectionately. It was an ambiguous answer, but Raon knew the truth. Rimmer’s time was running out. This wasn't a temporary goodbye; they wouldn't be having their usual chats anymore.
"..."
Raon stared at the grass, his teeth biting his lip. He couldn't let him go without saying it.
"Master."
Raon stood tall, facing the fading green breeze.
"There's something I need to tell you."
-
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