............She had indeed woken up from her eternal dream-like state; she wasn't dreaming anymore. She felt her heart swell and tears streamed down her face as she tried to sit up with difficulty."Mother...!" Astrid hugged her mother, helping her sit down properly."Astrid... dear...!" Liora hugged her daughter back, patting her on the back to comfort her, feeling her daughter's happiness.Phia, sitting on the couch, watched the mother-daughter pair comforting each other."Astrid... dear, where are we?" Liora asked as she caressed Astrid's head, letting her go, while observing the unfamiliar room."We are in Crystalbrook City, in our Lord's home!" Astrid replied, sitting beside her, smiling happily."Lord... Crystalbrook City." Liora understood which city she was in but looked confused hearing the word "Lord" from her daughter."Yes... Lord Divine Heir of God Elandor. Phia Lumara, Aeliana Chauhan, and I are serving under him," Astrid explained, seeing her mother's confusion."Ehh.
............"Are... are you rejecting my request?" Liora asked with a tearful expression, looking as though she might cry if he refused."No... no, I never said that!" Aarav quickly said, shaking his head, not wanting to make Astrid's mother sad."Really... then you accept my request? Haha, great... it’s great. Thank you, my Lord. I will serve you alongside my daughter and won't disappoint you." Liora’s expression changed from tearful to happy in an instant. Without giving Aarav a chance to explain, she cheerfully shook his hand, leaving him speechless at her boldness."Sigh... fine... fine!" Aarav let out a sigh and accepted her request. He couldn't make her sad, even if she was exaggerating. Besides, dealing with both her and her daughter would be more troublesome, so he just accepted it.He also knew she didn't have anywhere else to go. It was better for her to stay occupied rather than dwell on what happened with her husband or the Starcrest family. He didn't know how she'd feel
............Bishop Dominic settled back into his chair, his face showing a mix of exhaustion and urgency.Aarav noticed the lines of weariness etched on Dominic’s face, indicating a long and strenuous journey."I arrived late last night, My Lord. The situation in Quartzgate City has improved, but after Father Deniel started investigating those seven strange men, he discovered something that made us worry for our country's future," Dominic began, his voice heavy with concern.Aarav leaned forward, his interest piqued. "Tell me more, Bishop Dominic. What did Archbishop Deniel find out from the investigation?""He discovered that the attacks on Quartzgate City and the capital were carried out by two different foreign forces. He was certain of this, but further details are impossible to get as he can't track them; they have gone into hiding," Bishop Dominic reported."Hmm, this is troublesome. Does he have any clues at all, like symbols, pieces of weapons, or anything left behind by the
............If not for their Lord sharing his knowledge with them, she would still be ignorant of the more powerful foreign organizations in the world, organizations that could make their own cry tears of blood without being able to counterattack."I think you two need to go back to your families and learn everything you can from them. With the knowledge I've provided, I think they would make great progress in their strength, so you can learn a lot there," Aarav suggested, explaining his reasoning so they wouldn't think he was getting rid of them."Hmm, you are right, my Lord. We can't progress much on our own here, and we are not really useful to you, only making you worry. So we will follow your suggestion, my Lord," Phia acknowledged her weakness and nodded in agreement."My Lord, we aren't very helpful now, but we promise not to disappoint you in the future!" Aeliana vowed, her tone determined."Well, I never thought that you ladies ever disappointed me. Don't worry. You two, al
............"Sigh... my dear Astrid, how much you have endured because of your poor mother. I am sorry for all the pain I caused you." Liora became sad after hearing about her daughter's suffering.She hugged Astrid tightly, sobbing lightly as she apologized for all the pain Astrid had to endure."No, Mother. It's fine... you don't have to apologize. I did it because you are the only family I have, and I didn't want to lose you," Astrid patted her mother's back, comforting her and trying to ease her guilt."Thank you for everything, my dear. You really make me proud," Liora stopped sobbing and smiled through her tears."Hmm..." Astrid also smiled and let her mother stay like that until Liora let her go."By the way, I never asked what kind of illness I had," Liora suddenly remembered and asked."It was Eternal Slumber Syndrome, caused by Ebonite Venom. That's what our Lord said," Astrid replied."Hmm, Ebonite Venom... so it was really him. I thought I might be overthinking, but it s
............Near the core area of forest, Quartzgate City. "Please be careful, my Lord. Many dangerous beasts live here, and we should avoid getting entangled with them," Commander Roland warned, keeping a watchful eye on the left side of their four-man team."My Lord, we are almost there. This way leads us close to the core area," Commander Anki said, pointing the way forward."Right. Stay alert and try not to disturb any beasts in the vicinity. We're here to obtain something from the entity residing in the core, not to fight beasts," Aarav instructed, gesturing for caution as he slowed down in response to Roland and Anki's words."Shh... a beast is coming. Everyone, squat down!" Commander Brian, who was keeping watch at their rear, suddenly warned. They quickly crouched behind thick bushes, hiding their presence and letting the beast pass by.'This is really troublesome, but I need to be patient,' Aarav thought as he watched the beast pass by. Once it was safe, they stood up and
............The branches of the Tree of Wisdom tightened around Commander Roland, Anki, and Brian, lifting them slightly off the ground. The air crackled with energy as the tree began to glow brighter, the green light from its leaves intensifying.Aarav watched intently, feeling a growing sense of anticipation.A low hum filled the air, resonating deep within their chests. The tree's branches pulsed with energy, and tendrils of light began to flow from the tree into the three warriors.Their bodies absorbed the energy, their forms outlined in a radiant glow. The tree seemed to be singing, its leaves rustling in a harmonious melody that echoed through the forest.Commander Roland gritted his teeth as the energy surged through him, feeling his muscles tighten and his mind sharpen. Anki’s eyes widened in awe, sensing the changes in her body. Brian clenched his fists, feeling a newfound power coursing through his veins. The tree’s energy was transforming them, elevating them beyond the
............"Ahhh... Damn it. How did they know we're hiding here? How did our cover get blown? Who messed up? Don't let me catch you, or I'll skin you alive and play ping pong with your marbles!" A robed man ran alongside four others, clutching the wound in his stomach, cursing loudly, filled with rage and bloodlust."BANG... BAM...!!""Ahhh... fuck... you...!" A sharp arc sliced through the air before one of the robed men fell, clutching his stomach, blood pouring from the wounds. He cursed before spewing blood and collapsing, lifeless."Damn it... damn it. How is this guy so strong? Wasn't the information that he's just an old man, retired from the scene? When did he become this powerful? Fuck...!" The robed man, still clutching his stomach, cursed and looked back, ducking just in time to avoid being split open like one of his fallen comrades."Sizzle... Sizzle... Zaap...!""Ohh... shit... Boom!" The robed man kept running, watching his men fall one by one like flies. He was the