"You… You really can revive her?" Hestia suddenly snapped back to life. She stepped forward and grabbed Leon's hand, her eyes wide with desperate hope.
"Leon, please… If there's a chance, even a small one…"
Leon gently patted her head, smiling softly. "As long as the energy is enough, I can do it."
"You can do it." Hestia said, almost breathless, as if she'd found salvation. "You're Leon… You will bring her back."
Leon didn't say anything more. He simply continued to stroke her hair in silence, giving her the quiet assurance she needed.
Artemis watched the scene unfold, her eyes shimmering. A whisper echoed in her heart.
Thank you… Hestia… Leon…
— — —
In the front row of the radiant white light, Leon sat quietly, gazing at the spear or rather Artemis' arrow, resting across his lap.
So much divine power…
He could feel it. It was still emanating divine energy, pulsing, resonating. And strangely enough, he was absorbing it.
Leon thought to himself under his breath, watching the runes on the spear glow faintly.
Why was I able to pull it out?
At first, he couldn't understand it. But then came the answer, from deep within his Falna.
It wasn't because his soul was pure. He didn't meet that condition. Not even close. No, he could wield it because of his grace.
The divine blessing upon him was unlike any other, it was the grace of the world itself. And in time, he would become a king of gods. The sovereign chosen by the very fabric of the realm. So naturally, he could wield divine weapons, artifacts created by gods for gods.
This arrow was no exception. And not only could he use it, he was slowly assimilating the divine power stored within it. Though the process was incredibly slow, the proof was there.
Within his body, a new power had begun to stir: divine energy.
The quantity was minuscule, no more than a drop compared to the lake of magic power flowing through him, but its quality far surpassed magic power. That single drop carried terrifying potential. It was growing stronger by the second.
'I don't know if my magic power alone will be enough to bring Artemis back… but maybe divine power will.'
'Its essence is on a whole other level. If I can absorb more… I might just have enough to succeed.'
'Yes… that's it.'
'Before Antares can gather enough divine power to reconstruct Artemis' bow and arrow, I'll absorb as much of it as I can. I'll make that divine power mine.'
Just as the thought settled in, a familiar voice interrupted him.
"What're you frowning about so seriously?"
Leon looked up, surprised to find Hermes now seated beside him.
Hermes raised an eyebrow and asked, "You've been deep in thought since we left. What's going on in that head of yours?"
Leon glanced down at the arrow, then back at Hermes. "…I'm thinking about resurrecting Artemis."
As soon as these words came out, Hestia and Artemis looked over, and Hermes' eyes also flashed.
Artemis and Hestia both cared about this matter very much.
One was about themselves, and the other was about their best friend.
How could they not pay attention?
Leon took a deep breath and began to explain, carefully choosing his words, "I need time."
"I plan to store as much magic power as I can… increase my reserves to their absolute limit."
"If I succeed, the chances of reviving Artemis will go up."
"That's why, once we arrive at the Great Sea of Trees, I don't intend to rush into the ruins."
"I'll stay outside the seal for a few more days… to gather as much energy as possible."
"That's possible?" Hestia's eyes widened.
Even Hermes was shocked. Artemis stared in silence, a flicker of hope dancing in her gaze.
Leon nodded.
After getting Leon's confirmation, the expressions of the three gods changed slightly.
"In that case, there's no need to rush into the Great Sea of Trees." Hermes suggested, his tone calm yet serious. "If we enter now, we'll only be disturbed and unable to focus."
"Let's set up camp just outside the ruins." He proposed, eyes scanning the distant tree line.
"Yes, I agree." Hestia nodded firmly. "We should be cautious. This concerns Artemis's resurrection, there's no room for mistakes."
The atmosphere grew heavier with her words.
"But…" Artemis looked toward the vast forest, her expression conflicted. "What about Asfi and the others? I left them inside to monitor Antares…"
Unlike the others, Artemis couldn't ignore the safety of her companions.
"Don't worry." Hermes grinned confidently, pulling a round crystal orb from his pouch. "I'll contact them and have them withdraw temporarily."
The orb he held was one of the enchanted communication tools made by Fels. During the earlier operation against the artificial labyrinth, Fels had distributed several of these to key Familia captains. While most had been returned, Hermes had kept his.
"Really? That's a relief…" Artemis visibly relaxed, the tension in her shoulders easing.
Hestia chimed in again, "In that case, once we reach the edge of the Great Sea of Trees, we'll stop and camp there."
"Yes, that sounds like the best plan." Leon nodded, and the four quickly reached a consensus.
— — —
More than ten hours passed swiftly.
The group had departed under the stars and flown through the night. Now, nearly a full day and night later, they approached their destination. They had taken short rests during the journey, but the pace had been relentless.
Finally, after twenty hours of travel, they arrived before the edge of the mystical forest.
Finding a clearing, they began to set up camp. Once preparations were complete, Hermes activated the communication orb and contacted Asfi and her team inside the forest.
Night soon fell.
Around the warm campfire, the tantalizing scent of roasted food filled the air. Leon had cooked dinner himself, and his companions were more than happy to enjoy his handiwork.
"Mmm… It's delicious. Leon, your cooking skills are impressive." Artemis praised him without hesitation, her voice full of delight.
"Hehe. That's my Leon." Hestia puffed up proudly, striking a pose of triumph as if she had made the food herself. Her familiar boast made the group smile.
After dinner, the four quietly split up to handle their own matters, careful not to disturb Leon. They all understood that he needed time and silence, to store as much magic power as possible.
Hermes wandered off somewhere, perhaps to scout or ponder alone. Hestia and Artemis made their way to a nearby lake to bathe, leaving Ellie on watch outside the camp.
Inside his tent, Leon sat cross-legged, eyes closed, focusing entirely on the arrow resting across his lap. He was slowly absorbing its divine power.
In just one day, the amount of magical energy in his body had multiplied over tenfold. And now, the divine power within him, although only one percent compared to his vast magical reserves, carried a weight that far exceeded its volume.
That tiny fraction of divinity could already match the destructive force of a Level 8. And once fully unleashed, even one percent of divine power would be equivalent to Level 10, perhaps even beyond, rivaling the power of the gods themselves.
Such overwhelming strength would be more than enough to obliterate Antares.
But what shocked Leon the most wasn't the power itself, it was the transformation happening within his body.
After absorbing divine energy for just a single day, his body had begun to adapt. It now possessed the capacity to generate divine power on its own.
He was no god. Not yet. But his vessel was evolving. He had become someone who could birth divine power within his own body, something no mortal should be capable of.
And now, divine power and magic coexisted within him. The two forces flowed through him in harmony, distinct yet compatible. They did not interfere with one another. Instead, they moved like twin rivers, balanced.