The morning sun of the Kaios Desert crawled up from the eastern horizon, dispelling the night's chill with a golden warmth that slowly roasted the sea of sand. On the third-floor marble balcony of the Sorshana Palace, the cool breeze typical of an oasis blew gently, playing with the tips of Venti's green cloak as he stood gazing at the horizon.
Today was a truly historic day for the order of the lower world.
Beside Venti, Zald stood tall like a tower of steel. The former Zeus Familia executive had washed away the remnants of Gazoob's dust and sand from his body, donning the simple linen clothing provided by the palace. The nerve paralysis in his joints had fully recovered after the remnants of Hedin's purple lightning effect were neutralized, leaving his muscular skin completely relaxed and free of stiffness.
Suddenly, the air in the western region vibrated violently.
The earth seemed to hold its breath as five giant, blindingly dazzling pillars of light erupted from the west wing of the Sorshana Palace, piercing the atmospheric layers and soaring high to tear through the morning sky. The radiance of that holy light was so magnificent and absolute that, ignoring the tens of kilometers of distance, it could be witnessed clearly from the Shalzard palace balcony where Venti and Zald stood.
It was the Hymn of Return.
The absolute mechanism of the Gekai system that returned divine entities to the Tenkai (Heaven) when the presence of their Arcanum was exposed.
"Five pillars," Zald murmured, his heavy voice breaking the silence. His gray eyes stared sharply toward the remnants of the light radiance that were slowly fading in the sky. "Erebus truly kept his promise. He didn't just exit the stage; he also forcibly dragged Set, Sobek, Osiris, and Resheph back to the Tenkai with him. I can imagine how furious those loser gods must have been when Erebus forced their return from our isolation room."
Venti chuckled softly, turning his body to lean against the carved sandstone balcony railing.
"Erebus is a director who truly appreciates the aesthetics of an ending, Zald," Venti said in a cheerful tone. "Once he realized that his Purgatory script had been destroyed and replaced by a more beautiful stage of freedom, he wouldn't allow cheap, bit-part actors like Resheph or Set to ruin the story's ending. He 'cleaned' this desert for us."
Zald snorted softly, though the corners of his lips curved slightly. "A God of Darkness who is incredibly troublesome until the very end."
After the drama of the gods' return concluded, Venti stared at Zald with a gaze full of anticipation.
"Now, Zald. Since all the troublemakers have returned to heaven, let's finish your final administrative matters as a member of the Barbatos Familia."
Zald nodded, then knelt in the middle of the balcony floor. His broad, sturdy back was now exposed under the morning sunlight. Venti stepped closer, biting the tip of his thumb until a drop of Ichor appeared. With an elegant motion, he began to etch the sacred hieroglyphs of the Falna onto Zald's sturdy back, updating the status of the former pillar of the Zeus Familia into his own Familia's hierarchy.
A turquoise glow enveloped Zald's back, merging with the Gluttony's skin. Venti withdrew his hand, reading the lines of the newly formed status text with eyes widened slightly in amazement. He then held the status sheet out to Zald.
A very refreshing, cool sensation permeated Zald's pores, resonating with the veteran's soul. It was not a pressing burden, but a cool breeze lifting all the remnants of trauma from his shoulders. The turquoise light glowed brightly, forming a beautiful emblem of a Cecilia flower, a lyre, and a feather in the center of his back.
Name: Zald
Level: 7
[ Ability ]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
[ Magic ]
Deus Ambrosia: A passive ability to absorb the essence of monsters or objects consumed to increase stats permanently and break through the maximum attribute limit of Level 7.
Al QuestaNiggle Gourmet
[ Skills ]
Rea Ambrosia: A weapon reinforcement magic that coats the sword blade with hellfire for absolute destructive power. Used for the Afterglow technique (a long-range shockwave slash without incantations).
[ Development Abilities ]
Hunter (D): Increases his ability when facing monsters he has previously fought.
Abnormal Resistance (E): Wards off and resists various negative status effects.
Crush (F)
Strong Body (F)
Supreme Attack (I)
"Level 7 with an 'eat-everything' passive skill, added to a remarkably thick list of development abilities," Venti chuckled softly, patting the gluttony's back before stepping back. "With this, the process is officially complete. Welcome to the Barbatos Familia, Zald."
Zald rolled his shoulders, feeling the flow of his new Falna power, which felt so light yet incredibly solid. "Thank you, Venti. I will not disappoint this wing emblem."
A few days had rolled by since the battle that tore the Gazoob sky. In one of the most luxurious palace rooms in the Sorshana Palace, guarded tightly by Shalzard soldiers, the silence slowly broke.
Finn Deimne was the first to open his eyes.
The Pallum captain's breath hitched softly. His combat reflexes instantly rose, forcing him to sit up from his plush bed. However, instead of muscle-tearing pain, he only felt a normal, dull ache. His memories of Hedin Selland's last flash of purple lightning and Zald's devastating explosion swirled rapidly in his head.
His body felt light, vastly different from his last memory, which was filled with agonizing pain from Zald's absolute energy impact. He stared at his own hands; there were no more remnants of armor tears infected with sand, no bruised, black-and-blue marks from hard impacts. His skin was clean, fully recovered as if that brutal battle were nothing but a nightmare.
"We lost," Finn muttered, his eyes staring sharply around the room with high-level vigilance. His memory of the Afterglow slash that collapsed their formation spun rapidly in his head. "Zald... that monster should have finished us all off. Those wounds... it feels like just yesterday my body was shattered by his strike. How can we still be breathing, and why did our bodies recover this easily?"
From the bed across from him, a heavy groan was heard. Gareth Landrock rose while clutching his head, followed by Riveria who blinked to adjust to the room's light. In the corner of the largest room, Ottar already sat cross-legged in silence, his giant black sword leaned near his bed.
Before they could exchange words to process the situation, the palace room door opened. Four cloaked figures stepped inside with steps that were slightly limping. Hedin, Hogni, Dina, and Vena—the four Elves from the Barbatos Familia—had regained consciousness hours ago and were now arriving to check on their condition.
Hedin adjusted his glasses, then looked at Finn with a flat expression. "You have finally come to," Hedin said, breaking the silence. He stared at Finn and his comrades blankly. "You were asleep for three full days due to Mind and physical exhaustion. The potion from Lord Venti healed your wounds, but you needed quite some time to stabilize your condition after the battle in Gazoob."
Finn met the White Elf's gaze. The memory of how Hedin took command, united them, and constructed a deadly tactical checkmate to trap Zald made Finn's respect grow.
"That insane strategy of yours was truly incredible, Tactician," Finn said with a faint smile, acknowledging the Elf's brilliance without a hint of pride. "If you hadn't guided our formation in Gazoob earlier, Zald's sword sweep would have surely leveled us with the sand."
Hedin merely snorted softly, though a flash of satisfaction was hidden behind his eyes. "I merely used the pieces available on the board. You held out hard enough until my trap was set. That was more than enough."
Ottar rose to his feet. The giant Boaz stared at Hogni, who returned the look with a wild, suppressed grin. Ottar then turned toward Finn. "My duty here is done. There is nothing left to test. I am returning to Orario."
Finn nodded in agreement, climbing off his bed. "Yes. We all must return immediately. There are many things we must report to the Guild and our respective Gods."
However, there was another reason neither Finn nor Ottar voiced verbally, though the four of them were very aware of it. An abstract burst of euphoria thundered at the base of their souls.
In the laws of this world, there was a highly rare and sacred psychological phenomenon that could only be felt by top-tier adventurers: the sensation of Breaking the Shell. To level up, an adventurer had to obtain High Excelia through a Great Feat. When an adventurer succeeded in defeating an enemy far stronger than themselves or survived a confrontation that defied common sense, they didn't need to wait for their god to update their status to know it. They would feel it instinctively within the flow of their blood and souls. An absolute sensation that whispered: "I have just passed the greatest moment of my life. My shell has broken."
Fighting Zald the Gluttony who appeared at the peak of his strength, withstanding the barrage of Afterglow, and surviving that stage of death was the most absolute definition of a Great Feat.
Finn clenched his palm, feeling a new energy rippling powerfully within his bloodstream. Gareth and Riveria felt the same. Meanwhile, Ottar gripped his sword hilt, his eyes radiating absolute conviction. They all knew. When their backs were marked by the blood of the gods upon arriving in Orario later, Level 6 and Level 7 would be awaiting them.
After exchanging farewells based on mutual respect between warriors, the four pillars of Orario officially left the Sorshana capital, racing across the desert to return to their familia headquarters, bearing the gift of power's evolution.
Meanwhile, in a private audience room tightly closed in the east wing of the palace, Venti sat cross-legged on a silk carpet. Before him, Hedin, Hogni, Dina, and Vena knelt, their breathing slightly rapid due to suppressed enthusiasm.
Venti set down his glass, his playful smile replaced by a look full of pride. He deeply sensed the resonance of High Excelia overflowing within the bodies of these four Elves under his care.
"Very well. Turn around, my children. Let us see how far you have developed after fighting in Gazoob."
One by one, the four Elves opened the back of their cloaks. Venti dropped his blood, letting the warm turquoise light sweep across the Falna on their backs. The sacred hieroglyphs glowed incredibly brightly, evolving and restructuring their souls, signaling the shattering of their Level 3 limit toward a new dimension of strength.
"My, my... what an incredible sight," Venti murmured, his eyes reading the lines of the status text that had just formed. "Everyone successfully leveled up simultaneously. And the Skills you obtained... these are truly pure manifestations of your madness on the battlefield."
Name: Hedin Selland
Level: 4
[ Ability ]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
[ Magic ]
Caelus Hildr: A super-long chant magic summoning a large-scale thunderstorm to strike a wide area.
Varian Hildr: A short chant magic firing high-precision lightning spears to pierce a single target.
ulgur Calyx: A super-short chant magic (chantless) releasing pure Electro elements from the Ego-Calyx on his chest for close-range blasts or highly lethal magic staff coatings.
[ Skills ]
Fairy Hildr: Drastically increases magic effect and power when leading or giving orders that are obeyed by others. Represents the leadership charm of the White Elf race.
Diu Hjaðningavíg: Significantly increases Mind efficiency when the user employs lightning magic in succession.
Electro Calyx: Allows the user to manipulate purple lightning without overly straining their Mind limit. Ignores magic cooldown rules.
Stasis Hildr (NEW): Allows storing lightning magic in inorganic mediums (ground, walls, weapons) to be used as magic traps. The longer it is held, the greater the explosion voltage.
[ Development Abilities ]
Mage: Passive magic power increase.
Magic Resistance: Extra resistance to magic-based attacks.
Foresight (NEW): Predicts the trajectory of enemy attacks a fraction of a second faster based on the opponent's posture and Mind flow.
------------------------------
Name: Hogni Ragnar
Level: 4
[ Ability ]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
[ Magic ]
Dainsleif: A short-chant magic (Buff) coating his sword blade with the darkness element, providing absolute slashing power that can even pierce magic, but drains Mind and stamina rapidly.
Ignis Tenebris: Chantless magic releasing the Pyro-Darkness element from his Ego-Calyx, burning the target with pitch-black flames that will continuously erode the enemy's life like a curse.
[ Skills ]
Fairy Nocturne: Increases basic physical strength and instinct sharpness when fighting at night or in darkness.
Dark In: When his combat personality (bloodlust) takes over, the user gains a massive increase in Strength and Agility, at the cost of part of their sanity and sense of pain.
ruor Calyx: Converts physical damage received by the user into a wider blast range for his Pyro-Darkness magic. The worse the wound, the deadlier the black flames.
Cruor Aegis (NEW): Converts part of the enemy's fatal attack momentum into black flame armor that protects vital organs, ensuring the user will not die instantly from a single attack (prevents one-shot).
[ Development Abilities ]
Swordsman: Increases mastery and damage of attacks when using a sword.
Abnormal Resistance: High-level resistance to poisons and status diseases.
Strong Body (NEW): Provides extra physical durability against damage to internal organs from shockwaves or blunt force impacts from giant objects.
------------------------------
Name: Dina
Level: 4
[ Ability ]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
[ Magic ]
Curse of Attraction: Charm magic in the form of a visual/auditory curse that dulls combat instincts, lowers endurance, and disrupts enemy concentration.
Ventus Canticum (Song of the Wind): Area-of-effect (AoE) magic without chanting that manipulates wind using her Anemo-Calyx to protect herself with an absolute wind dome and slowly restore her allies' stamina.
Phantasma Ventus (NEW): Chantless illusion magic that manipulates air currents and light to create false shadows (mirages) of herself or allies to deceive enemy attacks.
[ Skills ]
Dis Resonance: Twin soul resonance. If fighting within the same line of sight as Vena, her physical reflexes, agility, and close-combat coordination increase beyond her original level.
Anemo Calyx: Grants absolute mastery over air current manipulation, allowing the user to control storm wind movements as defensive weapons without needing a chant.
[ Development Abilities ]
Swordsman: Enhanced close-combat technique using twin short swords.Spirit Healing: Faster passive-level Mind and stamina regeneration.
Shield (NEW): Increases the durability and impact resistance of all protective magic she creates.
------------------------------
Name: Vena
Level: 4
[ Ability ]
Strength: I0
Endurance: I0
Dexterity: I0
Agility: I0
Magic: I0
[ Magic ]
Ignis Gladius: Mid-range attack magic that condenses magic energy into deadly projectile slashes fired through her weapon's swing.
Ventus Ruina (Wind's Destruction): Super short-range attack magic that focuses the Anemo-Calyx storm into microscopic razor-sharp wind vortex blades, serving to destroy armor and crush enemy defensive lines from long range.
[ Skills ]
Dis Resonance: Twin soul resonance. If fighting within the same line of sight as Dina, her magic power and magic usage speed increase drastically.
Anemo Calyx: Forcibly increases agility by utilizing the wind element as a foothold, allowing the user to perform double-dashing movements in the air or hover momentarily without using wings.
Caelum Dominus (NEW): Drastically increases Agility and Dexterity stats as long as feet are not touching the ground, and maximizes the accuracy of her attack magic while airborne.
[ Development Abilities ]
Mage: Passive magic power increase.
Magic Resistance: Deflects or minimizes the impact of enemy magic attacks.
Chain Attack (NEW): Increases cumulative damage to enemy armor or defenses if attacks hit the target in succession without interruption.
Venti closed the Falna renewal process with a gentle stroke on their backs, letting the magical glow dim and merge into the skin of the four Elves.
Zald, who had been leaning his massive body against the wall near the room door watching the process, suddenly stood frozen. Zald stared at the parchment sheet Venti handed over containing the copy of their new status with eyes widened slightly.
The veteran's common sense, which had been forged by hundreds of battles, suddenly suffered a systematic error.
Zald reread the 'Level 4' writing and the lines of stats that reset to I0. His jaw tightened as he performed a simple mathematical calculation in his head. If the four of them just leveled up to 4 today due to the Excelia from the battle in Gazoob...
"Wait a second," Zald murmured, his voice sounding very hoarse, breaking the room's silence. He stared at Hedin, Hogni, Dina, and Vena in turn with an expression that was very difficult to describe. "That means... when you were constructing that neural trap... when you were manipulating the storm and holding back my air waves..."
Zald swallowed hard, staring at Venti for confirmation of this impossibility. "They fought me when they were still Level 3?!"
Hedin adjusted his glasses casually. "Of course. Is there a problem with that, Sir Zald?"
Hogni grinned wildly, while Dina and Vena only smiled politely as if it were a normal thing.
Zald was truly speechless. In the Gekai, the level difference is an absolute law that cannot be penetrated. Level 5s and 6s from Orario like Finn and Ottar being overwhelmed by his attacks was very reasonable. However, these four Level 3 Elves managed to hold out, disrupt his rhythm, and even trap him at the end of the fight until a draw was created.
This was not just impressive. This was a slaughter of logic.
Zald stared at the parchment in his hand. His shock slowly evaporated, replaced by a wave of emotions that was incredibly foreign yet warmed his heart. A smile—a genuine smile that was very wide and radiated absolute relief—slowly etched itself onto the Gluttony's face.
His laughter broke out. The echo of his deep and heavy laughter filled the entire private room, not a laugh of condescension, but the laugh of someone who finally managed to shed the burden that had been crushing his soul all this time.
"Amazing... Truly amazing," Zald whispered, shaking his head with a gaze that now radiated a new life.
His mind drifted far away. In the past, the Zeus and Hera Familias were considered the pinnacle of invincible heroes. However, when faced with the One-Eyed Black Dragon, they were all crushed to dust. Zald had been despairing, thinking the world would never birth an entity capable of matching that Calamity.
But today, in this room, he saw a different truth.
He saw Alfia, the Silence whose power had breached Level 8. He saw these four anomalous Elves, who at Level 3 were capable of engineering a draw against him. He had himself, a Level 7 who would be freed from the Behemoth poison. And above them all, stood the director in the form of a bard—the God of Wind capable of bending the world's destiny with a smile.
"Perhaps..." Zald murmured softly, his eyes staring sharply toward Venti. "Perhaps this era... the generation under your wings, is far better and far more terrifying than the Zeus or Hera Familias in their heyday."
For the first time since Maxim fell, Zald saw it very clearly. Hope was real. With a foundation of strength this absolute, the shadow of the One-Eyed Black Dragon no longer looked like an inevitable apocalypse.
"Of course this era is better, Zald," Venti winked. "Because the wind of freedom is already blowing, and the true stage has only just begun."
The Kaios stage had concluded, but the rise of new monsters under the banner of the Barbatos Familia had sent invisible ripples that would soon shake the foundations of all Orario when they returned.
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