As night slowly fell over the Frontier settlement, Lisa and her group entered the main hall where Nerva and the others were already seated. Harrietta had come by to catch up and was eager to hear all the details about the goddess.

  When Harrietta saw Lisa walk in with three spirits sleeping on her, she jumped up in shock.

  “How in the hell does she have three spirits, and that mana? Are they all stronger than mine?” she exclaimed, dumbfounded.

  “Haha, two high-tier and one mid-tier,” Scry laughed. “What can I say? She’s just more talented than you.”

  Nerva turned, eyes wide. “Lisa, dear… I didn’t know you had such a gift.”

  “They’re my friends! Everyone, meet Ruffy, Shelly, and Max!” Lisa announced cheerfully.

  The room went quiet for a moment, then chuckled. Poor spirits with such names, they thought.

  “Auntie, bring out Sparky so he can meet everyone!” Lisa called.

  Harrietta sighed but obliged, releasing her fire spirit. Sparky floated over and began chatting with the three spirits.

  Xarion caught a glimpse of the dark wyrm and smiled proudly.

  “She even bonded with a spirit wyrm. They’re as proud as real dragons! Good job, Lisa!” he shouted.

  Lisa beamed and skipped around, her spirits and Sparky following close behind.

  At the table, Liliya, Umbra in her human form, and Scry sat smiling with pride.

  “So, Liliya, what happened?” Nerva asked, confused.

  Scry answered before Liliya could speak. “Turns out Lisa is a very talented Spirit Summoner. We didn’t expect her to summon three, and all of them strong.”

  “That’s a good thing, right?” Nerva asked, concerned.

  “It’s amazing,” Liliya finally said. “She’ll be able to summon even more as she grows. At this rate, she might become the kingdom’s cornerstone.”

  “Good, good. She needs something to fill her broken heart. Thank you both for looking after her,” Nerva said gratefully.

  “No problem. She’s my student, after all,” Scry smiled.

  “Mine too!” Liliya added with a playful frown, prompting laughter from the group.

  “Where are Eira and the others?” Scry asked.

  “Eira got a new home and is enjoying herself. Kran and Hansen will be here shortly,” Harrietta explained.

  “So, what’s the plan while we wait for Kai?” Zara asked.

  “You’re free to do as you wish. Theodor approved it. We’ll stay here until Kai wakes or we’re needed,” Nerva replied.

  “Great! I’ll train Lisa in magic and help Lucius with his Paladin ideas,” Liliya said happily.

  Lucius lit up. “I can’t wait!”

  “I’ll help too. Don’t forget me,” Scry added.

  “And you?” Nerva turned to Umbra.

  “I’ll rest. My body’s improved rapidly since meeting Kai, but I need to settle into this new form. I’ll need a sparring partner now and then.”

  “I can help with that,” Nerva offered.

  “Deal,” Umbra smirked.

  “We’ll rest as well,” Xarion said, speaking for himself and Zara.

  And so, the group made their plans to train, rest, and wait for Kai.

  As the night passed, they gathered with Arama and the rest of the group for a small feast. Afterward, everyone retired for the evening.

  ***

  The next morning, Eira began training Kran on the outskirts of the Frontier’s land. She taught him how to control his now-evolved mana and use it to enhance his body. She explained that, with time, he should be able to awaken some of the bloodline abilities unique to his kind.

  Meanwhile, inside the village, Scry and Liliya trained Lisa and Lucius, Lisa in magic and spirit arts, and Lucius in light skills and a few Paladin arts they had access to.

  The others rested and reflected.

  Thus, a month passed without Kai waking up. Liliya would occasionally visit him to check on his condition. Umbra and Scry noticed this but said nothing, understanding how complicated the situation was.

  Nerva occasionally contacted Theodor to gather information about the battlefield. He learned that things had stagnated, as if Rond was preparing something. Their attacks had nearly ceased.

  Both Nerva and Theodor had a bad feeling about it.

  During Lisa’s lessons, Harrietta would sneak in and listen, quietly learning how to better control her spirit as well.

  Umbra grew more comfortable in her new body and spent more time in her human form. She sparred a few times with Nerva and noticed she felt more natural attacking in her Tigerhawk form. Nerva advised her to explore weapon arts and find a style that suited her, so she could be equally strong in her human form.

  On the other hand, Zara had been oddly quiet and meditated more than usual, Xarion watching over her quietly.

  And so, another month passed. Kai remained unchanged, his body absorbing mana, unmoving. At this point, everyone began to worry.

  ***

  Inside Kai’s inner world, the Thunder Tree pulsed with renewed mana, its branches crackling with arcs of lightning.

  ?His Winged Hydragon, his soul, lay dormant, bathed in the green mana of the goddess, which continued to radiate outward, nourishing the world around it.

  ?The third eye on its main head twitched faintly, releasing subtle waves of ethereal energy.

  Within Kai’s mind, he drifted through the vastness of the cosmos, suspended in a complete abyss.

  He was nothing, and nothing was him.

  No body, no form, only scattered particles of energy slowly converging toward a single point.

  Then, as if enough mana had gathered, the particles fused into a radiant green diamond.

  ?It began to accelerate, absorbing the mana of the universe.

  Pure origin mana flowed into and around the gem, forming a mist of vibrant green energy.

  The more it absorbed, the more the mist thickened.

  Time passed, years, then millennia.

  Kai was unaware of it all, his consciousness fixed on the gem, sensing only the flow of mana.

  Then, after millions of years, something changed, and the gem ceased its absorption.

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  The green mist condensed, forming a person-sized bud of shimmering energy.

  A single year passed before the bud bloomed into a gentle white flower.

  From its heart emerged a perfect woman with flowing green hair, nude and serene.

  ?She blinked slowly, her emerald eyes reflecting newfound awareness.

  With a thought, she clothed herself in a simple white dress and absorbed the flower into her being.

  As she did, green vines sprouted from her mana, growing into thick tree trunks before dissolving back into the life force of the goddess.

  “This is my truth. This is me. Life is ever-changing; even in death, there is new life.” She spoke, her voice soft yet resonant.

  The universe pulsed in response, imprinting a fading seal upon her forehead, an acknowledgment of her truth and existence.

  Kai’s mind merged with the goddess, and he saw the universe through her eyes. He became a passenger in her world.

  Through her gaze, the cosmos was radiant. Nebulas of pure mana swirled in vibrant colors. Wormholes connected distant realms effortlessly.

  A colossal galaxy spun in harmony, and the goddess descended into its heart.

  Within this singular galaxy, within the first universe of the Infinite Nest, stood a solitary planet: Sacra.

  Seeing it from this vantage, Kai grasped its immense scale.

  ?Three moons orbited it, each vast; even the smallest was larger than Earth.

  The goddess felt a pull and descended onto the largest moon. Its surface was barren, yet something called to her.

  She followed the pull to a deep valley, where a white gem spun slowly, condensing moonlight mana.

  Kai recognized it: another god was being born.

  The goddess sat beside the gem, watching with a gentle smile.

  “Grow, brother. This one here will be your big sister. That’s what fate has willed.”

  As the gem absorbed mana, she walked the moon’s surface, creating life with every step.

  ?Grass grew where she tread; forests bloomed where she waved her hand.

  ?Over centuries, the moon’s barren face was cloaked in vibrant life.

  Eventually, the gem ceased absorbing mana and formed a massive white egg.

  ?Days later, the egg cracked open, revealing a pale figure with radiant white hair.

  He opened his eyes, red pupils gleaming, and smiled. Covered himself in white robes and absorbed the eggshells into his being.

  “Moonlight brings serenity. Light shines over the deepest darkness and banishes evil,” The god of moonlight declared, as a white blade condensed in his palm.

  The goddess smiled, and Kai stared in awe. The blade’s form mirrored his Soul Blade, only unimaginably stronger. So this is how the skill was born, he thought.

  “Welcome, brother. It seems fate has brought us together. I am Viridya, goddess of life and change,” she said warmly.

  “Hello, sister. I felt you watching over me all these years. Thank you. I am Seleneth, God of moonlight and combat,” he replied, smiling.

  The two gods spent years together, speaking of their truths and the meaning of existence. Kai listened. Some things he understood; others slipped through his grasp.

  ?Yet everything he experienced strengthened his mind, preparing him for the day he might reach the godly realm himself.

  ***

  One day, Viridya felt it was time to create true life. With Seleneth’s help, she birthed the Thalunids, a race that embodied both gods.

  They possessed long lifespans, mastered moonlight, and excelled in combat, yet cherished peace.

  Together, the gods watched over them, with Kai as a silent witness. They nurtured the Thalunids, guiding them into a powerful nation.

  ?Over time, the Thalunids expanded to the other moons, and some even settled on Sacra.

  But this migration stirred conflict. The Eldari opposed them, and so began an everlasting war.

  The gods did not intervene. They were permitted to create life but forbidden from influencing mortal choices or intervening in their wars.

  The first death among the Thalunids brought sorrow to Viridya. Yet she accepted it, knowing that even in death, life could bloom anew.

  Seleneth, however, chose a different path.

  He selected apostles and gifted them divine skills: Moonlit Dance and Silver Eclipse Body, skills that would become the backbone of Thalunid champions.

  Kai recognized them instantly. These skills were the backbone of his strength, but now, watching the Thalunids wield them, his understanding deepened.

  His proficiency grew, layer by layer, insight by insight.

  Millions of years passed.

  Viridya created countless lifeforms, plant-like beasts of every kind, and helped them evolve. These creatures formed symbiotic bonds with the Thalunids, growing together in harmony.

  Kai, through Viridya’s eyes, learned the intricate control of life energy and evolution. He gained insights into his third magic circle, starting to learn how life mana can be delicate and powerful.

  Then, one day, an emissary of Luminarius arrived. A man clad in golden armor, with two pairs of pure white wings covering his back.

  He demanded that Seleneth join the armies of Luminarius under the Pantheon of Light, but Seleneth refused.

  Proud and independent, he saw no reason to serve another god, especially not one who waged unnecessary wars.

  He also refused to fight Erion, who occasionally visited Viridya for peaceful conversations.

  After the emissary left, nothing happened for a time. They heard whispers of war, and eventually, the six elemental gods were defeated.

  In his fury, Luminarius attacked the moon. He sought to punish Seleneth and destroy Viridya, Erion’s friend.

  He unleashed his children, the Eldari, to exterminate the Thalunids. Meanwhile, his High Gods invaded Seleneth’s sanctuary. Seleneth fought valiantly, even slaying one of the High Gods, but he was too late.

  ***

  On the far side of the moon, Luminarius appeared.

  He resembled the Eldari Kai had seen in Vaelthar’s memories, only more divine.

  ?His hair shimmered with pure light, and a radiant halo crowned his head. He wielded a spear of light and struck Viridya.

  She stood no chance against a Primordial God.

  He stabbed her through the stomach, piercing her soul and shattering her Divine Spark instantly. Her green gem exploded, releasing a tidal wave of origin mana.

  She screamed, and Kai screamed with her. He felt her pain as if it were his own. It was as though his very existence was being erased from the universe.

  Around her, plants withered. Beasts died, and her mind fractured under the agony.

  With the last of her strength, she summoned thorny vines and forged a bow of life energy.

  “Life brings death!” she cried.

  She fired arrows of decaying mana, one of which slashed Luminarius’s cheek. The wound resisted healing, darkening, and decaying his flesh further.

  He roared in rage and summoned pillars of light, which struck and exploded, tearing Viridya’s body in half. The explosion propelled her off the moon’s surface, hurtling toward Sacra.

  As she fell, she screamed, not just from the loss of her divinity and body, but from the anguish of sensing her children dying.

  She crashed into Sacra, landing on the Eastsun continent. Her impact carved a massive crater, from which deep green grass began to grow, her life mana seeping into the land.

  She lost consciousness, and Kai, bound to her, faded into darkness.?

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