Chapter 239 – Lake of Memories (Four)

[Move! Toward the light!]

The fox spirit dashed through the air, dodging the pouring crimson raindrops.

Seeing the approaching form of the Giant of Light, it recalled old, ancient memories.

They were memories from an unfathomably distant past, passed down from an unknown time.

A deep blue giant, surrounded by all other races, fighting while toppling mountains and splitting the earth.

And thousands of spirits gathered together, transforming into a massive form to confront the giant.

Yes, that was the reason.

The very reason the orange tail had commanded all spirits to charge toward the Giant of Light.

To unite their power and defeat the enemy, just like in the distant past.

Nearly a thousand spirits existing on the island were sucked into the body of the Giant of Light.

The light grew stronger and swelled.

The rapidly growing Giant of Light instantly caught up to the height of the previously expanding Crimson Giant.

And the fierce struggle of strength between fist and grip began to tip back in favor of the Giant of Light.

[This cannot be.]

The massive ancient script surrounding the Crimson Giant’s body rippled in bewilderment.

It was endlessly absorbing crimson-colored raindrops and animals, but it couldn’t keep up with the Giant of Light’s growth.

[This cannot be happening.]

A dazzling light transferred.

From the Giant of Light’s grip.

To the Crimson Giant’s fist.

The radiant light cluster spread like flames, covering the Crimson Giant’s entire body.

[How dare you. A puppet devoid of all emotion.]

The Giant of Light calmly stared at the Doctor’s avatar swirling with crimson particles.

Calling me a puppet.

[A mere shell that hasn’t even properly regained its power yet.]

Calling me a shell.

No, that’s not right.

Because the emotions surging in my chest right now prove my humanity.

[The world you created failed, but the world I will build upon it will be flawless. The failure should quietly disappear into the annals of history.]

Doctor, do you also imagine?

I cannot fully understand the meaning of the sentences you are uttering now.

But at the very least.

The world you dream of and the world I envision must surely have vastly different landscapes.

[Doctor, no, Redran.]

The Crimson Giant flinched.

[I will find you.]

With the sight of the crimson mana trembling with fear as the last thing seen, the entire island was engulfed in light.

And a moment later, when the light cleared.

The Crimson Giant had vanished without a trace from its spot.

The Giant of Light, standing in the evaporated lake, knew there was still work to be done.

It turned its body and stared at the crimson sphere positioned beyond the clouds.

It raised its hand.

Crackle!

A terrifying amount of electrical current gathered in its grip, beginning to form an elongated shape.

Crack! Crackle!

All kinds of light mana, including that of the spirits, flowed through the Giant of Light’s body.

The multicolored light mana, circulating through its body like blood flow, traveled along the outstretched arm and arrived at the grip, mixing there.

Crackle!

The final color that appeared was a white of near-infinite purity.

The Giant of Light swung its arm with all its might, and the spear composed of white electrical current split the sky with a roar.

Kwa-rrrrrrrrr───!

The moment after the light flashed.

The white spear flew, splitting the fired crimson beam in half, and pierced the sphere.

Zzzeok! Zzzeozeok!

As the light of the white spear intensified, cracks began to form on the sphere.

The two mana conglomerates soon emitted light with a massive explosion.

──────!

At the earth-shaking roar, every living being on the ground couldn’t help but look up at the sky.

The Dwarves, who had been deeply engrossed in constructing the Underground City.

The animals exploring among the newly sprouting vegetation in the wilderness.

The Elves gathered around the newly met World Tree.

Grine, who had been talking with the Dwarf Elders.

Is, looking down at the people from the watchtower of Rael Row.

Veronica, standing alone with a worried face, looking up at the World Tree.

Literally, everyone.

“Look, look at that!”

“Good heavens, there’s a hole in the sky…!”

“To think the sky was originally that color…!”

Shocked exclamations flowed from everywhere.

Originally, the sky, regardless of race, was a concept no different from the infinite expanse of the Black Cloud.

But now.

The landscape reflected in their eyes was a massive hole torn in the center of the Black Cloud and the ‘real’ sky visible beyond it.

“Marvelous…! A sky of such vivid blue…!”

“I’ve seen the clear night sky several times thanks to mana storms. …But seeing it like this in broad daylight is a first in my life.”

“It’s beautiful. I’ve never seen a color like that in my life.”

A clear midday sky was a landscape one could see, even with immense luck, only a handful of times in a lifetime.

That story was no different even for Dwarves and Elves with longer lifespans than humans.

The Dwarf Elders conversed, swept up in awe.

“If my intuition isn’t wrong, it seems that phenomenon was certainly caused by that boy.”

“He went up to the top of the World Tree this morning. He brushed aside all our dissuasions that even if we grew the World Tree taller, it wouldn’t reach the island.”

“But now the needle of the mana meter is pointing straight at that island that looks like a dot over there. It indicates that an enormous mana wave of immense magnitude occurred on that island just a moment ago.”

“So you mean that boy really reached the island?”

The speculation that the hole in the sky was related to the boy was, for now, accurate.

The white spear and the sphere’s explosion.

The massive mana storm caused by it had annihilated all the Black Cloud in the area.

“…….”

Grine had recognized much earlier that something was happening above the clouds.

Because.

[────!]

[─────!]

For over ten minutes, Pepper and Salt had been showing very excited gestures while looking at the sky.

Their forms, transformed into green mana bodies, jumping up and down incessantly in place, seemed as if they wanted to reach the island.

“Pepper, Salt, you are spirits still lacking the power to fly. The Life Stone that can supply you with mana is currently in Ray-nim’s possession. Please calm your excitement for now.”

She attempted communication, but the two spirits showed no sign of calming down easily.

Giving up, Grine calmly raised her head and looked up at the island.

“What on earth is there… that makes you lose control of your emotions like this?”

Losing control of emotions was the same for Grine as well.

A strong surge of inquisitiveness and curiosity boiled within her chest.

And at that moment, there was another woman looking up at the sky.

‘Ray-ya…….’

Large red pupils trembled with anxiety and worry.

Veronica had sprung up from the bus entrance steps and come outside as soon as the roar was heard.

Should she have followed somehow?

Her faith in the boy was immeasurably great… but it was unavoidable to feel anxious when he was out of sight.

Because she knew the boy’s personality.

A relentless personality that would brave any danger for a goal.

‘What did he say before leaving? That it’s okay because I’ll heal him even if he falls while climbing the World Tree?’

Veronica snorted.

Sorry, Ray-ya!

If you fall from that height, not even the grandfather of the grandfather of the all-powerful God could save you!

Suddenly choked up, the girl swung her fists through the air.

Then, she suddenly witnessed a point of light floating at a position even higher than the island.

It was the sun.

Why was it?

The sun, the source and origin of all light, gave off an inescapable feeling of being somewhat hazy and dim.

“…….”

The girl looked up at the sun with an entranced gaze.

The White Sun residing in her chest was emitting an intense light.

Immediately after the crimson sphere was destroyed, the spirits poured out in droves from the Giant of Light’s body.

Returning to their physical bodies, they rolled around the lakeside, groaning with all their might.

[So tired…!]

[I’m dying…! A brave and cute spirit is dying…!]

[It sucked all my power dry…!]

While the spirits were dazed, the Giant of Light gradually shrank in form.

Soon becoming small, the light cleared to reveal Ray.

“…….”

The boy with calm eyes focused on every sensation he could perceive.

The scenery visible to his eyes.

The smells reaching his nose.

The sounds heard by his ears.

The tactile sensations touching his skin.

Every sensation was vivid.

And his mind was clearer than ever.

‘If I handled such an absurd amount of mana, I should have collapsed from exhaustion immediately.’

At the very least, wouldn’t I have lost consciousness and done nothing but sleep for nearly ten days?

The reason for his current intact state was thanks to the gem and spirit mana boasting extremely high quality.

The exhilaration also played a part.

The excitement over the magics he had imagined to the fullest and manifested.

That heated emotion continuously fueled his thoughts and actions to not stop.

‘The Blue Horn and the fox kits….’

Thanks to the spirits protecting them with all their might, they seemed unharmed without a single wound.

Ray offered a warm word to commend the spirits’ efforts.

[To be this exhausted, the spirits here aren’t much either.]

[Not much, you say!]

[What did you just say!]

At that moment, hundreds of balls formed from the two gems’ mana were scattered.

[It’s mine! Everyone move aside!]

[The spirit that bites first gets it!]

Ray passed through the spirits jumping to bite the balls and approached Blue.

‘The crack in the core is worse than before.’

While examining Blue’s condition, Philip, who had approached from the side, spoke.

“Grr, but, about the treatment method for the core, did you find any clues?”

“…….”

Ray pulled the Cataran mana ball from Philip’s mouth and threw it far away.

Then, grabbing the scruff of Philip’s neck as he tried to chase after it, he lifted him to eye level.

“My mana! I barely managed to get it in my mouth after fending off those leopard and wolf guys! And you just…? Huh? Huh, very good. Could you perhaps increase the output a little more?”

Philip, who had been protesting in surprise, soon felt the gem’s mana being infused into his body and made a satisfied face.

“Grr, but Ray-nim. Did you find memories regarding the core’s treatment method in the lake?”

Ray looked at the lake, now just a massive crater with all water completely evaporated, and spoke.

“I found them, but I don’t remember.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Too many memories were absorbed all at once. Among them, there must certainly be memories about the core’s treatment method, but the information in my head isn’t well organized right now.”

“Grr! But the Blue Horn needs treatment quickly…!”

“It’s okay, there’s another way.”

Setting Philip down, Ray moved his steps toward the lake. Philip chased after him to the side and asked.

“Can that other method also heal a damaged core?”

“No, I won’t heal Blue’s core. I’ll leave it broken as it is.”

“Grr? What do you mean….”

Tap.

Stopping his steps, Ray stared at one object in the center of the lakebed.

“Grr! It’s the Stone Tablet! The one Ray-nim was looking for!”

Ray quietly nodded.

Tens of thousands of memories that had been dissolved in the lake’s water.

All memories were absorbed into the boy’s mind but were still in a jumbled state, not yet organized.

However, there was one memory that was uniquely clear and impossible not to recognize.

…What content the woman in the purple robe recorded on the Stone Tablet before lifting the island into the sky.

The boy’s lips parted.

“I’m going to make a new core for Blue.”

The woman called that creation.