Chapter 2

In a land shrouded in black mist, not even grass or moss grew; instead, red-black crystals jutted out like thorns.

Dark purple clouds hung overhead, and lightning flashed incessantly between them, illuminating the surroundings.

It was dark and desolate.

Directly ahead loomed a mountain covered in red-black crystals.

"It looks like a castle."

Tueni's breath was white.

Indeed, the overlapping crystals did resemble castle walls and watchtowers. A low, growling sound, perhaps the wind, echoed intermittently.

Luo shuddered involuntarily.

If he were still in the village, he might have run away. But compared to the relentless interviews with the social worker Knox, this was much better.

"Luo, are you scared?"

Perhaps he had tightened his grip on their joined hands; Tueni asked worriedly.

What had his father said? Don't show weakness in front of a girl.

"Yeah, a little."

"Me too."

But fear is fear. What's important is not to run away when someone important is with you, Luo thought.

"Shall we go over there?"

"Okay."

As they approached the red-black crystal mountain, a crack suddenly appeared in the ground. It was right between Luo and Tueni, as if to tear them apart. When Luo lightly tapped the ground with his toe, the crack disappeared as if nothing had happened.

Next, the black mist swirling on the ground formed into a shape like a beast's jaw and attacked. Luo's strength had no effect on the fine mist. Tueni spread her arms to shield Luo, and a strong light emanated from her, enveloping them in a sphere. The black mist vanished upon contact with the light.

As they continued, a creature that looked like a monster appeared.

"It's a bug."

It flew with transparent wings and, upon landing, stood on four hind legs. Its remaining two front legs had hook-like fingers.

It was about three times the size of a human.

Its body was red-black and semi-transparent, reflecting lightning and sparkling.

"Is it a bee?"

"Maybe an ant. It has a thin waist and curved antennae."

Tueni was indeed knowledgeable.

But Luo instinctively realized:

This isn't a living thing.

The material is mineral. It must have been a stone deity like the one in the village, combined with evil power, and transformed.

He remembered that a mixture of two powers is called a "fusion."

He felt a stronger power than any monster he had seen before. Bringing it back to Sorciere might please her, but it seemed to be hostile.

It was supposed to be gentle.

"Go home."

Just as he had done with the stone deity when leaving the village, Luo returned the ant-like mineral to the earth.

As they approached the mountain, more ant-like minerals gathered. The ones with wings decreased, and those with front legs shaped like swords or sickles increased.

Luo returned all of them to the earth.

Soon, they reached the base of the red-black crystal mountain.

Each crystal pillar was larger than the elevators in Arshe's city. Luo, who liked high places, wanted to climb to the top, but he restrained himself.

A hole opened at the base of the mountain. The growling wind seemed to come from inside. The ant-like minerals stood guard, preventing them from entering.

The hole was already eerie and dark, and entering it was hesitant. The ant-like minerals also seemed wary and did not approach.

The standoff continued, but suddenly the growling grew louder.

"It's coming!"

Luo instinctively hugged Tueni.

In the next moment, a black flame burst from the hole, blowing away the ant-like minerals. The black flame rose into the air and then attacked from above.

"Tieu!"

"Luo!"

The surroundings vanished.

They couldn't see or hear anything.

Their senses were off.

It felt as if they were floating alone in the darkness, unable to tell which way was up or down.

He wasn't sure if he was still hugging Tueni or had let go.

"Tieu!"

He tried to shout, but no sound came out.

It felt like a nightmare.

He sensed a powerful presence nearby.

He focused his mind and strained his eyes.

Two red lights floated in the darkness, like someone's eyes.

It was a strange feeling.

He could sense the other's emotions.

The emotions that couldn't be put into words.

One of the powers within him, probably the evil power, seemed to connect with the presence in the darkness.

"Do you want Tieu?"

The presence in the darkness, in a state of madness, desired Tueni—what was inside her.

"No."

He couldn't say it.

"Tieu is mine."

And he belonged to Tueni.

The bond of family could not be changed by anyone.

The presence in the darkness tried to make Luo give up.

—You are alone.

"No."

One of the powers within him, the holy power, connected them.

Even if they couldn't see, hear, or feel each other, Tueni was still there.

—You are already dead.

"No."

One of the powers within him, the spirit power he had since childhood, told him his position on the ground.

He was standing on the ground.

He wasn't dead.

Suddenly, the other's emotions intensified.

Anger, frustration, hatred, desire, anxiety, loneliness, sadness. Amidst all the negative emotions, Luo sensed a faint positive one.

It was admiration.

A feeling of longing and desire.

"Do you want something?"

Luo asked the fading consciousness of the other.

"What do you want to do?"

As if to deny the answer, the negative emotions erupted.

A low growl was heard.

He felt the pressure of power.

It was overwhelming evil power.

He could only endure. If he exhausted his power and became too tired, he would be crushed.

Luo spoke to Tueni.

"Tieu, please. Protect me."

Luo didn't consider himself a hero.

They lived together.

With the same goal.

Helping each other.

In response to Luo's wish, the holy power swelled, and the pressure of the evil power weakened.

Luo understood that this put a burden on Tueni.

But preparation took time.

His power was far inferior to the evil deity's.

He would lose in a simple power struggle.

To defeat the evil deity—

Faster. Faster.

The time felt endless, but Tueni supported him.

"It's over."

With gratitude in his heart, Luo spoke to the presence in the darkness.

"Look, open your eyes. Look up."

The darkness disappeared in the next moment.

"L, Luo!"

Tueni called his name nearby. She must have been anxious about the lack of sensation. Her face looked like she was about to cry.

In front of them, the red-black crystal mountain was gone.

In its place was a huge, hemispherical depression. The cross-section of the depression revealed passages and small rooms, like a cut-out ant nest.

Rainbow-colored light balls floated up from various points in the depression and ascended into the sky.

"Sorciere told me."

To defeat the evil deity, one had to wait for a star that doesn't shine, falling from the sky.

Waiting was impossible, but creating it was possible.

The name of the star—

"Meteor."

Luo saw it.

In the center of the depression, a creature, its body enveloped in flames and its abdomen pierced by a thin rod, stood with its arms outstretched as if it had been waiting.

Luo hugged Tueni and covered them with a hard shell, sinking into the ground.

A glowing crystal giant appeared from the sky.

The clouds were blown away.

The ground was also blown away.