Uriel and Elaine landed in an empty street, and the silence that met them was heavy. A quiet that bore the scars of a violent exchange.
The paved ground was scattered with debris from shattered buildings, pits and craters marking the scene.
The wind whistled, carrying faint traces of chaotic energy still clashing in the atmosphere.
Elaine approached Jack’s lone figure. "Where’s Seth?"
The taciturn friend simply shook his head, wordlessly expressing his lack of an answer.
The three remained still, letting their Will sweep over the area in hopes of sensing Seth’s presence...
But there was nothing. How was that possi—
Their thoughts halted as a sudden violent upheaval nearby caught their attention.
On the wall of a half-crumbled building, a swirling mass of darkness formed, releasing streams of formless shadows. From it, something plopped out, startling the trio.
The object tumbled to the earth, rolling before them until it came to a halt.
The three blinked, exchanging glances filled with both relief and confusion.
There it was—the decapitated head of the Treants’ team leader. Whatever happened, Seth had come out on top.
But the question remained: why were they seeing it?
In the Origin Realm, upon death, the body vanished and was returned to its source alive and whole.
Whatever was happening, only one person could explain.
Their gazes lifted back to the undulating portal. Suddenly, an arm burst out of the murky swirl, grabbing the wall for support. Seth pulled himself free, tumbling to the ground.
His chest plate rose and fell heavily as he lay on his back, staring at the sky. He dismissed his armor, letting his ragged breaths run free.
His hair sprawled in silver coils. Rising to meet his friends’ gaze, he chuckled, "Hehehe, that was a close one."
This battle taught him never to judge a book by its cover. He never imagined anything within a Noble-grade evolver’s arsenal could pose such a threat.
But now he understood more intimately the saying: not everything was black and white.
Just because one had a Noble-grade skill didn’t diminish their danger in the slightest.
Lesson learned, Seth affirmed mentally. Getting to his feet, he patted the dirt from his clothes.
"Well?" Elaine spoke suddenly, drawing his attention.
Seth blinked, glancing their way. "What?" But following their gaze, he noticed the severed head before him.
"Ah, that? Hehe, you guys won’t believe it!" Seth kicked the head aside and began explaining the situation.
By the time he finished, the three looked as though they had seen a ghost.
"T-they have a way of bypassing the Origin rules?" Elaine gasped in horror.
Seth nodded grimly, staring at the head in the distance. "If they were any stronger..."
A chilling silence followed his words as the three comprehended the meaning.
Understanding how vulnerable this Binding Mortality could render them sent shivers down their spines.
"That’s why we have to keep striving to grow stronger," Uriel declared firmly.
A smile returned to Seth’s lips. He nodded. "Yeah, man. That’s why we have to keep grinding relentlessly."
Who knew how many strange methods evolvers across the Origin Realm possessed?
The only solution was to grow stronger. Fortunately for the human race, growth came as naturally as breathing.
"Okay guys, it’s about time I got a nap." Seth yawned, stretching as he switched his armor for a lighter variant.
Before he could walk away, Uriel called out, "Before we leave, what are we going to do about our little friend over there?" He pointed toward a half-shattered stall.
Silence followed until an awkward cough rang out. A small silhouette waddled from hiding, scratching his nose sheepishly. Malgo glanced at the four, his gaze filled with newfound fear and respect.
These four had just completely annihilated the entire Treant team.
Mind you, this was the same Treants who had taken control of the entire settlement in a single day.
Not a single evolver in Greenfold could contest their might. Yet these four...
"Ahem! Good friends, I never knew you guys were big shots!" Malgo said, trying to dispel the awkward silence, admiration shining in his eyes.
Seth shook his head, unwilling to waste time. He waved dismissively. "Let’s leave the little guy. We don’t have the time."
Barely finished speaking, he was already walking away. The four gave Malgo one last glance before following.
Seth was right. It had been a strenuous day. Not only did they challenge their class quest, they also fought the Treants.
Even if physical exhaustion was overwhelming, they were mentally drained. Hunger gnawed at them too—fighting had burned not only essence and stamina but a staggering amount of calories.
"Hm?" Jack’s brows rose, noticing the little man still trailing behind them.
Seeing Jack’s shift in gaze, Uriel rolled his eyes. "What is it?"
Malgo licked his lips, his shifty eyes darting nervously. "Ahem!" He cleared his throat. "By any chance, is there a possibility your esteemed selves might refun—"
"No!" Uriel snapped, not even letting him finish, causing the imp to choke on his words.
Not daring to push further, Malgo stayed quiet for a minute before speaking again, still waddling behind. "Wait, if you’re looking for a safe residence, I can take you to a better place. Not that cramped, uncomfortable spot... if you’re interested."
But the four ignored him. What did they need comfort for?
In the Origin Realm, safe residencies weren’t essential. They just needed a quiet location to depart and return.
It wasn’t like they were going to nap. By morning, their time limit would elapse, and they’d return to Earth anyway.
Comfort was the least of their concerns—it wasn’t an exaggeration.
Seeing he couldn’t get their attention, but unwilling to miss an opportunity, Malgo fished out a meta card from his inventory.
"Here!" he said, rushing forward to present it to Seth.
"Whatever you need—items, potions, talismans—I’m your guy! If you want to sell, I’ll give you the best price in the whole realm."
That caught Seth’s attention. Glancing at the shiny metallic card, he accepted it. Printed text of unknown symbols shimmered with Will.
Seth’s eyes flashed as he comprehended it was an address and password of sorts. "We’ll consider it," he remarked, sending the card into his inventory.
Smiling, Malgo handed cards to the others, ensuring all four had one. Once done, he waved. "Be sure to pay a visit! I’ll be expecting you!" With that, he stopped pestering them and went his way.
Meanwhile, the four walked out of the isolated area, entering a lively street filled with evolvers—some drunk and laughing, others quietly minding their business.
Within minutes, they arrived at the safe residential quarters.
The three decided to rent a single room to minimize costs. After paying 75 essence crystals, the evolver in charge handed them the key.
Entering the room, they were hit with a stale, musty odor. The air was humid, though the place was tidier than expected.
Locking the door, they didn’t relax or touch anything. Instead, they activated the Origin Gates within their consciousness.
It was time to go home...
...
Meanwhile, far away in a world of green...
On the planet Valerius, home of the Treants.
Shatter!
Shaine smashed a table in fury, her hair a scattered mess from her rampage.
"Fucking cunt, I’ll kill you myself!" she hissed for what seemed the hundredth time. Outside her room, guards flinched at the furious bellow of the princess.
Seething, searching for the next item to destroy, a knock rang out, halting her rage.
Turning to the door with a dark expression, she wondered who dared disturb her.
A voice spoke from the other side. "Princess Shaine Vlorac, Duke Verdil seeks your presence."
Shaine’s expression eased slightly, but she still demanded, "Why?!"
The voice paused, then replied, "It seems the life lamp of his heir, Young Master Vamel, has gone out."
Shaine’s heart skipped a beat, her eyes widening, her expression stiffening.
Vamel... dead?
His image resurfaced in her mind—the cocky grin he wore when that bitch dragged her away. Her thoughts spiraled. "H-how could that be?" she muttered, disbelieving.
Her eyes reddened, her teeth ground as she thought of their foes. It must have been them!
After dealing with her, those bastards must have joined with their leader to kill Vamel.
Her veins bulged; her teeth clenched. "This is war!" she roared.
Naturally, even as a princess, she didn’t have the authority to make such a proclamation, but she was confident that once she explained what happened to both her father, the king and the Duke.
They will be interested in this strange foreign race she and her team encountered. "Just you wait, Vamel, I’ll make sure their entire race will be sent to keep you company."