Day Six After the Longest Nightfall...
The Seventh Enlightenment had been anything but idle since that night.
They scattered across the nine islands of Erna Isles, each executing a mission far larger than themselves.
In the shattered human kingdom of Volxane, Xander Fedres, Farrynelle Skyrover and Eldrigan Hanabas were engaged in the largest active skirmish outside the Fallen Bridge.
Eldrigan's brute force, Xander's military mind and Farrynelle's swift strikes blended into an unstoppable trio.
Meanwhile, they worked closely with the last survivors of the kingdom, ushering them into teleportation arrays leading to the Halo Islands' Obsidian Runic Spire.
Peroncerea Ceres, Natalis and Denisia Andelaris were spread thin across the remaining islands. Though Denisia and Natalis served more as scouts and reporters, Peroncerea was directly involved in Krepsuna elimination.
However, Imperfecta Magistra was sealed.
All Minafallen students stationed there, except members of the Seventh Enlightenment were unable to exit. And because of that, the Infected Krepsunas trapped within would have to be exterminated later. For now, they focused on purging the ones outside.
Inside the now-abandoned streets outside the ORS, Phaenora walked steadily, her eyes gleaming with fatigue and focus. She had been the nervous system of the Seventh Enlightenment in these six days. Her telepathic tether, attuned to every member of the group, worked like a constant floodgate. It felt like an open channel that never rested.
News. Alerts. Updates. Requests.
"Volxane cleared. Civilians evacuated. Winter Labor neutralized."
"Rogue spawn in Lake of Miracles collapsed cliffside. Runner-level infected."
"Denisia spotted a group of residuals traveling west of the Sandstorm Island."
"System Update: Krepsuna spawning rate down by 95%."
"Natalis detected a burst of unstable Divine pressure. Probably Elyonari."
Even with her teasing personality, Phaenora was the only one capable of holding the Enlightenment together through sheer connection alone.
Beside her walked Adelasta. While not nearly as talkative as Phaenora, Adelasta provided her own contribution, which was strategic management. She was cold and efficient. While Phaenora tracked, Adelasta calculated. Her time with Vastarael had sharpened her foresight.
Today, the two of them strolled silently through a frost-draped town square just outside the ORS gates. Frozen lamps stood like statues. Snow dust coated crates and benches. All civilians had long since been escorted within the ORS for safety.
It was here where they finally paused.
"You know…" Phaenora muttered, rubbing her temple. "He really did it, huh?"
Adelasta looked over, raising a brow.
"Veneri?"
"Half a million. He killed all those Infected Krepsunas alone."
Her voice trembled with disbelief.
"He was the weakest. Even Eldrigan used to complain that he was too slow. Now?"
Adelasta didn't reply at first. Her eyes remained on the horizon, where the frost met the ocean.
"He was never weak," she said finally. "We just… never understood the depth of him."
"No…" Phaenora added with a wry smile. "We really didn't."
Two days ago, everyone in the Academy System had received the same notification.
[Seventh Enlightenment Student: Vastarael Richinaria has slain 530,163 Infected Krepsunas simultaneously.]
[Evolution complete. Status: Ascended to Divinity. He is the first Divine of the Seventh Enlightenment.]
[Elyonari Mintheris: Ascended to Divinity. Status confirmed.]
[World Event: Frozen God's Army Reduced. Spawning Decrease: 95%.]
[Krepsuna origin: Confirmed to be Fallen Bridge. Current threat level: Reduced.]
Farrynelle had nearly screamed when she saw the update. She was proud, sure, but she also felt a weird sting.
"That idiot... did it without telling us. Again."
Eldrigan, who was bandaging his arm at the time, said nothing, though he clenched his jaw harder than usual.
Xander, always tactical, simply nodded and muttered, "He bought us time. That's all we needed."
Denisia and Natalis had the most emotional response.
"Vastarael? Divine? Before Eldrigan?"
Denisia had asked aloud, blinking several times.
"He earned it," Natalis whispered.
Peroncerea, surprisingly, didn't react. She was still in Krepsuna combat mode. But no one denied what had now become reality
Vastarael Richinaria, the humble glaive-wielder, the strategist who rarely boasted, the supposed weakest link, was the first among them to become a Divine.
And not only that… he'd changed the battlefield entirely.
As the two of them continued their patrol in the ghost town, Adelasta turned toward Phaenora again.
"You think he's changed?"
Phaenora tilted her head. "He's a Divine now. He has to change."
"No, I mean… him. Not just the body. The inside."
The sky was still dim. The longest nightfall had not yet lifted. Phaenora stared at it with wide eyes. Then she smirked.
"I want to see him like that."
Adelasta didn't smile, but her amber eyes twitched.
"So do I."
They both stood quietly, gazing at the sky.
The soft crunch of snow and dirt was the only sound breaking the lull in the ruined town outside the ORS. Adelasta's eyes narrowed. Phaenora tilted her head, one ear twitching slightly in the wind.
They turned and there she was.
Elyonari Mintheris.
She stood two and a half meters in height, carrying a presence so vibrant and overwhelming it made the snow at her feet melt slightly, turning into blooming patches of wild grass and flowers. They grew and flourished with each step she took, as if the earth itself was awakening beneath her soles. Her silver hair, usually long and braided, now flowed like a river of moonlight, slightly raised by an invisible updraft of her divine aura. Even her emerald eyes were glowing.
And atop her head, a black crystal crown of thorns floated in absolute stillness. Her white sleeveless robe flowed along the ground behind her. Her arms… were covered in vines, which pulsed green. They curled lazily around her forearms, occasionally blooming small flowers, thorns, or leaves that crumbled into motes of light. It was as if nature itself had become part of her being.
She smiled gently.
"Hello," she said, her voice radiant and soft but filled with another divine one above it, like two people speaking at once.
Adelasta's jaw tensed slightly but it was Phaenora who sprinted first, dashing toward her. She grabbed both of Elyonari's hands, staring at her in stunned disbelief.
"Elyonari?! You're—You're a Divine now?! Like... actually?? You're so tall and.what is even this vibe you're giving off?! It's so intimidating but I love it! Also, how the hell do you still smell like flowers in this snowy weather?!"
Adelasta walked slower. She stopped next to them, one hand folded over her chest.
"How does it feel? Being a Divine I mean."
Elyonari smiled again, a bit tiredly this time.
"It feels… right, like I was always meant to be this, and my body finally caught up. I can feel the life in every leaf."
Adelasta nodded slowly, observing her for a few more seconds.
"Where's Vastarael?"
The smile faded.
Just like that, her whole demeanor quieted. She looked away.
"He's gone to the Submerged Island. With Narisva."
Phaenora blinked. "Narisva?"
"Apparently, there's something he needs to finish. He didn't say exactly what it was... only that it's something connected to the Epoch Cycle."
"Epoch Cycle?" Adelasta frowned, her voice tightening. "Narisva just found the Submerged Islands. Is he trying to end it?"
Elyonari met her gaze. "Yes. That's what he said."
Adelasta exhaled, her tone visibly irritated.
"Why does he always insist on doing things alone? Why is it always him who runs headfirst into the end of the world? It's been two and a half years and he's always carried more weight than we thought he could."
There was silence again.
"Anyway," Phaenora said after a beat, trying to lighten the mood, "Can you uh... maybe… shrink? I mean, not to be rude, but you're kinda making me feel like a gnome."
Elyonari chuckled softly. "I would. But… I can't. Not yet. My Divinity is still too unstable. If I reverted to my normal height, I'd run the risk of my Divinity overloading my physical form. It could tear my body apart."
Adelasta nodded in understanding. "So you need to stabilize."
"Exactly. Vastarael went through it too. His Divine Transformation lasted for about two full days before his body could settle into its new state. I… I should be fine by tomorrow."
Phaenora stared at her hands. "I didn't know it was that intense."
Elyonari looked at her with a gentle smile.
"Becoming a Divine is beautiful... but also terrifying. You lose your old self. You feel everything too much. The world becomes so... loud."
Adelasta stepped back, motioning for them to follow.
"Let's head to the ORS. You can explain more on the way."
Elyonari gave a nod and walked with them, each of her steps still blossoming tiny grass patches even on cold concrete.
As they entered the ORS, the doors shimmered. The civilians were quiet, resting in shelters deep in the floors. The empty halls of the Ground Floor echoed slightly as they walked.
"So…" Phaenora began, "that whole 'half-a-million' thing. Was it really true?"
"Yes. Veneri… he planned it all."
She told them about the Rune Trap stretching across the entire southern span of the Fallen Bridge. About how he baited the Frozen God. About the explosions, the screams, the rage, the annihilation, about how Vastarael fell into EPOCH's portal as the interior of the bridge detonated like ten nuclear bombs.
Phaenora stood stunned.
"Wait. That means… the Krepsunas—?"
"Gone. The majority of at least 95% of them. The Academy System confirmed it. Those were the ones being spawned inside the Bridge. That was the army the Frozen God was hoarding."
Adelasta folded her arms. "And he killed all of them. Alone."
"Yes."
Phaenora put her hands on her hips, spinning once.
"Okay, so let me get this straight… Our weakest little man just slaughtered the biggest army on the Isles, became a Divine, ascended Elyonari, and is now off to who knows where with Narisva to finish some ancient cycle AND probably won't tell anyone again until he's already at war with it?"
"That's about it," Elyonari admitted.
Adelasta sighed. "We really don't deserve him."
But he still fights for them anyway.