The entrance of the rift loomed like the rotting throat of a colossal beast, exuding a nauseating swirl of energy and a cacophony of psychic wails. With every step forward, Reyn felt as though he were moving against an invisible tide brimming with malice. The "Painful Remnants"—semi-transparent, twisted humanoid energy forms carrying the extreme agony and madness of "Mother" in her final moments—swooped in like sharks smelling blood, screeching as they bypassed physical barriers to directly assault the soul.
Reyn's mind felt pierced by countless searing needles, illusions multiplying before his eyes—the Elven Forest collapsing in flames, the Frostwhisper Sword shattering, Ravenna's cold, bone-chilling gaze… the agony threatened to tear apart the last vestiges of his sanity.
Yet he did not retreat. The Life Seed mark on his left chest, under the immense pressure of these negative energies, was activated, emitting a faint yet unyielding green glow, like a lighthouse unwavering in a storm, guarding the core of his consciousness. The contaminated energy in his crystal right arm writhed restlessly, simultaneously drawn to the surrounding pain yet instinctively repelled by these purely spiritual assaults.
He could summon little power to counterattack, relying only on residual instinct and sheer will, painstakingly dodging through the densest areas of the remnants, inching forward step by step. His body felt weighed down with lead; every breath tore through him like fractured bones.
The interior of the rift was far deeper and more twisted than he had imagined. The passage was not natural—it was composed of forcibly torn flesh membranes, mutated bones, and rapidly crystallized black matter, forming a conduit inside what seemed like a grotesque living organism. The ground was slick and repulsive; the walls occasionally oozed corrosive, dark yellow pus.
What Morg had called the "Echoes" was far more than just remnants. Sometimes the entire passage violently warped, echoing the screams of "Mother" at her death, shattering eardrums; sometimes the floor suddenly became illusory, revealing boiling currents of energy beneath—one misstep, and oblivion awaited; at other times, it manifested the fear-stricken final moments of previously devoured villagers, so vividly that it tried to drag the intruder into the same abyss of despair.
This was a path paved with pain and madness.
Reyn was nearly drained of his last ounce of strength, sustained only by an unyielding obsession not to fall. His mechanical right eye sounded continuous warnings from overload, snow-like specks appearing at the edges of his vision. Just as he felt himself on the verge of being consumed completely by endless agony, the scenery ahead suddenly opened up.
Stumbling forward, he burst out of the narrowest section of the passage into a vast underground cavity.
The air changed abruptly. Though traces of corruption lingered, an ancient, pure, and vibrant energy now dominated, repelling the echoes of pain and decay. At the center of the chamber was a small, heart-like structure: a natural pool of pure white crystal, rippling with a thick, emerald-glowing liquid that filled less than half of it—the source of the immense, pristine life energy.
Source Blood!
Around the pool, clusters of crystals and ferns—never seen before—glowed with a tranquil aura, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding decay, as if this were the only untainted sanctuary of life within this corpse-like behemoth.
But the guardians appeared as well.
Three towering figures stood by the pool. They were not living beings, but humanoid silhouettes formed entirely of pure white energy. Their faces were indistinct, and each held a spear and shield forged from concentrated light. They radiated no hostility, no intent to kill—merely standing silently, as eternal sentinels. Yet the sheer level of energy emanating from them suffocated Reyn—it far surpassed that of the Black-Armored Gravekeeper, representing an even older, more fundamental force.
Source Blood Guardians! The origin of Morg's terror!
The energy beings seemed to sense Reyn's presence. Simultaneously, the three turned, their hollow faces "looking" at him. No words were spoken, but an immense invisible pressure fell upon him, as if the weight of an entire mountain pressed down on his soul. This was not an attack, but an examination—a test of worthiness.
Thud!
Reyn could no longer hold himself up and fell to one knee, blood spilling from his mouth and nose. He felt his soul on the verge of collapse under their scrutiny! The light of the Life Seed on his chest flickered violently, as if desperately trying to prove something; the corrupted energy inside his crystal right arm remained completely dormant, afraid to move even slightly; even the long-dormant dragon bloodline within him sent out a faint trace of what seemed like awe.
Just as he was about to be completely crushed by this pressure, the Life Seed mark on his left chest suddenly flared up autonomously and intensely! A more ancient, more vast consciousness seemed to be briefly awakened through the mark, silently communicating with the three guardians.
The pressure vanished abruptly.
The three guardians slowly, ceremoniously, struck their light spears into the ground, then stepped aside, clearing the path to the Source Blood pool. They remained silent, but the scrutinizing gaze had transformed into something like… acknowledgment? Or perhaps a response to some form of proof.
Reyn had no time to ponder this sudden change; his survival instincts drove him forward. He struggled toward the emerald-colored pool, nearly tumbling into it.
Ssshhh—!
Like a red-hot iron plunged into ice water! An indescribable surge of both extreme pain and extreme relief erupted simultaneously!
The Source Blood contained unimaginable, immense life energy, rushing into his battered, nearly exhausted body like a dam breaking!
"Ah—!!!"
He could not help but let out a piercing scream as his body convulsed violently! Every meridian, every cell, was being violently torn apart, reshaped, and filled! This process was far worse than any torture; his body continually oozed black, foul-smelling tainted blood and shattered energy residue—that was the accumulated dark injuries, remnants of conflicting alien energies, and impurities from excessively absorbing external energy!
Under the nourishment of this flood, the Life Seed restored and strengthened at an unprecedented speed, radiating dazzling emerald light, frantically repairing all damage, and instinctively beginning to expel any foreign powers not belonging to the category of "life"!
The first to be targeted were the corrupted energies sealed within his crystal right arm! Facing this pure life flood, they were like prey encountering a nemesis, forcibly expelled, purified, and dissipated! The crystal right arm groaned under the strain; its dark purple veins rapidly faded, but the crystal itself also dimmed under the impact, even showing tiny, subtle cracks.
Immediately, the thread of abyssal corruption was purified completely, vanishing without a trace!
Even the violent factors within his dragon bloodline were forcibly suppressed and calmed by this overwhelming life energy!
The pain reached its peak, then suddenly receded.
Reyn floated in the pool, feeling as if his body had been completely melted down and reforged. The intense agony gradually gave way to an indescribable comfort, filled with boundless vitality. Warm energy enveloped him, cleansing his soul and repairing his most fundamental wounds.
He felt a solid, long-constraining shell breaking and peeling away…
After an unknown amount of time, the emerald glow in the pool gradually dimmed, the massive energy nearly all absorbed by him.
Reyn slowly opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was, reflected in the water, a pair of pointed ears and a… face both unfamiliar and yet somehow familiar.
The skin was the pale, delicate tone characteristic of elves, yet radiated healthy vitality. The brow, once permanently furrowed from energy conflicts and trauma, relaxed, and the facial features became clear and gentle, displaying the elf-specific refinement and elegance. His gray left eye was clear and deep, while the right eye… the right eye was no longer the cold mechanical gear; it had returned to a vivid elven blue, though within the pupil, a faint, subtle glimmer of golden light flashed like flowing data, hinting at an unusual past.
He raised his hand in shock. Long, articulated fingers—those of an elf. He touched his cheek, warm and real. The crystal right arm had disappeared, replaced by flesh matching the left arm, fully elven, though beneath the skin, faint golden-vein-like patterns glimmered subtly, the visible manifestation of the Life Seed's complete integration.
He… had returned? Restored to an elven form?
No, not completely. He could feel the Life Seed had fully merged with him, becoming his new core. The dragon bloodline had not vanished; it had been deeply assimilated by the life energy, now restrained and controllable. Meanwhile, all alien, corrupted powers had been entirely purified and expelled. The destruction of Frostwhisper Blade seemed to have also severed some heavy burden from his past.
This was… a rebirth. In an unexpected way.
He stood from the pool, his body light and brimming with strength, feeling better than ever. While he had lost some powerful offensive abilities (the brute strength of the crystal arm, the peculiar corruption energy), his control over life energy had reached a completely new level, and his perception had become sharper and broader. He now resembled… an elf with unique powers.
The three Source Blood Guardians still stood silently in place, as if none of the previous events had occurred.
Reyn put on the simple clothing the remnants had prepared for him—it was a bit short—but he could feel the surging yet perfectly harmonized life energy coursing through his body. His expression was complex. Was this a blessing in disguise? Or some kind of inevitable return?
He walked to the edge of the pool and noticed something seemingly embedded at the bottom. Reaching down, he touched a cold, black fragment, neither metal nor stone, engraved with an obelisk emblem similar to the one on the Gravekeeper's pauldrons, yet radiating a softer, older, and more ancient aura.
Another fragment? Related to the Gravekeeper, yet stored here?
He pocketed the fragment, knowing this was not the time for investigation.
It was time to leave. Liana was still outside, and the γ information needed to be delivered. The world beyond remained fraught with danger.
He took one last look at the nearly dried-up Source Blood Pool and the three silent guardians, then turned to retrace his steps.
This time, the painful phantoms and turbulent energy flows within the passage seemed to fear the pure and immense life force within him, retreating before him. His steps were steady, and soon he emerged from the fissure.
When his figure reappeared in the sinkhole, all the remnants who saw him were stunned.
Under the moonlight, he stood tall, pointed ears and azure eyes gleaming, his pale skin radiant, exuding a soft yet powerful aura of life—like a legendary forest messenger descending!
Old Mog trembled with excitement, falling to the ground again, and all the remnants followed, kneeling, murmuring prayers filled with awe and devotion.
Reyn ignored them and walked straight toward the hut.
Liana had already awakened, anxiously trying to get out of bed. Seeing Reyn enter, she froze instantly; the bone cup in her hand fell and shattered on the floor.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar elf before her. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Reyn approached her, his blue eyes calm.
"It's me," he said, his voice clear again, carrying a steadiness born of all he had endured. "We need to leave."
He opened his hand, revealing the γ fragment and the black obelisk fragment.
"The truth… is far more astonishing than we imagined."