The world core floated before me, a perfect violet cube rotating slowly in the air. Each of its faces shimmered faintly, etched with countless microscopic runes that beat in rhythm with the planet’s heartbeat. It was beautiful.
I sat cross-legged in front of it. Essence flowed from me in steady waves, sinking into the cube. The air trembled with energy, faint sparks of violet flickering across the surface of the core.
At first, nothing happened.
The cube simply rotated in silence, devouring the Essence I was pouring into it. But as the minutes passed and my Essence continued to pour in, fine cracks appeared on its edges. The runes began shifting, rearranging themselves into new patterns I couldn’t recognize.
Time lost meaning.
Hours bled together as the core trembled in front of me. The cube’s shape started to distort, its sharp corners softened, its surface rippled as though alive. I kept my focus steady, guiding my Essence carefully, making sure not to overload it.
Six hours passed before the transformation reached its peak.
With a low, deep vibration, the cube suddenly twisted. Its faces folded and unfolded like blooming petals of light, forming a new shape, an intricate hexagonal prism.
Streams of violet Essence spun within it, forming rings that rotated in opposite directions.
The new form radiated power. I could sense it immediately, the entire defense network of Vaythos responding to the change.
The shield that surrounded the planet grew thicker, stronger, denser. Through my connection, I could feel it, three times the strength of the old one.
The violet ripple that had once flickered faintly across the sky now glowed brighter, more defined. Even those without Essence sensitivity would notice it tonight, a faint aurora spreading across the heavens.
I exhaled slowly, my body heavy and my mind ringing from the strain.
The newly evolved core floated silently before me. I smiled faintly.
"Let’s see how you shape the world from here on," I murmured.
Then I turned, the air bending around me as I left the pocket space, leaving behind a world core reborn, its power quietly weaving into the fabric of Vaythos itself.
Using the core’s connection, I phased through space and appeared directly at my home. Grandma was already there, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hand.
She looked up as I appeared, a knowing smile spreading across her face. "So, did you do this?" she asked.
"Do what?" I replied, genuinely confused.
"The flashing violet light all over the world," she said with a soft chuckle. "The Emperor had to come out and make an announcement so people wouldn’t panic." She took another sip of her coffee, amused.
I laughed quietly and sat down beside her, pouring myself a cup. "I had some free time on my hands," I said casually.
She turned to look at me, her gaze warm and steady. For a moment, she didn’t say anything, just studied me. Then I saw it clearly in her eyes: pride.
"Why do you look so happy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
She smiled and reached out to ruffle my hair, just like she used to when I was a kid. "Why wouldn’t I be? My grandson is the strongest man across three worlds."
I couldn’t help but smile back. Hearing that from her, so simple and so sincere, filled me with a warmth no victory ever could.
Grandma set her cup down and sighed softly. "I’m not even sure what to say anymore," she began. "I’ve always hated Peanu for what happened to your parents. When I heard Saturn was dead and Peanu was no longer a threat to us, I felt happy, relieved... but also sad. The revenge is done, yet there’s still this emptiness that won’t go away."
Her voice trembled slightly, and the sound of it made something ache inside me.
I looked down at the cup in my hands. It was deep black, carved with simple symbols of the four elements: a flame, a leaf caught in wind, a mountain peak, and a drop of water. The designs caught the faint kitchen light, and I found myself tracing them absentmindedly.
What she said, I understood completely.
I felt it too. We had won, yes, but victory didn’t erase the hollow space left behind. Still, I was satisfied with what we had achieved. We had removed a threat that had haunted us for years. That much mattered.
But my fight wasn’t over. Not yet.
What the Generator Core allowed me to do, what I could see every time I received a new summon, gave me hope. That strange door I saw each time wasn’t just some illusion; I was sure it led somewhere real. Somewhere beyond.
My parents were gone, but I knew their souls were still out there, somewhere beyond the reach of this world. And one day, I would reach them. I had promised myself that much.
I placed my cup down and took Grandma’s hand in mine. Her skin was warm, her fingers slightly trembling but steady when she tightened her grip around mine.
"It’s okay," I said quietly. "Just wait for me. One day, I’ll make our family whole again."
She looked into my eyes for a long moment. Her expression softened, and then she smiled, the kind of smile that carried both pain and belief.
"I’ll wait," she said softly.
Then she asked about Peanu, and I told her everything that had happened, the fall of the enemy, the chaos that followed, and Hazel’s final choice.
Grandma listened without interrupting, her eyes never leaving my face. When I mentioned Hazel’s sacrifice, she sighed but didn’t speak. Some things didn’t need words.
The conversation drifted after that.
I told her about my new mission or maybe "adventure" was the better word. I explained that it would take me far from Vaythos, and that I might be gone for a long time.
She didn’t say much about it, just nodded slowly, her gaze thoughtful. I knew she had already accepted it long ago, that one day I would have to leave.
I also told her about the changes I had made to the world core, how it had evolved and strengthened the planet’s defenses. I asked her to keep an eye on it while I was away, just in case anything went wrong.
If things turned bad, she was to go to the pocket realm immediately. Dante had already created a stable connection between our home and the realm, so she would be safe there.
We talked for a bit longer, mostly about small things, the kind of normal conversation we rarely got to have anymore. Eventually, we said goodnight. She went to her room, and I went to mine.
As I lay on my bed, I wondered where my summons were. Probably scattered across the world, doing who knows what. For once, I decided not to think about it.
All I wanted was a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, I would have to meet North’s family and for that, I needed to be rested and clear-headed.
With that thought, I let my eyes close and drifted into sleep, the faint sound of the strengthened world core and the planet’s heartbeat echoing quietly in the back of my mind.