Crushing the gem and scattering the powder, Malin gazed at the city of Tappahannock. There, one pillar of light after another lit up, the sight of powerful souls reaching their end. They had survived eight millennia in this wasteland, and today, they finally reached their conclusion.
The wind from the East Coast swept across the plains, and in Malin’s eyes, those wraiths not yet incinerated, those heaps of ash, were all lifted by the wind at that mont.
"Our past is a tragic past, a history filled with blood and tears. Repeated destruction has interrupted our civilization’s progress."
Malin kneeled on one knee at the roadside’s edge.
"Our present is a cruel present, filled with hopelessness. The upcoming Tide of the Dead once again forces our civilization to confront the abyss."
Malin looked upon the pure girl before him, lit by holy flas. Having endured the process of Purification, she wore a beautiful dress. Holding a soul gem, she stood barefoot, smiling at Malin.
"Thank you, sir. I have finally awakened from that long, never-ending dream. Thank you."
In the next mont, her smile shattered, her body scattered by the wind, and her gem fell into Malin’s waiting hand.
The will of the planet appeared on Malin’s shoulder, silently weeping, lanting the suffering of this world.
"But I swear, I will put an end to all this suffering. Whether in this world! This galaxy! This star area! This river system! Even any corner of this universe! On all planets inhabited by humans! In all galaxies hosting civilization! In all star areas possessing conscience! In all river systems harboring the innocent! Even any corner of this cosmos... Ultimately, the trumpet of human victory shall be heard! We are free lives! We are unyielding souls!"
Crushing the gem, Malin cast it into the starlit sky.
"I will shoulder my responsibility, eradicate humanity’s opponents, annihilate civilization’s enemies, destroy the traitors to conscience... I will obliterate all of the past!"
After speaking, Malin stood up, with Mana, the planet’s will, laughing on his shoulder. It seed that it and so of its companions were agreeing with Malin’s speech.
Malin felt his power growing, as if everything was within his grasp. He opened his hands, letting the planet’s wills sing within them.
Susu approached Malin with a slight smile and a touch of sadness. At this mont, she had beco a stunning beauty, with the wavy hair she had always dread of and the devilish figure she had longed for. But now, she knelt before Malin and pulled him into her embrace.
"You have finally embarked on your own path, yet it’s a path I never expected."
"I fight for my family, for my children, for my wife," Malin whispered in Susu’s ear.
"But everyone knows, you love this world more," Susu said, releasing him and smiling at him. "Malin, you’re so small, even your soul has shrunk."
"To harmonize with my power, I synchronized my soul and body perfectly. Now, I am no longer the Malin of the past," Malin sighed as he said this.
"It reminds of when we first t in the orphanage, you were so small," Susu said, leaving a kiss on Malin’s forehead.
"Malin, my love, I must leave. I will gather every power that can help you, and on the day you face the end, I will co to you, and we will face it together." With these words, Susu rose, and a passage opened behind her.
Malin smiled and sighed, finally looking at Susu: "We have a deal, you must co, I’ll be waiting," just like old Hoffman once said to Malin.
"Yes, I will co, you must wait for ." Susu smiled, turned, and walked into the passage.
Malin stood in place, watching Susu leave. In the end, he smiled and fell back, passing through the portal fissure, falling back onto the deck chair and staring at the stars above.
The planet’s wills followed Malin back to the rooftop, forming a circle around him, dancing a dance Malin couldn’t understand.
Soon, Malin felt weary. That full exertion had made him feel pain for the first ti.
But Malin felt he did no wrong, as he had released countless innocent souls. As for those turned into Vengeful Spirits... well, more or less wouldn’t make a difference.
So Malin peacefully closed his eyes and drifted into a dream.
......
When Malin opened his eyes again, he saw the sunrise on the distant horizon. The night had passed peacefully, boosting everyone’s confidence in choosing to go west rather than east—Maya’s dispelling must have covered the whole area, they thought.
For no wraith had appeared the previous night, and the elves stationed there said that the night had indeed been haunted. Usually, every night, tens of thousands of wraiths would pass along the road before the camp. But last night, not a single ghost was seen.
Their morale surged, though unaware of what had transpired to the northwest. A few powerful Transcendents, like Maya and Onor, had more or less sensed sothing, but they believed Malin had simply taken a stroll. No matter how powerful she was, she couldn’t clear it all alone.
Malin said nothing but greeted everyone and, after breakfast, they headed to the beast pen for the Rhinoceros Team. Finally, Malin spoke up.
"I went west last night, it’s safe now. Once we hit the road, we’ll head west straight to Tappahannock for the night."
"Your will!" Onor was the first to understand. He jumped onto the Rhinoceros Team, leading his companions and three guiding spirits out of the beast pen.
"Let’s go, friends," Malin said to the group.
The young legendaries were filled with respect, and Maya reached out, pulling Malin onto the rhino’s back and placing him in front of her, a wife’s scolding voice entering Malin’s ear.
"You’re truly reckless. There are reportedly millions of wraiths there, along with countless different kinds and Spirits. How could you purify them all alone? Using your power so indiscriminately..." In the end, Maya could say no more.
Malin knew what she ant, for using forces not native to this world, Malin would gradually be rejected, eventually ascending to godhood forcibly.
But Maya wouldn’t understand. Malin and this planet’s will, Mana, had ford a new agreent last night—Mana would recognize Malin’s uniqueness in this world. As long as Malin was helping this world, his actions would be tolerated until he found a way to solve all problems permanently.
So, Malin rely shook his head with a smile: "Don’t worry, I’m different."
"The last one who said that was our father. Without you, his grave would be three ters high. If sothing happened to you, I don’t know who could save you."
Maya’s blunt remark in Thainan’s coarse and direct style made Malin chuckle.
Then, naturally, Maya tugged his ear.
So Malin pretended to play dead, while savoring the softness and comfort against his back.
The Rhinoceros Team began its journey, under the leader’s guidance, taking the path to the West.
"Mr. Malin, I heard you ntion Tappahannock. Have you been there?" Ling Zuo Zuo asked curiously.
"I saw that city last night. Before the great destruction, it wasn’t worth ntioning, but now, it’s a great city," Malin replied, leaving the young ones filled with curiosity and anticipation.
Yet, they hadn’t considered the many other cities larger than Tappahannock in this world.
Before the great destruction, Tappahannock was just a small town.
Let’s hope there aren’t too many stories.
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