The White Raven Island. Labh Salem.
Eren's eyes fluttered open slowly.
His lashes trembled for a second before his vision returned, blurry at first and then gradually clearing.
The sky above him was a soft twilight hue, painted in gentle blues and fading golds. A warm breeze brushed against his face.
He was back. Back on the rooftop of the watchtower-like building at the heart of White Raven Island's growing city.
The tower had been reconstructed recently, its dark stone walls glimring faintly with runes for defense and surveillance.
'How long was I out this ti?'
He asked himself and looked around.
Below him, the city buzzed with life. Streets bustled with workers, rchants, pirates-turned-guards, and settlers trying to claim their place in the new order.
But Eren barely registered any of that. Because in the next mont, his heartbeats grew rapidly. It was as if a delayed shock response of a huge tremor that had its origins sowhere far far away.
He started sweating buckets. His breath beca heavy, like he'd just run a marathon while carrying a mountain on his back.
He clenched his fists and held his posture upright, but his knees felt like jelly. His vision swam for a second, and his temples throbbed with a pounding pain that echoed through his soul.
Sitting on the Elder Ichor throne in the Celestial Court wasn't sothing his current self could handle easily. It was like trying to manipulate a spell cast by a Kaiser while still being an F-Ranker smallfry.
But he had done it anyway.
Because showing weakness now, after killing a god, was not an option. If he showed even the smallest sign of faltering, the immortal-aligned powers in Labh Salem would take it as blood in the water. They'd strike, hard and fast.
So instead of retreating, Eren advanced. He boasted so much in the Celestial Hall that even he was impressed with his act and gave himself a taphorical pat on the back. Since nobody would appreciate his deeds, he would do that for himself.
The butcher pressed down the pain. He burned away the side effects with sheer will. The divine pressure still lingered in his chest like a heavy stone, but he forced it to stay hidden beneath his calm expression.
He shook his head once, trying to clear the fog. His whole body had turned slightly red, a result of the overload on his soul. But he didn't fall sohow.
"Eren?" a familiar voice broke through the air. It was Reen, her face was full of concern. She didn't know what had happened to him and why he was suddenly spaced out in the middle of speaking with her for hours on end.
Eren blinked and looked ahead. Azurea stood a few steps in front of him with arms crossed and her eyes squinting slightly with amusent.
"Hmmm? Mr. Godkiller, what's wrong with you?" she asked, her usual sass untouched by the tension in the air.
Next to her, Marina stood calmly, hands clasped behind her back. Her silky hair swayed in the breeze. Her sharp eyes were quietly studying him—watching, calculating, concerned.
Eren didn't reply to Azurea. He simply exhaled deeply. Then he straightened his spine, wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve, and forced a smirk.
"Nothing's wrong. Just had a few words with those gods," he said, his tone light despite the exhaustion dragging at every fiber of his being.
Azurea rolled her eyes. "Stop with the boasting. You were clearly dozing off in the middle of nowhere like an old man with nothing else to do."
Marina tilted her head slightly but didn't press him. She knew him well enough to understand when he was being serious. If Eren had said that he had talked with the Immortals, chances were he did more than that.
Eren clapped his hands once, the sound sharp and sudden.
"Alright," he said, voice lighter than before. "Enough of that."
His mood shifted like a switch had been flipped. The heaviness from monts ago seed to peel off his face, replaced by a fresh energy.
The distant look in his eyes cleared as he smiled faintly, rolling his shoulders and taking in a deep breath. Behind him, Reen stepped forward, her expression still carrying traces of concern.
"Erni, are we alright?" she asked gently. She knew that the other Immortals must have gotten on his trail by this point. After all, killing a god was like lighting a huge campfire in the middle of the darkest night. It had to have grabbed so attention.
This was exactly why Eren had decided to show himself at the Celestial Hall and talk about a big ga. Since he couldn't hide his real identity and his whereabouts anymore, he might as well take the initiative and tell them where he was. That way, at least so Immortals beco wary of him and not approach him carelessly.
Of course, Eren had prepared many counterasures in the event that they did. However, he preferred they didn't. At least not until he gets his second God Spark and becos an official Sage.
Eren turned his head and chuckled.
"Yes," he nodded. "We are safe. At least for now. Nothing's going to happen to us—or White Raven Island—until the Witches' Sabbath. We can take a short breather. Gather our strength. Clean up what's left. Maybe even enjoy the peace before the storm."
Without another word, he stepped onto the balcony's edge. The wind brushed his hair back. Then, with a faint shimr of mana, his figure blurred and vanished.
A second later, he appeared like a ghost on one of the main streets below—quiet, unnoticed, and swift.
The street was alive with activity. Hamring sounds echoed from construction sites. Masons chanted minor spells to lift heavy materials. Arrays lit up briefly in glowing runes, marking restored power lines or structural enchantnts.
Reen, Azurea, and Marina blinked once, then reappeared at his sides, their movent Skills synced like second nature.
None of the rfolk or mortals walking the streets recognized them at that mont. Their auras were hidden, their steps quiet. They simply blended in with the city's flow, watching it breathe and grow from within.
Eren walked casually, his hands in his pockets. He looked around at the changes taking shape. Prayer halls that once echoed with chants to God Raashim were being turned into training halls, academies, dical centers, and even public gardens.
Broken statues of the sea god were cleared out. In their place, small community wells were being built—magical ones that could store purified water and be used in ergencies.
The Empusas and the resurrected fiends had been accepted as the regular citizens of the island. It looked as if the White Raven Island had beco a lting pot of all sorts of weird creatures and people in Labh Salem.
Children ran past Eren and his entourage, laughing, chasing each other with sticks shaped like wooden swords. So rchants were setting up food stalls in the distance. Freshly caught fish, grilled shellbeasts, skewers, sweet fried seaweed—it all slled amazing.
"This city… it reminds of our White Raven City back in our ho," Reen said softly, walking beside Eren.
"Yeah," he replied, eyes scanning the street.
"Well… It's changing," Marina added. "And fast."
Azurea snorted, folding her arms.
"As long as you don't start building another temple in your na, I think it'll be fine. It's already weird that a demigod has another demigod as his half-brother and follower. Frankly, you are perhaps the first demigod in Labh Salem's history with so much influence. I… I feel jealous."
Azurea felt like being honest for once. Eren laughed.
"No temples," he said. "Not yet, anyway."
Eren then walked with his hands behind his head, a relaxed smile on his face. He stopped in front of a stall where an old rfolk chef was preparing sothing that sizzled in a pan of red sauce. His nose twitched.
"That slls dangerous," he said.
The chef looked up and grinned, his eyes gleaming with pride. "Ah, this is fire shrimp with fernted sea pepper paste. Not for the faint-hearted."
"Perfect," Eren said and ordered a plate. The vendor handed him a paper bowl loaded with the reddish dish. Steam rose from it, carrying a sharp, spicy aroma.
Eren picked up a wooden skewer and took a bite. His eyes widened a bit as the heat kicked in, but then he grinned.
"Good," he mumbled through a full mouth.
Reen peeked over his shoulder, her nose wrinkling from the spice.
"You like that?" she asked.
"It's great," he said, skewering another shrimp. He turned to her and offered the bite.
Reen hesitated. "It slls strong."
"Co on. You've eaten monster at cooked on Enderflas. And you used to eat people for fun when you were a demon sli. This is nothing."
She rolled her eyes and leaned forward, taking the bite from his hand. Her eyes widened.
"Oh," she said. "That's actually good."
Eren smirked. "Told you."
They continued walking, sharing bites from the bowl.
A few steps behind, Marina and Azurea wandered toward a different stall.
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