Chapter 231: The Story Afterward

Chapter 231: The Story Afterward



"Phew~"

Luk exhaled, feeling the power surging within him, almost too much for him to believe.

He charged viciously at the goddess, who had just materialized into human form. Before she could react, a pair of crimson hands clasped her head, and the world around her blurred at an unimaginable speed.

Bang—

The divine body crashed into the ground, and the goddess's brows furrowed as she felt her divine energy depleting rapidly. She tried to resist, but her arm was instantly snapped.

"Ugh…"

The pain was insignificant, and healing it would be easy, but she had no time to act. The goddess finally realized she was in trouble.

Luk gripped her neck and slammed her deeper into the earth, each blow at full strength, each one causing the ground to tremble, and each one forcing her to use all her strength to resist.

"Stop!"

The divine words that could turn possibilities into reality were activated, and the space around Luk solidified. However, under a power that surpassed her understanding, the binding vanished instantly.

With a berserk force, Luk tightened his grip and smashed her into the ground with even greater speed.

Her divine energy drained rapidly, and while she was intoxicated by this unprecedented experience, she also tried to stop it. As time passed, her expression shifted from blank to puzzled, and then to anxious.

"I admit, you are stronger now."

Luk ignored her and continued his relentless assault.

The duration of the Eight Gates was limited, and Luk used the "Heaven's Hold" to maintain his state. Although he was filled with unimaginable power, once the time limit was reached, he would have to use the "Heaven's Origin" to return to his normal state.

And if he wanted to open the Eight Gates again, the goddess would likely not give him the chance. So, he had to end this now, at least to break her resistance.

"Stop, Luk. There's no need for this struggle. I'm willing to back down."

Feeling her life threatened, the goddess struggled to break free from her intoxication. Although she wanted to continue experiencing the unknown, she did not want to die. She wanted to experience more.

Seeming to read her thoughts, Luk responded coldly, "You've never tasted death, goddess. The moment you die, you'll have an unprecedented and novel experience."

The goddess's flawless face frowned, "But I don't want to die. With you, there's an unknown future. I don't want to die; I want to experience more."

"Mahat of the Golden Land had the same idea. He wanted to observe more human emotions. Didn't you kill him?"

Sensing that the goddess's aura had weakened to a manageable level, Luk stopped his attack and reset his body state, his tone icy.

The boomerang had returned to her, and the goddess seemed a bit confused. She clearly hadn't expected a mere demon to trap her in such a predicament.

But upon reflection, Mahat wasn't the root cause; the true reason for their conflict was Trela.

"Are you sure you want to kill a goddess for a human girl?"

"So what? Because you're a goddess, you can shatter my hopes, but I can't seek revenge?"

Luk tugged at the goddess's elaborate robe, "The situation has reversed, goddess. Your hopes will be shattered, and I will revive Trela."

"Why? You know I'm the perfect partner for you. My body is the pinnacle of feminine charm, and you've experienced it. Our bodies fit so well together…"

"Shut up!"

Luk's expression changed slightly, and he considered whether to tell Trela about this.

If he told her, she would be angry, but not telling her would also be a form of disloyalty.

He had already betrayed her physically; he couldn't betray her spiritually too.

The goddess didn't shut up but asked seriously, "Equal power, eternal life, and a perfectly matched body. I won't stop loving you just because you're not a goddess, but gods are the best choice for each other."

Luk glanced at the goddess, "When you have power, do you choose to do what's right, or what you want?"

This question silenced the once reckless goddess. After a moment, she asked, "Why can't your desire be me?"

Luk was quiet for a moment, "What do you think?"

The space rippled, and a Mirroflower Ring appeared in his hand. He had stored it in his personal space to prevent it from being damaged during the battle.

The Mirroflower's symbolism—eternal love.

The goddess's gaze lingered on the ring, and a hint of an indescribable emotion appeared in her eyes, "You're too much like a human. That's not a good thing. Over time, you'll change, becoming like me."

"If that girl was abandoned by you while alive, it's better for her to remember that you loved her forever."

"I don't know what the future holds, but at least now, my resolve won't change."

Luk summoned the Return, his Zanpakuto, and aimed it at the goddess's heart. This time, there would be no barrier to stop him, and she wouldn't have enough power to heal.

"Prepare to experience the death you've never known, goddess."

"No, if you don't want Trela to be completely erased, don't kill me."

The goddess's words startled Luk. He halted his movement, his eyes cold, "What have you done to her?"

“Not exactly hands and feet.”

The goddess gently waved her hand, and a spatial fluctuation appeared in the Eder region, far across the world. A golden light point then appeared in her palm.

The Northern Kingdoms, the Demon King’s Castle in Eder, a place where souls rest.

Luk had visited once during his century of wandering, but found nothing. He had assumed it was a false lead from Flame, but it turned out to be hidden in another dimension.

The golden light point in the goddess’s hand emitted a familiar aura. It was Trella’s soul, fragile and vulnerable in the hands of an enemy, which weakened Luk’s tone.

“Don’t act rashly. I can spare you. We have no real reason to be enemies, and once I revive Trella, we won’t have any conflicts.”

The golden light point merged into her palm smoothly, like a drop of water returning to the sea. Luk, an expert in soul manipulation, was stunned. She hadn’t consumed Trella’s soul; she had...

“Using a phrase from your old world, it’s like hiding something in plain sight, isn’t it?”

The goddess’s gaze was calm. “Since I chose you as my consort from the beginning, how could I let another woman touch your body?”

Trella was also a goddess’s avatar?

Luk’s mind froze for a moment before he managed to speak with a dry throat.

“But Lenise doesn’t know. She’s still very jealous of Trella.”

“That’s normal.” The goddess seemed completely unconcerned by Luk’s conflicted expression.

“Other than the fact that her soul is part of me, Trella is nothing out of the ordinary. She was merely a tool to help you experience human emotions. There was no need to inform my other avatars about such a trivial matter.”

“I didn’t expect you to care so much about this tool,” the goddess frowned.

To her, Trella was just a strand of hair, a temporary tool to help her chosen consort transition into a brief human life. She never thought he would prefer her hair to the real her.

From a god’s perspective, it was absurd.

“Since Trella is you, why did you stop me from saving her?”

Luk realized that if Trella had remained alive, the goddess would never have appeared. This realization made him want to teach her a lesson.

“At first, I wanted you to experience all emotions and, over time, become like me. But the wait was too long, so I made arrangements. Now, this situation... I guess haste makes waste.”

The goddess closed her eyes, and her aura changed. “I see I was too hasty, but it doesn’t matter. You will eventually become me, and I will wait patiently for that moment.”

When she opened her eyes again, those familiar eyes made Luk realize it was no longer “It,” but “She,” his wife of two centuries.

Trella, now in the goddess’s form, seemed to take a while to react. She opened her mouth wide, and after a moment, she spoke in a bewildered tone.

“Me? I’m the goddess?”

Seeing Luk’s expression, which looked like he had swallowed a fly, Trella’s eyes lit up. She didn’t notice his bad mood and hugged him tightly.

“It’s been a long time, dear. You look even more handsome.”

Luk was speechless, feeling that Trella’s mindset had returned to her younger days. After a long pause, he nodded. “What’s your situation now?”

Trella closed her eyes, then opened them. “The main body said that once you get tired of me, she’ll take over... that bitch!”

After cursing herself, she looked at Luk’s unhappy face with concern. “You look terrible. Are you angry?”

Luk grumbled, “A little angry, but I can’t be angry at you.”

It’s all the goddess’s fault!

Trella’s lips curved into a smile, and she pressed her body against Luk, tracing circles on his chest. “She did do something wrong. You can be angry, in other ways.”

The familiar conversation brought a nostalgic look to Luk’s face, but he shook his head. “Let’s clean up the mess first.”

Looking at the war-torn landscape, he felt a headache coming on. Many innocent people must have died, and reviving them, healing the land, and erasing memories would be a massive undertaking.

The new goddess Trella volunteered. “Leave it to me. Once I rest, I can imagine everything in this world and restore it to its pre-war state!”

Luk thought for a moment. “Can you make some changes?”

“Sure, what changes do you want?”

“I heard Chef Bar said you like...”

In the Central Kingdoms, the capital city.

Flelian wandered aimlessly, scanning the area. “He should be around here...”

“Flelian.”

A familiar gentle voice called out.

With blue hair and sky-colored eyes, a pair of pointed ears, and a tall, graceful figure, Simer smiled at the elf.

“It’s been fifty years.”

Flelian’s eyes widened. “Why are you suddenly an elf?”

“I’m not sure. Probably the help of a kind deity.”

Simer smiled and knelt on one knee, presenting a box she had prepared. She opened it, and the Lotus Bloom ring sparkled in the sunlight.

"Fleurian, will you marry me?"

Fleurian was taken aback, her hands fumbling, "Wait, what? Why this sudden turn of events? Weren't we supposed to watch the meteor shower of the century?"

"It doesn't have to be a conflict!"

Haita and Aze, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, chimed in unison, "Say yes!"

...

Dwarf Fol stood at the village entrance as usual, muttering to himself, "The meteor shower of the century is almost here, why hasn't Luk passed by yet?"

"Seems like he's busy with his wife, fixing some leaks."

A short, gray-haired figure approached, looking at the stunned Fol with tears in his eyes.

"Have you been guarding this place for over two hundred years?"

"Because it was our promise."

Fol wiped away his tears, "Why did you turn into a dwarf?"

"Because if I stayed human, I couldn't be with you anymore."

Fol's heart sank, "Does that mean I don't have much time left? Dwarves only live for about three hundred years, and I'm almost four hundred."

"You can live for over five hundred years. If you stayed human, you'd have to watch me go again!"

Fol: "..."

He was that old?!

...

In the capital city, at the Magic Association.

Sylvia sat idly at the reception desk, seemingly punished by a petty goddess for speaking ill of her, and thus relegated to this unimportant spot.

"There haven't been any interesting mages lately. Humans really aren't suitable as disciples."

Just as she finished speaking, a knock came from the entrance.

"Is anyone there? I've come to sign up as a mage!"

Sylvia waved her hand, and a young man smiled as he pushed the door open, bowing slightly.

"Hello, I've come to join the Magic Association..."

The young man's words trailed off as he noticed the immense magical aura around Sylvia, "Your magical power is terrifying, and it's fluctuating. Are you suppressing it?"

Sylvia's lips curled into a smile, "You have a good aptitude. Be my disciple."

The young man smiled, "It would be my honor, teacher."

Sylvia nodded, "What's your name?"

"My name is a bit of a blur, but I remember a title," the young man said softly.

"Once, someone called me the Hero of the South."

...

"I think you might have been a bit hasty with this decision."

Amir, a ten-year-old body bouncing on Luk's lap, said, "The Campbell family has never had a king. Isn't it a bit much to just replace the king of the capital city?"

Luk patted the boy's head, "Neglecting those close to me is not allowed. If they can't do it, they can learn. Your ancestors recognized me and treated me well, even after eight generations. It's rare for anyone to still be alive after fifty years, so let him enjoy some good fortune."

"Of course!"

Amir puffed out his chest proudly, "The Campbells always keep their word."

"Alright, alright, I know your family is honorable."

Luk set little Amir down, "Go play with your son or wife. I need to find Trella to adjust the parameters for the new demon race, copying and pasting human attributes to create a new humanoid species."

"You made me ten and my son twenty-six. People will think I'm the kid now. Uncle Arno and Charles treat me like a child."

"Rohine said she wanted to relive your childhood. If you have any issues, take it up with her."

"..."

Amir grumbled, then asked with a bit of worry, "Is it really okay? Humans and demons have been at war for so long."

Luk nodded, "It's fine. The old demons are extinct. The new ones are created, so there's no connection. A few generations in Eorde should be enough before we release them."

After all, Shura had helped him in the past, so he decided to let the new demons live.

After Amir left, a tired Trella entered the room and leaned into Luk's embrace.

"Finally, it's almost done. I'm so tired..."

Luk stroked her face, "In a long life, you need to find something to keep you busy."

"I'll try to paint you a picture. It's such a shame the old ones were ruined."

Luk glanced out the window, thinking of the piles of statues and the dark shadows at night, then shook his head.

"You should rest."

Trella's gaze fell on the paper on the table, reading aloud the items listed.

"Bloodline Limit Synthesis Project, Ditto's Transformation Analysis, Dominant Aura Wrapping, Advanced Study of the Eight Great Techniques, Future Development Plan for the Storm Dragon, Progress on Sealed Object Analysis... What are all these things?"

"Um... some very good friends asked me to do these tasks."

Luk nuzzled Trella's cheek affectionately, "It's something I found to keep myself busy, so I don't get bored."

"Would you be bored with me around?"

"No."

Luk smiled calmly. Despite the twists and turns, he had no regrets.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end