Our Story

In the void of the Dream Realm.

Before the mythic gate representing Truth...

A group of ancient ghosts observed the mortal world and watched the Abyss Sealing Project they had initiated, a project that the Avel people ultimately executed.

Duma, a descendant of the Lord of Radiance, entered through the door and merged her power once again with the mythic gate.

She controlled the mythic gate to break free from the Abyss's grip, but in doing so she could no longer cross the Gate of Spirituality as easily.

In a sense, she became akin to the Ghost Race of Polik.

She assumed control of the Gate of Spirituality's power, becoming part of the gate itself.

In the time before the Lord of Radiance truly returned, she was effectively the Lord of Radiance.

Many ghosts saw the outline of the Gate of Spirituality and immediately analyzed its power, "The Gate of Spirituality truly only possesses the power of spirituality, missing the branches of wisdom, desire, and knowledge."

One ghost noticed Nia, who had just become the Moon Witch, "The witch ritual failed, but the power was successfully borrowed, just as planned."

Another ghost added, "Divine Technique: Realm of Illusion truly aligns perfectly with Moon Magic Fern's power, and it seems the rumors that Moon Magic Fern devoured part of the original Sun Cup's power are likely true."

Someone else recorded the Bone Demon King's power, "He has completely merged with the power of the Bone Field, and the power of Demon Spirit Fire belongs to a new law, which is being recorded."

They watched with emotionless gazes as Duma entered the Gate of Spirituality, as Nia used her life to cast the final divine technique, as Yafuan fell into endless darkness.

Before them, all emotions lost their meaning, transforming into cold numbers and plans.

They were merely ghosts without bodies or warmth, pursuing only purpose and answers.

But the next scene completely froze the ghosts of the Polik family.

Then God's Moon appeared.

That silver moon didn't have the same shocking power as the beasts, nor the dazzling brilliance of the Divine Cup, but the moment everyone saw it, they knew it represented eternity.

The more powerful the being, the more they could see the terrifying significance behind God's Moon, a power transcending time and everything else.

A ghost looked at God's Moon in the sky, "God's Moon... has appeared."

Another ghost seemed to be repeatedly confirming, "With such a low success rate, it actually succeeded, did the will of wisdom acknowledge his covenant, or..."

It seemed these ghosts couldn't be certain from the beginning whether this Abyss covenant would succeed.

Ghost Polik waved his hand, closing the Door of Truth.

He conveyed the will on behalf of the Door of Truth, "Stop collecting and analyzing, erase all information related to God's Moon."

Only after God's Moon disappeared from the sky did the Door of Truth reopen.

By this time, the Abyss had begun to break free from the earth's constraints, rising toward the sky.

Seeing this, Polik knew the Abyss covenant had been fulfilled.

"It appears!"

"Xiao truly lost all his wisdom and memory, becoming an existence completely without a past."

The Door of Truth temporarily eliminated Xiao's threat, confirming that everything originated from an accident.

There was no scheming or calculation, everything was merely a disaster brought about by a mad believer attempting to guess the divine will.

Polik watched the Abyss leave the mortal world, watching the entrance to the Dream Realm close.

He turned and walked toward the depths of the Door of Truth.

Passing through the vast sea of knowledge and information, at the end of everything was a city.

Anho City.

The City of Dark Rivers of the Royal Bloodline Samo Kingdom.

The entire city was just an illusion, frozen in a moment.

When Polik approached, wanting to walk into this illusion and phantom, he was blocked.

"Hum~"

Layer upon layer of ripples spread out, repelling everything from outside.

The city at the end was rejecting Polik's entry, for it belonged solely to God Asai, his final obsession and wish.

Polik stood on the sea of knowledge, gazing at the City of Dark Rivers at the end.

"God Asai!"

"Even Xiao's existence is not enough to stir Your thoughts about this world?"

The ghosts of the Polik family didn't understand that their task was not to awaken God Asai because he could awaken himself.

But after awakening, what meaning would it have?

Life in this world has meaning, and from its inception, wisdom has always pursued certain truths.

Even divine beings are like this.

Some pursue money and power, some desire strength, some pursue eternity, and some explore the truth at all costs.

Asai had lost everything he once sought, and he had lost all hope and expectation.

He was a lonely soul drifting in the Dream Realm, with nothing in the mortal world to anchor him.

At this moment, Polik finally understood.

They were not meant to awaken Asai, but to give Asai a reason to wake up.

He gazed for a long time before finally turning back.

Avel Peninsula.

A range of mountains and highlands to the west.

The mountain range rose and fell before suddenly stopping at its highest midpoint.

A large section had been excavated from the center, forming an insurmountable ravine and moat.

King Sidi of Avel led soldiers searching around this moat, but unfortunately nothing remained here.

The monster lairs that were once scattered throughout the area had all vanished as most monsters were recalled during the Abyss war and ultimately disappeared from the mortal world along with the Abyss.

Some monsters that couldn't return in time also turned to ashes under the power of the covenant.

King Sidi of Avel rode his Land Dragon, stopping before the massive pit, "Did you find anything?"

Knights returning from both sides shook their heads, "Found nothing."

King Sidi of Avel lowered his head for a moment, then straightened his neck with red-rimmed eyes and twisted it a few times before he could not help but shed tears.

"We took three paths, and in the end, I was the only one who failed to join them."

"I came too late."

Sidi had long received a response from the God of Truth and Knowledge.

He knew Nia's ritual had failed, and she ultimately died above the Abyss, at the hands of Bone Demon King Yafuan.

But he found it difficult to accept this ending.

Sidi brought people to search for a very long time, but found nothing.

He could only return with regret.

As the Abyss was bound by the covenant, the Avel people who had been hiding everywhere returned to the sunlight and earth.

They no longer needed to fear the shadows of Eagle Demons circling in the sky, no longer worried about black rain falling from the sky, or monsters suddenly entering villages.

They returned to the cities they had once built, reestablishing their homes.

They built smelting workshops, pottery workshops, shipbuilding docks, and other buildings symbolizing civilization, and they once again began large-scale planting of food and net rope vines.

Abandoned ports and docks once again saw sails on the horizon as large ships sailed into the distance.

Fishing, trading, and exploring resumed as the stagnant civilization began to move forward again.

Time shifted, and it was seventy years later.

The royal capital.

Outside, a light rain fell from the sky.

Water trickled down from outside the palace, beating a seemingly rhythmic pattern on the steps.

King Sidi of Avel lay on a long chair, covered with a blanket.

King Sidi of Avel was growing increasingly elderly.

Once strong and fearless in storms, he now could not withstand even slightly cold weather and could only curl up in the palace, quietly watching the world outside.

Recently, his mind had grown foggy, his thoughts unable to keep pace with the new era.

So he had handed over power to his son and grandson years ago.

Over the years, the footsteps of the Avel people spanned the entire peninsula, and they finally drew a complete map of it.

The Avel City-State had grown immensely, encompassing dozens of cities and a population far larger than in the past.

They built a great library that surpassed those of the past, and the number of books grew rapidly.

Many talented scholars, poets, and musicians emerged among the new generation of Snake People.

The Avel City-State grew ever more prosperous, and its social hierarchy became increasingly complex.

The simple governance system of the past struggled to govern the expanding kingdom, and the new generation of Snake People embraced different ideas and ideals.

King Sidi of Avel saw all of this, but he was already old.

He was a symbol of the old era, a remnant of those painful and tormented years gradually forgotten by the new generation.

People pursued their own new lives, and for those who suffered and sacrificed in the past, they felt these were just stories.

They might shed a tear or be moved by these stories, but they could never fully understand the experiences behind them.

People always move forward, unable to dwell on the past until they themselves grow old.

But Sidi no longer cared, he had handed everything to his descendants.

If his descendants lacked the ability to pioneer the future or to rule as kings, that would simply be the price civilization pays for progress.

At least they were moving forward, exploring a bright future, and that was enough.

The realm each person perceives, pursues, and reaches is intimately connected to their life experiences.

And few people could have experiences like King Sidi of Avel.

Even the most renowned kings had not lived such a tumultuous life, nor had they repeatedly lost everything only to regain it.

They had not been willing to abandon all their companions in pursuit of a goal.

A child rushed in from outside, suddenly coming to Sidi's side.

The child grabbed his arm, then leaned on it.

"Grandpa Sidi!"

The old king suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the child.

"Cough cough cough~"

He coughed a few times, saying somewhat weakly, "Why aren't you studying at the temple, and instead running to me?"

The child was born with a Truth symbol imprinted on the back of his hand and was chosen as the Divine Blessed One by the God of Truth and Knowledge.

The child spoke, "I finished learning, so I came over."

Sidi laughed heartily, "My little Divine Blessed One, you truly are a genius!"

"But learning divine techniques alone is not enough for a person, you must also learn some other things, know history, art, literature, and poetry."

The child looked at the book in Sidi's hand, "What book is this? Grandpa Sidi, do you also read books?"

Sidi picked up the book, its cover bearing several characters written horizontally.

"Our Story!"

It was an autobiography Sidi had written long ago, containing all his life experiences.

It recorded everything that outsiders could know and everything they could not.

Hearing Sidi say this, the child didn't understand.

"Our Story?"

"Whose story is that?"

Sidi's face was full of nostalgia. "Yafuan, Nia, Echilio, and many, many people, they also have... my story."

"A story belonging to us."

Sidi suddenly wanted to read the autobiography again, but his eyes were failing and he could not make out the words even after a long look.

He wanted to hold the child close, but after a short movement he began coughing and eventually breathed heavily.

At this moment, a servant walked over, carrying the child to a stool.

Then, following Sidi's gaze, the servant placed the book in the child's hands.

Sidi's face broke into a smile as his coughing improved.

"Divine Blessed One of our family, please read it to me!"

"At your age, you should also learn these stories."

The child took the book, curiously opening the first page.

"Our story originated from the other side of the world, a giant island called Ruhe."

"Although!"

"In my youth I didn't know why it was called Ruhe, and even now I do not understand why something so vast is called an island..."

The child asked Sidi, "Is Ruhe Beast Island really bigger than the Avel Kingdom?"

Sidi smiled, "Of course, there are Frozen Highlands, wastelands, endless seas of sand."

"There's the Herdsman's Plain and Mountain of Life's Origin, Suinhor City-State, the Land of Sunrise, and the City of Lights."

"There are many, many countries there."

Although the child had heard of that place, he still found it hard to imagine what kind of place it was.

Sidi pulled the blanket over himself, slowly lying down.

Seeing that Sidi was too tired to continue answering questions, the child continued reading from the book.

"The first time I saw Yafuan was beside High Priest Xiuborn, and he was a bit older than me..."

The child's voice was innocent and naive, lacking personal emotion and rhythm.

He read haltingly, which somehow drew people more easily into that past story.

At key moments, Sidi would say a few words.

"Yafuan was very young, just a child."

"We were all too young and burdened with destinies we could not bear."

The old king listened to the story, reflecting on his past and life.

He was rescued by Xiuborn, met Yafuan, and left Ruhe Beast Island on a ship with Echilio and Nia.

They pioneered their homeland together and wandered helplessly through disaster.

They groped forward in darkness, unable to see what lay ahead.

In the end, Yafuan broke through the dark clouds to welcome true light, though the price was heavy indeed.

Sidi listened to that voice, becoming increasingly drowsy, as if about to fall asleep.

The child did not disturb the old king and continued reading from the book.

The child turned page after page, "That day, we took three paths, seeking the same return journey."

"We..."

Hearing this, Sidi's eyelids suddenly fluttered.

He suddenly tried to sit up but felt his body was incredibly heavy.

The child noticed and quickly asked, "Grandpa Sidi?"

Sidi couldn't even raise his hand, only saying in an unclear voice, "Keep reading... keep reading..."

The child could only sit down and continued reading the story.

Sidi's eyes blinked hazily in the blurry light as he saw the sea.

In his youth, he believed the sea was mysterious.

As he grew older, he thought the sea was violent.

Now the sea was perfectly calm, and the sunlight was bright and perfect.

He tried hard to sit up and finally managed to do so.

He found himself on a large ship at sea.

It was a large Avel-style ship with many familiar sailors on board.

Sidi didn't understand, "How am I at sea again?"

And looking in the direction, he, who was familiar with the sea, immediately realized it was wrong, "No, not this direction."

"Going that way will lead into the Storm Sea, where terrifying black storms devour everything."

Just as he was about to shout orders to stop the ship, an agile figure passed by him, wrapping around the mast, climbing up, and lying on top to look into the distance.

That person shouted loudly in a unique booming voice, "Look quickly!"

"The lighthouse of Avel."

Sidi was stunned because that youth in divine servant robes was young enough to evoke nostalgia.

It was Yafuan, just as he had set sail.

At that time, he had not yet been overcome by depression and oppression, and he was always sunny and full of hope when facing others, always saying that everything would be fine.

A tall figure grabbed the hilt of his sword, lifted the lower hem of the sail as he walked over, his steady gaze fixed on the distance, "Has the ship arrived?"

That was Echilio.

Nia, still a little girl, leaned against the ship's railing and pointed at the faintly visible lighthouse in the distance, "Look!"

"It's our lighthouse!"

"We're home."

Nia was incredibly excited, her voice resembling a scream.

Sidi knew she had thought about the hometown lighthouse her entire life, always saying that if she had a chance to return, she must check if the lighthouse was still there.

"How is this possible?"

"That's the Storm Sea, how could we possibly cross it to return?"

He saw these past companions appear one by one, along with many familiar figures whose names he could not recall.

Half a day later, the elderly and somewhat confused King Sidi of Avel suddenly understood something.

His foggy mind finally realized something.

Sidi suddenly burst into laughter, covering his face as he could not stop laughing.

"Oh!"

"So it's... so it's..."

"Coming home."

More and more people rushed from the cabin and the stern, each with an incredibly excited expression.

Everyone wanted to see Ruhe Beast Island in the distance, to behold their hometown and the lighthouse of Avel City.

They hadn't seen their homeland for so long.

"Look quickly!"

"It's Avel City."

"My home is over there, across the sea."

Youthful vigor returned to his body, and Sidi seemed to become a young man again, the incredibly heroic King of Avel.

"Hahahahaha!"

"Going home..."

"We're going home together."

Sidi, like the others, excitedly rushed across the deck.

He leaped up, pushing his way to the very front.

They all rushed to the bow of the ship, standing shoulder to shoulder.

They laughed loudly.

They shouted, called out, and cheered.

Bright, almost dreamlike sunlight shone on them as the ship gently rocked with the waves, as if sailing on a sea of clouds.

In the royal palace.

The child closed the final page, having finally finished reading the story of Sidi and his friends.

"Grandpa Sidi!"

"I've finished reading."

The King of Avel didn't respond, as if asleep.

Outside, the rain had stopped.

The dark clouds suddenly dispersed, and bright sunlight shone into the palace.

The child turned his head as the light shone perfectly on him and Sidi.

"Ah!"

"The sky has cleared."

After a long flight, the Winged People finally reached their new homeland.

Here were herds of beasts and dragons, fertile land and vast jungles.

The only drawback was that there were many volcanoes here.

These volcanoes erupted from time to time, creating terrifying scenes.

The Winged People finally found a high mountain at the center of the land, where they established their new home.

Although they had suffered greatly, they also gained much.

They had obtained Curled Ball Fern and Net Rope Vines from the Snake People, along with many craftsmen and smelting techniques, the result of a thousand years of accumulation from another civilization.

It was anticipated that they would experience a period of vigorous development until they fully absorbed it.

Then they would create completely new and different things.

Shortly after reaching their new homeland, and following Queen Duma's instructions, they began praying to the Gate of Spirituality once more.

Although the Gate of Spirituality had never responded to them before, they felt this time might be different.

"Will the Lord of Radiance respond to us?"

"Queen Duma said she would recover the divine radiance, and she will definitely accomplish it."

Tens of thousands of Winged People conducted a ritual on the mountain, using the three-part divine name to pray to the Lord of Radiance for a response.

This time, brilliant radiance appeared in the sky above, with a beam of light shining on the mountaintop.

They raised their heads.

They saw a white mythic gate slowly open among the colorful clouds, revealing a white world.

They saw the beautiful King of Angels, spreading her divine wings to bestow blessings upon mortals.

One after another, Snake People ability users transformed into Sky Messengers under this power, and new Sky Messengers were born in the light.

The Lord of Radiance no longer required the blood sacrifices of the past, as this time it was a pure bestowal.

The Winged People were moved to tears as they shouted loudly.

"Queen Duma!"

"It's Queen Duma!"

"God has returned."

"God has returned to our side."

"This is redemption, true redemption."