Yesael City and the Royal City of the People of the Abyss

There was no up or down, no left or right. While traveling through this space, he felt as if he was constantly spinning.

A sense of losing control, emptiness, fear, and desolation surrounded him.

Oran felt as if he was being devoured by darkness, gradually melting away, his head spinning.

He wanted to leave this place, but he could not find direction. Though nothing physically blocked his path, he couldn't take a single step forward.

No matter which way he turned, everything kept spinning.

Even when he used all his strength to rush forward, it felt as though he was treading in place, making no progress at all.

"This must be the Dream Realm," Oran muttered to himself.

"I'm completely lost here."

The collision between the Original Sin Evil God and the God of Alchemy had torn apart the dark land, unfortunately throwing Oran directly into the Dream Realm.

This wasn't Oran's first time entering this place. He had previously traversed dreams alongside Saint Raphael.

To the Wood Nymphs, the Dream Realm appeared as a city with countless coordinates and alleyways. They could move effortlessly through its streets and navigate its intricate passages with ease.

Occasionally, they would emerge from the alleys and city gates to find themselves at lively crossroads or serene, picturesque hillsides filled with the vibrant essence of life.

It was an interesting, exciting exploration and adventure.

However, when Oran finally experienced it himself, he realized just how terrifying the Dream Realm truly was, a place where nothing existed.

No direction, no coordinates, and certainly no exit.

Once lost within, one could only wait for death.

Oran wandered aimlessly through the Dream Realm, not even certain if he was moving at all.

Suddenly, a faint light appeared in the distance. Excitement filled him as he hurried toward it.

In this endless darkness, even the faintest glimmer of light seemed like hope. Yet, when he finally reached out and caught that ray of light, a bitter smile crossed his face.

What he held in his hand was a stone, one that looked extremely familiar.

"So, it's Elena's Heart."

This was certainly an old friend, but at this moment, it was completely useless.

This stone had accompanied him for decades, yet it couldn't free him from the Dream Realm's prison.

Oran felt dejected.

"Am I going to die?"

"I never imagined this would be how I'd go."

Oran had immediately fled rather than opposing the divine beings or watching their battle. It seemed fortunate that he hadn't died in the aftermath of their clash.

But the ripples from their confrontation had pushed him into this sea of nothingness, where he would simply drown.

This ending filled Oran with a sense of powerlessness.

But at that moment, his wooden heart suddenly began to emit light.

Oran immediately looked down, confusion in his eyes.

"Why is it suddenly glowing?"

When Oran raised his head again, he suddenly saw another point of light appear in the vast Dream Realm.

That point of light seemed to be attracting him, calling to him.

"Could it be something else glowing?"

Oran lifted his Lamp of Covenant high, and the Lamp Spirit swirled below him, guiding him toward the distant light.

As he approached, the point of light grew larger, slowly taking the shape of a doorway that offered a way out of the Dream Realm.

On the other side of the door lay the Storage Spirit Realm.

Excitement surged through Oran as he immediately knew who had opened this door for him.

"It's Saint Raphael."

The Wood Nymph Saint Raphael had opened a passage for Oran, welcoming him back from the Dream Realm.

A smile spread across Oran's face as he accelerated forward.

Gradually, he caught sight of Saint Raphael's figure in the distance.

Saint Raphael stood atop the white storage tower. Behind her, storage compartments occasionally flew up, shifted around, and settled back down.

She was waving to Oran, leaning against the tower's parapet and standing on tiptoe.

Sometimes she would jump up and open her mouth, as if calling out to him.

But Oran was too far away to hear clearly.

Only when he finally got close enough did he hear what she was saying.

"Hurry up!"

"Hurry up!"

"Keeping this door open is exhausting!"

Oran jumped through and landed atop the white storage tower, having barely escaped the endless void.

When he entered, it felt like stepping into a grand ceremony or gala.

Golden-robed figures circled in the sky.

They continuously scattered ribbons from above that trailed colored smoke, transforming the entire Storage Spirit Realm into a kaleidoscope of colors.

"Oh!"

"Watch this!"

"I'll do something big too!"

Crowds of flower-crowned Wood Nymphs stood atop the white storage tower, curiously examining the storage compartments and riding them up and down.

Some Wood Nymphs were even attempting to converse with the Storage Spirits.

Oran had never seen so many Wood Nymphs before, and he could only guess who the noisy figures flying through the sky were.

"There are so many people here!"

"It's so lively."

Today seemed to be a special day, with many "people" visiting the Storage Spirit Realm.

When they noticed Oran, curious glances turned his way, though no one recognized him or approached to speak with him.

Saint Raphael drew several circles in the air, and the large door she had opened began to shrink until it vanished completely.

Then she turned to look at Oran.

"I made the door extra big so you wouldn't miss it, and you still took forever to get here!"

"You're only just arriving now."

Saint Raphael stuck out her tongue. "I'm exhausted."

Saint Raphael chattered away, excited to see Oran again.

She patted Oran's shoulder. "So, it's true what mortals say. Even after you say goodbye, you can meet again."

Oran shrugged. "Maybe fate just favors me."

"And maybe because I've been protecting you," she said, her eyebrows twitching as she pursed her lips.

That reminded Oran of something he was very curious about.

"What did you put in my heart?"

Saint Raphael smiled and said, "Didn't I tell you before?"

"I asked my friends about you. They said you weren't just an object and that you could still be saved."

"For a long time, I wondered if I could help you become human again."

"I know you really want that, Oran!"

"So, I found a Spirit I know and had them create a special heart for you, one that could replace Elena's Heart."

"But I didn't know how to remove your original heart, so I just placed the new one in your body. I hoped that if you could one day break free from Elena's Heart, the new one would transform you back into a human."

"I wasn't sure if it would work, so I didn't tell you," she said, scratching her head.

"Besides that, it can also protect you."

"As long as you don't suffer a completely fatal wound, it will protect you from death."

Oran was deeply moved. "Thank you, Saint Raphael."

"Do you know who made it for you?" she asked, looking very proud.

Saint Raphael pointed to a Spirit behind her. "He made it."

The Spirit grabbed a balloon and descended from above.

It lifted its head high with pride, as if to say,

Yes, it was me.

This was Oran's first encounter with Spirits, a legendary race even rarer than Wood Nymphs.

Saint Raphael had once told him that all Spirits were ancient, originating from a previous era.

These Spirits might look unimpressive, like children.

But in terms of existence, they predated even the gods of the mortal world.

The Spirit added a detail for Oran. "It's not one-time use, you know!"

"You can use it once a year. As long as your head and heart aren't completely destroyed, your body will immediately regenerate."

【Miracle Tool: Oran's Wooden Heart】

【Sequence Number 107】

【A unique heart carved from wood, manufactured by a Spirit at the request of the Storage Nymph Saint Raphael, a gift for her former puppet Oran.】

【This wooden heart can merge with living bodies. After absorbing blood, it recognizes and anchors to its host. When the host suffers catastrophic damage, it restores all injuries at miraculous speed. After one use, it requires a long period to recover its power.】

A truly remarkable and powerful tool.

But it also had obvious weaknesses, not truly conferring immortality.

Nevertheless, this power left Oran astonished.

"The Spirits' Miracle Technique!" Oran exclaimed. "It really is a wonder."

The Spirit responded.

"It's because you never fully became an object. Your body still contained flesh and blood tissues, only temporarily transformed into a puppet by the power of Elena's Heart."

"The Miracle Technique could restore you to a Snake Person. If you were truly a puppet, restoration would be impossible."

With that, the Spirit floated away, apparently finding the conversation quite dull.

"Alright!"

"I'm going to play now."

"No, I mean, I am going to focus on the important work of completing the Storage Spirit Realm."

It flew up to continue its work on the realm's sky.

Other Wood Nymphs planted rainbow trees throughout the realm, seemingly preparing for a grand ceremony.

Saint Raphael turned back to Oran, but before she could speak, he spoke first.

"You're becoming Fourth-Rank?"

Saint Raphael nodded.

"Yes!"

"I've gathered enough wish light. When the Storage Spirit Realm rises to the Creator's Domain, I will be able to control spatial power directly."

"Then I can create spatial tools that open directly to storage compartments, without needing to use the rainbow tree hollows to retrieve things."

"In the future, I'll be able to retrieve stored items from anywhere."

Saint Raphael smiled. "From now on, I'll be a true Storage Nymph."

Oran understood what this meant.

Saint Raphael would leave the human world and return to her homeland.

The Rainbow Spirit Realm in the Creator's Domain.

Oran had many things he wanted to say, but after thinking for a long time, he simply said, "Congratulations."

The Storage Nymph Saint Raphael nodded with a smile.

"It's time for me to leave," she said.

"I'm returning to the Creator's Domain."

Oran lowered his head, not looking at Saint Raphael.

Then he turned to look at the others around them, the Spirits and nymphs from the Rainbow Spirit Realm.

No wonder the Storage Spirit Realm was so lively today.

All the Wood Nymphs and Spirits had come to welcome Saint Raphael back.

Oran had initially felt sad, but seeing this, he couldn't help but feel happy for Saint Raphael.

"You really do have a lot of friends, Saint Raphael."

Saint Raphael immediately beamed with joy. "Of course! I told you I have lots of friends."

"Though you're no longer my puppet, you'll always be my friend."

Oran asked Saint Raphael, "Do you write letters to your friends?"

"I mean, to friends who aren't by your side, who are far away."

Saint Raphael stood tall, chest out. "I'm a Storage Nymph, not a Letter Nymph."

"I only collect gifts."

"You know, you still owe me a gift you never gave me," she reminded him.

Oran deliberately put his hand to his mouth, whispering, "So, are the things placed in the storage compartments actually offerings from mortals to the great Storage Nymph Saint Raphael?"

"How could you say that so loud?" she replied, immediately flustered.

After teasing each other for a moment, they both burst into laughter.

On the Golden Coast

Oran, restored to life, raised his head to watch the entire Storage Spirit Realm rise into the air.

As the small island ascended, it left the mortal world behind. High above in the endless sky, the clouds opened into a swirling vortex that pulled the Storage Spirit Realm inside.

Its final destination was the Creator's Domain.

Oran kept waving until the entrance in the sky completely disappeared.

The last time they parted, Oran had left while Saint Raphael said her goodbyes.

This time, Oran was bidding farewell to Saint Raphael.

The celestial phenomenon faded away entirely, and the clouds slowly drifted back to fill the emptiness in the sky.

Only then did Oran turn around, facing the direction of the City of Gold.

Nothing was over yet.

In the mortal world, in the Land of Sunrise, there was still much waiting for him to accomplish.

Creator's Domain

The Storage Spirit Realm ascended to the Dream Continent. Saint Raphael chose to settle at the easternmost shore, where her realm and white tower could bask in the first ray of light as the Dream Sun rose each day.

As more Spirit realms appeared, the Dream Continent grew increasingly colorful and diverse.

That day, nearly all Dream Spirits and Wood Nymphs gathered in the Storage Spirit Realm to admire Saint Raphael's white storage tower and play on the golden beach.

Tables were arranged on the beach, with rows of rainbow trees sprouting from the ground.

The nymphs held a tea party beneath the rainbow trees, with Saint Raphael as the central figure.

Using exaggerated gestures, Saint Raphael began to overstate her exploits in the mortal world in her distinctly characteristic style.

"I'm telling you, I wasn't exaggerating at all."

"When I was in the mortal world..."

Ordinary, smooth travels became perilous adventures filled with hardships and dangers.

Even insects encountered on the road took on mysterious qualities. Some shadowy groves transformed into dark forests inhabited by mysterious evil sorcerers.

She described the azure sea with all sorts of unknown and mysterious details, as if she had truly explored its deepest depths. Ghost guides from the Kingdom of Truth encountered on the road became evidence of her cleverness and wisdom.

Though the nymphs knew there must be exaggerations, they still listened with rapt attention.

At that moment, no one noticed the dark shadow creeping along the ground as it stretched from the distant horizon.

The shadow crept across the earth and climbed up the white storage tower.

A small girl appeared atop the white tower and walked toward its interior. She wore a light undershirt covered by a dark, high-collared dress, along with tube pants and leather boots.

The constantly moving white storage tower was like a maze. Ordinary people who entered would completely lose their way.

But she headed directly for the deepest part, searching for her target.

"God said there's a treasure inside."

The little girl's eyes shone brightly, her curiosity plainly written on her face.

"I want to see what treasure it is."

The Life Sovereign searched for a while, countless storage compartments continuously cycling and moving around her. Finally, one of the compartments stopped directly in front of her.

It was a large, square compartment, like a stone box.

The box was sealed.

But this obviously couldn't stop Shelly.

Shelly revealed a mischievous smile, dark shadows writhing behind her.

A terrifying black shadow surged forth, grabbing the storage compartment and wrenching it open.

At the same time, the Storage Nymph, who was enjoying the beach tea party, suddenly felt something unusual and quickly turned her attention toward the white storage tower.

She let out a loud cry.

"Oh no!"

"There's a thief!"

Saint Raphael became anxious, not understanding how there could be thieves in the Creator's Domain.

Inside the white storage tower, Shelly's face bore an expectant smile, her white teeth and sparkling eyes gleaming.

She eagerly watched the box open, ready to look inside.

She anticipated what great treasure God Yinsai had placed inside.

However, before she could peek in, the treasure sprang out.

An unexpectedly large wooden mallet.

Shelly, like Saint Raphael before her, looked at the mallet with a puzzled expression. "Huh?"

Then, the mallet struck her on the head.

Thunk!

It was followed by a swing.

Bang!

A shadow burst from the white storage tower and soared into the distance, heading straight for the sun on the horizon.

On the beach, the anxious Saint Raphael and the crowd of nymphs watched the shooting star streak across the sky, looking at each other in confusion.

"?"

"Oh!"

"What just flew past?"

Only Saint Raphael felt that this scene was somehow very familiar.

In the fifth year since its founding, the White Tower Alchemy Alliance was finally at peace. It was the second year after the renewed outbreak of war, and the embers of conflict had only just been extinguished.

The White Tower Alchemy Alliance had completely defeated the Council of Elders, ending the elder council system led by the Golden Family.

Many alchemical families fled from the Land of Sunrise, some toward the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.

Others fled toward the Thunder Marsh.

Some even fled toward the Endless Desert in the far north.

Having unified the entire Land of Sunrise, the White Tower Alchemy Alliance announced the complete abolishment of the nearly powerless Council of Elders system.

Under this alchemical council system, it seemed as though all alchemists could run for election. However, the family elders remained the same for generations, staying in power for hundreds of years.

The Grand Elder position was invariably reserved for the Golden Family.

More importantly, the Land of Sunrise under the elder council system could hardly be called a country.

Though the system appeared advanced, it was actually a continuation of the ancient tribal elder alliance system.

The establishment of the White Tower Alchemy Alliance officially transformed the Land of Sunrise into a complete country.

The new White Tower Alchemy Alliance used a citizen assembly system.

Residents of the Land of Sunrise could become citizens by paying sufficient taxes to the White Tower Alchemy Alliance.

Citizens from each city were then eligible to compete for local governor positions, which included town governors, provincial governors, and the alliance governor.

Various alchemical schools established their academies across provinces and cities, each deeply integrated with local economics, politics, and prosperity.

The stronger the alchemy academy, the more exceptional alchemists and students it could nurture, making the local area more powerful and prosperous.

Among them, the most influential was naturally the White Tower Alchemy Academy.

Golden Province, White Tower City

The former City of Gold actually managed many cities and towns of various sizes. Under the elder council system, the elders of the City of Gold would never willingly divide their territory, as that would create more elders in the alchemical council.

This situation indirectly caused the territorial divisions across the Land of Sunrise to become highly fragmented and disorganized.

What seemed like cities were scattered and disconnected.

But the differences between cities were like heaven and earth.

After the establishment of the White Tower Alchemy Alliance, all territories formerly ruled by the City of Gold were directly organized into a province.

The White Tower City, formerly the City of Gold, became the capital of the White Tower Alchemy Alliance.

Inside the White Tower Alchemy Academy, everyone now gathered beneath Experimental Tower One, eagerly watching its peak.

"Will Principal Oran succeed?"

"He will definitely succeed."

"Can an apostle really live for a thousand years?"

"That's a divine apostle after all."

The entire experimental tower had been cleared, with all personnel waiting outside.

Because today, the first apostle of the God of Alchemy could be born.

Oran stood at the center of the ritual array, watching it connect to the Dream Realm and form a powerful spiritual pressure.

In ancient times, this step required numerous Ability Users to create intense spiritual pressure together. Now, as the Dream Realm grew stronger and its laws more complete, the power of the Dream Realm alone easily accomplished this step.

"It's beginning!"

The Lamp of Covenant within Oran's body emerged, and the Lamp Spirit appeared behind him.

Its transparent body, composed of activated mental power, had imprints at its core.

The mythical blood in his body transformed into fluorescent light, continuously flowing out and gathering in the Lamp of Covenant.

Divine Blood, Spirit, Imprint.

Under the pressure of the ritual array, the three elements of Wisdom ability were forced to merge.

The God's Grace Stone emerged.

Oran's consciousness left his body, appearing within the Lamp of Covenant.

He could sense the lamp undergoing a transformation as the God's Grace Stone melted, reshaping the Lamp of Covenant into a mythical organ that became a part of him.

Oran's consciousness resided within the lamp.

The lamp seemed to serve as his head, enabling him to think independently of his body, relying solely on the lamp.

His desires and emotions became flames, dancing within the lamp.

He felt his desire and personality merge into a tangible entity, like a unique seed fostering growth within him.

"What is this?"

"Could it be the path to something higher?"

What lay beyond God's Apostle? What higher existence awaited?

Oran suddenly recalled rumors from the Age of Gods, remembering divine revelations about gods establishing a mortal divine system.

With a unique perspective detached from his body, he observed the external situation.

His gaze pierced through the experimental tower and took in everything beyond.

He gazed down at his body below.

Under Oran's control, the divine lamp soared upward, reaching the tower's peak.

Fire ignited within the silver lamp.

Then, with a thunderous boom, the flames erupted outward, scattering like fireworks across the sky.

Countless Lamp Spirits spiraled outward, circling above the White Tower Alchemy Academy and hovering over White Tower City.

Cheers erupted from below as everyone watched the numerous Lamp Spirits circling in the sky, exclaiming in awe.

"Apostle of the God of Alchemy!"

"The Divine Lamp Apostle!"

"Long live Principal Oran!"

Oran had succeeded, becoming Fourth-Rank.

Everyone joined in the celebration. The residents of White Tower City cheered loudly, while crowds of children ran through the streets, joyfully chasing the Lamp Spirits that floated above.

After announcing his ascension to Fourth-Rank apostle, Oran merged the Lamp of Covenant back into his body.

Alone on the experimental tower, he gazed toward the coast where the Storage Spirit Realm once stood.

He took out a storage bracelet.

The ritual array on the bracelet lit up, connecting through the Dream Realm to the Storage Nymph's realm and linking to the corresponding storage compartment.

He placed a letter into the bracelet, along with a box containing a gift.

"This is for you, Saint Raphael."

"My somewhat belated gift."

Inside the box were two books.

One was an ancient fairy tale, the legendary 《Tales of the Spirits》 written by God Iva, the origin of this era's Wish Festival.

The other was a book that had recently gained popularity in the Land of Sunrise.

It was a story about the Storage Nymph Saint Raphael descending from the Realm of the Gods to bring blessings to the human world.

《The Gospel of the Wood Nymph》

The story of Storage Nymph Saint Raphael began spreading throughout the human world. As beings of dreams and wishes, when more people remembered and knew of them, more wishes would gather toward them.

Several years later, Northeast of Ruhe Beast Island

In the vast expanse of the desert, a cloaked figure moved steadily through the swirling sands carried by the wind.

Although the daylight shone brightly, he still carried a lamp.

It was a silver lamp.

He pulled the cloth higher over his face to shield against the sand.

"The Endless Desert is certainly not a pleasant place."

"For a mortal, this must be the most terrifying forbidden zone."

This desert was called the Endless Desert.

Its name was fitting because this was no ordinary desert and it held various magical powers.

This was one of Ruhe Beast Island's forbidden zones of death.

The most obvious danger was that locations within the desert were in a constant state of flux.

In the morning, a traveler might find themselves at the desert's edge, only to be shifted to its center by evening or drawn into its depths without warning.

Ordinary people who entered would find themselves hopelessly lost. Even if they kept moving in a single direction, they would never reach an exit.

And this was just the visible danger, the peril that mortals could perceive.

The apostle of the God of Alchemy, Oran, had traveled a great distance to find a city that existed only in legends.

Legend told of an ancient city lost in time, deep within the Endless Desert.

Oran had heard stories about this city and believed it might hold the answers he sought.

He had spent countless days searching for it, venturing repeatedly into the heart of this forbidden zone.

With his lamp in hand, Oran pressed on, his resolve fixed on uncovering its secrets.

Lamp Spirits flew out one after another to explore the surroundings, then returned.

After countless attempts and endless searching, every effort had ended in disappointment.

But when the last Lamp Spirit returned, his expression suddenly changed.

"Over there."

Oran transformed into a gust of wind, the Lamp Spirits sweeping him toward the distance.

A tornado hovered in midair, with Oran at its center.

From above, he could see a massive whirlpool churning in the desert. Through the swirling sands, a vast city slowly emerged, rising steadily from its depths.

Sunlight broke through the clouds, casting its intense heat onto the sand.

In the distance, sand and wind howled, sweeping across the desert.

The sandstorm seemed to veil the city in a thin gauze, making it appear mysterious.

But now Oran's gaze was completely captivated by the city. He even held his breath, as if fearing that with a single exhale, the city he had sought for so long would vanish without a trace.

The city was ancient, primitive, and imbued with a sense of immense weight.

Built entirely of massive stones, its style differed greatly from the Lost Kingdom, yet it shared the same sense of having been carved by giant gods.

Excitement surged through Oran as he watched the city rise from beneath the desert sands.

"Yes," Oran whispered to himself, his voice trembling with emotion.

"This is it. This is Elena's ancestral home, the ancient city from her dreams."

Oran had seen this city many times in the projections from Elena's Heart.

However, it was supposed to be under the sea.

Oran let out a long sigh of relief. "I've finally found it."

"Lady Elena, I've finally repaid the kindness you showed me."

Oran knew this city was ancient, so old that it defied imagination. However, he had no knowledge of its name or its history.

It was none other than Yesael City, the oldest city apart from the God-Given City. It was also the royal city of the People of the Abyss.