Chapter 193: A New Beginning, A Vast Future Ahead

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Riven walked toward the giants and spoke some inspiring words, which moved them even more deeply and stirred the lingering memories of their past lives.

"Ragnar, everyone," Riven greeted the Ten Giants with a calm and steady voice. "This is the world that was born from the union of your Dungeon with a Spiritual Realm called Spring Paradise. I seized it from someone very vile, and I have decided to make this your home. There’s fresh air, a sky, mountains, and forests. The wilderness has expanded massively, and it is yours to take. Remember, however, to always take in moderation, and to never abuse the fragile balance of nature."

Ragnar and the rest of the High Giants nodded solemnly and knelt before him. Their massive forms lowered with surprising care, as if afraid of disturbing the new land beneath them.

"Yes, Divine Lord... Thank you for your great gift... We will never forget your kindness. Let alone that you have helped us remember a little of our past... of a world long forgotten."

Riven nodded with a kind smile and reached up to pat the giant’s enormous arm. The contrast in size was almost comical, yet the gesture carried genuine warmth.

"You’re welcome. There’s a long road ahead. We will be doing many things, and I will be counting on your help."

"Naturally!" Ragnar nodded with firm conviction. "We would die for you."

Riven chuckled softly at the intensity of the declaration. "There is no need to go so far, but thank you."

He walked away from the group of kneeling giants and climbed a short rise in the land. From the higher elevation he could see the mountains stretching into the distance and the rivers flowing below through the grasslands. The soft wind carried the scent of fresh grass and distant flowers.

"Maybe she’d like this place..." he murmured quietly to himself. "I’ll bring her here one day."

As Riven admired the surroundings in silence, his Shadow Self slowly made its way toward him.

"I can feel the connection," the Shadow said in its usual calm tone. "If you grant me a fragment of authority, I can use the Spirit Gate anywhere I go."

Riven nodded. "Very well. I grant you a Spirit Crest."

He raised his hand and touched his Shadow Self’s forehead, carefully infusing it with a faint, thin thread of golden light that left his chest and sank into the dark form.

FLASH!

For a brief moment the Shadow’s eyes flashed with soft rainbow colors before dimming back to their original dark red. A beautiful crest appeared on the back of the Shadow Self’s hand. Half of the mark was shaped like a white moon, and the other half like a black sun. Riven did not fully understand what the symbol meant, but it seemed to embody something essential about his own nature.

Vladimir flexed his fingers and cleared his throat, pretending he had not been completely captivated by the beautiful view for the past several minutes.

"And me?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"You’re going with him," Riven answered. "Of course you’re not getting access to it yet. I cannot trust you completely at this point, and granting a crest costs me quite a lot of energy." He closed the Sovereign Codex with a quiet snap. "Clear the four Gates we listed with my Shadow Self. Prioritize conquering them and defeating the bosses. Once that is done, my Shadow will open a Spirit Gate and I will move there."

"Wouldn’t this allow you to easily move between places as long as Subordinates with Spirit Crests are spread out?" Vladimir asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hah, this is an easily exploitable ability if you think about it..."

"I’ve already thought about it, and yes, it’s useful," Riven replied. "But it requires a lot of power to give someone a crest. I’ll limit it to my Shadow Self for the time being. There’s also the added danger of a subordinate inviting unwanted people into my Spirit Dungeon Realm, which would ruin everything."

"Hah, I see," Vladimir nodded, though a faint look of disappointment crossed his face. "I guess I cannot get one yet. Bummer."

"Don’t act like we’re friends," Riven said while crossing his arms. "What you did before was brave, and I do admire your loyalty, but there’s still a long way to go before I can fully trust you. Anyway, get to work. Shadow, bring him along with your darkness."

"Yes, Main Body," the Shadow Self nodded obediently. Dark tendrils of living shadow rose from the ground and carefully encased Vladimir.

Vladimir gave a short, bitter laugh as the darkness closed around him. "Slave labor it is, then," he muttered, before both he and the Shadow Self disappeared from sight.

Noir, who had been waiting quietly nearby, watched them vanish into the distance. Riven stepped back through the Spirit Gate, returning to the familiar surroundings of the manor while carrying a woven basket filled with Spirit Herbs and colorful flowers he had picked along the way. The little Abyssal Wolf curiously sniffed at the plants, then looked up at him with his tongue hanging out in a clear request for attention.

Riven smiled and tenderly rubbed the wolf’s large head with both hands.

"You hungry? Let’s make some food then."

"Woof!"

The two of them walked inside the house together. The moment they entered, Riven heard Elisa’s voice calling for him from the bedroom.

"Riven? What’s wrong?"

He quickly made his way back to the room, surprised that she had already woken up.

"Sorry, did you just wake up?" he asked gently as he helped her into her wheelchair with careful hands.

"Yeah... why were you outside?" she asked, still sounding a little grumpy from sleep.

"I was with Vladimir... a lot happened," Riven sighed. "I’ll tell you everything while we eat breakfast. I also need to talk to you about something important."

"...?" Elisa felt her heart begin to beat faster as she noticed the serious expression on his face. A quiet worry rose in her chest as she wondered whether it was something she would not like.

As they moved into the kitchen, Riven began preparing exactly what she wanted for breakfast: soft pancakes topped with ice cream, fresh berries, and a generous amount of whipped cream.

Ice cream for breakfast was certainly an unusual choice, but it was her wish, and he was not going to deny his wife something so simple and humble when she asked for it. The warm domestic atmosphere of the kitchen stood in quiet contrast to the vast new world he had just created, yet both felt equally important to him.

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