Chapter 244: Who’s There?!!

The lizard was lying there on its side, completely half-dead from everything it had just gone through.

Its body was covered in burns and cuts, its scales cracked and broken in dozens of places. The green energy that had surrounded it was gone, leaving only the faint smell of burnt grass and melted stone in the air.

Neva floated down slowly, her body still glowing with golden light.

She landed on the lizard’s head and placed one limb gently on its forehead.

"Sha Sha..." You were very strong. But you hurt my family. So Neva had to be stronger.

The golden circles in the sky started fading one by one.

The rusty gates closed slowly, the chains wrapping around them again before disappearing into nothingness. The massive blade above the valley broke apart into thousands of glittering golden sparks, raining down like fireworks before vanishing completely.

The glow on Neva body faded completely too as she swayed slightly on her feet, then collapsed onto the lizard’s head with a soft thud.

"Neva!!"

Raiden’s voice finally returned as Rose rushed forward, carrying him across the crater at top speed. He jumped off her head before she had even stopped moving, put Woolie on top of her head and ran the rest of the way on foot, his legs burning from exhaustion, but he did not care about it at all.

He reached Neva in seconds.

She was lying on her side, her eight limbs curled up against her body like a sleeping child. Her breathing was shallow, but steady. The pink mark on her back had stopped glowing, but it was still visible, changed into a more intricate pattern, a permanent reminder of what she had become.

"Neva." Raiden knelt beside her and gently lifted her into his arms. "Hey. Wake up. You did great. You won."

Neva’s eyes opened slowly.

"Sha..." Rai Rai...? Did Neva do good...?

Raiden’s throat felt tight.

"Yeah." His voice cracked slightly. "You did amazing. Better than amazing. You were incredible."

Neva’s eyes turned into happy crescents.

"Sha Sha..." That’s good... Neva was so scared... But Neva didn’t want to be weak anymore...

"You’re not weak." Raiden pressed his forehead against hers. "You never were. You just needed to believe in yourself."

Neva made a small happy noise and nuzzled against his chest before closing her eyes again.

Raiden stayed there for a moment, holding her tightly, before standing up and turning toward the others.

Theodore and Aria were still standing at the edge of the crater, staring at the destruction with wide eyes.

The entire valley had changed.

What was once a lush forest surrounded by cliffs was now a massive wasteland. The cliffs on one side had completely collapsed, leaving only rubble and dust. The ground was scorched black in some places and glowing green in others. The air smelled like burnt metal and dead plants.

Both Aria and Theodore made their way down into the crater, getting closer to the centre; they were finally able to see the figure they most wanted to see.

In the centre of the crater stood Raiden, holding an unconscious Neva in one arm and Woolie in the other, with Rose coiled around his neck like a protective barrier.

"Is... is it over?" Aria asked quietly.

"Yeah." Raiden nodded. "It’s over."

Theodore walked closer, his face pale.

"That was... that was a Diamond-Tier Terra Beast. And Neva just... she just beat it. By herself."

"Not just by herself." Raiden looked down at Neva with a small smile. "She had all of us behind her. That’s what made her strong."

Rose hissed softly in agreement.

Aria looked at the almost dead lizard, then at the massive crater, then back at Raiden.

"What happens now?"

Raiden’s expression became serious again.

"Now, it’s about time we finish this."

He turned and started walking toward the stone structure in the centre of the valley.

The others, seeing this, hurriedly followed behind him to keep up the pace.

After climbing out of the crater, they made their way towards the structure, which was somehow untouched by the destruction around it.

The structure was even more impressive up close.

It was made of a dark grey stone that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Ancient carvings covered every surface, depicting scenes of battles, rituals, and strange creatures that Raiden had never seen before.

In the centre of the structure was a large circular platform, and on that platform floated a glowing vessel filled with golden-white energy.

Aria stopped a few metres away from it, her face going white.

"That’s... that’s my bloodline."

Raiden looked at the vessel.

He could feel something coming from it.

It felt like Aria, but also not quite. It was raw, unrefined, and filled with a kind of power that made even Rose’s scales bristle in discomfort.

"Can you take it?" he asked.

Aria nodded slowly.

"I think so. But... I don’t know what will happen when I touch it. The clan elders always said that forcing a bloodline back into someone could kill them."

"Your clan elders were garbage." Raiden’s voice was flat. "They tortured you, stole your power, and tried to use you as a ritual sacrifice. I wouldn’t trust anything they said."

Aria looked at him for a long moment before she brust into laughter.

It was only for a moment, but it felt genuine.

"Thank you, Raiden. For everything."

"Don’t thank me yet." Raiden handed Neva to Rose carefully. "Wait here. I’ll check if there are any traps."

He walked onto the platform.

The moment his foot touched the stone, the carvings around him started glowing.

Golden light spread across the entire structure, lighting up every single carving at once. The vessel in the centre started vibrating, and the golden-white energy inside it swirled faster and faster.

"Raiden, wait—" Aria started.

But before she could finish, a voice echoed through the valley.

"So. You made it this far."

Everyone froze.

The voice was coming from everywhere at once.

It was deep, calm, and filled with a kind of authority that made even Theodore’s knees shake.

Raiden looked around.

"Who’s there?"

The golden light in the carvings intensified.

And a figure started forming in the centre of the platform.