Chapter 371: _Even Gods Grow Tired

Elian’s POV

*****

[ALERT: Unnatural surge of Divine Energy detected.]

The second Elian and Lucian’s boots landed on the sharp sands of the Dark Land’s desert, the omega almost regretted coming at all.

Divine Energy flooded the landscape, far harsher than any desert winds that might’ve blown past them.

‘Crap.’ Lucian appeared to sense the same thing, his mental voice straining through the bond. ‘I can barely keep focus.’

Elian dropped the arm he had shielding his face. “We have to stay calm and search for Kyren and the crystal.”

He was already bringing his gaze ahead.

Dark Land soldiers covered the ground beyond, the crimson dunes almost completely burying their bodies. Beyond them, reaching into the darkening clouds was a massive pillar of silver light.

The source of the Divine energy messing with their mate bond connection.

Beneath the blinding pillar was a figure that instantly brought recognition to Elian. He grabbed the Alpha King’s wrist, blinking them again to the pillar.

Right beside the tiny figure.

“There you are,” Kyren’s voice snapped through the roar of the pulsating divine energy spilling out of the crystal. “I’ve tried everything. The crystal won’t budge.”

He snapped his neck to Lucian first before placing all attention on Elian.

“It has to be you, little flame. Breaking the moon goddess’ essence isn’t something normal magic can accomplish.”

“And neither is reshaping it.” Lucian dragged his feet off something that made Elian and Kyren look as well.

Two interwoven veins of mana, both pulled from different points of the continent, thrummed, running through the earth and streaming into the crystal.

More spiderwebbed toward the floating silver crystal, each pulsing with mana that seemed to magnify with every passing minute.

[Continental Synchronisation: 26.7%.]

Shit.

That’s about fifteen per cent added since before he even replaced the Central Runic Core.

“Fuck it,” Lucian rubbed both hands before curling them into fists. “Let’s try the power of a Celestial Sovereign first.”

Elian and Kyren attempted to stop him.

BOOMMMMM!

His fists, charged with silver Alpha aura, crashed onto the crystal before they could.

A burst of silver light forced all three of them to back up, their arms flying to cover their faces.

Silence.

[Kindly tell King Charming that the crystal is absorbing his attacks.]

Elian set his attention back on the moon goddess’s essence. He could almost feel Amara hiding behind the glass-like surface.

“Well, this sucks.” Lucian sucked a frustrated breath through his teeth. “So she’s… truly in there? Probably hearing us right now, even?”

“Yes, and we’ve got no time for this.” Kyren snapped his neck to Elian. “You’ve assimilated the sacred pool’s divinity. Do you think it would be safe to…” his lips sealed before he even finished the sentence.

Those crimson orbs wandered to his stomach, staying there for a beat too long.

Long enough to let Elian know exactly what the Rogue King was thinking.

“Kyren—”

“Forget I ever said anything.” He shook his head. “There has to be another way.”

“Can you genuinely think of one?”

“You literally died and got reborn with the Sacred Pool anyway,” Kyren gnashed his teeth. “I’m not letting you risk the lives of those kids as well.”

“… Wow. So in other words you’d let me try something if I wasn’t pregnant?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Little Flame.”

“But it’s what I’m hearing—”

“Guys!” Lucian snapped. “Can we argue later? There’s a fucking time bomb over the entire continent.”

Elian bit back whatever else he had to say.

He exhaled slowly before stepping toward the Divine Crystal.

“Let me figure something out. Unless either of you has other options.”

The silver pillar pouring into the heavens seemed to react to his approach, its radiance rippling across the crystal’s smooth surface like moonlight over still water. Behind him, Lucian and Kyren fell silent, both instinctively watching every movement he made.

“So…” Elian muttered. “Let’s see if you remember me.”

Ignoring the protests screaming through every rational corner of his mind, he reached out.

His fingertips touched the crystal.

Nothing happened.

His brows knitted together.

“Huh.”

No violent suction. No divine pressure trying to tear apart his soul.

No overwhelming force attempting to swallow him whole like before.

It simply… remained still.

“Little flame?” Kyren called cautiously. “I don’t think it’s reacting.”

Elian frowned, refusing to remove his hand. “Last time it wanted me immediately.”

Lucian walked over first.

“If you’re going in there mentally, you’re not doing it alone.”

Before Elian could argue, Lucian rested a hand against his shoulder while Kyren stepped to his opposite side, crimson energy and silver Alpha aura flowing through their mate bonds almost instinctively.

The connection snapped fully into place.

Warmth flooded Elian’s consciousness.

Lucian’s unwavering resolve. Kyren’s frighteningly calm focus.

Their emotions intertwined with his own until the pressure weighing against his thoughts eased just enough for him to breathe.

“There,” Lucian murmured. “If she attacks your mind, she’ll have to deal with all three of us.”

Elian gave a tiny nod before allowing his consciousness to sink into the crystal.

An endless, ancient darkness swallowed him.

Then… a soft, feminine laughter chimed in his head.

“You really came.”

The darkness peeled away, revealing an endless silver ocean stretching beneath a moonless sky.

Amara stood upon its surface as though the sea itself acknowledged her existence.

She smiled.

“You’ve always been persistent, Moon-blessed.”

He didn’t smile back. “You’ve lost, Amara.”

“Have I?”

She slowly spread her arms.

The ocean answered, silver waves erupting in every direction before collapsing into countless floating fragments of crystal, each carrying rivers of mana pouring endlessly into her body.

“You stopped the Central Runic Core.” Another smile. “It delayed me.”

The crystal sea pulsed.

“But you’re already too late.”

Far above them, gigantic streams of coloured mana descended from every corner of Evaros.

Every current disappeared into the endless ocean surrounding them.

“The continent is feeding me now.” Her eyes glowed a bright silver. “The Moon Goddess’ will resisted me for millennia.” She laughed again. “But even gods grow tired. Especially when they’re already dead.”

Divine pressure crashed onto Elian’s consciousness like an ocean collapsing from the heavens.

His knees nearly buckled.

Behind him, he felt Lucian and Kyren immediately reinforce the mate bond, their Alpha energies surging through him before the pressure could completely overwhelm his mind.

Amara noticed.

“Oh?” Her smile widened. “They’re supporting you. How touching.”

She raised one hand.

The silver sea exploded.

Tendrils of divine light surged toward Elian from every direction, wrapping around his arms, legs and chest before dragging him toward the endless crystal beneath her feet.

“When I finish devouring the Goddess… I’ll simply devour you next.”

Outside the crystal, Kyren’s instincts exploded.

“Dodge!”

A wall of crimson force erupted behind all three of them barely an instant before a colossal spell slammed into it.

BOOOOOOM!

The desert shook violently.

The impact sent waves of mana ripping across the dunes while Elian’s consciousness snapped back into his body with a gasp.

Lucian and Kyren turned simultaneously.

Standing atop a ridge overlooking the excavation site was a lone woman dressed in ancient white-and-gold robes.

Her hair flowed freely behind her despite the absence of wind.

Several impossibly intricate runic circles revolved behind her back, each radiating enough power to suffocate the surrounding desert.

Elian stared.

Something about her felt… Familiar.

Then the System spoke.

[WARNING: Transcendent Core detected.]

His pupils contracted.

“… Councillor Morwen.”

The woman who had once stood closest to matching Amara’s strength slowly lowered her staff.

“I had hoped that none of you would make it this far.”