Chapter 84: You can have them all

"Gaya."

From within the sea of darkness came a crisp voice, cold and completely devoid of emotion. At its center stood a familiar, tall, handsome figure, his dull, empty gray eyes now glowing crimson, with veins crawling across every inch of his exposed skin.

Hearing the call, a familiar voice—neither male nor female—responded submissively, directly inside the figure’s head. This time, however, the usually indifferent voice of the Gaya System sounded unusually obedient.

Even when the Gaya System spoke to Zephyr, it had never sounded like this.

"Master."

The figure slowly lifted his head.

The face was unmistakably Zephyr’s.

No—it was Zephyr.

And yet, somehow, it was not.

His eyes narrowed at the utter blankness before him before he slowly parted his lips.

"How long has it been?"

The Gaya System’s voice carried a rare trace of melancholy as it answered.

"A very, very long time."

The figure remained silent for a moment before lowering his head, bringing his wrist closer to his face, and sniffing lightly.

"This human... reeks of uselessness. I really don’t like it. He’s even blind. But..."

A faint pause followed.

"He’s better than every other chosen one."

Gaya quickly responded in agreement.

Although Zephyr’s past was miserable and he was once fated to die, he had survived.

And now that he had, he was the perfect vessel for its master.

That was why Gaya had told Zephyr to cherish his life and not throw it away.

Zephyr needed to stay alive and prepare himself for what was to come in the future.

Because he was special.

The figure standing in the darkness waved his hand, and a familiar golden message flashed before his crimson eyes, its glow cutting through the surrounding darkness.

Unfortunately, he could not see it.

______

Gaya’s Skill:

Absolute Celestial Domain

(Omnipotence) — Unranked (1)

Activated.

Everything within the domain would be sealed and brought under absolute control.

Here, there is only one master.

They could wield any skill in existence, bending reality itself to their will.

______

Feeling the surge of power coursing through him, the figure let out a sigh.

"Not enough. Not nearly enough."

His fists clenched slightly.

"Too weak. Even this much drained me. Gaya, send my soul back to my body."

Then, he manipulated the power, using it to guide himself. Immediately, the corrupted energy within his body began to dissipate.

As the last traces of corruption vanished, the crimson glow in Zephyr’s pupils faded completely, replaced by their familiar gray.

He blinked, dazed for a moment.

Only then did he remember how he had sensed his unstable energy and decided to go all out while fighting the group of Lizard monsters to protect Lucien and the others.

But as he felt the calm mana flowing through his entire body, Zephyr froze.

"Wait... I did not get guiding. Then why is my energy already so pure and stable?"

Naturally, no one answered him.

Within the foggy darkness, the only sounds were his own breathing and heartbeat.

Frowning, Zephyr immediately began dispersing his Corrosion Manipulation skill.

The Lizard monsters, including their leader, had long since disintegrated into particles.

The pain in his head had vanished as well.

Although he was still exhausted, he felt completely recovered in every other aspect.

How strange.

As he dispersed his Corrosion skill, Zephyr naturally made his way toward the massive green tree in the center of the clearing. His steps were slow and heavy, but within a few seconds, he had already reached the tree.

Using his Psychokinesis skill, he effortlessly plucked the fruits from their branches, and they dropped softly onto the ground before him. There were only three.

As the darkness completely vanished, Zephyr’s figure finally came into view.

Those who had been waiting outside, consumed by anxiety, immediately rushed toward him, especially Erick and Lucien.

As an Esper, Erick was naturally faster. He reached Zephyr first, grabbing his arm and pulling him around to face him. His golden eyes quickly scanned Zephyr from head to toe.

Only after seeing Zephyr’s completely calm expression did the tension in Erick’s face finally ease.

Even so, he gritted his teeth and scolded him.

"You! You’re seriously crazy!"

Zephyr blinked. He could not see Erick’s expression, but he could hear the worry in his voice. Instead of arguing, he pulled his arm from Erick’s grip and answered calmly.

"I am fine."

Erick stared at him for a long moment before finally stepping back with a sigh.

"As long as you’re fine."

He unconsciously rubbed his fingers, a strange emptiness lingering in his heart.

Why was it that every time he tried to get close, Zephyr would put a wall between them?

While the two stood facing each other, Lucien and the others, who had already stepped out of the dome Zephyr had created, rushed toward them as well.

Lucien immediately pushed Erick aside, completely ignoring the ugly look that crossed Erick’s face. He hurriedly stepped in front of Zephyr and checked him from head to toe, his eyes filled with concern.

Only after confirming that Zephyr was unharmed did Lucien finally release him.

"Fortunately, you’re fine, ah!"

Jake, the burly Esper, Oreon, Eleven, and the two female Guides stopped behind Lucien and Erick, each wearing a different expression.

Oreon and the burly Esper were mostly relieved rather than shocked. They had already witnessed Zephyr’s terrifying power outside the dungeon, so they were not as surprised by what they had just seen.

Eleven, however, wore a very complicated expression. Zephyr had shown clear signs of losing control earlier, yet now he stood before them completely fine, as if nothing had happened. This left Eleven questioning his own judgment as a Guide. Had he been wrong all along? Perhaps it was not Lucien who was useless; the useless one was him.

As for Jake and the two A-Rank female Guides, they were completely stunned.

This person was actually this powerful?

Jake already knew that Zephyr was strong, but he had never imagined that he was this strong. The sheer scale of Zephyr’s power was far beyond anything he had expected from someone who had tested as a mere B-Rank Esper.

Zephyr had no idea what was going through the minds of those staring at him. He simply dispersed his Rebound Dome skill that was still active in the distance before lowering his gaze toward Lucien.

Without hesitation, Zephyr reached out and took Lucien’s hand, pulling him toward the golden fruits lying on the ground behind him. Each fruit was large enough to fill both hands, which was why he had not carried them himself. He had noticed how badly Lucien wanted these fruits. He had gone through all that trouble to get them, so naturally, Zephyr assumed that Lucien must be very hungry.

"Here. Is this what you wanted?"

Lucien’s eyes widened.

Only then did those standing behind him finally notice the three golden fruits. But before anyone could get a proper look, Lucien immediately lunged toward them like a starving beast and scooped them up.

Turning back toward Zephyr, Lucien broke into a bright smile, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Yes! Yes! Haha!!"

But then, as if suddenly remembering something, Lucien’s expression changed.

He quickly shifted into a defensive stance, narrowing his eyes at Erick and the others as though daring them to even think about stealing a single one of his precious fruits.

Yes, his fruits. They were already in his arms, so naturally, they belonged to him!

As for shamelessness, what did it matter when something this precious was at stake? These fruits could significantly increase his chances of survival in this crazy world. There was no way he was going to let anyone take them from him!

Only after making sure no one was coming for them did he turn back to Zephyr.

His expression suddenly became a little guilty.

"Is it really okay if I take all of these? You don’t want any? Really?"

Zephyr could not see Lucien’s expression, but somehow, he could already picture it in his mind. The sight of Lucien clutching the fruits was enough to amuse him, and a soft chuckle escaped Zephyr before he could stop it.

"You can have them all."

Lucien’s eyes lit up.

The fruits in his arms were called Golden Might Fruits.

In the original story, Erick and Nana had found just one Golden Might Fruit. Since no monsters were guarding the fruit tree at the time, they naturally did not think it was a treasure. Its true value was only revealed after Erick tossed it to Nana, who was feeling hungry, and she ate it. Only then did they discover that the fruit could increase a person’s strength by one rank, regardless of whether they were a Guide or an Esper.

Afterward, they searched the surrounding area for more, but they never found another one.

It was only much later in the story that they learned the truth. Golden Might Fruits had long been extinct, and the tree they had discovered was likely the last one in existence. Even more astonishingly, the tree required hundreds of years just to produce a single fruit.

Yet now, there were three of them!

That meant whoever consumed all three could potentially increase their strength by three whole ranks!

No wonder Lucien’s eyes were practically glowing.

A grin spread across his face as he looked at Zephyr.

"Good! Don’t you dare go back on your word later!"