At first, she sounded a bit distraught, too many emotions were clouding her reasoning. However, what he said next calmed her down a bit.
“They’re scared you will hate them because they abandoned you.”
She hesitated for a second before looking at his yellow eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“I am. I know what your father felt when giving me this mission on his deathbed.”
With a solemn look, Conall reassured her for the final time, to which she gave his hand a firm grip back.
“Okay, let’s move.”
With a word of her own, they began to run once again.
Unfortunately for them, their next venture didn’t last very long either. Having completely separated themselves from Juliette, they were left alone in an empty space with only the rift in the sky and the tear in the space.
All of a sudden, their bodies felt extreme pain as they collapsed, struggling to grasp the black ground. A big portion of the souls were emptied.
The abrupt screeching they heard lay them on the floor, unable to do anything against it. With it being so powerful, they easily understood what sort of spirit beast released it.
‘Grade A. Not good.’
Conall judged in his mind. They were a few kilometers away from the place, so close yet so far.
Ahead of him, he stared at the five-headed wolf that strode in the air. With a pure black form made from spiritual energy engulfing them, the duo felt helpless, without any help in the vicinity.
Not knowing what to do, he was just about to call for Juliette in his head, before they could collapse from the ongoing screaming that the beast performed.
Yet, before he could do that, the wolf heads stopped abruptly, its soul splitting in half before disappearing.
A whisper entered his ear from the side while he felt a sudden touch on his shoulder.
“Come, we’re waiting for you.”
As quickly as it appeared, the female presence vanished while Conall ran up to the collapsed witch.
After helping her stand up, they proceeded to run once again. This time, they were left alone.
Standing below the chaotic crack, they stood behind a mysterious woman in a white dress and a man clad in armor, of similar heights. Their whole bodies were see-through, made up from a blue, ethereal energy.
Showing her side to them, she stared above, at the crack and rift in the heavens, a faint smile on her lips, as though reminiscing of something.
The beautiful ghost didn’t keep them waiting any longer.
Floating through the air towards the purple-haired girl, the woman asked with sorrow filling her eyes, while the man kept waiting behind them.
“Have you lived a good life, my daughter?”
Her voice spread throughout the area, Silvana being the first one to hear it. Without noticing it, tears began flowing down her face, without being able to stop them.
“Mom?”
She asked, apparently clueless, yet she innately knew the truth. The moment she saw the ghost of these two people, Silvana understood deeply their relation to her.
The woman’s lips shook as she heard her daughter speak for the first time in her life.
Before she noticed it, her body was going through the girl. She tried to hug the girl, but all she could do was pass through her flesh.
Instead, with disappointment, she was only able to act as though they were hugging.
“I’m sorry. We never meant to leave you. Not in any lifetime.”
Trying not to go through her body yet again, she said, self-berating herself, as well as making Silvana’s tears intensify even further.
After a while of standing that way, both hugging each other, her mother finally let go.
“I think you should finally meet him. He’s waited for long enough.”
Conall looked at the dejected man, the same crystalline features on his face as in the cave below the academy.
His eyes screamed of not wanting to be there, shame written all over them. Nonetheless, the first thing he did was apologize with tears dropping from his eyes, despite being a mere ghost now.
“I’m sorry, my child. Because of your father’s foolish actions, you had to live this way for so long.”
“I know what you did. Even though it was erased from written history, I knew for a few years now, but not that it was my father.”
Harmis’s eyes widened before glancing at Conall, but that couldn’t be him from what she said.
“I only revealed who you were.”
Having added that, Conall went back to being silent and Harmis understood everything. Though, that didn’t mean that his depressed expression ended.
Ready to face rejection, he spoke clearly to his daughter.
“My daughter, would you be able to ever forgive me? If only you weren’t chosen, your life would have been so much easier.”
Recalling something Conall had previously told her, Silvana replied, wiping the tears on her face off.
“Father, I think your hatred for the Calamities is clouding your vision. Had I never been chosen, I probably wouldn’t even know of your existence, much less meet you. The mission you gave Conall would also never be accomplished unless I was distinguishable.”
Hearing her, Harmis also couldn’t help but wipe his tears off, shocked at what she revealed.
“Then? Are you saying that-”
“I won’t forgive you, because I never hated you. I’m fine with being one of the Daughters, no matter what the two of you think.”
She said, but it only sparked further sadness in both her mother and father, who made big, teary eyes.
“To think she’s so mature and we couldn’t witness that.”
He said, hugging his wife.
“Excuse me.”
They were suddenly interrupted. By their own daughter.
“Yes?”
Her mother asked, but hearing her, she realized their own blunder because of the buried emotions they withstood for over half a century.
“We still haven’t introduced ourselves. You don’t even know my witch name.”
Opening her mouth and covering it in shock, the woman gasped.
“Oh my, I completely forgot. I’m sorry. My name is Midena, though you may know me as The Mother.”
This time, Silvana’s eyes widened as she recalled the name that rang all across the Witch Tower. The very first witch, the mother of all witches, Midena. Having paved way for a new human kind, she was almost revered as their goddess back in the tower.
With a smirk on her face, Midena turned her eyes towards the giant in his human form.
“You already know that, but my name is Harmis.”
“Sweetie, please, tell us what Byaa called you.”
“You know about her?”
Once again, she was surprised by the turn of events. At the same time, there was something at the back of her head that she remembered, but she asked without thinking.
“Of course. I was her and Vayna’s master. I knew she would have found you after I hid you in the empire, so I wasn’t worried. Tell me, did she treat you well?”
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
All while they were speaking about the matters, Conall had a weird look in his eyes, but didn’t say anything in order not to interrupt. Though, he still wouldn’t say what he thought, no matter what.
“Yes, she was my good master, as well as the one that allowed me to go out into the world before becoming an actual witch. The name she gave me is Silvana.”
“Silvana, that’s pretty.”
Midena replied with happy eyes, Harmis also looking quite pleased with that name. With the same look as before, Conall simply listened to them. However, when the witch’s mother looked at him, he was caught off-guard.
“And your name. Conall, is that right? The one to carry on my husband’s heart.”
“Yes, that's correct. It’s a pleasure to meet the mother of witches herself.”
He bowed down slightly, trying to be formal. He had never got an occasion to meet Midena like this, so he acted like one normally would in front of a higher existence, as she was a Transcendent.
“Haha, you got yourself a good man, Silvie. He at least knows his manners, not like those nobles of the empire.”
With a cheery laugh, Midena mused over his action, only to be quickly reprimanded by the half-awkward voice coming from her daughter.
“Mom, he’s my friend.”
Quickly realizing her mistake, Midena turned the topic to something else. On the other hand, Harmis was looking at Conall with weird eyes, which the boy couldn’t miss.
The giant asked him something, though he knew that wasn’t what he was thinking about.
“How the hell have you leveled up so many times in less than a month?”
His shock was understandable. With the amount of experience points Conall gathered, a normal person could have reached the thirty seventh level when starting from the same one as him.
Hearing him, Conall only smirked before saying something.
“Do you know of Zineall’s domain?”
“I did think you were a lunatic before, but to such a degree? Though, that sure does explain the growth of your soul.”
Once they heard him, both Harmis and Midena’s eyes widened considerably. They knew very well of the dungeon, as well as the Rune God himself.
On the side, Silvana had a confused look on her face.
‘Zineall’s domain? Is that the dungeon he went to?’
This time, it was Midena who asked him something. With a slight undertone that he couldn’t miss.
“If you don’t mind me asking, what sort of rune did you bring upon this world?”
“It’s law-shatterning, but if you worry about that, please don’t. I will be using the rune on something that isn’t a part of this world to begin with. Besides, if the world didn’t want that, it wouldn’t allow me to receive three rewards.”
This time, Harmis’s eyes bulged out from his sockets, even though he was a ghost.
“Three?! Hestrea! What are you thinking?!”
Harmis screamed at the top of his lungs, angry. To his further fury, the crack in the sky seemed to joyfully change its patterns, as though having a good laugh.
While he shook his head and sighed, Midena asked once again.
“Can you tell us about the other rewards?”
With a carefree nod, he turned to Silvana, who instantly realized something.
“The cloak Silvana is wearing was one of the rewards, along with the meranh ore that reinforced it.”
“A cloak? Was there anything like that? I don’t remember anyone bringing it out.”
Harmis stroked his bearded chin while pondering about that.
“It was from a bonus reward of the clairvoyance rune. It had a tricky requirement. Silvana, could you show them the effects?”
Agreeing, Silvana quickly poured mana into her cloak, leaving both of her parents astonished. Turning completely invisible, her traces vanished, as though she had been erased from the world.
Of course, at their level, they could easily sense where she was, but the item was still impressive, an artifact of the mythic rank at least.
“I see. I worried needlessly. Excuse me for that, Conall.”
Harmis said to him with guilty eyes, but it went through the boy like a breeze since he didn’t really care about that.
“What is that dungeon? You told me it was just in a separate dimension.”
Suddenly, when they wanted to talk about something different, Silvana reappeared and asked Conall, to which Midena quickly got worried.
“Honey, don’t worry about it. It’s something only crazy people would enter, especially when they’re Grade C.”
“Mom, please, stop. I’m not going to enter it.”
Sensing the worry, she quickly explained before looking at Conall once again.
Gazing at her parents one last time, he started talking, taking a few minutes to explain everything, as well as the fact that he went there alone, horrifying the two ghosts. They thought he went there as a party, but when they fought about it, there was no way he could have gotten three rewards if not solo.
After she heard about everything, Silvana looked at him in fret, almost subconsciously hurling insults for what he did. However, when she heard that he spent six months there, there was only one question stuck in her mind.
“Why? You could have died any moment. I would have lost the very first best friend I ever had without even knowing about it.”
Her words lingered in his head as they looked at each other.
“Because I won’t be able to win otherwise, nor would I be able to save any of you. I don’t mind spending a mere half a year if it’s going to save an eternity.”
Looking at them from the side with an awkward glance, Midena looked at her husband before speaking to him in her mind.
‘Are we third-wheeling them right now?’
‘There is a chance. Possibly even fourth-wheeling, I would say.’
“Eh-erm!”
Harmis coughed, covering his mouth. Catching the attention of the young birds, he smiled amicably.
“My dear, come, let’s have a talk. I’m sure you want to know more about us, as much as we want to know more about you.”
Saying that, they sat down in a circle while Conall stood there, listening to them.
For a few hours, all they did was talk. Trying to catch up on the countless years they lost, Silvana and her parents revealed everything they had to offer in those short, fleeting hours.
While the witch talked about her experiences in the Witch Tower and the world, as well as the measures she had to take in order to increase her mana control, both of her parents started tearing up, the same guilty expression revealing itself on the dead god’s face.
However, quickly calming him down, it was her turn to listen to them, who had countless stories to share, ones she couldn’t stop listening to, even when they were the most mundane things like flying through a desert.
As much as she didn’t want this to end, Silvana knew that the time was nearing, the crack in the space showing it directly. Even though a few hours were given to themselves, the sky started to tear up more and more, showing its impatience.
“Conall, please come here. It’s about time we give you the rewards for your struggles.”
In an obedient manner, the boy stepped closer to the ghosts that were already back to floating above the ground.
“First of all, I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing my husband to reconnect with me. Most importantly, however, I can’t express my gratitude for bringing Silvana here.”
Midena looked straight at his yellow eyes, saying what both she and Harmis felt. Even though he was the weakest one here and it was more of Silvana carrying him to this island, without him, they understood it would never be possible.
“I know because of Harmis, but I also felt it when you came here. The giant’s soul that you bear, shattered in two. I have a way for you to heal it.”
‘Giant’s soul?’
Silvana wondered to herself after hearing her mother. For all she knew, the only thing that made Conall a giant was his heart. For him to also be one in the soul, he was probably more of a giant than herself.
Conall looked at her with a guilty look that screamed he would explain it later.
Turning to Midena once again, he nodded his head. Harmis had already informed him of the fact, as this was the only way he could practice Three Layers of the World. Though, he already had a bright idea of what they meant.
Looking upwards, at the energetic tear in the space, Midena’s solemn, bright face moved, the space dancing at her words.
“What we’re suggesting should never be performed, under any circumstance. Such chaotic, dense energy would only enshroud your existence to oblivion without leaving any traces of you left. There is a reason no ghosts come near this place.”
Silvana started to have a bad feeling about this.
“However, we believe in you and your tenacity. Conall, would you try inheriting the world’s soul? Its miniscule fragment left from a harsh battle.”
The younger witch wanted to have a say at this, especially at those ominous words her mother had muttered. However, the red-haired boy beat her to it.
“Of course. I was hoping you would leave such an offer.”
“Fufu, you better live after this. The brave ones never wait.”
Hearing her, a bright grin appeared on his face.
“You two really are one and the same. Don’t worry, I won’t.”
Saying the mysterious words, he poised himself for the incoming tear in space that started to move along with Midena’s movement.
Quickly, before Silvana could do anything about it, the space crack became as small as a fist before touching Conall’s body.
Like a drop that returned to a lake, his soul rippled while the ball of golden spirits settled itself in the middle of his soul, between the two, split parts.
A scorching warmth quickly engulfed him and Conall prepared himself for indescribable agony. Not just him. The other three also waited, clearly experiencing as the world’s soul disappeared from the island, not even a slightest vestige of its fragments left behind.
In his preparation for the incoming pain, he somewhat forgot the time, spending a few minutes, yet, to his bafflement, nothing came as the energy settled itself.
No longer hot, it remained there, in the same place where his heart would have been.
Astonished, Harmis quickly searched through his soul, harmlessly. However, to his surprise, he saw as the world willingly let itself be integrated with Conall’s spirit.
Although not yet dissolved, the world’s soul embedded itself, ready to be used up for his recovery.
‘What is this?!’
He screamed in his head, his wife not missing such a reaction.
“C-conall? Are you alright?”
She said out loud, sharing Silvana’s thoughts and worries.
Grasping air with his hands, he tried to see if anything was wrong, but he couldn’t find a single thing. Even when using aura, it was the same, the world’s soul not reacting or responding in any way.
“I’m fine, I believe?”
While Silvana released a sigh of relief, the other two wondered about it. No matter how they looked at it, the world gave its spare parts to Conall, for free.
However, they couldn’t do anything about it. Their time was up.
Since Midena’s purpose as a guardian was shattered, her soul was no longer bound to this place and her form began losing its brightness.
“Mom? What’s happening to you?”