His grip on his sword tightened.
Dust swirled around him, the scent of blood still sharp in the air.
‘No time to complain about pain.’
He turned around, preparing to return to the location of the core of the World-Time Spell’s magic circle.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure all of you return to your everyday lives,” he said, leaving the parting words.
He had taken only a few steps when a cold presence brushed against his senses, halting him.
The voice voice rang.
I was late in my breakthrough.
If only I had been a few seconds faster, I would’ve become impervious to their attacks first and wouldn’t have lost my head.
Zeus—no, not the corpse, but ‘Zeus’—stood there.
His figure was transparent yet imposing.
Faint traces of lightning crackled along the edges of his form.
“An Intent Clone?” Neo murmured.
Is that what this body is called? Zeus’ voice resonated, not heard but felt, pressing against Neo’s mind.
“Yes.”
I see. Seems like you have reached a high mastery in this ‘Intent’.
Neo was inwardly surprised. Zeus’
Intent clone couldn’t use any attacks—it was a simple projection, unable to even speak.
It used Intent to project its thoughts directly into his mind.
Yet it remained, even after Zeus’ death.
Suddenly, Zeus sighed.
I was worried no one had survived, but this is good enough.
At least one person is alive, and it seems you can use Intent too.
The Intent clone didn’t ask the questions Zeus had always meant to ask.
What happened to Neo’s parents?
Did Aides ever speak of Melinoë?
He didn’t ask those questions.
It seemed Zeus noticed Neo’s surprise as he continued speaking.
This projection won’t last long.
Originally, I planned to use the last vestige of my power to try and destroy this world, hoping the resulting damage would damage those ‘things’ too in the aftermath.
However, there is no need to do that anymore.
Zeus stood tall before Neo.
Lightning danced faintly along his form as he looked down at him with a commanding gaze.
But Neo didn’t cower back.
Both of them stared into each other’s eyes.
I apologize, Zeus suddenly said. Even if you were Aides’ son, it was wrong of me to attack you due to my personal agenda when we first met.
His words took Neo by surprise, leaving him frozen for a moment.
Zeus didn’t wait for Neo’s reply and placed his hand over Neo’s head.
I’ve learned this technique to transfer one’s techniques to another.
Gaia told me it was created by a swordmaster.
Before Neo could react or move, a surge of information flooded his mind.
His body stiffened as he tried to push away, but it was already too late.
Zeus’ form quivered violently as he used his body—formed of pure Intent—and transferred it all to Neo.
‘Fuck… not this again…’ Neo thought, struggling to maintain control of his body during the sudden flow of information.
His surroundings blurred, and a sharp headache pounded through his skull.
I could only put a single technique in this body. That’s all I can give you. But I hope this will help you survive.
Neo had to plant his sword into the ground to keep from collapsing after Zeus stopped.
[Zeus’ Concept of Lightning, ??? gained]
A screen flashed before Neo’s eyes, but the letters seemed to distort, fading in and out of focus through his dizzy vision.
Neo. Zeus spoke seriously. Run away.
It was ironic—Zeus, who hadn’t given up after dying, was urging Neo to flee.
When Neo didn’t respond, Zeus continued,
You are the last human alive. As long as you are alive, the world won’t be destroyed.
His words were simple, but they carried an impossible to ignore intensity.
If you’ve managed to survive until now, you should be strong enough to leave this planet.
Go somewhere else. The universe is vast. Find a new place to call home and settle there.
There is no need for you to stay behind for a needless revenge.
The wind around them picked up, as if reacting to Zeus’ plea.
But no matter what Zeus said, the determination behind Neo’s gaze didn’t change.
He hadn’t given up.
He wouldn’t give up.
“If that’s all you have to say, then I’ll leave.”
Why are you not running away? What will you do by staying here—
“Defeat that thing,” Neo pointed his sword toward the massive, looming pillars that stretched toward the sky.
The ground cracked beneath his feet, and the distant rumble of an approaching storm echoed across the desolate landscape.
“This place is my home.
“If I leave, it will be because I want to tour the universe, not because a thug invaded my home and I had to run away with my tail between my legs.”
Neo turned around to leave.
Zeus’ Intent Clone was about to die after giving the Concept to Neo.
There was no point in wasting time by staying there with him.
There was something I noticed while I was on the moon, Zeus suddenly said.
His strange words made Neo’s feet stop.
He turned around to look at Zeus.
“What are you trying to say?”
Why do you think only I was sent to the moon and not more awakeners?
“Because the moon’s mana is different from earth’s mana. Awakeners can’t absorb it or use it.”
Indeed, Zeus said.
Awakeners can’t absorb the moon’s mana, so only those with a large mana pool or those strong enough to use Concepts, Incantations, or Spirits—powers that don’t need mana—were supposed to be sent to the moon.
Ultimately, I was the only one who fit the criteria as the rest of the people were busy with other calamities.
“What are you trying to say?” Neo asked.
I had a chance to talk with the moon’s World Core.
“What…?”
Disbelief was apparent in Neo’s voice.
Talking with a World Core was not simple.
Only Gaia and a few others were capable of connecting with Earth’s World Core.
Yet they could never talk with it.
The World Core refused to indulge in conversations.
‘Was the Moon’s World Core amicable?’ Neo thought. ‘No, that’s impossible.
‘The Moon’s World Core had been threatening us that it would crash into Earth before we started negotiations.
‘That thing is crazier than Earth’s World Core.’
Neo’s thoughts were broken when Zeus spoke again.