Chapter 25: Pursuit

A tremor shook the world to its core.

Rumble.

It wasn’t just a quake; it was as if the entire world resonated. The battle in the forest stopped dead as everyone froze. No one was foolish enough to dismiss this as a normal tremor.

Ruuuumble.

The quake echoed again. The wind stopped. A profound silence fell over the forest. Vera stood motionless, frozen by the overwhelming pressure. He had never felt anything like it, not in this life or his last. As a hazy feeling began to creep in, a third quake, louder than the last, shook the ground.

Ruuuumble.

Then came the sight that captured everyone’s attention and filled them with dread.

Ruuumble.

In the distance, at the edge of the forest, the mountain was waking up.

The mountain range wasn’t a metaphor. It was literally beginning to rise, its colossal form shaking the ground with every movement. It grew and shifted, taking on the shape of a human being, as high as the sky. It was a Colossus.

When the Colossus finally stood, its body blocked out the moon, casting the forest into darkness. Its shadow was so vast it was hard to judge the distance between them. Snapping out of his daze, Vera’s mind raced. What is that? What do I even call that? The thought of an ancient being came to him, and he knew he was right. Nothing else could explain it.

Terdan!

Terdan, the Colossus who could move mountains. One of the nine ancient species created by the gods, long dismissed as a myth. That was the only thing it could be. But why was it here, now?

Vera’s gaze went to Renee, unconscious in his arms. The last of her power, her divinity, was fading. He remembered the Lord’s Power, an ability to weave fate, to manifest a future with an infinitely small possibility. This power, he realized, was the only logical explanation for Terdan's awakening. He looked back at the Colossus.

It must have been sleeping under the mountain, he reasoned. Renee’s Lord’s Power had likely triggered the possibility of “Terdan’s Awakening.” He shuddered at the thought. To manifest a power strong enough to wake a being like this, Renee’s body must be on the verge of collapse. He reached out to touch her forehead.

Roooaaar!

Terdan roared, and a disaster of a bombardment followed.

---

Terdan bent down, scooped up a lump of land, and hurled it forward. The action seemed ridiculous, but the result was anything but.

Boooom!

The lump of land became a meteor shower, a thunderous noise as it hit the ground. Wyverns in the air exploded. Followers of the Night hiding in the shadows were obliterated. The forest was being swept away.

Vera’s eyes widened, his teeth clenched. He had to snap out of it. “Norn! Run!” he yelled, and Norn scrambled away.

Clutching Renee, Vera dodged the flying debris. Terdan was a result of Renee’s power, a way to buy them time. The pursuers would be too busy with this chaos to chase them. They had to run now.

I can’t fight Terdan, he knew. The ancient species, the First Dragon, the Queen of the Dark Season—they were living disasters. Vera filled his mind with one thought: he had to protect Renee. From the wrath of this ancient being, from the pursuers, from this calamity. He had to protect her and get to the Holy Kingdom safely. He had to get rid of his pride about running away. That was no longer important.

He needed to check her condition. This kind of power came with a price, and she had used it without any knowledge of divinity. He sped up, his own power manifesting as he ran.

“I declare,” he muttered, a flash of ashen divinity surrounding him. The range was a one-meter radius. “Any militant action within the Sanctuary is prohibited. Those who obey gain speed equal to their combat capabilities, and those who do not lose the ability to walk.”

This rule, born from the sole desire to escape, was for taking Renee to safety as fast as possible. “All these laws are enforced under the name of Lushan.” A golden rule burned over the ashen divinity, and Vera felt his body lighten. He took a deep breath and ran, the disaster right on his heels.

Roa-Roaar!

---

His breath was ragged, his muscles screaming. He didn’t know how long he had been running to avoid the falling boulders.

Boooom!

A large rock hit the ground behind him, and the ground shook. He clenched his teeth and straightened his body. He looked back at Terdan, who was slowly following him.

Roar!

The roar was deafening. The sheer size of the being made the whole world tremble. “You annoying bastard!” Vera yelled. Terdan was chasing him, ignoring the other fleeing creatures. The only possible reason was Renee. He must be furious at the person who woke him. Vera gritted his teeth, gathered all his strength, and slammed his foot into the ground.

Slaaam!

The ground shook again.

---

At the border of Elia, Vargo stood with his staff, watching the Colossus approach. Terdan, the mountain-mover, a being so large that the world quaked with his every step. Vargo frowned. What the hell is he doing? he wondered, thinking of Vera’s face. He knew it was related to the Saint. He stroked his chin, a deep sigh escaping his lips. How do I deal with this? How do I send that thing back?

“Your Holiness! Incoming!” a lieutenant yelled.

Vargo looked down. Vera was running out of the bushes, clutching a small girl. Norn was right behind him, gasping for air. They were moving incredibly fast. Vera cleared the border with a massive leap.

Thud.

Vera stopped, looking at Vargo with astonishment. “Your Holiness? Why are you here?”

“You asked for help, didn’t you? What a mess you’ve made.”

“I apologize,” Vera said.

“Your apologies…” Vargo looked at Vera, then his eyes landed on Renee, unconscious in Vera’s arms. A girl with perfect, pure white skin. She’s so young, he thought. What were the gods thinking, giving this power to a child?

“Is she the Saint?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Haha…” Vargo laughed, a bitter sound. He looked up at Terdan. The mountain-mover was still throwing rocks. Before I think about this... I need to get rid of that crazy bastard.

“You’ve suffered enough. Now stand back,” Vargo said.

“Your Holiness?”

“I said, stand back.” Vargo took a step forward.

Vera threw away the cane he’d been holding since yesterday and stared at Vargo. What is he doing? Why is he running toward that thing?

Whoosh!

Vargo’s divinity erupted, a crimson red, like blood. It enveloped the entire space, and Vera realized what he was about to do. He was going to fight the Colossus.

“There’s no one who can do a single thing right,” Vargo grumbled, his voice filled with an intimidating power. “All of them are like this... My retirement seems far away.” He reached out, and the divinity in the air was sucked into his hand, forming a mace. An ominous, life-threatening weapon.

Vargo gripped the mace with both hands, his muscles inflating. He planted his feet, twisting his back, preparing to swing. Vera was bewildered. From this distance? he thought. What is he going to do with a blunt weapon?

Vargo poured all his divinity into the blow. He didn't care about the distance; he only needed to hit Terdan’s core. The Colossus’s ancient karma filled his eyes. A smile formed on Vargo’s lips. “It’s nice to have so many places to hit.”

He swung the mace with a speed that was impossible to follow. A single, furious swing, and a roar that echoed through everyone’s ears. Everything between Vargo and Terdan vanished. The land, the trees, the fleeing pursuers, even the clouds in the sky. Everything was obliterated.

The divinity struck Terdan, and the Colossus began to fall backward. Vera watched, his eyes wide with disbelief. Crazy! he swore under his breath, staring blankly as Terdan crashed to the ground.