Chapter 170: Revelations

  Duskfang soared high above the coast, his sharp eyes scanning the vast landscape below. The air was crisp and carried the scent of salt, mixing with the remnants of destruction still lingering across the region.

  From his vantage point, he had seen the stark contrast between the eastern and western coasts, taking a mental note of the new territory.

  The east was eerily calm, with smooth waters stretching out endlessly, only disturbed by the occasional breach of massive, docile creatures that surfaced briefly for air before vanishing into the abyss below.

  Their slow, deliberate movements gave the impression of something ancient, something that had always been there, lurking beneath the waters long before Bask had broken away from the mainland.

  The West, however, was a different story. The sea raged violently, as if it rejected the very existence of Bask’s newfound independence.

  Thick storm clouds churned ominously above, and powerful winds howled across the jagged cliffs, sending relentless waves crashing against the rocky shore.

  Verdant Sanctuary and its surrounding lands would have to prepare for unpredictable, volatile weather.

  His gaze then shifted northward. This was where the devastation had been the worst. The coastline was jagged and broken, entire sections of villages and towns having crumbled into the sea.

  Some land had been completely swallowed by the waves, reduced to nothing more than scattered remnants floating aimlessly. It pained him to see how many had been lost to the calamity.

  The cliffs that now defined the northern shore stood like fractured monuments, their sharp edges jutting toward the sky as if accusing the heavens for what had transpired.

  There was no beach, no smooth transition from land to sea—only sheer drops into the chaotic waters below.

  Duskfang sighed, pulling his thoughts back to his task. He had been carefully relaying his findings to the other Magians, ensuring that every detail was recorded.

  Despite how much had changed, the work was far from done. He hadn’t ventured too far out into the open sea yet, keeping his surveillance focused on the immediate surroundings of Bask’s new territory.

  There was still much to assess, but his mind wasn’t just occupied with reconnaissance—it was weighed down by a personal frustration.

  He hated how weak he had felt.

  The battle against the Earth Giant King had been a victory, but it had also been a reminder of his own limitations.

  The residue of power left behind by the Rollen King still clung to him, its oppressive weight making him feel as if he was still shackled by the past.

  He could feel it, lingering in his body, disrupting the flow of his mana. It wasn’t as suffocating as before, but it still reminded him of his own inadequacy.

  It wasn’t enough to simply be strong. He needed to be stronger.

  He clenched his fists, determination burning in his golden eyes. If he wanted to be relied upon—if he wanted to be a pillar of this new independent Bask—then he couldn’t afford to stagnate.

  He needed to push himself beyond his current limits, to carve his name into the foundation of this new era.

  The hole in the earth where the giant had emerged still remained. An abyss of unknown depth, filled with mysteries that had yet to be uncovered.

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  He had been considering it for some time now—diving into its depths, searching for answers, for power.

  He continued his flight, his thoughts consumed by his burning desire to grow. The future of Bask was uncertain, but one thing was clear—he would not be left behind.

  …

  Elsewhere in Bask, deep within the underground research chamber, Stone and Verdant hovered over the enormous, lifeless form of the Earth Giant King.

  The air was filled with a strange energy, pressing down on the space around them like a heavy, unseen force.

  A new fissure had formed along the giant’s chest, an immense crack that split its torso wide open, revealing layers upon layers of hardened, stone-like flesh intertwined with something even more remarkable.

  Glowing within the intricate depths of the Earth Giant’s body, nestled between layers of dense, ancient earth, were shimmering pockets of pure manifested earth mana.

  They pulsed faintly like embers buried in the ashes of a once-roaring fire. These weren’t just remnants of power—they were runes—each one humming with an unfathomable connection to the element itself.

  Some were large, embedded deep within the titan’s core, while others appeared like small veins of golden energy, running through its petrified bones like the lifeblood of a forgotten deity.

  Stone and Verdant exchanged a glance, their respective auras—gray and green—flaring slightly as they instinctively reinforced their resistance against the sheer pressure of the corpse.

  This was no ordinary body. Even in death, it influenced the world around it. The room itself had begun to change.

  A thick layer of dust and sediment clung to every surface, as if time itself had begun to decay in the presence of the ancient corpse.

  The air felt heavier here, thick with an oppressive stillness that made even the smallest movements seem intrusive. It was as if the very essence of the Earth Giant King was anchoring this space in a perpetual state of slumber, drawing everything around it into a slow, inevitable stagnation.

  Verdant hovered just above the fissure, eyes wide as he took in the glowing formations buried within the corpse’s exposed chest. The patterns pulsed softly, some barely visible, others shining with a brilliance that spoke of an untapped power long forgotten. He exhaled, barely above a whisper.

  “This... this is unbelievable,” he murmured, his normally measured tone betraying his awe. His fingers twitched as if resisting the urge to reach out and touch the ancient inscriptions. “These aren’t just residual traces of mana—these are fully formed, profound manifestations. They’re—”

  “Runes,” Stone finished, his voice carrying an almost reverent weight. He descended closer, his sharp eyes scanning the intricate inscriptions woven deep within the titan’s petrified body.

  Each rune exuded power—some raw and untamed, others refined, whispering of knowledge lost to time.

  Elements of earth, minerals, and metals radiated from different sections of the corpse, as though the Earth Giant King had not been a mere being, but a living embodiment of the world’s most ancient and fundamental forces.

  Verdant nodded slowly, the weight of their discovery sinking in. There was so much to uncover, so much to learn—but even more than that, there was potential. Potential to change everything they understood about runes, affinities, and ascension. And they had only just begun.

  “This is a treasure trove,” Verdant breathed. “The sheer profundity... we may have just found the key to breaking past stagnation for some of our apostles.”

  Stone nodded, his mind already racing through the possibilities. Many apostles reached bottlenecks, struggling for years to push past the limits of their rank due to the rarity of some affinities.

  If even one of these runes could help, it could lead to a rapid progression of power within Bask’s forces. But they had to be careful.

  “We can’t just hand these out recklessly,” Stone said firmly. “These are too rare, too powerful. We need to create a shortlist of apostles we trust—ones who have proven their loyalty and potential.”

  Verdant crossed his arms, nodding in agreement. “I already have a few in mind. And I assume you do as well.”

  “I do.”

  Silence settled between them for a moment as they both continued to scan the depths of the titan’s body.

  They had barely begun to scratch the surface of what lay within. If the outer layers contained this much value, what could be hidden deeper?

  Verdant exhaled, pushing his hands through his hair. “This is frustrating.”

  Stone raised an eyebrow. “Frustrating?”

  “There’s too much,” Verdant admitted. “Too much to explore, too much to document. Even if we dedicated years, we’d never fully unravel everything this corpse has to offer.” He turned, his expression shifting into something sharper. “And that’s without mentioning the hole it crawled out of.”

  Stone’s eyes darkened at the mention of the abyss that still yawned open somewhere beneath Bask. That unfathomable darkness, untouched and unexamined, waiting like a patient predator.

  “Yeah,” Stone muttered. “I know.”

  For now, their focus had to remain on the corpse. The secrets it held could change the future of Bask forever. And yet, both of them knew—the giant was only the beginning.