The divine incarnation of the Beast God shattered into golden fragments after its final threat, leaving behind a wave of divine energy rippling across the sky.
"Go ahead and try to find me," Muria smirked as he looked up at the dissipating remnants. "I'm planning to look for you too. Let's see who finds who first."
In Erathia, tales of mortals slaying gods had circulated for centuries, despite being heavily suppressed. These weren't baseless myths—there had been instances where mortals achieved the impossible, although only under extremely rare and favorable conditions.
Still, in normal circumstances, a mortal couldn't hope to kill a god. Even if a god stood motionless and allowed a mortal armed with a divine weapon to strike, it wouldn't be enough to end their existence. However, Muria was no ordinary mortal.
With his reincarnated body now elevated to the Legendary rank and equipped with divine artifacts, Muria could legitimately pose a threat to a god. Moreover, should it come to it, his true form could intervene directly. Combined, these factors gave Muria the ability to fight and potentially even kill a deity.
As the spatial rift above slowly healed, Jiuli—who had silently observed the short but intense confrontation—looked at his transformed teacher with awe. Muria's new form radiated an oppressive aura that made it hard to breathe. Jiuli spoke with newfound reverence.
"Teacher... Will that god come back?"
"No," Muria replied confidently. "The distance between us is too great. Even if it were stupid enough to try again, it would only waste its energy."
With that, the sleek, winged black dragon circled in the air before descending. As it landed, the dragon shifted into the form of a black-haired, golden-eyed boy. With a simple gesture, the Starry Chains—still holding the soul of the demigod—returned to his hand.
Jiuli watched in stunned silence as Muria reached out and gripped the demigod's soul. The massive ethereal form collapsed into a dazzling golden orb no larger than a baby's fist. Within the orb, the faint image of a majestic golden roc flapped its wings and screeched.
However, as Muria tapped the orb, a second figure emerged within it—a dragon, its form identical to Muria's true self. The two figures clashed inside the orb, the dragon steadily overpowering the roc. Bit by bit, the dragon tore the roc apart, devouring it entirely. When the battle ended, only the dragon remained, claiming dominance over the golden orb.
"Is this all? This god wasn't as strong as I expected," Muria muttered, smiling faintly as he turned his gaze to Jiuli. Noticing the eager anticipation in his student's eyes, Muria pointed to the demigod's massive, withered corpse nearby.
"Can you make use of it?"
"Yes," Jiuli answered without hesitation, his voice filled with determination. Witnessing the power of the demigod had reignited his thirst for strength. He didn't want to rely on others to protect his home if such dangers arose again.
"Good. But this thing is still too big for you. Let me simplify it."
Muria pointed at the corpse, and a blaze erupted around it. The enormous body of the demigod, once as large as a mountain, began to collapse and shrink. The flames incinerated everything Muria deemed unnecessary, leaving behind a dense, black-grey crystal roughly ten meters tall.
Though Jiuli understood the reasoning behind his teacher's purification process, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret for all the discarded material. To him, even the so-called "impurities" would have been treasures.
"Take it," Muria said, patting Jiuli on the head. "But be cautious—don't try to absorb too much at once, or it'll overwhelm you."
Jiuli nodded, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the gleaming crystal. Just as he was about to approach it, Muria spoke again, his tone calm yet resolute.
"Now it's time for us to part ways."
"What?" Jiuli's head snapped up. "Teacher, are you leaving me?"
"Yes," Muria replied simply.
"Did I do something wrong?" Jiuli's voice carried a trace of desperation. Though their time together had been short, he had grown to rely on Muria. Without him, the opportunities he had now—like the divine crystal—would never have been possible.
"No, you haven't done anything wrong," Muria assured him with a small smile. "But I have something important to take care of. Don't worry, I'll return eventually."
"When will you come back?" Jiuli asked, trying to mask his disappointment.
"I can't say for sure. But I'll come back soon enough to fulfill my promise to help refine your incomplete technique," Muria said thoughtfully.
In truth, Muria's immediate priority was to find his kin—his wife, his parents, and others who might have reincarnated into this world. Their safety was his top concern, especially since their conscious minds might still be dormant.
As Muria prepared to leave, he noticed Jiuli's expression darken slightly when he mentioned his father. Muria raised a curious brow but refrained from prying.
"It seems you have a story to tell," he remarked casually.
"Just some old, unpleasant memories," Jiuli replied with a forced smile.
"Fair enough. Your past is your own," Muria said, his tone understanding. "Just focus on your future, and don't bring shame to my name. You are my first student, after all."
Muria's figure began to fade as he spoke, his voice lingering even after his body disappeared.
"I'll be back. When I return, I hope you'll have made some real progress."
In a distant aristocratic estate...
"Arina, I heard you poured wine on Baron Gomez Farias at the banquet. How many noblemen have you humiliated now?"
A teasing, somewhat mocking voice called out to a young woman with golden hair.
"Who knows? I've lost count of how many worthless suitors I've rejected," replied Arina nonchalantly. Her attire—a blend of feminine elegance and combat practicality—set her apart from typical noblewomen.
"You do realize Baron Farias isn't just any noble," the older woman continued, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation. "He earned his title through military service and has the king's favor. Even Father praised his potential—he's destined for greatness."
"Then why don't you marry him?" Arina shot back, smirking.
"I'm already engaged to a count from the Pedro family," the older woman said with a sly smile.
"Save your excuses," Arina snorted. "I know exactly how many men you've 'entertained.'"
"You—!" The older woman's composure cracked, her face flushing red with anger.
"You won't stay smug for long," she warned. "Father will find you a match sooner or later. If you keep being so picky, you'll lose your chance to choose."
"No one can force me into anything—not even Father," Arina declared, stepping into the sunlight. Her silver-plated armor gleamed brilliantly, making her appear almost otherworldly.
"My fate is mine to decide. My partner will be my choice alone."
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