Having recovered his strength, Lucian rejoined the battle. This time, he held nothing back—Dreamless had to be eradicated in one fell swoop, lest the entity be reabsorbed by the violet moon above.
The trio gave it their all, especially Rover, whose power had ascended to new heights. Ever since obtaining the Havoc attribute, her strength had multiplied beyond mere addition.
On top of that, Lucian had been injured protecting her from Dreamless, and now Rover was furious.
As everyone knows, an angry woman is a terrifying force to reckon with.
Under the combined assault of the three, Dreamless gradually found itself overpowered.
Retreating step by step, Dreamless was relentlessly pursued by Rover, who swung her blade for a decisive strike. Knowing evasion was futile, Dreamless reversed its grip on its weapon and lashed out unexpectedly at Rover.
Yet Rover didn't dodge—instead, she remained resolute, her Tyro Sword flashing forward.
Lucian: "Watch out!"
Just as the blade was about to pierce Rover's spine, Lucian's Tyro Sword: Resonant Rain—worth 60,000 Shell Credits—sent Dreamless' weapon flying.
This left Dreamless' chest wide open. Rover gripped her blade with both hands, unleashing a surge of Resonance energy. With a sharp cry, a dark-purple arc slashed across Dreamless' torso.
Meanwhile, Jiyan's Resonance ability—a azure dragon—materialized beside Rover, dealing massive damage to Dreamless.
Dreamless opened its mouth as if to scream, but no sound escaped its throat. It plummeted to the ground, lifeless.
Then, with a pained roar, a golden cross erupted from its chest, releasing shockwaves that sent Rover flying backward.
Fortunately, Lucian was there to catch her as she tumbled into his arms.
"You alright?"
Meeting his concerned gaze, Rover gave a slight nod to reassure him.
The three turned their attention to Dreamless, watching as it collapsed onto the ground, motionless.
Above them, the violet moon slowly receded, fading into the sky.
But Jiyan and Rover remained wary.
Sure enough, the "moon" once again lifted Dreamless' body like a marionette.
Lucian cursed: "There's a fucking third phase?!"
This time, however, Dreamless had no strength left to attack. Its Echo Core suddenly shattered.
A surge of immense energy flooded the space. Rover caught one last glimpse of Dreamless' face—was it still filled with the same disdain and contempt?
Before she could ponder further, the shockwave from the Echo Core's explosion was upon them.
A violent blast erupted. Just as Lucian was about to pull the other two underground to escape, Rover suddenly stepped forward.
Eyes shut tight, she instinctively raised her right hand to block.
Lucian noticed the Tacet Mark on her hand flickering wildly, resonating with the golden cross on Dreamless' chest.
The next moment, as the explosion was about to engulf them, a tiny golden figure leaped out from Rover's Tacet Mark.
The searing pain Rover expected never came. When she opened her eyes, she saw a raging tide of violet energy—yet before her, a brilliant golden light shielded her, Lucian, and Jiyan from harm.
Upon closer inspection, there was a tiny… Echo? Absorbing the shockwave?
It stood at the forefront like a black hole, devouring every last trace of energy.
The process lasted nearly ten seconds before calm returned.
The little creature, now bloated with energy, patted its belly and let out a satisfied burp.
As the trio stood stunned, it turned and leaped into Rover's arms.
Only then did they get a proper look at it—its body was pure white, with fox-like ears, a Tacet Mark at the center of its forehead, and mismatched gold-and-blue pupils. It was impossible to tell what species it was.
Lucian poked its cheek: "Such a peculiar little thing."
Jiyan stepped forward, gazing at the now-hidden violet moon.
"As a Threnodian of war, it chose not to fight to the end… but to flee instead?"
Rover replied, "It's deliberately avoiding battle."
Jiyan frowned. "Rover, this is…"
The tiny creature, having finished absorbing the energy, fluttered into Rover's palm—then, before either could react, it dozed off.
Faced with Jiyan's questioning look, Rover had no answers either.
Suddenly, the little thing dissolved into golden light and vanished into Rover's Tacet Mark.
Before anyone could speak, the entire space began to tremble violently.
Jiyan's pupils constricted. "This place is collapsing… We need to leave. We'll discuss the rest outside."
Lucian grabbed both their shoulders and plunged underground, swiftly carrying them away.
Jinzhou Teahouse
The storyteller on stage flicked open his fan:
"Last time, we spoke of the feathered maiden, standing alone against the abyss, battling hordes of foes…"
"At the critical moment…"
"A radiant dawn pierced the clouds, purging legions of fiends in an instant, leaving the skies clear and winds gentle."
"And emerging from the colossal statue alongside that light were…"
"Rover, Lucian the Intelligence Officer, and General Jiyan."
"Boulders crumbled, cliffs collapsed… Ovathrax had met its end."
"Mountains and rivers stood serene, weapons sheathed… and thus, the great battle came to a close."
"As the saying goes—
'What is fate but the will of men?'
Even when no path seems clear, there will always be those who seek a way forward."
"Once, we chased stars across the wilds, the dragon's roar echoing through the heavens."
"Now, we return in triumph, songs of victory shaking the clouds."
"To learn what happens next… well, there will be time aplenty."
"Mr. Lucian, can I have your autograph?"
"Mr. Lucian, can we take a photo together?"
A crowd of Jinzhou citizens swarmed around Lucian and Rover.
Lucian grinned smugly. "Plenty to go around, take it easy, one at a time…"
Rover massaged her temples in mild exasperation.
Ever since they left the frontlines days ago and returned to Jinzhou, news of their deeds had spread like wildfire. The moment they entered the city, they were recognized.
These past few days had been a massive ego boost for Lucian—he was sure his fame had surpassed 100,000.
If only the system hadn't been undergoing maintenance, leaving it unresponsive for days, he might've already claimed the rewards for hitting that milestone.
After Rover and Lucian defeated Dreamless, the Tacet Discords plaguing the Norfall Barrens vanished, and the war came to an end. The two were hailed as heroes.
Rover patted Lucian's shoulder. "Alright, we should get going. We've got that meeting to attend."