The Lands Between, inside the Golden Tree.
As the Elden Beast fell, the boundless ocean dissipated, and the vast, desolate platform reappeared before Yu Jin.
This was the interior of the Golden Tree, the chaotic beginning of The Lands Between as it was now, and it would also be the end of everything.
Yu Jin approached the center of the Golden Tree, picked up Marika's already broken head, and carefully placed it upon the neck of Marika's statue.
Specks of golden light emanated from within the statue, and at the same time, the Mending Runes within Yu Jin's body also began to stir.
The Mending Rune of the Perfect Order, the Mending Rune of the Death-Prince.
Both vied to unleash their power within Yu Jin's body, eager to become the next law, the cornerstone of the new world.
Not only that, but even more terrifying powers began to emerge.
From the vast starry Sky, two wills were cast upon Yu Jin. One was immensely grand, filled with order and eternity; the other was cold and desolate, brimming with silence and Frost.
Those were the gazes cast by the Greater Will and Ranni's Dark Moon.
Yellow light began to appear in Yu Jin's originally lightless eyes, a light imbued with madness and chaos—the Frenzied Flame, capable of unifying the world.
His withered flesh beneath his armor began to squirm, and the power of rot also stirred restlessly.
However, none of these powers noticed that two other deeply hidden auras within Yu Jin's body showed no movement at all.
One was a mass of darkness and the other a cluster of flames.
Darkness vast enough to plunge the world into a deep sea, and flames capable of transforming all things.
They were like two lifeless living corpses, quietly watching these "newcomers" make their futile struggles.
"Shut up!"
"You are not the law I desire!"
Yu Jin roared, his voice carrying far and wide, reaching into the starry Sky and into the ears of all Outer Gods who spied on The Lands Between.
Everything fell silent. All the restless powers were astonished to discover a colossal aura emanating from The Lands Between.
It was a power comparable to the Greater Will!
Yu Jin spread his arms, and his armor began to burn for the first time in a long while, with massive sparks gushing from its seams!
Soon, vigorous flames began to blaze from Yu Jin's body.
The crackling sound of the flames was like both thick firewood Burning and the roar of a myriad of souls.
"Indeed, this is feasible," Yu Jin felt everything within him begin to burn, and he smiled contentedly.
"Hahaha! Now, I too shall become the Sun!" Yu Jinmaintained his posture with arms spread towards the Sky, even as the Golden Tree began to burn, even as all of him would be engulfed by the flames... Leyndell, within the grand plaza of the Elden Throne.
Many people were gathered before the Elden Throne at this moment. There was none of the solemnity befitting the seat of a king, but no one minded.
For they were all people invited by Yu Jin to witness him usher in a new era.
These were all people redeemed by Yu Jin, and also his closest friends, proof that he had existed in this world.
"You truly did not accept my law, did you?" Ranni felt the will of her own Dark Moon recede from The Lands Between, and her heart couldn't help but sink.
Although she had understood Yu Jin did not wish to be her king when he returned the ring and the Dark Moon Greatsword to her.
Yet, when this scene truly unfolded before Ranni's eyes, the sense of loss was still unavoidable.
"Then let me see, my admired one, my only King, your law!" She was a demigod after all; though she was a bit "petite," Ranni quickly composed herself.
The unspoken silence did not last long. When a flicker of fire appeared at the foot of the Golden Tree, the crowd began to stir.
"No! Impossible!!! The King would not choose the Frenzied Flame!!!" Melina was the first to speak, her usually impassive face now more distorted than anyone else's.
"That is not the Frenzied Flame, it is a kind of..., a flame I have never seen before," Hyetta said with some surprise, her hands clasped before her chest.
Although the chaotic part of the Frenzied Flamewithin her body had been taken by Yu Jin, as a Frenzied Flame witch, she could still distinguish between the Frenzied Flame and other flames.
Melina suddenly remembered something upon hearing this. She looked up and saw that the Sun, which had been dim under the dazzling light of the Golden Tree, began to emit a soft and warm bright light.
She thought of Yu Jin's joking words during their journey.
[Melina, why is the Sun in The Lands Between so small?]
[The Golden Tree's brilliance outshines the Sun.]
[Then why are the people of The Lands Between so miserable?]
[...]
[Where we come from, the Sun is like an extraordinary father, shining upon everyone.]
[There is no Sun here, only the Golden Tree.]
[I will become the Sun, vast and full of warmth.]
[Think what you will, as long as you take me to the foot of the Golden Tree.]
[Then you can lay down your burden and do what you wish.]
"Become the Sun, you say? I will not let that happen!" Melina's aura surged abruptly.
Her eyelids, marked with three claw scars, opened, revealing purple eyes that had never seen light since birth.
"Swish!" Melina rushed towards the interior of the Golden Tree, creating a gust of wind.
Black flames began to cling to her otherwise unremarkable Blade of Calling—that was Destined Death, the flame used to slay gods.
"Even if I must kill your body, I will stop you from becoming the Sun," Melina thought, her lips pressed together, as she felt that familiar aura drawing closer and closer.
The crowd watched Melina's sudden outburst, momentarily stunned, merely watching, unsure what to do.
"Damn it, it's like this again! The Sun! The Sun! That guy is so important to you! A troublesome good-for-nothing!" Patches, in the crowd, saw the anomaly in the Sky, cursed under his breath, then shouted loudly:
"Those who can, go in quickly! Your King is going to burn himself!"
With that, Patches raised his greatshield and charged in first... "Hmm? Why are you here, Wooden Head?" Yu Jin said to Melina, who was rushing towards him from afar, crossing the sea of fire, maintaining his praise-the-Sun posture.
"Stop, King. You are already our Sun; there is no need for this," Melina, uncharacteristically, did not refute Yu Jin's calling her "Wooden Head." Her voice was already tinged with a sob.
"Is that so? That is truly my honor. However, there are still more people without the Sun's light. Since I've become King, I cannot ignore them," Yu Jin did not stop, his tone imbued with a stubbornness like solid rock.
"Clang! Clang!"
Four golden spears shot towards Yu Jin's limbs, attempting to pin him down. But at the moment of impact, they were twisted by Yu Jin and deflected elsewhere.
"King, most of the hatred and grievances have been eliminated by you. With your wisdom, your law will surely spread throughout The Lands Between. Burning yourself is unnecessary."
A golden shadow flickered into existence—it was Godwyn, who should have been dead, the once perfect Golden Prince.
Flowing golden hair, handsome features, a robust physique; "perfect" seemed to exist solely to describe him.
"You flatter me. I possess the power to be King, yet lack the wisdom to be King. What I do now is merely for the betterment of this world. Do not forget, the Greater Will has never given up on The Lands Between."
Yu Jin paused, then said happily, "I have a premonition that after today, there will be beings in The Lands Between that rival, or even surpass, me."
"Oh, oh, oh, that's truly exciting, but could you please come down? Don't just self-immolate at the drop of a hat; it's quite frightening," Patches had also run over by now.
Hearing Patches's still playful tone, Yu Jin smiled. Over ten thousand years, Patches had never changed, always deserving of a beating, always unexpected.
"My old friend, without a god as kindling, one cannot ignite flames that surpass a god's. You know this better than I do."
Yu Jin spoke these words unhurriedly, causing Patchesto fall silent for a moment.
"I must go. Please convey a message to them for me." Yu Jin felt Ranni and Malenia approaching, and seeing Melina's murderous gaze, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"I have made many promises; there is no doubt they were born of love. Now I break these promises; there is no doubt it is also out of love."
"God loves the world, and so do I."
With that, a light of fire, as if rending heaven and earth, erupted.
Every person in The Lands Between felt it in their hearts and looked up.
They saw the Golden Tree, like a pillar supporting heaven and earth, enveloped in flames, rising, and finally merging with the Sun in the Sky.
Beneath the sunlight, the suffering and pain of life gradually melted away.
The cracked spines of the Changsheng healed, the mad regained their sanity, and the limbs of those with wasting sickness grew strong.
The people underground looked up; they saw the eternally unchanging starry Sky revolve anew, the red in the Lake of rot receded, and the Ainsel River returned to clarity.
Above ground, the scarlet Caelid was once again covered in green. The mountains of corpses piled up in The Lands Between melted away like snow.
Endless souls spewed forth from the Sun; they were once sinners, but after being forged in the furnace within Yu Jin's body, their sins and punishments had all been refined away.
Before the Elden Throne, everyone grasped the sunlight and suddenly realized that their Blessings were just a tiny bit more than others'.
Those extra Blessings served no particular purpose, merely a testament to friendship. As if to say:
[God loves the world, but loves you all more.]
...The morning light carried a message: beyond the mist, in our homeland, "The Lands Between," the Great Tree no longer stands. Under the Sun's radiance, people will surely describe it thus—an era of hope, prosperity, and miracles.