[The Volcanic Heart]
Deep in the vacuum of space, the impossible happened. Cynthia opened her mouth and inhaled. The heat, the gravity, and the blinding white radiation of the Neutron Star were sucked into her lungs. The star flickered like a dying candle before vanishing into total darkness.
Cynthia's body turned a terrifying, translucent white. She didn't fly back to Earth—she fell. She hit the atmosphere like a meteor, a streak of white-hot violence that plunged directly into the mouth of an active volcano in the Pacific.
Deep beneath the magma, Cynthia sat cross-legged in the boiling stone. "This is the best place I can meditate," she whispered, her voice vibrating the mountain. "I have to make my flames so deadly, so dense, that even a 'Perfect' monster will burn from the inside out if he tries to swallow them."
[The Tree of Life - Training Grounds]
Back in the hidden grove, Techyon was a statue of concentration. He stood on a single foot atop a delicate, vibrating leaf at the very summit of the Tree of Life. His body swayed with the wind, trying to "become water" while maintaining his balance.
Yoru turned to the Arcon of Life , her eyes scanning the massive, glowing branches. "I've been wondering... why hasn't Gudmaro come here? Your mana level is the highest I've ever felt. To a creature that drains energy, this place is a buffet."
"If anyone could simply find this place, it wouldn't be the sanctuary it is," the Arcon replied softly.
Neweland nodded toward Yoru. "Only those selected by the Arcon herself can enter. Once you cross the threshold, the world loses track of you. To anyone outside—even Gudmaro—your mana level shows as absolute zero. In the eyes of the System, you are dead."
"So that is why I never heard of this place in all my years as an Elite," Yoru mused.
The Arcon of Life looked up at the towering canopy. "And as for my mana... it is high because I am the Core of Existence. My life-force is the thread that holds every soul together. If I am killed, every living being in this universe will perish instantly."
Yoru's hand went to her gloves. "Wait... then the Second Grade War fourteen years ago... the Monarchs said they wanted the Tree of Life. They weren't just looking for power. They were looking for the 'Off Switch' for the universe."
"This tree was not always like this," the Arcon said, her eyes clouding with a memory millions of years old.
[Flashback: 50 Million Years Ago]
The world was a barren, dust-choked wasteland. The Arcon of Life, then a young spirit of the stars, walked among the rocks. She found a single, withered sprout, its leaves grey and brittle. It was the last plant on a dying world.
Taking pity on the small thing, she knelt and touched a single finger to the soil, pouring a fraction of her own eternal life-force into the roots.
The plant didn't just grow; it erupted. In a flash of green light, it transformed into the Tree of Life, its roots reaching into the heart of the planet. It was then that the first Fruits of Life appeared.
"The legend is true," the Arcon whispered to the present-day group. "Anyone who eats the fruit of this tree will gain Infinite Regeneration, Infinite Stamina, and Infinite Mana."
Yoru looked at the glowing fruit hanging from the silver branches. "Then why shouldn't we eat it? If we have infinite mana, Gudmaro will get exhausted trying to absorb it all, but we'll never run out. It's the perfect counter-strategy."
The Arcon of Life shook her head solemnly. "I can give you the fruit, Yoru. But your body will not be able to contain its power. A mortal vessel—even one as strong as yours—cannot hold the weight of eternity."
"You mean..." Yoru's eyes narrowed. "If I eat it, I'll explode from the mana surge before the fight even begins?"
"Yes," the Arcon replied. "And even if you somehow survive the initial boost, you will be struck with the Curse of Immortality. You would never age, never tire, and never die of natural causes. You would have to watch everyone you love wither and pass away while you remain unchanged, until someone strong enough finally kills you."
The silence that followed was broken by Lapis , who was staring at a mana-projection screen. "Yoru! Everyone! You need to see this... look at what he's done."
He projected the image of the Northern Mountain. The readers would see the massive, moon-sized meteor carved into a perfectly flat, obsidian-black square. In the dead center, Gudmaro stood like a dark monument, his presence alone warping the air around the stadium.
"He's just... waiting," Alya whispered, coming over with a tray. "I made some tea for everyone. We need to stay hydrated."
Distracted by the terrifying image of the stadium, Alya tripped on a stray root. The tray slipped, and she began to fall—but Techyon moved with a sudden, fluid instinct, catching her before she hit the grass.
Alya's face turned bright red. She immediately started blushing, burying her face in her hands. "Techyon! Put me down! Everyone is watching!" she squeaked.
Techyon, still focused on his "be like water" training, didn't even realize he was still holding her. Meanwhile, Yoru flickered in a golden blur, her hands moving so fast they were invisible. She caught every tea plate and cup mid-air before they could touch the ground.
"Not a single drop fell," Yoru said, her voice calm as she balanced the entire set on one hand. "Even in a moment of peace, we cannot lose our focus."