Karl rose to his feet, brushing dust and ash from his cloak. Around him, his soldiers were already moving with quiet discipline. Some tended to the wounded, wrapping bandages and lifting comrades from the ground.
Others kept watch over the surrendered foes, weapons still ready in case of deception. A few scouts slipped toward the forest edge, scanning for any sign of wild beast.
Karl's gaze wandered slowly over the field, tracing the cost of victory—wounded allies, shattered armor, and scorched weapons—all silent reminders of what it had taken to survive.
The once-roaring battlefield had fallen into a heavy stillness. The wind carried only the scent of blood, iron, and damp soil.
Then, through the fading haze of smoke, something caught his attention.
His eyes settled on a group of guards surrounding a small cluster of prisoners—defeated warriors from Veythar's soldiers. They stood silent, their weapons discarded, eyes downcast.
Karl took a step forward—but before he could reach them, a voice called out.
"My Lord!"
Lysa came running, boots splashing through the ground, her breath short. She clutched something in her hands.
"We found this near the portal ruins!" she said, voice filled with urgency.
Karl extended his hand.
The moment his fingers brushed the object, a surge of energy pulsed through him, vision blurred, and knowledge poured into his mind like flowing light.
[Teleportation Gate Core]
A crystalline fragment pulsing with raw spatial energy, the Teleportation Gate Core serves as both the heart and fuel of a portal gate. When slotted into a gate's mechanism, it releases attuned dimensional energy that reactivates the pathway to the world from which its Lord originally descended. Each gate is bound by essence to its creator's origin realm, meaning it can only connect to that specific world.
Karl's eyes widened as the knowledge settled.
The core shimmered faintly in his palm, light swirling like captured starlight.
He finally understood.
He no longer needed to rely on essence crystals to activate the gate. This core alone was enough—enough to bridge the worlds. Enough to return to the Earth.
The realization struck him like lightning. For a moment, he stood silent—caught between disbelief and exhilaration. Then, slowly, a faint smile touched his lips.
"After all this time…" he whispered. "I can finally go back home."
Karl closed his hand around the glowing core.
For a moment, he stood still, the faint hum of the crystal vibrating against his palm.
The wind stirred again, carrying the scent of blood, smoke, and dust through the clearing. The battle had ended—but something far greater had just begun.
Then, with a slow breath, he turned back toward the field. The surviving enemies still knelt in silence, bound and watched by his soldiers.
"We'll deal with the prisoners later," he said quietly. "For now, gather everything we can."
At once, his command rippled through the ranks.
"Veyra, Talia, Varnok, Zyra, Lysa, Renn—search the field," Karl ordered. "Check the fallen for armor, weapons, and crystals or anything valuable.
He turned toward another soldier. "Dreal—question the prisoners. Ask if they've stored anything valuable—in the base or their finding in forest nearby.
The troops moved immediately, boots pressing into the damp earth, scraping over scattered debris and shattered weapons. Metal clinked. Pouches rustled. The faint sound of movement replaced the chaos that had once filled the air.
Karl's gaze swept over the darkening battlefield. "Dren," he called softly. "Come with me."
The two moved together across the ruined terrain, the faint blue glow of the summoning gate still pulsing weakly ahead.
Karl and Dren worked side by side to dismantle what remained. With one synchronized strike, they shattered the unstable structure.
A pulse of pressure rippled outward—followed by a flash of faint blue light. From the cracked center, something small flickered and rolled to Karl's feet.
Karl reached down and picked it up.
Summoning Core — Bronze I
A condensed heart of a summoning node, infused with binding essence. When merged with a summoning gate, it amplifies the gate's stability and summoning range, allowing stronger entities to be called forth with greater precision.
Karl turned it in his hand, the dim glow reflecting in his eyes. Inside, his thoughts surged with exhilaration.
Now, he could summon stronger allies. His forces would grow faster.
Taking a long breath to steady himself, he slipped the core into his pouch and continued deeper into the clearing with Dren.
The remnants of Veythar's stronghold loomed ahead. At its heart stood a treehouse-like structure—still faintly glowing with vitality.
Karl approached quietly. Torn banners hung from broken beams, swaying faintly in the wind. Instinct guided his motion as he raised a hand over the soft light pulsing through the wood.
At his touch, the structure dissolved into motes of silver dust. From within, a small, green-gold seed drifted into his palm.
Sanctuary Seed
The living essence of a domain. When integrated, it strengthens and expands one's sanctuary, enhancing defense and resource flow.
Karl looked down at the seed. Its pulse was calm, alive.
He didn't need to read its description to know its worth. The sanctuary could grow stronger—and with it, his people would too.
That mattered more than anything else.