Silence slowly returned to the ruins of Velkar Temple.
The battlefield that had once been filled with explosions, lightning, and roars of monsters was now calm.
Broken pillars and shattered stone covered the ground.
Black crystal fragments from the destroyed Void Apostle lay scattered everywhere.
High above the mountains, the sky had finally cleared.
The terrifying dimensional vortex was gone.
For the first time since the battle began, the cold mountain wind moved freely through the ruins.
At the center of the battlefield—
Saksham knelt on the cracked stone floor.
His breathing was heavy.
The Ultimate Fusion attack had drained nearly all of his energy.
His arms trembled slightly as the last traces of fusion mana faded from his hands.
Inside his mind, the system interface slowly dimmed.
SYSTEM STATUS
Energy Level: 12%
Mana Recovery: Active
Condition: Extreme Fatigue
Saksham sighed quietly.
"So… it's really over."
Footsteps approached from behind him.
Orion walked across the destroyed courtyard and stopped beside him.
The golden glow around his body had faded as well.
Even he looked slightly tired.
"You did well," Orion said calmly.
Saksham laughed weakly.
"That attack nearly destroyed me too."
Orion crossed his arms.
"Power always has a price."
Saksham slowly stood up.
His legs still felt heavy, but he managed to stay balanced.
Across the battlefield, the surviving royal knights had finally begun moving again.
Captain Leon walked toward them.
His armor was scratched and covered with dust, but he still stood tall.
When he reached Saksham, he lowered his head respectfully.
"You saved us."
Saksham looked surprised.
"You fought the Guardian for hours before I arrived."
Leon shook his head.
"That monster would have destroyed us eventually."
He looked around at the battlefield.
"And if the Apostle had opened that gate…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
Everyone already knew the answer.
Orion looked toward the sky.
"The Void will try again someday."
"But today, the world survived."
Several knights began collecting the remains of the destroyed crystals.
Others helped injured soldiers stand up.
The battle had taken a heavy toll.
But the kingdom had survived.
Captain Leon turned toward Saksham again.
"The royal capital must hear about this victory immediately."
Saksham raised an eyebrow.
"Victory?"
Leon smiled slightly.
"Of course."
"You defeated the Void Apostle and closed the dimensional gate."
"That is not a small achievement."
Saksham scratched the back of his head.
"Honestly… I was just trying to survive."
Orion chuckled quietly.
"That may be true."
"But history will remember it differently."
The wind blew softly across the ruins again.
For a moment, everyone simply stood there and looked at the destroyed battlefield.
The storm had finally passed.
But the story was far from over.
After a short time, Captain Leon gave new orders to the knights.
"Prepare the return march."
"We leave the mountains before nightfall."
The soldiers immediately began organizing their equipment.
Several transport wagons were brought forward to carry the injured.
Orion turned toward Saksham.
"You should rest during the journey."
Saksham nodded.
"That sounds like a great idea."
They began walking toward the waiting soldiers.
But after a few steps—
the system interface appeared again inside Saksham's mind.
SYSTEM MESSAGE
Major Threat Eliminated
Reward Available
New Skill Unlocked
Skill Name: Fusion Mastery (Level 1)
Saksham blinked in surprise.
"Fusion Mastery?"
Orion noticed his reaction.
"What is it?"
Saksham explained quickly.
Orion smiled.
"That is the natural result of mastering such a rare element."
Saksham looked down at his hands.
Golden light flickered briefly in one palm.
Dark energy flickered in the other.
Then both disappeared again.
"Next time… I'll control it better."
Orion nodded approvingly.
"You are learning quickly."
They finally reached the edge of the ruined courtyard.
The royal soldiers were already preparing the long journey back to the capital.
Captain Leon mounted his horse and raised his voice.
"Return to the capital!"
"The kingdom must know the battle is won!"
The knights cheered loudly.
Their voices echoed across the mountains.
Saksham climbed into one of the transport wagons and sat down.
The exhaustion finally caught up to him.
As the convoy slowly began moving down the mountain road—
Saksham looked back one last time at the ruins of Velkar Temple.
That place had nearly become the doorway for the Void to enter the world.
But now—
it was nothing more than broken stone.
Orion sat across from him in the wagon.
"Your journey is only beginning."
Saksham smiled slightly.
"I figured."
Orion looked toward the distant horizon.
"Soon… the royal capital will call for you."
Saksham raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?"
Orion smiled mysteriously.
"After a victory like this…"
"It is impossible for the Royal Academy to ignore you."
Saksham leaned back against the wagon wall.
A small smile appeared on his face.
"An academy, huh?"
The next chapter of his life was about to begin.
To be continued…