Chapter 300: Collapsing Heaven, Rising Resolve
My body lay sprawled in the crater, back half-buried in cracked earth. Dust floated around me as I blinked up at the sky. Far above, Arkas hovered calmly, staring down like a god inspecting the mortal he’d just swatted out of the sky.
My mind kept replaying that skill.
It was... beautiful.
There was no chant, no build-up, no dramatic gesture. Just a soft whisper...."Collapsing Heaven" and the entire world bent around his will. I hadn’t even had time to react. My wings had shattered. My domain was torn apart. Everything I’d built felt like a castle made of ash.
I groaned and slowly pushed myself up.
Pain pulsed through every limb. My skin was cut open in places, and blood flowed along my arms and neck. I looked down at myself, grimacing at the damage.
"[Verdant Extraction]," I whispered.
My perception stretched into the earth, reaching out to the trees, the roots, even the moss beneath shattered stones. Life force surged up, pulled from the world and funneled through my feet. Warmth rushed through my veins as the energy spread, mending tissue, sealing wounds, washing away the ache.
I stood up straighter feeling refreshed from the sudden surge of life force.
Arkas landed softly in front of me. A small smile tugged at his lips as he looked me over.
"You’re full of surprises, kid," he said. "You picked up a healing skill too?"