He went up to her and laughed in a strange way. Yunia looked at the purple robot ball floating next to him.
"And what is that?" she asked suspiciously.
"She is an AI who became my partner," Enatur answered with pride.
Yunia covered her face with her hand. "Good grief... I didn't expect this would happen."
Yunia looked down at the Earth below. "Well, we're going home. There is nothing left in this world."
"This world will now end," Yunia said firmly.
Enatur and the AI drifted farther away as he activated a protective space. The apocalypse process would begin. This Earth would face its final moments.
A red glow surrounded Yunia. The sky trembled at her presence.
Yunia stepped forward. Her footsteps caused a wave of spiritual energy to fluctuate. The sky turned red.
"Come. And another, a red horse, went out, and to who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from Earth, and that men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to me…"
The air collapsed.
The previously calm wind suddenly turned into a storm. The sky split open, as if reality itself had cracked open. The earth shook violently, a massive earthquake tearing open deep fissures.
"So... this is the power of the Second Seal?" his voice trembled.
High above the sky, a massive portal opened, a gaping black hole. From within, something moved slowly... a giant sword.
Its voice echoed across the sky.
"COME… THE GREAT SWORD OF THE SECOND SEAL!"
A gigantic sword spanning 1,200 kilometers in length, 350 kilometers in width.
The Great Sword descended slowly. From afar it looked like a gigantic meteor falling toward Earth.
The Great Sword struck the planet's surface. The first impact split the land in two, then it shattered again into several smaller pieces.
Fissures raced across the planet, revealing its exposed core.
The Earth's belly spewed lava into the sky, its vapor scorching the atmosphere.
Earth-017 shattered into fragments, scattering into the emptiness of space. It drifted away from its orbit, floating far beyond.
As if giving a final farewell to the life it once supported.
Nothing remained, no voice, no prayer, no cry.
Only silence.
Such deep silence.
As if the world had long accepted its destined end.
The AI floated closer to Enatur, her voice shaking. "Master... your mother is terrifying," she whispered.
"Yes. Luckily you came with me," he replied softly.
The final tremor still echoed faintly, refusing to fade even though the hammer that struck it had stopped.
Enatur closed his eyes. The sound of a collapsing world still reverberated inside him, never fading, repeating endlessly as if the Earth shattered again and again within him.
Silence.
Yunia closed her eyes, took a long breath, then opened them with a softer gaze. She turned to him, smiled gently, and held his hand tightly.
"Come, it is time to go home."
"Okay, Mom." His voice was barely audible.
Enatur opened a dimensional portal, and they slowly stepped inside.
For the first time, Enatur witnessed the Great Sword destroy a planet until it truly vanished.
---
Earth-07, human civilization type-3.
The portal opened in front of the mansion yard. Yunia opened a holographic screen.
[Apocalypse of Earth-017: Confirmed.]
They walked toward the entrance. Shadow greeted them.
"Welcome back," Shadow said.
"We're home," Yunia replied.
As they reached the lobby, Enatur's body suddenly trembled.
His steps slowed, his hand clutching his stomach. A burning sensation spread through his abdomen, like molten lava dripping inside him.
"I-I…"
His head spun, and his body collapsed onto the floor.
Yunia and Shadow turned around. Their eyes widened in shock at the sight of Enatur lying unconscious.
"Enatur!" They shouted in panic.
Yunia rushed to him, lifting his head with her hand. She pulled up his shirt. She saw black marks forming on Enatur's stomach, releasing thick black smoke.
A symbol resembling a sharp number 6, each side marked with small branching lines like roots.
Black liquid flowed from his mouth and nose. His body convulsed violently.
"Urgh... Arghhh!" he screamed, fighting the unbearable pain.
The AI beside them panicked as well. "Master! What is happening to Master's body?!"
Yunia placed her hand on Enatur's stomach, channeling her spiritual energy.
The black symbol slowly burned, releasing thin wisps of smoke. Enatur bit his lip, enduring the scorching pain.
Yunia frowned deeply and spoke in a heavy tone.
"He has been hit by the Soul Core curse."
"Soul Core?" asked the AI.
Enatur writhed. "M my… mom… it's burning…"
Yunia pressed the symbol slowly with her glowing finger. "Calm down, dear. Mom's here."
Slowly, the burning sensation faded, Enatur began breathing normally again, but his body was weak. Yunia looked at her child's face, then lowered her head, resting her forehead on Enatur's hand.
Her hand gently stroked her child's silver hair. "Your warmth…"
Shadow carried Enatur's body, bringing him to his room.
Yunia sat at the edge of the bed, holding his hand with pure tenderness.
"I'll find an alchemist as soon as possible, only one ingredient is left unfound."
Her eyes trembled. She held back her tears. "Before your seventeenth birthday," she whispered,
"I'll definitely save you from that curse."
A memory dragged her back to something that happened ten years ago, the moment Yunia learned a truth that tore her heart as a mother.
---
Ten years ago.
At that time Yunia was taking care of five year old Enatur who was sick with a fever. A mysterious figure suddenly emerged from the black symbol on his stomach, appearing before her.
The figure was a mass of thick black mist, its eyes glowing purple. Like a spirit, with no legs, a dark spirit.
"At first I thought that black symbol was his birthmark."
That dark spirit was the dark side of God Marrec Van Dammon, the Emperor of the Gods of Darkness, Heaven of Darkness.
The Soul Core entity inside Enatur's body.
"Soul Core… you said?" Her eyes widened. It felt like lightning struck straight into her chest.
Soul Core is a ritual used to regulate reincarnation among the Gods of Darkness faction. When someone is dying, the soul is extracted along with the memories and power. Then it is placed inside a special crystal orb," said the dark spirit.
Her face turned pale and trembled.
"The Soul Core is placed inside a newborn child's body. Then it attaches itself to the Body Essence Core, making the child its host. When your child turns seventeen, his soul will vanish and be replaced by the soul inside," continued the dark spirit.
Tears soaked her cheeks, falling uncontrollably, the pain in her heart unbearably sharp.
"I have heard about Soul Core before, but never about a dark spirit," said Yunia.
"When my soul was extracted, there was a mistake in the ritual process. That is why I manifested like this, a separated dark spirit. And because of that mistake, there is a chance to free your child from the Soul Core curse."
Hope ignited again. "Tell me how!" Yunia's eyes shone, shouting.
"Since I used to be your Master, I swore to suppress the growth of the Soul Core. Until now, it has not merged with his body."
"Thank you for your hard work, Master!" Yunia felt a bit relieved.
"But my time is limited. If my power weakens, I will turn into something evil that will instead suppress your child's spiritual power."
But… there was a great price to pay.
"I sense a Soul Binding technique inside your child that is linked to my original soul," said the dark spirit.
"My Soul Core currently serves as a borrowed soul, supporting your child's soul. After you gave birth to him, the truth is… your child was already almost dead," he said quietly.
Yunia's body suddenly trembled and turned pale.
The dark spirit took a deep breath, as if the next sentence was a curse for himself.
"Without my Soul Core, your child would have died a few minutes after entering this world."
Yunia felt struck by lightning, the truth unbearably painful.
"For now, I have placed my soul imprint to prevent the Soul Core from merging with his body. If that ever happens, your path to save your child will be far more difficult."
"Thank you, Master." Yunia bowed deeply, her voice trembling.
"The next stage is for me to focus on recovering my original soul. Find an alchemist capable of purifying the medicine needed for your child."
"Yes, Master. I will find one."
"One more thing. As a side effect of restoring my soul, I will continue absorbing ninety five percent of your child's spiritual energy as the power source for my recovery."
"The impact is that he cannot use his spiritual energy for cultivation."
Her eyes widened and trembled. "What? That means… my child will not be able to cultivate!?" Yunia was truly shocked.
The dark spirit looked away, as if it was painful to say.
"There is no other option. For your child's sake, something must be sacrificed."
Her heart felt shattered. "Very well, Master!" she said with resignation.
"I must concentrate now… Forgive your Master, Yunia," said the dark spirit heavily.
He did not dare look at Yunia's face.
Yunia nodded with a heavy voice. "It it's alright, Master. As long as I can see him grow up, I will find an alchemist as soon as possible!"
A dark shadow covered Yunia's upper face. Tears continued falling on her cheeks.
She looked at little Enatur who was asleep. His innocent face had no idea of the burden on his soul.
She exhaled, trying to contain her anger and fear. Yunia accepted this decision with a heavy heart, a difficult choice…
The burden Enatur would carry in the future would be unbearably heavy for him…