Chapter 233: Chapter 224: In the Darkness, Hope Still Exists

But Jon, the subject of their gazes, couldn’t spare a thought for them. He felt a profound sense of unease.

A terrifying fact washed over him like an icy tide, completely overwhelming him: someone had foreseen his arrival thousands of years ago and had deliberately left this phantom of the past in these ruins to wait for him!

After all, anyone else would be unlikely to come here with the express purpose of "grinding a Dungeon" just to advance to the Official Level as a Mage.

And even if other Adventurers stumbled in here by accident and were strong enough to clear this Dungeon, they most likely wouldn’t know how to open the passage to where this "hidden boss" was located.

Taking it a step further, even if they managed to get here by some other means, they wouldn’t be the "prophesied one" and thus wouldn’t even see this Phantom of the Past. They would only see the mindless Mysterious Singer!

If any single link in that chain had been missing, this scene would never have occurred!

This forced Jon’s mind to race, and the more he tried to piece it all together, the more terrified he became.

’Could... could this be the power of the God of Destiny? Did it calculate events thousands of years after its own fall?’

’Then what kind of cataclysm could have caused a being with such power to fall without a sound, leaving not even a single word behind?’

But the Phantom of the Past was unaware of Jon’s thoughts. Its body, formed from points of light, now emitted a soft, relieved glow, as if a monumental weight had been lifted from its shoulders.

Its "gaze" fell upon Jon once more, its voice still ethereal.

"Thank you, prophesied one... You have brought an end, and you have also brought a new beginning."

"You have broken the shackles we willingly placed upon ourselves, allowing all our lost kin to escape their eternal torment, return to the earth’s embrace, and find peaceful slumber."

"Now... the prophecy has begun, the sorrowful song has been heard... Our lingering will... can finally... rest in peace..."

"Do not forget—In darkness, hope remains. The variable will arrive, to toll the bell of liberation—"

Its form began to grow extremely unstable. The points of light making up its body drifted upward like fireflies, yet their glow became ever more pure and dazzling.

Before it vanished completely, it extended a "hand"—a phantasmal shape condensed from the purest light—and gently touched it to Jon’s chest.

A tiny point of light, so intensely emerald it seemed to contain the life force of an entire forest, detached from its fingertip like a precious gem and floated slowly toward Jon.

"Please, take it... This is my people’s final blessing and... hope... It will sprout... in fitting soil..."

"May it... on the path you choose... blossom with... new... greenery..."

Before its voice could fade, the point of emerald light silently fell into Jon’s hand, transforming into a small seed.

At the same time, the pure white phantom disintegrated like a sand painting blown away by the wind, turning into countless fine specks of dust that twinkled with a final starlight before vanishing completely into the silver-white radiance of the Runes flowing above the altar.

As it disappeared, the light from the altar’s core Rune abruptly retracted and condensed, finally forming an incredibly solid, leaf-shaped mark that looked as if it were carved from jade.

Jon recognized this mark.

It was the very goal of his journey: the [Mark of Bountiful Echoes].

But now, as he reached out to touch the precious mark, he felt none of the joy that should have come with completing his mission.

Only the sorrowful poem, the truth of the sacrifice, the gratitude for liberation, and that heavy "prophecy" weighed on his mind.

He looked down at the warm seed in his palm, as if he could still feel the phantom’s final release and expectation before it faded, and for a moment, he was speechless.

In his field of vision, several notifications popped up one after another.

——

[You have obtained a mark. It can now be equipped in your Skills bar.]

[Mark of Bountiful Echoes: Life Recovery Bonus +30%, Magic Recovery Bonus +30%]

——

[Advanced Trial: Condensation (Special Class Quest) - Complete!]

[You have successfully obtained a valuable Magic Mark, taking another step on the path of Mystery!]

[Completion Reward: 3 Intelligence, 3 Spirit, 3 Free Attribute Points]

[Advanced Trial: Enlightenment (Special Class Quest) has been added to your quest list!]

——

[A Distant, Sorrowful Song (Unique Quest) - Complete!]

[You have listened to the sorrowful song of the forgotten Guardians and understood their sacrifice across time and their longing for release.]

[Reward: Seed of Primordial Nature (Unique Wonder), reputation with the Ring of the Forest increased to Respected. Current reputation: 0/50,000]

——

[Hidden quest for ’Demon Forest Ruins’ completed. Enter the summary screen?]

——

Days of travel, days of toil—the time to reap the rewards had finally come.

All his intended goals had been achieved. From various precious materials to his own personal Power, the results were more than satisfactory.

All that was left was to complete the final part of the Mage Advanced Trial, "Enlightenment." Then he could seek out Claudio to learn the ways of Arcane Magic, set foot on the true path of a Mage, and take his Power to the next level.

With both Warrior and Mage at the Official Level, he could be considered a true expert no matter where he went.

But to say that Jon was happy right now would be an overstatement.

Beyond the tangible rewards, this journey had yielded something more: information that sent his thoughts reeling.

The prophecy, the Enlightener, the giant eye in the starry sky he’d seen in the talent Illusion Realm... even the specific attention of the Deities...

All of it pointed to a single reality—you, Jon, were destined to come to this world and change it!

’But what’s so special about me? What does my arrival... even mean for this world?!’

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