Chapter 1217: Familiar name, Calamity

"Our family has existed for thousands of years. The Everlasting Family was once a noble house of the previous kingdom. When that kingdom fell, our ancestors rose from its ruins and founded what is now known as the Everlasting Kingdom. It was during that time that they uncovered the secrets left behind by the former rulers."

Souta listened in silence, allowing the Crown Prince to continue without interruption.

"Beneath the Land of Fire Light lie things unknown. From the moment our family took control, we were entrusted with the duty of guarding what slumbers below and protecting the land from disaster. However, not long ago, a great disturbance occurred underground. My father was gravely injured, and there is no known way to heal him. According to the scriptures left by the previous rulers, whatever lies beneath has existed for countless years."

So this was likely the true objective of the quest. Souta could already piece it together, but he needed to hear everything.

Angus rose from his seat and walked toward the window, his gaze fixed on the horizon as he continued, "The Land of Fire Light has endured innumerable calamities across the ages. For eons, its rulers bore the responsibility of safeguarding it. There is an ancient scripture that dates back to those times, and it records that this land was once known by another name."

He paused.

"Australia."

Souta’s eyes widened as he turned sharply toward the Crown Prince.

"What?!!"

What’s wrong, Souta? Saya asked. She had merely translated the Crown Prince’s words, yet she immediately noticed the sudden change in Souta’s expression.

"What did you say?" Souta asked, turning back to the Crown Prince.

Angus turned his head slightly, misunderstanding the reaction. He assumed Souta doubted his words. After all, it did sound absurd yet it was all recorded in their ancient texts and passed down through generations.

"I said that our land has endured numerous calamities," Angus replied.

"No. After that."

"...The people of the past called this land Australia."

Souta had heard it clearly.

If it was the same Australia he knew, then everything changed.

It seemed he would have to see the scripture Angus was referring to with his own eyes.

Souta could tell that Angus wasn’t lying, but the truth was still difficult to accept. If this truly was the same Australia, then the gap between the moment his soul left Earth and his arrival in Imperium was far greater than he had ever imagined.

A long sigh escaped his lips.

He had to confirm it. With such an overwhelming danger looming, he needed to evolve. Although he could already draw upon his strength, he had yet to recover it fully.

Souta glanced at Angus and asked, "How long do you think it will be before the calamity arrives?"

"I’m not entirely certain, but my estimate is two days," Angus replied.

That was precisely why Angus had chosen to reveal the truth. Once the calamity descended, it would be impossible to keep it hidden. The Royal Family could no longer conceal it, nor could they prevent its arrival.

To suppress it, Angus would need the full might of the Land of Fire Light.

Suddenly, the ground trembled, and a powerful force swept across the entire city.

Boom!!

Souta and Emiline shot to their feet in shock as Angus turned toward the window.

"What’s happening?!"

"I don’t know."

An ominous energy spread outward as the ground continued to quake. It was as if the world itself had lost its color, swallowed by a mixture of darkness and blinding light that washed over the city.

Ohm!!

Countless people felt their chests tighten under an unseen pressure. Their instincts screamed in unison, warning them that something dreadful was about to arrive.

Birds scattered into the sky as panic erupted among the people. No one understood what was happening as a vicious black liquid slowly spread across the ground.

Kieeeeeekhh!!

A piercing screech tore through the city. Those who heard it felt as though their minds were about to shatter. Ordinary civilians instantly began bleeding from their mouths, ears, eyes, and noses. Only those with sufficient strength managed to remain standing under the overwhelming sound wave.

"This is bad!!" Emiline’s expression changed as she sensed the people within her mansion collapsing one by one.

"I thought we still had more time..." Angus turned pale as he stared at the scene unfolding outside.

Souta threw the window open and shot into the sky. He hovered in midair, looking down upon the entire Nature Zone City.

’Souta... this is extremely dangerous. You must do everything you can to survive.’ Saya’s voice echoed in his mind.

Her tone was grave, making it clear that the situation was far worse than expected, especially now, when he had yet to recover his full strength.

’I have to evolve,’ Souta replied inwardly.

The sensation was familiar.

He had felt it before in the ancient ruins of the Hall Plains.

This feeling was the same.

There was no mistaking it.

Even Saya understood the danger. That was why her warning carried such weight.

Angus was about to fly out when he suddenly felt something wrong. He looked down at the ring on his finger, and his expression darkened even further.

"What?!" He turned sharply and shouted,

"This is happening in all five cities!!"

Emiline froze, thunderstruck.

This disaster wasn’t localized.

It was sweeping across the entire country.

Souta heard it as well. He turned his head and looked into the distance. Shadows loomed over the skies above the other cities, including Nature Zone City. Massive branches of the colossal tree were being torn apart. Flames and thick smoke rose from countless areas, while explosions echoed without end.

The giant tree was unrecognizable.

The majestic sight Souta had once seen was gone, replaced by a wounded colossus drowning beneath roiling darkness.

Sirens screamed nonstop through the streets, their shrill wails mixing with the terrified howls of civilians. People fled in blind panic, trampling one another as they ran, their eyes repeatedly snapping upward toward the suffocating mass of dark clouds coiling above the tree. Some collapsed where they stood, faces pressed to the ground as they sobbed and prayed, already surrendering to death.

Chaos ruled the city.

And it wasn’t alone.

The same nightmare was unfolding across every city in the kingdom.

The sky cracked open.

Black rain poured down like oil, splattering against rooftops, skin, and stone. Wherever it landed, it left behind an oppressive chill, an instinctive certainty that something unspeakable was descending upon the world.

Bang!!

A deafening explosion tore through the air.

It drowned out every other blast across the cities, unleashing violent shockwaves that rippled outward like invisible blades. A colossal branch of over fifty meters thick was snapped with a thunderous crack. It plunged toward the ground, pulverizing buildings beneath it and sending debris and bodies flying.

Angus and Emiline stood outside the mansion, frozen, staring at the devastation below.

From the black liquid spreading across the streets, things began to emerge.

Malformed silhouettes clawed their way upward, dripping viscous sludge as they rose. They lunged at patrol guards and nobles alike, tearing into armor and flesh. Screams cut short mid-cry echoed through the city as blood splashed against the ground.

"This is... the calamity..." Angus muttered hollowly.

He had believed they still had time.

Reality answered with slaughter.

The calamity had arrived too sudden, merciless, and absolute.

"Your Highness..." Emiline’s voice trembled, her face deathly pale. "Is this... really it?"

Angus clenched his fists, his nails biting into his palms. "We need every force we can gather. Every soldier. Every noble. If we hesitate even for a moment, this city will fall."

There was no room for denial.

Only survival.

Above them, Souta watched in silence.

His instincts screamed as an endless chorus of alarms flooding his mind. His body refused to move, not out of fear, but out of raw survival instinct. Whatever this was, rushing in blindly meant death.

’Souta... be careful.’ Saya’s voice was low and tense. ’I can’t explain it fully but you already know. This thing is beyond ordinary calamities.’

Souta’s jaw tightened.

He nodded once, eyes locked onto the hell below, as a familiar pressure began to coil deep within him.

Souta’s thoughts inevitably drifted to the other cities.

If he wanted to suppress this calamity, evolution was no longer a choice. It was a necessity.

But before that, he had to secure Nature Zone City.

He drew in a slow, measured breath, forcing his racing mind into focus.

In that fleeting span of time, countless scenarios flashed through his thoughts, each one ending with his death. Torn apart. Overwhelmed. Consumed. He discarded them one by one, searching for the narrow path that allowed survival.

Souta turned to Angus and spoke with grim clarity. "Your Highness, what do you know about this? How are we supposed to fight it?"

He already had a suspicion.

His heightened perception had caught something unusual, and through his [Galaxy Eyes], he could see what others could not, an abnormality hidden within the chaos.

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