Chapter 332: Ch 331: Defeats the purpose

Kael took a step back to avoid the goddess’s outstretched hand, but the goddess still managed to catch him.

Her eyes were burning when she looked at him, and Kael felt like he had to listen to what she had to say at all costs.

"Your soul is not stable. There will soon come a time when you will need to face the consequences of having a fractured soul like this. When that time comes, get me. I will protect you at all costs."

Goddess Aria sounded serious and passionate. Her grip slowly lightened until she could no longer keep hold of him. That was when she fell unconscious for real, her body hitting the ground without waking up.

Slowly, she disappeared until not even a trace of her soul could be felt.

Kael was left behind, and he felt the last of her presence fading.

The goddess had not been able to touch him until the end, but she had still left a trace of her presence.

"Kael, are you alright? Did that goddess do anything to you? I am going to kill her—"

Lyra complained, but Kael shook his head.

"I am fine now. She just gave me a warning to be careful in the future and to call for her help if I ever need her. You don’t need to worry about it anymore."

Kael assured the trio, who still looked suspicious but nodded all the same.

Now, it was time to head back home. But how did they get out of this space?

The space around them began to tremble the moment Goddess Aria disappeared, and the peaceful landscape that had surrounded them started to crack apart as though it had been nothing more than a thin layer of glass.

The ground beneath their feet shook violently, while the sky above them distorted and folded in on itself, revealing flashes of darkness beyond the collapsing domain.

Seraphina immediately raised her hands and tried to stabilise the space with her light, but the cracks continued to spread despite her efforts.

"We cannot keep this place stable for long. The moment Goddess Aria disappeared, the entire space lost its foundation. We need to get out before it collapses completely."

She warned, her voice tense as she poured more of her power into the surroundings.

Lyra glanced around, her expression becoming increasingly serious as she watched the distant landscape break apart.

"Then open a portal and take us out of here."

"It is not that simple. This space is disconnected from the outside world, and the corruption is still surrounding it. Someone will have to open a gate from the other side and hold it open long enough for everyone to pass through."

Seraphina replied, gritting her teeth as another tremor passed through the ground.

Iris looked toward Kael, who had been observing the collapsing space with a frown.

"Can you do it?"

Kael did not answer immediately, but his silence was enough to make Lyra turn toward him.

"You can, can’t you?"

"I should be able to open a path. However, I will have to remain here to keep it open, and that means you will have to leave this space without me.

Kael admitted causing Seraphina’s expression immediately changed.

"No."

Kael looked at her, surprised by how quickly she had rejected the idea.

"Seraphina, I have experience with this kind of magic. If I stay here, then I should be able to create a stable passage for the rest of you."

"No, you cannot remain here alone. You already entered the corruption to find us. Leaving you here would defeat the purpose of all this."

She replied, her voice becoming firmer and Lyra nodded in agreement, her usual teasing expression nowhere to be seen.

"She is right. You are not staying by yourself, especially when you are already in this condition. If someone needs to open the gate, then we will find another way."

Kael frowned as he watched another section of the sky collapse into darkness.

"We are running out of time."

"I know. But I would rather remain here and face the collapse than let you throw yourself into danger again."

Seraphina answered, her light beginning to flicker around her hands.

The space shook harder, and a massive crack spread across the ground beneath them. Iris immediately moved closer to the others, raising her sword as if she could somehow cut through the collapsing domain itself.

"Then we need to decide quickly. This place will not wait for us."

She said.

Kael looked around at the three women, his mind searching for another solution, but every possibility led to the same conclusion.

The space was collapsing too quickly, and none of them had enough power to maintain it while opening a gate from within.

For the first time since entering the domain, Kael felt a sense of helplessness settle over him.

"Damn it..."

The words had barely left his mouth when a bright line of light appeared in the distance, cutting through the darkness that had begun to swallow the landscape.

At first, it looked like another crack in the collapsing space, but the light quickly widened into the shape of a portal.

Everyone turned toward it.

A familiar presence reached them from the other side, followed by a voice that sounded strained but unmistakably irritated.

"Kael! If you are finished getting yourself trapped in strange places, perhaps you could hurry up and come back!"

Kael’s eyes widened.

"Leon?"

The portal shook violently, but it remained open, held in place by two figures standing on the other side.

Leon had both hands pressed against the edge of the gate, his face pale as he struggled to maintain the connection, while Elena stood beside him with her black fire wrapped around the portal’s frame.

"Do not just stand there! I cannot keep this open forever!"

Elena shouted.

Lyra stared at them in disbelief before letting out a relieved laugh.

"Those idiots actually came to save us."

Seraphina’s light stabilised for a brief moment, and Kael finally allowed himself to breathe.

"Everyone, move! We are leaving before this place takes us with it."

He ordered as he stepped toward the portal.