Chapter 1222: Gift of White Stone
Catheryn dragged herself over, moving like every step cost her.
That last battle had almost emptied her out. She was slower now, and the leftover energy around her wasn’t exploding outward the way it had before—just a thin current rolling quietly along her skin. But her eyes were still sharp. When she looked at Ethan, there was something complicated in them, like she hadn’t decided what to call him yet.
She stopped in front of him and placed a snow-white gemstone into his hand.
The instant it touched his palm, Ethan felt a purity so intense it was almost unreal. The power seeped through his skin and into his body—warm, dense, completely non-hostile. It moved like a heated stream, forcing its way through the heavy blockages his constant fighting had left behind.
His weakness eased almost immediately.
Catheryn stared at the gem and spoke softly. "Didn’t think it’d be you people who ended up saving me." Her voice dipped, steady and sincere. "This is Primordial Core energy from this world. In your hands, it’ll probably show its real value. So... take it."
Ethan lifted his head, gaze shifting from the gem to her face.
He could feel how violent the energy inside that snowy stone really was. He’d barely absorbed a trace, and the strength that had been drained out of him was already flowing again. The ache in his shoulders and limbs was peeling away a little at a time.
"What is this thing?" he asked.
Catheryn smiled faintly.
Instead of answering, she raised her hand and pointed toward a mountain in the distance.
The peak stood far inside the abyss—black as ink, but with faint snow-white light leaking through the cracks in its rock like breath through teeth. Even from here, Ethan could sense it. The same origin as the gemstone in his hand.
"That ore is refined from in there," Catheryn said. "But something extremely strong lives on that mountain. If you want those stones, you’re going to have to fight for them."
Ethan’s eyes lit up.
Ore that strong? There was no universe where he’d walk away.
"Then let’s go now." He closed his fist around the snow-white gem, already staring at the distant range. "I want to see what kind of ’guardian’ thinks they can keep me out."
The moment the words left his mouth, power burst off him.
Transparent lightning cracked under his feet and surged forward, dragging the leftover abyssal energy with it like a tide being hooked and pulled. Ethan became a streak of electric light, shooting toward the mountains. The air split in his wake. Loose stones jumped as arcs swept past, then clattered back down.
Catheryn didn’t hesitate.
She followed right behind him.
Not long after, the two of them reached the summit.
The second Ethan landed, discomfort hit.
The energy here was nothing like the abyss outside. It was thicker—almost heavy. Like invisible water pressure squeezing from every direction. Every breath pulled a strange force into his chest, stirring the energy inside him that he’d just managed to steady.
Ethan had never felt anything this dense, this... specific.
His body twitched on instinct. Transparent lightning flickered across his skin, threatening to slip out of control. But his base power was strong enough—and he’d already touched Primordial Core energy before. He forced himself to stabilize, then slowly let his inner flow adjust to the mountain’s presence.
Catheryn had it easier.
She’d been nourished by this kind of power before. After a brief adjustment, she settled smoothly, then started down a narrow path leading deeper inside.
Ethan followed, eyes scanning.
The mountain trail was tight and twisting. Both rock walls were etched with thin, glowing patterns—not normal veins of ore, but marks left by special energy soaking through the stone for a long, long time. The deeper they went, the heavier the air became. Even the ground felt denser underfoot.
Ethan tried to draw on his power.
The moment it left his body, the surrounding pressure shoved part of it back in.
This wasn’t a place where you could casually blow everything up.
He didn’t know how long they walked before the path finally opened.
They arrived at a massive clearing deep in the mountain. Towering rock walls boxed it in on all sides. The ground was so flat it felt unnatural. Compared to the narrow trail, the energy here was even richer—and even stranger. It formed layers of restriction, the kind that made flight difficult and made it hard to release overwhelming force.
And yet...
This open space was different.
As Ethan approached, he sensed a complete energy circulation beneath the ground. Instead of suppressing him like the path had, it felt like the clearing had been designed as a dedicated arena—like it wanted combat. The moment you stepped onto it, your sealed power could breathe again.
Catheryn glanced at him, saying nothing.
They both jumped down without hesitation.
The instant they landed, Catheryn slid away to the side and sat down like she was settling in to watch a show.
Ethan’s step faltered.
He didn’t even have time to ask what she was doing before the atmosphere thickened to an extreme. Energy in the center of the clearing began to contract inward. One by one, the glowing lines on the ground lit up—then all of them shot their light into the air at once.
The next moment, a tall figure dropped straight into the center.
The ground shuddered on impact, shock spreading outward. When the figure stood, he was like a walking hill—broad back, massive shoulders, blocking a huge chunk of Ethan’s view. Dense mineral energy coiled around him. Every breath he took made the surrounding air tremble.
"Didn’t expect this," the giant said, looking down at Ethan. His voice was so heavy it pressed over the entire clearing. "After all these years... someone still dares to challenge this place. Fine. Then I won’t hold back."
Then his power exploded.
The light patterns on the ground responded to his aura, and brutal energy surged outward along the arena floor. He charged like a titan, each step pounding out a dull boom. Weight gathered in his shoulders and arms, then came down toward Ethan like a collapsing wall.
Ethan’s eyes widened.
He still didn’t fully understand what was happening—and the attack was already on top of him.
That was when Catheryn, sitting off to the side, covered her mouth and laughed.
She flicked her wrist and tossed a golden token forward. It drew a thin gold arc through the air, landed with a light tremor, and released a faint glow.
"He’s the guardian god of this place," Catheryn said, watching Ethan with an almost casual tone. "If you want the ore, you beat him. I challenged him ten times... and only won eight."
Ethan finally got it.
Catheryn stepping aside wasn’t her refusing to help. It was the rule. This challenge was never meant to be shared.
When the token ended up in his hand, its surface still carried a trace of warmth, a subtle current of energy flowing across it—like recognition... or like a pass that proved he belonged in this arena at all.
At a time like this, Ethan didn’t dare slack off even for a second.
He shoved the token into his chest and detonated his power.
Transparent lightning poured out of his body, spreading along his arms, shoulders, and spine before exploding outward into a blinding electric storm that surged straight at the guardian.
The energy between heaven and earth went feral.
Above the clearing, space itself was squeezed by the two clashing forces until it cracked—dense fractures webbing across the air. The moment they opened, special mineral energy rose from the ground and the surrounding rock walls, sealing the edges back together.
Crack—heal—crack—heal.
It happened so fast it was almost absurd, like this entire zone had a self-repair mechanism built into its bones.
What shocked Ethan even more was the ground under his feet.
He was unleashing power that would’ve torn up the canyon outside, but the clearing didn’t collapse. It didn’t even fracture. When transparent lightning struck the arena floor, it only left a fleeting scorch of electric light before the flowing mineral energy wiped it clean.
This place could take it.
And then the guardian roared.
Power erupted between his hands, stronger than anything he’d shown so far. It expanded outward from his palms, heavy enough it felt like he’d lifted the whole mountain. Then he slammed both arms down—
And that crushing energy dropped from above with a thunderous boom, smashing straight toward Ethan.
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