Chapter 276: The Aftermath
High above the trembling floating kingdom, Zane silently watched the massive castle-city shake violently in the night sky.
Huge cracks spread across parts of the floating structures while debris continuously fell downward toward the lands below.
But despite watching all of this—
Zane’s mind was elsewhere.
Should I do it...?
Or should I not...?
For once, the expression on his face carried genuine thoughtfulness, as if he were trying to make a decision even he himself wasn’t fully certain about.
Below—
Inside the castle, panic had already begun spreading everywhere.
Servants screamed.
Guards shouted orders.
People stumbled as the entire floating kingdom trembled harder and harder.
Meanwhile, Zayne immediately spoke while looking downward through the floor.
"Wait here. I’ll just go straight through the floor into the basement and kill whoever’s destroying the Floater Stone."
Valeriana nodded immediately.
But before he could move—
"Wait."
Ron suddenly stopped him.
Everyone turned toward him.
Ron steadied himself against the wall while breathing heavily.
"If you break through the floors directly to the basement..."
"...the debris could fall onto the Floater Stone below."
His expression darkened.
"And if that happens, it might fully destroy it before the guy down there even gets the chance."
The others immediately realized the danger.
Ron then pointed toward the staircase corridor.
"We go the normal way."
"Follow me."
Zayne silently nodded.
Then Ron, Lia, Valeriana, and Zayne immediately rushed downward through the castle corridors while tremors continued shaking the entire kingdom.
Behind them, Ron looked back toward Maera, Selene, and Drevin.
"You three stay here."
Though worried, they nodded.
They were already exhausted from battle anyway.
As the group descended rapidly through the castle, Ron suddenly looked toward Zayne.
"Where’s Professor Zane?"
"He helped me earlier..."
"But where is he now?"
Lia blinked in confusion.
"Professor helped you?"
Ron nodded immediately.
But before he could explain further, Zayne casually answered instead.
"He’s fighting a strong Vassel leader outside."
"One stationed nearby to observe how the operation went."
Ron’s eyes widened slightly.
"Professor is fighting?"
Zayne smirked confidently.
"Don’t worry."
"With me here, nothing will happen even if my brother isn’t around."
Ron slowly nodded.
Then finally—
They reached the basement.
The moment Ron saw the massive carved door ahead, his expression changed.
"There...!"
Boom.
Before anyone else could react, Zayne instantly vanished and appeared inside the chamber beyond.
The others quickly entered afterward.
And immediately saw the two dead guards lying near the entrance with knives in their throats.
Further inside—
Zayne stood calmly while holding Hans by the neck with one hand.
Hans’ body was covered in wounds, but even now—
That fox-like smile remained on his face.
Lia’s eyes widened.
"...Hans."
"My sister’s butler..."
"So you were the one doing this..."
Hans laughed weakly.
"Princess Lia..."
"Even though I failed to completely destroy the Floater Stone..."
He slowly looked upward.
"It’s already damaged enough that it can no longer support the castle-city."
Another massive tremor shook the entire kingdom.
Boom.
Everyone’s expressions changed.
Hans’ smile widened.
"This floating city will still fall..."
"And when it does..."
"It will wipe out both the city above..."
"And the city below."
Far above them—
Zane finally snapped out of his thoughts.
"Oh."
"Hm..."
He looked downward calmly.
"Looks like someone damaged the Floater Stone enough to make the city fall."
The gigantic floating kingdom had truly begun descending now.
Zane sighed softly.
"...Again I have to help."
Then he looked toward the royal capital of Thesmeris beneath the falling kingdom.
People below had already started panicking after seeing an entire floating city descending toward them from the sky.
Most of them still had no idea what happened inside the castle.
They only saw destruction falling from heaven.
Zane quietly stared at the scene.
Then—
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"...How about that?"
Inside the castle, panic spread even more violently now.
Even the captured Vassel members suddenly started chanting fanatically.
"Hail the Abyssals!"
"For them, our lives mean nothing!!"
Meanwhile below, Hans began laughing loudly.
"Nothing can stop this anymore!"
"Hahaha—!"
But then—
Zayne smirked.
"...Are you sure about that?"
Outside—
Zane slowly extended his palm downward toward the falling kingdom.
Then calmly spoke.
"Now float..."
"...before I settle you properly."
The next instant—
Thousands of gigantic red magic circles suddenly appeared beneath the floating kingdom.
One became two.
Two became four.
Then hundreds.
Then thousands.
Soon over ten thousand magic circles filled the night sky beneath the falling city.
BOOOOM.
Fire and explosions erupted from every circle simultaneously.
Massive magical thrust exploded downward like countless engines igniting at once.
And slowly—
The falling kingdom stopped.
People inside the floating city didn’t understand what had happened because the magic circles were beneath them.
But the people below in Thesmeris City saw everything clearly.
Ten thousand glowing magic circles holding an entire floating kingdom in the sky.
The sight looked almost divine.
Back in the basement chamber, Hans’ fox-like eyes widened completely.
Disbelief appeared on his face.
"...What is happening...?"
He genuinely couldn’t comprehend it.
Zayne smiled wider.
"What were you saying again?"
"Nothing can stop this?"
Then he looked toward Lia casually.
"You know..."
"Don’t become like your sister."
"Never trust a Hans."
"They are always biggest foxy type guys."
"If you ever see another Hans..."
"Kill him."
Crunch.
Before Hans could react, Zayne tightened his grip and snapped his neck instantly.
Then casually threw the corpse aside like a trash bag.
Dust still drifted through the air, but the terrifying sensation of the entire city falling had disappeared completely.
Ron noticed it immediately.
"...The tremors stopped."
Beside him, Zayne casually folded his arms.
"My brother did that."
Ron’s eyes widened slightly.
"Professor... did?"
Then—
A familiar calm voice echoed from behind them.
"Yes."
"I did."
Everyone turned instantly.
Standing near the entrance with one hand inside his jacket pocket was Zane.
Completely unharmed and calm.
"Professor Zane!!"
Ron and Lia shouted almost at the same time before rushing toward him.
Then both hugged him tightly.
Lia still had tears in her eyes.
So did Ron.
For a moment, Zane looked slightly surprised before a gentle smile slowly appeared on his face.
Then he quietly head-patted both of them.
Inwardly, Zane thought,
They have good talent...
But sometimes I forget these two are still just sixteen-year-old children in the end.
Then he spoke softly,
"Come on now..."
"Don’t cry like that."
Nearby, Valeriana suddenly grabbed Zayne’s arm while grinning.
"Such a precious view."
Zayne stared at Zane’s gentle expression with visible disbelief.
Wow...
Boss with a gentle expression?
Is this planet ending today?
The next second, Zane slowly turned his head toward him.
Zayne instantly froze.
Then slowly covered his mouth.
He realized immediately.
Zane had heard his thoughts.
"...Me and my big mouth..."
Meanwhile, Zane only smirked faintly before everyone slowly started heading back upstairs together.
Along the way, Maera, Selene, and Drevin also approached Zane.
Though exhausted and injured, relief clearly appeared on their faces after seeing him alive.
Two hours later—
The aftermath of the battle had finally become visible throughout the ruined castle.
Out of the original three hundred and fifty guests inside the wedding hall...
Two hundred had been Vassel members.
And among the remaining one hundred fifty innocent guests—
Only eighty survived.
As for the Vassel...
Only around sixty remained alive.
Even with her mana heavily suppressed during the battle, Valeriana had personally killed a massive number of them after defeating Hans.
Throughout the castle, mages desperately used healing magic on the injured while soldiers carried bodies through the destroyed halls.
Both allies and enemies alike.
The smell of blood still lingered heavily in the air.
Ron quietly stood nearby speaking with surviving soldiers and officials. As the only remaining royal family member connected to Glimmereach, responsibility naturally fell onto him now.
Lia remained beside him silently.
Meanwhile, Maera, Selene, and Drevin rested nearby while recovering their mana.
Valeriana stood in the distance issuing orders to her knights to help stabilize the kingdom and assist civilians.
And nearby—
Zane quietly watched Ron for a while before finally walking toward him.
"Ron."
Ron immediately turned toward him.
"Yes, Professor?"
Zane looked directly at him calmly.
"Why aren’t you saying anything?"
Ron blinked slightly.
"...About what?"
Zane’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Why are you trying to hide it?"
That immediately grabbed everyone’s attention.
Lia, Maera, Selene, Drevin—
All looked toward Ron.
Ron himself suddenly became nervous.
A sweatdrop appeared on his face.
"W-what do you mean, Professor...?"
Zane sighed softly.
"You really think I wouldn’t notice?"
"You still haven’t regained your vision."
Silence.
Everyone froze.
Zane continued calmly,
"You’re still seeing through thermal perception."
Lia’s eyes widened completely.
"...What?"
Maera and the others looked equally shocked.
Lia immediately grabbed Ron’s shoulders.
"Ron..."
"Is that true?!"
"Why didn’t you tell me?!"
Ron lowered his head quietly.
"...I thought it would return after some time."
"But it didn’t."
"I still can’t see anything normally without thermal sensing."
Silence spread briefly again.
Then Zane finally explained.
"That Abyssal left Dex’s body while still possessing your stolen vision."
"It seems he took it away with him."
Ron quietly clenched his fists.
Leaving him like this.
Lia’s expression became anxious instantly.
"Professor..."
"Does that mean he’ll stay like this forever now...?"
Zane remained calm.
"Yes and no."
Everyone looked at him immediately.
"He will remain like this for now."
"But..."
"I have something that can help him eventually."
Relief slowly appeared on Lia’s face.
Then she tightly grabbed Ron’s hand.
"We’ll handle this together."
Ron stayed silent for a moment.
Then slowly nodded.
