Chapter 87: You’re Free - Tier 21 Evolution
As Akasha and Melvin disappeared into folded space, an eerie silence settled over the ruined battlefield.
High above on their floating carpet, both Jovian and Sunya remained frozen for a long moment, staring at the spot where the Lord Dream had stood.
Jovian’s usual playful smile slowly widened into something sharper, almost feral. His long white hair stirred in the wind as a thrill ran down his spine.
’He ended an entire invasion... in seconds.’
The sheer casual dominance left him beyond shocked — and strangely excited.
His competitive blood burned hotter than ever.
’Haha, so beyond this beauty... there’s another being truly worthy...’
The desire to cross blades with Akasha grew into a fierce, anxious hunger.
Beside him, Sunya’s reaction was vastly different.
Her sharp eyes remained narrowed, her regal posture tense.
’Yeah.... he’s dangerous.’
The display of power, the triple bloodlines, and the effortless way he had massacred thousands echoed in her mind.
Then... eventually, cold calculation replaced her initial surprise.
’I will definitely... avoid any confrontation with him... The God of Lucid Dreams.’
She needed more information about the Celestial Sun Pantheon before risking open conflict.
A quiet resolve settled over her.
’.... It’s time to quit this facade.’
She was ready to leave the Academy of Lore and make her way into the Underside.
After spending plenty of time on the topside of Kalpa without finding even a hint of the Celestial Sun, there was only one other place they could be—if they were still doing alright.
The answers she needed were down there, and she couldn’t wait any longer.
Sunya glanced at Jovian, her tone steady but resolute. "Get up. We’re done here."
Jovian lounged comfortably on the carpet, a playful smile tugging at his lips.
"Already? I was thinking... we could stick around and watch the cleanup. Maybe even wager on how long it’ll take them to rebuild."
He chuckled lightly, but eventually stood with casual grace, stretching his arms.
"Though I suppose you’re right. Things just got a lot more interesting around here. Try not to run off too far, Goddess of the Eternal Hour. I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other again soon."
Sunya offered no reply, only a measured nod.
The two of them rose into the air and departed in opposite directions — Jovian still buzzing with excited energy, Sunya already deep in strategic thought about her next moves.
-----
Once they left behind the sea of corpses from the invading factions, Akasha and Melvin reappeared high in the skies above the Southern Continent.
A gentle, warm wind brushed across their faces, carrying the distant scent of pine forests, open plains, and the faint salt of distant seas.
Below them stretched a vast, breathtaking expanse — rolling hills, glittering rivers, and sprawling cities bathed in the multicolored light of the seven suns.
Akasha hovered silently for a moment, his elegant white-and-green horns catching the light as he gazed out over the land.
Melvin stood beside him, short black hair shifting slightly in the breeze, his white eyes calm but distant.
Akasha was the first to speak, voice gentle but filled with sincerity.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it? All of this... and yet so much conflict still lingers beneath the surface."
He paused for a moment before turning slightly toward his disciple.
"Melvin... I can see how much the situation with your family has been weighing on you."
For just an instant, Melvin’s cold, piercing demeanor seemed to waver.
He stayed quiet, his eyes fixed on the distant horizon.
"It’s been a full year since you were exiled from your kingdom," Akasha continued gently. "Since the Prince of Loria began weaving his schemes against your bloodline."
Melvin’s jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
The cold, deadly calm in his eyes deepened as old memories stirred — pain, betrayal, and a simmering resolve.
"...Why bring this up now?" he asked, voice low and even. "I believed I still had several more tasks before I could turn my attention there."
Akasha smiled softly and shook his head.
The wind tugged at his neck-length white hair streaked with green.
"You know... I never truly intended to keep you from it. I only wanted to ensure you were strong enough... strong enough to succeed in whatever path you choose.
To face whatever this life throws at you without being crushed by it."
A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant cry of a bird far below.
Melvin finally turned to look at his mentor.
For once, the deadly calm in his white eyes cracked, revealing a rare flash of raw emotion — gratitude mixed with quiet surprise.
"You... waited for me to become strong enough?"
Although Akasha had hinted at this to him a few times in vague ways, Melvin was still just a fourteen-year-old boy.
His situation was even more unusual than most, as typically, younger beings weren’t so naive, depending on the kind of star they possessed.
But Melvin had only ever had a Greater Star for most of his life before eventually gaining the Above Origin one.
This meant his star hadn’t given him much knowledge early on, and before he realized it, he had already reached Star Union—the stage where beings fully merge with their Star Entity and wholeheartedly embrace their path.
It was at this point that he began to understand Akasha much more clearly.
Akasha’s smile broadened, warm yet laced with that familiar, effortless confidence.
"You’re ready now, Melvin. You’re free—free to do whatever you want. Take care of your family’s affairs, chase your own goals, and face whatever this world throws at you... You don’t need my permission anymore."
Melvin stood motionless for several heartbeats, processing the words.
The weight that had pressed on his chest for the past year suddenly felt... lighter.
A subtle shift occurred in his cold demeanor — resolve hardened into something deeper, more personal.
He gave a small, sharp nod.
"Understood."
Before Melvin could say more, Akasha reached into his pockets and pulled out a small, elegant badge.
It shimmered with a deep purple eye etched into its center, pulsing faintly with contained Divinity.
Akasha handed him the badge.
"You can use this anytime to call me... but only in emergencies."
His expression turned solemn as he met Melvin’s eyes.
"Listen... you’ll always be my disciple, and you’ll always have a place at Dreamer’s Peak. I’ll stand by you no matter the path you choose — even if you become the darkest devil this world has known.
But don’t summon me in the middle of chaos. Only call me the moment you face something beyond your control. Got it?"
Melvin took the badge carefully, his fingers brushing over the cool, polished surface.
He stared at the purple eye for a long moment, then clutched it tightly.
A rare, quiet intensity burned in his gaze.
"I understand... Master."
Akasha gave him one final, approving smile — proud and paternal — before his form began to fade.
"Go... save your precious kingdom."
With those parting words, Akasha vanished, leaving Melvin alone in the vast sky.
----
Akasha reappeared on the tranquil heights of Dreamer’s Peak.
The moment his feet touched the soft, mist-kissed grass, the air shimmered beside him. Yume and Luna materialized gracefully at his sides.
Luna’s long pink and purple hair flowed around her like living silk as she pressed close, a playful smirk on her lips.
"Back already, my love? That little display of yours was quite the spectacle."
Yume tilted her head gently, her own flowing purple hair catching the soft breeze.
Her ethereal presence radiated quiet curiosity and warmth.
"It was quite something indeed," she added softly, a small smile touching her lips. "Though I’m more curious about what you plan to do next."
Akasha let out a light chuckle, the sound warm and relaxed as he walked a few steps forward, gazing out over the breathtaking vista of Dreamer’s Peak.
The seven suns painted the sky in vibrant hues, and a gentle divine energy hummed through the very ground beneath them.
Luna paced around him playfully, her eyes glinting with both warmth and mischief.
"Right... why do you want to meet that mysterious Wanderer? Why go through all that trouble when you could dream up a path straight into the Underside?"
Yume gave a small nod; her soft voice tinged with genuine curiosity.
"Yes... It does seem a bit roundabout."
Akasha smiled, a hint of that graceful confidence shining through.
He shifted onto a smooth, flat stone and settled into a cross-legged position.
"I’ll figure out a way in eventually... but there’s still something missing from what I know. Why is it that only one person truly seems to understand what’s happening here?
Who is the Wanderer, really?"
As he spoke the questions swirling in his mind, he eased into his meditative stance, and a sudden, powerful surge coursed through him.
HUMMMMMM!!!!
His rank finally maxed out at Tier 16 with a deep, resonant pulse of Divinity.
Even though his True Self had cleared all the remaining battlefields, it had only been enough to reach the threshold of Star Union — exactly as he had anticipated.
Without hesitation, Akasha reached into his robes and withdrew a set of shimmering Era Shift pills. He took five in one smooth motion, swallowing them effortlessly.
HUMMMMMM!!!!!
The effect was immediate and breathtaking.
A surge of raw Divinity exploded through Akasha’s body.
Brilliant light erupted from within him as he was suddenly encased in a glowing, translucent cocoon of pure divine energy.
The cocoon pulsed with vibrant green and white light, shimmering like a living light as his entire existence began to evolve.
At the same moment, Yume let out a soft, surprised gasp.
Her form flickered before she, too, was enveloped in a similar cocoon — smaller, gentler, glowing with soft purple hues that intertwined perfectly with Akasha’s.
Luna stood just outside the two cocoons, arms crossed beneath her chest as she watched with a sultry, amused smile.
Her pink and purple eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Mmm... look at you two," she purred softly, circling the pulsing cocoons slowly. "I truly wonder what kind of nonsense is going to come out of this change~"
She tilted her head, a playful yet possessive smile on her lips as she felt the immense waves of Divinity radiating from both cocoons.
The two cocoons continued to pulse in harmony — Akasha’s powerful and commanding, Yume’s lighter and more whimsical — as their evolutions deepened under the light of the seven suns.
[Domain Evolutions Pending.]
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