Chapter 702: Epilogue

"Groselle!"

Frunziar, who was closest to the giant, rushed to Groselle and caught

him. Then, he slowly released his grip and stood up, as though he had

just experienced a confusing dream.

Siatas tore out of Mobet's arms, and ignoring the pain all over her

body, she ran to Groselle's side with the aid of the wind.

She bent down and carefully observed for a moment. Then, she nudged the

giant and hysterically shouted, "Wake up! Wake up!

"It's time for us to leave!"

Her voice softened into silence.

Mobet stood by the side, seeing the giant unable to maintain his body as

it wavered. Finally, it fell to the ground with a thud.

He fell silent for a few seconds before exhaling.

At that moment, Anderson and Edwina had already run to Snowman. One used

a flame, while the other mimicked holy light to quickly defrost him. As

Klein was nearby, he directly arrived by Groselle's side.

His Spirit Body Threads vision told him that the giant was dead. Only

his spirit lingered, but it was beginning to scatter. This made his

Damage Transfer powers completely useless.

*From the moment Groselle ignited the light of dawn and engaged the

frost dragon in a second battle, he must have prepared himself for

death...* Klein fell silent.

Mobet glanced at him and said with a rueful smile, "To be frank, I've

not seen many giants. Most of my impression of them had come from books,

teachers, and parents. I always thought that this race was cruel and

violent, unintelligent creatures who were closer to monsters. However,

Groselle wasn't like that. He was frank, honest, and optimistic.

Although he might appear rather silly, he knew better than anyone what

was right and wrong.

"He told me that this was because he wasn't one of those ancient giants.

He wasn't even a second or third generation giant... The cruel and

violent giants similarly had the ability to reproduce and give birth. As

for their descendants, there would be more rational ones appearing from

time to time. These descendants would reproduce and have more

descendants, allowing the entire giant race to escape from the confines

of being monsters.

"Hehe, I don't know if I should believe him, but his existence has

proven the possibility..."

As Mobet said that, he suddenly paused as though immersed in his

memories.

At that moment, Edwina and Anderson helped Snowman, whose body was still

a little stiff, walk over. The ascetic struggled as he walked to

Groselle's side.

Looking at the tightly closed single eye, Snowman gestured the sign of

the cross on his chest. He half-closed his eyes as he whispered a

prayer:

"Father of all things, the great source of everything, here lies an

honest and pure soul... May he enter 'Your' kingdom and receive eternal

redemption..."

Siatas opened her mouth as though she wanted to say that Groselle's

faith was in Giant King Aurmir, but she ultimately chose to keep silent.

She watched in silence as Snowman completed the prayer.

"We have to leave as quickly as possible. No one knows how long this

door will remain open!" the Elven Songster said as she surveyed the

surroundings. Her sorrow and pain left her rather quick-tempered.

She looked down at the giant and added in a heavy voice, "We can't let

Groselle's soul dissipate in this illusory world. We have to bring him

back to reality!"

"Alright," Mobet immediately agreed. Klein and company didn't object

either.

Edwina turned her head and shouted at the mountain cave of ice and snow.

"Danitz, you can come out now."

At that moment, Siatas's eyes darted around as though she had recalled

something. She turned her head and said to Klein, "Do you have a pen and

paper?"

"Yes." Klein took out the fountain pen and notes he brought around with

him. This was a professional trait of being a Seer.

Siatas received it and began scribbling on it. She didn't stop, even

when Danitz ran out of the cave.

Danitz kept silent. He was also in low spirits as well, lacking the joy

and excitement he should have with the pending departure from this book

world.

Finally, Siatas stopped writing and handed the paper and pen to Klein.

"The formula you wanted."

Aren't we completing the trade only after leaving? Klein

mumbled silently in puzzlement. He received the pen and the Ocean

Songster potion formula.

As though sensing his puzzlement, Siatas turned her head and looked at

Groselle. She said with a heavy voice, "We are now companions."

So you can give me the potion formula directly? Klein put the

items away and nodded indiscernibly.

"I'll give you the wine cup after we leave."

Siatas didn't respond. Instead, she nudged Mobet.

"Bring Groselle along."

Mobet looked down at his body which wasn't too muscular and his sharp,

curvy leather boots. He gave a bitter smile of helplessness and walked

to Groselle's thigh.

Frunziar silently followed as he bent down to embrace the giant's left

shoulder.

Anderson looked around and tsked.

"All of you are injured or weak. Let me do it."

He then lifted up Groselle's other shoulder.

Klein was just about to help with the other thigh when Danitz rushed

over to take the spot.

Upon seeing this, he stopped in his tracks. He then watched Anderson and

company lift Groselle as they walked towards the illusory snow-laden

door.

Klein; Edwina; Siatas, who stumbled as she walked; and Snowman silently

followed beside them before they arrived at the exit formed from

Ulyssan's corpse.

At that moment, Klein surveyed the area and discovered that the light

blue blood that flowed out from the King of the North had vanished. It

was as though it had never existed.

Indeed, it's a conjured monster that's almost real... Klein

walked behind as he watched Edwina take a few steps forward as she bent

her back, placing her palms on the door.

Then, Vice Admiral Iceberg exerted her strength and pushed open the

snow-laden door.

Silently, everyone saw everything disappear after turning illusory then

transparent.

Rows of brownish-yellow bookshelves quickly appeared before their eyes,

along with the orange-yellow sun which had just set below the horizon

and a desk with a fountain pen, ink bottle, and paper.

This was Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina's cabin!

Klein quickly placed the middle of the table in his sights. Sitting on

it was a book filled with yellowish-brown goatskin.

The book flipped to the end as a result of a formless wind. Klein and

company then saw the epilogue.

"With the help of the crazy adventurer and the strongest hunter,

Groselle fulfilled his promise. He led his teammates and slayed the King

of the North, but he also ended up sleeping forever in the Nation of

Frost."

"It didn't even give our ending... Siatas, where do you plan on heading

to next?" Mobet released Groselle's thigh as he turned his head to ask

the Elven Songster.

Siatas's eyes seemed to glaze over for a few seconds before she firmly

said, "Seek out my race..."

Just as she said that, she suddenly saw Mobet's flaxen-colored hair

rapidly turn white. His originally smooth face had obvious wrinkles.

In just a second, Mobet was dying of old age.

Siatas's heart tightened. Just as she was about to lunge forward, she

was surprised to realize that she had lost the strength in her legs at

some point in time.

With a thud, she fell to the ground and realized that the back of her

hands were covered in the aged spots of an elder.

She instantly understood what was happening as tears immediately flowed

down her face. She struggled as she attempted to crawl towards Mobet.

Mobet had similarly slumped to the ground as he crawled towards her

while extending his right palm.

Siatas reached out her right palm and grabbed the wrinkled and thin

hand.

They raised their heads with great difficulty as their pupils reflected

one another.

The corners of their mouths curled up simultaneously before loosening

weakly. Their eyelids drooped down and blocked out the light.

Klein, Edwina, Anderson, and Danitz failed to react in time to such

changes. They had no idea what they could do as they helplessly watched

Groselle's corpse rapidly rot as his flesh and blood evaporated, leaving

his skeleton and Beyonder characteristic. As for Mobet, Siatas, Snowman,

and Frunziar, they aged in seconds before breathing their last breath

and repeating whatever had happened to Groselle's corpse.

Their clothes had either disappeared or turned to dust. Their souls

dispersed at extraordinary speeds before they were gone.

"Even the one who lived inside the book for the shortest time had been

there for 165 years..." Edwina muttered softly as she turned her head to

look at that bones which faced the sea and sun.

It was none other than Disciplinary Paladin Frunziar. He was sitting on

a chair looking west---where Backlund was.

Snowman was seated cross-legged to the side. His corpse maintained the

posture of praying.

*That's right. They've lived in the book world for centuries or

millennia. With the rules of the outside world, as non-demigods, they

should've died long ago... I should've realized this... Why wasn't I

wary of this point at all? Could it be...* Klein suddenly

recalled the psychological influence on Mobet, Groselle, and company as

he began having an idea.

He once again looked down at the book bound by goatskin. He believed

that it had many, many more secrets.

"This fellow is rather interesting. He died just like that..." Anderson

looked at Mobet's corpse as he smirked.

At that moment, all the Beyonder characteristics had slowly condensed.

However, Frunziar didn't produce anything similar to that. Edwina

observed for a moment before softly saying, "The potion he consumed was

illusory, likewise for the strength he obtained. It's just like that

frost dragon."

*It was likely conjured in the book world. It was almost

real...* Klein sighed silently. He was momentarily at a loss for

words, so all he could do was maintain Gehrman Sparrow's silence.

In the next ten minutes, no one spoke in the captain's cabin of the

Golden Dream until the four Beyonder characteristics took form.

One of them was the size of a fist resembling a heart; it was covered

with holes as it shimmered with the light of dawn. Another resembled a

jellyfish; its translucent exterior seemed to contain azure-blue

seawater, and inside it were vortices that were occasionally stirred by

hurricanes or flashing silver lightning while emitting a faint, ethereal

song. Another was a pure, bright crystal that exuded holiness. The last

was a baby's palm with five thin stretched-out fingers as it kept

changing colors due to the environment.

"Sigh, we can't just keep watching like this." Finally, Anderson broke

the silence. "Let's split the Beyonder characteristics."

Just as Edwina's light-blue eyes were dyed with pangs of fire, the

hunter shrugged and said with a wry smile, "I believe that they'll have

wishes such as this, as we were companions who fought together."