Chapter Thirty-Nine: Blossoming

Roar...

A long howl shook the earth, shattering the veil of darkness, unleashing wild winds that howled across the sky.

In an instant, the thick shroud enveloping the Sun Staircase was blown away, finally allowing Ember a glimpse of the magnificent structure in its entirety—

A pyramid, shaped like a staircase, forged entirely from gold.

The source of the roar was a massive head emerging from the top of the pyramid.

Compared to the Bloodvine Serpent, this head was even less like bloodvine—more like a primordial beast shackled in place. The sheer size of its head dwarfed the entire body of the serpent, raising doubts as to whether the Bloodvine Serpent could truly devour such a creature.

“No need to worry. The Great Flame is mighty precisely because even a mere spark is enough to command all lesser fires—and besides, we are here!”

The Sun High Priest, brimming with confidence, raised his arms once more, invoking a response from the statue of the Sun God. Suddenly, a divine light descended, forming a circle of sacred magic on the ground. He, the Six-Eyed Prophet, and the Six-Eyed Preacher each took a corner, then called Little Bob to stand at the center.

“You are the one who raised the Sentient Bloodvine, so it will resonate with you. We will conduct the final fire ritual with our soul flames, strengthening this connection. Then, you will be able to command the Sentient Bloodvine. Do not disappoint our hopes.”

The Sun High Priest spoke solemnly to Little Bob, then ignited his soul flame to begin the fire ritual. At the same time, the Six-Eyed Prophet offered his last strength. The Six-Eyed Preacher struggled for a moment, unable to reclaim control of his body, and was forced to ignite his soul flame, joining the two sages to officially commence the final fire ritual.

Golden flames, like rays of the sun, engulfed Little Bob, yet he did not perish in the fire. Instead, his crown ignited, transforming the Thorn Crown into a crown of flames. The fire’s pattern replaced the thorns, causing its former owner to feel utter despair and anguish.

It was over...

There was no hope of reclaiming it now...

As the Thorn Crown's spirit faded, Little Bob discovered his connection with the Bloodvine Serpent had grown stronger. His thoughts flowed freely to the serpent, a sensation of pure delight that he found himself lost in.

“Hurry!”

The Sun High Priest, on the verge of exhaustion, shouted suddenly, snapping Little Bob out of his reverie. He quickly gathered himself and used his mind to command the Sentient Bloodvine Serpent, forcing it to ascend to the pyramid’s summit against the overwhelming pressure of the Sun Staircase.

Success or failure would soon be revealed!

Ember and Wine-in-Hand stood side by side, hearts filled with anticipation, watching as the soul flame of the Sun Staircase was suppressed by the Bloodvine Serpent’s kindling flame. In a moment’s lapse, the serpent tore away a massive chunk of the head, devouring it ravenously. Its body swelled, its power grew, and though the Sun Staircase twisted and roared madly, it remained trapped, unable to prevent the Bloodvine Serpent—burning with the flame of the King of Kindling—from swallowing its exposed head whole.

[Notification: "Sun Staircase" soul annihilated.]

With its head gone, the soul flame lost its vessel, marking the official death of the Sun Staircase. The raging soul fire vanished instantly, allowing the Sun High Priest, who had endured so long, to complete the final step.

With a look of satisfaction, he bowed once more to the statue of the Sun God. Divine light poured from the statue’s hands, gathered into a pillar, and shot toward the pyramid that had imprisoned the Sun Staircase.

The two players watched as a chunk of gold fell from the pyramid’s edge, followed by another, then another... Moments later, the entire structure collapsed with a thunderous crash, exposing the Sun Staircase’s remaining body. Little Bob instantly directed the Bloodvine Serpent to feast, absorbing all its energy. Empowered by both the King of Kindling’s flame and the Gardener’s bloodline, he broke through the life shackles that had plagued the imperial remnants.

[Notification: You have completed the final phase of the main quest “Blooming,” reward calculation greatly increased.]

Roar!!

The Bloodvine Serpent, newly ascended as a mother entity, seemed to transform into a divine dragon, howling toward the sky.

That howl echoed across the entire Forbidden Zone of Life.

Within the bloodvine sea, the Nightmare Pumpkin Coach and the masked figure were struck as if by lightning, feeling both grateful and terrified, muttering, “Is it finally... over?”

The howl pierced the darkness, reverberating across the wasteland.

Outside the forbidden zone, the Tree’s true body, who had been waiting anxiously, suddenly felt a surge of panic. Abandoning even the most crucial bloodvine experiment, he rushed outside the laboratory, gazing into the turbulent Forbidden Zone of Life. He sensed his plan had failed and that a new era was about to begin.

Yes, a new era had arrived.

At the very moment the Bloodvine Mother was born, the Sun Eldest Daughter—once swallowed by the Sun Staircase—was rescued. Though she was extremely weak, the purest kindling flame still burned within her. Under Little Bob’s deliberate guidance, she emerged from the bloodvine, standing atop the Bloodvine Mother. She, ablaze with the King of Kindling’s fire, shone like a golden, humanoid sun, moving the Sun High Priest to tears as he trembled, “Welcome, Your Highness!”

The five remaining Black Knights, swords at the ready, immediately dropped to one knee, welcoming the Sun Eldest Daughter’s return. The dazed patrol squads seemed to recover a shred of clarity, kneeling in unison and declaring—

“Welcome, Your Highness!”

The words reached the Sun Eldest Daughter’s ears, helping her quickly recall her mission after a long slumber. With everyone’s eager gaze upon her, she ignited the Bloodvine Mother with the Great Flame, her whispered words clear to all present.

“May the fire of the King of Kindling melt the darkness; may the empire’s glory shine into the future.”

Whoosh!

As her words fell, the King of Kindling’s flame spread, first extinguishing the remnants of the match’s fire, then completely igniting the bloodvine.

At this moment, the Bloodvine Mother was no longer subject to Little Bob’s control, granting the Sun High Priest—on the brink of soul extinction—the chance to witness his lifelong wish fulfilled. Wherever the King of Kindling’s flame passed, the Bloodvine Mother disintegrated, splitting into petals and scattering outward like a blooming night flower. After millennia of waiting, all for a single moment of brilliance. This spectacle made Ember and Wine-in-Hand finally understand why the main quest was called “Blooming.”

The greatest flame in the world had finally risen, using the Bloodvine Mother as its fuel, surging skyward to pierce the layers of darkness enshrouding the Forbidden Zone of Life.

Boom!

With a sudden crash of thunder, the Forbidden Zone was burned through by the kindling flame. Sunlight, transformed into giant hands, tore open the barriers of the zone, and with their strength, the skies cleared!

Bright sunlight poured down, causing Ember to squint. Compared to the oppressive darkness, he much preferred the blue sky and white clouds now overhead.

[Notification: You have completed the epic event “The Sun Returns,” and have received the epic character mark “Sun Defender (Unique).”]

...

Mark Name: Sun Defender (Unique/Epic/Growth)

Effect: Defense increased by 20%, Reputation +1

Description: Your bravery will be remembered by all.

[Notification: The character mark’s effects are a special state, calculated independently.]

[Notification: The higher your reputation, the more easily game characters will recognize you, increasing your chances to trigger quests and improve relations.]

[Notification: Only in Nightmare difficulty or above can you receive growth quests for this mark from relevant Sun Empire characters.]

...

“Sun Defender! Now that’s a mark worthy of my image!”

Ember was nearly moved to tears. Having received the apostate mark and leveled up consecutively, he hadn’t dared share it with Wine-in-Hand.

“Wow! Sun Executioner! Tsk, my attack power can increase again!”

The remarkable rewards made Wine-in-Hand beam with joy. She excitedly said to Ember, “Did you see? We were the first to finish it, which means no one is faster than us. I’m really amazing!”

“Thank you, it’s me who’s amazing.”

“We’re both amazing, both amazing!”

Ember smiled, ceasing to tease the grinning Wine-in-Hand, and turned to the clear blue sky, now free of darkness. He wondered why the settlement notification hadn’t appeared yet, until he noticed the sky growing bluer, darker, stars appearing despite the sun hanging at the horizon.

“Something’s wrong, the situation has changed!”

The Sun High Priest’s face shifted dramatically, the anomaly in the sky making him frantic. Such phenomena could never be caused by ordinary forces, and the spatial fluctuations spreading from the stars made him realize the one stirring up trouble was from another plane altogether.

Who could it be?

With his soul flame nearly exhausted, the Sun High Priest lacked the power to investigate. But the Tree’s true body, racing toward the forbidden zone’s core, sneered, “Such appetite! The Paradise World dares to snatch someone by force—aren’t they afraid of shattering their own teeth?”

Indeed!

The cause of the celestial anomaly was the three major forces of the Paradise World—Foundation, Sweepers, and University. In order to break through the world’s restrictions and abduct the Sun Eldest Daughter, the three organizations, usually rivals, had for once joined forces.

If Little Bob was the protagonist of this trial, then the Sun Eldest Daughter, even if not the Empire World’s child of the plane, was certainly close.

Every world’s child of the plane is forbidden from leaving their native plane, let alone from the closed Empire World!

The Sun Eldest Daughter, bearer of the King of Kindling’s flame, was far from ordinary. The three organizations were willing to endure enormous pressure from the Wasteland World, spend astronomical resources, all to forcibly bring her into the Paradise World.

For one reason only: the Sun Eldest Daughter determined whether the Paradise World could survive the apocalypse.