The aircraft soared through the sea of clouds.

Ray looked out through the glass dome, watching as the sun blended with its own radiance, forming a cross-shaped star.

The light was dazzling, and the blue sky and clouds appeared as if they were painted with watercolors.

The entire scene felt surreal.

At this moment, they had already left the Endless Desert and Ruhe Beast Island, flying across the vast ocean.

After flying for so long, the aircraft’s power was nearly exhausted, and it began to gradually lose momentum.

“Number Two,” Ray commanded.

“Transform.”

At the adventure squad leader’s command, the aircraft began to change. The glass dome above expanded, turning into a massive transparent hot air balloon.

Flames burned beneath the transparent balloon. From below, the balloon was hard to notice, making it look like a cluster of flames with something hanging beneath it.

The aircraft transformed into a gondola as the puppet Demon Spirit and kite Demon Spirit detached from it. One stood inside while the other, looking somewhat weary, hung from its edge.

Ray leaned against the metal gondola’s rim, gazing at the ocean beneath the clouds. He gently soothed the kite Demon Spirit.

“Look,” he said.

“We really made it out!”

“The sun rises in the east. Does that mean we’re getting closer?”

Hearing these words, the kite Demon Spirit suddenly stopped hanging from the gondola. It took flight, circling around the hot air balloon.

It seemed very pleased, its movements a clear display of its anticipation.

They continued flying for several more days, venturing farther into the unknown.

Ray’s destination was the east, the place where the sun rises.

One morning, Ray woke up in the gondola. He had used the rest to recover his mental strength and now felt ready to push forward even farther.

As he leaned against the gondola’s edge, he caught sight of a shadow in the distant sky.

Below the sea of clouds, he could make out plains, jungles, and mountains. In the distance, winged creatures flew, their forms too far to identify, while on the ground below, something moved through the land and jungle.

Ray froze for a moment, then his excitement erupted.

He shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Hey, look!”

“Over there!”

“Could that be it? A new world? A new paradise?”

He was overwhelmed with excitement, cheering with joy.

The sight was astonishing, a scene he had envisioned in his heart for so long, the place he had dreamed of endlessly.

He called out to the other two Demon Spirits, and together, they immediately activated the aircraft and pursued the shadow’s location.

But as they flew closer, the “new world” they had seen began to fade. They could only watch helplessly as the image gradually disappeared.

What they had witnessed was nothing more than a mirage.

Experienced sailors would have recognized it immediately, but Ray had only heard of such a phenomenon and had never witnessed it himself.

When everything had vanished, Ray finally realized they were still within the internal waters around Ruhe Beast Island. Merchant ships, warships, and pirates had all reached this area. How could there be any “new world” here?

“So it was just an illusion,” he murmured.

However, Ray believed the illusion had not appeared from nothing. He was sure the scene he had just witnessed must truly exist somewhere in the world.

A false hope did not discourage Ray. Instead, it made him anticipate the distant lands even more.

He spoke to Number Two and Number Three, his voice filled with enthusiasm, his hands gesturing wildly.

“Did you see that? There really is land out there!”

“And what about those things flying in the sky in the image? Did you notice them?”

“They could be Winged People, or maybe something we’ve never seen before. That definitely wasn’t Ruhe Beast Island.”

He raised his head, gazing toward the distance.

“I want to go there.”

“I must go there!”

Ray was full of energy, speaking loudly.

“Today, we need to speed up. If we fly faster, we’ll definitely find the new continent a day sooner.”

Ray’s enthusiasm seemed to inspire Number Two and Number Three. The aircraft picked up speed, racing toward the horizon.

However, it was not long before Ray noticed something unusual in the distance. The edge of the horizon began to shift, and a foreboding sight came into view.

A vast darkness loomed ahead. Towering dark clouds churned and surged, advancing relentlessly. They swallowed the sky and obscured the sun.

It was the Black Storm.

Number Two, the flame Demon Spirit, seemed to sense something, radiating fearful emotions.

In contrast, the kite Demon Spirit showed no fear. Instead, the terrible storm seemed to make the extraordinary, sky-dwelling creature even more restless.

“We’ve come this far. Don’t be afraid,” Ray said.

“Let’s go and see if the legendary Black Storm is really as terrifying as they say.”

Ray and his companions piloted the aircraft and plunged headlong into the Black Storm. They were full of energy, brimming with the courage to face any challenge.

The Black Storm, however, was far more terrifying than any legend had described. It was not just as bad as the stories claimed, it was dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of times more horrifying.

They felt as though they had crashed into a surreal, painted world. The entire scene resembled mad charcoal sketches drawn by a crazed artist, black lines layered upon one another, covering everything in chaos.

Ray’s consciousness swirled as the sky and sea seemed to spin around him. The storm’s terrifying sounds pierced his ears, filling his mind with dreadful thoughts.

After the aircraft rushed into the darkness, they quickly lost all sense of direction. They wandered aimlessly inside, like headless flies trapped in a nightmare.

Buzzzz~ The storm’s sound filled everything, so loud that their ears could only hear buzzing.

Boom~ Occasional thunderclaps, rather than being piercing, brought a grounding sense of relief from the irritation.

The terrifying extraordinary storm kept eroding the aircraft’s barrier aura. Lightning bolts in the darkness struck the aircraft repeatedly.

The barrier aura’s power drained continuously. The aircraft swayed unsteadily in the storm.

They could also sense a powerful erosive force within the storm. If any conscious life came into contact with this force, their consciousness and wisdom would likely be erased instantly, leaving them in chaos and darkness.

“That’s right,” Ray suddenly remembered. “I have Lady Elena’s compass.”

“It can keep us from losing our way.”

At that moment, Ray recalled the Miracle Tool compass Elena had given him.

He reached for the metal box hanging around his neck and opened it.

This miraculous gift from the God of Demon Spirits did not let him down. The compass spun wildly before finally pointing in the direction of Ruhe Beast Island.

Ray stared at the pointer, its direction clear.

It seemed to be telling him to stop now and turn back.

They had only just entered the Black Storm. The storm stretched across tens of thousands of miles, growing more dangerous the deeper they ventured.

“Go back?” he wondered.

“Or continue forward?”

Ray had just glimpsed hope and seemed unwilling to leave like this.

Ray looked up at the stormy layers above, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the flashes of lightning cutting through the dark clouds. He turned to Number Two, his voice steady but determined.

“Number Two, transform.”

“We’re going to push through those clouds and climb as high as we can.”

“If we can’t get through it below, then we’ll go over the top.”

The aircraft transformed into a hot air balloon and began to ascend rapidly.

As they climbed higher, the lightning grew increasingly dense.

Fortunately, Oran and Ray had anticipated this challenge when designing the flying artifact. They had equipped it with lightning Seal Imprints and barriers that naturally resisted the force of lightning.

The barrier absorbed the lightning’s energy, allowing the hot air balloon gondola to continue its ascent. Gradually, it penetrated deep into the dark clouds.

Inside the dark clouds, the situation seemed to improve.

The extraordinary storm no longer eroded the aircraft’s protective aura, and the lightning within the clouds appeared unable to harm them.

However, as they moved deeper, a massive shadow emerged within the dense, viscous clouds. It flickered in and out of view with each flash of electric light, resembling a mountain in its sheer size.

The Black Storm was filled with a terrifying power and presence that seemed to freeze their spirits and cloud their consciousness.

An overwhelming sense of fear and madness pressed in on the minds of every conscious being.

Ray and his companions were no exception.

“What is that?” Ray asked.

Ray stared at the dark clouds and lightning in the upper layers. Unimaginably horrifying things moved through them, writhing in the storm.

These were creatures born from the aura of the Ruhe Beast. They were bound by the constraints of the Ruhe Beast and could only exist within its breath.

If Ray ascended, he would face them, and the outcome would be certain death. Even if there were only one, he might have been able to manage, but he could sense countless terrifying beings within the storm. The thickness of the dark clouds seemed to stretch far beyond what he could imagine.

Furthermore, Ray felt the invisible erosive force growing more intense the higher he went. It was clear this was not a place where intelligent beings could survive.

“So the most terrifying-looking Black Storm is actually the safest place here,” he realized.

Ray finally understood. The Black Storm that people spoke of was just one of the smallest dangers in these waters.

It was only because, for ordinary people, this was as far as they could go, and the storm was the only thing they could perceive.

Ray stared into the darkness.

He gazed at the terrifying black layered clouds and the monsters lurking within.

Gripping the Miracle Tool compass, he stood in a daze as his spirituality reached toward the endless heights above.

He saw the dark power stretching to the very edge of the sky, where even air ceased to exist, reaching heights far beyond what mortals could ever fly.

He saw seven terrible Ruhe Shadows circling Ruhe Beast Island. Behind these shadows loomed a Demon God, its presence shrouding the entire world in darkness.

The continent lay beneath its immense form, and the sky was consumed by its overwhelming presence.

The Demon God’s hand stretched toward the heavens, as if it sought to devour the sun itself.

As this vision unfolded, a desolate horn echoed from the depths of his spirituality.

Wooo!

Ray seemed to hear the horn of the world’s end echoing between heaven and earth. The revival and destruction of all things rested in the Demon God’s palm.

Ray knew who he was seeing. “Mother of Life, Shelly.”

“The Creator’s eldest daughter.”

Perhaps on the divine throne, this deity appeared as a young goddess. In the Creator’s eyes, she was merely the little girl circling his feet.

But in the eyes of the snake people, in this era and world, she was the Demon God who could create life and continents. She could also destroy this world, acting as she pleased and reigning supreme above all.

Seeing this scene, Ray finally understood.

This Storm Sea could not be crossed.

No matter how much he longed for it, he knew he could not risk going any further.

He turned to Number Two, the flame Demon Spirit, and said, “Descend. We have to retreat.”

The hot air balloon gondola began its descent. It transformed back into the aircraft and plunged downward, starting its escape from the storm.

Ray gripped the controls tightly, guiding the aircraft as the kite Demon Spirit frantically commanded the wind. Together, they pushed to escape as quickly as possible.

Out of nowhere, a tendril emerged from the dark, layered clouds above.

Another monstrous, terrifying giant was moving through the storm.

Ray stared in disbelief. “How can something be that massive?”

Although referred to as a tendril, to Ray it appeared as a massive pillar descending from the sky, unleashing wave after wave of terrifying extraordinary power.

The aircraft had no chance to evade and was caught directly in the surge.

In an instant, the barrier aura surrounding the aircraft collapsed.

The aircraft disintegrated immediately, forcing the three Demon Spirits to retreat.

The main body of the aircraft morphed into a metal egg and was swept away by the surge.

Ray felt something was wrong in midair. “This is bad!”

If an intelligent being came into direct contact with this force, it would be completely over. Without the aircraft, Ray had no way to escape the Black Storm.

Hiss~

At that moment, the kite Demon Spirit unleashed its power, creating a wind boundary that quickly enveloped Ray and the flame Demon Spirit.

It pushed forward with all its might, desperately carrying them onward.

However, the kite Demon Spirit’s strength had its limits. The wind boundary began to shrink, and their speed slowed as their power waned.

The shadow of death loomed ahead.

Just as all seemed lost, their surroundings suddenly opened up. Light poured down from above, illuminating them and breaking through the darkness.

“We made it out?” Ray wondered.

They looked around and realized they had entered a large vacuum zone within the Black Storm.

It was clear they had not yet reached the storm’s boundary. In the distance, the terrifying black storm still raged on both sides.

This area appeared to be a large indentation, as if some immense being had carved out the storm here.

Ray turned to look back into the storm.

This time, he could make out the shadows of numerous monsters. It was no surprise he had encountered such a massive creature, as they were gathered here in large numbers.

Despite their terrifying presence, these monsters, for some unknown reason, only wandered around the edges.

They seemed to want to approach this place, but something held them back, preventing them from coming any closer.

Ray could not make sense of what had happened here and did not dare stay longer.

He held onto the kite Demon Spirit and began flying in the direction of Ruhe Beast Island.

On the way, they came across a Wing Demon and managed to secure a ride.

Taking turns resting on the Wing Demon’s back and flying with the kite Demon Spirit, they eventually spotted an island.

Ray landed on the island, regained his strength, and finally allowed himself a moment to breathe.

In the depths of the ocean, the submarine followed the path of Ruhe Beast Island. As it moved, a massive vacuum zone formed within the Black Storm, aligning with its course.

The dependents born in the storm, those blind and mindless monsters, all sensed their supreme deity appearing in the mortal world and wandering the surrounding area.

Shelly stood before the submarine’s window with her face pressed tightly against the glass. Her eyes were wide, and her nose was squashed sideways.

Her gaze was fixed on Ray in the distant storm.

To be precise, she was not watching Ray but his artifact.

She had spotted a new hot air balloon. Wasn’t this something only they had?

Shelly’s full-throated shout immediately rang through the cabin, her voice filled with astonishment.

“Hey, God!”

“Look up there! There’s a hot air balloon in the sky.”

“Can you believe it? Someone’s stealing our ideas!”

After watching for a while, Shelly discovered something even more incredible.

“God, look quickly!”

“Their thing transforms too. Looks like they got that idea from us!”

As Shelly finished speaking, Ray’s aircraft struggled against the Black Storm and came close to being destroyed in the hurricane.

Shelly was overjoyed, feeling that the imposter who had dared to steal their ideas had received the punishment they deserved.

“Haha, did you see that? Their knockoff hot air balloon couldn’t even handle the storm!”

Shelly indicated she had done nothing. Those guys just had terrible luck, and moreover, they had no power yet dared to enter the dangerous Black Storm.

After gloating, she could not resist adding another comment.

“Knockoffs just don’t measure up.”

“Ours is the real deal, way better.”

Shelly had forgotten that not long ago, she had referred to this as a broken ship when speaking to the Mythical Spirit Vellen.

She had barely finished gloating when the metal egg in the sky was swept away by the storm. It plunged into the ocean and sank to the depths below.

Bang~

The metal egg struck their submarine with a loud bang, landing directly on the glass where Shelly had her face pressed.

Vellen’s figure appeared in the water outside, carefully wiping the glass window. Although this Mythical Artifact was far too sturdy to be damaged by the impact, he still treated it with great care.

After ensuring the glass was spotless, Vellen disappeared from the water and reappeared inside the cabin with the metal egg in his hands. He placed it gently before God Yinsai.

Shelly and Hila quickly gathered around, with the witch doctor joining them out of curiosity.

The metal egg opened up and transformed back into the shape of the aircraft.

Hila studied this peculiar object, her eyes filled with puzzlement.

“Hmm, I believe I have seen something like this before.”

She seemed to suddenly remember something and looked at Yin Shen with pleasant surprise.

“God, the murals before the temple seem to have something very similar to this.”

Yin Shen nodded, His gaze turning toward Redlichia’s molted shell.

“That is an engraving Redlichia left when he was first born.”

Hila understood. “It was carved based on the scenes in God’s memory.”

In front of the Pyramid Temple of the Divine Kingdom of Creation, countless engravings were displayed. They depicted towering buildings, forests of steel, iron birds soaring through the sky, and metal serpents gliding along tracks.

The true meaning of these images remained a mystery to all.

Yin Shen gazed out the window and said, “The storm is fading. It will be gone within a few years.”

The storm was indeed speeding up its dissipation. It seemed likely to fade completely within a decade or so.

Even after the Black Storm disappeared, its lingering effects would remain incredibly dangerous for both ordinary people and Ability Users. This route would still be fraught with uncertainties and countless perils.

Shelly waddled over and flopped onto the aircraft. “Seriously, they can’t even handle their own power. How useless is that?”

“They” referred to the seven Ruhe Beasts.

God Yinsai looked out at the Black Storm rolling across the horizon, its depths teeming with creatures born from the beasts’ breath.

“I think the time has come,” He said, His voice calm but resolute.

“It’s time to open the door for them.”

This storm had once been a layer of protection, a mechanism for Ruhe Beast Island’s ecological balance.

Over time, what was once a sanctuary and divine barrier began to change.

As civilization grew stronger, this protection and barrier started to feel like chains.

The blessings of the past, with the passage of time, had turned into a form of divine punishment.

Endless Desert, Abyss Royal City

Ray’s adventure squad was pushed back by the Black Storm, losing their flying artifact in the process.

Thankfully, none of the three were made of flesh, which gave them remarkable resilience. With a bit of luck on their side, they managed to survive and return safely.

In his own Miracle Workshop, Ray complained to his friend Oran.

“Ah!” Ray exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

“Well, that’s it. We’re completely finished. We don’t have the aircraft anymore.”

Ray held his head, appearing utterly defeated.

“Everything is broken!”

“All of it is completely broken!”

But someone truly dejected would not show so much movement and emotion.

Oran watched Ray, realizing he had not been defeated.

For Ray, failure seemed to be his natural state. It did not faze him in the slightest.

He had barely returned and was already planning his next adventure. He grabbed a stack of scrolls, jotting down everything he had observed on this journey while brainstorming new ideas.

“The Storm Sea is impassable.”

“At least, we can’t fly across. We’ll have to think of other methods.”

Although Oran greatly admired Ray’s courage to keep fighting despite repeated failures, he also worried that next time, Ray might not return from the Storm Sea.

“Give up, Ray!”

“No one can cross that Storm Sea. The miracles the Avel people once created cannot be replicated.”

Ray scratched his metal forehead and looked at Oran with a grin.

“How many times has it been already?”

“Even if we’re going to give up, we should at least try a few more times!”

Oran spoke to Ray. “Every attempt could cost you your life.”

“Ray, the Storm Sea is too dangerous.”

Ray looked at Oran and said, “You know, Oran, every attempt and failure isn’t without value. Each one teaches us something new and pushes us forward.”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “Take this failure, for example. Now I understand what the Storm Sea truly is. Next time, I will be even better prepared.”

Ray paused at this point.

“Though, next time I won’t bring Number Two and Number Three. It’s far too dangerous.”

“The power in the Storm Sea is too strange, and even mythical-level existences would struggle to resist those terrifying beings.”

His voice carried both embarrassment and a touch of simple honesty.

“Those two were frightened enough this time. They will probably refuse to join me on another adventure.”

Oran said to Ray, “I’ll look into the history and records from that time to understand how the Avel people managed to leave Ruhe Beast Island.”

Ray looked at Oran with a sincere expression. “I truly appreciate your help, Oran. Thank you.”

The puppet Demon Spirit named Ray never seemed to stop. Despite his recent failure, he was already brimming with energy and making plans again.

His life seemed to be driven by an endless source of vitality, as if he were a clockwork figure that never wound down.

Perhaps it was the deep-seated obsession in his heart for the distant lands that made it impossible for him to give up.

He even suggested some bold ideas that sounded far from practical.

“Since we cannot fly across, could we perhaps cross through the Dream Realm instead?” Ray mused aloud.

He paused for a moment, then shook his head. “Create an artifact that travels through the Dream Realm? No, that won’t work. Even deities can’t establish a direction or coordinates in the Dream Realm.”

Ray leaned over the workshop table, jotting down another idea that seemed more feasible.

“I heard about someone who once smuggled themselves inside a storage artifact to sneak into the Storage Spirit Realm and steal things,” he said, his voice brimming with curiosity.

“Maybe I could try something like that!”

Ray’s eyes lit up with inspiration, feeling as though he had stumbled upon a breakthrough.

When Elena heard about Ray’s outrageous idea, she called him over immediately.

“Lady Elena, you’ve already heard about my plan?” Ray asked as he approached her.

Elena looked at the optimistic metal puppet Demon Spirit. Even in her presence, he stayed cheerful, as if he had no concept of giving up.

She had planned to reprimand Ray, but as she looked at him, she could only let out a sigh.

“Ray, you must let it go. What you are doing no longer holds any meaning.”

Ray furrowed his brow, his voice filled with confusion. “How could it have no meaning?”

Elena looked at him intently. “Ray, do you truly understand what it is you wish to achieve?”

Without hesitation, Ray responded, “I want to go to the place where the sun rises, to find a new world, a new continent.”

“A fertile land, a place filled with hope.”

Elena’s gaze softened as she asked, “And what would you do after that?”

Ray paused, his expression uncertain. “After that?”

“There is no ‘after that.’ I simply wish to find that place.”

“I just want to go there. There isn’t any particular reason.”

Elena’s voice grew gentle yet firm. “There was once a reason, Ray. That reason is etched into your very being, into your essence.”

“Even though you no longer remember it, your body still carries that purpose, still pursues it.”

Ray’s eyes widened as he stared at her. “Lady Elena, how could you possibly know this?”

Elena stepped closer, her voice calm and resolute. “Because, Ray, you are my student.”

Ray was suddenly confused, not knowing how to respond.

The God of Demon Spirits before the temple lowered her head. Regret and pity showed on that beautiful, ethereal, translucent face.

“Ray, do you remember when you were my student, so long ago?”

“In the God-Forsaken Era, the Trilobite Men carried their bloodline into the next era, while we were destined to perish with the previous one.”

“You once told me you would take your flying vessel and journey toward the sunrise. You said you would keep flying, seeking a new land of hope for all the People of the Abyss.”

“You believed that hope lay in the distance. You believed the God-Forsaken Era was not the end.”

“You told me that as long as you kept moving forward without stopping, hope would surely emerge.”

“It was I who bound you to the Demon Spirit Pyramid plan. You gave up your hope to take on the burden of my plan, and in doing so, you became a puppet.”

The God of Demon Spirits Elena said this as she descended from the steps.

“Ray, the People of the Abyss no longer require you to search for a land of hope, for in this new era, every place holds the potential to be a land of hope.”

Elena reflected on Ray’s life. She thought of her student who always carried hope and a smile, and she remembered the puppet who tirelessly piloted the aircraft, always rushing toward the light.

“Let it go. Allow it to end here.”

“Do not let the hope of yesterday become the nightmare of today.”

“Do not allow the cycles of the past to repeat endlessly in the present.”

Ray stood frozen in place.

“I am Lady Elena’s student?”

“Why don’t I… remember?”

As he spoke, a vision seemed to emerge in his mind.

It was a memory from the God-Forsaken Era.

Elena had not yet taken on her current puppet form. She was an Apostle of Yinsai, a being in God’s Form.

In the temple above, she walked toward the window, facing the inevitable end. She gripped her sword tightly, thrusting it into the ground as she stood guard before Yinsai’s statue.

Just as her ancestor had once done.

Her final instructions echoed in his mind, filled with desperation and confusion.

“Take my God’s Grace Stone, and leave this place.”

“My body will remain here and my divine grace will return to the abyss, to the divine beings.”

Hearing those words, Ray trembled uncontrollably.

Deep within him, another will seemed to stir, flooding his mind with overwhelming emotions.

He felt an intense agitation. His hollow eyes longed to shed tears, but no tears would come.

Ray lifted his gaze to Elena, then turned toward the temple in the distance.

“No!” Ray exclaimed, his voice trembling.

“I think I remember something.”

“It’s not like that. It’s not like that at all.”

Ray walked forward step by step, finally kneeling before Elena. He looked up at her, his voice filled with emotion.

“Lady Elena, it wasn’t you who turned me into a metal puppet.”

“It was me. It was all of us. We went against your final wishes and chose this path instead.”

“Isn’t that the truth?”

“Yes, that is how it was.”

He could not remember those events, yet he was so certain.

Elena shook her head, leaning down to press her hand on Ray’s shoulder.

“No matter what happened, we have already arrived in this era. We have already succeeded.”

“The past does not hold any significance anymore.”

“Ray, you have already found the paradise you were seeking in your heart.”

Ray lifted his head and saw Elena’s concerned gaze fixed on him.

A mix of happiness and sorrow filled his heart.

As he lowered his head, the clockwork on his back, which had always been in motion, seemed to slow down little by little.

“So that’s how it is.”

“So…”

“I don’t truly wish to journey to distant lands. I hold no grand dreams.”

“It is only that the version of me from long ago wanted to seek a land of hope.”

Ray laughed softly, yet a profound loneliness lingered in his voice.

“It seems I am just chasing the fading shadow of yesterday.”