My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"Hah... Hah... Hah..."

The black-cloaked man staggered down the hallway, his breathing ragged.

His right hand clung to the wall for support, while his left clutched his stomach, wracked with intense pain.

"Damn it... That woman is a monster," he growled.

Her strength was unreal, and she was far more clever and cunning than he had anticipated.

And it all led back to that damned man—Leon Kruger.

"Leon..." he snarled through clenched teeth. "This hatred between us will never die. If you don't die, then I will!"

Even before facing Leon, he had already suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Zelda—one that left him seething with shame.

Of course, he knew the loss was only because he hadn't used his full power.

But there was a reason for that. Unleashing his true strength would have caused a massive disturbance—one that would surely attract the attention of the Elven race's most powerful figures.

If that happened, escape would be impossible, and his main mission in Elven territory would end in total failure.

He pressed on until the exit gate came into view, a hundred meters ahead.

Looking back, he saw no sign of Zelda's pursuit and let out a shaky breath of relief.

He collapsed to the floor, trying to ease the burning pain in his back, chest, and stomach.

But suddenly...

"I feel my aura on you..."

A faint whisper echoed from both sides, left and right, snapping his dulled alertness back into sharp focus.

"Who's there?" he asked warily, trying to push himself up. But the pain flared again, stabbing through his body.

Even so, he didn't care. Gritting his teeth, he endured the agony and drew his sword, pointing it to both sides.

"Don't worry... I won't hurt you... I've been waiting for you for a long time..."

The voice returned—clearer this time, almost gentle.

He froze for a moment, his brows drawing together in confusion.

"You're really not going to hurt me?" he asked, his voice still cautious.

"No... I won't harm you," the voice replied, now coming from the right. "You came for my consciousness, didn't you?"

His eyes widened in shock, and his body stiffened.

"You... You... Are you the Evil God?" he asked, voice trembling.

"Yes and no," the voice answered softly. "I am his consciousness... though I possess only a fragment of his power. You came here for me, didn't you? I can feel the dark energy inside you..."

The black-cloaked man fell silent, deep in thought.

"Should I believe it... or not?" He muttered to himself.

Aside from killing Leon, his ultimate goal had always been connected to the dark power sealed within the World Tree—specifically, the lingering consciousness of the Evil God.

Seven thousand years ago, the Evil God had invaded Elven territory and wounded the World Tree's very life force with his dark power.

But what no one knew was that a portion of that darkness had preserved a fragment of his consciousness.

And now, he had come to release it—to sow chaos among the Elven race.

That way, the Elves would suffer irreversible damage and be unable to support Leon in the future.

After a moment of contemplation, he finally chose to trust the voice.

After all, in his current condition, he had no chance of reaching the place where the World Tree Spirit dwelled.

"Alright, I'll believe you," he said firmly.

Even so, he remained cautious. If the voice was deceiving him, he had already prepared a contingency plan to escape.

"Good!" the voice replied, sounding pleased. "Now, sit cross-legged and meditate. I will guide you to where I am."

The black-cloaked man said nothing. He simply sat down cross-legged, pressed his palms together, and closed his eyes.

Buzz!

Suddenly, black smoke rose from the air and completely enveloped his body.

At that moment, his consciousness sank into a vast darkness—endless, like a boundless ocean.

***

"Is this the place?"

Leon stared at the scene before him, astonishment written across his face.

What lay ahead was a massive crater, nearly two hundred meters wide, with black liquid pooling at the bottom.

Although the substance looked strange and unfamiliar, Leon recognized it immediately—it was dark power.

He wasn't sure how dark power could take on a liquid form, but after witnessing the black lake where Astra had once lost consciousness, it no longer surprised him.

Beside him, Astra gave a small nod. "Yes, this is one of the four points where the dark power resides, as I mentioned before."

"I see." Leon smiled, stretching his body.

The dark power that had been gnawing at the World Tree had existed for seven thousand years. It had even invaded this place—Astra's dimension of consciousness.

There were four points where it had taken root, steadily corrupting her inner world.

Leon had to admit that Astra was truly remarkable. She had endured the presence of dark power for seven thousand years without completely breaking.

If it had been anyone else, Leon was certain they would have succumbed long ago.

"In that case, I'll take care of it. Stay here," Leon said, stepping toward the edge of the crater.

"Okay... I'll leave it to you," Astra replied softly, though there was a hint of nervousness in her voice.

For thousands of years, she had suffered under the torment of that dark power.

She had waited endlessly for Leon's arrival—and now, the moment she had hoped for had finally come.

Leon stopped at the edge of the crater, staring into the pitch-black liquid.

It closely resembled the black lake he had seen before.

The only difference was that this crater was slightly smaller than the last.

"This is my first time... I'll need to call Miranda," he whispered softly, closing his eyes.

"Miranda, can you help me?" He called silently in his mind.

"Of course, Master," came Miranda's gentle reply.

"Good." Leon smiled in satisfaction.

He then sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Both palms opened wide, then slowly came together in front of his chest.

*Boom!*

Holy power burst forth from his body, roaring like a rampaging dragon.

Moments later, the power of chaos followed—no less magnificent, no less fierce.

Two forces that were supposed to be in opposition instead flowed in perfect harmony.

The sight made Astra's eyes widen in awe.

"How marvelous..."

In the past, she vividly remembered how her husband, Amon Crimson, and Luminus Troya were always at odds—not because they wanted to be, but because the nature of holy power and chaos power inherently clashed.

Without realizing it, the nature of those powers had influenced even their personalities and actions.

But now, something that should have been impossible was unfolding before her very eyes.

"It seems Amon was right..." Her gaze grew complicated. "The Fated One... He truly might have the potential to become a god..."