"Power, once sought, binds its wielder as much as it grants freedom.

  In the pursuit of strength, one must always be wary of the cost of losing oneself."

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  Chapter 0.5: The Prophecy and Lia (Part-IV)

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  The Guild Conference

  Lia enters the hall of the guild HQ, barging in with confidence, scanning her surroundings. Strong-looking people are lounging around, laughing, their aura so dense a normal person would suffocate to death. Large sculptures and tall windows line the hall, and a huge flag bearing the guild symbol catches her eye. She murmurs, "Orion Constellation Guild, huh."

  "Keen as you've ever been, Wanderer..." said the guildmaster, heading to his seat. "Everybody already knows. Let us introduce ourselves one by one—"

  Lia interrupts him, "Drop the formalities and tell me why you invited a merchant to the capital guild hall."

  The guildmaster chuckles. "Mm! As you wish. The reason for your invite is the immense magic potential you possess. By the gist of our first meeting, I doubted my precision, but now... you know what you have, don't you? Anyway, you will learn more about yourself soon."

  "Powers?" Lia questions.

  "Hey, kid, you don't need to be this tense. It ain't sketchy business, I assure you." A man leans forward. "It's a chance for you to figure out what you've got. Wait, I didn't introduce myself... My name is Zephyr. I specialize in long and mid-distance combat, blessed by the spirit of nature with wind affinity."

  "You're a new recruit, huh! You're such a cutie. I understand that what this red blockhead is telling you doesn't make sense now—" Seraphina says teasingly.

  ("Seph! Why break me like that? Aren't we teammates?" the guildmaster thinks with an awkward smile.)

  "Like your powers and others, don't overthink it. By the way, I am Seraphina, the only healer in the guild. I can still fight but not on the same level as the others... I am blessed by the goddess of light with light affinity."

  "Aww! Seph! Seems like you've developed a liking to her. Hmm! She indeed is cute and menacingly strong," says Eira.

  "My name is Eira. I specialize in defensive and long-range offensive magic for the guild, blessed with light affinity through the spirits of vast oceans. Hope we get along. And don't get too scared of the men here—we'll take care of you."

  The guildmaster laughs. "The only one scary for us here is you."

  Eira slowly rotates her face, her expression darkening menacingly. "Huh!?! Wanna fight?"

  All the male generals in the guild hall let out a relieved sigh and thought at once, "This personality suits her more."

  "Come on, guys! It's rude. Let others introduce themselves." Myra sighs. "Aagh! Always quarreling like kids, you two! Ignis and Seph! Anyway, I am Myra. I use water to splash on these hotheads! Just kidding. I am a support unit in battle with my water affinity... Also, we are like family here, so it's always noisy and bustling!" She laughs awkwardly.

  Thorne, leaning against the wall, jokes, "Family, huh? Let's first hope she doesn't blow us up before breakfast. That aura could fry a whole town!"

  Lia exclaims, "Wait, what are you all talking about? Is this mana thing that prominent in me? I don't get it!"

  Zephyr shakes his head. "What are you saying? It's leaking from your whole body. You don't feel it?"

  "Wha—" Lia starts, but Ember interrupts her. "Stop being an idiot, Thorne! Instead of pointless joking, you should've just moved on with the formality... Hey, newbie, you don't mean that you've been pointlessly wasting loads of mana like a lifeless temple crystal, huh?"

  The guildmaster interjects, "You all are intimidating her. Let her speak and instead of overwhelming her, try to properly introduce yourselves first and build a connection. (With a serious face and soft voice) You want to be fried?"

  "Sorry, guild mas—" Thorne sighs. "I am Thorne. I usually fight on the front lines and as a mid-range fighter, blessed with the thunder affinity."

  With a loud sigh, Ember says, "I am Ember. I am usually a support fighter, but I also use fire magic for long-range combat and physical enhancements. I wield the same fire affinity as the guildmaster and was blessed by the holy goddess of flame."

  She is interrupted by a deep rumbling voice. "Ha ha ha! Power alone isn't enough. She will need control. Ignis, I'm not a mage, but I can tell she is uselessly wasting a lot of mana!" says Granite.

  Ignis nods. "I know. That's why she is here. She's way too valuable to throw away as a merchant."

  "Ha ha ha! As sly as ever, guildmaster. I don't blame you. Anyways, I am Granite, the tank of the guild. I was blessed by Mother Earth with earth affinity. Let's get along."

  Ignis pushes his chair back and stands up. "Okay, so here I announce her as the guild's new 8th general of the Orion Guild."

  Ember's face drops in shock. Eira's eyes widen. Thorne freezes mid-read.

  "WHATTT!!!" they all exclaim.

  Objections rise from Ember and Thorne. "She is just a 19-year-old with immense mana who doesn't even know how to control it yet! This could be dangerous! Did your brain get messed up, Ignis? May I zap your senses back?"

  Ignis replies calmly, "Train her!" (Silence fills the hall.) "Train her like you train yourselves. Well, I didn't introduce myself... I am Ignis, the guildmaster of the great Orion Guild."

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  Ember protests, "You tell us to train her, but can she even handle it?"

  "Don't worry. She will adapt. I am sure," says Ignis.

  Eira laughs softly. "What an interesting kid to craft her liking on the guildmaster... Very well, we shall train you. Any objections?"

  A brief silence follows, then, one by one, everyone nods in agreement.

  Lia shouts, "Wait! What are you all deciding for me? I have a job and a little brother to return to! What's with this nonsense? I am leav—"

  "Already did it," the guildmaster cuts in. "Your negotiation terms and documents are finalized. Your brother's studies are now supported by us. He's transferred to one of the top academies here in the capital. He will be shifting here soon."

  "Heeeh?! What did you say? Is it true?" Lia gasps. "You're messing with me! How did you even do this?!"

  The guildmaster smirks. "I've told you before, but I will tell you again... I have my ways. His sharp grin deepens. "Welcome to the Orion Guild, our 8th general - Lia Lumestria Caerhiel."

  The Fall of the Wanderer

  The battle raged on.

  Through the reflection in Lia's right eye, the image of the guildmaster trembled—his face contorted in horror. Blood drenched her features, her right arm's skin tattered and raw. His voice broke through the chaos, desperate and shaking.

  "Stop it! You're going berserk—you'll destroy everything!"

  But Lia stood resolute. The moment she turned her head away, ignoring him, a dark cleave tore through the air toward her face. She barely moved—just enough to let it pass. The attack struck the mountain rubble behind her, triggering a massive landslide. Boulders tumbled down in an avalanche of destruction.

  Her gaze snapped toward the Demon Lord. The instant she blinked, he vanished—only to reappear right in front of her in a split second. A broad, blunt weapon, not meant for slashing but pure impact, swung toward her. With barely a moment's reaction, she raised her arm to block it.

  CRACK!

  The sheer force of the blow sent her body bending unnaturally before she was hurled to the ground like a comet. She smashed into the earth, carving a massive crater, a thick dust cloud rising from the impact.

  Her body trembled. Barely able to keep up with the immense strain, she exhaled sharply, feeling the goddess's presence within her, cold and unfeeling.

  "Did I misjudge this body's strength? No... I'm simply pushing it beyond what I predicted would be necessary to seal him."

  A flicker of light coursed through her broken arm. Without hesitation, she snapped it back into place, a faint glow mending it partially. Then, she shot upward from the dust cloud, her shattered form still moving with terrifying force.

  At the peak of her ascent, she materialized a longsword of pure light. The Demon Lord, momentarily caught off guard, could do nothing as she cleaved through his shoulder. A luminous arc of destruction erupted, carving a massive ravine into the battlefield. The devastation left the watching generals petrified. They barely had time to register the blood splattering, the carnage, the destruction.

  The Demon Lord staggered, snarling, "You cannot def—"

  Lia's wicked laugh cut him off. "Mm! Ahaha... So fun, so fun, so fun—" She took a deep breath, then her voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "But playtime is over."

  A small, pearl-like light fragment appeared in her hand. It stretched, elongated, and divided into intricate glowing lines. With a mere flick of her wrist, they formed into an octahedral cage, eight shimmering faces trapping the Demon Lord inside. He roared in agony, his monstrous screeches deafening.

  Then, she swayed her hand, and hundreds of magic circles appeared inside the cage, each firing at different angles simultaneously. The once-blinding light began darkening with sheer intensity. A massive rune circle formed beneath the containment.

  "Koff—" Blood spilled from Lia's mouth, yet her expression remained unchanged.

  "LIA, STOP!" The guildmaster's voice cracked with desperation. "If you don't stop, the island will be destroyed! We'll have no choice but to attack you!"

  Lia barely reacted. She shifted her gaze slightly, dismissing their words. In an instant, the guild generals launched their assault—a storm of flames, thundering arcs, massive boulders, piercing ice lances, and a phoenix-like inferno surged toward her. Winds roared, magic clashed.

  She merely raised her fingers.

  A golden ripple spread through space, and for a brief moment, all attacks halted mid-air before vanishing, consumed by the divine abyss of light.

  Lia had transcended human limits.

  Her veins pulsed with an eerie glow, the empty socket of her left eye leaking pure mana. Her mortal body was never meant to wield such power—yet she did not stop.

  The battlefield fell silent.

  The very essence of mana itself dissipated from the air, swords dulled, enchantments shattered. For the first time, the generals felt true fear.

  Lia exhaled, momentarily staggering. Yet, even as a shattered vessel, she remained standing. The generals knew they had to stop her—before she destroyed more than just the battlefield.

  Then, in an instant, she vanished.

  Thorne, the strongest among them, barely had time to react. She reappeared before him, and instinctively, he swung his greatsword in an attempt to parry.

  "Lia! Get back to your senses—what happened to you?!"

  A clash. A parry. A desperate block. But then—

  SLASH!

  Thorne's right hand was severed. Even his synthesized steel could not withstand the raw force of Lia's strikes. The ground beneath him cracked under the sheer weight of her blows. His breaking point was near.

  Another strike—

  Another block—

  Granite's sword shattered upon impact. Before another second passed, Lia flew upwards, screaming in agony. A second blade of light materialized in her grasp. What followed was an onslaught—savage arcs of destruction slashing through everything in sight. The battlefield was painted in blood, and one by one, Seraphina, Ember, Thorne, and Granite fell, their bodies unable to withstand her merciless assault.

  The remaining generals, though terrified, pressed on, knowing they had to wear her down, waiting for the moment she would break free from this madness.

  Then, it happened.

  A golden explosion erupted from Lia's back. Her blade disappeared, her eye rolled lifelessly, and she plummeted.

  THAASH!

  The Light Goddess withdrew from her vessel.

  Her once-radiant body dimmed, the divine veins now mere cracks leaking blood. Cold winds swept over her torn form. Distantly, she saw her comrades rushing toward her, their figures hazy. Their voices—so close yet unreachable.

  With the last of her strength, she muttered, "Wh...at was tha—"

  Then—darkness.

  Lia the Wanderer—the hero who once wielded the power of the Goddess of Light—was gone.

  The world she left behind would never be the same.

  The guild members stood frozen, weapons lowered, heads bowed, struggling to comprehend what they had just witnessed. She had been divine. Unstoppable. But in the end, even the strongest hero could break.

  The light she once flickered had long vanished, and the magic she unleashed could not be undone.

  Then—the earth trembled.

  From the remnants of their battle, unknown beings emerged—not summoned by the Demon Lord, but by the mana itself. The guildmaster, drenched in blood, felt it deep in his bones.

  This was not a victory.

  Eira clenched her fists, voice trembling. "Wasn't she supposed to save us...?"

  The guildmaster exhaled sharply. "She did. But at what cost?"

  The world would remember this battle. The scholars would craft it into a legend, a tale of mankind's first hero, the great battle, the fall of the Demon Lord. They would simplify it, make it palatable.

  But those who stood on that battlefield knew the truth.

  They had seen the hero wield the power of a goddess—only to be crushed beneath it.

  They had seen the world nearly break apart.

  And in its fracture... something new had awakened.

  Centuries passed. Kingdoms rose and fell. The war between mankind, demons, and gods faded into whispers, half-believed myths.

  Yet, beneath the surface, something stirred.

  The echoes of that battle had not faded.

  The gods had not vanished.

  The demons had not been destroyed.

  The ploy had simply changed.

  And now, in an era that had long since forgotten the war for survival—

  Something... or someone... was about to remember.

  Chapter End

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  Notice: "Greetings, Noble readers! First and foremost thank you so much for reading and engaging with the story so far! Your support means a lot, and we'd love to hear your thoughts. What do you expect to see next? What has caught your attention? We're open to all kinds of feedback, whether it's positive or constructive criticism, as it helps us grow and improve!

  The introductory chapters have now come to an end, but the journey is far from over! The world is expanding, new challenges await, and the story is about to take even more exciting turns.

  Stay tuned as we dive deeper into the heart of the conflict. The stakes are higher, the battles fiercer, and the mysteries more intense.

  Thank you for being part of this journey, and get ready for what's to come! "

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