Chapter 2038: The Aftermath

Elayne’s powerful transformation showed no signs of fading. She felt incredibly strong and invigorated while inside this Domain and had no desire to release the form just yet. Deciding to make the most of the opportunity, she extended her roots deep into the very fabric of the realm. With focused intent she began stitching the entire Domain into her own Soul, slowly condensing its vast energy and completely fusing it with her being.

FLUOSH!

A powerful surge of energy washed over everyone present. It felt as though the entire world had been sucked inward, pulling them all into Elayne’s soul space. Moments later she herself appeared within the newly internalized domain, now fully under her complete control.

"J-Just what happened?" Mark asked, blinking rapidly as he returned to his normal form. He looked around in pure astonishment. "Huh? We’re... inside her soul now?"

"Jester is done for... We actually did it!" Blank exclaimed, his voice filled with disbelief and rising joy. "We really killed a Death Apostle! Hahaha... Hahahahaha! Take that, you damn Demon King! HAHAHAHAH!"

Elayne allowed herself a quiet moment of deep satisfaction before gradually returning to her usual appearance. She realized the imposing Goddess form might still be too intimidating for her companions. However, she did not discard the power entirely.

Instead she carefully imprinted the shape and essence of that divine form deep into her Soul. With precise control she crystallized and compressed its remaining energy, forging it into a brand-new Soul Treasure, a beautiful miniature statue that perfectly resembled the Goddess of Life and Death Harvest.

Ding!

A series of bright system notifications flooded her vision:

[Congratulations! You have successfully defeated [Death Apostle of Chaos and Disorder, Jester – Tier 5: Level 563]!]

[You have also slain his entire army.]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[LEVEL UP!]

[...]

[Your Level has increased from Level 200 to Level 263/300!]

[Several of your Skills have Leveled Up!]

[You have forged a Strong Bond with the Invoked Demon: Marphas.]

[You have forged a Strong Bond with the Zodiac Constellation: Leo.]

[You have forged a Strong Bond with the Zodiac Constellation: Sagittarius.]

[You have created, refined, and soul bonded with the Soul Treasure: [Divine Starlight Statue of the Goddess of Life and Death Harvest – Tier 3]!]

[Reminder: You can now Evolve your Races.]

[Do you wish to Evolve your Races right now?]

[Yes] [No]

"Ah, this..." Elayne muttered, still riding the euphoric high of victory. Her heart raced with excitement and deep relief as she slowly began to calm herself. This was an enormous triumph for all of them, defeating a Death Apostle, and one who had been a Player no less. She wanted nothing more than to celebrate properly with her friends. "I’ll handle the evolution later. Right now... you guys!"

Everyone quickly gathered around her. Elayne opened her arms wide and pulled them all into a warm, heartfelt group hug. "We did it! A Death Apostle is dead! And he was a Player at that! Hah!"

"Incredible! You guys were absolutely amazing!" Sailor cheered enthusiastically.

"I am in complete awe," Norman nodded, his voice filled with genuine respect.

"It was truly one of the most spectacular sights I’ve ever witnessed, my dear!" Yaga added with a coquettish smile. She leaned in and planted a big kiss on Elayne’s cheek, leaving a vivid mark, before suddenly poofing back into her elderly form. "Aw... I wanted to stay as a young beauty a little longer!"

"Maybe you can master that power later, Yaga," Elayne said gently, offering her a reassuring smile. "I’ll help you with it. If we refine it properly into a cultivation method, I think you could permanently regain your youth."

"I-I would love that...!" Yaga’s eyes sparkled with hopeful light. "Ugh, I was feeling so energetic and lively... Now all that vitality is gone again," she sighed wistfully.

"Anyway," Blank interjected, looking around the new soul space with clear curiosity, "what exactly happened here? You absorbed the entire Domain, Elayne?"

"Um, yeah!" Elayne nodded brightly. "Kind of. If we can bring this Domain with us, we should be able to summon it into the real world whenever we need it. It could serve as a powerful trump card to rapidly empower ourselves in future battles."

"I see!" Mark nodded thoughtfully. "With something like that on our side, we could really turn the tide in tough situations... Hm. Anyway, now that the fighting’s over... I guess we should give the dead a proper burial?"

"A fine idea," Blank agreed solemnly. "This town... is sadly no more."

The group spent the next several hours performing the somber task of burying the fallen. While they worked, the surviving Hollows were carefully converted into Sporeborns. Their corrupted souls were gently purified and finally set free to find peace. It was a long and emotionally heavy process, but it brought a small sense of closure to the tragedy that had befallen the village.

Once everything was finished, the exhausted group stepped out of the ruined settlement and returned to the internalized Domain. There they were warmly welcomed by their extended "family" waiting inside, who helped them rest and recover from the intense, life-changing ordeal.

.

.

.

The next morning, after a much-needed rest, Elayne finally decided it was time to evolve.

"Let’s see... System, show me my evolution options."

To her relief, the System showed no signs of resentment or backlash for her previous actions. It responded as smoothly and normally as ever. This further confirmed her growing understanding that the System operated more like a sophisticated tool with minimal independent will of its own.

[Available Races for Evolution]: [Sword Revenant – Tier 2] [Abyssal Myconid – Tier 2]

[Do you wish to Evolve? Please pick a Race first.]

"Alright, let’s see..."

[Showcasing Evolution Options for the Sword Revenant Race]

[Decaying Samurai – Tier 3]

[Rotting Goliath – Tier 3]

[Nether Devourer – Tier 3]

[Showcasing Evolution Options for the Abyssal Myconid Race]

[Abyssal Myconid Queen – Tier 3]

[Withering Vampiric Treant – Tier 3]

[Ashen Desert Dryad – Tier 3]

"Huh! Quite the interesting options..." Elayne murmured, carefully examining each path before her.

Now, what will she choose?

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