The black rift continued to expand, and within it churned an endless void.

And from that void, the "Magic Tome That Killed a God" began to emerge.

The blue-haired girl looked at its overwhelming form, a somewhat hollow smile on her face.

'Who could have imagined such a powerful magic tome existed!'

Just by revealing itself, the Magic Tome was twisting the very fabric of reality.

It was, in essence, a mythic magic tome.

A relic from a long-forgotten age, entirely different from the seven moons that sustain the world today and are revered as gods.

Could anything possibly stand a chance against such a monstrous force?

With that question in mind, the blue-haired girl glanced at the black-and-white-clad girl beside her, yet as always, the girl’s face was devoid of any worry or concern.

Thud.

The ground rumbled, and the blue-haired girl turned back to see the creature that had burst through the rift and now stood with its upper body fully exposed.

As the torso of the god-killing magic tome set down on the earth, the ground beneath it began to twist and change.

It transformed, as if delicate roots with intricate grain patterns were tangling together, soaking up the creature's dark hue and contorting in grotesque ways.

Sections of the ground, contorted and twisted, rose like sharp spikes toward the sky.

It had once been the land where a city stood, yet no trace of that city remained.

All that was left was this eerie, twisted landscape, as unsettling as the Magic Tome itself.

When the creature’s two legs finally touched down, it began to slowly raise its colossal body.

Standing there on the twisted, blackened earth, the creature had completely reshaped the world around it.

The golden and navy trees that had once stood like walls around them had vanished, replaced by a landscape stretching endlessly with twisted, spike-like terrain.

The sky, now pierced with foreboding holes, was devoid of black clouds, leaving behind an endless darkness.

This was the world of the "Magic Tome That Killed a God," a reality that even the ancient alchemists’ tomes had never recorded.

"So this is the true form of the Magic Tome That Killed a God."

The blue-haired girl murmured, gazing into the boundless darkness.

The creature, having painted the world in its own image, now directed its gaze toward the blue-haired girl and the white Jaw.

Despite lacking eyes, it was clear that it was watching the white Jaw intently.

The sky had given way to an endless black void.

The earth, once a city, had become a twisted landscape, pulling downward like a vortex into the void.

And within this ominous scene loomed the "Magic Tome That Killed a God," exuding a sense of dread.

Yet, the white Jaw did not retreat from this terrifying sight.

Wielding the Halo and golden flames bestowed by the black-and-white-clad girl,

and with the unwavering support of the blue-haired girl who held the core.

"Kyu!"

The white Jaw let out a brave cry and charged at the creature.

However, its courageous charge lasted only a few steps before it ended.

After just a few strides, the white, rice cake-like skin of the Jaw began to turn black and twist into a spiral.

Crack, crack.

Its own body contorted, piercing itself from within, ripping through its flesh and innards.

"Kyeegh!"

Engulfed in golden flames, the white Jaw screamed in pain as its body was punctured with countless holes.

Seeing the core of the white Jaw falter as if it could no longer hold on, the blue-haired girl cried out.

"No!"

The tiny Sprout Reapers gathered on the blue-haired girl’s shoulder also looked on with shocked expressions.

Some covered their eyes with their leaves, others clutched their chubby cheeks, while still others clasped their hands over their mouths in dismay.

In that desperate moment, a massive surge of golden flames erupted next to the blue-haired girl.

Though the otherworldly Yerin’s kindling and the Halo had been heaped onto the white Jaw, it was proving to be surprisingly ineffective.

The main issue was that the Halo wasn’t properly counteracting the strange object-like phenomenon before them. It seemed that the Halo didn’t recognize the “corruption” as an ability, but rather as something natural, like an apple falling from a tree.

"No!"

The blue-haired girl’s anguished voice echoed as she watched the white Jaw’s body riddled with large holes.

The hour was nearly up, but in the Jaw's current state, it might not even last that long.

No other choice.

I began burning the kindling within Yerin’s heart.

Golden flames erupted from her body, enough to cover her skin, and I sent them pouring into the Jaw with abandon.

So much kindling it would almost cause it to burst and die!

Watching the white Jaw, now swollen and ready to explode, I summoned another Halo above my hand.

A Halo that perfectly avoided all attacks.

I placed that Halo atop the Jaw’s head.

The chaotic self-destruction caused by its own body twisting apart ceased, though the collapse initiated by the stabilizing Halo resumed.

The white Jaw's skin blackened, and from its blood-red eyes, tears of crimson, like blood, began to trickle down.

Even as it endured unbearable pain, unable to scream, the unending flood of golden flames prevented its body from collapsing.

Endless cycles of destruction and regeneration.

Amidst this constant repetition, the white Jaw's body gradually grew in size.

It broke down and regenerated, becoming larger with each cycle.

However, it was unable to withstand the cycle and eventually lost consciousness.

The white Jaw, now as massive as the "Nameless," stood there quietly, unconscious.

"Jaw. I’ll borrow you for a moment."

With those words, the blue-haired girl began expertly manipulating the white Jaw using the core.

While I provided the Halo and kindling, the blue-haired girl directed the Jaw, making a perfect team.

Under her control, the white Jaw moved with a fluidity like a circus performer.

It dodged the spikes rising from the ground, then struck with a punch.

The Halo allowed it to avoid attacks perfectly, making it seem futile, but considering the adaptability of the enemy, evasion seemed wise.

The blue-haired girl’s well-practiced movements proved highly effective.

Yet, despite the flurry of attacks, the white Jaw’s physical blows weren’t inflicting any real damage on the "Nameless."

The blue-haired girl grew more anxious, but I remained calm.

We just needed to hold out for one hour!

The longer the "Nameless" remained in this state, the closer we were to victory.

But as I grew more confident, an odd sound reached my ears.

Screeeech!

It was a grating noise, like nails on a chalkboard.

The world started to tremble, as if being forcibly torn apart.

"Ah! It got caught!"

The blue-haired girl’s voice sounded alarmed.

Turning to the white Jaw, I saw that the "Nameless" had somehow managed to snare it with sharp claws.

Slowly, its claws began to sink into the white Jaw's body.

'!'

And in that moment, I realized the issue.

The dream itself was the problem.

The Sprout Reapers alone couldn’t maintain the connection to the Halo properly.

The blue-haired girl looked deeply uneasy, watching as the white Jaw was gripped tightly, on the verge of being torn apart.

"What do we do?"

The blue-haired girl seemed exhausted, manually controlling the Jaw with the core.

"There’s one way!"

"?"

There was only one ultimate move.

I vividly recalled the image of the beam cannon fired by the corpse within the black sphere.

If a corpse could do it, then so could I!

Of course, if I fired the beam with Yerin’s body, she would disintegrate at the atomic level, so I resolved to use the sturdy Jaw instead.

Closing my eyes, I focused.

The blue-haired girl did the same, sending forth her wishes.

‘To defeat the Magic Tome That Killed a God.’

Hearing her wish, I channeled all my remaining kindling into the white Jaw.

The golden flames, growing even fiercer, soon turned blue.

The sudden eruption of blue fire was enough to make the "Nameless" retreat.

"Jaw Beam!"

The white Jaw floated gently upward, opened its mouth, and began spewing a tremendous blast of fire.

It wasn’t exactly a beam, more akin to endless flames, but the impact was immense.

The surrounding environment, previously eroded, was utterly demolished, and a huge crater was blasted into the ground.

As the flames shredded through the sky, a blackened purple moon was revealed.

The grotesque remnants that had covered the ground were all incinerated.

The flames from the Jaw’s mouth didn’t just stop at creating a crater; they continued to rise, consuming the "Nameless" without end.

The blue flames erupting from the Jaw’s mouth seemed to succeed in repelling the "Magic Tome That Killed a God."

"Did we… defeat it?"

The blue-haired girl murmured a resurrection spell, out of sheer nervousness.

The Magic Tome, struggling to escape the blue flames, was dragged down into the abyssal pit as it burned.

"Haha, we won."

The blue-haired girl, feeling drained, sat down with relief and surveyed the scene.

Sprout Reapers, with hands raised to the sky, were straining to maintain the dream.

As she looked closely at the struggling Sprout Reapers, faint voices could be heard.

'We must hold the dream together!'

'Mom is strong!'

They could talk after all.

Finding their scrunched faces adorable, the blue-haired girl reached out and smoothed the frown from one of their foreheads.

"We won…."

We defeated a mythic being!

Though her body felt weak, the blue-haired girl forced herself to stand and hugged the black-and-white-clad girl tightly.

And then she began shouting with all her might.

"We won. We won. We won!"

Though such a tremendous victory would usually be cause for celebration, the little one just looked expressionlessly at the crater.

Then, suddenly, she spoke.

"Now, we’ve won."

Her words, though lisped, conveyed victory.

Finding the little one’s expressionless face too cute to resist, the blue-haired girl squeezed her cheeks.

Thump.

But then came a heavy sound.

The hand of the Magic Tome That Killed a God had emerged from the pit, clutching its edge.

Slowly, it began to rise.

"!!!"

My heart began to race wildly with tension.

‘Where is the Jaw?’

Turning, I saw the white Jaw lying in tatters, completely spent.

But it was too damaged to fight until it had recovered.

‘I’ll have to fight.’

The blue-haired girl readied herself, drawing the alchemist’s blade once more.

But then, her master stepped forward, blocking her path.

And he began inscribing a massive alchemical array on the ground.

It was his own unique technique, one that walked through endless corridors.

"Take the child and flee. I’ll hold it off."

In a quiet voice, he added, "The last alchemist must survive."

Protecting humanity was the alchemist’s duty.

It was his constant refrain.

"…Alright."

Unlike her master, who could still put up a fight, the powerless blue-haired girl replied softly and began to flee with the little one.

But the little one wouldn’t move, simply staring up at the sky.

As she followed her gaze, a strange phenomenon appeared on the purple moon above.

An hour had passed, yet the dream hadn’t ended.

‘Why? Did I miscalculate the time?’

And then the "Nameless," which had been hit by the Jaw Beam, began to rise again.

Could it be that Yerin’s body had disrupted the internal clock?

Just as I began to consider my next move, a strange phenomenon occurred on the purple moon.

A thick black liquid started pouring endlessly from the now jet-black moon.

It cascaded down like a waterfall over the "Nameless," engulfing the massive pit that had swallowed the purple city whole.

As soon as the "Nameless" touched the evolutionary fluid, it began to melt, just like the black Reaper that had easily disintegrated.

"!!!!!!"

Though it made no sound, an eerie scream could be heard clearly.

The "Nameless" kept trying to climb even as it melted, a desperate final struggle.

'We did it!'

Relief washed over me as victory arrived suddenly, bringing a smile to my face.

Heehee.

The hour, it seemed, had been calculated based on the moon’s collapse.

Thump, thump.

I slowly approached the edge of the pit and looked down.

A sinkhole the size of a city.

The endless evolutionary fluid, reminiscent of the one in Songpa District, continued to fill it from above.

In the fluid, the constantly melting and regenerating "Nameless" finally dissolved and disappeared.

‘This should be the end of the dream.’

As I turned around with a smirk, the Sprout Reapers bounded over, jumping up and down in joy.

'Mom won!'

'Mom!'

The Sprout Reapers greeted me with the happiest expressions.