Chapter 210: Rebuilding/Beginning of a new phase

It has been over a week since the cataclysm, and Arden was still recovering from its aftermath.

The international damage assessment team (DAT) had finished surveying the entire world, and the reports came as a shock to everyone who heard them.

Before the cataclysm, the total population of Arden was around one billion people.

According to DAT, more than three hundred million people were killed, and there were over fifty million people who could not be accounted for. Presumably, these people had either been devoured by monsters or crushed by the destruction.

Millions of families lost at least one loved one, and hundreds of thousands of families were completely wiped out from the surface of Arden.

The number of hunters that had died was also devastating. It reduced the overall power of Arden by more than sixty percent, and more than fifty percent of the surviving hunters were either badly wounded or crippled, losing the ability to be of help.

Aside from death, the cost of infrastructure was also astronomical. The numbers were so overwhelming that the people of Arden even began to give up little by little, assured that neither the government, the World Bank, nor the Hunter Association, which had been destroyed, would be able to pull out such an amount.

Yet while the world lamented this mayhem, their saviors arrived in golden spaceships.

It was two days ago.

The world was clearly still mourning. Not a single inhabitant of Arden could muster even a smile. Depression hung thick in the atmosphere, pressing down on everyone.

It was a solemn sight as thousands of spaceships ascended into their broken world.

Recalling the visit of the Lunaris, the people were initially scared. Some ran away, some stood frozen, and others simply gave up on running and awaited death.

Nonetheless, with the combined powers of the Pathos Stellar, millions of massive holographic windows appeared in the sky across the world, featuring a message from the man the people trusted the most, Axel Storm.

It was a simple message indicating that the spaceships were not threats.

It also gave the people hope by stating that the Vereenas were here to help.

Now, two days had passed, and the help of the Vereenas was beginning to blossom all over the world. Bit by bit, hope finally began to return to the people, spreading slowly but steadily.

The Vereenas of the Pathos Stellar were the ones who helped the most.

They used their signature ability, [Stellar Infusion], to rebuild facilities that had been destroyed.

By pouring their stellar energies into appropriate items, they created houses, raised skyscrapers that had fallen, repaired roads, fixed dams, restored power and internet services that had been destroyed, and handled many more tasks across the land.

Their almost divine abilities easily won the trust and admiration of the people.

Families who had become homeless finally had a roof over their heads once again.

Massive shelters were built for orphans and others who did not have homes before the cataclysm.

The influence and power of the Vereenas spread across the world, reaching even the lowest parts of it, the Deadlight District.

The Deadlight District could be said to have experienced the worst of it, considering they had no trained hunters to save them, and even their shelters were not strong enough to block even the weakest monsters. The death count here was over half of their former population.

Fortunately, unlike the Hunter Association, which had ignored them, the Vereenas did not.

Nox was the only Pathos Void who was sent to Arden.

Using his shadow pit and rifts, he channeled away the fog that made living in the Deadlight District unhealthy.

He also moved away all the trash and corpses that littered the place, giving the Pathos Stellar the opportunity to work effectively, building structures in the wasteland and restoring order.

Their act softened the hearts of even the vilest gangs.

The Leon brothers came out to support with the little they had.

Tinubu and his gang did not stand back either.

The other gangs joined hands in one way or another.

Some gangs even worked together and let go of their grudges. The Leon brothers and the Black Brotherhood were significant examples.

Slowly, the world began to regain the light it had lost, though the scars still remained.

Nonetheless, there was still a lot that could not be replaced.

====

Marlon could be seen standing among a small crowd of highly recognized hunters who were all dressed in black to pay their final respects to the hunters who had lost their lives.

Marlon wore a black suit, along with a pair of black shades to hide his red eyes. Obsidian, taking the shape of a small black crow, could be seen resting on his shoulder, quietly scanning the surroundings.

Today was the date they had arranged for the funerals.

It was a mass funeral event that took place in dozens of locations across the world.

Marlon attended one of the funerals in Eldertree City because it was the one where the people he loved and respected would be buried.

Merlina, the Black Ice Queen, who died trying to protect him.

Gigaman, who was killed in duty.

Maddox, his brother, who according to reports, sacrificed himself so a group of children could escape.

Clarissa, the enchanter who accompanied him during the Deadlight District mission.

There were many of them he knew and was somewhat close to.

But there were three people who made him actually leave his training and come to this place.

His friends.

Their gravestones lay before him.

Ashton Rover.

Logan Gray.

Lyra Whitlock.

The real funeral had long ended about two hours ago, and there were only a few people who remained.

Marlon had been standing there without any movement since he arrived. His eyes scanned the three gravestones continuously, as though with enough time, one of them would rise.

In the time he had been there, he had thought about a few things.

Was he doing too much by acting so emotional for people he had known for less than three months?

There was no clear answer.

Maybe he really wanted people to feel sad over.

After all, he had no true family or friends in this world.

And with all the information he had received over the past few days, he was more like an instrument to this universe than an actual human being.

As he was still thinking to himself, someone strolled beside him.

It was Crimson Sterling. Her long red hair fluttered gently, carried by the faint breeze. She looked beautiful in her black gown and black fishnet hat.

She placed her hand on his shoulder and stared at the graves with him for some time, saying nothing.

Hours passed, and nighttime approached.

The vast funeral field was now empty except for the two of them.

Marlon breathed deeply, steadying himself, and then turned to Crimson. He asked in an almost emotionless voice,

"Is it time

?"

Crimson nodded gently.

"Let’s go."

Marlon said and began walking without looking back. Crimson followed after him in silence.