(Moku’s POV)

Moku gazed at Cryonix’s lifeless corpse sprawled beneath his feet. His body felt heavy, utterly drained of strength. But... time would not wait.

He knew that before the human mages arrived to investigate, he needed to leave this place with his prize.

Summoning the last reserves of dragon prana stored within him, Moku opened the Pandava as wide as he could. A glowing portal materialized, swallowing the massive body of Cryonix into his Mind Realm.

As the ice dragon’s body disappeared, Moku felt his consciousness begin to falter. With his final effort, he stepped into the Mind Realm himself.

In an instant, his surroundings shifted. The grandeur of Pandava welcomed him, filling him with a deep sense of relief.

Here, he felt the safest. The only true threat was Garuda, the sovereign of this realm. Yet, Moku knew Garuda had a "soft spot" for him. Perhaps Garuda saw echoes of Moku’s ancestors within him.

Though Garuda never spoke the name, Moku was certain the figure Garuda admired was Gajah Mada, the great general of the largest empire in Southeast Asia.

The relationship between Garuda and Gajah Mada remained a mystery, but Moku was grateful. Because of this connection, he had an easier time contending with a Cosmic Level Power being like Garuda.

Moku staggered toward Cryonix’s remains. The next step was mana absorption—or, more simply, "eating."

Cryonix’s colossal body slowly began to shrink, its mana fully absorbed by Moku’s form. The Dragon Breath Cultivation worked tirelessly, converting the mana into dragon prana. Within moments, Moku’s reserves were replenished.

All that remained of Cryonix were its seven Mana Organs: the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, horns, eyes, and ribs.

Every inch of a mutated animal’s body contained mana, but the Mana Organs were the densest cores. It was from these organs that Cryonix could manipulate mana and unleash deadly techniques.

Consuming these organs, however, was a perilous task—especially from an adamantite-grade mutated animal like Cryonix. If Moku wasn’t cautious, his body could explode under the overwhelming density of mana.

He needed to methodically transform the mana into dragon prana before channeling it into the evolution staircase. Moku had already reached the final step.

Once he ascended this last staircase, he would unlock the gate of evolution, propelling him into the Spiritual Realm. From there, he would climb Hargo Dumilah, the highest peak of spiritual power.

To start, Moku consumed Cryonix’s eyes.

The mana density in the eyes was lower compared to the other organs, making them a safer starting point.

As the two globes were absorbed into his body, Moku discerned the ability the eyes possessed: vision capable of detecting even the slightest movement, no matter how far away.

"So that’s why," Moku thought. Cryonix had been able to track his position even when he flew high above the clouds, far beyond the range of his Inner Eyes.

The mana within Cryonix’s eyes began processing through the Dragon Breath Cultivation technique, converting into dragon prana and channeling into the Control Chamber point at the center of his forehead.

This point, visible only through the Inner Eyes, now began to glow brightly.

Moku saw a shadowy staircase slowly filling before his vision shifted. He beheld the gate of evolution, its magnificent carvings reminiscent of the gates he had encountered in the past.

When the process was complete, all the mana from Cryonix’s eyes had been absorbed. Moku opened his eyes slowly.

Moku didn’t wait any longer. He swiftly grabbed Cryonix’s spleen, the next organ to be absorbed. As the mana from the spleen began to flow into his body, its purpose became clear.

Cryonix’s spleen was designed to pump mana throughout its body, maintaining a stable internal temperature. Thanks to this organ, even as Cryonix unleashed freezing ice-based attacks, its own body never froze.

When all the mana from the spleen had been absorbed, Moku noticed one petal on the surface of the evolution gate fully illuminated. His breath was slightly labored, but he couldn’t afford to stop.

The next organ was Cryonix’s liver. As its mana seeped into his body, its function revealed itself—the liver supported the spleen while also acting as a vital mana reservoir.

With the liver, Cryonix could store immense reserves of energy, sustaining its strength through prolonged battles. When the liver’s mana was fully absorbed, two petals on the gate’s lotus flower lit up. Four petals remained, waiting to be filled.

Without wasting time, Moku reached for Cryonix’s horn. Despite the horn’s mana density being much higher than the previous organs, its function was surprisingly simple.

The horn served as a catalyst, allowing Cryonix to rapidly absorb mana from its surroundings. When the horn’s mana was finally consumed, two more petals glowed brightly.

Now, only two petals on the Lotus of the Evolution Gate remained unlit.

Moku extended his hand toward Cryonix’s heart— the core that connected all of the Mana Organs. As the mana contained within the heart was absorbed, the final petal of the lotus flower on the evolution gate came to life.

Moku took a deep breath. He knew the next step would be the most difficult. Opening the evolution gate required an extraordinary amount of dragon prana.

With only two organs remaining—the lungs and ribs of Cryonix—he hoped their mana reserves would be enough to push him past this ultimate barrier.

He grabbed Cryonix’s lungs and began consuming them. Immediately, a torrential flow of mana surged into his body like a flood. It felt like a dam breaking, filling him with boiling energy.

Moku focused all his concentration on stabilizing the process using Dragon Breath Cultivation. The mana transformed into dragon prana, causing the lotus flower on the surface of the evolution gate to spin at an incredible speed.

But it still wasn’t enough.

Gritting his teeth, he reached for Cryonix’s ribs with his last ounce of strength. As he consumed them, his body felt as though it might explode. The massive energy influx caused blood to stream from his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.

Despite the searing pain wracking his body, Moku forced himself to stay focused. He clenched his teeth, channeling every ounce of his willpower into the Dragon Breath Cultivation technique.

His consciousness ascended, and the majestic evolution gate stood before him. The spinning lotus flower, now fully illuminated with its seven petals, glowed with intense brilliance. Moku took deliberate steps toward the gate.

Clang!

A resounding noise echoed as the gate’s lock released. Moku extended his hand, touching the surface of the gate adorned with ancient carvings. The engravings seemed alive beneath his fingertips, radiating an almost overwhelming power.

With every ounce of strength he had left, Moku began pushing the evolution gate.

The gate moved, but not as he had hoped. The resistance was immense, and despite his relentless effort, the gate shifted only slightly.

Blood continued to drip from his battered body, and his breathing grew ragged. A painful question arose in his mind:

Am I going to fail?

"No!"

The cry echoed within Moku’s heart. The great battle against humans was approaching. As the strongest shield of his kingdom, he could not fail.

He would not fail.

He must not fail.

Moku summoned every last drop of dragon prana he possessed—not just from the two Mana Organs he had just absorbed, but also from the reserves stored within his body.

The evolution gate shifted slightly, but it still wasn’t enough. His breath grew ragged, and hope began to wane. The shadow of failure loomed before him, cold and tangible. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

But in the depths of his despair, something unexpected happened.

A pair of white hands appeared from behind the gate, pulling the massive door from the inside. The hands were delicate, with skin as white as marble and slender curves radiating softness. Their fingers were graceful, with nails that seemed to glimmer in the dim light.

Yet it wasn’t their beauty that left Moku stunned.

It was the warmth.

The warmth coursed through him, stirring memories he had long buried. Flashes of a forgotten past—erased by deep trauma—resurfaced in his mind. Though his voice caught in his throat, he recognized the owner of those hands.

But the name was stuck, unable to escape his lips.

With the help of this mysterious force, the evolution gate, which had felt immovable, now swung open with surprising ease. One final push, and the gate was fully ajar.

Moku collapsed forward, his body hitting the ground. The sound of the door booming echoed through the space, and at that very moment, an extraordinary power surged into him.

It felt like a storm erupting inside him. The energy coursed through every cell of his body, making him feel as if he could destroy the world with a single blow.

Yet, it wasn’t the newfound strength that captured his attention. He scrambled to his feet, joints cracking loudly, and frantically looked around for the owner of the hands.

But there was nothing.

For a moment, he thought what he had experienced was an illusion. Yet the lingering warmth in his chest told him otherwise.

He knew it had been real. It had been so long since he last felt such warmth—since he transmigrated into this world. The only other time he had sensed it was when he was on the verge of death fighting Deak.

As his mind began to fill with questions, a voice echoed.

The voice resonated like the toll of a great bell, filling both the space and Moku’s heart. It was soothing, yet it shook him to his core.

"~At last, you’ve arrived, my child.~"

Moku’s body trembled violently. His soul and mind felt as if they were splitting apart under the weight of the voice. Slowly, he turned toward the source, and there he saw it.

A towering figure stood magnificently before him. Its body emitted a gentle light, a mixture of golden radiance and sapphire blue, like sunlight illuminating a midnight sky.

The figure’s serene face bore lines of age that did not diminish its strength but instead radiated timeless wisdom.

Its deep black eyes held an infinite depth, as if reflecting the secrets of the universe. Silvery hair flowed like mist, blending with the air thick with spiritual energy.

The figure was draped in a white robe, woven from pure light and adorned with ancient symbols that shifted and changed, depicting the eternal balance of the cosmos.

Above its head floated a spiral halo—a symbol of life, death, and reincarnation.

Moku stood frozen. His mind was overwhelmed by a torrent of information, pouring in all at once like a massive wave crashing without warning.

He felt as if he were witnessing a vast, breathtaking landscape—a silent stream of crystal-clear water, luminous trees with leaves that shimmered like stars, and an air filled with prayers of unseen beings.

Every creature in that landscape bowed—not out of fear, but out of profound respect for the wisdom emanating from this being.

The figure stepped forward, and in a voice both gentle and commanding, it spoke:

"~Greetings, my child. My name is Sabdo Palon. I have been waiting for you for a long time.~"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Words Count: 1855