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The Undead were vanquished. The White Ghosts, bearing all their losses, slowly made their way back to the camps. Within the ruined monastery, the bone cage and the ghostly flas that had burned everyone had vanished. Everyone stood covered in moss and mushrooms that healed them gradually over ti.
"Elayne..." Mark muttered. "You... you did it... Haaa... Once more, I was unable to do anything..." He stared at his skeletal hand as his Soul Fla slowly gathered, his eyes glowing bright red. "Not anymore... I have to grow stronger—stronger than anybody..."
"Haaa... I really thought I was going to croak right there!" Granny Yaga sighed. "Oh well... Elayne sohow won, but I thought she was eaten..."
"It was a plan, I believe," Sailor said. "She’s not that good at acting, but that stupid bonehead believed it all and ate her... Well, I think she used her magic to control him from the inside out or sothing. That’s our boss right there, hahaha! Ruthless."
"Mark, are you okay?" Norman asked, walking toward him.
"I’m fine..." Mark sighed.
"You sure, uncle?" Lisette approached him.
"Are YOU okay though? You were also here...!" Mark said.
"I’m fine!" Lisette smiled. "Auntie healed us all...!"
"Haaa... Shade, are you there?" Mark wondered.
"I’m... ok..." Shade muttered, swimming within the shadows. "Ugh... we got new classes but... we weren’t able to use them... how frustrating, frustrating! Why... why are there so many horrible people... and they are all so strong... and can do whatever they want to us... it’s so frustrating..."
"Yeah, it is," Mark replied with a bitter smile. "But we’ll rise together again. Let’s go."
As they slowly walked out of the ruins, they saw twilight glowing in the distance, resembling the rising sun of a new morning—a sight impossible to behold in the netherworld’s labyrinth region.
anwhile, at White Tooth Mountain.
"Brother! Oh, brother...! You’re okay!" Chalk cried, hugging Blank while sobbing against his shoulders.
"Elayne’s warmth..." Blank muttered, smiling sorrowfully as tears fell. He touched his body, covered in moss and mushrooms that healed him and kept him alive. "She cared for even until the end... Have we lost, Chalk?"
"I don’t know..." Chalk cried. "We have to... do sothing..."
"Yeah..." Blank murmured. Slowly helped to walk by his sister, both siblings gazed at the twilight emanating from Elayne in the distance.
The war was over. The White Ghosts had won, but many lives had been lost. The enemy Undead had been slaughtered after suddenly becoming paralyzed. Many soldiers attributed it to their savior.
Having heard this from the soldiers, Chalk and Blank ran toward her through the crowd, arriving at the sa mont as Mark and the others.
"Elayne!"
"Hello everyone, I’m fine. Please don’t worry about ."
Mark rushed forward and hugged her tightly. Blank hugged her as well. Mark wanted to push him away, but he lacked the strength.
"How did you even survive?!" Blank asked.
"W-What happened? Can’t you explain—Wait, are those super strong Undead obeying you now?!" Mark asked in disbelief.
"Ahhh, these?" Elayne asked. "Yeah, when Atrokus ate , I used that opportunity to set up a plan. Abusing my skill ability, I took over his body using spores from various Undead I had gathered underground. I planted them into his severed arm and..."
Elayne explained everything calmly, shocking her friends, her beloved, and the crowd listening and spying from afar.
"I see... it was so risky..." Mark sighed. "Elayne... You shouldn’t have—"
"I didn’t really have any other option against soone so strong," Elayne said. "At the very least I was able to turn his power against his friends, kill them, and then I broke his heart so much he just gave up and let kill him."
Mark was surprised by her words but nodded silently. He knew it had been the right plan in such a desperate situation, yet he couldn’t help feeling it wasn’t like Elayne. Perhaps he was overthinking it. The Netherworld had changed them all. Elayne had to beco more ruthless, more calculative—she had literally no other options anymore. "I see... Well, I’m glad it worked out..."
Blank, on the other hand, laughed and celebrated with his sister and father. The entire group made their way back to the city, where citizens greeted the survivors as heroes and celebrated their arrival.
"Elayne! That was amazing! You’re a true warrior! An incredible strategist! That is the true way of the White Ghost. You’re already, technically, an honorary mber of our race, don’t you think, Chalk?"
"Indeed!" Chalk chuckled. "Though, aren’t you a bit too enthusiastic, brother? Calm down a little—she’s the hero here, not you!"
Elayne had already saved and healed as many as she could, even reviving so who had been thought impossible to bring back with her powers. Yet many had still died. The atmosphere blended lancholy and sorrow with celebration, joy, and relief.
"I want to rest—sleep for a day at least..." Elayne sighed. "But I don’t know if we should stay here any longer..."
"It might be wiser if we leave as soon as possible," Mark said. "All of this was technically..."
"Shhh," Granny Yaga said through telepathy. "Idiot! What if they find out? The White Ghosts will quickly turn against us! We cannot reveal the truth!"
"..." Mark nodded. "Sorry."
Amidst the crowd, Silvester Velberth stepped forward, greeting Chalk, Blank, and everyone else. He had been in the underground shelter, protecting it alongside other White Ghosts who fought hundreds of Undead to defend the people.
"Chalk! Blank! Well done! You and your friends have saved our town!" he said, congratulating them all. "We really didn’t expect the army of the Demon King of Death to attack us out of nowhere. The White Ghost Houses might now respond with more hostility toward his army... but isn’t that for the better? They have already shown they are impossible to negotiate or get along with."
"Ah, uh, yeah..." Blank sighed, falling silent for a mont. "Father, please excuse us. We have to go back ho for the ti being."
Blank quickly led the party back to the manor, where they could rest and talk more about what had happened. Elayne also brought along her three new Sporeborns created from the Death Generals.
"So that’s the power you awakened after changing classes. That’s amazing," Chalk said. "Was that power what allowed you to trick that giant skeleton monster?"
"His na is Atrokus," Elayne said. "And yes, though it was a lot of other factors, and I had to plan it out... Even then, it was kind of a gamble. But thankfully, he beca euphoric with his new power, allowing to spread the spores inside of him without issues. For example, if he hadn’t used that power so freely, letting it further assimilate with him, it might not have happened."
"So it was a gamble at the end, huh?" Mark wondered. "But I think you did well. Atrokus was clearly an arrogant bastard. He definitely was going to do what you thought he would."
"Indeed," Granny Yaga nodded. "Well, it’s nice—the tea and everything—but... Ahem, I believe we shouldn’t stay here much longer. Shall we depart, Elayne?"
"Hm..." Elayne nodded.
At these words, Chalk and Blank looked at Elayne in shock. They had really thought she would stay at least another day to rest, allowing them more ti together.
But Elayne had an arduous path ahead—enemies everywhere, and people she had to protect no matter what.
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