CHAPTER 337: CHAPTER 182: INNOCENT CHILDREN, ONLY THROUGH SUFFERING CAN THEY TRULY GROW UP

Hathaway raised her pale golden eyes.

"Ignite a... new sun?"

She spoke softly.

With confusion, and a touch of longing.

That was indeed her own wish.

As an advanced elf who grew up on the Lost Island, this small island and the Royal Court are all that Hathaway knows of the world.

She doesn’t possess the ambition of the Council Elders, who insist on returning to the Western Continent, making the Elf Clan strong once more like during the Glorious Era of the Elven Royal Court, standing tall on the continent’s summit.

From the beginning to the end, Hathaway’s wish—

was merely to make this island in darkness a little brighter.

Let the clan on Lost Island, whose eyes have become accustomed to the darkness, see the magnificent ocean clearly, see the grandeur of the Royal Court clearly, and also see each other’s faces clearly.

If only this were enough, she would be satisfied.

However, the Golden Elf soon lowered her head again, somewhat dejected.

"Teacher Shiayar, you really know how to joke."

She could understand Shiayar wanted to comfort her a bit.

After all—

to spread Arcane Arts and Magic among the elves of Lost Island, allowing them to completely relinquish the tainted power derived from their bloodline.

To possess the capability to face the Fallen Sun and walk out of Lost Island.

This is destined to be an extremely long and arduous process.

The power of the bloodline is the foundation on which the Elf Clan relies for existence, wishing the clan to willingly abandon it, to embark on a new path, one with uncertain prospects, who knows how many obstacles there will be, how much opposition they will face.

Hathaway was even prepared to spend her entire life accomplishing this.

Even if the long wait would make Shiayar disappointed and ultimately decide to leave.

But...

Compared to her own thoughts, what Shiayar said was truly fantastical.

"Ignite a... new sun."

That’s a power surpassing deities—

During the Glorious Era, that supreme creator was famed under the title Sun God.

Even though the brilliance of the Glorious Era has already dimmed, its echoes continue to stir the Main Material Plane, undiminished for millennia.

Even though Hathaway has confidence in the young man beside her, knowing that as a wizard Shiayar is not everything he seems, she doesn’t believe Shiayar could possess power surpassing that of the creator.

"So, Hathaway."

"You should have some faith in your teacher."

Shiayar discreetly patted his Master’s head again, a smile reminiscent of luring an innocent young girl appeared on his lips.

Such opportunities to take advantage of his teacher are incredibly rare, savoring each moment.

"Someone once told me—"

"Having chosen the path of wizardry, one should discard all past reverence, leaving only a pure heart of exploration."

"With Arcane Arts, using known rules and law, to analyze every phenomenon of this world."

"Be it inanimate or animate... or deities, it’s all the same."

Shiayar’s words paused for a moment.

"The authority named star is not exclusively that of the original creator."

"As long as one understands the laws within it, then whether it’s you, me, or any wizard, it’s not impossible to touch it."

"With our current rank, indeed, we can’t reach the scale of the Sun God, nor can we create a star that brightens the entire Western Continent."

"But merely brightening this Lost Island... can still be done."

While speaking, Shiayar took out a small core from his bosom.

Hathaway could see it was a magical artifact crafted with metal and magic array patterns.

Within is engraved and stabilized a mysterious spell model, one she has never heard of or seen before.

"This is the product of the process of interpreting the laws of star operation and materializing them into a definite spell model."

"I have named it— ’Sun Forge’."

Shiayar handed the small, dull core in his hand to the girl in front of him.

"My spiritual power is constrained on Lost Island, unable to gather magic power on a large scale."

"Try injecting magic into this core, Hathaway."

The Golden Elf took the small magictech furnace core from Shiayar and examined it carefully.

Quite unimpressive.

Could the authority over star operation really reside within this small core?

Confusion rose in her heart.

Yet, out of trust for Shiayar, Hathaway nodded obediently, extending her slender fingers.

Invisible and intangibly, brilliance gathered at her fingertips.

She directed the magic power, derived from the Astral Realm and adapted over several months to her will—

and infused it into the dull magictech furnace core.

In the next instant—

Boom.

Hathaway’s pale golden eyes suddenly widened.

In that moment, she heard the mana factors within the core resound like thunder.

It’s not the kind of low-level trick like the "Flash Spell".

But rather a small blazing sun, suddenly shining brightly within the furnace core crafted from alloy and magictech array patterns.

Clearly, the magic power she injected into this magictech furnace core was just the amount for a 2-3 Ring spell, sufficient only to exhaust upon casting a "Great Fireball Technique".

But right now.

Light and heat far beyond what a 2-3 Ring spell could sustain erupted from the magictech furnace core.

Brilliant and radiant light surged out from the magictech furnace core, flooding her vision like a tide.

It illuminated the silent and dark beach, and also lit up the pitch-black sea.

Although Hathaway had lived on the Lost Island for hundreds of years, it was the first time she saw the full view of this beach and sea.

Under the radiance of the magictech furnace core, the vast and boundless sea surface shimmered with ripples of light.

Tens of millions of tons of seawater gently rippled in that faint light, like the dim Sea of Stars, rising and falling, ebbing and flowing.

The shadows of Golden Elf and humans intertwined in that slanting radiance, casting long silhouettes on the beach behind them.

During these few minutes, Hathaway did not speak.

She was just immersed in the scene before her, like a setting sun’s afterglow, silent for a long time.

Until at one moment, the magic power previously injected into the furnace core burned out, and the magictech furnace core extinguished.

The curtain of Eternal Night replaced that brief illumination, once again covering the beach and sea surface.

"Teacher Shaar, is this what you meant by..."

"A new sun?"

The gaze of the Golden Elf remained on the sea, even though darkness had returned.

"Yes."

Shaar toyed with the magictech furnace core that had dimmed once more.

"The furnace core you used before, I made it to power the Black Knight Mecha, a miniaturized portable Sun Furnace."

"And if it’s enlarged along similar principles."

"Then it can become a new light source illuminating this island beneath the curtain of Eternal Night."

In Hathaway’s originally dim eyes—

With Shaar’s words, a little light rekindled bit by bit.

The feedback from spiritual intuition told her.

This was not an unrealistic fantasy—

But a genuine reality.

This island engulfed by Eternal Night could indeed welcome a day when it is once again bathed in sunlight.

...

Shaar stood aside, calmly watching the Golden Elf with eyes gleaming with excitement.

During the past few minutes, he too did not speak, but unlike Hathaway, he was not captivated by that fleeting brightness.

Since Shaar was born, he has bathed in sunlight every day, so although he could understand Hathaway’s emotions at this moment, he ultimately did not personally experience the perseverance through hundreds of years of darkness, making true empathy difficult.

The instant the Sun Furnace was ignited just now.

He vaguely perceived.

At the center of the Lost Island, atop that towering ancient tree.

Some ancient and lofty will slightly cast down its gaze.

Though there was no further disturbance, Shaar was certain.

His arrival and the magictech furnace core that had just been ignited had been noticed by that ancient will.

"Because it detected an authority similar to its own, one even identical, so it’s finally stirred?"

"But because of significant constraints and limitations, there was no immediate action and instead, the plan is to utilize the chess pieces it controls to intervene?"

Shaar restrained his inner turbulence.

He had discovered from the beginning the presence of that will slumbering within the branches of the World Tree.

And all of Shaar’s previous actions were to draw its attention.

Not fearing it coming, but fearing it wouldn’t come.

Shaar wasn’t sure how long he could stay in the Echo of History of the First Era, so he naturally couldn’t just wait indefinitely.

The Lost Island had already languished in darkness for too long, unable to bear any more consumption.

Only by thoroughly intensifying all lurking issues and conflicts on this island.

Then swiftly resolving everything with a quick strike.

However, such a future—

Might not unfold as hoped in the heart of the Golden Elf girl.

"Let’s go, Teacher Shaar, I’ll take you to the Royal Court."

"If you wish to create an enlarged magictech furnace core capable of illuminating the entire Lost Island, then the support of other clansmen is indispensable."

"I believe everyone in the Royal Court will welcome your arrival."

The charming voice echoed in Shaar’s ears, carrying a hint of impatience.

Shaar looked at the Golden Elf in front of him.

It was a figure entirely different from the future "Eternal One Page" Hathaway, still carrying a bit of the naivety unique to a maiden.

"Only through experiencing pain can a naive child truly grow up, huh."

Shaar sighed inwardly, holding that small white hand.

"Lead the way"