The Glorious Evolution

Chapter 618: A Family.

"Accompany you?"

"These journeys are long, Ozha... they will feel shorter with some company." The Warden hoped.

"And listen to you sing for the next million years?" the Omnithar Genie joked.

"I know more than one song." The Warden coughed.

Ozha let out a faint chuckle.

"Tempting... but I would rather stay. My life has just become interesting."

The Warden’s fingers stopped turning the lantern... quite surprised at his rejection.

"You understand that you would no longer be bound to this child?"

"I understand."

"Then his kindness in freeing you cannot be the only reason."

"I never said it was..."

Ozha looked down at Levi, recalling his time with him ever since he was freed.

At first, he had stayed inside the lantern until Levi summoned him... then withdrew whenever their conversation ended, even when nobody asked him to leave.

He simply didn’t know what to do once he was no longer needed... this had been his life ever since he was born, summoned, and used for wishes... then, sent back.

No one sought his company or his opinions... it was like his existence in everyone’s eyes was to fulfill wishes, nothing more, nothing less.

It carried on like this for millions of years under the CRS Platform until... that was all he became.

Part of the System... The Genie Wish System.

But it changed in Levi’s company.

Levi eventually began inviting him to their games... Ozha watched for the first few rounds, learning the rules while Ash’Kral made the Titan regret knowing him.

When he finally joined, he apologized for taking too long with his moves.

Later, he apologized for winning.

That had somehow annoyed Ash’Kral even more.

"Don’t get too excited... I went easy on you."

"Heh... of course you did." The Titan began gathering the pieces. "Very generous."

"Tsk, go again..."

Ozha studied Ash’Kral’s vexed expression before offering sincerely, "There is no need to let me win... You don’t seem to enjoy it."

Levi choked on his laughter as he saw Ash’Kral bare his fangs in irritation.

"Set the damn board already."

Ozha obliged... though this time, he was already thinking about his next ten moves.

As one of the most ancient beings in the universe, born before even the Origin Seeds... he had the intelligence and wisdom to be a worthy foe against Ash’Kral’s tyranny in those board games.

After that day, he found himself waiting for their invitations, sometimes listening from inside the lantern as they argued over a game.

Until one day, he emerged on his own.

The Titan was getting up, and Ozha had already moved toward his place before remembering that nobody had called him.

Yet... not one of them gave him a weird look or such.

Instead...

"Good timing," Levi said, passing him the pieces with an annoyed look directed at the smug Ash’Kral. "He’s been unbearable today... crush him."

"Today?" the Titan scoffed.

"Cry some more." Ash’Kral grinned while licking his lips. "Nothing is tastier than losers’ tears."

Seeing the Titan and Levi both flip Ash’Kral off, Ozha settled across from the villain.

"I would prefer it if you didn’t go easy on me this time."

"That’s the spirit... trash talk him some more."

Levi’s grin widened as he massaged Ozha’s shoulders from behind, helping him relax to beat Ash’Kral.

The one he called master.

The one he swore to serve loyally.

The one he agreed to shackle himself to, believing that no matter what kind of evil he would do to him, it would be better than his life under the CRS Platform.

Yet... he never made him feel like a slave.

He never disrespected him.

He never treated him as a mere tool for granting wishes.

He welcomed him into something he had always dreamed of having... of belonging to.

A family.

"I have somewhere I want to be, old friend..."

Ozha turned his attention back to the storm still ongoing within Levi’s spiritual leywell, watching as Ash’Kral and the Titan did whatever was in their power to close the cracks in the subconscious barrier’s walls.

His master was between life and death... and the little family he had become part of was on the brink of falling apart.

"When we finished creating the Origin Seeds, I thought my purpose had ended with them..." Ozha said. "Even after everything that the Primordial Trees did to me, vengeance never gave me a reason to keep going."

He lowered himself beside Levi.

"But now... I want to help him solve the Equilibrium of Chaos. I want to see what he does afterward, when staying alive no longer takes everything he has."

The Maw kept whimpering while licking Levi’s face... sometimes, it turned to face the Omnithar Genie, appearing as if begging him to help its father wake up.

The little glutton that had its hunger consume its mind 99% of the time didn’t pounce on the Genie despite his delicious-smelling soul... instead, it sought his help.

Ozha patted it on the tongue and stood up again... then, he bowed down once more.

"So, I ask you again... please help me return my master to his body."

This time, he kept his head lowered.

"When my journey with him reaches its end, I will return to you... whatever you desire, whatever you ask of me, I will do everything in my power to grant it."

Levi heard none of this.

He remained unconscious while the ancient being he had invited to his games offered a promise that countless beings would have sacrificed everything to obtain.

"How strange..."

The Warden’s attention turned to Levi’s face.

For someone who had spent eons guiding the dead, matters concerning the living rarely held his interest... yet this child had made an Omnithar Genie refuse the freedom he had once begged for.

"Raise your head, Ozha..." the Warden added, his voice as gentle as always, "I am happy that you have found a calling again."

Ozha straightened his back as the Warden touched the lantern with a withered, ashen finger.

Immediately, the inscriptions illuminated around it, revealing a faint spiritual string leading back toward Levi’s body.

Then, he swung it gently once... then again.

With each sway, the surrounding haze parted farther along the direction of its connection, exposing a narrow passage through the green void.

"Thank you, old friend..."

Seeing this, the Omnithar Genie bowed his head again in appreciation.

On the third swing, the Warden released the lantern.

Whoosh!

The lantern shot through the passage, leaving the enormous mule and its endless line behind.

Ozha watched his old friend’s figure disappear into the haze... the connection to the Nine Senses Ancestral Tree still intact.

Then, his gentle voice reached Ozha one last time.

"If even you are betting on that child to solve the Equilibrium of Chaos... I suppose I should prepare for much busier journeys."

Ozha understood what he meant... and remained silent for a moment as he gazed at Levi’s serene visage.

"Perhaps..." the Omnithar Genie added softly, "Or he might retire you, at last."

Hearing this, the Unburdened Warden laughed a little as he thought of how nice that would be... but for now, he lowered his hat and continued his humming as the long procession continued to tread behind him.

One step, then another... no more need to roam.

The road may be long, but I’ll lead you home.

This time, the kindness in his gentle tune was easier to recognize... he might be feared like the Grim Reaper, yet no one had forced this thankless duty upon him.

He had chosen to guide lost souls toward their final rest, walking the same road over, and over, and over again... weary, but still humming, so those following behind would always have a voice to lead them home.

Lay down your fear... loosen your hold.

Follow my lantern out of the cold...

***

Back in Levi’s Spiritual Leywell...

Just as Ash’Kral was about to create another array to manually close a deeper fissure in the barrier, his claw stopped... his deep furrow eased as he noticed the rogue Nine Senses Seed suddenly come to a halt.

Then, it moved towards the edge of the leywell, appearing as if it was being pulled by a gravitational force.

’He did it... so fast?’

As he followed the Seed’s movement, Ash’Kral’s eyes landed on a humanoid, featureless soul with a greenish hue rippling through the transparent, cracked walls, and it headed towards its vacant contested area.

The Nine Senses Seed orbited around it, leaving both the Sun and Void Seeds to settle their souls down and allow it to claim its spot.

They didn’t do this out of respect for it, but for the truce they accepted in its presence... now that it had returned, they could only keep their word to Levi and pipe down.

"Phew... I don’t know how he did it, but his timing sure is perfect."

The Titan sighed in relief as he settled down in his chair... Ash’Kral joined him while watching the stormy consciousness lake return to its peaceful state.

Countless tiny stars gathered beside them, forming the Omnithar Genie’s astral projection.

"It sure is..."

Ozha nodded in agreement and settled into his usual place... his gaze lingering on Levi’s soul as a faint smile formed across his face.

Outside... the heat and coldness that threatened Levi’s body died off as well, allowing Arthur and the girls to finally get close to him and check on his state.

The Life Tree’s leaf cracked at last and disappeared into particles... the universe had received its payment in full.

Arthur pressed his palm against Levi’s chest.

For a moment... nothing.

Then...

Thump.