River Reach was the first town that Serge had finally seen. And it was worse than he had thought. He could see that the city was abandoned, and it looked old and full of decay.

And what was strange was that it looked like a battle was happening.

But all of these were not what shocked Serge. Instead, it was the fact that the layout, the buildings, and everything in his memory about the place was so different.

“Did I really…” Serge wondered. Was all the nonsense that Dyne told him true? The place was too different. The town was larger, but this town was smaller and was even a few kilometers away from the place in his memories.

“Shouldn’t this town… be a little south? Am I really in an alternate future world?” Serge mumbled.

Disregarding Serge’s confusion and existential crisis, Dyne was happy when he saw it. The walls were repaired, and while the Hunters maintained a rather ‘apocalyptic’ look on the walls so that they wouldn’t draw attention, it was repaired to the point that the wall and gates could be used. It was clear that people had been living here. Several Gobu Gobus were patrolling outside and ready to attack as they saw Dyne.

“Ah... New blood.”

Some of the Gobu Gobus that recognized Dyne began to howl and call out to stop attacking.

Soon, a few curious peeks emerged from the strange new rooms erected on the town’s entrance.

“It’s Dyne!” A shout happened from an unknown location. Several Hunters and a few Monks had emerged from their hiding spaces.

“I knew you’d be here!” Dyne laughed.

“Master Dyne! We have not heard of your arrival!” A familiar young hunter called out.

“Ixis?!” Dyne was amazed. Ixis was actually here! And going by how this youth addressed him, it was clear that the youth had undergone a behavioral change that exceeded Dyne’s expectations.

“Patriarch?!” Several Monks came out.

“A Ra-Seru!” A monk exclaimed as it saw what was on Dyne’s hand.

“Amazing! What creature is this that Patriarch is riding?!”

“What a sweet ride! It looks better than the slimes!” One of the hunters called out enviously.

“At ease, guys. It seems that all of you have created Mist-Proof rooms in there! I’m guessing the slimes had something to do with it.” Dyne laughed. He could see several slimes parked outside.

“What happened? Where have you been, Patriarch? Have you been to Biron Monastery?”

“No. I went here first. I need to get my Zenoir.” Dyne explained.

“Please get this youth inside. Does anyone know him? He is acquainted with Rim Elm… I think?” Dyne asked curiously. He was curious whether the real Serge would have existed in this world, and Strafe refused to answer him, saying that Dyne should just ‘play the game.’

“I… don’t think so,” Ixis answered.

“Wait—that hair! Only a few families had that hair. You look like… a lot like Neru!” Ipkus suddenly appeared.

“Greetings, Master Dyne.” Ipkus greeted as he approached.

“Oh… Ipkus. You look like you’ve… changed.”

Ipkus smiled.

“It’s all thanks to you, Master Dyne. Or should I call you Patriarch? I’m a disciple of Biron now, after all.” Ipkus chuckled.

“Call me whatever you want.” Dyne laughed.

“Anyway, who is Neru?” Dyne asked.

“Neru. Nora’s younger brother. You look a lot like him!” Ipkus turned to Serge and gave him a closer look.

Serge was stunned. Was he called Neru in this world?

“That’s it! You really look like the dead younger brother of Nora! The resemblance is uncanny!” Another Hunter approached.

“Neru? So my name in this world is Neru and not Serge…” Serge reflected. But the moment he said the words Serge, every hunter nearby who was associated with Neru suddenly felt a piercing headache.

“Ahhh! My head!”

Dyne’s eyebrow rose.

“Interesting… I get it now. A soul world. I don’t get it fully, but the world you are in both exists and doesn’t exist.” Dyne observed the reactions of the Hunters and spoke to Serge.

“Se-Serge! Your name is Serge! I remember now! What’s going on? Are you Serge? But why is my memory… Neru? Who are you? What's going on?” The expressions of the Hunters were changing into that of fear and pain.

“It’s complicated. I’ll give the report next time. Please welcome our guests.” Dyne turned, and Nanaki and the rest had arrived.

The Hunters and the Monks were amazed to see it. More of the majestic birds that Dyne and Serge were riding on arrived. Two beautiful girls descended. And finally, a young girl gave a happy jump and began to run around the town, greeting people and talking excitedly.

“A Ra-Seru?!” One of the Monks realized it when they saw Terra.

“Master Dyne…” Arya smiled.

Dyne saw something strange behind the smile but decided to ignore it.

“Erm… You guys take care of everything out here. Terra, tell the Piuras that they will be staying here.” Dyne gave his orders and merrily moved ahead, not knowing what else was happening.

Dyne went to the house where he and the rest stayed and found it fortified with more coverings.

Ixis said they had added more protection so that Dyne could rest better should he stay there.

“Wow. You guys really have been bringing out the red carpet for me, huh?” Dyne laughed.

While Ixis showed his confusion, the other Arya inside Arya noticed the Earth's expression and further confirmed what she had heard.

“He really is from Earth!" Arya muttered. Her mood had gotten better since Strafe revealed many mysteries of how this world gave Dyne many of his wildest dreams.

“Hey, Arya, if I wanted Dyne, would you fight me for him?” Arya asked.

“Of course, Lady Arya.” Arya laughed in her thoughts.

“Oh, so you’ll be my rival too, huh? I won’t let Dyne gain a Harem! He will be mine and mine alone! If what Strafe said is true and that awakening the Genesis Trees promotes physical growth, Dyne would become older at the awakening of the Genesis Trees.”

“Yes. If this Genesis Tree produced such rich energy, it would force the body to grow and strengthen. So, naturally, aging, or reaching prime age, is a natural reaction. That’s how most cultivators in my world stay for a long time. Legend has it in my town that the rich and powerful cultivators would be several hundreds of years old but still appear similar to my age.” Arya revealed.

“Oh… Then I hope I’ll find a way to create my body soon. I don’t want to leave various girls heartbroken when I take Dyne away. And more girls seem to have a thing for Dyne the longer he stays here or in that Cultivation world.”

“You sound so confident, Lady Arya.”

“Well… To him, you all could be characters in a game. My advantage is that I am someone he really knew, and the power of nostalgia is behind me. I’m like his nostalgic crush.” Arya laughed.

Suddenly, strong fire energy could be sensed.

Rena and Noa also sensed it.

“Grim…” Rena felt the power. And soon, more energy followed.

The Slimes were all quivering from the power. And even the Gobu Gobu were all afraid.

"KWEH!" The Chocobo that Dyne was riding was dancing with joy as he was proud of his new master.

Inside the underground chambers of the house where the Zenoir was held, Dyne was constantly releasing more fire, Lightning, Holy, and Brimstone energy.

Grim, a level 2 Theeder, the Wild Arm, and even Gyoro and Ururun surrounded Dyne and the Zenoir.

Grim and the Theeder were constraining a weak level 2 Vera.

“Alright, gang. Not just the Zenoir. But let’s do it all together. Everyone, it's time to slowly purge you guys and add a little holy element to you! And finally, I will be changing your Elemental Spirit seed!” Dyne smiled.

“I knew you would do this. So you were thinking of surprising me?” Strafe smiled.

“Yeah. You guys have been too immune to some of my miracles. I need to up the limits if I want to keep impressing you.” Dyne laughed.

“Spoken like a true Dark Brimstone. I thought, at first, you were doing it unintentionally. But you have this hedonistic pleasure of shocking people, don’t you?”

“At least you know a little more about me now!” Dyne brought out several rare herbs, elemental stones, and other alchemy tools he stole in his raids.

“The most important ingredients are right here. Kokatorimon for the Dark Fire-Electric combo. Ifrit, another Dark Fire user. It will greatly help me control these Dark Fire and, of course, the Dark Holy. Hmm… Sounds weird.”

“We call it Unholy.”

“The Unholy Vera. Hmm… Still sounds strange. I’ll think of a name after I make him.” Dune decided.

“We are going to convert them?” Jedo asked.

“We will be doing the same thing I did with Grim. I won’t turn them into light, but I’ll add light in their souls so they would be sentient like Grim. Something like making them neutral. And then, I’ll treat them well and make them sort of like my pet. That way, I won’t waste Rune Power on them.”

“Sounds insane.”

“It sort of is. But hopefully, Vera and Zenoir will become our allies after this!” Dyne had a serious expression as he released his Brimstone Energy more.

Jedo released his darkness that began to absorb.

Strafe watched and was impressed. The technique he taught Dyne about controlling Sprites would have only been possible when they awakened a Genesis Tree, requiring a stronger Ra-Seru. But Dyne had more than enough and began to go through the process. But what Dyne was doing was not to try to make them their ally but to purge the madness of the Mist from these Serus and bestow a new power in them.

“Dark Brimstone… Is it good that he has that accursed Elemental Temperament?” Strafe sighed.

Through this accursed form, Dyne was able to bring Grim into the light.

“The mystery of Life and Death energy… My Master said that we have not yet unveiled half of its power. I thought it was an exaggeration, but seeing Dyne’s miracles, I guess I was just too arrogant.” Strafe watched as Dyne did his version of planting an Elemental Spirit Seed.