### Chapter 375
Abella took Aria away.
Kraush, who had to witness that scene up close, wore a frustrated expression.
‘Should I have just taken Abella down right then and there?’
He didn’t know.
If Abella’s magic had landed on the Magic Kingdom’s defenses, that would be another story entirely.
The last image of Aria looking back at him as she left flickered in Kraush’s mind.
It looked like she was saying, “I’m fine, just do what you need to do.”
“Chirp!”
In that moment, the corpse rat tapped him on the shoulder as if to comfort him.
Kraush let out a breath and pushed his bangs out of the way.
“Crimson Garden, can we keep tracking Abella’s location?”
When Kraush asked, the raven from Crimson Garden swooped down from the sky.
“Yeah, I used the gaps in Akasha’s script to cast a tracking spell on the World Erosion orb she was handling.”
Plus, they weren’t just twiddling their thumbs either.
That orb Abella held.
Kraush realized what it actually meant a bit too late.
Thanks to having peeked at that old plan Igrit had set up.
Although they never completed it, Kraush still remembered the names they had written down.
‘The Holy Grail that will revive the God of World Erosion, Transcendence Stone.’
A culmination of all the materials and techniques they had collected up until now.
‘Igrit must’ve originally wanted to gather the powers of World Erosion into the Transcendence Stone with that in mind.’
But due to Kraush’s interference, that plan fell through.
‘However, Abella hasn’t given up on creating the God of World Erosion.’
That was clear from her reactions.
Kraush had spent time with Abella.
Being as perceptive as he was, he detected that Abella had something brewing.
Kraush slowly walked over the sea, calmly gathering the information at hand.
Abella wasn’t just using the Transcendence Stone to gather the powers of World Erosion at all.
Her goal must be to create the God of World Erosion and turn Aria into her puppet.
‘But even so, why did she act as if she had no interest in the powers of World Erosion?’
Kraush began to gaze slowly at his own hands.
At that moment, his eyes widened in realization.
All the clues he had gathered until now connected at this moment, leading him to the truth.
“……This crazy woman.”
Kraush covered his mouth in disbelief.
Despite the countless ways he had disrupted her plans, Abella hadn’t stopped him.
She had the power and ability to do so.
But Kraush thought it was because of all the factors surrounding him and how unexpectedly quickly he had become stronger.
However, now that he faced her, he understood.
Even in the past, Abella could have easily captured and killed him.
She also could easily touch the people around Kraush.
Unlike during his previous life, the current Kraush had several vulnerabilities.
He had many ties and connections now.
Yet, Abella hadn’t touched him or anyone around him.
What could the reason possibly be?
‘There was no need for her to interfere with me.’
Abella had a wide view of the world.
As a wizard who had been around since ancient times, her methods always defied expectations.
And now, Abella had done something unexpected again.
‘I am the Holy Grail that contains the powers of World Erosion.’
Kraush had been absorbing countless powers of World Erosion to protect the world up until now.
The amount of World Erosion amassed in Sable was enormous.
If Kraush absorbed all the remaining Magic Kingdom—
‘It would be enough to create the God of World Erosion.’
After realizing that Kraush could absorb the powers of World Erosion, Abella had planned all this and left him alone.
It was more efficient to have him focus all the powers of World Erosion rather than have her plans disrupted by the numerous variables brought by Igrit.
“Damn it.”
“Do you sense something?”
The raven from Crimson Garden asked, tilting its head curiously at Kraush.
The raven couldn’t decipher Abella’s intentions.
This was purely the result of Kraush’s keen intuition and the experience he acquired from being with Abella in the past.
“It became way more troublesome than I thought.”
Kraush shared what he had figured out with Crimson Garden.
At that, the raven flapped its wings in disbelief.
“A crazy woman indeed.”
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
In any case, the situation had become extremely complex.
‘What to do about the Magic Kingdom?’
Abella was waiting for Kraush to absorb all the powers of the Magic Kingdom.
That way, all the energy would gather.
And for that, Kraush would have to stop absorbing the Magic Kingdom, but—
‘If I stop absorbing the Magic Kingdom…’
The ultimate evil would eventually rise, and the legendary knights of the apocalypse would show up.
If they appeared, the world would truly meet its end.
That absolutely had to be prevented.
‘So should I just attack Abella right now?’
Even that wasn’t an easy task.
If he chased after her, she would undoubtedly aim for the Magic Kingdom’s front lines again.
And then his hands and feet would be tied up.
He had to come up with some sort of countermeasure before making a move.
‘Moreover…’
Kraush quietly looked down at his hands.
The moment he faced Abella, he realized that he couldn’t defeat her as he was now.
To overcome Abella, Kraush needed to absorb more of the Magic Kingdom.
Kraush’s expression grew complicated.
He felt that no matter what he did, the situation was rolling out according to Abella’s wishes.
‘Damn it.’
Kraush clenched his fist tightly.
Arthur, whose memories of the Demonic Bastion continued, willingly sacrificed himself.
Even seeing that before his eyes, Kraush couldn’t find the thread to solve this situation.
‘Anger alone won’t solve anything.’
Kraush calmed himself.
And he began to recollect everything that had happened up to that point.
‘There might be clues somewhere to solve this.’
Remembering everything in detail was Kraush’s specialty.
So he replayed every event that had transpired up until now in his mind.
This contemplation took quite some time.
Before long, the sky began to dim, and stars sparkled in the night sky.
Though he knew that the situation was urgent with the Magic Kingdom.
Running in blindly to erase the Magic Kingdom would only play into Abella’s hands.
At that moment.
Kraush slowly lifted his head.
It was because, recalling something that happened with Arthur and the Demonic Bastion, an idea sparkled in his mind.
Kraush’s eyes slowly widened in realization.
‘If it’s this…’
It’s possible.
Moreover, it could be the ultimate counter that would undermine Abella’s plan.
But.
If he completed this task, Kraush would likely lose all the powers he’d built up until now.
His life would barely hold on, if at all.
‘So that’s it.’
Kraush clenched his fist.
As he did, white flames flared vigorously within his grasp.
‘The Demonic Bastion wanted me to see this on that day.’
Just like Arthur reincarnated, the world also carried the memories of countless timelines.
And the world itself had been repeating many timelines to combat destruction.
The aura created by the world to fight against World Erosion.
This aura wanted to make him see it.
What he had to choose to do at the very end when it came time to save the world.
And at that moment, Kraush realized why the world had brought him together with Arthur at the Demonic Bastion.
Slowly, Kraush raised his gaze to the night sky.
There, countless stars were shining with different lights.
Among them was one star, the Guiding Star.
It’s the star that serves as a guide to people.
In the midst of observing that star for a brief moment, Kraush smiled lightly.
“Well, it does shine the brightest, huh?”
Kraush made his resolution.
After all, the power he had accumulated throughout his life was meant to protect against destruction.
What regret could there be in using that power to prevent ruin?
In this place of the reincarnation and the myriad connections he had formed, he was only returning to his true self.
That’s still okay.
Even if his starlight were to fade, the countless stars holding the traces of that starlight would shine brighter than anyone else.
Kraush knew that all too well.
The Sky Generation would surely rise to the occasion.
Even if he weren’t there, they would find a way to soar.
‘It was a glass cannon from the beginning.’
He would have to be true to being a glass cannon until the end.
“Crimson Garden.”
Kraush slowly lowered his face from the starry sky.
“Once I handle the remaining Magic Kingdom, I’m coming to find you.”
The time Kraush could surpass Crimson Garden would only be then.
Crimson Garden briefly glanced at Kraush’s determined expression, then spread its wings, soaring into the sky.
“Do as you wish.”
She no longer intervened in Kraush’s path.
She would merely respect the choices made by her disciple.
Underneath the countless night skies, Kraush once again advanced toward the Magic Kingdom.
Even if nothing remained at the end, he was someone who could move forward.
