The Grand Duke's Son Is A Heretic

Chapter 568 568: 568

Across the world, people did not see the full battle, and they could not understand what had truly happened, but they felt it clearly in their bodies and minds.

The sky had changed in a way that made people uneasy. At times it twisted strangely, and faint cracks appeared across it as if something invisible was pulling it apart, while shadows and light overlapped in ways that did not make sense.

For brief moments, faces seemed to distort across the sky, and strange shapes moved as if something was watching from the other side, and then everything returned to normal as if nothing had happened at all.

The world felt unstable, and it was like it was standing on the edge of something that could break at any moment.

For ordinary people, it was only a strange feeling, and they felt restless without understanding why, while their hearts felt heavy for no clear reason.

But for those beyond S-rank, it was completely different because they could feel everything clearly.

The laws of the world were twisting, and energy moved in ways it should not while their control over power became unstable and unreliable.

Then something snapped.

Across different regions, people who carried divine blessings suddenly froze in place, and their expressions changed as their power dropped sharply without warning.

Some fell to their knees while grabbing the ground.

Some clutched their heads in confusion and fear.

Some screamed out loud.

"My power… what is happening!"

"No… no… it's gone!"

"I can't feel it anymore!"

Panic spread quickly, and those blessings vanished one after another while the strength they relied on disappeared as if it had never belonged to them in the first place.

It did not happen slowly, and instead it happened all at once like something had been cut off completely.

The cries echoed everywhere, and fear spread through cities and lands as people tried to understand what had happened.

And the world continued to tremble for days.

Inside the Veydrin Mansion, the atmosphere had been tense from the very beginning, and everyone could feel it pressing down on them.

Everyone stood in silence, and their hands were clenched tightly while their eyes stayed fixed ahead.

The pressure in the air made it hard to breathe, and it felt like the world itself was slipping into madness.

Days passed like this.

For most people outside, nothing seemed too different.

But here, they could feel every change.

Ramos stood still, and after a long moment, he slowly turned his head toward Ruth, and there was a cold and serious look in his eyes.

"Did you?" he asked.

Ruth did not answer immediately, and his face remained tense as if he was trying to confirm something.

Then he nodded slightly.

"Yes… I felt it."

His hand tightened unconsciously.

"My power to control lightning has been cut apart."

The moment he said it, the atmosphere became even heavier, and a chilling sensation spread among them while their expressions hardened.

They understood what that meant.

Before anyone could speak again, something changed.

They felt a presence.

It was unfamiliar, yet at the same time, it felt deeply familiar.

Ruth's eyes widened slightly.

"He is here…"

Swoosh.

Several figures rushed out of the house immediately, and their movements were fast as they stepped into the open space without hesitation.

At the same time, a small figure jumped forward excitedly.

"Papa! Papa!"

Elfie ran ahead, and her voice was full of happiness as she rushed forward without thinking.

Kael appeared there.

He extended his hand naturally, and he caught her gently while lifting her up with care as if nothing in the world mattered more than that moment.

"Papa is here," he said softly, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "And Papa won."

Elfie laughed happily, and she hugged him tightly as if she was afraid he would disappear again.

The tension that had been building for days finally broke at that moment.

Everyone let out a breath they did not realize they were holding.

Relief spread across their faces, and their shoulders relaxed slightly.

"It's finally over," Martina said, and her voice carried clear relief as she looked at him.

For the first time in days, the pressure around them eased.

But as they looked at Kael more closely, something felt off.

His expression changed slightly.

The smile on his face did not remain the same, and it slowly faded.

And then, a faint and bitter smile formed on his lips.

.........

The tension in the Veydrin Mansion slowly eased as everyone gathered around Kael, and for a moment, no one spoke because they were still trying to accept that he had truly returned after everything that had happened.

Then Ramos stepped forward first, and his old eyes stayed fixed on Kael while his lips trembled slightly before he spoke, and even though he tried to hide it, his relief was obvious.

"You really came back… you brat," he said, and although his tone sounded rough, it did not carry any real anger.

Ruth stood beside him with a straight posture, and his expression remained cold as always, but his eyes lingered on Kael longer than usual as if confirming that he was truly standing there.

"What happened out there?" he asked calmly.

Kael adjusted Elfie slightly in his arms, and his gaze moved across all of them before he answered.

"It's over," he said.

His voice was steady, and there was no hesitation in it.

"The gods were defeated, and their power was cut apart. Most of them escaped, but they won't recover easily."

Everyone listened carefully, and no one interrupted him because they knew the weight behind those words.

Martina stepped closer, and her eyes were already fixed on Kael as if she was afraid he might disappear again at any moment.

"So… it's really over…?" she asked softly.

Kael paused briefly and then nodded.

"For now," he replied.

That small pause did not go unnoticed, but before anyone could ask more, Kael continued.

"There is something else," he said.

The air turned heavy again, and everyone's attention sharpened.

"I will become a pillar of the world, and I will soon assimilate with it."

The words made everyone freeze in place.

Ariana frowned immediately, and her expression turned serious as she stepped forward slightly.

"What do you mean by that?" she asked.

Lyria stood slightly behind, and although her cold expression did not change much, her eyes sharpened as she looked at him carefully.

"Is there a problem?" she asked quietly.

Kael shook his head slowly.

"No… it's just a normal process that every god goes through for a period of time," he said.

He looked at all of them calmly.

"It won't be long before I return."

Silence followed, but this time it felt heavier than before.

Martina's hands tightened slightly, and her eyes lowered for a moment before she looked back at him again, and there was clear hurt in her gaze.

"So… you're leaving again…" she said softly.

Kael looked at her, and for a moment he did not answer, and then he spoke in a steady tone.

"This will allow you all to catch up, so don't slack," he said.

Martina bit her lip lightly, and although she tried to stay composed, her eyes softened even more as she held back her emotions.

Ramos let out a long breath and shook his head while muttering under his breath.

"You just came back, and now you are going again… do you even know how old I am?" he grumbled, and his voice carried both complaint and relief.

Ruth remained quiet, but his gaze stayed locked on Kael, and there was something deeper hidden behind his calm expression.

"How long?" he asked.

"Not long," Kael replied. "Just enough to stabilize everything."

Ariana crossed her arms, and her expression showed clear concern even though she tried to hide it.

"You better come back," she said. "Don't make us wait too long."

Lyria stepped forward slowly, and although her face remained cold, her eyes revealed something much deeper as she looked directly at Kael.

"Don't disappear," she said quietly.

Her voice was calm, but the weight behind it was clear.

Kael met her eyes for a brief moment and gave a small nod in response.

Then Elfie tightened her arms around him and looked up at him with worried eyes.

"You are going again?" Lyra asked softly.

Kael's expression softened immediately, and his hand gently rested on her head.

"I will come back," he said gently.

"When?" she asked.

"Soon," he replied.

Elfie looked at him carefully for a moment.

"Promise?" she asked again.

Kael smiled faintly.

"Promise."

She hugged him tighter for a moment before slowly letting go, even though she clearly did not want to.

Martina stepped closer again, and this time she did not hesitate at all as she looked straight at him.

"Just… come back safely," she said, and her voice trembled slightly despite her effort to remain calm.

Kael nodded slowly.

Then he turned slightly and looked toward Ramos and Ruth.

"Come with me for a moment," he said.

Both of them paused, and a hint of surprise appeared on their faces as they looked at him.

Ramos frowned slightly.

"What now?" he muttered.

Ruth did not speak, but he stepped forward without hesitation.

They both followed Kael as he began to walk away, and although no one stopped them, everyone watched silently, because they could feel that something important was about to be said.