The Guardian gods-Chapter 458

Aqua turned to face him fully. "The corruption in the previous lands was a scar left by battle, by destruction we understood. But this?" He motioned to the dark rain. "This is something foreign. Something the elements themselves refuse to touch."

Brix fell silent, glancing up at the sky where the storm refused to disperse. "Then what do you suggest?"

Aqua’s eyes glowed faintly as he considered. "There is a method... a seal woven from spirit energy. It will not purify the land, but it may suppress whatever force is keeping this phenomenon in place."

Brix gave him a skeptical look. "That sounds temporary."

"It is." Aqua met his gaze. "But we do not have the means to end this ourselves. If we cannot remove it, we must ensure it does not worsen."

Brix exhaled through his nose. "A delaying measure."

Aqua nodded. "One that buys us time."

Brix’s massive form shifted as he cracked his knuckles. "Then let’s begin. The sooner this is sealed, the better."

Aqua turned back to the battlefield, raising his hands. The air around them trembled as spirit energy began to coalesce. This would not be a solution, only a temporary dam against an unknown flood.

But for now, it would have to be enough.

Aqua exhaled, his breath turning to mist in the freezing air. He spread his arms wide, his fingers glowing with soft blue light as he began weaving the first strands of the seal. Brix followed suit, his massive hands pressing against the snow-covered earth. A low, resonating hum filled the air as their spirit energy merged, the very fabric of the land responding to their call.

The battlefield was vast—too vast for a simple ward. This seal would have to be more than a mere boundary. It had to be a beacon, a warning, a force strong enough to hold back whatever lay at the heart of the dark rain.

Lines of glowing energy spread outward from their feet, etching intricate symbols into the snow and ice. Ancient patterns, older than even the oldest spirits, began to take shape. The runes burned with shifting hues, flickering between blue, gold, and silver, pulsating like a living thing.

Brix grunted, his brow furrowed as the sheer scale of the battlefield became apparent. "This will take more than just us."

Aqua nodded. "Then we call upon the spirits."

Closing his eyes, Aqua lifted his hands skyward. A ripple of power surged outward, sending a pulse through the spirit realm. In response, the air shimmered as translucent figures began to appear—elemental spirits of ice, wind, and even those of the long-buried earth beneath the frost. Some were small, flickering like candle flames; others loomed as towering figures of frost and stone.

Brix let out a deep breath. "That should do."

The spirits, understanding their task, moved without question. They took their places along the battlefield’s perimeter, each adding their essence to the forming seal. The land trembled as their combined energy anchored the barrier into reality.

The sigils in the snow ignited with raw power, stretching high into the sky like a lattice of light. The cold wind howled as the seal expanded, swallowing the entire battlefield within its reach. Soon, a massive dome of shimmering energy enveloped the cursed land, separating it from the rest of the continent. The dark rain continued to fall inside, but no drop dared to cross the boundary.

Aqua studied the formation, his expression unreadable. "This will hold."

Brix rolled his shoulders. "For how long?"

Aqua’s gaze lingered on the dark storm within the dome. "Long enough."

They both knew this was no solution—only a pause in whatever force was brewing beneath the battlefield.

As the last sigil locked into place, the spirits bowed before dissolving into mist, their task complete. Brix and Aqua stepped back, their work done.

The battlefield remained eerily silent, the corrupted rain continuing to fall within the sealed dome, contained yet undisturbed.

"Let’s go," Aqua finally said. "There’s more land to mend."

Without another word, the two world spirits turned away, vanishing into the next portal—leaving behind a glowing monument of warning for any who dared to come near.

The towering seal shimmered like an aurora against the endless expanse of white, its glow piercing through the eternal snowfall. To Aqua and Brix, it was a warning, a deterrent, a safeguard against forces beyond mortal comprehension. But they had forgotten one thing—human nature.

In the heart of the Northern Continent, where warmth and life clung to the central greenlands, humans had long avoided the frozen reaches. The cold was merciless, the blizzards unrelenting. Few had reason to brave the ice and snow, save for those exiled or desperate enough to test their endurance against the elements.

But now, a beacon stood where once there was only desolation. A seal unlike anything seen before. A phenomenon that did not belong.

And humans were drawn to the unknown.

Their next destination was the southern continent, where the black flames continued to burn, an unyielding and ominous inferno. Much like the northern continent, neither the empire nor the vampires showed any interest in this spectacle. It was an anomaly, yes, but not one that threatened their rule. The empire’s forces had their own priorities, and the vampires had little reason to concern themselves with something that did not interfere with their domain.

Roth, had already resigned himself to leaving the matter in the hands of the world spirits. If this disaster was not spreading, then there was no reason to waste effort. The world had endured worse and recovered. The world spirits were there and Roth trusted that they would do what was necessary.

Murmur, on the other hand, was more wary. He strongly believed that things from the "other side"—forces beyond mortal comprehension—should not be so easily tampered with. Even more so, they should never fall into the hands of humans within his empire. The thought of reckless mages or scholars trying to harness the black flames made his skin crawl. Such matters were better left undisturbed.

The two world spirits, Aqua and Brix, were not displeased with the absence of meddlesome creatures who might disrupt their work. If anything, it made their job easier. However, their previous experience left them doubtful. The black flames were not ordinary; they could not be extinguished through conventional means. Even if they were successful in sealing them away, it would come at a cost.

Aqua and Brix exchanged knowing glances. They had sealed something similar before, in the southern continent, but such seals were not infinite. Overuse could weaken the containment, possibly leading to an even greater disaster in the future. The risk was undeniable.

Even so, Aqua decided to try. He stretched his power over the sky, gathering thick clouds and summoning a torrential rain. The downpour hammered down onto the black flames, yet instead of snuffing them out, the fire resisted. The flames hissed, releasing plumes of scorching steam that quickly obscured the land. Visibility dropped in an instant, and the air grew thick with an oppressive heat.

Brix sighed, crossing his arms. "This isn’t going to work. Instead of wasting time trying to put it out, why don’t we reshape the land instead?" He gestured toward the burning landscape. "We could alter the terrain, make it difficult for anything to approach this place. At the same time, we can assign idle treants from the spirit world to stand guard. They have nothing better to do anyway."

Aqua remained silent for a moment, watching the steam rise. It was clear that brute force wouldn’t solve this problem. "A barrier of nature, then," he mused. "A land reshaped to repel intruders, guarded by spirits who do not tire. That might be the best course of action."

Brix nodded. "And this way, we’re not weakening any existing seals. We’re simply ensuring that whatever lies within those flames remains untouched."

With their decision made, the world spirits turned their attention toward their next task. If the flames could not be extinguished, then they would ensure that no one could ever reach them.

Aqua and Brix hovered above the scorched land, their gazes sweeping across the blackened wasteland. The flames, impervious to their efforts, still burned with an unnatural hunger, their eerie glow licking at the charred remains of what had once been a thriving region. Steam from the failed rainfall curled upward, obscuring the surroundings in a thick, stifling mist.

Brix cracked his knuckles, his wooden frame creaking with the motion. "Alright, let’s reshape this place," he muttered, pressing his palm against the ashen earth. "If we can’t get rid of the flames, we’ll make sure no one—human, beast, or otherwise—can reach them."

With a deep hum of power, Brix extended his influence into the ground, connecting with the soil, stone, and roots buried beneath the devastation. The earth trembled in response, rumbling as it yielded to his will.

The land around the black flames began to rise, forming a natural barricade. Towering cliffs erupted from the ground, their edges jagged and treacherous, too steep for any ordinary creature to scale. The sharp incline would serve as an initial deterrent, preventing easy access.