When Linde's figure appeared quietly in the familiar inner courtyard of the Blackrock Lord's Mansion, accompanied by a ripple of law that had not yet subsided and slightly distorted the surrounding space, the first thing he sensed was not the soldiers on guard or the magic array, but his family members who were closely connected to the origin of his life.
Alice was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, instructing Lillian on a delicate magical manipulation spell, when the light that was dancing at her fingertips suddenly stopped.
Nazla paused in her lazy routine of combing her fox tail, her ears turning sharply in a certain direction.
Leonis's hand, which was wiping the sword, remained as steady as a rock, but her eyes instantly sharpened like an eagle's as she looked at the suddenly "heavy" air in the center of the courtyard.
The children—Eileen, Loy, and Allen—also stopped what they were doing almost simultaneously. A deep-seated sense of connection and reassurance made them shout out in unison:
"Father!"
Linde's figure materialized from the ethereal, still dressed in that simple black lord's uniform, but standing there, he seemed to be the center of the entire world.
He didn't deliberately exude any pressure, and even deliberately suppressed all power fluctuations. However, his mere "existence" made the surrounding light seem more concentrated, the air calmer, and even the swaying of the flowers and plants in the courtyard slowed down, as if bowing to him.
He returned. In a manner that they could not fully comprehend, yet felt more deeply, a manner akin to the arrival of the "Tao" in the mortal world.
"Linde!" Alice was the first to stand up. Her sapphire eyes instantly filled with tears, a mixture of immense joy and relief. She strode forward, but then stopped instinctively a few steps away from him, as if worried about disturbing something.
Nazra and Leonis followed closely behind, their eyes filled with excitement and questions.
As Linde looked at them, the coldness in his deep, star-like purple eyes melted away, revealing a rare and genuine gentleness.
He reached out and gently embraced Alice, feeling her slight trembling, then nodded to Nazra and Leonis.
"I'm back." These three simple words seemed to carry immense weight, dispelling the last unease in the hearts of all the family members.
The children cheered and surrounded him, looking at their father with curiosity and a touch of instinctive awe.
They could sense that their father seemed different from when he left, more... profound, more unfathomable, but his warm embrace and familiar scent remained unchanged.
"Father, you succeeded? What about that wicked god?" Roy asked impatiently, his little face full of excitement.
“He won’t bother us anymore,” Lind said, patting his head gently.
He looked up, his gaze sweeping over his wives' concerned faces, then across the courtyard, as if he could see the entire Blackrock Territory, and even the entire continent of Til.
In his perception, the world had never been so "clear".
The magic network continues to flow wildly, but the cold, absolute "Will Node" belonging to Tiolantis has vanished without a trace.
Across the continent, countless new magical energies sprouted like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, stubbornly breaking through the soil, foreshadowing chaos but also giving birth to infinite possibilities.
As for himself... deep within his consciousness, the purple crystal that had devoured the entire divine kingdom and evolved quietly floated, radiating a hazy yet majestic light.
With a single thought, he can reach that boundary and push his life form to a completely new, transcendent level.
The system interface is simple yet profound, with permissions such as "law weaving" and "dimensional coordinate positioning" like new continents waiting to be explored.
Power, unprecedented power, resides at his fingertips. If he so chooses to take that step, he will become a god walking in this world, the master of its rules.
but……
He felt Alice's hand gripping his clothes tightly, saw the relieved dependence in Nazra's eyes, the tenderness hidden beneath Leoris's resolute face, and the children's innocent and trusting gaze.
He also "heard" the voices of countless people in Blackrock Territory, who were searching for direction in the chaos of the new era. They sang the name of their lord and regarded this place as the last bastion of order and a land of hope.
He saw the new gray hairs at Aster's temples, Narosh's silent protection in the shadows, the dwarven craftsmen sweating profusely by the hearth, and the fox-tribe laborers' gradual integration into the territory, both awkward and diligent...
His roots are here.
Once he takes that step and becomes a being of a higher dimension, his connection with this mortal world will inevitably change.
Perhaps the separation won't happen immediately, but a gradual detachment and a perspective that looks down upon all living beings is almost inevitable. He still has time, but... not much time left.
"I have some things to take care of and need to think things through for a few days," Linde told his family, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible apology. "I will stay with you all from now on."
He didn't explain the details, but his wives all nodded in understanding. His safe return was more important than anything else.
Linde turned and walked steadily toward his lord's manor. He didn't go to the laboratory or the study, but instead went to the terrace at the highest point of the manor. From here, he could overlook most of Blackrock City, and in the distance, the direction of the Starfire Base was faintly visible.
With a slight thought, deep within his consciousness, the "button" representing system upgrade and life leap shone with an alluring light. With immense willpower, he gently "placed" it aside, as if closing a crucial book and temporarily shelving it.
Now is not the time.
He first contacted Aster and Naraku through the magic network.
When the two received the clear instructions from Lin De, they were almost moved to tears.
The lord has not only returned, but judging from his voice, he seems even more unfathomable than before he left.
"Aster, give a full report on the situation in the territory. Initiate the 'New Era Adaptation Plan,' prioritizing the well-being of the people, maintaining order, and absorbing displaced persons, but strict vetting is required. All industries based on light veins and crystal remains should be promoted with full force."
"Narash, keep the intelligence network running at full capacity. I need to know the movements of every power on the continent, especially those ancient beings. Pay close attention to the social structural changes caused by the awakening of magic, and... whether any new 'threats' are emerging in the chaos."
His commands were clear and calm, carrying a sense of composure that understood the overall situation, instantly injecting strong confidence into the core of the territory, which was on edge due to the dramatic changes on the mainland.
After handling the most urgent official business, Lin De reappeared before his family.
In the days that followed, the Lord's Mansion in Blackrock Territory seemed to return to a period of relative peace.
Linde put aside all his research on laws, divinity, and systems, and devoted almost all his time to his family.
He accompanied Alice on walks in the garden, listening to her recount the trivial matters that had occurred in the territory, and guiding her on how to more skillfully utilize the magic within her that had become more active.
He watched as Nazra handled affairs between the fox clan and other tribes in the territory, occasionally offering insightful advice, and observed the gleam of admiration and wisdom in her eyes.
He sparred with Leonis, and although he no longer needed to use martial arts, he still suppressed all his power and guided the female knight to break through her own bottleneck with only skill and experience.
He spent more of his time with the children.
He guided Eileen on how to balance the conflicting yet symbiotic forces of ice and fire within her, telling her that the true meaning of power lies in control, not in being controlled by power.
Answering Roy's countless questions about magic, alchemy, and even the workings of the stars, leading him into a wider ocean of knowledge.
In Allen's workshop, watch how he combines light vein runes with dwarven craftsmanship and crystal technology to create entirely new magical devices, and receive crucial inspiration.
He would even hold his youngest child, sit in the courtyard, watch the sunset paint the outline of Blackrock City in gold and red, and listen to the vibrant hustle and bustle coming from the city.
He participated in the celebrations of the territory and rejoiced with the people. Although he simply watched quietly, his very presence was a silent declaration and a comfort.
He walked through the fields, inspected newly built workshops, and visited wounded soldiers... Wherever he went, people spontaneously stopped what they were doing and looked at him with eyes full of respect, gratitude, and faith.
Lind accepted it all calmly.
He knew that these ordinary, warm, and trivial moments were the reason he was fighting for them and willing to postpone that final leap.
He is accumulating, feeling, and engraving.
The warmth of home and the expectations of the people—this weighty sense of "humanity" and "responsibility"—are deeply imprinted on one's soul, serving as an anchor against the inevitable arrival of "divinity" and "alienation" belonging to a higher level of existence.
The system upgrade button still hovered in the corner of his consciousness, radiating eternal brilliance, awaiting his final choice.
But Lind wasn't in a hurry.
He still has time.
Before bidding farewell to the mortal world and stepping into that unknown "world above," he wanted to dedicate these last moments of his life as a "human being" to his family, and to the land and people he had created and vowed to protect.
In the afterglow of the setting sun, Linde held the child, his gaze calm and distant.
As dusk settles over the city, the lights begin to twinkle, filling the air with the vibrancy of everyday life and a sense of hope.
In his heart, light and darkness intertwined, and humanity and divinity were in a delicate balance.
At this moment, there is peace. The future holds promise.
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