### Chapter: 408
The conclusion drawn simultaneously with Seirang was straightforward.
A second Ragnarok might happen in the future,
and that the God of Thieves could potentially be Kraush himself.
As they continued to discuss this possibility,
it was clear that coming to a definitive conclusion about something that hadn’t even occurred yet was a tall order.
“Well, it turns out we won’t know until it happens.”
“Yeah, prophecies can be like that. Plus, this one’s about the vague future.”
Sera, the princess of Sephira, sometimes had prophecies pop out like surprises.
The prophecy about Ragnarok was no different, lacking any detailed specifics.
“I’d like to get a reading from my astrology, but…”
Sera fiddled with her crystal ball and shot a glance at Kraush.
All the prophecies related to him seemed to be behind some sort of black veil, making it impossible to see clearly.
Even Sera couldn’t find an answer to that mystery yet.
But if he truly was connected to Ragnarok, there was one reasonable thought she had.
Just as divine futures can be uncertain,
Kraush was facing a similar situation.
“Are you destined to become a god, Kraush?”
“Is there really someone out there with such a ludicrous fate?”
“Guess not, right?”
Sera seemed a bit uneasy too, her expression shifting.
Although Kraush had reached a level similar to that of a god,
it was merely through an outburst of power.
Of course, he had no ties to anything divine.
“Let’s wrap this conversation up for now; it doesn’t seem like we’ll get any answers anyway.”
“Sure, that makes sense.”
“Can I ask something else?”
“Feel free to ask; you are the hero who saved the world, after all.”
Kraush couldn’t help but grimace at the over-the-top title.
“Do you happen to know anything about prophecies related to how to get to the divine realm?”
“How to get to the divine realm?”
Sera crossed her arms, leaning slightly.
“Is there a specific reason you want to go to the divine realm?”
“To solve some mysteries and prepare for any upcoming dangers.”
“Wow, you’re still as focused on saving the world as ever.”
After all, it was a world he fought to protect.
Although Kraush would love a break,
the cursed world was unpredictable—troubles could pop up anytime, anywhere.
So, he was determined to do everything he could.
“Regarding ways to access the divine realm…”
Sera tapped her crystal ball with her finger before suddenly raising her hand, inspired.
Then she began invoking her astrology through the crystal.
While Kraush waited patiently, a moment later, light began to emanate from the crystal ball.
And from behind the veil, Sera peered and then broke into a smile.
Did she find a good lead?
As Kraush silently observed her, Sera turned to him.
“I don’t know how to get to the divine realm.”
Well, that was unfortunate.
Kraush understood the sentiment.
“But I can predict whether you’ll go to the divine realm in the future.”
“Wait, what?”
“I checked through astrology whether anyone will go to the divine realm later on.”
Kraush realized Sera was being clever about this.
Sera had told him he was basically impossible to predict.
In the past, he didn’t believe her, but now he totally got it.
“Right, it’s as if a black veil is over everything, and I can’t see a thing.”
Normally, there would have been at least a hint to support prophecies about him.
But at this moment, Sera saw nothing.
Just like when she tried reading his future before.
This pretty much meant that he was included among those predicted to reach the divine realm in the future.
Watching Sera’s crafty move, Kraush couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Is that okay?”
“Why not? Who’s going to scold me?”
With a smug expression, Sera seemed delighted.
Indeed, in her position as princess of Sephira, there was probably no one to challenge her wisdom in prophecies.
“Even if you don’t know how to reach the divine realm, you’re saying I will go there in the future.”
“That’s about right.”
Though he didn’t have a specific way laid out, it eased some of his worries.
Moreover, it sparked a feeling of certainty that a reason would eventually surface for him to visit the divine realm.
“Thanks. I appreciate the effort you put into explaining this.”
“It wasn’t too tough. You’ll be staying with Sephira for a while, right?”
“Yeah, seems likely.”
Kraush planned to stick around for a while, especially to honor his promise to Sera.
“So, can I ask you for a favor this time?”
Kraush caught on to what she wanted.
Simultaneously, the corpse rat in Kraush’s pocket stirred a bit.
“Sure thing.”
There were plenty of stories piled up.
It’d be polite to return the favor after all the help she’d given him.
—
Every time he thought about it, time seemed to fly by.
After helping Sera with her writing by sharing his romantic escapades,
Kraush shifted into training mode again, something he hadn’t done in a while.
He had a hunch that tough times were ahead.
Especially if he was meant to be involved in the Ragnarok Sera mentioned.
There was a chance he might have to battle gods.
So, holding the Star Sword prepared by Bianca and Haring,
Kraush stood out in the training ground of Sephira.
Silently closing his eyes, he focused inward.
The magical power of the Spirit King blended with the Curse of the Evil Dragon inside him.
These swirling elements coalesced into gray flames.
Now burnt down with nothing but ash left.
The ashen flames ignited from Kraush’s sword.
As he gazed at the fiercely burning ash flames, Kraush took a deep breath.
He recalled how he had become a vessel before through the techniques of the Sword Demon.
‘Now that the vessel is repaired…’
This wasn’t impossible.
Kraush concentrated on the ashen flames that resided within him.
His Excel ability kicked back into action, speeding up the roll of the ashen flames.
The ashen flames spiraled rapidly through his body.
At the same time, the Liona burst forth, unleashing its gray lightning to cover the ashen flames.
As the flames intertwined with the lightning, the celestial star that occupied the night sky over Nox also released its power.
‘I’ll store the burning flames into the sable.’
Though he couldn’t burn through loads of power like before with regions such as Jeblam,
Kraush would eventually regain his strength over time.
So whenever he had a moment, he would burn the ashen flames and push them into the sable.
Someday, there would come a time when he would need to unleash all that stored power.
Preparing for that moment was what Kraush was up to.
[ You little rascal. ]
Just then, Crimson Garden chimed in, interrupting Kraush’s thoughts.
“What’s up with you, actually talking to me?”
He’d been quiet for a while, focused on reassessing his Spirit King magic,
so what prompted her to suddenly engage him?
[ Something’s come up. ]
Something had come up?
Hearing the rarely used term ‘something’ from Crimson Garden piqued Kraush’s interest.
So, he stopped his training to focus.
“What’s going on?”
[ It’s a bit complicated to explain, but… ]
A hint of annoyance slipped into Crimson Garden’s voice.
[ A god has manifested in the divine realm. ]
“What?”
And then Kraush heard something completely absurd.
“What do you mean? Say it clearly.”
Kraush called out to Crimson Garden with a puzzled expression, making sure he heard right.
She shared an equally complex reaction to his question.
[ It’s not a full manifestation; remember when you met the Sea King? ]
The god of water, Sea King Dino Bardon had made a splash.
Kraush recalled that encounter vividly as he nodded.
[ It’s like that—only partially manifested. ]
“Wait, that’s only possible for the Sea King. Who exactly manifested this time?”
Crimson Garden’s statement hinted at a very unexpected circumstance.
So, when Kraush pressed for details, she clicked her tongue.
[ It’s a man named Grison in a city to the west, Botima. ]
Kraush blinked in disbelief.
“… Who the heck is that?”
That was a name he’d never heard before.
Besides, Botima couldn’t even be called a city; it was more of a backwoods village.
Kraush could barely remember even hearing the name of such a tiny town.
“A god manifested there?”
[ Yes, I spotted the divine manifestation while researching Spirit King magic under the night sky. ]
“Grison?”
[ I gathered some info. He’s an aging mercenary with just one skill, and that’s how he makes his living. ]
Crimson Garden’s impressive intelligence was on exhibit.
She’d already dug up info about Grison.
“… But why?”
This was only heightening his confusion.
No matter how much he thought about it, there seemed to be no reason for a god to appear.
When he asked if she had a close relationship with the god,
Crimson Garden shook her head.
[ To have a conversation like that with a god, you’d need to be at the level of the Ten Great Lords or beyond. ]
Grison was an average fellow whose name was unheard of by Kraush.
He had nothing more remarkable than a single skill, so it was odd that a god would manifest for him.
Kraush frowned as Crimson Garden clicked her tongue again.
[ You’ve been snooping around issues related to the divine realm recently, right? There are indeed suspicious movements coming from there. ]
“Could this be a sign related to that?”
[ It’s possible. I plan to gather more information on this. ]
Listening to Crimson Garden, Kraush nodded.
“Please do that. I’ll head over there myself once I finish my matters in Sephira.”
[ Understood. ]
A sudden divine manifestation.
What on earth is going on in this world?
Kraush rubbed the back of his neck while quietly gazing up at the sky.
What are the gods up to?
There was just no way to figure that out.
He had fought so hard to save this world,
so why couldn’t they just leave him in peace?
With a sigh, Kraush looked back to his sword.
All he could do now was train to prepare for the future.
Kraush focused solely on his training like always.
And soon after,
he received information not just from Crimson Garden but from numerous other sources at the same time.
Divine manifestations had appeared across the world among those with skills.
And with each occurrence of divine appearance, incidents followed.
The age of great exploration,
now faced an entirely new phase.
The Second Ragnarok.
The manifestation toward the gods’ middle realm had begun.
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