That single word—Father—instantly moistened Oradin's eyes.

He drew a deep breath, trying to maintain the dignity of an emperor, yet the tremor in his voice betrayed both emotion and relief.

"Good… good… It's all in the past now."

When he looked again at Leo, gratitude filled his gaze.

"Sir Leo, for Elizabeth to follow you—it is her fortune, and also the Empire's.…Please, take care of her."

Watching the father and daughter thaw the years of ice between them, Leo's lips curved into a smile.

He was glad to see Elizabeth finally untie her emotional knots.

He preferred this spirited, genuine Elizabeth far more than the strict, over-disciplined executor she had been.

After all, as Lilith once teased—it's no easy feat to win a smile from Elizabeth!

"Your Majesty, rest assured," Leo said softly. "Elizabeth is the Marshal of Dalton, and our family as well. Her glory is Dalton's glory."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the leaders of the major civilizations, Leo led his people of Dalton back to their fleet.

Once the starship entered orbital trajectory, his figure quietly vanished—reappearing at the farthest edge of the universe.

The Edge of the Void

Here, the fabric of space was fragile, like a thin membrane that could rupture at any moment.Beyond it stretched an endless, heart-stirring nothingness.

A titanic black hole floated in silence—its presence oppressive and ancient.

Before the Gate of Oblivion, an old man sat cross-legged.

His mage's robe was tattered, revealing a body covered in strange corrosive scars.

His aura was faint—so weak that compared to the last time Leo saw him, it was heaven and earth apart.

He had fallen from the rank of Chosen One all the way down to the level of an Astral Lord.

"Sir Leo… you've come."

The old mage, Shiels, slowly opened his eyes.

They were still clear—eyes that seemed to reflect the birth and death of entire universes.

"I have," Leo replied, stepping closer.His gaze swept over the wounds covering the old man's body.

Those scars reeked faintly of abyssal corruption and Zerg-borne void toxins.

"It seems that, in places unseen, you've borne far more than we ever imagined."

Shiels forced a wry smile.

"Those little rats sneaking through the cracks of the gate aren't strong—but they're endless, annoyingly so."

"Especially the avatars of those Lords… and the Empress's personal guards."

"This calamity invasion was on a scale beyond comprehension.I, Shiels, owe you thanks, Sir Leo."

Leo was silent for a moment.He could feel it—the truth behind the cosmic war that shook all creation.

It was this elder who had stood alone, bearing unimaginable pressure, blocking the true monsters that sought to invade from beyond.

Shiels was half a manifestation of the universe's own will.

His very existence was the most steadfast bulwark against foreign forces.

"It's I who should thank you, Master Shiels," Leo said solemnly.

"Were it not for your vigilance, Dalton—and perhaps the entire universe—would have been attacked from both front and rear."

"Then let's not drown in mutual gratitude," Shiels said with a hoarse chuckle, coughing a few times as his aura weakened further. "I guard my home. You saved yours. Our purposes are the same—no need for formality."

Leo looked at the old man's frail yet unbent back and finally said,"Master, why not come stay in Dalton Town? It might be a fine place to rest."

Shiels shook his head gently, eyes resolute.

"I've lived too long this way. My existence is tied to this gate. If I leave, I'm no longer myself."

He paused, as though remembering something, and turned to meet Leo's gaze.

His deep eyes seemed to pierce straight into Leo's heart.

"You intend to cross the gate—to the other universe known as Sakend, don't you?"

Leo nodded.

"My daughter is there. And… someone else is waiting for me."

"As I thought."

Shiels was unsurprised.

From the first day Leo had come here, he had known this moment would eventually arrive.

"Then go. I won't stop you—nor could I if I tried.Just… be careful.""That world… is heavy."

He did not explain what "heavy" meant, but Leo could feel the weight behind the word.

"I understand," Leo replied. "I plan to depart in a hundred years."

He bowed slightly.

"The gates of Dalton will always remain open to you, Master. Should you ever change your mind—or need any help—"

"A hundred years… to me, that's but the blink of an eye." Shiels smiled faintly. "Go then, Sir Leo. May you find the answers you seek on the other side.As for me… this is where I belong."

Leo stared at him in silence.Leaving such an elder here alone, wounded as he was—he knew he'd wake each day wanting to slap himself for it.

"Master, please allow me to offer what little help I can."

Shiels shook his head weakly. "Your kindness honors me, Sir Leo. But these wounds involve the universe's own essence—corrosion from alien laws. Not even extraordinary means can—"

His words cut off abruptly.

For Leo had already raised his right hand—no spell, no runes, no gathering of energy.

He simply pressed it lightly onto Shiels's frail shoulder.

Then—

Hum—!

A power beyond Shiels's comprehension surged into his broken body and tattered soul.

Life energy flooded through him, redefining and restoring everything it touched.

Shiels's eyes snapped wide open.

He felt the demonic rot within him dissolve instantly under that force.

The Zerg's void toxin was stripped away and disintegrated.

Even more unbelievable—his cracked mana core, his very foundation, was healing before his eyes!

His fallen rank rose once more—past Astral Lord, past every barrier—until it returned to his former peak: Chosen One.

The entire process lasted barely a dozen breaths.

Shiels stared inward in disbelief, feeling his renewed body and soul.

The agony and weakness that had haunted him for ages were gone—replaced by a power he hadn't felt in millennia, and an unprecedented sense of ease.

Beneath his torn robe, his once-withered form grew full and luminous again.

"This… this is…" His voice trembled.

He looked up at Leo, eyes wide with awe and reverence.

He had witnessed countless miracles across endless ages.

But this—this effortless reversal of law-level damage, the restoration of a Chosen One's foundation—was something far beyond anything he could fathom.

It lay utterly outside the reach of his own rank.

"Just a little help," Leo said with a small smile. "How could I stand by and watch those vermin bully an old man?Don't worry—when I get over there, I'll be sure to teach them a proper lesson on your behalf."

Shiels drew a deep breath and slowly straightened his spine.

His gaze upon Leo was complex—gratitude, admiration, and disbelief all interwoven.

This was the second time Leo had saved him.And yet, he possessed nothing worthy to offer in return.

The treasures he once prized would likely seem no more valuable than pebbles before such a being.

"Sir Leo…" he said at last, voice low and sincere. "I owe you a debt I can never repay.I once believed you stood at the mountaintop—but now I see, you have long since risen above the clouds, watching us travelers still struggling along the ridges below."

Leo only smiled faintly and shook his head.

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