Chương 157: Goodbye Landradad

"Sorry, I got a little bit carried away," Joe turned to the remaining group.

"No, Esha and Gao?"

"They went ahead to Heliopolis. They… are busy." Felicia said, with a blank look on her face. Joe raised an eyebrow but decided not to ask. He turned to Tevenny, Valeri, and Shanna, number two. But before he could say anything, Tevenny stepped forward.

"Feormere. Joe. We are also packed and ready," Tevenny shared a look with Corel, who gave her an encouraging smile.

"We thank you for allowing us to stay here with you and Corel. We know you were a little reluctant at first. But thank you." Tevenny bowed her head. Valeri and Shanna echoed her movements.

"Thank you, Joe," they both repeated. Joe felt a little choked up. He had not expected this. He thought he'd have to have a long talk with them explaining why they needed to move from Landradad. He turned to Corel.

"Is this your doing?"

"Yes. I thought we should prepare; the integration's end is fast approaching… and..." she shrugged. Joe was once more impressed by how much she did for him, even as he was busy engaging in crazy actions that put them all at risk. He truly would have been lost without her help.

"Thank you," he said with a smile. She patted his cheek.

"Tevenny, Valeri, and Shanna. It has been a pleasure sharing my home with you all. I couldn't think of better housemates." Before Joe spread his arms, all three walked up, and they all shared a big group hug.

"Now. Let's get moving before I change my mind," he said, turning toward the teleportation pad.

"We can wait," Tevenny suggested. Joe laughed. Joe and Corel got to work, herding up all the sabretooth cubs and loading them onto a large basket strapped to Bravo's back. Xian, Bravo's mate, roughly pawed at Joe when he didn't load the cubs fast enough or gently enough for her liking. Joe bowed his head and, with a bit more care, loaded the last kittens into the basket. Once they were ready, everyone made their way to the teleportation pad, where first the brats zipped away in a group.

Next came Tevenny, her sister and Shanna. Lastly, Alice, Felicia, and the Sabretooths vanished as a group, leaving only Corel and Joe. Just as Joe was about to step on the pad, Corel stopped him.

"Let's go for a walk first. We need… I wanted some time alone before we arrive at the city," She guided him in the direction of the Yggdrasil's base. Joe smiled as he let her pull him along.

"Will you miss this place?" Joe asked as they walked.

"I will. This place has been our home for a long time," Corel replied, staring up at the great tree.

"But I am excited for the future. When we first met, I was on the verge of giving up. But look at us now. If I ever met my past self, she would never believe what awaited her."

"I clearly remember that day. I still remember the scraggly, gaunt-looking green-skinned bald girl staring daggers at me from inside that prison cell," Joe smiled. Corel gave him a light punch.

"You forgot, beautiful."

"Back then?" Joe shook his head with a grin.

"Not the word I'd use." Corel punched him again, a little harder this time.

"I'm kidding. But back then, with no hair and covered in rags. I had no idea you were as stunning as you are. I just wanted to help."

"I'm glad you did. I was also shocked that the person I spent so long waiting for was so… loud."

"You were waiting for me?" Joe asked.

"I remember now, the he who comes, quest?" Corel nodded.

"Save the cheerleader," Joe mumbled with a chuckle.

"Cheerleader?" Corel asked.

"That was what the quest I got was called. The one to help you escape that prison." Corel nodded, squeezing his hand tenderly.

"I really didn't like you at first," she said after a while.

"You were hard to read. And far too impulsive. And you had this air about you, that was… confusing."

"Well, I'm glad I grew on you. For the record. I liked you from the start." Corel tilted her head.

"What did you like about me?" Joe smiled.

"Well. I'm glad you asked. At first, I think it was your plucky personality. And the fire burning behind your eyes. I know you said you were on the verge of giving up. But I didn't think that. Even before I fed you and plumped you up a bit. I can see a survival instinct burning behind your eyes."

"Plucky?" Corel asked, confused.

"Erm…" Joe strained to think of a good way to describe what he thought.

"I guess your confidence and fearlessness to tell me your opinion without a care? I think I remember you calling me a fool once or twice," Joe chuckled.

"Plus, you weren't afraid to put Veda in her place. She could be a little obnoxious sometimes." Corel nodded.

"I'm sorry about what happened to her. I know we didn't get along. But I am sorry." Joe waved a hand.

"That had nothing to do with you. That was my own failing." He looked up to the sky with a sad smile.

"I'm sure she is in a better place somewhere. Wherever that is." Corel gave his arm a tender rub.

"What else did you like about me?" she asked with a smile.

"Well… once you were fed and looked less like a skeleton. I started to like your hair when it came through. Plus, you always had beautiful eyes. Plus your boo…" Corel lightly punched him.

"I meant me. Not my appearance," she sighed. Joe chuckled as he rubbed his arm.

"How driven you were. How strong of spirit, and fearless," he listed off her good points with a smile as she beamed at him. Eventually, the pair arrived at the foot of Yggdrasil, where the small wooden carving of Veda sat looking back at them.

"Will you take that with you?" Corel asked. Joe thought about it for a moment before shaking his head.

"I don't think I will. I think she belongs here." Joe knelt down and gave the carving a light pat.

"Maybe we'll meet again someday, old friend." He pulled himself to his feet and turned. Corel stood gazing at him as the moons in her eyes started to bleed red. Joe smiled, and for the last time at Landradad, he and his bond shared one final, private moment together. Joe and Corel arrived at Heliopolis in the evening. They arrived by skyboat, as Joe decided to dismantle the teleport pad, and not leave it just out in the middle of the now-empty Landradad.

When his skyboat touched down in a section of the city designated for skyboat arrival, they were greeted by Kai, who flashed in beside them.

"About time you got here. We were starting to worry that you wouldn't arrive until tomorrow," Kai complained. Joe chuckled.

"Sorry. We got a little distracted… So. Where is everyone?" Joe asked.

"They are all waiting for you," Kai turned to Corel.

"Did you tell him?"

"Not yet," Corel said with a sneaky smile.

"Tell me what?" Joe asked, his gaze flipping between the pair.

"About the new house, I asked Kai to make for… Us," Corel emphasised the word us.

"You made us a house?" Joe's eyebrows shot up. He didn't need a house, thanks to his skill. But he was intrigued by what Kai had made for them.

"I did. Corel was also very insistent that I not tell you until she brought you here." Kai slapped Joe on the shoulder and gently placed a hand on Corel's.

"Let's go." They vanished, reappearing at the centre of the city, in the part dedicated to Kai, Sarah, Hakeem and the rest to live. Joe noticed three more houses close by that he had not seen before. But deciding he could ask about those another time, he focused on the large house before him, and the group of people emerging to greet them.

"Surprise!!" Everyone shouted as streamers and mini fireworks popped into the air. Everyone was there. Sarah, looking round and heavily pregnant. Hakeem and Vanessa. Shaznin and Nadine. Tevenny and crew. And also… Gao, Esha, Samira, a small baby, and a slim man whom he assumed was Samira's husband. He was also greeted by a small contingent of Voldura, including Varaiya and Eckia, who winked at him slyly. There were more faces, including the brats, Alice, and Felicia.

All in all, it was everyone he knew or was well acquainted with from one of the pillar cities. Everyone gathered here to share this moment with them. Joe almost choked up, but somehow kept himself together as he started to wave everyone over for a hug. It took a while for Joe to shake everyone's hand or share a hug. When he was done, Corel got into housekeeper mode and began showing everyone around the place. She showed off her new display of carvings. A bunch of paintings Felicia had done for them.

One particular picture drew Joe's attention, as he saw a familiar-looking farmer carrying a veiled woman in his arms. The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"Is that supposed to be me?" Joe asked as he gazed at the picture.

"What gave it away?" Felicia laughed.

"Corel wanted a picture of you carrying her through a field. What do you think?" Joe smiled.

"I like it. But carrying her piggyback might have been more appropriate. How am I supposed to fight with her in my arms?" Joe moved to the next picture, which depicted a scene of Joe and three women wandering across the plains of India.

"Holy shit. I remember that day. That was when we set out together in search of the first boss beast. Just after I met the three," Joe was truly surprised by the accuracy of the picture.

"Corel helped with that one. She viewed the memory from Esha's mind and passed it to me. So it should be pretty accurate to how it looked back then," Felicia explained. Joe turned to Corel.

"You can share other people's memories?" She nodded.

"Whoa," Joe continued.

"Now I'm a little jealous. You can't teach me how to do that, can you?" Corel shook her head.

"Maybe you could get Tevenny to teach you a skill to project your memories into other people."

"Wait… she can do that…" Felicia and Corel laughed at him. Joe didn't see what was so funny. He did not know either of them could do that. Once the tour was done, Samira walked up and gently placed her sleeping baby in a happy farmer's arms.

"This is Zakir, and this is my husband, Manoj," Samira beamed.

"He's so handsome," Joe said quietly as he gently poked at the sleeping Zakir in his arms.

"And it's good to finally meet you, Manoj." Joe gave Manoj a slight bow, trying not to jostle Zakir too much.

"Thank you, Joe. I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad we could finally meet," Manoj smiled and shook Joe's hand energetically, which immediately woke up Zakir, who was jostled from his arms by an annoyed Samira.

"Men," Samira complained, as she started to rock Zakir back to sleep. Joe noticed that Corel was staring wide-eyed at the baby, with one of those looks women took when they saw something they wanted… He was about to make a move, but Manoj grabbed his arm and dragged him toward a waiting Kai and Hakeem.

"Let's leave the women to deal with the baby. We have drinks to share," Manoj insisted.

"Drinks? Now that sounds like a great idea," Joe agreed. He was then led into a small room filled with comfortable couches, bookcases and a table filled with bottles of divine-looking alcohol. The four men sat down, and once drinks were poured, they began sharing stories of adventures and exploits. Hakeem finally got to fill Joe in about his success inside the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Joe sat back and listened intently as Hakeem told him of the adventures within, the battles and tasks.

And all the rewards they received at the end. All four also drank far too much alcohol, but no one had any complaints as the voices got louder and they all talked long into the night. At some point, the ladies joined them, Corel sitting on Joe's lap as he joyously told them about facing down PJ, his crazy time inside Uriel's gate and his epic escape from the jaws of death. He even told them about winning the last Star Shard. Which he pulled out for all to look at. All eyes were drawn to the magnificent item.

Eventually, Corel encouraged a very drunk Joe to put down the half-empty bottle in his hands and herded him into the last room he had yet to see. The master bedroom. Naturally, the bed was huge, big enough for at least ten bodies to lie down side by side. Joe just shook his head as Corel dragged him under the covers, and soon he fell into a dream-filled slumber. The next day, Joe found out that one of the new houses close by belonged to Esha and Gao, while the other belonged to Felicia.

Sarah had insisted they live close by, and they had not refused. Joe, though he was enjoying the reunion with his friends and the housing arrangements, was starting to feel a little bad. He knew the chances of his moving in were practically zero. But he had not told Corel that yet. He knew the system seedling would not let him go until it was finished with him. He tried to pull Corel aside at one point, but she stopped him, placing a finger over his lips.

"I know what you're going to say," Corel began.

"But don't. We will talk about it later." She never let him get a word in about it for the remainder of that day, as they ate and caught up with everyone. Putting aside all worries about the Multiverse and the uncertain future. Simply enjoying time with friends. Joe didn't realize how much he needed this time, and he wouldn't for quite a while. It was about two days later that Joe finally had some time to himself. He sat in the lounge of his and Corel's house, staring at his hand.

'Are you there?' Joe asked.

'Yes,' Uriel replied. Joe pulled out the black bar he had procured during his time inside her gate and twirled it around in the palm of his hand.

'What is this? I can't identify it, and I can't tell what it's made of,' Joe mused. It took a while before Uriel answered him.

'Nothing important. I just didn't want her getting it,' Uriel said. Joe knew she was lying. He just had a feeling, and the delay in her response cemented it. But he wasn't sure whether she was lying for a good reason or for another. There was still a lot he didn't know about Uriel. But he also didn't want to press her about it right now. He had too much on his mind to deal with as it was. He didn't need another secret distracting him. So he placed the bar back into his storage, and for now, he forgot about it.

He could almost feel something in the air. It almost felt like something was coming. So he took a deep breath and went in search of Corel. For a long overdue talk. Joe found Corel walking with Sarah near the flower field that held the monument to Sarah's lost daughter. He greeted both women with a smile. Sarah picked up on something in Joe's manner and was about to excuse herself to give them some alone time, but Joe stopped her.

"Before you go, Sarah. I just wanted to warn you," he pulled out the array disc and held it for her to see.

"I'm going to activate the transfer today. It's time."

"Today?" Sarah said in surprise.

"Is there anything else we need to do to prepare?"

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure the only things left are on the receiving end. And… the God of Eludia assured me she would handle that." Sarah's eyes widened slightly.

"I'll tell Kai and everyone to make the announcement. Everyone should be inside the city bubble… But give us an hour to lock down." Joe nodded as Sarah vanished. He had told her to prepare for a speedy departure as soon as the Star Shard competition began. So he had faith that she had gathered up everyone she could inside the megacity to ensure no one who didn't want to miss the teleportation did. He knew some people might complain and choose not to leave. But he could do nothing about that.

Sometimes, fate was better left in a person's hands to decide for themselves. That left him alone with Corel.

"Corel," Joe began.

"Are you ready to leave the integration?" Corel nodded, but her eyes held sadness.

"Are you coming with us?" she asked. Joe had been dreading this moment. This question. He closed his eyes, wishing he could say yes. Wishing he could just run away with her and forget this whole stupid integration. But of course, he once more was reminded of what little control he had over his own life as he felt the seedlings' presence lock onto him and Corel. Corel felt it too, and she involuntarily stepped back.

"Don't worry," Joe tried to assure her.

"It's not going to do anything." He took another deep breath, composing himself.

"I can't come with you, at least not yet. I still have one thing left to take care of," Joe couldn't meet Corel's stare, so he looked down at the ground. Corel roughly pulled his head back up and looked deeply into his eyes. His unhidden eyes. He stared into her moons, while she stared into his stars.

"I understand. I… knew this would happen. I was just trying to fool myself," she said in a whisper.

"I just hoped that… It was done. That it had something to do with the Star Shard."

"I wish that it were. I wish that so much," Joe said as he pulled her into a hug.

"Promise you'll come find me when it's over," Corel mumbled into his shoulder. He felt her whole body shudder. For a moment, Joe thought about lying, but that thought evaporated as Corel looked up at him.

"I promise I will do everything in my power to do exactly that," the words felt hollow as he knew that was not the answer she wanted to hear.

"Promise me!" Corel growled angrily. Joe opened his mouth. He thought about telling her everything. About what he knew was coming. About the Devourer. But as he was just about to do exactly that, he saw a mechanical eyeball float into his sight. Staring at him. In that gaze, he saw only death. The death of his friends. Death of the city. Death of Corel. So he shut his mouth and didn't say a single word. The eye vanished. It took all the strength he had to let go of his hug with Corel.

She held on for a few seconds more before she also let go.

"I have to go," he mumbled, turning.

"We will come for you. Rose and I. If you don't come, find us. We will come for you," Corel declared. A small piece inside Joe broke, and he fled. He vanished and made his way to the edge of the city. Joe sat outside the city bubble for one hour, like he had promised Sarah. Only when she flashed into view, waving at him, did he finally stand up. At her side was Corel. She said nothing. She didn't wave, she didn't nod. She just stared at him. Joe gave her one final wave, and he… changed his mind.

He ran to the edge of the bubble, walking inside for a brief moment, where he knew Corel could hear him.

"I, Joseph Caldwell, promise… That I will come to Eludia and find you, once I am done." As Joe's words rang through the air, Corel finally moved. She pulled the black ribbon, holding her braid from her hair and with a flick of her mana, she blasted it forward to land lightly on Joe's hand. He stared at the ribbon; it faintly smelled of her, and he smiled. The ribbon disappeared into his storage as he turned and exited the bubble.

He only walked a short distance from the edge of the city before he pulled out the array disc. He pressed the button to activate it, turned and threw it into the sky. The array flared as it began to activate and grow. Joe felt a pulse within Heliopolis, and his eyes widened in fear. What was that? He wondered. Did something go wrong? He saw a bright light far into the city; he saw Corel and Sarah both turn to look as a massive flame burst into the sky.

Joe gaped at it and thought about entering the city to investigate, but before he moved, he felt it. A heat washed over him, but it wasn't an angry flame; it was one of warmth. One strangely familiar. The flames in the sky above Heliopolis condensed into a bird, which shot toward him. Again, the vision felt oddly familiar as the bird… no. The phoenix flew out of the city and landed lightly beside him.

The phoenix looked like it was made of flames, but no heat washed out over Joe as he stared at the bird in confusion. The bird tilted its head at him and opened its beak, letting out a call into the sky. The sound was feminine and familiar… very, very familiar. Joe stared down at the bird, finally understanding why it felt so familiar. With a smile, he asked.

"Dawn? Is that you?" Dawn spread her wings and let out another call as she took to the skies and flew away. Her flames fluttered in the breeze. Joe watched her fly away, not understanding how she had become a phoenix, but understanding that it made sense. It also explained why he had been unable to stop the flames when she had… died. He raised a hand and hoped his old acquaintance would be okay.

A flash of light brought his attention back to the sky above Heliopolis, this time to the array disc that was now almost city-sized, as it floated in the sky above. It began to spin, and he knew it was almost time. He looked back into the city one last time. He met Corel's gaze, who was now smiling at him. She mouthed the words 'Good luck, my bond.' Joe smiled at her, and only then did he notice the figures at her side. He saw all of the ladies of Landradad, waving at him. He saw his friends waving at him.

His eyes scanned over all of them. He saw Alice and Felicia sitting on Bravo's back, waving. He saw Esha glaring at him, while Gao leaned on her shoulder as she gently rubbed at her belly. She gave him a smile that confused him for a second, almost like there was something hidden there. He saw the brats, waving avidly at him. He waved back. He saw Tevenny and her sister, waving at him. Tevenny also stood rubbing her belly, with a huge smile on her face.

Joe waved at everyone as the array disc in the sky began to pulse. Suddenly, almost violently, the entire city was encased in a bright light as the ground began to shake. Joe gave one last look at Corel, who shared a glance with Gao… with Tevenny… Joe took one last look at the two. Ladies of Landradad, rubbing their… slightly oversized bellies.

"Oh my go…." Joe never got to finish that sentence, as the last thing he remembered seeing was Esha glaring at him in anger. The city of Heliopolis vanished. Removed from Thropia. Removed from the integration.