Ande silently stroked the puppet in his arms, feeling somewhat grateful. If not for this parting gift, he would have likely been unable to avoid the disaster that blotted out the sky and sun.
Perhaps for a true Fourth Order Wizard, a flood that didn't involve extraordinary powers wouldn't be much of an issue. They could easily traverse The Sky, as long as they avoided the children of the Sea God and the powerful Sea Monsters, they wouldn't face any real danger. But Ande was different.
After all, he was just a half-baked practitioner who had trained in "Inner Strength" but knew no combat "moves." He could still pretend to be strong to deter the beasts, but against towering waves, Ande was out of options. In the end, it was only by using his mental power to stimulate the puppet left by Laine and briefly awaken its divine charm that he was able to survive the catastrophe.
However, he could no longer use the puppet for now. Ande did not truly have the right to wield it. Fortunately, the disaster had also ended, and no other danger seemed likely to descend in the short term.
After scanning his surroundings, Ande turned towards the hole he had climbed out of and shouted:
"The disaster has passed, everyone come up. We have almost used up our food reserves, and we need to gather more as soon as possible."
Indeed, Ande hadn't hidden away alone. When the disaster struck, he, being inherently kind, had sheltered every panicked and helpless member of the Bronze Humanity, regardless of whether they knew each other or not, or whether their relationships had been good or bad.
When the flood came, Ande had used the power of the puppet to protect everyone. Even when hiding underground, he had taken charge of distributing food to all. Now, as the disaster was nearing an end, he had taken the lead in arranging for everyone to take turns digging upwards, and he had volunteered to be the first to emerge onto the surface. He knew it was dangerous, but Ande still stepped up.
"...the outcome has been good, since we haven't found ourselves being watched by Sea Monsters upon first discovery, he deity behind the disaster likely hasn't noticed our survival. Or perhaps it did notice but didn't care about us."
After the tapping from the hole below received a response, Ande turned back and continued to observe his surroundings. He didn't know how far he had been moved by the flood or where he had been buried again—the puppet's power had kept them safe, but it didn't include a map and directions.
Behind him, the sounds of climbing and scraping started, but Ande did not look back. He had assigned the second person to climb up as the strongest one in their group, not only responsible for getting himself out but also for widening the hole.
With a gentle smile, Ande continued to survey the surroundings. By the position of the Sun, he could roughly confirm that he was still near the Aurora Plains.
This was knowledge of astrology. Mr. Laine had mentioned it in passing, but he remembered it clearly.
"The gods won't care about us few who slipped through the net. Besides, we don't intend to walk as Bronze Humanity anymore... As hard as it may be to accept, let's leave the past era behind us. Let's build a new settlement together and live well in this world." Your journey continues with m-vl-em|p-yr
"Besides, I still have the gift left by Mr. Laine. Trust me, we'll be fine."
Ande once again stroked the puppet he had placed against his chest. This was indeed the most legendary chapter of his life. Being in the presence of the gods, learning various magical knowledge from their mouths, and receiving such a gift—mission and hope arose in him.
He intended to lead the people he had saved to survive and develop a truly immortal civilization. Especially once he made the breakthrough to "Legendary," truly possessing the ability to use the puppet, he believed all problems could be solved.
Even without women, unable to procreate, he believed he could still find a way.
"That's wonderful, Sir Ande, you are truly kindhearted."
Lost in his thoughts, Ande heard Kolon's voice. He smiled, planning to turn around and help the remaining people climb out from the hole.
"No problem, after all, the people behind should—"
Hisss—
The smile froze on his face as Ande's left hand in his embrace felt as if it had touched something sharp. Pain shot through his chest, and he found it hard to breathe.