"I went to the central avenue of the Federer District a week ago. There were definitely no statues there, and there's no way something that massive could be built in just a week."
"What are you trying to say?"
"I suspect that Ethereal statue is real—someone might've sealed a powerful Ethereal using stone."
"No way. Who could control stone? Among the five attributes, there's no such thing as stone."
"Man, you're way out of the loop. You seriously haven't heard? Officer Seth from the Public Security Bureau has mastered the Geo attribute."
"They say it was that divine statue on Main Street that granted Seth the power of Geo!"
"I thought nobody paid attention to that statue. Turns out it's incredible. I used a portable observation device on it. The closer you get, the lower the Ether concentration and activity. Right at the base of the statue, both drop to zero…"
"When I went to Center Street last week, there was no statue at all. So just like the Ethereals, the statue must have appeared out of nowhere."
"Remember during that fight? We saw a golden light in the sky far away. That statue gives off the same soft golden glow, and it feels warm…"
"That statue also heals. I lay at its base for an hour, and most of my injuries were gone…"
"I've tried it too, but it only works on minor wounds…"
...
Gradually, the people emerging from the Hollows began to realize the statue's significance.
It disperses Ether, suppresses Hollows...
It heals injuries...
It grants humans a new attribute—Geo...
It brings warmth and comfort...
They had never seen anything like it.
At that moment, not far from the crowd, Zhu Yuan, Qingyi, and Seth sat in a patrol car, listening to the commotion.
They'd been out of the Hollows for over an hour, and upon learning that Sam Li, Soldier 11, Anby, and the others had made it out safely, they all felt a wave of relief.
Then, sitting in the passenger seat, Qingyi turned to Seth with curiosity. "Alright, tell us—how exactly did you gain the power of Geo?"
Seth answered seriously, "Like I said, I was facing a swarm of Ethereals and felt completely hopeless. I thought, if only I were as strong as Captain Zhu Yuan or Senior Qingyi, I could defeat them… I longed for greater power to take them down. That's when the divine statue granted me the power of Geo."
Even Qingyi couldn't help but be impressed.
In all her years, she had never seen anything like it—someone receiving the Geo attribute from a statue.
Thinking about Geo power brought Sam Li to mind.
Mr. Sam Li from Hare's House, the first person known to possess Geo power—had he also encountered a divine statue in a Hollow?
Just then, Seth seemed to remember something. He quickly pulled a gemstone from his waist. "Check this out. The statue didn't just give me Geo power—it gave me this beautiful gem too."
Qingyi and Zhu Yuan both looked over. In Seth's hand was a gemstone glowing faintly with golden light.
It was beautiful.
Qingyi took the gem and immediately felt a gentle warmth. She examined it closely for a moment.
Then she suddenly said, "Sam Li's birdcage has similar markings."
Zhu Yuan asked in confusion, "Senior Qingyi, did you find something?"
Holding up the gem, Qingyi said, "Look at these patterns. They're just like the ones on Sam Li's birdcage. Could it be that his birdcage was also a gift from a statue?"
According to Seth, this golden gem was the source of his Geo power.
That suggested the source of Sam Li's power could be that birdcage he always carried.
That would explain a lot.
No wonder Sam Li never let go of it.
Seth shook his head. "No way. I think Sam Li probably has a gem just like this."
Qingyi chuckled. "Or maybe that birdcage of his is just one big gem."
Seth was speechless. "There's no way it's that huge…"
Zhu Yuan said seriously, "We'll just ask him next time we see him."
It wouldn't be long before they did.
Sam Li had taken part in the recent operation and helped New Eridu officials solve a major issue. The Public Security Bureau, Defense Army, Hollows Special Operations Department, and even the Hollows Investigation Association all planned to commend him.
That would be the perfect time to invite Sam Li back to the Bureau for an interview.
At that moment, Zhu Yuan's phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at it—it was a message from the Chief.
Seth immediately asked, "What is it, Captain Zhu Yuan? Did someone take advantage of the Hollow disaster to commit a crime?"
Zhu Yuan shook his head. "The Chief wants us to head back."
Qingyi sighed, "The Hollows have barely faded and the Chief is already calling. I wonder if it's for a celebration or just another meeting."
Seth blinked. "Whoa, that was smooth…"
Zhu Yuan: "…"
Without another word, Zhu Yuan started the patrol car and drove toward the Janus District branch office.
...
That night, as darkness fell, emergency meetings were held by the Public Security Bureau, Defense Army, Hollows Special Operations Department, Hollows Investigation Association, and other agencies.
The main topics were the sudden appearance of the divine statue in the Hollows and the newly discovered Geo attribute.
And it wasn't just the New Eridu government.
Posts discussing the Hollow disaster and the statue were popping up on forums like the Public Forum.
Some were predicting that the statue would bring sweeping changes to New Eridu.
In fact, the statue's influence wasn't limited to this one city. Deep in the universe, its appearance had already begun affecting another world.
A wondrous continent governed by seven elements.
At this very moment, in a mysterious great nation in the continent's east...
As the earth veins shifted, a colossal being slowly opened its eyes, awakening from deep underground.
"Morax…"
"A thousand years of hatred—how will it ever be repaid…"
The moment it awakened, the massive figure let out a thunderous roar.
It wanted to break the seal and return to the surface to face its ancient enemy, but with its powers drained, it couldn't shatter the binding.
Suddenly, it sensed a disturbance in the earth veins. Turning back, it found that a new branch had formed—creating a crack in the once-solid seal.
"Morax... it's time to settle everything."
With those words, the colossal form lunged into the newly-formed branch of the earth vein—and at last, shattered the seal.
...