The Empyreal Gem Master

The freezing winds that seemed capable of cutting skin didn't bother Alexander nor his Minions much due to their tremendous life force.

This allowed them to be much more observant of everything occurring as apart from the heavy storm of snow that was obscuring their views, some things still remained clear.

Like the massive upside-down crystalline obsidian mountain in the distant skies.

Anastasia floated in the skies as she rubbed her eyes with confusion, taking multiple glances at this terrifying obsidian mountain.

Her eyes showed a disconnect and disbelief of something that couldn't at all be real as she called out amidst the storm.

"Sis Vishpala, that mountain…"

Her voice drew the somber gaze of Vishpala forward as she also gazed towards the crystal mountain.

Initially, she also stared at it blankly, but as the seconds passed…

"Huh?"

Her eyes showed incredulity.

Both her gaze and the gaze of Anastasia expressed one thing.

Recognition.

Alexander saw their exchange as his gaze became somber as well, asking lightly.

"You both recognize that mountain?"

…!

In their stupor, Anastasia was the one to answer dazedly.

"That…that looks almost exactly the same as the Tenebrous Crystal Mountain of our World. Of Ornis. It is a danger zone where even Beast Lord can perish, but rare Ability Gems are known to condense within it as it is frequented by Beast Kings seeking more power. But…why…"

Why.

Why would something that looked exactly like the Tenebrous Crystal Mountain of the world that the Peacock Lineage stemmed from be here?

Was it just something that looked alike, or was it the actual Mountain?

The implications of these questions were terrifying!

"It's impossible...it cannot be. Ornis is a few hundred thousand miles away from this World of Ephesus. It can't be…"

Vishpala vehemently shook her head in disbelief.

But they couldn't deny the appearance of the mountain far ahead, and the storm around them only became more intense!

"Gather and miniaturize."

The command came from Alexander as his Minions all came close, landing on a single leaf platform that also closed into a flower.

Energeia burned freely from Alexander as moments later, a small opening was made on the Closed Flower Platform he and his Minions were in, vines growing out of this opening and forming a passage towards another Closed Flower Platform.

The massive tree he had nurtured now held dozens of massive flower platforms that had thousands of Gem Masters and Unawakened Humans within.

Thousands.

At most, they may have reached a bit less than 50,000 Humans in total who were saved above those near the wall and in the immediate vicinity.

50,000.

Out of a few million.

The mortality rate was utterly catastrophic as Alexander didn't even want to think about Anan, any other Mortal Branch Fortresses, or the Ascendant Strongholds.

The number of deaths today…would be incalculable as they could only imagine the horror that must be occurring all over Ephesus!

Within a few seconds, the vines had finished forming a pathway as Alexander, followed by Claire and Azazel, walked across it to go into another Closed Flower Platform.

Inside, the ashen figures of the two Branch Leaders could be seen as they consoled grieving Gem Masters.

Branch Leader Julius gazed towards Alexander as his eyes seemed to have aged decades in a short period of time.

How could they not?

He was responsible for the lives of millions, and today, he could only watch as a catastrophe befall them as he couldn't do anything!

He looked at his son blankly as he then looked around him.

The unfathomable scene of a massive tree and leaves that closed in to protect them.

Even though he didn't understand it, he voiced it out to his son.

"Thank you."

And…

"...How many?"

He wanted to know.

How many were able to be saved?

Alexander looked at his father with complex emotions before he voiced out with a sense of regret.

"Less than 50,000."

…!

The gazes of all those here turned even darker as some Gem Masters couldn't help but sob!

Yet none of this mattered to the raging storms and land outside.

As a few thousand people were protected by Alexander within thick vines, changes continued to bloom all across Ephesus.

Alexander looked at the forlorn figures of his father as he sighed internally, his emotions being kept much stronger and stable by his Enneagram even though he felt the same sense of loss and pain as all of them!

"Rest in here for now, and be ready. I will check on the changes occurring outside as if and when they're done...it may not be the same world we know greeting us. Prepare."

He spoke towards his father and others before he turned around, going towards the pathways of vines he had made as he created an opening in the middle of this path- an influx of extremely cold air and snow instantly buffeting in as he rose upwards.

Instantly, Claire, Anastasia, and Vishpala followed before the opening closed moments later.

Coming out into the world outside after just a few minutes passed…somehow many things felt foreign as the temperature was below freezing!

Alexander went to the highest point of the massive tree he nurtured, which was over 400 Meters, with dozens of intricate thick branches and trees connecting everything being seen.

At the very top, a stalk of verdant green opened as he came to stand on it, the figures of Claire, Anastasia, and Vishpala coming to stand beside him as they squinted their eyes at the influx of snow all around them!

Inside that short period of time.

The Nurtured Tree that was atop the shattered walls of Carthage now seemed to be over 20 miles away, and the massive multicolored mountain that rose from the center of Carthage seemed much further away.

The land continued to expand!

At the same time…

"AWOOO!"

Amidst the raging winds.

Amidst the storms of cold that could cut the skin of weaker Gem Masters.

"Are those...roars?"

Claire shuddered and hugged her shoulders with a sense of fear as truly, they began to hear howls and roars from the distant mountain that only seemed to be getting larger and larger!