"You all need not be so formal—act as you normally would."

  "Thank you, Lady Terra."

  With her permission, everyone dropped their respectful postures.

  "Goddess Mother! Did you come here for something?"

  Semiris asked eagerly.

  Terra nodded gently.

  "Yes, I have a matter to discuss with you today."

  Terra slowly walked to the cliff edge, and everyone’s eyes followed her.

  "That is the tribe you saved......"

  She then turned back to Aurora.

  "Aurora, you did well to save them."

  Aurora shook her head dejectedly.

  "No...... Lady Terra, we did not do well. If we had arrived sooner, so many lives would not have been lost......"

  Terra looked at Aurora quietly.

  "Aurora, you are a kind child......"

  She then glanced at the others.

  "And so are the rest of you. Your existence has given them a glimmer of hope for the future, have you not?"

  "Lady Terra, I......"

  "Aurora, do you wish to help them, to prevent such tragedies from happening again?"

  "Yes, Lady Terra......"

  "I feel the same. Seeing you all has given me an idea."

  Terra’s gaze swept over everyone slowly.

  "Avery, Aurora, Scherfil, Ogrum, Sylph, Galamand, and Winnie—"

  Her eyes finally settled on Hulim.

  "I wish to ask you to join forces and help me shelter the intelligent races of this world."

  "The seven of us...... joining forces?"

  Confused, everyone looked at Terra.

  "That’s right, the power of the seven of you......"

  "Do you know," Terra began to explain, "there are countless tribes suffering like that one across the world."

  "They lack the strength to protect themselves, and can only accept destruction when disaster strikes."

  "Intelligent races are the future of this world. Only when they thrive can Himmler flourish. As long as they remain adrift in this world, Himmler’s tomorrow will be delayed......"

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  "And the seven of you—you are the pinnacles of the seven elemental affinities in this world. No one in Himmler can surpass you in your respective domains. I want you, these seven apex beings, to form—the Seven Sage Stars."

  "The Seven Sage Stars?"

  "Yes. Like seven stars, you will guide the intelligent races of this world. Only the seven of you, as Elemental Lords, can accomplish such a task......"

  "So," Terra said earnestly, "will you lend me your strength?"

  Everyone looked at each other.

  Then they nodded in unison.

  "We will!"

  "Huh? Goddess Mother! Goddess Mother! What about Semiris? Semiris wants to be a star too!"

  It suddenly dawned on Semiris—she hadn’t been included......

  She stared at Terra with longing eyes.

  "Goddess Mother, Semiris wants to join too~!"

  Terra looked at her and smiled gently.

  "This mission is not yet suitable for you, Semiris."

  "Huh—, why not? Semiris wants to do it too!"

  "Haha," Sylph laughed loudly, "Semiris, you’re still too young! Little ones can’t handle such things~!"

  "Hmph—"

  Semiris puffed out her cheeks in anger.

  "Semiris is not a little kid! Semiris is not younger than you!"

  "It’s not about your age—it’s about your mindset. See? This is exactly why you’re like a child~!"

  "But......"

  "Being like this, you’re just like our little sister."

  "Huh......?"

  "Yes, that’s right. Semiris is our little sister."

  "A little sister, that’s nice!"

  "Little sister."

  "......"

  "This lord agrees. Little sister—from now on, this lord is your elder brother!"

  "Hey, who do you think you are? If you’re the elder brother, what are we?"

  "Who cares about you?"

  "Hah?! What did you say......"

  Watching this scene, a knowing smile suddenly appeared on Hulim’s face.

  But she knew this smile was a projection from a distant memory.

  "The Seven Sage Stars......"

  Is this the memory hidden within the Philosopher's Stone......

  The scene before her gradually faded.

  Everything blurred and grew faint. Hulim was not surprised—she just waited silently......

  In the blurred vision.

  Time raced by.

  Stars rotated, seasons cycled back and forth.

  Flowers bloomed and withered; seedlings sprouted into towering trees, which then withered and fell, becoming soil for new seedlings.

  Rivers changed course; wastelands turned into forests, forests into grasslands, grasslands into deserts, and deserts were finally covered in green again.

  At the center of the illusory scene.

  The once tree-dwelling tribe continued to grow.

  Eventually, they moved to the ground and built a concentrated village.

  That village, like a spark, carried the budding civilization to all corners of the world.

  Villages began to emerge everywhere.

  In the blink of an eye, villages made of wood and thatch turned into towns of stone and tile.

  The world’s first city was born......

  The blurred vision solidified again.

  Everything returned to reality.

  It was as if Hulim had woken from a long dream—she found herself in the city before her.

  Ancient and simple in style, with plain streets, simple houses, and even the people wearing plain white clothes.

  This was the era.

  The unknown age of budding civilization, lost in the river of history.

  Under the protection of the Seven Sage Stars—seven powerful beings—the intelligent races finally gained a glimmer of hope in the cracks of the Chaotic Era.

  "This is the second memory node......"

  Hulim had long since figured out her situation.

  She was trapped in Winnie’s memory illusion. Only by experiencing all these preserved memories in full could she possibly leave this world.

  "Then, first I need to figure out where I am now."

  ......

  ......

  Before her was a neat street paved with white stone slabs, simple in style.

  On both sides were houses built of white stone—small, single-story bungalows. Looking far ahead, the city’s walls were visible at a glance.

  It was such a simple town.

  Its scale might not even match Mentor Town, yet it was the most prosperous place in the world right now......

  "Lady Winnie......"

  "It’s Lady Winnie, the Water Sage Star......"

  Passersby cast admiring glances at her.

  "Lady Winnie~!"

  Several children even ran over, surrounding Hulim with bright eyes.

  "Lady Winnie, what kind of monster did you subdue today? Tell us, tell us~!"

  "Hmm, how should I put this......"

  "Hey—! You kids, don’t bother Lady Winnie!"

  Two Ancient Elf guards, holding spears, walked over, wanting to drive the children away from Hulim.