Above the clouds of Asteria, two vast creatures soared through the sky.
One was flying ahead while the other chased closely behind, turning their journey across the vast horizon into something resembling a race.
They were Yuehua and Rio, now flying freely through the endless skies of Asteria.
Only a few miles away, a floating island drifted peacefully above the greenery below.
At the heart of the island rested an elegant table and chair.
Sitting there was a figure who seemed to embody perfect elegance.
Kyle quietly held a photo frame in one hand and a cup of tea in the other.
He took a slow sip while looking at the person in the photograph.
Amelia.
Behind his calm expression, sadness and other emotions fought within his mind.
Yet nothing showed on his face.
"Hahah! You can't catch me, Fenn!"
A childish voice suddenly echoed across the island.
Kyle turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
Meera was running across the island, with the large cat-like creature chasing after her.
"Meow!"
The two continued running around the island, their playful voices filling the otherwise peaceful surroundings.
Kyle watched them for a moment.
An unknown smile slowly formed on his lips.
He then raised his hand.
The photo frame in his other hand disappeared into thin air.
Kyle stood up from his chair and walked toward the edge of the island.
He raised one hand.
Three fingers.
Then two.
Then one.
Just as the last finger remained raised, a large gust of wind suddenly swept across the island.
The cause soon became clear.
Two enormous dragons appeared before him, flying toward the island at high speed.
It seemed their little race had come to an end.
One of the dragons, the crimson Western dragon, seemed to be sulking. It lowered its head, refusing to show its face while taking several heavy breaths after the race.
Meanwhile, the purple Eastern dragon looked completely proud, almost as if she were proudly announcing her victory.
"Yue won this time too, huh?"
Kyle's words seemed to embarrass the little dragon.
The crimson dragon immediately turned around and flew back toward the direction of their race track, seemingly starting another race without even saying a word.
Yuehua, however, remained where she was.
"Look at him go all by himself. Yue, go and give him some sense."
As if responding to his words, Yuehua let out a roar before flying after Rio.
"What a dutiful child."
Kyle smiled, feeling proud.
But his little mischievous duo quickly interrupted his peaceful moment with their own playful antics.
"Hahahaha!"
"Meow!"
"Well, at least there is one of them who actually listens."
Kyle sighed as he looked at the two.
His gaze then shifted toward the direction Rio had flown, where his silhouette could still be seen in the distance.
Kyle shook his head before turning toward the edge of the island.
Without stopping, he continued walking.
Then he stepped off the edge.
The moment he jumped from the floating island, his figure disappeared.
In the next instant, Kyle appeared before the World Tree.
For the past few days, Kyle had noticed something strange about Yggdrasil.
Ever since Rio's evolution, the World Tree had been changing little by little.
It wasn't growing in size.
At least, not in any way that Kyle could notice.
Instead, there seemed to be something happening within it.
Something he couldn't quite understand.
At first, he had ignored it, thinking it was simply another change caused by the evolution of a Divine Creature.
But the changes had continued.
And now that he was standing before Yggdrasil again, Kyle could clearly sense that something was different.
He looked up at the enormous tree.
"...Is it updating?"
Kyle wasn't even sure if that was the right word for what was happening.
But if CreatorMundi could evolve creatures...
Then perhaps the World Tree could change as well.
Kyle could feel that whatever was happening with the World Tree was affecting more than just Yggdrasil itself.
It was affecting Asteria.
He could feel it throughout his entire being.
The world was changing.
As for why...
Kyle could only assume one thing.
Whatever was happening to Yggdrasil was somehow causing these changes.
Kyle slowly raised his hand.
His fingers began moving in a circular motion.
And the world responded.
The sky slowly changed.
Day arrived.
A brilliant sun appeared above Asteria, illuminating the world beneath it.
Then came night.
The sun disappeared, replaced by a shining moon.
Then day.
Then night.
Again.
And again.
Kyle continued the motion.
The cycle repeated faster and faster, as though the world itself were being made to experience the passage of time.
Until finally—
Kyle stopped.
He lowered his hand.
Then snapped his fingers.
The moment he did, Yggdrasil began to radiate a brilliant golden light.
The light spread outward.
Across the land.
Across the skies.
Across the oceans.
Until the entirety of Asteria was submerged in gold.
And then...
Everything stopped.
The wind froze.
The clouds stopped moving.
The rivers became still.
Even the creatures of Asteria remained motionless.
Time itself seemed to have come to a halt.
Only Kyle could still move.
He slowly turned his gaze toward the World Tree.
For a long moment, he simply stood there.
He had created Asteria.
He had created Asteria.
He had given it life.
And now...
It was changing.
Kyle remained silent as he looked toward Yggdrasil.
For the first time, he wondered how much of this world still belonged to him—
And how much had already begun to belong to itself.
Kyle remained silent.
His eyes stayed fixed on Yggdrasil.
And within the stillness of the golden world...
Something was beginning to change.
The golden radiance slowly began to fade.
As it disappeared, the world began moving once again.
The wind flowed.
The clouds moved.
The rivers continued their course.
Everything returned to normal.
But Kyle suddenly turned his head.
His gaze shifted toward a distant part of Asteria.
There.
He could feel something.
Something unfamiliar.
It was faint, but unmistakable.
As if something was resisting the changes taking place within the world.
Kyle narrowed his eyes.
"...What was that?"
His gaze returned to Yggdrasil.
After a moment, he raised his hand.
A strange energy slowly gathered around the World Tree, covering its enormous form before gradually settling over it.
Kyle looked at it for another moment.
Then—
He tapped his right foot against the ground.
In an instant, his figure disappeared.
The next moment, Kyle appeared above Yuehua.
The purple dragon was still in the middle of chasing Rio, completely unaware of what had happened.
Yuehua's eyes widened when she suddenly noticed Kyle sitting on her back.
Rio also slowed down, looking back in confusion.
Kyle glanced at the two dragons.
"You two are coming with me."
Neither dragon had even gotten the chance to respond.
Kyle simply pointed toward the distant horizon.
Yuehua and Rio exchanged a confused glance.
Then, following Kyle's direction, they began flying toward the unknown part of Asteria.