Prime Originator

The Gaia Civilization expanded and lived in the void outside of planet Gaia during their most prosperous era. Remnants of their interstellar age could ever be observed in the high heavens above, day and night.

The debris ring orbiting planet Gaia was none other than their ruins.

After Duna received Leon's answer, she realized this.

"If these mutants came from the orbiting debris in the void, how did they get here? And of all places, hide underground?" Duna asked. 

Undoubtedly, she believed falling at high speed from the void would kill any life the debris carried with them.

Leon shook his head and said helplessly, "I don't know. We can only find out in the future whether my speculation is true or not."

"I suppose." Duna shrugged.

Shortly after, Leon and Duna passed through the short passageway they came from and returned to the Heart of Spring Chamber. 

However, Duna suddenly noticed Leon pausing his steps before asking, "Why did you stop? You still have something to do back there?"

"Not really. I'm just going to seal this place. Give me a moment," Leon said before waving his hand at the passageway. 

The earth quickly broke apart and collapsed the passageway before Leon clenched his hand, compressing the collapse rubbles and reinforcing the blockade with earth manipulation. 

"Alright, I'm done." Leon patted his hands before saying, "I guess it's also time for you to go." 

"Go? Go where?" Duna asked while raising her eyebrow in confusion. 

Leon smiled wolfishly at her before stating as a matter of fact, "Back inside the Worldspace, of course." 

"What? Why do I have to hole back in there?" Duna asked unhappily with a frown. 

Leon shrugged, "It's too troublesome to explain to the others about your sudden appearance and existence in and of itself." 

"Oh. I. See." Duna furrowed for a moment before smiling sweetly at Leon. 

Seeing her smile, Leon smiled back, "Great, I will let you out l—"

"I guess it's not as troublesome as growing new herbs after I wreck your herb garden, eh?" Duna spoke casually, but her threatening undertone was clear. 

"Uh..." Leon froze. 

Shortly after, he rubbed his forehead with distress before saying wryly, "On second thoughts, you can stay outside."

"That's what I thought." Duna nodded with a smug look. 

Leon flashed her a helpless glance before asking, "How's your hand?" 

Duna's smug look disappeared with her antagonizing attitude before waving her fair hand to Leon.

"As you can see, it's all better now... thanks to your Pseudo-Grandmist Energy." She added at the end.

"That's good." Leon nodded. 

Seeing that Faelyn have yet to enter the Heart of Spring Chamber, he spoke, "Let us head back up--"

Boom! 

The sealed passageway behind them burst open with flying rubbles after suddenly being struck with immense force. 

In that split instance, Leon instinctively reached out and pulled Duna into him before they were blown away from the blast together. 

His body shielded Duna from the flying rock bullets that struck his back repeatedly before they tumbled on the ground and slammed into the wall on the other end of the Heart of Spring Chamber.

Duna's eyes were wide open while gazing at Leon before they quickly shifted to the passageway behind the waterfall, trying to locate the assailant.

"Are you alright?" Leon asked after bringing them back to their feet and patting the dust off his clothes. 

"I should be asking you that. You shielded me with your body and took the brunt of the force." Duna peeled her gaze away from the exposed passageway to study his body's condition with a frown.

"I'm fine—" Leon suddenly coughed up blood before he could finish speaking, causing Duna to gaze at him more sternly. 

"How is this fine? You're coughing up blood!" 

"Don't worry about it. My organs are just a bit shaken." Leon wiped the blood on the corner of his lips before saying solemnly, "More importantly, what attacked us?" 

His efforts in sealing the passageway were easily blown apart with little-to-no resistance in a single shot. Whatever attacked them was undoubtedly strong.

Hearing Leon's question, she immediately return her gaze on the dust-covered passageway with seriousness. 

"I'm not sure. I didn't get a good look." She said.

Leon activated divine sense to peer into the dust-covered passageway while placing a hand on his chest and healing his internal injuries with Wood Energy. 

At the same time, his Wood Energy was replenished from absorbing the rich Wood Essence in his surroundings.

Suddenly, Leon's eyes narrowed as a shadow shot out from the passageway before the dust cloud settled. 

Bam!

Leon immediately received the figure's claw attack with his summoned bone spear before his eyes widened at the excessive force blowing him away. 

"Leon!" Duna cried as Leon slammed back into the wall behind them again. She immediately blasted a wave of destruction at the enemy. 

However, the enemy was extremely fast and managed to evade her attack at point-blank range before retreating far away after sensing the fatal threat in her Law of Destruction.

It was another mutant. 

However, unlike the previous mutants, this one had the most humanoid appearance. Yet, it was also the most powerful one Leon and Duna had encountered!

"We need to leave quickly! This space is too narrow to fight it!" Leon stated before coughing up more blood. 

"How are you faring?" Duna asked while supporting him as they headed for the vine staircase to escape from the Heart of Spring Chamber together.

"My body is fine, but my inner organs are not," Leon replied with a frown before spurting more blood from his mouth. 

His inner body was far too weak and fragile! 

He needed to quickly consolidate his viscera if he was going to battle physically strong opponents in the future!

"What? That doesn't even make sense!" 

"It makes perfect sense!" Leon asserted. 

Duna quickly sent out another destruction wave before the strong mutant got close, forcing it to evade and retreat once more. 

However, the destruction wave landed on the Heart of Spring Chamber wall, disintegrating a portion of the woody wall and caused the Elder Tree to rumble in anguish as the entire space shook!

Everyone outside was immediately alarmed.