In A Fantasy World I Can Absorbs Abilities

After Gwanghwi's soul was completely absorbed into Michael, Arabella's body fell limply to the ground, like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Her long black hair spilled over a pale face, clearly marked by an expression of pain beneath closed eyelids.

Alfred reached out with trembling hands, gently cradling Arabella in his embrace.

"Arabella..."

He raised a hand to gently stroke her cheek.

It had been so long since he'd felt this touch.

Her body was cold and her breathing faint, but she was still alive.

This lingering life was the aftermath left behind by Gwanghwi's soul passing through her.

Seeing this, Michael swiftly stepped forward.

"Grandfather! Quickly, take this."

In Michael's hand was the core essence extracted from Gwanghwi.

It looked as if someone had condensed a blazing sun into a handful.

The brilliant golden crystal pulsated slowly, swirling inside with an endless array of stars. It contained the essence, will, and power of a deity.

Michael carefully extended his hand, passing the crystal to Alfred. Alfred took it with profound gratitude.

"Thank you... If you had absorbed this completely yourself, you could have ascended straight to divinity."

For a mere mortal, abandoning the path to immortality wasn't an easy decision. Although Michael had never aspired to become a deity, Alfred himself had weathered countless storms over his long life.

Michael grinned nonchalantly, as though it were nothing.

"Well, congratulations, grandfather. You won't have to endure your tens of thousands of years of loneliness anymore!"

Alfred let out a hearty laugh.

"You cheeky brat. Still... thank you."

Alfred raised the core essence and gently placed it on Arabella's chest. Warm light spread over her cold skin, slowly taking hold.

The pulsating crystal, glowing as if alive, slowly absorbed into her chest, seeping towards her heart.

For a moment, every sound around them disappeared.

Soon, Arabella's eyelids started to quiver.

Her movements were slow, as if gradually surfacing from deep waters.

Alfred held his breath.

His hand reached out again to softly cup Arabella's cheek.

Her eyelashes trembled, and radiant crimson eyes finally emerged.

Her lips, silent for thousands of years, parted gently.

"Ka... Alfred?"

Her wide-open crimson eyes turned to the man she had loved for ages.

His deeply wrinkled face, his hands tough as tree bark—nothing remained of his youthful looks, yet he was undoubtedly the same person.

Arabella smiled.

It was a radiant smile, as if all the world's brightness had gathered in a single instant.

"You kept your promise. Thank you."

Michael rubbed the bridge of his nose, watching his grandparents embrace each other, shedding tears. He wasn't sure whether he should avert his eyes or quietly leave the scene altogether.

After some time had passed, Arabella staggered to her feet and approached Michael.

"You must be my grandson. You look exactly like me."

Michael stared at his resurrected grandmother. She bore a striking resemblance to his mother, whose portrait he'd seen long ago. Michael awkwardly averted his gaze from Arabella's mischievous expression.

"Oh? Are you shy? Ahaha, you're exactly like Alfred when he was young! Alfred, this boy may resemble me outwardly, but his personality is just like yours."

Alfred laughed, his face wrinkling deeply, and placed a hand on Michael's shoulder.

"Don't tease him too much, Arabella. He's embarrassed enough."

"It's just... so amazing to think I have such a grown-up grandson," Arabella replied with a bright, hearty laugh.

Her laughter was vibrant and carefree. One wouldn't believe she had once ascended to godhood, as she exuded an earthy and casual atmosphere.

Michael shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to react. The grandmother described by Alfred had always been noble and dignified—a goddess through and through. Yet, the woman standing before him now was playful and friendly, almost like an aunt from next door.

Perhaps people really were drawn to opposites after all.

"By the way... my daughter, Margaret... I suppose she's no longer with us?"

Arabella's face momentarily filled with sorrow. Her daughter, whom she had protected even while bearing the brunt of Gwanghwi's attack, had passed away so abruptly.

Yet, she managed a gentle smile.

"Still, she must have been happy, experiencing love and having a family before she passed. What about my son-in-law? What kind of man is he?"

Alfred grimaced slightly, thinking about his less-than-ideal son-in-law.

He didn't like a single thing about the man. From their very first encounter, he had disliked him—tall without purpose, constantly making mistakes, always sporting that silly grin. Clearly, Margaret's judgment had been impaired.

He recalled Margaret's wedding day—his clumsy entrance, moving both arms and legs awkwardly, banging his shin against the table and then pretending nothing had happened. Alfred struggled to hide the twitching corners of his mouth and gave a vague response.

"Well... He's alright, I suppose. But our daughter-in-law, Sophia, now she's truly remarkable."

Arabella clasped her hands together with a dreamy expression.

"How quickly time flies. To think that little child grew up, married, and had a child of her own. And I... missed it all."

Alfred comforted her gently.

"You can witness everything from now on."

"And Henry? What about him? Will he remember me? I heard he'd also been sealed away in ice for a very long time. Did he lose everything and have to live as a human?"

Alfred nodded without hesitation, knowing there was no point in lying.

"Yes. He's living exactly the life we had dreamed for ourselves."

Arabella smiled quietly.

How long and winding had their journey been just to achieve a normal human life?

Michael spoke cautiously, looking at the two of them.

"Well... You both must have a lot to talk about. I'll leave you to it. Marcus and Miaomiao must be waiting impatiently outside anyway."

And that was indeed the truth.

Michael had left Miaomiao and Marcus outside the barrier, concerned that the frenzied Gwanghwi might harm them in his fury. By now, they were probably anxiously wondering about what was happening inside.

Marcus was sobbing pitifully, pummeled repeatedly by Miaomiao's soft paws.

Well, to be precise, he was pretending to cry.

The sight of a massive dragon, almost completely blocking the cavern passage, covering its face with its forepaws and weeping dramatically while getting beaten by a tiny cat was quite something to behold.

[Why—why are you hitting me, Sister?]

Marcus, a divine beast himself, couldn't possibly be hurt by Miaomiao's gentle punches in her cat form. But knowing that Miaomiao's tail would perk up joyfully when he pretended pain, Marcus kept up the act of crying.

Unaware of his act, Miaomiao yanked Marcus's face scales and shouted furiously.

[Hold still! I have to punch somebody or I'll explode! How dare they leave us behind?! I'm so frustrated!]

Marcus grumbled inwardly.

Wouldn't it be better not to risk injury by staying outside? It wasn't as if revenge had to be exacted by his own paws.

Dragons might have a reputation for aggression, but that depended entirely on who they were up against.

Inside the barrier, the louder and more chaotic the noises became—explosions, surges of magical energy, blinding flashes of light—the more Miaomiao paced nervously atop Marcus's back. Her tail swished back and forth impatiently.

Marcus wasn't paying attention to what was happening inside. Instead, he was fully occupied managing Miaomiao's restless mood.

'Michael will handle the fight. Besides, Alfred is there too. What's there to worry about?'

Then—

[Ah! The laws of the world are changing! Michael and Alfred won!!!]

Miaomiao's eyes widened in excitement. Particles of shimmering light danced from the sky, and the flow of mana in the air noticeably shifted.

With a joyful cry, Miaomiao began vigorously rubbing herself against Marcus's scales. Already red, Marcus's scales turned an even deeper crimson.

Ever since hitting adolescence, Marcus found himself increasingly interested in Miaomiao.

Different species? What did it matter? They were both divine beasts, after all.

In the world of magical beasts, differences in species were trivial. Divine beasts could alter their size at will, and their fundamental energy was essentially the same.

Marcus gazed fondly at Miaomiao as she bounced around happily.

'Both of us have long lifespans. If I keep following her for a few thousand years… who knows?'

Unaware of Marcus's musings, Miaomiao was ecstatic.

[We did it! We won!!!]

A short while later, Michael appeared.

[Michael! Michael! What happened to Alfred and Arabella,?]

"The two of them reunited safely. They used the core essence."

Miaomiao nodded knowingly.

[Ah, I knew that would work.]

The core essence wasn't merely a crystallized lump of mana. It was the final fragment left behind by the most powerful ancient deity—the Sun Lord himself.

The Sun Lord had created the world using that fragment. Hence, it held the power to restore and reincarnate the soul of a deceased deity.

"Gwanghwi was foolish… He never realized the true nature of his own power. Had he understood it, he wouldn't have been defeated so easily."

Gwanghwi had been consumed by the blind pursuit of power through mere absorption, completely disregarding that the true essence of strength lay in order and creation.

From that moment onward, his body and soul had already begun to disintegrate.

Miaomiao nodded in agreement.

[Even so… without Alfred's sincere heart for Arabella, it still would have been impossible.]

Miaomiao was right.

Though the fragment left behind by the Sun Lord had the power to anchor souls, three critical conditions had to be fulfilled to manifest it into reality.

First was the intact soul of the deceased.

Arabella had died, but due to her powerful lingering attachment, regret, and bond with Alfred, her soul had not yet departed into the afterlife.

Second was a compatible bloodline.

Both Arabella and Alfred carried the ancient bloodline of gods. Indeed, most surviving royal families, knights, or sorcerers had some divine heritage.

Third, and most importantly, genuine emotion and enlightenment.

The Sun Lord's fragment never responded to calculated rituals or ceremonies—only to true emotions and pure spiritual insight.

Alfred had genuinely wished for Arabella's soul to return, and Arabella herself had maintained her enlightenment even after death.

Michael was moved deeply, admiring his grandparents' infinite love, sacrifice, and self-cultivation.

'They truly deserve such a happy ending.'

His gaze shifted toward Marcus, whose eyes sparkled while staring intently at Miaomiao. She still seemed oblivious, but everyone in the castle already knew Marcus's feelings.

Michael gave a small, knowing smile.

'Well… even grandmother didn't like grandfather from the start. Marcus might still have a chance. If he keeps showing sincerity over a few thousand years... who knows?'

Watching the two, another face came to his mind.

Leaving his grandparents behind the barrier whispering words of love, Michael stepped out of the cave.

Astrid. He missed her.