Chapter 25: The Weight of Victory Part 1: The Storm After The Battle Three days had passed since the fall of the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel. The world did not know what had truly happened. To ordinary people... It was only an unimaginable natural disaster. A terrifying storm appeared above the ocean. A typhoon stronger than anything recorded before swept across the sea. The waves reached the sky. The clouds turned black. The ocean that had always been calm became a place of destruction. News channels around the world continued reporting the disaster. "An unprecedented typhoon has formed over the eastern ocean region." "Multiple countries have experienced extreme weather conditions." "China has suffered massive flooding in several areas." "Many coastal regions have been damaged." "Large numbers of animals have died due to the disaster." Adrian sat silently in front of the screen. The room was quiet. Only the sound of the news continued playing. His eyes remained fixed on the images. Flooded cities. Destroyed roads. People searching for their families. Animals trapped by the rising water. The world only saw a disaster. But Adrian knew the truth. That storm was created by him. By the final collision between Emperor's Judgment and the Primordial Garuda's last power. The battle had ended. But the consequences continued spreading. Adrian lowered his eyes. For the first time in a long time... He felt powerless. Not because he lacked strength. But because there was something strength could not easily fix. The image appeared in his mind again. The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel. The broken floating islands. The fallen Garuda warriors. The ancient elders who chose death instead of surrender. The old warriors who fought until their bodies collapsed. The final expressions of those who protected their homeland. And... The cries. The cries of the children. The cries of the women who survived. Those voices had remained inside his mind. No matter how much he tried to ignore them. They returned. Again. And again. Adrian closed his eyes. He had taken thousands of lives. He had destroyed a civilization. He had protected the Naga clan. But... Was that enough? Was protecting one race worth destroying another? A strange feeling appeared in his heart. A feeling he had not experienced for countless years. Doubt. In his previous life... Aetherion, the Immortal Emperor, never hesitated. Enemies were enemies. Threats were eliminated. The universe feared his name because he never showed mercy. But Adrian Voss was different. He remembered the faces. He remembered the voices. He remembered the fear. His hand slowly tightened. "Am I becoming him again?" The question appeared silently. Not spoken. Only inside his mind. The strongest Immortal Emperor. The existence who stood above countless beings. Aetherion. Or... Adrian Voss. The current life he had built. The person who still felt pain after victory. The person who could not ignore the suffering left behind. Adrian looked outside the window. Dark clouds covered the sky. Rain continued falling. Myanmar was also experiencing abnormal weather. The storm had affected the entire region. He stood up. The exhaustion in his body was obvious. The battle against the Garuda ancestor had consumed too much power. But he still moved. Because there was something he had to do. He could not stop the entire storm immediately. The energy released from the battle had already merged with nature. However... He could protect the land where he lived. Adrian stepped outside. The sky above him was covered with clouds. He looked upward. Then he disappeared. ... Above the clouds. Adrian floated silently. Below him was Myanmar. His homeland. The place where his current life began. The place where Adrian Voss was born. He raised his hand. The power inside his body moved. But this time... It was not a technique for destruction. Not a sword technique. Not an attack. A massive formation began forming. Countless symbols appeared across the sky. Ancient formation patterns spread over thousands of kilometers. The formation connected with the atmosphere. It guided the energy. Controlled the pressure. Stabilized the weather. This was not something created for battle. This was protection. Adrian continued forming the formation. Hours passed. His face became pale. His energy continued decreasing. The battle had already exhausted him. Yet he continued. Because he remembered the Garuda children. Because he remembered their tears. He did not want to see the same scene happen again. The final formation was completed. A massive invisible barrier covered the skies above Myanmar. The rain slowly weakened. The unstable clouds began dispersing. Adrian remained floating above the clouds. Silent. Exhausted. He looked at the formation. Then he let out a quiet breath. "At least..." "This place will be safe." But even after protecting millions of people... The emptiness inside his heart remained. The cries of the Garuda survivors still echoed. Adrian turned around. The flying ship appeared. He entered silently. For the first time since his memories awakened... He did not want to cultivate. He did not want to fight. He only wanted silence.