The explosion lasted only an instant.
Its aftermath, however, lingered for a long time.
Even after the explosion, many Black Tide Fish stubbornly swam toward the place where Alfonso had been.
But they were soon swallowed by the billowing black mist and never emerged again.
Thanks to Alfonso's sacrifice, the pressure on the Defense Zone eased considerably. Some Wizards who had been on the verge of collapse finally had a chance to catch their breath.
But Thor knew it wasn't over yet.
Although Alfonso's self-destruction had killed most of the Black Tide Fish surrounding him, some had survived on the outskirts. As the black mist gradually faded, they were no longer obsessed with Alfonso and turned toward the Red Sea Trees, drawn by the excessive Black Tide Pollution there.
The enemies were simply fewer and weaker than before.
The injured Wizards finally had a chance to rest.
But Thor never left the Red Sea. He remained at the very center of the battlefield, continuing to treat the Pollution of every Wizard who came to him.
By now, he was surrounded by an unknown number of Fate Lines belonging to Wizards he had treated. They happily clustered around him, acting very affectionate.
Thor knew, however, that the influence of these Fate Lines couldn't make him lead the Wizards in question in rebelling against the Judgment Court. Still, at the right moment, they could become an asset to him.
Some observant people had already noticed that ever since Alfonso's self-destruction, Thor had been treating everyone with only his left hand.
His right hand remained tightly clenched.
Every so often, he would lower his head to look at his palm.
What Thor was looking at was a pearl.
It was ordinary in appearance, not very large, and not particularly round.
Yet it still