Theus's name was like a spell. The moment it was spoken, the entire world seemed to freeze for an instant.
The distant sound of the tide vanished at once. The inexplicable force that had been casually toying with Hunter suddenly released him, and he fell from the air.
Yet Hunter was no longer the least bit panicked. At last, he cast aside all his worries and doubts, closed his eyes, and devoted himself wholly to chanting His name.
The enormous eye in the sky watched Hunter slowly fall, its gaze cold and indifferent. As he drifted farther away, cracks gradually appeared across the sky.
The next moment, countless fissures spread across the entire firmament. Who knew how many eyes stared fixedly at the world below from within those cracks, but moments later, they crumbled away into dust along with the collapsing sky.
Hunter did not look again. He only felt himself gradually descending, returning to the church. The Stellar Furnace's enormous steel body was still there, but it no longer filled him with fear.
Instead, it felt warm, like a fireplace in a Northern Territory winter.
It imprisoned all things twisted and indescribable within itself, blocked malicious gazes, and produced an endless supply of energy and power. For some reason, Hunter found it intimate and familiar.
This was His steel. This was His blessing. Castel was His kingdom.
The Stellar Furnace seemed to tremble, meeting his gaze for an instant.
It was as though a helpless soul had suddenly found something to rely on, and a lost heart had found its home. Hunter felt a comfort that spread from the inside out.
In an instant, he seemed to see countless silent yet burning souls dwelling within that steel, innumerable wills gathering to form Castel.
Hunter faintly came to an understanding.