Footprints

Gilan urged the spiritual boat toward shore at top speed.

He leaped down, setting foot once more on the tidal flats of the Land of Gods.

Yet from the instant he landed, the night sky abruptly vanished, replaced by a clear, sunny day.

It was as though the world had changed in the blink of an eye.

Gilan looked ahead and saw blue skies, white clouds, and endless clear weather. But in the distance was not the forest he had seen before, but an immeasurable grassland.

The wind swept through, making the knee-high grass sway and rustle. It gave off a lonely, empty, and inexplicably eerie feeling.

"An unknown change has occurred in the 'Lower Layer' region..."

Gilan murmured.

Through his studies under Madam Macara, he had gained a deeper understanding of the Land of Gods.

The area where he had just come ashore was part of the Lower Layer's boundary, known as the Blurred Zone.

The Blurred Zone was not unchanging.

It seemed to constantly alter its scenery over time, without any pattern and never repeating itself.

Since ancient times, countless mystics had studied the Land of Gods, yet none had been able to determine any laws governing the Blurred Zone.

Every visit to the Land of Gods would be an entirely different journey.

Gilan took a deep breath and started forward.

He intended to cross this silent grassland.

As he walked, Gilan slowly closed his eyes, spreading out his Gnosis and driving his spirituality to its limits.

Soon, just as his teacher Pala had said, Gilan sensed an indescribable summons—a form of guidance—coming from four directions in the distance.

He knew this was due to his compatibility with the four cosmic elements.

To advance to Tier 5, Splendor, he had to leave four "footprints" corresponding to the elemental