In the heat of battle, Wood was indeed deaf to all sounds, even unaware of Rudy's presence.
Both he and Orsted were completely immersed in their fight, their minds focused solely on defeating the other.
The more skilled a warrior, the more concentrated they become during combat. Wood and Orsted were clearly in such a state.
However, there are always exceptions, especially when it comes to certain sensitive words or triggers that can pierce through even the deepest focus.
For someone like Wood, who had a soft spot for his sisters, their names were such triggers.
Rudy had tried many methods to wake Wood—world destruction, human survival crisis, and so on—but none had worked.
It wasn't until Rudy's magical energy was nearly depleted that he realized the key to waking someone was to appeal to what they cared about most.
Having grown up together, Rudy knew that Wood didn't seem particularly interested in anything, nor did he have many hobbies.
But when it came to people he cared about, several faces flashed through Rudy's mind: Zenith, Eris, Norn, and Aisha. These were the most important people in Wood's life.
And sure enough, Rudy's guess proved correct. Wood, who had been unresponsive to all other calls, immediately snapped out of his battle trance upon hearing the names Zenith, Norn, and Aisha.
When Wood looked around and saw the massive platinum dragon before him, he realized how caught up he had been in the fight, nearly forgetting the consequences of their battle.
With the "Heart of God" activated, the "Blessing of the Sword Saint" in use, and the combined power of his three types of Haki and the Frost Knight's secret technique, Wood had truly gone all out.
Yet even so, he still couldn't overpower Orsted at full strength.
If the fight had continued, the outcome would have been uncertain. Once night fell again, Wood's "Blessing of the Moon" would take effect, boosting his power once more.
However, the "Heart of God" and the Frost Knight's secret technique couldn't be sustained indefinitely. The longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become for Wood.
In summary, Wood and Orsted at full strength were evenly matched. The fight could have continued, but the current circumstances made it impossible.
Wood had snapped out of his battle frenzy thanks to Rudy's call. While avenging himself against Orsted had been one of his driving goals, that goal paled in comparison to the safety of Norn and Aisha.
The battle between Wood and Orsted had lasted nearly two full days and nights. It was time to bring it to an end.
"It seems you're ready to stop. That's fine by me. I've always hated meaningless battles. If we both end up severely injured here, the one who benefits the most is the Human God."
From the very beginning, Orsted hadn't wanted to fight Wood but had intended to recruit him. However, after their battle, Orsted was shocked to discover that the boy he had easily crushed two years ago had grown to such an incredible level.
Though the fight hadn't reached a conclusion, Orsted understood that with the strength Wood had displayed, recruiting him as a subordinate was no longer possible.
But the outcome wasn't entirely bad. The stronger Wood was, the better it was for Orsted, as both of them shared a common enemy: the Human God.
If Wood couldn't be recruited as an underling, having him as an ally was the next best thing. There was nothing more reassuring than having such a powerful ally.
Orsted now realized that the reason he had failed to deal with the Human God in over two hundred cycles was that he had always fought alone.
But in this cycle, he had encountered Wood, whose strength far exceeded the Human God's calculations, and Rudy, whom the Human God had always been particularly interested in and who was also quite powerful.
Orsted believed that compared to the previous two hundred cycles, his chances of winning this time were significantly higher.
With Wood and Orsted's battle coming to an end, the anomalies in the surrounding area gradually subsided, though the damage done to the environment couldn't be undone.
Well, Orsted might have been able to restore everything using his dragon secret techniques, but he had no intention of doing so.
There was no particular reason—even someone as powerful as Orsted had expended a considerable amount of magical energy in his battle with Wood. He had no desire to waste any more energy on something so trivial.
With the battle over, Rudy and the others should have immediately returned to the Milis Holy Kingdom to deal with the Human God's follower, Lartal.
However, after his intense battle with Orsted, Wood had collapsed from exhaustion and fallen into a coma...
There was no helping it. Great power often came with a price. Unlike Orsted, whose strength was innate, Wood's power was largely derived from various buffs and enhancements.
While the Frost Knight's secret technique and the "Heart of God" provided immense power, their side effects were equally severe. When the power boost faded, Wood's body was left drained and vulnerable.
The side effects of the "Heart of God" and the Frost Knight's secret technique were brutal. Once Wood deactivated them, the loss of life force and the physical toll from the secret technique left him completely spent.
Because of this, Zenith and the others ended up staying in the area between the Milis Continent and the Central Continent for two more days.
Originally, Rudy and Paul had suggested taking the unconscious Wood back to the Milis capital to save time and provide him with better care at the Latria estate.
But this suggestion was immediately vetoed by Zenith, who believed that the long journey would only burden Wood further. Moreover, in her eyes, the Milis capital was no longer safe.
While Lartal, the leader of the church's "rebel faction," had been captured, who could guarantee that there weren't any remnants of the faction still lurking?
What if another "Kartal" or "Yartal" suddenly appeared?
Even worse, what if the cunning Human God, aware of Wood's current weakened state, decided to ambush them in the Milis capital?
In short, Zenith had become extremely paranoid. Having experienced the pain of losing a child before, she now trusted no one.
Whether it was wiping Wood's body or feeding him liquid food, Zenith refused to let anyone else handle it—not even her other son, Rudy, or her husband, Paul.
While Paul and the others thought Zenith was being overly cautious, even to the point of obsession, Orsted surprisingly agreed with her vigilance.
In fact, Orsted stayed behind to protect the unconscious Wood, not leaving the area for the next two days.
Having pursued the Human God for over two hundred cycles, Orsted understood that no amount of caution was excessive when dealing with such a cunning foe.
The Human God excelled at exploiting people's weaknesses. While Orsted considered the Human God's personal combat abilities laughable, his ability to manipulate reality was far more dangerous.
The most effective way to deal with the Human God was to isolate oneself, cutting off all senses, and engage in a one-on-one duel.
A one-on-one fight prevented the Human God from manipulating those around you, and cutting off your senses shielded you from his mental influence—essentially filtering out his nonsense.
Orsted supported Zenith's approach for a reason. While the Milis capital offered better conditions, it was also crowded and chaotic, making it easier for the Human God to exploit.
This remote area, on the other hand, was sparsely populated, and with Orsted present, the Human God wouldn't dare show his face.
As for why Orsted was so concerned about Wood, it wasn't because they had developed some bond during the battle.
Rather, through this fight, Orsted had come to fully appreciate Wood's strength. And precisely because of that, Orsted was even more worried that Wood might fall under the Human God's influence and become his pawn.
There was no doubt about the Human God's ability to manipulate minds. The first Dragon God and the Five Dragon Generals, who were far stronger than Orsted, had ultimately become the Human God's pawns.
Laplace, who knew everything and had taken extensive precautions against the Human God, had still died in the second great war against him.
If Wood, with his immense strength, could become an ally, that would be ideal. But even if he couldn't, it was crucial to ensure he didn't become an enemy.
If Wood, in his weakened state, were to be manipulated by the Human God in the Milis capital and turned into an enemy, what then?
While the possibility was low, it wasn't zero. Orsted wanted to eliminate even the slightest chance of that happening, which was why he supported Zenith and even stayed behind to act as a bodyguard.
With Orsted backing Zenith, Paul and Rudy had no choice but to comply. Zenith had always been strong-willed, and now with the Dragon God on her side, everyone had to follow her lead.
Two days later, Wood had regained consciousness, and his magical energy had mostly recovered. Aside from the dragon scales now covering parts of his body, he was otherwise fine.
Feeling fully recovered, Wood wanted to move on his own, but Zenith firmly rejected the idea. Despite being perfectly healthy, he was still being fed by his mother...
"Mother, I'm really fine now. These dragon scales might look scary, but they don't affect me at all.
I'm fourteen years old. If Norn and Aisha see you feeding me like this, they'll make fun of me."
In response to Wood's protest, Zenith, sitting in front of him, sternly replied, "If they dare laugh at you, just tell me, and I'll spank them.
You're a patient now, and it's only right that you're taken care of. Besides, don't forget how you ended up like this!"
Zenith had no intention of accepting Wood's suggestion and forcefully shoved the wooden spoon into his mouth, her expression clearly displeased.
Seeing Zenith's expression, Wood could only reluctantly give in. He knew exactly why she was upset—he had knocked her out that night, then gone off to fight Orsted alone, resulting in his current state.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Wood didn't dare argue. But Zenith's overwhelming maternal love was becoming a bit too much for him to handle.
By the third day, when Wood had fully recovered and they were preparing to return to the Milis Holy Kingdom, outsiders arrived in the area.
And these weren't ordinary people—they were a group of formidable individuals.
There were ten of them in total, nine of whom wore knight armor. Their equipment suggested they were knights from some kingdom, and the quality of their armor indicated they held high positions.
However, the most notable among them wasn't one of the knights but a man dressed in attire typical of the Demon Continent.
His clothing resembled what Rudeus and the others had seen on Rujerd. But unlike the dignified and upright knights, this man had a skeletal face and exuded an eerie aura.