Chapter 397

397.

Squelch- Squelch-

Every step sent waves of excruciating pain coursing through his entire body.

‘My body has already surpassed its limits.’

It was only natural after continuously wringing out strength beyond his limits.

Moreover, even if Lissinas had protected him, the undeniable fact remained that he had been hit directly by Jormungand’s breath attack.

‘That hellish lizard, I’ll give him a piece of my mind later.’

The searing pain felt like it was consuming his entire body, threatening to cause him to lose consciousness.

‘Hang on.’

Leo clenched his teeth.

Grind-! The sound of his teeth grinding could be heard.

‘Do you think I can save the world you want to protect?’

Yes, he would save the world.

But it was impossible to do it alone.

‘You were the one who said you wanted to save the world, right?’

Crack-!

Leo gripped the staff with his hand.

‘It’s your wish!’

Mana began to ripple.

Kyle knew the destination of this journey. Someday, he would stand against the primal evil, carrying the hopes entrusted to him by Lissinas, Dwenno, Rodia, and Aron.

‘It wasn’t just their hopes that I carried.’

The heroes who unhesitatingly risked their lives and fell before calamity for the sake of the world.

Their one single wish.

And the desires of those who, in order to live into the future, looked towards hope without yielding to despair.

‘It wasn’t that they didn’t give up. It was that they couldn’t give up!’

Lissinas gave Leo the world in his final moments.

Even knowing that it was far too immense for those delicate shoulders to bear alone, they couldn’t share the burden with him.

‘If it was passed on in a way that couldn’t be abandoned…’

Grind-!

Leo clenched his hand.

Gray mana surged within Leo’s body.

‘Don’t give up!’

Leo’s gray eyes flashed.

-Foolish boy! Useless struggle!

A fierce roar broke out.

Goooooo-!

The killing intent emanating from Leo’s body made Jormungand take a step back.

Realizing, even unknowingly, that he had been outmaneuvered in momentum, Jormungand roared furiously.

-Dying worm!

Fwooshhhhh-!

A deep red flame erupted from Jormungand.

Leo, burning the remaining mana in his body, glanced at Rodia.

Thump- Thump- Thump-

Rodia felt her dragon heart racing wildly.

‘My mana is responding to Master Kyle’s will.’

More precisely, it was reacting to Lissinas’ mana obtained as a reward for clearing the hero’s world.

‘…Right. Master Kyle received the dragon heart from Master Lissinas during the final battle. So, Master Lissinas’s power is also Master Kyle’s power.’

Thump- Thump- Thump-

It was only natural for power to follow the will of its original master.

‘I can’t move now. Then…’

Rodia nodded at Leo.

‘I’ll entrust all my power to Master Kyle!’

Goooooo-!

In response to Leo’s will, Rodia drew out Lissinas’ mana.

Her heart started pounding wildly as if it were out of control.

Despite bl**d gushing out of her mouth, she paid no attention.

‘Even if my heart bursts, I’ll help Master Kyle with all my strength!’

Seeing this Rodia, Leo tightened his grip on his staff.

‘I’m sorry, just lend me a hand for a moment.’

Leo lowered his stance.

Gooooo! Whoosh-!

A surge of golden aura and flames erupted from Leo’s body.

Auron’s aura and Dwenno’s flames.

Crack-!

Leo’s foot dug into the ground.

Boooom-!

As he leaped, a massive shockwave caused the ground beneath him to sink.

He rapidly closed the distance with Jormungand.

-What…!

Jormungand’s eyes widened in shock.

Even he, who could foresee the future, could hardly have foreseen this speed!

Tsuuuu-!

Leo delivered a kick from below up.

Hwaaak-!

The massive body of Jormungand soared into the sky.

Leo’s body dashed once more.

Appearing from the direction where Jormungand had flown, Leo struck again with a powerful kick.

Thud-!

Kwaggaagaaagaaang-!

Jormungand’s colossal body was slammed into the ground.

Though the Catastrophic Flame sought to consume Leo’s body, the flames of Dwenno guarded him like armor.

Leo raised his spear.

He manifested the aura of Aron and the flames of Dwenno based on Lissinas’ mana.

A strength that greatly exceeded the allowable limit.

With every movement, the muscles in Leo’s body were tearing apart, and his bones were shattering.

But those injuries were instantly healed by Rodia’s healing magic.

All that remained was the excruciating pain that felt like his brain was being burned.

Tunduk-!

Leo hurled his spear.

A massive golden spear pierced through Jormungand’s body.

Keyeeeeeeeh!

Covered with a spear, Jormungand writhed madly, the agony of its body being burned by the Catastrophic Flame paled in comparison to the massive impact.

Jormungand, with the giant spear stuck in its body, couldn’t escape.

‘It’s still far from over!’

Leo clenched his teeth.

The current attack was merely buying time at the cost of his life.

Jormungand couldn’t be defeated with just this.

Leo didn’t have the strength left to slay Jormungand.

‘With my current abilities, it’s far from enough.’

The time-buys was almost over.

But he believed.

‘That guy won’t d*e here.’

Leo raised his staff.

‘He won’t break here.’

Wooong-!

‘The Lissinas I know… is someone who foolishly pursues his own beliefs!’

Leo gripped his staff tightly.

‘Because he’s the savior of the world!’

Even in a state far beyond his limits, Leo pressed on.

A brilliant magic circle was drawn in the air.

The elf mage Perik, who watched this spectacle, opened his eyes wide. He had never seen such a magical incantation.

But…

“How can it be so beautiful?”

An exclamation of admiration slipped out naturally.

The magic was like a star carved out.

Another light that would brightly illuminate the world.

Hwaaaak-!

The world that had fallen into night was illuminated as if it were midday.

The light emanating from the tip of Leo’s staff seemed to drive away the desperate darkness.

Leo released the magic that his friend had entrusted to him.

Primordial evil.

The Catastrophic Flame that would never extinguish.

The only magic that could destroy the immortal.

Leo called out its name.

“Innocent.”

*

It was deep darkness.

Lissinas blankly stared down at his hands amidst the darkness.

As a spirit mage, Lissinas could understand that only his soul remained.

In that instant, the darkness disappeared.

The middle of a forest.

A beautiful elf woman, who had just shed the airs of a young girl, wore a sullen expression.

“You defeated the Greed King? Impressive. But if I had been there, it would have been my k*ll.”

‘Is this the future?’

Defeating the Greed King, it seemed that Kyle had achieved some great accomplishments.

“Regardless, impressive! You have the qualification to be my companion!”

Despite her proud stance which seemed somewhat childish, it wasn’t unpleasant.

Soon the elf woman beamed and extended her hand.

“My name is Luna! Luna Rubiness! I’m soon to be a great grand mage, nice to meet you, Lissinas.”

“What?”

Baffled by a woman he’d never met introducing herself, Lissinas was confused.

In that moment the landscape changed again.

An abandoned house stood there.

A small communal cemetery.

With eyes filled with a determined will despite some underlying fear.

The beastman youth said,

“I’m not sure how much help I can be.”

The timid-looking beastman youth clenched his fists.

“But I’ll go with you as well. Though I might not achieve anything grand… Standing in front of you to protect you from the enemies… I think I can do that. I’ll muster my courage!”

The beastman youth introduced himself.

“My name is Aron. Please treat me kindly, Mr. Lissinas.”

Again, an unfamiliar person called out his name.

‘It feels like… reading the memories of the soul.’

But this was unmistakably his own memory.

‘What on earth…’

Even the wise one who possessed vast knowledge couldn’t fully grasp the current situation.

“Hmm! Brilliantly shining beautiful eyes. Perhaps you could save the world.”

The scenery changed again, and the dwarf chuckled.

“Those eyes would surely shine even in the dark. No need to worry about arms. I, Dwenno, will make them for you. Please treat me kindly, Lissinas.”

As expected, Dwenno was among the potential companions he had considered.

It was as if reading the memories of someone else’s life, reading memories that were not his own.

But this was far from the end.

The young beastman, who had grown into a youth, left a message of apology while crying and then passed away.

The dwarf left a message of entrustment…

And the elf left a message of trust before passing away.

Each farewell from the strangers he’d never met made his heart feel like it was burning up.

With each parting of those he didn’t know, it felt like losing something precious, like his heart was being torn apart.

Tadak- Tadak- Tadak-

Before he knew it, Lissinas stood in the center of a catastrophe filled with black flames.

A man with gray hair knelt in front of the giant black dragon, screaming.

And the back view of a woman with black hair could be seen watching him.

The sorrowful back view of the woman watching Kyle’s screams seemed unbearably painful and sorrowful.

“Kyle…”

The familiar man’s screaming face was softly called out.

And the breathing dragon…

“Me?”

He mumbled unintentionally.

In response to that call, the woman who had been watching the d*ath of the dragon and Kyle’s scream turned around.

“It’s…me.”

Lissinas blankly muttered.

Seeing that Lissinas, another Lissinas faintly smiled.

“Correct, but wrong.”

“What?”

“I’m a foolish one and. I’m the King of Wisdom, Lissinas.”

The King of Wisdom smiled and said,

“You… what are you, exactly?”

“I’m you.”

The King of Wisdom said.

“The one who sets out on a journey with Kyle… and faces Erebus together with Luna, Aron, and Dwenno, the future you.”

Clunk- Clunk-

The King of Wisdom approached Lissinas.

“But, in the end, you’re the one who sends your irreplaceable friends off before anything else and, in the end, hands everything over to Kyle and leaves first.”

Lissinas swallowed hard.

“Foolish Lissinas, you alone cannot save the world.”

At the King’s words, Lissinas’s face twisted.

Kyle’s screaming face appeared.

Nothing but unfathomable despair came to mind.

Lissinas’ hands trembled.

Then,

Suul-

Kyle who was screaming stood up.

Clomp- Clomp-

And despite wobbling, he moved forward.

“But Kyle alone can’t save the world either.”

The King of Wisdom said.

“Because it was ‘us’ that made it possible to save the world.”

Even in the face of a hopeless situation, the final hero continues to move forward without giving up.

“Past me.”

The King of Wisdom wore a sad expression.

“Kyle will surely fulfill our final wishes. But… it’s because we… have burdened Kyle with too much.”

Lissinas clenched his teeth.

“The reason why one doesn’t give up despite despair, frustration, and even pain worse than d*ath… is because too much has been taken on.”

The King of Wisdom stared directly at Lissinas.

“Don’t embarrass those who believed in us and entrusted the future to us.”

The King of Wisdom firmly said,

“Let’s be proud of that unwavering back view of Kyle.”

Lissinas watched Kyle who was moving forward, even alone.

“The promise not to leave him behind… we ultimately couldn’t fulfill it.”

Lissinas recalled the smiling face of Kyle who held his hand and promised to save the world.

He couldn’t even imagine what Kyle was feeling when he held his hand, unable to keep a promise.

“But… not now.”

The King of Wisdom said.

“There are promises that in the end we won’t be able to keep, but not now.

While Kyle is enduring.

“Kyle needs you now. He’s waiting for you.”

Ultimately, there may be a promise that cannot be kept, but that is a story for much later.

“Kyle is enduring.”

The King of Wisdom put out his hand firmly.

“Let’s endure a little more.”

The foolish one took that hand.

As if… Kyle had held his hand.

“Yeah.”

The King of Wisdom beamed brightly at the answer of the foolish one.