Chapter 501

My hazy consciousness gradually began to awaken.

I was dreaming of a man. Or perhaps the man was dreaming of me.

As the fog lifted, a strange scenery etched itself into my clear vision. Following that, the sounds that stimulated my five senses were the clanking of armor joints colliding.

It was a desert.

Before long, my body was meandering through the arid wasteland. The scent of metal and oil invaded my nostrils, and in the distance stood a tower of steel that soared high, as if it had no end.

My indifferent gaze flickered toward the top of the tower.

There, a pure white orb was rising. It was the source of the endlessly flowing power and the essence of magic engineering that created cracks in the void of nothingness.

“Humanity’s last hope.”

It was a term used to refer to that sphere of light. Even so, it was merely a name given by the losers who had isolated themselves behind tall castle walls.

It was a sound that didn’t even evoke a hollow laugh.

Yet, on the other hand, I could understand that sentiment. Even I could not completely abandon my expectations for that sphere.

That was evident from the fact that I had purposely made my way to this place today.

Just as I was about to redirect my gaze forward once more.

“……You’ve arrived, Commander.”

A man with brown hair greeted me before I.

He was a handsome man with aquamarine eyes and curly hair, who was also a close friend I had known since childhood, which made a sigh escape my lips.

“Why the hell are you at it again, Reto?”

“Ha, your words are rather harsh.”

Despite my reproach, the man simply chuckled as if flabbergasted.

In the end, I shook my head and took the first step. After all, there was no way to calm an angry Reto, so I just wanted to finish my own tasks.

Still, Reto followed me closely, grumbling incessantly.

“Ian, does this make sense? What the hell do they want us to do with this budget? ‘Humanity’s last hope!’ Shouldn’t they be providing full support instead?!”

It seemed he was struggling with financial issues while managing research.

I, too, had experienced countless headaches regarding supplies. I could not deny his feelings, but my responses were limited.

“……Reto, I’m just a soldier.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

His reaction was so cynically extreme.

Chuckling, Reto pressed me further.

“The last master of humanity, the star hunter who took down three of the seven deadly sins, is just a soldier? Do you think anyone would believe such a lie…?! Do you think I’m unaware that the ‘Council’ trembles at your one word?!”

“The one representing the Empire in the Council is His Majesty the Emperor. Ask His Majesty about the budget issue.”

“That’s why I’m talking to you like this, because His Majesty doesn’t listen to us! Come on, just get a bit more budget together…!”

“How is the progress of the research?”

It was a counter question thrown instead of an answer.

Reto fell silent for a moment at the tone laced with fatigue in my voice. A faint dissatisfaction was evident on his twisted face.

It seemed the budget was quite desperate for him.

But I couldn’t press him further when I was already exhausted, so a small sigh escaped Reto’s lips.

And he looked away in annoyance.

It appeared he was still feeling angry. But, as always, Reto was not the kind of person who would act like a petty child.

He was not irresponsible enough to neglect his duties.

To prove this, Reto’s diligent explanation continued.

“……For now, we’ve succeeded in artificially opening the ‘boundary.’”

Just as I suspected.

The cracks spreading around that sphere of light were all too familiar.

I had seen this scene many times before. When space itself crumbles, the hidden side of the world reveals itself. And to reach the Master, one needed to enter those unknown places.

Naturally, I, the one termed as ‘Humanity’s last Master,’ was no exception.

It was only natural that I would be accustomed to those cracks.

As I silently gazed at the orb atop the tower, Reto continued to elaborate.

“As you know, the ‘boundary’ is a space where common sense does not apply. It also grants the seemingly impossible.”

“After all, it’s not a power that was ever granted to us.”

It was a plain truth.

Originally, it was impossible to artificially open the ‘boundary.’ If such a loophole were possible, then technology utilizing it would have existed long ago.

In other words, that sphere of light was the first device ever to emerge in human history.

The reason this miracle could be achieved was simple.

Humanity was on the brink of extinction.

Reto smiled bitterly at my cold reflection.

“If you hadn’t taken the heads of three of the seven deadly sins, you wouldn’t have survived. I bet the Dark Cult never expected us to be able to use the power of the seven deadly sins.”

“To be precise, they probably didn’t care. The outcome has long been predetermined.”

It was a statement I had never uttered before in front of others.

For the guardian of humanity to express such a pessimistic outlook was a perfect way to plunge morale, which was already at rock bottom, into the abyss.

As a commander, it was my duty to refrain from irresponsible remarks.

Only, Reto was the exception.

He was one of the few individuals I could trust and rely on.

“So we need a trump card. With the population shrinking and the power of the Heavenly Deity that used to suppress the seven deadly sins weakening, who would have imagined humanity would come to wield the power of the seven deadly sins…?”

With that, Reto slapped my shoulder.

It must have been because my expression was so rigid.

“Ian Fercurus… what are you doing with that sour face? You’re the man who will save the world. Go back in time and be the hero that saves humanity!”

“That’s impossible…….”

But all that came from my lips was a sound mixed with a groan.

And it was inevitable.

Logically speaking, there was no way to return to the past. No matter how powerful the force of the seven deadly sins was, it was the same.

Even if we were to return to the past, the timeline would split.

Nonetheless, humanity could not pull away from this irrational gamble. That was their only chance to win against Delphrium.

A futile hope.

I knew it rationally, but in truth, I too could not stop this reckless plan.

Without hope, no one could live.

This was a question of survival. Numbers and probabilities meant nothing before the grand premise of all life.

Reto couldn’t be ignorant of this either.

Yet he still wore a smile. Even if it was a bitter smile, the fact that he still had the capacity to smile proved his mental strength.

“Ian, you need to be careful… crossing the ‘boundary’ to go back to the past also means that the two timelines are connected. Especially since the ‘boundary’ is governed by imagery and the subconscious, not physical laws.”

“So?”

“If things go well, other people could also be influenced by the ‘boundary’ besides you. This path will be one-way for a while, so primarily the past will be affected by the present.”

It was not something that warranted early concern.

At this point, questioning whether I could even return to the past was in itself a doubt. What significance was there in planning for things after that?

But I decided to deeply engrave that advice in my heart.

It was Reto’s words, after all.

For a while, we both fixed our gazes on the sphere of light in silence. After some time, Reto hesitantly spoke up.

“Ian… what if, even if you go back to the past, the timeline could still change?”

Not “what if,” but it was almost certain that it would.

However, I chose not to point that out on purpose.

I simply listened silently to Reto’s words.

“If that happens, I have one request….”

At that moment.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A jarring noise erupted from somewhere. It was so loud that Reto’s voice was nearly drowned out.

Just as I was about to listen more closely.

Suddenly, my vision clouded. It felt like my body, which was standing on solid ground, was endlessly falling.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

I gasped and opened my eyes. Bang! Bang! Bang! The sound of knuckles rapping on the door kept ringing in my skull.

Yes, it was a familiar room.

It was my dormitory that I shared during my Academy days, so that was only natural.

It was then that I realized I had been dreaming. The burning thirst and the headache from a hangover gradually snapped my sense of reality back into focus.

It was a familiar process by now.

I grabbed the water bottle that I had placed beside my pillow and gulped down the cold water. As my mind returned, my eyes quickly sought out the object I desired.

It was a letter envelope.

It was not particularly luxurious, but it didn’t feel cheap either. Instead, it exuded a faint aroma, giving a refreshing sensation.

Just then, my hand absentmindedly picked up the letter envelope.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sound of pounding on the door echoed once again. I was already drenched in sweat, and the stifling air had me on edge.

I tucked the letter envelope into my bosom and paced toward the door in an annoyed manner. The distance to the door wasn’t far.

Then suddenly.

A strange sense of unease flickered through my mind.

Wait a moment, hot?

The season had long since passed summer. There was a chance of late heat, but even considering that, the weather was far too hot and humid.

Moreover, my heightened intuition warned me.

Something was wrong. There must be some hidden circumstance behind this oppressive heat.

Of course, there was little time to ponder.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the sharp noise rang out once more, I let out a deep sigh and grasped the doorknob.

At last, an annoyed voice spilled from my lips.

“Who the hell……!”

“Ian!”

Rufin stood at the door, his eyes welling with tears.

He seemed on the verge of dropping to his knees, pleading with me tearfully.

“My, my sister is acting strange….”

In an instant, I dashed out of the dormitory.