Chapter 499

Book 1 Chapter 499

499.

Beneath the gloomy, overcast sky.

A group of five sat gathered around a blazing campfire.

Dusk was fast approaching.

In this current era, even the daytime remained bleak, but the onset of darkness brought an even greater terror.

Even for seasoned veterans like themselves, navigating the wilderness after dark was far too hazardous.

Luna had shed her boots and stockings before the hearth, flexing her toes to soak in the warmth radiating from the flames.

Splashes of fiendish gore had soaked into her footwear during their most recent skirmish.

Shaking her feet to hasten the drying process, Luna called out,

“Kyle, I’m starving for meat. Roast some up for me.”

Kyle grimaced as he cast a glance toward Luna. She was leaning far back, letting another campfire tender prepare the meal.

“You belong to the elven race; how can you crave flesh so intensely?”

Contrary to common myths, elves did consume meat.

However, it was highly unusual for them to demand it with such fervor.

“If you ask me, this particular elf is nothing but a fraud.”

Luna let out a sharp hiss at Dweno, who was lounging across the fire as he spoke.

“Hmph! An elf is an elf, what do you mean by fraud?”

She slammed her bare soles together in defiance.

Right then, Lyssinus emerged from the shadows alongside Arion, having finished surveying the perimeter.

“The surroundings are entirely clear of fiends or beasts.”

“We can rest easy through the night.”

Kyle exhaled a soft breath, tossing a few more logs onto the crackling fire.

As nightfall took hold, the five companions shared their supper around the warmth of the flames.

“If Erebus had never risen, what kind of paths would we be walking right now?”

Arion spoke up, a look of genuine curiosity on his face.

Turning his gaze to Arion, Kyle replied,

“Hypotheticals are pointless. Why waste energy pondering such meaningless scenarios?”

Hearing the blunt rejection, Arion’s ears slumped downward.

Yet, the rest of the group didn’t share that dismissive view.

“That’s not fair. Arion’s question isn’t pointless at all.”

Dweno rested his utensil against his bowl and chimed in,

“Imagining a world where Erebus never existed—isn’t that exactly the reality we intend to forge once we eliminate Erebus?”

“I side with Dweno on this.”

“That sounds like a wonderful thing to picture!”

Lyssinus offered a warm nod, and Luna’s gaze ignited with excitement.

Fantasy.

It served as a vital pillar keeping hope alive in a realm cascading toward ruin.

For projecting one’s mind into a distant tomorrow ultimately births salvation.

No matter how far-fetched it seemed… even if it felt like an idle daydream for the time being.

If it gave someone a reason to look forward to the next sunrise, it possessed immense value.

“Arion, what kind of life do you envision for yourself?”

Prompted by Dweno, Arion blinked in surprise and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well, since I possess great physical power… perhaps I would follow my mentor’s path, establish a sanctuary for orphans, and quietly tend to the fields?”

He revealed a modest aspiration, offering a timid grin.

Though it might have sounded ordinary to the other four.

To those born amidst the ruin, such a peaceful existence was an incredibly lavish fantasy.

A conventional lifestyle had vanished generations ago, leaving the youth of this era trapped in a world defined by sorrow.

“That is truly a beautiful ambition.”

Lyssinus gave a bright, supportive smile.

For a dragon carrying the immense weight of salvaging civilization, the mundane existence Arion wished for was precisely the treasure he fought to restore.

“What about you, Dweno?”

“Isn’t it obvious? My name would be celebrated as a legendary master of the arts.”

Luna scoffed loudly at Dweno, who carried himself with absolute certainty.

“As if. You’d undoubtedly be branded a criminal across multiple realms for uttering lewd remarks to noble princesses.”

Dweno brought a heavy fist down onto Luna’s head as she dissolved into fits of laughter.

Paying no mind to Luna, who was now clutching her skull with tears pricking her eyes, Dweno turned his attention back to Lyssinus.

“And what about your path?”

“Me…”

Lyssinus cradled his chin in his palm, a soft grin gracing his features.

“Would I not be silently preserving the equilibrium of the realm from the shadows?”

Lyssinus was a Black Dragon.

A guardian tasked with protecting the balance from within the dark.

However, the rest of the party rejected that notion entirely.

“The brilliance you radiate cannot be obscured, no matter how hard you try to mask it.”

“Exactly. Lyssinus would have accomplished miraculous deeds even without Erebus around!”

“You would be renowned everywhere.”

Dweno, Arion, and Luna took turns contradicting Lyssinus’s modest claim.

Lyssinus, the ultimate savior and a beacon of pure light, hiding away in obscurity?

It was simply unthinkable.

Lyssinus scratched at his cheek, feeling awkward under his companions’ praise.

“Ahem! My turn to speak!”

Luna thrust her chest out proudly.

“I would have gone down in history as an unparalleled archmage, far more celebrated than I am today. Because I could have poured every awakening moment into the pursuit of arcane lore! Every spellcaster alive would bow before me in absolute reverence!”

Arion clapped with wide-eyed admiration, while Lyssinus laughed out loud at Luna’s sheer arrogance.

Dweno simply shook his head.

Yet, he didn’t dispute her words.

Because Luna possessed the talent to turn that exact boast into reality.

“What about you, Kyle?”

Luna inquired, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

“I’d likely just be selling my blade to the highest bidder somewhere.”

Lyssinus and Dweno exchanged a sorrowful glance upon hearing Kyle’s detached response.

“I’m certain Kyle would have done something extraordinary as well.”

Arion tilted his head in confusion.

But Kyle merely let out a mocking chuckle.

“Hardly.”

Leaving it at that, Kyle turned his attention completely back to his food.

From then on, the five companions conversed vibrantly about the world they would build after throwing down Erebus.

The grand achievements they hoped to claim.

The desires they wished to fulfill once tranquility settled over the lands.

They traversed endless topics.

All to block out the grim reality surrounding them and cast their eyes toward a brighter horizon.

Kyle occasionally contributed a brief comment or expressed agreement, genuinely appreciating the camaraderie.

Yet, throughout the entire night, he never uttered a single word regarding his own personal desires for the future.

“Hey, Kyle.”

After the meal had concluded.

Luna, whose turn it was to clean the utensils, directed a question to Lyssinus, who was helping her carry out the chore.

“What sort of ambition drives a man like him?”

Lyssinus paused mid-motion at her inquiry.

“Who knows.”

Clink.

Wiping down a utensil, Lyssinus let out a melancholic smile.

“Perhaps he doesn’t possess one at all.”

“What?”

Luna’s eyes went wide.

Lyssinus had brought together five champions chosen by destiny.

They comprised five distinct entities, varying in lineage, age, philosophy, convictions, and morals.

Had it not been for the desperate crisis of this catastrophic era, their paths would never have crossed, let alone aligned.

Six months had slipped by since their alliance was forged.

They were still uncovering the depths of one another’s pasts.

Even so, Luna recognized that an unbreakable bond tied these five souls together.

It was the collective drive to forge a path forward.

It meant each of them held a vision of tomorrow they desperately wished to witness.

Luna believed that Kyle, despite his silence, surely carried an internal map of the future he desired.

Thus, Lyssinus’s deduction caught her entirely off guard.

“Kyle operates on a different plane than the rest of us.”

“Different in what way?”

“You, Arion, and Dweno answered my call of your own volition. Kyle’s involvement was nothing like that.”

“You did mention he was incredibly stubborn when you first approached him, right?”

“Indeed.”

“If he proved so difficult to sway, why didn’t you simply prioritize recruiting me, or the Guardian of the Azure Sky, or Dweno first?”

“I weighed that option… but tracking Kyle’s movements only solidified my conviction.”

Clatter—

Lyssinus spoke while gazing at his own reflection caught in the metal of the spoon.

“Kyle was the cornerstone.”

“Due to the unique nature of his magical essence?”

“No.”

Lyssinus shook his head slowly.

“Think about it. From the very dawn of this cataclysm until this exact moment, isn’t Kyle the solitary figure who has never stepped away from the vanguard?”

The Surviving Hero.

That moniker wasn’t bestowed merely because he outlived his fallen comrades.

Kyle had spent his entire existence entrenched in the brutality of the front lines.

As though it were his destined place in the world.

He stood as an unwavering wall against Tartarus.

The weight behind that reality was profound.

He had buried an countless number of allies.

He had watched those who shared his stride fall cold upon the dirt.

It meant he had bore witness to an unbroken chain of devastating losses.

His journey stood in stark contrast to Lyssinus, who had bided his time waiting for the perfect moment to intervene.

To Luna, who raised her staff to shield her birthplace.

To Arion, who developed his prowess under the protection of his mentor.

And to Dweno, who traversed lands confronting threats as they appeared.

“Kyle is likely the only soul who has watched civilization fracture piece by piece in real-time.”

Anyone else would have perished or shattered under the strain and abandoned the cause.

But the Surviving Hero endured.

No one would dare criticize him if he handed the torch to another.

No one would mock him if he chose to retreat.

“Yet, for reasons known only to him, Kyle remained rooted at the precipice of battle, as if bound to it.”

Lyssinus envisioned the image of Kyle’s broad back.

“Observing his struggle made me realize something. If this man breaks, the world crumbles with him.”

When Lyssinus first approached him to offer a hand in salvation, Kyle had mocked the gesture.

He labeled it a fantasy.

He claimed the world was too far gone to be salvaged.

‘In truth, it was a fantasy. The odds of rescuing this realm are practically nonexistent. Even so…’

Lyssinus pictured Kyle’s stand at Gardeslon.

Paradoxically, the sight of Kyle fighting at the front lines breathed truth into Lyssinus’s fantasy.

“Kyle possessed an incredible charm back then.”

A faint crimson tint painted her cheeks as she smiled.

It was a vulnerable display, highly uncharacteristic of Lyssinus.

Luna blinked in confusion, staring at her companion.

“Are you coming down with a fever? Your face is flushed.”

“What?”

Flustered, Lyssinus instantly regained her composure.

She carefully scanned Luna’s expression, terrified her innermost sentiments had been laid bare.

However, Luna’s concern was entirely literal.

‘What a relief, she’s completely oblivious.’

To borrow Kyle’s phrasing, Luna was an absolute savant who perceived nothing outside the realm of sorcery.

“In any case, isn’t it possible that Kyle’s spirit has simply withered after enduring so many tragedies?”

“Huh?”

“It must be exhausting to even formulate a path he wishes to walk. He’s likely still wandering in search of it. Searching for a purpose.”

The fires of ruin hadn’t just stolen the lives of his allies and the stability of the realm from the Surviving Hero.

They had reduced his tomorrow to ashes as well, leaving nothing behind.

“Just like this miserable horizon.”

An ash-colored sky.

“Hmph! I despise depressing things.”

Finishing up her task, Luna puffed out her cheeks and leaped to her feet.

“Where are you going?”

“You claim Kyle is searching for a purpose, right? In that case, I’ll simply invite him to share in my grand ambition.”

Luna offered a prideful smirk.

“Being a practitioner of the arts, he’ll be utterly spellbound once I unveil my master design.”

Exuding absolute certainty, Luna marched purposefully toward Kyle.

Lyssinus watched her departure with a gentle smile.

‘Not a terrible idea.’

After all, he too belonged to the magical order.

His own curiosity regarding Luna’s vision had been piqued.

‘Once peace is restored, perhaps I should offer my assistance as well.’

“Kyle!”

A short distance away from the flickering firelight.

Perched atop a solitary boulder, Kyle shifted his gaze toward Luna, who had materialized beside him with a radiant grin.

“I’ve been doing some deep thinking, you see.”

“Regarding what?”

“Once we put an end to this crisis and find ourselves with ample free time, what do you say we establish an academy for magic together?”

“What?”

“I will assume the role of chancellor, and you shall be my deputy. Together, we will pioneer the advancement of the arcane arts. Doesn’t that sound magnificent?”

Kyle offered a flat response, staring at Luna whose eyes danced with excitement at her sudden pitch.

“Pass. Sounds like a hassle.”

Luna’s lips formed a deep pout at his dismissive attitude.

“Do you truly possess no desires for the future?”

“None.”

Plonking herself down right next to Kyle, Luna observed his absolute certainty.

“I simply don’t get it. You wield such an array of talents, don’t you? It feels like you could transition into absolutely anything you choose.”

The mastery of an All-Class.

To Luna’s mind, it represented a flawless gift that granted him the power to shape his destiny however he saw fit.

“It’s such a waste.”

Kyle let out a low chuckle at her quiet complaint.

“Perhaps.”

“But Kyle, you’ve maintained your position in this war, haven’t you? And you intend to keep moving forward.”

“Yeah.”

“For what purpose?”

Luna looked completely baffled.

If he harbored no personal desires, what value did tomorrow hold?

“You’re awfully nosy tonight.”

“My intrigue has been sparked! You understand how spellcasters are; we cannot rest when an enigma presents itself.”

Noticing her wide grin, Kyle remarked,

“I have no personal goals or titles I wish to claim. However, there is a future I wish to witness.”

“And what is that?”

“I want to see the future you create.”

Kyle spoke, a gentle smile gracing his expression.

Luna’s eyes widened ever so slightly.

“Once we eradicate that wretched, ancient malice… you will undoubtedly rise as the most legendary archmage history has ever known.”

“Ah.”

An involuntary breath escaped Luna’s lips as she stared at Kyle, who had just validated her dream with absolute sincerity.

“When that day arrives, I’ll expose to the entire world just how bizarre your temperament actually is.”

Kyle chuckled softly, finding amusement in the mere thought of it.

Under normal circumstances, Luna would have thrown a fist his way, but she found herself completely paralyzed by the smile he had just displayed.

He lacked an ambition of his own, yet the way he championed her aspirations left her heart ensnared.

Suddenly, a fierce pounding echoed in her chest.

Her ears twitched rapidly in tandem with her pulse.

By the time she registered the burning heat flushing across her skin, she had already jerked her head away to stare at the empty horizon.

It was an entirely unfamiliar sensation, yet Luna understood the nature of it instantly.

‘Oh dear. I can’t bear to look at him.’

The truth dawned upon her.

She had fallen entirely for this cynical warrior.

Steeling her nerves, she cast a covert glance back toward Kyle.

Kyle’s expression had already reverted to his usual detached neutrality.

A man who refused to break, even though his capacity to dream had been stripped away.

Gazing at this wanderer who sought a destination, Luna cleared her throat to find her voice.

“I will become your future.”

“What?”

“If you cannot visualize a tomorrow, then I shall serve as your permanent dream.”

Luna spoke with refined elegance, her skin retaining a rosy tint.

“So that your existence may bind itself to mine.”

She could feel the burning sensation creeping all the way down her neck.

“Ha, color me impressed, Luna. I recall you claiming a deep distaste for high elves, yet you mimic their traditional courtship vows flawlessly.”

“EEK?!”

A startled shriek erupted from Luna as Dweno’s voice cut through the air from directly behind them.

“S-Since when?!”

“I’ve been standing here for quite a while, actually.”

Dweno flashed a mischievous, irritating smirk.

Luna’s jaw dropped in sheer horror.

‘To drop a confession the exact moment she realizes her own feelings… Luna really doesn’t hold back.’

The words Luna had uttered just moments ago were rooted in the sacred mating proposals of the high elven nobility.

Naturally, even if Kyle remained ignorant of that cultural nuance, he would easily deduce the weight behind her intense shift in demeanor.

‘Lyssinus is going to have a rough time ahead.’

Dweno stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Why the sudden high elven impression? It’s completely unlike you. Did you sneak into the spirits?”

“What?”

Kyle asked, totally unfazed.

“You… you truly don’t grasp the meaning behind my words?”

“What meaning?”

Thwack—!

Luna delivered a sharp strike straight to Kyle’s face before storming back toward the camp in a raging huff.

“This crazy woman…”

Just as Kyle rubbed his smarting cheek, preparing to pursue her for a counterstrike.

“Kyle. I feel compelled to state the obvious.”

“What?”

“You are a complete and utter blockhead.”

Luna lightly traced her own cheek, lost in the memories of that bygone era.

‘I swore a vow that night. That I would force that idiot to confess his feelings to me first.’

Luna’s expression soured slightly.

Granted, that master plan collapsed when she ended up laying her heart bare first back in the hero’s realm. Yet, her burning desire to paint over Kyle’s ash-covered heart with vibrant hues remained entirely unchanged.

‘Could this simply be a lingering obsession?’

The thought flickered through her mind, but Luna shook her head as she observed Kyle walking ahead, engaged in a casual conversation with Eiran and Chen Xia.

‘No, that’s not it.’

She had proudly declared that she would serve as Kyle’s future.

That she would welcome him into her own aspirations.

Yet, in reality, she had been the one to deposit her tomorrow and her fantasies safely into his hands.

The moment she surrendered everything to Kyle, this emotion transcended mere lingering attachment.

‘Come to think of it… I truly yearn for those days.’

A gentle smile played on Luna’s lips as she watched Kyle interact with the descendants of his pupil.

The domestic sight pulled her thoughts back toward her own student.

‘I find myself missing Berkyia.’

Luna’s ears twitched lightly, a subtle grin softening her features.

‘Berkyia?’

The student she had parted from still occupied a massive space within her thoughts.

“Ah.”

Luna’s eyes snapped wide open.

“Ah!”

Leo spun around in response to Luna’s sudden exclamation.

“What is it?”

Luna pointed an accusing finger at Kyle, who was staring back at her with a look of utter confusion.

“I finally see it! It’s Berkyia!”