Chapter 695

Book 1 Chapter 695

Letting out a heavy, sorrowful breath, Dweno shifted his position slightly and placed his palm against Driana’s back with absolute finality.

Thump—!

“Restrain yourself, Driana.”

“How can I possibly remain calm right now?!”

Driana ground her teeth together, her voice thick with intense emotion.

“Your youthful vigor is no match for this strength; fighting back is entirely pointless.”

“I am well aware! I understand that completely, but! How can you expect me to just stand aside and watch!”

Driana’s voice cracked under the strain.

“Do you even realize how completely unrecognizable you are acting at this moment, Lord Dweno?!”

Driana shrieked.

“I apologize if I have fallen short of your expectations. However, this is my true nature. What right do you have to judge me when you barely know me?”

“That is true! I do not know the real Lord Dweno! My entire understanding of Lord Dweno comes from the legends handed down through generations! Our meeting in the hero’s world was the very first time I beheld you in the flesh! It is foolish of me to claim I comprehend Lord Dweno based solely on that brief encounter! Even so!”

Tears began to spill from Driana’s eyes.

“This is completely wrong! You are acting entirely bizarre right now, Lord Dweno! You are making a terrible mistake!”

“Compose yourself.”

“You are the one who needs to snap out of it, Lord Dweno! Look around you!”

Driana screamed at the top of her lungs.

“The vulnerable citizens of Ivaldi whom Lord Dweno is meant to protect are the ones currently facing annihilation!”

“What are you saying?”

“You declared your desire to carry them forward into the future, even if only by a fraction! You insisted that keeping them safe was your duty! Yet those very individuals are currently spilling their blood on the front lines! They desperately require Lord Dweno’s assistance this very second!”

“That can only happen if… if the Records are obliterated… we will all dissolve into nothingness…”

“That may be true! But nothing matters if everyone perishes in the process!”

Driana could not fathom the depths of Dweno’s internal torment.

However, she was acutely aware that Dweno was completely abandoning the population of Ivaldi in this crucial hour.

Creak— Screen—

A horrifying, unnatural sound resonated from inside Driana’s skeletal frame.

“Cease this resistance. You will tear yourself apart.”

“Aaargh!”

Slam—!

Dweno applied heavy pressure to immobilize Driana, who was desperately trying to wrench herself free from his iron grip.

‘What… what am I truly trying to accomplish here?’

His thoughts were hopelessly knotted.

‘All I desired was to provide the civilization of Ivaldi… to Enniha… a tomorrow. Is such a yearning truly so unpardonable?’

Was it a terrible transgression to grant a future to his kinsmen, whose very tomorrow had been violently stripped away before they could even glimpse a shred of hope?

‘I am blocking these youths… because these youths are actively trying to eradicate Ivaldi’s only chance at tomorrow.’

His mind spun into deeper chaos.

‘Yes. It is a deeply self-serving ideology. But am I not permitted to be self-serving for once?’

Rumble—

Brilliant golden blazes ignited within Dweno’s gaze.

‘Will the path I chose truly bring about the demise of Ivaldi’s people? I merely… merely… wished for them to see the daylight. I only wanted them to experience… even a fraction of the joys you all possessed.’

Fwoosh—

The radiant golden blazes abruptly began to darken into a pitch-black hue.

“I… I am not in the wrong. The tranquility you all take for granted… just a tiny piece of it… just a tiny piece…!”

Grip—!

“Kh-!”

Dweno’s fingers constricted with terrifying force.

An overwhelming weight bore down mercilessly upon Driana.

In an instant, Driana coughed up a spray of crimson blood.

Yet, she fiercely clenched her jaw and channeled every ounce of her remaining vitality to shove Dweno’s arm away from her.

Whoosh!

The dark blazes erupted with even greater ferocity.

Right at that critical juncture.

Crash—!

A majestic Wind Wyvern collided violently into Dweno.

“Lord Dweno’s mental state is entirely compromised!”

“I can clearly see that! But he won’t budge an inch!”

Eliza unleashed the entirety of her inner essence, forcing the Wind Wyvern’s capabilities to their absolute zenith.

“I…! I am…!”

The dark blazes that had originated in his gaze were now spreading rapidly, consuming his entire physical form.

“Eek?!”

“Eliza!”

Screech—!

The dark blazes leapt forward instantaneously, thoroughly enveloping the Wind Wyvern.

The magical creature, its tether completely severed by the assault, dissolved into thin air.

As the dark blazes washed over them, Carl instinctively shielded Eliza against his chest and threw himself backward to escape the blast.

Eliza lost consciousness immediately from the severe backlash of her summon being destroyed.

Then.

‘What course of action is left…!’

As all the color drained from Carl’s face.

“Wa… wake up…”

Within Carl’s line of sight, he spotted the battered form of Artian behind Dweno slowly dragging himself up from the ground.

“Ah, Professor Artian! We must rescue Driana…!”

Suddenly, Carl gasped as he realized that Artian’s newly opened eyes were completely pitch-black.

“Get a grip on yourself! You absolute degenerate of a dwarf!”

Boom-boom-boom—!

Artian’s clenched hand slammed directly into Dweno.

Dweno was thrown backward through the air, crashing heavily onto the stone tiles.

Carl’s jaw dropped in absolute shock.

The entity possessing that body at this moment was undeniably not Artian.

Though it was a regular occurrence for Artian to allow celestial entities to channel through him, no ordinary spirit would ever dare address the God of Blacksmiths with such utter disrespect.

Furthermore, utilizing dark sorcery…

“…Lis… Linas-sama?”

Carl muttered the designation in a state of complete bewilderment.

Thud—!

Immediately after the strike, Artian collapsed back into unconsciousness.

Witnessing this, Carl snapped himself out of his stupor.

“Driana! Can you stand?”

“I am… managing… I…”

Gasp!

Driana spat out another mouthful of blood as she forced herself onto her feet.

Carl frantically reached into his garments to retrieve a curative vial.

In that exact moment…

Dweno stood back up.

“Are you… are you truly condemning the path I have chosen!”

Dweno roared at the motionless form of Artian, his voice echoing with raw agony.

“Kyle! Kyle was able to comprehend my motives! So why do you refuse to see my vision! Were we not brothers-in-arms?!”

The dark blazes licking across Dweno’s flesh flared up with terrifying intensity.

Observing Dweno’s state, a cold shiver ran straight down Carl’s spine.

‘Lord Dweno has completely lost his sanity.’

He was entirely devoid of intellect.

The legendary figure whom Leo had described as possessing the most unbreakable resolve among the Great Heroes, the true anchor of their fellowship, was nowhere to be found.

‘Those dark blazes.’

Replacing his sacred golden aura, the flames of absolute ruin were now ravaging Dweno’s physical vessel.

‘How could this have transpired?’

A sudden revelation struck Carl like a bolt of lightning as his expression turned to utter horror.

‘The rightful sovereign of this pocket dimension must have been Lord Dweno.’

He had ultimately transitioned into a part of the Legion’s Record, but in the beginning, this entire Record belonged exclusively to Dweno.

That sacred archive had been forcefully rewritten with Gias’s chronicle through the malevolent machinations of Erebus.

‘What if that corruption… has actively permeated Lord Dweno’s soul?’

Dweno losing all connection to reality.

The dark blazes manifesting around him. Everything aligned perfectly now.

“Why do you turn your back on me! Was the dream I harbored truly so monstrous! Give me an answer! Lisinas!”

As the dark blazes raged with increasing madness,

“Dweno.”

A soft, familiar voice drifted from the darkness behind him.

Dweno slowly rotated his head toward the origin of the sound.

“Enniha.”

“…I have arrived to guide you home.”

Upon hearing Enniha’s quiet declaration, the dark blazes began to wither away.

“No, such a gesture is entirely unnecessary.”

Dweno offered a serene smile and dismissed the notion with a wave of his hand.

“Merely place your faith in me. I shall guide the entire populace of Ivaldi… alongside you, straight into the dawn of tomorrow.”

“…If we prove incapable of vanquishing Gias, then no tomorrow or salvation can possibly exist for us, can it?”

“Banish such anxieties! Kyle is present! Kyle is a companion destined to overthrow even the mighty Erebus in the ages to come! He is more than capable of obliterating a mere entity like Gias!”

Dweno beamed with radiant joy.

“Therefore, cast aside your worries regarding the Giant King’s Legion. You once mentioned your desire to capture the sun upon your canvas, did you not? I shall grant you a firmament where the morning sun ascends once more…”

“Dweno.”

“Yes?”

“It appears that we have truly become an unbearable millstone around your neck.”

Dweno’s features twisted into a mask of rage.

“What manner of creature do you take me for! Do you honestly believe I would harbor such despicable thoughts! Regain your senses, Enniha!”

“Is that truly the case?”

Enniha let out a melancholy smile.

Without warning, she drew her arm backward.

Smack—!

Enniha’s balled fist, thrown with every shred of her physical might, connected squarely with Dweno’s jaw.

Dweno’s head was violently snapped to the side.

“Aaargh!”

Enniha clutched the hand she had just used to strike him and collapsed onto the ground, groaning.

“You are truly constructed like an immovable fortress!”

Her fractured knuckles, twisted at a horrific and unnatural angle, were completely destroyed beyond any hope of natural mending to anyone bearing witness.

“E-Enniha! Your fingers!”

Dweno, fully aware that Enniha placed the highest value on her hands due to her calling as a creator of art, scrambled toward her in absolute panic.

Enniha, still writhing on the stone floor, delivered a harsh kick directly at Dweno.

Crack—!

Dweno was thrown backward once more, accompanied by the sickening sound of snapping bone echoing from Enniha’s lower leg.

“That is incredibly agonizing!”

Enniha ground her teeth together and forced her body upright.

With her tibia completely shattered, she dragged herself unsteadily toward the stunned and fallen Dweno.

“You are the one who desperately needs to clear his head, you obstinate dwarf.”

“What are you implying?”

“You are viewing our existence as nothing more and nothing less than a pile of unwanted baggage at this moment!”

“That is false. I merely…”

“You claim you will deliver us to the future? Without bothering to consult our wishes, acting entirely on your own whims? If that does not equate to treating us like inanimate cargo, then what does?”

“What transgression is there in ensuring your survival in the future? You have earned every right to experience the coming era.”

“Indeed. We likely have,” Enniha replied with freezing detachment.

“However, if obtaining that future requires placing the destiny of the world in jeopardy for even a single breath, not a soul among the populace of Ivaldi would ever accept it. None save for you.”

“…”

“Dweno. Our era drew to a close an eternity ago. And my own time expired vastly before yours ever did.”

Dweno bit down on his lower lip until it nearly bled.

“The citizens of Ivaldi… every single one of them understood the grim fate awaiting them. Consequently, they abandoned all hope of reaching the future a lifetime ago. They relinquished that dream, yet… everyone maintained the conviction that you were cut from a different cloth.”

Enniha offered a gentle smile.

“They believed that once you were unburdened by our existence, you would possess the strength to journey infinitely deeper into the future than we ever could. Therefore, in the end…”

Enniha dropped to her knees, bringing her gaze level with Dweno’s.

“They maintained unwavering faith that you would return tranquility to this realm. It was that very belief that kept our spirits from shattering completely.”

“You all… are by no means a burden.”

“Correct. We are not a millstone. We are your brothers-in-arms. You were simply carrying the profound expectations we placed upon your shoulders.”

They had abandoned their own mortal lives, but they had never truly surrendered their hope.

They simply had been unable to grasp it themselves.

By gazing upon the steadfast silhouette that stood as their ultimate guardian.

They held onto the belief that one day, that very silhouette would transform into an unyielding rampart for countless others who dared to dream of a better tomorrow.

That was the ultimate yearning of the population of Ivaldi, and Dweno had, in the grand scheme of things, brought that yearning to fruition.

Reflecting upon it now, it might appear to be a modest desire.

Yet in those dark days, it represented the absolute pinnacle of hope that the people of Ivaldi could possibly conceive.

“Just as we stand as your brothers-in-arms, do you not possess other companions by your side?”

“…”

“You insisted that we were not a burden to you? Yet are you now prepared to turn yourself into a burden for them?”

Dweno slowly lowered his eyelids.

“In the exact same manner that we placed our absolute trust in you.”

Whoosh—

The raging dark blazes gradually shifted, reforming into a spectacular, shimmering gold luminescence.

“Comrades who harbor absolute faith in your strength are currently awaiting your return.”

Dweno squeezed his hand into a tight fist.

“The aspirations we bestowed upon you were ultimately transferred from your hands into his, were they not?”

“That is correct.”

“If that is the case, Leo must be enduring a weight far more colossal than anything we could ever conceptualize. Therefore…”

Enniha stated with absolute conviction.

“Cease passing the weight along any further.”

Hearing those words, Dweno pivoted around.

Thump— Thump— Thump—

“Ugh…”

“Lord Dweno?”

“How did this…?”

One after another, the aspiring champions began to regain their senses.

Paying no heed to the awakening youths, Dweno marched directly into the inner chamber of the forge, returning a brief moment later hauling a monumental iron crate.

Thud—!

Dweno dropped the heavy container squarely before the young heroes.

“Consider this a token.”

Dweno remarked with complete indifference, before securing Brave onto his spine and stepping toward Driana.

“I apologize for displaying such an unseemly sight to you.”

“Oh, please do not say that! I never lost faith in you for a single moment.”

“Very well.”

Dweno gently rested his hand on Driana’s head, drawing a massive breath into his lungs.

“I allowed myself to become a pathetic spectacle. I remain uncertain if I possess the moral standing to utter these words, but all of you must immediately proceed toward the absolute heart of the Legion’s realm.”

“You possess more right to command us than any other soul alive,” Artian remarked in a profoundly deep tone, having finally reconnected with his consciousness.

Dweno focused his gaze onto Artian and parted his lips.

“My deepest gratitude.”

Dweno, offering his sincere appreciation to an entity existing far beyond the mortal veil, began his forward march.

Thump— Thump—

He took one deliberate stride after another.

As Dweno advanced, he drew level with Enniha’s position and momentarily ceased his movement.

“Enniha. I possess a solitary request.”

“Speak it.”

“Once Gias is thoroughly brought to ruin… you shall serve as the subject for my next creation.”

“An effortless task.”

“Anticipate it with high regards. You shall weep tears of profound inadequacy when you lay eyes upon my craftsmanship, given that my artistic prowess vastly eclipses your own meager talents.”

“You arrogant little dwarf!”

Enniha, briefly flaring up in irritation, let out a profound sigh a moment later.

“Fine. I shall act as your muse or whatever nonsense you desire, so make haste, obliterate that wretched Giant King, and return to us.”

At that remark, Dweno unleashed a hearty roar of laughter.

Fwoosh—!

The aura enveloping Dweno’s entire physical frame ignited into a pure, unadulterated gold.

And in that precise heartbeat, the fabric of reality shifted entirely.

“What is happening?”

Carl’s vision widened in sheer amazement.

[The parameters of the mission have been altered.]

[Mission Parameters: Ensure the survival of Dweno.]

[Mission Parameters (Concealed): Deliver Ivaldi from ruin.]

[Mission Parameters (Concealed): Overcome the Giant King Gias.]