Chapter 365

Chapter 365
## Chapter 365

Isabella found herself unexpectedly reminiscing about her previous life as the Snake Princess within the desert city. During those days, she had been devoid of any inner peace, projecting nothing but bitterness and aggression toward everyone she encountered. In that dark period, she lived without a shred of hope for the future.

In contrast, the Isabella of today felt an overwhelming sense of emotional fulfillment. Turning toward her companion, she flashed a radiant, genuine smile.

“Sonora. Please, listen to me. I have so many tales I want to share with you.”

She spoke while firmly squeezing Sonora’s hand. They had an eternity of time ahead of them to bond. Therefore, she felt no need to rush; she would reveal her journey piece by piece, at a gentle pace.

Just as she had undergone a transformation…

*‘Sonora, you are capable of changing as well.’*

—

“Serengeti. Are you aware that your behavior has been quite peculiar lately?”

At the designated training grounds within the Papal State, Hudson called out to Serengeti, who was currently preoccupied with her solitary practice drills.

“…Hah! What do you mean by that?”

Serengeti paused, lowering her blade to look at him, which caused Hudson to knit his brows in slight frustration.

“I get the distinct impression that you are keeping your distance from me.”

“Me? Avoiding you, Hudson? I have absolutely no reason to do such a thing.”

“Actually, you do. It’s about your first love.”

“…I have no idea what you’re implying.”

“Vice-Leader Abeloff. Every single time he is nearby, you seem unable to look away from him.”

Hudson’s face was a mask of visible distress. His voice carried a heavy, somber weight. At this accusation, Serengeti’s mouth hung open in sheer bewilderment.

“That… that is a complete misunderstanding.”

“If it’s truly a misunderstanding, then why are you acting so flustered?”

“That is also a mistake on your part. I am not flustered in the slightest!”

“Do you really think I don’t know you by now? I can read your thoughts just by observing your eyes.”

Serengeti found it impossible to mask her true feelings when facing Hudson. He had immediately detected the way her pupils pulsed the moment Vice-Leader Abeloff was mentioned.

Letting out a weary breath, Serengeti finally spoke.

“I… I was simply…”

“Simply what?”

“…And what about your own actions, Hudson? Why are you just idling by?”

“What do you mean by idling?”

“Are we not supposed to be getting married?”

“….”

The question left Hudson momentarily stunned and silent. Their previous attempt at a wedding had concluded in an absolute catastrophe. Since that day, they hadn’t found the right moment to actually sit down and address their status.

Serengeti continued, her voice filled with gravity.

“If you are feeling this insecure, then we should just go through with it.”

“…But you know. I am…”

“It doesn’t change anything. Hudson is Hudson. Even if your very nature has shifted, the essence of the person I fell in love with won’t just vanish.”

A player. A being regarded as a transgressor in this reality. That was the truth of Hudson’s existence. After revealing his secret, Hudson had been uncertain of how to even interact with Serengeti.

Yet here was Serengeti, insisting that it was irrelevant even if Hudson was technically a different entity. The qualities she loved in him were far deeper than mere physical appearance.

“….”

As Hudson looked as though he might break into tears, Serengeti offered him a warm, bright smile.

“Hudson. I experience fear as well. I am constantly terrified that you might just vanish into thin air one day. But, simultaneously, I am intrigued. I want to know what the Hudson of that other world is truly like.”

Serengeti shared the same anxieties that plagued Hudson. She lived with the dread that he might suddenly sever his ties to this realm. After all, there was always the possibility he could find a new life or a different person back on Earth.

Regardless, Serengeti chose to embrace the uncertainty. More than that, she hungered to understand him better. If they remained stagnant in this state of hesitation, their bond would never move forward.

She reached out and took the hand of the trembling Hudson, holding it steady.

“Let’s use this moment to speak honestly. Let’s talk about our history and the life we will build together.”

“Ah…”

Hudson’s eyes grew misty. He had never dared to hope that Serengeti held such deep, considerate thoughts regarding his well-being.

*‘I need to evolve.’*

To achieve that growth, he needed to look her in the eye without fear. Hudson gave a firm nod of agreement.

“…Right. Let’s do exactly that.”

For the first time in a long while, Hudson and Serengeti truly saw one another.

—

“That is the peak of youthful romance.”

Abeloff remarked, observing the interaction between Hudson and Serengeti from a distance. The “springtime of youth”—it was his way of saying the scene was heartening to witness. Abeloff then shifted his gaze toward me and spoke again.

“Leader, have you ever experienced the feeling of being in love?”

“…That came out of nowhere.”

We were enjoying a brief period of respite before the commencement of the Goddess’s Festival. I was walking through the streets of the Papal State alongside Abeloff, hidden behind the helmet that the nameless repairman had customized for me. He had suddenly posed a question I had never been asked before.

“Are there not several incredible individuals in your circle?”

“Incredible? What do you mean?”

“In every sense. Saintess Sea, Isabella, Lilith—each of them is remarkable.”

“….”

‘Well.’

‘Love.’

It was true that every person Abeloff listed was exceptional in their own right. While I had certainly viewed them as potential romantic interests, if the question was whether I had actually been in love, the answer was complicated. Isn’t love a mutual endeavor between two people? It felt as though I had never truly participated in a proper romance.

A memory of a comment I’d heard in the past flickered through my mind.

*’If you’re going to act like that, you might as well just marry the game…’*

‘Hmm.’

In any case, Abeloff was privy to all my secrets. He knew I was an entity from another dimension who had taken on the mantle of Wilhelm.

“Abeloff. What about you? Have you ever loved someone?”

Perhaps influenced by watching Hudson and Serengeti, I found myself genuinely curious. At my question, Abeloff gave a slow shake of his head.

“How could someone like me, who was once a mere offering to a malevolent deity, ever hope to meet someone?”

“Finding companionship isn’t a crime. Why don’t you make an effort to try, starting now?”

“…Excuse me?”

Abeloff blinked in surprise. He had spent his years first as a sacrifice to an evil god, and then as the Vice-Leader of the Order of the Round Table, existing in the shadows without even a public name. But the era of living that way had to end. I didn’t want any of them to fade away, forgotten by history.

“It’s a perfect chance, isn’t it?”

“Wh-what are you suggesting? Surely you don’t mean—?”

“Indeed. People from every corner of the continent are arriving for the Goddess’s Festival and the election of the Pope. It’s an ideal time for you to try and connect with someone. That goes for you and every other member of the group.”

“That sounds like the most daunting mission in the world…”

Abeloff shook his head in disbelief. These men were masters of the blade, but when it came to social interaction, they were less than amateurs. Such was the nature of the Knights of the Round Table.

“…Nevertheless, if it is a direct command, I shall attempt to meet the challenge.”

Abeloff gave a stiff nod, his expression hardening with resolve. He had survived the passage of time and even the grip of death itself. Surely, there was no task he couldn’t handle. It was a thought he never would have entertained in his previous life. Back then, the word “challenge” wouldn’t have even crossed his mind.

But he recognized the necessity of change. He couldn’t allow himself to be imprisoned by his past or continue existing like a wandering spirit. Abeloff looked at the Commander of the Round Table and reflected.

*’He remains as impressive as he always was, both then and now.’*

…He was truly magnificent.

Within the World Tree’s dungeon, Abeloff and the rest of the Knights of the Round Table had watched him closely. He was the one who stood his ground against forgotten deities without flinching, inspiring nothing but profound respect. Later, he had overseen the construction of the Tower of Destruction, only to reach his zenith by dismantling it with his own hands.

He had checked off the world’s most impossible feats one by one. Abeloff couldn’t even fathom what grander events lay in the future. Consequently, Abeloff knew he couldn’t simply remain a passive observer.

Furthermore, Abeloff felt a deep sense of gratitude. He was thankful that he could carry on this journey alongside him—a path he had assumed was over after the Great Expedition.

*’My thanks, Leader. For not casting us into oblivion.’*

He was grateful to the man who had remembered them and sought them out. Abeloff wasn’t bothered by the change in his leader’s appearance. There was no doubt in his mind that the person who held their memory was Wilhelm.

Abeloff made a silent vow.

*’No matter the cost, I will stand as your shield.’*

He would ensure his safety at any price. Even if a moment came where he had to offer up his life once more, he would do so without a second thought.

—

It happened in the blink of an eye. Across the globe, every human being stopped what they were doing to stare at the heavens.

【The rate of the ‘World’s Corrosion’ is accelerating at an extreme pace.】
【The Corrosion Rate has hit 28%.】

A notification flashed, declaring that the decay of the world had spiked. However, it wasn’t the text that held everyone’s attention.

“…What on earth is that?”

“What is falling out of the sky?”

“Is that liquid black? Is it oil or something else?”

Confusion swept through the crowds. A substance resembling a dark, viscous liquid had begun to cascade from the firmament. It didn’t take long for people to identify the source of the deluge.

“A—a tower!”

“A giant tower is plummeting from the clouds…!”

Moments later, the massive, shattered remains of a spire crashed down from above. But the wreckage wasn’t the only thing descending.

*Haaaaaaa!*

“Are those… elementals?”

“Why are elementals appearing so suddenly…!”

“Wait, was that thing that just fell the Elemental Tower?”

…It was a flood of elementals. Countless materialized spirits were pouring out in a chaotic mess. Yet, that spectacle was short-lived.

“The elementals are…”

“They’re merging together!”

“What kind of madness is this?”

A chain of bizarre occurrences unfolded. Events that defied all logic were transpiring in rapid succession. This strange phenomenon was being reported from every major city on Earth simultaneously.

However, once the elementals began their fusion process, visibility vanished. The entire region was swallowed by a massive, pitch-black orb, cutting off all sight of what lay inside.

In response to the crisis, various nations pooled their resources and sent their strongest Awakened to investigate. The exploration team was massive, consisting of five hundred elite individuals.

Yet, of the five hundred Awakened who stepped into that black void, not a single soul emerged.