*Whoosh!*
The blue light filling his vision began to fade.
A distant, dreamlike color spread out like a landscape painting, with silver light flickering through it.
With that almost magical glow, Chris returned to the present, neither past nor future, but to this exact moment.
“...”
He stood there, staring blankly at the familiar sight of the small library.
“Ugh...”
For some reason, Chris’s voice was hoarse.
Humans in the present cannot witness the past—bound as they are to the absolute flow of time.
But today, Chris had seen the past.
He had watched the life of Rain, the hero, if only from a distance. Through the memories of another.
Absentmindedly, Chris opened his interface to check the time.
It opened as if by instinct.
“This... game.”
Submerged in the memories of Rain’s past, Chris was reminded once again that this world was, indeed, a game.
Chris had entered this «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» library in the morning, but now it was already late at night in the real world.
It hadn’t taken long.
He hadn’t seen everything.
What was the purpose of this game?
Was it orchestrated by someone?
Had this book been created by one of Rain’s former companions to remember her?
Chris knew that there was still so much he didn’t understand.
All he had witnessed were fragments of Rain’s past, seen through the eyes of a third party.
“...”
The story of Rain recorded in this book ended here.
But...
*Flip.*
Chris turned the page.
The story hadn’t finished yet.
After the final battle, the empires of Alpharion and Betarion were established, and humanity began rebuilding and recovering around those two empires.
The first emperor of the Alpharion Empire, Bernhardt von Alpharion, devoted his life to the revival of humanity.
Chris quietly committed the lifetime of Bern, Rain’s companion, to his heart.
Then he neared the final chapter.
Amid the peaceful records of the following decades, there was an unusual entry.
[Year XX of the Imperial Calendar]
[Suddenly, “It” appeared.]
A latent threat to the empire.
The reason that, even a thousand years later, the empire remained wary of the Eastern Gorge was recorded here.
It was an account of the mysterious Death Knight, called the “Blue Tyrant King.”
The Death Knight that appeared in the eastern gorge, Erin’s Gorge, was powerful enough to remind people of the Legion Commanders from years past.
However, the empire had grown strong as well. By this time, the Alpharion Empire possessed a powerful order of knights capable of holding their own against a single Legion Commander, even without the help of the hero and her party.
Although the appearance of this powerful being, after all the Legion Commanders had been defeated and the Demon King himself had vanished, struck terror across the empire, they managed to drive away the Death Knight with all their might.
The strange part was that none of the knights died in that earth-shattering battle.
As if the Death Knight had no desire to destroy it all. He swung his sword only to defend himself.
And the blue sword energy he emitted...
It was vastly different from the purple aura or dark energy that other Death Knights wielded.
A force akin to that of an absolute tyrant.
Filled with both reverence and fear, humanity named him the “Blue Tyrant King.”
Toward the end, it was said that the Blue Tyrant King unleashed a sword strike at the ground, far mightier than any he had shown before.
A colossal scar carved into the heart of the gorge, as though splitting the continent in two.
And then, the Blue Tyrant King disappeared into the endless chasm.
---
[Ah...]
[I understand now.]
[A being forgotten by all.]
[A savior of humanity.]
[Oh, my master.]
[Noble spirit of the master.]
[Why...]
---
Chris closed the book.
He left the library, carrying with him memories too precious to erase and an overwhelming sense of gratitude he couldn’t hide.
---
Chris approached Rain, who sat in her wheelchair on the terrace, gazing down below.
Rain’s eyes were fixed on the scene unfolding beneath her.
Seoul.
A forest of artificial buildings.
A vast river cutting through it.
It was far from the natural beauty of Astria, the continent she had loved.
But...
In Rain’s obsidian-like eyes, the vibrant lights of the city reflected clearly.
She was doing her best to capture the image of this world, of this city, in her memory.
To overcome her past.
And to embrace the place where she would now live.
“Chris...”
Rain’s clear voice called her name, as always.
Her face was bright, radiating a silvery glow, as she smiled warmly at Chris.
Even after nearly a year together, Rain’s wounds hadn’t fully healed.
Today, the torn, tattered heart hidden behind her bright expression felt all the more palpable to Chris.
Even now, at this very moment.
Embracing scars that could never be erased.
Rain was doing her best to keep moving forward.
Chris’s eyes grew warm.
At long last, her gaze and Rain’s seemed to be directed toward the same view.
*Poof.*
“...Huh? Chris?”
Rain tilted her head, her soft voice chirping in surprise.
Chris pulled Rain’s head to her chest, her body trembling.
A small hero.
Strong, yet delicate like fragile glass.
A child who had fought in a foreign world just to be loved.
Perhaps it was a blessing that Chris hadn’t witnessed those horrific scenes firsthand.
The final battle with the Demon King.
Everyone must have died there.
Rain must have lost the use of her legs then.
Her delicate mind must have been shattered.
And she had fled to this strange world, leaving behind the land where she’d lost everyone she loved.
Now Chris understood why, when Rain returned to Astria, she had behaved like a child.
Rain had only wanted to be spoiled.
To live among familiar landscapes of memories.
Trapped in the past.
In the embrace of her beloved companions.
And now, this girl who had lost everything had to face the memory of those she loved.
What a cruel fate.
“Rain, Rain, Rain...”
“Chris... you’re...! I... can’t breathe! Are you... crying?”
Through Chris’s blurred vision, she saw Rain’s worried face.
Chris wiped her eyes roughly.
Then, she spoke.
“Let’s go together.”
“Go where...?”
“To see your companions.”
Rain’s eyes widened.
---
That day, Chris held me close as she wept for a long time.
Why?
Had I done something to make her feel this pain?
Lost in thought, I remained in her arms, letting her tears fall upon me, wondering.
---
*Whoosh!*
The next day, Chris and I found ourselves facing the enormous scar that cut through the gorge.
“Melissa is down there.”
“How do you know that, Chris?”
I gaped in astonishment.
How did she know?
Chris held my shoulders, meeting my gaze.
“This time, let’s go together.”
“But you’re the raid leader of the Hongbaek Guild's expedition.”
“It’s fine. We’ve gained a few more members. The twelve-man roster will still be intact, and Jookdae will be the raid leader for this expedition.”
Chris gave me a playful wink.
“You’re supposed to be the future king of humanity, right? Doesn’t that mean you should live too?”
*Fluster!*
My face flushed bright red.
“H-how...?”
I stammered.
How could Chris know those words?
I had said that to Leon and Bern when I was young...
“I saw it. I saw the way you fought. ...Well, not everything, but still.”
“W-what?”
I covered my face, tears welling up.
How had she seen it?
Where in this world had those memories survived?
My face was burning, about to explode.
I felt as if a secret part of me had been exposed.
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Chris laughed heartily.
“Now I know everything I need to, huh? About all the hardships you’ve endured.”
“...”
It was incredible.
In this world that had turned into a game, Chris had sought traces of my past.
“Trust in your companion. You called me your companion, didn’t you?”
“Companion.”
The word sank deeply into my heart.
To me, “companion” held more meaning than any other word.
“You don’t have to grieve alone or fight the past on your own.”
The empathy in Chris’s expression stirred my heart.
In a quiet voice, I responded.
“But... I’m a solo player.”
“Solo play-oriented, right? That doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.”
“Ahaha!”
I laughed without meaning to.
Encouraged to party up.
A solo play orientation.
It was all wordplay.
For the first time today, I chose not to play solo.
As I wiped away the tears that kept gathering,
I looked down with my beloved companion, Chris, at the bottom of that colossal scar in the earth.
At the past I had to overcome.
---
[You have discovered the Raid Dungeon: “Resting Place of the Blue Tyrant King”]
[Recommended Entry Level: 55]
[Raid Dungeon (Recommended for 12 players)]
[Resting Place of the Blue Tyrant King]
[In 29 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes, the seal of the gorge will disappear.]
[In 59 days, 23 hours, and 59 minutes, the Blue Tyrant King’s conquest of the continent will begin.]