Chapter 445: Is He Alive
The sound of the gate being pulled up rang loudly, and then the burglary gate was pushed aside. After that, the main door was opened, and sunlight poured into the dark hall.
Ronald’s long shadow stretched all the way to the golden-haired man sitting on the floor with his head buried between his legs in the midst of a dust-covered floor and different cold weapons lying around.
Ronald’s footsteps echoed until he stood before Godfrey. He squatted. "It’s been two days. I’ve looked for you everywhere possible. I had no idea you were in Victoria’s gym. It’s not even that far from home, and I’ve gone thousands of miles."
Godfrey lifted his head and rested it on the wall. "Is he alive?"
Ronald clenched his teeth. Seeing that, Godfrey’s eyes moistened, and he began to laugh.
"Your mother can heal many, but she can’t bring back the dead. H-he was already dead before you brought him here. T-there was nothing she could do."
Godfrey inhaled deeply several times, but he couldn’t stop tears from rolling down his eyes. "I was there.... He wouldn’t have jumped into that dungeon if it wasn’t because of me. IT WAS MY DUTY TO PROTECT HIM!"
Ronald shut his eyes when Godfrey screamed.
Godfrey opened his mouth. His lips trembled as he struggled to speak. "I... I failed him."
"You did your best, Godfrey. What you faced is usually ten times stronger at the same tier. It’s a miracle you’re alive. You would have all been buried had it not been for your efforts."
Godfrey looked at his dad. "Does it matter?" His voice was soft, almost a whisper. "He’s gone..." His blue eyes rippled. Godfrey could almost see Isaac when he was at the mercy of bullies. He recalled their discussion after clearing a dungeon filled with ants and saving two girls.
"I watched him die in my arms.... What’s the use of all I’ve suffered to become this strong? What’s the use of bearing the title of a demigod if I just can’t bring back a friend?"
Ronald was silent. "There are billions out there who think becoming a demigod would have stopped their own friend from dying. Over eight hundred thousand people have died in just one week, son."
He sat on the dust-covered floor, leaning right beside Godfrey. "There are many in your position right now. From Low Tiers to Titled God Tier, we all experience loss no differently. I can only say this. Isaac would never regret meeting you. From what I heard, you changed his life. And he died saving his friends. He reminds me of who I once was."
Ronald spoke softly.
Godfrey lowered his head. He stared at his fingers. Though they were just dusty, all he saw were blood-covered fingers.
"His mother... Does she know?" Godfrey asked, still facing the floor.
"Not yet. Your mother is devastated, thinking it’s her fault that you’re in this state. Lucy and Percival still haven’t recovered from the shock, and Isolde...."
That last name made Godfrey’s eyes narrow.
"She’s in deep grief. From what I understand, her current tier created a deep bond between her and those dragons. She actually feels like their mother, and she just lost four of them. In addition to that, her close friend also died, and you’re too broken to offer solace." Ronald sighed heavily.
"I shouldn’t have gone into that dungeon."
"Then what? Watch as those monsters kill thousands, maybe millions of people with families? With children, parents, grandparents, babies...."
Godfrey faced his father. "At least the desert won’t be there."
"It’s your grief talking. No one knows what you and your friends went through in that gate, and you might never receive enough praise for it, maybe none at all, but looking at you, I see a hero."
Ronald smiled. "Most true heroes are rarely known. I know you are disconnected from the public. You’ve seen their hate, and you’re doing this for yourself, but you’re inspiring your friends. Isaac saw something worth dying for, and it wasn’t a selfish person but his personal hero."
"So... just know we’re all waiting for you. The Master of the House of Order, to give a proper final farewell to his friend and follower. You’re no longer a boy, Godfrey. You’re a man. Weep, wipe your tears, and rise up."
Ronald stood up.
"You know where to find me." He took a few steps and stopped. "I know you don’t know about this, but I had a brother once, and I became who I am because of him. As long as you breathe, let those dungeons know you’re alive. In the end, it’s either you or them; there is no in-between."
***
Godfrey finally appeared at the mortuary in Paradise that night. He was the last person to step into the room.
His mother, his father, Lucy, Percival, Adrian, and the captains of the Sentinels like Oliver and Arden were also around.
Everyone turned to him while he looked at Isaac’s cold corpse, unable to utter a word. They had already agreed to inform Isaac’s mother, but since she had arrived, they all left the room one after the other until only his mother was left.
Godfrey did not know how to look at her.
"This is just the second dungeon, and you’re already in this state." Her voice made him lift his head.
Her irises had vanished. She drew close and crossed her arms. "You so-called highly intelligent beings. Always so selfish. Look at you cry."
"What are you doing? Get lost!"
She lifted an eyebrow. "Don’t yell at your mother. You would have no business existing if I had not thought of bringing a mere thought to life."
Godfrey pushed her aside. "I don’t care."
"People die, and I’ve allowed you to grieve, but it’s becoming annoying. You’re my son, my son. Set your sights on greater things. Set your sights on the next dungeon. Every moment you waste, your world crumbles."
"And who caused it?!" Godfrey flared, glaring hard at her.
"There you go. Forgetting all the good I’ve brought you."
"You brought me nothing, nothing but pain! PAIN!" His eyes widened. "You are a disgrace to the word mother, a disgrace! Even animals protect their young, but you toss yours into a mad quest."
"It’s made you stronger," she retorted.
