Chapter 123: Chapter 118: The Weight of a King’s Choice (Part 1)
The smile on Asterion’s face was wrong.
It stretched just a little too far.
Not enough to look grotesque...
But enough that everyone present immediately understood.
The man standing before them was no longer Asterion.
The last trace of gold had disappeared from his eyes.
Two endless voids stared back at the world.
John felt a chill run down his spine.
Not because of killing intent.
There wasn’t any.
That was what frightened him most.
The being before him regarded every living creature the same way a person might look at falling leaves.
Without hatred.
Without affection.
Simply...
As something that existed.
---
Dark tendrils continued climbing the World Tree.
Wherever they passed, vibrant golden bark dulled.
Branches that had stood proudly for countless ages began to wither.
Glowing leaves drifted toward the earth.
Not gently this time.
They crumbled into black ash before touching the ground.
John’s chest tightened.
Through **Nature’s Resonance**, he could feel the World Tree’s pain more clearly than before.
It wasn’t merely losing mana.
It was losing memories.
Every fallen leaf carried fragments of history.
The laughter of children.
The songs of forgotten kingdoms.
The names of heroes long since gone.
Entire lifetimes vanished with each leaf that turned to ash.
"So this is what it’s been doing..."
John whispered.
The Soul Raven lowered its head.
"For thousands of years."
---
Caelis slowly stepped forward.
His silver aura expanded, pushing back the creeping darkness around their position.
Unlike ordinary mana, his power didn’t clash violently with the corruption.
Instead...
It calmed it.
Like moonlight reflecting upon turbulent water.
The False Heart tilted Asterion’s head curiously.
"...Still clinging to old methods, Caelis?"
The old man smiled faintly.
"I’ve lived long enough to know that old methods often outlast reckless ideas."
The False Heart chuckled.
"A lesson from someone who watched civilizations disappear."
"I watched them."
Caelis answered calmly.
"I also learned from them."
---
Aerion quietly leaned toward John.
"Do you notice something strange?"
John nodded.
"It hasn’t attacked."
"Exactly."
They both looked toward the False Heart.
With its overwhelming strength, it could have launched another devastating assault immediately.
Instead...
It stood still.
Watching them.
Almost studying them.
John frowned.
"Why?"
Sylvara answered softly.
"It doesn’t see us as a threat."
No one argued.
That answer was perhaps the most unsettling of all.
---
Lythriel spun her spear once before resting it against her shoulder.
"I hate enemies like this."
Aerion raised an eyebrow.
"You have a preferred type?"
"The loud ones."
She shrugged.
"The ones who shout before attacking."
"You know where you stand with them."
She looked toward the silent figure beneath the World Tree.
"This thing..."
"...thinks."
John couldn’t help smiling.
Despite everything happening around them...
Lythriel still found a way to ease the tension.
She caught him smiling.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You smiled."
"I did."
"That’s suspicious."
Even Sylvara laughed quietly.
For just a moment...
The crushing pressure surrounding the battlefield became a little lighter.
Caelis noticed.
His eyes softened.
Good.
They were still acting like companions.
Not soldiers awaiting death.
---
Without warning...
The False Heart spoke.
"Interesting."
Everyone’s attention returned immediately.
It looked directly at John.
"Your companions steady your mind."
John didn’t answer.
"It is inefficient."
Silence.
The False Heart slowly extended one hand.
"Attachment creates hesitation."
"It creates fear."
"It creates suffering."
"You should abandon it."
John narrowed his eyes.
"And become like you?"
The being tilted its head.
"I have surpassed such limitations."
John shook his head.
"No."
"You abandoned life."
For the first time...
The False Heart’s expression changed.
Not anger.
Confusion.
"As though the concept itself made no sense."
---
"You misunderstand."
Its voice remained perfectly calm.
"I abandoned weakness."
John folded his wings behind him.
"You abandoned the reason to protect anything."
Silence returned.
The False Heart stared at him for several long moments.
Then...
It laughed.
Not loudly.
Softly.
"You sound exactly like him."
John frowned.
"Who?"
"The Dragon King."
---
A strange expression crossed Caelis’ face.
Half nostalgia.
Half sorrow.
The False Heart continued.
"He once stood exactly where you stand now."
"He believed compassion could overcome inevitability."
John remained silent.
"And do you know what happened?"
The being slowly gestured toward the dying World Tree.
"He failed."
---
The words hung in the air.
John thought back to the memory he’d witnessed.
The Great Dragon King standing beside the Soul Raven.
Promising the seal would hold.
Protecting everyone.
Yet...
That world had still fallen.
John slowly lowered his gaze.
Could history truly repeat itself?
---
A firm hand rested upon his shoulder.
John looked sideways.
It was Aerion.
The elf wore his usual calm expression.
"You’re thinking too much."
John blinked.
"...Am I?"
Aerion nodded.
"It likes making people doubt themselves."
He glanced toward the False Heart.
"If I listened to every enemy who claimed victory was impossible..."
"I would’ve retired centuries ago."
Lythriel grinned.
"You’d make a terrible retiree."
"I know."
"I’d probably complain the whole time."
"You already complain."
"I do not."
"You complained about the weather yesterday."
"The weather deserved it."
Sylvara sighed dramatically.
"I can’t believe this is happening during the end of the world."
John laughed.
A genuine laugh.
Short.
But real.
The tension in his chest eased.
These people...
Trusted him.
More importantly...
He trusted them.
---
The False Heart watched quietly.
It didn’t interrupt.
Instead...
It simply observed.
"Curious."
Caelis looked toward it.
"What is?"
The being answered honestly.
"They continue smiling despite overwhelming odds."
"It is irrational."
Caelis shook his head.
"No."
"It is hope."
The False Heart’s expression remained unreadable.
"I have studied hope."
"It always ends."
Caelis smiled gently.
"No."
"It is passed on."
---
John looked at the old man.
"What do you mean?"
Caelis turned toward him.
"The Great Dragon King is gone."
"The kingdoms of old are gone."
"The civilizations we built have turned to dust."
He pointed toward John’s chest.
"And yet..."
"...you’re standing here."
John unconsciously placed a hand over his Dragon Core.
"The hope they carried..."
"...didn’t disappear."
"It reached you."
The words struck him deeply.
Perhaps...
That was the true legacy he had inherited.
Not unimaginable strength.
Not royal blood.
But the determination to continue where others had fallen.
---
The World Tree suddenly pulsed.
A gentle golden light spread through its trunk.
The glowing leaves circling John brightened.
His Dragon Core responded immediately.
The familiar blue window appeared.
---
**"SYSTEM NOTIFICATION"**
**Ancient Dragon King’s Legacy Resonance Increased.**
**Synchronization: 5% → 6%**
**Reason: Mental Growth Recognized.**
**New Trait Unlocked**
**"King’s Resolve"**
**Description: Your will is less susceptible to fear, illusions, despair, and mental corruption. The strength of this trait increases alongside your understanding of what it truly means to protect others.**
---
John stared at the notification.
No increase in strength.
No new destructive skill.
Instead...
A change to his mind.
Caelis smiled knowingly.
"So..."
"You’ve begun walking the same path."
John closed the notification.
He finally understood.
The Legacy wasn’t rewarding him for defeating stronger enemies.
It was rewarding him for becoming worthy of inheriting it.
And that...
Was a far more difficult journey.
---
100 ps = 1 extra Chapter
200 ps = 2 Extra Chapter
1 Golden ticket = 3 Extra Chapter
Comments