Ch.150The Same Dream

# 1.

The tension had reached its peak.

Nahan, who had been hiding behind the Abyss, revealed himself, breaking that tension.

And then came the question.

“Um, by any chance, is there a seat available at the Japanese restaurant?”

“『…?』”

“Come to think of it, I canceled all contracts with my guild members saying we’d perish together… so I don’t have any proper means to fight back.”

An unexpected declaration of surrender.

Though it was a small voice mixed with a sigh, as if grumbling, everyone watching heard it clearly.

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

“『…?』”

Everyone present, even the Abyss itself, was momentarily stunned with confusion, but it was only for an instant.

Soon, the Abyss regained its composure and shouted at Nahan, who had his hands raised.

“『Do you think I would fall for such a lie!!』”

Doesn’t the Abyss know?

How much its plans had been disrupted by this man’s intervention in the world,

How it had been driven to the brink of extinction, and how it was only through this man’s choice that it had barely survived?

Moreover, this man was a strange kind of human, like a hero, who valued others’ lives more than his own.

“『Whatever lies you whisper, I will never be deceived!!!!』”

After that terrible voice, like someone squeezing their brain, echoed around the Imperial City.

A thunderous shout erupted from the human side that had been keeping the Abyss in check.

“I knew that bastard would do this!!!!!!!!”

A voice filled with such vast power that it made the air around him vibrate.

“From the moment he tried to deceive me by pretending to be Ian Red, I saw through his sinister intentions!!!!!!!”

“Wait, Vulcan!! It’s too early to jump to conclusions──!!”

“Step aside if you’re scared, Asha!!!!! I’m enough to handle scum like him by myself!!!!!!”

Vulcan, seemingly genuinely enraged, was charging forward with saliva dripping.

“『Could it be… that he’s serious…?』”

The Abyss, involuntarily distracted by the fierce appearance filled with genuine anger, frowned around its brow and hesitated for a moment.

Taking advantage of that opening, Nahan approached the Abyss, drew out his Black Wolf dagger, and grinned.

“Nice, Vulcan.”

No sooner had he muttered this than he thrust forward the silver dagger engraved with the Black Wolf emblem.

“『──!!!』”

Despite the sudden attack, the Abyss naturally twisted its body to evade.

“『I knew it!!! Did you think this shallow trick would work on me!!!!』”

As the Abyss, now alert, raised its hand to counterattack Nahan who had penetrated to close range.

“Yes.”

Nahan, who had already abandoned the dagger, smiled as he reached toward the area near the Abyss’s heart.

“I thought it would.”

Something pitch-black touched his fingertips.

He had already identified that this was the conduit connecting to <The Unsaved Ones>, the source of the Abyss’s power and existence.

Nahan activated the ultimate skill of the Yellow Dragon that he had been keeping hidden until now.

【Ultimate Skill – Sunlight(D).】

◆Effect

: Attribute – Definitively removes all status ailments related to evil once per day. The caster’s rank temporarily increases according to the rank of the removed status ailment.

*However, you will pay a random <Price>.

Ultimate Skill – Sunlight.

A power that removes all status ailments related to evil, contrasting with the shining Yellow Dragon.

Originally an Ex+ rank skill, it had fallen to D rank following Nahan’s demotion, but its effect remained ‘absolute’.

【Warning.】

【Definitively removing status ailment – <Loser’s Binding(???)> caused by <Abyss(???)>’s unique characteristic – <Wager(???)>.】

The moment he used the ultimate skill, the core of the Abyss surged up.

“『What are you doing now──!!!!』”

Before the question could even finish, the rising darkness burst like a popping balloon.

【Due to the removal of status ailment – <Loser’s Binding(???)>, <The Unsaved Ones> are being liberated from within <Abyss(???)>!】

As the system window appeared, pure white souls poured out like a broken dam.

The Light and Black Wolves watching the situation couldn’t help but gape.

“…The Milky Way?”

If a massive dam filled with stars were to collapse, it would look just like this.

Among them, Asha and Yuria, the children of the Goddess, were particularly amazed.

The two of them couldn’t help but murmur as they watched the sparkling souls scatter.

“What is this…?”

“Woooow…”

Through the blessing of the Goddess, they could clearly see and hear.

『Ah…!! Light!! It’s light!!』

『Finally….! Finally!!』

『Now I can rest in peace…!!』

Each tiny starlight was a soul from the world that had been destroyed and bound, now escaping from the Abyss and finally returning to the Goddess’s embrace.

They were ending an eternity of misfortune and finding peace.

And so, the gazes of all the saved souls turned toward the black-haired man.

『Now I can rest…』

『I’ve been saved.』

『Thank you… thank you so much…』

Many souls shed tears like starlight and expressed their gratitude, but Nahan continued the liberation without any particular reaction.

He was waiting for just one thing.

-『Hyesung, that child is there too.』

It was Hyesung, who would be guiding the souls that remained until the end to the exit.

That’s the kind of person Hyesung was.

A child who deeply empathized with others’ pain and selflessly helped to alleviate it.

Unlike himself, who couldn’t properly live without others’ help, that child was a hero who lifted up people like him.

A child who never gave up no matter how adverse the conditions, because they were always strong.

A child who whispered a reason to live to him in his previous life when he was about to give up on everything.

A child who taught him how to stand on his own when he could only live by depending on others.

So in Nahan’s mind, that one child was far more precious than someone like himself.

【Paying the <Price>.】

【When all <The Unsaved Ones> are liberated, your physical body will be annihilated.】

【In progress: …56%】

Nahan didn’t stop the skill even as he saw the crimson system window.

As <The Unsaved Ones> were liberated, the Abyss’s body weakened.

The divine status that had been unreachably distant grew dim and became vulnerable enough to confront.

However, even so, the current Abyss was the result of two ancient species combined.

“『Stop…!!!』”

Crack!!

With just a light wave of its hand, Nahan’s bones and flesh were torn away in large chunks.

“『Right now…!! Let go, I say!!!』”

Crunch!

As it grabbed and squeezed as if trying to tear him away, Nahan shattered like a glass rod.

“『I won! No, I have been winning! I’ve won without a single defeat!!!』”

Crack,

Craaack!!

The parts touched by the flailing darkness broke, bending in the opposite direction of the joint’s range of motion.

Nahan was crumbling helplessly under the tantrum-like struggle.

【<Ring of Iasos(Ex+)> activates.】

【<Ring of Iasos(Ex+)> activates.】

【<Ring of Iasos(Ex+)> activates.】

.

.

.

No matter how much he recovered, the pain itself didn’t disappear, so Nahan nearly lost consciousness several times.

In fact, there were a few times when his consciousness did fade, albeit for just a moment.

Yet the reason he could endure was the same as it had always been, just one thing.

“Selena!! How long are we going to just watch?!”

“Asha, you need to wait just in case. But… I’ll go help on my own.”

“…Me too.”

The Light who were hurting more than himself in pain, and the Black Wolf members who had already silently begun to approach. And,

“Nahan!!!”

“We must go together, Your Majesty!!”

Reina, who was recklessly rushing in after dealing with the remnants, and Hestia, who was being carried on her back and approaching with her.

The reason he could hold onto his fading consciousness, the reason he could endure through the terrible pain, was just one thing.

‘Because I want to protect them.’

The people he had fully saved for the first time, after living a life of only depending on others.

Not characters in a story, but living, breathing beings like himself.

Hoping they would be saved, just as he had been saved by Hyesung back then.

And,

【Paying the <Price>.】

【When all <The Unsaved Ones> are liberated, your physical body will be annihilated.】

【In progress: …82%】

To repay the kindness to Hyesung who had saved him.

“『I will never give up!!!』”

The Abyss’s desperate cry was like a wail.

As Nahan momentarily lost consciousness from the mental attack added to the overwhelming pain,

A forgotten memory flashed through his mind.

Brother, my real dream is actually……

-For you to be happy.

A light flickering in the darkness.

Nahan, barely regaining his senses, quietly raised his hand and murmured.

“My dream is the same.”

So…

“Don’t come, you fools.”

A smile appeared on his blood-covered face.

After stopping his precious ones who were rushing to save him,

…Thump.

He grasped the area near the Abyss’s heart again with his hand that had almost fallen.

And the next moment.

【Paying the <Price>.】

【When all <The Unsaved Ones> are liberated, your physical body will be annihilated.】

【In progress: …100%】

【<The Unsaved Ones> are liberated.】

From the heart of the Abyss, which had been nothing but darkness, burst forth the brightest light.