Chapter 337: Conclusion
But Hermes couldn't care less about any of that; he just stared with wide, disbelieving eyes at the massive void that was still spewing destructive light and heat outward. He felt terrible. He merely wanted to witness the growth of a hero and test his caliber, not actually watch a "future" with the potential to partake in the subjugation of the One-Eyed Black Dragon fall senselessly in a place like this. At this moment, he felt genuine anxiety.
"Aiden..."
Ryuu also widened her beautiful eyes, desperately trying to search for that familiar silhouette within the chaotic light.
"Aiden!"
Lefiya's face was even paler, and she urgently tried to rush forward.
A steady hand grabbed her arm.
"Don't rush, Lefiya."
Riveria shook her head. Her voice was as calm as ever, offering everyone a shred of comfort. "He won't die that easily."
With that, the High Elf Vice-Captain closed her eyes and began a low chant. A massive magic circle made of emerald-green light rapidly expanded with her at the center, covering a large area ahead. She was attempting to use the magic circle's sensory capabilities to search for Aiden's unique magical wavelength.
A moment later, Riveria's eyes snapped open.
"Found him!"
The moment she spoke, a golden figure leaped into the bottomless crater without a moment's hesitation.
It was Ais.
The power of the wind wrapped around her feet, allowing her to land lightly and securely at the very bottom of the pit.
The sight before her made even her draw a sharp breath. This place no longer resembled the Dungeon at all. The ground had been completely melted, forming patches of dark red, glass-like crystals that still radiated intense heat.
Not far away, beneath a section of a collapsed wall, she found him.
Aiden had deactivated the Lord Ravager magic and reverted to his original appearance. He leaned weakly against the wall, his face as pale as paper. While he wasn't missing any limbs, his shallow breathing and chaotic aura made it painfully obvious that he was critically injured.
As for the replica... it had vanished completely.
In the center of that glass-like ground, only a pile of fine ash remained. During that final clash, Aiden's own strength, combined with the power of the Godslayer formed by Himeko, had ultimately overpowered the hollow imitation and burned it into absolute nothingness.
As Ais leaped back to the crater's edge with Aiden secured on her back, a collective sigh of relief swept through the group. Even Hermes, the thrill-seeking god who usually reveled in chaos, looked as though a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
"Aiden!"
Lefiya rushed up immediately, carefully helping Aiden down from Ais's back, anxiously looking him up and down. "A-Are you okay?"
Aiden forced his eyes open, managing a weak smile, and gently shook his head.
Riveria stepped forward quickly, casting healing magic while rapidly assessing his injuries. A moment later, she also breathed a sigh of relief. "It's fine. He's just severely depleted his magic and mind. The physical injuries aren't fatal."
Emerald-green light enveloped Aiden, bringing him warmth and vitality.
Upon learning that the replica had been thoroughly defeated, Finn immediately turned his gaze to the other side of the battlefield.
"Let's go. We need to back up the Warlord."
No further words were needed. Gareth, Hedin, Hogni, Allen... these top-tier combatants who had just extracted themselves from a clash of titans turned without hesitation and threw themselves into another equally fierce battlefield.
The roar of combat dragged on for a long, long time.
It wasn't until Aiden had recovered a bit of mobility under Riveria's healing that the battle over there finally drew to a close.
Childe's dark-purple Foul Legacy armor was now covered in cracks, its light dimming. He leaned heavily on a water-blade spear that was on the verge of dissipating. Looking at the group of warriors opposite him—warriors who had ignited his fighting spirit—he suddenly threw his head back and laughed heartily.
"I thoroughly enjoyed this battle. It's just a pity... this body is still too weak." His voice held no despair of defeat; instead, it was filled with pure, heartfelt joy. "I hope I can see you all again next time... and let me fight to my heart's content once more."
With those final words, his figure was entirely swallowed by a brilliant, golden slash of light.
....
A full two weeks had passed since the massive battle that nearly punched a hole through the Dungeon.
The severed peaks, the melted rock walls, the torn earth... all these shocking scars had slowly been restored to their original state thanks to the Dungeon's miraculous self-repair abilities, as if that battle between titans had never happened.
As for the specific details of that day, the Guild lightly brushed them off under the pretext of an "irregularity caused by deep-floor monsters." The official announcement declared that the incident had been jointly resolved by the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia, expressing the highest respect for their contributions.
Naturally, the major Familias and well-informed adventurers in Orario mostly scoffed at this narrative. Anyone could see that it was no simple "irregularity."
But so what if they didn't believe it? Under the mutual tacit agreement of the two S-Class Familias and the Guild, all speculations and rumors eventually faded into silence.
The incident quickly blew over, and Orario returned to its usual noisy, yet orderly rhythm. Those meant to enter the Dungeon shouldered their packs, and those meant to sweat it out continued shouting on the training grounds. Adventure remained the eternal theme of this city.
Outside a quiet room in the Palais Mermonia, however, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
"How is it... how is Alise doing?" Ryuu stared worriedly at the tightly shut door. Beside her stood Astrea, Asfi, and even Hermes, who was uncharacteristically quiet instead of wandering around looking for amusement.
After that great battle, Alise, knowing her condition was unstable, had prepared herself to remain in the Dungeon forever. But Ryuu firmly refused to leave her behind again. While they were stuck at an impasse, Aiden stepped forward, stating that he might have a way to solve Alise's problem, which finally convinced the Scarlet Pimpernel.
As for returning to the Palais Mermonia, the moment Ryuu saw Goddess Astrea again, her flustered, panic-stricken demeanor and darting eyes had Aiden and Alise trying hard to hold back their laughter.
Regarding the issue of Alise's severely unstable mental state caused by the Dungeon's will, the Focalors Familia happened to have a true expert in the mental domain.
───
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations