Translator: Dreamscribe

Leon let out a deep breath.

He clenched his fists tightly, as if the pain was severe, but his expression remained unchanged. He was merely enduring it.

“Cough!”

As he covered his mouth with his hand and coughed violently, black blood smeared on his hand. That sight jolted all the players who had been blankly staring at Leon back to their senses.

“Leon nim!”

When the players started to approach him, Leon looked surprised and turned his back on them. The players quickly gathered in front of him.

Everyone looked at Leon’s back.

His body, which had been trembling as if it might collapse at any moment, gradually regained stability.

A brief silence fell. The players couldn’t say a word. The heavy atmosphere, so different from usual, sealed their lips.

In that silence, Leon turned his back to face the players.

“Hello? Heroes.”

It was the same gentle and kind voice as always. His face was gaunt and pale, but he greeted the players with the same warm smile as usual.

He didn’t waver at all.

There was no trace of weakness.

It was as if nothing had happened.

He was doing his utmost to appear that way.

Even though pain was overtaking his entire body.

“Ugh....”

“Leon nim....”

That very image of him struck the players even harder in the heart. Many, including Leku, had red-teared eyes.

“Clerics, quickly!”

At Leku’s words, clerics affiliated with SPL rushed to Leon. They tried to heal Leon’s wounds using healing sacred techniques, but only managed to stop the bleeding. The parts of his body dyed black did not recover.

“It’s alright. It will disappear with time.”

Leon said this while avoiding eye contact.

Everyone knew it was a lie. His expression was awkward, and his gaze was unsteady.

Leon was a terrible liar.

“Leon nim, what happened? We saw everything.”

At Leku’s question, Leon’s expression stiffened. After a moment of silence, he quietly opened his mouth.

“This is the edge of the Lost Kingdom. When the kingdom was destroyed by the army of Erosion, this was also the place that resisted until the very end.”

Whoosh! Ahh!

Was it the sound of the wind?

It sounded like screams, a hallucination echoing in the players' ears.

When Leon began to walk forward, Leku and the players followed behind.

Among the collapsed debris, a barely standing outer building came into view. After passing it and walking a little further, a clearing appeared. It was a plain, empty field.

Swoosh!

Leon reached out and drew a pattern in the air.

The space shimmered, and like a cloth being lifted, the field disappeared, revealing a new area.

Leku’s eyes widened and trembled.

In the wide clearing, tombstones stood densely packed.

The tombstones were not large and varied in shape and color, but they were all filled with care. Somehow, it felt as though all those numerous tombstones had been made by a single person.

The players were overwhelmed by the sight. They swallowed hard and looked on.

“As time passed, I began to forget even their names and faces.”

A cemetery.

It was a cemetery where not even bodies were buried, and only tombstones with names remained in their place.

“The Lord of Erosion destroyed the kingdom, and countless souls were corrupted by Erosion and are now trapped. Though many years have passed, but... I can still hear their cries."

“...Was this the kingdom Leon nim belonged to?”

At Leku’s question, Leon nodded.

“Now even Evanth is being targeted. Abundance and prosperity are the favorite prey of Erosion. Somewhere in Arsilan, it seems there’s a magic circle interfering with the consolidation of the Magic Barrier.”

Erosion...!

Leku and the players were angry. Their rage toward Erosion continued to build.

Leku barely held onto his composure and opened his mouth.

“Leon nim, have you been searching for that until now?”

“I found several places and erased them all, but I have not yet discovered the core of the magic circle.”

Leon spoke casually, but they had witnessed how difficult that task truly was.

Leon took out the broken Holy Sword from within his coat. A fragment of the blade, smaller than even a dagger, was barely holding together.

“The Holy Sword that Ella crafted by gathering starlight... it was the only weapon that could repel Erosion. But due to my own inadequacy, it ended up like this.”

Leon’s expression was filled with deep regret.

“With the Holy Sword, I could sense the energy of Erosion. What that Death Knight was hiding seems to have been the final magic circle. I can’t detect it anymore.”

Leku looked at the Magic Barrier.

[Magic Barrier: 84%]

It had decreased by 1%. That meant the core or mechanism of the magic circle that was dismantling the Magic Barrier still remained somewhere in Arsilan.

Leku met Leon’s gaze.

“Leon nim, I’ll help as well. This is my hometown now, too.”

Leon’s eyes widened.

“Not just me, but I believe all Heroes feel the same way.”

“Do you know how much money I spent in Evanth?”

“I just started my farm. If it goes under, I’m in trouble!”

The players nodded or smiled, each expressing their agreement in their own way.

“Leave it to us, and please focus on healing your wounds. Show us your healthy self again.”

“...There’s no way to argue against Heroes.”

When Leku said that, Leon let out a deep breath and nodded. Leon, who had always appeared strong and dependable, staggered.

“Whew, I think I need to sit down for a bit.”

Thud!

Leon sat down on the spot.

He looked completely drained. His face clearly showed how difficult things were, and he didn’t try to hide it. To Leku and the players, Leon looked more natural like this.

It felt like they had grown a little closer to him.

“These are the records I’ve kept all this time.”

Leon handed a map to Leku.

The map contained detailed locations and structures of the magic circles he had already destroyed.

[Leon] Hope

The Heroes have decided to protect Arsilan. Leon, reassured after confirming their resolve, entrust the mission to them. Let's find and eliminate the central magic circle hidden somewhere in Arsilan.

Participants: Unlimited

Difficulty: ???

Reward: ???

A Quest like that appeared for everyone.

Leon and the players returned to Evanth.

All of Leon’s story had been uploaded in detail to Arsilan Worlds app, and many players who had read the news were waiting for Leon in Evanth.

Leon walked slowly through the streets of Evanth.

The players followed behind him as if escorting him.

Many players on the street looked at Leon. Leon walked up to the statue of the Goddess Ella standing in the central plaza and quietly knelt before it.

Rustle.

He closed his eyes as if in prayer for a moment, and then collapsed forward.

What had he prayed for?

One thing was certain, it was not a prayer for himself.

Leon had never once done anything for his own sake.

Saintess Airi appeared and helped prop him up against the statue of Ella. Her expression was grim.

“Erosion’s energy has seeped into him. His condition is extremely serious. It’s a miracle he was able to move until now.”

Leon’s expression, leaning against the statue, looked peaceful.

“We’ll do everything we can at the Church to treat him, so I beg of you, please take care of things in the meantime.”

Saintess Airi bowed her head to the players. The priests behind her carefully lifted Leon and carried him to the Church.

A great number of players nearby remained standing until Leon was out of sight.

Everyone had once been helped by Leon, or had shared a difficult concern with him. Many had overcome hardships thanks to his comfort.

Now, that very Leon was suffering terribly.

‘Hero nim, your skills have improved. I think I’m the one who has something to learn now.’

‘Yes, Hero nim, you are my precious comrade.’

'I will accompany you.'

Leon’s words and image passed through each player's mind. The players clenched their fists. Many had contorted faces.

“Erosion....”

“Fuck....”

“This is pissing me off.”

Their fury toward Erosion exploded.

And it was overwhelming.

* * *