Chapter 288
Chapter 288
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 288
Chapter Title: All-Out Assault (2)
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"Come on, let's get going. That way, while we save my daughter, we can save the world as a bonus, don't you think?"
The Savior left those words behind and strode into the depths of Dainhar without a hint of hesitation. His confident steps were impressive. Ronan, who had been caught off guard, hurried after him.
"Ah, let's go together then."
"I have no intention of wasting time, so hurry up. Hey, where's the way to the bridge?"
"Ha, the bridge? What's that?"
Dreaming Thunder was flustered by the sudden question. The Savior patiently explained what the "bridge" was.
"It's a vast, flat space. Completely white, full of machinery... Ah, yes. There's a huge crystal like this."
The Savior spread his arms wide to draw a circle. In that instant, a certain place flashed through Ronan and Thunder's minds. If their memories weren't distorted, it was definitely somewhere they'd been before. Dreaming Thunder snapped his fingers, having pieced it together.
"Aha, you're talking about the heart of the ruins? I know that place!"
It was where Ronan had clashed with Teranil, the cult leader of Nebula Klage, in the past. The shockwaves, sparks ripping up from the ground, and the metallic stench of blood from the massacred natives were still vivid. The Savior nodded.
"The heart... Yes. That's not wrong. Can you guide us there?"
"Ha, but that's a sacred place. No one from outside our tribe can enter..."
Dreaming Thunder trailed off. He fidgeted, glancing at Ronan for approval. He was asking if the Savior was trustworthy.
Come to think of it, it was some holy site or whatever. The path there was a real pain too. Ronan nodded after a moment's thought.
"He's someone you can trust. I guarantee it."
"Then it's good! I'll lead the way!"
As soon as Ronan's endorsement came, Thunder's face lit up. The fact that he didn't question the reason for heading to the holy site showed his trust in Ronan. Thunder briskly took the lead.
Ronan and the Savior followed Thunder deeper into Dainhar. Surrounded by rock mountains, sand, and metallic crags everywhere, the only way to change the mood even a little was to look up at the sky.
The night air was still cold. With no artificial lights in the desert, the night sky was extraordinarily beautiful. It was while Ronan was walking, gazing at the brilliantly colorful nebula burning in the sky.
"Where are you headed at this hour, Thunder?"
"Huh?"
A familiar voice suddenly came from ahead. The three of them turned their gazes at once. A burly, massive native man stood there. Thunder's eyes went wide.
"Whoa, big bro?!"
"You..."
Ronan was just as surprised. It was Furious Gale, another native he'd bonded with in Dainhar, just like Thunder. Furious Gale, meeting Ronan's eyes, greeted him first.
"Ronan. Long time no see."
"Yeah."
Furious Gale wore a splendid headdress. As expected, he'd become the new chieftain. He approached with large strides and clasped Ronan's hand.
"I was a bit worried with no word for three years straight. Glad to see you're healthy."
"Can't compare to you."
Ronan stuck out his tongue at the sight of Gale's body. It was like a statue carved from obsidian, not a human. He said he'd sensed their presence the moment they entered Dainhar. After the greetings, Gale spoke up.
"I heard the gist of it. You're heading to the heart of Dainhar, right?"
"Yeah. That's right."
"Then I'll guide you. Thunder's still too green to go alone."
Like his younger brother, Furious Gale didn't ask why Ronan was going to the holy site. The debt he owed Ronan and Schlieffen from the past was deeply etched into his bones. Dreaming Thunder jumped up in place beside him.
"Big bro! What do you mean? I can do it properly too!"
"That's why you broke your arms and legs last time? If I hadn't been there, you'd be crippled."
"Ugh, that was..."
"Why don't we all go together?"
As the native brothers bickered, the Savior suddenly interjected, patting their shoulders. He turned to Ronan and continued.
"If this one passes out, I need someone to carry him or wake him instead of me. He's got a big frame, you see. And Furious Gale, you're the chieftain, right?"
"Passes out? Carry? Uh, well, yes. I am the chieftain."
"Then you especially need to come. I'll explain on the way, so let's get moving."
With that, the Savior grabbed Furious Gale's wrist and pulled. Gale was a head taller, but he was helplessly dragged along to lead the way.
"Heh."
Ronan let out an incredulous laugh. The sheer audacity was almost admirable. Suddenly, Thunder, who had been looking back and forth between Ronan and the Savior, clapped his hands.
"Ah, now that I look closely, that guy looks just like Ronan. Twins, except for the hair color!"
"Of course. He's my father."
"Father? Ronan has a dad?! Then you have a mom too?"
Dreaming Thunder's eyes widened as he asked. I might've been less shocked if he'd called me a woman. Ronan glared and snapped.
"Hey, what do you mean by that? That I look like an orphan?"
"D-Don't get mad. Ronan, you're so strong I honestly thought you were a monster. I'm glad you're human like us."
"Joking. But yeah, neither's around."
Dreaming Thunder panicked as he spoke. Of course it was a joke, so Ronan chuckled lightly to reassure him. But the words "human like us" stuck with him a bit.
Am I really human?
Ronan twisted his lips, recalling the moment he drank the giant's blood. He might end up living a life close to eternal, like the Savior or Abel. Lost in self-reflection, he let out a groan.
"Hmm... I don't like that much."
"S-See, you are mad."
Thunder shrank back. Anyway, the four headed to the heart of Dainhar. There were more natives who wanted to greet them, but given the situation, they put it off for later.
"Be careful. Fall into the red water, and you won't even find the bones."
"That's why it's called lava, you blockhead."
The four climbed cliffs, crossed rivers of lava on stepping stones, and finally reached a long corridor connected to the heart. Clap! The Savior, staring down the dizzyingly long passage, clapped his hands.
"Yes. Now I remember. The bridge was just past here."
"You recall it awfully quick."
Ronan let out a dry laugh. At least it was the right place. There were no traps or dangers here, so they could walk comfortably. Ronan crouched down and nodded to the Savior.
"Got it, so hop on quick. We need to hurry."
Of course, there was no time to relax. The Savior naturally entrusted his body to his son's back. At the same time, Ronan's form shot forward. Boom! The sound of him kicking off the ground echoed, followed by the startled cries of the native brothers.
"Ro-Ronan! We're coming too!"
"Wait!"
The gap widened quickly. Ronan kept running regardless. The problem was the passage was so long that even at full speed, the end wasn't in sight.
Despite the darkness and silence urging conversation, father and son exchanged no words. Only the steady rhythm of his spaced-out footsteps echoed.
Suddenly, a question crossed Ronan's mind. One he'd meant to ask the Savior, originally planning to wait until they had time later. Thunder's earlier question brought it back.
Why am I like this?
Ronan shrugged his eyebrows. He didn't know why, but it felt like if he didn't ask now, the chance might never come. Breaking the silence, Ronan spoke.
"Hey."
"What is it?"
"That... what was Mom like?"
"Oh. You finally ask. You must've been curious."
The Savior brightened. From his eager response, he'd clearly been waiting for this. Ronan felt his face heat up for no reason and snapped irritably.
"Damn, wouldn't you be curious? She's the one who gave birth to me."
"Of course you'd be. Naturally curious. As for what she was like... Hmm. She was like the sun itself. Your mother, that is."
The Savior said. Ronan listened quietly, though his stomach churned a bit.
"Kasha was a maiden who lived in Numbton all her life. Her space-black hair was truly beautiful. I was sad Iril didn't inherit it, but you're carrying it on—I'm so relieved."
With that, the Savior started fiddling with Ronan's hair. The night-sky hue was unmistakably his wife's. Ronan frowned.
"Mind not touching it carelessly?"
"It's not gonna wear out. Anyway, Kasha was a wonderful woman. Not perfect, but that's what made her more lovable. She was someone who could truly care for others."
The Savior's tone had brightened noticeably. It was a wonder how he'd held back on this topic until now. He rattled off his wife's virtues without pausing for breath.
"She made great potato stew, was strong for a woman, made mistakes often but never gave up on anything. But the real reason I fell for Kasha was something else. Know what it was?"
"Her looks?"
"You know it."
Ronan answered without hesitation. He remembered his mother's face from his journey through the mental world.
His mom looked just like his sister, only with different hair and eye color. The Savior nodded solemnly.
"Yes. Kasha was more beautiful than anyone. I'd seen countless women over immeasurable time, but none compared. My vow to never leave bloodline no matter what turned to worthless nonsense with one of her smiles."
"...Honest, I like that."
The Savior said he'd never planned to take a woman or have children. If his terrifying power was hereditary, it could lead to horrors.
In fact, his diluted version, Abel, had spawned the special Nebula Klage unit Lycophos through sowing seeds and cloning tech.
But Kasha was too beautiful for rational judgment. For the first time in his endless life, he fell drunk on romantic love.
The wounds from Abel's stabs didn't worsen for those few years—purely the power of love. After a few more words, the Savior closed his eyes wistfully.
"Ah, that ecstatic night is still vivid, as if I could touch it. Exactly ten months later, Iril was born. 'The river swallowing stars is beautiful,' your mother said, pulling my wrist. And..."
"Damn it, keep going and I'll just drop you."
Ronan cut him off. He didn't want to know that much. At this rate, he'd hear tales of his own conception too. After a brief silence, Ronan smiled faintly.
"Well, anyway, thanks."
"Hm?"
"Sounds like Mom was an amazing person. I didn't have much memory of her face, so I was curious."
Ronan said. In truth, he had no memories of his mother. He'd only placed flowers on her sunlit grave in Numbton each year with his sister.
If he hadn't journeyed the mental world in Secret's room, he'd never have known her face. The Savior wound Ronan's hair around his finger.
"...One of my life's regrets is not being at your mother's deathbed. I left for the Sea of Specters right after cursing you and Iril. I've never hated myself more."
"Couldn't be helped. You had to survive right then."
"Thanks for saying that. Leaving you two behind is another. Iril at least had some memories worth calling that, but I did nothing for you, Ronan."
His voice grew hoarse. Regret seeped from every inflection. He continued.
"That's why I gave Iril the bloodied Blood Needle. Asked her to pass it to you on your coming-of-age birthday. Partly thought I could help... but."
"But?"
"Truth is, I just wanted to see my grown son. Selfish reason."
The Savior laughed self-deprecatingly. Ronan said nothing. Annoying as it was, he understood.
Suddenly, he realized how his early runaway in his past life had tangled everything. If he'd held out till adulthood, he might've found a way to crush the giants in the remaining time. Pointless now, of course.
"Blood can only be washed with blood, they say. Like that, I believe some wounds can only be healed by love. Kasha and you siblings washed away the despair of Abel's betrayal that seemed eternal."
"Good for you."
"I'm truly grateful. Finally saying it."
The Savior ended there. No more conversation followed.
"...Sheesh."
Ronan twisted his lips. He wasn't deliberately silent, but no fitting reply came to mind.
Exactly three more leaps later, as he rounded the corner, the view suddenly brightened, revealing a familiar space before them.
"Anyway, we're here."