Ending Maker Chapter 75
Ending Maker Chapter 75
Chapter 24 - Settling Accounts
Yuder remembered his first meeting with Cordelia.
Back before each of them had been reborn as Yuder and Cordelia, when they were still Outboxer009 and Yellow Storm.
Since they had lived as Yuder and Cordelia for years now, it was twenty-two years ago if counted by the calendar, but it felt like little more than five years past.
Outboxer009—Kang Jin-ho—started a game.
In truth, Kang Jin-ho had lived a life rather far removed from games.
That he had suddenly started a game—and an RPG with VR functionality at that—could only be called coincidence.
But perhaps it should be called beginner's luck.
Fortunately, Hero Legend 2 was a game that perfectly suited Kang Jin-ho's—Yuder's—taste.
'This is fun. So this is why people play games.'
Hero Legend 2 had two modes: single play and multi play.
Single play was, as the name suggested, a format where you cleared the story alone, while multi play was a format where users who had seen at least one single-play ending of any kind gathered together to go on adventures.
'So to get stronger in multi play, you have to clear all the single-play characters, and with high scores at that? There's a ridiculous amount to dig into here.'
Multi play had something called a "deck system."
It was a system where the stats and other attributes of each Playable Character raised in single play were combined to strengthen your multi-play character's stats.
Simply put, it meant that a user who had cleared both Yuder and Cordelia in single play would have a stronger multi-play character than a user who had only cleared Yuder.
On top of that, there was score calculation, so a user who cleared Yuder with 120 points would have a stronger multi-play character than a user who cleared him with 100 points.
'In short, clear all the single-play characters with the highest possible scores, right?'
It was a system that openly emphasized grinding, so while it piqued his interest, he didn't actually feel like attempting it.
After all, he had no particular desire to compete in multi play.
'Still, let's take a look.'
A bad ending was still an ending, and after seeing the ending where he died swept up in the great invasion of the northern barbarians, he gained access to multi play.
'Alright, enter nickname...'
He entered multi play under the name Outboxer009.
At a glance, it didn't seem much different from single play, but there were two enormous differences.
One was the fact that within Pleiades, there were other players besides Yuder himself,
and the other was the fact that the game's combat difficulty had become drastically harder.
[You have died.]
Not long after leaving the village, Yuder was killed almost immediately and lay sprawled on the ground as a corpse.
'So that's why they tell you to clear single play first.'
Because whether it was specs or control, you needed to be above a certain level.
Having gained enlightenment, Yuder paused for a moment before pressing the reset button.
Because there was a user approaching him from a distance.
'Oh... are they coming to help?'
After all, using the Feather of Resurrection given when starting multi play could revive someone who had recently died.
At this time, Yuder was still a game novice, and as a result, he didn't yet know the attitudes gamers brought to multi-play games.
So with a heart of pure innocence, he waited for the user to approach him.
'Pretty.'
Was that character's name Cordelia?
A beautiful girl with striking red hair.
The Cordelia user came right up to him and quietly stared at the face of Yuder's corpse, and Yuder looked at the Cordelia user with expectant eyes.
And then the Cordelia user spoke.
[Yellow Storm : lololol you suck at games]
'What?'
The flustered Yuder blinked, but he was a corpse anyway.
The Cordelia user laughed a few more times, then walked right past Yuder and went on her way.
And so, a few seconds, a few minutes.
lololol you suck at games
Total game noob.
You f***ing suck at games.
Words of no consequence.
Words he could have simply ignored.
But strangely—no, mysteriously—those words struck Yuder's mind like a blow.
They lodged themselves firmly in his head and wouldn't disappear.
And, quite naturally, the user who had said those words was also firmly stored in Yuder's memory.
'Yellow Storm.'
A first meeting that Yuder remembered, and Cordelia did not.
That was the first meeting of the two of them.
* * *
"Hey! Hurry up and grab it!"
"Huh?"
"Hurry!"
Immediately after defeating Madga.
Cordelia, who had been smiling at Yuder while looking at the Essence of the Blue Moon, suddenly urged him, and Yuder was slightly flustered.
"The Essence of the Blue Moon?"
"The Essence of the Blue Moon! What if Gentle Snow Breeze takes it away?! Hurry up and grab it! No, just absorb it entirely! Huh? Hurry!"
Hadn't Gentle Snow Breeze clearly said it?
That the Essence of the Blue Moon was an extremely important object, so even the surrounding animals wouldn't touch it.
That she had resolved to use it because it was an emergency.
"Just say the power got sucked into you when you touched it. Yeah, that'll be good. I'll help you make excuses."
Having said that much, Cordelia quickly picked up the Essence of the Blue Moon from the ground and even pressed it firmly into Yuder's hand.
The Essence of the Blue Moon was pure essence of moonlight, a concentration of holy power.
Therefore, it was an object that Cordelia, who used the power of a witch, couldn't properly use anyway.
'No, wait, there's Moonlight.'
Since the Essence of the Blue Moon was also moonlight, couldn't it be absorbed into Moonlight?
"Hey, wait a second. What about Moonlight? Couldn't it absorb this?"
"Huh? Oh... as expected of our Yuder. That's a plausible... no. Just eat it. That'll be better than strengthening equipment."
"No, but Moonlight is for you to use..."
"No, no. You eat it. Eat it and open the third gate. That's way more beneficial."
The two of them were yielding an item to each other—something unimaginable in the past.
And even while doing something so out of character, time continued to pass.
"Oh no, she's coming."
Gentle Snow Breeze was flying toward them.
She wore a lovely smile across her face, but to Cordelia, she only looked like a wicked face coming to snatch away their item.
"I'll handle it somehow. Got it?"
"Wh—"
That was as far as he got.
Cordelia hastily covered Yuder's mouth, and Gentle Snow Breeze landed in front of Yuder and Cordelia.
"We did it, everyone! We did it!"
Gentle Snow Breeze beamed and spread her arms wide as she shouted.
Instead of throwing her arms around Gentle Snow Breeze, Cordelia spoke with a resolute face.
"Gentle Snow Breeze!"
"Yes?"
"Our Yuder is sick!"
"What?!"
Gentle Snow Breeze turned to Yuder in surprise, and Cordelia diligently poked Yuder's side while whispering soundlessly.
'Act sick! Act sick!'
What on earth was this?
But Yuder put on a strained expression to go along with Cordelia's wishes, and Cordelia continued speaking.
"Actually, Yuder was born with a constitution called Nine Yin Meridian Blockage. Because of it, his body has been terribly weak since childhood. Just look at how thin his arm is..."
Cordelia, who had been about to emphasize Yuder's slender wrist and arm, blinked, and Gentle Snow Breeze tilted her head.
She couldn't help it.
'What the?! When did he get so sturdy?!'
This wasn't the scrawny, reed-like arm Yuder used to have. It was hard and solid, like a club.
'No, hey. Think about it. What level are we?'
At Yuder's silent protest through his eyes, Cordelia swallowed a gasp.
Because when she thought about it, Yuder was right.
Thanks to repeated level-ups, the two of them had already passed level 40.
The max level in Hero Legend 2 itself was estimated to be over 300, but that was for when you faced the great demons; in this world, ordinary knights were usually around level 20.
And here they were at level 40.
When your level rose, your physical abilities basically increased, and as a martial artist character, Yuder's increase was greater than Cordelia's, who was a mage character.
On top of that, he exercised diligently every day following Landius's teachings, so naturally his arms had gotten thicker.
'Come to think of it, his height... grew too?'
Being pressed close to him, the height difference was suddenly very real. Now she had to tilt her head up to meet Yuder's eyes.
'What is he, some growth-spurt teenager with explosive growth... no, wait, he's seventeen, so he is in his growth spurt.'
"Cordelia?"
It was Gentle Snow Breeze.
Startled, Cordelia floundered for a moment before continuing.
"No, I mean! Anyway! Even if Yuder looks fine on the outside, he's actually a complete mess on the inside. So he needs treatment!"
"A mess... you say?"
Gentle Snow Breeze looked at Yuder again, and Cordelia furrowed her brow.
That was only natural, because Yuder looked far too healthy.
Moreover, Gentle Snow Breeze had witnessed Yuder's remarkable performance.
Convincing her that Yuder, who had run like the wind, was actually in a sickly state seemed extremely difficult.
But Cordelia didn't give up.
"No, I mean! What he just did was incredibly reckless. In a little while, once he lies down, he's going to be vomiting blood and rolling around—it's going to be no joke."
"R-really?"
"Yes, so he needs treatment. To treat him, he needs a lot of good energy. Like the Essence of the Blue Moon."
Having said that much, Cordelia looked at Gentle Snow Breeze with sparkling, hopeful eyes, while Yuder covered his mouth with his hand and barely suppressed a laugh.
Cordelia's flimsy con was one thing, but the sight of her trying so hard to run that con was incredibly cute.
Moreover, the reason she was struggling and straining like that was for Yuder himself, so a smile naturally spread across his face.
"Um... so, to summarize... Yuder is actually sick right now, and to treat him, you need the Essence of the Blue Moon?"
"Yes, that's right. Exactly that."
Cordelia looked at Gentle Snow Breeze with a tense face.
In truth, Cordelia was slightly not in her right mind right now.
Because under the influence of Beast Mode, both her reason and emotions had become much simpler.
"Hmm, I see."
Gentle Snow Breeze turned to Yuder, and Yuder obediently showed her the Essence of the Blue Moon in his hand.
Gentle Snow Breeze nodded.
"Very well. Since the Essence of the Blue Moon can no longer be returned to Moonview Hill anyway, it would be best for someone who needs it to use it."
"Huh? You can't return it?"
"No, because the connection between the Essence of the Blue Moon and Moonview Hill has already been severed. It will take a long time, but we have no choice but to gather moonlight and dew again to create a new essence. So..."
Trailing off for a moment, Gentle Snow Breeze looked at Yuder and Cordelia and smiled warmly.
"I have clearly seen Cordelia's beautiful heart, thinking of her fiancé. And since I must repay you for saving me and my children, I will give you the Essence of the Blue Moon."
"Wow, thank you."
Cordelia bowed her head in thanks, then tapped Yuder's chest and winked.
'See that? That's how your big sis does it. Who else would take care of you if not me?'
The Essence of the Blue Moon couldn't be returned anyway, but it was still a treasure.
It was true that it had gone to Yuder because Cordelia had stepped up.
'Alright, then shall I step up too?'
'Huh?'
Instead of answering with his eyes again, Yuder took a step forward.
"Gentle Snow Breeze, I have something I would like to say."
"Please, speak."
"First, I would like to express my gratitude. Thank you very much for giving me the Essence of the Blue Moon."
"Not at all, it is only a fitting reward. Without you and Cordelia, my children and I would still be wandering in crisis."
Gentle Snow Breeze smiled warmly, and Cordelia, suddenly embarrassed, blushed slightly.
But not Yuder.
"Indeed. As you said, it is thanks to the combined efforts of Cordelia and myself. No, in truth, Cordelia's contribution was greater. More than me, Cordelia worked harder and performed better."
Why was he suddenly doing this?
Cordelia's eyes went wide as she looked at Yuder, and Gentle Snow Breeze smiled innocently.
"I see. Thank you so much, Cordelia."
"Yes, so shouldn't Cordelia receive a reward as well?"
It was Yuder, not Cordelia, who answered.
Because the Essence of the Blue Moon had been given to Yuder himself, not Cordelia.
Because Cordelia had not yet received any reward.
In truth, directly demanding a reward like this was somewhat unreasonable.
But Yuder didn't care.
For his fiancée who had gone out of her way for him, so that next time she could run a more refined con,
"Gentle Snow Breeze, in my opinion..."
Yuder began to speak.
He displayed the skills of a seasoned instructor to two innocent girls—Cordelia and Gentle Snow Breeze.
* * *
The cleanup was finished.
When Madga died, most of the Angry Rhino Tribe warriors chose to flee, and as battlefields ancient and modern always went, they suffered massive casualties during their flight.
Fine Eyes and Clear Eyes did not overextend themselves.
After driving all of the Angry Rhino Tribe out of Gentle Snow Breeze's territory, they raised a victory cry, and Yuder and Cordelia joined in as well.
And that night.
Facing Yuder and Cordelia, Gentle Snow Breeze furrowed her brow slightly and asked,
"It's lovely to see such affection, but... um... is this really alright?"
"Yes, it's a side effect of Beast Mode. She'll be fine by tomorrow morning."
Yuder smiled awkwardly as he spoke, and Cordelia's head rested on his lap.
Cordelia was curled up like a dog or cat, clinging to Yuder.
'She’s more like an affectionate cat, I guess.'
Cordelia, her body tightly curled, occasionally licked Yuder's hand and purred like she really had become a cat. She was asking him not to stay still but to pet her.
"Hmm... she'll be fine by tomorrow morning, you say?"
"Yes, she'll have her memories, so... probably by tomorrow morning she'll be blushing and not knowing what to do with herself."
"Ahem, I see."
Clearing her throat, Gentle Snow Breeze held out a small box.
"This is Memory of the Wind. It's an item that meets the conditions you requested."
"Thank you very much."
Inside the box was a single green feather that looked extremely old at a glance.
'The materials for Ancestral Regression are almost all gathered.'
Ancestral Regression was a technique that reversed time, and it required artifacts containing the power of the past.
Memory of the Wind wasn't originally an essential material, but according to Gentle Snow Breeze's explanation, it was an object containing past time like the Ice Crystal, so it should be fully usable.
'What's left is angel's blood and special ink to draw the magic circle.'
For the latter, all that was needed was to concentrate high-density mana, so there should be some way to obtain a substitute.
In other words, at this point in time, if they could just obtain the blood of Lena, the only angel existing on the surface, Cordelia’s Ancestral Regression would be possible.
'Fallen angel mode is right around the corner.'
With a satisfied smile, Yuder looked at Gentle Snow Breeze again and spoke.
"Gentle Snow Breeze, as I mentioned, I intend to build an eastern alliance centered on the Great Storm Tribe. Will you join us?"
"Of course I will. I plan to spread the word widely to the surrounding wild gods and tribes and lend my strength to building the eastern alliance. I also intend to take measures so that the Dragon Vein is never harmed again."
Compared to Rough Avalanche, Great Storm and Gentle Snow Breeze could still be called children, but considering their power alone, they ranked among the upper tier even among wild gods.
If the two of them joined forces and called for the founding of an alliance, even wild gods who had not yet suffered harm would likely show interest in forming the alliance.
"Perhaps... this time, the Golden Dragon King might actually awaken."
"The Golden Dragon King?"
It was a name Yuder had never heard before either.
Gentle Snow Breeze gazed warmly at Cordelia, who had begun to doze on Yuder's lap, then spoke.
"The Golden Dragon King is the first and strongest wild god. He is like a parent to all the wild gods dwelling in the Wild Lands."
'In short, the king of the wild gods?'
But Gentle Snow Breeze had said he might awaken.
Which meant he was currently asleep.
"Long ago, when the Infernal Lords of Hell descended upon the surface... the Golden Dragon King fought a fierce battle against the Infernal Lords to protect the Wild Lands. Fortunately, he was able to drive the Infernal Lords out of the Wild Lands, but the Dragon King also suffered tremendous injuries."
"So he fell asleep to heal."
"Yes, though that was already nearly a thousand years ago."
The Infernal Lords of Hell who had descended upon the surface.
Given the location, she was probably talking about Leviathan, the Infernal Lord of Destruction.
"There's a story that when the Wild Lands fall into danger, he will awaken..."
It was a legend even among the wild gods.
In Hero Legend 2, no such thing had ever happened.
But there was no guarantee it wouldn't happen this time.
"Gentle Snow Breeze, there is one thing I would like to ask."
"Please, speak."
"Is there some kind of hidden secret in Bladebeak Canyon?"
The place where Lena died.
At Yuder's question, Gentle Snow Breeze closed her eyes for a moment, letting her long eyelashes fall, then nodded.
"Long, long ago, they say an extremely powerful magical kingdom of elves existed in the Wild Lands. It was ultimately destroyed by the Infernal Lords of Hell... but not all traces of them have vanished."
"Then Bladebeak Canyon is..."
"Yes, it is the place where the capital of the destroyed magical kingdom once stood. Even now, ruins from that era remain throughout Bladebeak Canyon. A small number of mysterious ancient races also remain."
Now he felt like he understood why Lena had suddenly appeared at Bladebeak Canyon.
The magical kingdom of the ancient elves.
One that had been destroyed fighting the Infernal Lords, at that.
It was a place that would interest Lena, a mage who had declared she would devote her life to opposing demons.
"Yuder, will you be heading to Bladebeak Canyon?"
"Yes, it's a task entrusted to us by the Holy Cross Knights. We must go."
"I see, understood. After forming the eastern alliance, I will wait for the two of you. I look forward to the moment we meet again."
"Thank you. I will also look forward to the day we meet again."
That was as far as it went.
After expressing his gratitude once more, Yuder hoisted Cordelia, who kept rolling on the floor, onto his back and left the shrine, and Gentle Snow Breeze smiled as she watched the two of them go.
'What a dreamlike pair.'
Truly well-matched and lovely.
But there was someone who thought differently.
"I'll admit they're well-matched. Those two are a truly insane couple."
"Um... not dreamlike?"
"Insane, insane."
Rough Avalanche, who had insisted emphatically, once again recounted the fight at the rock mountain, and Gale and Adelia looked at each other.
"Hmm... the two of them have certainly become quite intense."
"And whose sibling is the reason for that?"
"Ahem, Yuder is a very gentle child."
"So you're saying Cordelia is the intense one?"
"That's right, intense. Intense. Very violent... no. Hmm. No, never mind."
Rough Avalanche, who had been about to interject at the end, flinched at Adelia's sharp glare and began busily pretending to be distracted, and Gale laughed very quietly.
"In any case, it seems both of them have become incredibly strong."
"They really have. Just hearing the stories, both of them are at an amazing level."
"Especially Cordelia—she’s really good at fighting. A total born fighter... fine. I’ll stay out of it. Sob sob."
As Rough Avalanche shrank back again, Gale, barely suppressing a laugh, resumed speaking.
"In any case, given the circumstances, it doesn't seem like this is simply a lovers' elopement. It feels like there's a lot tangled up in it."
"It really does. The Guardians of the Holy Cross, Fairy Queens..."
Moreover, they were currently fighting against the conspiracy of demon worshippers trying to swallow the entire Wild Lands.
"We should hurry and join up with the two of them."
"Yes, we absolutely must."
"Hmm."
The last word was, once again, Rough Avalanche's.
At the small voice, Gale and Adelia, who had been facing each other, simultaneously turned to Rough Avalanche, and the white baby bear narrowed his eyes and said,
"No, it's just that they seem similar."
"You mean Yuder and Miss Cordelia?"
"Yeah, you two resemble them."
"Well, of course. Lord Gale is Yuder's older brother, and I'm Cordelia's older sister. It's only natural we resemble them."
"Yes, since we are siblings."
Having said that much, Gale smiled at Adelia, and Adelia, who had been about to huff as usual, simply nodded quietly instead.
And Rough Avalanche thought.
'No, not in appearance.'
The peculiar atmosphere.
But since Adelia would surely shoot him a fierce glare if he said it out loud, Rough Avalanche kept it only in his heart.
And then, another ten-odd minutes.
"We're here!"
Rough Avalanche, who had leaped up on the spot, began running toward the front, and Gale and Adelia could see it too.
The village of the Great Storm Tribe spread out before their eyes.