Overcoming the Past
Emotions welled up at the reunion after such a long time.
Perhaps that was why the words wouldn't properly form in her mouth.
The setting sun dyed the fields in shades of gold, and the light seemed to move like a living thing, trailing behind Adelia's footsteps.
“…….”
Sinking down—
Adelia took her place beside her father and rested her head against his shoulder.
How much time passed like that?
Only then did Adelia begin to pour out the stories she had longed to share with her father.
“Brother is suffering a lot because of me.”
“…….”
“My running away from home because I was disillusioned with the Holy Family, my failure to blend into the politics of Midtemple... it's all just a burden to him.”
The voice that had remained proud and resolute through countless battles had reverted to that of a young child in front of her father.
“Is my very existence just a nuisance to the family? I worry that Brother might think I'm pathetic, too.”
Her father, who had been listening quietly, offered words of comfort just as he always did.
“Arwen will always be proud of you.”
Slowly—
Her father reached out. His large palm rested on Adelia's head.
It was a gentle touch, but it brought her far more reassurance than wearing the sturdiest armor ever could.
“But what's more important is whether you are proud of yourself.”
“…….”
It was the exact same warmth she had felt in her childhood.
Hot tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Adelia could not stop the tears from spilling over.
“Father…… I……”
There was so much she wanted to say. The adventures she had gone on, the people she had met, the swordsmanship she had learned, the truths she had realized.
And above all, how much she had missed him.
But there was no need to put it into words. Her father held her tight in his arms, as if he already knew everything.
Just as Haewolsumo preserved all memories, her father had watched his daughter's entire journey from the heavens.
“I have a gift prepared for you.”
Her father pulled a small, bluish bead from his chest. Inside, a blue wave rippled as if it were alive.
“This is……”
“It is the blessing of Haewolsumo. Since you have passed the trial, it is yours now.”
“…….”
Adelia stared blankly at the bead in silence.
Her expression, which had been drenched in overwhelming emotion, slowly began to settle.
Tears still rolled down her cheeks, but a change flickered in her eyes.
“What are you doing, not taking it?”
Adelia's lips trembled as she stared at the bead for a long time. It was clear she was struggling to find her voice.
“I……”
Gulping, Adelia finally spoke.
“I... have not passed the trial yet.”
He froze.
Hearing those words, her father paused.
Adelia raised her head and looked straight into her father's eyes. The tears flowing from her eyes stopped.
Memories of the past flashed through Adelia's mind.
Sir Gaon.
He had always pushed her to her limits.
The moments of falling countless times, bleeding, and standing back up flashed by.
But...
This trial was too ordinary.
She, who had ultimately triumphed in real duels and life-or-death struggles, could not simply kneel before this long-awaited reunion with her father.
The joy of meeting her father, whom she might never see again in her lifetime, was unspeakably immense, but something even greater was roaring inside Adelia's chest.
The flame of growth.
The desire to reach higher heights.
And even the pride of a swordsman that Gaon had instilled in her.
“Father.”
“…….”
“Now, let us begin the final trial.”
A brief flash of bewilderment crossed her father's face. But soon, a smile spread across his lips.
Looking at Adelia with eyes full of pride and satisfaction, her father slowly stood up.
Adelia stood up as well. In the blink of an eye, swords were held in both of their hands.
“Truly……”
Her father wore a smile full of pride.
“……You have truly grown so much. And so admirably at that.”
Hummm—
The sword in Adelia's hand began to emit a cyan light.
She recalled the words Haewolsumo had spoken when she first began the trial here.
Face the enemies of the past who once defeated you, and claim victory this time.
“I……”
Adelia closed her eyes.
“……have never once defeated you, Father.”
The person who first taught her the sword.
The person who showed her the meaning of conviction and honor.
The one who made her realize love.
The one who taught her about life.
And now.
The one who had come as the final trial of Haewolsumo.
“Today will be different.”
Raising her brilliantly shining sword toward the setting sky, Adelia's eyes were filled with absolute conviction.
Shring—
Her father raised his sword as well. The blades of the two caught the golden sunset, flashing brilliantly.
“Indeed.”
Her father nodded.
“Surpass me, Adelia.”
Thump, thump—
The sound of her pulse ringing in her ears. Her breathing grew heavy, but strangely, her mind was perfectly tranquil.
Her father's sword sliced through the air.
Movements as swift as light and as fluid as flowing water.
When she was young, those motions had seemed like magic.
But the movements she couldn't comprehend back then were now easily read.
An opponent she had never defeated.
A wall she could never breach, no matter what she tried.
But the current Adelia was different.
Swishhh!
The moment her father's foot moved, she had already predicted the direction of his next strike.
A flow of thought faster than physical movement.
The techniques she had learned from Gaon, the skills she had proven before the Seeker—they were blooming at this very moment.
Clang, clang, clash!
Swords clashed against swords. The offense and defense whipped up like a dance. The shadows of the two stretched long across the golden field.
And…….
……Now.
Adelia moved on instinct. There was no longer any need to think. Her body moved first, and her mind followed.
In the blink of an eye, her sword slashed precisely toward her opponent's blade.
Clanggg!
The sword was knocked from her father's hand, flying far away.
Adelia could only watch blankly as the sword, spinning in the air, plunged into the field.
……I won.
That realization began to rise from the depths of her heart. Surprise, joy, pride, and even a touch of sorrow. A tangle of complex emotions filled Adelia's chest.
Slowly—
Her father raised both hands, conceding defeat.
There was no sense of frustration on his face. Instead, only a deep sense of pride remained, as if he had been waiting for this very moment.
“Take it.”
Whoosh—
The blue bead he threw floated into the air.
Adelia lowered her sword and carefully caught the bead.
Only now was she finally worthy of receiving the gift.
Hummm, hummm—
The bead dissolved into Adelia's body.
A warm sensation spread throughout her entire body.
At the same time, she felt her consciousness expanding.
All her past memories surfaced vividly, only to settle back down like the ripples of a calm lake.
“A part of Haewolsumo has settled within you.”
Her father began to explain.
“The moment you awaken from the trial, you will gain the ability to manipulate memories and harness them as power.”
Her father's smile grew brighter. His figure was gradually turning into a cluster of light.
“It is a pity, but it is time for me to go.”
Adelia instinctively reached out. She wanted to wail like a child. To beg him to stay longer, to speak more, to hold her once more.
But she was no longer a child.
She was the disciple of the 13th Seeker, a swordsman who had passed the trial of Haewolsumo... and someone who would surely ascend to the seat of a Sword Master one day, just as she had dreamed.
“Dad.”
Just before his form completely dissolved into light, Adelia bowed deeply to her father.
“Thank you for everything, until the very end.”
The light spread blindingly as her father's form vanished completely. That light was forever engraved in Adelia's memories and in her heart.
Party member 'Adelia von Goldheart' has cleared the trial.
Perfect Clear.
Voting in the Pantheon begins.
...
Additional rewards are granted.
“……?”
Hummm—!
Suddenly, the entire lake began to glow brightly.
The body of Haewolsumo shone intensely, and the radiance swallowed everything around it.
Soon, the entire forest began to shake along with the grand sound of crashing waves.
What is this?
The waters of the lake surged upward, soaring into the sky. A pillar of water spun and danced like a living creature. Soon, my entire field of vision was dyed in a brilliant blue light.
This is a cutscene I've never seen before.
Even though I had played Lost Elder 200 times, I had never witnessed a scene like this.
If so...
I fell deep into thought.
Only one thing had changed. My existence. A player who originally didn't exist in the world of Lost Elder had been integrated into it.
I wondered if that butterfly effect had allowed Adelia to achieve a far greater result in the trial than before.
You have become the first to perfectly clear the Forest of the Heavenly Sea dungeon.
...Ah.
Just as I expected. Adelia had succeeded in achieving a 'Perfect Clear' in Haewolsumo's trial.
Thump—
At that exact moment, a warm heat radiated from the Easter Egg I kept in my breast pocket.
The rainbow-colored egg was dyed in a blue light, and the thumping of a heartbeat echoed from within.
The power dwelling within the 'Easter Egg' aids in the birth of a new life.
Doricco Shiro raised her voice, pointing somewhere.
“Huh? J-Jelly is...!”
The dead body of Haewolsumo began to shatter into fragments of light. The debris soared into the sky and scattered in all directions.
Peeeeek!
Soon, a dozen small lights began to hover over the lake like fireflies. The lights gathered, forming round shapes.
Witnessing this, Doricco Shiro shouted in extreme excitement.
“J-Jelly got smaller! A-and... there are so many of them!”
They were baby jellyfish. To be precise, numerous planula larvae born from the death of Haewolsumo.
According to the original storyline, at most one would be born...
Was it thanks to Adelia's Perfect Clear and the power of the Easter Egg? The number of Haewolsumo's larvae had multiplied.
...Once again, the future has changed.
And in a very positive direction, at that.
Sshhh—
As the blue light faded, Adelia finally revealed herself.
She slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze was far deeper than it had been before she entered the trial.
“Sir Gaon.”
As the waves of the lake quietly settled, she approached with slow steps.
Her level rose already.
She had gained four levels immediately upon passing the trial.
She had achieved in a brief trial what would normally take decades to accomplish.
Hummm, hummm—!
But an even more distinct change was Adelia's presence.
An aura that couldn't be felt before.
It was likely the trace of the reward she obtained by passing Haewolsumo's trial.
The very skill that would elevate Adelia to the ranks of the strongest in this world.
Having finished my thoughts, I looked at Adelia and spoke.
“How was the trial?”
At my question, Adelia fell into thought for a moment. Then, with a smile playing on her lips, she answered.
“I overcame everything. And...”
A deep conviction resonated in Adelia's voice.
“Thanks to that, I have found the path I must walk.”