Chapter 247

Chapter 247

“Leave this place. There are so many more, better things out there. Find someone there that is kinder, more beautiful, and more precious than me...... and cherish them.”

I was not able to cherish him.

“I want to love you so much that I would give up the world for you. My life is enough with your presence. I want to be sure of my love, without any doubts.”

I couldn’t convince him.

Nothing. Really, nothing. I had done nothing, achieved nothing, so I couldn’t die like this.

“It’s an order. Bring out the best in you and win, no matter what.”

He pressed on, arriving before the heart, but he could feel nothing. Not even the bitter cold that had plagued him all the way here. All weight was gone, and he felt light as a feather.

He knew that the moment this shallow consciousness ended would be the end of his life. Remaining still was the only way to prolong his life, but Lumen pushed himself to his feet.

‘Beyond what I can do.’

It was not the completion of an unfinished technique, nor was it a continuation of the existing technique.

Something he couldn’t do in his current form. Something he could only do by pushing himself to the limit. If it would save them all, Lumen would gladly set himself on fire.

‘Because it’s not a goddamn sacrifice.’

This was a struggle to protect the life he wanted, and a struggle to fulfill his promise to a precious person.

Even if his life burned down to a handful of ashes, there was one belief that he must hold on to in the end.

“I’m about to die.......”

He closed his eyes, unable to see. With his hand on the scabbard, Lumen assumed the stance of a swordsman about to execute his sword drawing technique. Amidst the mostly faded consciousness, only the fading pounding of his heart stood out. Naturally, he focused on that beat. He followed the faint stream of life.

To Elvie’s eyes, he looked like a frozen corpse. No movement, no momentum. As Elvie stared at the sculpted Lumen, his lips curled. He had seen the end.

“Are you dead―”

But the moment he thought Lumen was dead.

Elvie’s flesh shattered along with his shattering heart. Scattered shards spread through the air like embroidery. Finally, the tower began to vibrate.

Looking up at the precariously swaying ceiling of the tower, Lumen smiled weakly.

“It’s, over.......”

The faint spark in his eyes was extinguished, and his powerless body slowly collapsed.

* * *

[Congratulations! You have cleared the main quest ‘Tower of the Demon Realm’!]

[Attribute points have increased by 10.]

[Reputation has increased by 5.]

[A new title [Knight of the Collapsed Tower] has been acquired.]

[Rare items [Demon Bone Powder] and [Frozen Core] have been acquired.]

[Knight ‘Lumen Dominic’ Awakening Quest Complete!]

[Congratulations! Knight ‘Lumen Dominic’ has achieved the maximum grade.]

A series of system windows signaled the end of the quest, but neither the system’s cheerful beeps nor the collapsing tower’s vibrations drew his attention. Neither did they get Cadel’s attention.

“......Lumen.”

What Cadel set his eyes on was the system window that occupied the corner of his vision until just before the quest was cleared.

[Van Herdos: 59%]

[Lydon: 51%]

[Garuel Monzasi: 87%]

[Lumen Dominic: 0.4%]