Book 1 Chapter 697

697.

Bright light illuminated the entire world.

It looked as if the sun itself had risen.

All eyes on the battlefield turned towards the light.

In the center stood Leo.

The light that poured from Leo's sword tip engulfed Gias.

Gias, directly hit by Leo's unique magic, Zero, widened his eyes.

'My existence…!'

Gias's existence was vanishing.

This was not simply a physically powerful magic.

It was the power to negate evil, literally.

Neither strong defense nor overwhelming regeneration was of any use.

It was a magic that erased existence itself.

"Gwaaahhhh!"

Gias maximized his dark magic.

He had to resist this power somehow.

As Gias struggled,

"You won't be able to go back alive this time."

Dwenoh jumped.

At that moment.

The hammer Dwenoh held grew as large as Gias's head.

"Hryaaaaaah!"

Fwoosh-

Golden flames ignited.

Just as the giant hammer was about to crush his face,

Gias cried out towards the sky.

"To the great Erebus! Infinite glory! According to His will! Victory…!"

Thump-!

Dwenoh's hammer blew off Gias's entire head.

Fwoosh-!

Gias scattered into dust along with the light.

[Dwenoh, the Godly Blacksmith, has survived.]

[Giant King Gias has been subjugated.]

Ar's eyes widened.

"Wow!"

She raised both hands and jumped up and down.

Whooosh!

The army of Giant Kings that filled the battlefield began to disappear into dust.

However, the army of Giant Kings that had invaded from the mortal realm did not disappear.

Even so, their numbers were not great.

Towards this army of Giant Kings, the warriors of Ivaldi began to shift to offense and set out to subjugate them.

"We won! We won! Black Rabbit!"

Ar, with a bright smile, turned her gaze towards the remains of the wall, which stood like a tower.

Leo, who had been swaying on the wall, lost his balance and fell.

"Uwaaaak!"

Ar cried out in alarm and ran towards Leo, barely catching him with both hands.

Thump-!

"Are you okay?!"

"As if I could be. I'm out of mana."

Leo let out a deep sigh.

Dwenoh, who had delivered the final blow to Gias, also fell from the sky.

Ar tried to run to catch Dwenoh, but Ennigua, who had arrived unnoticed, successfully caught Dwenoh safely.

Seeing that, Ar breathed a sigh of relief and said in an excited voice,

"By the way, that was amazing! What magic was that?!"

"It's a unique magic I created. It's unfinished, though."

It was not yet perfect magic.

In Kyle's time, it had ended in sealing because it couldn't land a decisive blow on Erebus.

The magic had been continuously researched to subjugate Erebus, not forgetting the memories of that time, and had only recently been realized.

But there was still a long way to go.

Meanwhile, the warriors of Ivaldi succeeded in subjugating the remaining forces of the army.

"Uwaaaaaaaah!"

"We won!"

The warriors of Ivaldi let out cheers of joy.

Seeing that, Leo mumbled,

"We won."

"Yeah, we won. Black Rabbit."

"Let me down now."

"Huh? If you're out of mana, shouldn't you be resting more comfortably? And you're quite cute holding onto me so willingly?"

Ar looked down at Leo with her blue eyes shining.

Her white tail wagged gently.

Leo, looking up at the white cat teasing him with a sideways glance, reached out and firmly grasped her wagging tail.

"Aak!"

"Don't tease an adult."

"That's why! My tail!"

With a flushed face, Ar screamed and barely pulled her tail from Leo's hand.

Meanwhile, Dwenoh, leaning on Ennigua, burst into laughter.

"You look pathetic."

"You too."

Leo, who had barely stood up with Ar's support, looked up at the sky.

Dwenoh also looked up at the sky.

Stars twinkled in the pre-dawn sky.

"Ennigua."

"Yeah?"

"We don't have much time left."

"……"

Ennigua gave a wry smile.

"Then let's start the festival."

Dwenoh smiled faintly.

"As splendidly as possible."

"……Yeah."

Ennigua nodded and ran towards the warriors.

"Let's have a drink as promised."

"Yeah."

***

"Let's raise a glass of victory!"

"It's a festival!"

News of the Giant King's subjugation quickly spread throughout the city.

Upon hearing the news, the residents emerged from their shelters with joyful faces.

They couldn't contain their joy.

Even though it was late dawn, children also came out to the open space to prepare for the festival.

Among them, Leo and Dwenoh were having a drinking contest.

"Oppa Leo!"

A bright voice was heard from afar.

"You won!"

She had seen the Hero Record's subjugation message for Gias.

Coincidentally, it was at that moment that Arhi's party successfully reached the central part and retrieved the Hero Record.

Upon achieving the quest objective, Arhi's party stopped the destruction of the Hero Record and returned immediately.

"We did. But you're wearing nice shoes?"

"Ah, these?"

Chelsea lifted one foot.

Chelsea, proudly showing off her shoes with wing decorations, smiled brightly.

"A gift from Dwenoh-nim!"

It wasn't just Chelsea.

Luke had a sword.

Habiden had a spear.

Aina had arm guards.

Iliana had light armor that enhanced mobility.

Eliza had earrings.

Kal had bracelets, and Artian had a necklace.

It was easy to guess who had made them.

"I made them in my spare time. They're not perfectly made, but they're quite usable."

Despite being items that could be called divine artifacts, Dwenoh spoke calmly.

"You certainly found time."

"Repairing equipment isn't difficult."

Indeed, with Dwenoh's skill, he would have had time left after fixing the requested equipment.

"Student Leo."

At that moment, Artian approached and carefully handed something over.

It was a charred fragment of the Hero Record.

A faint ember remained at the tip of the Hero Record fragment.

It was burning.

It meant that the lifespan of this world itself was nearing its end.

It was unknown when this world would end.

As Leo silently accepted it.

"You all. Shall we not raise a toast to victory?"

At Dwenoh's words, Arhi's party hesitated.

"Come on, everyone, have a drink!"

One could not refuse the drink of a great hero.

Arhi's party took their seats and raised their glasses.

"Thank you! For fighting for us!"

"No, we only did what we had to do."

Artian said in a solemn voice.

Dwenoh stared intently at Artian.

"Is there… something on my face?"

"It's nothing."

Dwenoh smiled faintly and poured drinks for the other students.

The atmosphere grew lively.

Dwenoh laughed heartily and continuously poured drinks for the hero candidates.

Soon, those who had formed bonds gathered and chatted excitedly.

"Dwenoh-nim!"

Driana said with a serious face in front of Dwenoh.

"I learned a lot this time too! Since then, I've been striving to become a smith who carries on your legacy!"

"That's wonderful. You have a gift too."

Dwenoh took out a small hammer.

It was the weapon that had blown off Gias's head earlier.

"This is Aeternus, the hammer I made with all my might. It will be helpful in combat and in your smithing work."

"Ah! With this, I can make statues too!"

"Statues…?"

"Yes! I've also been striving as an artist!"

Dwenoh nodded, looking at Driana's sparkling eyes.

"Ah, now that I think about it, there was something I've wanted to say to you since I met you again."

"What is it?"

Seeing the situation, Leo said,

"Get up."

"Huh? Why?"

Kal, who was drinking beside him, tilted his head.

"Move."

With those words, Leo calmly sipped his drink.

Kal, who didn't understand the reason, but had excellent danger-sensing abilities, quickly fled.

"I told you to stop doing art! Why aren't you listening to me! Are you rebelling! I'll just smash your head in!"

"Hiiiiiik!"

Dwenoh swung Aeternus menacingly towards Driana's head.

"Stop doing art! Stop it! Don't desecrate art!"

Everything around them was destroyed by Dwenoh's hand, and fragments flew in all directions.

The party was swept up in the commotion, screaming and fleeing.

Leo calmly drank his wine, dodging the fragments by tilting his head or leaning his body.

After the commotion subsided.

Dwenoh pressed his temples and handed Aeternus to Driana.

Driana's face lit up with joy.

As the party scattered,

Only Leo, Dwenoh, and Ennigua sat by the campfire.

At that moment.

"Um…"

Dit approached Leo.

Leo looked at Dit and said,

"You're just like your father."

"What?"

"Just as your father's weapon saved my nameless life, the weapon you made surely saved someone nameless on the battlefield."

The weapons of Ivaldi's artisans were like that.

Even after Ivaldi fell, they flowed into Gardsron and contributed to the long journey to save the world.

Even if neither the creator nor the crafted weapon left their names in history,

The weapons created thus fulfilled their roles in their respective places.

Thus, invisible threads connected, eventually leading to the result of saving the world.

'As long as someone doesn't stop moving forward, the will will not be broken.'

"Be proud."

At Leo's words, Dit nodded with a flushed face.

"Yes!"

Leaving a strong answer, Dit departed.

"You've become quite talkative. You remind me of Lisinas."

"Do I?"

"You're not married, yet you resemble each other so much."

Dwenoh chuckled and drank his wine.

Leo, who sighed at the sight, also gulped down the remaining wine.

Then he threw his empty cup into the barrel.

He had already drunk an enormous amount of alcohol and was very drunk.

"We were married."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lisinas and I."

"Pfft!"

Dwenoh spat out the wine he was drinking.

"What?!"

"That damn lizard tricked me into marriage. I only found out recently."

"Do you know what feelings Lisinas harbored for you?"

"I even know the feelings of that damn pointy-eared one."

"That's surprising. Did you deliberately pretend not to know?"

"I found out after reincarnation."

"That's a relief. You're still the same idiot."

"You perverted old man."

Leo choked Dwenoh.

However, Dwenoh calmly continued to drink.

Meanwhile.

"Ugh, I drank too much."

A short distance away, Kal shook his head.

He was dizzy from drinking too much.

"Hmph. How unrefined. Drinking beyond your capacity."

Eliza said with a smirk, and Kal raised his glass and said,

"This is the time to drink!"

"Hear, hear!"

Kaneah, standing next to him, raised his glass in return.

Clink! The two touched glasses and drank.

Eliza shook her head watching them.

A moment later, Kal slumped forward.

He had fallen asleep from the alcohol.

Kaneah, who had been watching him intently, approached Eliza.

Then he lifted Eliza slightly.

"…?"

"Eii!"

Kaneah pushed Eliza towards Kal.

Eliza, who had unintentionally ended up in Kal's embrace, opened and closed her mouth.

"You look good together."

"What!"

Eliza glared at Kaneah, who was giggling with a bright red face.

"Still, you're not pushing him away?"

At Kaneah's words, Eliza frowned and broke free from Kal's embrace.

"Huh? What?"

Kal, waking up, looked around.

The festival atmosphere continued.

And soon, it was the dim dawn.

"Speaking of which, Ennigua."

"Yeah?"

Ennigua, who had been laughing and chatting with Dwenoh, tilted his head.

"The promise to be my model. Keep it."

"Yeah. I will."

"Then take off your clothes."

"What is this crazy dwarf saying!"

"Isn't a model supposed to be nude?"

"Don't make me laugh! Who would think that?"

"I learned it from you, though?"

"When did I ever say that!"

Ennigua jabbed Dwenoh in the head with his elbow.

But Dwenoh didn't flinch.

'They're a perfect match.'

Leo clicked his tongue.

Meanwhile, Ennigua, who had narrowly escaped becoming a nude model, sighed and asked,

"What pose should I strike?"

"Paint me a picture."

"A picture?"

He tilted his head but soon brought a canvas and an easel and put on a serious expression.

Then, as if he had an idea, he started painting.

Dwenoh also sat before a canvas and easel and began to paint.

After focusing for a moment and painting, Dwenoh put a pipe in his mouth.

It was Ennigua's pipe.

"Huh? Dwenoh? You don't smoke, do you?"

"In the future."

As Leo remembered, Dwenoh had been holding a pipe from their first meeting.

And he held the same pipe until their last moment.

'It was Ennigua's.'

Leo watched next to Dwenoh as the painting was completed.

'There's not enough time.'

Leo had a premonition.

That there wasn't enough time to complete the painting.

He looked at the fragment of the Hero Record in his hand.

It was burning more and more.

Looking at the now-small fragment, Leo opened his mouth.

"Dwenoh."

"If you're going to talk about the foolish idea of using divine power to extend your allotted time, I'll smack you right in the face."

Dwenoh, who had read Arion's memories through Brave, said firmly.

"Save that power."

"……"

Leo closed his eyes.

"And my artwork is beauty itself from the moment it's touched. There's no such thing as completion or lack thereof."

"……Indeed."

"Isn't it beautiful?"

The image of an elf painstakingly painting on the canvas was indeed beautiful.

"It's beautiful."

"Yes. As I said, comparing me to Luna would be an insult."

"Even if their personalities are different, Luna's face seems prettier?"

"Are you trying to hit on another woman while you're married?"

"I told you I was tricked. And I'm just stating facts."

"You have no taste."

Dwenoh clicked his tongue as if pitying him.

"Hey, how is it?"

At that moment, Ennigua asked impatiently.

"Do you want to see?"

Ennigua approached Dwenoh, seeing his faint smile.

"Wow."

Ennigua's jaw dropped.

"Is… is this me?"

"Yes."

"It's pretty. But isn't it too idealized?"

"As an aesthetician, my eyes are more certain than anyone's. Ennigua. You are this beautiful."

Dwenoh smiled faintly.

"Surely, because of the beauty you taught me, I was able to push forward without breaking until the very end."

"……"

"Thank you, Ennigua."

Fwoosh-!

The Hero Record fragments burned completely.

As Leo clenched his fist, watching the black ash scatter and disappear.

[The people of Ivaldi have been saved.]

[Dwenoh's World: Prologue - Battle of Ivaldi has been conquered.]

The hero's world had been conquered.

Along with it, a bright light enveloped the world.

Everyone closed their eyes.

The hero's dungeon disappeared.

This space, which had been on the boundary between the hero's world and reality, had somehow become reality.

As Leo, who had closed his eyes, took a deep breath,

"Ah."

Exclamations of surprise could be heard from here and there.

Including Leo, the Arhi party, who had closed their eyes, quickly opened them.

The people of Ivaldi were looking east.

"……The sun."

Dawn was breaking.

Brilliant light shone upon the people of Ivaldi.

For those who saw the sun for the first time in their lives.

For those who had regained this sight after decades.

Everyone looked at the saved world with emotional faces.

Ennigua, who had been gazing at the sun, slowly walked over, bringing his canvas.

"I drew it well, didn't I?"

And showing the painting to Dwenoh, he smiled brightly.

Dwenoh, who received the painting, mumbled,

"You drew well."

"Right?"

"I drew it better, though."

At his words, Ennigua burst into laughter.

And said,

"I'll go first."

Ennigua, uttering the same words he had once left for Dwenoh, disappeared into particles of light.

It wasn't just Ennigua.

All the people of Ivaldi disappeared into light.

Watching them, Dwenoh, who had been silent, handed the painting to Leo and spoke.

"Thank you…"

Dwenoh stopped speaking.

His time had ended, but Leo's time continued.

It was too early to say thank you.

Dwenoh, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

"I'm counting on you."

To a comrade who still had to go further.

The one who had been a strong pillar of the party spoke a word containing apology, gratitude, and encouragement to those left behind.

Leo, who received the painting, nodded.

"Leave it to me."

At those words, Dwenoh smiled and disappeared into particles of light.

"……"

While everyone was silent, Leo looked at the paintings.

'I want to leave them behind.'

Dwenoh wished for his artwork to remain for future generations.

Originally, the paintings left by Dwenoh should have disappeared.

But.

[Quest Reward: Paintings]

The quest reward was determined by Leo's wish.

With a sigh of relief, Leo carefully placed Ennigua's painting next to Dwenoh's.

In the dawning light.

The image of Ennigua painting and the image of Dwenoh painting were displayed side-by-side.

Arhi's party gathered.

"Wow, it's pretty."

"They're amazing paintings."

Leo spoke, looking at the party exclaiming with admiration.

"Naturally."

Because.

"These are paintings by the last artists of this era."