Chapter 414: Farewell

"Mm..." Luke groaned as he slowly stretched his arms, his muscles carrying a lingering heaviness that sleep had failed to completely erase.

Only a moment later, realization dawned on him.

"I fell asleep..."

The last thing he remembered was sitting with everyone after the meal, listening to their conversations and enjoying the warmth of the gathering. Then, without even realizing it, he had simply drifted off.

[Host, you were considerably more tired than expected despite consuming the recovery portion and spending time resting in the Resting Zone.]

Luke sighed.

Right. The constant movement, followed by his battle against Astfall, had taken a considerable toll on him.

He might have been laughing and chatting with everyone as though nothing was wrong, but a part of him had already known he was pushing himself. He had simply refused to acknowledge how exhausted he actually was.

"Luke?"

Monica slowly rose from the bed as well, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her voice was drowsy, but the concern in it was immediate.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

Luke shook his head.

"Nothing happened. I’m just going out for a walk, so get some more sleep."

It was still slightly dark outside. Even for Monica, who tended to wake early, this was far earlier than usual.

She hummed sleepily as Luke gently guided her back onto the bed.

He was just about to get up and leave when Monica suddenly remembered something.

"Right... Ilya was supposed to leave early in the morning with her family."

Luke froze.

Right.

She had come all the way here to spend time with him and his family, and he had ended up getting knocked out cold without warning.

"Thanks."

He leaned down and kissed Monica on the head. A faint smile immediately appeared on her sleepy face.

Luke then hurried out of the room.

He did not bother freshening up, just a quick face wash. And then, he made his way toward the front of the village, where the gathering had taken place the previous evening.

"Damn. Hopefully Gary and Dart handled everything properly."

Yesterday, Dart had been responsible for delivering the news of Baldon’s death and explaining what the villagers could expect in the coming days. It was an important matter, one that needed to be handled carefully.

Yet between the dungeon, the battle, and everything that had happened afterward, the entire thing had completely slipped his mind.

Now there was nothing he could do except hope they had managed it without him.

Soon, Luke reached the village entrance.

Just as he had expected, several horses were already prepared, while the carriages were being loaded and readied for departure. Chief Kalish and his family were already climbing into one of them.

Roxanne stood nearby with Gary, seeing them off.

Luke’s gaze, however, quickly settled on a certain girl.

Ilya.

He wanted to say goodbye before she left.

’I should use a laser...’

Luke was just about to purchase a small laser pointer to catch her attention when, somehow, Ilya turned in his direction on her own.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Luke eventually raised his hand and gave her a small wave.

A faint smile appeared on Ilya’s lips.

She turned toward her father and whispered something into his ear.

Kalish listened before giving her a soft nod.

Ilya immediately turned around and began walking toward Luke.

Kalish briefly glanced in Luke’s direction. He was hardly surprised. He already knew who his daughter wanted to delay the departure for, even if only just for a brief time.

The man gave Luke a calm nod.

Luke returned it.

A moment later, Ilya stopped in front of him.

"How are you now?"

Luke sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, I was exhausted yesterday and fell asleep before I even realized it. Sorry."

Ilya simply stared at him for a moment.

Then her expression grew more serious.

"Just...what are you?"

Luke blinked.

"A moment ago, you were following right behind me. Then you vanished for a few moments. And when you came back..."

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she studied him.

"You had changed."

Luke’s brows rose. "Changed?"

Ilya nodded. "It was an obvious change. And I’m not talking only about your clothes. Your entire presence felt different. It was as though you had spent months training and hunting, pushing yourself to a level far beyond the man I had seen fighting before."

Luke was surprised. She had sensed far more than he expected, despite how carefully he thought he had controlled his magical presence. Still, she wasn’t wrong. And considering the trust he had developed in her, he decided there was little harm in revealing a small part of the truth.

"You could say I have a way of growing stronger faster than most people." He gave her a wry smile before adding, "Though the effort remains the same."

There was a difference in the passage of time between the two worlds, but those hours inside the dungeon had felt anything but brief to Luke. Eight minutes in his world might have passed, yet every moment he had spent fighting, struggling, and pushing his body further had been vividly real.

"I can tell even without you explaining it." Ilya shook her head, a faint smile touching her lips. Then her expression softened. "I suppose this is where we bid farewell?"

Luke let out a quiet sigh.

"Not really. Remember? I’m coming to see you. I made a promise, and I’m very much set on keeping it."

His family was another concern now, and he knew leaving them behind would not be as simple as it had once seemed. Even so, Luke trusted himself to find a way to manage everything.

Ilya smiled faintly.

"I know you would keep your promise. But the separation itself is still going to make me sad."

Luke smiled helplessly at her.

"Then don’t go?"

Ilya shook her head.

"Aside from my responsibilities, perhaps some distance will help you realize that you might actually like me...even if it’s only a little."

"Ilya, we need to leave."

Her mother’s voice suddenly called from behind them.

Ilya instinctively turned toward the carriage.

By the time she looked back, Luke had already closed the small distance between them.

His lips met hers.

It was a strange yet comforting sensation, feeling her lips completely enveloped by his. She had never experienced anything quite like it, yet there was an intimacy to the gesture that went beyond the kiss itself, as though he were trying to convey something he could not put into words.

His right arm wrapped around her waist while his other hand gently cupped her cheek, holding her with a tenderness that contrasted with the intensity of the kiss.

She instinctively leaned back as he pressed his lips more firmly against hers, and the sudden closeness sent her heart racing. The sensation caught her completely off guard. She had expected a simple goodbye, perhaps a few final words before she left, but this felt far more personal.

Her eyes slowly closed.

Her feet barely seemed to carry her weight anymore, and she found herself surrendering completely to the strength of his arms. For those few moments, there was nothing else around them. Not the carriages waiting to depart, not her family, not the village behind them.

It felt as though he was claiming her, and, she loved every second of it.

When their lips finally parted, Ilya looked at him with her bright green eyes. They reflected only him, her attention so completely fixed on Luke that the world around them seemed to have faded into the background.

Her heart hammered against her chest as his voice reached her.

"I like you, Ilya. Don’t ask me why, or your father might have to postpone the trip even longer." A faint smile touched his lips. "Just know that you’re not the only one who’s going to be sad about this separation."

Ilya’s fingers tightened around his vest.

"Then I hope you’ll be eager to meet me again."

Luke grinned.

"Oh, I already am. And when I see you next time, I’ll answer every question you have about me."

A smile slowly spread across Ilya’s lips. Almost on instinct, she leaned forward and gave him one last, gentle peck before whispering,

"I’ll wait for that day."

...

Soon, Ilya departed with her family, returning to her tribe after everything that had transpired.

Chief Kalish had promised that reinforcements would arrive by the day’s end, along with the supplies necessary to begin rebuilding the village. With the situation finally under control, there was little reason for Luke to worry about it for now.

His eyes followed the departing carriage for a while, watching until it gradually disappeared into the distance. Only then did he turn his attention elsewhere.

He decided to find his beloved Roxanne.

That plan lasted all of a few seconds.

The system immediately seized his attention.

[The rewards have been generated, and the Skill Wheel is ready to use.]

Luke paused.

Talk about getting a second dessert first thing in the morning.