Chapter Season 2 743

Translator: Alpha0210

Then the indiscriminate magical bombardment began.

The spells came from the dense dark clouds wrapped around the giant's waist, raining down like hail. This, too, had been impossible to observe from a distance.

“How can a giant use magic...?”

“So it looks like magic to you as well.”

Yang In-hyun spoke in a low voice.

“That is enough. We have confirmed the bare minimum. Magic is one of the means employed by this unidentified giant. For now, learning that alone is an enormous gain. However, I intend to approach the giant more closely. To be frank, I will climb its body and enter those dark clouds. You have fulfilled your minimum duty, so you may turn back now.”

“What? ...No, what did you just say?”

Peran stared at him in shock, but Yang In-hyun merely stood still and returned his gaze.

“What are you talking about?”

“Exactly what I said.”

“Why...? Did you see something inside those dark clouds?”

“No. Last time, I lost an arm before I could even reach them.”

“Then why...?”

“Peran, what I think does not matter. I have already made my decision. What will you do?”

“...”

His mouth went dry.

Yang In-hyun might be right. If he had already decided and would never change his mind, asking what he intended would be pointless.

Then what about Peran Jun?

Standing before that giant, what did Peran Jun want to do?

‘...Haven't I done enough?’

A feeble voice spoke within him.

The resolve he had thought honed to a razor's edge shattered the moment he saw the giant. What purpose would it serve to follow Yang In-hyun toward that thing? He would be fortunate if he did not become dead weight.

Dead weight.

...Am I going to become dead weight yet again?

‘...’

His throat burned.

Because he had been weak, because no one could rely on him, he had once been excluded from a battle upon which the fate of the world depended. He had not even known that such a battle was taking place. An unprecedented crisis had passed in silence.

When Peran learned the truth afterward, he could hardly bear his shame.

Because he had hated being called a genius and despised the very notion of talent.

He had been ashamed of how he had whined about such things before the Great Mage, ashamed of how ridiculous he had been, and vowed that next time would be different.

Then another opportunity had come.

One day, his master had fallen from the sky, and Peran had received his teachings. He followed wherever the man led, and before he knew it, Peran stood near the center of the world. He had risen to a position where he could influence its fate.

That should have been everything he wanted.

‘But... is going toward that giant truly my role?’

Peran had said that hunting the giant was the role of a hero.

Yet even as he said it, he had never thought that role belonged to him. He did not believe himself worthy of it.

He did not know the definition of a hero.

But no hero lacked faith in himself.

A true hero was the man standing before him.

A man who did not fear death or cower before terror, and who could willingly step into pitch-black darkness without knowing what awaited him.

I...

“I...”

He could not do that.

Having reached his decision, Peran looked at Yang In-hyun.

He would not go to the giant.

Just as he was about to answer, their eyes met.

Yang In-hyun said nothing. He merely watched Peran and waited for his answer.

A sudden question occurred to him.

...Why was Yang In-hyun waiting for his answer?

He could have simply informed Peran of his decision and left.

‘Because he thinks there's a chance I'll say I'm coming with him?’

Surely not.

Peran nearly let out a hollow laugh when a memory stopped him.

─Conserve your mana whenever possible.

Yang In-hyun's earlier words suddenly returned to him.

─I still have plenty to spare...

─I know. But now is not the time to use it.

‘...Ah.’

He had said that now was not the time.

Yang In-hyun had personally slain the swarming monsters while telling Peran to conserve his mana. To preserve his strength. Why had he said that? Merely so Peran could leave once they reached this point? Had he advised him not to use magic because Peran would need to flee for his life?

...No.

That was not it.

Yang In-hyun, the man Peran considered a hero...

“I will go with you.”

...believed in Peran.

“Please allow me to accompany you, sir.”

He could not explain it properly, but he now had a vague understanding of what Yang In-hyun had felt when he held him back.

It felt as though some warmth had returned to his rigid body.

As the fear gripping him began to ease, Peran turned to the Red Knight.

“Red Knight, could you tell those on the Magic Planet what we witnessed here?”

“You would entrust that task to me?”

“Yes.”

“I do not understand. You are the one best suited to that task. It would be more fitting for me to enter those dark clouds with the Everlasting Plum Sword.”

Did she truly intend to do that?

Though puzzled, Peran firmly shook his head.

“What you say is correct. But I will not turn back.”

“Why not?”

“Because you are not a mage, Red Knight.”

The Red Knight looked perplexed.

Peran looked at the giant once more.

Now that the veil of fear had lifted, he could study the giant more calmly.

And he realized one thing.

“We have all heard about the origins of the Destructions. The First Destruction was the Primordial God, the Second was the First Void King, and the Third was the God of the Three Thousand Worlds. And Lukas Trowman became the Fifth Destruction.”

The Red Knight's eyebrows twitched.

“...Hm. Surely...”

“It is strange. East, west, south, north... Merely because that is the order in which I name the directions, I designated the eastern giant the ‘Third Destruction’ and the western giant the ‘Fourth Destruction.’”

Peran looked at the giant.

He looked upon the largest mage of all, pouring out more spells than anyone could dare count.

“But now I wonder if that giant might truly be the previous Beginning Wizard, transformed into the ‘Fourth Destruction.’”

The Red Knight departed.

Her face remained expressionless, so Peran could not tell whether she had truly accepted his proposal or secretly found it disagreeable. In truth, it did not matter either way.

He did not know whether the Red Knight was convinced, but she had left nonetheless.

Once only the two of them remained, Yang In-hyun made a suggestion.

“Let us walk slowly from here.”

“Ah... Is that all right?”

“Of course. There is a reason for it.”

“What is it?”

“The same reason I chose to set out from ten days away when I last scouted the giant.”

Yang In-hyun rarely spoke directly.

He often said things so cryptic that Peran had to mull them over two or three times before grasping their meaning. Perhaps he was like a cup of well-steeped tea.

Peran did not dislike that manner of speech, so he walked beside Yang In-hyun.

From time to time, Divine Beasts wreathed in holy light passed them by. When Peran glanced sidelong at them, Yang In-hyun spoke.

“Pay them no attention. If we needlessly draw their interest, we may be forced to shed blood for no reason.”

“Have you fought them as well, sir?”

“Why do you ask?”

“They do not look like creatures connected to Destruction.”

“Appearances provide only fragmentary information. Of course, I admit that there is something mystical about the way they look.”

“What in the world are they?”

“I do not know either.”

Peran was left speechless.

Though only a few days had passed since he began traveling with Yang In-hyun, he had somehow come to assume that there was nothing the man did not know.

“They bared their fangs first, and I merely responded. Now those fangs are simply pointed at the giant instead.”

“Ah...”

Come to think of it, before they set out, Yang In-hyun had told him to question what he saw without analyzing it too deeply. He had already failed to heed that warning... Though it would be more accurate to say he had completely forgotten it and only remembered it at this very moment.

“They are merely part of the journey, not our objective. There is nothing wrong with avoiding a needless waste of strength.”

“I see.”

“One thing is certain. Mystical appearances aside, they are afflicted by some manner of madness. The mere fact that you have not ended up like them is remarkable. It means you have developed a measure of immunity.”

“Ha ha. Immunity...”

He made the giant's influence sound like a disease, but after thinking about it, Peran realized that was not entirely wrong.

After they walked a little farther, Yang In-hyun abruptly stopped and looked around. They had just left the mountain ridge behind, and flatlands once again stretched before them. Far across the plain, the giant still loomed, its sheer size overwhelming.

“Let us rest for a while. This will probably be our last chance.”

“Yes.”

Peran opened his pack and took out some simple provisions. He first handed Yang In-hyun finely sliced dried meat and a canteen. Yang In-hyun carefully chewed the meat, then swallowed only enough water to moisten his mouth. Peran did the same. This was no time to eat their fill. A full stomach would leave them in worse shape.

Yang In-hyun spoke as he handed back the canteen.

“Peran.”

“Yes.”

“If one of us must die, which of us do you think should survive?”

“...”

Peran was about to drink from the canteen when he stopped short.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because we have no idea what awaits us.”

“We will find a way for both of us to survive.”

“An exemplary answer, but one difficult to apply to life. Life is an endless series of choices, and as we live, we are constantly forced to choose one of two paths. The point is that we must prepare ourselves, so we can decide more quickly when the moment of choice arrives.”

“...”

“I will ask again. If one of us must die, who should survive?”

Peran hesitated once more before answering.

“...I should.”

For some reason, he felt ashamed and close to tears, but he held them back and continued.

“I must survive.”

“Why?”

“Because I am the one who can report more accurately what we witness when we encounter the giant and enter those dark clouds. And...”

“And?”

“You, sir...”

He could not bring himself to say the words. Peran remained silent for a long while, but Yang In-hyun studied his face, widened his eyes slightly, and then smiled.

“I see. For all my grand talk, it seems I was underestimating you as well.”

“...”

“When did you notice?”

“...I saw you spit up blood from time to time.”

“From that alone?”

“I have seen several people afflicted with incurable illnesses. The hollow detachment in their bearing resembled yours.”

“I see.”

Yang In-hyun chuckled softly and lifted his robe slightly.

For the first time, the body hidden beneath his loose clothing was revealed. Black blotches marred his finely honed body. At a glance, they resembled blackened burn scars.

“It is an affliction I do not understand. But my body is no longer what it once was. I probably do not have long.”

“...How much time do you have left?”

“I will not live to see the end of today.”

It was far sooner than Peran had imagined.

Only then did Peran understand why Yang In-hyun had been in such a hurry to depart.

“Do you understand? You are the one who must survive.”

Yang In-hyun spoke as he lowered his robe again.

“Please do not forget that.”

*****

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