Chapter 201: Friend

SLAAASH!!!

The sound of flesh being severed echoed through the surroundings, accompanied by the splatter of blood as Aldrich fell for the final time, his body collapsing completely.

His eyes widened until they were stretched fully open, reflecting terror and disbelief. He looked utterly frightened, as though he had never imagined that something like this could happen to him.

Staring at me in his final moments, Aldrich repeated the same word he had been muttering ever since his attempt to possess my body had failed.

"Monster..."

The light in his eyes gradually faded, and his eyelids slowly lowered, marking the end of his life.

Aldrich was dead.

NIGHTMARE SLAIN

The message announcing the nightmare’s defeat appeared before me, confirming that the Legacy dungeon known as Old Ashvarn had finally been conquered.

Aldrich’s body dissolved into black vapor that scattered in every direction, while an enormous number of souls surged into my body.

And finally...

A black mass appeared before me, floating silently in the air.

It was the boss soul that had now fallen into my possession after I defeated him with my own hands.

Staring at that mass of dark energy, I felt strangely empty.

Compared to all those centuries of suffering, all those sacrifices and tragedies... this reward felt utterly insignificant.

"This world is unfair..."

I murmured those words as I turned my head toward the ruined ancient city.

Old Ashvarn had been reduced to rubble by the battles we had fought here over the past several months.

But at least the curse had finally been lifted, and the power of darkness had withdrawn from Ashvarn.

The Mother Flame would no longer be extinguished, and everyone would be freed. The Heart Clan had survived the catastrophe that had been approaching, and Jackson would finally find salvation after remaining trapped here for so terribly long.

"It’s over..."

Everything felt almost unreal.

It had been such a long nightmare.

Entering the city, becoming separated from the others, fighting in the Colosseum, and meeting Jackson.

Joining forces and attempting to cleanse the city so we could bring help from the outside. Defeating the Iron Devil, then encountering the Golden Dawn Knight for the first time.

Asterion’s arrival and our entry into the cathedral. The defeat of Aldebaran and the Golden Dawn Knight... and finally, Aldrich.

So much had happened that I could barely believe it had all come to an end.

Letting out a long sigh of relief, I turned my attention back to the boss soul floating before me.

I had already decided to transform it into a new weapon. Something in my instincts told me that this time, I would finally obtain what I wanted.

I needed a new sword, one that would allow me to practice Asterion’s swordsmanship. As powerful as the Executioner’s Sword was, the enormous greatsword was simply too heavy and unsuitable for that particular style.

So, without any further hesitation, I extended my human hand toward the boss soul and allowed the light of Legendary Weapons Master to flow through it.

The soul began glowing in response, its radiance growing steadily brighter until the brilliant light completely engulfed me.

I closed my eyes, only to feel my consciousness drifting away without warning, as though the world before me had vanished and been replaced by another.

When I opened them again, I found myself standing upon a vast expanse of land, with dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of weapons embedded in the ground.

Swords and spears, axes and scythes... Every kind of weapon seemed to be present.

Above me stretched a golden sky, glowing as though the sun were about to set. And directly ahead stood a tall hill, crowned by a magnificent golden sword that I recognized immediately.

It was the divine sword the Golden Dawn Knight had wielded during our battle.

And standing beside it was the man himself.

He wore his magnificent golden armor, his long crimson cloak fluttering behind him as he looked directly at me.

He appeared every bit as majestic as I remembered, and I couldn’t help smiling at the sight of him.

"It’s good to see you again."

The knight nodded deeply in response.

"I told you we would meet again if you succeeded. And succeed you did."

The Golden Dawn Knight spoke in a solemn, dignified voice before extending his hand toward me, inviting me to climb the hill.

"There is much I wish to say to you, but first... allow me to thank you, my fellow Cursed Hunter of a later generation. Thank you for bringing this nightmare to an end. Thank you... for granting me a fitting end instead of leaving me to exist forever as a puppet."

"I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

The Golden Dawn Knight lowered his head slightly, showing me a degree of respect that I wasn’t even certain I deserved.

Then he raised his gaze toward me once more.

"To receive the thanks of the great Golden Dawn Knight... That’s an honor I hardly deserve."

I offered him an awkward smile.

The knight regarded me silently for a moment before speaking again.

"Ars."

"Excuse me?"

"My name is Ars... Ars Heart."

The Golden Dawn Knight revealed his name in that same solemn voice.

"Golden Dawn Knight is merely a title I earned, a title by which the world remembers me even to this day. But you, Ethan... I want you to remember me by my name."

"Ars."

Something stirred deep within me at those words.

I felt a strange mixture of gratitude and happiness spreading through my chest, a warmth I couldn’t quite explain.

It was as though I had finally received the reward I had truly wanted, one that made me forget all the suffering and the long battles that had brought me here.

With the brightest smile I could manage, I reached out and shook the knight’s hand, the same hand he had extended toward me earlier, after climbing the hill to join him at its summit.

I now stood on the same level as him.

That didn’t mean I had become an equal to the mighty Golden Dawn Knight.

But I was standing on equal footing with Ars, the Cursed Hunter.

"It’s a pleasure to meet you... Ars. We may have met only a handful of times, but your golden light has illuminated my gloomy world more than that of most people I’ve encountered throughout my life."

If he were still alive, I was certain I would have been able to call him...

A friend.