Episode 357 Lullaby of the End (2)
“If what you said back then isn’t a lie, choose it now.”
As Lars spoke, his pupils were filled with light.
A face completely different from before.
He has made up his mind now. He now realizes what is right for his kingdom and for those he loves.
death.
It’s extreme, but one thing is for sure.
The power to save someone.
It is obtained from someone’s death.
If there is a sacrifice of his own, maybe Jaehyun will save one person as he said. At least he doesn’t lie.
He was that kind of person from the beginning.
If he could buy some time now, he might be able to save one of his family members, as he boasted.
He will help rebuild the elven kingdom again…
and as his friend, he will somehow prevent the current war and tragedy.
He had faith in clear representation.
‘Las……’
Meanwhile, Jaehyun was also aware.
Maybe… just maybe death might save Lars.
That it might be able to slightly change the history of 10,000 years ago, when not a single person could be saved.
Can’t deny that.
Because of that, Jaehyun stood there for a long time, unable to do anything.
At that moment, the sound of the system was heard again.
―The conditions for clearing the last hidden quest will be revealed.
[As long as there is only one ember remaining, the ember can be rekindled at any time,]
Jaehyun remembered.
three sentences. It clearly explained the conditions for clearing the hidden quest.
Jaehyun repeated the conditions carefully.
The first
choice is heavy.
Second,
sometimes stopping is the way forward.
Third,
if only one ember remains, it can rekindle at any time.
Jaehyun thought. Three sentences… what they mean.
‘Stop in order to move forward and choose one ember… and save it…’
Jaehyun clenched his fists as he saw Lars hurriedly shaking his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Tyr continued to attack without stopping. Jaehyun could not bear to avoid it and was thinking about the quest.
By the time the answer came out soon.
“Gagging…”
Lars’ body had already been pierced by Tyr’s sword instead of himself.
is dying The godhead of Ras cannot be compared to that of Tyr. get crushed That would be the most appropriate expression.
Lars met Jaehyun’s eyes clearly even while dying the moment the cold blade pierced his body.
His last grip was on Jaehyun’s shoulder.
“You can… you can. I already heard from Louisa. That you… are from the future. Obviously, Alfheim there was destroyed, and no one could have survived…”
Everyone already knew.
Jaehyun was able to notice in that moment.
Even the soldiers who trained with him. Aindel and Ruina and Lars too.
Everyone knew. That they are dead and do not exist in the world of reappearance. And…
that Jaehyun has the power to save one person just like he said.
Soon, Lars’ body disintegrated.
Jaehyun sighed as he watched the end of it.
“…okay. I get it. Lars, do what you want.”
A continual storm. In the meantime, Jaehyun’s mouth slowly opened.
“Yggdrasil. I will tell you the conditions for clearing the 4th floor hidden.”
Blood leaked from Jaehyun’s teeth. He was with a heavy expression.
“I will give up this quest.”
Seeing Jaehyun say that, Seo Ina’s eyes narrowed.
If he knew Jaehyun, he was someone who would never give up.
But you mean abandoning the quest? why?
The time when she wandered without understanding.
They heard the familiar sound of the system.
―The climber gave up the quest.
―Hidden clear conditions have been achieved.
– Rewards are given. Who is the one being to be saved from Alfheim 10,000 years ago?
* * *
Only one ember.
Hearing that last hint, Jaehyun felt the puzzle fit.
In the past, he had asked Hel.
[Is there any way to bring back the Van Aesir gods from the past, just like I did back in the past?]
Hel shook his head and said.
[Reviving something that existed in the past or intervening in time to bring it back to the past requires a very high price. Maybe even when you come back, something huge has been consumed.
At least… yes. ‘The star of the far abyss’ might have been used.]
The star of the far abyss.
Hel is an object that exists only nine in the world, and it is the Abyss of the Beginning. It was said to be a piece of Kinnungagape.
Jae-hyun couldn’t understand what kind of things Loki and the three Norn sisters consumed to return him to the past, and why he did that.
However, since others also said they had no memory of him, he thought that he had made that judgment because he had value to him.
Because if it wasn’t worth it, they wouldn’t have made that choice.
Van Æsir paid such a price to save a single human being.
however.
How much more would it cost to save all the elves here?
Also, how many sacrifices are needed to change fate?
Because of this, the quest had been informing them from the beginning.
can’t save them all
I’ll give you that chance so you can save the only one here.
So, somehow, within the time, choose the most usable one.
Jaehyun said with empty eyes.
“The existence I will save is… Ruina.”
At that moment, the world was dyed black as if it had gone dark.
At the same time, Seo In-na was also able to realize what choice Jae-hyun had made. he made a choice
After clearing the hidden quest, I decided who to save.
It was cruel, you could say, but she couldn’t say it.
It was because Jaehyun’s expression was too good to be reprimanded.
The expression I saw when I first thought Kim Yoo-jung was dead.
It was like that.
A look of self-blame. A sense of wonder from the face.
Even if you don’t know it well, it must be difficult to control the emotions boiling from the inside.
It’s just a memory.
Even if it was Jaehyun who said that at first, Seo Eana knew.
How warm-hearted Jaehyun was and how much he wanted to save the kingdom of elves. But…
the result was this.
‘…The thing that hurts the most right now is Jaehyun…’
Her thoughts were indeed accurate.
Jaehyun thought as he looked back on his life up until now.
I thought I was strong enough. So, I figured I could change it up for good this time too.
Because he changed his own destiny. Because it has turned the fate of others for the better.
But… there was something that even he couldn’t do.
In the end, the only thing he was able to save was one thing, as the system had said in the beginning.
It was just one person’s life.
Jaehyun looked around in the darkened space and saw Ruina crying out for her brother and mother. Her and Jaehyun’s eyes collided for a moment.
Ruina ran up to Jaehyun and grabbed him by the sleeve.
“Jaehyun-nim… what happened? What about my brother? How can mom… save me. Please…”
Jaehyun kept his mouth shut, then finally opened his mouth.
“From the beginning, there was only one person I could save. The destruction of Alfheim and Ragnarok… they all happened in the past.
…you should have already known.”
Transparent tears welled up in Ruina’s eyes.
“…I believed that you came to… change the tragedy.”
“My skills were lacking.”
Jaehyun lowered his head and said that.
Ruina tightened her grip on the skirt and a few drops of tears fell to the floor. Jaehyun’s lips were tightly closed as he watched.
At that moment, the system sounds again in their ears.
―The final survivor of Alfheim from 10,000 years ago is Ruina.
―All records of other beings will be deleted inside the tower.
―To the designated target (Ruina), the external memory of the tower after 10,000 years is transmitted.
“I do not resent you. Just… please answer just one.”
Jaehyun already knew what she was going to ask.
Ruina’s eyes turned to his. Clear, unfeigned eyes.
Sadness dwells in Jaehyun’s pupils who saw it.
“Why me?”
Louie’s words. Its meaning was clear.
Why did he save himself instead of Ras or Aindel?
He was neither a king nor a captain of the guard.
She was just a girl who was born with talent, and because she couldn’t fulfill her responsibilities, she passed it on to someone else.
But why… why should he live?
Even Jaehyun couldn’t answer clearly. But he just answered as Lars said.
“Because Lars wanted it.”
By the time the decision was made, Aindel was already a corpse.
Saving others was considered… not good.
efficiency. Yes, it was a matter of efficiency.
Because the others weren’t born with as much talent as Ruina. so he saved her
Elves are a race that can live for thousands of years without difficulty.
In the meantime, if she grows steadily, she will be able to play an active part in Ragnarok, and then her responsibilities as the adversary will be relieved.
Yes, that’s just why.
very insignificant.
“Because I needed you.”
Because of that, Jaehyun had no choice but to say that. Ruina didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t change his answer.
because that was all Because I didn’t want to wrap my choice into another lie.
It was a terribly painful reality, but Jaehyun saved her life to use her.
Just as the first anti-Aesir coalition arbitrarily chose itself as its adversary. It was nothing more than delegation of duty to her.
But even so, Jaehyun wanted to say something.
It was also a promise I made to myself.
“I will kill Odin and end the tragedy here.”
Ruina rubbed her eyes and looked at Jaehyun.
“…Can you really do that? You couldn’t do that this time either. It’s not that I don’t trust Jaehyun… but it’s not easy.”
“okay. it failed But it’s not like I didn’t do anything.”
Jaehyun reached out his hand toward the sunken Ruina.
“You survived. Unlike the past I know.”
Seo Ina also smiled softly at Ruina.
“…Tyr would have been hurt quite deeply at that level. Even though we couldn’t save them all, we’ll make it… somehow. So that everyone can sleep peacefully.”
“……is that so.”
“okay. So don’t worry and wait for 10,000 years while recuperating. Please don’t die early by rushing out.”
“…huh! all right! I won’t die until I meet Jaehyun as my groom.”
“Then I will never die.”
When Jaehyun smiled and said, Ruina also smiled faintly with tears running down her face as if responding to his laughter.
that was the last
A warm light embraced them…
and soon Ruina and the 4th floor. Alfheim disappeared without a trace.
At the same time, Jaehyun and Seo Ina heard the voice of someone small and delicate. It
was a beautiful melody, soft and cozy, like a lullaby.
Jaehyun realized. Why was this quest called Lullaby of the End?
“Good night. Lars Aindel.”
Jaehyun looked at the empty darkness and said. Soon after, the sound of the system sounded.
―You have cleared Yggdrasil’s 《4th Layer: Lullaby of the End》.
‘ha.’
Jaehyun thought as he calmed down his breathing.
‘Now all that’s left is… one layer.’
There was a breath in his eyes. Anger mingled between them.
It would smelt him even harder.
He never doubted it.
