Chapter 166. The Path I Chose
[First, you must choose.]
“Ch... choose?”
Choose?
What kind of choice was it talking about?
The message that appeared before me was completely different from the usual quest format, so I stared at Uncle in confusion.
It seemed like Uncle had received a different message of his own, because he was carefully reading something with a serious look in his eyes.
“Endure... What exactly am I supposed to endure?”
Indomitable being told to endure.
In a way, it sounded ridiculous.
But considering Uncle’s usual behavior, maybe patience really was something he needed.
Everyone had their own standards, so everyone’s limit was different.
Just how low was Uncle’s patience threshold for him to end up awakening the power of Indomitable?
He certainly showed that quality in battle.
But outside of battle, it didn’t particularly stand out.
Rumble, rumble, rumble....
“Hmm~ That sounds ominous. Everyone, prepare for battle!”
The moment I heard Uncle’s familiar battle cry, strength entered my body as though someone had flipped a switch.
Whenever I was with Uncle, I often felt as though I had been placed under some kind of spell.
Whenever he said things like prepare for battle or asked whether we believed in him...
I felt like strength I didn’t even have suddenly appeared.
That part of him definitely felt Heroic.
And the more I followed him...
The more strongly I felt it.
‘It would be nice if he showed this side of himself in reality too.’
In reality, Uncle was somewhat lazy.
He often preferred to let things slide with a good enough is good enough attitude.
He wasn’t especially eager to challenge things either.
If I had to compare him to someone...
He reminded me of Doridora Dorfin, always relaxed and easygoing.
Honestly, when Uncle first told me he had learned a power called Flow, I couldn’t understand why, even after hearing the explanation.
Now...
I understood a little.
“These things are pretty strong.”
Monsters kept rushing toward us.
If I had encountered them before meeting Uncle...
There was no way I could have fought them.
Even if my Arm of the Fighting Dragon was incomplete, it was still the Arm of the Fighting Dragon.
My body was protected by Sea Dragon Armor.
I could fight both at close and long range.
I even possessed several fairly powerful attacks.
So why was every battle always so difficult?
Was it because Uncle constantly wandered into places where he could only win by the narrowest margin?
...
If leveling was the goal, it would be much easier to simply follow routes that other players had already cleared.
‘No.’
‘Don’t think like that.’
Dissatisfaction and doubt would stop my sword.
Impatience would dull its edge.
Uncle had told me that.
The Great Hero of Insight had also said something similar in passing.
I was slow.
But I did not stop.
For someone like me, anxiety and haste only tangled my feet.
They only robbed me of the time I needed to gather my strength.
‘Stay calm.’
‘Little by little.’
‘Steadily!’
BANG!
Someone who looked toward Heroes should believe in and follow the words of senior Heroes and the Great Hero she admired.
Focus.
Sharpen the blade.
Slowly.
Surely.
CRACK!
“Ugh!”
“Hey, hey! I told you not to focus that hard!”
This was one of the problems that appeared after my arm became the Arm of the Fighting Dragon.
If I concentrated so deeply that I started losing my reason...
The arm would begin moving on its own.
Whenever that happened, Uncle would tap me and pull me back to normal.
But I couldn’t rely on Uncle forever.
That was the real problem.
“Haha. Everyone else says becoming one with your weapon is the highest state, but if our Aien becomes one with hers, she stops being human.”
“...Please don’t joke about it!”
And so, just like always...
We slowly dealt with everything one step at a time.
The endless procession of monsters felt overwhelming.
But Uncle stood solidly at the front and protected us.
And the rear line provided buffs so overwhelming they could almost be called luxurious.
Somehow, we endured.
Even the Great Hero of Salvation, who had traveled with us for about a month, had been unable to hide his amazement at our rear support.
Of course.
That much was only natural.
But then—
“Haa... Haa...! Damn it! Retreat for now!”
“Why are there so many of them?!”
“Isn’t this supposed to be a Great Hero’s trial? Seriously, this damn game!”
More monsters kept appearing.
More numerous.
More varied.
Stronger.
Again and again.
They reached a point where the Orc Captain from the arena looked laughable.
Even Hero-class monsters began to look weak compared to the new things appearing before us.
“Enough! Enough already! Learn some moderation! Aaaaagh!!!”
Little by little...
Even when Uncle fought at full strength, monsters began slipping past him.
Creatures that my sword could no longer cut through completely reached the rear line and swung their horrifying hands toward them.
“Urgh!”
“Village Chief!”
“I’m all right! Miss Aien, please focus on the battle!”
Little by little...
The situation only worsened.
Our companions were injured.
They died.
Still, we moved forward.
Forward.
We somehow kept forcing our way through the monsters.
And then...
I began feeling that sense of reality inside the game that Uncle sometimes talked about.
At the same time, the air became heavier.
That familiar sensation settled into my body.
The same horrible feeling I had experienced when the castle swallowed us.
“I-Ingwang-ssi!!”
“What?! I’m busy right— Village Chief?!”
At Levy’s piercing scream, I looked back.
The Village Chief had been unable to withstand a monster’s attack.
He was dead.
But unlike usual...
A black hand burst from the ground, grabbed his corpse, and dragged it underground.
Uncle immediately rushed over.
He grabbed the black hand and tried to rip it away and pull the Village Chief back up.
But the monsters pressed in too fiercely.
In the end...
He had no choice but to let go.
“No... What the hell is this... Pastien!!”
Uncle’s rage grew.
But the monsters did not stop.
They kept coming.
Again.
And again.
The fighting continued.
Just like the Village Chief...
Levy disappeared.
Mallyangi disappeared.
Pie-unni disappeared.
“You fucking...!”
Uncle briefly logged out.
Then he came back after confirming that Unni had not awakened in reality.
From the moment his rage reached its peak...
Hell began.
There were only two of us left.
Yet Uncle continued moving forward.
He used everything he possessed.
He displayed power worthy of the title Hero.
But that was all.
Madness had consumed him.
He destroyed everything in his path.
And no matter what I said...
My words no longer seemed to reach him.
I didn’t know how much time passed.
A long time.
A very long time.
In reality, Uncle gradually became more haggard.
Inside the game, he became more and more worn down too.
“....”
“Haa... Haa... Uncle?”
“...I can’t... do this anymore....”
“U-Uncle? Wait...!”
Uncle abandoned the name Indomitable.
Not long afterward...
He abandoned himself too.
He took his own life.
Then, just like everyone else...
Black hands dragged him away somewhere.
He could no longer endure that endless battle.
He died....
Leaving me behind.
Leaving me, when Uncle had become the only thing I had left.
“N-No... No!!!”
Pain struck as though my heart had stopped.
My voice rushed out faster than my breath.
I screamed until I choked.
More desperately than anyone.
More pathetically than anyone.
I struck the ground with my sword.
When the sword broke, I struck it with my fists.
When my vision turned red with blood, I slammed my head against the ground and screamed.
When absolutely nothing remained...
When only my empty screams filled the corridor...
The Great Hero of Patience, Pastien, finally appeared before me.
“At last, someone qualified has reached this place.”
“...Qualified...?”
Disgust surged up from deep inside me.
I bit my lip hard.
My right arm was convulsing violently, as though it were about to explode and swallow me.
I grabbed it and forced myself to stand.
My heart was filled with nothing but despair.
I wanted to rush at the Great Hero before me and kill her immediately.
...
No.
I wanted to die.
“You overcame every trial I gave you and reached me.”
Pastien looked down at me.
“That means you possess the qualification.”
“Me?”
I laughed weakly.
“Qualification?”
I had only been pushed here over everyone’s corpses.
I had merely followed behind Uncle.
And I had qualification?
“Qualified one.”
Pastien stepped aside.
“This is the gift I can offer you.”
What she revealed was a human spinal column embedded in a tree.
