Former Hero, Solo Play Oriented-Chapter 207

Her trembling voice, as if waking from a long slumber, reached out to me. The soul of the knight, once lost in madness, now spoke to me.

"Melissa."

"Rain? Rain? Rain?"

"Melissa, Melissa."

"A... ah!"

I was enveloped in her blue light.

Cold, yet warm.

"At the end of the long darkness, I heard your voice."

"Yes, it’s me."

"I believed. That you were still alive."

"Yes. I’m alive."

The blue threads of her light flowed, brushing gently against my face.

Though she was but a spirit, I felt her touch.

My years.

Her thousand years.

Does the passage of time dictate the depth of longing?

We trembled, sharing the joy and sorrow of our reunion for a while.

"Have you been well?"

"Yes. And you, Melissa?"

"Heh, what’s there to say about my well-being?"

"Hehe."

"You’ve improved a lot in swordsmanship."

"I have to dodge now. I don’t have the Holy Sword anymore."

"The absence of power has elevated your skills to a higher level, it seems."

She gently patted my head.

The vast river of time that had separated us felt like a lie, as if we had returned to how things once were.

Melissa celebrated my growth with genuine happiness.

And as she said, I had grown.

While the power I once wielded had diminished, my swordsmanship had surpassed its former level. The countless life-or-death battles in Astria, now a game, had honed my skills.

It was thanks to those experiences that I overcame the challenger duel and the final battle.

For now, my body, synchronized with the game, felt like my own.

If only my real body—Isulbi—had moved like this, perhaps I could have lived a more active life on Earth.

How long had we stayed like this?

As we cherished this precious moment granted to us, someone else cleared their throat.

"...Ahem."

I looked up to see Chris, trying to suppress a cough.

"Chris?"

"Oh, don’t mind me. Keep talking with Melissa."

I chuckled, gesturing for her to join us.

Grinning awkwardly, Chris shuffled closer, her smile gradually turning into her usual goofy grin as she plopped down beside me. She wrapped an arm around me, sitting next to Melissa.

Melissa shot her a dubious glance.

"And who is this?"

"She’s the kind sister who took me in from another world."

"...Ah!"

Melissa’s eyes widened.

After a brief pause, she seemed to debate something internally before settling on a begrudging expression of gratitude. Despite that, she sent Chris a look of appreciation.

Watching Melissa’s expressions shift on her glowing face, I couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Then, with a determined gaze, Melissa stared at Chris. Chris flinched slightly but returned the look with a resolute expression.

Finally, Melissa broke the silence.

"Rain likes sweet things."

"...Huh?"

"So, make sure to give her plenty of sweets."

"Oh, of course! I already do."

"She also likes being patted and hugged, even if she gets embarrassed."

"Yes, I’m aware."

"Take care of her long, beautiful hair, too."

Melissa sounded like a reluctant parent entrusting their child to someone else.

Caught between them, I tilted my head in confusion, glancing back and forth.

Chris chuckled softly, while Melissa offered her a warm smile.

Relieved, I let out a quiet sigh.

There had been a strange tension between them, but thankfully, they seemed to be getting along now.

"...I can no longer stay with Rain."

With that familiar, gentle smile, Melissa stroked my head once more.

With teary eyes, I leaned into her touch, purring softly like a contented kitten.

This was reality.

Melissa belonged to the past.

She couldn’t stay with me.

Even this brief moment was an unexpected gift.

I couldn’t help but voice my resentment.

"...Why did you leave me?"

"I’m sorry."

"Melissa, Elena, Igraine, even Uncle Ein... Why did you all leave me behind?"

"It must have hurt a lot, didn’t it?"

"If you were going to leave me to grieve alone for a thousand years, then why..."

"I’m sorry."

Her trembling body conveyed her pain, though I knew she suffered more than I ever could.

Even so, I couldn’t help but whine like a child, grateful for this precious moment.

I was prepared now.

Unlike before, when I let Igraine go, I had accepted myself as Isulbi. This time, I could send her off with a smile.

Melissa’s fading figure paused as she gently brushed my face.

"...Rain. Is your body okay?"

"Of course."

"You look fine, but... something felt off. Like your movement patterns."

"I’m really fine."

I avoided her gaze, speaking quickly.

Melissa was perceptive. As a spirit—and literally so—she must have noticed the subtle habits my real body had developed after years of immobility.

Glancing at Chris, I saw her nod in agreement. We couldn’t let Melissa worry any more.

But her faintly sorrowful expression suggested she already knew.

Melissa looked around thoughtfully.

"This world... its rules are different now."

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I nodded. Having reached the end of her journey, she could sense the shifts in the world’s laws.

"Yes. It’s a bit strange now."

"Even during my time in madness, I could feel the changes. But recently, it seems the world shifted once again. Perhaps it’s starting to return to what it once was."

"...Return?"

"Rain, I think I can help you."

Melissa placed her hand on my waist.

She paused, then grinned knowingly.

"You’ve met Igraine, haven’t you? Makes sense. As the World Tree’s spirit, she’s always been around."

"Yes."

"...Igraine knew, too."

Fwoosh!

Melissa’s ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ blue light merged with Igraine’s green, glowing brilliantly from the belt.

As Melissa’s form began to fade faster, I panicked.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes, I have to go."

"Will I ever see you again? If I come back here..."

Melissa shook her head.

"This world’s laws only allow lingering echoes, not true returns. Even if you visit again, you’ll only see a Death Knight’s shadow."

"But..."

I was still clinging to her, unable to let go.

Even after all this, I hadn’t grown.

I forced a smile, lifting the corners of my mouth.

Like I did when I let Igraine go.

As Melissa faded completely from sight—

Smooch.

"...!"

My eyes widened.

"...Huh!"

Chris practically leapt out of her seat.

Melissa’s lips had grazed my cheek, then pulled away.

With a mischievous smile, her nearly invisible figure said, "That’s my lingering attachment."

Her finger brushed my lips gently.

"I didn’t take everything—I left room for the one who’ll stay by your side."

She glanced at Chris.

"Ah—ahhh!!!"

Chris let out a strangled yelp.

"So, take care of her for me, will you?"

With those parting words, the noble, blue knight disappeared.

Even at the end, Melissa was as playful as ever.

I couldn’t help but laugh through my tears.

This farewell, though bittersweet, didn’t feel entirely sad.

*

On a high-rise rooftop, a figure stood amidst the wind.

Dressed in a sleek office suit that accentuated her striking figure, she let her golden hair flow freely, gazing solemnly at the city below.

The bustling metropolis, the vibrant city lights, and the massive river cutting through it all.

Standing in the heart of Seoul, this being exuded an aura far beyond what one might expect from an ordinary person.

"The convergence of worlds has already begun."

Crackle.

She raised her hand slowly, arcs of golden electricity sparking from her fingertips.

"The will of the dimension has deemed the place you stand as the rightful course of history."

Her expression softened, a mix of amusement and slight concern.

"Now, even we will struggle to intervene. Sigh, that body you're using... you've been so rough with it. Do you know how hard it’s been to patch things up? Well, I suppose it can’t be helped—it’s a game, after all."

She widened her eyes briefly and let out a small chuckle.

"Even former comrades wouldn’t recognize this. And yet, here we are. ...It seems I don’t need to worry too much."

Crackle. Snap.

That incomprehensible power—golden lightning that defied the logic of this scientific world—flickered as her form began to fade.

Han Yeoreum, Team Leader of the Marketing Department at Hana Games, the developers of Astria Online, murmured softly as she disappeared.

"Isulbi, cherish that body of yours."

"And, when the moment comes where you must make an inevitable choice..."

"Follow your heart."