[Noah. If Laila dies here and now, the descent of the false paradise begins.]
“Wha, false paradise…?”
[In exchange for the lives of Rubia and Ser, a door to the higher world will open.]
I turned my gaze to Laila.
Despite Carpen’s words and my stare, Laila wore the same indifferent smile, slowly nodding in agreement with Carpen’s statement.
[I want to say it’s not true, but… it is, isn’t it?]
“That’s ridiculous… Rubia. Rubia…”
Even hearing such ominous talk,
Rubia showed no reaction to the fact that she was about to die. She silently answered my gaze.
Resignation? Surprise?
No, it can’t be.
That expression is…
“Rubia, you knew… didn’t you?”
The expression of someone who knew from the start.
The look of someone caught in a lie.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Ser, did you know too?”
“I knew.”
“Why… why didn’t you tell me? Why…”
If everything flowed as I knew it, we would defeat all the Monsters of the End and kill the ancient dragons before Lilith’s awakening began.
Of course, I already knew this world did not flow in the same way as a game.
I definitely knew that, but I never imagined the main narrative would change so drastically.
I never expected the story to diverge so completely.
Why… what caused this change?
How did Rubia know this?
Why did she hide it from me?
And why didn’t Ser tell me either?
Frustration bubbled up in my throat.
My chest felt like it was going to burst.
I couldn’t breathe.
But… I couldn’t open my mouth.
I couldn’t release the stuffiness.
I couldn’t vent my frustration.
Because I had hidden something too.
Rubia, Ser, Hermila…
And everyone, including Carpen, hadn’t said a word.
I too had committed the same mistakes as Rubia and shared the same thoughts.
I couldn’t scold her.
I didn’t want to scold Rubia, who thought so much of me.
“Ugh, ngh…”
Instead of scolding her,
Like always, I wanted to tell her to trust me.
To say I’d take care of everything.
I wanted to comfort and reassure the frightened and small Rubia.
I wanted to hold her icy, trembling hands and embrace her shivering body, sharing my warmth.
But, why…
“Ugh, ngh…”
This pathetic body.
Is it trying to burst forth the emotions inside?
Why do I look so foolish?
[Hey.]
Carpen’s hand touched my deeply lowered face.
She pinched my cheek.
[Are you crying?]
“C-Car… ugh… Carpen…”
[Geez, you little whiner.]
“Ugh…”
[I’m not done talking, so don’t cry and listen until the end.]
There was a hint of sadness as Carpen’s hand slid away, followed by her subdued voice.
[Rubia, Ser. Stop thinking useless things and listen closely.]
[You’ve changed a lot, Carpen.]
[You wouldn’t understand, but anyone who spends over a thousand years alone changes.]
Thud – Carpen, holding Frey backwards, jabbed it into the roots of Yggdrasil and laughed.
[Yeah. That’s right. So now, tell me. Do you have any good ideas I haven’t thought of?]
[Don’t give commands.]
Raising her middle finger at Laila, Carpen turned to us and began to speak.
[Before explaining the higher world, I should explain the false paradise.]
Creak– Creak-
As Frey moved, deep scars were etched into the roots of Yggdrasil.
Countless small circles and one large circle.
In between them, an awkward rectangle was wedged.
[This small circle is the lower world we live in. The large circle is the higher world where great bastards live. And here, between the lower and higher worlds…]
Thud – Frey’s tip pointed at the rectangle.
[This is the endless battlefield that that nameless bastard in the sky is trying to go to. It’s the place they call the false paradise.]
“So, I know about the higher world… but what is the false paradise…?”
[Hmm, how should I explain it…]
Thinking deeply while tapping her toes, Carpen seemed to finally have found her words, nodding before speaking.
[It’s a jar that creates extreme poison. It’s a world where only the strongest survive. A battlefield where qualified individuals from various lower worlds come in to fight endless battles to reach the higher world. Think of it as a place similar to the era I lived in.]
“What… does that even mean…?”
[Normally, there wouldn’t be a reason to enter the false paradise, but as Laila told you, there are no gods in this world. So, you need to enter the false paradise. To put it simply, it’s about demonstrating your strength to find a ‘perfect god’ that will protect this world. Well… if you’re not strong, you might still catch the eye of another god to move up to the higher world. But the most straightforward method is to kill everyone and be the last one standing. An overwhelming victory. That’s probably the easiest path.]
I don’t get it.
What exactly is a god that manipulates living beings like pieces in a game…?
What on earth are they doing that requires such actions?
Are they choosing…?
[It sounds like a deadly place, but it’s not as intense as it seems. The only major difference from this world is that you’ll have to engage in more battles. You might even find it easier to survive. It’s a world where the strong hold power. The romantic world you always sing about. A world overflowing with romance. Doesn’t it sound fun?]
Letting go of Frey, Carpen bent her arm at a right angle.
[Noah, someone like you could take all those guys out. I guarantee it.]
Snicker – Carpen said with a playful laugh as her eyes landed on Yggdrasil.
[Let’s end the explanations about paradise here, and regarding how to get there, it’s easy. Just gather all the pieces of the key spread throughout this world, infused with Lilith’s divinity, and open the door.]
“Lilith’s divinity…?”
[Right. Noah and Rubia. You must have felt it. The weak divinity dwelling inside the bodies of masters. Those are the pieces of the key. The divinity of the dead masters has already been collected. And the divinity of the remaining masters will eventually gather at one place when it reaches its end.]
Carpen’s gaze, lingering on Yggdrasil, then moved towards Rubia.
[With that completed key, you’ll awaken Yggdrasil to open the door.]
Her attention turned to Ser.
[So, you’re curious about what comes after paradise, right?]
“The key pieces are… the masters…? The key pieces I know—”
[That’s right. The five heroes who thrived in the forgotten era. The Monsters of the End are also pieces of the key.]
Hug – A faint ember flared around me.
Amid the haze created by the flames, feathers and ice emerged. Fluffy ears and a tail sprouted.
As I pulled my gaze away from Ser and looked around, Carpen reached out and grasped the ice tightly.
[The true Yggdrasil standing before us is also a door to enter the false paradise.]
My head was spinning.
So, Rubia is the key to opening the door.
Ser is the door itself.
But then, those connected to my soul are also pieces of the key.
And the Yggdrasil in front of me is yet another door.
But…
“If Laila dies… it’ll be all over…”
[That’s right. If that girl dies, the descent into paradise will begin immediately.]
“Then, how do we get the key pieces…?”
[The forgotten heroes have become the Monsters of the End, and they’re so damn powerful that you don’t need nine like those useless masters. Just five. Five is enough.]
“Five…?”
The beings that reached the realm of ascension, capable of carrying their own divinity.
Carpen, Tylant, Valoran, Brunhilde, Laila.
If Laila is missing, that leaves just four.
Five… pieces?
A flickering flame poked my forehead.
At that moment.
Conversations shared during the battle with Brunhilde resurfaced in my mind.
What she had said.
A being who called itself a piece of the key.
Not someone from the higher world but a resident of this world from the beginning.
Stronger than anyone, having ascended higher than anything.
A human.
The forgotten hero.
The Sword of Victory.
Like a broken doll, my head creaked as it turned to Carpen.
In response, a sly smile spread across Carpen’s lips.
An all-too-familiar grin.
A smirk that was arrogant and annoying.
As if declaring she was the strongest.
She bore a confident smile.
“Carp…en.”
[Wow, you figured it out quickly despite the roundabout way I put it!]
Behind her chuckling laughter, was the sound of Rubia and Ser, who understood a moment too late.
[Carpen.]
[What?]
[That’s a bad choice. Your strength is absolutely necessary in paradise.]
[No, this is the correct answer.]
Pulling Frey out from the roots, Carpen stretched it towards Yggdrasil with a smile.
[Over a thousand years, my wish that has carried on from the chaotic era. The path of overwhelming, absolute, and perfect victory is—]
Thud – Carpen’s hand rested on my head.
Not the usual rough or playful touch,
But rather one that felt like she believed in me.
One that seemed to instill courage in me.
A kind and gentle hand that caressed my head.
[It’s you. God Noah.]
