Solo Swordmaster

#Side Story 28. A fate trampled upon, a blooming flower (2)

* * *

I pray.

I pray.

I pray.

Just earnestly.

Even more anxious.

But you find out.

No, I have no choice but to know.

No matter how hard you pray, it is of no use.

Because none of the gods left who would listen to that prayer were long dead.

So this is just a waste of time.

It’s fleeting.

It’s meaningless.

It was just a worthless thing.

Nevertheless, I don’t stop praying.

It wasn’t just because I believed in a god who was eaten by a dragon long ago, even before the world became like this.

Because there is no reason not to pray.

I hope that this prayer will reach even if just one chance.

And out of fear that something might go wrong because he stopped praying.

It’s just addictive, like a habit.

…It’s like I’m still wearing a worthless sword at my waist that can’t protect anything and has no further use.

But time passes.

Unchanging daily life is repeated.

The longer the wait becomes endless.

Prayers become empty and the sword becomes heavy…

“Ah.”

Stumbling.

I lost my balance for a moment.

After holding on to the railing next to me and barely overcoming a near fall.

I breathe a sigh of relief after confirming that the water in the tin container I was moving did not spill.

“Whoa.”

No matter how hard it was to balance my body and how distracted I was, I lost my footing on the path I had already taken countless times.

It was such a shame.

That’s why we mate.

I come to my senses by lightly tapping my own cheek.

My body wasn’t so weak that I could get hurt if I fell a few times, but if I accidentally spilled water and broke something again, it would be difficult to fix it.

This is even more so because almost all facilities and institutions have already collapsed and stopped working.

Excited.

But why?

My heart is especially pounding.

Random thoughts that keep coming to mind.

No matter how hard you try to focus on just taking steps, your mind becomes distracted.

Why is it like this today?

Questions that even I don’t know about.

After stopping and thinking about it.

Conclusion.

I’m sure it was a dream.

The dream I had yesterday was so vivid and happy yet sad that it seemed real.

…so much so that I want to remain in a dream forever.

It wasn’t particularly difficult.

To find survivors.

To get supplies.

To leave a mark.

While wandering around the world in blizzards, I almost fell asleep more than once.

Of course, that was in the distant past.

It was no longer necessary and it almost disappeared after foreign oil decreased.

But it was also possible at any time.

If you just close your eyes quietly outside right now, at most a few days, if you’re lucky, you’ll be able to leave for an eternal dreamland within a day.

Just the fact that I didn’t have to repeat this lonely daily life was an attractive enough option.

Let’s go.

But that’s an option.

There was no need to consider it.

If he does something like that, there will be no one to welcome him when he comes back.

So, back with the tin can.

I took a slow step.

…I’m excited.

Ignoring the sound that strangely became louder and stronger every time I took a step.

* * *

London.

Beijing.

Cairo.

Sao Paulo.

Moscow.

Jerusalem.

Las Vegas.

It is the base of the Seven Dragons, ruled directly by the seven princesses, and at the same time a refuge for humanity that survived until the end in the battle of the Constellations.

Therefore, unlike other countries or cities that are nothing but ruins, this is the center of civilization that was restored in half a year.

Parging.

But at this moment.

The big cities that had survived the apocalypse were nowhere to be found.

Only the remains of concrete and rebar buried under snow, sand and ash showed traces of civilization, like grave goods left in the grave.

“As expected…”

Besides that, Limon, who had traveled across space and traveled around the world, was certain.

Where did you fall?

“Is this a parallel world where humanity has perished?”

Parallel world.

A world of infinite possibilities where things that have not happened in reality may have happened.

Therefore, the parallel world only exists conceptually, but in reality it does not exist anywhere and should not exist.

Even Sir was able to realize the possibility of a parallel world only with the sword gun by borrowing the power of the dragon sword.

That alone was a great magic comparable to the three great magics.

From that perspective,

crossing over to a parallel world is truly absurd.

It was a miracle itself, comparable to the great miracle magic used during the apocalypse: the Gate of Valhalla… or, in a way, even surpassing that.

‘It’s ridiculous.’

That was why.

The reason why Limon frowned.

This is because I did not know that I would experience a miracle in this way that I did not know would be possible even if numerous absolutes gathered together and made a decision and attempted it.

Is it a side effect of forcibly sealing the rampaging sword gun?

Is it because the power of the Dragon Sword that became the Seven Arcs went out of control?

Or maybe it’s because Yuna-kyung’s star power became a problem.

The exact reason.

Of course he didn’t know either.

And I wasn’t really interested.

A witch, especially Sir, would have his eyes sparkle with curiosity, but he is just a swordsman.

Whatever the logic of magic, the only thing that mattered was how to escape this parallel world and return to the original world.

That’s why Limon had no choice but to click his tongue.

‘How could I have fallen into a world like this?’

It’s like the world was destroyed.

There was nothing particularly surprising.

From the Spirit Rebellion to the Demon God War and the rampage of the Seven Dragons, etc.

As the protector of humanity, he has prevented several catastrophes.

Even if we had failed to prevent just one of them, there was a high possibility that humanity would have been destroyed.

The problem was that thanks to that, I couldn’t find a way to go back.

The most basic method of meeting Sir, at least other witches or priests in the parallel world, and asking for a solution has been blocked.

‘Tsk, is this why I have no choice but to wait patiently until Na-kyung comes?’

Finally, Limon sighed.

It’s not that there was no way to go back, but it was too far-fetched and dangerous.

If Yuna-kyung is already an absolute being at the level of a great witch and is connected to her through the power of the stars, even if she falls into another parallel world, she will soon come back on her own.

Until then, I’ll just have to wait patiently.

After making a cool decision.

I was clicking my tongue as I looked around the ruined city, which seemed like the worst place for a resort.

“huh?”

He suddenly raised his eyebrows.

This is because something was discovered in the ruins of a city buried under heavy snow.

Among the numerous wrecks, deep and clear traces were engraved on the largest and highest concrete fragments.

“This is…”

stretched out to one side.

The end is drawn sharply.

A trace that seems to point somewhere.

“…arrow?”

Limon narrowed his eyes.

The traces of a simplified sword felt strangely familiar, and it wasn’t just because I recognized what it was carved with.

This is because I realized it again only after becoming aware of it.

The wreckage crumbled, half torn into pieces.

Most of it is covered by thick snow.

Or weathered and so faded.

―The remains of hundreds of arrows pointing in the same direction littered the ruined city.

‘Could it be… Are there any survivors?’

Even as he reflexively moved in the direction pointed by the arrow, Limon could not help but feel dumbfounded.

Of course, he only confirmed major cities, so there were countless outlying areas and remote areas that he had not yet visited.

Nevertheless, the reason he was convinced of the destruction of mankind was due to the environment.

Is it the aftermath of destruction?

Or is it a factor in destruction?

The ecosystem of this world is a mess.

Most of the ground was covered in snow, and in the rare places where there was no snow, there were only sandstorms and volcanoes.

It was difficult to even find a sign of a cockroach, let alone an animal or plant, so it was even harder to imagine that there were survivors.

But as if denying that obvious fact.

The arrow continued.

Every city.

Every village.

Every cliff.

Although most of it has been buried and erased, there are still enough traces to be recognized.

After following so many arrows that it was hard to believe they were all engraved, we passed through cities, mountains, and even the sea.

The moment we reach the end of the arrow that covers the whole world.

“This…!”

He groaned.

It felt like a meteorite had fallen.

Ruins buried in a huge crater in the middle of the mountain.

Unlike other places where there was nothing but rubble and debris, the sight of a golden city where the shapes of buildings still remained made him pause.

“…El Dorado.”

It is the last legacy of the fairy race.

It is an ark that will last forever.

The greatest city.

But now, looking at the golden battleship that was horribly destroyed and turned into a ruin, I just had to freeze for a moment.

slowly.

He took a step.

There was no need for arrows anymore.

Because I could tell at a glance where to go.

“…!!!”

And after a while.

Limon took a deep breath.

Because I saw it.

Deep inside these golden ruins.

In this city, enveloped in the cold of snow and the darkness of clouds, the only place that had light and warmth…

was blue.

Pure white.

A flower garden.

Of course, if that were all it was, I wouldn’t have been surprised, even though it might have been considered unexpected.

The problem was that there were no flowers.

No, it’s a flower.

It’s just not a flower garden.

Because all the flowers here are one.

-Because there were only potato flowers.

‘…no way.’

The moment he saw the extremely unfamiliar yet familiar landscape of the ‘potato field’, Limon fell into confusion due to a strange sense of déjà vu and an intuition that came to his mind.

That was why.

The reason I didn’t feel that presence was.

Shake!

The tin can falls.

Cold spring water pouring out.

Only after hearing the loud noise did Limon slowly look back.

and.

there.

she is.

there was.

“…at las.”

Again.

Tears flowing down.

What it contains is passion.

Joy, joy, longing, hope.

So many emotions were mixed together that I couldn’t even hold back a smile and ended up shedding tears.

His lips, which had been quivering several times, let out a voice that was more like a sob than a trembling word, as if his throat was half-choked.

“spin…. “You’re here.”

Sabak.

slowly.

take a step

One step at a time.

If this is a dream, it seems as if he would rather hold on to this hope just a little longer.

Tat tat!

But that’s only the first time.

Because I’ve waited too long.

Because I couldn’t bear that feeling.

My walking, which was getting faster with each step, suddenly became a run.

The moment I reached him despite losing my balance and tripping several times.

Kuuk.

Like falling.

Hugging Limon with both arms.

With his face buried in his chest.

She trembled more than before and called to him in a voice filled with such deep joy.

“-teacher.”

Perhaps because he was convinced that it wasn’t a hallucination after he hugged him with both arms, he finally looked at himself with a smile on his face that had been filled with tears.

You have to look to know to not know.

A person I could never have imagined.

Among the disciples he raised.

Although I cherished it the most.

Had to cut it down.

A beautiful woman with faded platinum hair wearing a nun’s uniform with her back brightly exposed and carrying a sword.

“…glass?”

Limon had no choice but to remain frozen as he was hugged by the sword-painted Joan of Arc.