Davey and Illyna made their way out through the gap she had opened.
Despite the massive overload and the final resistance of the Red Void that rejected her, she managed to reach Davey and ultimately succeeded in pulling him free.
In the process, Illyna had taken on a great burden, and though she had died from exhaustion, she soon revived thanks to the power of the Lasting Ember.
Ordinarily, Davey would’ve been able to heal her without needing to use the ember, but with her help, he had crossed dimensions and arrived at a serene lake beneath a canopy of stars that reflected on its surface.
They had arrived in the Saint Sanctuary.
“So what do you think, did my solution work out well?” Davey asked.
There was no response from Her. Instead, She approached him slowly, clasped his hand, and pulled him in.
“It felt endless, didn’t it? Honestly, I lost track of time ages ago.”
He could remember the first few distorted centuries he spent in the space, but beyond that, he had detached himself from the flow of time entirely. But one thing was certain—it hadn’t been a short journey by any means despite having been shorter than the time Hercules spent.
“I have a request.”At his words, Goddess Freyja silently pulled away.
“The memories of those countless years in the Red Void….”
He hesitated. “Erase them, leaving only the precious pieces and the most valuable experiences.”
Goddess Freyja didn’t question him about the fake Davey O’Rowane that had sacrificed himself, or about the ancient dragon Arbit that had followed him so devotedly.
She simply waved her hand.
A soft light enveloped him, wrapping Davey completely. The memories which placed so much weight on his psyche and wore him down, the memories that had refused to fade due to his perfect memory, began to dissolve. Cherished memories morphed and faded, and as they did, his mind, stretched thin from his prolonged existence, gradually returned to its original state.
With that, the Saint Miracle came to an end.
“Vitality is overflowing here,” Davey mused.
The world here felt different from before. The vitality that the Red Void used to have now pulsed through the dimensions again, scattering and diffusing in concert with the moon. A world that had been on the brink of collapse was now ignited anew, kindling the flames of rebirth.
“Is it finally over?” Davey asked.
In response, she revealed a pure white feather in her palm, holding it out to him.
[The power of omnipotence. Just once.]
His expression hardened at her words.
“What’s your reason for giving this to me?”
[At the time of dormancy.]
The phrase resonated with the Holy Bible that existed on Earth; that God created the world and then had a day of rest. Goddess Freyja had lost too many levels, and so had expended too much power as the Primordial God. She couldn’t guarantee her own survival now. ȓäΝÔᛒ̧
[As a delegate for the Primordial God.]
Davey gave his answer, which he had already decided. “Now, of all times? You really think I’d accept that?”
He wasn’t crazy enough to take on such a burden. Though he understood that Goddess Freyja would have to sleep to recover her levels and reestablish her existence, he had no desire to step in as her delegate.
“Even if I wanted to do your job, it’s not something I could handle alone.”
He knew he didn’t have her powerful omniscience. The power of omnipotence she offered was merely a form of power. Until the one wielding it was complete, it could never be considered true omnipotence.
[All will be as the delegate wishes.]
She then stepped closer. She gently kissed his cheek and then slowly drew back, fading from sight. Though her power would remain, she herself would have to sleep for at least a few hundred years.
As she left, she once again showed him the feather she had given him in the past.
[As you wish.]
He gazed at the feather in silence.
“From beginning to end.”
[The final ordeal was an unforeseen divergence.]
The only event that had defied all of her predictions was the current result.
[You are qualified.]
She then ascended slowly, eventually dissipating. Starting from the tips of her vast wings, she scattered away. Even though it looked like she was dying, Davey knew that she was only blending with the entire world itself, restoring her strength as she guided it.
Still—
“Don’t you think it’s a waste to just throw away the emotions you’ve gained?” he asked, softly.
She didn’t answer.
[Just one.]
He wondered if it meant she actually mourned the loss of one particular emotion.
With that, the Absolute God that had existed in the Saint Sanctuary since the dawn of creation entered a deep slumber.
Now, all Davey had to show for his trouble was the temporary power of omnipotence she had given him and the power to control the vitality that he’d drawn from the Red Void.
“There’s no way I’m staying trapped here.”
‘I’m going to do things my way.’
Davey lifted the feather Goddess Freyja had entrusted to him toward the sky. Then, for the first and last time, the power of omnipotence manifested in his hands.
The godly power to bypass and ignore every rule or regulation of the universe manifested at his fingertips.
* * *
Conflict with his son had remained a lifelong regret. He had poured that regret wholly into his blade. He had lived for a long time, and though it didn’t take him long to make a decision, he didn’t regret it as he faded from existence.
“Ugh… My head. What the…?”
A man with disheveled hair opened his eyes on a vast field, squinting as he groggily looked around.
“What… What the heck happened?”
As he muttered to himself, someone approached from nearby.
“We raised quite the monster.”
Hearing this, the man went silent.
“Odin?”
“...”
She pressed her wide-brimmed hat down low over her head and muttered, “That damned Davey. When I see him, I’ll burn him to a crisp.”
Her words seemed to indicate she knew more about what was going on.
Grinding her teeth, she murmured again, “What the hell? I’m sure I chose to sacrifice myself and disappear.”
“Exactly. So did I.”
“Then….”
“That kid brought us back.”
The first question that popped into their minds was: How?
He looked around in confusion, then pulled out a flask at his waist and took a deep swig, sighing in relief.
"Mmm… I just can’t forget this taste. Alright, kid, so what’s this all about?" he asked.
"Hey! Did you just call me short?! I’ll burn you to a crisp!"
“When did I say you were short? Just answer my question.”
“Our souls didn’t disappear when we faded out. Goddess Freyja just took us in,” Odin explained.
The man’s expression grew serious. So, in other words, that damned youngster of the hall had restored their souls which the goddess had preserved within her feather. Frankly, they’d been unwillingly dragged back to life despite having no regrets left regarding their past.
“You know what he told me? He asked if I could work just a little more.” Odin added.
Soon after, another figure approached.
It was Ares, the Sword God, who had been among the last to disappear.
“Work? What nonsense…” he trailed off as he felt the energy coursing through his body.
He could feel immense divine power, though not on the scale of those Davey had faced. However, it was definitely more than the divinity Dokgo Jun the Heavenly Destroyer had achieved.
“Please tell me this isn’t what I think it is.”
“Oh, it is. Goddess Freyja has gone into dormancy, and now there’s no one to oversee the world’s balance.”
“…”
“Originally, that should’ve been his job.”
“That brat sold us out just so he could live his own life in freedom,” Odin muttered, pointing her small hand toward a young man in the distance walking toward them.
“How dare you think you can all just die? I won’t let that happen. I’m using the power of omnipotence to command you all—protect and maintain this world’s balance until Goddess Freyja wakes up,” Davey announced.
He knew a single hero could do it alone, but it’d be a different story if every hero shared the duty.
“Heh… You damn brat!” one of them muttered, exasperated.
He then sprang to his feet, charging at Davey with a dropkick, which was deflected with a laugh.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t use the power of omnipotence to give myself some wiggle room?” he chuckled.
“You little—!” he shouted as he furiously grabbed Davey by the collar.
“Don’t die,” Davey said.
“What?” Dokgo Jun paused.
“Please… Not yet. Don’t die all because of me,” Davey murmured, still on the ground.
Looking down at him, Dokgo Jun fell silent.
“I don’t want to see any of you die,” Davey added quietly.
At his words, Odin clicked her tongue, Ares sighed, and Dokgo Jun let go with a defeated look on his face.
“So, basically, you want us to babysit for the Goddess?”
“I mean, it’s something to keep you busy in your old age.”
“You little punk!”
Whack! Whack!
They kicked him a few more times, but Davey just laughed, seeming to enjoy it. Even the other heroes joined in, fed up with his antics, though they eventually gave up.
“They say you can’t win against your own child…”
“Well, technically, we’re not his parents.”
“But there’s that saying that ‘the king, the teacher, and the father all deserve respect.’”
As ridiculous as it sounded, they couldn’t deny it. They’d trained him in the Hall of Heroes, some seeing him as a grandson, others as a son. They’d basically raised him.
“Only die when you really want to, okay? Don't sacrifice yourselves in vain. You folks sure take self-sacrifice lightly. No one would doubt that you’re heroes,” Davey said with a grin.
“You little brat! We were just about to settle down, and now you drag us out again?!”
“Oh, come on, you’ve lived for thousands of years and yet you can’t wait a few hundred more? If you’re so eager to die, you’ll have to take me down with you!”
“Tsk!” Dokgo Jun turned away in frustration.
The rest of the remaining heroes had gathered, including those who’d chosen to disappear.
“We raised quite the monster. Damn it.”
There were many heroes present, from Daphne—grinding her teeth in anger—to Apollo and the King of Martial Arts Ylgr, who didn’t seem to care either way. However, there was still one missing.
“Where is he?”
“Who?”
“That insane survivalist,” Dokgo Jun clarified.
Odin stayed quiet, while Davey, still laughing from his spot on the ground, rose slowly.
“He asked to be let go.”
“…”
“He said he couldn’t return… and his soul was too worn out for me to restore. There was no way for me to stop him either.”
Unlike the other heroes, Hercules had lived for too long. Refusing his request would’ve been impossible.
“Then what about me!! Huh?!”
“Oh, please, how many years have you really lived?!”
“Why, you—!”
“For the record, I don’t even remember how long I spent in that damn void. I’m not begging to die, so you shouldn’t either!”
With a mischievous grin, Davey sprang to his feet. Despite the collective beating, he seemed completely unbothered.
“Oh, and one more thing—you can’t kill me here. No matter what.”
‘So look forward to what’s to come.’
Seeing his wicked grin, Dokgo Jun had to admit they were bested.
“What a monster we created.”
“Just promise me this,” Davey said. “At the very least, don’t sacrifice yourselves. Live as long as you want, and only go when you’re ready.”
At his words, the restraints which bound the heroes of the hall for so long finally fell away.
“At least watch how the monster you’ve raised lives on.”
Dokgo Jun said nothing in reply.
“Oh, wow! Look at the time!” Davey suddenly exclaimed, leaping up.
“Where are you going?” Dokgo Jun asked.
Davey grinned. “My lovely wife’s got her cravings. Plus, I’m about to be a father myself soon!”
“…”
“Don’t worry; once my kid’s grown a bit, I’ll stop by with him every now and then. I know how much time you have to spare.”
The fact that a human was entering the Saint Sanctuary that Goddess Freyja once stayed in was absurd enough, but it had been a long time since Davey was simply human or fully divine.
After all, the vast vitality that had saved the world was revolving around him now.
* * *
“Come on, tell me what you want.”
“I want a Hashan fruit, but right now…”
The Hashan fruit, known for its exquisite flavor, only grew at the World Tree’s Forest within the Sanctuary of Elves.
Unfortunately, it was a difficult fruit to preserve and was already out of season. Aeria blushed, knowing she was being unreasonable, her eyes welling up a little.
“Sorry… I’ve just been feeling emotional lately.”
“They say it’s normal to feel that way when you’re pregnant. Don’t worry, I’ll see what I can do,” Illyna reassured her.
“Thank you, and… I’m sorry for making things difficult.”
“No worries.”
Time had passed, and her belly grew noticeably. There was no hiding it now, and though Emperor Deorte and Crown Prince Alberth had initially been furious upon discovering the surprise, Kathryn’s intervention and the fact that they were going to get married eventually calmed them down.
But the reaction from the Pallan Empire was another story. Although Sullivan remained quiet, the nobles of the Pallan Empire seemed intent on rushing Illyna to finalize her relationship with Davey as if they were trying to use her as a political chess piece.
“Where did he run off to? Didn’t he say he’d be right back?” Illyna huffed, annoyed at his absence.
“I’d like a kid, too…” she muttered, frustrated.
“Just hang in there a little longer,” Perserque said, looking up from her knitting.
At that moment, the window flew open and Davey popped in with a relaxed smile.
“Did someone order a Hashan fruit?”
Illyna let out a surprised laugh at his laid-back attitude.
“You somehow knew and actually managed to bring one?”
ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook's Thoughts
Editorb’s Thought
Bro just let them die. I’m only 28 and I’d already be cool with death lol, let alone having continued living for over a thousand years. They’ve flipped through the brochure of life a few times, they’re ready to peace out.
Brace yourselves, readers, for we are now reaching the Afterword of the main story!
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