The Aldyvorn Dukedom Estate Mansion, situated at the heart of the Merchant District, stood as a towering symbol of the Aldyvorn family's authority over the kingdom's resources.
Meanwhile, the horse-drawn carriage carrying both Nyx and Cael had finally arrived at the edges of their estate's sphere of influence. Yet, for some reason, the atmosphere in the surrounding streets—clearly within the estate's domain—was unusually tense. Citizens walked with calm, measured steps, their voices silent.
More than that, the countless gazes cast toward their carriage made Nyx deeply uncomfortable,
'...What is with this weird atmosphere? I feel like I'm gonna puke at this rate,' she grumbled internally, a chill running down her spine from the sheer discomfort of the situation.
She then untied the curtains on both sides of the window—the same ones she'd used earlier to sightsee. That was how uncomfortable she felt now, leaving the lamp hanging atop the carriage as their only remaining source of light.
So, she then, in turn, looked at the man who may have an idea of what is going on.
"...Hey, what's happening? Is there some sort of Hollow outbreak going on?" Nyx said with a weary voice.
"...It's not because of a Hollow outbreak," the man who had a clue said in a serious tone.
"...Alright, so what is it then?"
"I have an idea... but it's a bother to explain," Cael said with an indifferent expression, but his voice hinted at a little irritation.
"Alright." Nyx noticed and didn't push it, but she felt a sense of discomfort from her own action for some reason.
"...I'm sorry. It seems to be the doing of my father," he said, now in a more understanding tone.
"...I see." Nyx let out a small smile, and her sense of discomfort faded.
After that, they didn't talk, and the carriage was filled with silence—but it wasn't the kind of silence that came from awkwardness. Instead, it was the kind that felt strangely comfortable.
***
After a while, they finally arrived at the estate's mansion. Nyx didn't know what was going on outside, since the windows were closed, leaving no visibility of the surroundings—and for some reason, it felt eerily quiet.
A voice came from outside—it was the coachman's, but for some reason, it was extremely shaky, like a rat trapped in a den of cats
"W-we have arrived, dear passenger," he stammered.
Due to certain reasons, Cael didn't have the money to pay for the carriage himself. But because of his status, the coachman didn't really have a choice. Still, Nyx felt a little guilty, so she ended up paying for it instead—costing her nearly five gold coins because of the sheer distance to their destination.
"... You better pay for it," Nyx said in a serious tone, but she felt a little embarrassed asking Cael for it. Still, she had no choice, "I'm kind of broke right now."
For the first time, Cael found himself dumbfounded. Still, he replied, "...Don't worry about it."
The coachman opened the door, since for some reason, the ones inside weren't opening it themselves.
Creak
Then what was displayed was something you'd only ever see in movies or fiction—dozens of maids and butlers, totaling over a hundred, and knights wearing golden-plated armor with enchanted swords, their auras spiked as they surrounded the entire mansion, seemingly forming a barrier around it.
Then, when both Cael and Nyx stepped down from the carriage, Nyx hunched her back, her cheeks flushed with an extreme blush—seemingly out of embarrassment.
"...I'm so stupid," Nyx muttered, her tone filled with embarrassment, her cheeks flushed a deep red.
"You truly are stupid." Cael's tone was filled with resignation.
Nyx let out a small grunt—she couldn't retort. After all, it was true.
***
In the middle of the extravagance, a man with a tall stature and rugged appearance, his icy blue hair striking against the lights, walked forward with unmistakable authority—heading in their direction, alongside a dark-toned woman of extreme beauty with pointed ears, dressed in a maid outfit.
Step, step, step
Then, the man arrived in front of them, scanning Cael with an analytical gaze before letting out a sigh of relief.
Then the man's gaze landed on Nyx, his eyes cynical—calculating her prospects instinctively, like someone who had fought through countless battles of political warfare.
Nyx frowned, as if noticing what the man before her was doing—her eyes filled with irritation, and her mouth twisted in distaste.
"...Hey, what are you doing... Father?" Cael's voice was filled with irritation and coldness.
Cael raised his arms to block Nyx from the man's vision—or at least, he tried to. He only managed to cover her head, which made Nyx even more irritated, but still, the intention was what mattered.
Then someone interrupted them. "Ehem... Your Grace, you're leaving a rather distasteful impression on your son's guest." It was Elaris, yet her gaze seemed to say, 'Where in the world did that man go—the one who just made a statement completely contradicting himself?'
It snapped the Duke out of his trance—his gaze, composure, and very being completely overturned in an instant, leaving him flustered at the realization of the sheer stupidity he had just committed. His next words came out flustered, unbefitting of his status as a Duke,
"N-no!…" His gaze lowered in defeat, but he still tried to reason. "My apologies. I acted on instinct… Still, I'm just very curious, you know? My son is suddenly bringing a girl like this… Her appearance, also…"
"Ehem... Starting from now on, let me handle this... Your Grace." Elaris cut off the Duke again, as if she held more authority than he—at least in this regard.
"...Alright, I won't bother anymore. I've already told everyone else not to, either," he said in total defeat, as he now realized the weight of what he'd done.
"Still... I'm truly glad you're alright, my son. Truly," his eyes full of relief and gratitude for his son's safety.
To a Duke who had already lost his wife, the thought of losing another one of the most precious treasures in his life was unbearable.
He might lose himself.
Yet,
Unbeknownst to the man's worries.
The clarity in Cael's eyes was completely blank—pure indifference. Those words didn't move his heart, didn't cause him pain, and, most importantly, didn't even matter. They completely failed to evoke any emotion from the individual known as... Cael Aldyvorn.
Something inside him snapped.
Nyx noticed the state that Cael was currently in.
The state he was in just earlier this day, lifeless and completely hollow.
Her face was filled with dread, but her will remained resolute—unbreakable. She had never valued her life in the first place; to her, it was worthless. The only thing she truly had was her pride—and this was her pride. That was precisely why, for someone who still had so much to live for, she did the only thing she could.
Nyx slowly reached out her right hand and gently lowered his arms—the arms that were shielding her from view.
"...What?" Cael muttered, his voice colder than ice, sharp enough to freeze the air itself. His blue eyes, once clear, now held an abyss within them—a bottomless void that swallowed even his own reflection.
Irritation surged within him. Nothing was going as planned, and now, even Nyx—of all people—was doing something he couldn't understand.
If she pushed further, he might just snap.
But Nyx looked at him, not with fear, nor pity—but with something far softer, far stronger.
She thought to herself, If nothing else, then at least let me try to bring hope to this broken man… even if that hope is fragile...
She reached out her small, delicate hand and gently intertwined it with his.
With that simple gesture, she hoped to share even a sliver of her warmth with this man.
She let out a gentle expression, her smile softened—one full of understanding. Then, in the most resolute voice she had ever spoken in all her or "his" life, she said:
"Let's go."
She grabbed his hand tightly, hoping that the man before her could feel her emotions.
And in that moment, Cael snapped out of his daze, as if the overwhelming surge of emotion from the girl before him resonated with him.
"...Alright."
***
Afterwards, Elaris guided them to one of Cael's old rooms, which had already been cleaned and prepared in advance. It was a very large space, with a massive king-sized bed and towering bookshelves filled with studies on Magic Theories and Aura Techniques.
Nyx sat on the bed while Cael took a seat on a wooden chair across from her. They faced each other in silence, the bright light of the room fully engulfing them. The room was protected by dozens of silencing spells, ensuring no prying eyes or ears could reach them.
In Cael's left hand was a scroll—one crafted with gold, its surface shimmering with a radiant glow.
Cael broke the silence.
"…I will use a Mana Contract. I hope you understand."
A Mana Contract was a soul-binding spell; if one were to break it, a portion of their soul would be damaged. The higher the Contract Rank, the more severe the soul damage would be.
Both of them input a portion of their mana, bound to the contract, this contract is that of a high-ranking one.
Then, the contract burned.
Cael opened his mouth, as if reassuring the small girl before him,
"Your soul will not be damaged... Instead, I made it so that mine is the only one that will be damaged."
His final act of kindness, after all...
"The only thing that I require in this contract, is truthful conversation... I will only ask you one thing..."
After a few moments of silence, his voice was cold, yet underneath it lay a boundless desperation.
"...Can this world truly be...saved?"
If it doesn't, it's better to just...
"Before I start talking about it, just know—this is a small selfishness on my part. No matter what I say, don't ask who I am. That's absolute. I will never allow it." Her voice carried no emotion—it was hollow, but of a different kind. Her dark eyes turned even darker.
"...There's no need to go that far. I won't ask," Cael said, as if to assure her.
"There's no need to be considerate. This is for myself, alright?" Nyx remained resolute, her will unwavering.
"...I understand."
"...Then, let me first tell you about one thing, my soul is from another world." She said softly as the words left her lips, knowing nothing would happen that could hurt her.
Cael's expression remained indifferent. He was curious about the term soul, but not enough to risk asking a question that could potentially damage the contract. Hollows were beings from another world—that was his rough guess. In the game, to players, Hollows were also known as entities that came from beyond the world of the game's official setting.
So, she then cut off her assumptions,
"... And not the other world you are thinking, it's a world beyond this."
"... what?" Cael's indifferent expression cracked, and he then checked his soul, nothing happened.
Nyx then gazed at her, her lips curled up, filled with mischief, amused by the reaction of the man before him, then she said in an amused tone,
"Remember the contract, alright?"
Her voice then turned serious, her expression hinted at complicated emotions.
"...Just remember, this body of mine is most likely the key to everything."
After all, this character never appeared regardless of the attempt, even when checking the game files themselves. She was the final requirement to reach the true ending.
The final heroine.
"This world might be saved."
"...So, is that good enough for you, Regressor?" Her soft gaze lingered on his, making sure her words came across.
Her expression turned with a hint of complexity, and her tone shifted into one filled with weariness.
"So… please, don't think about dying. I might not exist in that world."
It's not for herself, it's for the man before him.
Actually, it might be for her. After all, she wanted assurance, the only thing she wanted in her life.
The regressor closed his eyes in silence, as if reminiscing on something.
***
In the game, the world would end—but never in a way the players could truly witness. It always concluded with a black screen and a single line of text:
"The world has ended."
But reality was different.
There was no such mercy. No black screen. No convenient fade. And to the man who now stood alone within this crumbling world,
He was the only one who had ever truly seen it.
The world burned.
Darkness filled the sky. The sun, which once engulfed the world with life, now emitted a dark brightness, and the lands darkened with hollowness.
Yet there were two suns.
The sun within the kingdom shone brighter—brighter than it had ever been before. As if it were retorting, resisting, howling back at the overwhelming darkness.
Its brilliance didn't burn the people.
It burned the enemies.
It radiated hope itself to the hearts of those inside the kingdom.
Countless portals filled with darkness opened up. Beings with towering heights reaching over 50 meters emerged. Humanoid-like creatures that, from a distance, looked very hairy—but they weren't. Those countless protruding 'hairs' on every part of their body were as dark as obsidian and as tough as diamonds. They jutted from their skin. Their faces were of unknown origin, their eyes blindfolded—yet tears fell from them. Every time they stepped onto the land, gravity resonated with them, and a portion of the land was pulverized.
Then, on a faraway cliff—eerily familiar—a man was sitting at the edge. His gaze was blurry, his body clad in high-ranking equipment. He watched as those beings crushed the walls, pulverized people into mush. He leaped forward to fend off the invaders, killing hundreds—yet thousands more followed.
And they weren't the only enemies. Creatures of the World Tree, dragons of harrowing origins, goblins, orcs—everything. As if those engulfed by the darkened sun were now devouring everything.
They all shared one similar trait:
Their bodies turned black, as if some kind of dark wood had replaced their skin. Dark particles fell from them. And more importantly—their eyes were completely hollow.
The man—one of his arms severed, his body completely battered—stood in silence. Not a single groan escaped his lips. Not a single emotion could be found in those cold, blue eyes.
Above, the sun that had once shone at the center of the kingdom was now slowly being engulfed by the dark sun.
And after some time, it completely consumed the bright yellow sun.
[The requirements of the authority [Regressor] [EX] have been met! The world will rewind to its original state]
[Warning: the authority of [Regressor] [EX] has reached its limits]
[The authority of [Regressor] [EX] will be destroyed after rewinding the world to its original state]
The Regressor looked at it, his eyes which were once blurry, had completely turned hollow.
He had tried to stop the end of the world seven times, dying countless times just to reach that end. Now, his body turned limp—his will to live had vanished. The will that was once thought to be unbreakable had finally been broken. After all, the only thing that allowed him to keep going... had finally given itself up.
It's now all over.
***
I can't regress anymore anyway. My soul is severely wounded, my powers have been halved, and the only thing that allowed me to keep going is now gone. Still… if this world can truly be saved.
In his final chance, the Regressor spoke, his voice steady as he recited an oath,
"Alright, I will keep on living."
The contract's effects stopped immediately, cut off by the man who was once a Regressor.
Nyx's gaze softened, her heartbeat began to steady, and her entire being longed for rest. She had been through too much—and more importantly, it was already past midnight.
"...Thank you." Her voice filled with happiness, and she was smiling, genuinely out of happiness.
"...Then, could I rest for now? I'm feeling very sleepy" She yawned, her voice soft.
Cael then gazed into her, filled with unknown affection.
"...Sleep for now, I apologize for all the troubles I've caused."
But for some reason, Nyx was just staring at her, Cael was perplexed but before he could ask.
"...Are you just gonna sit there? Not gonna sleep yourself?"
"... I will, later." He lied. There was no way he could sleep with the emotions he was currently experiencing. His heart, once still, had begun to beat again.
Nyx then slowly unraveled her dark cape, which had hidden her interior, now revealing her slender arms and petite body. She then started to lie down, grabbing a pillow and pressing it deeply into her embrace.
Cael felt an unknown sense of repulsion and immediately turned his gaze away.
Nyx felt like she had forgotten something, but her sleepiness was too overwhelming—whatever it was could be dealt with later.
Nyx's soft breathing resonated with the silence of the room, with Cael guarding her as if making sure he would never lose sight of her.
---
[Mission: Find the Fated Individual has been completed!]
[The Impossible has been turned to possible!]
[You have been rewarded!]
[This world has now entered its...
| Chapter 8 - Final Route [Prologue End]