The air in the church was still tense. Yanaki panted, her hand still gripping her dagger, ready for another attack. But Luna didn't move. The swordswoman looked down at her silver sword lying on the ground, then at her disabled arm, and finally, her gaze rested on Yanaki.
It was not a look of hatred. It was a complex mixture of astonishment, self-disappointment, and an unconcealable curiosity.
She slowly bent down and picked up her sword with her left hand. "You won," Luna said, her voice no longer holding its cold arrogance, but a frank admission. "The Memory Shard is yours."
"That pendant..." she asked, her eyes on the A-rank accessory around Yanaki's neck. "Where did you get it?"
"From a promise," Yanaki replied, slowly lowering her weapon. "From the spirit of a blacksmith whose final wish I helped him fulfill."
Luna fell silent for a moment, seeming to process the information. She suddenly understood. While she was busy fighting, hunting the strongest bosses, this girl had been wandering around, talking to spirits, completing quests that she had deemed "worthless." And in the end, it was those "worthless" actions that had armed her with a weapon capable of deciding the entire duel.
"I see," Luna said softly, with a slight nod. "There is more than one path to the top of the tower."
With that, she turned, without another word of farewell or threat. She simply left, her lonely silhouette melting into the darkness of the ruins. Luna was no longer an enemy, at least not on this floor. She had been thoroughly defeated, not by strength, but by a completely different philosophy.
Only when Luna was gone did Elara and Sylva rush to Yanaki's side. Sylva gently nuzzled her shoulder, while Elara smiled, her eyes full of pride. They had done it. The three of them together had achieved the impossible.
After a short rest, Yanaki took out the three Memory Shards. The green [Shard of Growth], the golden [Shard of Courage], and the silver-white [Shard of Sacrifice]. When the three pieces were brought close together, they emitted a warm, resonant energy. A faint map appeared in her mind, pointing to a towering mountain in the distance.
The Observatory on Moonwatch Peak.
Their final journey on Floor 1 began.
As they left the ruined city, Yanaki felt a change. The land of Erathos seemed to welcome her. The lost souls they met on the path no longer cried out in anguish; they simply bowed their heads silently as she passed. The once-treacherous path up the mountain now became strangely smooth, as if an invisible hand was clearing the way for them.
They passed by silvery waterfalls shimmering under the twin moons, and through small forests of strange, bioluminescent flowers. Erathos, its greatest wounds now healed, was slowly revealing its lost beauty.
Finally, they reached the summit.
The Observatory was not a ruin. It was a beautiful structure of white marble and crystal, perfectly preserved. A colossal circular courtyard opened up to the starry night sky. In the very center was a complex astronomical device, looking like a sphere made of many concentric crystal rings. On the device, three empty slots were waiting.
From here, they could see all of Erathos spread out below them. The Ancient Citadel had returned to its solemn silence. The Whispering Woods were no longer shrouded in fog. The ruined city looked like a giant chessboard, with the other players being just tiny, distant motes of light.
Yanaki walked to the center. She knew what she had to do.
She raised her hand and took out the first Memory Shard.
The green [Shard of Growth]. She placed it in the first slot.
Next, the golden [Shard of Courage]. She placed it in the second slot.
And finally, the silver-white [Shard of Sacrifice]. She placed it in the last slot.
Click.
As the final piece fell into place, the entire Observatory trembled lightly. The astronomical device in the center began to turn on its own, its crystal rings moving in harmony, and a massive pillar of pure white light shot up from the center into the night sky.
Lyra's voice echoed one last time, but now it held no sorrow, only gratitude and peace.
"Thank you, Memory Bearer. Erathos... will be forgotten no more."
[Ultimate Quest: [Echoes of Memory] has been COMPLETED!]
[You are the first player to complete Floor 1 via the "Mender" path. Calculating special rewards...]
[You have fulfilled all requirements of Floor 1.]
[Preparing to teleport to Floor 2...]
The white pillar of light enveloped Yanaki, Elara, and Sylva. Their long, challenging, and emotional journey on Floor 1 had finally come to a fulfilling end.
They were about to ascend.