Episode 1133
Chapter 259: The Truth of the World, Your Truth, My Truth (2)

Choice.

Usually, when a god “chooses” a human, it means they’re making a contract. But right now, Valeria was using the word in a different sense.

“The one Solderet picked to oppose the Demon Legion wasn’t you—it was Temar Runkandel.”

Jin found that statement strange.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t been chosen from the start, but the part about “opposing the Demon Legion” felt off.

“If Solderet chose Temar to fight the Demon Legion, does that mean he knew about the multiverse a thousand years ago?”

“No, he didn’t know back then.”

“How could he even think about fighting the Demon Legion if he didn’t know they existed? That doesn’t make any sense.”

Valeria was silent for a long moment after that.

“…Yeah, it doesn’t make sense. I spent a long time wondering how to even begin explaining everything we went through when I met you. But in the end, I realized it’s impossible to fully explain all these paradoxes. So, I decided to just pass on my memories to you as they are.”

“Your memories?”

“You need to get back as soon as possible anyway. There’s no time to tell the whole long story.”

“Right. I have to gain strength and return quickly—to save the people left behind. Time flows differently here and outside, right?”

“Probably. It could be faster, or slower. Or maybe it flows the same.”

“You don’t know? Weren’t you and Solderet the ones who prepared this legacy together?”

Jin’s voice sharpened without him realizing it.

Outside, the world was rushing toward destruction. People were being crushed and killed by Keliak. Jin had seen all those deaths with his own eyes before coming here.

And yet, they didn’t know. The very beings who could “design” the future didn’t even know how time flowed. Something inside him boiled over.

Thanks to Valeria’s guidance and the time-stopping magic, he had survived to reach this place.

But Jin felt a deep, fundamental disappointment. He felt hollow. If what Valeria said was true, then Temar and he were nothing more than puppets of those who could foresee the future.

Not just him, but the fate of the entire world was decided by their choices. People lived unaware, following the design laid out by Solderet and Valeria.

Some fell fighting the Demon Legion. Others drowned in the sudden red seas flooding the world. That was the reality Jin had just experienced outside.

That’s why he wanted to question it. Was there no better plan? Was this really the best they could do? Even now, outside, endless despair continued.

“Sending me back in time was your and Solderet’s decision, wasn’t it? Before I returned… the world wasn’t like this. It was better. At least until 1808, people could avoid witnessing the world’s destruction. Even if the Demon Legion invaded then, everyone could still survive until that point.”

Gain the power left by Solderet, take revenge on Keliak.

That was something he absolutely had to do, no matter what. But after that? If he defeated Keliak and the Demon Legion, would the people who survived before 1808 still be alive? Could the broken world really be restored to how it was? These unshakable doubts stabbed at Jin’s heart.

“Yeah… that’s right.”

He couldn’t see Valeria’s face on his back, but he felt he knew her expression. It must be one of utter despair.

“Solderet… this legacy you and he prepared… can it bring back the dead? Can it compensate for the pain they suffered because of my return? Can it restore the world to before its destruction…?”

Valeria bit her lip.

“That’s impossible.”

Her answer made Jin’s anger flare up again. But it wasn’t directed at Solderet or Valeria.

That anger was aimed at himself.

At his own helplessness.

“…I’m sorry. I was shameless. You both must have tried harder than I did to avoid the worst outcome. You wouldn’t have sent someone like me back just to toy with the world like Ziphl.”

He wasn’t mocking. The rising self-loathing was hard to bear. He shouldn’t blame Solderet or Valeria—he should blame himself for not doing better.

“We’re the ones who should be sorry. But right now, what matters is that you get Solderet’s power and defeat Keliak. Keep going; you’ll come to a door soon. I know it’s frustrating moving slowly because of me, but please hang on a little longer. I have to survive until then to open that door.”

Valeria had only recovered enough strength to absorb Jin’s magic and speak, but her wounds were so deep it wouldn’t be surprising if she died at any moment.

“I’ll try not to burden you too much.”

“At this speed, it should take about ten minutes. I’ll be preparing the memories I need to pass on to you until then.”

“Okay…”

“Jin.”

Valeria tightened her arms around his chest and buried her face in his shoulder.

“Yeah.”

“The future is unknown. Nothing can confirm it perfectly. No one can know the ending first.”

She knew the situation outside well—the world was irreversibly broken, even the light of regeneration Jin spread had all gone out.

‘Even if the dead can’t return, at least may there be ground left for Jin and the survivors to stand on… please.’

She only hoped that if Jin defeated Keliak, there would be a better ending than this.

“So even if you get Solderet’s power, don’t let your guard down. Don’t think the world is already over just because you win. And if you lose, it’s the same. You probably don’t need me to say this, but I wanted to say it anyway.”

“Thank you.”

A soft hum filled the air.

A cluster of blue light formed above Valeria’s head. Jin watched silently as they walked down the dark path.

Suddenly, memories of the time before his return came to him.

They had started as master and disciple, but over time, they would lie down together at night and fall asleep side by side. No one ever said they were lovers, but everyone who saw them assumed they were.

Remembering those days felt like recalling the best times—before Akyn’s sudden death, Jin had believed more happiness than pain still awaited him.

“Come to think of it, your and Solderet’s disappearance before I died must be connected to this legacy. Did Solderet vanish because he sent me back? Or did he disappear trying to preserve the power he was going to give me? Or is he alive beyond that door? There are so many questions I want to ask.”

He knew no answer would come. Valeria was so focused she had blocked out all external stimuli.

“Once your memories are transferred, you’ll know everything. I hope time flows slower outside than here. I hope no one else dies while I’m gone. Right?”

Suddenly, blood trickled from Valeria’s abdomen onto the ground. Jin stopped in alarm and checked her pulse. Thankfully, her breathing was steady.

But she would die eventually. Jin knew she was only postponing death by using sealing magic.

“…No, you’re right. The future is unknowable. You can survive too, Valeria. I don’t want to lose you again today. Once I gain the power, we’ll leave together. Then we’ll go to Lani.”

Lani—she must still be alive, right?

Like an endless ocean, the terrible thoughts wouldn’t stop. The more they came, the more Jin steeled his gaze forward.

It was almost time. The power to tear Keliak apart was waiting for him at the end of this desolate path.

Ten minutes felt like ten years.

Still, the path seemed nearly over. The pitch-black scenery was slowly changing.

It was growing brighter.

“Light…?”

It was as if the cave suddenly bloomed with light. After a few more steps, the entire space was bathed in radiant brightness.

He instinctively looked back. The endless darkness that had stretched behind them was gone. The entire pocket dimension was shining brilliantly.

Looking ahead again, Jin saw a massive white door standing about a hundred steps away. If there were such a thing as ore made from condensed light, this door must be forged from it.

“Valeria, I think we’ve arrived.”

“I just finished too, Jin. I’ll open the door now.”

Valeria waved her hand through the air, and a blue window appeared before them. Following her gesture, familiar cipher codes from Hister’s system appeared on the glass.

Jin could read the code. Valeria chuckled softly.

“A bit cliché, isn’t it? If I were you, I’d find it a little embarrassing.”

Clank—grrrr—!

The white door split open to both sides. Inside was filled with darkness again, nothing visible.

“Let’s go in. Here.”

Valeria held out a blue orb, slightly larger than her fist, in front of Jin’s face. It contained the memories she had just forged with magic.

“If you hold this, my memories will be transmitted to you…”

Before she could finish, Jin drew his sword and spun around.

Zheeeeng—!

“Ugh!”

A sword energy flew at them from behind—the direction they had just come from. Jin staggered from the shock, and Valeria fell off his back, coughing up blood.

“Jin!”

Valeria shouted his name, her face pale. She instinctively knew who had attacked them.

It was certain. No matter how they got in, it was definitely Silin Ziphl.

“Silin Ziphl… how did you—!”

“Valeria Hister, leader of the rebels. Looks like you’re running out of time. Seems you didn’t consider that I might have let you go on purpose through the dimensional portal.”

Cylin Ziphl.

As far as Valeria knew, Jin was no match for him in his current state.

“Jin, get out of here, now!”

Cylin was already pressing his sword against Jin’s forehead as he spoke.

“You really think I’d just let you walk away?”