V2 Chapter 31

The spray of blood across her chest caused Lafetti to be stumped for words.

She had already mentally prepared herself for death as it was an unavoidable strike. However, at the very last second, Rain suddenly appeared out of nowhere and blocked in front of her.

The blood spraying in her face was still hot, and she even saw him grabbing the black-like spear with his hand, before shooting a lightning bolt on the black-clothed figure before it disappeared.

What was that?

She didn’t know…she didn’t have the time to think about it.

“……why?”

“…Urgh…it’s not why, right?”

Rain smiled wryly. His face turning paler.

Lafetti‘s mind blank, as she dazedly caught Rain before he fell down.

“You…You…” she muttered and hurriedly stops the blood from his chest. The emerald scales once again started to rapidly cover her face, though Rain had already expected this. He reached his hand and placed his palm against her cheeks.

“Stop,” he said, gently.

Granite felt her heart unexpectedly flinch when Rain got hit. The surrounding noise suddenly faded out and she desperately wanted to help him up, but her body was cold and stiff, leaving both of her hands trembling slightly. Other than her internal exclamation, she was not even able to take a step towards him.

She was afraid that Rain would freeze in her arms.

She was also afraid that he would never wake up again.

Simply thinking about it made it hard for Granite to breathe.

She had not been this overwhelmed since she had seen countless of her sisters die in the last battle they had against the other tribes.

Scarlet was still the first to react, as she hurriedly let out an enraged cry, and blazing flames swept in the surrounding, blowing away the charging enemies. “Granite! You bastard, snap out of it and clear the place!! Lafetti, heal him, quick!Potion! Let him drink a Potion!!”

Lafetti bit her lips, and hurriedly conjured a pure, translucent water ball. However, before she could heal his bleeding wounds, Rain’s hand grasped her hand, and stop her.

“Don’t, don’t move…”

“I think I got it…” suddenly, he said with a faint smile, completely different from one suffering a fatal wound.

“What are you talking about? No, I will fix you up, in no time…”

“No…” but Rain shook his head while coughing blood. “This is a dream…”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“We are all in a dreamland, Lafetti. Nothing about this is real.” Lafetti became even more confused.

“...And I think the only way to leave this place, is to die…”

“What the hell are you talking about? That’s not possible…”

“It is…I finally understand why…Sylphy is not being responsive as usual…and also why we can’t leave. This is a dream, a trap so to speak.”

“Sylphy?! Who are you talking about?”

Even now, Rain doesn’t feel dying, despite having the wounds that could literally kill him. Like a lucid dream, nothing about it seemed real. And the voice that keeps calling out on him… that was enough to confirm his suspicions.

“The Monolith is the key…" he coughed blood, and Lafetti almost went insane just looking at him. But Rain ignored it, and continued talking, while coughing blood.

"...Cowards die many times before their deaths. The Valiant never taste of death but once. This is a trial, Lafetti—a trial where you cannot die. A coward, one that refuses to die, is faced with danger and suffers all fear of actually being killed. But a brave person suffers it only on the one occasion when he is actually killed… this Dungeon indeed truly wanted to kill us, but not exactly a ‘physical death’”

“What are you—?!”

“That is our current situation—all of us, trying to delay the inevitable. Our death in this place had already been set, but we still tried to defy it. Although it doesn’t make sense, it doesn’t matter—this trial is based on Cesar’s death, circling around the quote he had left behind. His inevitable death. And that means ours as well! No matter how we tried to win against this wave, another one will come again…until we are killed.”

This is a Trial.

A Trial of a Hero's Death.

Perhaps, if this is a game, then this might be a bonus stage. A stage where you need to kill as much as you can and become strong…until it’s game over. And in the end accept death- embrace it. Fate and Destiny is something that cannot be defy, even by a Hero. This is the true meaning of this Trial.

If it's your time... then, there's no rejecting it.

That is also fate.

This is a simulation of Death. This is that kind of Trial.

And this is why it's called [The Mausoleum of Heroes].

“That’s just baseless assumption, Rain! What if you are wrong?!”

Lafetti cried out in anxiety, as well as anger. If he was wrong, then Rain could remain dead…forever.

Rain smiled. Perhaps. There's a high chance that was she said was right. But he was confident in his guess. He had always thought that something was wrong… and the voice inside his head, wanting him to open his eyes, just steeled the assumption.

It’s like the voice of Sylphy…the true Sylphy, trying her best to reach out to him. it’s not some baseless confidence, as he and Sylphy had always been connected with each other, and that even if they are separated, he was certain both of them can still feel the other no matter where they go. Though that’s just a feeling, Rain believes in this feeling of his.

“That is why I will prove it… by my death!” and he said with a firm resolution.

“You…you’re mad!”

“I’ve always been mad…and you know it,” Rain grinned.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

"So don't be sad, I'll be fine."

"Rain, this is madness!!"

Lafetti's body continued trembling. She wanted to conjure a healing spell, but Rain didn't want it. He even refused the Potion given to him. He needs to die. For this nightmare to end.

But what if he's right?

Lafetti couldn't help but thought as she looks at his confidence. What could she do? No, Rain must not die! Even if what he said is true, then she must be the one to prove it!

She immediately started chanting, wanting to heal Rain. But she was suddenly stop by him, grabbing her hand.

"I'm fine," Rain said.

"But Rain!"

"Believe in me."

"...?!!"

Rain smiled comfortingly, looking at her grieving expression. Finally, is this death? is what he wondered as he was struck by a sudden feeling of emptiness. His consciousness fleeting as if it was fading... like he was dizzy... sleepy.

Ah... this is...really Death...

"Lafetti... my love... see you on the other side,"

Closing his eyes, he relaxed his body and let himself lean on his lover’s embrace. Though, this was indeed a gamble. If his feelings and intuition would not fail even this time, he would know the next moment. If he didn’t die.

He could hear Lafetti’s cries and yells but it was somehow getting further, and further, as he felt himself sinking towards the bottom of the ocean.

… …

A smooth white beach.

Clear blue skies.

The blue endless sea that looked like part of a watercolor palette, with ripples everywhere.

Before Rain realizes what had happened, he found himself walking alone on the beach. He frowned as he surveyed the entire place, a soft breeze, the gentle sounds of waves splashing across the shore—where am I?

He lowered his head and saw his feet taking another step. Despite not knowing where to go, nor why he was there in the first place, he left another footprint in the pure untainted white beach.

He continued to look upon the grand sight of the horizon, enraptured in its beauty, as well as the ocean expanded before him, illuminated by moonlight.

'Splash, splash' still, he continued walking with no clear destination.

The sounds of faint footsteps in his ears as well as the blue waves washing up the beach was like a beautiful symphony that calms his mind, and ease his soul. He took his time, there was no need to hurry. Quiet footfalls and the set of footprints extended out like a tiny chain.

Whenever his bare feet touched the blue sea, the shiny particles dissipated.

Rain didn't know where this was, but he had completely calmed down.

This was not his destination, nor did he knows the reason why he was here, but it was a safe haven. That was he felt. That was this feeling of comfort and home was telling him.

Yes. Just like one of his dreams in the past- strolling along the quiet beach was an enjoyable experience that put him at ease. As if he felt home, after a long time of wandering.

Walk. Walk. Walk. He didn't know how far he needed to travel. But he kept on going, and going, with only the loyal footprints as his company. Beautiful... pure white, and gorgeous azure color. The beach was lined with withered, leafless trees, with a silent forest beyond.

There were no signs of humans or animals or anything else.

“That was too close… you could have persisted, and take an unexpected victory from behind, you know,”

Then, suddenly out of nowhere, he heard a young girl's voice as if she was quietly speaking right next to his ear.

He turned towards the source with vigilance.

The clothes covering her body were as white as snow. Her golden hair was as if they were molded from the rays of the sun.

The young woman’s facial features were normal, in fact, just a bit above average beautiful women that he had seen in the past. Not as exaggeratedly beautiful like a Goddess, or as beautiful as the Lamians- like Lafetti, Sarete, or Zarda. But, anyone who’d look at her face would discover that any man facing her magnificent beauty wouldn’t have the courage to look at her directly.

They thought that she was very pure, but at the same time, she would make other feels as if she was unreachable, like a celestial. Even the most beautiful of women would feel inferior when facing that white-clothed young woman who seemed to appear average in looks.

Charm. Aura. Presence... perhaps, that's what it was that made her different from any woman he had seen in the past.

She resembled a shining moon in the night sky. Her cold radiance shone over the world. However, no one could reach her. She was too high to reach. And yet, she was graceful as she floated above the mortal world like a fairy from the ninth heaven.

She was…fifteen? Sixteen? It was hard to tell. She had one of those faces that just seemed timeless. Her figure was delicate like a beautiful flower. And her body seemed to be enveloped in a mysterious cotton-like mist. In fact, it seemed like the vapor that originates from a tobacco pipe. This seemed to be making her appearance blurry, but somewhat clear at the same time.

She was like a rising moon incomparably clear, yet equally unclear. Strange isn't it. Though, he tried to describe it... but it doesn't seem to be right. In any case, it's hard to describe it in words...

But this kind of beautiful woman only made Rain felt even more suspicious.

Who is she?

What is she doing here?

The unique, but strange girl had seemingly stopped the time the moment she appeared.

She was sitting on a large rock, as she looks at him.

The very ground beneath her feet started to radiate with an etheral-like aura.

“Who are you?”

“Ease your vigilance, for I am not your enemy. No harm will come to you here…or at least, not any harm coming from me. I can promise you that,” she said with a faint, gentle smile.

There’s just something behind her smile that made Rain felt something amiss.

Why does he felt as if he had seen her before?

“You…have we met before?”

The white-clothed smiled gently, “Perhaps…perhaps not.”

"What does that even mean?"

He grunted. Though, Rain can't help but admit that she had a beautiful smile. It somehow struck his heart like an arrow that defies all defense. And this beautiful smile caused his vigilance to dissipate slowly.

He had spent his life in poverty and had known a lot of different kinds of people in his part-time jobs. He had even experienced both cruelty and kindness from different people. because of that, he is confident that he could easily distinguish the good people from the bad.

Using that, he looked past her fairy-like beauty and couldn't help but have the impression that she did not seem bad.

She seemed like a good person.

What’s more, her smile was magical. It could calm the most ferocious anger or the darkest anxieties. She also brought tranquility to his anxious, helpless heart. He could not exactly pinpoint the feeling, but he felt at home as long as he was with this girl. This was the impression she gave him.

The beautiful girl chuckled, then, she gestured him to come over with her hands. Her every movement embittered elegance and gentleness that could never be seen in the current era.

“Come, don’t just stand there like another one of those tiresome stuffed Olympic trophies. It's best to talk close, rather than stand in the distance, would it not?”

Rain frowned and stared at her for a moment.

“You’re not…you’re not an evil sorceress, are you?”

She smiled coyly.

“Why would you think that?”

“Well, you see, Odysseus is quite a good example of not trusting people you have met for the very first time in a strange, mystical place like this. Even if they are the most beautiful in the world…a goddess-like being, in a pretty nice, and quite island much less. After all, there is always a catch. Like turning men into pigs or bird…scary. But I’m good with being human.” he said with a doubtful gaze.

The beautiful girl burst in amused laughter.

“Don’t worry, I promise I will not turn you into a pig, or a bird.”

“...Or anything else?”

“I am no evil sorceress, and I don’t have any hobby of transforming people into pigs, rest assured,” she said. “In fact, I am not your enemy for that matter. You are safe and sound... with me.”

“Hardly believable after going through all the ‘exciting things’ I’ve experienced inside the Dungeon,” Rain let out a sigh, and just did what she said, slowly walking over.

Since she doesn’t seem to be hostile, it would only be his shame if he would still be afraid of her. He sat at the rock, roughly two to three meters in front of her. Though, his vigilance never disappeared.

“You needn’t tread on eggshells around me, you know, I don’t bite,”

“It would be bad if you do… but nevertheless, it’s better like this. I still don’t trust you, after all… now, say, who are you?”

“Fair enough…but as for who I am, you don’t need to know for now. In any case, you will know it later on, as you go through the Dungeon.”

“The Dungeon?! Could it be…!?”

His eyes widened in shock as a realization suddenly came to him.

No way... right?