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“Hmph! What are you staring at me for? Despite how charming I look, there’s an unbridgeable gap in race between us—!”

“Your groundless confidence isn’t any different.”

“What?” Crom tilted her head in confusion.

“Nothing.” Chang-Sun chuckled at Crom’s reaction. He stood up, pulled out [Balmung], which happened to be on his belt, and tightly held onto it.

Surprised, Crom followed him. “Where are you going?”

“You wanted to wreak havoc, didn’t you? Aren’t we going to kick the Demon Castle people’s asses?”

“… Did I explain the plan in that much detail?” Crom was noticeably shocked. At the time, she was still fighting the demons who coveted Keter, the Ancient Dragons’ great knowledge.

The <Demonbane Sect> was an organization made by people so malevolent that even Absolute Evil <Soceities> had abandoned them. They failed to gain some level of influence in <Heaven> because they didn’t have a proper set of rules or laws to keep the members in check, but each of their members was considerably powerful, which was why many were quite reluctant to fight them. The Demon Castle was one of the many factions of the <Demonbane Sect>.

‘That was a mistake,’ Chang-Sun thought.

Chang-Sun put up the fiercest fight against the <Demonbane Sect>. They tried to take away Ithaca’s <Starlight>, so he naturally protected it from them. That was when he met Crom.

Chang-Sun established a relationship with her after leaving the <Purple Star Astrology>, making her his first comrade. Following the saying, ‘the enemy of one’s enemy could be their ally,’ he believed that partnering up with her would give him a better chance against the <Demonbane Sect>, so he gave her a proposal.

“You told me that you’re trying to stop the Demon Castle people from reviving a Demonic Dragon.” Chang-Sun shrugged.

They had just formed an alliance around this time, so they wouldn’t have much of an emotional connection yet. He shouldn’t know the full extent of Crom’s story yet.

Nevertheless, Chang-Sun decided to be shameless since he had already made a mistake anyway. Although this was a world inside Crom’s dream, it was very realistic. He likely had to find a way to wake Crom up without disrupting her memories.

Chang-Sun’s approach naturally baffled Crom. “Did… I?”

“We don’t have much time. Let’s go.” Chang-Sun walked away before Crom could think about it further.

Luckily, he could recall which direction he should be heading even though this dream was about a past event.

“Huh? Oh, uh… alright. Let’s go!” Forced to stop thinking about it, Chrome hurriedly followed Chang-Sun.

* * *

Chang-Sun remembered every dream after that.

Chang-Sun and Crom destroyed the Demon Castle and saved Xerxes, who was asking for help in getting out of the dungeon. Chang-Sun then let him live in his shadow. After some time, he visited Kali upon hearing a rumor about her and sparred with her out of his desire to win. They fought each other until they acknowledged the other’s skills.

Their first encounter with Richardus was also one of the dreams. Saying that he heard about Chang-Sun’s and Crom’s reputations, Richardus expressed his wish to join them on their journey.

‘Crom, you want to go back to this moment, don’t you?’ Chang-Sun thought. He didn’t try to change Crom’s dreams. Although he could tear down the dreams using [Gnostic Eye], he’d rather know what Crom’s fragment, which she had stored as a backup in an Archive, was dreaming about.

By not disrupting her dreams, Chang-Sun learned that Crom missed this moment very desperately. Throughout every dream, he felt how happy she was to his bones.

‘But… it won’t last forever.’

These happy moments were about to meet their end. After all, Chang-Sun would soon leave his comrades.

―Why do you keep acting like this? Phew, this is really starting to become tiring. I don’t know how much longer we can stick together at this rate. Seriously.

―There is no other choice, then.

―Hey, what are you doing?

―Huh? Uhhhhh?!

―Twilight…?

―If I’m just a problem to you guys now, then this is where we should part ways.

Due to the prolonged war against <Stars>, they were always tired and sensitive. Among them, Chang-Sun acted the most selfishly, starting conflicts against the others one after another. Eventually, he left the group with the [Omni-Weapon Chest] on his back.

‘I don’t know what happened after this…’ Chang-Sun thought.

Melancholy overwhelmed everyone when he left.

―… Idiot.

Kali, the merciless goddess of destruction, shed tears for the first time, and Xerxes’ head drooped. Although it was unclear if it was genuine, Richardus had a bitter smile on his face and looked as if he had a lot on his mind. After heaving a very long sigh, Crom’s eyes turned sharp, seemingly having reached a decision. She sprang to her feet, causing the others to turn to her.

―No, we can’t.

―We can’t what?

―We can’t just let Twilight go like this.

―He says that he doesn’t need our help, though. How are you planning on stopping him?

―Don’t you get it? Twilight is being adamant about leaving us behind because he’s worried that we’ll get caught in the crossfire.

―…

―…

―…

―Our pathetic little brother may act cold, but deep down, he’s all tender-hearted. We should help him whenever we can until he can properly stand on his own.

Crom then used her Keter and the magic that she acquired while restoring the [Sky of Pneuma] to obtain every information about Chang-Sun. She eventually found out what happened to Ithaca, which Chang-Sun kept from them, and the fact that he was born on Earth of Worldline #801. It made her realize why he loathed the <Stars> of the <Purple Star Astrology> and <Horoscope> so much.

Using the information she unearthed, she came up with a plan to help Chang-Sun and was very close to achieving her goal. However, she missed one factor—time was never on her side.

―What…? Divine Trial?

Upon hearing news about Chang-Sun losing the <Myth War> and being tried in a Divine Trial by the <Horoscope> and <Purple Star Astrology>, Crom immediately realized that she was too late. If only she had a little more time, she would have finished restoring Keter and completed the great magic that she was creating.

They couldn’t change the past, though. Hence, they focused on rescuing Chang-Sun instead. When they ultimately failed, Crom held off their enemies to at least save the rest of her friends. She managed to evacuate everyone and even got out herself, but…

―You…!

… Richardus stood in her way.

―I don’t know what happened to you…

Crom lamented. Her mind was so brilliant that she instantly understood what was happening, but she couldn’t resent Richardus. Despite how serious he looked, sadness was evident in his eyes.

Crom wasn’t sure if he was aware of it, but he seemed to have gone through a lot of inner conflicts before he stood in front of her.

―… but I hope this does not wound you, my brother.

Crom smiled bitterly, having no intention of going down easily.

Intuitively realizing her fate here, Crom thought that this was the moment to make her winning move. Although she wasn’t sure if it would work, the Chang-Sun that she knew always always returned from the brink of death. Hence, she decided to bet everything on him.

‘If I can leave my memory in some way…!’

Richardus likely coveted Crom’s knowledge of magic the most. If so, then her memories had a chance of reaching Chang-Sun for as long as she stored her records elsewhere. With that in mind, she started creating a backup in her Archive.

Flash―!

After that split-second assessment, Crom clashed with Richardus. Darkness soon fell upon the area, marking the end of her dreams.

[Finished playing the records stored in the Archive.]

[Would you like to play them again?]

Chang-Sun closed his eyes. Witnessing all those events transpire made his heart heavy.

‘My greed ultimately caused all of that.’

He could feel how pathetic his life had been down to his bones once more. He had to make things right. However, before he could open his [Gnostic Eye] and use every bit of omnipotence that he had…

―Crom! Wake up, Crom…!

Surprised, Chang-Sun reflexively turned back to where he heard the voice.

‘Xerxes…?’ he thought blankly.

Another record in the Archive seemed to be playing. From beyond the empty darkness, Chang-Sun could hear Xerxes’ voice.

[A hidden record has been found.]

[Would you like to play it?]

Chang-Sun unconsciously nodded.

[Playing the record.]

Xerxes’ voice became clearer.

―Maybe she can’t wake up because her soul isn’t here… What should I do?

The darkness split, revealing Xerxes shaking a transparent sphere to wake up Crom, who was locked inside it in a deep sleep. Xerxes was in shadow form, seemingly about to dissipate any minute.

Chang-Sun instinctively realized that this record was about an event that happened after Crom backed up a part of herself in her Archive.

‘The reason Xerxes disappeared… is to save Crom!’

Xerxes came all the way over to Earth in search of Chang-Sun only to suddenly go missing, leaving Baek Gyeo-Ul behind. What if he found Crom in the ‘Den of the Evil Dragon’ and was about to voluntarily disappear to save her but someone was tracking him down?

Thuuud!

Rumble…

The record shook hard.

―Shit! He’s already here!

Xerxes frantically looked up.

Crrasssh.

A part of the darkness was torn away, revealing someone slowly leaning toward Crom and Xerxes.

―Hahaha, you all gathering here makes things easier for me.

‘Antares!’ Chang-Sun’s face crumpled up. He didn’t expect ‘Scorpio’ of the Zodiacs to show up here!

At that moment, he remembered what Kali said before. Among the Zodiacs, Antares hunted her and the others down far more tenaciously. He also fought Antares the fiercest.

―Give me Twilight’s shadow, now!

After Antares shouted, the record crumbled down.

[You have watched all the records stored in the Archive!]

[The grimoire installed in the Archive has fulfilled its purpose and will now shut down.]

[You are advised to log out from the Archive.]

[Shutting down in 5 seconds.]

[5.]

[4.]

…

As several messages showed up in front of Chang-Sun, his consciousness was catapulted outside. At the last moment, Crom’s fragment opened her eyes and smiled at him. She looked as if she was asking him to save her and Xerxes, who were lost somewhere.

‘I can’t lose her.’ Chang-Sun reached out his hand to start the absorption.

[3.]

[2.]

“Be eaten.”

Since Chang-Sun already ‘understood’ Keter and her system of magic, Crom\'s smiling fragment disintegrated into small particles and seeped into his hand.

[1.]

[0.]

[You have been forcibly logged out of the Archive.]

Thud!

“Hyung!”

「Twilight!」

Chang-Sun opened his eyes, finding himself back in the real world. When he noticeably wobbled, Gyeo-Ul and Kali hurriedly came running to him.

“Are you okay?” Gyeo-Ul asked.

With Gyeo-Ul’s help, Chang-Sun finally regained balance. Although his head was still jumbled up due to the myriad of information he got from absorbing Crom’s Keter and Archive, he managed to hold himself together.

With a serious look on his face, he said, “Gyeo-Ul.”

“Yes…?” Gyeo-Ul also turned serious when he noticed Chang-Sun’s expression.

“I found where your father is. Let’s go and save him.”

“…!” Gyeo-Ul’s eyes widened.