LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 2
TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 2
The moment I saw the Blue Window, I realized.
[Please make your choice.]
[Choice 1.]
[Return to the past and save the world.]
[Reward: Third chance. (2/3).]
[Choice 2.]
[Accept destruction.]
[Reward: Rest.]
Whichever choice I made, this would be the last.
There was no need to dwell on it. This time, I swore to protect the Young Lady.
The moment I made my decision, the Blue Window disappeared.
Afterward, new text appeared.
[You have chosen Option 1.]
[You seize the final chance.]
The world began to dissolve.
The blackened earth, and the countless weapons embedded in it like flowers, started to vanish in a blue light, beginning with the closest things.
When that blue light spread across the horizon and shot up into the sky—
[The second round has ended.]
Even the Young Lady began to disintegrate.
I smiled quietly.
“I’ll come for you soon.”
And with that, it was over.
As I closed my eyes, sleep overtook me.
It was the first restful sleep in thirty days.
2.
[The third life begins.]
[All opportunities have been exhausted.]
[Further regression is impossible.]
I had anticipated that this would be the last. I dismissed the window floating before my eyes.
And then, the blue sky came into view.
“It’s been a while….”
Since Thanatos descended, the sky, eroded by Demonic Energy, had always remained a dark red.
Though it had been split a few times by the Sword Saint’s or the Hero’s strikes, it was always quickly restored.
It was no wonder some people had started wishing to see the blue sky again.
They all died without fulfilling that wish, though.
As I lay on the ground, lost in thought, the scent of home wafted over.
“Ugh, gross!”
It was the stench of filth and garbage. I quickly got up and escaped the alley.
“Phew… I’ll never get used to that smell.”
The Final Destination Village of the Velita Empire.
Everyone called it the Final Destination, detaching the word “village.”
The name came from the idea that those whose lives were at their end gathered here just before dying.
They really nailed the name.
From beggars to runaway criminals, addicts of all kinds, and even fallen nobles—people of all sorts gathered here and lived as if there were no tomorrow.
I sometimes wondered how I’d ended up abandoned in a place like this, but I still didn’t know the reason.
Still, since it was my hometown, I felt at ease.
Even though it was a Trash Village that even stray dogs avoided, it was a hundred times better than a battlefield littered with corpses.
I settled in one of the relatively clean alleys and began to reassess my priorities.
‘What should I do first?’
This was my last chance. I had to grow stronger, faster than in my previous life.
After a brief moment of thought, I decided on the order.
‘First, the Mana Heart.’
Regression was regression, and nothing more.
The sword strikes that once cut through clouds and the magic that tore the earth asunder were no longer mine to use.
The elixirs I drank like water and the priceless armaments I once possessed could not be brought back.
Right now, I was just a twelve-year-old orphan boy in the worst possible health.
That was the nature of regression.
Only memories were sent back to the past.
‘But those memories are the key.’
The first time was hard, but the second time was easier.
During the first round, when I lived as an Adventurer—
-What do you want me to do?
-Gather mana.
I learned magic from the Young Lady.
-Could you explain it properly?
-Swoosh! Snap! Ta-da! That’s how it works.
The Young Lady had no talent for teaching.
-No way! There’s no way magic works with swoosh, snap, ta-da… wait, it does?
-…See?
Good thing I had a talent for learning.
-Yuri, you might be a genius!
-Really?
-Yes, yes! Apply to the Five-Colored Magic Towers right away!
-Can I really do that?
-Yes! Unless you want to see me die a miserable death!
-…Please, just tell me not to.
-Hehe.
In six months, I created a Mana Heart. Afterward, I reached one Circle per year, achieving a total of two Circles.
Even Sages, hailed as geniuses, took nearly a year to create a Mana Heart, so it was impressive.
But what was the point?
I ended up dead, my head chopped off. Anyway, when my second life began—
-…This actually works?
I created a Mana Heart in just one week.
Things I’d experienced once before came to me at a speed incomparable to the first time.
Using the life of a low-level Adventurer as a foundation, I became strong enough in my second life to be called the strongest.
As Yuri, the Villainess’s butler.
As Full Moon, the Captain of Moonlight.
I crushed everything that threatened the Young Lady.
And now, this was the third round.
‘You’re all dead, Demon God’s Cultists.’
In a few months, I might even be able to take on High Priest-level Demon God’s Cultists.
To do that, I needed to lay the groundwork.
I set my priorities.
First, create a Mana Heart.
Second, manifest Aura.
Third, save Asha Rita.
It would take a month to meet the Young Lady again.
“I’ll grow as strong as I can within that time.”
Having decided, I felt at ease.
“First, I need to find an appropriate place.”
It was to create a Mana Heart, my top priority. If I attempted to form it here, it felt like the Mana Heart would just fill up with dust and stench.
A place with no people and pure Mana.
“Ah.”
A location immediately came to mind.
“The Deep Blue Forest.”
Without hesitation, I started walking.
3.
The Deep Blue Forest.
Its other name was the Suicide Spot.
It was a place sought by those who left even the Final Destination Village, claiming they would hang themselves.
Thanks to that, aside from those truly intending to die, no one dared to set foot there out of fear.
Still, just in case, I ventured as deep as possible to secure a spot.
Sunlight peeked through the slightly exposed sky, and below it, a rock suitable for sitting jutted out.
“Hoo…”
Sitting cross-legged on the rock, I closed my eyes and slightly parted my lips.
A minuscule amount of Mana flowed in with my breath.
Mana was like unrefined fuel.
I had to filter out the impurities mixed in the air and store only pure Mana in my heart.
With each inhalation, I absorbed Mana, and with each exhalation, I expelled impurities.
For someone without talent, it could take years just to sense Mana, but I was brimming with talent.
This was the third Mana Heart I was forming with that overflowing talent.
‘More pure.’
Like sifting stones from sand, I filtered the impurities clinging to the Mana.
My senses grew increasingly sharp.
I succeeded in perfectly filtering out even the tiniest impurities that I wouldn’t have noticed in my previous life.
The Mana accumulating in my heart was utterly free of impurities.
‘What is this…?’
The more Mana I gathered, the more bewildered I became.
Even though it was just a Mana Heart, it felt comparable to the 2nd Circle, or perhaps even the 3rd Circle, from my previous life.
‘I’ve been shortchanged twice in life.’
To think there were still realms I hadn’t reached.
It was baffling.
‘Was it thanks to that power back then?’
Suddenly, the moment I swung my sword at the Demon God came to mind.
Thanatos had been overwhelmingly strong.
It was a strength of a completely different class.
Just as no matter how strong an ant is, it cannot contend with a human, the difference between me and Thanatos was the same.
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to so much as scratch him, let alone sever his neck.
But I was given an opportunity.
[It’s a service.]
[Accept/Accept]
Enchanted by the strange text, I reached out my hand.
It was the moment an ant became a human.
Mana, Aura, Spirits, and so on…
Everything that humans had classified separately surged as if they were one.
The sensation from that time was still vivid, and it felt like the quality of my skills had risen because of it.
How much time had passed like that?
“…It’s done.”
A perfect Mana Heart had been formed.
That wasn’t all.
Black impurities were expelled from my body, and my previously delicate frame had thickened.
“No wonder I felt so stiff.”
I had thought it was just growing pains, but now it made sense.
“How much time has passed?”
The moment I asked the air for the time.
“Three hours have passed.”
A deep voice came from behind me.
I hastily picked up a tree branch.
“Reveal yourself.”
“There’s no need to be so wary.”
A burly man stepped out from behind the giant tree right in front of me.
“Impressive, kid.”
“Get lost.”
“You may have talent, but you clearly lack manners.”
His presence was no ordinary one. He was one of the strongest I had encountered across all my lives.
I drew Mana and enveloped my body with it.
Even so, it was like a mouse before a cat, but I had no other choice.
“There’s no need to be so hostile.”
He raised both hands and withdrew his energy.
Then, he smiled warmly.
“Shall we introduce ourselves? I am Ananta.”
“Ananta…?”
“You look like you’ve heard of me.”
Of course I had.
The Beggar King, Ananta.
He was the king of all beggars on the continent and ranked 4th among the World’s Top 10 Strongest.
In my first life, I heard rumors that he hunted down Demon God’s Cultists.
In my second life, I heard he perished while stopping the Cursed Poison Dragon awakened by the Demon God.
He didn’t seem to be a villain, but he was someone I had no reason to meet.
I had heard he was secluded in the Final Destination Village, but I never expected to meet him like this.
For now, I revealed my name as well.
“Yuri. I’m from the streets, so I don’t have a last name.”
“That much is obvious just by looking at you.”
He laughed heartily.
In the end, I withdrew my Mana. There was no benefit in provoking him unnecessarily.
He plopped down in front of me.
“I didn’t mean to spy on you, but you’re remarkable. A Mana Heart already, huh?”
“You’re not so ordinary yourself, judging by your energy.”
“Extraordinary? A beggar’s extraordinary is still just a beggar.”
Ananta tossed me a piece of bread.
“Hungry?”
Only then did I realize my hunger.
I took the bread and nodded slightly.
“Thanks.”
It was hardened barley bread, but hunger made it the best seasoning, and I devoured it in no time.
As I picked my teeth unnecessarily, I asked.
“So, why were you spying on me?”
“Hey, I told you, I wasn’t spying.”
He scratched his head.
When I didn’t drop my suspicion, he let out a sigh.
“It’s true. A young kid fearlessly entered the Deep Blue Forest, so I followed out of concern.”
“Isn’t there no need to worry anymore?”
“Ugh, disgusting. Fine, I’m leaving. Oh, right.”
Ting!
The Beggar King flicked a silver coin toward me.
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“So you don’t go starving. If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s seeing kids go hungry.”
“You’re more sentimental than I thought.”
“Believe it or not, I’m a father.”
At that moment, it came to mind.
The Beggar King Ananta. He had lost his only daughter to the Demon God’s Cultists.
Afterward, he fully revealed himself and, along with the Full Moon, became known as the Demon God’s Cultist Slayer.
That was right after I entered the Academy….
Fiddling with the silver coin I had received, I called out to him.
“Mister.”
“What, kid?”
“Be careful of the Demon God’s Cultists.”
“…I know, kid.”
“Especially three years from now. From the beginning of that year until April, never leave your daughter’s side.”
He looked at me as if he couldn’t understand.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Just take it to heart. Don’t regret it later.”
“Fine, it’s not like it costs me anything…. But did I ever mention I had a daughter…?”
As Ananta kept glancing back, I waved the silver coin I had received toward him.
“I’ve paid you back, Mister.”
Later, Yuri received a letter.
It was a letter sent by Ananta.
The contents were as follows.
-Come collect your change.
In this life, Ananta did not lose his daughter.
5.
Right after Ananta disappeared.
I loosened up my body with some light exercises.
Swinging a tree branch like a sword, I used the forest as my training grounds, treating a giant tree as a scarecrow to maneuver around.
“I’m definitely faster than in my previous life.”
It was literal Rapid Growth.
In just a few hours, I had gone from a starving orphan to the level of a C-rank Adventurer.
‘But it’s still not enough.’
At this rate, losing to Thanatos was inevitable.
To prevent the world from turning into hell, I needed to grow ten times faster than in my previous life.
From that day, about a month passed.
I dedicated myself solely to training.
I reduced eating and sleeping, obsessing over becoming stronger immediately.
“Hey, kid. Your big bro’s here.”
“…Big bro, my ass.”
Becoming friends with the Beggar King was another difference from my previous life.
“You have to draw Fighting Spirit up from your dantian.”
“It’s not Fighting Spirit; it’s Aura.”
“Back in my day, we called it all Fighting Spirit.”
Though he was annoying in many ways, it was true that he helped my growth, so I let him be.
“Isn’t it tomorrow that you meet the Young Lady?”
“It’s the day after tomorrow, but I need to start moving tomorrow.”
“Why?”
“Someone who’s supposed to be my subordinate is about to be in danger.”
“…Sometimes talking to you feels like dreaming.”
And so, the final day of training passed.
“If you miss me, give me a call.”
“How would I even know where you are?”
“There are plenty of beggars in the world.”
After the Beggar King left, I sat on the first rock I found and assessed my progress.
The results were as follows.
A Mana Heart and two Circles.
The manifestation of intermediate Aura and partial reproduction of the Sword Saint Old Man’s techniques.
“It’s not even surprising anymore.”
In just one month, I had reached a level that would have taken five years in my previous life.
“Thanks to that, the final goal should be easy.”
I left the forest and returned to the village.
It was to save Asha Rita, my final goal.
-Captain, will you marry me?
Asha, who had always been unusually forward with me. Her playful voice already seemed to echo in my mind.
“It should be around here.”
I arrived at the back alley of the Final Destination Village. The sun had set, and the platinum full moon had risen.
“Is it there?”
To secure a better view, I leaped onto a rooftop.
At the same time, I spotted them.
Behind a building slated for demolition, masked assailants had gathered.
There were five of them.
I approached them cautiously.
As I got closer, I could hear the conversation between the assailants and a girl.
“What’s the point of running when you’ll get caught anyway?”
“…Get lost.”
“Pfft, acting all high and mighty because you’re of noble origin, huh? You really don’t know how the world works.”
Swoosh.
A thick hand of one assailant reached out toward the girl.
“At least your face is pretty. It’s a relief. As long as you’re pretty, there are people willing to pay a high price. Though, of course, they’ll treat you roughly.”
The fat man’s eyes gleamed with greed.
“Ah, but don’t worry. I’ll be the first to have you.”
The assailant wriggled his hands and reached toward Asha’s chest.
“…I’ll kill you.”
“Yeah, yeah. This big bro will really ‘kill’ you with pleasure.”
Asha’s face turned pale.
In her previous life, she was called a monster and slaughtered her enemies, but now, she was just an eleven-year-old girl.
Clench.
I ground my teeth without realizing it.
“Filthy bastards.”
I closed the distance to the assailant in an instant.
In my previous life, this would have been impossible, but the quality of my achievements in this life was different.
Reinforcing my legs with Aura, I used pure mana to create an explosion.
Even the explosion was wrapped in mana to muffle the sound. It was a silent yet swift movement, specialized for an assassin.
Just before the enemy could notice.
With a snake-like motion, I tore off the mask and shoved my right hand into his mouth.
“Ah, go ahead.”
“What the—!”
“Good.”
Chomp.
Grabbing his jaw with my left hand, I yanked it downward and pushed my right hand even deeper.
“You shouldn’t have messed with the kids.”
“Ugh! H-Hey!”
“From now on, speak nicely.”
Crunch, crack!
With a sickening sensation, the assailant’s tongue was ripped out.
“Ah, can’t talk anymore, can you?”
“Aaaaaahhh!!! Ugh!!”
I snatched the assailant’s mask and tossed it away.
The direction wasn’t to the side, but upward.
“Good luck surviving.”
Approximately 50 meters.
If he lands well, he might live.
…Maybe?
Using the torn-out tongue, I painted a crescent moon on the mask’s eye area.
A long red crescent moon piercing through the right eye.
It looked cheap, but for now, it would suffice.
Just as I was admiring the decent result.
“A face I haven’t seen before.”
The assailants, now in attack formation, slowly closed in, surrounding me from all sides.
“Who sent you?”
Putting the mask back on, I replied.
“Me.”
It wasn’t a lie.