The Second Salvation Myth of a Retired Regressed Hero

Eloah cried like a child for a long while, embraced in Doyun’s arms.

Feeling his nostalgic warmth after 100 years, she completely reverted to her chick days, forgetting all propriety as a guild master.

“Hic… I… I missed you so much… I missed you so much… Hic…”

“There, there.”

Eloah nuzzled Doyun’s chest, savoring his hand caressing her head.

Though his outward appearance had completely changed, the Hero’s embrace remained broad and warm.

“Thank you for surviving, Eloah.”

“Hic…”

Those words made Eloah recall the years she had endured to survive and for the newfound World Tree family.

The frightening, agonizing days. She poured out her untold inner feelings to the Hero through sobs.

“It was… too hard… too dreadful… War without you was too dreadful…”

“I’m sorry.”

“When the new Demon Lord was reborn, hic! I wondered… what if you had been here… As the stronger Demon forces advanced, I wondered what if you had been here…”

“I’m sorry.”

“When the first defensive line collapsed… when the rebuilt nations crumbled one by one… when our guild members died… when my new comrades died…”

“…”

“If you… hic! had been… he…re… Hic…”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Hic… Hic…”

Overwhelmed with emotion mid-speech, Eloah wailed in Doyun’s embrace for a long while, the pent-up anguish from those dreadful years erupting uncontrollably.

Doyun simply repeated his apologies, caressing her sunshine-yellow hair as always.

“…I’m sorry. For breaking down on such a joyful day… Hic!”

“It’s alright. You can cry as much as you need before me.”

Eloah looked up at Doyun with moist eyes.

“From now on, I’ll be by your side. I’m sorry I couldn’t join you until now.”

“…”

Eloah wanted to say, ‘No, please don’t apologize.’ But the Hero’s reassuring warmth choked her up again, leaving her speechless.

She hugged Doyun tighter, burying her face in his chest once more. Her tears wouldn’t stop.

After a while, when Eloah had calmed down, they finally reconnected.

“You’ve grown so much. That tiny little chick has become such a lovely young lady.”

“…I’m pretty?”

“Yes. You’ve grown into such a beauty.”

Despite her eyes still puffy from crying, Eloah couldn’t help but beam. Heheh. The Hero called her pretty.

“Though you’re still a crybaby as ever.”

“I’m… I’m not a crybaby… I haven’t cried in front of anyone for 100 years…”

“…You had no one to rely on?”

Eloah started in surprise, waving her hands frantically.

“No, that’s not it! The surviving guild members, our new World Tree family, even Millaine… they’re all trustworthy people. But…”

She hesitated briefly before continuing.

“You never once showed weakness before us, not even when departing…”

“…”

“I wanted to become someone like you in my comrades’ eyes.”

Doyun fell silent. To him, she was still a mere chick, yet she had uttered such mature words.

He was impressed by how admirably she had grown. But saddened that the war had forced her to mature this quickly.

“…Well done.”

“Heheh…”

But Doyun decided to leave it at that. From now on, he would be by her side as her Hero once more.

Oblivious to the Hero’s melancholic gaze, Eloah simply beamed at his praise.

“Ah! But how did this happen to you?”

“Hmm.”

Doyun started to speak but abruptly stopped, recalling Sophie’s earlier whisper.

Though he wanted to converse at length, there was no time now. Rainbows vanished quickly.

Doyun rose from his seat.

“Hm?”

“My apologies, but let’s continue our reunion later.”

“Huh? Why, why?”

“There’s a place I must go now.”

At those words, Eloah shot up with a crestfallen expression.

“No way!!”

She grabbed Doyun’s arm.

“Why, why…? We just reunited, where are you going…! Don’t… don’t you like the World Tree? This place is really great! Top-notch facilities, excellent benefits, and all the guild members are…”

“Eloah.”

“Don’t go, okay? Or, or is 10,000 gold coins not enough? I can get you more money! Really! I’ll work really hard, so…”

“Eloah.”

“Don’t go, don’t go… Hero, please…”

Eloah clung to him desperately, her two eyes trembling violently like an earthquake.

The pain of losing the Hero once was stabbing her heart.

Doyun silently gazed at the pitiful girl. Seeing her state tugged at his heart.

But that was precisely why he had to go. To alleviate her burden.

Doyun embraced Eloah, patting her back soothingly.

“Ah…”
“Eloah.”
“Y, Yes…”

“I’m not leaving you. I’ll keep staying by your side. I just have something to take care of briefly.”

“…What is it…?”

Doyun gently released Eloah and looked into her eyes.

“I have to get our chick’s gift.”

“…Huh?”

Doyun flashed a smile at Eloah’s widening eyes.

+++

[Rainbow Flight]
(Lv.- Rate.A)
The innate ability of the phantasmal beast Unigorn. Wherever a rainbow manifests, it can teleport anywhere in the world.

Through Sophie’s skill, Doyun arrived at the allied frontlines.

Before leaving the Cradle, Sophie had explained her skills to Doyun. Doyun had specified a few locations where his legacy was hidden and asked Sophie to inform him if a rainbow appeared nearby.

And right now was when a rainbow had manifested over the area storing Enoch Ruszvolnik’s material legacy.

“I’ll be back, so please wait here.”

“Yes.”

After some perfunctory reassurance to Sophie, Doyun left her at an inn and walked through the city.

The streets were extremely crowded. It seemed a very commercially prosperous city.

‘This place has changed completely.’

This nation, along with the Lion King’s Muspelheim, was the sole territory bordering the demon realm while maintaining frontlines, yet without clashing directly against the Demon Lord’s forces.

Muspelheim stretched horizontally across the continent’s center, single-handedly bearing all frontline burdens. This city lay at the continent’s edge, bordering the demon realm through a tiny sliver of land beside Muspelheim.

As long as the superpower Muspelheim firmly held its ground beside them, the Demon Lord’s forces would swiftly face Muspelheim’s reinforcements even if they occupied this small city. Thus, they refrained from attacking and wasting forces on a place with little strategic value if captured.

‘It wasn’t this large a city originally.’

As a result, this city had achieved enormous economic growth from the byproducts of monster hunting pursued by various mercenaries and hunters making a living here.

Doyun trudged towards the demon realm through the city gates. Since this gate led to the lands of death, no one stopped him from passing through.

He entered the eerie demon realm overgrown with gnarled trees.

Crunch. Crunch.

With each step, the parched soil and oddly resilient, wiry grass texture pierced through his shoes.

The ivory trees created disorienting, grotesque patterns, their densely tangled branches twisted at unnatural angles, seeming to move of their own will.

Yet Doyun strode unflinchingly in one direction, his eyes as calm as ever.

“Hmm…”

Doyun frowned at the numerous presences drawing near from afar.

It seemed he would have to spill some monster blood after all.

‘My clothes will get dirty.’

Did the vault have spare clothing? This particular vault likely only contained mounds of gold and jewels.

Doyun clenched and unclenched his fists, continuing his steps.

+++

“Tsk.”

Doyun clicked his tongue upon entering the hidden cavern, the stench of monster blood lingering on him.

Grgrgrgrgrumble…

A massive boulder rumbled from behind, sealing the cave entrance. Now, no trace of the moving boulder would be visible from outside – a dwarven mechanism of impeccable quality.

Clack. Clack. Doyun’s footsteps echoed through the silent cavern.

He walked downward for quite a while. Due to the vault’s sheer size, one had to descend deeply to reach the entrance accommodating the immense volume of stored gold, jewels, and other treasures.

Eventually, a plain, massive door appeared before him.

At its center was a thin slit – the keyhole.

This lock shared the same mechanism as the Sword Gallery’s in Keumbahng’s time, with an extremely simple structure.

However, while practically useless as an actual lock, it was often used ceremonially in important buildings or by nobles seeking ostentation.

But if used by Buske and Enoch, it became the most formidable lock in existence.

‘If he had been alive…’

Doyun recalled a conversation from long ago with Buske.

Buske had been present when this vault was constructed, and he and Enoch had bantered about the lock.

‘I don’t like it.’
‘What don’t you?’
‘The lock in my gallery can be opened by both you and me. But this door can only be opened by you.’
‘Then catch up diligently, if you envy it so much.’
‘…Shall we make a wager, Enoch?’
‘A wager? I didn’t know you engaged in such things, you humorless bastard.’
‘This too is part of the sword’s path.’
‘I suppose. Alright, what wager?’
‘Ten years. Bet that it will take me ten years to open this door.’
‘Preposterous. No matter how much of a genius you are, I had to die against the Demon Lord to gain this epiphany. I’d wager thirty years.’
‘And if I win, what will you wager?’
‘All the wealth inside, it’s yours to take.’
‘…Truly? All those mountainous piles of gold and jewels?’
‘The Sword Saint drools at the prospect of anything beyond his beloved swords, it seems.’
‘Ahem.’
‘But if I win, I’ll take three from your collection.’
‘…Two.’
‘Agreed.’

“Kek.”

Doyun couldn’t help but chuckle at the old memory. It had been one of the rare moments that cold Buske had revealed his greed, even wagering his own collection.

‘But he died before the ten years were up.’

Now standing before the door after 100 years, Doyun suddenly wondered –

If Buske hadn’t died, who would have won their wager?

“…”

Enough. It was a meaningless hypothetical.

He should stop his recollections there to avoid a bitter aftertaste.

‘The lock shouldn’t have deteriorated.’

It should be intact. Not only was it a dwarven make, but the structure itself was extremely simple.

Doyun stroked the hilt of his sheathed sword, gripping it with his palm. The pure Divine Beast mana concentrated in his arm.

Though a crude iron sword incapable of withstanding sword aura provided by the Cradle, for now…

Shing-

It was the sole key to the continent’s greatest treasure vault.