World's Last Hope

Being carried by a woman who could easily pass as a goddess was a surreal experience for Eric. Glancing forward, he saw Aria's body glowing with light, and in her hands, she held a bow forged entirely of pure lightning.

Now that Eric and Olivia had gained some distance from the monsters, she dropped him to the ground. He immediately began to run.

Each movement hurt—his body was riddled with broken bones—but at least he was alive. Behind them, the sound of destruction shook the ground as the two great beings fought for the right to devour the humans.

After about half an hour, night had fallen, and Eric collapsed on the ground, utterly exhausted. His body was beyond broken, losing blood rapidly; his mind was exhausted, and his eyes were about to close

But despite that, he shifted his gaze to the side and checked his remaining essence.

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[Current Essence: 12]

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"Shit," he muttered under his breath. All he could do now was hope his hypothesis was correct—that by slowly destroying the souls of the monsters, he would regain his essence and, perhaps, gain a powerful new trait.

"Do you not value your life at all?!" Olivia shouted, clearly furious. "You not only endangered yourself but also us!"

"I had everything under control," he managed to mutter in his tired state.

"So, is that why you were about to die, sliced apart by tentacles?" Aria asked as she approached him.

Eric wanted to protest, but the blood loss made him dizzy. It took everything he had to stay conscious.

With a sigh, Aria sat on the ground and gently placed Eric's head on her lap. She laid her hand on his forehead, and a soft light emanated from her palm. Eric's fatal injuries began to heal.

"Ah… this feels nice…" he murmured. It was an understatement. The sensation was heavenly. Not only were his injuries mending, but he also found himself looking at Aria up close.

His body, sensing he was no longer in danger, relaxed completely. He closed his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.

*****

Aria gazed at Eric's head resting on her lap. He had fallen asleep, looking strangely vulnerable.

Olivia, still angry, sat on the ground, her palms trembling slightly.

"How are you feeling?" Aria asked, turning to Olivia.

"I… held him for too long. I can't stop my hands from shaking," Olivia muttered.

"That trauma still haunts you… not that I blame you—or anyone else, for that matter," Aria replied, with sadness in her voice.

"Forget it. I'll just sleep it off," Olivia said, shifting her gaze to Eric's unconscious body.

"He turned out to be much crazier than I expected."

"We're planning to defeat the guardian of the cathedral, so it's better if he gains experience fighting enemies far stronger than himself, I guess," Aria said, looking at his bloodied face.

"You seem quite close to him. I thought you didn't use your healing miracles unless it was for someone special," Olivia remarked.

"I guess… he's kind of special. His boldness is unlike anything I've ever seen."

"If you say so."

"Get some sleep. Once I finish healing him, I'll rest too," Aria commanded.

Nodding silently, Olivia lay down on the ground and closed her eyes. Aria was now the only one awake, staring at the man in her lap.

"What kind of life did you live to make you act like this now?" she muttered.

Suddenly, tears began to stream down Eric's cheeks as he opened his mouth.

"Mother… Father… I'm sorry. So sorry…" He whispered quietly under his breath.

"Is he having a nightmare?" Aria asked herself. She shifted her gaze to his trembling hands.

Despite his entire body being covered by his cursed armor, the amount of dried blood on it almost hid that.

"Sorry for being weak. Sorry for being weak," he repeated endlessly.

Hesitating for a moment, Aria grasped his hand with her free one.

Eric's grip tightened slightly as he held onto her hand, and his trembling ceased along with his whispers and tears. He wasn't holding on tightly enough to hurt her, but Aria realized something as she finished healing him.

"He… isn't letting go."

*****

As the morning light touched his face, Eric slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a beauty with blonde hair and mesmerizing blue eyes gazing down at him, his head resting on her lap.

Her golden hair was dancing in the wind, her breathing slow and steady, and her back was resting against an old tree.

Half-asleep, he muttered, "Is this an angel? Have I died? Man, who knew angels were so beautiful?"

"All right, that's enough, Eric," came a voice from behind. Turning his head, he saw Olivia staring at him.

"Listen, the only reason we didn't wake you up is because Aria said you needed more rest. Don't exploit that kindness," she warned.

When he turned back to Aria, he noticed she was blushing slightly. Panicking a little, he scrambled to stand.

"I'm so—" He stopped mid-sentence, realizing he could move without pain.

Noticing his confusion, Aria sighed and stood up. "I healed your injuries, so you should be as good as new."

Realizing her words were true, Eric turned back to her, grinning like a child.

"So, I was right! You really are an angel!"

"Wha—" Aria was taken aback by the sudden comment, her face reddening. Breaking his gaze, she said, "We need to go."

Nodding silently, Eric opened the map, noting they had traveled 13 kilometers. They were about to continue when Eric suddenly froze.

Olivia noticed immediately and asked, "Is something wrong?"

Eric shifted his gaze to her and quietly said, "They're dead."

"What?" Olivia asked, bewildered.

There was no mistake. The last time he checked, his essence was at 12. Now, it read:

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[Current Essence: 162]

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"I've regained essence. At least one of the beings has died by my soul flame."

"What about a trait? Did you get one?" Aria asked, barely concealing her excitement.

Curious, Eric opened his status, and his eyes lit up.

"This is…"