At the very bottom of the Northern Canyon.
This place is a secret space where artifacts are hidden. If it were the original scenario of <Raisin a Warrior>, Dehan would discover this place and acquire the artifact about 10 years from now.
So Shekina came here without any worries.
To intercept the artifact before Dehan takes it.
However…
“Why are you here…?”
Dehan was there.
Covered in wounds, blood dripping from his body.
“Are you… die?”
Shekina approached Dehan, placing her hand under his nose. Fortunately, he seemed to be alive, judging by the feel of his breath.
“Phew.”
Shekina wiped her chest and began shaking Dehan’s body.
“Hey, wake up. It’s so cold here, don’t pass out for real.”
“… Cough!
Dehan coughed and slowly lifted his closed eyelids.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
“You… Ugh…”
Dehan tried to sit up but recoiled, likely feeling pain, and lay back down. Yet, his eyes remained open, fixed on Shekina.
“Why are you here?”
“Well, that’s what I was going to say. I was surprised too.”
“I… ”
Dehan struggled to maintain clarity in his clouded mind as he answered.
“I was with Yuriel when I was attacked by a monster and fell here. Fortunately, I had divine protection, so I don’t think I was seriously injured.”
“This doesn’t look serious? Seems like a flick could make you crumble.”
“Yuriel will come soon. Just wait.”
Dehan quickly observed Shekina’s body. She didn’t seem injured like him. If she came here voluntarily… why? Despite his muddled mind, Dehan tried to make sense of the situation.
“Why are you here, Shekina?”
“I fell while taking a walk.”
“You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?”
“Correct.”
Seeing Shekina’s shameless face, Dehan let out a long sigh.
He had felt this before, but this kid was truly peculiar. Acting like she knew everything while simultaneously displaying ignorance. Yet, it wasn’t irritating, and that was puzzling. Dehan chuckled, releasing the tension in his eyelids.
“I want to say more, but I have a fever now. I’ll close my eyes for a bit.”
“If you fall asleep, you’ll die.”
“I won’t die. I absolutely won’t die.”
“You keep saying the same thing, it seems like it’s time to leave.”
“……….”
Although Dehan wanted to argue, his mouth wouldn’t open anymore. His cold-stricken eyes refused to move as commanded. Just as Dehan’s consciousness was slowly fading, right at that moment…
“Ack! It’s cold!”
Shekina shoved the snow covering the ground into Dehan’s clothes.
“What are you doing!”
‘If it’s cold, wake up. Just hold on for a little while and then it’s over. If you fall asleep, you’ll die.’
After tossing another handful of snow onto Dehan, Shekina stood up.
She scanned the surroundings.
Shekina came here to find the artifact hidden somewhere on this floor. In the game, igloos provided a shelter from the cold, so moving Dehan there would at least prevent him from freezing to death.
‘I can’t find it.’
The deep floor was dim as sunlight couldn’t penetrate.
Shekina cautiously stepped forward, feeling her way through the darkness.
‘He can’t die here.’
The main quest, <Towards the Game’s Ruined Ending!>, required killing the hero by the Demon Lord’s hand. If the hero died prematurely here, it meant failure. What would happen to Shekina then was uncertain.
‘And…’
In her past life, Dehan died by Shekina’s hand. How did he look when drawing his last breath? She didn’t want to create another unsettling memory that would haunt her dreams.
‘Doing this because of a guilty conscience.’
Muttering that there was no other choice, Sekina meticulously searched the area.
“I found it.”
She felt a hard wall. Walking along it, she found the igloo she remembered from the game. Now all she had to do was place Dehan here. However, the problem was the considerable distance between where Dehan lay and this spot.
‘Still, if Dehan is up, he should be able to come.’
With that thought, Shekina hurriedly retraced her steps.
“Hey, Dehan. I found a place to rest over there.”
She grabbed Dehan’s arm while he was lying down.
“There should be a place to rest just a bit further… Are you awake?”
“…….”
Shekina once again placed her hand under Dehan’s nose. Though weaker than before, she could still feel his breath.
“If I leave you like this, you’ll die…”
Sigh. Oh my life.
Holding onto Dehan’s arm, Shekina tried to move forward with him.
But Shekina was a 3-year-old child, and Dehan, despite being 5, was quite large for his age.
Realistically, Shekina couldn’t drag Dehan along.
‘Ugh.’
Shekina, after a moment of hesitation, made a helpless expression and then spread her palm wide.
‘Low-level monster summoning circle activated.’
As she muttered, mana emanated from her palm, and just like before, a summoning circle began to appear on the floor.
Kugugugung!
Something black wriggled and appeared from the summoning circle in the center.
– Kueeek!
By the standards of the demon realm, a low level monster was summoned. It was a monster shaped like a dog, covered in jet-black fur.
This should be enough to move herself and Dehan without much trouble.
– Kweeek!
Shekina tapped the monster’s arm and pressed her index finger to her lips.
“Quiet! Shh! Keep your mouth shut!”
– ……Ggue.
The monsters made a low sound as it squirmed.
When she had summoned it before, Shekina was too overwhelmed to control the monsters, but now, with a clear goal in mind, things were different.
Pointing to the fallen Dehan and herself, Shekina spoke.
“Move us to that spot over there.”
– Ggue….
“Stay by his side until he wakes up. Understand?”
– Eh….
“Stick close to him. It’s cold here.”
– Ek….
After relocating to the igloo, Shekina pressed herself against the monster’s body, then gently laid Dehan next to it.
“You have very fluffy fur.”
– Ggueek….
“Eh, I can’t understand a word you’re saying, so just stop talking.”
Shekina retorted, tapping the mumbling monster. At that moment, Dehan, lying beside Shekina, stirred slightly.
“Hmm….”
Seeing his flushed cheek, it seemed like he had a fever. Shekina instinctively placed her hand on Dehan’s forehead, thinking her cold hand might be effective in cooling down his fever.
The sleeping Dehan had a face that betrayed no signs of a difficult or tiring life, appearing innocent and childlike as if he hadn’t experienced any hardships.
Such was the default appearance of a hero. Despite hardships and exhaustion, their unique confidence and cheerfulness never disappeared. Shekina liked that about heroes like Dehan.
“Being like this reminds me of the old times.”
Shekina brushed back Dehan’s bangs, poking at the corner of his eye. Dehan grimaced slightly, as if he could taste her mischievousness.
“You had that expression back then too.”
A bitter smile played on Shekina’s lips.
Dehan being here was likely guided by a different system.
If Shekina found the artifact first, it could be harmful to Dehan.
In other words, if Dehan followed the scenario, Shekina, the ‘Hero’s Lover,’ would die, and if Shekina followed the scenario, Dehan, who must die as part of the story, would be the one to perish.
It was an unbridgeable gap no matter what they did.
– I want to be the part your family.
– Even if we don’t have good parents, we can be good parents ourselves. Let’s create a good family for us. We can do it.
– I love you.
“Haaa….”
Maybe it’s the cold weather making me sentimental, thought hSekina, scratching her nape as she gazed down at Dehan.
“You might not remember, but I do, anyway.”
She caressed his forehead once again.
“Then it’s fine.”
Shekina’s lonely murmur echoed through the canyon.
***
“Dehan! Can you hear my voice? If you can, answer me!”
Yuriel trudged through the deep snow, looking for a suitable place to build the temple.
Yuriel had returned to this place with Dehan to find a suitable site for the temple. Unexpectedly, they encountered a fierce storm and the sudden appearance of monsters. In the chaos, he lost sight of Drohan.
What should he do now?
How could he find Dehan?
Is there any way to ensure Dehan’s safety?
Dehan must be alive, right?
Yuriel’s composure wavered, and he felt his mental state becoming chaotic.
That’s when it happened.
Whooosh! A snowstorm swept in one direction. Yuriel furrowed his brow, trying to peer through the obscured vision.
Someone was standing nearby.
From a distance, he seemed like an ordinary man, someone you’d pass by without a second thought.
However…
‘I’m scared.’
It felt like an overwhelming presence. Overwhelmed by a paralyzing force, Yuriel involuntarily dropped to his knees, overcome by a stifling pressure.
“Uh, I haven’t done anything.”
The man smiled gently, approaching Yuriel with an easy demeanor.
“I’m going to start now, though.”
The man, Arthur, directed his sword towards Yuriel.
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