Free Web NovelChapter 241: Farewell
The sun was rising.
His time here was drawing to an end. He knew he would not remain for much longer, and once he was gone... Synthia would suffer. She would be so close to home, yet still unable to reach it.
Luke pulled out a potion and drank it in one gulp. The effects were barely noticeable.
Clicking his tongue, he took out the medium-ranked potion as well and emptied the bottle.
For a brief moment, his vision cleared, allowing him to push himself back to his feet.
There was no time to waste. He had to move.
The effects of Lunar Warden had already faded. Now, all he had left was his own determination to push beyond his limits.
"Luke..." Synthia called out between sobs, her eyes swollen and red from crying.
"Brace yourself. You’ll be home soon. Gah!"
He gripped the rope and pulled with every ounce of strength he had.
The container was still nearly thirty feet from the water.
Synthia would never be able to jump that far. Somehow, he had to close the distance.
The veins along his arms bulged. His eyes turned bloodshot as he forced more strength from his exhausted body.
But it still wasn’t enough.
So, ’System... assign my stats to Strength. Now!’
[Str: 33.5 -> 61.5
Spd: 28.5 -> 18.5
Def: 35 -> 30
Int: 23 -> 10]
[Considering the host’s current condition, the system has prioritized Endurance as well.]
The container finally began to move.
The increase in Strength allowed him to drag it across the sand without pushing his muscles to the point of tearing.
Even so, it remained painfully difficult. The sudden shift in stats, combined with his mounting exhaustion, made every step feel heavier than the last.
Intelligence helped resist fatigue, and he had sacrificed that too.
No matter. It would all be over soon.
"Luke... you won’t survive like this." Synthia could no longer hold back her voice.
Her heart ached with guilt. Watching him destroy himself for her sake felt like a knife twisting in her chest.
Luke flashed her a grin without slowing his pull.
"Don’t worry about me. Once I disappear, just assume I’m safe. I’ll be in good hands."
That did nothing to reassure her.
"Where will you disappear to?" she cried. "Don’t scare me like that, or I’ll jump out and kill myself too!"
Luke nearly stumbled.
"I can use magic to teleport back home," he hurriedly explained. "So relax, woman."
There was no way he was letting all his hard work go to waste because of a misunderstanding.
She fell silent for a few moments before asking, "How are you still standing after suffering so many injuries?"
Luke winked at her. "Just trying to impress you. Did it work?"
A bitter chuckle escaped her lips.
"Stop joking at a time like this..."
"Stop right there!"
A distant shout suddenly echoed across the shore.
Synthia turned toward the sound. Luke peeked around the side of the container and saw more than ten men rushing toward them, each bearing the same grave markings as the man he had killed.
His eyes widened.
Without another word, he tightened his grip on the rope and began pulling harder, all traces of humor gone.
If they reached him, it would be over.
Fortunately, they were nowhere near as fast as the man he had fought earlier. By the time they had covered barely half the distance, Luke had already dragged the container much closer to the shoreline.
Not wasting a second, he rushed to the opposite side and slammed his shoulder against the container.
The heavy structure groaned as it lurched forward a little.
Then he looked at Synthia and smiled.
"Ready to reunite with your family?"
Synthia looked toward the ocean, her heart pounding at the thought of finally returning home.
Yet after a moment, she pulled her gaze away from the water and turned back to Luke.
"Ah..."
To his surprise, she suddenly cupped his cheeks and pressed her forehead against his.
A faint blush spread across her face as she said, "Though our time together was short, I’ve come to admire and respect you. Please take care, Luke."
With those words, she rested her hand on the rim of the container and leaped toward the shore, her face still flushed red.
Luke scratched his cheek.
Was that supposed to be some kind of intimate gesture?
A kiss would have been appreciated, though.
"You!"
Hearing the shout, he turned around and found the men closing in on him from all sides.
Luke calmly crossed his arms.
"You’re with the same guy who fought me earlier?"
The man at the center stepped forward, his expression twisted with fury.
"His death will be the cause of yours."
The group tightened their formation, every one of them ready to attack at a moment’s notice.
Luke was about to say something when suddenly,
"Stop right there, or you’ll regret it!"
A massive wave rose near the shore.
Every man froze. Their jaws dropped as they staggered back in shock.
Luke turned as well and saw a merman standing atop the towering wave, his killing intent rolling across the beach like a storm.
Luke frowned before glancing to the side.
There, he spotted Synthia.
She was waving at him.
A gentle smile appeared on his face.
The very first thing she had done after reuniting with her people was bring help for him.
’Haah... though it was brief, I enjoyed my time with you.’
The thought crossed his mind as a familiar notification appeared before his eyes. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
[The allotted time has expired.]
[The host is being transferred.]
His vision shifted.
Thankfully, the last face he saw at the end of that long dungeon journey was Synthia’s.
...
"Ah."
The moment his feet touched solid ground, a gentle breeze brushed against his skin. Warmth spread through his body, accompanied by a faint tingling sensation.
The soreness and pain that lingered throughout his body began to fade at an astonishing rate.
His drowsiness vanished instantly, and his senses sharpened to an incredible degree.
"Wha... ah."
His confusion disappeared when he raised an arm and saw his skin glowing with a translucent sheen.
Then he looked up.
A beautiful moon hung high in the night sky.
Of course, only an hour at most had passed in this world. Because of that, he could still bask in the moonlight’s embrace.
"Now that’s what I call a perfect recovery..."
Smiling, he sat beneath a tree and closed his eyes.
The journey had been difficult. Countless things had gone wrong, and several events had unfolded that were never part of the plan.
Yet somehow, he had still achieved what he set out to do.
That unexpected battle with the man on the beach had been the greatest obstacle. At one point, he genuinely thought he would lose and fail.
But thanks to the many battles he had suffered recently, he had learned one important lesson.
There was always a way forward.
As long as he kept searching, he would find it.
And because he had held on to that belief, he was back home, alive and breathing, while Synthia had finally been reunited with her family.
"All well if it ends well."
Leaning against the tree, he decided to take a nap.
