Volume 2 Chapter 146: The Legacy That Transcends Beyond Time

Dust covered Ayame's clothes, her face, and her hair.

Small cuts along her arms had left thin trails of blood that mixed with dirt, while the wind whipped loose strands of purple hair across her face. Her lungs burned from exhaustion, and every muscle in her body screamed for her to stop.

She couldn't.

She couldn't even afford to slow down.

Behind her, the mountains continued to shake.

The enormous Geo Wyrm was still chasing her.

The creature tore through the rocky landscape with terrifying ease. Its massive body smashed through cliffs, crushed trees beneath its stone-plated frame, and shattered enormous boulders as though the entire mountain range had been built from sand.

Every movement caused another tremor.

Every roar echoed across the valley.

Ayame clung tightly to the Lapis Lion's crystalline mane.

"Faster!"

The blue crystalline beast answered with a powerful roar and pushed itself even harder.

Ramos remained unconscious across its back.

Ayame kept one arm wrapped around him to prevent him from falling as she continued channeling Healing Bond into his body. His condition had stabilized slightly, but he was still far too weak.

She couldn't stop.

She couldn't fight.

She couldn't let him die.

All she could do was run.

"Please..."

Ayame glanced over her shoulder.

The Geo Wyrm was still there.

And it was getting closer.

"Why is that thing so fast?!"

The Lapis Lion obviously had no answer.

It simply continued sprinting down the mountain path, its crystalline paws striking the rocky ground with enough force to send fragments of stone flying behind it.

Ayame looked ahead.

Several paths branched through the mountains.

One turned left.

Another continued straight.

A narrow path curved toward the right.

She had never been this far into the mountains.

She had no map, no guide, and no idea which route would eventually lead toward civilization.

She had to choose.

"Right!"

The Lapis Lion immediately turned.

Its claws dug into the stone as it followed the narrow passage.

Ayame tightened her arms around Ramos.

"Please be the right way..."

For several seconds, nothing happened.

The passage continued winding between the mountains.

Ayame began to breathe a little easier.

Perhaps they had found a route out.

Perhaps they could finally—

The path narrowed.

The cliffs on either side grew taller.

The rocky ground became increasingly uneven.

The Lapis Lion slowed slightly as it approached the end of the passage.

Ayame frowned.

"Wait..."

She looked ahead.

Her expression changed.

The path ended.

Completely.

A massive canyon opened before them.

A sheer drop stretched across the entire passage, separating them from the opposite side of the mountain. There was no bridge, no natural path, and no way for the Lapis Lion to jump across while carrying both Ayame and Ramos.

Ayame's face slowly lost its color.

"...No."

She stared at the canyon.

Then looked behind her.

The distant roar of the Geo Wyrm echoed through the mountain passage.

"No, no, no..."

Ayame climbed down from the Lapis Lion and desperately looked around.

"There has to be another way."

She ran toward the edge of the canyon.

Nothing.

She looked down.

The bottom was so far below that she could barely make out the rocky terrain.

Even if she somehow survived the fall, Ramos wouldn't.

Ayame stepped backward.

Her breathing became increasingly frantic.

Then the roar came again.

Much closer this time.

The Lapis Lion immediately lowered its body.

Ayame turned around.

The Geo Wyrm emerged from the narrow mountain passage.

Its enormous head rose above the surrounding rocks, its stone armor covered in dust from the destruction it had caused along the way.

Its glowing eyes locked onto Ayame.

Then it roared.

GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!

The sound shook the canyon.

Ayame covered her ears.

"Stop..."

She looked toward Ramos.

Then back toward the Geo Wyrm.

There was nowhere left to run.

The Lapis Lion growled.

Its crystalline claws scraped against the ground.

Ayame knew what it meant.

It was ready to fight.

But even she understood the difference between bravery and suicide.

The Lapis Lion couldn't defeat something like that.

Then something moved beside her.

Ayame turned.

The Topaz Tiger had stepped forward.

"Wait..."

The golden crystalline tiger growled.

Its claws dug into the stone.

Its body lowered.

Ayame's eyes widened.

"No."

The tiger stared toward the Geo Wyrm.

It knew.

There was no escape.

Someone had to buy them time.

The Topaz Tiger charged.

"NO!"

Ayame reached out.

But it was too late.

The golden crystalline beast leaped directly toward the Geo Wyrm.

Its crystalline claws glowed brightly as it attacked with everything it possessed.

The Geo Wyrm barely reacted.

One enormous stone-covered limb swung.

BOOOOOOM!

The Topaz Tiger was struck directly.

Its crystalline body shattered instantly.

Hundreds of golden fragments exploded through the air before dissolving into particles of light.

The summon disappeared.

Ayame stared.

Her mouth opened.

No words came out.

The Geo Wyrm hadn't even slowed down.

It continued forward.

Ayame slowly stepped backward.

Her heel touched the edge of the canyon.

She froze.

The Geo Wyrm approached.

Its enormous shadow covered her completely.

Ramos remained unconscious behind her.

The Lapis Lion growled, but even Ayame knew it couldn't win.

Her hands began shaking.

She opened her inventory.

Nothing.

No useful potion.

No escape item.

No Teleportation Crystal.

Then her eyes landed on the final item.

The Emergency Crystal.

Fayzan's words returned to her.

If anything happens, break it.

Ayame stared at the crystal.

Then she looked at the approaching Geo Wyrm.

She finally understood.

This was the moment Fayzan had been talking about.

There was no reason to save it anymore.

"Please..."

She closed her eyes.

"Someone..."

Her fingers tightened around the crystal.

"Help us."

CRACK!

The Emergency Crystal shattered.

A brilliant beam of light erupted into the sky.

The pillar of golden energy pierced through the clouds, illuminating the surrounding mountains.

The Geo Wyrm stopped.

Ayame opened her eyes.

The Lapis Lion looked upward.

Something was descending from the beam.

A figure emerged from the golden light.

Slowly.

Calmly.

A pair of armored boots touched the ground.

The figure landed between Ayame and the Geo Wyrm.

He stood tall, his body covered in magnificent golden armor.

Two blades rested in his hands.

Golden light surrounded him like an aura.

Ayame froze.

She recognized him immediately.

Not personally.

But from the stories.

From conversations.

From the words Kiraya had once spoken when she was still part of Eternity Lions.

Auram.

Rio's summon.

The legendary Guardian of Crowned Era.

The warrior slowly turned his head.

His golden eyes settled on Ayame.

Then Ramos.

Then the Lapis Lion.

His expression remained calm.

"You called for assistance."

Ayame swallowed.

"...Auram?"

He nodded.

"Correct."

Ayame could barely believe what she was seeing.

This was the first time she had ever seen him.

She had heard Kiraya talk about Auram before. She had heard stories about the strange Guardian who fought alongside Rio, stories that made him sound less like a normal summoned creature and more like a warrior who had been given a second life inside Evermount.

But stories were different from reality.

The presence standing before her didn't feel like an ordinary summon.

It felt ancient.

Powerful.

Almost unnatural.

Auram turned toward the Geo Wyrm.

"Stay behind me."

Ayame immediately obeyed.

She pulled Ramos closer.

The Lapis Lion positioned itself beside her.

The Geo Wyrm roared.

Then it charged.

The mountain shook beneath its weight.

Rocks tumbled from the cliffs.

Its enormous jaws opened as it rushed toward Auram.

Auram didn't move.

He simply began walking forward.

One step.

Then another.

His golden armor began glowing.

The two blades in his hands shimmered beneath the growing light.

Ayame stared.

Then Auram began to chant.

His voice was calm, yet every word seemed to resonate through the mountains themselves.

"From the depths of a soul where the embers lay cold,

Awaken the secrets and legends of old.

The blood of the ancients, a forgotten decree,

Now surges like thunder to set the heart free."

Golden light began gathering around his body.

The Geo Wyrm continued charging.

Auram didn't stop.

"Reach through the veil where the starlight is born,

To mend every spirit the darkness has torn.

Transcending the brilliance of day's fading glow,

To find the true power that only gods know."

The air began trembling.

The Geo Wyrm's footsteps shook the mountain.

Auram raised one blade.

Then the other.

"Let judgment descend from the heights of the sky,

With a roar of a tempest and fire in my eye.

I summon the might that was hidden in gloom,

To herald the dawn and to seal every doom."

The golden aura intensified.

Ayame's eyes widened.

She could barely breathe.

Auram continued.

"For the kin of my spirit, the brothers I keep,

I rouse the great lions from centuries of sleep.

By the shield of the heavens and steel of my light,

None shall withstand my protector's fierce might!"

The Geo Wyrm was almost upon him.

Auram stopped walking.

He raised both blades.

His entire body became enveloped in golden light.

"Arise—"

For a brief instant, the world seemed to stop.

Then the system responded.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[Sword Skill: World Legacy Transcend]

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A massive explosion of golden aura erupted from Auram.

The light swallowed the mountain.

Ayame instinctively raised an arm to protect her eyes.

The Geo Wyrm disappeared beneath the brilliance.

Then Auram moved.

One step.

One swing.

His two blades crossed through the enormous creature.

For a single instant, nothing happened.

Then the entire ground beneath them shattered.

KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

The mountain itself cracked.

Massive sections of stone were blasted apart as the shockwave spread through the canyon.

The Geo Wyrm's enormous body cracked.

Cracks raced across its stone armor.

Then the entire creature shattered.

Stone armor.

Crystal plates.

Earth-covered flesh.

Everything disintegrated into countless particles of light.

The enormous monster that had chased Ayame across the mountains—

was simply gone.

Silence followed.

Dust drifted through the golden light.

Ayame stood frozen.

She couldn't speak.

She couldn't move.

She simply stared at the battlefield.

Auram lowered his blades.

The golden aura slowly faded.

The mountain became quiet.

Ayame swallowed.

"...That..."

Her voice trembled.

"...was one attack."

Auram turned toward her.

Ayame looked at the destroyed battlefield.

Then back at Auram.

She remembered Kiraya talking about him.

She remembered the stories.

But none of those stories had prepared her for this.

For the first time since entering Evermount, Ayame felt afraid of someone who was supposed to be on her side.

Auram wasn't simply strong.

He was terrifying.

Several hours later, Ryota opened his eyes.

The ceiling above him was wooden.

Not stone.

Not the bunker.

Not the collapsing dungeon.

Wood.

He blinked several times.

His body felt heavy, and pain spread through his muscles whenever he tried to move, but it was far less severe than before.

He slowly turned his head.

A familiar room surrounded him.

A small village clinic.

Warm lantern light illuminated the wooden walls. Simple furniture had been arranged around the room, and a small table stood beside the window.

Someone was sitting beside his bed.

Kiraya.

Fayzan sat nearby.

Both looked exhausted.

Ryota blinked.

"...What happened?"

Kiraya immediately noticed that he was awake.

She leaned forward.

"You're finally awake."

Ryota tried to sit up.

Pain immediately shot through his body.

"Ow..."

Kiraya gently pushed him back down.

"Don't move too much."

Ryota looked around.

"Where are we?"

"A village near the mountains," Kiraya answered. "You, Fayzan, and Ayame all passed out."

Ryota frowned.

"Ayame?"

Kiraya nodded.

"Yeah. She brought us here."

Ryota's eyes widened.

"She did?"

"Apparently she escaped the bunker with Ramos and found us after the place collapsed."

Kiraya gave him a tired smile.

"She was the one who got everyone to safety."

Ryota looked toward Fayzan.

The swordsman was still asleep.

His body was covered in bandages.

Ryota sighed.

"...What about Ramos?"

Kiraya looked toward the other side of the room.

"He's here."

Ryota followed her gaze.

A curtain separated another bed from the main room.

Behind it, someone was sleeping.

Ramos.

His face looked considerably healthier than before.

His breathing was steady.

His color had returned.

Ryota released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"He's alive."

Kiraya nodded.

"Stable."

Ryota closed his eyes for a moment.

Relief washed through him.

The rescue mission had succeeded.

Despite everything.

Despite the ambush.

The bunker.

Falco.

Lyra.

The collapsing fortress.

They had succeeded.

Ramos was alive.

That was what mattered.

The door opened.

Ayame entered carrying several plates of food.

Auram walked behind her.

Ryota immediately stared.

His eyes widened.

"...Auram?"

Auram calmly nodded.

Ayame smiled.

"You're awake!"

Ryota looked between her and the golden warrior.

Then frowned.

"Wait."

He pointed toward Auram.

"Why is he here?"

Ayame laughed softly.

"I summoned him."

Ryota blinked.

"You summoned Auram?"

Ayame nodded.

"I broke the Emergency Crystal."

Ryota looked toward Auram.

"Rio assigned that crystal to summon him?"

Auram answered in his usual calm voice.

"Correct."

Ryota slowly nodded.

"So when Ayame broke it..."

"I was summoned."

Ryota stared at him for another moment.

"...That makes sense."

Then his expression changed.

He looked toward Ayame.

"And Ramos?"

Ayame pointed toward the curtained bed.

"He's there."

Ryota looked toward the sleeping NPC.

Ramos remained unconscious, but his breathing was stable.

Ayame smiled.

"He'll be okay."

Ryota leaned back against the pillow.

For the first time since the mission began, his shoulders relaxed completely.

He closed his eyes.

"...Thank God."

A short while later, Ryota slowly stood from his bed.

Kiraya immediately noticed.

"Where are you going?"

"I need some air."

"You're supposed to be resting."

"I know."

Ryota gave her a tired smile.

"But I just need a minute."

Before Kiraya could argue, he walked toward the door.

The moment he stepped outside, the cool evening air touched his face.

The village was quiet.

Small lanterns illuminated the streets, while distant voices drifted through the peaceful settlement.

It was almost difficult to believe that only hours earlier he had been fighting inside a collapsing bunker.

Ryota took a deep breath.

Then opened his contacts.

His thumb hovered over Rio's name.

He typed.

Ryota:

We got Ramos.

He paused.

Then added another message.

Ryota:

The rescue mission was successful.

He sent it.

For several seconds, nothing happened.

Then Rio replied.

Rio:

I already told Silla.

Another message appeared.

Rio:

She was crying from relief.

Ryota smiled.

Then another message appeared.

Rio:

She wanted me to tell you thank you.

A pause.

Rio:

For saving Ramos.

Ryota stared at the message.

A small smile appeared on his face.

He typed back.

Ryota:

I'm glad he's safe.

He hesitated.

There was something else.

Something that had been bothering him ever since he woke up.

His smile faded.

He looked toward the mountains in the distance.

Then typed.

Ryota:

Rio.

He waited.

Then sent another message.

Ryota:

Do you know anything about "Project: Spectrum"?

The response didn't come immediately.

A minute passed.

Then another.

Ryota stared at the screen.

Rio was taking unusually long to respond.

That alone made his stomach tighten.

Finally, the message appeared.

Rio:

We need to talk about this privately.

Another message followed almost immediately.

Rio:

Don't tell anyone about it.

Ryota's expression changed.

He immediately typed.

Ryota:

So you know what it was?

He hesitated.

Then sent another.

Ryota:

You encountered it in our past life?

The response took even longer this time.

Then—

Rio:

Yes...

Ryota stared at the screen.

Another message appeared.

Rio:

Project: Spectrum...

A pause.

Then another.

Rio:

It was something I wanted to forget.

Ryota's eyes widened.

He had never seen Rio speak like that.

Not in their current life.

Not even during the worst moments of their previous life.

Whatever Project: Spectrum was—

it had affected her deeply.

Ryota slowly typed.

Ryota:

What happened?

The typing indicator appeared.

Disappeared.

Appeared again.

Then finally—

Rio sent one last message.

Rio:

It's the one thing that almost made the Silver War Goddess fall.

Ryota froze.

The village around him suddenly seemed unnaturally quiet.

He stared at the message.

The words repeated inside his head.

The one thing that almost made the Silver War Goddess fall.

Rio had spent fifteen years becoming the strongest player in Evermount.

She had defeated monsters.

Guilds.

Raid bosses.

World bosses.

She had reached a level nobody else expected.

She had become the Silver War Goddess.

And yet—

there had been something.

Something called Project: Spectrum.

Something powerful enough to nearly break her.

Ryota slowly closed his chatbox.

His expression became completely serious.

For the first time since the reset began, he understood something he had never considered before.

Maybe their second chance hadn't erased the past.

Maybe it had only delayed it.

And somewhere beyond the mountains, the remnants of Project: Spectrum had begun moving again.

The rescue mission was over.

Ramos was alive.

Their friends had survived.

Auram had revealed a power that neither Ayame nor Ryota had ever imagined.

But the victory carried an uncomfortable truth.

Their enemies had not simply been kidnapping an NPC.

They had been collecting something.

Something connected to a project that even Rio wanted forgotten.

And now that name had returned to their lives.

Project: Spectrum.

Ryota looked toward the distant mountains.

For the first time since the reset began, the future no longer felt like something they could completely control.

The past was catching up.

And this time—

Rio already knew what was coming.