Chapter 1480: Calm Afternoon

The day had begun to drift toward noon as the sun climbed high into the sky and slowly approached its zenith. Its warm light poured over the city below and washed the streets and buildings in brilliant daylight.

The world around him looked peaceful and ordinary. There were no signs of danger lurking beyond the horizon and no indication that countless worlds and incomprehensible cosmic entities existed beyond the blue sky stretching endlessly overhead.

At this moment, Erend had yet to report his return to General Lennard at the military base. Technically, he should have done so the moment he returned to this world. His duties as a soldier and his position within the military demanded it.

Even so, Erend decided not to rush. For once, he wanted a little time for himself before throwing himself back into responsibilities and endless reports.

Besides, considering his current position within the military and everything he had accomplished, he doubted anyone could truly force him to do anything he did not wish to do. Even General Lennard understood that Erend was no longer simply an elite soldier. He had become something far beyond the military’s authority.

Earlier, Erend had spoken with his mother and asked about everything that had happened during his absence. To his surprise, there was nothing particularly alarming. The world remained relatively peaceful. There were no mysterious disasters, no god-like entities descending from the sky, and no terrifying dimensional incidents threatening humanity’s survival.

The news remained filled with ordinary problems and everyday conflicts that now seemed insignificant when compared to the things Erend had witnessed beyond his world.

Humanity continued moving forward as it always had. People went to work, children attended school, and the city remained alive with the mundane rhythm of normal life.

It almost felt strange to him that the world could continue so peacefully while he knew that somewhere out there, cosmic beings capable of destroying entire worlds still existed.

Erend sat quietly in the backyard of his home right now, beneath the shade of a large tree while holding a bottle of soda in his hand. A gentle breeze brushed against his face as the leaves above swayed softly under the afternoon sunlight. It was peaceful. So peaceful that it almost felt unreal after everything that had happened.

He leaned back slightly and stared up at the clear blue sky above him. It was beautiful.

But he knew better than anyone that the sky was nothing more than an illusion of safety.

Beyond that seemingly endless blue existed countless worlds connected by mysteries humanity had not to comprehend yet. Somewhere out there were ancient beings older than any civilizations of humanity or even non-human entities. There were forgotten gods sleeping in distant realms, and there were also entities capable of corrupting entire worlds patiently waiting for their chance to emerge.

The vast cosmos concealed truths that would drive ordinary people into madness if they ever learned of them.

"Who would have thought that all of that existed beyond this sky?" he thought quietly.

There had been a time when he looked at the sky and wondered whether humanity was alone in the universe. Now that question felt almost laughable. Humanity was not alone. In fact, humanity was unimaginably insignificant compared to what truly existed beyond their understanding.

He took another sip of his soda and sighed softly.

Eventually, he would have to meet Adrien and Billy. There was no avoiding it. The two of them had followed him through countless dangerous situations and had become more than comrades over the years. They were among the very few people on this world who understood even a fraction of the truth behind Magic, his power of System, and the existence of other worlds.

He needed to tell them about his experiences in the other world and everything that had happened afterward. They deserved to know what awaited them in the future and what kind of path he intended to walk from this point onward.

But one particular question continued bothering him. Should he tell them about the cosmic threat?

The existence of beings like the Void Architect and Nyssara was not something ordinary people could easily accept. Even among humanity’s strongest Magic users, the mere scale of such an enemy was enough to inspire despair.

What would his captain Adrien and Billy think if he told them that there were entities capable of consuming entire worlds? Would they become afraid? Would they begin living in constant anxiety while waiting for an inevitable catastrophe?

He trusted both of them completely, but trust did not necessarily mean burdening someone with every terrible truth.

Sometimes ignorance truly was a blessing.

He remembered how helpless he had felt the first time he learned about Zerathul and the Chaos Gods. Even now, after becoming a Dragonborn and growing stronger beyond imagination, there were moments when he questioned whether he could truly stand against what was coming.

The Void Architect and Nyssara were still out there. The corruption spreading across countless worlds was still able to happen. Everything that had happened until now felt like nothing more than the beginning.

Erend sighed once more and closed his eyes for a moment.

There was also the matter of his own journey.

He had already made his decision. The path before him was something he needed to walk alone, at least for now. Bringing others with him would only place them in unnecessary danger.

The enemies he would face from this point onward were no longer threats that could be measured by armies or kingdoms. Entire civilizations had fallen before such beings. Even Dragonborn could die fighting them, he was sure of that.

The question now was where he should begin.

Should he continue investigating the remaining mysteries of the System with Veyrun? Should he search for more information regarding the Void Architect and his creations? Or perhaps there were other worlds that required his help before the coming storm arrived.

There were simply too many possibilities and too many unknowns.

Erend realized that strength did not necessarily provide answers. Becoming stronger had only allowed him to see how vast and terrifying the universe truly was.

He looked up at the sky once more and smiled bitterly. His journey was far from over. If anything, it had only just begun.

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