Chapter 1482: Decision

Sylven remained inside his home. His youthful face still carried traces of sadness and anger that had not faded even after several days had passed.

The memories he had witnessed during the Black Rage continued to linger vividly in his mind. He doubted he would ever truly forget them. Some memories were simply too heavy to disappear no matter how much time passed.

Because of that, Sylven tried to occupy himself with his usual daily routines. He prepared his own meals, cleaned every corner of his house, and spent his days maintaining the simple life he had always lived.

But this time he did everything even more thoroughly than usual. It was less about maintaining his home and more about distracting himself from his thoughts.

At this moment, Sylven stood quietly in front of his house while gazing at the scenery stretching before him.

His home was built deep within a forest located high upon a mountain. It was a place so remote that even experienced adventurers would have difficulty finding it.

Dense forests surrounded the mountain from every direction while natural cliffs and steep paths made the journey even more troublesome. On top of that, a simple but effective Magic enchantment concealed the area from unwanted visitors and distorted their sense of direction if they wandered too close.

The house itself was simple and modest, perfectly reflecting its owner’s personality. It had become his sanctuary for many years.

Morning had only just begun. Thick mist still covered the mountain slopes and drifted slowly between the towering trees like an endless white sea.

The cold mountain air brushed gently against his face, carrying the fresh scent of dew and damp earth.

Ordinary people would have been shivering in such weather but Sylven felt nothing despite wearing nothing more than his usual simple clothing.

He stared silently at the beautiful landscape before finally letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Where do I even begin?" he muttered to himself.

There was no one he could ask.

For most of his life, Sylven had lived alone. Solitude had become so natural to him that he no longer viewed it as something unusual. The only exception had been the time he spent together with his mother.

His expression softened slightly as her image appeared in his mind. But she was gone now.

There was no point thinking about what she would have said. No matter how much he wished otherwise, she would never be able to answer his questions again.

Then there were Erend, Eccar, and Aesa.

They were his fellow Dragonborns and shared a connection unlike anyone else in existence. Yet Sylven still found it difficult to consider them his friends.

Or perhaps they already were?

He honestly did not know.

Friendship was not something Sylven understood particularly well. Most of his life had been spent wandering alone or living in isolation. Even now, after meeting people who understood burdens similar to his own, he still felt awkward thinking of them as companions outside a battle.

He let out another long sigh as he gazed toward the distant mountain peaks still hidden beneath the morning mist.

He did not know where he should begin. However, he knew one thing for certain. He could not remain here doing nothing.

He had no idea when another threat might appear. Cosmic entities capable of destroying worlds still existed somewhere beyond his sight. If another enemy appeared tomorrow, would he be ready?

The answer was no.

He needed to master the Black Rage as quickly as possible.

But how?

That question continued repeating itself inside his mind without ever producing an answer.

"Are Erend, Eccar, and Aesa feeling the same thing right now?" he wondered.

Were they also struggling to understand themselves? Were they also feeling anxious about their own inadequacies despite possessing unimaginable power?

Perhaps he was not the only one.

Eventually, an idea slowly formed inside his mind. Maybe he did not need to know where he was going. Maybe he simply needed to start moving.

He could travel alone without any particular destination in mind until he found something worth pursuing. Remaining inside this mountain and waiting for answers to come to him would accomplish nothing.

After all, wandering alone was something he had done for most of his life.

A faint smile finally appeared on his face. "Yeah. I can do that."

At last, Sylven made his decision.

After spending several days reflecting inside his home, he finally found the resolve to take another step forward. He turned around and walked back inside his house before beginning to prepare his belongings for the journey ahead.

—

Meanwhile, Erend remained at his home on Earth.

The peaceful atmosphere of the afternoon gradually faded as time passed. Before he realized it, the golden sunlight illuminating the city slowly disappeared beyond the horizon and gave way to the darkness of night.

The backyard of his house was illuminated by several small garden lamps as cool night air replaced the warmth of the afternoon.

Erend remained seated in his usual spot beneath the large tree while quietly enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

Several hours had passed since he spent the afternoon contemplating his future.

Then he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind.

A small smile immediately appeared on his face when he sensed the familiar presences.

"You took your sweet time," Erend said as he stood up from his seat.

Captain Adrien and Billy walked into the backyard shortly afterward.

It had been several weeks since they last saw one another. Their appearances remained mostly unchanged.

Billy immediately grinned and crossed his arms. "And whose fault is that? You’re the one who disappeared into another world again without giving us a proper explanation."

Adrien simply nodded his head as a form of greeting.

"It’s good to see you again," Adrien said calmly.

"You too, captain."

After exchanging greetings, the three of them sat together in the backyard. Several bottles of beer were placed upon the wooden table between them while the peaceful sounds of the city at night could be heard in the distance.

Billy immediately opened his bottle before leaning forward with curiosity shining in his eyes.

"So?" he asked. "What kind of crazy things did you do this time?"

Adrien remained silent and took a sip of his beer while waiting for Erend’s answer. His stern expression had not changed at all despite the weeks that had passed.

Erend laughed softly before shaking his head.

"Where do I even start?" he asked.

"Preferably from the part where you almost died," Billy replied immediately.

"That doesn’t narrow things down." Erend chuckled.

Billy blinked for several seconds before sighing. "Fair enough."

The three laughed quietly before Erend finally began speaking.

"This time, I went to another world, and spent most of my time in a city called Leonora."

Both Adrien and Billy immediately became more serious as Erend began explaining everything that had happened during his journey. He spoke about the people he met, the dangers he faced, and the events that eventually led him toward confronting enemies far beyond anything humanity could currently comprehend.

Of course, there were still several truths that Erend had yet to decide whether he should reveal.

Some stories could wait until another time. Or maybe never.

—