Chapter 388: One task at a time

Once Luke finished eating, he washed his hands before looking back at Grella.

"Can you tell me a little more about this middleman? Like, how was he as a person?"

Grella seemed surprised by his sudden interest, but she answered nonetheless.

"He was old and very composed. Even when delivering news about the whole situation, there wasn’t so much as a shift in his tone. It was as if he were relaying the most mundane piece of information imaginable, rather than telling us that our people could potentially be annihilated."

Luke hummed thoughtfully.

He had already guessed that the man would be somewhat old and experienced. Dealing with people like that had always been difficult. They tended to view the world through a particular lens, one that made everyone except themselves seem foolish.

Regardless, there was little point dwelling on it now.

"I enjoyed the visit, but I need to be somewhere."

Grella slowly rose to her feet. Her shoulders sagged slightly before she gave him a reluctant nod.

"Right. It’s better if you leave soon..." Her voice softened. "This isn’t your fault. You shouldn’t have to get involved in all of this."

Luke let out a quiet sigh and approached her.

He placed a hand gently on her small head and looked down at her.

"I am not leaving, Grella. I’m going somewhere... to try and sort this situation out somehow."

She flinched, her eyes widening at his words.

"But Luke... this is beyond our control now. Why would you risk getting involved in all this?"

A part of her was beginning to panic at the realization, but another part of her could not suppress the small spark of hope his words had ignited.

When everything was heading downhill and every remaining hope seemed to fade before one’s eyes, even the slightest reassurance could become a lifeline.

And right now, for Grella, Luke was that lifeline.

Someone she desperately needed.

Luke gently cupped her cheeks in both hands.

"I can’t promise anything as of now, Grella, but I at least have a better chance of saving your people than anyone else. I’ll do whatever I can while making sure I stay safe myself. So don’t worry."

A faint smile touched his lips.

"No one loves me more than I love myself."

His assurance eased some of the tension in her expression. Her shoulders relaxed, and the flickering hope within her seemed to burn a little brighter.

Grella reached up and held his hand.

"After you left the last time..." she began softly. "I missed you, even though I shouldn’t have, considering we were only together for such a short time."

She lowered her gaze, her fingers tightening slightly around his.

"I always wondered why."

After a moment, she raised her eyes and looked directly into his.

"But now, I do."

Luke’s expression softened into a faint smile.

He leaned closer, closing the remaining distance between them, and captured her lips in a deep, loving kiss.

What had begun as a gentle reassurance quickly deepened, carrying all the words they had left unspoken.

Grella’s fingers curled around his hand as she leaned closer, her earlier uncertainty giving way to a quiet desperation to hold on to this moment.

Luke’s hand remained against her cheek, his thumb brushing softly across her skin as their lips met again.

The kiss grew more passionate, yet neither of them seemed eager to rush it. There was an almost aching tenderness beneath it, as though they were trying to reassure each other without saying a single word.

For those few moments, the looming danger outside seemed distant.

Grella finally pulled back just enough to catch her breath, her eyes lingering on his.

"Luke..."

He smiled faintly.

"I’ll be back for more."

Before she could respond, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, then turned and walked out of the hut.

....

Leaving the tribe proved easy enough. No one was paying attention to him, nor did anyone seem to have the energy to care. Everywhere he looked, people were consumed by either grief or rage, their attention fixed on the impending disaster rather than the stranger quietly making his way through their midst.

From somewhere behind him came the distant sound of heavy thumping and furious roaring.

Luke glanced over his shoulder.

Perhaps the chief was already preparing his ultimate army, one that might be capable of scratching a few scales off the dragons.

’Though I would have loved to see their pride crushed, I can’t let this war happen as it’s supposed to.’

The thought alone made him grimace.

If a full army of dragons descended upon the tribe, this entire side of the wall would cease to exist. There would be nothing left to defend, and Luke would probably have to go through the first level all over again.

Agh.

’Alright, System. First of all, tell me what tools could actually help me climb this thing.’

He continued eastward, gradually approaching the enormous wall.

The closer he got, the more imposing it became. It rose so high that its upper reaches disappeared into the distance, leaving Luke to wonder just how anyone had ever managed to construct something of such absurd scale.

He turned his head to the left, then to the right.

The wall stretched endlessly in both directions, extending far beyond the limits of his vision.

Luke clicked his tongue.

’So much for simply going around it.’

There was no point wasting time searching for an opening along the sides. If the wall truly continued this far, then crossing the border would have to be done from above, not around it.

His gaze slowly traveled upward.

’Looks like I’m climbing.’

[Host, your shop has been modified and would represent items based on the circumstances.]

[For example:

[Name: Sticky Gloves]

[Rank: B]

[Price: 700-> 350]

[Note: The host could also rent the item and pay hourly.]

Luke rubbed both of his hands. Nice.

~~~

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Check out my new story and join the discord