Side Story Prologue - Dread

A/n: The side story is mostly told from an omniscient perspective.

*

Arnold's body was bathed in the warmth of the rising sun. Strange bird noises he had never heard before in his homeland came from all around and the gentle wind made the tall grass sway from side to side.

He was currently sitting against a tree in an open grassy plain. It wasn't that far from where he fought one of the [Faceless].

A whole day passed by before Arnold was ready to face the final challenge on his journey, and his goal for even coming here. Yorm's nursing was able to get him back to full strength in just 24 hours. A few minutes passed in his world apparently during this time. It seems time dilation was strongest in the divine realm.

Thinking back to the moment he set foot in this dungeon, met Rafaela and he had been the plaything of fate all this time and the negative thoughts clouding his mind still haven't gone away but he was fortunate enough to gain both newfound power and new allies.

His head was clear and he had peace and quiet to think of everything that happened so far, even the unpleasant events.

Fortunately, he was able to get some sleep last night after Yorm cast a sleeping spell on him. Hopefully he can think straight now that his drowsiness eased up a bit.

He couldn't forget what happened in the Closed Dungeon. Not just Arthur killing him but Anais and Sabrina just standing on the sidelines looking at him as he bled out.

Why did they not tell him sooner? Sabrina was trying to but shouldn't she have tried sooner before they went into that room?

An overwhelming rage wanted to force itself from the bottom of his stomach. If he dared let it consume him, he'd go on a killing spree. Yes, just like that time he dropped to this world the first time but unlike that time, he had full control so he could pick and choose what will die.

Scenes of him ripping Sabrina and Anais apart, along with their classmates, appeared in his head.

"…." Arnold closed his eyes for a moment to force the thoughts to go away, "Status." Immediately after uttering that word, multiple windows appeared in front of him. He was so tired last night that he forgot to check how much of the Ascension Pill's internal energy was left. Something else waited for him when he opened up the system window.

'What's this?' one of the windows said "You have conquered a Heroine!".

"…I did what?" interrupting his thoughts, another ding assaulted his eardrums.

System updated! Patch notes: You have defeated a hidden boss & completed [Vow of the Champion's Consort] Hidden Main Quest. You have fulfilled Guinevere's request and made sure she has no meaningful attachments or lingering regrets left anymore

Rewards:

-The Inventory has been unlocked – you can now store any items in the system's hologram window. There is currently no limit since the inventory is already at maxed level.

-The Search Function has been unlocked so you can look up any character, plant, magic item, book, scroll, etc… in the game's database and their location so long as you have sufficient information about them, as a name is nothing to go on.

-[Automatic Crafting] unlocked: Your inventory system will also allow you to craft certain items that you have the ingredients for. As you are knowledgeable about all crafted items in the game, there is no need to unlock recipes for potions and such. You can find out all your available recipes in the journal Take note that you will need to find the ingredients before crafting.

He ignored the reward section for the moment.

"It's Guinevere, huh… But I didn't defeat her. She's still alive, after all."

You have conquered a [Heroine] who was also a [Boss] so it counts as defeat.

"..."

You have conquered four others but since this route was locked behind the system's limited features, rewards couldn't be handed out.

"Be specific. I don't recall seeing [Love] in Guinevere's Condition status."

He had noticed for a while now that the condition status is just the amalgamation of everything the NPC is feeling and their physical condition itself.

Conquering a Heroine does not just mean winning her heart over. It can also mean getting her to become loyal to you. I am not able to calculate someone's affection towards you as that is something included in a bigger update.

'Is this the first time the status referred to itself in the first person? Is the update the reason for this?'

Well, that wasn't important so he ignored it. But it still felt odd not knowing if he's talking to a person or an AI.

'So, she became loyal that fast? I highly doubt it… This system has to be wrong.'

"What about Flora? Did I win her over?"

He received a short "no". Figures. He hasn't helped her save her master yet. She'll be a useful ally in the future so he should make sure she becomes loyal as well. So, if Guinevere is actually loyal to him due to him maintaining her blessing, that means he has a demon lord-level NPC on his side right now, with Flora being the second one (well, a candidate since she hasn't found enlightenment yet) if he wins her over.

Guinevere was no doubt the strongest demigod currently while he was the strongest mortal in his temporary Equilibrium. Imagine the havoc he could cause with this much overwhelming power in his hands? Ladiath's quest will be far easier to complete with this much power on his side.

"Transfer all my remaining healing potions and potion ingredients from the magic bag to the inventory."

He received an affirmative ding as he stood up.

It was much more convenient to see the items he wanted to take out instead of feeling around in his bag. They will appear on a status window as icons with numbers next to them from now on.

'I was right. Quests provide rewards to unlock the system's features. In any case, there's something else I want to check.'

"System… You said that I can look up anyone in the game's system database. Look up Guinevere's surviving child. I should have sufficient information about the Destined One, right?"

The system was quiet for a moment as the hologram screen flashed for a while.

Scanning: Searching… Searching…

That continued for a minute as if the system's signal was being blocked somehow. There's no reason for this to be the case unless another player deployed a [Delay Signal] code but that should be impossible. He suddenly heard a ding just when he was about to give up.

The name of the person flashed on the screen and the location. No, it wasn't just that but also their level, class, skills, face and occupation.

"…So, you were hiding among us as an adventurer all this time, huh?"

◊◊

Arnold was called for breakfast by the fairies soon after, so he headed back to the house. He wanted to leave immediately, but Yorm wouldn't allow it. At the mercy of her scolding, he reluctantly gave in.

The two of them were already sitting at the table eating their breakfast but the door to a nearby room opened, revealing Guinevere who was—

Naked. Well, her breasts were bare but she was still wearing panties. However, that kind of underwear isn't the kind you usually show to anyone other than your lover.

Arnold almost choked on his food.

Did she seriously sleep like this…?

While rubbing her eyes, she sat down and greeted the two of them, not noticing Arnold's bugling eyes looking at her.

Her pink buds were vulgarly pressed against the table. Does this woman not see him as a man?

"Despite having a full night's rest after I gave you a massage to relax your muscles, you still seem sleepy." Yorm commented on her yawning.

"I haven't slept in a bed for a century…" It did wonders for her joints to sleep in a bed. She regularly does stretches, of course, but those are useless if you lay on hard ground all your life. Cramps during fighting was a huge pain but it hasn't hindered her to win thus far.

"What!? How come!?"

"I never had a home…" she replied and yawned again before doing a stretch that pushed out her chest and made her breasts jiggle.

"…Right, you told me last night you've been wandering the nine realms all this time… It must've been lonely, right? I can't imagine going to places where no one recognizes me. Even though I feel lonely by myself on the edge of the divine realm, I still have the fairies as company." Yorm shoved down the memory of her giving the vegetables names and imagining them speaking to her.

'Am I imagining things or is there two small wet spots on the chest area of Yorm's dress.' Arnold had that fleeting thought as he sipped the glass of milk but the way she was sitting made it hard to tell.

"I never felt anything like loneliness or even anger when my one goal was looking for people in danger. Yorm…" Guinevere stopped eating, "You must know by now that not everyone in the divine realm is your friend when they allowed a disaster like Promethius to walk free. We've heard what happens when we allow someone like that to walk free. A god paid the price with her title which had unseen consequences."

"Ahaha..." Yorm laughed bitterly. "I'm not that naïve anymore. But you must know already—good and evil are mortal concepts. They don't apply to gods or demigods, not when we're driven by our birthright and the power it gives us. There are many that want All-Father Zephyros dead and replace him with the Star Beast."

So, due to all the unspeakable evil Zephyros had committed, they'd rather side with a lesser but more powerful evil? The gods are corrupt indeed but not as simple as evil and good, like Yorm said.

Yes, the Star Beast technically didn't do much harm to the realms besides raping billions of different creatures.

"Yorm, will you remain here as a gate guardian…?" Guinevere's question made Yorm go silent.

Arnold interjected, "You're asking as if she has a choice. Doesn't it bring great shame and ridicule from other gods when another god steps down from the duty they were assigned to?"

"…You're right."

"But…" Arnold looked at Yorm who was stabbing her eggs with her fork, "If Yorm became part of the war council, they might pardon her. The power of the last Giant, born from the womb of a Valkyrie and the seed of the last Giant—they definitely need her."

Arnold didn't know much about the War Council except that when a realm war ever happens again, every single demigod and god will assemble there. The Giants were revered for their immense physical prowess, mastery of artifacts and their bizarre arcane arts.

Yorm inherited both that and the qualities of the Valkyrie race.

"I will not deny what Arnold says but I will have to think about my future while I serve as Gate Guardian a little longer. A~nyway, since we're asking the uncomfortable questions here," Yorm's smile was unable to hide the irritation in her voice, "Are you planning on going back to your tribe, Guinevere? I'm sure your new family would love to meet their ancestor and your elderly mother would love to see her child again."

"…"

"Hmph." She harrumphed at Guinevere's silence.

Arnold glanced at her.

'Well, she didn't say no so this means she's considering it.'

That being said, her mother and the rest of her tribe didn't even stop Promethius when he took her away against her will. If Guinevere could remember everything that happened all those centuries ago, then she must still feel the same resentment towards her own people. She wouldn't begin to know how to face those same people.

"Guinevere, if there was a great evil that invaded this realm…" Arnold spoke to her but he was expecting Yorm to answer as well, "Would you fight together with your sisters knowing they would rather serve the God-Father than side with you?"

He was referring to the Valkyries, of course.

Yorm looked at Guinevere as well before opening her mouth, "You're asking that as if you're certain it will happen…"

He could hear the curiosity in her voice. Even so, he wouldn't give anything away:

"You know about the Faceless," he decided to use the Offspring as his excuse, which seems to work as Yorm frowned deeply, "What if an army of those things showed up here? It showed up out of nowhere the first time and there is still not an explanation for it."

"Guinevere…" Yorm looked at her, "…Would you… fight with them even though you despise them?"

"…I will… fight for the common people… not for the gods who want to make me obey their rules." She gave a short answer then spoke to Arnold, "What about you…? You possess immense strength now, why not use it to help others?"

"If your all-powerful All-Father Zephyros can promise me rewards then I might." Yorm sighed as if she knew he would say something like that, "Also, let me correct you: this is borrowed power, not my own."

"Right, it's Gederick's martial spirit."

Arnold nodded, "His grudge of wanting to crush you is still strong."

Guinevere smiled bitterly, wondering how their next meeting might go.

"We have a mutual beneficial relationship right now so fighting is off the table. He'll surely sap my internal energy dry and turn me into that homunculi girl again."

"What if I—" Guinevere continued, "—gave you my martial spirit as well?"

"…This wouldn't cancel out your debt to me as the one that maintains your blessing."

He continued:

"I won't rely on this power forever anyway. To me, this is merely a shortcut to my true potential." Arnold clenched his fist under the table, "I want to be proud of the power I obtained through my hard work, not the workings of a martial spirit that was not even my own."

"I see…" a small smile appeared on her face as her eyes turned downcast as she remembered something pleasant.

Unknown to Arnold, she saw a younger Gederick in him—a tenacious warrior brimming with youthful enthusiasm.

"About the Faceless you mentioned," Guinevere forcibly put a stop to her reminiscing and changed the subject, "Yorm shared a little about your encounter with the creature. I would like to investigate these creatures. I'll begin asking around in town if anyone saw anything strange."

"Don't limit your search to the divine realm. It's possible they can appear anywhere if even the secure Divine Realm was breached." Arnold interjected with that.

"I have something that can help you with realm traversal." Yorm reassured her, "Truth be told, I wanted to ask you if you could handle this from the start, which is why I even mentioned it last night. I would like nothing more than to do it myself…"

"I will get to the bottom of this."

Looks like Arnold didn't need to do the investigation himself. He was thankful for that since he had a lot of other things to do.

Their time at the table ended and soon it was time for Arnold to go. Yorm confirmed that all Arnold's injuries were healed so she didn't pester him to stay any longer. Of course, she packed him some lunch for the road as if he was her son that she's seeing off to his first day at school. There was no reason to refuse her generosity. Her cooking was on the level of a royal chef so that was one other reason not to refuse.

Gathered in an open field filled with tall grass, the three of them stood together, with Yorm standing a bit further away from Arnold. She stared silently at the rainbow-colored gate in the distance—the realm gate she was responsible for guarding.

"I caught her gazing at that gate last night," Guinevere said softly, standing beside Arnold. She wore a white, flowery dress—one of Yorm's—that barely reached her knees, too short for her height. It struck Arnold as odd: the last giant, yet she wasn't even the tallest between the two. "She had the same absentminded expression on her face."

Arnold followed Guinevere's gaze to the distant structure. A gate meant to keep something out—or perhaps to trap something in. What could she be waiting for, staring at it so intently?

The image stirred a memory. A story he'd read as a boy: a young girl, abused by her father every day, who spent hours staring out a window. She longed for the wolves she feared at night to come, because what lay outside seemed safer than what waited inside.

But was this the same? Yorm didn't look afraid. She looked... expectant or hopeful.

"I should keep her company for a few days longer," Guinevere continued. "We can patrol the edge of Ofore together before I begin my investigations. Leaving so soon feels unfair to her."

Arnold wasn't inclined to agree—after all, he'd left abruptly the last time. Then again, to Yorm, he was just a stranger, offering no more comfort than the fleeting song of a morning bird outside her window.

"The Fae once told me I had the same expression on my face while I was stuck to the Gardtree," Guinevere added, her tone quieter now. Arnold recalled those fairy-like creatures and their disdainful looks back then.

"And what were you waiting for?" he asked.

"A purpose." Her gaze looked distant, as if she remembered the past. "Until today, I had no concrete goal—I was just waiting for one to find me. Such is the fate, I suppose, of those who have lost hope in themselves."

Arnold knew exactly what she meant.

'If Yorm lost hope, then she would've left this place already.' he made eye contact with Guinevere, noticing her meaningful gaze as if she had the same thought as him, 'Maybe that hopeful expression is her optimism that the gates won't be needed soon anymore.'

"It's about time for me to go, Goddess Yorm." Arnold walked up to Yorm and said, "You're not going to ask me if I remembered to brush my teeth, are you?"

A chuckle came out of her before she turned around, "Don't get into any big fights anytime soon. It's a miracle your body is still standing after releasing two large-scale combustions that can destroy nations."

She continued, "If you feel something snap, withdraw immediately if you get into a big fight."

Like string tied together, one's meridians can sometimes fray under too much strain, unraveling bit by bit until they snap entirely. This is especially a worry when they're vulnerable, like Arnold's right after he used Aether Combustion.

Another large-scale combustion or going full power might end up killing him. The words the merchant said to him echoed in his mind and he recalled Rafaela's face of all people.

Maybe it's the promise the two had that made him recall her face.

"I'll be careful." He meant that.

Yorm made a small smile before she walked past him, her long hair swaying in the wind.

Arnold looked towards Guinevere. She stood with her back straight, put one hand on her chest and the other arm close to her chest with her knuckles facing the sky—the traditional Vlkyrie salute to superiors in the army.

She acknowledged him as someone above her in authority, basically.

After finishing her salute, Guinevere followed after Yorm.

"—Let's go get that book."

Saying so to no one in particular, Arnold vanished.

…

…

"…."

The air reeked of ash, and the world stretched out before him, drained of all color, a canvas robbed of its vibrancy. A trail of dead Fae led up to the hill, their fragile forms curled in death. Their ashen skin cracked, and their once-glimmering wings were brittle, disintegrating with the faintest touch of the wind.

Arnold's gaze shifted to the lone beacon of light piercing the gloom. He moved toward it, each step accompanied by the crunch of withered grass beneath his boots.

This devastation—it couldn't be his doing. His battle with Guinevere had been fierce, but not even their clash could have wrought such complete annihilation. The world's emptiness whispered to him, chilling his breath as it misted in the freezing air. Every pulse of life he had sensed during the fight was gone, erased as if it had never been.

Standing in the cold glow of the ever-living Gardtree, Arnold looked up. Its golden leaves shimmered faintly, a cruel reminder of life amidst the desolation. Yet even in its radiant presence, the world felt no less dead. The tree's matte-black bark seemed to drink in the light, and the longer he stood before it, the more it felt like it was siphoning something from him—a slow, subtle draining of his vitality.

His fists tightened as his mind churned.

'If you truly are the cause of this world's ruin…'

The thought hung heavy, the words forming unspoken on his lips. His arm rose prepared to deliver a blow that would shatter the tree's eerie dominion. But a second thought crept in like a whisper:

'Perhaps its power doesn't extend beyond the dungeon worlds. If it poses no threat to the future and my world then…'

The tension in his arm ceased as he lowered his fist. His gaze lingered on the tree's impenetrable bark, waiting—hoping—for some response, some sign that it was aware of him. But the Gardtree remained silent, unmoving except for the faint rustle of its leaves.

His eyes shifted to the portal still shimmering nearby. With a final glance at the tree, he turned and trudged toward the gateway.

However, the closer he got towards the portal, the greater the sense of dread he felt from the tree, became.

Fighting the urge to turn around, he walked through the portal, reaching the last stop of his adventure.

Even after he vanished, the tree remained silent, the sound of leaves scraping against each other being the only sound in this area.