Chapter 98………………………………………
Kaiden recalled the end of his previous memories—the last moments before he turned back time.
It was a conclusion that some might have seen as the ending of the original story.
After the sacrifices of many, Kaiden succeeded in his revenge. However, his enemies—the root of all evil—did not quietly accept their defeat.
Their desperate struggle caused a massive surge of monsters across the continent. Countless lives were lost to the overwhelming waves of demonic energy.
The aftermath was so immense that it even woke a divine beast that had been asleep.
The Black Divine Beast, Caligo, awakened from its slumber, surveyed the world plunged into chaos, and came to find Kaiden.
It was because it sensed the emergence of a powerful new divinity while Kaiden’s eyes were closed.
[Are you the new Divine Beast?]
“Divine Beast…?”
[Yes. You have accumulated enough merit to elevate your status. You have already transcended spirit beasts and acquired the rank of a Divine Beast.]
Caligo showed interest that someone who had inherited his pharmic power had achieved such a result.
He also explained the concepts of spirit beasts and divine beasts, but for Kaiden, these notions held little significance.
Rather, what caught Kaiden’s attention was what Caligo said about giving up the rank of a Divine Beast.
“Can I reverse time by offering the rank of a Divine Beast?”
Countless innocent lives had perished.
Faces of those who had sacrificed themselves for the greater good—those who had fought for vengeance and to defeat the monsters—flashed in his mind.
People who were once dear to him, whose voices were now barely remembered, passed through his thoughts.
Kaiden made a swift, resolute decision.
“Tell me how to turn back time. I will offer my divinity or whatever it takes.”
There were those who had lost their lives on the journey to reach this point; why would he hesitate over the rank he had earned?
Caligo, seemingly surprised by Kaiden’s firmness, checked once more if he truly understood the implications.
[You would nullify all the power you’ve accumulated until now. The pharmic power you hold against the monsters, all that overflowing strength… it would disperse like smoke.]
“It doesn’t matter.”
[The rank of your existence, too. To give up divinity means you would fall back to being a mere creature. You would abandon a thousand years of merit to ascend as a dragon like me, returning instead to a mortal.]
What a Divine Beast truly is: a being with power comparable to a natural disaster, with a source of existence intertwined with the world itself, granting nearly infinite time.
Are you truly ready to relinquish all of that, something any living being would covet?
Caligo confirmed again, but Kaiden’s resolve did not waver.
After staring long at Kaiden’s unwavering crimson eyes, Caligo broke into a satisfied smile.
[Very well. I will teach you.]
Thus, Kaiden gave up his divinity and once more chose the chance to save those who had perished.
It was around this time that Lin Pegasus received an invitation.
From that moment, the boy could no longer be an ordinary eight-year-old.
[You reversed the world’s time?]
“Gasp! So Kaiden is a hero… um. That means he came back from a future where he had grown up?”
After hearing Kaiden’s story, Caligo pondered deeply, while Lin’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Kaiden calmly observed the girl, suppressing the emotions that floated inside him, and continued.
“No. To be precise, I received memories of the future. It was like having a long dream in one night—I saw what was to come.”
“!”
At that, Lin’s golden eyes widened to their limits.
Golden joy began to shimmer in her gaze.
Instinctively, she checked the strength she had accumulated.
“This much, I can handle.” Reassured, Lin clasped the boy’s hand with delight.
“Me too.”
Now it was the boy’s turn to widen his eyes.
Meeting his wide crimson gaze, Lin smiled brightly.
“I also saw the future in a dream one day!”
“…I see.”
Kaiden’s response was unexpectedly calm.
“See?”
“I thought it might be so.”
Tilting her head in puzzlement, Lin heard Kaiden’s composed voice, though the gleam in his crimson eyes betrayed his joy.
“I thought… you might be similar to me, Lin.”
“Kaiden and I… we saw the same future?”
“I wasn’t sure until now. But my pharmic power and your Divine Beast power… they’re essentially the same, right?”
“Oh! Because it’s the same divine power?”
Lin nodded, realizing she hadn’t thought of it that way.
During this, Kaiden calmly covered his mouth with his hand, preventing the smile from breaking free.
She’s like me… Lin, you…
Even though the suppressed laughter stirred in his stomach, bringing a twinge of pain, joy overwhelmed him.
Knock.
At that moment, the doctor entered the treatment room, signaling the end of visiting hours.
“Have you two talked enough?”
“There’s still more to say!”
“Hehe. It’s nice to see you two get along, but it’s time to end the visit for the patient’s recovery.”
To the disappointed Lin, the doctor, with a gentle smile like a goat humanoid, reassured her.
“Miss Lin, you need rest too. You’ve traveled far and may be tired. If you fall ill, your friend will be sad.”
“Okay…”
“Lin.”
As she hesitated to leave, Kaiden quickly held her hand.
“We’ll continue tomorrow.”
His eyes, filled with joy and earnestness, met hers.
Lin, stunned by Kaiden showing real emotion for once, extended her pinky.
“Okay! Promise.”
“….”
Kaiden, after a brief hesitation, linked his pinky with hers.
“Lin.”
“Uncle Theo!”
Leaving the treatment room, Lin ran into the waiting Teodor and hugged him tightly.
Teodor, lifting his niece, quickly checked to make sure she had no new injuries and hadn’t grown thin.
“Was visiting the Pavo family tiring?”
“No! It was fun! …Except Kaiden getting hurt.”
Visiting the developer of hair growth solutions and the duke’s beastman household already felt like a distant memory.
Although the deal at the castle had been completed successfully, the ambush on Kaiden by assassins on the way back left Lin looking gloomy.
Kaiden… he must have been hurt.
Though he seemed fine outwardly, Kaiden had been seriously injured.
Thinking of him alone in the treatment room after being attacked by bad adults, Lin’s lips drooped.
Noticing her sulky eyes, Teodor changed the subject.
“Lin, remember the clerics you saw earlier?”
“Oh! Right. Those adults came too.”
She had completely forgotten.
Teodor, happy to see her distracted from sulking, continued naturally.
“Yes. Clerics from the Holy Nation. They came looking for you, so I had them wait in another room.”
“My guests?”
“They wanted to honor you as a saint.”
“Oh.”
Lin almost forgot about that too.
Sitting on her uncle’s strong arm, she tapped her palm with her other fist, tilting her head thoughtfully.
Saint… I don’t really understand that, and Kaiden said not to do it.
Then she made a promise.
Recalling her conversation with Kaiden, Lin spoke lightly.
“I’ll refuse that!”
“Really? Alright.”
Teodor accepted Lin’s decision without objection.
Being named a saint by the law king was an immense honor, something other clerics who revered the royal family would have been furious about if they saw her refuse.
“Should I tell those clerics to return?”
“The clerics?”
“Yes. They wanted to meet you. What do you want to do?”
Teodor asked, willing to follow Lin’s decision without imposing any pressure.
“Hmmm.”
Lin touched her chin with her small hand, deep in thought.
Those beastmen’s superior… Numenga is my parents’ enemy, right?
For a moment, her usually round golden eyes flashed like a predator’s.
