Chapter 789 The Hero's Plan
At first, his steps were hurried.
He walked as though he was running—fast, and far away from the room he proceeded out of.
However, after creating some distance between himself and the door, Adonis slowed down. His legs slowly moved, as his golden hair bathed in the late evening glow.
Classes in the Academy ended pretty late; into the evening, for that matter. Thanks to escorting Rey to his room, and having the discussion he had with him, more time had passed than he initially realized.
Not only did this mean he was behind schedule in training, but it also meant he had completely disrupted his detailed plan for success.
Though, at the moment, none of that seemed to matter.
This was why he finally slowed down while walking—why he could feel each step getting heavier as he struggled to properly breathe while his racing heart nearly drove him mad.
He felt like tearing his chest apart due to how fast his heart was beating. His brain pounded too, causing him to enter a state of emotional pain, all of which he did his best to suppress as he marched forward—one step at a time.
"Haa… haaa…" Misty breaths leaked from both his nostrils and lips as he felt the coolness of the evening wash over him.
'... I'm sorry, Rey, Lucielle… everyone.'
His thoughts rang through, yet he didn't like that fact. He didn't like how attached he still was, despite how resolved he was to march forward.
'Seeing you today, Rey… talking to you… I-I nearly wavered. But… this has to be done. No, I should be even more determined to make it work because of you.' Despite these thoughts flowing in his head, Adonis still had the same pounding feeling in his chest.
It didn't want to stop.
'This reminds me of old times. Me, you, and her… we're back here—the Dragon Continent.'
Was this fate? A twist of destiny perhaps? Adonis wasn't sure.
He was certain about one thing, though: the fact that he wouldn't let anything deter him from doing what had to be done.
That was the whole reason why he was here… the reason he left.
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[Several Months Ago]
"DAMNIT!!!" Disheveled, with his bloodshot eyes swollen due to the tears he had shed all day and night, Adonis yelled in the solace of his room.
Veins appeared all over his face as he screamed, displaying both rage and sorrow.
Bereavement had become his only companion following the days after the Dragon attack on the Capital, and the death of his classmates.
Two of his classmates died due to the overwhelming appearance of Dragons… all because of his weakness.
He wasn't strong enough to save his friends, and he wasn't strong enough to protect the Capital. It was all his fault that the Capital went up in flames.
Thousands upon thousands perished as a result of his weakness.
"You disgusting worm! You haven't changed at all from the past! You were given a second chance! A chance to save everyone! Lucielle and Rey sacrificed their lives for you… everyone sacrificed their lives so you could make it back and make things right! Yet… YET YOU STILL SCREWED IT UP!"
His classmates had already told him not to blame himself.
The Royal Council, The Grand Mage, and The Head Warrior—as well as everyone in the Royal Estate—praised him for his valor and bravery.
Everyone told him that he did the best he could, and tried to make him forget his weakness.
… But he couldn't.
Adonis could not forget the look Eric had before he died. He couldn't shake off the expression on everyone's face when they were about to meet certain death.
Perhaps everyone else could move forward with it, but he couldn't.
Everytime he slept, he had nightmares of the incident. Worse still, he dreamt of what was bound to happen in the future.
'More people have died and left us compared to before. If it's like this… is it even possible to win?'
Yes, Adonis understood that they were all stronger than in the past, but that also meant the adversities they faced would only grow worse in order to compensate for their growing might.
In a way, this was what Lucielle warned him about.
'The Dragonfly Effect…' His thoughts trailed.
He had changed too much of the past, and now everyone was suffering for it. Perhaps he didn't change enough.
So many thoughts ran in Adonis' mind at that moment, until he realized the terrible truth about himself—and the current state of this world.
'At this rate, it will be a repeat of last time.'
His goal when returning was to save everyone, but a few people had died already, while the others deserted them.
Rey was in a coma, and Alicia was under a curse. The rest weren't particularly shining stars before his regression—except Belle, of course.
Regardless, they were bound to reach their limits soon enough.
'And once that happens, it's game over. I can't beat the enemies alone, but… at this rate, I'll lose even more friends.'
He could see the many mistakes he had made along the way, and as he realized those errors—realizing how much he had messed up—he couldn't help but drown in an overwhelming sea of regret.
'We never beat a Dragon Lord in the past. There's still the Dragon Emperor to consider. How can we even… I don't… this is…'
Ultimately, Adonis felt stuck.
Until—
"A-ahh…!" His eyes widened at that moment, and he collapsed to the ground on his knees.
—He found a way!
Adonis found the only way that he and his friends could still win.
By following this path, even the deaths of Eric, Billy, and everyone else who perished as a result of mistakes and weakness, would be remedied.
He was the only one who could walk down this road, and he had no choice if he wanted to save everyone.
'I'll do it! I'll go to the Chamber Of Ancients again and regress once again!" Adonis thought to himself with absolute resolve.
This time, for sure, he would save the world!