I suddenly had such a thought. When exactly did I become Osian?
The moment I purchased that game and first started it? Or was it when I finished the first playthrough boss? Was it during the repeated playthroughs? Or perhaps when I finished the final 99th playthrough?
I don't know. It wouldn't be strange whenever it was. In all those moments, I was Osian.
I remember that moment. The moment I defeated that divine being with the name of the Law that oppressed the world. Its corpse transformed into golden powder, beautifully adorning the air, and some spiritual and mystical power filled my body.
In that moment, I gained the qualification for ascension, and I should have ascended to the sky to become part of the Stellar Veil, just as my predecessors and the ancestors from even more distant times had done. In a way, it was the established order of the world.
However, at that moment, I was overcome by one question. Why do humans live as lower beings in this world despite having such potential?
Besides me, there must have been many who had the qualification for ascension. There must have been demi-humans too. There would have been many elves, dwarves, and beast-folk as well.
Naturally, there were humans too. They also had the qualification for ascension and became part of the Stellar Veil. Why do such humans still remain as the weak of the world? Having the qualification for ascension means being able to fight against the world's oppression, so why.
'Because the flow is cut off.'
In a world where all the strong who surpass a certain level disappear, how can humans become strong?
Whenever things become somewhat livable, the strong ascend, so humanity's power always repeats the cycle of trying to become strong only to become weak again.
Other races face similar situations, but they are fundamentally strong. Because they have more innate advantages than humans, they don't need to worry about gaps in their power even when ascenders appear.
Only humans are the most affected.
'This is a problem I cannot overlook.'
After I ascend, what comes next? The same things will repeat again. Humans will be unable to become strong, and thus the mystical beings will dominate once more.
In the end, it's a continuous repetition. Just like how I always return to the same playthrough. I instinctively knew I couldn't let that happen. In that moment, I realized one method.
I will ascend. However, I know that this power I possess will be incomparable to any other ascender who has ascended until now.
I willingly refused ascension before the ending scene that should have ended with ascension and scattered all the power I possess throughout this world.
It wasn't to destroy the world. Rather, it was the opposite.
A world that receives salvation through a small number of superhumans is abnormal. I am one of those small number of superhumans, but at least I didn't desire any privilege or reward for it.
This wasn't out of any compassion or sympathy for the weak either. What is this emotion? Yes, it was a kind of strictness.
Aren't you also beings who live in this world? No matter how weak, if you're born and want to live, you must inevitably struggle. Yet they bow their heads because they're weak, and receive the care of the strong because they're weak.
Care extends their lives, but doesn't solve the fundamental problem.
What I wanted was one thing.
A world where everyone can fight equally, without distinction between weak and strong. Standing against injustice. Standing against oppression. Standing against strength. A world where everyone can assert their will and seize their freedom.
That's what I desired.
So I scattered all my power across the entire continent. Countless shooting stars crossed the night sky. The power of stars, moon, and sun spread to the far reaches of the continent.
Having exhausted my power that way, I lost the qualification for ascension. But that was fine. This was a qualification I willingly gave up. There was no regret whatsoever.
Enveloped in starlight, I fell to the earth. It felt like everything in the world was pulling me down.
In that falling sensation, I saw the place where I first opened my eyes. In game terms, the underground ruins that were the starting point.
I turned toward that place as my final direction, and with a tremendous collision sound, my memory was cut off there. Thinking it was most appropriate to return to where I had originally come from.
And after a long time had passed, when I opened my eyes, countless ages had flowed by and the world had undergone such tremendous changes it was unrecognizable.
I finally regained my memories. But that didn't mean any enlightenment came rushing in, making my power grow beyond imagination.
I simply resolved the question of how I ended up like this.
Nothing changes. The Void is approaching this world, and the moment of destruction is gradually opening its enormous maw.
In the meantime, I can only endure and wait. I wish I could stop the Void from coming, but that's probably impossible.
This is a knight's intuition. I desperately realize it's a predetermined sequence of fate that can never be reversed no matter what I do.
So the choice I made is to spend the days as always.
I trained with the knight orders. This time, I even drew the Starlight Sword myself and sparred with them.
They were moved and each drew their own Starlight and Moon Scar, fighting with all their might.
Lukai also came. He possessed an even more powerful Sun Ring aura than when I saw him before.
In this Wilde Jagd attack, District 40 suffered almost no damage. Wilde Jagd's objective was the collapse of Tirna. They launched air raids centered on places that could be called Tirna's core areas.
District 40 is a half-abandoned place in Tirna. That's why there was virtually no damage from this Wilde Jagd attack.
Nevertheless, Lukai led the old Red Liberation Army and fought to protect Tirna. Whatever political intentions there might have been, the fact that he fought hard and achieved merit didn't change.
He achieved remarkable results and even gained fame. Among those, the greatest gain would be the Sun Ring Sword that became even stronger through real combat.
His fighting, wreathed in a sword of flames and wearing a red scarf, was famous enough to be photographed in newspapers even though he was an enemy.
"May I check your progress?"
"By all means."
I also sparred with Lukai. Indeed, his Sun Ring Sword was strong and hot. I was impressed that Lukai had become unrecognizably stronger in such a short time.
After the sparring ended, Lukai laughed with his sweat-drenched face and said.
"I thought I'd become strong, but compared to you, I'm still woefully inadequate."
What? Even looking like this, I handle all the energies of sun, moon, and stars.
After exchanging a few words, Lukai left with the old Liberation Army. They had things they needed to do. I carefully watched the backs of the departing Liberation Army. The intense Sun Ring heat I felt from Lukai was also faintly felt from them. If it wasn't an illusion, they too must possess the flames of the Sun Ring. They just can't manifest it yet due to lack of opportunity, but it's only a matter of time.
With this, has even the Order of the Sun been completed?
However, they don't serve me. They only follow Lukai. Unless Lukai becomes the Knight Commander and follows me, that is.
I was about to leave after finishing my highly anticipated sparring with Asmer as my last. But for some reason, there was an unexpected person blocking my path.
"What?"
Seeing that face made me speak bluntly without thinking. The other party was the same.
"Spar with me too."
Lupona the dark knight stood before me holding her pitch-black sword for once.
Usually, she just sunbathes like some cat or follows Ena around, so why is she applying for a sparring match with me?
Her eyes aren't playful. She was surprisingly serious. Perhaps she knows that some crisis is approaching this world. Even that she can't protect Ena with her power alone.
"I don't go easy. Especially if the opponent is you."
"That goes for me too, you know?"
Rather, Lupona seemed to think this was a good opportunity for a rematch from when we first fought, her expression overflowing with spirit. It was the same for me. An opportunity had come to legitimately discipline this insolent creature.
I suddenly recalled why I don't particularly like Lupona. It's not because I dislike that she's a knight who uses opposing power. It's a somewhat more fundamental problem. Right. Lupona is a mutant doppelganger who copied my appearance based on my genes.
Now that form is fixed, and that itself has become Lupona's essence. That's why I could tell. I hate to admit it, but Lupona was genetically quite similar to me yet different...in other words, like a younger sister.
How could I endure this? Just seeing that creature makes me want to punch her—it was an irresistible instinct.
I nodded and yielded the first move to her.
Lupona charged at me. Her movements were truly wolf-like.
After finishing what wasn't really a sparring match with Lupona, I immediately headed to the next location. With not much time left, I need to move busily.
I had already decided where I needed to go.
I scattered light into the world. It was a seed that permeated the people of this world. Then came the moment I opened my eyes. It was an era far removed from the time I originally remembered.
But now I understood why I opened my eyes at this time. That too was as I had feared.
While attempting to ascend, I saw the Stellar Veil. I saw that the countless stars in the sky were actually ascenders, and also saw them forming formations and fighting against external enemies.
However, I went further and saw the world beyond that. A world of just pitch-black darkness where nothing could be seen. But that was definitely the outer world. A world where all kinds of beings and outer gods reside.
From beyond that, I felt an enormous power stirring that couldn't be resisted. And the fact that it would someday bare its fangs at our world.
My awakening wasn't a coincidence. This was all predetermined inevitability. What determined that inevitability was some fate, and my will.
The place I headed to was the Goldiron family. It was still a mansion with tremendous dignity, almost worthy of being called a palace.
"It's been a while."
Sebastian welcomed me. He looked more disciplined and composed than before. How could a tuxedo that clings so tightly to the body suit an orc so well?
I smiled and patted Sebastian's shoulder. He looked quite surprised by just that.
"The family head is waiting."
"Right. Let's go."
Following his guidance, I immediately headed to the Goldiron family's office.
"This place seems intact."
That's what I said as soon as I entered.
Delran, still engaged in a staring contest with documents, glanced at me and asked.
"You look healthy. I heard you achieved remarkable merit this time too."
I naturally sat across from him. A chair was already prepared, as if he knew I would come.
"It wasn't an easy fight."
"And there will only be difficult fights ahead too."
I was the one surprised by those words. Because Delran's words weren't just casually thrown out.
"Don't tell me you knew?"
"Knowing or not, in times like these, I have no choice but to watch the flow of world affairs even more closely."
Delran pressed his temples with his fingers as if tired.
"I knew the Kingdom of Baienrus had been increasing its military power for some time, but after this Wilde Jagd attack, their movements became blatantly obvious. As if they knew this would happen, there's no excess."
I looked at Delran with admiration. Yes. This man was like this. He had an exceptionally keen eye for reading the times. And he possessed better judgment than anyone.
"I've been carefully watching what you've been trying to do from before."
"That's a bit creepy."
"I'm the financier providing money, so I need to know where my money is going. How else could I be called Goldiron?"
Delran placed the documents on the desk and interlaced his fingers.
"And someone of my level can know many things. Even though I may look like this, I'm the head of Goldiron. So you don't need to come explain everything to me one by one. I already know that the world is in danger of destruction."