A Background Character’s Path to Power Chapter 154 154: Beginning After The End

I went silent for a mont, the mory of that searing pain still fresh in my nerves.

This was the hardest part to explain—not because it was complicated, but because it would reveal just how close I'd co to actually dying.

"...As soon as the explosion hit," I began, my voice low, "I activated the Dark Verdant Shield."

Zephyr's eyes flickered in recognition—the defensive feature I got from Virion's Blessing. It could withstand a single lethal blow, but it only lasted for half a second.

"And then," I continued, "I used [Veil of the Unseen Burden], it's a resonant relic I prepared beforehand."

Another half-second of protection.

Just enough ti for the final relic—[The Last Embrace]—to wrap itself around .

The bandages had been a reward from that damn ball incident, a hidden objective I'd unknowingly completed. They could absorb catastrophic damage… for exactly one second.

If Virion had been even a fraction slower—

"I wouldn't be here right now," I finished quietly, glancing at the serpent. "I'd be gone."

Virion, uncharacteristically solemn, gave a slow nod. "If not for that old hag's interference, I would've snatched you out sooner." His tail flicked irritably. "But thankfully, everything worked out. It was quite thrilling, actually—I even managed to let off so steam."

I nodded, though my thoughts were darker.

Thrilling wasn't the word I'd use.

The truth? The shield and the Veil had only lasted three-quarters of a second combined, leaving exposed for that terrifying sliver of ti before the bandages finished weaving around .

And that fraction of a second had been enough.

Even now, just rembering it—

The way the heat and things I couldn't describe had seared through my skin before the bandages could fully protect .

The way my vision had whited out from pain.

The way my lungs had burned, like I'd inhaled liquid fire.

A shudder ran through , my bandaged fingers twitching involuntarily.

Zephyr noticed. Of course he did.

His gaze sharpened, lingering on the way my shoulders had tensed. "How much of the explosion hit you before the bandages activated?"

"It wasn't that bad," I said simply.

The words hung in the air, heavy with everything I wasn't saying.

Enough to scar.

Enough to haunt .

Enough that even now, sotis, I wake up choking on the sll of my own burning flesh.

Virion's tail tapped against the floor, breaking the silence. "Jie jie~ No need for such gloomy faces! You survived, didn't you? And now—" His grin turned sharp. "You're officially dead as you wanted. That's sothing worth celebrating for!"

Zephyr's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue.

Because Virion was right.

The plan had worked.

I was free now.

But as the phantom pain lanced through my ribs again, I couldn't help but wonder—

At what cost?

"..."

The silence stretched between us as I wrestled with my thoughts.

The pain, the cost—it was too easy to get lost in those dark mories. I shook my head inwardly, forcing myself to focus on the positives.

I hadn't co out of this empty-handed either.

There was one (un)expected benefit—the System had finally finished updating. I still rembered that distinctive ding cutting through the explosion's roar, the last thing I'd heard before losing consciousness.

And when I'd woken up in Virion's domain, the first thing I saw was that mocking notification:

[Congratulations! You have died.]

My soul had nearly left my body all over again from shock.

I was gonna curse the system a lot after that if not for the good news it brought.

Finally, I-

"-Aman!"

Zephyr's deep voice jolted from my thoughts.

"W-what?" I replied awkwardly, blinking up at him.

He studied with that piercing gaze of his. "I asked what you were going to do next?"

The question hung in the air between us. After a pause, he added, "Don't you want to see your family?"

I fell silent again. This wasn't a decision I'd made lightly.

"Actually... I've been thinking about it for the past days," I admitted. "And I've decided—I'm going to travel the world."

I turned the question over in my mind, weighing all the possibilities I'd considered during my recovery.

I could have settled into another academy/kingdom or even continent—I would have hidden my identity, started fresh. But the thought of sitting through lectures again made my skin crawl. I could always learn on my own anyway, or from Zephyr.

On the other hand, I could have joined Cassandra and the princess in the Empire. I could have gotten into the business under a new identity, and with my "death," no one would connect us. And we could build that business empire.

But that path ca with its own complications—political/business gas, noble expectations, and Cassandra's... particular brand of intensity. I would probably be buried under work and stress, and I clearly didn't want that.

Adventuring had its appeal too. Roaming from town to town, taking odd jobs, living free. But it felt too aimless for what I needed now.

No—what I wanted was sothing more.

To see the world beyond textbooks and academy walls.

To learn from masters in hidden dojos, from rogue mages in forgotten ruins, from warriors who'd never set foot in a sanctioned training ground.

To chase the mysteries of my lost mories while sharpening myself against the world's challenges.

And yes—to keep my promise about Aeron's sword, though that would have to wait until I could reveal myself again. Or I could always contact him through Zephyr later.

But one thing was already clear...

This wouldn't be so leisurely tour.

It would be a journey of growth, of discovery, of becoming soone who could soday finally stand unshaken against whatever ca next.

My fingers absently traced the edge of my bandages as I t Zephyr's gaze.

And...

"My holand will be the first stop."

The words settled between us, simple but weighted with aning. It was where everything had begun—where my fractured mories and unanswered questions waited. Where I could finally see my family, even if only from the shadows.

And after that?

The world was wide, and I intended to walk every corner of it.