"There’s no need for that." An old voice, devoid of its usual flair, cut through the brief silence like a thunderclap in still rain.
It wasn’t that Nando chose this exact mont to speak.
He just lucked out in timing, and quite frankly, he was still unsure of what he was doing.
This was what he wanted to do, but at the sa ti, sothing within him protested, clawing at the walls of his heart and mind.
He had attempted to complete his quest more than a few dozen tis, and the only ti he was on the verge of success, he would fall to sothing as stupid as sentint!
Hadn’t he lost that long ago?
Why? Why did this particular group of wretches have to be so likable...so earnest? Had they not been so, throwing them to a deadly, extra toil would have been easy!
A few would’ve returned to their worlds, and he would regain his youth and restore his world, whatever that would an.
This vagueness of the second reward, however, was what threw him off.
Would it be a thriving world with his kin alive — one rebuilt through the rewinding of ti? Or would it be a bland, empty realm with only him roaming its loneso expanse?
If it were the latter, then he’d rather stay here.
He could farm for sustenance, roam the gray lands, or save another wretch or two for companions when the ti cos he truly can’t bear the stifling solitude again.
At the very least, there would be two wretches killing each other for his amusent sowhere from ti to ti.
If it was the forr, though...Oh! What stupidity he was doing!
Yet, why wasn’t he regretting it? Why was he eager to shoot off with his mouth, as if he wanted nothing more than to see the relieved smiles on the faces of the younguns?
Had he actually gone senile?
Everyone froze at Nando’s interruption, a seed of doubt and hope budding in their hearts.
What did the old man an by "there’s no need for that"?
There’s no need for what, exactly? Surely...surely he didn’t an there was no need for a final, dangerous toil that would most likely thin their numbers brutally?
"W-What do you an?" Caleb trembled, the sa expectant eyes giving the uncertain old man a gentle push towards a certain direction.
The worrywart leader...he had toiled the hardest, for sure, and Nando was quite fond of him, even though he never really showed it.
Would it be laughable to say that he viewed the young man as his grandchild?
After all, Caleb most likely didn’t feel the sa, given how he had been acting whenever he was with them.
But that’s alright. In fact, that is how it should be.
Everything was according to his designs, so that when it was ti to part ways — just in case things would progress to that point — it wouldn’t be too difficult.
At least for the younguns.
They had their entire lives ahead of them, after all, while he...he was but a desperate old coot clinging to a desperate hope that was more likely to betray him and leave his expectant, aged heart shattered into a thousand pieces than not.
Why the hell would he care about those whatever entities?
His decisions were rooted solely in the rewards, the promised youth and what he yearned to be a happier ending of his world being restored.
Those divinities or profanities could play their little ga, for all he cared.
Only...Nando had decided to forsake whatever it was he had been chasing. Farming here for eternity and guiding unfortunate Visitors he would stumble upon didn’t seem so bad...
"Exactly what I said. I lied. I said you guys need to take the Gravewarden’s head, but you don’t need to. The mont you obtained the key, you had everything you needed. Co, follow ."
The old man, now devoid of his portrayed lunacy, led everyone to the Goddess Statue so distance away.
The wretches followed, erupting into excited whispers. So overly optimistic ones were even tearing up already.
The weaker ones among the Damnedlings of the Army, in particular, couldn’t help but sob, then weep.
After all, they were probably among those who wouldn’t be able to return to their worlds but couldn’t cower away, either, slim as their chances of survival were.
They felt weak as overwhelming relief washed over them
Soon, the rciful Goddess Statue ca into view, its eyes gazing upon them as though eager to bestow her grace.
Nando stopped, then turned.
"Brat, co here and hold that key close to the statue."
Daru did as he was told, raising his arms and pointing the Key of the Vile Five to the Goddess built of stone.
The unsightly relic shook for a while.
Then, a gray light manifested into existence, hovering like a huge firefly atop the spinning crown.
A notification followed:
[Your Soulbound Relic: The Key of the Vile Five, has obtained a temporary ability: [Divine Pardon].]
There was no need for Daru to check what the ability does.
He could feel it, as the relic was bound to his soul. He could cleanse them of their "Damned" status with a re thought.
In all honesty, Daru was both glad and disappointed, but more so the forr.
He had been prepared for one last daunting battle. He was even looking forward to battling the Gravewarden.
However, he was more delighted, as this ant that Egress was done spilling blood for the escape.
It was already within their grasp, after all, and in an hour or two, at most, this place...would be empty, and he would never see so of his comrades again.
Thrad, Aesyn, and many others whose worlds are not tied to his.
A bittersweet thought.
Still, he was ready to move on to the next Chapter of his life. It was a very eventful few months.
"Caleb, you first," Daru called out.
Caleb’s heart was beating out of his chest for sheer excitent and a bit of nervousness.
He had always been a worrywart, and the thought of "what if the final step didn’t work out" crept like a small, living shadow at the back of his head.
The decisive mont had co.
He stood in front of Daru like an expectant wretch waiting for the grace of the gods that had long eluded him.
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