NOVEL WEB Chapter 174: So…What Are Your Thoughts?
After the Herrscher of Sentience's childish antics, they finally encountered a "normal" Herrscher.
What? Anna and Chen Tianwu? Those two are even less normal than Kiana and the others!
Kallen had finally found someone worse than Otto. Otto, having been the villain for twenty-odd chapters, was finally free, now helping Kallen compose creative insults.
Kiana launched herself at Himeko again, wailing dramatically. This time, she held back the tears and snot. Himeko patted her head, smiling sadly. Kiana looked up, and burst into tears again.
Shu, having replayed Himeko's conversation with Kiana at the "Chocolate Door" several times, smiled, satisfied.
After Everlasting Flames, they moved on to the next chapter: Elysian Realm, a chapter filled with lore, the home of the Fire Moths.
Thirteen Flame-Chasers, brushing away the dust of the past, revealed the grand, tragic story of the Previous Era. As Mei delved deeper, their attention focused on these thirteen figures, embodiments of a bygone era. They were shaped by their time, and their legacy would continue…
It was a glorious, heartbreaking story, needing no bard to sing its praises, its ending a quiet testament to their sacrifice, paving the way for the next generation. That era…was called Fire Moth.
Then came Otto's chapter.
This time, he sat up, ready to watch. He'd had enough of being the scapegoat. He wanted to see how he met his end.
Cologne, San Michele, Schicksal's past…Otto grew increasingly silent as he watched, a heavy feeling settling over him.
"Um…Otto?" Kallen looked at the increasingly unhinged Otto on screen, then at the "gentle," "generous," "humble" Otto beside her, guilt gnawing at her. If…if I hadn't been so selfish in the story…if I'd stayed by his side…
Would he have become like that?
But…would I really have made a different choice?
She didn't know. It was more likely that Otto would change. Hadn't there been a different Otto in Bronya's world bubble? That Otto had become a priest, not a false god, and ultimately, met the same fate as the god he'd usurped.
This time, Otto didn't comfort her. He stared at his on-screen counterpart, who only seemed to find peace in his final moments, his "victory" a pyrrhic one.
His logic told him it wasn't worth it…but another voice whispered, If not this, then what?
You were only fighting for yourself. Success or failure…only you can judge.
Others could only erect a nameless monument, or desecrate your grave. But they could never stop you.
"Kallen…live…"
Otto exhaled, closing his eyes. No one knew what went through his mind, but when he opened them, Shu noticed a subtle shift. Before, there had been an invisible barrier between them, making Otto seem distant, unreadable. Now, it was gone. And for the first time, Shu felt a sliver of…Hope emanating from Otto. He didn't understand what it was, but it felt…like a bridge had been built.
…wait, had Otto been wary of him this whole time?! His good mood evaporated.
He wasn't the only one affected. Kallen was sobbing uncontrollably, clinging to Otto just like Kiana had clung to Himeko. Like attracts like, I guess…
Otto comforted her while giving Shu a pointed look. Happy now? You heartless monster.
Time for the next chapter, right?
Are you sure? Shu's unspoken reply hung in the air.
Otto hesitated, but Shu didn't give him time to respond, quickly starting the most emotionally charged chapter…
I cried watching this as a kid…
Otto's plan had worked. The new chapter distracted Kallen from her tears and apologies.
I told you to distract her, not traumatize her further.
The thirteen Flame-Chasers returned, but this time, the story wasn't about their era, but about them, as individuals.
"Elysia is dead."
The opening line hit Kallen like a punch to the gut, the sudden intake of breath causing a small hiccup.
How can thirteen people die fourteen times?
Just wait, it gets worse. They flip the number!
Even Otto hadn't anticipated such casual cruelty, presented so matter-of-factly. Seeing the typed "facts," he knew he couldn't stop it.
The grand race was nearing its end. The last runner found her successor, passing the baton of humanity to the next generation. The final act came to a close, followed by…the epilogue.
Kevin, the undisputed strongest character, finally appeared, unsurprisingly on the opposite side. No one was surprised, no one questioned it. They understood his choice, the tragedy of a "hateful" character. They offered their silent respect to the strongest, who dedicated his life to a single, impossible goal.
"So…that's the end of the story. Any thoughts?" Shu asked as the final scene faded.
Silence answered him.
- End of Volume II: Fire Moth and Birth of Savior -