I, the Final Boss of the Beta Server!

Chapter 165: Paving the Road for Heroes With One’s Life

“The future… world?”

Rast softly repeated Sisel’s words.

Before him, the old man silently gazed out at the distant Endless Sea, exuding both the solemnity of an aged general setting out for war and the gratification of an old professor witnessing the vitality of the new generation.

“How should I put it…”

“Compared to the end of the Sixth Era where we currently reside, it should be a rather decent world.”

Rast recalled all that he had experienced in the Present World within the brief span of less than half a year since departing Deep Blue Port…

The things he had heard, the things he had seen.

He wasn’t a native of the Present World either—he didn’t possess a full life lived from birth and growth in that world like Shiltina.

But it was precisely because of this that the perspective Rast could offer was all the more aligned with Sisel’s.

For in a certain sense, they both belonged to an era not of the Present World, and yet sought to glimpse a corner of that world's light—“those who peer through the aperture.”

“In the world of my timeline, the extraordinary is no longer a secret known only to a few… it is a form of knowledge that truly exists and is passed down.”

“There are many academies dedicated to cultivating the extraordinary. These institutions are government-funded, and as long as one meets the admission criteria, anyone can attend, regardless of origin or background.”

“Moreover, even children in the most remote villages can, by using the government-issued foundational general education textbooks, earn the qualifications to enter these academies and become extraordinary.”

“Of course, in that world, being extraordinary doesn’t just signify a superior status or privilege…”

“It also entails responsibility—an unspeakable mission and an immense burden.”

Rast’s gaze turned distant as he slowly began to describe the landscapes of his memory: “In that world, there exists a place known as the ‘Nightworld’.”

“It is a rift in spacetime, where countless fragments of history from the six past Eras gather—shadows of the days gone by.”

“To the people of the Present World, the Nightworld is both an opportunity for civilizations to prematurely glimpse technologies beyond their time and a chance for accelerated progress… yet it is also a hidden prison where danger brews.”

“And in the Present World, every person who becomes extraordinary must bear the corresponding duty—to explore those remnants of the past and echoes of history, both perilous and full of opportunity, as a Night Traveler.”

Rast looked up at the dark sky and the sea that swallowed all light, murmuring softly.

“Akxia and I… or rather, Queen Helen of the Kingdom of the Underworld in a former life, entered the Nightworld as Night Travelers.”

“And the world we now stand in is the so-called reflection of the past within the Nightworld—a part of the Echo of History.”

His voice paused slightly: “Only, I think—”

“The land I stepped upon should be more than just an illusory replica of history.”

“And you, Leader Sisel, should not be merely a mirage-like native projection, but a living, breathing human, just like me, living on this very land.”

“The ‘Nightworld’, huh…”

Not far away, as he listened to Rast’s narration, Sisel’s gaze became somewhat hazy, as if his mind wandered to a far-off place.

He didn’t concern himself with whether he was the historical projection Rast mentioned or a real human being… instead, he focused more on the very form of existence that the Nightworld represented in Rast’s words.

“It sounds… the ‘Nightworld’, that seems like a very fascinating place.”

“If one could foresee the disasters suffered by failed Eras and understand the technologies and experiences accumulated by human civilizations of previous Eras… it would undoubtedly grant the Present World’s civilization a tremendous advantage.”

In those aged eyes, a glimmer of light flickered faintly.

“It’s a cumulative process… transforming the failures and legacies of predecessors into nourishment for civilization, feeding the next generation.”

“Believe in the power of passing the torch. Even if the start is feeble and fragile, as long as one perseveres, grains of sand will one day form a tower.”

“To a certain degree, the ‘Nightworld’ you mentioned is quite similar to the Shoreguards’ inherited ‘The Fool’s Library’… except its range of effect is not limited to individual humans, but extends to the entirety of human civilization.”

“Mhm.”

Rast nodded. “In the future, the lineage of the Shoreguards appears to have been severed… My Nightblade, ‘The Fool’s Library’, too, was obtained from an incident even I cannot fully explain.”

“However… in a way, the Shoreguards never truly perished.”

“Those Night Travelers who sacrificed themselves to explore the Nightworld, who threw themselves into the darkness but shone like stars… in truth, are they not just Shoreguards by another name?”

Rast let out a soft chuckle: “So, you weren’t wrong…”

“Even if the organization of the Shoreguards no longer exists in that world, I will never walk alone.”

His gaze dipped slightly: “In that world, I also encountered companions… ones I could entrust my back to.”

A long while later, Rast lifted his eyes once more.

“Moreover, it truly is a beautiful world.”

“Generations of Night Travelers sacrificed unconditionally to extinguish all lurking calamities within the Nightworld, never letting them spill into reality.”

“On land, people built flourishing cities and nations. Railroads crisscrossed everywhere, airships and floating vessels traversed the skies, and all addictive hallucinogens were strictly prohibited.”

“Humans no longer communicated solely by mail and letters. Even without stepping outside, one could speak with people around the globe through something called the internet.”

Even those who had lived in desert regions since childhood could see the blue sea and polar snows via the internet… and with high-speed Magitech railways, distances of thousands of kilometers could be crossed in under a day.

“Even ordinary people who are not extraordinary can soar in the blue sky through machines… even reaching the edge of the heavens, beyond planetary low-Earth orbit, to explore the infinite scenery of the starry cosmos.”

“Indeed, that world has its own darkness of human nature, its own greedy and selfish schemers…”

“But overall, it is a world where even powerless, ordinary people need not live in constant fear of disaster overturning their homes… a world where they can lead peaceful, stable, and happy lives.”

Leaning against the reef, Rast smiled faintly. “Leader Sisel—”

“Humanity is a race that never admits defeat.”

“Even if we are burned down once, twice… there will always be new seeds that sprout from the ashes of the inferno, blossoming into flowers more beautiful and radiant.”

“Is that… so?”

Sisel whispered softly.

“It sounds… like a truly wonderful world.”

“Even the most humble mortals need not live in daily fear, and can smile in happiness.”

The wind stirred the old man’s white hair.

His eyes turned dreamy and distant, as though his soul had left his body, already following Rast’s story into that envisioned future world—seeing the interconnected railways and the grand, magnificent cities.

Though his aura remained sharp and commanding like a general about to march, his gaze had become as gentle as spring sunlight in a warm afternoon.

That expression lasted only a moment. Sisel slowly turned around and looked toward the horizon of the sea.

Upon the pitch-black ocean horizon, immense auras moved slowly, stirring up a storm, sweeping toward Sisel’s direction.

These were the legendary beings that hunted him, following close behind, granting no respite to the two of them.

“Then, this shall be my final task.”

Sisel looked down upon the sky and the sea.

In that moment, he once more transformed from a fading elder to a peerless legend that towered over all beings.

“Just like my former teacher and Sharonah once did.”

“The so-called duty of a soldier—”

“Is to use their body to pave the way for the heroes.”