Is That My Alter Ego

24 – Night in the Desert

Luckily, just before darkness descended on the desert, we found a cave to hide our bodies.

It was a rocky cave right in the middle of the desert.

In this cave, there were traces of a campfire left behind, as if someone had been here before, leaving only ashes.

Crackle-

“…Delicious. No matter how many times… it never gets old.”

Once again today, I swallow down the special stew prepared by Biron.

The exquisite flavor, perfectly balanced seasoning, and ingredients cut to just the right size made it a stew boasting the best harmony.

I feel like this will come to mind later on.

Briefly admiring the colorful stew, I swallow it down again.

“Eating something warm in this cold… really makes you feel alive.”

“Thank you again today, Biron!”

“Why don’t you just become a chef? With this level, I’m sure you’d do well even in the heart of the Sunrise Empire.”

“Just being a royal chef with this level is enough! Heh heh…”

One could say that the mornings and nights in the desert belonged to different worlds.

Even in autumn, the sun beat down fiercely, making the nights colder than winter, unlike the scorching days hotter than an ordinary summer.

Shaking from the sudden cold weather, the mercenaries indulged in warm, tasty stew, exchanging banter.

It was a truly heartwarming sight.

“…Captain.”

“Hmm. Hans. What is it?”

“……..”

As I watched the mercenaries, Hans approached me. His expression showed hesitation and anxiety.

“Captain. Your condition… how is it?”

“……”

“Are you really okay? No, you can’t be! How can someone be okay… after vomiting blood?!”

“…Let’s talk quietly, Hans. The atmosphere… will be ruined.”

“….Yes.”

Hans briefly glanced at the mercenaries laughing and chatting, then settled down next to me, his momentum subdued.

Sigh… I didn’t expect this day to come so soon, where I would have to talk about this.

I let out a slight sigh and continued the conversation, looking at Hans.

“Hans, this request will probably be… my last request.”

“….Yes? What do you mean…”

“…Because I trust you the most to talk about it. Not that I don’t trust the other mercenaries. Among them, you have the most… responsibility. Your personality is also good. Your skills and effort go without saying.”

“……Why would you… tell me that… Ah.”

As if realizing the meaning behind my words, Hans froze in his place.

“…No, right? Captain… Please, say it’s not true…”

“…Hans. If I leave… I want you to become the captain of the Scar Mercenary Corps.”

“…………..”

No matter how you look at it, Hans was the perfect fit for the next captain of the Scar Mercenary Corps. With his friendly personality and character, anyone could quickly become close to him.

And yet, he had no shortage of abilities and talents, and his determination and effort that never gave up shone brightly.

Seris couldn’t become the captain following her father’s will. And because Seris herself said she would follow that will.

Excluding Hans, I quietly made the request, making sure no one else could hear.

“Kuh… Kruk… It can’t be… Captain…”

“…I’m sorry. I burdened you with this weight.”

“……..”

Hans remained hunched over, quietly sobbing.

He had to convey these words now, as they were moving faster than expected and would likely reach their destination by tomorrow.

‘Status Window.’

[Name: Venice / Age: 29 / Gender: Male / Status: Terminal.]

[Unique Ability (Magic Vision): Eyes that can see magic. Can track the trajectory of magic and use it more effectively.]

[Unique Ability (Talent Perception): Can perceive the talents of others. Can assess unique abilities and potential at a glance.]

[Unique Ability (Superior Physique): Your body is superior, as if it were created by a god! Stamina, strength, situational judgment… all physical abilities are greatly enhanced!]

[Overburdened Body: Your avatar has exceeded the available limit. Your physical body will perish in 3 days, 8 hours, and 13 minutes.]

With each use of magic, the intervals between vomiting blood had become shorter. Clearly, the weight imposed on his body had increased gradually.

Every time I used magic, the time until my avatar died was brought forward. Originally, there should have been about 5 days left, but…

“…Only 3 days left.”

Due to the battle with the Sand Worm and the need to maintain my physical condition by focusing on magic, my lifespan had decreased faster than expected.

“I believe in you. You can lead the mercenary corps better than me.”

“I’m sorry… I didn’t notice… and couldn’t help…”

“…I’m sorry.”

I patted Hans’ shoulder and got up from my seat, walking towards where the mercenaries were chatting.

“…Is everyone resting well?”

“…Captain? Ah, yes! We were resting comfortably!”

– This must be the virtue of our leader!

– Elegant and delightful~

Following Virong’s words, other mercenaries responded with smiles.

“…Do you see those stars out there?”

Pointing towards the stars that seemed to be pouring down from the sky, they spoke to each other while engaged in conversation.

“…Stars? Where… oh.”

– Wow.

– I missed seeing this…

– I want to show this to our family too.

Gazing at the stars that filled the night sky without any empty spaces in the background of the night, the mercenaries couldn’t help but marvel.

The scene was so enchantingly beautiful, with harmonious colors, that everyone seemed captivated.

“Do you see those twinkling stars? Those stars… are you all.”

“Us…?”

“Yeah. You all will shine brightly in this world like the stars in the night sky. I am sure of it.”

“hahahaha, why such words all of a sudden? Leader, you seem particularly charming today?!”

The mercenaries laughed like that. Yes… you guys are undoubtedly like those stars, illuminating the world even in this darkness.

“And, Vice Commander Seris.”

“………!”

“You… are like the entire universe that encompasses all those stars. You… will become a legend, leaving a mark in history.”

Although they hadn’t yet reconciled, he held feelings for Seris more precious than anyone else.

Seris, no matter what anyone says… no matter what hardships or adversities you face… you will become a galaxy that shines brighter than anyone else.

“I believe in all of you. No matter what anyone says… you are members of our Scar Mercenary Corps.”

“”…………””

“…That was a long speech. Rest well. I’ll go to sleep now.”

…They seemed quite relieved. Leaving the silent members behind, I fell asleep.

***

“It seems like this is the path, Captain!”

“…Hmm. It looks right to me.”

We woke up early in the morning and immediately headed towards our destination. As we walked on the sand, we suddenly came across a staircase leading to our destination.

‘…Who could have made this staircase?’

It was an intricate staircase that could descend into a tremendously deep gorge.

It was neatly made as if by magic, with steps perfectly carved for easy movement.

It must have been made by magic. After all, magic exists in this world.

I’ve heard that there are people like us who can apply mana to their swords and bodies, but there are also methods like magic that use mana to emit countless forms.

“Let’s go down. Be careful not to let your guard down.”

And so, we began descending the long staircase. It took quite a bit of time to go down due to the height.

After Seris, who was following behind, came down as well, we looked around.

The sand cliff where we had just been standing was so high that it was difficult to even look up at it.

And the gorge we were now standing in seemed incredibly wide on both sides, enough to build a village.

After briefly admiring the gorge, which I had never seen before in my life, we started moving towards our destination again. According to the map attached to the request, we just had to follow this path.

So, we moved forward cautiously, not missing our guard in case another sandworm would spring up from under our feet or other monsters would emerge.

This place was so perilous that it earned the name “Canyon of Death,” where dangerous events unfolded like everyday occurrences.

***

Strange. Not only monsters, but we couldn’t even find the shadows of monsters.

Just a bit more… as we approached the location where the monsters were supposed to appear, no threats came our way.

“…This is something odd.”

Someone might ask if that’s a good thing, but if nothing happens to this extent, it becomes more unsettling.

“….This is.”

Almost reaching our destination, we could finally spot the monsters.

To be precise, we could find the corpses of dozens of sandworms. Each one looked as if torn apart, massacred unilaterally.

…Most of them are 3-star or 4-star ranked. Were they overwhelmed to this extent?

“…Let’s proceed. From now on, with extreme caution. A slight mistake could lead to annihilation.”

Gulp-

The sound of someone swallowing saliva echoed, and the mercenaries, shaking off their fear once again, prepared themselves.

As we walked a bit further, an incredibly vast space appeared. In the distance, a large cave was visible, and this space was so grand that it could accommodate a small city.

In this empty and silent space, tension overflowed like the calm before a stormy night.

“…Why is there nothing here?”

“Yeah… Why… Huh..!”

Thud-! Thump-thump-thump-!

As we surveyed our surroundings, we crouched down, sensing the dreadful killing intent emanating from the cave, along with a mana incomparable to any monster we had encountered before.

Our hearts pounded wildly, and the chill running down our spines refused to fade.

Thud-Thud-Thud.

Something was emerging from the cave. Even at a considerable distance, the sound of its footsteps resonated through the empty canyon.

“…It’s coming.”

The more the creature revealed itself, the more intense the mana and killing intent it emitted became – so overwhelming that any ordinary person would have fainted on the spot.

Thud- Thud- Thud.

-…Crazy, what is that..!

-I’ve never heard of anything like this..

-That thing. Isn’t it a dragon, like the ones from the legends?

Roooaaarrr-!

A monstrous creature, spreading its torn wings wide, roared so loudly that it echoed across the canyon and throughout the entire desert.

‘….Crazy. A dragon?’

In various media, it’s depicted as the pinnacle of power, akin to a god.

An entity more superior and powerful than any other life form, as described in legends.

A Dragon.

Its vertically slit pupils gleamed as they hunted for prey.

And then, the monster roared towards us and began charging at an insane speed.

“….Fight with the resolve to die-!”

-…..So what if it’s a dragon! I am not afraid…!

-Let’s goooo!

And so, we began to run towards the oncoming dragon, facing it head-on.

Today. We shall carve out a legend. By cutting down this being, said to rival the gods, we will become legends ourselves.