Boom!
'This place…'
It was different from the previous dream. This time, the dream continued.
The one who appeared to be Yulian and the one called the Adversary had begun their full-scale battle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As their battle began, all armies distanced themselves from the two. Even the Riftborn, devoid of intelligence and driven only by instinct, scattered widely and moved away.
This meant that the Adversary could control the movements of the Riftborn.
Thanks to this, the two could attack each other without restraint. Meanwhile, the Allied Forces fought priests and Riftborn in their own battles.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Charge!"
"Push them back!"
"The hero is with us!"
The people's shouts were endless. Unlike before, their morale had soared.
The Hero. A figure of legend, found only in stories.
His presence was shifting the tide of a previously disadvantageous battle.
Boom!
The Adversary, struck by the Hero's sword, sneered.
"A hero… A truly childish title, yet there is no more fitting name."
"Then wouldn't you suit the title of Demon King better than Adversary?"
"If that is what the people wish to call me, I will gladly accept it."
Boom!
After their brief exchange, the two resumed their fierce battle.
Ghislain watched them intently. The more he watched, the more he marveled.
'Amazing.'
He had already sensed the Adversary's incredible strength in the previous dream. But now, with his perspective elevated after reaching a new level, he realized the true extent of that power—it was beyond imagination.
Swish!
It was as if the fabric of reality itself had been horrifically twisted. Such changes were far from natural.
"This is the power granted by God."
The Adversary defied the laws of the world.
He manipulated, dominated, and wielded power as though the laws of reality did not exist.
It was not magic. The Adversary denied the very fabric of reality itself, creating a new order that seemed nonexistent.
As a result, everything around him twisted into unnatural, grotesque forms.
The power, steeped in chaos and incomprehension, unfolded into a realm both wondrous and terrifying.
Ghislain's eyes quivered as he witnessed the Adversary's power.
'This can't be…'
It was similar to the techniques used by Yulian. Yulian disregarded space and imposed impossible laws by sheer will.
Though the Adversary was far stronger, the essence of their power was the same.
Boom!
And yet, the Hero countered that immense power.
Even as the world twisted, and chaos tangled time and space, the Hero grasped the flow precisely, restoring it to its natural order.
The Adversary's attacks were now confined within the boundaries of law, rendered subject to the balance of nature.
Voom!
The Hero's sword fell upon the Adversary. His strikes were entirely different from the chaos conjured by the Adversary.
Flash!
The world's flow followed the sword. It was utterly natural.
As if the world itself obeyed the Hero's will, everything moved in harmony with the path of his blade.
The Hero's power embodied the fundamental balance of the world.
Thus, his sword maintained equilibrium, cutting through the waves of chaos as it advanced.
Ghislain trembled at the sight.
'That power…'
It was the same realm he had recently stepped into. The Hero was demonstrating what that power could become when fully developed.
Boom!
The power to destroy the world and the power to preserve it clashed. The battle was more astonishing than anything Ghislain had ever experienced or imagined.
Ghislain strained to follow their movements.
Whether this dream was real or not no longer mattered.
'This is the path I must pursue.'
What mattered was that these two were far stronger than him. Just watching them was an invaluable learning experience.
Boom!
The battle between the two grew even more intense. Those nearby retreated further, unable to withstand the shockwaves of their power.
Screech!
Riftborn that failed to escape were torn apart, their bodies exploding. Even the priests of the Salvation Church couldn't endure their power and retreated.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Hero was in harmony with the laws of the world. Thus, even the spirits aided him.
The wind enveloped him, making his movements lighter. The earth became a massive shield, protecting him.
Water healed his wounds, and fire amplified his attacks.
Light illuminated his path, while darkness hid him from danger.
Beyond that, countless forces of the world moved alongside the Hero. His power was one with the essence of the world.
The entire world seemed to breathe with him, aligning itself to his will.
Boom!
The Adversary, however, was chaos incarnate. He rejected the laws of nature and disregarded the order of the world.
Every time his power was unleashed, the world tore apart, screaming, and its balance crumbled.
Fire froze, water blazed and evaporated, the earth floated into the sky, and the wind turned into falling stones.
His power defied the principles of creation, embodying ultimate destruction.
His very existence shook the foundations of the world, unraveling all order and harmony wherever he went.
The Adversary was the one who denied the world itself.
Boom!
The earth-shaking battle continued without end.
Even so, Ghislain couldn't take his eyes off the fight. He was entirely immersed in the clash.
Boom!
'I think I understand.'
The deeper he immersed himself in the battle, the clearer Ghislain's realizations became.
The Hero's battle pointed the way.
It showed him how to further develop his own power and how to wield it effectively.
Boom!
But that wasn't all.
Through the battle with the Adversary, he also learned how to confront the power of chaos.
It was nothing short of a stroke of fortune.
The dream, brought about by the Saintess's necklace, was helping Ghislain grow.
More. He wanted to see more. He wanted to know how this battle would end.
However…
Creak, creak…
The Hero and the Adversary began to slow down. No, the entire world was slowing.
And, just like before, the world began to lose its color, slowly fading into black and white.
Ghislain was filled with regret. He wanted to watch this fight a little longer, but it seemed this was as far as he was allowed to go.
Yet, in this monochrome world, there was one being that still retained its color.
'The Saintess.'
Everything had stopped, but not the Saintess.
She, who had been gazing at the sky with her eyes closed, slowly turned her head to look at Ghislain.
And she asked,
"Did you see?"
Ghislain couldn't answer. He couldn't move or speak—he was a being of pure consciousness and nothing more.
But the Saintess, as if she already knew, smiled and continued speaking.
"Did it help you? I was told it definitely would."
It had been a tremendous help. He had found the key to further growth.
Judging from her words, it was clear she had deliberately shown him this battle—through the dream.
Was this the power of the necklace? Did it show such dreams to anyone who possessed it?
Or was it truly arranged specifically for him?
What did she mean by saying it would help? Who had told her that?
Whether she understood Ghislain's questions or not, the Saintess spoke again.
"I don't know you very well. But I've heard a lot about you from my mage friend."
"About me? How?"
"From our friend who came from the future."
"What…?"
As shock filled his mind, the Saintess continued.
"It's confusing, I know, but don't doubt. You must trust us. There isn't much time left."
Ghislain felt his consciousness grow hazy. His vision began to blur.
But still, the Saintess's voice echoed softly in his ears.
"Only you."
His consciousness sank further. As if falling asleep, his surroundings darkened, and his eyes began to close.
Just before everything faded, the Saintess's sorrowful voice reached him.
"You're the only one who can 'save' us."
***
"Hah…"
Waking from the dream, Ghislain sat blankly for a long time. He could no longer dismiss this dream as mere nonsense.
He still didn't know who those combatants were or when it had taken place, but it had undeniably provided him with real, practical help.
"What is this? Some kind of training aid?"
If he went around claiming the necklace helped him train, everyone would surely laugh at him.
But that wasn't the only absurd part.
"They've heard of me? A friend from the future?"
It wasn't exactly wrong. If the dream was showing him real events from the past, then technically, he was a visitor from the future observing the past.
But who was this mage friend who knew him and spoke of him to the Saintess? Who could it possibly be?
Most of all, the Saintess's final words lingered in his mind.
"Trust us? There isn't much time left?"
What did she mean? What was he supposed to trust, and what little time was left?
Despite having the necklace for quite some time, it was still shrouded in mysteries he couldn't unravel.
"Hmm, it must be quite the holy relic. Amazing."
Come to think of it, hadn't Gartros's bracelet also emitted holy power along with an intense will?
The more he thought about it, the more fascinating it became. It wasn't called a holy relic and a royal treasure for nothing.
Feeling overwhelmed, Ghislain turned to Dark, who resided within his consciousness, and asked,
"What do you think?"
— Ugh… I've said it before. Every time I see that dream, it feels weird.
"What do you mean, weird?"
— I don't know… It just feels strange… Sad, gloomy… angry even. It feels like something's wrong with me mentally.
"You're already mentally off. Everyone says you're crazy."
— That's not what I mean! Anyway, it's weird! And you should apologize for that insult! Apologize to me!
As Dark raged, he suddenly adopted a serious tone.
— But about that Hero and the Adversary…
"What about them?"
— Don't they kind of resemble you and Yulian? The Hero looks just like Yulian, and that Adversary guy shrouded in black energy reminds me of you when you use my amplification.
"Hmm…"
— And the Hero uses techniques like yours, while the Adversary uses techniques like Yulian's. It's like their faces and techniques are swapped, isn't it? Though you and Yulian are way less impressive.
Ghislain nodded. It was hard to dismiss as mere coincidence. What were the chances?
Ghislain offered a hypothesis.
"Maybe it's just a dream based on my memories?"
— You think it's just following your thoughts?
"Exactly. Yulian and I are the strongest around, so the dream just cast us in those roles."
Dark replied in disbelief.
— Wow, what arrogance. From what I saw, Jerome's magic would annihilate both of them in a single hit. You didn't get to see that, did you? It was pure terror. Even Gartros as a monster couldn't move against it.
"..."
— And have you ever fought Parniel or Erenes properly? Those two are ridiculously strong too. Oh, and remember Erenes beat you before?
"..."
Arguing would only make him look petty. In truth, battles between the strongest on the continent often came down to circumstances or the state of one's body on the day of the fight.
'Though in my past life, no one ever excluded Yulian when discussing the strongest…'
Yulian still hadn't reached his past-life level. Not enough time had passed. Perhaps now, things would be more evenly matched?
As he mulled over these thoughts, Ghislain suddenly felt foolish and changed the subject.
"Whatever. We'll figure it out as time goes on."
The dreams clearly kept revealing something to him. Not just techniques, but also the players involved in wars long past.
— Confusing, sure, but don't doubt. Trust us. There isn't much time left.
The Saintess's words implied they needed him. If so, more revelations would come. He just needed to wait.
"Alright, let's see how far this goes."
Ghislain decided to treat the dreams shown by the necklace as truth. Only by doing so could he take the situation seriously.
If he kept doubting and maintaining distance, he might miss crucial information.
The dreams had shown enough to prove they weren't mere nonsense.
As Ghislain resolved himself, suddenly—
"What?"
Fwoosh!
Bright holy power surged from the necklace, flowing into Ghislain's body.
[T/L: I need your support, dear readers. I will give discount to all those who will buy the rest of the chapters all together, so please support me the reader on my webnovel platform and read ahead chapters on my ko-fi page "RevengerScans" : https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]