'This place...'
Ghislain looked around.
Once again, he found himself on a battlefield. The location had changed, but the situation was the same as in his previous dream.
"Waaaaah!"
An army resembling the modern-day Human Alliance was fighting the monstrous creatures of the Rift.
'They really fought endlessly back then.'
The mystery remained. How could such a desperate struggle have left no records?
If even a fragment of these events had been recorded, humanity wouldn't have been so thoroughly defeated before his regression.
Ghislain still wasn't sure he could fully trust this dream, but Berhem's words lingered in his mind.
— There's nothing left. The people of that time deliberately erased all records.
Whether this war was connected to that erasure, Ghislain couldn't say for certain, but it was clear that the founding records of Lutania had been intentionally destroyed.
Even the king didn't know why the Shadow Knights and the House of Duke Delphine held such extraordinary power.
If this dream was reality, the records of this war were likely erased by those in power.
Ghislain surveyed the scene. As expected, the saintess he had seen before was present once more.
Seeing her reminded him of something Berhem had said.
— That necklace belonged to the one known as the "First Saintess," who was said to have been beloved by all the goddesses.
'The First Saintess.'
The claim that she was loved by all the goddesses was believable—Ghislain had witnessed her miracles firsthand.
— The founding king was said to have been the saintess's servant.
'A servant.'
If that was true, it meant the Lutania founding king was among the saintess's followers in this dream.
He must have received her necklace and kept it as a royal treasure.
Shaking off his musings, Ghislain refocused on the present scene.
"I don't know what's going on, but I'll watch and learn."
For now, everything was fragmented. The connections between these events remained unclear.
And even if this was real, he couldn't be sure of its authenticity.
All he could do was piece together what the dream revealed to him, bit by bit.
"Waaaaah!"
"Push them back!"
"We can win again!"
As always, the sight astonished him. These warriors were unbelievably strong, overwhelming the monsters.
In Ghislain's era, the Salvation Church's schemes had thrown the entire continent into chaos and division.
But in this dream, humanity stood united, fighting the monsters as one.
"Kaaaah!"
Even the mighty Equidema were no match for the united strength of humanity.
The vast army of the Riftborn couldn't break through the human forces.
At the center of this miracle stood the saintess, praying amidst the battlefield.
"… Hear the voice of your devoted servant. Protect and guide our warriors on this perilous battlefield."
Fwoooosh!
The sky split open, and radiant light poured down. The light scattered, granting extraordinary power to the Human Alliance army.
"Grant strength to our blades with your grace."
Every soldier's sword began to radiate a luminous aura.
"Fortify our shields with your divine light."
The soldiers' shields became cloaked in holy light.
"Lighten our steps so we may evade the enemy's attacks."
A gentle glow enveloped every soldier's body.
The miracle was as awe-inspiring as ever. The saintess blessed an army of hundreds of thousands with her power.
Ghislain scoffed internally. The act of channeling miracles, something considered extraordinary, seemed effortless for this saintess.
"Waaaaah!"
The soldiers' morale soared to unimaginable heights, all thanks to the saintess's blessings.
At this rate, the monsters would be driven back and annihilated. Ghislain, a master tactician, could see it at a glance.
"Kaaaah!"
Despite their overwhelming numbers, the Riftborn began to falter. Across the battlefield, humanity's superhumans were slaying the Equidema one by one.
But war is a hell where unforeseen variables can change everything.
Boom!
Suddenly, a black energy surged across the land, consuming everything in its path.
The sight of black clouds billowing fiercely resembled demons descending upon the battlefield.
The radiant light the saintess had spread across the field was met by the black energy, which seemed intent on devouring it.
Fwoooosh!
Light and darkness collided, neither yielding an inch.
As the darkness veiled half the sky, the monsters regained their strength. Astonishingly, they grew even more powerful, infused with the black energy.
Even so, humanity held the upper hand, continuing to push back the monsters.
And then.
Flash!
Hundreds of figures in black robes emerged from the darkness.
Ghislain's gaze sharpened.
'The Salvation Church.'
Black robes, black energy, and the black sun tattoos visible on their hands and necks—their identity was unmistakable.
The Salvation Church had been active even in this era.
'They aren't just a simple cult.'
It was no wonder Erenes had such a contentious relationship with the Salvation Church.
This only made Ghislain more curious. How far back did these events go?
There were rumors that Erenes, the elven mage, had lived for over a thousand years. Could this truly have taken place a millennium ago?
'That's absurd.'
Even with an elf's long lifespan, a thousand years was unimaginable. Living even half that time was considered exceptional.
Ghislain's thoughts didn't linger long.
Boom!
As the Salvation Church's priests entered the fray, the Human Alliance began to lose ground.
The priests were incredibly powerful, but one among them stood out.
Emerging from the center of their group, this particular priest declared:
"Arbiters, press forward without rest. I will deal with the saintess."
His body was wreathed in black energy, and his red eyes gleamed ominously.
Boom!
He became a streak of light, tearing through the Human Alliance's formation. No one could stop him.
Upon seeing him, the soldiers of the Human Alliance shouted with fiery determination:
"The Adversary has come!"
"Stop him!"
"Protect the saintess!"
Despite witnessing his overwhelming power, the soldiers showed no fear. Instead, their eyes burned with fervor as they charged to confront him.
"Kill him!"
"We must stop him!"
"Waaaaah!"
But the Adversary was far too strong.
"Insects."
Boom!
He became a black storm, ripping through everything in his path. No one could stop him.
Ghislain frowned as he watched the priest.
'That bastard…'
It was unsettling. To an uninformed observer, this priest could be mistaken for Ghislain himself.
The priest's movements bore a striking resemblance to Ghislain's amplified state.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Human Alliance soldiers who rushed the Adversary were torn apart. He carved a massive hole in their formation in an instant.
The storm pressed on, ignoring everything around it. The priest's sole focus seemed to be the saintess radiating light in the distance.
It was an unfathomable power.
Even knights imbued with holy power from the saintess fell helplessly before him.
Yet, the Human Alliance was not easily broken. Using the sacrifices of their fallen comrades, they quickly reformed their lines and blocked the path to the saintess once more.
They shouted in unison, their resolve unwavering:
"Protect the saintess!"
Boom!
Despite their resolve, the formation crumbled in moments. No one could stop the black storm.
Then, the dwarven king, fighting on the right flank, slammed his halberd into the ground.
Rumble!
A massive quake sent the monsters and priests attacking him tumbling to the ground.
The dwarven king turned toward the black storm and shouted.
"---!"
Ghislain couldn't quite make out what he said.
On the left flank, Erenes summoned enormous high-ranking spirits.
Fwoooosh!
The spirits stood firm, blocking the approaching monsters and priests.
Taking advantage of the moment, she drew her ultimate weapon, the Elven Serenade, and took aim.
Flash!
A giant arrow glowing green shot toward the black storm.
For the first time, the storm halted. It couldn't ignore the sheer force of the attack.
"Hmph!"
As he unleashed more energy, the surroundings darkened. The darkness surged and formed a massive curtain before him.
Boom!
The arrow struck the curtain and dissipated. The barrier vanished, but the priest remained unharmed.
Other superhumans hurled spells and swung their swords at him, but he easily deflected or evaded every attack.
He didn't truly engage with the others in combat.
He had one goal.
Boom!
Once again, the black storm that he had become surged toward the saintess. No obstacle could hinder him.
Now, there were hardly any forces left to block his path.
It was an incredible display of power. Even the current Ghislain couldn't achieve such a breakthrough. Not even Yulian in his prime, when he was hailed as the finest sword on the continent, could have done it.
The priest's strength was transcendent.
Erenes, whose attack had failed, shouted loudly.
"---!"
Once again, Ghislain couldn't hear her. While he could hear other shouts and conversations clearly, the words of certain individuals remained inexplicably muted.
The saintess, who had been praying with her eyes closed, finally opened them. The priest was now standing right before her.
The surrounding forces dared not approach recklessly, for a priest of the Salvation Church stood face-to-face with the saintess.
He glanced around before speaking.
"It's been a while, saintess."
"..."
"I failed last time, but this time, I will kill you."
The saintess opened her mouth slowly.
"To meet the adversary of the goddess, the traitor of humanity, once again."
"I am merely the first servant of my faith, one who longs for a new world, and one who has come to save the forsaken."
"But your soul will not be saved."
"I follow only the will of my god."
The priest raised his hand. If he brought it down, the saintess would be torn apart.
Yet, her expression remained composed. How much strength must be hidden within that seemingly ordinary demeanor?
The priest, with his glowing red eyes, didn't like that.
"It ends now, saintess. You will never reach the Holy Land."
With those words, he swung his hand. The surrounding knights rushed forward, but it was already too late.
Boom!
A massive explosion of energy erupted, sending light and darkness scattering in every direction.
The priest's hand, surging with black energy, was stopped by someone's sword.
The black energy writhed violently, as though enraged.
"You...!"
The man who had suddenly appeared to block the priest's attack.
His face looked as if it had been meticulously carved by a divine sculptor.
His blue hair, simultaneously evoking the clear sky and the deep sea, seemed to embody his overflowing passion.
His gaze was like a night sky full of dancing stars. In those blue eyes burned an unyielding flame of courage.
A confident smile graced his lips, filled with a resolute determination to save the world and a glimmer of hope.
If a legendary hero were to exist, he would look just like this.
At the sight of this man, everyone erupted in cheers.
"Waaaaah!"
The dwarven king roared with laughter, slamming his halberd into the ground repeatedly.
Erenes smiled with joy at the sight of him.
The other superhumans shared the sentiment. Despite the dire situation, they all smiled.
Their reaction reflected an unshakable belief that this man's arrival would bring them victory.
He infused everyone's hearts with courage and hope simply by appearing, spreading confidence that any obstacle could be overcome.
But Ghislain couldn't smile. He was struggling to calm his growing confusion.
This man was a face he knew all too well.
"What the... Why is he here…?"
A face that absolutely shouldn't exist in the past.
No, it couldn't be.
It had to be a misunderstanding. He was merely someone who looked similar.
Looking closer, there were many differences.
That man's hair was a radiant and passionate blue, not the dark, curtain-like black that Ghislain knew.
His face was expressive, full of vitality, unlike the cold, marble-like expressionless visage Ghislain remembered.
His eyes sparkled like stars, unlike the deep, shadowy abyss that had dwelled in the other's gaze.
But… no matter how much he tried to convince himself, this man looked exactly the same.
Unconsciously, Ghislain uttered the name.
"Yulian."
Flash.
The moment he said that name, Ghislain's dream shattered.
[T/L: I am in dire need of support. 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 ]