—Now there's that, I've finally been released from the horrible confines of the Eternal Realm after what felt like an eternity of suffering, but now what am I supposed to do with this newfound freedom?
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Ryn, or rather me, the narrator who had taken control of his body, sat down heavily on a large boulder nearby, feeling a deep sense of regret and shame washing over him as his eyes dropped low to the ground as if he had just committed some terrible, unforgivable sin against the world. He didn't have any clear idea of what he should do now that he was finally free from his eternal prison, should he just try to go and live a completely normal, peaceful life like any other person, or should he go out and seek brutal revenge against all those who had committed terrible sins against him in the past? Now, it was definitely much better for him to just sit here and think carefully about his next moves rather than just act rashly and impulsively like he always used to do, since that's exactly what he did wrong in the past, and it ended up costing him almost a full million years trapped in the nightmarish Eternal Realm. Come to think of it, now that he had gained access to all of Ryn's personal memories and experiences, he felt absolutely disgusted by what he saw in them.
"Tsk. This child... Even after being cruelly left behind by his own mother, he still has the innocent mind to trust those around him?"
Ryn spoke out loud to himself, his eyebrows furrowing deeply in complete frustration and confusion as he tried to make sense of the original Ryn's personality. He didn't quite understand how someone could be so forgiving and trusting after being hurt so badly by the people who were supposed to care for them. Was it just that humans were naturally naive creatures who couldn't learn from their painful experiences, or did they really crave love and acceptance so desperately that they'd ignore all the warning signs? Since he himself had never truly experienced genuine love or affection from anyone, the narrator just decided to shrug it all off as something he'd never understand.
"Zhan will definitely be weirded out if I don't have any visible injuries from that intense fight."
"It would be much better if I injure myself to make it look more believable."
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"!?"
Zhan was completely startled by the sudden, massive explosion that erupted from somewhere below him, his eyes widening in shock and confusion as he tried to figure out what could possibly be happening down there. He had absolutely no idea what was going on, but if something terrible had happened to Ryn during that fight, he would be completely screwed, and not only that, but the strongest person and the greatest hope of all humanity would be dead before he'd even have a chance to become truly powerful. His heart started racing with pure anxiety and panic as he realized the severity of the situation that was unfolding beneath him.
"Shit, Ryn, what's happening down there!?"
He immediately rushed downward through the air, using his wind magic to boost his descent and make himself move faster, his heart beating frantically with anxiety and panic as he desperately tried to descend as quickly as humanly possible, hoping against hope that there would still be enough time to save Ryn even if he was badly injured, since he could still heal him with his magic. The wind was picking up around him, making it feel like his skin could be ripped clean off from his body at any second, but he didn't bother to shut his eyes closed since that would just be an unnecessary burden that would slow him down.
—Please be okay, please be okay..!
He kept repeating those words over and over again in his panicked thoughts, still desperately descending down toward the ground at breakneck speed, moving much faster than he had ever moved before in his entire life.
***
"W-what..? The incredibly powerful pack of Eons that was supposed to be nearly impossible to defeat... It's completely gone... How is that even possible?"
Zhan had countless questions racing through his confused mind, wondering how a mere five-year-old child like Ryn could possibly be able to defeat such a terrifyingly strong opponent all by himself. Back when he was still up high in the sky watching from above, he had never once anticipated or expected that the opponent Ryn was fighting against would be this incredibly strong and dangerous. When he finally arrived at the exact spot where Ryn had been knocked completely unconscious, he widened his eyes in complete disbelief at the scene that was spread out before him.
The bloody, mangled corpse of the distorted creature was lying motionless on the ground right before his eyes, though this was actually just a perfect replica of the original body since the real creature was still trapped and going through an endless time loop in the Museum of Despair. And there in the corner of his vision, he could see Ryn sitting slumped against a large rock, completely unconscious and unmoving, his small body covered from head to toe with deep wounds and dark bruises, his clothes torn and ripped to shreds, his bones clearly broken in multiple places. Zhan stood there in complete and utter disbelief, since this was more than enough evidence to back up the impossible fact that little Ryn had somehow managed to defeat this incredibly powerful creature all on his own.
"RYN!"
Zhan immediately ran toward him as fast as his legs could carry him, using his wind magic to make Ryn's unconscious body gently float in the air while he began healing all of the minor cuts and scrapes, but he deliberately left the more serious and fatal injuries completely untouched, since trying to heal them with just basic healing magic could cause some healthy cells to be accidentally replaced by unnecessary or damaged ones. This whole situation was absolutely crazy and unbelievable, since the idea of a mere child successfully taking on a dangerous undead creature was already unbelievable enough to be called completely insane. Even a full party of experienced B4 ranked adventurers working together wouldn't be able to defeat a single one of these creatures, so what were the odds of winning in a one-on-one fight?
Zhan knew he had to get Ryn back to the safety of the house as quickly as possible.
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—It seems like my clever plan had worked out perfectly just like I hoped it would.
Ryn grinned widely at that satisfying thought, since he had actually been completely awake and conscious the entire time during the journey back to his house, quietly enduring all the pain and discomfort throughout the whole trip, though honestly, it wasn't really like it hurt him that much anyway. This whole experience was nothing more than a tiny scratch compared to what he had endured in the Eternal Realm. When he finally decided to open his eyes and look around, he was greeted by the familiar, perfectly memorized ceiling of his own bedroom, and the incredibly comfortable bed beneath him felt like absolute heaven compared to the hard, cold, solid ground of the Eternal Realm that he had been forced to sleep on for so many years.
The difference was so amazing that it almost made him want to cry tears of pure joy and relief.
—Hm?
Suddenly, at the corner of his vision, the bedroom door slammed open at breakneck speed with a loud crash, and standing there in the doorway was Ophelia, with fresh tears streaming down her worried face like a waterfall. Ryn couldn't understand why she was crying so desperately, even though he had been granted basic emotions by the powerful Book of Immortality, he still couldn't fully comprehend or understand the complex feelings that humans experienced. Without any warning, she suddenly rushed forward and hugged him tightly, burying her tear-stained face deep into his chest, feeling overwhelmed with relief and gratitude that her beloved son was still well and alive, since she had never been this worried or terrified about anything before in her entire life.
—Book, please grant me complete emotional comprehension so I can understand what's happening.
[Granted.]
Ryn suddenly froze in place as a wave of new understanding washed over him, and he stared down at his caring mother with tears beginning to form in his own eyes as he slowly wrapped his arms around her trembling form and sighed deeply in relief. So this is exactly how comfort and love feels, huh? This warm, safe feeling was absolutely incredible and unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
—This feels absolutely great, Ryn, I'm truly sorry for doubting and mocking you all this time.
You might be thinking to yourself that this guy is completely devious and evil, wondering how even after taking over Ryn's body completely, he still doesn't feel any guilt or remorse for what he's done? Well, that's simply because he actually is Ryn now, since he had completely merged with the original boy's soul and memories. Even the incredibly powerful and feared Arbiter himself had no choice but to surrender completely to the overwhelming power of genuine love and family.
"RYNNNN??!!!!!!!?!!?!??!!?!!!!!!"
A high-pitched feminine voice screamed loudly as she rushed through Ryn's bedroom door without any hesitation or permission, and it was Maria who had come to check on him. Ryn had never once thought or imagined that she was this genuinely worried and concerned about his safety and well-being, especially since she had always acted completely emotionless and distant over the past few years. Her usually calm and composed face was now filled with obvious relief and concern as she saw that he was finally awake and safe.
—Don't worry, Ryn, I'll take good care of both of them from now on.