CHAPTER 69: CH 69: HERO’S ARRIVAL- PART 1

The crisp chime of the system echoed in Lucian’s mind.

[Ding! The Hero has arrived.]

Lines of glowing text streamed across his vision, the mission log updating with new details.

[Hero: Verus

Summoned through the Ceremony of Demon Kings to break the threads of fate.

Due to imbalance in the ritual, arrival point shifted.

Current location: Abandoned wasteland, under monster attack.

Fated savior: Luna (status altered due to past intervention).]

Lucian’s expression tightened as he read. In the original flow of fate, Luna had been nothing more than a slave, chained and broken.

It was in those desperate days that she was destined to meet the hero and save him, creating the bond that tied their futures together.

But Luna was no longer a slave. The circumstances had already changed.

’Then I’ll have to recreate the meeting myself. The bond must form regardless of the path fate laid out.’

Lucian’s thoughts were calm, decisive.

He stood.

"Berry, Mira, Luna. Prepare yourselves. We leave at once."

The three quickly gathered, though their eyes shifted toward the tall figure leaning lazily at the door.

Belphegor’s pale white robes fluttered slightly in the cold wind. That same lazy smile rested on his lips, but his gaze was sharp.

Berry frowned deeply.

"Lucian... shouldn’t he come with us? Can we leave him behind?"

Lucian glanced at the demon king and shook his head.

"No. Belphegor has a different task. This is something only we can handle."

Belphegor chuckled, raising a hand in mock surrender.

"Don’t glare at me so hard, little human. I’ll behave. I’m not interested in ruining my own investment."

Berry still didn’t look convinced, but when Lucian moved, he followed. Trust in Lucian outweighed his doubts.

"Good Luck. May you come back soon with good news."

The group departed, leaving the demon king behind. Belphegor’s eyes lingered on their backs, his lazy smile curling into something unreadable.

Snow crunched underfoot as they moved swiftly across the frozen wasteland. The biting wind carried with it the faint scent of blood and ash.

Lucian followed the faint golden marker pulsing on his system’s map, guiding them closer and closer.

Thanks to Belphegor’s earlier interference, the hero had not been sent to the deepest pit of danger, but somewhere closer to their settlement. A narrow chance at survival.

And then they heard it.

The sound of battle.

The clash of steel against bone. The guttural roars of beasts. The harsh breaths of a body pushed to its very limit.

As they crested a rise, the scene came into view.

A young human, his body battered and torn, fought against a swarm of monsters.

His clothes were ripped, his skin streaked with blood, but his sword still moved. It was clumsy, desperate, but filled with raw will to survive.

The system’s text shimmered faintly again.

[Hero Verus: critically injured. Intervention required.]

Lucian’s gaze sharpened.

"Luna."

The girl stiffened at being called, her expression dark.

"Go to him. Be the one to stand at his side."

Lucian said firmly.

She didn’t argue. Though her jaw tightened, she moved.

As she stepped past Mira, their eyes locked for a brief instant. A silent spark flared—an unspoken challenge. Mira’s gaze cooled, but she said nothing.

Lucian turned to the other two.

"Berry, Mira. Take the outer line. Clear the monsters, but don’t overdo it. Keep the bodies intact. We’ll need them later."

Berry nodded sharply. Mira’s lips curved faintly in something between irritation and resolve, but she complied.

The three split apart, moving into position.

Berry swept the edge of the battlefield, blades carving through monsters with clean lines. Every kill was deliberate, every strike measured to leave the corpses intact.

Mira danced among the chaos, her wild beauty mixed with ruthless efficiency. Monsters fell around her as she tore through them, her strikes fast and sharp.

The clearing became a storm of blood and steel.

Lucian remained at the ridge, his small frame standing firmly against the wind. He watched, eyes calculating, as the battle played out.

His role here was not to fight. It was to ensure the threads aligned correctly.

Minutes passed, and slowly the monsters thinned. Their roars weakened, their frenzied charges faltering under the combined force of Berry, Mira, and Luna.

Luna descended into the fray like a shadow, blade flashing as it cut through the first beast lunging at the wounded boy. Her movements were efficient, no wasted effort, each strike precise.

Luna’s blade cut down the last beast near the injured human. She stood firmly in front of him, shielding him as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Y-You-!"

Verus tried to speak, but his body collapsed. The last thing the hero likely saw was Luna’s face and back as she saved his life.

The monsters collapsed one by one until silence fell.

Only the sound of the cold wind remained.

The battlefield was still. The corpses lay intact, just as Lucian had ordered, crimson staining the white snow.

Lucian finally descended from the ridge, his expression unreadable.

’Oh well, this is different compared to the original, but the act of the ’fateful’ meeting was still carried out in the end. With this, we’ve finished this mission.’

The system chimed softly in his mind.

[Fate Altered. Hero Verus saved by Luna. Bond initiated.]

Lucian’s lips curved faintly. Good. The first step is done.

Luna glanced back at him, her breathing steady despite the battle.

"What now?"

Lucian’s eyes swept over the battlefield before landing on the unconscious youth.

"Berry, carry his body carefully. We’re taking him back."

He ordered calmly.

Berry hesitated, his brow furrowing as he looked at the bloodied human.

"Lucian... are you sure about this? We don’t know who he is, where he’s from, or what he might bring with him. Taking someone of unclear origins into the village could be dangerous."

Lucian’s gaze didn’t waver.

"Don’t worry about it. Just follow my lead. The rest will fall into place."

He said firmly.

Berry clenched his jaw, then obeyed.

He trusted Lucian with his life.