The Dreamer's POV

[00 Months: 17 Days: 10 Hours]

"What an idiot…" I murmured, looking down on the corpse of Levi Davis, the self-proclaimed strongest Ranker.

Somehow, I doubted that was the case.

I had initially wanted to make him suffer some more, but it all felt pointless at some point. There was a time he wanted to use a mass of energy to attack, so I had to use one of my Items <Rubix Cube> to nullify it.

'Now that I think of it, that was a waste. What did I do that for?'

Perhaps I just wanted him to experience despair. And from what I saw, it seemed I succeeded in that.

<You Have Leveled Up>

"At least I gained something from this endeavor."

Even though I lost two of my powerful Minions in the process, I had obtained another pawn.

'It's a shame I couldn't get Sasha, though. That would have been—'

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!~

I heard a massive explosion coming from the Lyma Capital, causing me to sharply turn my attention to the city in flames.

'Damn it. This place is as good as finished…'

There was no way I could handle twelve wyverns and one dragon by myself. If it came down to it, I should be able to handle one wyvern, but not so many at once.

I didn't know how strong the dragon was, so there was no way I could take my chances.

'At this point, the only thing I can do is salvage all I can in the Lyma Capital and Estate, and return to Theo and the others to inform them of the terrible news.'

In the end, this entire city was only a small portion of what the Lyma Family had. Since that was the case, it wasn't worth risking my life over to defend.

'Alright then…' After obtaining Levi's essence, I set my sights on the city while activating the effects of my Concealment Robe.

'... Let's begin!'

*********

~VWUUSH!~

I reappeared in front of the city using teleportation, and it didn't take me very long to reach the ruins that once stood tall as the Lyma Capital.

My Energy Level had dipped considerably, so I was treading on eggshells here. I also had to activate <Turbo> in order to increase the rate at which I traversed the city and completed the mission.

With Concealment Robe active, I was able to navigate my way through the city to find the properties that the minions with Hakeem had managed to plunder.

It was a considerably large load; mostly consisting of jewelry and money. I indiscriminately placed all of them in my <Personal Space+ (Custom)>.

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I would have to trade a lot of the jewels and gems later, but since I was in a rush now, I could only dump everything I could into my storage space.

Once I was done with the city, the next place I set my sights on was the Lyma Estate.

"Seraphina…" I whispered.

My gaze fell slightly as I recalled our last night together.

I personally didn't want to see her corpse, but considering what had to be done… my body didn't hesitate to move.

My emotions slowly died down, and my eyes remained fixed on the target as I sprinted toward it.

*******

[00 Months: 17 Days: 11 Hours]

The Lyma Estate, once a grand spectacle, was nothing more than a graveyard at sunset.

The skies were painted with hues of orange, pink and red - a beautiful end to a horrific day.

I surveyed the wreckage, my eyes darting around to witness any sign of plundered treasure.

'Just as I saw in the city, the invaders would have stolen a lot of things from the Estate. I just need to find everything…'

Doing so while taking in the terrible scenery before me was difficult, though.

The grandeur of the Estate was tarnished, the walls marked by battle, and the air heavy with the stench of blood and death.

Guards lay strewn across the floor, their lifeless bodies telling the tale of a fight they had no chance of winning. I walked past them, their faces etched in my memory.

Maids, who had once bustled around this grand estate, now lay cold and lifeless. The unfairness of it all, the cruelty, fueled a rage in me that felt never-ending.

Though, it only lasted a moment before I felt nothing.

The sight of nine corpses, distinct in their Earth Survivor equipment, brought a bitter taste in my mouth.

'Did the wyverns and dragons do them in? Yeah, that makes sense.'

Since they were still here when the monsters caused the havoc, it was clear they would stand no chance and die.

These were people from my world, yet looking at their corpses did nothing for me.

No, perhaps I even felt good watching their scorched forms and scattered limbs.

'They killed innocent people. They have no humanity left in them.' The way I saw it, the denizens of this world were far more human than those from Earth.

"Oh, look right there. Treasure." I noticed sacks stacked in a corner.

If they were anything like the sacks I saw in the city, they would be enchanted ones—which meant they contained way more properties than their size indicated.

Something like my special storage space.

I stepped over the corpses of the invaders, my heart hardening against them.

"I wonder… is this the reason they laid waste to this place? Just to plunder?"

Was that the kind of place The Alliance was?

Once I was done taking the treasures, I left the area and decided to explore the grounds more.

'Fortunately, my Enchanted Necklace is recovering more energy than what I'm expending with the Cloak.'

That way, I could always remain hidden.

I finally reached the garden area of the Estate, its once lush greenery now splattered with blood.

And there, I saw them - the Lyma family.

The Duke, the Duchess, Seraphina and her sisters.

"Ah…" My heart pounded in my chest, a dull pain echoing with each beat.

They were all emaciated, as if their life force was sucked out to the very last.

'Must be due to Levi's Skill…'

It was a gruesome sight. Yet, I recognized them.

The Duke, a large man who had once held a commanding presence, now a frail husk of his former self. The Duchess, her elegance replaced with a terrifying frailty. And the sisters, young and full of life, now lay lifeless.

The youngest among them was Seraphina, her lively eyes now vacant.

'T-this is…'

A rage unlike any other filled me, searing through my veins. I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms.

However, within moments, that rage dissipated.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you all." I looked at them, feeling guilty for not being as sad and angry as I should have been.

"The least I can do is promise that I won't forget any of you… any of this."

It had been a short moment, and this was only my first month in this world, with many more things for me to see and experience.

Still, I couldn't forget them.

"And as for the person who was responsible for this, Francis… I'll make sure he suffers for this. You have my word."

With one final glance at them, I smiled warmly.

"If there is a heaven in this world… I hope you all are happy there as you watch over Theo."

I turned away from their corpse, even seeing that of the butler in the distance.

"I will keep my promise to you. I will protect Theo, and I will make sure he carries on your legacy."

There was nothing stopping me from turning my back on these people and running away.

'It's going to be a difficult time for the Lyma Family. I'll probably suffer more detriment than I would profit. However…'

I wanted to do this. I desired, more than anything, to protect Seraphina's brother… and what was left of the Lyma Family.

"I will make sure… that you can smile in the afterlife. So please, watch over me." I smiled, walking away from the dead bodies behind me.

"Goodbye."

********

[00 Months: 17 Days: 12 Hours]

"Looks like this is it."

Once I was done thoroughly scouring the entire Estate for the treasures the invaders had amassed, and found nothing else, I decided it was time to leave and return to Theo and everyone else.

They must have been worried after waiting for so long, so I had to hurry.

I left the Lyma Estate and began traversing the capital, stealing one final glance at it as I walked in serenity.

'There's a lot to think about. But, I think I've had enough happening in one day. I just… need some rest.'

However, much to the contrary, the most terrifying occurrence suddenly appeared right in front of me.

"Hey, Sleepyhead."

"N-no way…" My eyes widened as my entire gaze fell on the young woman in front of me.

She was grinning like the devil, and her eyes glowed with such energy that I couldn't decipher it.

"L-Lucy Fer?!"

"That's right." She smirked, drawing closer to me.

Right there and then, in the wreck of the city, with monsters prowling around under the dim light of the light evening… I was encumbered with an unexpected reunion.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?"

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[A/N]

It's just one problem after the other for Mikey, isn't it? Poor guy.

On the bright side, it's nice to see Lucy.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!