## Chapter 347 – The First Dream (2)
<Aaron's Parallel Story Episode 18>
***
He opened his eyes.
He found himself standing on an immense plain, stretching beyond the horizon. Probably, even if he ran day and night, he couldn’t reach the end of the plain.
With a strange certainty, he took a step forward. He had something to do. To become stronger.
His memories automatically clicked into place, accumulating and forming his consciousness, gradually shaping Aaron’s identity.
‘My name is Aaron Delcut,’ he recognized himself. Born in Taonier, he was summoned by the system. His destiny was to be a piece in the game of someone called the Master. Aaron accepted that role to survive, to see his only sister and family, Nina, again.
Thus, Aaron met his comrades and learned what companionship was by fighting alongside them.
“……”
But that was all. Aaron couldn’t be of help to them. He lacked the qualities of a warrior. He didn’t want to be a burden on his comrades, he wanted to prove his worth by fighting alongside them. But he failed, putting his comrades in danger because of his lack of skill. He wanted to become stronger, but he couldn’t advance further.
‘Belkist.’ Aaron remembered the name of that man, the man who defeated him. Although he was summoned after Aaron, he grew rapidly and arrived right behind him. And then he said, “There’s a person who isn’t fulfilling their role.” He was referring to Aaron, and he was right. Aaron couldn’t refute it. Belkist had nothing to do with it, if it wasn’t him, it would eventually happen anyway. To fall behind.
Aaron was fortunate to be summoned early and become a core member. But as the Lobby grew, it was natural that heroes with insufficient skills would be eliminated from the main team.
‘It was my stubbornness.’ I should have given up there. Accepting my ineptitude and resigning myself to doing what I could wouldn’t be so bad. Most people in the world do it that way. Taonier’s leading hero, Han Israt, also said it was natural. Even if it wasn’t in combat, there were many tasks in the Lobby where Aaron could be useful. For example, as an instructor in the basic training of new members, Aaron’s talent wouldn’t be insufficient. The weak also have their own battles.
But Aaron refused. He insisted on becoming stronger, relying on Han Israt’s benevolence. That’s the current result.
‘They said there was a hero in a situation similar to mine.’ That hero became strong, overcoming his miserable talent. ‘I want to know.’ How he became strong, how he overcame the limits of his talent. He wanted to be like him. And someday, to stand alongside his comrades again.
‘Let’s go.’ The dimensional portal that sent Aaron to this special dimension had disappeared. There was no way to return. He could only move forward. Thus, Aaron walked and walked across the desolate plain.
“……”
There was a winding path on the plain. Aaron followed it.
His perception of time was distorted. ‘No, it’s not a problem of time perception.’
Was it autumn on the plain? Leaves were falling from the sky. It was strange. For leaves to fall, there should be trees above. But there wasn’t a single tree growing on the plain. Just a field that stretched endlessly.
‘Where are they falling from?’
But the brown leaves were falling. From somewhere beyond the sky. There wasn’t a specific place. Leaves were falling all over the plain.
‘Also…’
What name should he give this phenomenon? Aaron couldn’t answer hastily. The leaves seemed to be suspended in the air. As if time had stopped. Like a painting.
But upon closer inspection, it was different. Very slowly, the leaves were moving, although barely perceptibly, like the crawl of a caterpillar. In other words…
‘Time is flowing slowly…’
The flow was extremely slow. That’s why it seemed like a stopped world. Aaron’s existence, moving at his normal speed in that world, didn’t fit with the landscape.
Anyway, Aaron followed the path. He couldn’t tell how much time had passed. He thought it was time to feel hungry, but strangely, he wasn’t hungry at all.
“……ha.”
A mysterious world. Beyond the horizon of the plain, the sunset was settling. Probably, that sunset wouldn’t give way to night. Aaron had a strange certainty of that.
***
Shortly after, Aaron discovered a large cabin. The winding path that began at the dimensional portal was connected to the cabin’s entrance. That meant that cabin was his destination.
“Is anyone here?”
Toc, toc. Aaron knocked on the cabin door. He soon received a response.
“It’s open.”
An unknown male voice. Aaron opened the door and entered the house.
Upon opening the door, he saw the cabin’s kitchen-dining room. It felt very homely. A young man sitting at the table looked at him.
“Is that you? My new companion.”
An expression full of confidence. He seemed to be in his early twenties. The young man, dressed in the low-ranking uniform of Niflheim, smiled broadly as he remained seated.
“It seems you’re not from Niflheim. Where do you come from?”
“Who are you?”
“Ah, of course, I should introduce myself first. I’m Sragin. You don’t need to know more, do you? You and I are in similar situations.”
“Similar situations…?”
“You came because you wanted to become stronger, right?”
Aaron opened his eyes wide.
“I also want to become stronger. More than anyone. That’s why I came here.”
Aaron soon understood the situation. That man called him a companion. So…
‘I’m not the only apprentice.’
Apart from Aaron, it seemed there was another hero who had chosen this reckless method. Now that he thought about it, they didn’t tell him he would go alone. It wasn’t strange. He was just another guest who had arrived earlier.
“They said there were many apprentices before, but they all failed. I’m different. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Sragin’s eyes shone with determination, with an insatiable desire to become strong. Aaron knew someone similar to this man: the one responsible for degrading him to Group 2, Belkist.
“So, I just introduce myself and that’s it? My name is Aaron Delcut.”
“Wow, what formality.”
“……”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. We’re not in a situation to chat amicably, are we? It seems everyone from our promotion has arrived…”
Sragin looked out the window.
“It seems they’ve arrived?”
Aaron blinked. That man noticed something, but Aaron didn’t feel anything. He had no choice but to follow Sragin, who went out the door.
Thus, they arrived at the cabin’s backyard. There was a training ground of moderate size, just with a wooden fence on the edges and some scarecrows at regular intervals. A very basic training ground.
In the center of the training ground was ‘he’.
“Haam~.”
A sleepy gaze turned towards the two. His clothes were unkempt, and his posture was completely languid. There wasn’t a trace of motivation in the movement of scratching his violet head.
‘A kid?’
He didn’t know his exact age, but he seemed younger than Aaron. With that appearance, he could easily be treated like a younger brother.
“What are you doing there? Come, come.”
The kid’s expression and tone oozed boredom.
“Are you the owner of this cabin?”
Sragin also frowned, surprised by the unexpected scene.
“Yes, it’s me. You don’t need me to introduce myself, do you? You came here knowing who I am. Come in.”
The door to the training ground was open. Aaron and Sragin entered cautiously.
‘…….’
It was different from what he had imagined. Aaron had expected a trained warrior like a sword. An owner of a transcendental will who had overcome the limits of talent. But this appearance…
“I know, I know. I seem easy to beat. What can we do? I didn’t want to look like this. Anyway, you two are the new ones.”
The kid’s half-closed eyes quickly swept over the two. And the kid spoke.
“Go back.”
“……?”
“I’ll open the dimensional portal again. It will take a while, but take it as a vacation. When it opens, go back home.”
The kid yawned lazily.
“That can’t be.”
“Hmm?”
“We can’t return empty-handed. We came this far.”
Sragin stepped forward.
“I heard you’re that man’s rival.”
“That man? Ah, you mean Gion. But rival? He’s my rival? What nonsense.”
The kid waved his hand. But Aaron had also heard about it. The five-star hero known as the swordsman of Niflheim, Lidygion. That man recognized someone as his rival.
“Ridiculous.”
The kid laughed incredulously. Sragin also laughed, looking at the kid.
“Anyway, it would be a waste. I came this far to defeat you.”
“Defeat me? Me? Wow, how scary. And you too? Did you also come to… defeat me?”
The kid’s gaze turned to Aaron. Aaron shook his head hastily.
“No, it’s not that. I came to become stronger.”
“Isn’t it the same?”
Sragin looked at Aaron disapprovingly. Aaron didn’t give up and responded.
“It’s different. I have no intention of defeating you.”
“So my intention is impure?”
“Khmm, I didn’t mean that.”
Sragin looked back ahead. His eyes shone with a sinister light.
“Anyway, I want to become strong. Stronger than Lidygion. Stronger than his comrades. Stronger than anyone in this world. I came here for that. I’ll thank you, but help me become stronger.”
“……”
“I know it’s dangerous. Almost everyone who comes here dies. But if I don’t take that risk, I won’t be able to become strong. I’m determined. I guess this man is too.”
Aaron was also determined. Regardless of the circumstances, they were both desperate. That’s why, risking their lives, they came here.
“Ah, what a problem.”
The kid sighed.
“If I told you to go back and train normally, wouldn’t you accept it? You would say you’ve tried everything. That there’s no other option, that’s why you came here.”
“You know it very well.”
“But do you think you’re the first to come with that determination?”
“It doesn’t matter. I can do it.”
It was immense confidence. Aaron and he came from different backgrounds. That confidence could only be obtained through constant effort and continuous victories.
‘…….’
He was completely different from Aaron, who could barely fulfill his role. He had already experienced numerous failures. He couldn’t say he would succeed this time.
“What about you?”
Sragin looked at Aaron as he spoke.
“I… I’ll just do my best.”
“You lack spirit.”
Sragin scoffed.
“Ah, alright, do what you want. You can use the training ground and choose any empty room in the house. Clean up yourselves. You don’t need to worry about food.”
The kid conceded surprisingly easily. Telling them to go seemed to have been just a formality.
“So, I’m going…”
“Wait.”
Sragin interrupted the kid. He approached the kid as he fiddled with his sword sheath on his belt.
“Could you fight me once?”
“Why?”
“I want to see your strength.”
“Hmm?”
“The man named Lidygion was strong. I challenged him dozens of times, but I never reached him. Even adjusting our physical abilities to the same level. Honestly… he was an insurmountable barrier.”
“Of course. He’s a genius.”
“So, you, who are called his rival, must be just as strong.”
“I’m not.”
“Please, allow me a fight. I want to measure my level.”
The kid looked at Sragin with an indifferent expression.
“How arrogant.”
“If my tone was arrogant, I apologize.”
Sragin’s tone immediately changed.
“I want to become strong. Please, teach me.”
Even Aaron was surprised. That man named Sragin was the type who seemed to have great pride. But in an instant, he threw away his pride. Just to become stronger.
“So you want to know the difference in our skills? To feel the same barrier you felt with Gion?”
“Yes.”
“No problem.”
The kid smiled. And with a movement of his foot, he picked up a spear from the ground.