Published: January 24, 2026
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"Cough... cough... cough..."
August Suns, having returned from the netherworld, coughed weakly on the bed.
He no longer appeared as the robust middle-aged man who had spoken with Orun and the others, but as a frail, elderly figure.
‘Are you going to die, master?’
Titania spoke emotionlessly to the ailing August.
“Haha... maybe I will... I’ve used up almost all my strength.”
‘I see. Then I shall simply watch this world as it moves toward its collapse.’
“Hey, hey, the person you call master is dying, you know? Isn’t there anything you can do?”
‘Not really.’
“Ha, that’s sad... Well then, shall I get on with my final task?”
Saying that, August slowly got up.
Though he managed to stand, his weakened body struggled to support itself, and his knees wobbled.
‘...What are you doing?’
“Well, I have somewhere to go. Want to come along?”
‘Might be a good way to kill some time.’
“You could just admit you’re curious and ask to be taken.”
‘You’re noisy.’
Exchanging light banter with Titania, August made his slow way to the next room.
On the floor of that room was a magic circle.
When August stepped onto it, he spoke:
“To the Phoenix Shrine.”
The magic circle began to glow in response, and August vanished from the spot.
“Ha, I’m tired...”
After teleporting to his destination, August muttered, gasping for breath.
He found himself inside a shrine at a certain place.
‘Why come all the way here now?’
“To deliver a gift to the youth of the future. Though, from their perspective, it might seem like a nuisance.”
August answered Titania’s question with a cheerful laugh.
‘That’s not really an answer.’
Ignoring Titania’s dissatisfied murmur, August walked toward the crystal orb enshrined like a sacred object.
He placed his hand over the orb.
Suddenly, a vast number of techniques appeared from the orb, filling the shrine.
“Alright, the date is March 29th, 629 of the Four Saints Calendar.”
August searched his memory as he manipulated the principles of the technique.
“On this day, the black dragon floor boss of the Great Southern Labyrinth’s 92nd floor will be able to leave the boss area, and the teleportation destination of the Door of Whimsy is changed to be fixed at the 50th layer. That should do it.”
‘...Why set a date more than five hundred years in the future?’
“I told you, it’s a gift for the youth of the future. In a way, this marks the ‘beginning of the story.’”
‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
“You don’t need to understand yet.”
◇
“Ah... I’m tired... I’ve finished everything I needed to do...”
Back in his room, August lay down on the bed.
‘What exactly did you want to do?’
Titania’s voice sounded exasperated.
“...You’ll understand eventually. Oh, there’s one more thing left.”
Though satisfied, August suddenly remembered something unfinished and turned his gaze towards where Titania stood.
“—Titania.”
‘Wh-what? Suddenly you look serious...’
“What will you do from now on?”
‘I told you already. I’ll just watch as an observer and see how this world ends.’
“...I thought so. I have something to tell you.”
‘What is it? You’re acting strangely today, master.’
“Well, just listen.”
‘...’
“If you choose to remain an observer, that’s fine. That’s your decision too. But there’s only one thing I can say right now: Remember the name ‘Orun Dura.’ This is the name of the person who will, hundreds of years from now, decide to stand against them. Do you think you can still keep observing after you get involved with Orun?”
Summoning the last of his strength, August spoke.
He had originally been weak, but continuously exerted enormous power through intervening in the netherworld and manipulating the principles of techniques.
The cost was, naturally—
“‘Orun Dura,’ ‘hundreds of years from now.’ You manipulated the principles of the technique with the remainder of your life... just for that?”
“Anyway, my remaining life would have faded away regardless... I just wanted to leave behind... something like a meaning to my existence...”