Lin and Lucy stepped straight into the cave. 

They wanted to cover the entrance with snow for a secure exit, but unfortunately, Lin’s condition was not good. 

His shoulder blades were punctured by the succubus’s claws, and he had fallen onto rocks from a cliff, making it painful for him to even bow. 

“Lin, are you okay?” 

Lucy, who was clinging to Lin’s abdomen, asked worriedly, but Lin could only nod and couldn’t answer properly. 

His heavy breathing indicated he was enduring the pain. 

Lucy felt sorry for Lin, who was silently moving despite the burden on his waist due to the baby sling and herself.

“It looks like an ordinary cave, but with those patterns, it’s definitely a shrine to the goddess. The pain is definitely less than it was outside,” Lin said, trying to comfort Lucy by speaking deliberately.

“So, did we find the right place?” 

“It’s just luck upon luck that brought us here.”

As befits a shrine, no monsters appeared in this map. 

Instead, there was a time attack. 

In the DLC, this space is entered while being chased by a succubus. 

The final mission of chapter one is to find the elixir and heal Lucy before the succubus arrives. 

However, this was not a game but reality. 

The situation was worsening.

First of all, it was too cold. 

They couldn’t obtain any protective gear and were driven into the snowy mountains of the harsh mountain range. 

As their bodies relaxed and the sweat from the chase cooled, the chill set in immediately. 

This chill would soon turn to coldness and make them feel freezing to their bones. 

It was disappointing that the shrine, despite its name, had no warming effect.

“Lucy, are you cold?”

“I’m fine. But what about you, Lin?”

In that case, there was no need to use the skill scroll. 

That was Lin’s thought. 

He could feel his limits. 

Every step was not easy. 

Lifting his knee and stepping forward was a simple repetitive process, but he couldn’t keep his balance and was moving as if dragging his feet.

Prepare for the worst-case scenario. 

It’s better to save items for later if he couldn’t even fight. 

Even if they were items imbued with warmth, it would be nice if Lucy could make good use of them.

The structure of the goddess’s shrine map was very simple. 

It was a puzzle map, but calling it a puzzle was an overstatement. 

Proper combat would be possible only after Lucy recovered in chapter two. 

Therefore, the shrine was a straight path leading directly to the hall with the elixir. 

However, the reason it was considered a puzzle map was because of the numerous side paths leading to hidden items along the straight path.

If you explored all these paths, you could obtain numerous skill scrolls and consumable items, but most importantly, you would find visions and texts revealing the past of the porter or Lucy. 

This, combined with the succubus time attack, added tension to the final mission of chapter one.

Even though you could clear it just by going straight, skipping items and story as a player was not an easy choice, especially if it was your first playthrough. 

But Lin was different. 

Besides, being a porter, why would he care about the porter’s past? 

He also knew Lucy’s past. 

She had cleared it. 

Therefore, Lin walked straight ahead without a second thought.

But then, 

“A treasure chest?”

Even though they were on a one-way path, there was a treasure chest placed conspicuously. 

He threw a stone at it, suspecting it might be a mimic, but it didn’t move. 

Cautiously opening it, she found a skill scroll inside.

[Judgment: The End of Selfishness]

Skill Description: Destroys the mind of a party member who cannot be forgiven. Reduces MP, energy, or divine power to 0 and prevents recovery. Mental collapse is a bonus.

Flavor Text:

“There is no other way. We must destroy this mental world.”

It was a skill he had never seen before, and the description was savage. 

Such variables no longer mattered. 

However, the moment Lin put the scroll into the porter’s bag,

“Lin?!”

“Damn…!”

A black aura enveloped them, creating an instant blackout. 

‘There’s no time for visions!’ 

Familiar landscapes flashed before his eyes, and whispers began to echo in his ears.

“Lucy?” 

Lucy looked pale, seemingly completely consumed by the vision. 

There was no choice. 

Though Lin was also placed in the vision, he could still clearly see the path in the shrine.

“Follow me, damn it! We’ll make sure no one can ignore us!”

It was noisy. 

The wish had come true in some form. 

It might be far from what you wanted.

“I am different from you. I will rise to a higher level and achieve it. When that day comes, I will personally bestow grace upon you all.”

Rather than receiving grace, it seemed more like she was going to repay a grudge. 

Her heart grew heavier.

“You know, porter, why do we even keep you around when you’re useless in combat?”

It’s all for today, this moment. 

Unfortunately, he was immune to mental attacks or status ailments. 

He didn’t know why. Lin just kept walking forward silently.

“Going that way!”

“I’ll cover!”

While swinging her sword frantically, a few monsters escaped Lucy’s attack range and approached the castle, but Naidrian quickly shot arrows to stop them.

“Spell complete. Deploying defense area.”

Tigria cast a spell, surrounding the castle with a barrier.

“Ha… Ha…! Finally…!”

Lucy took her stance with the Holy Sword. 

As the crimson-gold light began to gather on the holy sword, a unique mutant monster charged at her.

“I’ll defend!”

Thud-!

Reinhold blocked the monster’s body slam, but he was pushed back. 

As the mutant monster roared, the horde bypassed him and targeted Lucy.

“Trying to use your brain, huh!”

Arsil on the left delayed their advance with numerous punches, while Naidrian rained arrows from the right, killing them.

“Target acquired, extracting, compressing, compressing, compressing, accelerating… ignition!”

Tigria clenched her fist, causing a massive explosion among the approaching monsters. 

Her skill was beyond impressive.

Screeeech!!!

However, one managed to survive, jumping over the mutant and Reinhold and charging at Lucy.

“Damn it!”

“Tigria! One’s coming through!”

“Damn…! Target, accelerate, move, accelerate, sharpen!”

Urged by Arsil and Naidrian, who were holding their positions, Tigria quickly shot a spell, but it missed. 

Lucy, who had not yet fully gathered her strength, was contemplating whether to unleash a half-charged attack when,

“Aaaahhh!”

The porter, screaming in fear, charged at the boar-like monster with a small shield barely protecting him. 

Smack!

“Ow!”

Letting out an embarrassing scream, he was thrown aside, but it was just enough time for Lucy to fully charge.

With the accumulated power, Lucy swung the Holy Sword, sending forth a crimson-gold slash.

The sword cleaved through the unique mutants and the other trash alike in a single stroke, flying a great distance to destroy their nest.

“…I did it!”

With this, I can make up for the disgrace of hiding behind the shield last time.

The porter, unable to hide his joy, was roughly shoved by the warrior.

“Don’t do anything unnecessary!”

“But, I did it this time…!”

“Even if you’re not a combatant, you’re part of the warrior’s party. If you die foolishly, people will doubt and fear the absolute power of the warrior’s party!”

“But… I can’t just hide behind it all the time!”

Lucy knew too well.

The porter had been secretly training with a sword and shield.

But he had no talent.

Combat was not his domain at all.

“You did well.”

“Right? Even though I’m full of shortcomings, if I keep trying…”

No, don’t say it.

She ran to stop herself, but her past self passed right through her.

“Hey, porter.”

Stop it!

“If you’re a porter, act like one and carry the luggage.”

Don’t do this to Lin!

“Don’t act out and become a corpse.”

“Ah…”

A voice that stopped dead.

Shoulders slumping.

She thought it was for his own good.

Stopping him with harsh words to prevent him from getting himself killed by false hopes seemed effective.

At least, she thought so.

“Oh, my…”

Standing next to her, where she could do nothing, was Lin, unmasked.

They were watching their past selves.

“I thought I’d just be repeating memories of limbs getting cut off, but what’s this?”

“Who are you?”

“Oh, you’re sure right away that I’m not this Lin?”

“Lin doesn’t talk like that.”

“Lin doesn’t talk like this?”

Lin’s face began to smear like paint, then someone roughly crossed it out with a brush.

“You think you know Lin so well?”

“Lin is mine…!”

“You’re like a parrot, always saying the same thing.”

The painted-over figure grabbed her shoulder.

Then her hand spread like paint, melting her arm.

The other hand, too, and both legs below.

The figure, covered in paint, grabbed and pulled at her limbs.

“AAAAAAHHHHHHH~!!!!!”

Lucy screamed in the searing pain.

The tears she shed in pain were reabsorbed back into her eyes.

Paint dripped down, and limbs that never existed flailed.

“Get away!!!!”

“Oh my, you’re rejecting me? The one you wanted so much?”

“You’re not Lin!”

“Of course not. But I’m exactly what you and Lin were looking for.”

“AAAAAAHHHH!!!”

“Does it hurt? Does it hurt? Huh?”

The paint didn’t leave her alone for a second.

It kept holding and pulling her limbs, preventing her from moving.

“Are the severed limbs hurting?”

“Lin!!!”

“Even until the end, you only know yourself!”

“Help me, Lin!!!!”

The paint forced her head up.

Grabbing her face as she lay down, it made her look ahead.

“Look! See what you did to him!”

“Noooo!!”

The porter had tried.

He had tried so many things to win the favor of the other party members.

And he had bowed his head thousands of times.

Mostly, it was Lucy who made him lower his head.

“Don’t you have any sense? You were just alone with Reinhold!”

“Burned the soup while working out…? Are you really a porter?”

“Shut up. Everyone’s uncomfortable with you. Can’t you just do your job quietly?”

No matter how much she glared, she couldn’t see his expression behind the mask.

She only felt that he was getting duller.

“In a way, it’s a relief. Coming this far is a big step.”

The paint dripped all over the body.

Lucy was soaked with paint, but it felt like being burnt.

A silent scream echoed.

“Oh! Already growing bones? See? Restoring limbs is nothing to me.”

Lucy struggled to stand.

In unimaginable pain, she was painfully clear-headed.

“Restoring the body! But… even I can’t fix a dead heart.”

The paint pointed a melted finger at the porter.

“See? See? See?!”

The porter no longer raised his head.

Lucy burst into tears.

“Can you see the heart you killed?!”

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

She desperately begged for forgiveness.

Facing her sins, Lucy wept endlessly and begged.

“Nope~ No can do.”

The paint did not forgive.

“It’s too late to beg for forgiveness.”

The paint laughed maniacally.

“Luciena Estel! Open your eyes! It’s time to let him go now?”

“What?”

“You need to praise him for successfully completing his mission.”

“What are you talking about?”

Making incomprehensible remarks, the paint gradually seeped into her body.

Before the last drop entered her heart, the paint—no, Elixir—squeezed out its last bit of mercy and whispered to her.

“If you wake up now, you can hear Lin’s last words.”

“Don’t joke!”

Lucy mustered all her strength to stand up.

She pushed herself off the ground with her hands, her knees, and her feet.

Her hands and feet were as white as marble.

“My hands…”

So soft.

“My legs…”

Beautifully proportioned, supporting her sturdy pelvis with long legs.

“They’ve come back…!”

As she looked down at her body in awe, she heard a faint laugh.

“Thank goodness.”

It was Lin.

He was leaning against the cave wall, his body shredded to pieces.

Beside him lay the burnt remains of a succubus.

To be precise, what had been a succubus and a shattered holy water bottle lay beside him.

“I told you.”

“Lin?”

“I’d fix you.”

His tone and expression were calm, but the amount of blood flowing from his body was alarming.

Holding his abdomen suggested he was trying to keep his insides from spilling out.

“Unfortunately… this seems to be the end for me.”

Lucy stared at him blankly.

A chill enveloped her entire body, making her hair stand on end.

Lin, with a trembling hand, draped several layers of clothing over her.

“You’ll catch a cold…”

Lin smiled.

It wasn’t the faint, thin smile from before; for the first time, he smiled brightly and widely at her.

And that was it.

The sorrowful smile was all that decorated the life of the man called Lin.

“…You’re lying, right?”

She reached out to touch his cheek.

It was cold.

“You said you’d stay with me.”

Thud.

When Lucy’s hand touched him, he collapsed sideways.

“Ah…”

Only then did Lucy feel the full impact of Lin’s death.

“AAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

The warrior had lost her only ally, her best comrade, her Lin.