<system>
[Temporary Body] construction complete.
With a bright light, Egru’s small body floated up. His face was parched as if all moisture had dried up.
“D-D’Élysée…”
Egru reached out towards his brother.
His blood-soaked brother shattered like data fragments. From head to toe, he disappeared as if he had never been there.
“My brother…”
Egru stared at the fragments scattering into the black background. His pumpkin-colored eyes captured his brother’s image until the very last moment.
<system>
Starting resurrection in the [Central Continent].
***
Oxygen is essential for all life. Especially for breathing organisms, oxygen is tantamount to the source of life.
“D-D’Él… ysée…”
Most people become exhausted after just one minute of submerging their head underwater. Two minutes is dangerous. After three minutes, unfortunately, there’s a high chance of bidding farewell to this world.
Egru, who had crawled out of the well, panted for a long time. He caught his breath as if he had been trapped underwater not for a few minutes, but for hours.
“D’Él, D’Élysée…”
But before he could fully catch his breath, he searched for his brother first.
‘Was it a dream? Just a dream?’
Egru had dreamed. It was a long and cruel nightmare.
He suddenly pressed his throbbing forehead, which felt like it might crack.
‘I think Doggy was with me too…’
At some point, he was left alone.
<system>
Welcome, Hero [Egru]
<system>
Doomsday Quest: Hero, prevent the end of Apocalypse
Clear Reward: Power crystal for returning to timeline [6891–J7–F53G]
After panting for a long time, Egru finally came to his senses.
He couldn’t distinguish objects properly. The entire space was dark.
First, he felt his body. He was naked.
Egru plunged his face back into the well.
Gulp, gulp.
He didn’t know if it was safe to drink, but he gulped it down anyway.
“Huk…”
Only after regaining a steady breath could he see his reflection in the well.
‘…Human?’
Egru touched his face.
No. His ears were still pointed. His hair and eye color remained the same.
‘W-what’s this?’
His body, which had remained unchanged for years, had grown significantly.
Not only that, even his skin had changed to a color similar to D’Élysée’s.
‘H-how did this…’
Egru was busy examining his new body for a while.
Though traces of his former face remained, his skin was plump as if he had been reborn.
Not only had all the scars on his body disappeared, but even the scar on his right ear was gone without a trace.
“!”
Even his belly had become plump. At this rate, he felt he could go without food for a month.
<system>
Automatic user information access.
‘User?’
Egru fixed his gaze straight ahead.
<system>
Egru (Lv.1)
HP:10/10 MP:10/10
Job: Hero
Job Characteristics:
- You can gain bonus experience points through [Good Deeds].
- You can make important NPCs into [Allies] or [Alliance].
- When sleeping on a [Down Bed], HP and MP recover a certain amount.
Title: X
Title Characteristics: X
Golden letters, similar to the well water, floated up in a stream. With the dizzying display, Egru didn’t know where to look.
<system>
[Swordsmanship · Magic Skill List], [Spirit Contract Storage], and [Inventory] are currently empty.
<system>
Main status window functions can be accessed through [Voice Command].
Unfamiliar information poured out haphazardly. It felt like his skull was being sizzled by fire.
<system>
Main Quest: Repair the damaged World Tree (Current progress 0/100%)
Clear Reward: [Long-term Memories] stored in the underground core will be recovered according to the quest progress. (Current backup rate 0/100%)
Fortunately, the notifications ended before he could vomit up the water he had just drunk.
Egru looked around the surrounding space, using the status window as a lamp.
‘D-did I…’
Come out of that well?
The well he had just emerged from was in the center of a wide space.
‘Ah, it seems I climbed up using that.’
Neat stone steps led down to the bottom of the well.
The well was not only deep but also wide in area.
It seemed designed not just for obtaining groundwater, but for people to enter and exit.
That is, only for people who could hold their breath underwater for a long time.
Egru suddenly felt his neck. There were no gills or anything like that.
‘H-how was I able to come out from underwater?’
Egru approached the well. The calm water was emitting light as if by magic. The golden glow deepened towards the bottom.
He gently touched the rough outer wall.
There were cracked marks. Traces of shattered pieces painstakingly reassembled.
It wasn’t perfect, but it was complete. Like a broken pottery carefully pieced back together.
Next to the well were traces of melted gold. Along with fire mana stones that emitted high temperatures.
‘The status window clearly…’
Mentioned the well’s repair rate.
<system>
[Well of Origin] Repair Rate (100/100%)
The status window displayed a notification as if it had been waiting.
<system>
This figure includes the [Well of Origin]’s self-repair rate.
Egru racked his brains.
‘Did someone repair the well with melted gold?’
If so, there must be people here. Someone who rebuilt this place, alive or dead.
If they were alive, couldn’t he ask about this confusing situation? He wasn’t even sure if this was the world of the living.
‘I-is this the same world I lived in? What if it’s the afterlife or hell…’
After looking around the quiet surroundings, Egru clenched his fists.
‘F-first, I need to get out of here.’
There was no sign of life, but a glimmer of hope had arisen.
Egru stood up.
The interior, viewed by the light of the status window, was truly lush with various plants.
Grass stems and tree roots densely covered the walls and ceiling. It was like being inside a giant oak barrel.
Egru covered his naked body as best he could with a few large leaves.
Looking around again, there was a single passage on the far side of the space. There didn’t seem to be any doors separating the areas.
The passage, untouched by light, was pitch black. It wasn’t even certain if it led outside.
“H-hello!”
Egru couldn’t stay still any longer. The image of his brother dying thousands of times in his arms flickered before his eyes.
“Is anyone there! Hello!”
Egru shouted loudly into the passage.
A few echoes followed, then silence. It was an empty cry.
“If anyone’s there, please answer! Is there really no one?”
Egru counted from 1 to 100 in his mind. But there was no response.
Egru squeezed his eyes shut. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t afraid of the reality that confronted him.
Nevertheless, he had to get out of here.
‘I-I…’
Need to move.
Although nothing was clear, one thing was certain.
‘I have to save D’Élysée.’
Egru cupped his trembling hands.
He gently scooped up some water from the well. It was water imbued with a golden glow.
However, it flowed through his fingers too quickly to be used as a light to illuminate the way.
Egru looked back at the status window, which seemed to be pointing this way. Though not a strong light, it seemed more convenient for moving than water.
‘L-let’s go. I can do this.’
Egru steeled his nerves. Just as he carefully took a step forward, relying on the light of the status window.
“Who’s there? Who is it?”
A small whisper was heard. It was a voice coming from above.
“I-is someone there? Hello!”
Egru immediately looked up.
Whoosh.
There was no one. Only the blackened ceiling silently looked down at Egru.
“Hero? Is it the Hero?”
“No. I’m not the Hero.”
But the mysterious dialogue continued unabated. Egru quickly looked around. All he could see were pitch-black walls.
“He looks different. Uglier.”
“But only the Hero comes out of the well.”
“H-hello!”
Egru turned around, circling the room once.
“He hasn’t come out for hundreds of years. Isn’t he already dead?”
“No. The Hero never dies. It’s because humans broke the well.”
“Bad humans. I hate humans. I hate them as much as the gods above.”
Finding no results, Egru approached the wall.
“H-hello! Are you there?”
However, the voices were too clear to be coming from beyond the wall.
“What? Have you been calling us all this time?”
“No way. That can’t be.”
“Can you see us?”
“I-I can’t see you, but I can hear you!”
Egru answered immediately. The crisp voices stopped abruptly, as if surprised.
‘F-finally…!’
Egru waited for a while with expectant eyes. He had finally met beings he could communicate with.
However, as the quiet silence continued, he became increasingly dejected. Just as his pointed ear tips were drooping lifelessly.
“He says he can hear our voices, but he’s not the Hero?”
Egru’s ears perked up. The whispering had started again.
“No way. The Hero could see us well. This one can only hear us.”
“There must be something wrong with him. I don’t like his kind anyway, they’re too arrogant.”
“Still, you never know. Maybe we should talk to him…”
<system>
Danger warning.
“Huh?”
As Egru wondered, the status window turned bright red.
The letters that had been shining warmly like sunlight began to flash red.
“Ah, it’s coming.”
“Let’s run away. I don’t like him.”
“I liked him though. He fixed the well all by himself.”
The voices above quickly faded away.
“Uh…”
Egru was at a loss. Unable to decide what to do, he was just hiding behind the well.
Thud.
A strong vibration was felt. It was the rumbling of a massive earth.
Thud.
Beyond the space flashing red along with the status window, a pitch-black passage could be seen.
It was the source of the fierce rumbling.
<system>
Quick escape is recommended.
Even Egru’s face was enveloped in the red light flashing like a warning signal.
Thud.
The unknown rumbling was gradually getting closer.