Frilian: Starting by inheriting the title of the Southern Hero

Chapter 41 The Other Side of Vulnerability

The footsteps at the end of the corridor completely disappeared.

Lynn was still standing at the door, her body stiff.

He tried to raise his hand, but his arm felt so heavy it didn't belong to him.

A buzzing sound suddenly started in my ears, the lines on the wall in front of me were shaking, and the ceiling was sinking.

"So that's how it is..."

Lynn bumped his back against the door, using the force to close it, then staggered to the bedside and bumped into the table next to it.

Clang!

The small blue teapot I bought yesterday rolled off the table and landed on the carpet.

A magical artifact that brings sweet dreams.

Lynn looked at it, a grotesque smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Even the most beautiful dreams are false and cannot affect reality or the truth.

He always believed that he had accidentally traveled to this world after touching that mysterious stone tablet in the scenic area.

It was just an insignificant beginning.

Now, he remembered.

That's not some mysterious stone tablet.

It's a tombstone.

Mother's tombstone.

No one in that world will worry about him anymore, because his parents are no longer alive.

The memory of my parents' accident is crystal clear at this moment.

It was his 20th birthday, during summer vacation, and the weather was lovely.

He drove his parents on a road trip.

Passing by a simple service area, he said he was thirsty and wanted to get off the bus to buy a bottle of water.

His mother smiled and told him to hurry back.

He opened the car door and walked towards the convenience store.

then,

It was the piercing sound of horns and the screeching of brakes.

He turned around and saw...

A truck driven out of control due to driver fatigue crashed precisely into his car.

The world turned black and white in that moment.

The parents passed away despite all efforts to save them.

He didn't cry at the time; not a single tear came out.

Just feel cold.

For a long time afterward, he locked himself in his room.

I took a leave of absence during my junior year of college.

A diagnosis of depression.

After that, all that remained in my life was self-blame.

If I hadn't gotten off the bus to buy water.

If that day wasn't my birthday.

I wish I were the one who died.

Three months after his parents passed away, he went to the cemetery.

It was raining that day.

He stood before his mother's gravestone, repeatedly saying "I'm sorry."

He had even planned to end his life.

Then, I was swallowed by the white light and came to this world.

"What is the point of all this?"

Lynn felt as if everything around her had lost its color.

The pain that was forcibly forgotten has now returned.

He slid weakly to the floor, leaned against the edge of the bed, and curled up.

so cold.

dong dong!

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"Mr. Lynn, Lady Frillian and the others came to ask us to go out and play. They said they found a great dessert shop."

It was Laofen's voice.

Lynn simply glanced towards the door without responding.

"Mr. Lynn?"

Laopen called out again from outside the door, her tone tinged with doubt.

Lynn struggled to adjust his voice:

"You guys go ahead, I have some personal matters to attend to."

There was silence outside the door for a few seconds.

Raofen's voice came again, this time with more concern: "Are you alright?"

"I just want to be alone for a while, so please leave me alone."

Outside the door, Laofen remained silent for a while before saying, "Alright, I'll go then."

The footsteps then faded into the distance.

In the room, Lynn slowly raised her head.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the window, casting dappled patterns of light on the dust motes dancing in the air.

He reached out, trying to grab the dust, but his hand fell limply halfway up.

What is the purpose of living?

Previously, it was to go to the Land of Souls' Rest, because I wanted to go home.

Now, even that goal seems ridiculous.

He was just someone who should have ended his life in another world, on a cold, rainy day.

But by some twist of fate, he survived.

He still wore an indifferent expression as he judged Levi and chatted and laughed with Frillie.

How ironic.

He lay back down on the bed and pulled the blanket over himself from head to toe.

In the darkness, heavy breathing could be heard.

And that awakened memory keeps playing in my mind over and over again.

Horn sound,

A sound of impact.

Once, twice, three or four times.

Lynn closed his eyes, letting the darkness engulf him.

In my drowsy state, the small blue pot I had bought that had fallen to the ground seemed to flash for a moment.

It was in a dream.

Sometimes people are fully aware that they are dreaming.

Just like Lynn is now.

Before me is my childhood home, a small courtyard in the countryside.

His mother looked very angry, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"Did you make someone angry again?"

"I was just telling the truth, she's naturally overweight."

Young Lynn stuck out her neck, looking defiant.

His mother sighed, squatted down to his level, and said, "Lynn, you should learn to cherish the people around you. Don't always act like a passerby, not caring about others."

"I,"

Before he could finish speaking, the scene suddenly stretched out.

The tactile feel of the genuine leather steering wheel returned to my palms, and the air conditioning vents blew cool air.

Lynn sat in the driver's seat, the "click" of a camera shutter clicking beside her.

Beside me was my mother, holding a camera and pointing it out the window.

Lynn would never forget this road, not even in death.

The service area is two kilometers ahead.

Soon, a sign for a service area appeared ahead.

Lynn stomped his foot harder, the engine roared, and the car's speed increased.

"Why are you driving so fast?"

His mother put down her camera and looked at him. "The scenery along the road is nice. Drive slowly so I can take more pictures."

Lynn didn't respond, but just stared at the road ahead and pressed the accelerator harder.

He had to drive there; as long as he didn't stop, nothing would happen.

However, the service area sign ahead remained a short distance away no matter how fast he drove, making it impossible to shake it off.

"Lynn, can't you change your personality?"

The mother's voice was tinged with helplessness, "From childhood to adulthood, she has never listened to the opinions of those around her. Just drive slower."

Lynn looked at the sign that was getting closer and closer, yet could never be reached, and knew that this was a dream.

All in vain.

"mom."

He slowed down and called out softly.

"Is something on your mind? Tell me."

His mother, as always, could see right through him.

"You might not believe it, but I'm now in a completely different world."

This world has magic and elves.

But I'm a very selfish guy here. I inherited a lot of power, but I only thought about following the storyline I knew, and never thought about making the outcome better.

I approached an elf named Frilian, intending only to use her squad's first-level mage to get through the northern highlands.

I even considered using Kraft, a legendary hero, because following him would surely allow me to reach the Land of Souls more safely and quickly.

It seems like I'm always on the go, rushing along my own path, never stopping to look at the people around me.

When we were little, you scolded me because I made the girl next door cry by saying she was fat. But in this world, I seem to be the same as always, talking about a very good old magician in a place called the Tomb of the Fallen King.

The mother listened quietly without saying a word.

"The power I inherited comes from a brave person in this world who was willing to sacrifice himself to pave the way for others."

I also received his care. Even though we weren't familiar with each other, he considered more than 80 years ago that I might have suicidal thoughts because of bad memories.

Now I'm wondering why the goddess brought me into this world? Does the goddess worry about these things like you, Mom? Or are all the mothers in the world the goddess's alter ego?

To be honest, if I had come to this world with this memory, I think I really might not have been able to make it through.

Lynn continued talking to himself until the fuel gauge showed zero, and the car stopped at the service area.

"So now, can you let go?" the mother asked.

"I don't know," Lynn said.

"It seems you need another reason to let go."

The mother reached out and gently placed her hand on Lynn's head.

"What kind of place are you referring to as the 'Land of Souls'?"

"It's a place in this world where you can talk to the dead."

"I see."

The mother smiled gently.

"Then, Lynn, you can get off here and come to the Land of Souls to tell your mother about your wonderful adventures along the way."

Also, remember to apologize to the person you called an old man.

Lynn paused for a moment, wiped his face haphazardly, and smiled slightly. "Well, then we'll meet in the Land of Souls. Next time, I'll tell you everything I've seen and heard along the way."

After saying that, he opened the car door.

……

When I woke up, I felt someone was next to me.

Turning my head, I saw Laofen sitting on the chair by the bed, leaning against the edge of the bed, asleep and holding her staff.

Lynn didn't say anything, she just watched her quietly.

After a while, Raphael's eyelids twitched and she slowly opened them.

She saw Lynn looking at her, paused for a moment, and said, "You're awake."

Lynn nodded and asked, "Didn't you go out with Frillie and the others?"

I'm a little worried about you.

Laofen sat up straight. "Your voice sounded off this morning."

I'm sorry I made you worry.

Lynn wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, sat up, and looked at Raofen: "By the way, when is your birthday?"

Laofen clearly hadn't followed his train of thought; she tilted her head, her face full of confusion.

"Birthday?"

"Um."

"Why are you suddenly asking this?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to know."

"Mr. Lynn, has something happened?"

Laofen asked softly, "You seem to have changed a little."

"Just call me by my name from now on," Lynn said.

Laofen's eyes widened slightly, she hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively called out:

"Lynn".

"Um."

"Want to go for a walk?"

Laofen stood up and extended her hand to him.