"How about we go back and check at the mansion?" Lucy suggested. "Maybe the situation has died down there."
"Coming from the girl charmed by the hero there," Lucas teased, his eyes glancing at the muddy-colored bracelet on Lucy's hand.
"Oh, come on, Lucas, it wasn't my fault. Besides, that bastard used multiple skills on me. I'm not that easy to trick."
"Yeah, yeah, you are not allowed to set foot in that mansion again, Lucy," he said.
"Okay, how about this? We stay here under the tree shadow and hide, wait for the time to pass," Lucas continued.
Suddenly, to his surprise, Lucy gave a light "hah!" and seized Lucas's arm, pulling him toward the giant butterfly that still flapped its wings in the air. As she did, her long, untamed hair danced in the wind, and the moonlight highlighted the excitement in her eyes.
"What?" Lucas questioned, caught off guard by her sudden enthusiasm.
"Go on, step onto Ruu."
"You want me to hide on that?" Lucas asked, surprised. He eyed the butterfly skeptically, its wings still beating rhythmically.
Shaking her head, Lucy could only explain, "No, we will fly up."
"No way, absolutely not," he refuted, taking a step back. There was no way he was ever getting on that ugly worm.
"Come on, Lucas, no one could fly that high to catch us if we ride Ruu," Lucy encouraged.
"Well, that sounds reasonable, I guess," Lucas replied, reluctantly giving in to Lucy's persuasive charm. He cast a skeptical glance at the butterfly beneath him. "But is there really no other option?"
"Nope, come on, Lucas," Lucy insisted, her eyes filled with determination.
Thinking it through, Lucas sighed. "I guess so." His word was still filled with hesitation.
"So, you're agreeing?" she asked, her eyes lighting up. She moved closer, her hands ready to guide him into the butterfly.
Lucas nodded, a mixture of apprehension and curiosity in his expression. "Alright, let's give it a shot." He took a deep breath and placed his trust in Lucy's unconventional plan.
Lucas could only nod as Lucy's face beamed with joy. She happily took his hand and climbed onto the giant butterfly, settling herself on its back. Assuring Lucas, she said, "Don't worry; sit down and hold on to me."
Lucas nodded silently, positioning himself behind Lucy, sitting on the giant butterfly as it began to flap its wings slowly.
The butterfly felt soft like cotton, and yet he could sit on it without it falling down. With each flap of its wings, wind coursed through Lucas, and suddenly, the butterfly shot up from the ground.
"Ah!" Lucas exclaimed, slightly shocked as the butterfly ascended. He immediately gripped Lucy, one hand at her waist and the other on her shoulder.
"Relax, Lucas. You won't fall," Lucy reassured him.
Feeling like he was being teased, Lucas retorted, "How can I relax when I've run out of Hurricane Leap? I can't land smoothly anymore tonight."
Of course, who in their right mind ever rode a giant butterfly before? For Lucas, even a hot-air balloon or an airplane, he had never set foot on them once, not to mention a giant flying insect.
"Don't worry, Lucas. Just relax and enjoy the view," Lucy suggested, her voice comforting and calm, a contrast to Lucas's abrupt voice earlier.
As the butterfly continued its ascent, Lucas tried to steady his breathing. Suddenly, he spotted the rude man, now naked, lying on the branch below. Lucas instinctively used the hand holding Lucy's shoulder to shield her eyes.
"What are you doing, Lucas?" Lucy inquired.
"There was a mosquito near your eyelids," Lucas replied, trying to come up with a quick explanation.
"A mosquito?" Lucy seemed skeptical.
"Yes," Lucas affirmed, hoping his excuse would suffice.
Although Lucy didn't spot any mosquitoes or even a single animal around, she nodded, accepting Lucas's explanation. She thanked him, to which Lucas responded nonchalantly, "It's fine."
The butterfly continued its ascent, flying high above the tree's canopy. Following Lucy's instructions, it moved beyond the tree's cover, concealing them from view. Lucas gazed out and finally saw it – an endless forest that stretched as far as his eyes could see. In the midst of this vast forest was a mansion, surrounded by a clean circular field where people were scattered about, and engaged in various activities.
Some were chatting and sipping drinks, others held plates of food, and a few roaming in groups, presumably searching for Lucas.
By now, the flap of the giant butterfly's wings no longer scared Lucas. Although he feared accidentally falling from the butterfly, his hand still gripped tight at Lucy's waist as she watched on.
Even from here, he could still see people looking for them, their clothes varying but all elegant. From fiery dresses to long tailcoats, Lucas observed various colored people walking in groups, their eyes searching every nook and cranny for him. Little did they know, the person they were searching for was far above their heads, above the ancient tree that stood tall and towering over the three-story mansion where the hero and the saintess stayed.
Lost in the beauty around the mansion, Lucas felt Lucy touch his hand on her waist. "Hey, Lucas, look at the sky," she said, pointing. Confused by her words, Lucas could only follow. As the once unattractive worm transformed into a butterfly, flapping its wings gracefully, Lucas raised his head, still feeling Lucy's touch on his hand.
"Wow," he uttered, greeted by an endless starry night sky. It was a breathtaking sight, a sight he had never seen. It was filled with the lights of the entire universe, displaying various colors that illuminated the sky. For those living in the city, even during the apocalypse, it was rare to witness a sky so clear.
Normally, there was light pollution when the world was normal, and even after the apocalypse, the air pollution was already bad enough. One month into the apocalypse wasn't going to change anything fast.
However, here, the sky was untainted, the air fresh. Everything was as pure as it could get. Lucas could only exhale a long sigh and utter again, "Wow!"
Below them, an endless expanse of towering green trees stretched out, devoid of any animals. Above, a sea of stars twinkled in the absence of any flying creatures except for the butterfly they were perched upon.
Lucas gazed at the celestial display and remarked, "They are so beautiful."
"I know, right?" Lucy agreed, sharing in the wonder of the moment.
She continued, "See? It wasn't wrong to hide up here. Rather than running away from everyone, hiding in a dark place, we are here enjoying the sight and the fresh air."
There, realizing that he could only see this and hiding was now possible because of Lucy, he felt a sense of guilt. "I'm sorry for calling your subclass useless," Lucas apologized. When she first acquired this subclass, he never thought that it would be used in this way to help them hide and enjoy this sight.
"It's fine. I never found it offensive," Lucy replied, her voice gentle and warm. She then grabbed hold of Lucas's hand that was on her waist and placed it down on the butterfly.
"Here, don't be scared of falling. Ruu forgave you already. Believe it and don't worry about falling," she said as his hand was placed on the butterfly.
By this point, Lucas's mind was no longer occupied by the man who had almost harmed him when he stripped the man of his clothes earlier. Instead, he was captivated by the natural beauty before him. He wasn't sure if this butterfly, which he always used to call an ugly worm, truly forgave him, but for now, he felt at peace.
This was the wish he wanted. After enduring multiple injuries—a stab wound, a bullet wound, a vampire coming after him—today, tonight, he finally found the solace he wanted. No amount of resting would ever compare to the sight and the feeling he experienced right now.
No longer worrying about the hero or the saint or people searching everywhere to capture him, Lucas looked at the girl in front of him. Her hair swayed as she looked up, her feet bare, her elegant blue ballgown soiled by dirt and tree bark residue. Yet for now, they were alone, with no one who could catch up to them.
As Lucas, his hand on her shoulder, leaned in closer, he said, "Lucy, after all of this, let's go to the beach."
"The beach?" Lucy questioned, feeling Lucas by the side of her shoulder, his finger in the same place as he leaned in closer.
"Yeah, let's go and have some fun after this," he said.
Even though it seemed like a distant dream at the moment, Lucy couldn't help but laugh at Lucas's words and agreed, "Alright."
---
[Level 0 Dungeon: Pioneers of Valor Cleared!]
[Dungeon: Pioneers of Valor Closed!]
---