After grabbing the hoe, I headed to my grandfather's grave.
With all the hope and happiness I had, I began to dig up his grave.
"We're going to be happy together again, Grandpa!"
I was so excited and joyful, unable to wait to bring my grandfather back to life.
I wanted to return to those happy days.
The days when my grandfather and I joked together, the days when he rigorously trained my swordsmanship, the days when we raced to hunt deer.
Just thinking about it made tears of joy stream down my face.
"I knew it. After hearing you eagerly want to go to the grave, I suspected that you wanted to bring your grandfather back to life."
This woman!! Again and again, she ruins the moment!!
"Sariel, I respect you, and I am truly grateful to you.
Your service to me is immense and immeasurable.
One day, I will repay the favor.
But! But can you please, just this once, leave and not disturb me!
I'm begging you with the last bit of patience I have left."
I said this through gritted teeth.
"Arc, what you're doing is nothing but desecrating your grandfather's grave. Stop it right now!" Her voice was deep and cold.
"What I'm doing is trying to bring my grandfather back to life!"
I shouted angrily at her.
"No one has ever been able to bring the dead back to life, not even the Life Sage."
Hearing her statement felt like a giant hammer hit my heart, it was so painful and heavy.
But I didn't want to accept the reality.
"Then I'll make it happen! I'll create a spell to bring the dead back to life, right here, right now!"
"Arc, calm down and accept the reality!"
Sariel said while waving her hand.
Suddenly, the earth covered the part of the grave I had worked so hard to dig.
"Magic…?"
Yes, it must be Sariel's magic.
If she uses magic, then I'll use mine too.
I summoned the sheep monster I had created earlier.
It leaped into the graveyard.
In the sky, the monster roared as loud as thunder, shaking the hearts of those who heard it.
"You really managed to create a living creature from an existing one…?"
Sariel was both surprised and amazed, her eyes wide as she stared at the monster I created.
"Just moments after learning magic, you can already create such a monster; your talent is truly terrifying."
The sheep monster landed in front of Sariel, creating a massive tremor in the ground and sending mud flying into the air.
It raised its hand, ready to swing its claws at Sariel.
A wall of earth suddenly appeared in front of Sariel, shielding her from the sheep monster's attack.
The sheep monster struck, shattering the shield and sending Sariel flying—her defense was futile.
Sariel's body, which had been thrown into the air, suddenly stopped; she hovered in place.
But what shocked me was…
"Not a single injury…?"
A single blow from the sheep monster should have been enough to turn an ordinary human into shreds like torn paper, but Sariel wasn't hurt at all.
She didn't even have a scratch.
Is this the power of a mage?
"There's no need to be surprised.
Even though you're a genius who inherited a legendary legacy, you're still a beginner.
You're no match for a veteran like me."
Sariel manipulated the dust before shooting it at the sheep monster.
Due to its size, the monster couldn't dodge.
Although it hit the mark, no visible damage could be seen.
However, suddenly the monster began to convulse before collapsing to the ground like a broken puppet.
"What did you do…?"
I asked Sariel, shocked.
This was magic I couldn't comprehend.
"I injected the dust into the monster's body, then fused it to turn the dust into earth that clogged its blood vessels.
That means the monster died due to failed blood circulation."
"Tch!" I could only click my tongue.
What should I do to fight Sariel?
My only weapon was now gone.
Given her defense, it's impossible for me to defeat her with pure physical strength.
"Your monster didn't die from disease, damage, or even age.
I killed it in the most subtle way."
"Huh…!? So what?"
I didn't understand what she meant.
"It's better to use that corpse for your experiment than to use your grandfather's body.
Try reviving it and open your eyes to reality."
She's right, but for some reason, my body felt as if it was bound by thousands of chains.
I was afraid to face reality.
The sheep monster didn't die from disease, damage, or even the end of its lifespan.
If I couldn't bring it back to life, I would have no excuse.
It would mean facing a reality I didn't want to accept.
"What's the matter?
Have you already given up?"
Whatever… my grandfather's body is still in there.
If I don't act quickly, it will start to rot.
I'll shut Sariel up so she won't bother me anymore.
"No, I'll start now.
Have you removed the earth from inside the monster's body?"
"Of course, I've already done it."
I walked over to the sheep monster's corpse before touching its chest.
My heart pounded with fear of failure.
I took a deep breath to calm myself.
I used my magic to make the monster's heart beat again.
The heart, which had been still, now began circulating blood once more.
I didn't forget to restart the monster's lungs as well.
This way, the oxygenated blood would reach the brain and revive the sheep monster.
But… the monster didn't wake up…
"Why…?"
I continued using my magic on the monster.
One second, two seconds, time felt slow to me.
My breath grew heavier by the moment.
Finally, seconds turned into minutes. But the monster still didn't wake up.
"Why!!? Why didn't it work!? What's wrong!?
Its lungs are functioning again, its heart too; the blood is circulating throughout its body, and its brain is working again; but why won't the monster wake up from death?!"
There's only one answer, and I knew it: this is reality.
It's impossible to bring a dead creature back to life.
Like shattered glass turned into sharp shards, my heart broke into pieces, blown apart by hopes that turned out to be mere illusions.
My tears flowed uncontrollably, not slowly trickling down, but gushing like a river in flood, sweeping my entire being into the current of sorrow.
Darkness crept in, shutting out the last light within me, like a thick shadow swallowing everything.
The pain was unbearable; it felt as though the entire world had collapsed on my head.
Without the strength to resist, I fell into a helpless embrace, my body surrendering to the surrounding darkness. Then, everything went dark—I lost consciousness, sinking into an unbearable despair.
************************
I opened my eyes and saw the ceiling I recognized. This place was my room, and I was lying on my bed.
Bright light entered through the window, signaling the arrival of a new day.
"Arc, are you awake?"
The door opened, and Sariel entered my room.
"Why did I fail…?"
I asked in a low voice, full of sadness.
"You didn't have the ability to summon the monster's soul.."
I knew what a soul was.
The soul is the spiritual organ that contains the mind, thoughts, emotions, and magic.
It is the true essence of a person.
"When someone dies, their soul immediately goes to the afterlife.
Your magic is not powerful enough to summon a soul from the afterlife."
"Sariel, do you know how to bring someone back to life?"
"Are you still talking about that?"
She asked with an irritated tone.
"Losing someone you love is incredibly painful.
I don't want to go through that again.
That's why I want to gain the power to bring the dead back to life."
"Huh… I understand how you feel, I also just lost someone I loved.
But bringing the dead back to life is within the domain of the gods."
"Do you think I can reach the domain of the gods?"
"Of course, you have the talent of a sage.
You can definitely reach the domain of the gods."
Alright, I now have one more goal.
Not only do I want to become strong and survive the greedy monsters, but I also want to reach the domain of the gods and gain the power to bring the dead back to life.
"That's why you need to become stronger and go to Aldenlink Academy. Let's go now."
"Now? So sudden. Why not tomorrow?"
"Tonight is the final registration, so we must hurry to Abyss City."
"Huh… alright, I'll get ready first."
I could only sigh in resignation.
"Don't bring too many things, just take what's important.
We can't fly if you're carrying too much stuff."
"Alright."
The first thing I grabbed was my saber, which I had displayed on the wall.
This saber was sheathed in a black scabbard that matched its hilt.
The blade was curved, golden in color, matching its guard.
"From what I heard from your father, your family has a tradition of giving a golden saber to each new generation.
Did that saber come from your father?"
"No, it was a gift from my grandfather on my sixth birthday."
"Oh… is that so…? He really was an indifferent father."
The second item I took was my grandfather's saber.
There was no way I couldn't take a memento of my late grandfather.
For the rest, I took some clothes and money as well.
After that, I took a short walk around this house and its surroundings.
Behind the house, there was an oak tree standing there.
My grandfather often practiced my swordsmanship there.
Sometimes, we'd also grill our game there.
My house was small, but it was full of memories of laughter and jokes with my grandfather. Although we were often cold when it snowed.
It's hard to leave and let go of all this, it feels like there are chains holding me here.
It's possible that this house will be torn down by the villagers after I leave.
But, my grandfather always said:
'Arc, one day fly into the sky, don't stay bound by your nest.
Carve out a bright future, and view the past only as learning.'
Because of that, I willingly let go of all this.
Continue to walk forward, creating a bright future.
Just like what my grandfather wanted.