BRAND NEW WORLD-Chapter 67: A New Moment We Both Waited For

My heart pounded violently... I tried to steady my breathing while gripping the sword tightly in my hand.

Zardar? I don't remember a boss by that name.

We then lunged at each other, and the clash was inevitable.

CLANG!

The ringing of our swords meeting echoed through the chamber.

Urgh... his strikes are heavy.

I retreated, pulling back. As I was lost in thought, Zardar unleashed a crescent arc of energy toward me. I quickly leaped aside, dodging the attack. His strike tore through the earth and the wall.

I retaliated with an energy slash of my own, but Zardar deflected it effortlessly.

Just as I thought... my physical attacks are too weak against him.

This time, Zardar leaped toward me, swinging his greatsword, but again, I managed to evade.

Thank goodness I had already cast several buffing spells on myself—otherwise, dodging would have been far more difficult.

I kept some distance from Zardar. After several evasions and maintaining my range, I unleashed my magic...

Ice Lance!

Above my head, several blue magic circles appeared, and they fired a volley of ice lances at Zardar.

SWOOSH! CLANG! CLANG!

The sound of Zardar's sword deflecting the lances echoed as he dodged several others. Though many were parried, some managed to tear through his armor. As he retreated a few steps to avoid the assault, I snapped my fingers.

Pillar of Fire!

A column of flame erupted beneath his feet, engulfing his entire body. A few moments later, he stepped out. Parts of his clothes were burned, and thin wisps of smoke rose from his body.

There's no way he'd lose to attacks like that.

Zardar then let out a deafening roar that shook the entire chamber. Soon after, his body slowly began to expand, tearing through his garments. Now bare-chested, only his trousers remained. Scales along his back grew larger than the others. His body temperature rose, accompanied by shimmering heat hazes and smoke rising around him.

Dragon Transformation!?

True to its name, Dragon Transformation allowed the draconian race to shift into a form that significantly enhanced their physical prowess.

After completing his transformation, Zardar shot toward me. His movements were faster than before. He swung his sword again, but I dodged. However, his assault didn't end there. He quickly followed with another slash. Unable to evade in time, I could only block.

CLANG! CRASH!

The force of his blow sent me flying across the room until I crashed into the wall.

"Ughh..."

"Lady Luna!" Anandita cried out.

*Thank goodness my passive damage reduction skill was active—otherwise...*

Before I could recover from that strike, Zardar launched a massive fireball.

Ice Wall!

I conjured a towering wall of ice before me. As the fireball struck...

BOOM!

The explosion created a cloud of white mist at the point of impact. Just as I was about to reposition...

CRACK!

The sound of shattering ice rang out like breaking glass. Zardar's slash had destroyed the ice wall. I tried to create distance again, but his attacks were faster than my evasion. My body was sent flying once more, slamming into the wall. This time, blood trickled from the corner of my mouth.

Hck!

As I spat something onto the ground...

Blood... the same red as back then...

The space around me began to distort, and the scene before my eyes shifted.

I... was in the back seat of a car, crushed, unable to move my legs. In front of me, two adults lay motionless, also trapped.

"Mom... Dad..." I gasped, struggling through the pain.

Blood flowed from their heads. I also felt something wet on my own head. As I wiped my forehead, thick red liquid stained my hand.

"Blood?!"

After seeing the blood, my vision blurred, and the scene shifted again.

What I just saw... a memory... from the past?

When I returned to my senses, my chest felt tight, emotions surging within. My body trembled violently, my breathing grew heavy, and before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face. But I became aware of Zardar's footsteps approaching in the distance.

Lady Luna! — In Anandita's mind, her fists clenched.

In the corner of the room, Anandita drew her sword, ready to move at a moment's command.

Fine! If this is what you want, I'll indulge you.

Explosion!

When Zardar was five meters away, I unleashed an explosive burst of magic. This spell caused my body to emit explosive energy in all directions. Caught off guard, Zardar couldn't dodge in time. He was blasted back dozens of meters. The entire room trembled with the force of the explosion.

With all my remaining strength, I stood. I produced a crescent moon-shaped artifact that floated behind my back. I sheathed my sword and replaced it with a magic staff, raising it high as I chanted a spell.

"Exchange Magic..." I murmured.

Exchange Magic. A skill that trades magical essence for physical might—transforming the flow of mana into raw power that courses through every vein. The crescent moon artifact at my back pulsed, drawing every last reserve of mana I possessed, grinding it down, then pouring it back as physical strength nearly unbearable. It was a cruel exchange: all my stored magic, exhausted in an instant, in return for power that could rend the heavens.

With that, energy like a laser enveloped the tip of my staff and shot upward, piercing through the ceiling. Then I swung the staff toward Zardar, who was advancing toward me.

ZREET! CRASH!

The energy blade split the ceiling, causing debris and snow to collapse downward. But I continued swinging the staff toward where Zardar stood until he was buried under the rubble. The energy blade also carved through the floor, leaving a massive crater in the earth.

After several swings of the energy blade, my vision began to blur. From within the hole below, someone leaped out. I couldn't make out their face before my world went dark.

• • •

When I opened my eyes...

"This... where am I?"

I saw a wooden ceiling above me. I was lying on a bed.

"Thank goodness, you're finally awake..." someone said.

I turned to see who was speaking, and my heart stopped for an instant. Before me stood a male elf with blond hair, handsome features, dressed in a black coat and shirt.

"Ring... ga?"

Seeing his face, tears began to fall for reasons I couldn't explain. My chest tightened, my breath grew heavy, and emotions surged within me.

*This feeling...*

There was joy... and sorrow... and anger... and longing—all because I could see him again.

"Lun? Are you alright? Does something hurt?" Ringgamana asked, stepping closer and touching my forehead.

I reached out, grabbed his cheek, and pulled.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Ringga yelped.

"This isn't a dream..." I murmured, then released my grip.

"Of course it isn't. Eugh... that hurts, you know," Ringgamana replied, rubbing his cheek.

For some reason, I felt an urge to embrace him. I suppressed it with all my might. And yet, tears still traced down my cheeks. Unexpectedly, I felt the warmth of Ringga's hand as he wiped my tears away, and then, without hesitation, he drew my head toward him and pressed it against his chest. Naturally, this startled me. Yet, almost unconsciously, I returned his embrace. We stayed like that for a while before I finally let go.

"Where have you been all this time? Why did you never come to find me?"

"Erm..." Ringgamana murmured, averting his gaze.

"You're so frustrating!" I said, striking his chest.

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to let you venture on your own so you could adapt to this new body and this new world," Ringgamana replied.

After that, no more words passed between us until a knock came from outside the room...

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Startled, Ringgamana immediately straightened up and fixed his clothes.

"Come in."

"Pardon me, my Lady. I apologize for interrupting your moment. I simply wished to check on your condition," Anandita said.

*Moment!?*

"I-I'm doing just fine. Thank you for asking."

"I'm relieved to hear that you're well," Anandita replied.

"Hey! You're so attentive to her, but you're never like that with me," Ringgamana protested.

"What exactly is there to worry about?" Anandita retorted.

Sigh!

Ringgamana could only let out a long sigh and shake his head.

"Oh, by the way, how long was I unconscious?" I asked.

"You were out for three days," Ringgamana answered.

"Three days!?"

Ringgamana nodded. Then I remembered Clive and Claire.

"What about Clive and Claire? What happened after I passed out?"

"Erm, about that..." Ringgamana said.

[Three Days Earlier]

Ringgamana explained that when I unleashed Exchange Magic, I had created a hole through the second and administrative floors—more precisely, in the admin room where Ringgamana was staying.

At that moment, Ringgamana had been lounging on his bed, reading a magazine and enjoying some snacks, when a blade of energy came crashing through the wall, barely missing him. After that, the slash gouged the wall before the ceiling collapsed.

To see what had happened, Ringgamana leaped up and found the room above in complete disarray. He also saw me already in Anandita's arms. In the corner, a male cat-eared human was trying to lift a female cat-eared human who was sitting on the ground, her face pale and her body trembling.

Realizing the situation, Ringgamana then, together with the others, headed to the surface and made their way to the nearest inn.

[Back to the Present]

"Now, where are Clive and Claire?"

"They are in the cafeteria on the first floor," Anandita replied.

I felt relieved knowing Clive and Claire were safe.

"Oh, and what about Zardar? Did he... die?" I asked hesitantly.

"Ohh, him... he's doing just fine. I've ordered him to join Tiamat and the others," Ringgamana answered.

As if realizing something...

Ah, right—the forbidden land!

"Ringga, about the forbidden land..."

Ringga cut me off before I could finish.

"I know... we still have eight months, don't we?" Ringgamana said.

"When did you wake up?"

Ringgamana was silent for a moment.

"From the very beginning," Ringgamana answered.

*From the very beginning? That means he's been alive for over two hundred years!?*

Ringgamana then recounted events from his perspective.

After our battle in the demon lord event, and the white light swept across his vision, Ringga woke up in a forest. As he flew into the sky to get his bearings, he saw in the distance a city being ravaged by monsters. Buildings were destroyed and were burning, and people were fleeing for their lives. Seeing this, Ringga rushed over. He then summoned four powerful NPCs at level 500 (two of them, Randgris and Tiamat) and ordered them to save as many people as possible. Unfortunately, not everyone could be rescued, and the city was already destroyed, razed to the ground. After successfully evacuating the survivors, Ringga ordered the four to seal the place.

From that moment on, Ringga continued to wander the world, protecting this continent while also searching for me. Hearing this made my heart swell with joy and tenderness, and somehow, for a moment, his face seemed to glow.

"..."

Snapping back to reality, I shook my head and patted my cheeks.

What's happening to me? Ever since I woke up, my feelings have been all over the place.

Then I remembered Rima and Daisy.

Ah, right—since I was unconscious for three days, they must be worried.

"We should go home. Daisy, Rima, and the others must be worried."

"Who's Daisy?" Ringgamana asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," I replied with a sly smile.

"Ah, you're definitely planning something," Ringgamana said.

I then got out of bed.

*Hah? I don't remember wearing these clothes...*

Realizing this, I immediately turned to Ringga and stared sharply at him.

"It wasn't me... Ana changed your clothes," Ringga answered wryly.

I felt somewhat relieved hearing his answer.

"In that case, please wait outside. I want to change."

After changing, we went down to the first floor to meet with Clive and Claire and chat with them for a while. For some reason, Claire looked terrified and wouldn't meet my gaze.

After we'd spent enough time with them, we bid them farewell. With teleportation magic, I, Ringga, and Ana vanished from the dungeon town.

[At the Cabin by Lake Dewata]

The evening sky was reflected on the surface of Lake Dewata, and a young girl sat at the water's edge, lost in thought with a sorrowful expression.

"Little Lady Daisy... I'm sure your mother is safe. It's time for dinner now. Let's go inside," said a cat-eared human butler.

Daisy shook her head. "Just a little longer," she added.

Before long, a magic circle appeared in the backyard.

"Little Lady Daisy!" the butler called.

Daisy turned and saw three people emerge from the magic circle. Her face brightened upon seeing someone she recognized.

"Mother!" Daisy cried, running toward her.

"..."

As the scene shifted to my backyard, I heard Daisy's voice calling. I turned and found her running toward me. I immediately reached out and caught her.

"Mother! Why were you gone so long?" Daisy asked.

"I'm sorry. Something unexpected came up, so it took a bit longer."

Daisy shook her head. "What matters is that you came back," she added.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. I'm home."

"Welcome back," Daisy replied, smiling.

"Mm... Lun, whose child is this? Why does she call you mother?" Ringga asked.

Daisy turned to see who was speaking.

"While Mother was away, what did Daisy do?"

"I helped Lu and Abi cook," Daisy answered.

"Really? Then I can't wait to try your cooking. Well then, let's go inside."

With that, I carried Daisy in my arms as I entered the house.

"Lun! Hey! Why aren't you answering me?" Ringga said.

From my arms, Daisy occasionally peeked back at Ringga and Ana following behind.