I regressed once more.

Yes… I know.

I am ashamed to say that we weren't able to defeat the Desert Wyrm.

It was much stronger and faster than any of us expected, but that was only a fraction of its abilities. What made the beast so scary was its poisonous breath.

Although I used Tracing to evade all its heavy-hitting attacks, I couldn't completely avoid its poison.

That's actually how I died.

The weird part is that the Desert Wyrm left after consuming five out of twelve of us.

It didn't bother with the rest of us.

Perhaps it knew our fates were sealed due to its poison.

Or maybe…

There's only one way to find out!

When I regressed, I actually didn't appear at the start of the Trial Scenario.

Instead, it was right at the fringe of No Man's Land. This was a relief for so many reasons, but it also meant I had to endure two days of smelling like rotten eggs.

But how can I possibly complain?

This is yet another chance.

One I must be grateful of—regardless of circumstances.

And so, for two days yet again, we tread the wilderness. I made sure we followed a different path, so right now we aren't walking the same route as before.

This is for two reasons.

One is, of course, to avoid the Desert Wyrm.

As for the second—

'Madness is doing the same thing and expecting different results. We already spent two days in the former path and didn't find the Sanctuary. Maybe taking a different route will give us a better chance…' I sigh to myself.

Of course, none of these things are assured.

I am merely playing with probability.

I could be grasping at straws.

But what is the point of regression if I don't learn from past mistakes and try different things?

Unfortunately…

BOOOOOM!!!

Even though we took a different route, not only did we not find the Sanctuary, but at the exact moment as before, the Desert Wyrm appeared.

This time, I wasn't in a hurry to attack.

I simply observed it.

Yes, it was humongous, with a horrifying presence that threatened to devour us whole.

But—

'It isn't attacking. Is it because it isn't really interested in fights but simply wants to eat some of us?'I ponder to myself. 'In that case—'

"You five… march ahead." I command the Imperial Knights closest to me.

"S-Sir?"

"But the Wyrm!"

"Eeek!"

"A-are we not going to attack?"

"Let's use the Armaments!"

Naturally, they all voice out complaints and give me alternative suggestions.

But what do these nameless people know?

I have lived this life before.

And now, I can confirm what I learned right before I died.

'Contrary to its appearance, the Desert Wyrm is quite tame. As long as it gets food, it doesn't mind anything else. Let's just think of this as a tribute payment for entering its territory.'

I eventually coerced the five using the Imperial Family's name and the authority that they bestowed on me.

I remember that we were told to protect the Emperor, even if we had to forfeit our lives.

This means the Imperial Knights must be willing to die if it means obeying their precious Emperor or fulfilling their chivalric duty.

Such selflessness… I could never understand it. Not anymore.

'This is good…' I watch as the five march forward, causing the Wyrm's gaze to shift from everyone else to just the five.

'I considered convincing them by using my Divination as an excuse if the coercion didn't suffice, but it looks like I was being worried for nothing.' My eyes narrow softly. 'It's better this way. If I carelessly use Divination as an excuse, it could lower my credibility, especially if I am asked to see something I haven't lived through yet.'

I can't make it such a convenient excuse.

CRUNCH!

Just as expected, the Wyrm begins to feed on the men who stand before it.

Once the first one dies, the rest turn to me in fear. Their eyes plead with me to save them, but I remain motionless as I watch them get devoured.

Is it that I am heartless?

Do I see these people as not human?

That isn't true.

I have spent enough time in this place to know that these people are very much real. Although the world is a strange mess, and these men are merely 'characters' in a simulated story, they don't feel fake at all.

Yes, they do not possess names.

And yes, I don't have a particular attachment to any of them.

But—

'I would be lying if I denied that they're human too. They have distinguishable traits, and they act in every way that a human should. This isn't simply a dream, and it isn't an illusion. It's all real…'

So, right now, I am sending brave Knights to their deaths.

I am ignoring their cries.

I feel bad.

Yes, I really do.

Although I am very selfish… I am not a heartless monster.

If I could, I would save everyone.

I would slay the beast.

But it simply isn't possible this time.

This is the correct choice.

"U-uuu… uuu…"

I subtly open my eyes and realize that two of the five soldiers are still alive. The Desert Wyrm seems to have had its fill.

'Oh?' I cast a shocked gaze at it.

To confirm, I observe all of its features and confirm that this is indeed the same Wyrm.

So why?

Why did it eat five back then and three this time? Is it because we attacked first and it exerted energy in dealing with us?

I doubt I'll get an answer.

Once the Desert Wyrm finishes its meal, it casts a glance at me, then at the carriage, before slithering away.

This time it doesn't burrow into the sand and vanish from our sight. Instead, we all watch as its colossal body vanishes into the desert world.

What a strange beast.

What an odd set of circumstances.

But I am relieved.

'At least two of them survived…' I call the paralyzed two back, only to smell ammonia from both of their trousers.

They peed themselves.

Sigh…

I can't blame them, can I?

Although they swore an oath to defend their Emperor and give their lives for the Imperial Family, not all deaths are created equal.

I'm certain they would much rather prefer honorable deaths at the hands of an enemy's blade or arrows to the grotesque experience of being eaten alive.

It is for that reason that I don't comment on their shameful sight but simply order them to return to the formation.

We continue our march in the desert, ensuring we stay far away from the trail that the Desert Wyrm left behind.

After all, you never know when it will want to feed again.

It's best we avoid the beast altogether.

Unfortunately…

… Several days later…

… We still… haven't… found…

… The Sanctuary!

Food ran out first, but water soon followed.

We've spent an entire week in this wilderness, but it doesn't seem like we are going to find this mysterious place.

Did we go the wrong way?

What is the right direction? I have no clue about any of these.

In my desperation, I finally broke protocol and questioned the actions of the Imperial Family.

Of course, I didn't do it directly.

I spoke to Enryndal.

The man must have also been frustrated, so he took my words to heart and spoke to the Imperial Family.

I guess they too were getting impatient.

So they finally revealed the brief quote that was left behind by this previous Emperor as a way to guide them to the promised Sanctuary.

The moment I see it, my eyes light up.

"T-this…"

Lakes of darkness.

It stretches endlessly, the Wilderness.

To tame the dragon is to set it free.

Sacrifices in groups of three.

Then the path will appear.

Follow it to reach the Sanctuary at the end.

I immediately internalize the words written, deciphering their meaning in moments.

I am by no means a master of linguistics or cryptic languages. But I have some experience with poems and other written works intentionally made to be cryptic so only the diligent reader can grasp their meaning.

This, my Academy Professor said, is the true essence of literature.

After paying attention to the intent of the author and the structure of the passage, an answer became clear.

'The lake of darkness refers to the black sand of No Man's Land, and the dragon to be tamed is the Desert Wyrm. Now that I think of it, the Wyrm appears after sunset. We are meant to tame the dragon… and the method is mentioned in the next line. Sacrifices in groups of three. That means the Wyrm will eat us in three. But… How many times will this sacrifice occur? The passage doesn't say. Hmm…'

Although I have a complex expression on my face, a part of me leaps in joy.

After all, the biggest hint appears at the end of the passage.

'The path will appear… That must refer to the trail of the Desert Wyrm. I intentionally chose a different path since I didn't want us to encounter it again, but what if the correct choice was to follow it? The passage says that if we do that, we will reach the Sanctuary at the end.'

I nod to myself, heaving my biggest sigh yet.

'I made a mistake.'

We should have followed the Desert Wyrm from the start. Instead, we separated ourselves from it, and five days have already passed since then.

Not only is it going to be incredibly difficult to retrace our steps, but even if we manage to hold out for five more days and reach our previous location, there's no telling if the path will still be visible to us.

No, it's actually impossible that it could be.

'And we don't even know how far away the Sanctuary is from the start of the path…'

I shake my head.

This round is a failure.

'If I manage to regress once again, I'll make the right choice.'

Right at this moment, the world around me blurs, and I am filled with immense relief and deep gratitude.

I don't know why and how this is happening, but this regression is a great gift.

I will use it to its utmost!

And so, once I return to the start of No Man's Land, I brace myself for the events to come.

I endure my stench as we travel for two days, after which we encounter the Desert Wyrm after sunset.

I only send three Imperial Knights forward, and I am once again forced to watch as it devours them without mercy.

Afterwards, it stares at me and the carriage before slithering away, once again leaving behind a path to follow.

This time, I don't hesitate.

I command everyone to follow the path, and we all march forward valiantly.

I indeed receive skeptical gazes.

Enryndal even worries and asks me if it is truly a wise choice to follow such a terrifying beast.

But all I can do is tell them to trust me.

I have no choice but to resort to my excuse of Divination this time.

Especially when, after two days, the Wyrm appears before us for another sacrifice. I sacrifice three more soldiers, reducing our number to six.

Six Imperial Knights, myself included.

'How many more times will it ask?'I can't help but worry.

Sure, I can provide one more round of sacrifices. But what about after? The last three Knights include me!

It will be my head on the chopping block!

'I won't be able to refuse either, since I can't sacrifice Tyrrion and Enryndal. The Imperial Family is also out of the question…'

I remember we were more than twelve when we first entered No Man's Land.

However, due to the battles and the harshness of the environment, many of us died. Only twelve remained.

'Should I have saved more people? If the sacrifice required exceeds the acceptable number and this round fails, it means I'll have to take special care to save as many people as possible.' I shudder silently, realizing just how tall a task this is.

The truth is that I had already taken special care to protect as many Imperial Knights as possible while preserving my own.

That's why we are even twelve, to begin with.

Normally, the number should be less.

'Oh well…'I tell myself quietly. 'I can only try harder if it comes to that.'

After two more days, the Desert Wyrm returns for another batch of three, and after conceding, our numbers reduce to three Imperial Knights, two important figures, and four members of the Imperial Family.

If the Wyrm asks for more sacrifices, it's all over.

On the bright side, having the Wyrm reduce our numbers means we have less mouths to feed.

Our food and water supply hasn't run out yet, though they are both running low.

We must continue pressing forward.

Persevere!

I must persevere!

And so, after one more day's march, we finally reach an end-point.

No Desert Wyrm waits for us.

Nothing is present.

The trail ends.

'Seriously?' I look around the vast wilderness, and for a moment I doubt the written records of the late Emperor.

Or, at the very least, my interpretation of it.

But then—

"It's reacting! The Imperial Seal is reacting!"

The Emperor's voice booms from within the carriage. That instantly gives me confidence that we are in the right place.

But where is the Sanctuary?

I don't see it anywhere.

I also can't sense any sophisticated barriers or illusion using my Existential Resonance.

That means one thing

'It's underground!'

"Prepare yourselves, brave Knights!" I yell at my leftover subordinates—just two men.

"We are going to dig!"

*******

Haha…

What do you know? It's actually real.

After digging nearly six feet into the ground, we finally find what resembles an entrance to an underground bunker.

The door is majestic and thick, likely forged from special metals. Its toughness cannot be underestimated, as it even gives off the aura of a B Grade Armament.

At the center of the door is an orb that glows with radiance, likely resonating with the Imperial Seal in the Emperor's possession.

"We did it…" I smile at myself, and at everyone who managed to survive up until this point.

"We made it to The Sanctuary."

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