"Ninya, what are you going to do next?"
The four of them sat on the grass. Naohara looked at the silent Ninya, who had just finished recounting everything she had experienced.
They had been unusually gentle with her. After all, the three of them had borrowed several hundred hearts from her.
By repeatedly digging one out and consuming it, Herohero had used the power of the Elder Black Ooze to devour the innate Talent within each one, ultimately refining them into Talent Seeds.
Afterward, he had even commented that children's hearts tasted quite good—crisp, full of nutrients. As a Slime, he had enjoyed them immensely.
Naohara and Momonga had also swallowed the Talent Seeds on the spot, successfully obtaining the innate Talent that accelerated magical learning.
"I…"
Ninya lowered her head, her face filled with confusion. With her teammates gone, she was alone. She had no idea what she should do from here.
Continue being an adventurer? Or find an ordinary job and live a quiet life?
She wanted to save her sister. She wanted to avenge her teammates. But she knew that on her own, there was no hope.
She couldn't do anything.
"Ninya, why do you think this happened?"
Momonga looked at her and asked calmly.
"Because… we were too greedy?"
After thinking for a moment, Ninya answered in a low voice, regret weighing heavily in her heart.
If they hadn't decided to return to the forest back then—if they had just gone back to the Adventurer's Guild and turned in the quest—none of this would have happened.
She could have tried to persuade everyone at the time. But the thought of treasure, the possibility of using it to redeem her sister from the nobles… it had tempted her. Clinging to a sliver of hope, she chose to stay silent.
That single choice had cost everyone their lives.
Only she had survived.
"Greed?"
"Greed isn't wrong. If it were the three of us, we would've made the same decision."
"The only difference is that we're strong. Stronger than anyone. And you were too weak."
"Weakness is the real sin. It wasn't greed that killed your companions. It was the fact that you were too weak to control your own fate."
Herohero scoffed lightly at her answer. Greed? Perhaps. But in his view, everything ultimately came down to strength.
The strong live. The weak die.
That had been his most direct realization after arriving in the New World.
Why could the three of them do whatever they pleased? Because they had power—power capable of destroying everything.
To put it simply, if one of them decided to destroy the world, they would act immediately. They had the ability to influence the world's destiny.
Others became adventurers out of necessity. They did it because it was interesting.
Herohero had a good impression of Ninya. Her heart had also suited his tastes quite well, so he was willing to help her.
"Ninya, this world isn't beautiful. The weak don't have the right to choose. They can only be chosen."
"If you had possessed overwhelming strength, none of this would have happened today. It has nothing to do with right or wrong. It's simply because you weren't strong enough."
Naohara glanced at Herohero. It was the first time he had seen him speak so much to someone from the New World. Then he voiced his own thoughts.
The world had always been cruel. A truly beautiful world had never existed.
"Ninya, do you want to become strong? Do you want to understand the meaning of life? Do you… want to truly live?"
Naohara reached out and gently stroked Ninya's hair, removing her helmet. His dark golden eyes fixed on her as he asked.
If she desired it, the three of them would help her grow stronger. She was worth that much.
If she didn't, they wouldn't say anything further. They would resurrect the members of Swords of Darkness and give her a sum of money large enough to guarantee a stable life.
That was the compensation they had agreed upon—the most they were willing to offer.
"I… I…"
Ninya didn't know how strong Naohara and the others truly were. But from the sheer pressure they exuded, she felt they had already reached the legendary realm of myth.
She didn't know what that realm meant in concrete terms, yet she believed it without question.
Head lowered, she felt completely overwhelmed. She didn't dare meet Naohara's eyes. The pressure from his gaze made it hard to breathe.
She could also feel the other two watching her—Momonga and Herohero—waiting for her answer.
Her thoughts spiraled.
She saw again the moment her companions fell.
She saw her sister being taken away by the nobles.
She saw the path her own life had taken.
"I… I want to become strong. I… I want to save my sister. I… I want to avenge everyone."
The images in her mind made her eyes glisten with tears. Ninya lifted her head and shouted through her trembling voice.
"Good, Ninya. You'll become strong. Stronger than anyone."
Watching her, Naohara and the others smiled faintly. The oppressive aura from earlier vanished without a trace. Naohara gently stroked her forehead, as if praising a child.
"Wear this bracelet. It'll keep you safe."
Naohara took out a bracelet and handed it to her. He had obtained it after killing a level 60 Emerald Dragon. When the wearer faced mortal danger, it would automatically activate, forming a shield capable of blocking 8th-tier magic.
Momonga also produced a necklace. He had acquired it while raiding a field boss with his former companions. It greatly increased experience gain, allowing those below level 60 to level up at the fastest possible speed.
"This is an item I obtained during an adventure with my companions. I'm entrusting it to you now. Take good care of it."
Momonga personally placed the necklace around Ninya's neck, a clear sign of how much he valued her.
Herohero glanced at Naohara and Momonga, then simply took out three items and handed them over.
A scroll sealed with the sixth-tier spell [Raise Dead], a dark purple magic robe, and a book.
"This scroll contains a resurrection spell. It can revive your companions. The robe speeds up your mana recovery and shortens your casting time. As for the book, you can study it later."
"Work hard and grow stronger. Next time, I hope you'll have the power to protect your companions."
After giving his brief instructions, Herohero turned and left, looking as aloof as ever.
"Textbook case of cold on the outside, socially awkward on the inside."
Naohara and Momonga shook their heads. Herohero was still the same as always.
"Ninya, go turn this world into the one you want to see."
Naohara offered one final word of encouragement, withdrew his hand, and followed after Herohero. They needed to regroup with Aura and Mare by now—they had been gone long enough.
"Until we meet again."
Momonga gave her a small wave in farewell.
This was a trial—a trial to overcome the past. Only by defeating that naive, powerless version of herself could she truly grow.
Naohara and the others would not avenge her. That was Ninya's own fate to face. All they could offer was a small push forward. The rest depended on her.
By the time Ninya came back to herself, the three of them had already disappeared into the forest.
"I'll work hard… until we meet again, Masters…"
Looking at the equipment she now wore, Ninya steeled her resolve. She could not betray their kindness.
Though they had never acknowledged her as their disciple, she still called them Masters in her heart. One day, she would earn their recognition.
After making her preparations, Ninya took a deep breath and began retracing her path.
She would take revenge.
She would revive her companions.
She would overcome the weak, helpless self she once was.
Clad in magnificent equipment, the girl stepped onto a completely different road from before, her figure gradually disappearing into the depths of the forest.