Published at 26th of December 2025 7:43 am

Chapter 525: The Value of the Ordinary Is Only Understood After It's Lost.

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

A small light pierced through the complete darkness. Though I instinctively squinted at its brightness, the sensation only lasted a few seconds. Once my eyes adjusted, I realized the light was far weaker than Id imagined.

Even so, this dim light was the only source of illumination in this world. As my vision gradually returned, I caught sight of Tias face, faintly illuminated in my arms. She looked as though she were peacefully sleeping, her expression free of painthankfully, the one small comfort in all of this.

Tia Wait, hold on. Ill Ngh!

Mm ugh?

Just as I was about to resume the painful process of tearing apart my soul, Tia let out a faint groan. Startled, I turned my gaze to her. Her lips moved slightly, forming small, unconscious sounds, and before long, her eyelids began to flutter open.

Huh? Ed?

Tia!!!

Wha!?

I hugged her tightly, relief overwhelming me as her voice reached my ears. Though clearly bewildered, Tia brought a hand to gently stroke my head.

Geez, Ed, whats gotten into you? Youre acting like a clingy little boy all of a sudden.

You idiot! Do you even realize what just happened to you?

What? Happened? Huh? Tia tilted her head, her confusion evident. Wait I was giving you a lap pillow, wasnt I? So why am I?

As I pulled away slightly to look at her, her expression shifted into one of quiet puzzlement. Her brow furrowed, and she seemed to be searching for the answer in her mind. Slowly, her half-lidded eyes widened in realization.

Thats right I remember now. All of a sudden, my body felt cold. Then I was hit by this overwhelming drowsiness, and before I knew it, my consciousness was sinking deeper and deeper

Cold? Are you feeling okay now?

Yeah, Im fine. But wait, Ed, I can see your face! Why can I see your face!?

Its about damn time you noticed!

Wait, but huh?

Tias surprised voice pulled my attention to the side, where I saw the small light that had been floating nearby. It was visibly weaker now, flickering faintly as if it might go out at any moment.

Ed, this is bad! Its about to disappear!

What!? Damn it, what do I do!?

The mysterious light that had emerged from my chestthe sole source of illumination in this world and likely the reason Tia had woken upwas in danger of vanishing. I didnt need to think twice to know that letting it go out would be disastrous.

But how was I supposed to keep it alive? Fuel it with something? No, it wasnt fire; it was light. So what could I do? Mana, maybe? But even if that were the case, I Wait

My searching hand landed on the stone vessel Zurich had given methe [Divine Throne]. If it was crafted to hold divine light, then

Alright Please work! Get in there!

Clutching the vessel, I carefully brought it closer to the flickering light. As if responding to my hopes, the light trembled before it was gently drawn into the stones hollow center. Once inside, the light stabilized, its glow becoming steady and secure.

Phew, well, that seemed to work. Heh, looks like I guessed right.

Hey, Ed, that light What is it?

Oh, its probably the power LukaJuniorgave me.

The light that had emerged from my chest could only be the best I can give power that Luka had entrusted to me before we parted ways.

Haha I figured itd come in handy someday, but I didnt think itd be this soonor in such perfect timing, for that matter. Seriously, youre always such an attention-seeker, never letting the spotlight pass you by. I owe you again, Kouhai. Thanks for saving me. Again.

Naturally, the light didnt respond to my words. But it seemed to shine just a little brighter, as if to acknowledge my gratitude. Tia, bathed in its glow, let out a soft sigh, her expression relaxing into a gentle smile.

Wow This light feels so warm, she said softly.

Warm? Now that you mention it, earlier you said you felt cold

Yeah. It was pitch-black back then, and I guess my body mustve gotten cold without me noticing. Maybe thats why I lost consciousness?

I frowned, considering her words as I watched her extend her hands toward the light, her smile as radiant as the glow that reflected off her face. She looked so peaceful, so content, that I hesitated to interrupt her musings.

It made sense that she felt cold without a fire or source of warmth. After all, people who freeze in snowy mountains often lose consciousness as if falling asleep.

But then Why didnt I feel cold at all? And why didnt I feel the warmth of this light now?

Sure, it evoked a soothing, emotional kind of warmth. But physically this light didnt feel warm to me at all.

(So thats it Is the Divine Light something essential for living beings to survive, mixed unnoticed with regular light? If thats true and this phenomenon isnt limited to just here but is spreading into other worlds)

Oh crap.

Hm? What is it, Ed?

No, its nothing, I replied, forcing a strained smile to downplay my realization. The idea Id just come up withthe possibility that every world was on the verge of extinctionwas too overwhelming to voice aloud. It was bad, unbelievably bad. And the fact that I couldnt do anything about it only made it worse.

Well, in any case, Tia, make sure you dont stray too far from this light. Stay close to it no matter what.

Alright. In that case, Im going to enjoy soaking up all this warm and cozy light, Tia said, cradling the [Divine Throne], now resembling a makeshift lantern, as she snuggled up with it. Her expression softened, and before long, she began to doze off happily.

At least things werent at the point of outright panic anymore. For now, wed just have to cherish this hopeful little light and prepare ourselves as best we could for anything that might come.

What do you think? Should we rest a bit longer? I asked.

Yeah Hey, Ed. This place really is the isnt it?

Huh? Oh, yeah. Seems like it, I replied, taking a moment to glance around.

The light wasnt very strong, but with no obstructions around, it illuminated surprisingly far into the distance. Judging by its reach, we were about 50 meters away from the usual spotthe area with the door and table we always used as a base.

I thought we wandered farther than that, Tia murmured.

Yeah, youd think so Then again, maybe were somehow prevented from moving too far away.

In this , aside from the area with the door and table, there was absolutely nothing. If we strayed too far and lost sight of that location, wed probably never find our way back.

Butand this was just a guessGod likely didnt want me endlessly wandering in circles, lost forever. If that were the goal, He couldve just dumped me into a void without preparing a door or anything in the first place.

So, it wasnt unreasonable to assume that the had built-in mechanisms to prevent aimless wandering. Not that I was in any hurry to test that theory.

Hmm Hey, Ed, once weve rested a bit more, were heading back to the usual spot, right?

Of course. If nothing else, staying there means well at least have options if the light goes out.

In that case, why dont we take a look at {Record Of The Heros Story}? If everything suddenly went dark when we arrived here, maybe it has something written about what caused this.

Good idea. Lets do that.

It was true that the book might contain information about what happened in the world wed left behind. If the same darkness was spreading to Zurichs world, there was a chance the book would have clues about the causeand maybe even a way to counteract it.

We couldnt afford not to check.

fter resting for a while, waiting for Tia to regain her strength, we returned to our usual table, carrying the light with us. Once there, I picked up the book and began flipping through it.

Man, its hard to read in this light

Should I hold the light closer for you? Tia offered.

No, thatd just make it too bright. Ill manage.

No way the Demon Kings eyesight would get worse just from reading in poor lighting, right? With a slight furrow of my brow, I continued scanning through the book.

Still, I couldnt afford to take my time. I had no idea how long this light would last, so I skimmed through the latter sections, saving the details for later when things settled down.

Despite that, my attention was repeatedly drawn to interesting entriesZurichs youthful romance, his first encounter with Nyamcket, their subsequent adventures together. There was so much I wanted to savor, but for now, I had to push on.

Ugh, I wanted to read that more closely Tia pouted.

Its not going anywhere, you know. Once all this is over, you can take your time reading it, I reassured her.

Well I guess she muttered, puffing her cheeks slightly in protest.

Alright, almost there, I said, signaling that I was reaching the last section of the book.

And what was written there

It far exceeded anything I could have expected.

(T/N: The novel is over at last, Ill be posting free chapters like usual before)

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