[LSB] Chapter 138: A Life Of This Magnitude - Part 1

“Julian!”

Frail.

Julian had felt weak before—but this was the first time he truly couldn’t move. He tried standing, but ended up being caught by Silvie as his legs weren’t working properly at all.

She clutched him tightly, uncertain, not knowing what to do with him at all. She quickly lowered him into her lap, her hands trembling as she patted his face again and again.

He looked terrible. His skin was dried and cracked, his veins etched visibly beneath the surface. And now, all of a sudden… he was even bleeding from his eyes.

“W-wait, no… no!” Silvie’s breaths turned even heavier than before, turning into gasps at this point as she wiped the blood flowing from his eyes.

Her newfound instincts took over her. But unfortunately for her, her instincts carried the knowledge of when she was still an AI.

She tried to do what she had always done—what had once come naturally. Search the internet. Scan for answers. Diagnose, stabilize, calculate.

…But she couldn’t do that now.

It was weird, she could feel a strange tether still linking her to Earth, but it was distant, different—like a memory trying to reach her through a dream. The strand that once bridged her to the modern world had changed into something she did not yet know how to utilize..

She tried to access Julian’s vitals, but all she could do now was count the rise and fall of his breath.

She… truly was no longer connected to him.

For the first time since she had come into existence… Silvie didn’t know what to do.

“I…” She patted his face again, staring at her hands, now wet with Julian’s blood. She froze for a few seconds, but then a wheeze tore from Julian’s throat, and he clenched his jaw in pain.

That sound shook her awake, and her panic began to burn away.

She looked around, and her eyes locked onto Juliet and the others as she saw them just standing there.

“What are you doing?!” She screamed, her still-developing voice cracking at the sudden stress in her throat. “Help me! Help—Juliet!”

Juliet, who had been frozen in place, snapped out of it the moment she heard Silvie’s voice crack. She rushed forward, yanking an HP potion from her satchel and quickly pressing the vial to Julian’s parched lips.

Julian wheezed again, his lips trembling as they parted to drink.

“Khk—!” He coughed, choking on the first sip. His body heaved violently in Silvie’s arms.

“Julian, you’re okay,” Silvie whispered as she cradled him in her arms tightly. “You’re okay. You’re going to be okay.”

Her eyes met with Juliet, and Juliet nodded as she tried feeding Julian again, this time with more care.

Julian was finally able to sip the potion properly, taking in a small drop at first before gulping the entire vial. Color began to return to his skin. The dryness in his flesh softened, his form gaining some of its strength again.

Juliet opened another vial. This time, Julian’s trembling hand reached up to take it himself.

He drank. And for the first time in minutes, Silvie and Juliet both exhaled, relief flooding them. Even Maldan and Nuru exchanged a glance, nodding silently as the worst had passed.

Juliet was about to open another vial, but Julian softly grabbed her hand before she could do so.

“My… HP is already full,” he whispered.

His voice was still fragile, shaking with every word. Even his hand trembled as he held hers. But it was true—the healing had done its work. Even the floating Guidance confirmed it.

Juliet nodded and returned the vial to her bag. She pulled out an MP potion instead and handed it to him.

He gulped the entire bottle immediately, only to be met with a floating set of words in front of his now blind eyes.

[You have just shared a part of yourself with another, Julian Winters. You will only be able to recover MP naturally until your body fully recovers.]

“Hmm,” Julian hummed weakly at the words. “It… says I need to recover my MP naturally.”

“Then rest, Julian. Return to Earth and—”

“No.”

Julian sighed. He tried to stand on his own, but his body refused him. It took both Silvie and Juliet to steady him, to help him rise. Still, he did not care about himself at all, his mind was focused elsewhere.

He was listening—to the faint vibrations emanating from Silvie’s body.

“I don’t hear the xylarion,” he whispered, tilting his head closer to Silvie, placing all of his senses on her, “I can hear something familiar… but also… you feel alive.”

“Well…” Silvie gently looped his arm over her shoulders. “...I am alive. I feel alive. But Julian—your eyes—”

“Not important,” he whispered, pressing his forehead softly against hers. “Not compared to you.”

“You’re… freezing,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek. Her thumb rubbed at the dirt clinging to his skin.

“I’m… fine.”

“No. You’re not.”

While the two spiraled deeper into their own moment, Juliet’s body was basically moving on its own. Her mind was still completely out of it, not able to handle all the unbelievable and outright insane scenarios that had happened in the last few minutes.

First, it was the thought that she couldn’t do anything as Julian was dying in front of her—the worry that weighed down on her was so heavy that it completely paralyzed her.

And then, what finished her off was that Julian actually succeeded.

On their journey back from the volcano, she imagined what kind of golem Julian might create. She looked forward to it—excited by the mystery, by the craft.

But she had never imagined this. Never imagined he would create an actual, living person.

Yes, he had always been more than a blacksmith. He could tailor clothes, build furniture, and forge tools that most artisans could only dream of. That was Julian.

A master craftsman in every sense.

But this… creating a living soul?

She had always respected him like a god, but that was more like the respect she had for him. Reverence for his skill.

Now, she wasn’t so sure. Wasn’t this… literally the act of a god?

“Juliet!”

“Huh?” She finally snapped out of her thoughts again as she heard Silvie screaming at her.

“I’ve called you six times now!” Silvie shouted. “Help me convince him he needs to rest! He can barely stand!”

“O-oh…” Juliet stammered, still blinking in disbelief.

It was strange—just hours ago, she had been speaking to Silvie as an avatar spirit.

And now… here she was. A living, breathing Hyum.

“She’s… right, Boss,” Juliet sighed as she grabbed his arm. “You don’t look so good.”

Julian didn’t respond at first. He looked at both of them, silent, before shaking his head again.

“Don’t be stubborn, Julian!” Silvie snapped. “I may not be tethered to you anymore, but I’m still your guardian! And since you made me look like your mother, I’m going to act like one.”

Her voice rippled through the forge… literally—there was force behind it.

A force that rippled from within her, causing a wave that blew everything away.

Juliet shielded her face, eyes squeezed shut as dust whipped violently through the air. Maldan and Nuru, watching from a distance, both braced themselves, also covering their eyes as the blast washed over them.

The tools clattered and skidded across the stone floor, slamming into walls before finally falling still.

This very same blast that blew everything away, however, had lit up the forge—not with fire, but with black flame.

All the torches lining the walls sparked to life at the same time, not with light… but with shadow.

No, “lit” wasn’t the right word.

It didn’t illuminate. It devoured.

It cast the already-dim cavern into complete darkness—swallowed whole by something vast and living, like a void made alive.

“W-what…?” This unnatural shadow did not last long. They were instantly extinguished at the same time that Silvie gasped. The torches returned to their normal, flickering glow. The silence was broken by the subtle crackle of flames—and the faint, lingering hum of something… else.

“Did… did I do that?” Silvie gulped, surprised that she was able to do something like that. And then she placed a hand to her throat, surprised that her body gulped on its own.

“What… did you do?” Julian tilted his head to the side. Although he couldn’t see anymore again, due to his inclination with the shadows, he felt the light violently shift in the cavern—he heard it too, the eerie hum of the flames she made.

“I—”

Julian did not let her say a word, he freed himself from their grasp. He almost stumbled, but he managed to stand and turn his shoulder at Silvie.

“I’ll rest once I know you’re okay,” he said to her. 

He tried to walk, but once again nearly fell—would have, if Juliet hadn’t caught him, immediately throwing his arm over her shoulders again.

“B-Boss… you’re really not okay,” Juliet muttered. “If you won’t rest, then at least let me help you walk.”

She tightened her grip on his wrist, bracing herself in case he tried to struggle free again.

Silvie watched him in silence, then let out a long, deep sigh of surrender.

“Fine,” she said with a scoff. “But you’re going home after an hour.”

Julian only hummed. Then his head tilted, just slightly, as he sensed Maldan and Nuru approaching.

Both then suddenly bowed low.

“Forgive me for ever doubting you, Master Julian,” Nuru said, her tail coiling in front of her with deep respect.

“My thanks to thee, Forger,” Maldan added. “For unveiling to us a wonder unseen. My quest… hath reached its end.”

He turned his gaze to Silvie, and for a moment, his awe overwhelmed him. It shimmered in his eyes, almost spilling over as tears.

“How… wondrous,” he breathed. “I know not if I am worthy to even look upon such creation.”

“Uh… then don’t look?” Silvie said, raising an eyebrow. But almost immediately, she blinked and offered an awkward smile. “I-I mean… thank you. And thank you for making all of this possible.”

“No,” Maldan shook his head gently. “I was merely a step on the path. Even without me, the Forger would have found his way to your creation. Even now, looking at you… it’s hard to believe you’re real.”

“Right…” Silvie narrowed her eyes slightly, then turned back toward Julian. “Anyway—it’s a little musty down here. Julian could use some fresh air. Honestly, I could too.”

Maldan glanced at Nuru, who nodded once and turned to leave.

“Of course,” Nuru said. “I’ll bring something for you to wear, Great Spirit.”

Silvie flinched at the word.

“Great… spirit?” She muttered, her eye twitching. “I don’t think I like that. Makes me sound… old.”

***

Several minutes had passed, and the group had finally made their way up to the surface—and Silvie was about to take her first true step into the outside world.

She paused at the doorway, gazing at the snow-covered village before her. The crisp air bit gently at her cheeks, and she adjusted the coat Nuru had given her, tugging it close.

Then, with a breath to steel herself, she hesitated no longer and stepped forward.

Her eyes instinctively closed at the soft light. And when she opened them again, a smile followed.

She had seen all of this before, back when she was still an avatar spirit. She had floated through it, experienced it through Julian’s senses. But back then, she had felt present but not whole—an echo tethered to another.

Now, it was different.

Now… everything was hers.

She gasped softly, holding her breath as she raised a hand, catching a snowflake on her palm. It melted against her skin, and the sensation of cold—of real cold—made her exhale in wonder.

It was overwhelming. Beautiful. Real. And with all of these new emotions and feelings drowning her, the first thing she did to feel safe was to look at Julian.

Julian, who was still leaning against Juliet for support, tilted his head the moment he felt her eyes on him. He could sense her heart beating fast, fluttering uncontrollably from excitement, and though he said nothing, he smiled.

Silvie smiled back—wide, joyful, unguarded. Her grin stretched nearly ear to ear.

Her lips moved, but no sound came out. Still, Julian heard her clearly.

I love you, Julian.

He hummed gently at the words. And with his smile unwavering, he said the words back,

“I love you, too.”

“W—?!” Juliet nearly choked on her breath.

Julian was still clinging to her for support, and for a moment there, every nerve in her body went into alarm. All of her pores opened. She stiffened at the thought of Julian suddenly uttering those words out of nowhere.

Then she realized—he wasn’t talking to her.

A sigh escaped her lips—whether it was of disappointment or relief, well, only she would know.

Meanwhile, Silvie just giggled and ran into the snow, her teeth flashing as she spun beneath the sky, arms wide. Her laughter echoed through the village as she twirled, leaving trails of footprints in the snow.

She did this for a solid three minutes. And honestly, she might have kept going if Nuru hadn’t interrupted.

“The feast is ready,” Nuru called gently.

“F-feast?!” Silvie’s eyes lit up. “Wait—wait—does that mean I can eat now? Like… really eat? Actually taste food?!”

She didn’t wait for an answer. She didn’t wait for Julian or Juliet either.

Silvie bolted after Nuru, overwriting the elegant footprints she left behind with something more… frantic.

***

Once again, it was at the center of the humble village, with the low tables set up in a single line. This time, however, there were no festivities at all. 

The tables were also closer to each other, with the food already placed in front of them. It was much more intimate, and the only music that echoed in the air was the quiet murmurs of awe that escaped everyone’s lips as they stared at Silvie.

They all knew what she was. And they held their breath as she sat among them.

But the villagers weren’t the ones who were truly struck speechless. Among those present, it was the Order of Artemia who looked the most stunned.

None of them moved. Especially not the Shield Saint, who sat directly across from Silvie.

Though her helmet concealed her face, it was quite obvious that her eyes were wide and staring at her right now. 

No, not staring.

She was glaring. At her.

Silvie could also see that her brows were knit in a tight frown. But most importantly…

…her hand, tightly clenched around the giant shield at her side, was trembling.

She… wasn’t going to hit her with it, was she?

***

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I plan to release the next and last few chapters of season 2 at the same time. Also... what's the deal with the shield saint?