The word 'hero' provoked a hurtful pang. Urapus smiled wryly.
"Goddess, perhaps you've misunderstood something."
"Oh?"
The goddess tilted her head.
"My soul, my heart, my will... They've been thoroughly broken. Now, I cannot be called a Hero, for it is a disgrace to the term itself."
Urapus lowered his head. He is aware.
How utterly broken of a man he is.
It's already impressive for him to lift his head and talk. He had already fallen from his former grace, leaving nothing more than a shell of a broken man.
This being is too exalted. He does not wish for her to place unrequited expectations on him, for he knows that he is no longer capable of upholding them.
The goddess did not reply. She just giggled, patting his shoulder softly.
"Silly, I'm not here for some hidden agenda or unscrupulous intentions. Do you think I offer such a miracle because I want you to do something? Because of your status as a Hero?"
"Urapus, your karma is bright golden. Humongous, akin to a pillar of Heaven that pierced through space. It was enough for you to rebirth as the son of a [Censored] Sovereign. Oops, classified information!"
Urapus does not feel proud. Instead, he chuckled dryly. So what if his karma pierced the Heaven? He lost his home, his planet, his friends...
Everything he knew had discarded him. However, he does not wish for revenge.
He just wants to rest in peace.
For some people, revenge is akin to the sweetest of nectar, the greatest form of pleasure. But Urapus was known as the Brightest Hero. His compassion was limitless, encompassing the very earth itself.
For him, revenge is meaningless.
And now, his unbreakable heart and will have been breached from the inside. It could be healed, but never restored.
Urapus, the Hero of Dawn, no longer exists.
"Can I... Still choose death, then?"
The goddess froze. Her glimmering eyes bore down on him.
Looking at his helpless look, the goddess fell into a dilemma. This man has the potential.
But that's not it. Many people have such potential. Most of them even surpassed him, and not by a small margin either.
The goddess adores this particular individual because of his character.
The willpower to maintain his original principle and to not be swayed by his own wrath and greed.
Power consumes conscience. What are principles, morals, righteousness, and loyalty in front of power? Nothing!
Yet, even with such a blatant sense of righteousness, the man did not let his wrath and greed consume him.
He did not let the power that allowed him to do anything he wanted engulfed him.
A perfect balance of principle and acknowledgment of his own abilities and the awareness to fix them.
The goddess felt a pang in her heart. Such a golden, precious character, yet no one appreciates it. She pursed her lips.
But that's a good thing too.
Because of the betrayal, the man could no longer be swayed even by affection and goodwill, meaning that if someone ever entered his heart.
She inwardly giggled.
It's like the strongest and safest stronghold. It's excessively difficult to enter, but once you enter it, you will be safe from any threats.
The goddess floated and flew to his side, wrapping her arms around his shoulders,
"Urapus."
"I apologize, Goddess. I do not feel worthy to be in your presence, lest have your attention on me. Your Excellency does not have to waste your time on this worthless being."
Urapus tried to get out of the Goddess's embrace, yet he found himself powerless to resist her.
"You mortals like to assume that by lowering yourself, you could make your target of speech feel pleased. Besides, were you listening? I told you this is happening not because of your status."
Urapus stayed silent. He felt confused and lost. He wanted to rest in peace, but it seemed like it did not please the Goddess.
"Urapus, I want you to have a new start. I do not wish for you to be a Hero. I just want you to live the way you want."
"But Goddess... I do not have any way I want to live."
The goddess did not feel confused. Instead, she seems pleased. Her purple eyes glimmered like stars, glittering with inexplicable light.
"Is that so... Then, Urapus, why don't you make me your goal?"
"Huh?"
Urapus twitched. This goddess is quite complex, isn't she?
"Live a new life, and elevate yourself to the best of your capabilities. Perhaps if you reach a certain height of power, you could venture to a place called the Starlight Palace and
propose to me."
"Propose? Goddess, you don't mean..."
"Yes, it's exactly what you just think of!"
The goddess smiled behind her veil, but her eyes were enough of an indication. Urapus shut his mouth, speechless.
"What? Aren't I beautiful? Don't you want to pursue such a perfect Goddess with creamy skin and a voluptuous figure like me? Am I not worth fighting for?"
"Well... You are perfect and gorgeous."
Urapus is not aware, but he's no longer anchored by the betrayal. Instead, he felt this sense of amusement and longing as he looked at the beautiful Goddess in front of him.
Her giggles soothe his betrayed heart, and her attempt to convince him to live again washed away all of the resentment he had.
Maybe her existence is too far, maybe their status is so far apart, that even heaven and earth seem reachable from each other. But it's fine.
There's no need to complicate his current matter.
This goddess desired him to live again.
Urapus wondered,
Would it be worth it? If he lives again,
He may rekindled the feeling of revenge.
He may kill everything because of his hatred.
Hell, he may become the existence he hates the most. The being he declared as a villain.
Still...
If she's telling the truth, that one day, when he reached a certain height of power, he could meet her, wouldn't it be worth it?
Would it?
Urapus stared at her. Although he doesn't know the meaning of her benevolence, which was intensified by the betrayal of his own people, he knows his heart is at ease in her presence.
It may be a delusion by her unbelievable means. It may be a trick used by her to make people do her bidding. It may even be a lie to utilize him.
There are so many reasons. So many reasons to refuse. But while his logic gives out every reason to die, his heart is calling for him to jump to whatever the Goddess has offered.
It tells him to move. To take the leap of faith.
It tells him that he, the Hero, does not wish to have an end like this.
His heart longed for her, the being that wished for him to live again.
Besides, wouldn't it be better if you used your undesired life for her? You do not wish to live again, correct? His heart reasoned.
Urapus clutched his heart. Is that so?
When Urapus was engulfed by his own mind, his eyes involuntarily moved, staring at the Goddess before him.
In the end, the Hero searches for a reason to live again. He searches for the light.
And like mankind, he will also thrive when he finds hope. A shining light of hope that rekindled the fighting spirit in his worn-out heart.
"Wait for me, Goddess."
Urapus rises from the cage of his own mind, facing the goddess face-to-face with a look of acceptance.
Whether he was tricked or used, does not matter anymore for Urapus.
Same with the countless reasons to die, there are also countless reasons to live.
Even an ordinary born would be unwilling, not to mention him, the Brightest Hero, the Hero of Dawn, the Hope of Mankind!
"I'll live. And I'll be sure to meet you again."
The goddess did not say anything. Her glimmering, joyous eyes are enough.
"Enjoy your next life, Urapus. You've sacrificed enough for billions of lives. Make sure you treasure your life. But if you couldn't help but be a Savior again... Just remember that a Goddess will support you from behind."
"Heh, what if I caused destruction?"
Urapus laughed weakly, clutching his chest. Yet, the Goddess hugged him tighter and gave him a sad look,
"It'll remain the same, Urapus. Even if you decide to destroy everything you see, I'll be there, waiting for you."
Urapus remained silent. He subconsciously grasps the hand of the Goddess. She was startled, but when she saw his eyes, she couldn't help but admire them.
It's a pair of exhausted eyes filled with his rekindled fighting spirit. Urapus smiled widely, staring at her with the eyes she admired.
"Fear not. I'll be so focused on chasing Your Excellency that I would probably forget about my vengeance."
Why would he waste his time on the people not worthy of his attention and time?
"However, if those people insist..."
Urapus's charcoal eyes held no warm, only indifference.
If necessary, he won't mind being a villain.
"I won't hesitate."
The goddess felt a shiver.
A cold, merciless look from a man with enough kindness to enveloped the entire earth...
It was as if it was magnified countless times, incomparable to the merciless look of a cold-blooded killer.
The Goddess relished to herself. A Hero reborn by the fire of betrayal... Just how far can he go?
"Are you ready to live again, Urapus?"
Urapus closed his eyes. Is he ready?
No, he's never ready.
It's like the first time he became an Awakener, and was forced to fight against the invaders.
When he became the Strongest Awakener, and was entrusted to protect the Blue Earth.
Was he ready back then?
No, he's never ready. He adapted to the environment, and gave his all to survive. Breaking every of his flesh and bones just for the slightest chance of survival.
With a confident smile, Urapus replied.
"I'll meet you again."
With a smile, the Brightest Hero disappeared, leaving a melancholic Goddess behind.
Before he disappeared, a longing voice called him out,
"I'll be waiting in the Starlight Palace. Remember, your Goddess name is Astra, the Goddess of Stars."
Urapus turned around, facing the unveiled face of the Goddess. It is a forbidden sight, one that makes the Hero utterly captivated.
"You were the Hero of Dawn, yet the dawn has passed, replaced by the night sky, where only the moon and the stars existed as the light..."
The meaning of such a gesture remains unknown, one he'll discover in the distant future.