Chương 212: Epilogue: “The “Three” Afterwards”

A forest of green needles. A young boy was lost. He had broken his father's rule and wandered outside the settlement to play. Breathing in the crisp, clear air, he strained his ears. Occasionally, the quiet sounds of small birds and buzzing insects could be heard. Although he was all alone, he didn't feel as lonely as he thought he would. The forest was filled with the pulse of life everywhere. However, the boy was feeling a bit discouraged.

His knees were scraped here and there, and several small green thorns were painfully stuck in his legs. He had carelessly stepped on the seeds of the green-needle trees that grew abundantly in this forest. Eventually, tired of walking, the boy found a suitable moss-covered rock and sat down to rest. Perhaps ten or twenty minutes passed. Just as he was about to heave himself up to leave, the boy froze in shock.

From the other side, a massive four-legged beast with vibrant, mottled fur of red, blue, and yellow was approaching with a leisurely gait. It had charming, dog-like ears that mismatched its sharp, tiger-like eyes and fangs. Its limbs were as sturdy as a rhino's, and its rainbow-colored tail was tipped with feathers standing straight up. Dad talked about this. It doesn't have a name, but it's the one thing you must never encounter. The boy sensed death. Unluckily, this was "his" territory.

"Umm... H-Hello..." Grrrrrrrr... The beast let out a low growl. Judging by its bloodshot eyes, it was hungry. Finding a soft human child—a supreme delicacy—the beast licked its lips in a good mood.

"Can you... let me go?" Gull. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The beast nodded once, and the boy felt as if a conversation had been established.

"Waaaaaaahhhh!" The boy screamed and ran for his life. Using his small frame, he sprinted, weaving through the trees. Determined not to let him escape, the massive four-legged body trampled through the grass and branches, chasing him leisurely yet powerfully. No matter how agile the boy was, getting caught was only a matter of time. The boy turned around, picking up stones and desperately throwing them. He hoped to make it flinch, even a little, but there was no way such things would stop a ruler of the forest.

The beast's fangs closed in. It's over! The boy finally accepted his death and closed his eyes.

"Cover your ears!" At that moment, the boy heard his father's scream. He instinctively did as he was told. BANG! A roar exploded. Startled by the sound that seemed loud enough to rupture eardrums, the beast's feet stopped abruptly. At that instant, an arrow flew from the distance. With honed precision, it pierced deeply into the beast's shoulder. It wasn't a fatal wound, but confused by the sudden attack, the beast must have decided that continuing to hunt this prey wasn't worth the risk.

It tucked its tail and scurried away.

"Are you okay?" His father's voice called out to the boy, who had narrowly escaped death. Relieved, the boy burst into tears. Crying, he clung to his father.

"Daddyyyy!" The father caught the crying boy with his sturdy body. While comforting him, he scolded him gently.

"No, Yu. You went this far all by yourself. I told you not to, didn't I?"

"Yeah... I'm sorry." Just then, his mother leaped in with agile movements, almost like a beast herself. She rushed right up to the boy, stopped, and—"Bad boy!" Chop! She delivered a light chop to his head. As the boy groaned in pain, his mother hugged him tightly.

"Jeez... You almost died. I'm so glad you're alive..."

"Uuu... I'm sorry..." The boy felt his mother's love and warmth. Having calmed down, the three of them held hands and began to walk. Ahead of them lay the small settlement where their family lived. On the way back, the boy got curious about something and asked.

"Hey. Why is Yu named 'Yu'?" The boy, Yu, tilted his head. He had inherited his father's black hair, and his mother's lovely eyes now shined with curiosity.

"Why, you ask? Well—" His mother smiled at his father. Even now, her speech was simple and innocent, and her son was probably better at speaking clearly than she was.

"Yu. It is the name of the person who took care of us the most."

"The person we love so much. He taught us lots and lots of things."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He was a very strong... and very kind person." His parents looked at each other and nodded.

"If Yu comes again, I want to show him this child."

"Fufu. I bet he'll be surprised!" Yu looked blankly at his parents, who were laughing warmly together. He sort of understood, but sort of didn't. Weird, he thought. After all, from the very beginning, there had only been Dad, Mom, and himself here. At that moment, a massive shadow crossed over their feet. A shadow so large it momentarily darkened the sky. His father looked up at the sky and said with a hint of nostalgia.

"Hey there. Looks like he's watching over us today, too." In the free, open sky, a Golden Dragon danced. After that, it is said that the three lived happily until the very moment their lives came to an end. This is the story of the last humans who lived in a nameless world.