The Author's Viewpoint
Chapter 164 - You’re Allowed to Break

Chapter 164: Chapter 164 - You’re Allowed to Break

Tave, Lily, and Lina made their way to the Adventurer Guild, hoping to gather more information about the aftermath of the battle.

Lily, as it turned out, knew Lina—and her sister. But even she couldn’t confirm the girl’s whereabouts.

Inside the Center, the waiting area was chaotic. People moved hurriedly, tension thick in the air. Some were shouting, desperate for updates, arguing over missing reports or unanswered questions.

Tave and Lily sat in the corner, watching in silence as the weight of the past days settled into the room like dust.

After a short while, Lily returned from the inner office, carrying a large record book. She placed it gently on the table between them and took a seat across from Tave and Lina.

Her movements were stiff. Tense. She didn’t speak as she laid the book flat and slid it toward Lina.

With trembling hands, Lina reached for it.

Her fingers hesitated at the edges, then began flipping through the pages—quickly, frantically. Her breath hitched as she scanned rows of names. Until finally... her hand froze.

She found it.

Tave didn’t need to ask. He could see it in her eyes. The way her whole body seemed to go still, as if the world had stopped spinning around her.

Lina’s sister hadn’t made it.

And now, Lina... who had feared she wouldn’t be the one to survive... sat there, unable to shed a single tear.

The grief had gone too deep for that.

Lily stood, then gently moved to sit beside her. She didn’t force words, just placed a hand lightly on Lina’s shoulder and said quietly,

"You don’t have to be strong right now. You’re allowed to break a little."

Lina gave the faintest nod, barely able to respond.

"I should’ve been there..." she whispered, her voice thin.

Lily tightened her grip just slightly, grounding her.

"Then show her you remember. That’s what matters now."

Lina closed her eyes. And finally, the tears returned—quietly streaming down her cheeks.

Lily pulled her into a side embrace, holding her there for a while. No words were exchanged. Just warmth, presence, and the shared weight of loss.

Tave sat silently nearby, struggling to keep his composure as he watched the moment unfold.

It was so real now—undeniable.

The death of someone loved wasn’t just a narrative twist. It wasn’t a tragic footnote in someone else’s story. It was here, in front of him.

Lina’s sister had been just an extra, a background character, forgotten in the larger arc of the original story. To most readers, she was a name, maybe a line or two.

But to Lina, she was everything.

And now, she was gone, lost to a rift Lina herself had failed to conquer. Lost, along with the city that had once been their home.

"Thanks... Lily," Lina whispered as she slowly pulled away and stood.

She turned briefly to Tave, who had also risen, watching her with quiet concern.

"I-I... there’s something I need to do," she said, voice unsteady.

She turned to go.

"Lina," Tave called softly, his voice catching.

She paused, looking back, her face still wet with tears.

"If you need anything... me, or Lily. We’re here," he said gently.

Lina gave a small, trembling smile. "Thanks... Tave."

Then she turned again, and walked away.

Tave and Lily stayed seated for a while, lingering in silence until Lina had completely disappeared from view.

Only then did they rise and begin walking out of the Awakener Center, their steps quiet against the dust-covered streets.

As they moved through the wounded city, Tave’s thoughts drifted.

He had worried so much about Lily.

And now, thinking back on it... he realized something.

Lily had started out as the younger sister of the original body’s owner. Not his sister, technically. Not really. Right?

But then again, maybe that didn’t matter. In the end, wasn’t it about what someone felt?

Tave couldn’t deny it. The moment he heard the city was under attack, the first person who came to mind... was her.

That concern had been real. That fear, genuine.

Whatever their origins, whatever the technical truth. Lily was his sister.

His family.

The only one he had in this world... other than their father.

"What about Father, Lily?" he asked quietly as they walked past a row of ruined storefronts.

Lily glanced sideways at him. "He’s on his way here... I think."

She hesitated, then added, "If you’re asking if he’s okay..."

She went silent for a breath.

"...Yes. He should be."

Tave didn’t respond immediately. He only looked ahead, eyes narrowed slightly.

Because the way she said it. It didn’t sound like certainty.

"He should be"?

"Nothing major has happened since you left," Lily continued. "No new attacks. Nothing big, at least."

"And the demon invasion rumors?"

"No movement so far," she said, shaking her head slightly.

But Tave already knew something else. Something she didn’t.

The demons had already escaped from the rift. And one of them was a Named Demon.

Tave knew he couldn’t ignore it.

If they hadn’t launched a direct attack yet, then they were hiding. Lurking somewhere. Preparing for whatever came next.

Their numbers likely weren’t what they had originally planned. Most of their forces had been wiped out during the chaos inside the rift. Only a few should remain now. Some elite demons... and the Named Demon.

That was the real problem.

And strangely, at this moment, there was only one person Tave felt he could trust enough to discuss this with. Elincia.

She wasn’t easy to work with. Far from it. Elincia played by her own rules, moved on her own terms, and followed no one’s lead but her own.

But this situation was different.

Tave now had something he hadn’t before. Access. Through Vanya.

His relationship with the Crowned Princess gave him leverage, gave him presence. If he used his insight, his analysis of how demons operated, and coordinated with Elincia’s raw power...

This threat could be handled quickly.

It had to be.

Because if they didn’t find those demons before they finished whatever they were planning... Then everything Deadbay had survived so far might be reduced to ashes anyway.

As they walked, Lily casually mentioned something that made Tave glance over in surprise.

She had joined a Rift Expedition. With Orion and Oriana.

Tave narrowed his eyes, not hiding his curiosity. "Wait... you went into a rift?"

Even though she still can’t use her right hand?

He looked briefly at her gloved left hand. It appeared normal, but he knew the truth, her right arm still hadn’t recovered.

Lily just nodded, unfazed. "Me and Lady Oriana both managed to break through to Gaia Master."

"What?!"

Tave stopped for a second, brows furrowed. "You both reached Gaia Master... after just one expedition?"

Lily turned to him, meeting his expression without a hint of guilt.

Tave had also reached Gaia Master, but that was under extreme conditions. An Emergency Rift, an overwhelming flood of high-level monsters, and nearly dying in the process.

And now Lily... and Oriana?

"Well then... I guess that’s good news." He smiled faintly, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Congrats, Lily."

Still, in the back of his mind, a heavier thought lingered.

There was still something he needed to do. Something he had to do.

He had to fix her hand.

And soon.

Because if what was coming next was anything like what he feared... they were going to need every last bit of strength.