Simulate the universe, starting with speedrunning Greek.

The man with his back to the towering flames, the man who regarded thousands of soldiers as nothing.

Plop~!!

That night, he leaped into the river and sped away.

A collective sigh of relief seemed to emanate from everyone.

It was as if the tension in everyone's hearts had just been quietly released.

And from that night onward, the legend of 39 people breaking through thousands of barriers and allowing nearly 20 people to escape spread rapidly from the Spanish battlefield on the front lines.

This message will likely reach Rome much faster than the escaped Night and his companions.

This will also be the only defeat on the Spanish battlefield, a defeat so humiliating that it was later widely publicized by the Roman Senate.

It was used to restore the already dwindling public confidence and the morale of the army.

After all, they've suffered some humiliating defeats recently, and now they've finally managed to salvage Rome's last shred of dignity.

Although Ye and his men were fleeing, they killed at least several hundred people during their escape. This astonishing record, with the casualty ratio between the two sides, would be considered a major victory anywhere.

Even after the news reached Rome, many people regarded Night, the leader of the 39, as Rome's last hero.

The gatekeepers who guard the last gate of Rome's dignity, the face and glory of Rome.

And so, before even returning to the capital, Ye had already become famous without anyone noticing.

—At this moment, they were soaking in the river, taking turns with Karl to carry Tiberius forward.

Forward, forward! Once you've identified a direction, just keep moving forward!

They seemed tireless, as if afraid that if their will faltered, they would lose their way and get lost.

During the long crossing, the biggest enemy is not only their limited physical strength and fatigue.

Another thing is the ability to perceive direction!

Everyone's mind and body were immersed in the cold lake water, as if they were about to be frozen as well, feeling incredibly heavy and oppressive.

But I absolutely cannot fall asleep! If I collapse now—then…

Chapter Seventy-Seven: The people shouted, "Magnus! In the name of greatness!"

In the real world, Rome—

Perhaps because the simulated universe of Night is its own existing universe, when it had a significant impact on the historical transition period, it was automatically saved and began to affect Rome in reality.

Just as Ye and his companions were engaged in a life-or-death battle...

In the Subra district, a working-class area, there was a house not far from Little Caesar's home.

An elderly veteran was lying in the sun in front of his house when he suddenly opened his cloudy eyes and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"It seems like... I had a dream—?!"

A distant dream, as if from another world.

In his dream, he was still young, and he had also participated in the Spanish Civil War.

But compared to the incredibly terrifying battlefield memories he had of himself, the person in his dream was fearless and brave, charging against thousands of Spanish soldiers with 43 brothers.

Their blood stained the mouth of the Ebro River.

But unlike his real-life self who was redeemed as a defeated soldier, in his dream he and that man fought their way through the Spanish rebel stronghold and jumped into the Ebro River.

Until the icy river water submerged his soul and body, and he gradually lost his breath and became an eternal spirit in the river, his limbs weak and his breath fading away.

but--

Was that burning, unwavering will that remained within him until his very last breath truly himself?

Although he died on the battlefield, he became someone others admire.

I've never seen myself live a more vibrant and human life than I do now, when I'm just a walking corpse.

That feeling of personally defending one's dignity and freedom.

what--

If such a world truly exists, why not let him die in that dreamlike Ebro River at that moment?

At this moment, the veteran looked at his broken leg.

He became disabled because of the Spanish Civil War.

But Rome did not give him the compensation he deserved. The man who had fought all his life became a new burden to his family after returning home, and he is still living in this slum.

He thought about it with great anticipation...

If there is any decisive difference between the incredibly real memories in the dream, which felt like personal experiences, and reality, it is the presence of an incomparable man.

Like the ancient Greek god of war, or Achilles, the demigod hero of the legendary Trojan War, he was an invulnerable man.

Why doesn't such a person exist in reality...?

why?

...Meanwhile, in another simulated universe.

After spending several days and nights in the river, nearly losing their way several times, but guided by the powerful intuition of the night, they swam straight ahead.

They took turns dragging Tiberius, who couldn't swim, forward, and countless others eventually succumbed to exhaustion and perished in the Ebro River.

"If I die, please take good care of my wife and my daughter whom I have never met..."

"Continue forward with my will..."

I must go back to Rome. My home is there, and people are waiting for me there.

Please take good care of them for me!

“Leave me behind, I am a burden to you all, without me—” Tiberius wept.

But his woman's whimpering was quickly drowned out by his roar—

"Shut up!! Do you want all our efforts to be wasted?"

Listen, Gracchus! We save you because you allow everyone to die like heroes, forever etched in the hearts of the Romans.

Rather than becoming a humiliating deserter.

You can do it...

"And only you can do this, cough cough~!!! Defend us all!" Karl roared as he held Tiberius in his arms.

His face was pale and ashen, his eyes were filled with darkness, a sign of someone who was about to die.

Anyone could see that he was in a bad state.

Even so, he did not give up on Tiberius's idea.

The same applies to everyone here.

But no one could have imagined that a man so weak and frail could still unleash such a powerful roar.

No, in fact his roar was very weak, low and powerless, but the will within it was like that of a roaring lion, which intimidated Tiberius.

Tiberius fell silent...

At that moment, he realized that if he respected these men, he should keep quiet about this matter and could only watch helplessly as countless people went to their deaths for him.

For the first time, he felt how heavy the burden on his shoulders was.

Now his life is not just his own, but also the continuation of the lives of countless fallen comrades.

No matter how painful it is, no matter how much you cry or wail in your heart.

Even if every second of living is torture, he must live on, live on with more pride and arrogance than anyone else...

Because this is the dignity that heroes risked everything and sacrificed everything to obtain.

Just then, Night spoke up: "Don't give up hope, I see land ahead."

Boom~! ! !

A piece of news at night suddenly ignited the fighting spirit in everyone who was gradually losing consciousness.

Land?! Finally—! We can finally see land?!

No one doubted Ye's vision, even though they couldn't see any land at all.

But that man would never deceive them.

As if in a final burst of energy, everyone desperately swam towards the earth.

That's hope!

They laughed heartily, and wept with joy...

Finally, after swimming for who knows how many more minutes, someone spotted the horizon.

'There's hope!' At this moment, everyone only had this one year left in their minds.

They struggled and swam toward the earth, completely oblivious to their surroundings.

After an unknown amount of time, everyone's feet finally touched the ground.

After soaking in the water for an unknown amount of time, the moment I emerged from the water, my body felt incredibly heavy.

But after taking a few steps, it was as if I had been reborn, and I felt light and relaxed all over.

Everyone greedily breathed in the fresh air, and some cried and laughed, while others suddenly lay down and kissed the ground beneath their feet.

"It's freedom!!"

"Rome!! We're back on Roman soil!"

Magnus—Night!!!

"Magnus—! Night—!!" Suddenly, someone shouted passionately.

The next moment, as if a mountain was roaring and the sea was shouting, everyone shouted out their heartfelt voices.

Magnus!!!

Night—Magnus!!

In Rome, the word Magnus carries a special meaning.