Ark Undead

92. Write a letter to Melanie.

"So, the War Knight in Kazimierz really is you."

Hannah sat by the campfire, still holding the honey cake that Kroos had given her.

It was already the morning of the second day. After confirming that the Undead had returned, Hannah had gone back to rest early the night before.

He rushed over the next morning without stopping, carrying a large bundle of firewood on his back.

This also solved the crisis of having very little firewood left in the room.

Kroos was munching on a honey cake, watching the older woman who had just entered the room, and pondering their relationship.

Hannah took a bite of the honey cake; she wasn't quite used to such a sweet food.

He broke off half of it and handed the uneaten half back to Kroos.

"Thank you. I don't really like sweets, so this will be fine for me."

Hannah held the remaining honey cake in her hand; after all, it was something the little girl had given her out of kindness, and it wouldn't be right not to eat it. Doing so would ensure that the remaining half wouldn't go to waste.

"Okay!"

Kroos took the half of the honey cake. She had just finished her own piece, and she opened her mouth to chew the other half.

Hannah continued asking the Undead while munching on a honey cake.

"So how did you get to Kazimierz? Do you remember?"

Hannah looked at the Undead and said.

"When we saw you playing in Kazimierz on TV, it had been more than a year since the Victoria riots. Where were you during that year?"

"do not know."

The Undead shook his head and pointed to his head.

"I can't remember anymore."

Yes, when the Undead first awoke in the cargo warehouse of Kazimir, he couldn't remember anything from before, and his mind wasn't as clear as it is now.

To be honest, he only became truly aware that there was something wrong with his memory around the time the Special Championship was approaching. The more he thought about it, the more something seemed off, and his mind gradually became aware of the possibility of losing his memory.

That was the time when Maria asked him who taught him the Miracle of the Thunder Spear.

As Maria inquired, the Undead felt empty and lost, but also suddenly realized that their memories were damaged.

Until Solal's appearance and departure filled in the gaps in the Undead's memory, what flooded into their bodies was less a gift of humanity from Solal.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that Solaire, after appearing as the embodiment of the Primal Flame, shared a portion of the Primal Flame's power with the Undead.

After that, his control over fire became increasingly refined.

Especially on the way to Sherag, the undead discovered that they could control a portion of the flames hidden within their bodies. This not only manifested as flames on their swords, but also allowed them to use the flames themselves, representing life and power, to provide significant buffs to their armor and bodies.

Of course, this is different from sorcery; it's simply the flames affecting the amplitude of his individual life form.

Most importantly, within him, the purest sorcerous flames inherited from the daughter of the old witch Izaris have once again awakened.

In Kjerag, whether it was helping Skadi escape the pursuit of the Sea Kings or destroying the invading abyss in the Painted World, it was all thanks to Izaris's sorcerous flames.

Although the purest primordial fire cannot yet be freely manipulated, the undead now clearly feel a warm, comforting area in their chests at all times.

That must be where the First Flame was.

As the First Flame connected, the Undead gradually regained some of their past memories.

Once he sees an object that is related to his generation, he will immediately recognize what it is, and the corresponding image will quickly pop into his mind.

This includes seeing the sacred bell on Mount Kalan, the world of paintings, and the dragon head stone given by Silver Grey.

But aside from all that, he had no recollection of his activities on the continent of Terra.

Regardless of what SilverAsh said, he once lived in Victoria and was known as "the ghost of Victoria".

It was Solar who told the Undead about his actions at the beginning of the era. What exactly is meant by reaching a peak beyond the First Flame?

He had no recollection of it at all, which is why the undead would choose to continue their journey.

Because he wants to find his lost memories, to find what he can never forget.

"Oh well, not remembering isn't necessarily a bad thing. Just consider it as starting my life anew."

Hannah chuckled and tried to make the undead relax a bit.

"After all, you don't know what you were like before, and you don't know what made you who you are now. Maybe it would be easier if you couldn't remember?"

"..."

The immortal remained silent for a long time before nodding.

Hannah is absolutely right. Not remembering the past is, in a sense, a good thing. It means starting a new chapter in your life.

But the immortal could not escape it in the end, and he himself clearly understood this.

He, who carries the primordial flame, is ultimately the host of the primordial flame.

The Undead do not know whether there is still a need to rekindle the First Flame in this world. But as the bearer of it, they must do their utmost to protect the First Flame.

Regardless of whether there are similar characters like Undead Heroes and Ashes in the future, who can kill him and continue the flame.

And it is his responsibility to retrieve his past memories.

He needed to know what caused the abyss to spread on such a massive scale, and what caused the First Flame to weaken so much.

From the moment he realized that the primordial flame still remained in his body, he was already unable to break free from the shackles attached to him.

This is not someone trying to put shackles on him or bind him.

Rather, it is his sense of responsibility as a successor to the world that he is aware of and willing to give everything for.

Every hero who embarks on the path of fire transmission is not driven solely by their own greed for the power of fire.

After experiencing one journey after another, they had long since made their own choices.

It might be for friends, for family, or perhaps for those who don't deserve love.

The initial desire for fire was merely part of his motivation.

More importantly, it is about fulfilling one's own resolve, using power sufficient to shake the First Flame, to either allow it to continue or to vanish.

The true oblivion that Hannah speaks of might be a relief for the immortal, but he would never blindly accept such a relief.

As long as he can still recall parts of his past, he will not stop searching for what he has lost.

That was the most decisive factor in his ability to become the beginning and the end of the torch relay.

Sense of responsibility.

"Perhaps."

The Undead nodded, and then he spoke.

"I can forget. But I cannot not know."

At this point, the Undead suddenly remembered something and looked at Hannah.

"Hannah, do you know Melantha?"

When Hannah heard the name Melantha, she nodded instinctively and said...

“I know, didn’t you ask us to protect her? Although we weren’t qualified to set foot in the Upper City at that time, Vina still sent several brothers to take turns guarding the hospital in the Upper City until she was discharged.”

At this point, Hannah looked at the undead and suddenly realized a rather unfunny fact.

"Have you already forgotten Melantha?!"

The immortal nodded.

"Yes."

Hannah's expression changed instantly as she looked at the undead.

His expression was a mixture of pity, heartache, and inexplicable tenderness.

"Oh...you."

Hannah scratched her head.

“Melansha is your disciple. No matter how much you have forgotten, please never forget that she is your disciple.”

Hannah spoke again.

"A few months before the major riots, this kid was already coming to your place almost every weekend."

"She was very weak, so she wanted to improve her physical condition by learning swordsmanship. You two met several times, and you even saved her once. It was after that that she got to know you and came to you to learn swordsmanship."

Hannah continued speaking at length.

“That child loves being with you. He can sit here for hours every weekend. Even after finishing his practice for the day, he will sit with you by the campfire and watch the fire with you.”

“After she was discharged from the hospital following the riots, she came to see us. At the time, I thought something had happened to her and she needed our help.”

At this point, Hannah glanced at the Undead, her eyes previously fixed on the campfire.

"She asked me, 'Where did you go?'"

"..."

The undead stared at the campfire, trying to recreate such an image in his mind.

But it had absolutely no effect.

"You mean, discharge from the hospital?"

The Undead grasped the key point in Hannah's words.

"Is she sick?"

"You could say that..."

Hannah nodded, she said.

"She contracted Oripathy during that riot. Her arm was ripped open by those crazed infected people, leaving a lesion on her arm. She also almost lost too much blood and had serious problems."

"Although she received timely treatment, Oripathy is still Oripathy, and she has become an infected person."