Setting out

Linde walked up to Toriel. "Mom... sorry... how do we leave the Ruins?"

"Huh?" Caught off guard by Linde's sudden question, Toriel panicked.

"Mom... did you know? Frisk hasn't been able to sleep at night lately," Linde said.

"Oh, Frisk, are you all right...?" Toriel stepped forward and hugged Frisk, her heart aching for her.

Then she suddenly caught herself. "But why do you want to leave the Ruins?"

Linde sighed. "Every time she's about to fall asleep, a voice wakes her up, telling her to wake up for the sake of the future of humans and monsters."

Toriel frowned deeply and asked Frisk, who was still in her arms, "Is that really true?"

How did he know about that? Still stunned by Linde's words, Frisk nodded instinctively.

Toriel looked at Frisk. "Perhaps it really is true."

She let out a deep sigh and decided to tell the two children the truth. "To be honest, King Asgore has already collected six human souls. Once he collects one more, he'll be able to carry out his plan.

"I can sense a very special power within you, Frisk. Though I don't know what it is, perhaps it really is the key to saving the monsters...

"Besides, Frisk, you really do look like... no, never mind.

"In any case, I understand. If fate brought you down here to the Underground, there's no point in my stopping you."

"Yeah, Mom. Thank you for understanding!" Linde smiled gratefully.

"Linde, come with me for a moment." Toriel led him outside [Home].

Toriel blocked the entrance to [Home], then said to Linde, "Linde, you're a mage. You'll need to protect Frisk out there... so let me see how much your combat skills have improved over these past few days!"

With a wave of her hand, several fireballs spread out behind her.

Linde's expression grew serious as well. To keep Toriel from worrying, he would give it his all! (Without using lethal force, of course.)

As Toriel's fireballs came at him, Linde dodged sideways and sent out the character "Strike," hitting her.

HP-1

"Don't hold back!" Toriel shouted sternly.

Looking at Toriel's incredibly sparse barrage, Linde's mouth twitched. You're one to talk!

Still, he said seriously, "This is a sparring match, not a fight to the death. I'll give it my all, but I won't hurt you."

Toriel was visibly moved. Then she waved her hand, as though trying to chase something away.

"All right, I'll do the same." The fireballs Toriel summoned grew considerably weaker, but far more numerous. Her barrage was even denser than Asgore's in the game.

Just as I thought-both of them hold back like crazy! Linde cursed inwardly and hastily sent out the character "Extinguish," clearing the barrage in front of him.

Then Linde used "Swift" on himself, allowing him to dart through the barrage.

Just then, Toriel's barrage surged up from the ground. With nowhere to dodge, Linde ran straight into a fireball.

HP-1

HP-1

Linde hastily used "Heal" on himself, then leaped onto the nearby wall. With determination bolstering him, he moved nimbly across it.

In a flash, he appeared behind Toriel. "I wi... holy shit!"

Without even turning her head, Toriel blasted several fireballs straight into Linde's face.

HP-5

Linde lost his footing and fell to the ground, and Toriel stopped attacking.

Toriel stepped forward, gathered Linde into her arms, and cast a healing spell on him.

"I'm sorry. Since I was supposed to go all out, I couldn't stop myself just now. You did very well. If I hadn't gone too far, I certainly would have let you win."

Linde was actually quite satisfied. After all, he had been facing a boss-level monster who wasn't holding back (and who possessed strength on par with an adult human)!

"Oh, Mom, will we still be able to contact you after we leave the Ruins?" Linde remembered that in the game, Toriel stopped answering her phone after the battle.

Toriel froze for a moment. Looking at the hope in Linde's eyes, she finally softened.

"Oh, of course. I'll be waiting for you to let me know you're safe."

Linde nodded excitedly. He had successfully changed the original story. It was only a tiny change, but at least it proved that this world wasn't some cold, unfeeling program-it could be changed!

Which means... I can create a better ending!

Ambition flared in Linde's heart, but first, he needed to get out of the Ruins.

"Frisk!" Linde ran into [Home] and brought the drowsy Frisk outside.

"Ah... Linde... I haven't slept properly in two days... give me a break... I really don't want to practice anymore!" Frisk wailed.

"No... it's time to say goodbye," Linde explained.

"Oh... time to say goodbye... what did you say?!" Frisk jolted, all her drowsiness vanishing in an instant.

"You haven't been able to sleep these past few days because you're the chosen one. As long as you stay in the Ruins, that voice will keep waking you up," Linde explained slowly.

Frisk lowered her head and murmured, "Do we really have to leave?"

"Frisk..." Toriel crouched down and hugged her tightly. "I don't want to see you suffering like this. Leaving the Ruins will help you feel better. Besides, even after you leave, we can call each other whenever we like."

"Mm... I understand." Frisk hugged Toriel back, her face calm, though she couldn't hide her sadness.

Watching them, Linde couldn't help lifting his head to stare at the ceiling.

After Toriel and Frisk released each other, they turned to look at him. "Linde... you..."

Linde didn't move. "Ah... I was just thinking... the ceiling of the Ruins really is so purple."

Toriel stepped forward and hugged Linde as well. "It's all right, my child. We'll see each other again."

"Yeah!" Linde wiped his eyes.

Half a day later, after the two children had said goodbye to the monsters in the city of the Ruins (don't worry, they would be back), Toriel brought them to the great door at the end of the basement.

"This is as far as I'll take you. Remember to let me know you're safe once you find somewhere to rest!" Toriel stood quietly there, watching them leave.

"Yeah, Mom. We'll definitely see each other again!" The two children waved, then rushed through the door as though fleeing something.

"See? I told you, the longer you spend saying goodbye, the more it hurts." Linde's smile looked more pained than tears. Across his two lives, people who cared for him the way Toriel did...

"All right, don't be sad." Frisk's expression settled back into calm. "We'll definitely see her again."

"Yeah!" Linde nodded firmly. "Let's keep going. Once we find a good spot, you can get some proper sleep!"

The two children walked down the long corridor and reached the end of the Ruins.

Flowey suddenly popped out of the ground, watching them with an amused expression.

"Seriously, I thought you would've made it here two days ago, but you actually stayed there all this time.

"Hee hee hee. Treating monsters so kindly... you really think you're clever, don't you?

"I already told you. In this world, it's kill or be killed. That's the only way you can do whatever you want.

"And you... being so kind to monsters must make you feel great, right? You haven't killed anyone.

"But what will you do when you meet a cold-blooded killer?

"You'll die, and die, and die. Until you get tired of trying...

"Then what will you do? Will you start slaughtering everyone out of desperation?

"Or will you give up on this world entirely... and let me inherit the power to control it?

"I'm this world's future prince... don't worry, little monarchs. My plan isn't to kill you...

"What I'm going to do is much more interesting~"

With that, Flowey let out a wild laugh, then sank back underground.

Linde knew what Flowey wanted to do. He patted Frisk on the shoulder. "Don't worry. Let's take it one step at a time."

"Mm." Frisk's expression was grave. She didn't seem to have taken in what Linde had just said.

Linde shook his head with a smile, took Frisk's hand, and pushed open the door to the Ruins-

Their legend had officially begun.