Flashy Adventurer System : Show Off to Get Stronger! - Chapter 967

Chapter 967: Return of the Black Dawn Hero
The mid-morn sun hung high in the sky, and so was a guillotine blade forged from the sharpest diamonds.

Beneath the harrowing contraption was a young man, frantically begging for his life.

“Please, Hale! We’ve been through so much together, haven’t we?! I’ve already atoned for my sins this past year. Please—I’ll be your most loyal dog! I’ll help you and the world advance technological studies by leaps and bounds! I vow never to do such things again! I’ll even agree to a Soul Contract! Please, Hale!!!”

Hearing his Lord Father’s humiliating plea—reminiscent of a common bandit’s desperate cries—Primo could hardly bear to listen.

He just wanted it all to be over.

The eldest Hawkling, too, was exhausted from working endlessly, only for his father’s grand ambitions of world domination to crumble into failure.

He didn’t want to suffer anymore. He simply wished for everything to end.

Hale and the council of directors, on the other hand, simply sneered and scoffed in disdain and derision.

The bastard had the gall to beg for his life.

“Meaningless last words!” Hale reprimanded, failing to control his anger.

He couldn’t believe he was toyed with by such a spineless person who did not even have the will to die despite having such grand ambitions.

“Executioner, end these scourges!”

“No, Hale!! Wa–”

The diamond blades of the guillotines fell, slicing cleanly through the necks of the Hawkin Group members, including the sinister snake himself.

Their heads tumbled into the ironwood boxes prepared below, cutting the spineless weasel’s final words short in the most harrowing way possible.

Dweezel Hawkins was no more—executed before thousands of spectators in Yon Augenn Square.

Of course, no children were permitted at the venue, and that part of the event was omitted from the live broadcast.

The broadcast resumed shortly after the execution, following WAA’s official confirmation that the greatest scourge had paid for his sins with his life. The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.

Dweezel Hawkins deserved death—there was no better punishment for a man who had sought immortality.

Ironically, he achieved it—not in the way he had hoped, but as a cautionary tale, a villain whose name would live on for eons in storybooks and films.

The one man no one should ever strive to be like.

Following the execution, the unsealing cohort’s rewards and ascension ceremony came.

Shirley, Siegfried, Ian, Seira, Luna, Maia, Reginald, Harry, David, Lesurii, and Wendy ascended the stage with a lifeless, almost reluctant gait.

They didn’t want to be here, but they knew it had to be done.

Nine of them had accepted the position, while two adamantly refused.

Lazy Reginald wanted nothing to do with such a burden. Huge responsibilities? Fuck that.

Maia was the other one—vehemently rejecting the offer.

She didn’t feel worthy, knowing she had barely contributed to the unsealing operation.

She decided to train more before even considering it.

Thus, one divine rune remained without an owner, for now.

But in the future, when Maia is ready, the WAA would happily grant it to her.

Hale babbled on, listing the cohort members’ contributions one by one in a speech that dragged on far too long.

Even the cohort members and other directors couldn’t help but stifle yawns.

Finally, after an entire hour, the list ended with their greatest feat—assisting the Black Dawn Hero in unsealing the Black Dragon of Destruction.

The WAA made sure to emphasize the gravity of that moment, explaining how certain death awaited them all… and how, in the end, the Black Dawn Hero chose to sacrifice himself for the greater good.

They also clarified that Shye would receive separate rewards after the eleven cohort members.

Each member of the unsealing cohort was granted monetary compensation and valuable resources, along with a divine rune that flickered with intertwining black and white energies.

These runes were bestowed upon them in front of the public’s watchful eyes, allowing all to bear witness to the ascension of the Divine Guardians.

The ceremony swiftly commenced once everyone had received their rune.

As the black and white stones were placed against their backs, the divine runes seamlessly embedded themselves into their skin.

Warm energies surged through their bodies, a faint trace of divinity intertwining with their very essence.

Power coursed through them, and an ethereal gray aura enveloped their forms—so overwhelming that even those watching from their television screens felt an instinctive urge to kneel.

It was a presence truly befitting of the title: Divine Guardians.

Their painful ordeal of receiving their rewards had finally ended, yet the most agonizing part was just about to begin.

Shirley and Maia barely held back their tears, their resolve wavering as memories resurfaced.

The one who had allowed them to live on…

Shye’s memory was both a cherished warmth and a lingering wound—a bittersweet reminder of what they had gained and, more importantly, what they had lost.

“Everyone, please give a round of applause and cheer for our world’s divine protectors!”

The audience roared in appreciation, clapping until their hands were numb.

What they wanted most was to never be in the timeline of another treachery like Dweezel’s again.

With ten young, intelligent, and powerful guardians, they could finally feel safe—at least for the next seven decades.

The thunderous cheers and applause inevitably faded, giving way to a strange, melancholic silence.

Everyone knew what was next.

The Hall of Valor was to be established, and its first inductee would be none other than Shye Crowley of the Black Dawn—the greatest and most deserving of the title of hero.

His family would receive the honors in his place.

Shirley and the others descended the stage, and only Maia remained.

A middle-aged couple soon followed, stepping onto the stage—Alicia and Maverick Crowley.

The ceremony hadn’t even begun, and yet, the two were already about to cry.

They wished for nothing more but for their son to receive the rewards himself. To them, it would be their greatest pride to watch from the sidelines.

Tragically, it would have to be them to receive the rewards for Shye.

Hale recited the rewards in a clear, ringing voice, amplified by a peak-quality mana-powered microphone and broadcasted through equally powerful speakers, ensuring that everyone in Yon Augenn could hear of Shye’s magnificent feats—achievements every youngster should aspire to, even if few could ever hope to match them.

Meanwhile, near the surface of a massive pit at the heart of Yon Augenn Square—temporarily covered by a vast metallic platform sturdy enough for people to walk on, though none dared to since it was barricaded—a certain ashen-haired youngster, on the verge of successfully climbing out of the fifty-floor abyss, suddenly shuddered.

Was there a darned ceremony happening right now?

From the sound of it, the whole event was about him… and his achievements!

‘F*ck!’ he cursed inwardly.

It seemed that everyone was already aware of his heroic death.

Should he really climb out now and crash the ceremony…?

Shye shivered at the thought.

It would be another flabbergasting entrance, wouldn’t it?

But then, a realization struck him.

Normally, he’d be thrilled at the chance to bask in the spotlight. Yet, now, he utterly despised the idea.

It felt as if he had reverted to his old self—the one from before he obtained the system.

Was it just his imagination?

In any case, for a moment, his mind even entertained the idea of going through with his own death and privately appearing in front of those he loved, living in secrecy.

But in the end, he decided against it.

Why should he complicate things for just a moment of embarrassment? His 1,800 points of intelligence vehemently protested about his dumb idea.

With one of the deepest sighs he had ever done, he decided to crash the ceremony.

“Everyone, let us give a round of applause for none other than Shye Crowley of the Black Dawn!!” Even Hale’s old self struggled to suppress his emotions, choking slightly on his words as he remembered the brief interactions he had with the young man in the past.

At one point, he had resented Shye for suddenly joining Hadean Varsa.

Looking back, that resentment felt shameful.

Who could have known that the young man possessed not only an indomitable spirit but also wisdom far beyond his years?

That he had the courage to walk away at the height of his power—not for himself, but for the world.

Such a noble young man! It was truly a pity that the world had lost him!

The crowd erupted into the loudest of cheers, but then suddenly halted as the moderately thick sheet of metal covering the hole suddenly flew heavenwards, landing in an adventurer zone far from the city.

It was naturally accompanied by a loud metallic bang that captured everyone’s attention, forcefully stopping their cheers and applauses as they trembled in fear at what could crawl out of the massive harrowing hole.

Ian and the others also quickly pulled out their weapons, ready to engage whatever abomination crawled out in an instant.

They were ready to make true to their vows.

But then, a forced, hearty laugh echoed from within the abyss.

Before anyone could react, a figure shot up from the depths, landing effortlessly a few meters away from the hole—right beside a young man barely nineteen.

The poor boy stood frozen, his mouth agape, his soul seemingly leaving his body in both awe and sheer terror.

Standing before him, very much alive, was none other than Shye Crowley of the Black Dawn.

A hero believed to be long dead.

His mind screamed in disbelief.

On one hand, he was witnessing a legend in the flesh. On the other, he was staring at what might as well be a haunting specter!

Shye awkwardly scratched his cheek.

The response to his sudden arrival, as expected, was dead silence.

After all, what the f*ck was a dead man doing alive?!

For a few agonizing seconds, the entire square was drowned in stunned silence.

People rubbed their eyes.

It was as if they were trying to dispel a shared hallucination.

Even Belford, Barley, and several other high-ranking directors found themselves doing the same.

But among the sea of disbelief, four people stood frozen—tears streaming down their faces.

The Crowley family. Shirley.

Oh, how they had yearned—prayed—to see him just one last time, even if only as a lifeless body to grieve over.

Yet, here he was, very much alive.

Their hearts pounded as doubt crept in. Was this real? Were they dreaming?

If so, then why was fate so cruel? Why play such tricks on their wounded and desperately mending hearts?

It was then they shuddered in realization at a certain thought: what if this was real?

No, it couldn’t be, right?

No one could come back from the dead.

The fact that his familiar spirit had been transported back to her world was undeniable proof—proof that their dearest had truly perished.

“Uhh…hello? Sorry for suddenly crashing the ceremony, but… can I receive the rewards myself at least? As you can see, I’m well and alive, so…” Shye gave them a nudge.

Before Shirley even realized it, she was already sprinting—madly, desperately—teardrops scattering in her wake as sobs wracked her body.

She didn’t think. She didn’t care.

She just ran.

And then, with all the force of her overflowing emotions, she leaped straight into his arms, clinging to him as if he would vanish the moment she let go.

She refused to loosen her grip.

If this was all just a cruel dream, then so be it.

At the very least, she prayed—begged—that fate would let this moment last just a little longer.

But then, the moment the ‘ghost’ of her beloved hugged her back and spoke, she shuddered.

“Hey, Shirley, I’m back. Sorry for making you worry. From now on, we’ll live happily for a long time. No need to hug me this tightly now… I… uhh… can’t breathe…we can do it later, and even tighter and more intimate, what do you say?”

She then reluctantly let go, gently grasping the face of her dearest with shaking hands.

Everything was real!

Witnessing Shirley’s reaction, the entire cohort madly dashed for him, smiles and tears on their faces.

They were undoubtedly happy to see their friend again!

Of course, a lot of explaining would have to come later, but for now, some light, playful banter would suffice.

The ceremony still had to be completed, after all.

And so, as the world bore witness, Shye Crowley of the Black Dawn returned—one of the few heroes who remained true to his name, forging a path through darkness to usher in a new, bright, and hopeful dawn.