Chapter 149

Chapter 149

Of course, the suicide I ordered was not simply physical destruction.

It was a command for real death, to shatter his own soul core.

"Ah, urk...!"

Pain-filled groans slipped out of Celendions mouth.

He was in the midst of destroying his own soul core, having torn out his own heart.

"Kuh, ahh...!"

The absolute command gives an absolute order, as the name suggests.

Celendion faithfully followed my command, severing his own life to the very end.

Everyone watched silently as the vampire king met such an end, surrounded by them.

Some wore triumphant expressions, while others harbored a trace of pity.

Some bulged their eyes, not wanting to miss a single moment, while others couldnt bear to watch and turned away.

When only ten lives were left in Celendion, he coughed up blood and cried out.

"Please, stop! Just kill me with your own hands!"

"..."

"Please! With the demonic gun! Shoot my heart with the Nightmare Slayer!"

Celendion cried out to Damien. But Damien turned his head away.

"A holy weapon is fine too! Cut my neck! Or, shred my flesh without leaving anything! A holy weapon has the right to do so!"

He pleaded to Lucas and Evangeline, but the two knights simply stared at the monster expressionlessly.

"If so, just a silver weapon! No, anything else is fine! Humans! Kill me with your own hands!"

At Celendions outcry, the soldiers flinched, but no one stepped forward.

Thats because I ordered them to just watch.

Absolutely do not touch him. Let him die on his own.

While being reduced to a mere spectacle, Celendion continued to commit suicide, crying out miserably.

"Please! Im asking for an honorable death...!"

"You talk of honor, you blood-sucking scum."

I replied coldly.

"Youre to die like a monster, like vermin."

A deep despair cast over Celendions face.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six...

As his remaining lives dwindled, Celendions face aged rapidly, turning into a complete old mans face by the time he had five lives left.

The panic gradually disappeared from his face. Whether he had given up, his voice sank heavily.

"Every morning in my mansion deep within the Lake Kingdom, I tried to commit suicide."

Looking at his own soul core shattering in his hands, Celendion laughed grimly.

"But now I realize. That was just a game. Because I knew I wouldnt really die at that level, I could play that game, just confirming that I was alive."

"..."

"You might be right, human."

He looked up at me with a wrinkled old face.

"Maybe I was just bored with a long life, numb to everything... So, I sought new stimulation."

Four.

"In front of real death, Im scared now."

Three.

"But because this feeling of fear is novel, because real death is before my eyes, I finally realized."

Two.

"At this moment, I really... realize that Im alive."

One.

"Thank you, human. No, thank you, Ash. For killing me."

"Youre blabbering to the end."

I clenched my teeth.

"Fall into hell, monster."

After reviving with his last life, Celendion destroyed his soul core for the last time.

Clang-!

A sound like a glass art piece shattering echoed,

"Ah."

Celendion looked into the void and muttered softly.

"Finally, its the end..."

Thud.

Celendion crumbled to the floor like a straw doll.

"...As a word of thanks for killing me, Ill give you some advice..."

Looking at the void with relaxed eyes amidst the sea of blood, he muttered slowly.

"The King of Nightmares knows everything. He is a higher-dimensional existence..."

"...?"

"So dont try too hard to oppose him..."

Celendions bloody eyes slowly closed.

"Its futile, after all..."

"What the hell are you..."

I tried to question him, but I stopped.

The collapsed Celendion no longer moved.

"..."

I quietly looked down at him.

He was a vampire lord, a commander of monsters, and the stage 5 boss monster.

Celendion, the worst enemy of all the monsters weve ever faced, had died like this.

"Phew..."

I let out a parched sigh and slowly looked around.

"..."

"..."

My party members caught me as I swayed, about to collapse, and set me down in a chair.

"We couldve saved more."

I hid my face behind my trembling hands.

"If only I was more thorough, we couldve avoided their deaths."

"Master."

"If I had planned the free exploration route more rigorously. If I had farmed gear to the limit to equip them. If I found a way to bring reinforcements from the city."

I knew.

"If I had retreated the regular troops earlier. If I had trained the Dion Mercenaries more thoroughly. If I had been more alert when buying time from Celendion. If I had perfectly protected Junior so that Jupiter didnt have to step in."

I knew, all right.

There was no better way. There was no better strategy. There was nothing more foolish than mulling over what could have been done in the past.

But.

But someone had died.

A comrade had died. Those who laughed, cried, and crossed the line of life and death with us, had taken their last breath right before my eyes.

They met death within arms reach.

"Even if we had no choice during the Black Spider Legion, it wasnt the case this time. We couldve changed things. We couldve saved at least one more person. But, I... I was lacking."

Tears burned at the corners of my eyes. I squeezed them shut and gritted my teeth.

"If only I... did a little better..."

"You did your best, Master."

Lucas spoke warmly with a hoarse voice.

"Everyone knows that."

Damien and Evangeline gently patted my shoulder.

"So please, dont blame yourself too much."

With my face covered in my hands, I sobbed quietly.

I cried for a long time, tears and snot streaming down my face.

My party members cried with me.

Nine heroes.

146 soldiers.

Those were the numbers written on the list of casualties that day.

***

[STAGE 5 - CLEAR!]

[STAGE MVP - Jupiter Junior(SSR), Ash(EX)]

[Leveled-Up Characters]

>Main Party

- Ash(EX) Lv.41 (5)

- Lucas(SSR) Lv.44 (3)

- Evangeline(SSR) Lv.44 (3)

- Jupiter Junior(SSR) Lv.53 (3)

- Damien(N) Lv.41 (3)

>Sub Party 1

- Godhand(SR) Lv.41 (3)

- Bodybag(R) Lv.36 (3)

- Burnout(SR) Lv.34 (5)

>Sub Party 3

- Free(R) Lv.34 (3)

- Sentence(R) Lv.33 (3)

- Viole(R) Lv.33 (3)

[Injured and Killed Characters]

>Main Party

- Ash(EX) : Minor Injury

- Lucas(SSR) : Minor Injury

- Evangeline(SSR) : Minor Injury

- Damien(N) : Minor Injury

>Sub Party 1

- Oldgirl(R) : Deceased

- Skull(N) : Deceased

- Burnout(SR) : Minor Injury

>Sub Party 2

- Dion(N) : Deceased

- Aila(N) : Deceased

- Rock(N) : Deceased

- Hesen(N) : Deceased

- Chai(N) : Deceased

>Sub Party 3

- Jupiter(SR) : Deceased

- Yenichi(R) : Deceased

- Free(R) : Serious Injury

- Sentence(R) : Serious Injury

- Viole(R) : Serious Injury

[Obtained Items]

- Blood Tribe Legion Magic Stone : 520

- Vampire Magic Core(SR) : 7

- Vampire General Magic Core(SSR) : 2

- Vampire Lord Magic Core(SSR) : 1

[Stage Clear Rewards have been distributed. Please check your inventory.]

- R Grade Reward Box : 5

- SR Grade Reward Box : 7

- SSR Grade Reward Box : 3

>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE

>> [STAGE 6 : BEGINS!]