episode_0059

Suddenly, the memory of when I caught the Minotaur came to mind.

The same warning message appeared back then too.

There are two identical ‘WARNING!’ characters.

It’s the same thing to say that a variable has occurred in the scenario or that the Demon King’s power has intervened.

The difference is that back then I had some party members, but this time I’m alone.

Of course, the difficulty level increased compared to then··· but it was still doable.

Phew!

Let’s use painful memories.

Many things in front of me were torn to pieces. Almost half of the numerous monsters were gone.

This skill is the best. The conditions for using it are extremely difficult, but when the conditions are met, there is no skill with such a high score.

“That’s amazing.”

The guy was surprised, as his three eyes were wide open.

He doesn’t look flustered. Maybe it’s his natural personality, but he’s always calm.

After killing half of the monsters in front of me, I finally started to see what was behind me. I could see a lot of monsters coming in from the entrance of the drain.

As expected, it was being refilled.

It made the back of my head feel cold for a moment, but it didn’t matter anymore.

Anyway, hasn’t the path to that guy been cleared?

He applied various buffs to his body, including blood flow acceleration. Then, he rushed at the guy and swung his sword.

Pukwaak!

Bright red blood rose into the air.

I wanted to finish him off with one swing of the sword, but he was no easy opponent.

“Well, great···.”

Look at that, that, that. He’s got a wound that exposes his ribs, and he’s still so calm. What a vicious bastard.

“Then···! I have no choice but to bet my soul!!”

The badly injured guy finally started using his kickboxing.

The offering begins.

What I have to offer is a part of my own body that was just injured. And a few corpses that I didn’t have time to deal with.

The pieces of flesh scattered here and there began to gather in one place and soon come together.

What was created in this way was a kind of corpse golem that was so tattered that it was beyond description.

Gooo!!!!!

As the guy roars, black magical powers surround the area.

I laughed in vain.

“Huh, now you’re a necromancer?”

As expected of a black magician, he uses all sorts of things.

My head hurts. I’m out of breath. I feel exhausted, perhaps because I’ve used up too much magic power, but my job hasn’t changed.

Take up the sword.

*

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[Use ‘Painful Memory’!]

[Use ‘Blood Power Replacement’!]

[WARNING!]

[Your stamina has reached its limit!]

[‘Indomitable’ is activated!]

[The level of ‘Painful Memories’ has increased!]

[The level of ‘Blood Power Replacement’ has increased!]

[Use ‘Blood Absorption’!]

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.

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[WARNING!]

[Curses are oppressing your body!]

[Use ‘Painful Memory’!]

[The level of ‘Indomitable’ has increased!]

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[Congratulations!]

[Level up!]

[The level of ‘Magic Control’ has increased!]

[The level of ‘Bright Ryu Swordsmanship’ has increased!]

[The level of ‘multicasting’ has been raised!]

[The level of ‘Blood Flow Control’ has increased!]

.

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“Haa, haa huff, haa······!”

How long has it been? How long have I endured? How long have I swung my sword?

There are corpses strewn about the floor. The pungent smell of blood assaults my nostrils. There were no living creatures around me except me.

My lungs hurt so much they feel like they’re going to burst, and my limbs are shaking.

Even though the curses had just been lifted by killing Oleg, the mental fatigue that had already built up was no joke.

Seriously, this has been one of the toughest fights I’ve ever had in a while.

If you only consider the difficult emotions, it’s almost at the level of 0.7 Chungwang.

If anything, it was fortunate that he didn’t use the ‘Power of Sacrifice’.

After a grueling battle, all the strength leaves my body.

But I couldn’t lie down yet. At the very least, I needed to go up and tell him about the situation in the culvert.

Because of that, I had to go back to the place I had passed by dragging my body that was as heavy as a thousand pounds.

Coming out of the culvert, I saw people who were in disarray but who seemed to be unharmed.

Fortunately, it seemed that the wall had not been breached.

When I went back to the castle walls with great care, I saw soldiers resting. It seemed like the battle had ended there as well. There were no noticeable casualties, and only piles of monster corpses were outside the walls.

At this point I breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, it seemed like it was enough to stop the monsters even without me.

After wandering around for a while, I was finally able to find my party members.

At this moment, I couldn’t help but feel elated.

I want to go and brag a little.

I, alone, have stopped as many monsters as the walls of a castle. In addition, I have killed Oleg, a high-ranking warlock who has been threatening humanity for hundreds of years.

Never giving in to the guy’s cunning tongue, holding on to my broken spirit several times.

He came out of the mud and burned himself to prevent damage that could have easily destroyed an entire city.

But, but on the other hand.

It was so hard. My skin was pierced several times, and my brain was crushed all day long. In the midst of all that, my lungs were in so much pain that I wanted to kneel down several times.

But, I still overcame it…

At least. At least this time, I want to catch my breath for a moment next to them.

But, as always, it was like that.

“Are you also a member of the Demon King’s Army?”

As if I don’t even deserve that.

In the end, all that comes back are words mixed with doubt.

“No, or were you preparing to return to the Demon King’s Army?”

Every time that happened, I couldn’t help but feel it deeply.

Yes. In the end, the day when I am rewarded will never come again.

*

-There is no glory on your way.

-There will be no honor.

-Keep in mind. Even if you achieve something that no one else can, all that will remain for you will be nothing but futility. You will spend your whole life in bitter loneliness.

Why did that bastard Oleg’s voice suddenly come to mind?

I think I was prepared for it, but just thinking about it and experiencing it firsthand are two different things.

When I returned after slaying hundreds of enemies and saving a city, this was all I was told.

“Now admit your true feelings, you traitor.”

Lily scolds me with wide eyes. There is a strange certainty in her eyes.

“Now that I know everything, what are your intentions?”

Of course, I couldn’t understand that certainty.

So I asked her in a subdued voice.

“···What on earth are you assuming to say something like that?”

“You actually want to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s Army. Or a higher officer position. No? ”

She continued speaking as if she were a detective playing a game of locating the culprit.

As it turned out, I was one of the many villains who had been part of the Demon King’s army. I had some skills, but I was not good enough to aim for the position of the Four Heavenly Kings. However, I was full of desire for power.

That’s why I used my party members. If the positions of the Four Heavenly Kings are all filled, I’ll just reduce them. I’ll also learn some of their abilities.

If the position of the Four Heavenly Kings is reduced in this way, then I will once again join the Demon King’s army. In the first place, I will also have the merit of being a spy for the warrior party. My status will rise in an instant.

It was a flimsy and truly absurd assumption, but it was enough to fit some evidence.

“He was strange from the start. That strong aura, and the fact that he seemed completely unaffected by black magic. And strangely enough, he even knew the Demon King’s army well… In fact, he had already been in the Demon World, right? And he was a fairly high-ranking officer.”

In the first place, people don’t hate others unless there is a reason.

Rather, there were often times when I made up reasons to hate them.

“That must be why I learned the art of loyalty. So that I could take a higher position when I return.”

Her eyes are sharp. Could it be that she had been making assumptions like this since I fell off the wall? No, maybe she had been making assumptions like this before.

“Why did you disappear during this fight in the first place? Did you go to make contact with the Demon King’s army? Didn’t you recognize Oleg right away when he showed up earlier? It turns out we’ve known each other for a long time.”

I can see the gazes of the people around me. Along with Lily, Adele and Camilla are looking at me as if questioning me. It is definitely not a good reaction.

Yulis was treating a patient nearby, but he sensed something was wrong and turned his gaze this way.

Of course, this is all just nonsense.

If they wanted to refute it, they could do so in any number of ways. Whether they believed it or not, they had plenty of grounds for refutation.

But this time.

“··· Let’s assume it this way.”

For some reason, I didn’t want to do that. The resentment that had been building up was overflowing from my throat. I tried to hold it back somehow, but I couldn’t help but let it flow out little by little.

“Actually, I was originally one of the Four Heavenly Kings, but I was kicked out for some reason. Feeling jealous, I tried to use you all to reclaim my position as the Four Heavenly King.”

“Or maybe I’m just a simple spy. Raised in secret by the Demon King. He’s not satisfied with a party of heroes, so he planted me there like poison to cause more damage. ”

“If not, then I’d rather be the Demon King. I just wanted to play warrior because fighting the human army was boring.”

Or else, or else, or else.

A lot of wild assumptions pop up. It’s a plausible fabrication that anyone could make.

After pouring out my words, I growled at her quietly.

“Just because a sentence is made doesn’t mean it’s all human speech. Just because you have an open mouth doesn’t mean you can say anything you want.”

“What?”

Her expression hardens into a grim one. It was an expected result.

“Then now··· are you saying that what I’m saying is bullshit?”

“I know right.”

I nodded.

After that… it’s simple.

We fought. It’s been a really long time.

Shouts were exchanged, sharp words were flying from all directions. I was letting out all the anger that had built up inside me without any time to stop.

There were more crude accusations than logical rebuttals, and each of them stuck in my mind.

This one too will surely become one of those beetles that eat old trees someday.

After fighting for a while, the saint intervened and mediated our dispute.

“Stop it!”

widely!

Lily is pushed into her palm. She also knows how to use her palm to mediate fights.

The once heated atmosphere became quiet as if cold water had been poured over it.

“···I think you both are too excited. Please calm down for now······.”

After that, I don’t know much.

I felt like I wanted to be alone. So I quickly left the place.

The air that suddenly brushed my skin was incredibly cold.

*

When I suddenly came to my senses, I found myself in a back alley.

There was no one there, and no one would come in.

Although the floor was a little dirty, it was the perfect space for me who wanted to be in a quiet place.

-He’s an iron man. In many ways.

Suddenly, one of the things the guy said came to mind.

I didn’t know it at the time because my head hurt, but I remember that the voice was filled with awe and admiration for me.

But I couldn’t empathize with what the guy said.

What is an iron man?

It means a good-natured and wise person, or a strong person.

A person with a strong spirit who is not shaken by anything. We usually call a person with a body and mind like steel an iron man. Perhaps he meant the latter.

But I was an ordinary person.

There was a bit of tragedy, but I was an ordinary person who graduated from school, served in the military, and had a studio apartment and a small hobby called gaming. That was me.

There wasn’t anything I was particularly good at compared to others.

I think I have some perseverance, but it’s not like I’m any better than others. If I were, I would have gone to Seoul National University.

I, who was like that, was now carrying the word “the world” on my shoulders. It was so heavy that there were many times when I wanted to just let it go without hesitation.

I have always regretted my choices and have lamented many times.

I was always shaken, always scared. The saddest thing was that there was no one who could truly support my heavy shoulders.

But how can he be called an iron man?

It looks like it could collapse at any moment.

“Haa, haa··· You were here,”

“······?”

I thought to myself like that for a while. Suddenly, I looked ahead and saw that the saint had come to the back alley. Her face was red, as if she had been running all this time.

She seemed relieved for a moment, then said to me.

“I’m sorry. Lily, she gets excited easily. I’ll tell her something sharp later. But first, get up···.”

“Go.”

But what came out of my mouth were words of rejection.

“Yes?”

“Be honest. What is your intention? Why do you keep coming at me like that? Make me uncomfortable.”

The words that come out of the day are sharp.

“I know you guys hate me anyway. Since we fought each other once anyway, I guess I should tell you what’s on my mind now-”

“Stop.”

But those words were blocked by her who had suddenly approached me. She pulled my body towards her as if to shut my mouth.

With a warm feeling, her warm body temperature blocks the cold night wind. I couldn’t help but keep my mouth shut, even though I was embarrassed.

At first glance, her face was mercilessly crumpled.

Looking at the area around her eyes, it seems a little moist.

“Stop. Stop hurting yourself with words, please.”

“······.”

“I’m sorry. I should have watched more closely. At least I tried to be an umbrella···,”

Her hand that holds my back is trembling. At least, if what I’m feeling right now is right… She seemed sad right now.

Is that possible? At least my curse seems to make it impossible.

“You said you were curious about my intentions, right? It’s simple. I hope you’ll be a little happier, Warrior. Seriously. No matter how much you doubt me right now, I’ll prove it with my actions. So for now… Can’t you just wait? ”

That’s a lie.

It must be a lie. At least for me, there is no such thing as an unreasonable favor. Her warm words might also have a sharp dagger hidden somewhere.

So, it’s right to push it away…

It seemed like I couldn’t do that now.

“······I’m tired.”

He hugs her tightly with both arms.

My arms were shaking just as much as hers.

“I think I’m definitely trying. But there’s no end to it. No one notices.”

The weather is cold.

Maybe it was because it was cold, but my nose was also very cold.

Maybe it was because the wind was blowing, but my vision was quite blurry.

“Saving the world… why the fuck is it so hard······.”

So I held her and stayed still for a long time.

In the back alley, which was as quiet as a mouse, only the occasional squeaking sound could be heard.

*

······After pouring out all your emotions, you do feel relieved.

In the end, all that follows is a feeling of shame and difficult aftermath.

In the back alley, something like that… Well, anyway, let’s finish that up, she said to me.

“Then······Should we go back now?”

“Uh··· That, um, yes.”

My eyeball is slightly swollen.

I don’t really want to explain why. It’s a waste of time.

I nodded, scratching my cheek awkwardly.

There was an awkward silence as we walked back towards the party. She was equally embarrassed, unable to make eye contact.

“······.”

“······.”

To be honest, I would be embarrassed. But I’m not the type of person who would be able to calmly speak to someone after they’ve done something like ‘that’.

I had no choice but to turn my attention elsewhere.

The worst thing about being in a party is that even if you end up fighting, you still have to meet up next time.

And if we had to go together in the end, we had no choice but to somehow resolve these uncomfortable feelings.

Just thinking about it makes my head hurt.

Lily, how could that little rat-like bitch be so angry? I wonder if her anger has subsided a bit. No, I wonder if she’ll even be able to have a conversation in the first place.

Just thinking about this makes my head hurt.

But… unexpectedly, what I thought didn’t happen.

When I returned to the castle wall, the scene I saw was.

“Huh-huh-huh······ I’m in love······.”

And that Lily girl, crying so hard.

“······Huh, huh?”

That was because all I could see was Yulis’s eyes shaking without any reason beside me.

‘hmm?’

what.

What the hell is going on?