Ch.283The Final Moment. (1)

# Chapter 283: The End. (1)

I spoke boldly, just like Riel.

Say what needs to be said, Akacola!

“I will never activate the Imperial Crown, you former emperor bastard.”

He had a name during his reign as the former emperor.

But I had no intention of calling him by that name, not even until the moment of his death.

While openly declaring this, I simultaneously used the remaining power within the Orbital Defense Command facility.

Through the communication equipment that had somehow remained intact despite being in his grasp, I secretly sent messages to the fleets surrounding the former emperor.

Especially to Lady Maria and Artraia, ordering them to attack the former emperor.

“And I will definitely kill you.”

After saying that, I tried to enter the panic room in the command center, hoping that at least fragments of me would remain after the fleet’s barrage…

But at that very moment.

-“…Khuhuhuhu, KHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

As if unable to contain himself, the former emperor burst into maniacal laughter.

He lowered his entire head, focusing those grotesque, gleaming eyeballs on me.

Then, unlike his earlier desperate tone when requesting a deal.

Now he spoke with a voice full of mockery.

-“Kill me? With those pathetic in-game weapons?”

“…???”

-“Do you think using in-game weapons against someone with GM or administrator privileges would actually work?”

“What.”

-“Do you really think mere game data fragments and code chunks could affect my true form?!”

After saying that, despite being surrounded by the fleet and.

Countless anti-aircraft batteries erected on Ka’zan’s surface.

Even while being pummeled by the storm of countless projectiles raining down on him, he continued speaking without turning his gaze away from me.

-“Do you know why so many players who opposed me, including yourself, were all defeated and devoured?”

“…”

-“If you try to oppose an administrator’s authority with in-game weapons, you’ll only be blocked and eliminated.”

“?!”

-“The player I faced before coming to this universe lamented his situation as ‘a regular user defying a moderator’ before being annihilated by me.”

Hearing those words, I could recall from my increasingly faint memories of my previous life.

The system of a certain community website.

And overlapping what he said with my analysis of the situation.

I realized that my current predicament was no different from being a regular user defying a site moderator.

To be more precise… what was that technique again?

VPN-based user clone technique? As an ordinary user without any such techniques or abilities.

I was essentially a civilian messing with the equivalent of site moderators in what they call “gallery content.”

‘…To think I was a user defying a moderator.’

And while I was caught in these bizarre thoughts.

The former emperor, disregarding the fact that he was being bombarded from all directions, maintained his mocking tone as he spoke to me.

-“Do you even know why I’m so obsessed with the Dimensional Fission Bomb in the first place?”

“…Isn’t it because you can’t ascend without it?”

-“You don’t know, you know nothing at all.”

As the former emperor said this, he appeared to be cowering from the barrage on the surface.

But in reality…

“Sir, all communications have been cut off!”

“…This son of a bitch.”

He was blocking all channels through which I could contact the outside world, ensuring that our conversation wouldn’t be transmitted to others.

And thanks to that, except for the light source powered by the Orbital Defense Command’s own power supply.

In complete darkness without any other light, I was feeling extreme disgust as I stared at the dozens of gleaming eyeballs above my head.

Of course, regardless of my reaction, the former emperor continued speaking.

-“The reason I’m obsessed with the Dimensional Fission Bomb is none other than.”

“What exactly is it?”

Despite his unnecessary suspense, I swallowed dryly and asked with a pounding heart.

And immediately after.

-“Of course… because it’s BOTHERSOME!!!”

“…”

At the former emperor’s bold declaration, I felt a sudden wave of emptiness.

“Bothersome…?”

-“With that thing created with the help of the Baltium, I wouldn’t need to kill each and every one of you individually! Just one click and it would all be over!”

“…”

“…”

This is extremely perplexing.

No, without something as bizarre as the Dimensional Fission Bomb, shouldn’t you logically be unable to do anything?

But now you’re saying it’s possible to resolve things without it?

“S-Sir, no matter what, that must be a lie, right?”

“…That’s right!”

I latched onto Riel’s cautious deduction beside me, trying to understand the situation.

Surely, he must be worried about me doing something with the Imperial Crown, or concerned about something else.

I don’t know what that “something” is, but there must be something… that’s what I thought.

But in response to our attitude, the former emperor burst into laughter once more.

-“Is it because you’re about to die? Your efforts to give me a good laugh are commendable.”

“What.”

-“Think about it, I’ve passed through countless parallel universes and brought destruction to so many of them.”

“…”

-“Could you handle that tedium? The bothersome task of killing all life forms in the galaxy, eliminating the existence of players, and proceeding to win the game?!”

I felt a rising disgust at the sight of the former emperor speaking with a snickering tone.

Even if it’s inside a game, apart from status windows and systems.

Everyone is clearly a living being and an intelligent entity, yet he proudly admits to having massacred countless such beings.

‘Is he insane… or has he always been?’

Despite being the head of the Secret Police and having experienced all sorts of dirty work.

In this situation where absurdity and disgust created a perfect synergy, I couldn’t help but curse.

“You fucking bastard…”

But right after that.

-“Oh, and perhaps I didn’t tell you, or you’re misunderstanding something…”

“?”

-“The Dimensional Fission Bomb has already started operating, and now there’s about… hmm! 3 minutes left!”

“What the fuck?”

I was utterly shocked by his casual announcement, as if he was checking if instant noodles were ready.

“What the hell are you talking about?! We never activated the Imperial Crown?!”

If it activates on its own, what’s the point of the Imperial Crown in the first place?

Outraged by his statement that threw all my serious considerations into the trash, I shouted at him with bewilderment and anger.

And the former emperor, mocking me, proudly said.

-“From the initial design, the Imperial Crown and the Dimensional Fission Bomb were made to activate just by being in close proximity, through dark matter exchange.”

I felt my head go numb at those words.

“So, from the beginning, it wasn’t about manipulating the Imperial Crown somehow?”

-“That’s right, precisely from the moment I caught and wrapped around your drifting form, the bomb’s timer started.”

So he’s saying it started working while we were talking?

“Sir…”

“Ha, fuck.”

-“It was truly an excellent choice! Thanks to you bringing it up here, I’ve been spared the trouble!”

At his attitude, I felt all strength drain from my body.

‘What the fuck is this bullshit, how can this be happening?’

Where else in the world could such an unfair situation exist?

To think that all my efforts would be in vain as I suffer this massive betrayal from that damned former emperor.

‘Was everything I’ve done completely meaningless?’

After first possessing this body.

I struggled desperately to restore the empire that the former emperor had ruined.

Somehow resolved the corruption, gambling debts, and chaos he had caused.

To win the game and, incidentally, help Artraia who was suffering because of him.

Working behind the scenes of various wars to strengthen the empire and raise its national ranking.

And finally, the numerous plans meticulously crafted and forces gathered to eliminate him.

To think that it was all meaningless.

-“That’s it, that expression and those eyes filled with despair! That is one of the few joys that keeps me going through this tedious existence.”

I was beyond dumbfounded.

Feeling all strength leave my body, I collapsed onto the floor.

“Haha… hahaha, fuck.”

For the first time since being possessed into this body, I looked at his mass of eyeballs with a hollow laugh.

‘It’s like having a staring contest.’

But now that it’s been revealed that such actions are meaningless.

I was about to lower my head in despair and resignation.

But at that moment…

“Sigh…”

Riel, who had been flustered beside me, suddenly lowered his head with a long sigh, as if his power had been cut off.

And then.

“…It seems you really can’t manage without me.”

‘Riel?’

With a tone he had never shown before, he stepped forward.

[Event: Truth]

[You will witness the truth.]

With that brief event message appearing before my eyes…

His distinctive uniform coat fluttered as he released such powerful psionic energy.

Looking up at the former emperor, he quietly opened his mouth.

“Darling.”