Ch.85Chapter 85 – The Ending We Chose (4)

“If you’re all ready, let me know. I’ll call my husband.”

Shub-Niggurath nodded with a bright smile. She looked happier than anyone else, as if delighted that the ending of the novel would be determined right before her eyes.

“Do we have any chance of winning?”

I asked Shub-Niggurath honestly. I thought she might give me a hint if she truly had no malicious intent and was genuinely a reader who loved my novel.

Our opponent was an Outer God, and not just any—Yog-Sothoth, the one called their de facto leader. I had trauma from the previous life where I couldn’t do anything against his tyranny.

“Of course you do. You don’t even need to kill him completely—just inflicting a slight wound counts as victory.”

Shub-Niggurath brushed her lips with her hand as she spoke, making it sound like no big deal.

I couldn’t help but question her words. No matter how I thought about it, I had no way to defeat Yog-Sothoth.

‘Even with my and Seol-hwa’s Ice-White Divine Art, Bi-wol’s Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Verdandi’s Holy Sword and Holy Armor, Azazel’s divine power, and Morgidian’s help… we’d still lose.’

I stroked my chin and began to contemplate deeply. The formations and devices I had set up at the Ice Dragon Fate Sect had already been figured out, so he wouldn’t fall for them easily.

Our opponent was the very person who had entangled me and Seol-hwa in that grim incident in our previous life, and he had almost gotten away with it completely—a meticulous character to the core.

“Bing-yeon, you have us too.”

“Yes, and though I don’t fully trust him… that Kang Si-woo fellow also said he’d help us.”

“…”

Noticing my reluctance, the original protagonists spoke up first. Just moments ago, Kang Si-woo, whom we had met as an enemy, had learned the truth and offered to cooperate with us.

Could I trust that guy?

Though he was like a son I had created, he was someone who had strayed too far from the path.

“I can’t undo my past mistakes, but from now on, I want to be a boyfriend Gabriel can be proud of.”

“Even if it costs you your life? If we’re facing Yog-Sothoth, he won’t be as lenient as Shub-Niggurath.”

I looked at Kang Si-woo with disapproval as I spoke. The enemy we had to face this time wouldn’t hold back like Shub-Niggurath had.

An entity said to freely move between past, present, and future, standing at the pinnacle of everything, would crush us like insects.

“He’s described as a being of void rather than having a physical form, so most physical attacks or strikes will be useless. You need to be prepared for that.”

Seol-hwa chimed in beside me. She was clinging to my arm as if afraid to let go, pressing her chest against it.

I could feel the soft, heavy weight and was trying my best not to focus on my arm.

Even when I signaled with my eyes for her to let go, she puffed her cheeks and shook her head, so I decided to leave it be.

From Seol-hwa’s perspective, this was like reuniting with a lover after decades, so I should tolerate this much affection.

“I object! Accepting such a useless man as an ally—who knows what trouble he might cause!”

At that moment, Verdandi tightly embraced my other arm and expressed her opinion.

Verdandi had a personality completely opposite to Kang Si-woo, who had appeared villainous, so I understood why she would object like this.

“But right now, we lack sufficient strength. Even if we previously met someone as an enemy, we should accept their help if they can assist us.”

I looked steadily at Verdandi as I spoke. Normally, I would have patted her head to persuade her, but both my arms were captured by overwhelming presences.

I couldn’t help but be troubled by the future Azazel had seen before.

The empty Ice Dragon Fate Sect with Shub-Niggurath floating above it was so horrific that it made her scream and shed tears of blood.

“I object as well. Such trash would be perfect as food for the Outer Gods. Why does Brother wish to show mercy to someone beyond redemption?”

Just then, as if reading my thoughts, Azazel embraced me from behind. She who had been looking at me and Seol-hwa with cold eyes until just now seemed unwilling to compromise anymore.

After all, Azazel was the one who had suffered the most from Kang Si-woo, having her feelings trampled on and ignored.

It was normal for her to dislike even this brief cooperation.

“Didn’t Lady Shub-Niggurath say we could do it with our own strength? Then we don’t need someone like him in our forces.”

Azazel’s eyebrows formed a frown, and she even bit her lips repeatedly. Anyone could see she was expressing her displeasure.

“But Azazel, someone could die fighting Yog-Sothoth. You are all like children to me, precious beyond words, and I don’t want to lose any of you.”

I expressed my feelings to Azazel. For an author, every character in their novel is precious.

Creation is the act of splitting one’s soul and breathing life into it, and whether the work turns out well or not, every character is like a finger that hurts when bitten.

“I agree, Master.”

“…Bi-wol.”

Bi-wol hugged me from the front like a cicada and grinned. My body was now restrained on all sides by four women.

The way she slightly moved her waist and rubbed against me was scandalous to anyone watching.

“Whatever others say, isn’t it your will that matters, Master? This humble one will follow your judgment. That is what the future mistress should do.”

Bi-wol was now showing her affection to me without caring about anyone’s gaze.

Having discovered all the truths related to me, she might have decided that nothing could stop her now.

“Or perhaps this humble one has a plan. A way to proceed with maximum strength without sacrificing anyone’s life.”

“…What might that be?”

“It is to concentrate everyone’s power on you alone, Master. You are the one with the most rightful claim to revenge against Yog-Sothoth.”

Bi-wol searched through my sleeve and pulled out the box containing the 10,000-Year Ultimate Blood Treasure, her eyes gleaming.

“Wouldn’t it be most efficient to gather all available weapons, abilities, strategies, and elixirs and concentrate them on one person?”

“Bi-wol, you mean…”

I understood Bi-wol’s true intention and swallowed hard. Her words seemed simple, but they actually implied something else.

“Yes, I’m saying I will give you all the inner power I’ve accumulated until now, Master.”

Bi-wol spoke of such an extraordinary thing as if it were nothing.

As if she had planned this all along.

* * *

I couldn’t easily accept Bi-wol’s proposal.

Bi-wol’s inner power that she had accumulated until now.

Verdandi’s Holy Armor and Holy Sword.

Azazel’s divine power and the Outer God Morgidian.

And even elixirs like the 10,000-Year Ultimate Blood Treasure and the abilities of the original protagonists.

“If everything is concentrated on me, you’ll all become ordinary people with nothing…”

Transferring everything to me essentially meant giving up those powers and becoming ordinary beings.

I slowly looked at Bi-wol and the others, trying to glimpse the determination hidden in their stern expressions.

“This humble one is fine with that. If we succeed, won’t I be able to spend my life by your side, Master? Then I can discard inner power like this anytime.”

Bi-wol placed her hand calmly on the center of her chest as she spoke. She added that being born with demonic energy had never brought her any good.

“Besides, ‘ordinary’ is one of the most difficult words. The standard of normalcy that people talk about requires giving up more than one might think.”

Bi-wol placed her other hand on my chest. As if asking me to listen to her heartbeat, she was trying to persuade me.

“But if we fail…”

“…Even then, I will follow you, Master. What kind of woman wouldn’t walk alongside her husband even if his path leads into darkness?”

I mentioned the possibility of failure to Bi-wol, but she shook her head as if willing to embrace even that.

Her determination seemed stronger than I had thought.

“I feel the same! If I can stay by your side, Master, I don’t need this Holy Sword or Holy Armor!”

“Verdandi…”

“I don’t need such things because I am a Hero! Being a Hero isn’t determined by swords or armor anyway!”

Verdandi also held out her Holy Sword and Holy Armor to me, expressing her aspirations. Her expression, looking unburdened, had no shadow cast upon it.

“Brother, as your Saintess, I am always ready to follow your path and will.”

Azazel brought her hands together in prayer at the center of her chest, and was already transferring her divine power to me.

“Then we shall join you as well. These fists have been stained with too much blood. Now I want to use them to save people.”

“If that’s what you want, I’ll give you the sword I’ve honed to perfection. Fight well and win.”

“You should take my smartphone. Although I can no longer summon my former comrades, you might be different.”

Even the original protagonists were trying to help me, and I almost shed tears from the emotion.

The children I had created with my fingertips were united in their desire to help their author.

“With everyone helping to this extent, we have to fight, don’t we? Bing-yeon, you’ll have to pay me back in gold later!”

Even Wolfram was using all the magic she had learned to cast defensive and enhancement spells on me.

“Do-hyeon, fight for a happy ending on my behalf too. I’d love to fight alongside you, but…”

Seol-hwa held my hand, sharing her cold energy with me while giving me a gentle smile.

“…I think you’d be sad if I died because of an Outer God again, so I’ll stay here and cheer on my boyfriend!”

Finally, Seol-hwa left me with words of encouragement as I received the combined power of everyone.

“…Yes, this is the ending we’ve chosen.”

I nodded and signaled to Shub-Niggurath that I was ready to fight.