Chapter 138: Bad Ending Collection – Ending Branch: Annihilation, Revenge Ending

Chapter 138: Bad Ending Collection – Ending Branch: Annihilation, Revenge Ending

“Huk, huk..”

I was out of breath.

My whole body was trembling.

It should be getting warmer soon, but I don’t know why the air feels cold.

All I could do was rub my blurry eyes and run.

“There she is!!”

A voice from afar startled me, and I urged my heavy legs forward.

Waduk, wudeuk-

Every step I took, I stepped on twigs.

That sensation and sound made my nerves even more on edge.

“Huk, kkeuhuk..”

Tears flowed down my cheeks without stopping.

I have to cross the border.

“Lucy, Oli..”

I clenched my teeth and uttered the names of those who sacrificed themselves for me.

Scarlett is dead.

I killed her with my own hands, and right then, the kingdom’s army and Carlson stormed in.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Carlson was wounded by the sheer numbers and fled,

But we couldn’t.

Aileen was captured first, and Oli was pierced by an arrow while trying to rescue her.

Lucy pushed me and ran into the group of soldiers, and couldn’t come back.

I unconsciously clutched Oli and Lucy’s guardian stones in my pocket.

I threw myself to block Scarlett’s sword wind,

But the sword wind narrowly grazed my cheek.

The gamble of wearing the guardian stones paid off somewhat, and they didn’t break.

But to think they became mementos.

Peeut-

“Aguk..!”

While running like a madwoman, an arrow grazed my arm.

A burning pain enveloped my arm, and my head throbbed.

I firmly grasped my bleeding arm and ran with all my might.

‘I have to live… I must…’

As I rubbed my eyes again, a kind of path appeared clearly.

It was a pathfinding spell Oli had cast for me at the last moment.

Thanks to this, I could run towards the border without any deviation.

“Keong, keong!”

“It’s right ahead! Everyone prepare your binding spells, and healers, be ready for critical injuries!”

I’m so close to crossing the border.

But I hear dog barking sounds very close by.

What should I do? I can’t get caught here.

If I do, it’ll be a dog’s death.

The thought reached me, and my head spun, heat rising to my neck.

I absolutely cannot let that happen.

I clenched my teeth and ran with all my might.

“Chris… Help me… Chris…”

No matter how much I called, she was nowhere to be seen.

She was a helpful ally who always appeared to help me in times of crisis.

Did she perhaps judge that this wasn’t a crisis?

I’m so scared, and I feel like I’m going crazy.

“Heuk.. Heek.. Owe-ek..”

Perhaps from running too much, I felt like vomiting.

My legs felt like they had iron bars in them, and I felt like I would collapse at any moment.

Hwiririric-

As I was running desperately like that,

Something bound my legs, and my vision spun forward.

Ujik, tadak!

At the same time, my body lost balance.

I rolled and tumbled, becoming battered in an instant.

“Caught her!”

“Who caught her?!”

“Good job… Whoever caught her gets promoted today!!”

Then, bright voices were heard from around me.

Twigs pierced my skin, and my whole body ached.

My arm stung like crazy, as if it had been torn a bit.

A group of people quickly ran towards me.

They were wearing robes, and there were a few knights.

“Hieek, hieek..”

I barely managed my gasping breaths and crawled backward frantically.

Teo-p-

“AAAAAAAK!”

Then, someone grabbed my hair tightly.

“Hoo.. Seriously, you’re so annoyingly quick, it made things difficult. Let’s take this and go quickly. Heh heh… What’s the bounty?”

“See? I told you not to slack off today, right? Be grateful you caught her thanks to me.”

“Bullshit. All the other teams are on vacation, so we’re the only ones left…”

They were so happy to have caught me that they chattered away in bright voices.

With my hair held, tears streamed down my face.

I was finally caught.

It’s all over now.

“But… this one’s actually quite pretty? I thought it would be some kind of monster since it was a sacrifice…”

“Hey, you idiot. Look closely. Is this just pretty? She’s damn beautiful. And young.”

“..Are we the only ones here?”

But.

The conversation they were having was unusual.

Instinctively feeling uneasy, I widened my eyes.

“Chris… Help me…”

As I muttered softly, dozens of gazes fixed on me.

They looked at me as if saying, ‘What is she saying?’

Then, one of them boldly unbuttoned my clothes.

“Kki, kki-yaaaak! Get away! Get away from me!!”

“Stay still, you bitch… From the looks of it, you probably haven’t even been with a man living in that mansion…”

Puk, peo-keok!

I kicked wildly to escape the man’s grasp, but their thick muscles didn’t budge.

The swords and spears I glimpsed were stained with blood.

It was obvious whose blood it was.

To be raped and killed as a sacrifice like this.

I’d rather die.

“Let go, let go… Let go of me..! Chris! Save me! Chris!!”

“Ah, seriously… You’re so damn resistant. There’s no one to help you, you bitch. Wait a moment. I’ll make you feel…”

As I struggled, held by the largest man,

The men’s gazes shifted above my head.

Their hands stopped.

Seizing the moment, I tried to shake off their hands, but they didn’t move.

And when I glanced up,

I understood why.

“I apologize.”

It was Chris, speaking in a calm voice.

Her face contorted, emitting extreme killing intent.

“It took a little longer to gather mana.”

As Chris said that, she snapped her fingers.

Hwa-wa-ak-

“Kkeu, kkeu-aaaaaaak!!”

At the same time, screams erupted, and the man trying to rape me was engulfed in blue flames.

‘F-fire?’

For a moment, I was startled and squeezed my eyes shut.

But the fire wasn’t hot at all.

The other men seemed to have noticed that too.

They just stared blankly at the man burning, emitting a nauseating smell.

Teol-seok-

As the burned man collapsed on the ground,

All the pursuers began to burn.

I don’t remember much after that.

As soon as my restraints were broken, I ran towards the border again.

I didn’t stop running, even when I was out of breath, and I stumbled to my feet when I fell.

But my tears didn’t stop even as I ran.

And so, as the tears I shed became more than the sweat I shed,

Poo-leok-

I was able to cross the border.

The place I arrived at was a forest.

There, I collapsed, and heard Chris’s desperate calls as I fell into a deep sleep.

****

“..Cecil. Please eat this.”

“I have no appetite.”

Tuk.

I pushed away the apple Chris offered.

She sighed and looked at me, huddled up.

Her eyes were filled with deep concern.

This place is inside the base of a giant ancient tree.

Chris magically carved out the inside of the tree to create a home for me, who was wandering in the forest, so I wouldn’t die.

It had a bed and a dining table, and the floor was also planked with wood, giving it the atmosphere of a neat log cabin.

“Please… Cecil. You haven’t eaten for days. Eat this. You’ll die if you continue like this…”

“..I don’t know.”

Ignoring her earnest plea as she offered the apple, I pulled the blanket over myself.

I don’t want to think about anything.

Even though I managed to escape the border, I had nothing left.

Lucy, Oli, Aileen.

They all died trying to help me escape.

I have nightmares every day.

They, torn apart and covered in blood, grab my ankles and shed tears of blood.

I beg them for forgiveness and wake up from my dreams.

Whatever I eat, I vomit it and just stay in bed, sleeping.

If I die like this.

Will those who sacrificed themselves for me shed tears, or will they smile and say it was for the best?

I don’t know.

“Cecil… Cecil!!”

As I lay under the blanket, shedding tears,

Chris’s angry voice pierced through the blanket.

In the month since we came here, she had never raised her voice like this.

I rubbed my swollen eyes and slightly moved the blanket.

Judging by her face, which I saw from the corner of my eye, she was very angry, as expected.

“How long are you going to stay like this..?”

“I-I don’t know..”

“..If you just keep sleeping like this, you’ll really die. Cursing yourself every day, self-harming, and then dying like this!!”

Chris, clenching her fists and shouting with an expression I had never seen before.

I flinched and hugged the blanket tightly.

Because tears were flowing from her eyes.

“Do you think… dying so meaninglessly… is what those people wanted..?”

“I.. I..”

I couldn’t speak.

No, I had nothing to say.

What Chris was saying hit the nail on the head.

I lowered my head.

And clenched the blanket, which was gradually getting wet, tightly in my fist.

“..I’m sorry.”

“Forget the apologies. Get up and come outside.”

Creak-

Chris sighed, rubbed her eyes, and opened the door wide.

And she pointed outside.

“We have to close the eyes of those people, don’t we?”

She said in a low voice, as if squeezing the words out.

****

“Sseup, hoo-oo..”

“How is it? Has your mana recovery improved a bit?”

“Yes. Thanks to you. Now, it only takes 10 minutes to recover completely.”

“That’s fortunate. A month ago, it took a whole day.”

Chris smiled with satisfaction at my words.

She smiled faintly and placed the basket of fruits beside me.

It was full of my favorite fruits.

“It’s all thanks to you, Chris. Thank you for today’s meal too.”

“Don’t mention it. First, let’s eat. As they say, the best things come after a meal.”

I chuckled and slowly chewed the fruits Chris brought.

The forest was so fertile and large that the fruits were also big and delicious.

I chewed on a cherry the size of a ping pong ball and continued speaking.

“..My body has become quite sturdy now.”

“Hmm… To what extent?”

“I can block a knife.”

“K-knife?”

Chris’s eyes widened in surprise at my words.

Two months ago.

Chris taught me magic, and being naturally gifted, I showed rapid progress.

And as I learned magic, I thought every day.

Let’s get revenge on the kingdom that did this to me and my people.

That vengeful spirit made me grow even further.

As a result of practicing magic with my life on the line, sacrificing even sleep, I reached a level that surprised even Chris.

“I’ve combined body reinforcement magic with the properties of the flesh. It’s a reinforcement magic that’s always active without mana.”

“Wow… I-I couldn’t even imagine that…”

Chris scratched her head in disbelief.

I giggled at her, chewing the fruits heartily.

Chris seemed to be deep in thought at my words.

“If you’ve reached the point where you can block a knife…”

“I think it’s about time.”

Although I didn’t specify, Chris’s face lit up with understanding.

The ‘time’ I was referring to was the time to head to the kingdom.

In other words.

It was time to take revenge on those who took everything from me.

“..I will prepare the route. When do you plan to leave?”

“Tomorrow. Anyway, there’s no need to drag this out.”

“Are you really… okay with that?”

Chris’s face showed concern as she said that.

I smiled at her and nodded.

“It’s okay. Everything I’ve done so far has been for that reason.”

Yes.

This is the right thing to do.

After that, I quickly finished my meal and entered mana circulation again.

Even a little more.

To maintain optimal condition and completely destroy the kingdom.

And so, the day passed in the blink of an eye.

****

“..The clothes are sticking too much.”

“It can’t be helped. We don’t know who might be in the kingdom, so we have to wear clothes that don’t make much noise.”

I looked at Chris with a slightly troubled expression.

For some reason, Chris’s face was slightly red.

My gaze kept flickering to her chest, and I thought it was because of these clothes.

They are made of leather and cling tightly to the body.

Because of that, the body lines are clearly revealed, which is a bit embarrassing.

Chris tailored them with magic and cast various protective spells on them, so I couldn’t not wear them.

“Okay, let’s go now. It’s almost midnight.”

It can’t be helped.

I nodded at Chris’s words and walked out of the forest.

This is the forest I used when I crossed the border.

It’s not a place with very good memories.

After finishing preparations here.

It was time to head to the kingdom.

“Hoo-oo..”

I took a deep breath and drew up my mana.

Thanks to the bloody mana circulation I’d been doing, my mana pool had become abnormally large,

Which meant I could use high-level magic.

Shh-eeeee-

Then, the wind enveloped my body.

My body felt incredibly light and full of power.

I took a moment to catch my breath.

Peeut-

I shot out of the forest at incredible speed.

It’s an acceleration spell created by applying wind magic.

Even though I erased all sound and presence, the speed was immense.

Thanks to that, I was able to cover a distance that takes 40 minutes by carriage in just 5 minutes.

“Hoo, hoo..”

I soon arrived at the kingdom’s capital.

There were no people, only a few guards on dawn patrol wandering around.

How infuriatingly, the kingdom remained the same.

‘The audience chamber where the king resides is on the upper floor…’

This is what Chris told me.

I scanned my surroundings and activated magic again, instantly arriving at the royal palace entrance.

The gate was firmly closed, but it wasn’t a big problem.

I found a nearby window and used a stasis spell on it.

Then, I punched the window, shattering it.

Thanks to the stasis spell, no fragments flew, and the entrance was secured.

-Be careful, Cecil. I sense movement nearby.

As I successfully entered the royal palace, Chris warned me.

It’s reassuring that she can sense things I can’t see.

I nodded and quickly passed through the hall.

Without being detected by the two guards, I reached the front of the audience chamber.

There were fewer guards than I expected.

‘Well, I’m not complaining…?’

Being able to enter without difficulty was good news.

I calmly placed my hand on the audience chamber door and cast a sound-nullifying spell.

And then I pushed the door open.

The massive door opened smoothly without the slightest creak.

-There it is.

It was dark, so I couldn’t see clearly, but someone was sleeping in the bed, breathing heavily.

‘Sleeping so peacefully…’

To gain visibility, I cast night vision magic.

The king, sleeping as if dead, appeared before me.

Shh-eeeee-

Silently, I created a small knife in the air.

Because of this king, everyone died.

All that damned talk of sacrifices, and the kingdom soldiers who attacked us.

It all stemmed from this bastard.

“..Have a good dream.”

I said briefly and plunged the dagger into the sleeping king’s neck.

“Huk, kkeok..”

The king gasped for a moment and then stopped breathing.

“Ha, haha… Hahahahat..”

It’s over.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I finally achieved the revenge I had longed for.

Was this revenge so easily achieved?

Was it so anticlimactic?

What filled my head was not a sense of accomplishment, but a terrible sense of disgust.

“Poo, poo-hat.. Hahahahahat!!”

My scoff turned into a roar of laughter, and I clutched my stomach, laughing maniacally.

For such a trivial thing, they died.

For such a trivial thing, I shed tears of blood as if I would die.

For this trivial thing.

Tok tok-

“Your Majesty… Is something wrong? Why is there laughter…”

How long did I laugh like that?

Someone knocked on the audience chamber door from outside.

I silently pointed my hand towards the door.

And fired a destructive spell.

Kwaa-a-a-ang!

“Hee, hee-aaaaaaak!!”

At the same time, screams erupted.

And the sound of something being crushed echoed, spreading chaos throughout the kingdom.

Yes.

I should have done this from the beginning.

You trash.

Don’t run, don’t be scared.

Various thoughts raced through my mind, having completed my revenge.

My head is still confused, but one thing is certain.

Killing the king alone wouldn’t honor their souls.

Thinking that, I gathered all the mana in my body.

Let’s see if you can taste how terrifying it is to lose something.

And then.

A massive flash filled the audience chamber.

****

“Noona, Noona. So what happened?”

“The kingdom was destroyed… and the girl filled with vengeance was never seen again after that day.”

The girl answered in a soft voice.

The boy sitting in front of the girl smiled brightly, his eyes shining.

“Wow… Today’s story was really fun too. Then I’ll be going to dinner now!”

“Yes. Go safely.”

Tadak-

The boy with a bright face said goodbye, and the girl waved to him.

“..The children here are so bright.”

The girl muttered something, perhaps thinking about something.

As she said, lively children ran past her.

-Is this really okay? Even if we change our identities and appearances, if we’re caught…

“It’s okay. It happened more than 60 years ago anyway.”

-Even so…

“Don’t worry. I’m hungry, so let’s go to the restaurant.”

The girl, talking to someone unknown, muttered something to herself.

She moved towards her usual restaurant, her golden hair fluttering.

A fascinating rumor circulates in the empire’s capital.

They say there’s a beautiful girl who tells stories of the kingdom that was destroyed 60 years ago.

She tells everyone interesting stories with a mysterious and captivating smile.

Her stories are always sad but have a charm that enthralls people.

No one knows who the girl is, or how she knows such detailed stories that aren’t even in history textbooks.

When asked, the girl always says.

It’s for the sake of her loved ones.

Today, too, the girl tells stories for the sake of the wronged people only she knows.

She hopes people will remember them, even a little, through this.

This was the girl’s small wish.