Chapter 149: How to Write a Proper Ending (1)

Tom is an ordinary young man.

He’s not particularly bright, nor virtuous, nor strong, nor exceptionally good-looking.

But that’s not to say that he’s stupid, or wicked, or weak, or exceptionally ugly.

He’s simply average, someone in the middle.

If you were to take all the people on the continent and calculate their average, you might get someone like Tom.

That, in essence, was Tom.

So in that sense, it was pure coincidence that Tom happened to go near the ‘tower’ that day.

The ‘tower’ had been built in his village only a few months ago. One day, an empire unit suddenly arrived in the village and constructed it within a month.

Of course, there were those who voiced their complaints about the sudden construction.

But who would dare defy the Emperor’s order.

Moreover, now that it was built, the ‘tower’ turned out to be rather useful. Medicinal herbs were found surprisingly often around the Tower.

Actually, it was these herbs that led Tom to the ‘tower’. Having overheard a herb gatherer’s drunken ramblings the previous night, he headed toward the Tower, half out of curiosity, half out of greed.

And sure enough, when he arrived, there *were* a lot of strange-looking plants growing around the tower.

Especially flowers. However, they had yet to bloom, only buds visible for now.

At least they were, until Tom approached them.

The flower buds open, revealing snow-white petals. They even seemed to emit a faint light.

Tom, captivated by their beauty, walked towards the flower. Without realizing it, his hand reaches out and grabs one of the flower’s stems.

And then,

*Crack-*

Tom’s body twisted.

His body contorted as if being wrung like a rag, and soon blood burst out. His legs were instantly embedded into the ground, and his torn head splayed open in all directions.

That’s right, just like a flower.

Tom had become a flower made of flesh and blood, and he began to sway gently.

“Ugh…”

“Flower…”

“Going back…”

“We are…”

Then, villagers with dazed expressions flooded into the streets. One by one, they began to touch the pure white flowers in the same way.

The sound of bones breaking,

The sound of skin tearing,

The sound of blood slowly seeping into the earth.

It didn’t take long for the entire village to turn into a red garden.

Moving on to the next stage didn’t take long either.

A refreshing breeze sweeps through the petals.

Petals of flesh and blood rise into the air like migratory birds. While scattering drops of blood, they embark on a long journey.

And this didn’t happen only to Tom.

To Weiss who lived in the frontier town in the east,

To Chai who lived on the western plains,

To Dias who lived in the southern port,

To Galion who lived in the northern mountains,

The 37 towers built at Irene’s request.

Everyone living near those towers turned into petals and flew toward one place.

An old castle in the northwest part of the continent.

The castle where the Demon King was said to have resided.

And so, the petals find their place and begin to gather,

Horror painted the faces of the traitors,

And joy filled ‘my’ heart.

The last petal to arrive,

I caught it with my own hand. I placed it on the empty spot on the back of my hand, and as if it were meant to be, it became a part of my body.

It was the moment I had longed for desperately for 200 years.

I take a deep breath and stretch out my legs. I feel the stickiness and coldness of blood on the soles of my feet. I savor the pungent smell of blood entering my nose. I listen to the squelching sound as if stepping on thin ice.

Those vivid sensations,

The realness that couldn’t be felt while parasitizing someone else’s soul.

Who was it that said gods have no emotions.

Tears of overwhelming emotion flow. If I were to open my mouth, both laughter and cries would come pouring out.

But soon, my elation is interrupted.

“Kuhek…!”

I grab the throat of the insect who was trying to strike me from behind with a greatsword.

Looking at its contorted face, it seems to be one of Alain’s dogs.

Naturally, I felt annoyed. He ruined the moment I’d been waiting 200 years for. But, amusingly, that annoyance didn’t last long. Instead, a thought began to fill my mind.

He looked rather delicious.

*Crunch-*

“Haa…”

I lick the last drop of blood and let out a sigh. Feeling the stinging gazes on my cheek, I turn my head to see pale faces.

The descendants of the traitors,

Parasites living on lies,

And the only one variable that couldn’t be predicted.

I smile broadly and approach him.

“Re, don’t even think about approaching Rem…”

I lightly brush aside the obstacles that step forward. Even after clearing them, I press down firmly on those that still twitch.

Like that, I stand before him with ease.

“I apologize for my poor table manners. I was simply too hungry.”

I say this with a smile in my eyes. But he only hardens his expression. The fear emanating from him.

I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle.

“You don’t need to be so scared. You’re an exception.”

For the first time, something other than fear appears in his eyes.

“What… do you mean?”

“Because you don’t belong to this world. Even without eating you, I can leave this world.”

I reach out to him, who has gone cold and rigid again. I continue speaking while stroking his chest.

“And, you are the greatest contributor to my resurrection. I don’t forget such favors.”

Perhaps it was an unexpected statement, as his face freezes in shock. I smile and tickle his chest.

“It’s all thanks to you. You brought these seven people together. You even helped me seize control from Betty through the Dragon King’s Essence. Ah, of course, you probably don’t remember that.”

I rest my cheek against his chest. The pounding of his heart pleasantly rings in my ears.

“Not telling Irene about you and leaving you be was the best decision I made. Really, I never imagined things would go so well…”

“Get your hands off my Big bro!!”

An insect I surely had pressed down suddenly lunges at me. Feeling disgust, I quickly step back.

“[O Lord!]”

Then, golden chains bind my ankles,

“[turtiondis]”

And a giant fireball shoots toward my head.

It’s an extremely unpleasant moment. Especially since if I actually get hit, my hair might get singed.

Fire doesn’t taste very good, but there’s no helping it.

I opened my mouth.

“___!”

And closed it.

Through the scattered flames, I see their stunned faces.

“Rem, get behind me.”

But their shock turns not into fear, but into resolve. Even knowing it’s futile, they direct their hostility towards me.

It’s an unpleasant sight, no matter how many times I see it.

It can’t be helped. If I tear off their limbs, they won’t be able to get up again. Though the variable might thrash about a bit…

“Betty…?”

A voice that draws my attention.

Something that looks more like a black rag than a person is holding onto my ‘shell’. Cradling the severed head in its arms, its shoulders tremble.

“Why…? Why is this…?”

Irene, another problem I must tie up.

I sigh and walk toward her. She looks at me with eyes that have turned white.

“Go, Goddess, th-this… wasn’t what we agreed on…”

Her blackened, festering wrist grabs my leg, leaving a disgusting pus on my fair skin.

“Be, Betty was supposed to live, wasn’t she? A-After Amy and I die, you were supposed to leave Betty’s body and sa-save the world! Th-then Betty would live happily in this world…”

I could lie here. It wouldn’t be difficult to say that Betty will soon come back to life.

However, that wouldn’t be polite to someone I’ve been deceiving for the past ten years.

“Irene, Betty died four years ago.”

“…What?”

“Your plan was excellent, but I… what did you call it? Plan B? I needed something like that. So, I killed Betty. I took control of the body. Then I could act a little more freely.”

It didn’t take long for Irene’s eyes to swirl with confusion. Her pupils trembled as if she couldn’t believe it.

“B-because I failed, th-that’s why you’re…”

“No, Irene. You don’t understand”

I tapped Betty’s head and smiled.

“Betty is dead.”

The change that followed was astonishing.

Irene’s eyes, which had been empty, suddenly regained their light of reason. With a smile that seemed to have reached madness, she asked me.

“At what point did you start lying?”

I thought for a moment, then answered.

“From the beginning.”

What better answer could there be.

Irene looked at me for a moment, then lowered her head. Suddenly, she shook her shoulders and burst into laughter. It was a laughter closer to sobbing.

“I was tricked… Huha…! Fooled into Uncle Gale… hehih…! And those people… Hehe…! ‘Me’ and ‘my’ siblings…!”

Irene completely prostrated herself and started laughing. Her shaking back made it no different from crying.

It wasn’t exactly an ending I liked.

I had carefully chosen and brought what I thought was a strong soul, and now she’s crumbling like this. This must be what it feels like to be scammed.

Perhaps it was because her affection for others was too deep. It makes me think again that planting a plague in her body was a good decision.

Anyway, one loose end has been tied up. Now there’s only one more left.

I raise my eyes to look at the empty corridor. The place where he had been standing just a moment ago, with parasites scattered around him.

“Huu…”

He escaped in that short time. From what I can see, it seems like he’s still inside the castle. But it wouldn’t be for long. As soon as he gets outside, he’ll probably use the teleportation circle set up in the camp to escape far away.

But I don’t want to chase after him personally. Especially since I’ve been burned by Alain many times.

There must be a better way…

“Uha… Hahaha…! Uhahahaha!”

Aha.

***

I force my heavy head and legs to move. But what’s fading away isn’t danger, but my sense of reality.

The goddess born from corpses,

The ‘civil servant’ eaten alive,

The hero party, subdued with a mere gesture.

And that woman who said all of this was my fault.

Were her words really true?

No, more importantly, what happens now?

Above all, what about Clevens? Wasn’t Clevens with her just a moment ago?

My head is spinning.

“Rem!!”

Startled, I look to the side. Amy’s stern face fills my vision.

“Get a hold of yourself. For now, focus only on getting out of here.”

“She… is right… Vice… Captain…”

Shafiq’s faint voice coming from my back. Only then do I shake my head to clear my distracting thoughts.

Right, getting out of here is our top priority. I can think about the rest later.

I turn around and look at the mercenaries following me.

Naturally, it wasn’t a hopeful sight. Many of them had already been exhausted from the battle with Irene. And on top of that, the Goddess’s overwhelming violence. A good number of them couldn’t even run.

“Hey! Shrimp! Carry Fatty!”

“Big Nose, you just hang onto Mammoth!”

“Four Eyes! Throw away all the luggage from the cart and load the injured!!”

But even so, they don’t give up. Using up what little strength they have left, they shout at each other.

“[O Lord, forgive us!]”

“[olatf!]”

“Four Eyes, hand over the cart! Brother, I’ll load the injured and pull the cart!”

“You idiots! Move it!! Our Vice-Captain is giving orders!! Everyone, throw everything away and run!”

“Shut up and just get on my back! I can still carry about 12 of you! Even without legs, you still have hands, don’t you!”

And I’m not alone.

Even with their tired and pale complexions, they help the mercenaries. They give me faint smiles as if to reassure me.

How could I be consumed by anxiety in front of such a sight.

I firmly adjust Shafiq on my back and start running harder.

And not long after, the castle’s main gate came into view.

I immediately shout.

“Big Nose! Did you bring the carpet with the teleportation magic circle I engraved?”

“Do you think I wouldn’t have brought it after coming this far?”

With his booming answer, relief washes over me. If we have that carpet, we just need to reach the camp. And the camp is right in front of the main gate.

In other words, if we can just open that gate and get out, hope is…

*Growl…*

It stands silently in front of the main gate like a shadow.

It was a moment when I unconsciously stopped running.

“Big bro! Why did you suddenly…”

What stopped my legs was not the wolf’s enormous size. Nor its rotting body with bones exposed. Certainly not its threatening fangs.

The wolf’s left eye.

“O… ppa…”

Hair resembling the blue sky.

Slightly upturned eyes, as if filled with mischief.

Irene’s head was in place of the wolf’s left eye.

“I… lone… ly…”

“Oh my God…”

Overwhelmed with nausea, I instinctively took a step back.

Then, the Irene-wolf lowered its body. It pulls back as if tensing its muscles.

*Snap-!*

I didn’t see the moment it leaped.

*Yelp-*

Nor the moment that leap was interrupted.

When I came to my senses, a red slime was entangled with the Irene-wolf. It was Genius’s soul.

He was trying to stretch his body and bind the Irene-wolf. But maybe he wasn’t strong enough. His body kept breaking and being squashed.

I have to help…

[Go!!]

Genius’s voice echoed in my head. As I stared blankly in bewilderment, his voice strikes again like lightning.

[The Goddess will be here soon!! While I buy you some time, go find that old man Alain!!]

At that moment, the conflict that arose was deep, but short.

After all, the heart always has its priorities.

“Everyone run toward the main gate like your life depends on it!!”

Trying to ignore the Irene-wolf’s ghastly wail, I run toward the main gate. I extend my magic tool toward the firmly closed gate.

“[peon!]”

As the gate opens wide, the camp comes into view right in front of us.

“Brother! The biggest tent!! The teleportation circle is there!! It’s already laid out on the floor!!”

Following Big Nose’s shout, I enter the large tent. I crouch down in front of the carpet and immediately begin chanting.

“Everyone, get on the carpet!! Hurry! Squeeze in somehow and just stand!!”

*Awooo-!!*

The eerie howling pulls my attention.

The Irene-wolf, freed from its restraints, is running toward us. Red slime drips down like blood.

“B-Brother! H-Hurry!”

Suppressing my pounding heart, I desperately try to focus. I erase my anxiety and channel mana into the magic circle.

And finally, just as the preparations are complete.

“Oppaaaaaaa!!”

I felt sharp claws digging into my head.

“[protlele!]”

And my vision flips.

***

I looked at Irene trudging towards me. Seeing her drooping tail, it was clear she had failed.

Indeed, intervening directly wasn’t a good choice. Even someone who was originally useful has turned into such a beast.

But it’s fine.

I’ve already taken all the necessary measures. It’s a plan I’ve been preparing for 200 years. A small variable like that won’t be able to change much.

Of course, I still had to administer proper rewards and punishments.

“_____!!”

Leaving Irene writhing under ‘punishment,’ I turned my head toward the window.

A blue prairie and an even bluer sky reflected in the window.

A human would feel freedom from that. They’d likely think the vast sky is the very symbol of freedom.

But I know that it is merely another ceiling. I realize it’s nothing more than a larger prison.

Because there are those who have already gone beyond it.

Because I already know there is something beyond that.

What I’ve always wanted from the very beginning is just one thing.

True freedom.

I smiled broadly and opened my mouth toward the sky.

*Crack-!*

And I begin to devour the prison that confines me.