Chapter 421: Launch(3)
Chapter 421: Launch(3)
Volume 30 of the Xenon Biography—the book every reader in the world had been dying to get their hands on. As soon as the publisher announced its release, people began lining up in front of bookstores.
Determined to be the first to read it, some fans started waiting the very day of the announcement. The sight of people camping out on the streets was a social phenomenon in its own right.
While similar scenes had occurred before printing technology became as advanced as it was now, it was a sight rarely seen in recent years. However, the sheer anxiety induced by the ending of Volume 29 had triggered a repeat of the past. The conclusion of the previous volume had been nothing short of lighting a fuse that had been meticulously laid out.
Readers had spent every day aching for Volume 30, and today, the remedy finally arrived. They rushed to the stores to see if Jin truly died and how the story would unfold.
[Jin turned to dust and died before Lily’s eyes. Lily sobbed as she fumbled for his horns.]
[As Lily wailed, the world was instantly submerged in a sea of tears.]
[In the end, Xenon killed Jin. He had inflicted a deep wound upon every single reader.]
It was as if the tactical nuclear weapon Isaac had "launched" in advance had finally struck the ground.
At that moment, wails of grief over Jin’s death echoed across the globe, to the point where it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say the entire world was filled with sorrow.
The foreshadowing of Jin’s death had been ample, so it was somewhat expected, but the actual death was shocking enough to transcend any anticipation. He had transformed into dust, leaving not even a corpse behind. All that remained before the sobbing Lily was the necklace she had once given him.
It wasn't a happy ending; it was a tragic one that inflicted severe internal damage on the readers' hearts.
Perhaps it would have been different on Earth, but for the people of this world, the story wasn't just "spicy"—it was painful enough to turn their tongues to ash.
[This is a true 'tragedy' and a masterpiece of 'storytelling.']
[An ending that elevates the work's perfection to its absolute limit.]
[With Jin’s death, the Xenon Biography has reached completion.]
[The happiest time is when you make memories with someone precious; the saddest time is when that person becomes a memory.]
Unlike the grief-stricken readers, the critics evaluated the work with cold objectivity. Most reviews were glowing, with praise for Xenon pouring in.
Conversely, the readers were infuriated by these evaluations that seemed to turn their stomachs. Yet, deep down, even they had to admit the critics were right.
Through Jin’s death, the tragic nature of the Demon race was highlighted, and the necessity of love was reaffirmed. Everyone acknowledged that the narrative quality of the work had ascended.
If Isaac had "drifted"—that is, forced a sudden change in the plot—without any probability, both readers and critics would have united in their condemnation. But that damned consistency blocked them from even finding a pretext to complain.
Regardless, Jin’s death delivered a massive shock to the readers, leading to a very interesting phenomenon. They began to step through what is commonly known as the Five Stages of Grief.
[No. There’s no way Jin is dead. Xenon will bring him back to life.]
[It’s too cruel for Jin and Lily to end like this. He said the story continues in the epilogue, so he’ll be resurrected there.]
First came Denial. Readers stared blankly at the ending where Jin scattered into dust, leaving nothing behind, and muttered hollowly. They claimed they couldn't believe it, saying that while they had their suspicions, they never imagined such an ending was possible. They told themselves he would be revived in the epilogue. Surely Xenon had a way? They ran their "wishful thinking" circuits at full capacity, denying reality in every way possible.
But even that didn't last long.
[Why! Why did it have to be Jin! Did you really have to kill him?!]
[Did you... have to... kill him like that... to feel satisfied?!]
[Xenon, revive Jin immediately. If you don't, I will find you myself. Readers are expressing their fury at this unbelievable ending...]
Second was Anger. Once the shock wore off, readers became enraged by Jin’s death. Naturally, this anger was most intense among the fans who shipped the Jin-Lily couple. They exploded with rage as the couple they were more than just immersed in was brutally torn asunder.
The intensity was immeasurable, especially since the Jin-Lily pair had come to be regarded as the true protagonists of the story.
[I will give you money, so please change the ending. An anonymous noble has requested...]
[Someone of Lily’s caliber should be able to revive Jin. Please, save him.]
[If you save Jin quietly, there will be no bloodshed.]
Third was Bargaining. From nobles offering vast sums of money anonymously to save Jin, all sorts of negotiations were attempted. The problem was that none of this meant anything to Isaac. He already possessed wealth, fame, status, and even beautiful fiancées. For a man—or any person, really—it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had everything. In other words, bargaining was futile.
[Why... why did Jin have to die...]
[Did he really have to die? Several readers who supported Jin and Lily have fallen into deep depression...]
[The number of people spending their days in a daze due to the aftereffects is steadily increasing.]
Fourth was Depression. This symptom appeared a few days later. No matter how much they screamed and shouted, there was no response from Isaac, and readers began to give up one by one. Moreover, while there was an uproar outside the work, there were no flaws within the narrative itself, leaving them with no choice but to concede.
However, suffering from severe emotional aftereffects was a natural consequence of such deep internal damage. Scholars watched this phenomenon with interest and began to study it.
[People are leaving the ending behind and returning to their daily lives.]
[A story is just a story. While Jin’s death is hard to believe, we have our own precious reality.]
[It will be remembered as the greatest work of a lifetime, and the most painful.]
[An ending that will never be forgotten until the day I die.]
Finally, Acceptance. Since nothing would change by moping, people slowly returned to their routines. The Demon Worshipper events, which had slowed down, regained their momentum, and news arrived that the ending had actually deepened the love between couples and spouses.
Crucially, the public perception of Demons took a massive leap forward. Through the Xenon Biography, Demons were rebranded with an image of "pure-hearted devotion." The ending of Volume 30 showcased both their sacrifice and nobility, making an improvement in perception inevitable.
Thus, after a long period of lingering symptoms, the readers seemed to be slowly healing their hearts...
[Since Xenon killed Jin, a funeral will be held as scheduled. It was made possible through the sponsorship of countless people...]
The Jin-Lily shippers were still stuck in the Anger stage. To be precise, they were somewhere between Anger and Bargaining. Newspapers reported that they were up to something unusual, but strangely, very little information leaked out. It was as if someone was deliberately "controlling" the media; there were only mentions that a funeral would be held.
Furthermore, the world was focused solely on Jin’s death and paid little mind to minor "events."
[The Minerva Empire is facing a mountain of troubles. Is this the work of Demon Worshippers? A famine, the first in twenty years, has struck several granaries, including the Velos territory... Even the black soil has lost its strength.]
[The upper echelons of the Empire are hastily releasing food reserves, but it is unknown how long the famine will last...]
[Albenheim is expected to send aid to maintain smooth relations with the Empire...]
Coincidentally, another crisis had erupted in the Minerva Empire, leaving no room for people to pay attention elsewhere. A great famine had struck the eastern regions, famous for being the empire's breadbasket—possibly the work of Demon Worshippers. It was a famine that normally should never have happened.
Since it was the first such crisis in twenty years, the Empire was startled and scrambled to find a solution. With its massive population, the Empire had to prioritize solving the famine over anything related to Xenon. Fortunately, Albenheim, the master of the land flowing with milk and honey, offered to help, providing some relief, but they couldn't rest easy yet. A vast number of people could have starved to death, and as long as the Demon Worshippers were scheming, the granaries were not safe.
Because of this exquisite timing between the media blackout by a certain faction and the famine, the "funeral" was buried in the news...
"Tell me a way to solve the famine quickly."
"Why are you asking me that?"
"Didn't you say your world had a population of seven billion? There must have been something to support seven billion people, right?"
"There is, but I don't know how to make it. I only know about it."
Isaac had completely forgotten about the "funeral" while busy talking to Lina, who had come to see him as soon as the famine broke out.
*
In a region not too far from the Maishal Territory, a massive crowd was currently gathered in a local plaza.
What was remarkable was the sheer diversity of races present. There were Humans, Beastkin, Demons, Elves, and even Dwarves. It was as if all races had achieved harmony, or perhaps there was a spectacle so great it transcended racial boundaries.
"Wow. I've never seen so many different races gathered in one place before."
"Me neither."
Roy and Anne, adventurers who had gathered at the plaza for guard duty, marveled at the sight. As adventurers who had traveled all over the world, this was only the second time they had seen so many races in one spot. The first time was undoubtedly the Xenon Festival held last year. This gathering was nearly on par with that.
"With a scale like this, even Xenon might have to get on his knees."
Roy looked around at the people who had come from all over the world for the event. People who had gathered for the sole purpose of a funeral. Most were devotees of the Jin-Lily couple, united in heart and mind to mourn Jin, who had met a tragic end before Lily’s eyes.
That didn't mean everyone there was a Jin-Lily supporter. Given the scale, there were many personnel hired to guard them. There were also those who gathered just to watch, those who attended out of boredom, and those who treated it like another festival. It was called a funeral, but it was so boisterous it could practically be called a festival.
"But are we really heading straight for the Maishal Territory? How are they going to manage all this?"
Beside Roy, Anne crossed her arms and voiced her doubt. She and Roy were scheduled to join this procession as guards. However, the distance from this region to the Maishal Territory was neither short nor long. Several other territories lay in between, and finally, the capital. The crowd would surely grow even larger, and managing that was one problem; how they would handle the inspections required to pass through other territories was another question entirely.
"Oh, that? I heard they've already spoken to all the territories they'll be passing through. Rumor has it the Baroness Maishal herself made the request."
"Baroness Maishal?"
"Yeah. There are even rumors that she’s the one who organized this funeral, but those are just rumors. Still, it’s a relief since it’ll save us a lot of time."
"Hmm..."
If that was the case, then fine. Honestly, the guard request itself was more than just decent; it was an opportunity they couldn't pass up. They could earn three months' worth of funds with this one job. The only downside was that it would take a while, but the pay covered that.
"The Dwarves are making the coffin, and the Demons will carry it themselves. I heard the coffin was even designed according to Demon culture."
"They’re really going all out."
"Well, it’s interesting, isn't it?"
As Roy and Anne chatted, a voice rang out.
[We will now depart.]
A man’s voice echoed quietly across the plaza, likely amplified by magic. At that moment, the huddled crowd began to move as one.
Looking closely, those in the center were all dressed in neat black formal attire, just like a real funeral. They even wore white gloves, making it indistinguishable from an actual burial service. Furthermore, even the guarding personnel were dressed in matching black. Roy and Anne were no exception.
Roy and Anne followed along to fulfill their duty of guarding the funeral procession.
"I can't wait to see Xenon’s reaction when he sees this."
"Do you really think he'll bring Jin back because of this?"
"Who knows?"
As another "nuke" was kindly "launched" toward the Maishal Territory.
"If it were me, I’d be so flabbergasted I’d probably bring him back."
Mutual Assured Destruction was achieved.