Even If I Die, I Take Everything (1)
While I was lost in thought, the battle entered a brief lull.
"Are you all right, Master?"
"Ugh... Master..."
The Blood King and his fairies had taken heavy wounds, but the enemy had mostly been wiped out. Only a handful of survivors remained, excluding Haggis.
"Help us! We're going to die!"
"......"
The survivors stared at the Blood King with terrified eyes before begging Haggis for aid.
Haggis regarded them with cold indifference, then pointed at the Blood King.
"Attack."
"... What?"
"We can't do it alone! We need Sir Haggis to help..."
Screech—
"... Huh?"
"W-why..."
In the blink of an eye, Haggis had drawn his sword and severed the throat of one of the supplicants. Without the slightest hesitation, he slaughtered an ally's neck in a display of ruthless brutality that left the survivors stunned.
"Attack."
"......"
"......"
Seeing Haggis repeat the same command, despair filled the survivors' faces. Haggis still hadn't lowered his sword. He was clearly willing to kill the Blood King if they didn't attack.
Swish—
In the end, the survivors turned their blades toward the Blood King. It was their only chance to survive.
Attacking Haggis together was another option, but that would be suicide. Haggis had never once participated in battle and still had full stamina.
The Blood King, however, was riddled with injuries. Even if he was a fourth-star powerhouse, he couldn't fight a horde without a single scratch.
The only realistic path to survival was to kill the Blood King.
"AAAAAAA!"
"Die already!"
Tears welled in their eyes as they charged at the Blood King.
"Erita! Lidia!"
"Yes, Master!"
"Die, you traitorous bastards!"
Following their master's orders, Erita and Lidia charged into the fray with the remaining enemies. Both were wounded, but their breathing was steady. Even as third-stars, together they could hold their own against a fourth-star.
"Haa... haa..."
"......"
Meanwhile, the Blood King, having assigned the last of the enemies to the two fairies, caught his breath and glared at Haggis. Instinctively, he sensed that Haggis was the strongest opponent he had faced so far.
If he couldn't kill Haggis, he wouldn't survive here. So he had tasked the fairies with the remaining foes to conserve every last bit of his stamina.
"Who are you?"
"......"
"I've never heard of someone like you. Reveal your identity."
"......"
"You bastard..."
Even under the Blood King's questioning, Haggis offered no answer. He simply stared back with silent, unblinking eyes. The Blood King ground his teeth at the sight.
*No cheap tricks, huh?*
He had tried every verbal ploy to shatter the opponent's calm and gain even a sliver of advantage, but the foe remained utterly silent.
*This place will be my grave.*
The opponent was a warrior who could win easily even with full stamina. Now, exhausted and wounded, his already low odds had dropped even further.
The darkness of the dungeon felt like the shadow of death to the Blood King.
*What a pity.*
He had big dreams. In about ten years, he would build power and influence in Chinnimoni before joining the full-scale war among kings.
But today's dream had ended here.
"If I must die anyway..."
Screech—
The Blood King yanked up his sleeve and bound his axe and his own hand tightly together.
"I will die together with you!"
The Blood King charged at Haggis, prepared to die together.
No, he was about to charge.
"Lord Blood King!"
"......?"
The unfamiliar voice from behind made him pause. He turned around. A black-haired man he had never seen before was running toward him.
"Are you all right? Support has arrived!"
"... Support?"
The word support made the Blood King furrow his brow. At the same time, he steeled his killing intent.
He didn't trust an unknown man who suddenly appeared claiming to be support from an unbelievable place.
But the man's next words left him stunned once more.
"Laura Princess is fighting the enemies outside! Hold on just a little longer and she'll be here!"
"... Laura?"
The mention of Laura Princess—Kanisia Lora—outside the dungeon stopped the Blood King cold. In that moment, the black-haired man stepped in front of him, sword drawn. The Blood King couldn't swing his axe at the man who offered his back without hesitation.
Instead, he asked.
"Who are you, then? I've never seen your face before."
"I'm Alan Han! I became the Blood King's subordinate a few days ago!"
"... My subordinate?"
The Blood King was utterly bewildered. A complete stranger claiming to be his subordinate.
"I only passed Laura Princess's test recently. It's only natural you don't recognize me. Laura Princess said she was busy and would introduce me later."
"......"
At those words, the Blood King nodded without realizing it. He had entrusted all talent recruitment to Kanisia. Kanisia was the person he trusted most after fairies in Chinnimoni.
Kanisia hadn't told him directly, but simply becoming her subordinate didn't make one her direct vassal.
After passing the test, they would observe for three months. They would monitor whether the person was useful or had hidden motives. They would assign watchers to keep tabs on every move.
In Alan's case, Kanisia, who was genuinely smitten with him, had taken on the role of watcher herself and watched him up close.
Of course, Kanisia had already developed an open mind toward Alan after seeing how he cherished his fairy Aquaril.
*What now?*
Alan had no obvious gaps. The Blood King was torn—kill him now or not.
He wasn't foolish enough to trust a stranger completely.
But swinging the axe without hesitation was impossible in their current disadvantageous position.
In a situation where the only reliable ally was a fairy, he needed even one more person on his side. At the very least, he could serve as meat shield.
"I will help too! Hah!"
"......"
While he was still hesitating, Alan charged at the traitors and swung his sword. In the end, the Blood King couldn't kill him.
*****
*Did I survive? Haa... I was terrified.*
As I distanced myself from the Blood King and attacked the traitors, I let out a sigh of relief. The Blood King hadn't swung his axe at me. Fortunately, the gamble on my life had paid off.
"You ungrateful bastards! You betrayed the Blood King's grace! Are you even human?!"
"What the hell is this guy?!"
"You trash! Your parents must have eaten seaweed soup after giving birth to you like this! You pieces of shit who aren't even worth the seaweed!"
"What? You're crazy!"
I couldn't hold back my padlip, and it didn't matter whether I was in the past or this world. The traitors, having heard my insults, swung their weapons at me in fury.
*First hurdle cleared.*
The Blood King could have killed me. So I had desperately mentioned Kanisia. They were both military and personal friends.
Kanisia had risked her life to save the Blood King not out of loyalty but friendship. Kanisia who would stake her life for friendship! She was so sexy.
*Ah, this isn't the time.*
Since I had cleared the first hurdle, it was time to face the second.
*Haggis.*
The traitors weren't difficult opponents. The truly dangerous and difficult one was Haggis.
*First, change the attribute.*
My main attribute and Haggis's were both [Fire]. To gain even a slight advantage, I switched my main attribute from [Fire] to [Water].
[[Alan Han (Gibung-i)]'s main attribute has changed from [Fire] attribute to [Water] attribute.]
"Die, you traitorous bastard!"
"Gak! I-I don't want to die... Kuaaaak!"
I drove my sword into the enemy's belly and twisted it to pull it free. The wound gaped wide, and part of the intestines spilled out. I stabbed the man lying on the ground clutching his belly in the back, severing his spine completely.
[Level up.]
[Potential points acquired: 2.]
*My levels are rising steadily.*
The last remaining traitors were the ones I had killed. Standing alone on the battlefield soaked in corpses and blood were me, the Blood King, his fairies Erita and Lidia, and Haggis—five in total.
Naturally, we surrounded Haggis.
*Haa... This is no joke.*
We outnumbered him, but Haggis still held the advantage. I was a useless combatant, and even the Blood King, who could match Haggis, was exhausted and injured.
Drip... drip...
Sweat trickled down my forehead. The tension was unbearable. The thought that I might have to flee at any moment dominated my mind.
But I wouldn't retreat. If I ran now, it was game over.
What I had to do here was simple.
*Become the best meat shield!*
I would stake my life to allow the Blood King to land a fatal blow on Haggis.
*****
*Master...*
Aquaril, left alone behind the rock, looked worriedly at Alan standing before Haggis. She desperately wanted to rush out, but she couldn't.
It was because of the order Alan had given before rushing there.
"Do not come out until the moment I tell you to. Even if... I die."
"... Master?"
Aquaril was left stunned by her master's words, which showed he had made peace with death.
*Even if Master dies, do not come out?*
This was an order no amount of absolute loyalty to her master could make her obey.
But the next words struck Aquaril like lightning.
"Actually, I haven't told you this until now... but I can revive even if I die."
"What? What kind of... nonsense is that, Master?"
"I don't have time to explain in detail. Just believe me and follow my orders. I will create an opportunity by dying, so don't miss it. I will definitely revive."
"M-Master! Master!"
After leaving those words, Alan ran straight into the battlefield. Aquaril, who hadn't heard a proper explanation, was left utterly confused.
*He really... can revive?*
Fairies couldn't revive once dead. That was basic common sense she knew as a fairy.
But her master had said he could revive.
Should she really believe it?
"... Do not doubt it."
Aquaril, eyes closed then opening, muttered.
It was not some stranger, but her own master who had spoken. If so, she had no right to doubt his words.
Moreover, her master had no reason to lie while staking his life.
"Master. I will believe and follow your words. So, Master... please show me that my trust was not misplaced."
Aquaril, gripping her sword tightly, muttered.