Chapter 259
Chapter 259
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 259
Chapter Title: The Death of Kim Se-hyeon (1)
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The End Dragon's meals were different from ordinary ones.
It couldn't possibly grow several times its size just by eating.
What it ate was the target's very existence.
Everything the target possessed could be converted into power and used as energy for growth.
That's why not even a single drop of blood remained where Kim Se-hyeon had been.
[This crazy bastard...]
Besial's body trembled.
[Even so, how could he make such an extreme choice! This madman! A truly one-of-a-kind lunatic!]
In truth, Besial wasn't attached to Kim Se-hyeon simply because of their contract.
Angels and devils.
He was a person of interest, so much so that the highest-ranking beings on both sides had said to "keep a close watch on him."
Uriel, who, unlike him, stayed out of sight, was also attached to Kim Se-hyeon to report on his every move.
As Kim Se-hyeon had said, the devils didn't wish for Earth's destruction either.
Thus, they shared the same opinion as the angels on the matter of preventing the apocalypse.
Although Besial felt uneasy about the simple reason that the devils would lose their source of entertainment, the important thing was that Kim Se-hyeon was one of the crucial humans tasked with that role.
"Kuaaaaaah!!"
Startled by the sudden roar, Besial turned his head.
The End Dragon, which had already grown to be five meters tall, was snorting furiously, revealing its anger.
It was in that moment that Besial sensed something was wrong.
The End Dragon doesn't use rage as a driving force for destruction.
Just as a living being lives because it was born, destruction was the End Dragon's very reason for existence, so it was only natural for it to destroy.
Such an intense display of emotion was rare to see.
"My parents'... enemy...!!"
As if unleashing long-suppressed emotions.
The End Dragon let out a cry that shook the ground and instantly shot out of the canyon.
Besial narrowed his eyes.
Then, he recalled what lay at the end of the dragon's flight path.
The Primeval Fiend.
The End Dragon was heading in a straight line toward Washington, where the Primeval Fiend was running rampant.
Only then did Besial realize the purpose behind Kim Se-hyeon's memory manipulation.
[He manipulated its memory to make it believe the Primeval Fiend was the one who harmed its parents!]
By getting eaten by the End Dragon, he made it firmly recognize his existence.
If it had been a simple A-rank memory manipulation, the End Dragon's resistance would have nullified it the moment it grew, but the difference in rank changed the outcome.
[That might solve the problem... But did Kim Se-hyeon really intend to sacrifice himself to stop the Primeval Fiend? Hey. Say it isn't so. You're not that kind of guy, Kim Se-hyeon. This isn't fun. I hate things that aren't fun. Stop joking around and hurry up.]
But Besial's words received no reply.
A piece of the shattered egg fell with a *thud*.
Was that the trigger?
Besial couldn't believe his eyes at what happened next.
[Huh?]
[Activation conditions confirmed.]
[The bound item, 'Source of Life,' is activating.]
Particles of light were gathering, reconstructing Kim Se-hyeon's body.
***
In Washington, all of its many buildings had collapsed, leaving only debris scattered about.
The thick scent of blood filled the air. What were once roads were no longer paths. Places that once held something were now vacant lots, and empty spaces were now piled high with rubble. Where a variety of life must have existed, only the aura of death remained.
Who would believe that all of this was caused by a single being?
Even Simila's smile had lost its strength.
"Dammit. Is there any point in holding out? That thing just keeps getting stronger and never gets tired! Simila, it's not too late. We have to give up on this place and retreat!"
"And if we retreat?"
"We have to stay alive to do anything. You know that! We've survived this long by doing just that."
"That's because our opponents were manageable."
The strength left Simila's hand, and her parasol tilted.
"If we retreat now, then there will truly be no future. That thing keeps getting stronger. If we run away and encounter it again somewhere else, we won't even be able to resist. We'll be completely helpless."
"No way. It must have its limits."
"I wish that were true, but it doesn't. That thing... yes. It won't stop, and it can't be stopped, until it has devoured everything that exists on Earth."
Reynald's facial muscles twitched as if paralyzed.
The Simila he knew never spoke so negatively.
While she wasn't the type to sugarcoat bad situations, she had never spoken as if there were no solution at all.
She would accept the reality of a situation and find the best answer.
Retreat when necessary, wait when needed, and act when the time was right.
That was Simila, the leader of the Onyx Griffon.
Even Reynald, who had assisted her for so long, had never seen Simila look so helpless.
Simila gripped her hand again.
"That's why we have to stop it here. Even if it means dying here."
"...You said you'd stop Salvatio. Are you okay with giving up on that?"
"For that, there are trustworthy people who can do it even without us, right?"
Simila gave a carefree laugh, as if it didn't matter.
Kim Se-hyeon and the Strategy King. And their party.
What Simila said was true.
People who were more skilled than them, who knew more than them.
There were others who could stop Salvatio even without them, but to do that, they first had to deal with this absurd monster.
"What will you do, Dread?"
"No need to ask. I've always followed your judgment and trusted your words."
Dread grinned so wide his teeth showed.
Reynald clutched his forehead.
"You fools..."
"All three of us here are fools, Reynald."
"I'd rather be excluded."
"But you're going to join us, aren't you? A trio of fools is just perfect."
"This is going to be the death of me."
"You say that, but you're smiling. You're just as much of a fool."
"Shut up."
They really were fools.
Simila chuckled, then imbued her voice with mana and shouted.
"Onyx Griffon!!"
Those engaged in a desperate struggle looked up.
"We will not retreat! We will defend and protect the land where we were born and raised! If we do not flee, ten times as many lives will be saved, and a hundred times more damage will be prevented! Even if we fail, those who inherit our will shall have a greater chance of defeating that thing because of our efforts! Advance! When you feel the urge to run, push forward with all your might! That is the only way for us to live with value, the only way we can say we have lived with meaning!"
Those who were fleeing stopped and turned around.
Those who had given up on everything opened their closed eyes.
Even those not affiliated with the Onyx Griffon raised their weapons, their faces filled with resolve.
To not lose a battle that could not be lost.
The Primeval Fiend also moved.
As if it understood Simila's words, it rippled its massive tentacles and lunged, as if to sweep them all away at once.
*Kwwaaaaang!*
In that instant, the massive tentacle crashed to the ground.
Forgetting to scream or cheer, everyone doubted their own eyes.
A giant black dragon.
A dragon with brilliant black scales so beautiful they were breathtaking, tore apart the massive tentacle with both hands and roared.
"Wh-what is that now!?"
Reynald, who had fallen on his back, muttered without even thinking of getting up.
"Simila! Is that what you were counting on when you said all that!?"
"...I don't know. It's terrifying. What is that?"
"You don't know!?"
"I don't know, but I think I have an idea. That he kept his promise."
Simila gave a genuine smile.
The two monsters clashed.
The dozens of tentacles belonging to the Primeval Fiend moved to pressure it, but the dragon's attacks only grew fiercer.
[Puuuooo...!]
The Primeval Fiend cried out for the first time.
A sound that seemed both angry and flustered.
*Charrreuk!*
Countless forms of mana floated in the air.
The powers the Primeval Fiend had absorbed and stolen.
Fire, water, ice, poison, lightning, metal.
It was too many powers for a single being to possess, but for the Primeval Fiend, it was natural.
The power to steal one of the abilities of those it devoured.
That was the authority of the Primeval Fiend.
*Kwagwagwang!*
The End Dragon possessed only one power.
Destruction.
Literally, the overwhelming power to destroy everything.
Each time its tail swung or its arms moved, the powers created by the Primeval Fiend—be it fireballs or lightning bolts—were annihilated.
The players, unable to even think of moving, watched the battle between the two beings of a different league.
"W-win! Win!!"
"Push it harder!"
Before long, people started cheering for the dragon.
Cha Eun-ha, who had been diligently fighting the fiends, also watched the battle with a complicated heart.
'For now, it looks like the dragon is helping, but I can't be sure it's an ally.'
But something else was bothering her more.
For a while now, she hadn't been able to sense Kim Se-hyeon's presence at all.
The same seemed to be true for Jo Min-ah, who had far superior detection skills, as she ran over to Jun Bo-ra the moment she appeared.
"Unni! Where's Oppa!?"
"...That guy, he said he was going to die."
"What!?"
"He did tell me to come find him after ten minutes, but..."
Jun Bo-ra snapped her head around.
"Dodge!"
*Kwang!*
Spears of blood rained down.
If she had teleported even a moment later, their bodies would have been riddled with holes.
Cha Eun-ha shouted.
"It's Graham!"
"That bastard, he's still alive!?"
He was closest to the Primeval Fiend, he's a tough one.
Jun Bo-ra cursed inwardly.
Graham's condition wasn't normal either.
He had suffered a head injury from the aftermath of the two monsters' battle, and blood was running down, forcing one of his eyes closed.
"So you're the ones who sent that magnificent beast! Kuhaha! I've received a wonderful gift, so I can't just stand by!"
Graham moved, cloaking his entire body in blood energy.
The lightning Cha Eun-ha unleashed was offset by blood surging up from the puddles on the ground, and Jo Min-woo's punch was easily caught.
Graham's lips curled into a grotesque smile.
"Kid. That's not how you use your fists."
"Mister, you should have dodged instead of catching it...!"
*Hwareuk!*
Blue flames erupted from Jo Min-woo's fist.
Immediately after, a circle formed on the ground, and a pillar of fire shot up.
Graham laughed even within the high-temperature flames that would have turned an ordinary person to ash on the spot.
"Not enough, not enough. This won't do."
*Chwararak!*
Thorns of blood spread out in a circle.
Jo Min-woo, whose fist was still caught by Graham, was about to be hit helplessly, but he managed to escape just in time thanks to Jun Bo-ra's teleportation.
Seizing the opportunity, Cha Eun-ha swung her sword, charged with electricity.
*Kwang!*
A blood-red hand caught the blade.
As if neither the sword's sharpness nor the electric current had any effect.
When Graham pulled with force, Cha Eun-ha immediately made the decision to let go of the sword and back away.
"Good instincts."
Graham chuckled softly and carelessly threw the sword aside.
"How can you be completely fine...!?"
"I'm not fine. I recovered."
"Recovered?"
"The blood energy Graham wields deals significant damage, but its regenerative power is outstanding. The more damage he deals to his opponents, the more wounded beings there are around him. Now is the perfect time for him to run wild."
Jo Min-woo's eyes scanned the surroundings.
Blood and corpses were everywhere.
The horrifying scene was as chilling as the fact that Graham's power grew stronger in such situations.
"Khuhu. If you know that, then you must also know that you're no match for me."
From within a pool of blood, something in the shape of a sword slowly rose.
Graham's trump card, the Blood Demon Sword—a weapon that required a substantial amount of blood energy and couldn't be used at will, but once drawn, it was said to claim hundreds of lives.
The hair on Jun Bo-ra's entire body stood on end.
"Be careful! Just a scratch from that thing is..."
*Crack...*
The Blood Demon Sword froze over.
Along with Graham's arm and legs holding it—everything.
Graham, still unable to grasp the situation, tried to move with force, but he couldn't budge.
"I came to see what was going on."
Hwang Chan-jin spoke.
"Where is Kim Se-hyeon?"