Chapter 292.

“… . ”

I raised my body without replying . Meanwhile, Bell continued to talk .

“Demon Realm Transformation is progressing even as we speak . It’s still faint so that humans can’t detect it, but it will soon spread to the heart of Earth . ”

The final setting of my story – Demon Realm Transformation . This was the phenomenon where the Demon Realm’s land eroded Earth’s . This meant I was heading towards the end of the story .

“No one can stop Demon Realm Transformation . Because it’s the prelude to the descent of devils . ”

For the story to have a happy ending, Kim Suho had to eliminate devils and save humanity .

“If you want to stop Demon Realm Transformation, or in other words, if you want to see the best ‘ending’, you should trust me . ”

So I couldn’t help but doubt Bell . Somehow, he was even more confident about the ending of the story than me .

“… . ”

I glared at Bell . Inside the darkness without a single stream of light, Bell received my gaze and smiled leisurely .

“The offer I want to make is simple . ”

Bell finished the cigar in his mouth . After a brief silence, he burned it with black magic power . The smoke of the cigar filled the air . Bell spoke inside the acrid smoke .

“Help Sahyuk to kill me . ”

“…What?”

My eyebrows furrowed naturally .

But Bell smiled with even greater leisure and continued what seemed like the strangest words .

“I know you and Jin Sahyuk have a complicated relationship… but she’s the only one who can kill me . ”

It was then that I realized what seemed so off about Bell .

He didn’t have a ‘desire to live’, which all humans naturally possessed .

Was it because he knew he was Baal’s incarnation body? I couldn’t understand .

“…Can’t you just go to Jin Sahyuk and let her kill you? What’s so complicated about it?”

“Ah, if only it was that easy~”

Bell put on a sad expression .

“I want to die . I’ve lived for too long and have no desire to live . But I do have a survival instinct . Instinct is different than desire because this instinct comes from Baal who resides in my head . ”

“But didn’t I kill you with ease before?”

When I killed Bell in the Tower of Wish or, as Bell said, killed his body, I felt no signs of Baal .

“I told you, I won’t die even if I’m killed . Baal only reacts when my existence is at risk of ‘annihilation’ . When that happens, Baal should shoot out of my head and erupt into a frenzy . ”

Bell paused momentarily . Then, he wore a look of reminiscence like he was remembering something from a long time ago .

“…I’ve killed many because of this instinct . ”

A sorrowful smile emerged on his face . But his smile soon disappeared, and he continued speaking in his leisurely tone .

“So I want you to help Sahyuk . She can become much stronger than she is now . Help her get stronger so that she can kill me . ”

“… . ”

“If she doesn’t, Baal will destroy Earth once he descends . That’s something neither you, me, nor that Monster King Orden want . ”

I still had many questions and doubts . But I knew Bell was mostly telling the truth thanks to the newly upgraded [Observation and Reading] .

[Life force 100/100]

[Name – Bell]

[Alignment – Neutral]

[Realm, Potential – Inestimable]

[Status – Being honest]

Of course, being honest didn’t mean he was telling the truth .

I changed the topic before digging deeper into his explanation .

“What do you mean by betraying Boss?”

“Mm? Oh, Byul?” Bell grinned . “If you can find a way to not betray her, then you don’t have to . But… . ” Bell’s expression turned serious . “I doubt she’ll accept the fact that you’re cooperating with me . Byul resents me for killing Yeonjun . ”

Yeonjun . It was yet another name I didn’t know . I frowned .

“…And who’s Yeonjun?”

“Oh, that’s the Chameleon Troupe’s previous Boss . Byul didn’t tell you, huh . Well, it’s not surprising given how sensitive she is to the topic . ”

Bell let out a dry cough .

“Anyways, I’ve told Byul that she would end up betraying you for Yeonjun . I didn’t know things would turn out this way, but it kind of makes sense, doesn’t it? Haha . ”

Bell shrugged proudly and acted cutely . It would have been disgusting if he wasn’t so handsome, but in any case, I understood what he meant . In a way, I was the only one who could understand Bell .

He was kind of like me in that he was trying to conclude the story . Bell had chosen Jin Sahyuk for the ending he envisioned, while I had chosen Kim Suho .

One was a growing main character and the other was a growing final boss . But technically, the growing final boss was also one of the protagonists of the story’s latter half .

“Think of yourself as a princess maker . Sahyuk is a princess, after all . ”

Bell rested his chin on his hands and stared at me .

“Plus, I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Chundong came to be Sahyuk’s servant . ”

“Don’t talk about Chundong in front of me . ”

Synchronization percentage increased every time I heard Kim Chundong’s name . It was already at 10 . 9% . It wouldn’t be wrong to say my feet now belonged to him .

“Okay, I won’t . ”

Bell smiled brightly . He then walked up to me and placed his hands on my shoulders .

“So? Will you do it? If you do, I’ll support you so that Sahyuk can become yours . ”

I frowned at the strange connotation in his words .

“…I don’t want Jin Sahyuk to become mine . ”

Bell replied casually .

“Just think of it as my dying will . ”

**

Underground Resistance Village .

The commotion died down only when the sun set . Cheok Jungyeong and Aileen calmed the Chameleon Troupe’s Boss, who suddenly went berserk, and Jin Sahyuk shuddered at the unjust treatment she received .

“I’m going . ”

Although the Heroes present were able to prevent a full-out fight from breaking out, Jin Sahyuk decided to leave the village with hurt feelings . She had no reason to stay since Bell ran away .

“…Here, take this . ”

Kim Suho was the only one who came to see her off . Kim Suho handed her a bag filled with bento boxes and other dry food that could easily last two weeks .

“… . ”

Jin Sahyuk stared at Kim Suho unhappily, but she took the bag anyways . She knew how important food was from the last experience she suffered .

“Sorry, I tried to do something about it, but we’re allied with the Chameleon Troupe for now, so…”

“Chameleon Troupe . ”

Jin Sahyuk turned around with the bag under her armpit .

“Don’t trust them . They’re worse than me . ”

She then grabbed onto the ladder to the surface . Kim Suho watched Jin Sahyuk climb the ladder . Eventually, he couldn’t help but shout, “OI!”

“… . ”

Jin Sahyuk turned around . As Kim Suho once served Jin Sahyuk as a knight, he had complicated feelings towards her .

“Didn’t you come for me? You’re just going to leave without fighting me?”

Jin Sahyuk stared at Kim Suho blankly before letting out a small snicker .

“…Bastard, did you develop a crush on me?”

That was it . Jin Sahyuk didn’t say anything else and just disappeared up the ladder .

“Huu… . ”

Kim Suho still had mixed feelings .

He had settled his past, but Jin Sahyuk was still clearly bound by it . That was why she regarded him as a traitor .

But looking at her back, he didn’t feel good . Though she was a powerless leader, she was still the king he once served .

Aileen approached as Kim Suho fell in thought .

“Don’t worry about someone like her . Tigris will be coming in two days . ”

Aileen crossed her arms .

“The rehearsal is starting soon, so follow me . ”

“…Yes . ”

Kim Suho nodded and slowly turned around . He then trudged towards the village hall with Aileen .

**

…Two days later, in Doloren Square located in the heart of Lupiton .

“I will say this again . We will be victorious—!”

Both humans and humanoid monsters gathered at Doloren Square where Tigris’s voice rang out . His roar shook heaven and earth, and his speech ended with loud applause from everyone .

“Great, Lupiton is satisfactory . ”

Tigris nodded contently before walking down from the podium .

“Lord Tigris, Lord Tigris . ”

At that moment, an ant humanoid monster walked up to him .

“Village Lord Pleron would like to invite you to a banquet . ”

“No need . She should be satisfied seeing my face here . I don’t want to waste any more time . Rather than that, where’s Horseless?”

“Ah, Lord Horseless is enjoying a nap at the moment . ”

Tigris’s secretary didn’t forget to address Horseless with respect . He knew dozens of humanoid monsters who were beheaded for addressing Horseless casually .

“We’ve been quite busy lately, so he must be tired . Thankfully, tomorrow is the last day . ”

Tigris headed to the mansion Horseless was sleeping in . Following him were 66 rank-1 humanoid monsters, who were all elites equivalent in strength to high-rank grade-1 Heroes .

“Mm, there he is . ”

Tigris arrived at the well-decorated stable built just for Horseless . It was full of beautiful and rare plants and flowers .

“Horseless!”

Horseless instantly reacted to Tigris’s voice .

—Hiiing!

“Hahaha, you wanted to see me too?”

Tigris embraced Horseless who ran into his arms . They were only separated for four hours, yet they acted as though they were reunited after years .

Tigris, who was stroking Horseless’s mane, suddenly heard Horseless’s whisper . Tigris stood frozen for a moment, then nodded his head .

“…Oi, did you feed this child?”

Tigris asked the human who was in charge of the stable .

“Yes, we served him the best food available . ”

“And what was that?”

“T-That’s… . ”

The human didn’t answer, but Tigris wasn’t expecting to hear one . Tigris immediately crushed the human’s head, turning him into pulp .

“…Fool . ”

Tigris glanced at the corpse then hopped on Horseless . Horseless greeted his owner with a happy expression .

“Make sure to prepare proper meat in the next village . Otherwise, you will be the next to die . ”

Tigris’s solemn warning caused all his servants to bow .

“Let’s go!”

Tk, tk .

Horseless’s clear galloping sound rang out as Tigris marched forward .

Lupiton’s residents sent him unconditional applauses, and Tigris left the village feeling content .

“I can’t get used to seeing humans all happy . If it wasn’t for King Orden… don’t you think so?”

Tigris grumbled viciously the moment he left the village .

“Yes, I am always amazed by Lord Tigris’s patience and virtue . ”

The ant secretary eagerly played along with Tigris .

The group slowly headed to their next destination and soon reached a vast wilderness .

“Huaaaam—!’

Tigris yawned, which sounded more like a roar .

“What villages are left?”

“Crean and Loren . Crean is a low-rank village and Loren is a mid-rank…?”

Just as the ant secretary was reciting their itinerary, an arrow-like object flashed in the sky .

Paaaang—!

A huge wind pressure fiercely swallowed the surrounding air . This came from Tigris’s punch . He had immediately tried to eliminate the object that was targeting Horseless .

However, the Divine Archer’s arrow wasn’t so easily broken . It multiplied like a spider web and assaulted Tigris and Horseless .

Whish—!

Jin Seyeon’s magic arrow bound Tigris’s arm, then dug further down to pierce Horseless’s heart .

“…!”

Immediately, Tigris fell forward . Although he landed safely, the same couldn’t be said for Horseless .

With his heart destroyed by a fatal arrow, Horseless fell to the side helplessly .

“… . ”

When Tigris saw Horseless, his thoughts stopped . He ran up to him in a daze, moving only by instinct .

—Hi…iing…

Horseless was gasping for air . Looking at his beloved owner, he was letting out his final breaths, struggling to live .

—… .

But it wasn’t long until his breathing stopped . The horse died with its eyes open . Tigris stared at his beloved horse in a frozen state . He felt like he was dreaming . Everything felt surreal, and his brain refused to accept the current situation as reality .

“This… what… . ”

The ant secretary slowly approached Tigris . He could only see Tigris’s back, which was trembling unnaturally .

“Um… Lord Tig…”

The ant secretary couldn’t finish his sentence .

“—!”

Tigris roared, his voice full of rage and uncontrollable madness . He stood up and glared at his servants . His tearful eyes had already lost focus .

Drowning in rage, Tigris turned into a beast that acted on its instinctive desire to destroy .

**

On the other hand, Jin Sahyuk walked deeper into Africa . She came to Africa to find Bell, but now she had an additional goal .

Training to become stronger .

Jin Sahyuk felt she had been too lazy lately . She felt especially powerless after fighting the so-called boss of the Chameleon Troupe .

Jin Sahyuk walked through Africa, chasing after the scent Bell purposefully left behind . If any monster or humanoid monster dared to hinder her, she simply killed them .

“Hm… Was this what Bell was aiming for?”

And the current result was this .

Thousands of monsters and humanoid monsters were surrounding her .

The fight was well underway . Jin Sahyuk released countless weapons that shred the lives of monsters, and a mountain of corpses began to build up . However, there was seemingly no end to the number of monsters .

“Give up, Jin Sahyuk, kereuk . ”

A humanoid monster resembling a drake spoke . He seemed to be the commander of the army .

Jin Sahyuk’s eyes widened .

“You know my name?”

“Kereuk . Of course, you became the King’s servant, yet betrayed him and ran away after just one week . ”

“…Oh, you’re talking about that?”

Jin Sahyuk had received Akatrina’s crystal from Orden, but she didn’t remember becoming his servant . Jin Sahyuk made a wry smile .

“Are you prepared to die, kereuk?”

“… . ”

Jin Sahyuk checked her physical condition without answering . She had been pushing herself for the past month without proper rest, so she couldn’t say she was in excellent condition . In fact, it was below average due to the fight two days earlier .

“Are you ready to die?”

But just as expected, Jin Sahyuk pushed herself into a corner . Pushing herself to overcome her limits was how she planned to get stronger . Jin Sahyuk was confident in her potential .

“Kereuk, foolish human—!”

The drake shouted and spat out a fireball .

Kwaaaa—!

Jin Sahyuk jumped up to dodge the attack, but flying monsters quickly charged towards her . Jin Sahyuk manipulated the air current and strangled them to death .

“…How do you lot breed so quickly?”

The humanoid monsters and monster birds’ attacks continued .

Jin Sahyuk had limited magic power, yet the option of escaping never entered her brain .

The endless fight left numerous scars on Jin Sahyuk’s body . Her bleeding never ceased, her armor torn, and her hair cut . Overcoming the situation seemed to be the farthest thing from reach, as the situation only worsened as time passed .

It was then . As Jin Sahyuk continued to lead a solitary battle…

“Kereuk! Die, traitor…?”

An arrow struck the throat of the roaring drake . The arrow then shot up and pierced the drake’s head .

“…Kereeeuk . ”

The drake died, but the mysterious arrow was only getting started .

Chwaaaa—

A total of five black arrows came flying through the sky . They drew black traces in the air and moved like five autonomous birds .

“…?”

Jin Sahyuk stared at the arrows in a daze . The arrows moved at an incomprehensible speed, taking the lives of numerous monsters . The lines drawn by the arrows resembled something out of a modern art museum .

Kuak, keuk, guuuk—!

Monsters fell one-by-one . The death toll reached two-digits, three-digits, then four-digits .

All this happened in less than 3 seconds .

“…Who is it . ”

When Jin Sahyuk asked, the owner of the arrows showed himself without a moment of hesitation .

“Over here . ”

The voice came from above . Jin Sahyuk looked up .

On a nameless mountain, the man she was looking for along with Bell was standing there .

Kim Hajin .

Jin Sahyuk furrowed her brows, while Kim Hajin spoke expressionlessly .

“Come up . ”

“…What?”

Kim Hajin explained to the confused Jin Sahyuk .

“For the next six months…”

Then, he nocked another arrow on his bow . This one was a pure white arrow that clearly contrasted with his previous black arrows . Although Jin Sahyuk had no way of knowing this arrow’s identity, it was the mythical [Lv . 11 Athena’s Moonlight Arrow] .

“I’ll be by your side . ”

Kim Hajin finished his sentence, but Jin Sahyuk didn’t understand him for a long time . Three seconds? Five seconds? Once the words sank in, Jin Sahyuk’s eyes quickly widened, and Kim Hajin let go of his bowstring .

Kwaaaaa—!

Athena’s Moonlight Arrow, infused with Stigma’s magic power, erupted with a huge, pure current and shot towards the army of monsters .

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