The Player's POV-Chapter 182: War [43]

"Hey Kaelus."

"What’s wrong?"

"If one day, you encounter an opponent that you’re sure to lose to, what will you do?"

"What will I do? That’s a good question."

Kaelus pondered for a while.

Then, he had an answer.

"If it was before, I would run away. I’m sure of it."

"So what about now?"

"...The opponent that I can’t defeat is definitely very strong. That means he’ll become a big threat to humanity and the world."

A slight smile appeared on Kaelus’s lips.

"That’s why I’ll die together with him."

***

"..."

Alaric slowly opened his eyes.

His vision was clearly blurred.

All The king saw was blood, and the demon king’s sword piercing through his chest.

"It hurts..."

It really hurt.

It hurt so much that Alaric wanted to kill himself to be freed right now.

But, he couldn’t do that.

He still had a mission to complete.

All of humanity had placed their trust in The King.

He couldn’t let them down.

What Alaric was carrying on his shoulders wasn’t the lives of one or two people.

He was carrying the entire future of humanity.

It was very heavy.

However, The King never thought of giving up.

"I... lost?"

He asked, sneering.

"You’re wrong, demon king. I didn’t lose, I’m dying."

"Is there a difference?"

The Demon King asked, frowning.

"Yes, it’s very different."

Alaric’s voice became even weaker.

"I only lose when you win... But... are you sure you’ve really won?"

"Huh?"

The Demon King paused, sensing something was wrong.

"..."

The King didn’t respond, only gripping the sword tighter.

He gritted his teeth.

Alaric’s golden aura slowly invaded the Demon King’s entire body, using his sword as a bridge.

"What are you going to do?!"

Frightened and alarmed, the Demon King tried to take a few steps back.

But, The King wouldn’t allow that scenario to happen.

"Have I given you permission to leave, you bastard!?"

Roaring, he pounced at the demon king with all his remaining strength.

"Argh!"

Both of them fell to the ground.

"Get lost, Dix! Give up, you bastard!"

The demon king wanted to stand up, but then he realized that he couldn’t do it.

Alaric, thanks to the aura, had become as heavy as a mountain.

"Hahahaha..."

He just laughed.

A laugh filled with mockery.

Mocking the demon king’s powerlessness.

The King’s golden aura was still being poured into the demon king’s body.

It was almost enough.

"Dying alone is scary."

He started to mumble.

"So, will you come with me, demon king?"

A pale, terrifying smile appeared on Alaric’s face.

"I will go to heaven..."

Meanwhile, the demon king was wearing a face of utter panic.

"And you will go to hell..."

He felt death was closer than ever.

And this time, the demon king truly felt helpless.

"In the end... after thousands of years... our demon race still lost?"

"..."

The King did not respond.

"Dammit... Fuck... Bastard..."

"Be quiet, demon king."

He placed a hand on the demon king’s lips, revealing a strangely calm smile.

"Everything is ready."

Alaric knew he was about to die.

But he felt no fear.

Death...

It was something that everyone had to go through.

The King should have died long ago.

Nevertheless, he was given a new chance.

Not to enjoy life, but to save this beautiful world once again.

And Alaric was about to complete his mission.

"I am satisfied... It is enough..."

His eyes swept around, taking in everything one last time.

Even though this place was now just a pile of rubble.

But in the King’s eyes, it was still a beautiful land.

"Goodbye."

He closed his eyes.

"Let’s die together, Demon King."

Boom!

***

’What is this?’

Dix didn’t feel any pain.

Instead, he felt a strange warmth and peace. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

This was strange.

Slowly, he opened his eyes.

"..."

And everything that entered Dix’s sight left him speechless.

It wasn’t a horrifying scene or anything.

Before Dix was a dining table filled with various dishes.

And sitting around the table were his comrades.

The ones who were supposed to be dead.

Veyra.

Tharok.

Sunny.

Amon.

Ragnar.

And Kaelus.

It was just a normal scene, nothing special.

But that was all Dix longed for.

A wish he thought he would never be able to fulfill.

"It’s delicious!"

Veyra, while everyone was still arranging the dishes and chopsticks on the table, had already picked up a chicken leg and started to eat it greedily.

Just like always.

"Damn Veyra! How many times do I have to tell you to wait for everyone before eating?!"

"Are you a pig?!"

Sunny and Ragnar, as usual, got angry with Veyra over trivial matters.

The three of them didn’t get along.

But for some reason they were still teammates.

"Yeah, so what if I’m a pig? I’m a cute pig."

Like children, the three of them started chasing each other around the small but cozy house.

"It’s too noisy! Can you guys keep your voices down a bit?"

Amon just sat there, indifferent to everything that was going on.

"Okay everyone, calm down. We still have dinner to eat."

Tharok, with a polite smile, tried to stop the three of them.

It could be said that it was one of his daily chores.

A babysitter.

"..."

Dix, sitting there, looking at everything, couldn’t help but let out a small smile.

And it was this expression of his that caught Kaelus’s attention.

"What’s wrong, Dix? Why are you suddenly smiling? Are you feeling unwell?"

The moment Kaelus’s voice sounded, all eyes in the room turned to Dix.

"Nothing."

Still smiling, he shook his head.

"I’m just happy."

"Happy? Just a normal dinner is enough to make you feel like that? You’re so strange, Dix."

Maybe in their eyes, it was very strange.

But in Dix’s eyes, a person who had once been very lonely, a person who had once lost everything, this was all he needed.

A tear suddenly rolled down Dix’s cheek.

"I feel so happy, really."

He wished this moment could last forever.

Dix smiled brightly.

It seemed that only when he was with these people could he reveal his whole self.

"I’m not lonely anymore, because I have you guys."

***

"So lonely..."

Alaric slowly opened his eyes.

All he saw was destruction.

The scene just now was just a dream.

"...I predicted it would turn out like this..."

The King just wished that that dream could last a little longer.

"The Demon King is dead..."

That was for sure.

Because

[You have received 5 Experiences from killing a Demon rank Tower Creature.]

The world was close to reaching true light.

It was all thanks to Alaric.

But now, the one who had done the most was about to die.

Die in a pile of rubble, die without anyone knowing.

"I wish I could die in that dream."

Accepting this cruel truth, he slowly closed his eyes.

"Hey Alaric, I came to be with you in your final moments."

And that was when Kael Draven appeared.