Chapter 79
HEL SCANS
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…My mood was unusually bad.
Even though I had torn apart all of the 10 demons that had lingered around the stake, the sinking feeling did not improve.
“Fake.”
“Yes.”
“It’s a difficult world to live in with a sound mind.”
I vividly remember most of the conversations I had with the ‘Original.’
It was on one of those days.
The words were muttered with an unexpectedly tired expression.
It was right after a fairly large-scale battle had ended.
Crack!
I ran, parrying the claws of the approaching demon, contemplating that conversation.
…A difficult world to live in with a sound mind.
“…How dare you, how dare!”
The enraged, pale-faced demon approached in an instant and bounced back faster than it came.
He seemed momentarily surprised.
His bloodshot eyes scanned me hastily.
As if realizing something, he stopped.
“Wait. That sword….”
Turning away from him, I looked up at the ceiling, which had started making a rumbling noise.
Crash!
The stake was slowly collapsing.
I could feel the diminishing intensity of demonic energy in real-time.
In about 10 minutes, the stake would completely disappear as if it had never existed in this world.
…But there were things left behind.
I blinked my stiff eyes slowly.
Bloody stains on the walls on every floor.
Incomplete forms of corpses.
Despairing expressions.
Even tear marks on the pitch-black faces.
…They remained clearly in this scene of annihilation because they were not part of the stake.
‘How many…’
To swing the sword, I took a step forward.
Thud, thud, clatter.
An inconspicuous pendant, like something belonging to a deceased person, caught my foot.
Inside the pendant, opened wide due to the impact, there was a picture of a young woman and a child.
The words of the ‘Original’ echoed in my mind again.
“It’s a difficult world to live in with a sound mind.”
I recalled the list of avatars that I could implement.
The retainers of Malekia, numbering in the dozens.
Demons in the hundreds, and creatures surpassing thousands.
I counted the tragedies someone had faced.
Click-
▼
Delving deeper into Ted Redymer…
▲
I continued to observe the demon that I had not yet engaged.
Unlike before, he seemed cautious this time.
He scrutinized me with suspicious eyes.
More precisely, he alternated between my ragged body and the ‘Black Hope.’
I felt like I knew what he was thinking.
That expression, it felt like he was sensing a contradiction.
“No way… No, that can’t be.”
He muttered in a hesitant voice.
Without bothering to answer that question, I turned back towards him.
Thud.
Blood flowed down from my body, soaking the ground through my ankles.
But my mind was clearer than ever.
Truth be told, I had been somewhat puzzled.
‘Original’ understanding level: 50.
Why did the Iris of Laplace judge my understanding of the Original, something I had observed and imitated consistently for years, to be a mere ’50’?
Was it because I couldn’t bring myself to fully use the essence of the real, or was it something more difficult to handle?
…As time passed and I grew, I believed that if I could replicate him, I could handle it without any issues.
Looking back, it was truly a foolish thought.
‘To unfold polymorph perfectly, an understanding of the subject is necessary.’
I.
What had I mistakenly thought I understood about him all this time?
…His tone?
The atmosphere he exuded?
Habits?
The accomplishments conveyed through words and writing?
Ted Redymer.
A man who, out of excessive love for humans, resolved to shoulder their fate.
A man who loved humans more than anyone else.
A man who lived half a lifetime on the battlefield where humans crumbled every second.
A life punctuated by brutal tragedies and intense battles.
Such a life.
How could I understand it properly without walking the same path?
Click, click, click-
I looked at the comments that had been flooding my vision when I shattered the core.
The sentences of the furnace and flames were simultaneously changing.
▼
The flames boiling in the new furnace,
Will drive away the darkness and cold of this land.
Deepening the understanding of Ted Redymer
Understanding Level: 50/100 -> 60/100
Salvation Ritual – ‘2nd Form: Nova’ has been unlocked.
▲
Crackling sounds echoed!
I lifted my head.
For the past few days, the azure energy that I had longed for so much was swirling around my whole body.
A vivid blue energy, just like what the ‘Original’ wore.
A power different from the imitation forcefully pulled out by clashing with magic of different attributes.
As I realized Nova had been activated, the world seemed to suddenly decelerate, just as the ‘Original’ had mentioned.
My body entered an extreme state of awakening.
“No way.”
“…”
“You… are not the Hero, right? Laughable, isn’t it? Mocking a subject barely standing on its feet.”
A twisted smile spread across his face again.
Twisted corners of his mouth.
Perhaps it was a sneer.
“A mere imitation that looks good on the surface… Humans do quite amusing things when you think about it.”
“…True.”
I didn’t bother denying that statement.
It wasn’t wrong.
The fact that I am fake remains unchanged no matter what happens.
“Hahaha… on a subject weakened beyond comparison. What meaning is there in merely imitating, especially when compared to that?”
Woo-woo-woo-!
He seemed to regain confidence.
Demonic enegry began swirling from the tips of his grimy nails.
It felt ominous.
“That meaningless false life… I will personally put an end to it.”
In front of the aura of demonic energy exuding ferociously.
Crackle!
The energy bounced even more fiercely, and intense pain pierced through my entire body.
I had just awakened the 2nd Form.
I knew that with a body with considerable injuries, stable implementation would be impossible.
But it didn’t matter.
‘…A meaningless false life.’
I recalled his words while holding the black hope.
“…Die!”
The concentrated force burst out in an instant as the magic rushed forward, simultaneous with the charge.
Koo-oo-oo-ooong!
It was not only powerful but also fast.
An energy mass arrived at me before the sound, moving at a speed that, under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t be able to react to—something I should avoid or deflect through intuition alone.
Yet, right now, the thought that this attack would reach me didn’t cross my mind.
Pang!
I slammed into the ground.
It felt like my heart stopped momentarily.
Unconsciously, I had passed through the magic and ended up right in front of the demon.
The black hope in my hand felt light.
The massive chunk of metal moved at a speed unseen before, severing his arm.
“Kkuah!”
Paaang!
The shockwave from the movement of the sword echoed belatedly in my ears.
Not stopping, I leaped backward, following the retreating figure.
And then, I swung the sword again.
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“What is this…!”
Rather than attempting to counterattack, the bewildered demon focused desperately on healing.
Magic rushed to the wounded area, regenerating flesh at a much faster pace than before.
But ultimately, it was futile.
My attacks were hitting faster than before.
Crackle!
Slashing, thrusting, bending…
The only difference from previous encounters was the speed.
In the blink of an eye, dozens of strikes mercilessly assaulted the demon.
Flutter!
Ultimately, he unfolded wings made of blood.
‘Is he trying to escape?’
A tempest followed.
A demon soaring fiercely towards the ceiling.
But it was futile.
Thud!
I slammed into the wall of the stake.
In my mind, a picture of where and how to step on the wall to catch up with him formed instantly.
…It was fascinating.
The speed at which I recognized objects on the battlefield.
The speed at which I thought about how to use it advantageously in combat.
Everything seemed accelerated.
My body followed the arrow-like thoughts shot out.
“This persistent creature!”
Encountering the demon again in mid-air, I swung my sword, and he met it with a fist imbued with magic as if resigned.
But the exchange was one-sided.
His calves.
Wings.
Collarbones.
Thighs.
Eyes and ears.
Abdomen and waist.
All simultaneously severed.
Crackle!
Dark blood evaporated in the energy, and a pungent smoke rose.
When the smoke covered the view, obscuring the vivid bloodstains on the wall, the long-awaited scream finally erupted from the demon’s mouth.
“Kuaaah!”
Mounted on the upper torso of the barely remaining demon, I thrust the tip of the sword into his chest.
We plummeted and got entangled near the top of the stake.
Instinctively, he tried to spread his wings, but they had already been severed, and all that remained was a pitiful wriggling.
It was a grotesque sight, but no laughter escaped my lips.
Crunch!
The black hope pierced through the bottom of the stake and the demon in one go.
The one beneath me lay motionless.
Yet, as the dust settled, I could meet the crimson-eyed gaze staring at me from below.
“…Hehehe.”
He laughed again.
However, the composure he had just moments ago was nowhere to be found.
A face marked by conflicting emotions.
Anger, despair, helplessness, fear, all vividly portrayed.
“Don’t be so conceited…”
“…”
“I am but a speck of dust in the clan. The moment insignificant beings like you stand before Lord Malekia, you will not last a moment and will beg for your life.”
I silently looked down at his cursed face.
The Queen of Agony, Malekia.
And the demons whose names I did not know, part of her retinue.
He spoke with the intention of plunging me into despair, but I couldn’t hide the laughter bubbling up.
“Pain, huh…”
…It was amusing.
Ironically amusing.
What did these beings know about pain?
In response to his arrogant words, I recalled the greatest pain I had witnessed.
“Then, I wish you well… Ted Redymer. Make sure to bring a future to humanity.”
…A scene of a man leaving without completing a lifelong mission flashed before my eyes.
That last moment.
I tried to imagine the emotions he felt at that moment.
That, indeed, was agony.
“…Are you laughing? Are you happy? Toppling just one of us won’t change anything. Are you delighted with such a meager victory?”
Even without saying it, I knew.
He was just a tiny fraction of the iceberg.
Even now, all over the continent, various miseries created by demons were likely overwhelming humans.
Just looking at the stakes told the story.
Hundreds had been driven in so far, and until the Demon Lord was subdued, dozens, hundreds more would be driven.
In places my hands couldn’t reach.
How many more lives would brutally be extinguished?
“…It’s not joy.”
And that’s why I had to move forward.
The life of the ‘Original.’
The pain scattered throughout that life.
To ensure it didn’t lose its meaning.
I had to move forward.
“I just reflected on the answer.”
That was the meaning of this life, adorned with falsehood.
“This…”
He tried to say something more.
But there was no time to listen.
No reason.
So, I swung down the sword.
…Thunk.
As the head rolled off, the demon finally fell silent.
I held the black hope and stood up immediately.
“Phew…”
Perhaps due to the recoil from Nova, my consciousness felt as if it might float away.
Despite self-recovery being possible, it was difficult to remain unscathed with injuries of this magnitude.
But I couldn’t collapse yet.
“…I have to go back.”
With those muttered words, as I turned my body towards the entrance, I suddenly stood still.
“P-please, save me….”
A shuffling figure emerged from the debris behind the fallen stake.
Someone was walking, struggling to maintain balance as if their body might collapse at any moment.
“Wait, just a moment. Please take me with you! Please….”
The faint light seeping through the collapsing ceiling illuminated him.
He seemed to be on the border between a young man and a boy, a child who had been waiting patiently until the end of the battle.
“Ah, ah….”
The boy who had noticed me, standing still and waiting, seemed to lose strength in his legs and slumped to the ground.
Even in the darkness, the tears of relief streaming down his face sparkled brightly.
“….”
I gently draped the wounded boy over my shoulder and slowly moved towards the collapsing entrance.
Hehehe-!
Suddenly, a hearty cry echoed, and it was at that moment.
“…Ted.”
A bitter laugh escaped my lips.
The one I thought had died from the demon’s attack was standing proudly at the entrance.
Though his once glossy fur was now covered in dust, fortunately, he seemed unharmed.
Hehehe-!
As if signalling for the boy to be placed on his back, the creature bent his legs.
“Alright, let’s go.”
It was time to return to Lonkers.
With a burst of speed, Ted ran even with two people on his back.
“….”
Watching the swiftly running horse and the collapsing stake filled with various emotions, the boy on the ground.
As I observed this scene, I silently reassured myself.
‘The answer is already decided.’
As long as we live.
Each must strive to reach their respective destinations.
That is likely the only way for this world to live with complete sanity.
HEL SCANS
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