Chapter 326: Lighthouse (1)

... Whooooooosh.

Along with the resistance of the air she felt during her rapid sprint, Ria came to the place indicated by Epherene’s map and dashed steeply through the foothills, which bore clear scorch marks of mana and fire as if a battle had already occurred in the mountains, and the mana floating in the air was so dense that it was hard to even breathe.

However, the evidence of that battle became thicker and more vivid the closer she came to its source.

“... What,” Ria muttered.

At some point, Ria's eyes widened in horror as she saw corpses—no, ambiguous remnants that were not even corpses—buried here and there on the slope or scattered randomly, as if a washing machine had exploded and all the contents were left torn to shreds.

Among the fragments of those that used to be human, Ria suddenly caught sight of a head that was particularly noticeable and rolling around, and it was the face of a character from the Floating Island.

“The Purger...”

Was this person's name Zelen? He must have been a named character who would have been somewhat helpful for progressing the quest,

Ria thought.

Ria looked around blankly at her surroundings, where torn robes, broken staffs, and magic circles carved into the road... were left as traces, all undoubtedly remnants of the forces of the Floating Island.

... Clench.

With her two fists clenched tightly, Ria silently made her way past the horrific scene and up the mountain path, running toward a place where she could feel a more definite presence, and soon after, she saw a person on the slope of a mountain peak cliff whom she knew.

It was Deculein, the one who had caused this situation and had killed all the Purgers, who was now lying unconscious on the road.

Rustle—

Ria slowly approached Deculein, her first step sweeping the sand, her second step trampling the bloody water, and her third step crushing organs of unknown origin.

Crush—!

Bloody water from a ruptured organ stuck to Ria's cheek, but she wiped it off without a care and soon reached Deculein's feet, kneeling down for a moment.

Whoosh...

Amid the cool, blowing wind and the cruel fragments of flesh, Ria quietly looked at the sleeping Deculein with a blank expression, seeing a dark red aura that had consumed him from his brow to his neck, his veins throbbing with demonic energy, and a body on fire with a high fever that felt like it would melt protein.

“... Deculein.”

Ria thought to herself that this person was a villain with no room for redemption because his nature was ultimately that of a villain, and his ending would reflect that, and he would continue to act like a villain both now and in the future.

Once again, Ria silently looked over the scene where the Purgers of the Floating Island were dead, with unclear numbers of those who had died or been killed, having not even died a normal death, their limbs torn and organs ripped out in a massacre that left no corpse to be recovered.

"Why?" Ria asked Deculein.

There was no reply.

The unconscious Deculein was sleeping like he was dead. Therefore, if she were to calmly evaluate this situation, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to kill Deculein comfortably and without any sacrifice or cost, and to prevent the completion of the lighthouse.

Rustle—

Ria took a small dagger from her arms, and the blue blade that flowed from its sheath glowed vividly as her mana was applied to the steel, infusing it with

Elementalization

and causing it to blaze intensely.

If I stab this dagger into Deculein's heart, the mana of scorching flame, biting ice, verdant forest, and howling tempest will flood inside Deculein. Even his solid body will freeze, burn, break, and scatter repeatedly, until it oxidizes into a handful of ash. If I stab it into his heart... I just have to thrust this dagger in.

It ends with just that—the guilt that will sweep over me afterward, which I will have to endure alone, for this is my fault. That Deculein holds his fiancée Yuara in his heart, that Yulie lost herself and escaped from Deculein—it’s all my fault.

Perhaps, even at this very moment, Epherene is giving me an opportunity, telling me to kill Deculein, to execute the villain,

Ria thought.

Ria gritted her teeth.

“

... Ugh.

”

However, for some reason, Ria’s small hand holding the dagger did not move, only trembling and failing to perform the most important action.

“... Why.”

To both Ganesha and herself, Ria had promised that she would kill Deculein, but when she saw Deculein’s face, which resembled Kim Woo-Jin’s, her heart ached and she felt a pain as if it were being squeezed.

"Why do you... look so much like him?"

No matter how hard Ria tried to forget, a memory from long ago refused to fade. Deculein was nothing more than a character who resembled him in motive, but even though she knew this, her body refused to move, as if her instincts were rejecting it.

Nevertheless, Ria gripped the dagger by force, and once again, she repeated the words to herself.

Deculein was dangerous and was trying to complete the lighthouse and bring destruction to the continent, therefore he had to be stopped—even if his motivation was the pain of losing Yulie and a non-existent spirit named Yuara. Ria had an opportunity to do so right in front of her, where Deculein was lying down.

Ria tightened her grip on the dagger.

Cleeeeeench—

The tip of the blade shook violently.

Whooooooosh—

And the wind fluttered against Ria's body as, under a pressure that made even that small weight feel too heavy, she raised both hands high, let out a scream she did not recognize—a strange cry impossible to tell whether it was one of agony or a battle—and stabbed the dagger down.

And, at that moment...

A man shimmered before Ria’s eyes, and it was Kim Woo-Jin who smiled at her.

Stab—!

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

The dagger was lodged and was firmly driven into Deculein’s heart.

Plink, drip, plink...

Drops of water flowed from somewhere as tears, which had gathered unknowingly on Ria's cheeks, and hot saliva from between her widely parted lips slowly trickled down.

“

Haa, haa...

”

With a hot breath from a heart that felt as if it would burst, Ria looked down at Deculein’s chest and twisted the dagger she was holding.

Swishhhh...

However, the expected death did not come, and the dagger only hovered over Deculein’s suit, which he always wore, unable to tear, break, or burn the magical fabric and merely scratching at the surface as if to wake him up or tickle him.

Cleeeeeench—

The reason was simple—the

Elementalization

that was imbued in the dagger had already dispersed and disappeared.

“

Haa...

”

Just before she plunged the dagger, Ria got rid of the

Elementalization

herself.

However, Ria herself did not know why she had done it, as it might have been because of an instinct she did not even recognize or perhaps due to a past emotion she couldn’t let go of, and as she wiped the tears from her eyes, she felt the presence of the guy named Kim Woo-Jin who kept appearing in her mind, leaving her confused.

At that moment...

"Was it a mistake?"

At the sound coming from below, Ria flinched, looked down, and was so startled that she fell backward.

“

Ahhhh!

”

Deculein was looking at Ria, with a face that had turned a violet hue and with eyes that remained sharp and terrifying.

"... With a mere dagger's blade, you cannot kill me," Deculein said. "Pathetic. What have you done with the

Elementalization

I taught you?"

What Deculein meant by pathetic, Ria did not know—no, her mind was blank, a ringing sound filled her ears, and the ground beneath her feet trembled as if it would collapse at any moment.

"Did you say pathetic?" Ria asked.

"Indeed, you who have missed, and are about to miss, the last opportunity, are pathetic," Deculein replied, his lips twisting with a sneer.

“... What opportunity?”

"The final opportunity for you to bring about my death."

Looking at Deculein, who was lying on the ground and discussing his own death, Ria's face hardened.

Is he pretending because he wants to live, or is he being serious...?

Ria thought.

"Do you, then, propose to miss this singular opportunity?" Deculein continued.

Ria was momentarily flustered, but she soon calmed down because of the peaceful Deculein and found her composure.

"I have something I would like to ask."

"... What is it?"

"Why are you trying to complete the lighthouse?" Ria asked.

"You need not know," Deculein stated.

At Deculein’s response, which could hardly be called a response, Ria’s brow furrowed.

"Do you mean to betray Her Majesty, the Empress, then?" Ria asked.

Then, Deculein fell silent, as if contemplating his response and choosing his words.

"Indeed," Deculein replied, looking up at the sky.

It had been clear before Ria arrived, but dark clouds had gathered unnoticed, as if they might scatter rain at any moment...

Tap—

A drop of rainwater touched the top of Ria’s head.

“Why?” Ria asked, once again.

"Because that is my very being," Deculein said with a twist to his lips.

Deculein’s words—that it was because that was his very being—were extremely arrogant, but for some reason Ria let out a hollow laugh, and when she thought of him, who was set up as a villain from the beginning, Deculein’s words became a very clear answer.

"Therefore, let your hand close upon the dagger," Deculein continued. "Thrust it into my heart. You will be able to bring about my death."

Rainwater settled on the face of Deculein, who was telling her to kill him.

Tap, tap, tap.

Finding the trickling rainwater bothersome and unbecoming, Ria opened an umbrella and shielded his face from the dirty rain.

"Inform Her Majesty that I have betrayed her."

Listening to Deculein's words, Ria shook her head and replied, "You just need to stop the lighthouse, Count Yukline, you just need to stop the lighthouse—"

"That cannot be," Deculein replied.

“... Why?”

Ria became angry once again.

The lighthouse has caused all this... That lighthouse is a weapon to bring destruction to the continent... What on earth did Deculein get promised by Quay for him to do this...?

"Because I am a villain."

Deculein turned his eyes toward the dagger that lay on the ground and looked at it.

"Nevertheless, do you propose to miss that opportunity?"

Ria gathered the dagger.

"I know it's an opportunity. Right now, I'm just contemplating it," Ria replied.

“For what reason?” Deculein asked, seeking clarification.

“Because you, Count Yukline, remind me of my old love,” Ria said, giving a hollow laugh.

“... Your old love.”

"Yes, isn't that strange?"

With her arms wrapped around her legs, Ria looked up at the sky.

“Just as you, Count Yukline, are reminded of your old love when you see me, I too am reminded of my old love whenever I see you."

Deculein and Kim Woo-Jin, Ria and Yoo Ah-Ra.

“... Of course, you, Count Yukline, are not him. I know that,” Ria continued, shaking her head. “Compared to him, who was considerate, kind, wonderful, and gentle, you are just very evil, arrogant, and your pride is absolutely supreme.”

Tap—

Rainwater touched Ria's face, and a cold wetness soaked into her eyes.

"But every time I see you, Count Yukline, you remind me of him... and," Ria added, looking at Deculein again.

Deculein, as well, was looking at Ria.

"I just can't bring myself to kill you."

That confession was actually for Ria herself, not for Deculein, but for Yoo Ah-Ra, who was inside her.

"... You will regret it," Deculein replied, and it was, as always, a grave warning.

"Yes, I will definitely regret it since you sided with Quay, Professor," Ria said, nodding.

If the entire main quest was the path to a happy ending by killing Deculein, then it was possible that Ria, who could not kill him now, would be left as a villain, or, if not, she was a mad fool who had fallen for Deculein’s handsome appearance.

"However, I find myself thinking over this," Ria continued, a subtle smile touching her lips. "That the opposite might also be possible."

Ria was thinking something.

“... The opposite,” Deculein inquired.

"Yes," Ria replied, putting the dagger she had gathered into her inner pocket.

The main quest had several branches, including an ending where one killed Quay, an ending where one persuaded Quay, or an ending where one became a demon and destroyed the Empire... and all different types of endings existed.

“I will die instead.”

However, Ria knew that among all those endings, a game-over ending existed, and as a member of the team that participated in the game development, she was well aware of its existence.

Deculein had no words, as if in disbelief, and he only looked at Ria as if he were looking at a fool.

"I know, isn’t it foolish? I am preparing to die in your place, just because I cannot bring myself to kill someone who resembles my old love."

"No, I find your overestimation to be foolish," Deculein replied.

Overestimation—after all, from Deculein’s perspective, he can think that because he doesn’t know about the existence of players. In reality, the main character of this continent is I, the player,

Ria thought.

"Yeah, yeah~" Ria said, nodding as if sneering at the words.

"Nothing will change even if a mere being like you dies," Deculein said, his brow narrowing slightly.

“No, there is, and it is most clear,” Ria replied, rising and glancing at Deculein before looking up again at the rain drenching her. “Because...”

With the sky covered by dark clouds and the hidden rain within, Ria was reminded of someone named Rain, and she made her confession.

“I am Yoo Ah-Ra.”