Chapter 79: If You Die, Just Think of It as Your Fate (1)

Everyone in Liqueur misunderstood Keter. They thought he acted recklessly without reason and enjoyed gambling, but that was only half-true. There were times when he was impulsive and times when he wasn’t. What appeared to be rash behavior often had a solid foundation. He simply didn’t feel the need to broadcast it.

From the moment Keter sought out Cork, he predicted they would end up undertaking the Goddess’ Trial together. That was why he checked the request board as soon as he arrived at the Mercenary Guild.

He had noticed Cork’s sleight of hand long before. Known as Keen Eyes in gambling circles, Keter had earned his nickname for his ability to detect fraud by sound alone, even with his eyes closed.

Though he punished Cork for his trickery, he didn’t change the job details. From the start, he had planned to take on the S-tier mission, exterminating the A-tier Named Monster, the Red Comet, Cork tried to offload onto him.

The Red Comet was a white bat that even the Godfather of Liqueur had given up on, and Balt the Blade Demon, equivalent to a six-star Grandmaster, had failed to capture it.

Who could have predicted that Keter called this fearsome creature by such a familiar name?

“I didn’t know Slurpie was famous around here.”

The childish name Keter was saying was actually the true name of the Red Comet, the monster that had plunged Liqueur into terror.

Slurpie was Keter’s pet. In his previous life, their bond had been severed when Slurpie disappeared after Keter’s return from Sefira.

Though Keter had a rule of not becoming attached to pets, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sadness when Slurpie had vanished. He had taken out his frustration on Dork, blaming them for not taking care of Slurpie in his absence.

Dork had protested, insisting that they had fed it blood every day until the creature started showing up less and eventually disappeared altogether.

“It really did love my blood.”

Keter had first found Slurpie when it was dying, soaked from the rain. He had picked it up out of curiosity. It refused to eat anything except blood. It initially fed on animal blood but eventually developed a taste for human blood. Soon, Slurpie rejected any blood from regular humans.

“You’re on your own for food, then.”

The only blood Slurpie never grew tired of was Keter’s. But when Keter realized it was draining his mana and aura as well, he decided to set it loose.

“No wonder it ran away.”

Still, Slurpie would always come within a minute whenever Keter called for it, especially if blood was involved—sometimes within ten seconds.

This meant that Keter could have completed the job the moment he accepted it, but he didn’t. Vengeance, after all, shouldn’t be carried out so easily. Happiness and despair were inversely proportional. Those who lacked happiness felt less despair, while those who experienced great joy were capable of experiencing profound misery.

Keter had already vowed to crush Cork, who crushed his dream, with colossal ruin. Thus, he deliberately pretended defeat to let Cork revel in victory, ensuring that his happiness reached its peak.

And now, the moment had come. The process was simple. In a secluded area, Keter sliced his right palm with a dagger, drawing a small amount of blood. Then, he whistled sharply.

Whistle!

A faint rustling sound reached his ears almost instantly. Keter was slightly surprised.

This is the fastest it’s ever come.

Even at its quickest, Slurpie usually took at least a minute to arrive. But this time, it was less than five seconds. He could sense it coming from afar, so it didn’t just happen to be nearby.

Screeeech!

Out of nowhere, a white bat appeared and landed on Keter’s shoulder. It had arrived faster than sound, without leaving the faintest trace of its presence. It was Red Comet... or rather, Keter’s pet, Slurpie.

“You’re as cute as ever.”

Despite being a bat, the white, fluffy Slurpie truly was adorable. It was tiny, barely the size of one’s fist, and had round and innocent eyes, perky ears, and fur softer than anything else in the world.

Slurpie seemed to be glad to see Keter as well, nuzzling its head against his neck affectionately.

Keter, stroking its head, relished this brief reunion after what felt like decades.

Though it was incredibly peaceful, Balt and Hansen would have fainted if they had seen this. The Red Comet, a creature that had effortlessly killed dozens of powerful fighters and battled the six-star Balt to a standstill, was now acting as tame as a playful kitten.

“Sure, the world is ruled by those in power, but what do those in power adore? Cuteness. You could say cuteness is what truly rules the world.”

Just then, Slurpie leaped onto Keter’s injured palm and began licking the blood. With its tiny tongue working diligently, it looked impossibly adorable.

“Alright, that’s enough.”

Once the small pool of blood in his palm had vanished, Keter picked Slurpie up. Letting it drink any more than this wouldn’t be good.

“Let’s finish the job first. I’ll give you more when we get home... huh?”

Keter stopped mid-sentence, puzzled by the situation. Slurpie was resisting, its snout firmly pressed against his injured palm, sucking with surprising force. He tried to pull it away but couldn’t.

“This is strange. It’s only been a week since I left you here.”

If they had been apart for a long time, Keter might have understood this behavior. Before departing for Sefira, he had ensured Slurpie was fed. This obsessive attachment seemed unusual. Worse, the strength of its grip was increasing.

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Hey, hey, take it easy!”

Now serious, Keter used all his strength to pull Slurpie off, but it didn’t budge. It was as if they had fused into one entity.

“This is trouble.”

The draining sensation from his palm was undeniable. Through the tiny gap, Slurpie was greedily sucking out his blood, and he could already feel his stamina depleting. Any further, and it would start draining his mana and aura.

“Cute or not, this is going too far.”

Crackle!

Keter unleashed a surge of aura from his palm, intending to force Slurpie off, but it was just as determined.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. This bastard is even resisting this?”

Slurpie’s white fur began turning red. At this point, calling it the Red Comet felt more fitting than its old nickname.

“Fine. Let’s see if you can withstand this.”

The tattoo on Keter’s left arm flared to life, and a black current surged from his palm. He was summoning Demon Arrows directly without using Amaranth.

Screeeech!

Even an A-tier Named Monster couldn’t withstand the Demon Arrow. Slurpie let out a piercing scream and finally lifted its snout from his palm.

“You little...!”

Keter took the opportunity and threw Slurpie onto the ground. As it tumbled across the dirt, Keter noticed something odd.

“It looks like it’s growing right now.”

This wasn’t just its fur puffing up—it was visibly getting larger. The grotesque sounds of muscles and bones expanding filled the air as Keter’s gaze lifted higher and higher.

Slurpie, now the size of a house, had fully transformed into the Red Comet, or perhaps a meteor. The enormous red bat stood still, scanning its surroundings like a stone statue.

“Slurpie, do you still recognize me?”

Keter tried calling out, just in case. Slurpie turned its massive head toward him and opened its jaws wide.

Vwoooom

...

Winds began converging into Slurpie’s mouth.

Keter stroked his chin, muttering, “This is gonna hurt.”

Whistle!!! Boom!!

An ultrasonic blast tore through Keter and Liqueur in a devastating wave.

* * *

The gray mist shrouding the entire Liqueur region had an unclear origin. Though referred to as mist, it wasn’t merely a fog that obstructed vision. It was something much more extraordinary. While the secret of this mist was known to only a select few in Liqueur, its effects were widely recognized: sound could not travel through it. The chaotic city of Liqueur seemed frozen in eerie silence because of this phenomenon.

However, that long-standing stillness was suddenly shattered.

Boom!

Buildings were torn apart and scattered, roads flipped, and a sonic wave engulfed the people. Those unlucky enough to be near Keter when it happened suffered ruptured eardrums and died. Ironically, they were the fortunate ones, as the others were shredded to pieces by the sonic blast.

The densely packed city of Liqueur now had a long, hollow gap—a miraculous path carved by the Red Comet’s sonic breath.

A hand emerged from the rubble of a collapsed building at the tail end of the blast. Keter crawled out, having shielded himself with Amaranth. Though alive, his ears were bleeding, and he was bruised all over.

“What an artifact. You held up, huh?” Keter said relaxed.

However, Amaranth sounded urgent.

—Look ahead!

“I already know!”

Keter leaped high into the air and propelled himself further with another midair jump. Below him, a massive shockwave roared.

Kaboom!

The Red Comet charged into him from dozens of meters away with a body slam. It was so fast that the path it left behind shimmered with red afterimages like heat waves.

“Getting hit by that would leave nothing behind—not even bones.”

Keter had never seen Slurpie lose control like this before.

Without hesitation, he fired an Aura Arrow in midair. Cute pet or not, Keter showed no mercy to anyone who attacked him.

Squelch!

The Aura Arrow struck the Red Comet’s back. However, the arrow barely pierced deep enough to inflict any significant damage.

Screech!!

“Great. Looks like I’ve only made it angrier.”

It seemed like the Red Comet had lost the ability to fly, as it attacked by stretching out its claws and slashing ferociously. However, it was even faster than when it was smaller.

Keter twisted and turned through the air, dodging the relentless attacks with acrobatic finesse. But every maneuver drained his aura and mana, meaning he couldn’t keep it up indefinitely.

Landing on the roof of a building, Keter had no time to draw another arrow before he was forced to jump again. The Red Comet smashed through obstacles like a battering ram, leaving him with no opportunity to launch a proper attack. Even so, he managed to fire arrows while evading.

Whoosh!

One after another, the arrows pierced the Red Comet, but they seemed to have little effect. To onlookers, however, it was a different story.

“What is this? Keter is hunting a Named Monster!”

“That’s the Red Comet! It looks bigger than the legends, but it’s definitely the same!”

The commotion obviously drew in the people of Liqueur. Among the crowd, many recognized the Red Comet. In an ordinary city, people would be screaming and running away in terror. But the people of Liqueur were different. Instead of fleeing, they gathered around the Red Comet, their greed evident.

The tale of someone becoming a Master by consuming the heart of an A-tier Named Monster isn’t just a myth—it’s practically true.

Everything from its bones to its blood and hide is a treasure trove. A golden opportunity! Hahaha!

This is my chance to earn fame for slaying a Named Monster!

With their individual desires driving them, the crowd soon grew to over a hundred. They seemed oblivious to the overwhelming divine presence and bloodlust radiating from the Red Comet. This, too, was another effect of Liqueur’s gray mist—it suppressed fear while amplifying greed.

“Solver! I’ll help you! But remember my name!”

A man who appeared exceptionally strong used the excuse of offering help to charge at the Red Comet first. The man, a former knight with a three-star rank, had fled to Liqueur after being caught committing adultery and killing his entire family. He carried a burning desire to one day return to his homeland.

A powerful aura emanated from his sword.

He swung it at the Red Comet with all his might, shouting, “My name is...”

Splat.

The knight’s head vanished. His headless body stumbled and collapsed, while blood spurted from his neck, which gathered around the Red Comet as it spread its massive wings.

“Well, fuck.”

Keter quietly slipped away, aware of what was coming. The oblivious people of Liqueur, however, roared confidently.

“It’s casting a spell! Attack now!”

“Charge!”

The naive ones surged forward.

Those with enough brains to see the danger held their positions. But the truly intelligent had already fled long ago.

Splatter!

The blood orbiting the Red Comet erupted in a violent explosion. The rushing crowd barely had time to react before they were torn to shreds. Even the onlookers were caught in the blast. Every last drop of blood spilled from the carnage was drawn under the Red Comet’s control.

Screech...

The Red Comet let out an eerie cry, its gaze sweeping the surroundings. It was unmistakably searching for Keter.

Screech!!

The cry seemed to say

“

Found you!”

Keter, who was perched on a rooftop as part of his strategical retreat, met Slurpie’s piercing gaze.

To the Red Comet, buildings were no obstacle. The orbiting droplets of blood were both the ultimate shield and weapon, effortlessly carving through any structure in its way.

Keter halted his retreat and sighed—not in defeat, but in exasperation.

“Looks like I’ll have to kill it after all.”

Keter loaded two, not one, dark crimson Demon Arrows loaded into Amaranth. It was clear that he wanted to finish Slurpie in a single strike rather than prolong the fight and waste energy.

The bowstring was pulled to its limit.

Slurpie closed the distance rapidly, now almost upon him. Just as Keter was about to release the string...

“Keter! What are you fighting up there?”

Hearing Luke’s voice from the ground, Keter instantly changed his plan.