Chapter 992: The End of the Social Gathering (3)

‘What’s this…’

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[Please don’t do it. Please… (0/1)]

‘Who’s this?’

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[Please come back. (0/1)]

‘Who the hell sent this?’

Of course, I had a hunch about the identity of the one who was sending me these quests, as only a handful of people were capable of sending quests like this. It couldn’t be Saint Altanus, and it clearly wasn’t Lucifer.

I was convinced that it was someone in the future, but I couldn’t understand how they could send this quest to me. It was impossible to deliver a quest to someone in a different era.

That was the reason I was forced to use items to send a message to Jin Cheong.

Despite that, the Forced Quests were nonstop.

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[That’s not where you should be, Mr. Ki-Young. (0/1)]

It was probably Kim Hyun—whatever his name was.

I couldn't really remember his name, but I knew that he was the Sunset Swordsman who lied on a daily basis. We had been disconnected from each other, but that was the only explanation here.

Our souls were once connected, so he had to have found a method to contact me, or a variable that I couldn’t understand had appeared.

‘Does he remember me now?’

I had no idea what was happening over there, but I could feel something rushing in like a tide. I felt this before, and it was very similar to the time when he tried to repair our broken bond. It broke through the wall and enveloped me.

“...”

Then, I felt a stinging pain in my eye. I couldn’t stop smiling at the sensation.

It wasn’t Morse code or anything, but a light flickered in my eye as if it were sending me a message. It was like the stinging pain was telling me their current situation. I couldn’t see it for myself, but my eye was probably changing colors from my original color to black while emitting a radiant light as if it were a flickering light bulb.

Unlike me, Bahamut seemed enraged, which was surprising.

“

AAAHHH!

”

‘This bastard… is seriously…’

Bahamut was desperately resisting the demon's seed, so he probably thought that my golden eye, which was a symbol of my holiness, was disappearing under the influence of the demon's seed.

“

AAAAHHHH!

” Bahamut roared as loudly as he could while unleashing his holy power.

‘It’s not because of you so stop over exaggerating. Stop being hopeful and just accept the ending of this story.’

“

RAAAHHH!

”

‘No, this isn't because of you.’

I had even told him, "It’s been fun," but he wasn't listening at all. I was kind of embarrassed because we were about to reach the end. There were no perfect break-ups, but this atmosphere was close to being the perfect break-up.

“

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

”

‘You’re so loud.’

Of course, I couldn’t let him keep screaming like that, as the louder he screamed, the more wounds would appear all over me. Sharp black spears swept past me, generating a whistling noise as they streaked through the air.

There was blood everywhere, and the screaming guy finally realized that what he was doing was nothing but a meaningless tantrum. The more he struggled, the more injuries I sustained.

“

Ah… ahh…

” Bahamut gasped in despair, but the angel of sacrifice didn’t stop moving.

I found it really strange that I could still move, but I dragged my injured self and used the mirror of light to light up the darkness.

It was such a godly and holy sight.

It was so beautiful that it would render just about anyone speechless at the sight of it. The way I was walking on the bumpy path while vanquishing the darkness would probably remind anyone of a holy ritual.

— What do you think you’re doing?! Angel of sacrifice!

Ha… hahahaha!

Pain will follow you. Everyone who treasures you will forget you, and you’ll eventually become alone. That vessel of yours… the angel who has been protecting the light since time immemorial will soon greet his final moments, and it is all because of the seed of evil inside you!

He kindly explained to Bahamut, who was unaware of the story's setting. His acting was so natural that Bahamut would definitely soon figure out what kind of situation we were in.

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[It’s all my fault. Please… Please stop. Please don’t abandon this place. (0/1)]

'I’m not abandoning you.'

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[Don’t leave everything behind. Everyone is waiting for you, Mr. Ki-Young. Everyone is… Didn’t you say it was all over now? Didn’t you say we'll carry all the burdens together? You said we can overcome all difficulties as long as we’re together. (0/1)]

‘He sure talks a lot.’

I walked nonstop, and I saw the iron maiden at the end of the road that the holy torch could barely illuminate.

I disliked how it was standing alone in the dark, but everything was going to change the moment I went inside of it. The angel, who had voluntarily shattered his own wings for the continent, would soon enter that iron maiden.

I was hoping that they had upgraded the interior and made it comfortable for me, at the very least.

— All right, I’ll acknowledge that righteous heart of yours… but don’t think that things will go your way! Don’t think I’ll just stand and watch you struggle! The seed of evil will bloom, and in the end, there will be blood and destruction ALL OVER the continent!

“...”

The pitch-black flames of plague descended, so I spread my remaining wings to protect myself before continuing on my walk toward the iron maiden.

I heard a

sizzle

, but my gaze remained firm.

I was taking it slow—taking one step at a time, but my feet left heavy footsteps of light.

‘I’m kind of like that Kim-whatever.’

The hero of the continent.

I had never confronted a demon like this.

— Let’s see if you can endure this.

I looked holy, but the angel of sacrifice had a limit. Like those cliched movies, I soon reached my limits. However, it was typical for the selfless hero to move his fleshly body with his sheer willpower.

A curtain of darkness pervaded the entire space, and there were tiny explosions all over my wings in an attempt to push me back, but the attacks were only going to break my fleshly body, not my spirit.

I abandoned the wings that could no longer move and moved forward while covering my face with both hands. At this point, there was a line I needed to say, and this was also the perfect timing to play the background music.

— How!! How!!! How come you can still move?! How!!!

How come I could still move? The answer was obvious.

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[Don’t sacrifice yourself… Please… don’t try to abandon everything and leave. (0/1)]

“

Haa… Heuk…

The light never loses,” I said.

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[I won’t forget. I won’t forget ever again. So… don’t do that. Don’t act as if none of it happened. I’m sure we can overcome it together this time as well, just like always. (0/1)]

'Stop interrupting me. I’m losing focus. This is an important part.'

— There’s no way that you can keep moving just because of that! That can’t be!

“...” — That's impossible!

Belial’s acting was great—really great. He delivered that cliched line perfectly.

“You…” I said.

“You do know it, don't you? Monarch of Lies and Instigation… Demon Lord of Plagues… When humans… are protecting something precious to them…

Haa… haa…

they become… stronger,” I explained.

— Bullshit!

“I saw it.

Haa… Ack…

I’ve… always watched them… with my own eyes. They’re weak… sometimes selfish, and they make many mistakes… but to protect… the things that are precious to them… they overcome their pain… and sadness to stand tall,” I added.

— Don’t make me laugh! That’s absurd!

“I’ve always been watching them… I've seen everything… from the sidelines. And… I now understand… just how brave… how amazing… and how courageous they are. They’re a lot stronger… and more beautiful than you think,” I continued.

— …

“I… I don’t have that kind of courage… I ran and hid… but I’m different now,” I said.

—

Aaargh!

How dare

yoooooooou!!!

“Maybe… Maybe… I’ve gotten closer to them… Maybe I… can take a step forward as well…” I said.

Really… really…

It was unfortunate that there was only one person in the audience.

Yeah, it was kind of cheesy, but as the director, my plan would never fail.

There was a reason cliches were always effective. Considering the current state of affairs, this was a masterpiece that deserved to be forever known as the GOAT.

Bahamut was crying, and he was furious at his incompetence.

He was grateful for my devotion, and he was afraid of the demon’s seed inside him.

Despite his large frame, Hero Bahamut cast a worried gaze at me.

I was sure he had never felt this helpless before.

“N-No…”

'Yes.'

“Father… Father!” Bahamut shouted.

We said farewell earlier, so there wouldn't be a second farewell.

There was nothing more pitiful than looking back, either.

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[Mr. Ki-Young, please… (0/1)]

Now that I thought about it…

‘I do want to have a cup of coffee.’

I forgot to add drinking coffee to my schedule. I should’ve drank a cup… before leaving.

[A Mythic-rank Forced Quest has been activated.]

[Please… (0/1)]

“...”

“Please… don’t leave,” someone said and grabbed my hand.

‘Shit. Was Belial just watching until he got here?’

I looked back instinctively and…

“Come back to where Miss Ha-Yan and Mr. Deok-Gu are…”

“...”

“Let’s go back… to where the Blue Guild is,” he suggested.

It had been a long time since I saw that face.