Chapter 148:
To tell the truth, there was no need to activate Starlight so strongly.
just creating a small opening on the orb would;ve been plenty to create the effect I wanted.
But I didn’t.
I was curious.
Just how strong would Starlight at full force be?
I just finished gathering up plenty of souls to be used as the Necromancy’s barrier.
And so I knew that I’d be fine even if I released Starlight at full force.
……The issue was that the technique was beyond my expectations.
「The souls have absorbed the damage towards the user.」
「You have used up the soul of of the monster ‘Luderune’.」
「You have used up the soul of the monster ‘Maiyah’…….」
「You have used up the soul of the monster ‘Mimiruk’…….」
Countless numbers of monster souls vanished within a blink of an eye, and my entire body was covered by a black smoke.
And as if to demonstrate the effects of starlight, the surroundings were filled with the sounds of something melting.
I held back a groan.
‘……If I lazed around in gathering up souls, I would’ve been in danger too.’
Starlight was a skill beyond my expectations.
I now realized just how crazy it is to release Starlight which has been reinforced to its max.
This must be the reason why the demon lord cried out to me to stop.
Of course, I was certain that I’d be safe, and I was, but I couldn’t help but feel a cold shiver run down my back.
“G, guh, gahh……. Y-you damned…….”
At the center of the half destroyed spire came a vengeful voice.
So when I turned my head towards the wonder of that voice, I could see the demon lord with burned injuries glaring at me while holding over his heart.
“Just what on earth are you thinking?! Did i not say? That I made a contract with your companions! As long as you die, the world can be saved!”
To that, I half-heartedly answered.
“Wouldn’t it be the same if I kill the demon lord?”
The goal of the hero is to kill the demon lord in the first place.
One of the goals of the trials for this floor was to kill the demon lord and to prevent the manifestation of the demon god.
Of course, that goal was a fake, and I had to consider the betrayal of the companions as well……
But the answer at a glance, was to kill the demon lord.
“Do you think that I don’t have a backup-plan? If I die here, the demon god will manifest here! Do you think that I’m the only apostle?!”
But the demon lord denied that option as well.
I tried to use the Fire Dragons’ Eyes to make sure that he wasn’t lying, but.
「The skill ‘Fire Dragon’s eyes’ detects that there are no lies in the words of the opponent.」
The answer was that simply, there was nothing like lies involved at all.
……to think that the demon god will descend if the demon lord is killed.
‘What a depressing setting of a trial.’
Then it meant that it was meaningless for the hero to set out to kill the demon lord in the first place…….
I didn’t even want to think about the possibility of this trial not being a trial, and being in this situation for real.
However…….
“So what?”
The trial of the 16th floor was a mere replica of a real life event, and it was not going to get me depressed.
My nonchalant attitude made the demon lord yell in surprise.
“T-the world will be destroyed! There are enough casualty to summon the demon god! This puny world can easily be destroyed!”
“So what do you want me to do about it?”
“Wha- what on earth?”
“What does the destruction of this world have anything to do with me?”
“…….”
The demon lord opened his mouth and closed it back up silently, but this was the reality.
He vehemently spoke with an anger laced voice.
“……You! You truly were not a hero?!”
“That’s what I said.”
“How can you use those powers even if you’re not the apostle of the dragon lord?! Just what are you?!”
I couldn’t really find an appropriate answer for that, so after a second of hesitation, I told him my current identity.
“A challenger”
And with that, I unsheathed the holy sword.
「Activating the power ‘Blood Demon Hole’.」
「Activating the power ‘Sword Silhouette Border’.」
「Activating skill ‘Sky Break’.」
「The limit on breakable things are dispelled.」
Fwoosh!
As if the blade was set on fire, a crimson spark wrapped the sword along with a purple hue.
Because Punishment was still activated, no matter how much mana I’ve put into the sword, my mana levels remained the same.
‘It was worth using the Sword Sense to acquire it.’
It would’ve been amazing if it was usable against beings other than monsters and demons……
But to ask for this cheat-like ability without limits would be asking for too much so I decided to be satisfied.
And it was the moment I moved to kill the demon lord.
The demon lord flinched seeing my approach, and quickly began to speak.
“……You insolent! And here I was merciful to let you live, what are you waiting for?!”
Before I could understand what he was talking about, I could detect arrows coming from the left.
「Activating the skill ‘Fire Dragon’s eyes’.」
I could not feel the presence of arrows, but with the fire dragon’s eyes, surprise attacks had no meaning to me.
“What is this.”
Fwoosh!
I snatched the arrow that reached near my head using my left hand and frowned.
“Don’t tell me…….”
As if negative premonitions always come true, arrows of ice came from the right side this time.
「Activating skill ‘Lightning Sword Ki’.」
Crash!
After destroying the ice arrows with a single attack, I could finally understand the situation.
“……Now this is unexpected.”
I tsked after seeing the ones that appeared amidst the broken rubbles of the spire.
I attempted to sweep them up using starlight because it was bothersome trying to fight them……
But it seems that before the starlight reached them, the demon lord must’ve protected them as all the companions, no, the ones who used to be companions, were in good shape.
I stood there watching them, to eventually hear a voice.
“……Please just die peacefully. If you live, this world will be destroyed.”
Zerva, who lost his left arm, spoke holding onto his staff.
“You bastard……! If you’re alive, then everyone dies! Please, just die!”
Allen, who was behind me growled while glaring at me.
“Neal! Y-you’re a hero! Please think logically!”
Daisy pleaded while pulling back her bowstrings.
I replied coldly to that.
“You can’t even sacrifice yourself and yet you’re trying to sacrifice someone else.”
Without hesitation, I activated the power that I got from the 15th floor.
I had no reason to face them.
“You’re not worth my time.”
My goal was to kill the demon lord, so what good was it to face the traitors?
I had no intention of prolonging this battle.
「Activating the power ‘Flash Steps’.」
Flash Steps.
It was a power that allowed me to move rapidly across space.
Of course, it’s not that I’m teleporting between spaces, but moving so fast that it looks like I am teleporting…….
But that was enough.
“Wha, what……?!”
To send off the head of the demon lord within a blink of an eye.
The demon lord attempted to avoid my swing by twisting his body, but I was faster.
Slash!
With a sound of a clean cut, the head of the demon lord fell to the ground.
Sword strike that is imbued with multiple skills and powers are unblockable if you can’t avoid it.
And unless you had a cheat-like ability like resurrection, you could not recover from it.
After all…….
「Activating the myth <vampire slayer="">.」</vampire>
「Applying the <stop regenerating=""> effect on divine attacks.」</stop>
「Applying the <exorcism> effect on divine attacks.」</exorcism>
The myth that I acquired from previous trials prevented any kind of regeneration effect.
Along with the effect of slaying what’s considered ‘evil’, the strike became stronger.
「 You have absorbed the soul of the demon lord ‘Raymond’.」
「Proficiency increased by 3.74%.」
With no signs of regeneration, the demon lords’ body fell to the ground.
「Confirming the selection of challenger Han Sungyeun.」
「Confirmed to be a unregrettable choice.」
And
「Congratulations. You have overcome the Tower of Trials floor 16.」
The message of trial completion followed.
「As a reward, you can apply the Absolute Indestructibility affinity to an item through the administrator ‘Hero of a Fallen World’.」
Absolute indestructibility affinity.
After days of trial, I could finally get what I wanted.
Once the absolute indestructibility affinity was applied to Blood Demon Sword, then Dam Cheonwoo could also be repaired.
On top of that, I could most likely receive multiple buffs from it as well.
‘As I thought, it was the best option to choose this quest.’
「Please move to the waiting area.」
No more further rewards were provided…….
But to tell the truth, the reward I got was already unproportional to the trial, so I had no complaints.
And once I moved my leg to cross the portal, a voice was heard.
“Dear lord…. Just what on earth…….”
When I turned my head, I could see them slouched down from the shock over the death of the demon lord.
“I-it’s all over now…… the world will be destroyed…. The world…… ha, hahaha.”
Zerva laughed like a manic to the point it looked like he was sobbing.
However, in the history that this trial was based on, they most likely were unable to kill the hero.
Which is why the title of the administrator was ‘Hero of a Fallen World’.
Most likely, the hero got chosen by the tower before death, or got selected by the tower while on the run.
‘And what follows is pretty predictable.’
Since the hero couldn’t be killed, the contract that the demon lord made would’ve been invalidated.
And the world got destroyed just like that, while the hero regained his strength while climbing the tower.
Of course, with no world to return back to, the hero must’ve stayed in the tower.
“…….”
I had nothing akin to a feeling towards them.
Anger, or disgust. Nothing remained.
Just a sentiment that they look like walking corpses.
With no effort of resisting, they fell in the hope of being able to survive.
Despite each individual having decent skills, they set a limit on themselves and chose betrayal.
Despite having an absolute ally named hero, the apostle of dragon lord, it almost seemed foolish to see them act like that…….
But that was the extent of it.
That was all that I felt towards them.
They weren’t even worth killing.
Even if I killed them, my stats would remain the same since they’re not strong enough of an opponent.
And even their skills were not attractive enough.
「Administrator ‘Hero of a Fallen World’ is quietly looking at the ones he used to call companions.」
I stood still and thought about what I’d do if I was the hero.
What if this was not a trial but a real life situation? I could soon come to a conclusion.
‘Even if this was a real life situation, nothing would change.’
My choice would’ve most likely remained the same.
Even if I had to go against a god, I would’ve done my best to face them.
Doing everything I could as the apostle of the dragon lord, and would’ve prevented the descent of the demon god.
Just like how I fought against the god of battle.
So there was no need for further thought.
After taking a step, I moved towards the portal at the center of the destroyed spire.
And
「Postponing transfer to the waiting room.」
「Administrator ‘Hero of a Fallen World’ is choosing the reward.」
「Entering the divine sanctuary of the hero.」
I smiled looking at the message.
Now it was time to get compensated for my efforts.
[To be continued.]
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