665. [STAGE 40] Black Dragon Subjugation (2)
[….]
For some reason, the black dragon laughed at my proposal for a meeting.
[Accept.]
Fortunately, I accepted the meeting.
The breath he was gathering slowly faded. Feeling the dissipation of hostility, I let out a sigh of relief.
Turning around, I looked back at the heroes and ordered them.
“I have about 30 minutes. All retreat in the meantime.”
Among the perplexed heroes, Lucas jumped out as the representative and shouted.
“My lord, what the hell is this…!”
“I have a way. As usual, I dug a hole to escape from.”
I smiled softly as I made eye contact with Lucas and the other heroes.
“Trust me and everyone retreat.”
The subjugation operation has already failed.
Should I stay here anyway and annihilate them all, or should I stay alone and have a meeting with him? that’s the difference
Lucas is a guy with excellent abilities as a commander who knows how to calmly grasp the situation more than anyone else. I’m sure you know which one is the more likely option.
Knowing this, Lucas gritted his teeth and stepped in front of me.
“If we all fight with the determination to die…!”
“Lucas.”
I changed my voice sternly.
“Have I ever gambled without winning?”
“…”
Lucas shook his head slightly.
“…he never gambled without winning, but he always chipped in with his own life.”
“The end of the world is over there. Then you should walk this far.”
I glanced at the Nightbringer, who was now comfortably seated, and squeezed Lucas’ shoulders.
“Lucas. If I can’t return right away, you’ll have to take the lead in the meantime. got it?”
“….”
“And remember Lucas. Never be eaten by darkness.”
I tried to speak warmly to this knight, who would have immediately lifted the limiter without me.
“Even if the enemy is darkness, you must not be eaten by darkness.”
“…”
“This is also a request to all of you.”
I looked around at all the heroes and nodded.
“Don’t be eaten by the darkness while I’m gone.”
After making eye contact with everyone’s trembling gazes,
I smiled at Dusk Bringer for the last time.
“Then Grand Duke. Please people.”
“…”
Dusk Bringer shook his head, looking like he was about to cry.
“I am Ash. But I…”
“Duke.”
I squeezed her bloodied hand once with both hands.
“I will believe you.”
“…”
Dusk Bringer, who had his mouth shut tightly, lowered his head.
I shouted loudly at the heroes who still couldn’t help it.
“It’s an order from the commander!”
I smiled softly as I faced my people who were all covered in blood.
Even Evangeline, who was severely injured while blocking the charge of the Night Bringer in the middle of the battle and was replaced with the reserve,
uses clairvoyance until she loses her eyesight, so Damian, who closes her eyes and bleeds, even
uses all of her future magic power, even if she wears a cap. Even Junior, who continued to use magic and eventually passed out due to exhaustion of magical power…
All of my proud people who fought with all their might.
“Everyone, retreat immediately.”
Then I turned around and started walking toward the Night Bringer alone.
“I wish all of you good luck.”
“majesty!”
“No, Your Highness!”
The heroes protested and rushed out, but Lucas, who stood in front of them with gritted teeth, opened his arms to block them.
“Retreat!”
Lucas shouted in a voice that seemed like he was going to vomit blood.
“Commander’s order… All of us retreat to the Crossroads!”
Fierce opposition was heard, but Lucas, followed by Dusk Bringer and King Poseidon, began to calm the heroes and force them to retreat.
It was something the two of us had discussed beforehand. I was only imagining the worst case in which the strategies I had drawn up from the game didn’t work properly, but…
‘Anonymous…’
Perhaps if I had remained here, I would have objected the most fiercely.
Nameless had just been grabbed by the Night Bringer himself and thrown under that bridge–a thousand-way cliff.
Since you are eternal, you will be safe.
Besides that, I shook my head a little while thinking about the heroes under my command one by one.
It’s not a situation to worry about subordinates.
[Did you strategically use this Commander’s Meeting card to safely retreat your subordinates?]
…Because I’m really going to die first.
[It must be a tearful sacrificial spirit to remain alone in place of a subordinate. He’s a model as a commander.]
Standing right in front of him, the black dragon was truly as gigantic as Mount Tai.
His actual size was huge, but his unique momentum and majesty made his existence even more gigantic.
The materialized night-
To be honest, I was out of breath, but I tried to raise the corners of my mouth.
“I don’t know why everyone treats me like a saint. I just play with the odds.”
I am the one who invades this world.
If you can throw a king instead of an imminent game over and continue the match… it’s worth a try.
[If the odds you are talking about are about one in Asunggi and one in Hanghasa, there would be a difference of 10,000 times between the two.] Flash
!
The Night Bringer’s huge body flashed black, and the next moment it changed into a human form.
Golden eyes shining in long flowing black hair. And a man in a classy suit whispered to me.
[Actually, it doesn’t mean much. The probability of failure is infinitely high anyway.]
“Are you bad at math?”
Well, I was a bummer too, but I said this with bluff.
“No matter how thin it is, there is a difference of 10,000 times.”
[Whoops.]
The Night Bringer opened his mouth and laughed.
But his eyes weren’t smiling at all. It is an opponent whose intentions are difficult to guess.
[Okay player. This is the last moment given to you in your life.]
As he winked, the darkness that covered the Lake Kingdom rushed in like a wave and united into two chairs.
Sitting comfortably on one of them, the Nightbringer stared at me.
[What do you want to talk about with me?]
“…”
Without hesitation, I sat down on the opposite chair.
“Why do you want to destroy the world?”
Out of the blue – And I asked the most curious thing first.
“What bad did this world do to you that you hate so much?”
[…]
The Nightbringer rested his chin on one arm and stared at me.
And he asked the wrong thing out of the blue.
[player. Do you know why you are called a player?]
I furrowed my eyebrows. The thing I hate the most is answering questions with questions…
But I decided to match the rhythm. From the standpoint of a monster, I answered why they called me a player.
“Because I’m a player who plays a game with the devil and the fate of this world?”
[Is that all? Again?]
“…And I heard that it means the same thing as a prince.”
I scratched my chin.
“If you take full control of your own destiny, if you can’t do that and move according to the intentions of others, peace… Our Emperor’s Majesty uses it like this.”
Just like chess terminology.
Player and piece. Those who set their destiny and those who follow them. There were others who approached this concept.
[The meaning of the ‘player’ I call it is a bit different.]
The Night Bringer narrowed his eyes and
declared ,
[You are an actor (Player)] .
[This is just a prepared stage.]
“…?”
[The world is nothing but a collection of vain stories (tales) that actors like you talk about on such an insignificant stage.] I was
dumbfounded, then stuttered and asked again.
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
[You must have heard of the word ‘destructive play’.]
I suddenly remembered.
It was the name I learned when interrogating the midnight sun in an illusion.
Eye candy floating in the sky… A game enjoyed by foreigners looking into this world and watching the destruction of this world.
[From the distant past, even before I was born, this world was just someone’s toy.]
The Night Bringer’s tired voice began to mix with clear enthusiasm.
[This means that the lives of all people in this world are actually just a compilation of delicious tragedies presented to foreign media.]
“….”
[You may believe that you are leading your own life, but that is not the case at all. player. Everything is just a futile struggle based on the script.]
The Night Bringer’s fiery golden eyes stared straight at me.
[Are you truly the master of your destiny?]
“I…”
[You would think so. However, that is an illusion.]
The Black Dragon asserted.
[We are just marionettes dancing while connected by a thread. In the end, it is just a clown who plays jokes for the amusement of higher beings.]
I stared at the black dragon who said that, and then I asked in amazement.
“Aren’t you also a member of this world, talking so proudly? Aren’t you an actor too?”
[…right. I am also only one player. He’s just an actor in this tragedy.]
The Night Bringer closed his eyes for a moment, then woke up with a flash.
[That’s why he wants to rebel against this tragedy.]
“…!”
[If our lives and deaths are nothing but their playground… I’d rather ruin the game itself with my own hands.] The
black dragon slowly looked up at the sky.
[I was born as a puppet, so live as a puppet? Don’t be funny.]
As if there is something invisible to my eyes. Chewing and spitting out the seething hatred.
[I will end this story called the world with my own hands.]
“…”
[You may not be able to relate. you won’t understand This feeling that everything in your life, from your birth to your death, is someone else’s mockery…] The
Night Bringer looked at me and his eyes lit up.
[…Whoa. Isn’t that too Divinity has begun to dwell in you too.]
It seems that he noticed the transcendental golden light in my eyes.
[If you had a little more time, you could have looked at this tragic world from the same level as me…]
Slowly, the Night Bringer rose from his seat.
[Unfortunately, the grace given to you has ended. The meeting ends here.]
“…!”
At the same time that the Night Bringer announces the end of the meeting,
Kak!
An intangible darkness gripped my throat.
As it was, I was lifted into the air and pulled toward the Nightbringer. What?!
Sreung-!
The Night Bringer grabbed the scepter with both hands and gently pulled out the scepter’s head.
Then, like a cane sword, the blade hidden in the wand of the royal scepter was revealed.
The Night Bringer, who lightly snatched my neck with his left hand that had flown from being caught in the formless darkness, unleashed the holly sword in his right hand –
Fuuk…!
I put it in the center of my chest.
“…!”
The vision glows white.
Cold metal penetrated his body, spraying hot pain. I gritted my teeth and struggled to endure the pain.
[Now.]
While making eye contact with me right in front of my nose, the Night Bringer spoke kindly.
[Cry.]
“Keuuuuuu…!”
[Hurry up and cry… Beg to be saved. Isn’t that the nature of you humans?]
The Night Bringer slowly twisted the sword stuck in my chest sideways.
[They don’t see a greater cause and so easily give in to become a toy for higher beings.
]
[Any great human being will beg for his life in the end. That is the limit set by mortals.]
Along with terrible pain, blood flowed down my chest and back. Instead of breathing, I vomited fresh blood through my nose and mouth.
My eyes were stained black.
