673. [STAGE 40] Blackening (2)
Jerk. that buck
After leaving the barracks, Dusk Bringer staggered down the street.
She didn’t care if her long black hair was soiled by the pouring snow and tousled by the hot wind blowing from the east, she only walked forward – but stopped for a moment when she saw a group of
people approaching from the other side.
“Huh…”
Dusk Bringer let out a low admiration.
“Everyone is quite… fierce, isn’t it?”
Those who strode forward to her were the heroes belonging to the monster front.
Starting with Lucas holding the demonic sword, heroes holding the dragon slayer, heroes wearing the nightmare slayer….
All of them are dark as if they were covered with the blood of an evil dragon. I didn’t even think to wash off my face… We were walking east together.
The heroes paused in front of Dusk Bringer. Dusk Bringer nodded toward the east.
“Why are you going east? Right now, there is only a sea of fire spewed out by the black dragon.”
“…so I’m going.”
Lucas replied, glaring at Dusk Bringer with blue eyes.
“Because there is no better place to forge our spirits than there.”
“…”
“It seems that the body has recovered to some extent, so there… I will ‘prepare’ to face the black dragon.”
Demon swords, dragon slayers, and nightmare slayers…
In addition to these equipment, darkness radiated from the inside of the heroes shimmering like a haze behind each one’s back.
Under the darkness that Ash could never enter when the brakes were on… Everyone was sinking deeply.
Dusk Bringer smiled dejectedly.
“Everyone is becoming a great demon, Raksa, or Sura.”
“Only then will we be able to achieve our lord’s revenge.”
Lucas snorted dryly.
“It looks like the grand duke is still maintaining his human form.”
“Don’t worry. My ugliness never lags behind your determination.”
Dangerous red light scattered inside Dusk Bringer’s eyes. Sensing this, Lucas narrowed his blue eyes.
Dusk Bringer whispered softly as the heroes passed each other.
“Just children. You can dip your toe in this mud, but don’t go too deep.”
“…”
“You don’t have to fall to the edge of hell.”
Dusk Bringer’s small body headed across the street and was swept away by the pouring snow, before long disappearing from sight.
“…speaking condescendingly.”
Lucas growled and started walking again. The heroes who raised their eyes fiercely followed him.
and.
“….”
Evangeline stood on top of a nearby tower and watched as the heroes swayed and intersected in this way.
Behind her stood the rest of the heroes who had not surrendered themselves to the darkness, who looked equally worried.
Demian, who had not yet recovered his eyesight and had his eyes wrapped in bandages, sat with his back against the wall of the tower and was silent with a haggard complexion.
‘How will it be?’
Evangeline gritted her teeth and squeezed the flagstick in her hand.
‘How do we…’
A long black flag with nothing symbolizing the world defense front blew wildly in a gust of wind.
Evangeline, who was looking up at the flag, pressed her burning eyes with the back of her hand.
Everyone was tinged with darkness to avenge the person they loved, and Evangeline could fully understand their feelings.
It felt like he would go mad with anger and hatred right away.
But… is this really the path Ash wants?
If Ash was here, what would they have hoped for…
‘Senior…’
Evangeline looked down at her shield.
His weak shield, which is too small and thin to protect the whole world…
‘Now… what can I protect?’
***
Temple. ward.
“Umm….”
The silver eyes of Serenade, who had been flinching while lying on the bed, opened.
My whole body throbbed. My brain was blank. My head was hot and my body was heavy.
Serenade looked around with her eyes barely open.
“here is…?”
“master?!”
Upon discovering that Serenade was conscious, Elise hurriedly ran to the side of the bed.
“Master, this is Elise! Can you find out?!”
“Ah Elise… Of course I recognize… What’s wrong? What… ugh.”
Serenade, who was about to get up, gritted her teeth because of the intense pain that ran through her body. Elise grabbed the serenade and laid her down again.
“Eh… Why am I in the hospital room…?”
“master. That’s…”
Elise explained the situation.
The buildings at the top of Winter Silver were swept away by Night Bringer’s breath.
By luck, the other employees escaped fire because they were in the warehouse next door, but Serenade was seriously injured when the main building collapsed.
Even though he was transported to the temple and treated, it had been over a day.
“Other staff at the top also suffered minor and major injuries, but they are all fine. The master was most seriously injured.”
“I’m glad though. No one was seriously injured except me…”
Serenade reached out and touched Elise’s hand.
“You came back alive.”
“Master…”
Elise, who was about to smile awkwardly, stiffened at the ensuing serenade question.
“Anyway, Elise. How did the expedition go…?”
“….”
“Have you defeated the black dragon? Is His Highness all right…?”
Elise swallowed dry saliva.
How should I answer?
Elise, who hesitated and closed her eyes, struggled to raise her mouth.
“Sure, Master. His Highness the Prince…”
Elise intended to lie until Serenade’s condition improved. Because I didn’t want the Serenade, which was seriously injured, to weaken my heart.
But the next word never came out.
Tears slowly welled up in Elise’s navy blue eyes, which were always sharp like sharp blades.
In front of the serenade, who blinked in surprise, Elise eventually shed tears.
“I’m sorry, master. I’m sorry…”
“Elise. what’s the matter? Why are you crying…”
“Because I’m not good enough… I’m not good enough… Stop your prince…”
Elise finished her words with a voice broken by crying.
“I couldn’t keep it…”
The blood drained from Serenade’s face.
Elise slowly but surely reported the battle progress of the Hero Expedition. Serenade muttered blankly.
“You said you went missing…?”
Serenade, who struggled to get up and leaned against the back of the bed, put her hand on her dizzy forehead. She tried hard to think positively.
The disappearance happened last year, right? Like a lie, I came back after half a year.
The man was always like that. He would leave very far away without saying anything, then come back calmly and smile.
Even if my insides are burned, even if I worry about him and spend countless nights in tears… When I come back and see that face smiling heartlessly, the words of resentment would not come out of my mouth and would disappear inside.
He was such a man.
So this time too. Wouldn’t it be okay this time…
‘Ah.’
Serenade clutched her chest and leaned forward.
But I had to know. that this time is different.
The world was crumbling and destruction was just around the corner. And the person who stood at the forefront to stop it collapsed bleeding at the bottom of hell.
Serenade was a merchant. He was also the owner of the world’s top ranks.
she was bright So, naturally and quickly, I was able to estimate the outcome of this incident.
That’s it.
everything.
‘If he wasn’t there, I would…’
It was difficult to breathe.
Thin teardrops flowed down Serenade’s dazed, open silver eyes.
Serenade fell into the illusion that her whole body was being torn apart along with the collapsing world.
‘I don’t have any reason to live…’
My soul seemed to sink under the floor.
Serenade’s staggering body slowly fell to the side.
Serenade thought blankly as she collapsed, saying that it would be nice if she could fall down to where the man would have been.
tak –
then.
A firm hand approached and supported Serenade’s shoulder, stopping her from collapsing.
“Don’t do that.”
It was a tired but strong voice.
“It’s too early to despair. So calm down.”
Surprised Serenade turned around blankly and
saw Lily sitting in a wheelchair, sleeping in her arms, facing Serenade with a strong face.
“Take a deep breath. ruler. slowly.”
When Lily gently stroked his back, the serenade breath resumed.
“Inhale. Exhale. That’s right. That’s right. good job. Inhale and exhale again…”
Lily whispered softly as she held onto Serenade’s shivering shoulders.
“The world is not over yet.”
I went through the same pain, but I survived to this day.
Lily’s voice was padded with pain and, more than that, will.
“Then breathe.”
Serenade closed her eyes and opened them.
Yes.
the world will end someday Maybe it’s just a few hours, maybe a few minutes, maybe a few seconds.
But,
it’s not over yet.
So…
“Live.”
Not yet.
We have to fight.
The serenade’s trembling subsided.
Lily smiled softly. Serenade looked at Lily and nodded slowly.
Even if that person never comes back… there is work to be done.
Even for the meaning left by that person.
I can’t just sit here and die.
Lily hugged her calm serenade once more. The word thank you didn’t come out of my mouth, so serenade hugged Lily.
After a short embrace, Serenade took a deep breath and looked towards Elise.
“Elise.”
Faced with the master who quickly regained his brilliant light, Elise stood up straight and waited for his command.
Serenade, who was counting what she could do, asked cautiously.
“Among the collapsed buildings, is ‘the warehouse’ safe?”
***
Lake Kingdom Dungeon.
Between the 9th and 10th districts – the bridge.
A thousand roads from there, in the darkness under the cliff.
Bottom Village, a survivor’s residence hidden at the lowest level.
thud! Koo Goo Goo!
The vibration, which had been intermittent the day before, was now even stronger.
As if the dungeon here under the lake knew that the end of the world had come, they shuddered loudly.
“There’s a commotion, a commotion…”
An old man dressed like a beggar with a bald head muttered as he looked at the swaying world.
He was a resident of the bottom village and the head of the village. Next to him, holding a short spear like a cane, his wife-changgwi was clicking her tongue.
“This damn world is finally coming to an end, honey.”
“That’s right. wife. I wonder if the honeymoon with you, who I’m sick of, is finally about to end.”
“Ah, do you want to search so immediately and actively? don’t talk shit I should have sewed it through this spear.”
“Uh huh. You have to listen carefully, man. Is the honeymoon over? This is where the real marriage begins.”
“Hehe, I don’t think our newlywed life will be this long. They say that marriage is the grave of life, aren’t you wrong?”
“Giggle, let’s stay buried under this grave longer together, owner.”
The village chief couple, who were laughing hahahoho, shut their mouths at the same time and looked away. Their gazes were directed towards the center of the village.
“By the way, that young friend didn’t bring the gold coin I was supposed to give back then…”
“What the hell is that shit about?”
The center of the bottom village.
There, the black blood that was clumped together rose in the form of a huge sphere, and in the flow of that blood,
Ash was submerged.
With her eyes closed, her face as pale as death.
There was a deep sword wound in the center of his chest, and the black blood surrounding him was repeatedly sucked in and out.
“Whoa…!”
King Poseidon stood in front of the black-blooded orb.
King Poseidon, who stood with a trident and controlled the orb of black blood, was covered in burns all over his body.
Despite his serious injury, he was intent on taking care of Ash’s condition.
“….”
“….”
The Sword Ghost and the Window Ghost quietly watch this strange figure,
but Kung! Ku-gu-gu-gu-gung…!
The entire Lake Kingdom vibrated once more.
and followed
jerk, jerk.
Footsteps were heard from behind.
When the sword demon and the spear ghost turned around, what appeared from the darkness behind them…
“So.”
A man dressed as a clown who puts on a white smiling mask while slowly lowering the flute in his mouth – the
Court Jester of the Lake Kingdom.
It was a crown.
Crown asked with cold eyes shining in the mask.
“When will this crazy ‘surgery’ end?”
