Chapter 465 - 465 (1/2)
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Ku-gu, gugugu—
The Moon's shape transformed into a crescent. Other than some portions of the terrain, most of it was had been erased out of existence.
Pazzik, pazzzzik—
Shu-shushushu...
Electricity and black energy current continued to buzz and dance around what remained of the Moon.
And in the center of it all was a pair—a man and a giant—barely standing up.
Stagger—
Su-hyeun's figure stood unsteadily.
Half of his torso had melted down while blackened blood leaked out from the corner of his lips. He tried to strengthen his legs to prevent himself from falling to the ground, but even so, it still felt as if he would still collapse if he relaxed just a little bit.
Cough!
His innards tumbled about, and in the end, he vomited even more dead blood.
His magical energy reserve was empty, and only a tiny little amount of prana left in his tank was barely holding his lifeline together.
His trembling hand managed to stab the sword on the ground so that he could prop himself up, delaying his inevitable collapse for the time being.
Afterward, Su-hyeun slowly raised his head.
Step—
Fafnir took a step forward.
Other than the part of the staff he was gripping, the rest of it had been vaporized. The same applied to half of his face.
The left part of his head, including his eye, was completely gone, blood continuously dripping from there. Even so, Fafnir continued to advance, one step at a time.
”He's...still alive?” Su-hyeun thought.
Su-hyeun yanked the sword from the ground. He was thinking of cutting Fafnir's head off for good somehow.
But then...
Stagger—
”Huh?”
As soon as he pulled the sword out, his knees buckled, and he faltered to the ground. He had no choice but to stab the sword down again. Without propping himself up against the sword, he found it too difficult to even stand up still.
Step—
In the meantime, Fafnir continued to advance. The distance between them gradually narrowed.
”Dammit.”
He tried to desperately rouse up any remaining magical energy, but his whole reserve was utterly empty—squeezed dry. It was the same story for the World Tree's energy.
The only remaining energy was his truly minute level of prana, so small and faint that it was barely detectable.
”If I use this...”
He would definitely die.
Prana, the energy, was the same as the life force of a living being. If it was running dangerously close to being empty, then it meant Su-hyeun's own life force had been depleted by that much, too.
Judging from the grievous injury on his torso, it didn't take a genius to figure out what would happen if he squeezed out his remaining prana.
”It can't be helped, I guess.”
Even so, Su-hyeun still decided to use the remaining amount of his prana.
The small quantity of prana circulated and spread around his body. His trembling legs regained some of their previous strength back.
Enough strength had returned to him so that he could fight.
But then, just as he prepared to move again...
”Huh?”
He sensed that something was strange. Fafnir, who was steadily approaching him, had stopped moving for some reason.
”His steps have gotten slower?”
The Predator hadn't suddenly come to a standstill. From the moment he began walking toward Su-hyeun, Fafnir's steps were gradually slowing down.
And right now, he had come to a complete standstill.
Su-hyeun chuckled hollowly, ”Hah...”
All tension abandoned him just then, and he let out a long sigh.
Plop—
His body, initially re-energized by rousing up what little remained of his prana, suddenly became as heavy as soaked cotton. He didn't even have enough strength to hold onto his sword.
He kissed the ground with his butt and settled down there completely.
Fafnir, who had managed to get within 10 paces of Su-hyeun, was no longer getting closer. He was a giant of nearly eight meters tall, so such a distance would've been covered with one or two extra steps, yet the Predator didn't even move an inch.
Su-hyeun silently stared at Fafnir for a while, then said something in a hushed whisper, ”It's... over.”
He was dead.
Fafnir was dead.
Countless thoughts brushed past Su-hyeun's head just then—from the memories of the first purple dungeon's appearance, one where Fafnir showed up from, to the battle against a monster where his own strength seemed not quite enough, to even the intense loneliness he had to suffer from as he became the only one alive in the world about to meet its annihilation.
So many thoughts and memories of past situations brushed past him like a panorama. Su-hyeun laid down on the ground spread-eagled.
Even keeping up with his thoughts was getting tiresome. He was too exhausted both physically and mentally to think and feel.
There was only one thing he could think about and mutter in the open, ”It's finally over...”
Lying on the ground, Su-hyeun slowly closed his eyes.
And then...
Snore—
He fell into a deep, deep slumber.
* * *
It had been a really long time since he had slept without worries and without being vigilant of his surroundings.
Su-hyeun had always been aware when he was ”sleeping.” Therefore, rather than calling it ”sleeping,” it was more correct to say he was only half asleep.
In any case, this restful slumber was a long time coming.
Unfortunately, though, it didn't take too long for his slumber to be disturbed.
”Why is he working so hard for that kind of world?”
”Yeah, I wonder about that myself.”
”I wiped out the world I lived in with my own hands.”
”Yeah, it's the same for me.”
”It's all because his experience with his world has been too frivolous and soft-hearted. To think that the last version of me would use the one and only chance to regress in this manner...”
The increasing chatter caused Su-hyeun to furrow his brow deeply.
His eyes were still closed, so he couldn't see anything. It felt like he was floating aimlessly in outer space without stars to guide him.
The voices continued.
”Doesn't matter what you do, you can't delay the inevitable Armageddon.”
”Didn't he already see it? How desolate and lonely it is to be the only one left standing.”
”Whether you're a hero or a villain, being a part of a world is the only way to give your existence a meaning, after all.”