Chapter 25

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What kind of garbage game is this? <End of Volume 1>

A rough wave of emotion surged in Duke Wiser's eyes.

Serengeti, who had set out on a grand expedition with 500 knights, was his only child, even though she was a daughter, and had transcended by consuming a star, becoming a 'Transcender.'

How devastated he was when he saw her return tied to a horse, her lower body severed.

There was nothing he hadn't tried to awaken her.

The city's granaries were empty, and he couldn't remember the last time he had a proper night's sleep.

Still, Serengeti did not awaken.

“Oh, Serengeti...”

Focus returned to her eyes.

Time, which had stopped, began to flow again.

Serengeti, who had opened her eyes with the blessing of the stars, looked at him.

Duke Wiser's eyes welled up with tears.

He reached out, ready to embrace her fiercely.

He had been such a harsh father over the years.

A father who made her swing a sword without rest every day.

Serengeti, sensing Duke Wiser's feelings, opened her tightly closed mouth with great effort.

“Hudson...!”

...Who?

For a moment, Duke Wiser suspected he was hearing things.

Hudson? Who is that?

Obviously, it should have been 'Father' or at least 'My Lord,' right?

“Serengeti!”

From behind, a man who had been unnoticed until now rushed forward and tightly gripped Serengeti's hand.

One of the two who had entered with the heir to the Knight King.

Wasn't he just a simple attendant?

Serengeti's eyes still held a look of disbelief.

“Is this a dream? How can Hudson, you be here...”

“It's not a dream. I'm here. I'm sorry I'm late. I thought you would never wake up... Ah.”

Hudson burst into tears.

He trembled, holding Serengeti's hand.

He had tried to become a councilor in the Golden City of Arkan and return to marry her officially.

But he heard that Serengeti had returned as a cripple from the grand expedition.

Hudson couldn't go.

‘I thought it would be enough if she was alive.’

If she was alive, that would be enough.

If he became a councilor as quickly as possible and returned, the Duke would recognize him.

If she had lost her lower body, he would become her legs.

It didn't matter if she couldn't wake up. As long as she was alive, he would take care of her forever.

‘If I had been a little later, I...’

Reflecting on it now, he felt regret.

It was a foolish act. He should have come no matter what. The idea of coming back with everything in place was nothing but his arrogance and greed.

Serengeti's once robust body was now emaciated. She, who could lift him with one hand, was now so frail that he could lift her.

If he had been a little later, she wouldn't have been here.

And he would never have seen her again.

The Count of Sai would have kept her as a trophy, hidden away where only he could see her.

‘I settled the casino, obtained a spirit, and returned here. If it weren't for Randolph, I would never have seen her face again.’

Hudson looked at Randolph.

Though he was now ready to die without regrets, he couldn't shake the thought that all of this was part of Randolph's plan.

From the moment he appeared at the casino, causing chaos and pulling Hudson out, he had precisely understood Hudson's desires and made him settle the casino.

He obtained the spirit's egg and gained confidence.

He climbed the Spirit Tower and became the master of the spirit!

Now there was nothing he couldn't do. He could do anything he wanted, even if it meant throwing himself into a bottomless pit.

“20 million gold, I will give it.”

Hudson straightened his back and turned around.

Duke Wiser, who was looking at him with a bewildered expression.

“Give Serengeti to me, Father.”

“F-Father? What are you babbling about, you madman?”

“Isn't the money urgent? 20 million gold can solve the city's immediate problems.”

Swoosh!

Duke Wiser drew his sword himself.

He pointed it at Hudson's neck and said,

“What are you, a nobody, to demand such a thing?”

“I am...”

What should he say?

He had no way to describe himself.

He wasn't a councilor anymore, and he had sold the casino.

An ordinary human. A player. He couldn't say such things.

Hudson looked at Randolph.

“I am his loyal servant.”

Duke Wiser's face twisted like a demon's.

“A servant, you say, is trying to take my daughter?”

Hudson spoke calmly.

“He is a man who looks at the stars and communicates with them. A man who is respected by nature and the forest, the heir to the Knight King, and one who will shine even brighter than the Knight King. How can I, who follows such a man, be an ordinary servant?”

“Your silver tongue...”

“Enough.”

What are you doing?

I clicked my tongue and intervened.

After all, Hudson was a merchant. He was skilled at packaging things.

But now wasn't the time for that.

“Everyone is moved, but the curse of the Demon King isn't completely lifted yet.”

“...Then?”

Duke Wiser sheathed his sword at his waist.

Indeed. Though he wanted to kill this absurd man, lifting Serengeti's curse was more important.

“She can only stay awake for a day at most. To completely lift the curse, we need to find another 'star.'”

The only ways to increase holy power are to level up or find a star.

The five stars that Knight King Wilhelm spilled when he died.

One was recovered, but four remain.

If they fall into someone else's hands, the star's memory will be damaged.

‘The secret effect of the Star Successor class. If it's possible to read the previous owner's memory, we must recover the stars as quickly as possible.’

Before the stars are damaged or contaminated.

While Knight King Wilhelm's memory is still intact, we must recover them.

If someone else becomes the owner of the star, Wilhelm's memory and skills will be lost forever.

“So, everyone, leave. I have something to discuss with her.”

Shoo, shoo. He waved his hand, urging everyone to leave the room immediately.

Soon, Hudson and Duke Wiser left the room with complicated expressions.

The atmosphere was like a storm was about to break, but it wasn't my concern.

“You are...?”

In the room, only Serengeti and I remained.

“I am the heir to Knight King Wilhelm. I have come to hear his final words.”

“...He has no heir.”

But Serengeti was certain. She didn't hide her suspicious gaze.

Indeed, my closest confidant.

I had already anticipated that such an absurd lie wouldn't work on her.

Her star hadn't fallen yet.

“Isabella, make sure no one can hear.”

Immediately, Isabella, who was standing outside the door, began to move.

She is an assassin. If Isabella is involved, not even a mouse can approach.

After ensuring the surroundings were secure, I looked at Serengeti and said,

“Tell me about my final moments. As the only witness, you must know the situation better than I do.”

“...!”

She knew she was the last witness.

But that was as far as she could deduce.

So, I pressed further.

“I clearly killed the Demon King.”

I clearly killed the Demon King.

But the one who died was me.

Why?

“I definitely stabbed 'Light's Path' into his core. But then my consciousness was lost, and I died. What happened in between?”

Serengeti's eyes widened in shock.

*

“Damn! I killed him! Finally!!!”

In front of the computer, I cheered.

I killed the Demon King!

I cut off his head and stabbed his heart. I had been controlling the character for hours.

My fingers hurt like crazy. My joints felt dislocated.

It must have been at least half a day.

But I killed him. I had overcome all the boss patterns and phases, and I had stabbed the unique sword 'Light's Path' into his core, which is fatal to demons. Even the Demon King couldn't come back from that.

Indeed, the Demon King's soul was flowing out of his core, just like when raid boss monsters die.

A feat after five years.

He had clearly said he would grant a wish if I cleared the game.

What wish should I make? Maybe ask for 100 billion?

I don't know if this mysterious company behind the game has 100 billion.

“Huh...? What? No, no, no. Wait. What's this sudden blue screen?”

The screen suddenly turned blue.

No matter how much I hit the monitor, it wouldn't come back.

After about ten seconds.

When the screen returned, the Demon King's laughter and the familiar words 'Game Over' appeared on the monitor.

“What the...?”

I was speechless.

I clearly killed the Demon King, but the blue screen appeared, and I died.

-Hahaha!

And the laughter from the speakers. Does this mean he's still alive?

‘Ah. They made it so it can't be cleared from the beginning.’

The blue screen also seemed strange. It seemed the game company had set it up so the Demon King couldn't be killed.

‘What a damn game.’

They must have been reluctant to grant the wish.

I sat in the chair, feeling defeated. Five years of effort had all been for nothing.

But what was even more tragic was the fact that it couldn't be cleared.

A grand goal. The goal of finally achieving something in my life was lost.

‘I knew it couldn't be cleared...’

It wasn't a game made to be cleared from the beginning.

Damn game company. I knew it would be like this.

But no matter how much I tried to understand, I couldn't stop the words from spilling out.

“Damn, what kind of garbage game is this?”