<Chapter 53. The Final Stage - 6>

For hundreds of years, the giant hall was kept clean through the Emperor's magic, and it was in this hall that Lee Shin Woo met the Emperor. There were guards standing beside him, but they were pretty insignificant to both the Emperor and Lee Shin Woo.

But there was something striking: the throne that the Emperor sat on. There was also a small magic circle set up behind it. Lee Shin Woo knew about it, as it had been set up by the Archmage himself. It was a door. A door that led to the cave where the source of darkness was hidden.

It was paramount that he took control of it...! In a sense, doing so was more important than dealing with the Emperor!

[Your Majesty.]

[Feo...]

The Emperor's voice was dismal, yet emitted powerful energy. Lee Shin Woo sensed the unconcealable magic from within his voice. It was exactly as the Archmage remembered, but experiencing it first hand was... As expected, this was a true level 9.

[Lv9 Lich Emperor - Jissehanu Von Enard]

'Compared to the Magic Emperor, who used his Lightning Bind to meet me indirectly, and the Garuda, which had been eaten away by the curse for so many years, severely weakening it... The Undead Emperor's power is completely different.'

Lee Shin Woo smirked. This is how powerful he was when there was only a slight difference in their stats? No, that was impossible!

After meeting the level 9 Emperor, Lee Shin Woo recollected something. Levels wouldn't increase by just accumulating stats. One could only grow by reaching a certain 'level' and proving themselves worthy!

Thus far, Lee Shin Woo hadn't acutely felt this phenomenon because all of his feats had been more than enough to level up. He had never hit a 'wall' before.

'That's how it's gone so far, but will it be so easy this time... Well, I'll never know until I actually reach 25,600 stats. Until then, I have to just try my best. Like right now... No, even more so.'

Unlike the pressure he was emanating, the Emperor gazed at him with drooping eyes. When they locked gazes, he desperately began to think. The moment he seemed surprised by the Emperor's power would mark the end of the line for him! Contrary to the Heaven Sundering General, the Undead Emperor was, in a different sense, a natural enemy to Lee Shin Woo's Acting skill!

[I took care of a majority of the heroes. But there were a few rats that slipped through my net. But I found out that they had an unexpected connection.]

[What we feared has come to pass. How are they connected...?]

[It's Seagald. He used the Metal General, who has ties to the surface, to form an alliance with the surface.]

[Oooh...]

Lee Shin Woo said, as if sure of its validity and the Undead Emperor interjected for the last time.

[I'm afraid of him. I feel as though he's trying to change something from within me. His loyalty to me hasn't changed, yet he's completely different from you. What is it? My wise friend and teacher. Do you know what that is?]

[...You already know the answer, Your Majesty. My clever Emperor. He dared doubt you and wanted you to become exactly how he envisioned. That's nothing more than perverse loyalty. No, it's stubbornness!]

[Feo... I'm scared.]

The Emperor said weakly. If the other heroes, who assumed that this guy was the final boss, were here, then what would they think? They would just be speechless and click their tongues.

[I'm afraid of the surface. I'm afraid of everything that's left me behind and changed.]

[Your Majesty, you rule over all that changes and all that doesn't.]

[Do you really think so? My friend, do you really think that's true?]

[If you wish for it, then time itself will stop and bow before your feet, Your Majesty. So what is it that you are so worried about?]

[My friend, I... I'm afraid of changing.]

Lee Shin Woo was silent. He thought, 'This guy's like a hikikomori...', but there was nothing he could do about it since it was the main trait of the undead.

It was actually kind of sad; even a level 9 undead, with such great magic and status, was the same as any other undead. He suddenly felt as though Seagald was amazing, as he had broken free of those shackles. It was such a relief that he'd already killed him!

[Your Majesty, you're already a perfect existence. No one can dare match up to you.]

[I'm not so sure. Perhaps... Perhaps I've already changed. My friend, why was it that I so ardently longed for the surface? Why was it that I wanted to get my revenge on Jirold so badly?]

[He's the reason we're down here. It's because he stole the light away from us.]

[But now, I feel so comfortable with this darkness. I don't want to leave. Every day, I imagine myself ripping Jirold to shreds, but even though I can go through the barrier, I can never bring myself to do so. My friend... where did I go wrong? Aah, what did I do!?]

[Your Majesty...]

The Emperor had only just realized that the undead curse he'd developed had a fatal flaw. But unfortunately, he couldn't turn back time. That's because undead, as a species, could not move forward by themselves. They not only couldn't move forward, but they also couldn't look back at the past either.

The dead. They had lost not only their lives but also a path to follow. Thus, they couldn't go forward, nor could they go back.

...But Lee Shin Woo was here. If there wasn't a path, then he just needed to make one!

[That's too much, Your Majesty.]

Lee Shin Woo did his duty as the Archmage and calmed the Emperor down. Though he had reached level 9 and become transcendent, the Emperor wasn't capable of escaping his fate as one of the dead. Thus, his statement was mixed with a small bit of pity towards the Emperor, Jissehanu.

[You can do anything you wish, Your Majesty. Taking a brief respite within here is your decision, so all of creation must abide by your wish. When you decide to leave here, then everyone will follow and support you!]

[Feo...!]

[Please don't doubt yourself. You are an existence which has obtained great karma, yet you also transcend existence. Since you haven't forgotten about your revenge against Jirold at all! If Jirold were to appear before you, then wouldn't you raise one hand and crush him, Your Majesty!?]

[That... Of course!]

The Lich's encouraging words caused the Emperor to stand straight up and agree. Normally, the Emperor wouldn't move an inch, so the sudden movement caused the Emperor's guards to flinch. They should've noticed by now that Lee Shin Woo wasn't the Archmage!

[My desire for revenge hasn't left me. Not at all. My friend, you spoke well. Although I felt comfort in the darkness, that doesn't mean my desire for revenge has disappeared! On the contrary, no matter how many days or years go by, my desire for revenge still remains strong!]

[That's right, Your Majesty! That hasn't changed at all!]

Well, it shouldn't. He was an undead after all. This emotion (rejecting change) was an undead's most powerful emotion, and this emotion was controlling the Emperor as well, so there was no way he'd be able to escape its binds for even one second!

The Emperor, who cradled this cursed feeling like it was a blessing, was so pathetic that it was hard for him to continue looking at him. Is this what a fight was supposed to be like? He had a bitter taste in his mouth. Ah, he chewed on some bone powder.

[Then, what will you do if I, your humble servant (skeleton), have a solution to your plight?]

[...A solution?]

The Emperor tilted his head. Contrary to Leofield, the Emperor hadn't doubted Lee Shin Woo from the beginning. It couldn't be helped. After all, that was what Lee Shin Woo was all about.

[If I can bring Jirold before you, then what will you do, Your Majesty?]

[Bring Jirold... before me...?]

The Emperor slowly reiterated his question. He couldn't even imagine it. The Archmage had never said something like this before, but...

[You would bring Jirold, who's hiding on the surface, before me?]

[Yes, Your Majesty. It took me quite a long time, but I've become able to do that now. I prepared (and developed) my space element for this very moment.]

[I know how extraordinary your space element is... So with that power, you can finally get through the barrier and...]

[It was only possible through your grace and the source of darkness. So, this is also your karma, Your Majesty.]

[Is that so? ...I see! So you're saying that it's because of me that you were able to go through the barrier!]

The Emperor accepted his magic tinged words as the obvious truth. That was the power of Instigate.

[The Instigate skill has become Lv10 and has been maxed out! Others perceive your lies as truth. No, it becomes the new truth. Magic has increased by 50. By mastering one of the Joker's innate skills, your other skills' growth rate increases. One of your karma's conditions has been fulfilled.]

He had mastered one of the Joker's innate skills! At that moment, Lee Shin Woo's (nonexistent) heart thumped and pleasure spread throughout his entire body.

The 50 Magic increase wasn't important. There was a more fundamental and extreme change that was affecting his very existence...!

'I'm not far.'

Not far from what? He couldn't tell. However, Lee Shin Woo thought that instinctively. With the stat increases from Regeneration, his total stats were now 25,412. All that was left were 187 stat points.

However, there was something more important than stats right in front of him. It was waiting for him to figure out what it was!

"Oh..."

"Your Majesty, are you dreaming of snails?" [1]

Whereas, on the surface, the Light General was watching the Magic Emperor, looking at him as if he were hopeless.

She spoke impolitely, but the Emperor wore all sorts of defensive equipment (that had been in the palace's treasury). And if that wasn't enough, he had wrapped scrolls engraved with all sorts of magic formulas onto his body. Thus, the Emperor's authority was still powerful.

"Everything will end soon. Since our forces should be clashing with theirs now!"

"Yes, I heard that too."

"The Imperial Army will take care of everything. They'll take care of everything before the religious orders even have a chance. I trained my soldiers so diligently for this very moment!"

"Sure, sure."

And that was exactly what the hero, Izuna, had been hoping for.

The Magic Emperor seemed so pathetic that the Light General felt like she'd click her tongue. He should already know that the undead were not to be underestimated; after all, none of the Vampire's he'd sent previously had come back alive!

Despite that, the Emperor was sure that his soldiers and knights, as well as the 12 Generals, would be able to take out the undead without any difficulty. But where exactly did this confidence come from!? He was definitely relying on the negative effects of becoming an undead.

'...Then again, I'm not much different. A long time ago, I was willing to sacrifice my own body to get my revenge...'

Then, at that moment... She shuddered. The alarm magic formulas that she'd set up prior had just gone off.

A thick smile appeared on her face. She spoke tiredly at the Magic Emperor, who seemed to become more and more like a snail, which had found a large house to wander around in.

"Hoo. Rather than acting so foolishly, why don't I 'accompany' you?"

"...Really?"

"I know you're suspicious of me. So shouldn't I be trying to gain your trust in a time like this? It's regrettable, but we both seem to be acting in the best interests of the Empire."

"I've never once questioned your loyalty. ...Ah, of course."

The Magic Emperor had always desired her, but she had always narrowly escaped his grasp.

He couldn't go after her when Arema Steelworker was still on the surface, as he couldn't hurt his loyal retainer. But when he abandoned Sorura and went down underground, Sorura had immediately married another man. And she eventually became a widow.

Despite that, the Emperor couldn't give up on her. He convinced her to become a Vampire so that she could eventually be with Arema, and ultimately transformed her into a Vampire.

At the time, he thought he was almost there. The Vampire that created another Vampire... In other words, the children would always think highly of their 'father'. Moreover, he was able to forge a deep connection with her through Lightning Bind, so it was easy for him to force a relationship with her!

...However, she was barely affected by him, even after becoming a Vampire, perhaps due to her light element. Thus, the Emperor was forced to give up on her. But to think that she, who had rejected him for so long, had accepted him so easily!?

"...I can pretty much tell what you're thinking, but I can't let you do everything."

"O-Of course. I can't do something shameless to a virtuous woman like you."

Everyone said that in the beginning. In the beginning, at least. The Emperor decided to magnanimously accept her fussing.

But he never knew when Seagald would strike, so he didn't strip off all of his equipment. He only de-equipped a few pieces of excess equipment and briefly took off the scrolls that would impede his movement.

'This all doesn't matter much anyway.'

Sorura, who was watching him, noted that he looked more and more hideous. Even so, she didn't let it worry her and she approached him. After all, saying a few things he wanted to hear would allow her to get close to him without him being suspicious of her.

"Then... Shall we go to bed?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Emperor's hand touched Sorura's shoulder.

And a black flame shifted to the Emperor and blazed.

"...Huh?"

"This is called Fire Shadow. You can either transfer your power to your contractee, or you can use magic through their body. Since Heaven Space or a space-type element is mixed into it, it proves that the underground heroes have grown beyond our wildest imaginations."

Sorura said. Her face had already become black flame. Soon, even that flame shifted to the Emperor.

Even if he tried to deal with it with the darkness element or Lightning Bind, it was difficult, as Sorura was facing him. Sorura, who had always rejected him, was using that link between them to her advantage! The deep darkness that linked the two of them was getting in Lightning Bind's way!

"What is this... Keuk!?"

"Then... I hope you have a good night, Your Majesty."

The Emperor could say no more. The Fire's Shadow that came from Sorura engulfed the Magic Emperor and had erased him from his current location.

Sorura, now alone, was quite pale, but she hadn't died.

"I thought it'd burn me too. Was it a lie...? Well, whatever. There are still some things I need to do."

Of course, she trusted the heroes, but the Magic Emperor may return, so she decided to destroy the place that he could return to.

Light erupted from her hand. After she, with a joyous expression, had vaporized the Emperor's bedroom, she began to destroy the rest of the palace.

[1] E/N: TLDR: it's someone who aims to live a slow, steady and peaceful life. An anime recommendation that fulfills this very thoroughly is [Tanaka-kun is Always Listless]. ✨