Chương 50: The Price of Eternal Entertainment — Desires and Choices

The transition from our temporary cave to the kingdom's political core required us to organize our party before the crown. We crossed the gates of the Royal Palace of Ithrya under the watchful eyes of the runic guard. I led the squad straight to the throne room to formalize the pact. Standing before Queen Liria and her advisor Hina, I officially introduced each of the women under my command: Selene, Liora, Myreia, Aurélia, and Akari.

Maintaining the necessary etiquette to solidify our position, the five of them performed a linear, perfectly synchronized bow, kneeling before the monarch as they recited the standard greeting in unison:"Pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty." Liria observed the group with her cold eyes, sealing the decree that granted us access to the ores and lodgings.

It was decided right then and there that Akari would not march with us to the front lines; her potential would be far more useful remaining in the palace, infiltrated within the shadows of the court to gather internal intelligence while we were away. Before we departed, I left the chessboard at the palace as a gift for the queen, telling her that when I returned from the mission, I would teach her how to play.

Once released from the protocols of the court, we were directed to our inner chambers, staying as guests within the palace itself. Night fell heavy over the royal corridors. Walking in silence through the stone structures, I decided to go to Selene's room, as I planned to sleep with her that night. However, opening the door turned into an accident—the red-haired mage was caught completely off guard. She was in the middle of changing into her sleepwear, wearing only her bra on top.

Noticing my direct presence at the threshold, she grabbed the bedsheet in a swift reflex, hastily covering her body as she recoiled against the pillows. Her blue eyes locked onto mine, filled with suspicion.

"Kuro, what do you want?" I stepped closer with calm strides, keeping my voice linear and devoid of any fluctuation.

"Your body looks pretty soft. Whenever you hug me, I can tell how soft you are." Selene knit her brows instantly, an expression of mixed disgust and embarrassment washing over her face at my sudden, cold audacity.

"Why are you saying that out of nowhere? Just so you know, sex isn't happening."

"My bad," I replied, attempting to break her resistance.

"I was just left speechless. Usually, you'd be hitting me by now... It's just that you're beautiful. That red hair of yours... you are the most gorgeous woman I've ever met." The mage clutched the sheet against her chest even tighter, her cheeks visibly flushing as she struggled to maintain her haughty demeanor.

"You're not changing my mind. Get out of here." I didn't drag the conversation out. I turned around and left the chamber in silence. I walked down the dark corridor and went straight into Liora's room, where I spent the night with her instead. By dawn, our focus shifted entirely to wartime logistics. Since the infiltration into the enemy city was meant to take place in broad daylight, the group prepared by wearing their regular clothes to look like ordinary civilians and travelers.

Selene kept her short crimson dress and high black boots; Aurélia wore her purple robes; and Myreia donned her hooded cloak, custom-tailored for her cat ears, paired with tight shorts and black tights underneath. I dressed in a mix of black and gray, wearing a gray coat over black armor with metal accents. Strapped to my side was the Black Mithril sword, featuring a straight, double-edged blade. Inside my coat pocket, I kept a black mask adorned with a painted smile.

I gathered the group in the palace's war room for a final alignment. Queen Liria and her advisor Hina were not present, but Commander Kaelia actively participated by our side. I looked at the others and delivered the plan directly:"The plan is to enter the city disguised. Selene and I will distract the demons, while the rest of you head to the palace to find a way inside. I managed to gather information on her abilities.

She possesses a skill that summons red magic circles and fire magic, along with another ability that no one has been able to accurately describe. Apparently, she has suits of armor that fight on her behalf. Whether it's pure manipulation or if there's actually something inside the armor, nobody can tell for sure. Most of the common troops wear red and black armor with horns; the majority lack wings, and their appearance is gray or red. However, some creatures display a human appearance, such as the mages.

General Seraphine Veyra looks human, sporting purple horns, black hair, and red armor tightly fitted to her body. They aren't even real demons. They are just corrupted beings and normal monsters that eventually evolved and claimed that name... Just like how this world has vampires, demi-humans, dragons that can shift into humans, and shadows. Though her race is a distinct demi-human breed that blends other demi-human traits together."

We dismissed any standard royal escort and hid the Eclipse Musket beneath the fake cargo of a wagon. We traveled for exactly ten consecutive days along the border roads until we finally reached enemy territory in the Kingdom of the Union. We crossed the city gates during the day without raising suspicion, blending into the local crowd. The city was a melting pot of demi-human residents, ordinary citizens, and the enemy army. Before the explosion, I halted the wagon for a brief moment.

I watched the people walking through the streets. Since the city had been captured only recently, this specific sector had been turned into a highly militarized commercial area. The crowd consisted almost entirely of 30 male enemy soldiers demons, 7 female demons, 20 male civilians, and merchants supplying the garrison. Out of everyone present, there were only 9 civilian women left in that entire perimeter, caught in the middle of the bustle. Everyone else seemed completely oblivious to what was about to unfold.

The squad split up across our strategic axes. Selene and I infiltrated the bustling commercial district. It was at that moment that I revealed the compact, opaque runic cylinder artifact. Only Selene knew about the existence of that high-density crystal, upon which I had applied severe subatomic compression to its mana structure using Molecular Alchemy. I explained it to her as we planted the warhead:"Remember that 10-million mana crystal I told you about? This is a similar version, just much smaller."

The violent release of energy would trigger a molecular chain reaction identical to a nuclear explosion. Our objective was to lure the elite guards directly into the blast radius. The alchemical bomb detonated. A purple flash consumed the city. Selene shielded her face as the shockwave ripped through the streets, raising a violent mushroom cloud of fire that pulverized the market.

The blast instantly incinerated 30 enemy demons, 7 female demons, 20 male civilians of various ages, and the 9 civilian women of all ages, completely wiping out their forces in broad daylight. The squad split up across our strategic axes. Selene and I infiltrated the bustling commercial district. It was at that moment that I revealed the compact, opaque runic cylinder artifact.

Only Selene knew about the existence of that high-density crystal, upon which I had applied severe subatomic compression to its mana structure using Molecular Alchemy. I explained it to her as we planted the warhead:"Remember that 10-million mana crystal I told you about? This is a similar version, just much smaller." The violent release of energy would trigger a molecular chain reaction identical to a nuclear explosion. Our objective was to lure the elite guards directly into the blast radius.

The alchemical bomb detonated. A purple flash consumed the city. Selene shielded her face as the shockwave ripped through the streets, raising a violent mushroom cloud of fire that pulverized the market. The blast instantly incinerated 30 enemy demons, 10 female demons, and 20 male civilians, completely wiping out their forces in broad daylight without harming the 9 women who had already fled. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

The squad split up across our strategic axes. Selene and I infiltrated the bustling commercial district. It was at that moment that I revealed the compact, opaque runic cylinder artifact. Only Selene knew about the existence of that high-density crystal, upon which I had applied severe subatomic compression to its mana structure using Molecular Alchemy. I explained it to her as we planted the warhead:"Remember that 10-million mana crystal I told you about? This is a similar version, just much smaller."

The violent release of energy would trigger a molecular chain reaction identical to a nuclear explosion. Our objective was to lure the elite guards directly into the blast radius. Meanwhile, Myreia, Liora, and Aurélia took advantage of the commotion to breach the central palace, which was supposed to be left unguarded due to the disaster. The alchemical bomb detonated. A purple flash consumed the city.

Selene shielded her face as the shockwave ripped through the streets, raising a violent mushroom cloud of fire that pulverized the market, shattered the enemy forces, and incinerated civilians in broad daylight.

"Kuro..." Selene exclaimed, her voice trembling.

"Don't look back."

"There are people over there..."

"I know." She stared at me, her eyes wide with horror.

"You knew this would happen?"

"Yes." Selene clenched her fists, her breathing heavy.

"Then why...?"

"Because I chose this path. I never said it was right. Only that it was the path I chose." Though the blue fire continued to consume the outer sector, something went terribly wrong along our second axis inside the central palace. General Seraphine Veyra had not taken the bait; she had remained in the throne room, waiting for the invasion. Myreia had been mind-controlled against her will, luring the other two directly into the trap.

Inside the inner hall, Aurélia and Liora recoiled in shock near the throne, while Myreia wept in desperation, fighting against the invisible strings binding her movements.

"No, I didn't do it! I promise I wasn't controlling my own body!" General Seraphine Veyra raised her hand and smiled with pure mockery at the cornered invaders.

"Welcome back, Myreia, my old friend... or should I say, Kaede? You took over my friend's body, and Goddess Ariana made sure of this, right? She told me I should kill Kuro, and that was your mission too... But I am going to kill King Kurogami and take my revenge on you, Kaede, for taking over the body of my friend Myreia."

Faced with the imminent threat and the palace surrounded by autonomous puppet armor, Liora drew her blade, embracing her own fate with a war cry:"I was born to fight, that's just how destiny works, isn't it? Then let me die fighting, just like how I killed all my enemies with this katana!" Combat erupted violently. Aurélia clutched her staff and desperately tried to rush forward to provide support.

"Liora!" One of the puppet armors emerged from the ground, creating absolute barriers in her path. Aurélia hastily raised her staff, but an enemy blade came slashing across her arm.

"Ah!" Blood spilled from the wound. She stepped back, placed her hand over her arm, and channeled her support magic. A violet light enveloped the injury, closing the gash within seconds.

"I can heal myself... so I just need to reach her!" Aurélia advanced once more with her staff raised, but another armor intercepted her. She unleashed a runic repulsion barrier. BOOM! The heavy impact of energy forced her back several meters across the cold stone floor.

"Get out of my way!" Meanwhile, Liora delivered rapid strikes against the storm of metal, using her katana with mastery to block the barrage of swords that the general controlled mid-air. Her footsteps were firm, but the sheer volume of attacks began to overwhelm her defenses, leaving her struggling to stay on her feet as metal collided against metal. It was precisely in that moment of chaos that Selene and I reached the central palace. The massive wooden entrance door was completely locked from the inside.

I channeled my strength to shatter the locked door, crushing the structure and forcing our way through all at once. As we stepped into the hall, we were met with the climax of the confrontation. I drew my straight Black Mithril sword from beneath my gray coat and tried to sprint toward the center to intervene, while Selene began conjuring her magic from the perimeter.

"Kuro!" Selene shouted, her eyes fixed on the massive number of enemies.

"There are too many of them!"

"I know!" Behind us, Aurélia kept trying to find a breach in the wall of metal surrounding her.

"Kuro! I can heal her! I just need to reach her!"

"Then get to her!"

"I'm trying!" Aurélia cast another mana barrier, destroying one of the puppet armors at the base of the throne, but two others immediately occupied the vacant space, sealing the passage. She was close, but not close enough. The dozens of floating swords under Seraphine's command moved simultaneously and in perfect coordination through the air, breaking past the physical limits of Liora's parries.

"Liora!" I yelled, forcing my legs to sprint faster across the floor. Too late. The runic blades overcame the katana's resistance and pierced through her body while she was still trying to hold her ground in the center of the hall. She was skewered multiple times in her arms and legs, until the blades tore through her stomach and another pierced her heart, cutting her off until her final millisecond.

"NO!" I finally reached the center of the perimeter and caught Liora in my arms before her body could completely collapse onto the trampled earth. Aurélia managed to shatter her barrier and break through a passage at that exact split second.

"LIORA!" The healer rushed desperately toward us, but stopped dead in her tracks the moment she saw the assassin's true state. Her eyes lost focus for an instant.

"No..." Aurélia gripped the handle of her staff tightly, her hands shaking.

"I can heal her..." She tried to take a step forward to apply her violet magic, but stopped upon realizing that all vital functions had already ceased. She had arrived too late. My gaze swept over the multiple wounds on Liora's chest, the severe blood loss, and the non-existent pulse. My mind raced to find solutions in a fraction of a second—potions, mana, alchemy, regeneration, any resource I could forge.

"Myreia! Where are the potions?!" Myreia, still on her knees and struggling against the remnants of the mind control, tried to answer between sobs.

"Kuro... I..."

"Just tell me where they are!" Aurélia took a step back, her voice choked and trembling before the lifeless body.

"Kuro... I... I couldn't reach her. She is dying! I won't be able to heal her, I already used the healing on myself and I can't reach you over there, my mana is running out."

"I know!" I pressed my hand firmly against Liora's chest, trying in vain to stem the flow of blood.

"You are not going to die." Liora opened her eyes slowly one last time, gazing up at my face.

"You... always talk as if you can control everything..."

"Because I can." She smiled faintly, the strength leaving her lips.

"Liar. I was happy, so please be happy too... I died fighting for us." For the first time in my entire existence, I couldn't formulate a response. She closed her eyes, and her body went completely limp in my arms. I looked at the broken healer beside me.

"It wasn't your fault."

"I am the healer..."

"I know."

"Then why couldn't I save her?" I looked down at Liora's icy face.

"Because you weren't there when she needed you." Aurélia lowered her head, completely shattered inside.

"I'm sorry..."

"Don't apologize." The real blame didn't lie with her. I was the one who had arrived too late with the strategy. In that exact instant, the surroundings froze into a heavy static. I felt the remaining twenty percent of my emotion vanish from my mind, completely zeroing out my humanity due to the throne's automatic pact. Facing the lifeless body in my arms, my mind broke past its constraints. I don't accept this. I will not let destiny dictate the end of my game.

"No, Liora, you can't leave," I whispered, my voice rising in pitch until it erupted into a scream of absolute fury directed at the palace ceiling.

"No! I will destroy everyone! No, I accept the void! I accept being the shadow! I just want more chances, I want to choose my own end, I want to win!" I surged up from the floor all at once and went after her. Consumed by a destructive rage, I advanced through the hall, delivering brutal bare-fisted strikes, smashing the enemy puppet armor trying to encircle me with pure punches, all while weaving through the storm of swords hurled in my direction. My mind locked onto the target with total intensity.

Destiny, right? It all comes down to a destiny a Goddess created... It's as if the abyss is staring at me, and I will be right here staring back into the abyss. And what does it feel like? Power or fear? I only feel power. Now I've created my reasons to keep going, so I cannot give up. A hollow shell like me doesn't have that right. I will fight until I'm the strongest, until I destroy everyone. I don't care if it's an entity that can control the universe, nothing will stop me.

Breaking through the barrier of metal with sheer brute force, I managed to reach General Seraphine Veyra in the center of the palace. I unleashed a devastating strike toward her chest, but she acted swiftly, raising a red sword heavy with dense mana to block the impact. BOOM! The clash of red energy against my fists generated a massive shockwave throughout the hall. I was forced back a few meters by the strength of the block, my feet dragging across the stone.

It was at that exact millisecond, mid-recoil from the impact, that time came to an abrupt halt. Everything froze in mid-air. The Goddess's three options expanded in floating lines across the temporal vacuum right before my perfectly static eyes: [FIRST OPTION] [Liora will live.] [Myreia and Akari will die.] [SECOND OPTION] [Shadow abilities will be removed.] [The right to the throne will be removed.] [Your emotions will return.] [Liora and Myreia will live.] [THIRD OPTION] [Three returns will be granted.] Suddenly, Rina physically projected herself outward from the core of my soul, materializing directly within that frozen hall. She began to walk slowly around me, staring into my eyes amidst the static. Her voice echoed in absolute panic inside my consciousness at the ultimatum:"Ability unlocked: Shadow Manipulation. But your desire... You traded what was left of your emotion and a normal life for your desires. Kuro... what did you wish for?"

I answered in thought, at the absolute zero of my soul, while she continued to circle my frozen body:"I wished to be the Goddess's eternal entertainment. I wished to always find Aurélia, Liora, Selene, and Kaede. And I wished for you to stay with me for all eternity." Rina stopped walking, staring at me in pure shock.

"Basically, you cursed all of them, and even me!"

"Yes, Rina. I know I was selfish, but I would do it all over again. It was the only way for me to have a reason to keep going." She remained silent for a few seconds, awaiting my definitive verdict.

"Kuro... which one do you choose? You can choose the first."

"No."

"Why?" I looked mentally at the fallen Liora, and then at Myreia. Even without information regarding the hidden rules, the tactical response was obvious.

"Because I refuse to choose who gets to die." Rina fell silent. She took a final step toward me, delivering her definitive message before dissolving into the air and returning to my soul:"So you are going to choose the third? Even without knowing the price?"

"Yes." For the first time, I was entering a game without knowing the rules, and perhaps that was exactly what the Goddess wanted from her entertainment. Only then did I realize that I had chosen an option whose rules I conceptually did not know.

"Three." [CHOICE CONFIRMED.] [FIRST RETURN INITIATED.] Time completely collapsed. Rina's material form vanished, and my body began to dissolve into the vacuum of static, undoing the entire frozen reality around us. The last thing I saw before the full seven-minute reset activated was Liora's motionless face.