Chapter 224: The Ending is Always Painful Yet Happy
"That guy, your name is Took, right?"
After waiting for a while, the Barbarian slowly opened his eyes, trembling slightly. In his hazy eyes, he only saw dark shadows all around. Only after forcing his eyes wide open did he realize he was surrounded by several Ghost Wolves. Their condescending, fierce gazes and blood-filled mouths like sawteeth were less than a meter away, looking particularly ferocious.
Heh heh, he originally wanted to give a self-deprecating bitter smile, but instead, his throat felt sweet, as if something was surging up from inside, blocking his windpipe, making him feel extremely suffocated and uncomfortable. He coughed violently, blood continuously spilling from his mouth. It was then that he realized he was in a Severe Injury state. Forget escaping, he didn't even have the Strength to move.
Just then, the Ghost Wolves surrounding him suddenly cleared a path. In the dark night Void that seemed to swallow everything, a Figure slowly walked forward. He knew that this was the Demon-like Druid. Although their Levels were similar, this Druid had left him and his two other Comrades completely unable to fight back.
The dust-free Cloak fluttering in the night Wind, the slow yet powerful Footsteps, were as leisurely and self-satisfied as someone walking out of a bathroom after a hot bath. His full-Strength Battle was just child's play to this person. Even the Double Throw that he had been so proud of just now seemed like an Adult letting a child win – if the Druid had gone all out from the start, he probably wouldn't have fared much better than his two companions.
Thinking of this, for some reason, he suddenly felt a sense of relaxation. Ever since witnessing the opponent's Strength that surpassed common sense, the shadow of Fear and unwillingness that had been pressing down on his heart like a Boulder suddenly vanished without a trace.
He carefully scrutinized the opponent with his own eyes. Yes, that was right, it was like a Leader. It was a Monster that had far surpassed the realm of genius, one that made people unable to muster any resistance from the bottom of their hearts. It simply couldn't be measured by common sense. Although his Strength was still far inferior to the Leader's, from his Body, he saw the Leader's Shadow. His future was destined to become an Existence like the Leader, no, even surpassing the Leader.
He suddenly understood why he felt this sense of relief – what was this? So he was fighting a Monster like the Leader! No wonder he lost so badly, it was truly laughable. Just a moment ago, he thought he could win. He suddenly felt how insignificant and ignorant he was. The sense of shame made him wish he could fall asleep immediately and never wake up.
Work hard, work hard, as long as you work hard, there is no Goal you cannot achieve. He had always scoffed at this saying – no matter how high a grasshopper jumps, can it compare to a Human? Some people are destined to be high above from the start. Just like those grasshoppers looking up at him, they are Existences he can never reach no matter how hard he tries.
"So, what should I do?"
I squinted my eyes and muttered, feeling a bit confused. Should I kill him? Speaking of which, why has he been staring at me intently since just now? There isn't a single trace of Battle Intent in his eyes anymore. Has his Brain been damaged?
"Heh... ha... cough... ha—!!!"
The Barbarian suddenly laughed. Blood continuously coughed out with his laughter, revealing an indescribable Sorrow.
"Kill me!" He suddenly stopped and murmured, looking up at the dark Sky.
"Huh?"
"If you want to talk about abandoning Bad Deeds and turning to good, I advise you to save your breath. To die by your hand is worth it."
He laboriously raised his Head, his Unruly eyes filled with determination, Despair, Hatred, and many other Feelings I couldn't describe, yet there was no hint of a desire to survive. This made me feel the seriousness in his words.
"Don't get agitated. I didn't plan to say anything nice like persuading you to join the Adventurer's Guild and take pride in protecting the entire Sanctuary. Whether you want to live in seclusion in a place with beautiful mountains and Clean Water, or go back to your Hometown to get Married, as long as you don't abuse your Power to harm the innocent in the future, that's enough."
I sighed. I suddenly remembered what Kashya had said, that every Fallen One is a product of Sorrow. My heart felt heavy, as if something weighty was pressing down on it, and I couldn't find any joy from the Victory anymore.
"Can't do it!!" He answered word by word.
"Why? Why do you hate your own kind so much?"
"Kind? Haha—I have no kind!!" Every word he spoke revealed Hatred.
"I, Took, was raised by the Earth of the Frozen Highlands. Ice, snow, and the great mountains are my Companions. Do you know? Kneeling on the Grassland, picking the tenderest Green Grass, searching inch by inch, a grasshopper hidden in the Grass suddenly jumped up, and I grabbed it in my hand, put it in my mouth, and bit down with a 'crunch'. The sweet taste of meat, that Fun, haha—cough cough—"
The almost frantic laughter seemed to tear at Took's internal organs. He coughed up large mouthfuls of Blood, gasping for breath.
"Everyone in my eyes is just a grasshopper. Don't you also live by slaughtering Livestock? It's just the strong preying on the weak." After finally catching his breath, he said with a sinister smile, then closed his eyes and stopped talking, looking Calm, as if ready to be killed or cut up.
"Is that so? Then there's nothing I can do."
I tried to make my Voice sound cold, turned around, and took a deep breath.
"Finally... I'll give you a piece of advice. Be careful of our Leader. Although... you are indeed very strong, compared to him, you are still... still far behind. I don't want... the person who defeated me to die so miserably." His Voice gradually weakened.
"Is that all?" I asked, with my back to him, but received no further response.
Leave the Corpse intact. This was the last Command I gave to Light Snow and the others.
Akara must be crying. Standing in the bleak night Wind, I sighed heavily. The entire Sanctuary has hundreds of millions of Population, and there are only tens of thousands of Class-Changed Ones. Excluding the Rookies who have just changed Class, the number is even pitifully small. Every Class Changer who walks out of the Rogue Encampment is a treasure. I can completely imagine Akara's dazed Appearance after hearing the News, her eyes rolling back, her Footsteps unsteady and stumbling. Cain will shake his Head and sigh, reading his Book without appetite. Kashya will sullenly drink her Inn. Fara? She'll probably cause more explosions.
Thinking this way, I felt like I, who had already killed four Class-Changed Ones, was like a sinner of the entire Continent.
"What misfortune!"
At this time, the most important thing was to change my Mood, which is commonly known as looting the dead. I adjusted my Mood, forced a smile, and walked towards the Assassin. His Corpse looked as if it had been soaked in Concentrated Sulfuric Acid, already starting to corrode over a large area. There wasn't a single piece of intact Skin on his entire Body. The shocking and tragic sight made me feel a chill in my heart. I could die in any way in the future, just not by poison...
Carefully stripping the Equipment from his Body, I looked bitterly at the Equipment that emitted the same smell as his Corpse. Although Equipment has an automatic dust and stain removal function, having witnessed it, I no longer had the courage to wear it myself. Fortunately, the Assassin didn't have anything good on him. The most valuable items were just those two Fist Swords, which I wasn't skilled with either. I'll sell them all.
After burying the Assassin's Corpse, I clasped my hands together and bowed. When a person dies, their light goes out. May they rest in peace. No matter what Bad Deeds he did in life, he was just a Corpse now.
The Necromancer's Corpse was even more tragic than the Assassin's. Fortunately, he also didn't have anything good. The Bone Staff in his hand, however, was a good item.
Yew Wand (Gray)
One-Hand Damage: 2-8
Durability: 12-15
Required Level: 3
Staff Class: Normal Attack Speed
+2 to Skeleton Mastery
+50% Damage to Undead
Socketed (1)
This Staff was an Excellent Grade item that was hard to come by for a Necromancer, but the +2 Skeleton Mastery was a pity. Without mastering Summon Skeleton, it couldn't be utilized, so it was useless to me.
Finally, there was the Barbarian Took, who seemed to carry some heavy dark History. To be honest, I didn't think he was a bad person, but perhaps he encountered something when he was young, which led to his current Abnormal personality.
When I walked up to him, I found that his two hands seemed to be full of something. I hadn't seen anything in his hands before I turned around, so he must have taken them out from his Body at the moment before death. Prying them open, I saw nearly ten Cracked Gems. Among them was a Flawed Sapphire and a Cracked Skull.
Cracked Skull
Weapon: Steal 2% Life, 1% Mana
Shield: Attacker Takes Damage 4
Other: Replenish Life +2, Mana Regeneration +8%
This was the first time I had seen a Cracked Skull. This kind of Skull with a Jade-like Feel and lustrous Color was extremely powerful in Stats, and its Drop Rate was much lower than Gems. Even I, a Parvenu, was seeing it for the first time. Melee Characters and Amazons like to socket it into Weapons. It doesn't have much effect in the early stages, but once Attack Power increases in the later stages, the benefits are very obvious. Sorceresses, on the other hand, will socket it into Armor (excluding Shields). The Mana Regeneration Stat is extremely important for any Sorceress.
Although I unexpectedly got nearly ten such Gems, I couldn't feel happy at all. Looking at his face without the slightest regret, his Corner of the mouth slightly pulled up, looking satisfied. What was this Barbarian doing? Did he want to die that much?
Looking at the three lonely Graves on the Grassland, I sighed for the umpteenth time.
"Didn't you win? Why are you still wearing a long face? Are you already feeling the loneliness of an Expert?"
The Little Ghost in the Necklace mercilessly mocked me with her melodious and clear Voice.
"On the contrary, it's because I don't feel anything that I'm sighing!" I sighed again. What misfortune.
"This is only the second time I've killed someone, but why does it feel like I'm already getting used to it? Is my hidden true nature actually a cold-blooded Abnormal personality like Jack the Ripper?"
"That's hard to say... Ah! Although you say that, you're not worried at all, are you?" The Little Ghost tilted her cute Head, then suddenly seemed to discover something and said with a wrinkled nose.
Speaking of which, how can she peek at my Expression from inside the Necklace? I can no longer describe the miraculousness of this Necklace... no, it should be this Little Ghost.
"Is that so?"
I touched my face in confusion. "Is it really that relaxed?"
"Mm!" The Little Ghost nodded fiercely, as if she was going to shake her Head off. "You look quite Leisurely. I really can't see that you're troubled."
"That's probably..." Touching my cheek, I smiled thoughtfully.
"Because you guys are here. Haven't you always been by my side? As a Saintess, you should fulfill your duty and guide my direction forward. So I don't feel worried at all about becoming that kind of person. As long as you guys are here..."
"..." Wow!!
"Why aren't you talking, you stupid Ghost? Why are you blushing? And you're smiling so disgustingly!!!"
"Because, well... I just couldn't help it."
The kneeling Little Ghost raised her blushing face. The uncontrollable joy made the smile on her face even more dazzling than the Sun in the Desert at noon. This was the second time I had seen her show such a carefree, happy Expression from the bottom of her heart.
"Don't blush, and don't smile!" Did those words really have such Power? Seeing her Appearance, I felt a little embarrassed myself.
"Wuwu~~ I can't do it." The Little Ghost covered her flushed cheeks with her hands and shook her Head desperately. Her moon-colored hair scattered in the air with her Movement, like an unfolding fan.
"Heh heh, how dare you defy this Lord's Command? Take this move: Hundred Revolutions per Second, Three Hundred Sixty Degrees, Absolutely Abnormal, Invincible, Rapid, Crazy Carousel Attack!" I grabbed the Necklace with one hand and spun it rapidly, 'ho ho'.
"Wuwah~ wah~~ wah~~~~ I'm dizzy~, wuwu~ my Head is so dizzy~ wuwu~~~~ Quick~ quick stop, or~ or I'll really~ I'll really~, I'll sink~ sink your Corpse~, strange~ strange, why~ why are there six~ six eyes~, wuwu~~~"
The Little Ghost's distressed cry immediately sounded from the Necklace.
"Ah, it slipped..."
I spun too fast, and the Necklace accidentally flew out. Before it landed, it was suddenly caught by a Shadow and taken high into the air. I breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out to be the Lazy Crow with sharp Vision. If I had lost the Little Ghost's Dwelling...
Hmm, then she wouldn't have anywhere to hide in the future. That doesn't seem bad either, although losing a Golden Necklace is indeed a bit of a pity. I started to weigh the gains and Losses like a spendthrift.
"Uggh~~ No way~~ I'm afraid of heights~~~~"