Chapter 136 - Immoral Prince (4)

13.

Every time a Relic Guardian was killed, the Relic possessed by the Relic Guardian was destroyed. The Immoral Prince lost each of his power as he lost each of his Relics.  In the end, the Immoral Prince lost the powerful magic that exceeded the powers of conventional magic.  He even lost the use of Red Blood Sword Qi, which had displayed the power to cut anything in this world.  In the end, the Darkness that had filled its eyes started to subside too.

It was the start of the Immoral Prince escaping its own  long nightmare.  At the same time, it meant the Prince Dean would also have to face off against the nightmare of its own creation.

“We don't have much time left!  Endure!”

“Don't be afraid of a Game Over!  Since we are in this, we are seeing this to the end!  Don't be afraid for your life just because you can see the end!”

Of course, the battle was a nightmare from the start to finish for the groups that faced off against the Immoral Prince.

Hyrkan wasn't watching the battle.  He didn't look at the numerous Users experiencing the nightmare together.

He was pretty far away from the fight.  It was a location where the trees had been cut or broken from the aftermath of the battle.  He was sitting on the floor with his head down, and he had his back propped up against one of the intact trees.  He had his eyes closed, and one couldn't even hear his breathing.  Hyrkan looked like a corpse.

Not too far away from Hyrkan, there was someone, who was in the same state as Hyrkan.  She was about a dozen feet away from him.

Even the Storm Queen Shir looked like a corpse.

Of course, she wasn't a real corpse.  Both of them had reached their limit, and they weren't able to move.  They were in a trance, and they were forcefully hanging on to consciousness through sheer force of will.  If they really fell asleep, they'll be automatically logged out.

Of course, they had reached their limit, and they had no will to fight any more.  Moreover, the two were having a hard time having any new or productive thoughts.

Still, if they cleared their mind, it would cause them to fall asleep.  So the two of them had no choice, but to think about the simplest thoughts that was within reach.  They were thinking about something that took the least amount of energy to think about.... They were repeatedly replaying their earlier memories.  They were recollecting the events that occurred not too long ago.

The two of them were battling not to fall asleep.  They were thinking about what just happened as a whole.  It as something they'll never be ever to forget.

Moreover, they weren't the only ones that were thinking about this ensemble.  Two other figures were also thinking about the what had happened.

‘These two lasted over 5 minutes against such a monster?  They were also able to solo this?’

After defeating the Relic Guardian, Sohank immediately participated in the battle with the Immoral Prince.  When he approached the 3 minute mark of the battle, he thought about the battles conducted by Hyrkan and Shir. It was a superfluous thought that had nothing to do with the current battle.  This meant he was having a hard time concentrating, and on top of that, it meant Sohank's exploit against the Immoral Prince was about to come to an end.

‘I have no idea who the monster is now.’

Chev had bought 3 minutes and 44 seconds against the Immoral Prince before he needed a break from the Battle. He thought about the battle conducted by Hyrkan and Shir. He was blown away as he thought about the previous events.

In the end, these two men were simultaneously feeling the same emotions.

‘Shit.  this is a really fucked up situation.’

‘I never expected to be in such a miserable state.’

They thought about it.  

They felt regret, then they became depressed.

They were justified in thinking that they would become heroes in this Raid.  They had been so sure about how they'll perform on this stage, but now they were found lacking.  It was a situation where they felt the worst kind of misery that they could have imagined for themselves.

Moreover, the two men weren't the ones that brought the end to the Immoral Prince.

“Prince Dean!”

Maeung had appeared to put an end to the Immoral Prince's mutiny.

14.

Bulkas Ranger's Captain, Maeung

He had formed the Secret Society, and he had fought against Corrupted beings, who misused the power of Corruption.  In the end, the naked face of Prince Dean was revealed behind his mask.  Maeung, who had worked tirelessly with his life on the line, suddenly appeared in front of Prince Dean.  The Users were surprised by Maeung's appearance, but no one held misgivings about it.

“We'll just observe the situation.”

“Just continue the live broadcast.  Don't put in any other audio.  Just make it so that their conversation come through.  Turn off the commentaries too.”

Sohank and Chev also looked on as spectators.

They had a sour stomach when they realized they couldn't become the main character of the climax.  Still, they couldn't disrupt the event by speaking unnecessarily.  They couldn’t bring attention onto themselves during the climax.  Several million people were watching this, and if they messed this up, the spectators would react more strongly than being upset in their stomach.

“In the end, you decided to drag me down by the ankles, Maeung.”

“There was good cause for me to grab onto your ankles!”

While being viewed by everyone, Prince Dean and Maeung spoke their true feelings about each other.

“You were like this from beginning.  You never trusted any words spoke by me.  You always held everything about me in suspicion.”

“As I've said, I had good reasons to distrust you.”

They were NPCs.

In the end, the lives they led were mere set-up to the game.  Everyone was well aware of this fact.

Still, all the spectators couldn't help, but have their emotions shaken by the story behind these two NPCs.  Everyone focused their attention on them.  In the back of everyone's head, they knew these two were NPCs, but none of them trivialized the conversation occurring in front of them.

- Yes.  It seems Maeung was suspicious of Prince Dean from an early age.

- It seems Prince Dean was a useless scum since he was young.

There were people that even empathized with the situation.

“You even let it slip to my father that I'm not cut out for kingship.”

“I was sent to live my whole life in the Bulkas mountain range, because of it.  That was the cost exacted of me for saying those words.  I've spent a large portion of my life at the Bulkas mountain range, and I've regretted my actions for a long time.  However, I don't regret it anymore.  I was right.  You aren't cut out to be the king.  You will not succeed the throne of the Havanz kingdom.”

Koohng!

In the midst of the conversation, Prince Dean stomped his foot on the ground.  The ground shook. It was as if an enormous golem had stepped forward.  The ground let out a brief cry.  Everyone, who had been focused on the conversation, became startled.

“The throne does not need a succession!  I'll climb to the top of the throne using my strength!”

Prince Dean yelled out, and the people, who were surprised, felt a chill go up their spine.

This was how terrifying Prince Dean's shout was.

However, Maeung didn't back down from his voice.

“Are you still dreaming, Prince Dean?  The only dream you will have from this point on is a nightmare.  Wake up.  Please wake up from this dream.  The Archmage Bokan gave you the name of Dean.  I want you to realize the meaning behind your name!”

Dean.

The name signified a sense of duty on had to perform alongside the martyrs.  It was to drive out the nightmares that had visited this world.

Prince Dean possessed such a name, and Maeung's word delivered a critical blow to Prince Dean that was more potent than any weapon used against him.

“Do not look down upon me!”

Prince Dean's eyes were burning with flame, and it made one's blood freeze.  As everything drew to a close, Prince Dean's body started to burn.

Hwah-roo-roo-roo!

Prince Dean's skin started to melt.  Then the enormous power that flowed underneath his skin was revealed.  It was the power that had made Prince Dean into a transcendent being.  This power erupted into flame. His power was on a rampage.  Endless black flames exited from between Prince Dean's armor.

In the end, his armor started to melt too.

Finally, the last scene had begun.

Prince Dean was disintegrating, and now time was his biggest enemy.  Even in such a situation, Prince Dean aimed his sword towards Maeung.  He planned on using his remaining time to kill Maeung.

However, Maeung didn't back down from Prince Dean's action.  Maeung also raised his sword, and he pointed his sword toward Prince Dean.  Their stances were like a mirror image of each other.

They held their swords up, and they eyed each other. Any further words would have no meaning.

The battle between the two started.  

Kah-ahng, kah-ahng, kahng!

The battle ended after the sound of steel clashing rang out thrice.

Ddoohk, ddoohk!

The arm holding his sword was entirely melted, and Prince Dean's arm in its entirety fell to the floor.  Finally, Prince Dean's knee melted, and he was on his knees.  Black liquid was oozing out from the openings in his armor.

This was how Prince Dean was vanishing.

Maeung looked at Prince Dean as he spoke.

“This isn't why I taught you the way of the sword.  How did you get onto the path of Corruption?”

“I won't ask for forgiveness from anyone.  If you are looking for me to regret my actions, don't expect it.”

The words were spat out by Prince Dean, but his voice was different now.  His voice was diminishing rapidly.

It seemed Prince Dean would only be able to speak a handful of words.  His voice continued to thin out.  One wouldn't have been able to hear his word if one wasn't nearby and listening really closely.

Moreover, Maeung also didn't have much to say to Prince Dean.

“People live behind only their names in death.  Dean.  Please leave behind something that befits your name.”

However, Prince Dean didn't give an answer.  A feeling of desolation flowed out of him.  This feeling lasted for a long time.  It lasted for so long that the people started thinking.  The Immoral Prince was about to greet death without saying anything.  It felt like Prince Dean wasn't going to say anything.

With this thought in mind, everyone started to relax when it happened.

“Everything started from the Ruined Kingdom.  Everything will end there too.”

After leaving behind his last words, Prince Dean caved in on himself.

[The Immoral Prince has met his death.]

[The Corrupted Army is no more.]

Another era had come to an end.  However, all the people present were still tense.

The Immoral Prince was dead.  However, the ending to today's battle hadn't come to pass yet.

The one that'll put the period at the end of this battle wasn't Maeung.  The main characters of Warlord wasn't the NPCs.  It was the Users.  Maeung moved across the stage to find the User that'll bring this battle to a close.

Maeung headed towards a User that was weakly leaning up against a tree.  He stood in front of Hyrkan.

Hyrkan had succeeded.

He had contributed the most in stopping the Immoral Prince's Corruption.  He deserved the right to bring this era to a close.  Everyone in Warlord, and viewers around the world acknowledged this fact.

“You did well.  When I saw you for the first time, I thought this task was too much for you.  However, in the end, you were able to delay the fall of this world.”

The only thing left was Hyrkan's answer.

His answer would be a period at the end of this event.  Everyone focused on Hyrkan's mouth.  What would Hyrkan say in such a situation?  Would he say lines that would stoke the romanticism of this current situation?  Or will he leave behind a long-lasting message?  Or maybe he would speak in a playful manner.  Maybe his last words will make everyone smile a little bit at the end.

While everyone was focused on him, Hyrkan opened his mouth.

“Huh?  It ended?  Did we catch them all?  Huh?  Maeung?  What the hell?”

In many ways, his words would remain forever in the history of Warlord.  The period was put at the end of this episode.

15.

It was a bright office.  In most offices, half the lights would be turned off to save cost of electricity. However, this office wasn't like that at all.  It was as if the occupant wanted to use 100% of his lights.  The inside of the office was brightly lit.

The owner of the office was talking busily into the phone.

“I asked for a Warlord exclusive V-Gear two weeks ago from the Peach Store.  So why haven't I heard anything even though I contacted them two weeks ago?  Report to me the name and position of the man, who turned me down. I'll negotiate directly with him.”

The owner of the office was young.  At the very most, he was in his mid thirties.  He was a man with blonde hair, which had been shorn close to his scalp. He looked like a martial artist. The region above his eyes were protruding as if it had been rearranged by fighting over a long period of time. He was a memorable man.  If one was being nice then he was memorable.  If one was speaking bluntly, he looked menacing.

This menacing man was named Tobi Gwynn.

He was Tobo Soft's founder, and he had made Warlord.  With the big success of Warlord, he had experienced a meteoric rise when Tobo Soft set its IPO.  His name was now amongst the billionaires of the world.

“I'll say this again. Don't speak as if you are satisfied. I want you to be on the offensive!  I don't want the other game companies and contents companies to catch their breath!  I want you to make it so that anyone, who enjoys Warlord will go to the Peach Store.”

Tobi Gwynn was nicknamed the Hungry Man.  He had a cherished opinion that a man should always be hungry.

Of course, he was very busy.  If he had nothing to do, he made up work to do.  That was his personality.  This was why all his business was done at the office.  He didn't even want to travel to different locations to meet others.  He was very stingy with his time.

This was why he could do everything he wanted inside his office. If needed, he could use the V-gear to speak to others in the virtual reality.  If that was too annoying to do, he could create an augmented reality environment in his office for meetings.

What was worse was the snacks he had piled up on the corner of his desk.  It seemed his meal time was too precious to waste too.  If someone who didn't know him saw his office, one might think this was an office for a snack export business.

This was why most board members and major shareholders rarely had the opportunity to meet Tobi Gwynn. There was only one person he spoke face to face with on a regular basis.

Ddok ddok!

When he heard the knock, Tobi immediately ended the call even though the conversation hadn't ended.

“Enter.”

The door was opened instead of a reply.  A very tall, lanky and black-haired Asian man entered.

“The Immoral Prince Raid was completed not too long ago.”

Tobo Soft's Steering Committee Team Leader Chen.

This man held a post that was quite rare.  When most businesses expanded, they kept their planning team, and this team was divided into the strategic planning committee and the management committee.  It was very rare for a business to have a steering committee on top of those two.  

This man held a rare position, and he was also the only one that could get a direct audience with Tobi.  In many ways, Chen was a unique man.

“How long did it take?”

“It took them 49 minutes and 35 seconds.”

“Amazing.  Even in our fastest estimates, the report said it would take at least 70 minutes...  Let's see…  They finished it 30% faster than expected.  Normally, a 30% error or is it a mistake.... No, it can't be a mistake.  Maybe I should call the result to be bullshit. ”

Instead of answering, Chen placed a thick report on Tobi's desk.  

In this day and age, he was still using paper reports.  Tobo Soft was a cutting edge technology company, so it was very hard to come across a report such as this.

“I've organized the data relating to this Immoral Prince Raid.”

Tobi didn't look at the report.

“We didn't do our job right.  The report probably spells that out, but that is all I need to know.  To sum it all up, we were incompetent.  Am I right?  Do you have a problem with my assessment?”

Instead of answering, Chen lightly bowed his head.  He was so tall that when he bowed his head, it was more striking.  It felt as if his apology was a bit more sincere.

However, when Chen raised his head again, his face was unapologetic.  There was no indication that Chen was troubled by anything that had happened.

Instead, he immediately placed a new report on Tobi's desk.  Tobi eyed the new report.  The report was much thinner than the one before.  If one counted it, it was only 15 pages.  Tobi turned his eyes towards Chen.

“This is a proposal for a new project.”

“A new project?”

“Yes. The methods we have been using up until now isn't working.  Our existing strategies will be discarded, and I believe we have to come up with new methods.”

Tobi nodded his head lightly.

“A new project.  I like that word.  Isn't that a word used by motivated people?  Isn't that right?”

Tobi immediately read the content of the report.  No, Tobi didn't read the report.  He just looked over it, and in a flash, it was stored inside his head.  After saving the 15 pages inside his head, he closed his eyes.  He was now earnestly reading the content of the report.

Tobi opened his mouth when he read the content of the report.

“We will lose 2 more months from our estimated time period.”

“To be precise, it'll be 61 days.  I am aware of it.”

“Do it.”

When the answer was given, Chen immediately took the reports handed to him by Tobi, and he left the office.

When Chen disappeared, Tobi started tapping his forehead with his hand.  The expression he had on his face as he tapped his forehead was ill-matched with the bright atmosphere of his office.

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