CHAPTER 94: ACCEPTANCE

SWOOSH!

I swing my blade with all my strength, roaring loudly as I release all my pent-up emotions.

I currently wield a C Grade Armament, but this is no ordinary one.

Even among Armaments of the same grade, there are levels to them based on purity and functionality, among other things. This is a High-Level C Grade Armament, one that boasts the highest destructive power among all the others I’ve ever wielded.

—Dark Edge Slaying Blade!

My sword descends, bringing a destructive force with it.

BOOOM!

In an instant, dark slashes cover the area, destroying the ground and everything around me in an instant. I cast my gaze at what stands before me, and I see a vast crater in the form of slashes.

Even the front gate of my Household is completely obliterated by this power.

However—

"I see you came prepared..." A calm, nearly amused voice echoes from right behind me, causing me to shiver slightly.

I hurriedly turn, refusing to leave even a fraction of weakness to the enemy.

But, what I see defies expectations.

My steed has already been beheaded, with all of its legs also sliced cleanly off.

Blood spurts out of the open wounds as the Leviathan stands right next to it with a casual grin.

"Hope you don’t mind..." He laughs lightly. "I just had to ensure you wouldn’t run away or something. I can be quite scary to normal people."

"Why would I run from you?" I grit my teeth hatefully.

I have every intention of winning.

I will kill this bastard!

Even if I die, I’d rather do so while fighting this evil monstrosity.

"Well, it’s nice to see you so motivated, Javier." He chuckles before once again vanishing from his position and appearing right where I met him earlier.

Once again, I have to turn to face him.

"Don’t speak my name!" I spit out, hissing in pure fury.

"Oh, why?" He cocks his head to the side, almost amusedly. "Is it because you don’t know mine yet? Ah, my bad, my bad..."

This guy...

’Who the hell cares about your name?!’ I grit my teeth. ’I just want to kill you!’

"It’s Zarius. As you can tell, I’m a Leviathan... a Witness Exemplar to be precise, but I’m guessing you don’t know what that means."

’What?!’

I am genuinely stunned by this man—especially how normal he is being.

"There are six Leviathan Pathways, and Exemplar is one of them." He explains so casually, not even bothered by my intense gaze. "As for Witness, well... hmmm, basically it means..."

He raises a hand, which only has four of five fingers.

Out of those fingers, he raises one.

"... Rank 1."

His smile deepens as his crimson eyes flash with ominous light. "I am a Rank 1 Leviathan."

What does that mean?

Why is he telling me all of these things?

I truly do not know!

Perhaps he intends to confuse me with all of these terminologies. Perhaps he is stalling for time in some way. It’s difficult to tell, but judging by how comfortable he looks, he must have a great level of confidence that he can defeat me.

And... I wouldn’t blame him.

’Just as Uncle Damon said, he’s very fast...’ My thoughts rapidly trail. ’In the blink of an eye, he sliced off the four legs of my Arctic Horse and even beheaded it.’

He wasn’t out of breath or anything, and he even returned to his previous destination not too long after. The worst part is, I couldn’t even perceive him for even a moment.

Such speed should only be possible with high-grade Potions, but there are no Trace Elements.

Which means this is his power!

He said there are six Leviathan Pathways, and that he is an Exemplar, which means this unreal level of speed is most likely a feature that belongs to his Pathway—whatever that means.

But how do I beat something like this?

In preparation for this confrontation, I have taken all manner of Potions, all with the highest purity, so as not to experience any side effects. I currently have three C Grade defensive Armaments on me, and many expenditure-type Armaments I have prepared.

All of them are in C Grade!

I have poured so many resources into this.

I wish I could have access to B Grade Armaments, but unfortunately, those are restricted to members of the High Nobility.

As someone who isn’t even a Knight, obtaining C Grade Armaments is already my limit.

Still, I have made as much preparation as possible.

If I could have arrived here before him, I would have set up all manner of traps, but he must have expected that, which is why he came here before me. I don’t have the field advantage, and he is someone whose strength I can’t fathom yet.

So how do I win?

The truth is... I’m not sure yet.

But I must hope!

I need to hold onto hope that I can win somehow!

"This is a good sword. High-Level, too... and it has nice workmanship. Did the Fabricant of your team make it for you?"

Huh?

I stare at the Leviathan, Zarius, with bulging eyes, as he holds my blade and observes it with amused curiosity.

"H-how...?" I didn’t even realize when it was taken!

"Nah, I doubt it was him. He only has one arm now, right? Also, you probably got scared shitless after what happened to your family, so you decided not to involve your friends, right? That’s why you’ve been traveling on your own all this time... am I right?"

"Y-you..."

"Don’t worry. I’ll return your blade. Matter of fact, you can have it back."

Right as he utters those words, I feel weight returning to my hands and notice that I’m already grasping my blade.

What in the world is happening?

This doesn’t feel like mere speed, but something far more sinister!

Is he bending space? Manipulating reality? Stopping time? But all of those things only exist in legends and myths! These are powers belonging to the gods of old, existences that do not bear a resemblance to humans.

Ah... I see now.

This man is a Leviathan, yet why have I been restraining my mind all this time?

Why limit him to human standards?

He looks and sounds human, almost like someone you could have a pleasant conversation with if he were a stranger, but that isn’t the real truth.

This Zarius is, in fact, an evil deity who can control the laws of the world.

I don’t know how he does it.

But it’s real.

So this is the power of the Leviathans!

"The Wandering Nine..." I watch as his lips curl up while mentioning my group’s name. "To be honest, I expected more of you to die when fighting that Magivore I set up just for you."

"W-what?" Before realizing it, a mutter echoes from my lips. "That was you?"

"Yeah, who else would it be?"

"...."

"I was going to save it for later, hoping it would slaughter millions and help advance my plans in this Kingdom... but I just had to confirm my suspicions about you." His eyes narrow on me as his smile grows wider.

So this man is the one behind the Thorn Overseer Vine’s attack, too!

That means he wasn’t merely behind the Randalorion Civil War in my past life. Could it be that the Sarvosia Invasion, and everything that occurred after, was also part of his arrangements?

’If that is the case, then...’ My body shudders as I reach a frightening realization.

Most of my past life was orchestrated by this single man.

How much did he really control?! How much influence did he have in my past life? What about in this one? Just how vast is the scope of his plans?!

Is this what being a Leviathan really means?

Being capable of controlling the world to such an extent—overseeing its affairs and orchestrating reality as one deems fit. All that chaos and bloodshed... he would have caused an irreversible disaster that doomed the entire Kingdom.

All for what?

"Now that you’re standing in front of me, I can confirm you’re not a Leviathan. Your existence also feels normal, for the most part. You look no different from everyone else, but that’s what makes this whole thing strange..." Zarius keeps talking, unable to help himself. "It’s hard to believe it’s a coincidence that you’ve made it this far, disrupting my plans and constantly being alive, without being a Leviathan somehow or getting the help of one."

The help of a Leviathan?

But this is the first time I am encountering one.

Hold on...

’Could it be that my regression to the past was caused by a Leviathan too?’ My eyes widen in realization, and I shudder once more.

"Oh? So you do know something!" Upon seeing my countenance changing, Zarius beams brightly, clapping in excitement. "Tell me everything you know!"

"Why would I do that?" I growl, tightly gripping my blade with sheer determination.

’If a Leviathan is indeed behind my regression, then they must have sent me to the past for a reason. Maybe it was to stop this Zarius. They gave me a chance at a new life and warned me of future events... so why would I just sell them out?’

Instead, I will simply choose to march forward and do everything I can to foil this man’s plans.

I can see why he killed my steed.

I’m almost tempted to ride off and warn everyone of this man and his schemes. I still want to have my revenge, but the more he speaks, the more I recognize how large the scale of his plot is.

This Leviathan—I cannot allow him to have his way.

"I had a feeling you would resist... which is why I made some earlier preparations." Zarius sighs, his yellow blond hair swaying as he stands alone amidst the winter breeze.

Then, in the next moment—

"Look at what stands in front of you... and choose."

—My eyes witness an unbelievable sight!

A short distance from me, sprawling at Zarius’s feet, are my two siblings!

Craig and Selicia... they are still alive!

But I saw their body parts atop the pile of flesh, so how is it that they are still breathing?

"A-ahh..." The moment I take a good look at them, I understand.

Craig has lost both of his hands, and Selicia no longer has her eyes. However, every other part of their bodies is intact, and despite being unconscious, I can tell that they are breathing.

They are still alive!

Craig will likely never be able to perform again, but at least he is alive.

Selicia will find it difficult to work as a revered Knight, but at least she is alive.

Where there is life, there is hope!

There should be an Armament that will help Craig fulfil his dreams, and Selicia can still be formidable in battle with the help of special Potions.

As long as they are alive... There is hope for the future!

So—

"Time to wake them up..." Zarius kicks the two of them mercilessly, causing their body to convulse as they cough in pain.

"You bastard!" I quickly overcome my shock and charge forward.

"Relax..."

BAM!

Before I can even react, I feel a kick planted on my chest, easily destroying my main C-Grade defensive Armament.

"Guargh!"

I spit out blood, feeling my ribs shatter as my body powerlessly flies away.

The impact is too great—almost as though an object at unbelievable velocity just collided with me.

I have never felt such agony before.

"G-gahh!" It takes all my strength to inhale, and I desperately take large gulps of air, feeling constant pain rise within my chest and permeate my entire body.

What... in the world?

I hurriedly take a Potion—no, two—just to alleviate the pain and also heal myself.

Still... it hurts so much!

Arghhh!!!

I’m in so much pain!

My body can barely move, yet I still jump to my feet and run towards my two siblings.

They’ve already been snapped awake, and they’re already crying now.

Regardless of my pain, watching my two siblings experience so much pain and fear causes me to feel indescribable torture. No matter what... I have to save them.

But—

"It doesn’t matter what you do, Javier..." Suddenly, Zarius appears in front of me and smiles.

Then, he sends a penetrating blow to my stomach.

"Ack!"

I fall to my knees—powerless.

Even with my sheer determination, there’s nothing I can do against his overwhelming strength.

"Look, I’m giving you a chance here..." The monster before me sighs, before returning to my brother and sister, who are completely bound and cannot escape on their own.

"Tell me everything you know, and they get to live."

Ah... no, my siblings!

Even with my blurry gaze, I can see Selicia’s innocent face and Craig’s long black hair.

"J-Javi, is that you!" Selicia cries, snot running down her nose.

"Big brother!" Craig screams aloud.

Tears stream down my face as I force myself to stand. But Zarius appears in front of me again and plants his feet on my head, forcing my back to the ground.

"Guh...!" I let out a loud groan. "Don’t worry! Your big brother is here! I’ll save you!"

However, much to my surprise... my siblings do not ask for my help.

Instead...

"Run, Javi!" Selicia screams shrilly. "You can’t win! He’s too strong!"

"He killed everyone in the Estate. You have to escape from him, Big Brother! Don’t do anything he says, he’s only messing with you!"

I know...

I know that Zarius is far stronger than I am, and he’ll most likely go back on his words.

But what other choice do I have?

"I’ll do it!" I scream aloud. "I’ll tell you everything, please believe me."

"Go ahead..."

And so, without any other choice, I tell the Leviathan before me everything about my closely guarded secret.

I tell him all about my past life... and my regression.

"Interesting!" Zarius laughs aloud. "So my plan ended up coming to fruition! The invasion of the Sarvosia Kingdom would allow me to plunder all the Green Shade Sand and Purple Iron Ore of your Kingdom. Then, with all the bloodshed caused by the war as well as the lives lost to the Thorn Overseer Vine, I’ll be able to properly grow Bloodvines and Bloodiron in large quantities..."

"W-what...?"

"With the Green Shade Sand boosting fertility, the Bloodvines would have no problem growing, and the Purple Iron Ores ground to powder would enrich the Bloodiron. Most importantly, the bloodshed would cause a great amount of it to develop. As for the Sarvosia Kingdom, even though it is mostly useless, taking all the Tears of the Mountain in their territory should be enough reward for my efforts."

"So much chaos... for Special Resources...?" I mumble in disbelief.

"Don’t look at me like that..." Zarius sighs and shakes his head. "Bloodvine and Bloodiron are both Rank 4 Special Resources, okay? Growing them in large amounts is profitable for me, but I’m not even looking at the commercial gains. I’m trying to brew a Potion, actually... and I need those two troublesome ingredients to help me."

"What the...?" My jaw drops, and I am stunned beyond words. "Just because of a Potion, you would cause the downfall of two Kingdoms?"

So many lives...

Tens of millions would perish... just so this man could brew a single Potion.

"You’re not a Leviathan, so you won’t understand." Zarius shakes his head, staring at me almost as though I am nothing but a mindless baboon who can’t comprehend him.

No matter how many times he says it, it still sounds absurd.

What is human life to this person?

To be able to play with the lives of others so flippantly, just for some gains, is too horrific.

"I know you probably think of me as a monster, right? You’re asking yourself how I can be so cruel... but the real question is, why shouldn’t I be?" He laughs with a refreshed face, his hands stretched out as he freely embraces the wind. "I live my life to the fullest, with no regrets or consideration for others."

Freedom.

In that brief moment, I see the ideal I have been chasing my entire life reflected in Zarius.

It is perverse and ugly, but it exists nonetheless—True Freedom.

This being exemplifies it to the letter.

He... is truly free.

"All your lives are in my hands. Let me prove it to you!"

The moment Zarius says this, he brings out a longsword from beneath his cloak, causing the thick hem to flutter lightly. Though only for a moment, I see a dagger, akin to a carving knife, as well as a doll, both of which are strapped to his waist.

Then, an eerie feeling assails me!

"You will now make a choice between sparing your brother or sister." He points his blade at the two of them as he explains, sheer glee in his eyes.

"ZARIUS!" I scream with all my strength. "THIS WASN’T THE DEAL!"

"I know. I changed my mind." He replies nonchalantly. "Anyway, pick the one you want me to kill and the one you want me to spare."

"No, no please..." I watch the unfolding scene with bulging eyes, sobbing uncontrollably.

"You have ten seconds..." He continues, staring at me coldly.

I can see both of my siblings crying and struggling under their constraints, and I constantly listen to my heavy, shaky breaths, which are in constant rhythm with my rapid heartbeat.

"You monster!"

The Leviathan doesn’t respond to my words, but simply blurts out:

"Your time starts now."

[A/N: Who will die, and who will live? What are your predictions? Also, I hope you’re not too turned off by how the MC has been pathetic these past couple of Chapters...]