Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 95

EP.95 The Demon King Part 2

In the midst of burning ruins, where nothing remained untouched, the Pope stood alone. From the perspective of an outsider, one might have mistaken it for a battlefield, so devoid of life and energy. Yet, contrary to appearances, this was the heart of the Church, the very core of the kingdom: Ferternia.

The Pope surveyed the destruction, seeing priceless holy relics shattered, and his treasured belongings and guards vanishing without a trace. His mind blank, he didn’t know how to react, nor what he should do next. He stood motionless, staring at the devastation.

‘Ah…’

As he continued to stand there in a daze, a number of paladins hurried over to check on his safety. They seemed frantic, but despite their urgency, the Pope simply waved them off. “I’m fine. There’s no need to worry,” he gestured dismissively, but they didn’t seem convinced. With anxious voices, they insisted,

“Holy Father! We’ve secured a safe location near the cathedral. Please, come with us!”

Despite their concern, the Pope knew that any temporary shelter wouldn’t provide true safety. The heart of the Church had been destroyed, and there was no real refuge to be found. Still, he decided to decline the offer and do what he believed to be the right thing in this moment.

‘First, I’ll pray for the innocent citizens, paladins, and the nuns who perished.’

Although it seemed futile to pray in a moment of such devastation, the Pope believed that offering a prayer for the victims was a necessary act. He walked toward a spot covered in shards of glass and, without using any divine shield, knelt down on the sharp fragments.

The pain was intense. As he knelt, the wounds began to appear on his legs. Though the explosion earlier hadn’t left visible damage on his body, these injuries now began to form.

‘…Hah.’

The pain was excruciating—enough to be called torture—but the Pope knew that if he didn’t do this, the consequences would be far worse. He gritted his teeth, enduring the agony, and began to emit a soft divine power, creating a sense of reverence and mystery around him.

‘This should… help somewhat.’

By performing this act, he hoped to shift the public perception. People would start to believe that the Pope, despite the terror, was grieving the loss of those who died, as though sacrificing himself in sorrow.

‘That shift in perception…’

Would turn their thoughts from seeing the Church as incompetent to seeing the need for revenge against those who had caused such destruction. The consequences would, in time, be solved by this act alone.

With his eyes closed in quiet prayer, the Pope suddenly heard a voice.

“Pope… Holy Father.”

The voice was faint, carried by the wind, but familiar. As he opened his eyes to identify the source, his gaze fell upon a disturbing sight: a cardinal, his body mangled and writhing like something out of a nightmare.

“… Cardinal?”

The sudden appearance of the cardinal shocked the Pope, and he stared at him in disbelief. For a moment, he froze, then quickly composed himself and asked,

“How are you alive?”

The cardinal, his voice shaky, answered,

“The… the Saintess’s healing magic is still in effect… it hasn’t worn off yet…”

“What?”

The Pope was stunned. The reason the cardinal had survived the blast was because of the Saintess’s healing magic? Was that even possible? The Pope could hardly comprehend how that could be true, but regardless of the process, one thing was certain: the cardinal was alive.

He knew that the situation could spiral out of control if others saw the cardinal like this, in such a state. There was no telling how it would affect the people if they learned of this miracle—or monstrosity.

‘This situation… must be dealt with immediately.’

The Pope, realizing that the cardinal’s survival could spread unwelcome rumors, decided to deal with the situation immediately. He could not allow anyone to see the cardinal in such a state, so he reached out and grabbed him, planning to either conceal or finish him off to prevent any complications.

‘The cardinal’s condition is irreversible now.’

With his current state, surviving in any meaningful form was impossible. It would be better to make him one of the fallen, someone who had perished in the attack, and end his life quietly.

With that decision, the Pope began channeling his divine power, intending to eliminate the cardinal. However, just as he was about to unleash the holy fire to destroy him, the cardinal let out a desperate gasp.

“C-could you… please… spare me?”

The Pope hesitated. For a moment, he was torn between mercy and the necessity of ensuring there were no witnesses to the cardinal’s survival. But he steeled himself and spoke coldly.

“Cardinal, it’s time to accept your fate. There’s no hope for you now.”

He banished his doubts and focused his divine power to burn away the healing magic that had kept the cardinal alive.

The holy flames wrapped around the glass vial holding the cardinal’s life force, growing brighter and hotter. As the fire spread, the Pope felt a wave of uncertainty. Despite being a former Saintess herself, she knew that no matter how powerful healing magic was, the cardinal’s condition was beyond salvation.

‘But the current Saintess…’

The Pope thought back to the recent reports, about how the Saintess’s divine power was far beyond ordinary standards. The power was off the charts—was it talent, or was it part of the goddess’s divine plan?

The important thing was that the Saintess’s influence might have affected their current plan in ways they hadn’t anticipated.

The holy flames intensified, burning away the cardinal’s healing magic and gradually extinguishing his life. As the cardinal’s breath began to falter, the Pope’s mind raced with thoughts of what this all meant for their next steps.

‘Perhaps… it’s better to deal with the Saintess first, before taking her hostage.’

With the cardinal’s life slipping away, the Pope made the decision to prioritize the Saintess. He had been too cautious before, but now it was clear that swift action was needed.

Just as the cardinal’s life finally extinguished, a sudden burst of divine power erupted. The same intense divine force that had caused the explosion earlier spread out violently.

The Pope reacted instinctively, activating a divine shield to protect himself. But the explosion came faster than he anticipated.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rang out, shaking the very ground beneath him. Fortunately, the Pope’s shield activated just in time to prevent fatal injuries. However, the intense heat from the explosion seared his hands, the very hands that had been holding the vial.

“AAAH!”

The Pope screamed in agony, as the pain from the burns became almost unbearable. He quickly poured divine power into the wounds, but they only worsened. The damage was too severe, and the injuries deepened instead of healing.

His mind was clouded with self-reproach. He had been too careless. But there was no time for regret now—he had to focus on what came next.

Ignoring his pain, the Pope turned his attention to the fallen paladins around him, those who had died protecting the Church. He shook one of their lifeless bodies, whispering,

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t protect you…”

Despite his own suffering, the Pope’s attention was entirely on the fallen. He recognized that his actions, and the image he presented in this moment, would be crucial for the public. From a distance, he could see that someone was watching, capturing this scene.

Now, he decided, he would spin this moment into an image of self-sacrifice and divine compassion, using the pain and tears to craft a narrative of martyrdom for the people to rally behind.

***

Jeong-hyeon slouched on the sofa, watching Lucia and Miria busily preparing for their journey. He couldn’t understand why they needed to pack so much—it seemed like basic provisions would suffice. Lost in thought, he suddenly felt something climb into his lap and a cookie being pushed into his mouth.

“Daddy, is it good?”

Hana’s wide, expectant eyes sparkled as she waited for his reaction. Jeong-hyeon sat up and gave her a reassuring nod.

“It’s delicious.”

Pleased by his response, Hana beamed with joy, darting away only to return moments later, clutching several more bags of cookies in her tiny arms.

“Oh…”

Jeong-hyeon sighed. Surely, she wasn’t planning to make him eat all of them. Gently, he picked her up and sat her on his lap, trying to calm her excitement. He opened one bag of cookies for her and said,

“Let’s just eat this one for now. We’ll have a proper meal later.”

Hana nodded earnestly, and Jeong-hyeon ruffled her hair with a smile. Just then, Lucia and Miria called out triumphantly.

“All done! We’re ready to go!”

“Great. Let’s eat first, then head out.”

“Okay!”

With Hana still in his arms, Jeong-hyeon stored their mountain of supplies into a subspace pouch and headed to the dining area for a quick meal.

***

After finishing their meal, Jeong-hyeon entrusted Karina with handling Charlotte and overseeing their attendance before heading to the teleportation device. Normally, teleportation was restricted due to the wartime state and the recent terror attacks, but…

“Turns out, money solves everything,” Miria said smugly.

Using the wealth he had amassed, securing permission wasn’t much trouble.

‘Of course, direct teleportation to the Elven Lands is prohibited.’

They had to settle for a nearby location, but even that was fortunate. Activating the device, they were transported to their destination.

*

[Achievement Unlocked! You have earned a small number of achievement points.]

– The Elven Lands.

What greeted them was a barren wasteland. No, barren wasn’t enough to describe it—it was a frozen expanse where even the concept of life seemed to have withered. The land was a stark, icy graveyard, devoid of trees or vegetation.

‘No wonder the elves are desperate to find the World Tree.’

Jeong-hyeon mused, recalling the once lush forests of the Elven lands. He chuckled bitterly at the contrast.

“Hey, can you pull out the clothes? I knew it’d be cold, but this is worse than I expected!”

Miria’s teeth chattered as she huddled for warmth.

“Oh, and grab those heating magic stones we packed too!”

Nodding, Jeong-hyeon retrieved their gear, dressing Hana first before turning to Miria.

“Do you know the location of the Demon King’s seal?”

“Yeah, I got the general idea from the Golden Goblin.”

“How long will it take?”

“If the seal’s exact location hasn’t shifted… maybe two days?”

Satisfied with the timeframe, Jeong-hyeon focused on bundling up for the cold. As he set Hana down to adjust his gear, a soft rustling sound, like grass stirring in the breeze, reached his ears.

Whoosh.

Around Hana, the desolate land began to stir. The frost-covered ground thawed, and vibrant green shoots emerged, spreading life across the lifeless expanse.