Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 98

EP.98 The Demon King Part 5

The Demon King’s frail body rested in Jeong-hyeon’s arms, as delicate as if it might shatter under the lightest touch. Whether her fragility came from years of malnourishment or her natural build, he couldn’t be sure.

Jeong-hyeon gazed at his battered and unconscious form, a mix of unease and pity welling up inside him. After a moment’s hesitation, he broke the silence.

“Lucia, can you use your healing magic on her?”

Lucia stepped closer, her expression clouding with concern as she attempted to cast a healing spell on the Demon King. However, it wasn’t long before she shook her head and replied,

“…Her life has already ended. Healing magic can’t revive her.”

The words hung heavy in the air, leaving Jeong-hyeon deep in thought.

‘So, what’s the best course of action?’

Reviving her wasn’t entirely impossible—he still had an Elixir. The real problem, however, lay in the uncertainty of what would happen afterward. Even if he brought her back to life, there was no guarantee she would see him as an ally.

Using the Elixir felt like a gamble, one with stakes that were arguably too high.

‘An Elixir is incredibly rare and valuable. It might be better to save it for a time when Hana or Lucia faces a life-threatening injury.’

He wrestled with the decision for a moment longer before shaking his head. No, he had made up his mind. Pulling out the Elixir, he resolved to use it on the Demon King.

‘Let’s bring her back.’

His reasoning was simple. Even if she didn’t become an ally, the very presence of the Demon King would unsettle both the kingdom and the church. Her existence alone could serve as a counterbalance to their power, increasing his group’s overall safety.

‘Besides, I’ll make sure things never escalate to the point where Hana, Lucia, Charlotte, or Miria gets hurt.’

Confident in his ability to handle potential risks, Jeong-hyeon uncorked the Elixir and carefully poured its contents into the Demon King’s mouth.

*-*

[You have achieved an unbelievable feat and earned bonus points!]

– Resurrect the Demon King.

[Hidden Achievement – “The Demon King Is on My Side” unlocked!]

[Warning! You have disrupted the predetermined fate!]

*-*

It had been a while since Jeong-hyeon last saw the familiar notification of disrupting fate. Though the message no longer surprised him, he found the implications amusing.

‘A Hero reviving the Demon King? Not even the goddess could’ve predicted that.’

He turned his gaze back to her, now breathing faintly once more.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing her ethereal beauty. White horns jutted gracefully from her head, their stark contrast adding to her striking appearance. Her delicate features were so perfect that she seemed more like an artisan’s masterpiece than a living being.

Her beauty was otherworldly, enough to cloud the senses of anyone looking at her. Yet, every time Jeong-hyeon remembered she was the Demon King, reality snapped him back into focus.

‘She really is stunning.’

The absurdity of his thoughts made him chuckle under his breath. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Jeong-hyeon looked over her once more.

‘There are far too many scars.’

The wounds covering her body weren’t simply the result of battles. Many of them seemed intentional, almost as if inflicted through torture.

As he pondered the cause, Lucia, who had been watching uneasily from the side, spoke up.

“Should I try healing her again? I don’t mind, but… because she’s a demon, healing magic might actually harm her instead.”

Her voice was laced with uncertainty, but she awaited Jeong-hyeon’s decision.

Unexpected complications prevented any use of healing magic. Jeong-hyeon sighed, finding it ironic how deeply ingrained the differences between species could be. Retrieving a top-tier healing potion from his subspace pouch, he muttered to himself,

‘It won’t be as effective as Lucia’s healing magic, but…’

Pouring half the potion into the Demon King’s mouth and the rest over her wounds, Jeong-hyeon began to treat the most severe injuries. As he worked, Miria, observing from the side, mumbled in awe.

“They used to say people with lots of divine power, mana, or demonic energy have storage spaces like yours. I thought it was just some baseless rumor, but looking at Lucia and the Demon King, it might actually be true.”

Jeong-hyeon frowned at her random musings. This wasn’t the kind of talk he wanted Hana to hear, so he swiftly shooed Miria away. Turning his attention back to the Demon King, he noticed she still hadn’t regained consciousness.

‘Still not waking up.’

She was breathing again, and the system had confirmed her revival, but her lack of response puzzled him. As he stood there in thought, Lucia offered an explanation.

“From what I can tell, her body is in a terrible state. It’s not just the injuries—her insides are completely disarrayed, and overuse of demonic energy has shattered her body internally. It’ll take some time before she can regain consciousness.”

Jeong-hyeon raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Doesn’t the Elixir heal everything all at once?”

Lucia shook her head.

“Not exactly. Powerful medicines like Elixirs work gradually, allowing the body to absorb them over time. If their effects were immediate, the backlash would be too severe.”

Jeong-hyeon nodded thoughtfully, letting out a deep sigh.

Bringing her back had seemed like a good idea, but it completely derailed his original plan: asking the Demon King to teleport them to the academy.

‘So much for that.’

Already feeling exhausted at the thought of their journey back, Jeong-hyeon was weighing his options when Charlotte spoke up.

“If the Demon King can’t help, how about asking a spirit? A high-level spirit could probably get us there.”

The idea seemed plausible. Turning to Hana, he asked if it was possible. After consulting with the spirit nestled in her arms, Hana nodded and affirmed it could be done.

‘That’s a relief.’

Jeong-hyeon decided they’d rely on the spirits for transportation and shifted his focus to the next task on his agenda.

‘I’d like to capture Daisy, but…’

Unfortunately, it seemed she wasn’t around. Settling for a less direct approach, he resolved to torch Daisy’s residence instead.

‘If we can’t get her, we’ll send a message.’

Grinning at the thought of her home engulfed in flames, Jeong-hyeon decided to deliver the severed elf head he’d acquired as a parting gift.

***

Once he had a plan, Jeong-hyeon wasted no time. Catching an elf nearby, he demanded directions to Daisy’s residence. At first, the elf, a high elf of noble lineage, hesitated, clearly unwilling to betray one of their own to a human. But Jeong-hyeon had his ways.

After exchanging a few more “physical conversations” with his hand, the elf’s thoughts seemed to shift, and the elf immediately revealed the location.

“Here, here it is.”

Jeong-hyeon released the elf, who had respectfully pointed toward Daisy’s house, and paused to think for a moment.

‘Now then, how should I destroy it?’

Should he go with the classic approach and just set it on fire? Or should he take a different route to tear it apart?

While he was contemplating the best way to destroy the house, Miria, who had been observing quietly, looked around and made a suggestion.

“If you’re going to destroy it anyway, why not check inside? There might be something useful there.”

She was suggesting a bit of looting before the destruction.

Jeong-hyeon considered it. Since he was going to destroy the house anyway, it made sense to collect anything of value. He decided to take a look inside.

Upon entering, he unexpectedly found something.

[Holy Sword Fragment]

Jeong-hyeon couldn’t help but feel a bit startled. He had no idea why the elf had a fragment of the Holy Sword, just as he had been puzzled when he encountered a similar situation with Karina.

Why did these creatures have fragments of the Holy Sword? As he stored it in his subspace pouch, a message appeared.

[Remaining fragments needed to complete the Holy Sword: 1]

‘Just one more left?’

He had gathered quite a few fragments already, so he knew only a few were needed. However, he hadn’t expected to have gathered so many already. A satisfied smile spread across his face.

‘The Holy Sword… This is exciting.’

While he wasn’t sure of its full capabilities, one thing was certain: it was a key item for the upcoming battle against the Demon King.

The Holy Sword likely possessed unique abilities far beyond ordinary weapons.

‘Which means…’

Unlike the random weapons he had used up until now, which hadn’t provided much benefit, now he had a real chance to experience the power of a legendary item. He was starting to feel hopeful.

‘The only problem is, I have no idea where the rest of the Holy Sword fragments are…’

But as he continued to hunt down these creatures, he figured the other fragments would eventually show up. With renewed determination, he resolved to keep defeating them until he had all the pieces.

***

In the intensive care room, the Pope squeezed his eyes shut, surrounded by a group of high-ranking priests. The recent bombing had escalated the situation to a level that was almost beyond control.

‘…What should I do?’

Had he been just another ordinary high-ranking priest, he might have been able to smooth things over and move on. But as the Pope, the representative of the entire order, he had to not only explain the incident but also send a strong message that the Church was still intact.

‘…This is truly a headache.’

Thanks to the Church’s divine power being effective against the Demon race, they were enjoying an unprecedented period of prosperity. However, this prosperity was only due to their advantage over the Demon race. If the public started perceiving the Church as weaker than expected, everything they had built could crumble in an instant.

‘Therefore…’

He needed to resolve the incident somehow and prove the strength of the Church. But…

‘The Paladins and Cardinals are dead, killed by the Hero…’

With many of the holy knights also dead, the Church’s forces were in a precarious state.

Needing to replace them, the Pope pondered for a long time until a solution came to him.

‘…The Inquisitors.’

The remnants of the Church’s darkest days, now buried in secrecy, were a subject people were reluctant to even mention. But given the situation, he saw no other option.

The Pope decided to bring the Inquisitors into the open, despite the taboo, and use them to deal with the Hero as planned.