LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 84
As I gazed down from the sky, a writhing horde came into view.
The grotesque undead swarmed together like a swarm of bugs, a sight that made me cringe.
All around, the flesh of humans was being torn apart, drenched in blood and entrails.
What unfolded was a one-sided and brutal massacre that was not fit to be called a battlefield.
While the situation wasn’t friendly toward humans, I still regarded myself as one at heart.
Seeing fellow humans die so brutally only made my aversion grow.
I wanted to smash every last undead, but where should I start?
[Lv. 26]
[Lv. 31]
[Lv. 33]
I felt like a fool for hesitating.
Why should I be in a quandary? I just need to smash whatever’s in sight!
“Chop!”
*Whoosh!*
As I decapitated one undead, blood sprayed everywhere. The headless undead toppled forward.
“Chop! Death! Pummel!”
With each word I uttered, the undead fell like dominos.
It was as if I could kill them immediately just by intending to do so, like martial arts’ “mind equals death.”
Not long ago, this Death Knight was nothing impressive, but now I had become a high-level grim reaper.
Reflecting on the struggles I had gone through filled me with nostalgia.
“How unfortunate that I’m not max level.”
It was a shame that there was an 80-level cap on undead difficulty when everything in sight was experience points.
*Scrape!*
Even as a low level, undead were still undead.
I used the Holy Sword as a floating weapon and made sure to finish them off thoroughly.
The corpses ignited in holy flame, leaving no trace behind.
Meanwhile, their attacks couldn’t touch me as I floated in the air, not even brushing against me.
It was only later that I realized the principle behind my actions.
I wasn’t just killing undead I randomly encountered; I was subconsciously reacting to the screams and moving to save the humans.
I thought it wouldn’t matter if the humans died.
That was just a thought. It seemed I couldn’t simply stand by as humans perished.
After killing the Hero and the Sage, it might be easy to label me a hypocrite, but it felt more instinctual.
It was instinct that erupted from my subconscious, far from the realm of conscious thought.
While protecting those humans who could potentially become my foes, I felt once more.
My humanity had not dulled. Though my appearance suggested otherwise, my heart still belonged to humanity.
As time passed, the number of humans dwindled while the dead only increased.
The limits of my distant support were becoming clear.
Having touched down from the sky onto the castle walls, the stench of blood and burnt flesh filled my nostrils.
As I extended my hand into the air, the Holy Sword floated towards me.
*Crackle!*
The blood and gore clinging to the sword blade ignited in sunlight.
Accelerating my steps, I firmly grasped the Holy Sword with both hands.
A platinum glow gathered along the blade.
The dazzling light intensified, and the air shimmered like a mirage.
The divine power of sunlight swelled from the sword’s tip, creating an illusion that the blade was lengthening.
A multitude of undead swept in from all around.
I focused on them and unleashed the sword’s energy.
*Kaboom!!!*
With a thunderous crash, high-density divine power struck where the undead gathered.
Veiled by the blade’s light, the undead disappeared, leaving only holy flames in their place.
The furious winds and backdraft unleashed waves of heat that peeled away the remnants.
As the chaos subsided, the undead vanished without a trace.
*Scrape!*
I continued to dispatch the remaining stragglers with the Holy Sword.
The undead within the castle walls neared their end.
Given the commotion outside the castle walls had settled, it seemed Roseha was also wrapping things up.
*Huff…!*
At that sound, I instinctively turned my head.
The middle-aged man my gaze met flinched.
[Lv. 81]
Even at his age and level, he seemed to be quite a formidable noble.
Crossing my mind with the level and his face made it clear it was the Duke of Cavendish from the southern region.
His level was shaded a deep black as he looked at me.
Until now, I had killed only undead while saving humanity.
Whether he noticed or not, he seemed to be openly wary of me.
“L-Lucas!”
…There it was again, Lucas.
To that old man, I surely looked like a Death Knight returning for revenge.
Once the undead in the area were wiped out, the battlefield quieted down.
The scattered knights and soldiers gathered around the duke, aiming their weapons at me. They all shared the same dark hue in their levels.
Here I was, the one who had wiped out the undead, yet they now feared me.
I held back a sigh as I reached out into the air.
The Holy Sword fit perfectly into my grasp, and I immediately propelled the blade to the right.
*Whoosh!* The advancing undead turned to ash in an instant.
Even with the undead dispatched, their level colors remained unchanged.
‘Do they think I’m an obstacle?’
Why? Isn’t there that trope where the villain gets rid of the pesky subordinates before facing off alone?
I figured I looked like that to them. Ridiculous.
Even without checking their levels, I could see their intentions clearly.
If I couldn’t discern the fear from their trembling limbs, my eyes must have gone blind.
“Lucas, the creature of the Seven Lairs.”
The duke uttered in a trembling voice.
“Is this truly the world you desire? To conspire with the Lich King to exterminate humanity? The hero I remember is nowhere to be found! You are no longer Lucas.”
To be honest, I’m not even Lucas.
What’s more, why would he think that I was plotting with Calandas?
“Enough! Creature of the Seven Lairs! Just as you cursed humanity, I will curse you even in death!”
“….”
Unable to contain myself any longer, I unleashed energy toward them. Specifically, toward the undead approaching from behind.
In an instant, the duke and the knights flinched, but they turned their heads at the sound of dying cries from behind.
When they looked back, their eyes were wide as saucers.
I cleared my throat and spoke.
“If you wish to save humanity, then lift your swords like I do. Stop flapping your lips and move your hands and feet.”
“What?”
“I haven’t killed any humans here.”
I gestured toward the undead corpses.
The undead, blazing in holy fire, were burning away.
“I came to stop the Lich King.”
Though technically, the enemy’s enemy is a friend, honestly, they wouldn’t be much help.
The strength of the Empire against the Seven Lairs isn’t an army but superhumans.
And now that all those superhumans were dead, the empire had become closer to a hostage than an ally.
If all humans became undead, it would pose a serious threat, making them a ticking time bomb.
I quickly scanned their levels.
They were all black, but they had lightened a shade.
“It’s all over.”
A voice came from behind.
I didn’t even need to turn my head to know who it was.
Forget the voice; I could see the shock on the faces of the humans with widened eyes.
“Valentia Roseha…?”
From a human perspective, things must have appeared utterly hopeless.
Following the undead army, two creatures from the Seven Lairs appeared before them. It wouldn’t be strange to panic.
Roseha landed gracefully beside me.
With a faint smile, she surveyed the area.
“It seems like it’s all taken care of here. Hmm, that human was the duke of the south, right? Were you talking to him?”
“Are you in league with the Lich King too?!”
At the duke’s words, Roseha furrowed her brow.
With just one gesture, she could wipe them all out.
The fact that they were still alive meant she had shown some mercy, according to her standards.
“Want to die that badly? Why would I be in cahoots with that skeleton?”
Of course, I understood their perspective.
It wouldn’t make sense otherwise, three from the Seven Lairs conspiring to annihilate humanity.
They wouldn’t believe that the Seven Lairs would clash with each other to protect the Empire.
“If that were the case, you all would be dead by now. Are you really that stupid or just frightened out of your minds?”
Curiosity-laden gazes focused on us.
Before Roseha could continue, she jabbed her elbow into my side.
“Ugh, you’re so frustrating. Looks like Barugore has handled it all… Don’t you know who this is? He’s the Hero known as Lucas to you.”
I’m not Lucas!
“Ungrateful brats. I’d love to kill you all right now for your stupidity, but I’m holding back because of Barugore. To you, he’s known as Lucas, but still.”
“What do you mean…”
“The hero has returned to save you. Even after being betrayed by humans and killed. Doesn’t that make sense to you?”
The humans’ levels transitioned from black to orange.
It made me feel a bit guilty since they kept insisting I was Lucas.
All I wanted was to get out of here quickly.
“Roseha, let’s go.”
“I agree. Why waste time explaining to these idiots?”
“Is Lucas… saving humanity?”
“…You catch on quickly.”
The duke’s level was now tinted a faint green.
“Tsk, tsk,” Roseha clicked her tongue.
“Barugore wants that, and I’m helping because I like Barugore. If you understand that, shut your mouths and stay out of it. We’ll handle things ourselves.”
“Let’s get going.”
It was so uncomfortable being paraded as the savior of humanity.
I felt like Roseha wouldn’t stop talking until we left this place.
“What’s your reason?!”
Suddenly, the duke shouted angrily.
Out of the blue, he asked for a reason, and I wanted to ask him what he meant. What reason was he talking about?
Using “Float,” I rose into the air, and Roseha spread her bat-like wings.
Ignoring the commotion, I began to head west when shouts erupted from behind.
Ugh, they’re so annoying.
I just turned my head and casually muttered.
“Figure it out yourself.”
***
“Your Grace! The undead army has been annihilated!”
After hearing the report, the duke turned his gaze outside the walls.
Thousands of undead had suddenly turned to corpses.
Gone were the sounds of thunder and uproar that echoed moments ago, replaced by an eerie silence.
The duke continued to watch the two figures retreat into the distance.
The formidable Roseha from the citadel and Barugore from the grave.
The extermination of the army was the work of those two alone, a solid testimony to Roseha’s earlier words.
—I did not kill any humans here.
Furthermore, a thought from Barugore crossed his mind.
Barugore seemed to be focused on rescuing humans while targeting only the undead.
He was undeniably allied with the Lich King, of course.
If it weren’t for him, every human within the castle walls, including the duke, would have become undead.
“Why?”
A question involuntarily slipped from the duke’s lips.
A creature of the Seven Lairs had defended humanity against another creature of the Seven Lairs.
It was neither a vague assumption nor unsubstantiated faith. The evidence vividly remained in reality.
“Why…?”
Contemplating the question was one thing, but they had shown their resolve through their actions.
So why?
Lucas had told them to figure it out themselves.
But no matter how much he thought, a clear answer eluded him.
Humanity had nearly plunged into extinction, and Lucas bore the blame for it.
After all, it was Lucas who had killed the four heroes and the great sage, then usurped Cecilia and the holy relics that incited the Lich King’s movement.
Everyone believed he conspired with the Lich King without a doubt.
“…That wasn’t the case.”
Lucas had returned as a creature of the Seven Lairs, consumed by hatred and a desire for revenge against humanity.
Yet now, why was he claiming to save them?
What misunderstanding surrounded the deaths of the four heroes and the great sage? Or had he had a change of heart during that time?
“Lucas.”
The duke remembered Lucas’s living form.
Overlaying it with his last appearance was quite shocking.
The most heroic of heroes had been executed for cursing humanity.
The undead instinctively held malice toward humans.
A hero betrayed by humanity. The same would surely be true for Lucas, having become a Death Knight.
But recalling Lucas’s living form…
He was a human who cared for humanity more than anyone else.
The most heroic of heroes.
One could only hope that Lucas would return to his roots with a fundamental benevolence.
That he had repented for the wrongs of killing the four heroes and had come back to mend his mistakes.
A hero does not betray their faith.
A hero does not oppress the weak.
A hero does not shun salvation.
A hero does not succumb to injustice.
The laws of heroes woven by Lucas are still discussed even now.
Lucas is the embodiment of human compassion. He was a human before being a hero.
He loved humanity and practiced self-sacrifice, thus he defended witches without hesitation.
—I thought witches were monsters, but they are not.
Witches are humans too. They have families and feel pain like humans.
Is there any reason for humans to kill other humans? Is there any reason for humans not to protect fellow humans?
“…Lord Lucas.”
He was the one who changed his mind and sought to save humanity once more. The duke wanted to believe that, to have faith.
What could drive someone who died betrayed by humanity, who became undead, to again protect humanity?
That unfathomable heart pierced his chest deeply.
“It is we who must atone for our sins.”
Taking responsibility for wrongdoings is the essence of humanity.
Lucas moved to take responsibility for the transgressions of killing the four heroes.
Meanwhile, humanity had cloaked Lucas’s execution in the guise of humanity but even sought to kill him after his return as a Death Knight.
Lucas understood all of this yet did not forsake humanity.
Why are humans human?
It is because they exist for the sake of fellow humans.
Then are we truly human?
We distance ourselves and don’t feel guilty about hurting our fellow humans. We executed the hero favored by the gods, citing treason against humanity when he was merely fulfilling his role.
We are not human.
No, it is Lucas who is human for the sake of humanity.
The true monsters were us. We killed Lucas only to point fingers and label him a monster.
“….”
Tears welled in his tightly closed eyes.
What kind of emotions had he harbored in his death, in his resurrection, and in the desire to protect humanity?
His heart ached, and tears flowed endlessly.
Lucas is infinitely human.
We are the real monsters.