Chapter 399: The Value of Life

The black sword drew a circle while devouring the sky. The single flash roared around Richard’s hand, who swung the black sword by using its own weight.

An ordinary person would’ve run out of breath just by wielding the black sword, but the old man wielded it in the air in a trained manner. It was the fruit of his experience as a swordsman, and the footsteps of the past he had followed.

There was a path to master that level of martial skills, and Richard overcame it to be here today.

The black sword left a clear line as it bit the Controller Drigman’s limbs. The iron blade groaned as it gouged Drigman’s flesh, but the wounds were only shallow. Even after several blows and slashes, there was still no end in sight. Moreover, those wounds continued to regenerate endlessly.

There was no sign of impatience in Drigman’s features either. He was just frowning a little bit.

No matter how great it was, the black sword wouldn’t be able to kill this monster. Richard also half-understood that fact. The life of a single deer would be difficult to take if you could only rip off a piece of its buckskin. It was like facing a giant with an axe in one hand. You could hurt it, but you couldn’t kill it.

But of course there were beings like that among the foes Richard had been against up until now. A demonic being whose skin was tough like metal, a demonic beast that spread madness, and a demonic enemy that could even rot iron.

All of them were killed.

Richard was certainly convinced. Giants, spirits, and beasts. And demonic beings too. There was no one who didn’t die in this world. Every being on earth was to be definitely killed and destroyed. In fact, Richard knew that Drigman was killed by Altius in the mythical era.

“…Then I can definitely kill this guy too. I must do it.”

The tip of the black sword swung towards Drigman’s right hand again. The demonic being lightly turned his wrist and pushed away the iron blade. Richard’s full-fledged swing only resulted in a slight scratch on the demon’s skin. That was all.

But that was all there was to it.

At the same time, Richard saw the demonic being’s left hand approaching him from the corner of his eye. He instantly took a step back, and the next thing he knew, the floorboards shattered, and the stone fragments were scattered.

The battle between the two was repeated.

Richard avoided Drigman’s deadly attack that crushed the ironstone and delivered a dangerous blow. From the outside, it was Richard who was on the offensive, but he had no sense of superiority over his opponent.

He would die in agony with just one wrong move. Richard prepared himself for an impending death where his flesh and bones shatter over and over. There were overwhelming differences between the two.

It was not about body strength or the difference in weapons. It was about the endurance of living beings. Drigman didn’t run out of breath in the slightest, but Richard, who was forced to keep moving, would soon reach the limit of his physical strength.

That’s why Drigman was not doing anything in a hurry under the current strangely antagonistic situation. This battle was only for a moment, and Richard knew it would be over soon. It was exactly like the behavior of a human trying to corner a flying insect. Richard felt there were not many people like him who forced themselves to do their best.

Richard sniffed through his nose slightly, searching for his enemy’s scent. It hadn’t been that long since he started wielding his sword. However, in that short period of time, he had come close to death many times over. He was beginning to lose his senses.

It was such a monotonous job. It would be fine if he could buy some time, but things weren’t getting easier. Richard felt a dull pain in his stomach, which had not yet completely healed.

The sound of iron snapped several times, and the sword fight continued. It was a tedious, but very dangerous battle. A little bit of flesh and blood splattered here and there.

…And then, of course, it came.

A moment later, a flood of blood splattered and stained the throne room. The owner of that blood was not the magical devilish being. It was the only human here. Richard Permillis’ blood.

The black sword fell down making a distorted sound. No, that wasn’t all. At the same time as the black sword fell, Richard’s right arm flew away. Blood and flesh burst out and Richard’s brain felt a piercing pain that reached his marrow.

No, he felt lucky. If his brain was facing reality, then he experienced the hardships of hell.

In order words, it meant that he was alive.

「Let’s call it a day. A good death isn’t about making a fuss and rolling over your throat. Dying gracefully is also aesthetic. 」

Drigman opened his palm and thrust it at Richard. It was clear that there was nothing else he could do. Those words came from the heart.

Losing his arm was different from just losing his weapon. His body’s balance was disrupted. It would be difficult for him to walk properly until he got used to it. Moreover, picking up a sword right away and wielding it again was something that only existed in heroic tales.

Losing an arm on the battlefield, where everything could be over in a second, meant death. Drigman understood this, and so did Richard. He spoke instead of picking up the black sword.

「…How do I kill you, bastard? I’ve been thinking about it a lot. 」

Richard made no attempt to move a single piece. That was the attitude of a person who had already accepted death. He couldn’t resist it anymore.

That’s why Drigman also listened to the words of the doomed human. Although Drigman didn’t like humans imitating his words, he was tolerant enough to listen to the words of brave people. For a demonic being, this was truly a rare occurrence.

Moreover, Drigman had a strange feeling crawling up his throat.

Why was this man so calm right before his death? No matter what kind of person he was, he should be frightened and confused before he died. Yet, Drigman couldn’t feel it from this person. Whatever it was, Drigman was confused.

「You can’t die even if I cut you, and it seems you aren’t using magic. There’s usually a formula for killing cheaters like you. For example, set them on fire and burn them to death. Or maybe set them in a trap and make them self-destruct…」

Richard’s old beard swayed, and his wrinkles deepened to reveal a smile. His white teeth were visible between his cheeks.

Drigman’s fingers felt as if they were numb.

「…Or maybe inflict some poison in their skin. 」

Richard said with his eyes hardening. His vision was starting to become slightly blurred because he lost too much blood. He’d lose consciousness soon.

Even Richard didn’t know how meaningful the poison he had put on his sword was. He had never devised a poison that would work against demonic beings. After all, the existence of demons only existed in the age of mythology.

However, Richard remembered Leu’s words. The magical devilish being called Drigman stole the body of a human.

Richard didn’t know how much of it had been repainted with evil. However, Richard had seen demonic powers that took away people’s consciousness and bodies several times before.

Normally, those beings couldn’t take everything right away. It took a certain amount of time. It could take years to usurp the original body. Until then, even if a demonic being took away a human’s body, the physical part of the fallen human still remained.

In that case, what if a slightest human part remained in this controlling demon? Poison made sense. Because of that possibility, Richard was willing to smear poison on his beloved sword.

That’s why he persistently inflicted injuries even with the slightest damage. All in order for the poison to circulate in Drigman’s blood.

There was one more thing. Oil and fire. The smell of smoke was beginning to reach the tip of Richard’s nose. It seemed that the soldiers who had tasked with separate actions had finally begun to fulfill their roles.

The royal castle always held a large amount of oil. Oil was not only a necessity of life, but also a military supply. It was something that had to be secured along with water if it got under a siege.

So, soon this place would become a sea of fire. Richard told the soldiers to pour out all the oil available. There was no need for adjustment or hesitation.

「Fire invoked by magic won’t work against you, right? So how about a fire ignited by oil? I’m prepared to try everything I can. 」

I’m sorry, but I’m not that righteous or pure, you demonic bastard. Hearing Richard mutter those words, Drigman narrowed his eyes. Emotions were starting to emerge on his features.

「Humans are really strong, or rather, they’ve become strong. However, no matter how hard you try, all of you will die here. 」

Drigman spoke with his palms still open. He was beginning to notice a slight numbness in the tips of his hands.

He was impressed. He knew that humans were ferocious, but he had never imagined that they could be so obsessed with killing others.

Richard opened his mouth casually for the sake of his lost right arm.

「Human beings die at some point. That’s why we use what we can. That’s the value of life. 」

The moment Richard’s words stopped and Drigman tried to grasp his palm.

The footsteps of someone in particular stepped into the throne room. At the same time, a purple light danced in the air.

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As I said, Richard has guts. He is one truly fierce man.

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