How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 329

366. The Final Boss (2)

Koo-oong!

A deafening roar echoes, and the ground trembles.

“What, what is happening?”

The King, nearly falling, hastily leaned back on his throne, urgently demanding a report.

Never before has the ground shaken in this vicinity.

There’s no record of such an event.

More than anything, this roar was distinctly different from an earthquake.

It felt more like something was piercing and striking deep within the earth.

“…Could it be.”

And the worst premonitions usually come true.

“Your Majesty!”

Someone rushes in urgently.

But there’s no time to receive a report.

Kwaang!

A deafening roar and the chilling sound of a human being crushed.

“Kuh…”

The King and the dignitaries present could only grit their teeth and flinch in shock.

“Wh-What in the world! …No, who is it!”

The presence is outside.

The King suppressed his trembling fist and sternly warned, clinging to his dignity.

“Do you think you can wreak havoc and get away with it?”

He barely managed to issue a strong warning, trying to intimidate them into retreating…

But of course, it wouldn’t work.

“How laughable. Do you think you can throw your weight around with just a title? In this futile world?”

The voice mocked.

“Who are you?”

“…Fine. I was just about to deliver my message anyway. I’ll be kind enough to tell you.”

With that, the one who burst into the hall, smashing through the doors, was…

“…A monster?”

A grotesque figure whose entire body was made of intertwined, unidentifiable branches.

Soon, however, the astonishing thing was that the monster’s form transformed into something resembling a human, much like themselves.

“Hmm… Is this form more conducive to conversation? Well, it’s always better to talk when you look presentable.”

“Seize that insolent wretch!”

There’s no need for conversation.

At the King’s command, soldiers darted forward, piercing his vitals, including his neck and abdomen, with spears.

Pshuk!

The faces of the humans present lit up with relief.

Regardless of what it was, such an ominous monster deserved to be beheaded immediately.

Above all, they instinctively felt that there was no good to come from willingly engaging in conversation with it.

“…Oh, dear.”

However, even after being impaled, the man merely chuckled wryly, as if it couldn’t be helped.

Soon, he cheerfully shook his head and pushed the soldiers away as if nothing had happened.

And…

“Kkeueuaaaaaaaaack!!”

The entire body of the soldier who was pushed away instantly melted and collapsed.

The other soldiers suffered the same fate.

Burning, petrifying, tearing apart.

They were killed in all sorts of cruel ways, as if in retribution.

“How?!”

“What do you mean ‘how’? This isn’t the main body.”

He revealed the secret as if it were nothing.

A doppelganger [a duplicate or look-alike].

The main body is far away, and what was sent here was merely a fake created by splitting his consciousness.

Of course, stabbing such a fake wouldn’t kill him.

“Did you really think I would come here myself to talk to the likes of you? Puhuhuhuhup!”

“Th-This bastard… What are you all doing! Are you going to keep listening to this nonsense!”

The King trembled and shouted.

As if responding to his roar, a knight with a sturdy build stepped forward.

“I will cut down such an impious being!”

Knight Commander, Calves.

Noticing the commotion, he immediately rushed in, declaring that he would personally punish this rude being, raising his sword.

“Oooooooooh…”

“Yes, if it’s Sir Calves…”

They deeply resonated with the belief that their best warrior could behead that unpleasant monster in one swift strike.

Those who believed without a doubt exclaimed deeply.

“How foolish.”

And he sneered.

“I’ll make sure you can’t spout any more of that arrogant nonsense.”

Calves raised his heavy greatsword, aimed it at Epileot, and declared.

That he would strike you down.

“Oh, my, how frightening. And here I came to have a conversation.”

“Shut your trap, you deceitful bastard.”

Calves retorted and tried to bring his greatsword down on Epileot.

Even if it’s a doppelganger, it doesn’t matter.

He would destroy it in one go and immediately find and punish the main body.

That powerful strike was…

“Know your place, you who are worthless in this world.”

With a single sneering remark, his body shattered in vain.

It’s not like his doppelganger moved.

A sharp pillar that pierced through the floor tore him apart in vain.

“Hmph, the end of a nameless wretch is about this much.”

Epileot doesn’t even glance at the knight’s corpse, as if it’s not worth even a shred of value or pride.

And the hall turned into a scene of utter chaos.

Even the warrior they believed in couldn’t withstand it.

The fear they had been holding back burst forth.

“Shut up, humans.”

Epileot skillfully subdued them.

What, there’s no need to do anything difficult.

He had already demonstrated his power.

After that, all he had to do was direct it, and they would shut up on their own.

“How convenient.”

“…What do you want?”

“First, I came to warn you. The demonic realm you call the White Hell is now in my grasp.”

“What?”

They stared in disbelief, but Epileot merely sneered as if it were amusing.

The King and the others couldn’t believe that the demonic realm had been conquered.

But what grounds did they have to deny it here?

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll have to kill 80% of you here to prove my power, which would be a shame.”

“W-Wait!”

The King shouted urgently at the declaration of slaughter.

Indeed, as Epileot blinked, the spikes that threatened them were about to tear apart 80% of the humans detained here in one fell swoop.

“I’ll acknowledge your claim for now. …So, what do you intend to do with that land you’ve taken?”

“It’s so easy to talk to you, it’s so convenient. Yes… the message. I must deliver the message.”

As if plotting some wicked scheme, Epileot trembled and pretended to suppress his laughter, first conveying his business to them.

Everything is to declare this.

He had to say that first.

“First, let me say this. From now on, I will kill two-thirds of all your people… including you, all living beings, and all traces of them.”

It was an absurdly cruel declaration.

And that terrible declaration was being conveyed not only here but to all regions… down to every small village.

* * *

Kwajik!

The bastard is spouting nonsense.

Without hesitation, I stomped on Epileot’s doppelganger.

I was a little surprised when he suddenly appeared, but I soon realized it was a fake.

He had used similar doppelgangers in the novel I read.

“What a perverted bastard.”

“As if you’re any better, Aileon.”

Moreover, the doppelganger seemed to be directly responding to Epileot’s will, even chiming in with my reactions.

Unnecessarily high-performance.

That’s why I crushed him before he could spout any more nonsense, leaving only his head and stomping on it.

“I’d like to smash this too, but then I wouldn’t be able to get any information.”

“How wise… Keukeukeuk.”

It was obvious that it wasn’t a compliment.

“Just tell me what you want. I know you’ve been spreading your precious doppelgangers all over the place.”

“Well, does it matter? I’ll have to tell you anyway. Our goal.”

Goal? More than that, what do you mean ‘we’…

“So, even that idiot has been influenced.”

“Call it a compromise. That boy merely chose reality.”

“Whatever. What are you planning to do?”

“From now on, we will…”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to say, ‘We’re going to start a massacre’? Is that what you’re here to say?”

“Oh? So you knew?”

Right on the mark.

“Well, Aileon, you were the one who knew.”

“Yeah, that damn novel too. …And I’ve heard roughly about the situation before that.”

“Hoo…”

The guy’s voice dropped slightly.

That’s his true feelings.

“Knowing that, you’re still stomping on me now?”

“Because I know, I’m going to interfere.”

Originally, in the original story, Epileot declared that he would destroy the world and caused a mass slaughter.

And this guy here is no different.

What he’s trying to do is similar.

“I’m planning to purge about two-thirds of the humans on this planet from now on.”

“…That’s a bit much.”

In the novel, he only said he would kill about 20% at most.

Did his dreams get bigger?

“But that’s how much they need to be satisfied.”

Those who watch over this planet, this civilization. Beings who look down like gods.

“They’ve finished calculating. If that much trial and blood flows on this planet, giving it pain, humanity will pass to the next stage.”

He said stiffly.

As if emphasizing that it wasn’t his own will but someone else’s compulsion.

“So, shouldn’t we follow their orders? To thoroughly teach the humans of this planet.”

“…”

It probably wasn’t just nonsense.

He must have received such orders.

“Did Sylvester accept that knowing all that?”

“Of course, he couldn’t accept it. But he compromised.”

“…On what?”

If he compromised, there must be conditions.

A price he receives for turning a blind eye, even if he doesn’t directly intervene.

“You don’t think he’d receive gold and jewels now, do you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s more valuable than that.”

Not treasure, not power.

“Time.”

Time.

“…”

“A grace period of a full 10,000 years.”

In exchange for achieving this unreasonable condition, they bet their existence and promised.

“For at least 10,000 years, they will not interfere or even watch, they promised.”

“…I see. So, for at least 10,000 years, those guys won’t give up on this world on their own.”

It’s literally a grace period.

Those who already have absolute power take their hands off the switch of destruction that they can press at any time and wait.

Even if it’s a limited time, it must be very tempting.

“…That bastard is worth compromising with.”

“Well, that young brat was suffering more than you can imagine. Puhuhuhuhup!”

“…”

“It’s a shame I can’t show you that face directly.”

He said that and laughed.

His personality is truly nasty.

“Isn’t 10,000 years worth it? Even if the number of humans decreases now, the gap will heal in just 1-2 thousand years.”

Also, they might learn something new by gaining today’s lesson.

That damn guy’s logic.

All progress comes from tragedy.

Damn it.

“With this, your world will be maintained, albeit limited.”

That’s his claim.

“Don’t be ridiculous. Is the final boss going to claim he’s saving the world?”

“Saving it? That’s absurd. I’m not that shameless.”

Epileot let out a malicious laugh.

“I’m just going to watch you suffer for 10,000 more years. Let’s enjoy it together.”

“…”

“Of course, it’s not bad for you either. Let me tell you, their grace period is about to end.”

About to end…

“If I fail, then they will give up on this planet and start over.”

“Is it about time to press the reset button?”

“Thanks to you stirring things up, Aileon, that cycle has been sped up by a few years. …Well, it’s only a few years, so it doesn’t matter.”

I was surprised that he wasn’t blaming me.

“So, don’t interfere. If you just watch, I’ll make an exception for you… or those around you, from the purge.”

“Is that also a compromise?”

“…It’s a compromise that even that silver-haired brat has already accepted.”

As expected, I really don’t like it.

“What’s your answer?”

“Is there anything to hesitate about?”

Kwajik.

I put my weight and strength into the foot that was stepping on his head.

“Why don’t you get lost? Who gave you permission to do such a dog-like thing? I’m sorry, but I’d rather just disappear than see such a terrible world.”

I declared this.

“You’re really good at spouting nonsense. Well, that’s why you were chopped into pieces by our protagonist in that novel I read, right?”

I randomly spewed out abuse.

But he probably won’t get angry again.

“I see… is that your policy?”

Even though I completely destroyed him, I could hear his voice from somewhere.

“Yeah, the world I want to live in isn’t the world you play with.”

So…

“You’re just a pest that needs to be eliminated. I’m going to chase you out and then prepare for my retirement plan.”

“…You’re making such a small sound.”

“Who cares?”