How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 336

373. The Final Boss (9)

Naturally, Epheleo, who held dominion over this place, couldn’t help but notice the changes in the subjugation party.

“Did Aileon do something…?”

He was certain that Aileon had already infiltrated.

He expected an immediate attack, but instead, did Aileon interfere with the subjugation party first?

“Hmph, he seems like a meddler…”

Well, it wasn’t as if Aileon only intended to reduce casualties in the short term.

Thanks to Aileon’s interference, the subjugation party probably knew most of the tricks and strategies relevant to the Demon Realm.

In particular, most of the methods used by the former Witch of the Eye [a powerful sorceress known for her strategic prowess] had spread as common knowledge.

Annoying.

“If they handle it properly, there’s nothing I can’t manage… but I don’t have the leeway to do that.”

At this rate, the army would push in.

Of course, he didn’t consider them a real threat.

He could easily annihilate them if he intervened.

But that would slow down his plans considerably.

If possible, he didn’t want to move from his current location.

“Sylvester… well, he’s the same.”

Sylvester had stated he would only deal with those who invaded the tower, so he wouldn’t heed a request to actively annihilate the army.

He might even feel repulsion and refuse.

Right now, Sylvester just needed to stay out of his way.

‘…Was I too relaxed?’

It seemed he had become arrogant after gaining power.

It would have been easier if he had actively annihilated the human army before Aileon interfered.

Well, it was too late to regret it now.

“…It doesn’t matter.”

If he could somehow deal with the most annoying element, Aileon, there was nothing to fear.

No, if Aileon was gone, there would be no one to stop him.

By then, even Sylvester, who carried the destiny of the protagonist, wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Then it would be better… to lure him here.”

He didn’t care about conquering the Demon Realm.

Epheleo decided to completely ignore the subjugation party and focus solely on Aileon, who was the core of this unfolding situation.

“Come on! Come here, you arrogant outsider!”

374. Conclusion (1)

“Aha ha ha. He’s rampaging quite well, as expected.”

It seemed the subjugation party had adopted the information he gave them, and they were achieving results quickly.

Conquering the Demon Realm, and furthermore, the soldiers’ survival, earned quite a few points.

It was proceeding as he intended.

He thought it was a bit precarious anyway.

While the subjugation party was fighting fiercely to conquer the Demon Realm, they were heading quickly to the center of the Demon Realm where the tower was located.

As soon as they entered the tower, they advanced straight inside, maintaining a state of alert.

There were no traps attacking them yet, or monsters welcoming them.

‘He’s letting us in surprisingly easily.’

If it were him, he would have welcomed them by mobilizing all sorts of annoying defenses.

But it was quiet.

There was no reaction.

Even when he used all of his detection abilities to examine it, it was clear.

What was he trying to do?

“…But is there anything dangerous here?”

As he was wondering, Alnix’s naive question made him sigh and answer.

“There will probably be a lot of incredibly dangerous things.”

The question was, why weren’t those incredibly dangerous things welcoming them right now?

‘Is he planning to just send us up?’

As he was wondering, Cruise, who seemed to have a similar question, muttered while tapping the wall lightly with his cane.

“It doesn’t seem like there are no defenses. …Then is it to conserve them?”

“Conserve them?”

That was another unexpected opinion.

But soon he understood.

“Ah… So, what Cruise is suggesting is that since we’re going to annihilate them anyway, it’s better not to waste them and just send us up?”

“That might be the case.”

“…Why would he do that?”

Lucel frowned as if he didn’t understand either.

“Well, in short, what Cruise is trying to say is that it’s better not to expend them since we’re going to wipe them out anyway.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant, but there are many other things to deal with besides us.”

As she said, there were also armies currently engaged elsewhere besides them.

They would also rush in.

If he focused solely on them and got outmaneuvered by the others, wouldn’t that be a laughing stock?

It’s a novel idea for conserving resources.

But listening to it, it made sense.

“It might be a trap, though.”

“…A trap.”

“Aileon?”

He listened to her opinion and thought about it.

There were parts of that guy’s thoughts that he couldn’t even begin to guess.

“Or maybe he’s deliberately calling us in.”

Suddenly, he had such a guess.

“Well, we can just go up if he wants us to.”

No one opposed.

What they had to do was already decided.

There was no option to hesitate now, no matter what happened.

* * *

How long had they been climbing the tower?

“…Now I can see something.”

Alnix said, stretching his stiff body and finally looking relieved.

It was good that nothing had happened, but he was worried that the tension wouldn’t be relieved, and that worried him.

Stabbing in the gap was a common tactic.

In the end, Epheleo seemed to want them to reach this point.

“Is he telling us to come in through this door…?”

“There were no other paths, right?”

“There doesn’t seem to be any hidden routes.”

“Eii! Then let’s go in!”

Alnix shouted as if he was tired of waiting and put his hand on the door.

He didn’t stop him.

It would be his wish if Alnix went out first and became bait.

Don’t worry. He’d deal with any surprise attacks.

“Opens.”

Everyone silently agreed, and Alnix pushed the door open with all his might.

Creak!

Surprisingly, the door opened with a creaking sound without much resistance, and the scene that unfolded inside was….

“…This is another level of bad taste.”

“I agree….”

“There’s nothing else to say.”

Everyone groaned and spat out a word.

He couldn’t help it.

He had to remain silent without even making any jokes.

If you were in your right mind, you wouldn’t make a joke here.

Looking around, there was nothing but terrible things.

It was full of all sorts of grotesque creatures.

It was literally a testing ground.

“After all, here is….”

“Do you know?”

“Roughly. …But it’s my first time seeing it in person.”

He also only read about it in passing, so he didn’t know the detailed description.

“Here is his….”

He was about to talk about the identity of this place.

“This place is my hometown… something similar.”

A voice without tension, as if joking.

As if to make a joke, his voice echoed.

“Is that him?”

“Where are you!”

“It’s useless. After all, his main body is not here.”

There was no need to investigate.

Maybe it was just his clone or another means of conveying his voice.

He was speaking through the mouths of those terrible creatures.

“Hahaha. That’s right. Why would I be crazy enough to welcome you myself?”

Everyone had a very annoyed face.

He wanted to make that expression too.

“I didn’t even want to bring you into this place, but against you guys… it would be a waste.”

After all, he deliberately led them to the middle floor.

“So? Can you tie our feet here?”

“I’m pretty confident.”

It didn’t feel like a bluff.

Maybe he’d actually prepared some pretty tough challenges.

While everyone was gathering their energy to be ready to respond at any time, only he was talking arbitrarily.

“Before that, I hope you’ll give me some time to introduce this place….”

Anyway, he’d talk arbitrarily.

He was actually doing that.

The grotesque creatures around him wriggled their bodies as if they were spreading their arms.

“This place is my hometown! The place where I was born!”

“….”

“It’s a terrible place, isn’t it?”

Well, you could tell just by looking at their expressions.

“Yes, I know. I know that this is the workshop where you were produced.”

He only knew the general things, but he could be sure.

Epheleo.

He was not a creature born naturally.

To be exact, an artificial creature created for an unknown purpose.

A tragic remnant of past civilizations.

At least that’s what the narrative he knew mentioned.

“…To be exact, what kind of purpose did the humans of the past create him for?”

“Hmm… Was that also in the information you know?”

“No, I just guessed.”

The humans of that era were focused on preparing for the future under Nelke’s instructions.

Some people seemed to have used any means and methods.

Then it was likely to be related.

“Well, there’s nothing new. Yes… Originally, it seems that it was created as an existence to fight for the future, for that time.”

The tone was ambiguous, which meant it didn’t happen that way.

For example, among the beings born here was the Witch of the Eye, Pericia.

In the original work, he jokingly compared himself to Pericia, saying that they were produced in the same place, so they were another sibling.

“But we never had to act according to our purpose. They abused us to use us for their own purposes, even though they created us.”

When Epheleo gestured, the surrounding scenery changed.

What unfolded was a war between those grotesque creatures.

“They used us in their disputes. We, who were originally created to prepare for the future, were ironically used in their disputes and killed each other.”

And in the meantime, the civilization of that time was completely erased, and he, who was accidentally sealed, escaped without being caught up.

But ironically, he was given the role of the final boss when he woke up.

“…In short, are you resenting humans because of that?”

Alnix asked.

But Epheleo just sneered and laughed.

“It’s not funny.”

“What?”

“Honestly, I don’t care about that.”

Epheleo corrected as if not to be mistaken.

“Whether we are used in their disputes or fight for you according to our original purpose, the fate of us dying miserably will not change. Isn’t that right, human?”

“….”

There was hatred in his eyes.

“Well, I don’t resent you. I’m not petty enough to vent my anger on those who don’t know anything.”

“Then why are you doing this?”

“Because I wanted to live.”

Epheleo answered immediately to Cruise’s question.

Everyone’s eyes widened as if they didn’t expect such an answer.

Except… me.

“To survive.”

Survival.

That was his goal.

“Is it surprising that these words are coming out? Did you want me to say that I wanted to dominate the world evilly? Puh he he he he! It’s not funny. It’s really not funny!”

There was definitely anger in the voice trembling with sarcasm.

But it wasn’t directed at them.

“As soon as I opened my eyes, I didn’t even have time to feel relieved that I had survived. Because I immediately realized the same ending. …Do you know, Aileon?”

“…You would originally build this tower and start a fight against the whole world.”

And finally die.

That’s all there is to it.

The world regains peace at the cost of his death.

…At least that’s what the novel he read said.

Now he didn’t care about those words either.

“Yes! And I’ll die! Whether it’s Sylvester or not, that’s the fate in the end!”

“You’re doing this because you don’t like that fate?”

“Even if I refuse fate, in the end, all that’s left is to die together with you guys. I want to avoid that.”

His only goal was survival.

Maybe he only thought about how to achieve that.

He understood a little.