He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 175

“How dare you! You blocked my ascension!”

“Was that supposed to be an ascension? It looked more like patching up the side effects of plastic surgery!”

“You bastard!”

Khaaaaa!

He spewed breath again. A breath of intense flames.

But looking closely, it wasn’t a breath composed of pure flames.

In reality, what he was spitting out was black blood engulfed in flames. His own blood was in that state, another side effect of drinking the Underworld Dragon’s blood.

I lightly soared into the sky with my wings of light, dodging the breath.

The breath itself was powerful, but on its own, it was difficult to hit me while I was flying around.

“I won’t miss!”

Whoosh, slam! Thwaaack!

“Whoa, that was a close call.”

As if waiting for that moment, the creature’s tail aimed for me. I barely dodged it, but it possessed power strong enough to shatter the side of a steel mill.

Even though it was a clumsy strike, its size was truly as massive as a dragon, so I couldn’t underestimate it.

“Looks like I’m not on par with him in this state.”

[Imperial Soul Stage 3, Power Release]

[Silvatane Deployment, Mechanoid Type Unleashed.]

Against a giant dragon, there were limits to the humanoid type.

I immediately unleashed Silvatane in its Machina form. I fully unleashed the Imperial Soul, but I could feel it being rapidly consumed.

“Good heavens, what is that?”

“A golem? But I’ve never seen one so sophisticated.”

“Good heavens, that’s a Machina [advanced mechanical construct]! But it’s still in the design phase!”

The Crash Hammers and dwarven technicians fighting nearby were all astonished as they watched.

The Crash Hammers had already seen the humanoid type Silvatane, but they probably just thought of it as a unique armor.

But the Mechanoid type they were seeing now seemed to confuse them as a golem. On the other hand, the technicians seemed to already know the concept of Machina.

[Warning, available time is 10 minutes with the current Imperial Soul.]

But I didn’t have time to indulge in their admiration.

Available time was only 10 minutes. I had to kill that rat twisted into the form of a giant dragon within that time.

“Silver Rose, maximum power!”

[Mana Heart Core Maximum Amplification]

[Silver Rose, Aura Blade Maximum Power Deployment]

Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh-!

Intense aura was deployed on the enlarged Silver Rose.

Normally, even Swordmaster-level experts wouldn’t dare to handle such intense aura, but I immediately flew into the sky again, heading towards the opponent’s chest.

The target was the heart, but Black Blood had no intention of being easily defeated.

“Khaaaaaaack!”

Apart from physical attacks, his attack method was self-harm itself.

He squeezed out black blood from his torn skin, scattering it in all directions.

That cursed blood was a threatening weapon in itself.

Shack! Kagak!

[Silvatane Damage Occurred, Damage Rate 35%]

[Automatic Repair is in Progress. Repair consumes additional Imperial Soul.]

The blood was highly acidic and attacked Silvatane, clumping or scattering into sharp shapes as if possessing its own will.

Even though it hadn’t been attacked many times, the damage rate was quite high. Automatic repair was possible, but I made a rather bold choice.

“Do not repair. Concentrate all remaining available energy into one strike.”

[Warning, performing this command will reduce available time to less than 1 minute.]

[If the enemy is still alive when the available time ends, the user’s survival probability is very low.]

[It is recommended to reconsider the command.]

Kisil, the Silvatane’s operating system, voiced its opposition. But I didn’t withdraw the command because I instinctively knew that it would be difficult to win without mobilizing all power.

“No, I’m betting everything on this one strike!”

Half-measures are meaningless. Either way, defeat means death.

All or nothing.

Win or lose everything.

I have no intention of falling here. I’m going to overcome this and move forward!

[Command Received.]

Kwaaaaaaa!

The Silvatane’s output became stronger. With faster speed, more powerful force, and more intense energy, it flew towards Black Blood’s heart.

Numerous black blood spears flew in, and I narrowly dodged Black Blood’s sharp claws and tail.

[Damage Rate is 95%]

[Warning, further damage is dangerous.]

“For the Empire!”

Pwoook!

“Kueeeeeeeck!”

I pierced his heart. Black blood gushed out like a fountain from his heart.

Crackle!

[Damage Rate 96%…97%…98%…]

“Just a little more! Not yet!”

Silver Rose emitted a strong light, trying to sever Black Blood’s breath.

Black Blood was also in pain, but his black blood was melting Silvatane’s armor as if casting a curse.

[Damage Rate 99%…….]

[Damage Rate is Approaching Threshold.]

[To protect the user of this unit, the emergency life support protocol will be activated by the authority of this OS upon reaching 100%-]

I was reaching my limit. For a moment, the doubt that I had failed flashed through my mind.

But even before that brief doubt, I already had a strange conviction.

The conviction that this wasn’t the end.

-You are not a being of this time.

As if telling me that conviction, a being spoke to me.

The world was already a soul world where everything had stopped. An unknown being was asking me with telepathy.

“Who are you?”

-I am the first creation made by the Creator, the guardian dragon of the Underworld, Kerebres.

Kerebres. It was a name I had heard before. It was the name the Dwarf King had told me.

“The one who was killed by this guy.”

It was the being who gave Black Blood the name of that black blood.

-Ah, yes. Killed, my aged body was. But my spirit had already ascended long ago.

“You’re talking to me in that state? But it’s quite a nuisance. Because of your body, many dwarves have died. I’m also suffering.”

Calling yourself a guardian dragon, aren’t you too weak, huh?

-It is regrettable, but I have already fulfilled my duty of guardianship for a long time. The return of the Underworld’s chaos is merely following the natural order of rise and fall.

“Is that what a ruler should say?”

-I am not a ruler. I was merely an observer entrusted with the duty of guardianship. But that is also a thing of the past. Do you not understand? I was not killed. I allowed myself to be killed.

Listening to her words, I felt an unknown divergence. No, if I understood the words that followed, I couldn’t help but be angry.

-My duty entrusted by the Creator is complete. I have governed the chaos of the Underworld for thousands of years and given ‘opportunities’ to the beings of the surface. I now have the right to take a well-deserved rest.

“It doesn’t seem like you’ve done that duty properly?”

-Do you dare to evaluate me? On what basis can you disparage me?

“Because what you’re doing now is irresponsible abandonment. You’re just leaving after arbitrarily discarding your power!”

To arbitrarily mess things up and leave just because your term is over, it was nothing but irresponsible nonsense.

At least, that’s not what someone who held a heavy responsibility should say.

-Foolish one, do you think that I, who have lived for thousands of years, have not considered such thoughts as you?

-I have tried to enlighten countless people. I gave the dwarves the benefits of civilization and suppressed the beings of chaos.

-But do you know what I realized? It was just vain disappointment.

But Kerebres also had something to say. This time, I had nothing to say to her following words.

-The dwarves were complacent in reality. They became indifferent to the order of the Underworld and chose isolation. The civilization I gave them did not spread to the Underworld or the surface.

-The chaos of the Underworld was not governed. It was natural, as they monopolized everything from the dwarves. I suppressed them only with duty.

-I ask you again, do you truly think my rule was wrong?

“……”

I couldn’t answer that question right away.

But soon I opened my mouth.

“It wasn’t wrong. But leaving like this is clearly wrong.”

-Why is that?

“Because only destruction will remain this way.”

I don’t know the history of this Underworld, so I don’t know what has happened in the meantime.

Perhaps the dwarves’ indifference or the favor given to them was wrong.

If that is truly the case, then their decline and fall are justified.

“But ratmen, those who only know destruction, will only leave destruction behind.”

Even if they can create something, it will only be for another destruction.

“All the destruction they create will be the result of your actions. Do you think that’s right?”

-The duty the Creator gave me is already complete!

“Are you going to evade responsibility with just duty? That’s a really comfortable thought. People usually call that irresponsible.”

What’s the difference between messing things up and running away when the term is over? At least they are a democratic regime, but if a god or king does that, it’s truly disastrous.

“Therefore, you are irresponsible. Am I wrong?”

-…….

This time, Kerebres was silent.

Was the refutation successful?

-Insolent. You speak as if you are different, being from another time.

“I, at least, have no intention of irresponsibly abandoning my people.”

-Even if it goes beyond your duty?

“……At least I have no intention of abandoning them like you.”

-Ha! Interesting, interesting!

At the same time as Kerebres’ words, which seemed a little angry, the stopped soul world began to return to reality.

-Then I will see how well you do!

[Acquired ‘Kerebres’ Dark Blood’.]

At that moment, I completely returned to reality.

“Keeeck? W, what happened……!”

Black Blood’s scream was heard. I, who was covered in black blood and had Silvatane corroding, also realized that something had changed.

[Due to the characteristics of Kerebres’ Dark Blood, you are no longer taking corrosive damage.]

[Silvatane’s damage is automatically restored due to Kerebres’ Dark Blood.]

[Damage Rate 98%…97%…95%…93%….]

I was no longer taking damage. Rather, Silvatane’s damage was being restored.

I didn’t know exactly what happened, but this was an opportunity.

“Die!”

Pachichichichichic!

“Kkeuaaaaaaack!”

Having no intention of missing the opportunity, I severed Black Blood’s breath as it was.

I pierced his heart with Silver Rose. Divine power and dark energy mixed, causing a huge explosion. Without a doubt, Black Blood’s heart burst.

“Kweeaeaeaeck-“

Kooowoong!

Black Blood left a final death cry and died. It was a pathetic end for a being who once ate the guardian dragon of the Underworld.

“W, we won!”

“Good heavens, I thought we were going to lose a while ago!”

“Commander, hooray!”

The Crash Hammers who were watching cheered.

But I couldn’t just laugh.

-I have given you my power. So prove it. That you are different from me!

[Permanent Quest Acquired: Govern all the chaos of the world.]

[Failure: You can never give up until you succeed.]

“Oh, this is a bit unexpected.”

I felt like I had taken on an unexpected duty.

But I also thought it was worth doing.