He Became The Most Insane Emperor Of All Time [EN]: Chapter 229

“What do you mean? Completing the Empire?”

“Exactly as it sounds. The Empire has repeatedly failed to be completed.”

“Well, I suppose so. Civilization even regressed once, didn’t it?”

I interpreted Luestra’s words in that sense. However, she shook her head, indicating that wasn’t what she meant.

“It’s not just that. Even if the War of the End hadn’t happened back then, the Empire would have eventually faced another crisis.”

“Why? Is it because of the Creator God again?”

“The Creator God itself isn’t the core issue. What’s important is the Empire’s immortality. That’s why you’re needed.”

Luestra added one last word.

“An Emperor to symbolize immortality.”

It seemed significant, but it didn’t quite click with me.

“Isn’t that enough with you guys? There are already immortal gods like you, right?”

Even without me, the Empire had gods.

Of course, they originally couldn’t interfere in the mortal realm, and even now, they had descended in a limited capacity due to the gods’ game.

But even so, since they were indirectly protecting the Empire, there seemed to be no need to worry about immortality.

“…Well, it might be too early to say.”

“If you have something to say, say it.”

“Later. More than that, let’s keep moving forward. There’s no need to give Pestras time.”

It seemed like Luestra was holding something back, but I decided not to press her for now.

Certainly, the more time we wasted, the more likely Pestras’s scheme would succeed, so there was no time to delay.

“But, I don’t know why, there’s no more special resistance?”

I didn’t know if it was a good thing, but the twisted freaks that seemed to fill the castle just a moment ago were no longer appearing.

-Emperor, God, and one who was once a comrade have come.

Then, a voice like scraping metal was heard from somewhere in the castle.

“Are you Pestras?”

I called out to the voice. Then, an answer returned with a mocking laugh.

-Oh, the Emperor of the futile flock. What do you think of my castle?

“If I said it was disgusting, would that be a compliment? Think whatever you want.”

-Indeed, you are magnanimous. Surely you didn’t claim to be the Emperor of all humans?

“So, should I feel sorry that you’re playing with them like toys? I’d rather think about how to kill you.”

I had no intention of falling for wasteful provocations.

Then Pestras said.

-I, too, shall stop this futile war of attrition. Of course, the more I hold you back, the easier my victory will be, but then there will be no amusement for me.

His laughter followed. Soon, he spoke in a tone as if he were doing us a favor.

-Come up quickly. I will be waiting, anticipating your arrival.

After that, no more voices were heard.

“What an arrogant bastard. Well, fine. I’ll gladly go and kill him.”

“Be careful, Your Majesty. There are many things I don’t know about Pestras. I don’t know what tricks he might have hidden.”

“I’ll smash whatever he’s aiming for head-on.”

There’s no turning back anyway. I steeled my resolve as I said this and moved forward.

As Pestras had assured, there were no more small fries blocking our way.

However, the higher we went, the more bizarre the inside of the castle became.

Scenes of human bodies mixed and twisted together, faces with skin peeled off, and something lurking inside the gaping mouths.

It was as if the entire castle was a giant living organ, like a perpetual motion machine that swallows humans to constantly create twisted beings.

“Is it here?”

After passing through such a mad scene, we finally reached the top floor of the castle.

Originally, there was a huge door that looked like an audience chamber, but it was hard to tell if what was beyond it was really an audience chamber.

Koo-oong.

Soon, we pushed open the huge door.

Then, what we heard before we saw anything was the sound of water flowing gently.

It was a bit strange considering it was the top floor of the castle, but in reality, there was a surface of water like a calm lake.

“Welcome, to my throne. This is my throne, the source of my power, and my sacred object.”

And there was someone appearing in the middle of the lake.

“That guy… is Pestras?”

“…Yes. It’s rare for him to reveal his true form, but…”

I couldn’t help but feel doubtful at Bostok’s confirmation.

It wasn’t because Pestras looked bizarre. On the contrary, it was because he looked more normal than I thought.

He had long black hair and a gaunt impression, but he was definitely in human form. Even if he had a grumpy impression.

Originally, I had imagined some hideous monster, but it was very unexpected.

“Heh heh heh… Are you surprised that I look like this, Emperor? Then did you think I should have looked like a butcher?”

“Even if I don’t know anything else, I know you’re a contradictory guy. You’re doing these bizarre things while having a human appearance?”

“Keu keu keuk… Emperor, do I look like a monster to you?”

“It goes without saying.”

“Hahahaha!”

He gave a mad laugh at my answer. I didn’t know what was so funny, but it would never be for some normal reason.

“I suppose so. You would see me that way, Emperor. But do you know what? It was ultimately the humans you cherish who made me like this.”

“Are you finding the cause of your twistedness in others? Even that is human and contradictory.”

Sreung-

“Let’s stop the small talk here, Pestras. Unlike you, we don’t have much time.”

I drew my sword. I suspected that even talking to him was a scheme to buy time.

“Good, come Emperor. Kill me and prove that you are right.”

Wooduk, Wooduk-

At the same time as those words, his body twisted.

Was it too early to judge that he looked normal? His appearance was rapidly turning into a monster.

Of course, I had no intention of just watching such a transformation.

Seokeok- Hwareureureuk!

I quickly rushed in, cut off his head, and burned it with the flames of purification.

He was easily defeated, almost to the point of being anticlimactic. If he were a normal enemy, it would have ended here.

“Be careful!”

But as expected, he wasn’t a guy who would die so easily.

From the body of the beheaded guy, flesh that had hardened like thorns stretched out in all directions.

I pulled my body away and dodged before Bostok shouted, but soon an arm that had turned into a scythe tried to sweep me away and cut me down.

Chaeng!

I used Silver Rose to block it.

In the meantime, Bostok and Luestra attacked Pestras with blood magic and divine power, respectively.

Arrows of pure white light and blood-red light flew in and riddled Pestras’s body.

Puhwak!

The arrows of blood embedded in his body exploded, and when divine power tore him apart, his body writhed and fell backward.

Then he sank into the water behind him.

At first glance, he looked dead. But I knew he wasn’t finished.

-In the beginning, there was the cradle of life. All life on this earth originated from that cradle, so all races called it the Spring of the Beginning.

“Everyone, be careful!”

Rather, this was the real phase from now on. He was constantly undergoing cell division in the water and growing huge.

Heavy, gigantic arms and legs that grew from the central core took on a spider-like shape.

“The Spring of the Beginning? Could it be that that is the Spring of the Beginning…?”

“Luestra, now is not the time for that!”

Luestra seemed shocked to hear the words Pestras was chanting, but if she had been a little late in listening to me and coming to her senses, she would have been killed by the huge arm that Pestras swung.

Seokeok! Chwaak!

Of course, Bostok and I immediately launched a counterattack.

Silver Rose and his blood-red sword cut through Pestras’s hard armor and bone arms.

Even though it was made very solid, it was still an arm made of living tissue, so there was no problem cutting it.

But even if we cut it off and cut it off again, the flesh was regenerating as if wriggling.

Even the sight of that regeneration was disgusting, as if one human was sprouting on that arm.

But the problem wasn’t that it was disgusting.

“He’s regenerating endlessly. Neither flames nor divine power work!”

Having regenerative power alone was threatening enough, but he also showed high resistance to the flames that would block that regenerative power.

Above all, he looked indifferent to divine power. As if he weren’t undead.

Instead, Bostok’s blood magic worked well, but even that couldn’t absorb all of the overflowing life force.

It was more than anything else contradictory that the undead lord had overflowing life.

It was contradictory but powerful at the same time.

Koo-oong!

-All races praised the existence of that spring. Among them, humans loved the spring the most. Their lives were more fleeting and weak than other races. They craved the grace of the spring and were endlessly intoxicated by it.

Pestras continued to pour out attacks. He spat out acidic venom, and spat out sticky spider webs and sharp flesh thorns, gradually threatening us.

Each one wasn’t fatally threatening, but it was enough to cause damage if we weren’t careful.

Above all, we couldn’t kill Pestras.

“If time passes like this, Pestras will synthesize the plague of destruction!”

“Is there a way, Luestra?”

“There is… one way.”

As soon as Luestra said that, Pestras’s voice was heard.

-Emperor, aren’t you curious about the rest of the story? Aren’t you curious about how humans repaid the grace of the spring? Aren’t you curious about what they chose when the being that had taken care of them for so long was in pain?

As if telling us to listen, just as his words, as if he wanted me to listen to him, were heard, Luestra said.

“Go into that spring and find and cut the connection directly. There will definitely be a medium that maintains the connection.”

“That sounds like we have to go into that spring.”

It would be one thing if it was just water, but who knows what would happen if we went into that place where a deadly plague was brewing.

Besides, there was no way Pestras would just stand by and watch.

“Emperor, you are needed by the Empire.”

Then, Luestra said as if she had made up her mind.

“So I will go.”