How To Suck Honey With Extras [EN]: Chapter 340

378. Conclusion (5)

Honestly, dealing with that would be more of a hassle.

First, it seems he’s still breathing. Just in case, I checked his condition, used healing magic, and took out a special recovery potion, gently shoving it into his mouth.

“Cough!”

“Just drink it without complaining. Ah… I guess you can’t talk since you’re unconscious.”

I’ve done what I can.

I was about to leave him if he didn’t wake up, but after about a minute, he coughed and raised his upper body.

“Oh? Looks like you can move?”

“……Why didn’t you finish me off?”

“Finish you off? That’s funny. Do you think there was any need?”

“So, you didn’t even need to risk your life…….”

“That’s funny. I avoid risking my life in any situation. It’s the same whether I’m fighting you or anyone else.”

I can’t understand the minds of those who fight to the death, risking their lives.

Aren’t they scared?

It’s like losing everything they’ve built up.

So, I can’t muster that kind of desperate self-sacrifice.

Especially not for someone else’s sake.

“The only reason I stopped you is because your method was wrong.”

Of course, even Sylvester must know that they are wrong.

“……I know! There’s no other way. Those who mock even fate are above us!”

“I know.”

What’s even more terrifying is that these beings’ way of thinking is purely benevolent.

Their fundamental values and positions are too different to understand.

“Ayleon… we can buy time.”

“But the price to pay is too terrible. More than anything… a world that can be prolonged in that way is better off not existing from the start.”

“What?”

“I’ll say it again. If that’s how it’s going to be, it’s better off ruined.”

I said firmly.

To be honest, I’d rather everything just disappear cleanly than live in such a world, constantly anxious.

“What? Did you think I’d whine about how precious life is and tell you to stop?”

Of course, a world where sacrifice is the norm isn’t good. Life is precious, too.

“The important thing is that I don’t like it.”

A world where I can live comfortably and prosperously is definitely a place where I can live more at ease.

“So, I’m going to change it to my liking.”

“……Change it.”

Well, I don’t expect him to understand.

So, I didn’t reveal my true intentions first.

First, I’ll beat him up thoroughly to exhaust him, make his thinking more flexible, and then tell him.

It’s also a way to vent my anger for him causing trouble on his own.

After going through a time of true education learned through the body…….

Now I feel like teaching him a bit.

The method I’m going to use.

I taught it to Sylvester.

“You… are you serious?”

And Sylvester’s face turned pale after hearing about the method from me.

I understand.

It’s understandable.

That’s why I’m telling him now.

“You’re insane! Ayleon!”

He staggers and tries to get up.

But he won’t be able to move properly.

“That’s why I’m telling you now, knowing that.”

Because I knew he would object.

“Ayleon! What you’re saying is more insane than… than the method I chose! Do you even know what will happen if it goes wrong?!”

“I know very well.”

“Everything will be over!”

“I know that much.”

That’s why I’m annoyed with Sylvester but not genuinely blaming him.

Sylvester will choose to maintain the current world.

I know that well.

And I…….

“If it fails, well, let it be ruined.”

I’ll choose a method that’s insane in a different way.

“Stop it!”

Sylvester tries to stop me, but I don’t listen.

You don’t have the strength to stop me right now anyway.

You’ll recover, but by then, it’ll be almost over.

“Honestly, this world is messed up, isn’t it? They just reset it if they don’t see even a little bit of potential for development. Seriously, even if they give a grace period or whatever, how can you trust that?”

So, I’m choosing a different plan.

Not maintenance.

“It’s easier to just destroy everything.”

Destruction.

I’ll see the end of this cycle in a way that’s completely opposite to you.

“……Damn it!”

Sylvester shouted as if resenting his body for not moving as he wanted, but so what.

“You just stay there and sleep until it’s over.”

I left him behind and continued forward.

* * *

Leaving Sylvester behind, I continued upwards.

I’ve probably reached almost the top of this castle, judging by how it feels.

“……Honestly, I thought you’d interfere more. I’m surprised you let me come all the way up here so easily.”

“Interfere? Hmph, don’t flatter yourself. Now that that brat is broken, nothing you send can stop you anyway.”

The being sitting on the throne ahead, chuckling leisurely, raised his head arrogantly.

Epileot.

The final boss.

A major role, huh.

Judging by the fact that they’re even warning me, he must be causing some serious trouble.

“……Come to think of it, haven’t you ever wondered? What exactly is the role of the final boss that they’ve decided on?”

Epileot spoke first, as if he had noticed that I was checking his role.

“It’s not really anything new.”

The protagonist is someone who reveals the influence that will become the standard of the world.

In other words, a pioneering hero.

Then, conversely, the final boss is…….

“A stain that will remain in the world.”

Epileot spoke of his role as if mocking himself.

“If Sylvester, as the protagonist, is meant to be someone everyone looks up to, then I’m the opposite. Someone everyone despises.”

“…….”

“A villain who will remain in history and be a source of shame for generations to come.”

That’s how he described himself.

And he must be furious.

“Humans remember my evil deeds. And they reflect on them and develop… At least, that’s what those watching from above think.”

“……Hmm, it seems that way.”

“Haha. You’re not surprised, so you knew all along.”

Someone who didn’t know anything back in the Forellos Empire [Likely a previous setting or event in the story] now stands here with a face that seems to know everything.

“What happened in the meantime?”

“I had a chance to hear some stories here and there.”

“Well… nothing would be strange coming from you.”

Epileot probably sensed my true identity as well.

“Conversely, who are you taking orders from?”

“Probably something similar to you, yet different.”

He answered readily.

As if there’s no point in hiding it now.

“It hasn’t even been three years since I opened my eyes.”

“Three years?”

“Of course, I’m not talking about being born. I mean the day I learned the truth about this place.”

He says he was contacted by higher beings.

They were impatient with the increasingly twisted schedule and wanted to take out insurance.

“They wanted to prepare for me to cause a rebellion sooner than planned… at any time.”

And they injected Epileot with the truth and taught him how to increase his power.

Almost like…….

“Like me?”

“Yes. Something similar to you, Ayleon.”

However, they didn’t tell me the truth and just brought me here to let me act as I pleased.

“I didn’t receive the same favoritism as you. I had a pretty hard time because of that.”

My influence points are ultimately negative interference using the cracks created by stealing other people’s roles.

And what made that possible was the being who brought me here.

But Epileot didn’t receive that much benefit.

“At first, I was very confused. I also questioned this damn world.”

Everything is futile.

“Honestly, there was no reason for me to follow their proposal. I even thought about just overturning everything.”

But in the end, he chose to comply.

“Why do you want to maintain it?”

“Why? Isn’t it obvious?”

Epileot laughed as if I had asked something truly ridiculous.

“Isn’t it to inflict pain?”

“…….”

“If it disappears, you can’t even feel pain. I can’t let them feel this messed-up feeling.”

That’s why he chose to maintain it.

“It’s a world that’s going to be destroyed anyway. So, wouldn’t it be better to maintain it for a long time and give them despair? Don’t you think so?”

“……Hmm.”

“Why don’t you say something, Ayleon? Whether it’s criticism or whatever, I’ll listen to it without a care right now. At least, I acknowledge that you have the right to do so.”

“Well? I don’t really care about that kind of thing.”

This conversation is only to confirm information.

I really don’t care about his true feelings.

“Hoh?”

“What I have to do is already decided. No matter what you say, what does it matter?”

It doesn’t have any influence.

“……Indeed. Is that your logic?”

Epileot nodded as if he understood something.

“Indifference. That’s your logic.”

No matter who does what or what they think, you don’t care.

You just bring out the conclusion you insist on.

He called that indifference.

“Not exactly wrong.”

“In a way, you, Ayleon, are the most vicious. You act in the most cruel way of any villain.”

“Well, at least I don’t hurt anyone.”

“……Just empty words. There’s no point in pretending to be clean in this messed-up world anyway.”

“It’s always the human trash who say things like that.”

I, in turn, scorned him and launched an attack without warning.

A huge pillar of ice is created and slams straight towards him.

It’s not just a simple fall, but also gravity control, essentially feeding him a projectile with a mass of dozens of tons.

Kwaang!

Shards of shattered ice and stone fragments fly.

“That’s too much. Attacking without even announcing the start…….”

No matter how strong he is, he can’t be unharmed after being hit by that attack.

쿵!

As the half-destroyed ice pillar collapses to the side, there he stands, with more than half of his body torn apart as if crushed.

But that’s it.

“……You know, right?”

Just by tilting his head slightly, he quickly recovers and regains his original appearance.

“Extreme recovery power…….”

“As long as my consciousness isn’t blown away, I don’t have to worry about dying, but it’s a pain in the ass when my whole body itches while recovering. I understand why Pericia doesn’t use this often. Puh-huh-heup!”

He stole Pericia’s ability.

Even if he didn’t absorb everything, he must have gotten the best parts.

“This is a reward.”

Epileot grabbed the ice pillar I threw with one hand.

The ice pillar was dyed red with his magic and shattered.

The next moment, the shattered ice fragments were processed into countless forms of weapons and poured towards me.

I blocked the attack by simply waving my hand lightly.

The space in front rippled widely and each one missed.

It distorted the space, fixed it for a moment, and deflected it.

He probably has space control too, but it’s truly malicious that he doesn’t bother to interfere.

“……Seriously, you’re so stingy. If you’re going to throw it, make a new one.”

“We have to conserve resources. Because that’s the kind of world it will be from now on.”

What an amazing sense of thrift.

I drew Killmuris [Presumably a sword or weapon].

At the same time, he also draws his sword from the air.

I teleported and reappeared above his head, swinging down the raised sword with all my might.

He also raised his sword to meet it.

Koo-oong!

The massive power contained in the two swords collided, causing the area to resonate and shake for a moment.

“Blood will flow like a river! It will be a world far from abundance. People will rummage through the dirt like beasts looking for food, and white bones will litter the streets.”

If I lose here and he wins, as he intends, that kind of world will unfold for hundreds of years.

“Isn’t it truly ridiculous?”

“What’s so enjoyable about that?”

“Isn’t it funny? And yet, those who reign above us consider that to be the cornerstone of the world’s development!”

The beings who determine their fate set standards by referring only to statistics, and records of history from other worlds.

“To them, human suffering is not even a number to be considered!”