The Villain's Story

Chapter 369 [369] The Empire[5]

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Elijah simply waited for the drawbridge to lower down. Unlike Alan's trials, which swarmed him with undead…his were peaceful.

The undead didn't attack him, they merely watched him from afar. Elijah understood why.

Unlike the others, who attacked the saintess and other undead from the beginning…Elijah had merely helped them.

This was why the undead didn't attack…they considered him to be a sort of savior. His actions of purifying their souls also helped.

[How befitting of you.]

The tower's voice was heard once again. Elijah opened his eyes and his face contorted.

"What do you want?"

He asked, his voice containing a hint of wrath.

[I just seek to watch your trials.]

The tone of the voice changed yet again, this time into that of a curious child.

Elijah was disgusted.

"..."

He remained silent and watched the corpse giant emerge. Even the giant didn't do anything and just watched Elijah silently. The undead falling from the sky also avoided harming the drawbridge.

[Don't you find it intriguing?]

Asked the tower, its voice laced with excitement.

Elijah remained silent, he didn't want to fall into the scheme of the tower.

[How this world ended, how this world could have ended, and how this world can end?]

Its metallic voice echoed throughout the floor.

[An infinite number of challengers can clear these floors in different ways…in their own unique ways! An endless number of trials, each with its own importance. Reflecting the choices and ideas of the challenger!]

It spoke to Elijah, prompting him to respond. But Elijah stayed silent.

[Because of your actions, your trials are easier than most…instead of harming the undead you understood them and helped them! Truly befitting a hero! They regard you as a hero and thus ask for salvation! They ask to be burned by the flame of purification you possess!]

Madness…there was madness in its voice. It was like it was a drunk spectator relishing the greatest play.

"How many times have they suffered?"

Suddenly, Elijah broke his silence and asked a question.

[What do you mean?]

The tower questioned, it was unable to understand Elijah's question.

"How many times have they suffered?"

Elijah repeated.

[Why does that matter?]

Answered the tower nonchalantly.

Elijah grits his teeth and clenches his fists. There was a palpable anger coming from him.

It could be felt by even the undead, and they backed away due to fear.

[In the end…this is just a trial. It's not re-]

"Lies."

Elijah cut the tower off. He knew it was spouting lies.

"The cries, the pain, the sorrow…all of it is real."

He said, describing the emotions he felt from the undead.

"They are broken inside…they just seek for true death, but you don't even give them that just for the sake of repeating these trials."

It angered him, these people could not even die in peace because of the tower. It would constantly make them repeat their tragedies just for the sake of a trial.

[But I gave them a chance.]

The tower argued. Did it not give them a chance? A chance to seek salvation from the Challengers trials? A chance to see if they could be saved.

"This is not salvation."

Elijah rebutted.

To him, this was not salvation. It was something else entirely.

The drawbridge lowered fully and Elijah traversed it.

"This is a different kind of hell."

He said as he entered the city, and cleared the 16th floor.

In his eyes, this was a different kind of hell…a hell in which they were forced to relive their pain. Again, and Again, and again.

[You have cleared the 16th floor]

Elijah entered the empty city.

[You have entered the 17th floor. Make your way towards the castle.]

He walked through the empty streets…No, it was unfit to call them empty.

From the houses, from the alleys, he could feel the stares of the people who were once alive. They stayed within their abodes, and away from him, Silently staring at him.

[Then why don't you save them from this hell?]

Asked the tower, anxious for a satisfactory answer.

"..."

Save them…What use is it when they will just go back?

As if the tower knew what Elijah was thinking…it answered.

[In your trials, give them peace. Give them the salvation they so desperately seek! Give them hope…give them freedom!]

It enticed him. But Elijah was well aware of this.

Before the tower could even say it, Elijah had already decided he would do his best so that the pain of these people would end…at least in his trials.

He also made a different promise…a pledge that he would clear this tower and end their suffering, once and for all.

Truly, his only flaw was his kindness.

But it was also his strength.

[So you already made up your mind huh?]

Rejoiced at the tower.

[Show me the qualities of a hero! The ways of one!]

"Shut the fuck up."

Elijah shut the tower up, and somehow it worked. It was rare to see Elijah curse…very rare. The tower had truly infuriated him this much.

Elijah stopped and gazed at the mighty castle far in the distance. The path from the entrance to the castle was a straight one, the only obstacles being the endless undead, but this undead did not attack Elijah, they just stared at him, marching.

Elijah looked at the destroyed spires, and the walls, corroded by acid and crumbling as they bore the weight of neglect and war.

The once mighty castle…was but a shadow of its former self, sharing the same fate with the city it was situated in.

Everything was dead. Not a single form of life was present in the vast city…

Elijah remembered the promise he made with the saintess, and strode resolutely towards the entrance of the castle.

[Please…do not let the empire's legacy die in vain.]

Die in vain huh…?

"I will make sure to give it a respectable end."

He was a man who always fulfilled his promises. Always.