27. Killing a Close Friend

  After finishing all this, the giant spirit looked at Subedei and smiled, as if satisfied.

  At that moment, Subedei’s emotions completely spiraled out of control, transforming into overwhelming rage.

  His body trembled as he whispered,

  “I will kill you.”

  A terrifying, crazed smile appeared on his emotionless face.

  Subedei gripped his spear tightly. Veins bulged from his hands, and the grip of the spear began to crack.

  His fingernails cut into his palms, drawing blood from the sheer force of his grip.

  For some reason, immense power surged through his veins.

  His body felt both powerful and light, and he forced his once-immobile body to move.

  At first, Subedei could barely walk toward the giant spirit, but soon his movements grew faster.

  Before he realized it, he was running at an unbelievable speed.

  Consumed by rage, he charged forward.

  He had completely lost his sanity.

  Even so, he managed to use the last skill he had left.

  [Mana-based attack skills increase by 10%]

  Power surged through his body as he thrust his spear straight through the giant spirit’s chest.

  Seeing the spear pierce the monster, Subedei felt joy, and the crazed smile on his face deepened.

  “It’s okay…”

  A familiar, gentle whisper awakened him from this nightmare.

  The giant spirit before him began to change.

  Everything around him shifted.

  Half of the giant spirit transformed into Zev.

  Even the surroundings changed.

  The corpses of his loved ones evaporated into the air, replaced by Whispering Spirits.

  The monster before him kept shifting—Zev, then the giant spirit—making it impossible to tell which was which.

  Suddenly, someone touched him.

  Subedei fully came to his senses.

  At last, the giant monster before him became Zev, and the surroundings returned to normal.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  They were standing once again among the Whispering Spirits—the place where everything had begun.

  Subedei’s spear was still lodged deep in Zev’s chest, blood flowing along the shaft.

  Zev’s blood splattered onto Subedei’s face.

  Zev felt a sharp pain in his chest and turned around in confusion—only to be even more shocked.

  Subedei was standing there, wearing a crazed smile, having stabbed him with his spear.

  Seeing this, a single word escaped Zev’s lips.

  “It’s okay…”

  As if he understood why his friend had done this, Zev slowly raised his hand and placed it on Subedei’s shoulder.

  Seeing that his spear had pierced Zev, Subedei’s hands began to tremble.

  Hearing Zev’s words, Subedei lowered his head, unable to speak.

  “I—”

  Zev interrupted him, speaking slowly in a trembling voice.

  “This isn’t your fault.”

  “Don’t blame yourself, my friend…”

  As he said this, Zev tightly grasped the spear lodged in his body, as if trying to pull it out.

  Seeing this, Subedei released the spear and cried out in a shaking voice,

  “Don’t…”

  “Don’t pull it out…”

  But Zev ignored him, smiling as he forcefully pulled the spear from his body.

  The moment the spear came out, blood sprayed in all directions, pouring even more violently from the wound.

  “My body feels a bit better now,” Zev said before collapsing forward.

  Subedei quickly moved, catching Zev before he hit the ground and gently laying him down.

  With trembling hands, Subedei tore off his shirt and pressed it against Zev’s chest to stop the bleeding.

  “Don’t move too much. I’ll stop the bleeding right away…”

  But Zev stopped him and said weakly,

  “There’s no need…”

  Blood quickly soaked through the cloth, turning it red.

  “I’ll save you. Don’t worry,” Subedei said in a shaking voice.

  Zev smiled.

  “This is the first time I’ve seen you like this.

  In my eyes, you were always brave.”

  “I was never brave,” Subedei replied immediately.

  Zev smiled faintly.

  “Then charging at those countless spirits with a smile—what would you call that?”

  Subedei sighed.

  “No. I was just smiling to suppress my fear.

  I didn’t want anyone to see how weak I was…”

  Zev quietly watched him and whispered,

  “I know…”

  After a moment of silence, he smiled again.

  “If I couldn’t understand even something like that, how could I be your friend?”

  In this empty, desolate place, Whispering Spirits circled them, and nothing could be heard except demonic whispers.

  “I’m scared now…”

  “I killed my friend with my own hands…” Subedei whispered.

  Zev replied in a trembling voice,

  “This isn’t your fault.”

  “Don’t blame yourself.”

  “If you must blame something, blame the Whispering Spirits.”

  Then, barely managing to speak, he added,

  “Please…”

  “Just don’t blame yourself.”

  Hearing this, Subedei silently nodded.

  Subedei unconsciously whispered a single sentence,

  “When a true friend dies, even a hero sheds tears.

  Now I finally understand what you meant.”

  As he spoke, his eyes grew moist, and tears began to fall.

  He tried his best to hold them back, but failed.

  Tears slowly streamed down his face, mixing with the blood near his eyes, making him look both terrifying and pitiful.

  The two remained silent for a long time.

  Subedei had lost loved ones before, but never had it hurt this much.

  Before, they had all died quietly from illness, out of his sight.

  This time was different.

  Right before his eyes, his friend was dying because of him.

  Even worse was the feeling of standing there, unable to do anything, while believing he might still be able to save him.

  Soon, Zev fell silent, his eyes remaining open.

  Seeing this, Subedei’s hands trembled as he barely managed to touch Zev’s body.

  [You have killed a “Human”]