Chapter 247 - A Destroyed World (3)
I read the comments, and I'm sorry to say I will have to betray the expectations of many of you...
...
I raised an eyebrow when I heard the dragon's story. So that was what happened.
That explains why the dragon recognized me as an Immortal after he felt m killing intent. Few beings besides Immortals can have a killing intent like mine.
But–
"If I'm not wrong, this portal appeared long ago, but there was never an invasion like this. Why now then?"
The dragon smiled wryly.
[Do you think we want to do this? Even when the portal appeared, most of the monsters in our world refused to retreat and continued fighting the athánatos to save our world. Only a few straggles decided to run away, but every one of them was stopped by your people.]
"Then, this time…"
[This time... We don't have more options. Our world… It's already at the edge of destruction. Even if we kill the athánatos now, it will be useless. Our world doesn't have a future.]
"I see. I understand now.��
Now that their world is beyond salvation, their only option is to search for a new home.
So, they are unable to continue postponing the invasion of our world.
In truth, with the power of this group of monsters, they probably would have succeeded. The academy alone is unable to resist this level of attack. Hell, even the empire would have been helpless. Only if all the kingdoms and gods of the world join hands they would have had an opportunity.
But unfortunately, they met me.
[Athánatos, we beg you… Grant our people this little bit of hope…] The dragon's voice was filled with pleading and helplessness. It had faced an Immortal once, so it knew that even if all the monsters here joined hands, they were unable to defeat me.
But, although I felt pity for them, there was no way I could let them pass.
The reason? Think about it. Bringing a group of otherworldly powerful monsters to our world is only going to cause chaos and wars. Many people would die due to this.
As for slaving them to put them under my control? It's too troublesome in many ways. Just the sheer number of monsters makes that idea troublesome when they will not be exactly useful.
It's not like them can help me to fight an Immortal. Hell, the strongest of them is not even as strong as a god. Thus, if I save them, I'll have to find living space and food for thousands of monsters that will only help me to deal with enemies I can deal with myself easily anyway.
Having an army of monsters sounds cool, but it's not as great in real life.
Of course, I can slave just some of them while letting the others die, but it is the same as putting them in the eternal suffering of serving the person that chose to let their species to be extinct.
They are not my enemies, nor my allies. There is no need to spend so much effort on them.
Killing them cleanly is the best option.
Plus, there is the possibility of that immortal taking advantage of this situation to interfere with our world. He has already shown interest in it after all.
Yes, according to the descriptions of the monsters, I knew that the Immortal that destroyed their world was the same one behind the dark seeds.
I sighed and put an ice-cold expression to bring an end to all of this.
When the dragon saw my ice-cold expression, it understood. With a sigh, it pleaded one last time. [Is it truly not possible, athánatos!? I can even agree to be your mount or your pet if you give our people a chance of survival!]
I shook my head. "Sorry, but you know that is impossible."
The dragon fell silent, then it started to laugh.
[Ha… Hahahahahaha… Hahahahahaha…]
Its laughter was mixed with tears. Tears of pain and despair due to witnessing the end of its world and the extinction of its species.
It was not the only one grieving. The serpent, the one-eyed giant, a lion, a crow, a peacock. Each monster smart enough to understand the situation broke into tears.
[… As expected, you are just as cruel as him.]
I did not deny it. After all, I was essentially the same. Sacrificing an entire world to accomplish a goal was something I could do.
Billions of billions of worlds are born every day in the multiple universes and parallel dimensions. And of them, billions have the ability to sustain life. So, what is the destruction of a single world in the great scheme of things?
Moreover, I'm not the one destroying their world. I'm just stopping them from destroying mine. Is there anything wrong with it?
"Return." I said coldly. "I'll forgive your lives this time if you go back to the place you belong to."
[Ha… Return? Why? To see our world die before our eyes? No, I prefer to die here!]
With these words, a strong presence surged out of the dragon.
This is… Self-detonation?
Is this dragon crazy? With its strength, self-detonating in the space tunnel is the same as destroying it!
I sighed. Is this necessary?
With a wave of my hand, the space around the dragon was sealed. In this way, its self-detonation was going to be useless.
But then, the same presence appeared in the serpent.
And in the one-eyed giant.
And in the lion!
An in the crow, the peacock, in a wolf, in a tiger! Each monster able to intellectual thought started the process for self-detonation!
Then, as though following their leaders' example, the other monsters in the space-time tunnel did the same.
My expression turned ugly.
"Are you crazy!?" I bellowed.
But the dragon and the other monsters just laughed crazily.
[Hahahahaha! If we are going to die, then we are going to bring one of the accursed athánatos with us!]
Crazy monsters!
I cursed in my mind and shouted to Evelyn and the others.
"Hurry up and leave! This place is going to be destroyed!"
The teachers turned pale.
"God!"
"Are they crazy!?"
"Hurry up, to the portal!" Evelyn cried. The teachers reacted instantly and rushed towards it.
But the monsters were planning to bury every one of us here!
[Where do you think you are going!?] The serpent hissed! Its mana spiked crazily and then–
*BOOOM!!!*
"Damn it!�� I cursed and sealed the explosion inside another spatial burble.
But more monsters rushed towards us and self-detonated! One, two three, four!
I grunted and released all my mana. With a thought, each explosion was encapsulated inside a spatial burble.
But suddenly, I felt a slight pain in my soul. It looks like using this level of mana is too much with my injury!
No, I can't use any more strength! Otherwise, I will be unable to recover in a few tens of years!
How am I going to face the immortal then?
"Evelyn, hurry up!" I shouted. Unfortunately, there were still four teachers plus Evelyn here. They were leaving as quickly as possible, but there was a limit to the people the portal could hold at the same time.
Finally, when only two teachers were left, all the remaining monsters exploded.
[DIE! ACCURSED ATHÁNATOS!] I heard the grudgeful scream of the white dragon, yearning for my death.
Then, a white light engulfed the space-time tunnel.
Instantly, the barrier of chaotic mana around us crumbled.
And we were swallowed by a wave of destruction.