Chapter 190 : Chapter 190

Chapter 190 - Platinum (2)

“Hmm.”

I scratched my head and looked at the knight in front of me.

The impression the Platinum Knight gives in Conqueror is that of a hidden boss that the developer openly declares, ‘Do you really want to beat this guy?’

Even though the game has been out for over 10 years, it’s famous for its hellish combat difficulty, with the clear rate of the achievement for clearing this guy never exceeding 10 percent of the entire user base.

Unlike the King of Flies boss battle, which is plastered with all sorts of gimmicks, this guy is an honest one whose victory or defeat is decided only through a pure 1:1 duel with the user, so tricks don't work.

He's the kind of boss you should never encounter if you proceed normally.

But the fact that this guy is openly set as the final boss of the... what should I call it, the ‘playthrough’ I'm currently on, means there’s a reason for it.

It probably means that it's not flowing according to the originally ‘set’ ending, but... according to the ‘dummy data’ that Kim Sojin and I hid.

-Welcome, mortal, for climbing this far.

As I was thinking that, the Platinum Knight raised his sword and pointed it at me.

Seeing the magnificent mana begin to surge immediately, it was a sight that felt almost familiar.

Right. I know this situation well. It's the ‘opening pattern’.

-No living human has ever set foot here. I pay my respects to your journey that has surpassed its limits.

With the Platinum Knight's solemn declaration, the entire great cavern began to rumble.

Then, the place filled with pitch-black darkness began to be dyed gold.

“...Wow, th-this is crazy...!”

Harsh words started to flow from Seo Ah-in’s mouth.

Well, I can understand.

This is just the ‘afterglow’ of the mana leaking from that guy. Yet, for it to have such a vivid color and fill such a huge space with its own color, the combat power that his main body can exert could be called divine.

Even the people from Altair's side, who tore through space to twist the laws of physics themselves or were immortal and wouldn't die, had never exhibited this kind of strange phenomenon.

“This, this is really, dangerous...! Is there a strategy for this one too?”

“No, there isn't.”

As I answered indifferently, Seo Ah-in turned to me with her mouth agape.

Her expression said, ‘How can those words come out of your mouth, of all people?’

“...Excuse me? You can't just cheese it strangely like you've been doing until now? Isn't that your identity?”

“...”

Why would you say something like that.

What would the Guardian next to me think if she heard that?

“Right, weren't you good at that kind of thing?”

“...”

The most heartbreaking part is that both Seo Ah-in, who says this, and the Guardian, who agrees with her, say it as if it's a matter of course, without feeling any doubt or strangeness.

What kind of impression do these girls have of me...?

“No, this time, there really is no other solution.”

But, what I’m saying right now is 100 percent sincere.

As I said, this guy doesn't have a loophole to clear him more easily like the King of Flies.

Because he's a boss made for the crazy users who would unnecessarily come all the way here to pick a fight.

-Then, mortal. Are you ready?

Normally, the battle would start right after this.

But before that, there's something I need to check as well.

“Ah, wait a minute. I have something to ask.”

-Something to ask?

“What exactly is your relationship with her?”

Saying that, I pointed my finger at the Guardian.

-...Why are you curious about that?

“No, I’m starting to feel that she’s a bit special too. Just think of it as pure curiosity.”

“...?”

“...?!”

A huge question mark appeared on Seo Ah-in’s face, and the Guardian’s face flushed red, then her complexion began to change rapidly.

“...”

What a colorful reaction, these girls.

-...Relationship. Relationship, you say. Hmph. Right. It should be fine as a final gift.

Hearing my words, the Platinum Knight snorted and opened his mouth.

It was a story filled with a long past.

***

The Platinum Knight was submerged in memories for a long time.

Yes. There were such times.

A fierce demon. A blood demon. A disaster unleashed upon the human world. A time when he firmly believed that only death would fill the places he set foot, that his path forward would be the same, and that he would eventually end his life as a ruffian and villain who only brought fear and terror to everyone.

And then.

There was a foolish girl who approached a man who was shunned by everyone as a demon in human form, without any suspicion or fear.

-You’re a strange person.

I remember the girl who tilted her head as she said that.

-You wield a sword well. But how can you be so stupid?

-...Brat. Is that how you speak to someone you’ve just met?

-Even if I’m a brat, I think I’m smarter than you.

I also remember the audacious face that grinned as she said that.

At that time, the Platinum Knight had just slaughtered the guys who had attacked him and was sitting on their corpses, cleaning his sword.

They were guys who had made a name for themselves in the ancient kingdom that he couldn't even remember, but they couldn't even last 10 exchanges before all their heads flew off, and he was quite dejected.

-...Get lost. If you don’t want to die.

-I won’t get lost, and I have no intention of dying.

I remember the time when I first met the companion of my life, who taught me how to live when I was a foolish man whose entire life was about making others unhappy.

At first, she was just annoying, and I chased her away countless times, telling her not to approach me.

But the Platinum Knight, who had grown tired of the girl who clung to him for days on end, had said one day.

-What do you want.

-A partnership.

-What?

-I’m pretty smart, but I’m not good at fighting directly. But you seem to be amazing at that.

-...

-So, I’ll be your head, and you’ll be my problem-solver.

-What did you say?

-It’s a win-win combination. It doesn't seem like you have anything to lose.

The scene where the girl casually spouted such words is especially memorable because it was so absurd.

The following exchange was even more so.

-Where exactly is the part where I benefit?

-You won’t die alone.

Yes.

It’s a phrase that is engraved in the deepest parts of his brain and soul and will never be forgotten.

-...What?

-If you keep going like this, you’ll definitely die alone. Don’t you think so?

The girl said, looking at the corpses strewn on the floor.

The Platinum Knight always brought fighting and death, and as a result, the smell of blood on his hands and the smell of corpses on his feet never left, so the things nearby must have been part of that phenomenon.

From what he had seen of the girl until then, she was clearly a weakling with no stamina, but she had never once cared about that while sticking by his side, who carried death with him.

As if she wasn't afraid of death.

Perhaps because of that feeling, the Platinum Knight also remembers giving a deliberately twisted answer out of some kind of stubbornness.

-What’s wrong with dying alone.

-Tsk!

-...

-You can say that so easily because you've never experienced it. You shouldn't do that. Do you know how sad it is to have no one around when you die?

-You talk as if you’ve died once.

At those words, the girl put on a blank expression and stroked her chin.

-...What’s with that reaction.

-No, I’ve never actually died. It’s just that I strangely empathized with what you just said for some reason. Anyway!

The girl pointed her finger and said to the Platinum Knight.

-You don’t have to live like a beast like this. I’ll create an environment where you can fight for something worthwhile!

He still remembers that smile that shone like the sun.

-You will be my first knight! Got it!

-...Knight?

-Cool things are knights. If it’s a knight, it’s the Round Table. From now on, I will be the master of the Round Table! I want you to be its first companion!

He also remembers her confident attitude, as if she was doing him a favor, while spouting such nonsensical things with full conviction.

-Right, you are... Platinum. The Platinum Knight. How about it?

-...

-It doesn’t feel bad for a first companion. Don’t you think?

Certainly, even thinking about it now, it was so.

That was the beginning of the ‘Round Table’, which now protects humanity.

Afterwards, the Round Table went through numerous trials and grew into a large armed group that made its mark on human history, and at the center of that history was the strong partnership between the Platinum Knight and the Guardian-

***

“-Right. That’s enough.”

Let's be blunt.

I’m quite displeased right now.

No, it’s not for some great reason.

It’s just that listening to someone else’s long-winded explanation in a boss battle doesn’t suit my disposition.

-...

The Platinum Knight had an expression that said he didn’t know what I was doing after asking the question myself.

No, but it’s true.

-Then, mortal. Do you understand why I want to protect her so much?

“Well, there was some useless information in there for me, but that’s enough to satisfy me. Thanks.”

Saying that, I obediently expressed my gratitude to the Platinum Knight.

-Good. Then from now on, it is a fair and square fight between you and me, with her at stake.

“...Ah, right. That’s why I said thank you.”

-What?

“Thank you for explaining everything by yourself for so long.”

Saying that, I hit the enter key on the keyboard I had been diligently typing on in front of him while he was lost in his own memories and continuing his explanation.

In a word, it was a process of ‘analysis’.

I just needed some time to see this guy in person and cross-reference the data.

[ Observation ]

[ Arcane Burst: Modified ]

[ Formless ]

[ Double Pulse ]

[ Shadow Secret Arts: Forceful Blow ]

[ Mastery: Sword - Source Slash ]

[ Thunderclap Palm ]

.

.

.

And towards the ‘weaknesses’ I found out that way.

The mana and skills that I had condensed while this guy was continuing his explanation all flew at once and slammed into him.

-!

-!!

-!!!!!!!!!!

The Platinum Knight was sent flying and got stuck in a wall on one side of the great cavern.

I had unleashed all the skills I had accumulated so far and slammed them into him.

Normally, various preparatory actions would be necessary, but it was possible because that guy took care of buying time for me.

Hmm.

Really.

It’s a situation where I can’t help but express my gratitude.

“...”

“...”

Seo Ah-in and the Guardian simultaneously narrowed their eyes and glared at me.

“...Honestly...”

“...For real...”

Why.

What.

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