## Chapter 1066 – Ancient Beings

“You filthy, despicable, lowly human bastard…!”
“Hehehe, the cries of the defeated are but empty echoes.”

The prince looked as though he no longer had the strength to move.

It was only natural, considering he was utterly wrecked.

From the start, there was zero chance of this kind of guy beating Cheonma Kim Kat. I’d already crunched the numbers countless times, and my win rate was always 100%. No matter what miracle mathematician you brought in, they couldn’t break this equation.

A perfectly obvious outcome.

“Still, that brief happiness must have been sweet. You seemed quite pleased earlier. Humans call this raising someone up only to drop them, so remember it. It’ll all be blood and flesh for you.”
“Shut up!!! You used underhanded tricks!!!”
“Blame your own foolishness.”

ㅡ…

The fiery glint in his eyes had faded, leaving only a dark abyss in their place. Since he was in a mummy state, he didn’t even have eyes anymore. He simply lay face down, twisting his head as he screamed.

“Krrr…!”

Now, let’s get down to business.

“Of course, such things are utterly unimportant between us. What matters now is the information you possess. If you want to go peacefully, you’d best tell me everything.”

I don’t expect a guy this wrecked to tell me anything anyway. He looks like he’s about to die, and even if I tortured him, he wouldn’t talk easily.

I’m just trying.

Because that’s my way.

“Khehehehe…! You think I’d tell you? Yes, it’s information that even you humans would find interesting… But I won’t. I don’t know what you’re expecting.”

As expected, he sneered at me, his voice sounding somewhat recovered. But even so, it was a voice thick with the aura of death. Only an old man on his deathbed with a severe illness could produce such a voice.

“Hey, listen to me before I start tearing off limbs. Let’s do this the easy way, shall we?”
“I will not yield to pain. How long do you think I’ve been trapped here? My life is already nearing its end… There’s no reason to fear pain when I’m going to die anyway.”

Oh dear.

“And that time seems to be running out… Kkkkk.”
“You son of a bitch.”

As he said, he looked like he wouldn’t last more than a few tens of minutes. It seems getting any more information out of him is a lost cause. Of course, I have Kadia.

I can ask her about the Titans and the curse of the gods.

“It’s frustrating to be deceived, but to be able to end this long life… This… this isn’t so bad…”

His voice grew fainter and fainter, as if all his strength had completely drained away. Should I give up here? Isn’t there anything more I can get out of him? Something that would make him open his mouth…!

“Hey, hey! Don’t close your eyes!”

Don’t close your eyes, Tone!

“Think of the ogres! Think of the ogres!”

Ogres!

“Remember the ogres!”
“Shu… shut up…!”

Mentioning ogres visibly enraged him, and he squeezed out his voice. Yes. There’s no emotion that holds onto life more stubbornly than anger.

“Think of the ogres!!! Those lowly beasts! Your Titan’s cursed descendants are certainly powerful, but now they’re just prey!!!”
“Kyak, kyaaaaaaaa!!! How dare you!!!”

ㅡThump, thump!

He thrashed about, trying to move his barely functioning arms. But it was a meaningless gesture. No attack could reach me.

“Do you think you lowly slave race of humans have the right to say such things!!!”

The guy screamed, raging.

“What are you talking about?”

What?

“Long ago, when our empire flourished… back then, you humans were nothing more than a slave race ruled by our great Titans!!!”
“You crazy bastard! Talk some sense! You moron!”

This guy is just spouting nonsense as he dies!

“Khahahahaha!!! You don’t want to believe it, do you!”
“I don’t want to believe it more than I want to believe your son is an ogre!!!”
“Euaaaaaaaaaaack!!!”

Humans were the slave race of the Titans?

Yeah, well, he can make up whatever bullshit he wants. There’s no proof, so anyone can tell such a simple lie. He’s just trying to confuse me at the last minute, saying whatever comes to mind.

“Kkeueueueuk…”

Anyway, after raging for a while, the prince spat out a mouthful of black blood. As if that had exhausted all his remaining strength, his voice grew fainter and fainter.

“Despair, tremble as you live… descendants of slaves…”
“I won’t… be fooled by lies… Prince…”

Watching him struggle to speak like that is frustrating me…! It’s a shame. There were so many things I wanted to ask him.

Like why something like this was hidden beneath Isvant in the first place.

“Impure… race…”

The prince said, spitting out blood as he struggled to leave his last words.

“Those who summoned… the gods of the outer dimensions… cursed… garbage slaves…”
“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean!”
“…”

The prince, who had spouted some unintelligible words, fell silent and slumped down.

Is he really dead now!

“Hey! Hey! You! Did your fortresses or palaces ever get sucked into dimensional rifts! Have you ever been attacked by strange beings from another world!!!”
“…”

I threw that out there on a hunch, but he’s completely dead now, with no response. The guess that the original owner of that otherworldy palace was a Titan race felt pretty plausible.

“…”

No more words.

“He’s really dead.”

ㅡThump, thump.

I kicked the prince’s body to check if he was alive or dead. But there was no need. He was already starting to decompose.

Slowly, from his toes.

He was turning to dust and disappearing, like scattering powder.

“Shit.”

Of course, I can’t just let him decompose peacefully. The minions of such an evil race should never find comfortable rest.

That’s the way of Fusion Confucianism.

I immediately jumped onto his back, grabbed Byugal in my left hand, and slammed it down.

ㅡThwack!

I stabbed the spot where a human heart would be. It hit the mark well enough, and I felt the sensation of piercing through a heart. Destroying a monster’s heart is always enjoyable. Still, he was a disappointing opponent.

Then now…!

“Arise, Andromalius!!!”

I shouted loudly, gripping the handle of Byugal.

“Quickly, rise and absorb this guy’s power!!!”

ㅡKkieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!

I screamed and sang of victory. The last Titan prince died by my hand! However, death is not the end! As the price for his defeat, he will live forever inside Byugal!

That was the end of the Titan race.

“Kuh… kueueuk…!”

Soon, a voice flowed out of the sword.

“Oh! You’re awake!”

Look at this guy waking up now that everything’s over. But originally, this guy absorbs everything on his own even if he doesn’t wake up… He’s not absorbing anything right now.

Why?

Is there something?

The moment I thought that.

“Ueooooooooooooooooeok!!!”

Andro screamed.

“Why the hell are you screaming again!!!”

ㅡBoo woo woo woong!!!

Byugal, which had let out a scream, vibrated intensely and went crazy.

“An unpleasant sensation is washing over my entire body…! What is this! What on earth is this! What is it that antagonizes this great demon!!!”
“Hey! If you’re going to talk about your feelings, say it properly!!!”
“I want to get out of here! Reason! I can’t know the reason! I can’t explore it! It’s too unpleasant to think!”

You crazy, insane bastard!

“Ah!”

Could it be!!!

“The curse of the gods!”

Was the Titan’s body, imbued with the curse of the gods, making him feel unpleasant!!! That felt like a pretty good hypothesis.

“I don’t care about any of that! You’re going to be absorbed whether you like it or not!”

Byugal is a demonic sword with the property of absorbing the power of demons. But damn it, it wasn’t just absorbing the power of demons. It absorbed the core of the Otherworld Lord, and it even absorbed the output of the Valkyrie to supplement my mana.

Since it was originally a demonic sword, let’s say it absorbs the power of demons. And the divine power of the Valkyrie is the complete opposite of demonic, so let’s say it can absorb it with a slightly countering feel.

But I don’t know what principle it used to absorb the core of the Otherworld Lord. Anyway, Byugal has the ability to absorb some kind of power.

“Come on, Byugal, not Andro!!! Absorb it quickly!”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!”

I stabbed the sword in more forcefully.

ㅡ…

There was no reaction.

It can’t absorb the power. It’s as if I just stuck a sword into a corpse that’s just a shell, with no reaction at all.

“Guwaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!”

Rather, it was Andro who reacted violently.

He’s screaming, as if he’s in so much pain.

At that moment.

ㅡPakin!!!

Cracks began to appear on the blade of Byugal!!!

“What!!!”

It was the moment I pulled out the sword in surprise.

ㅡSwish.

The body of the nameless Titan prince completely turned to dust and disappeared. Nothing remained where the corpse had vanished. Not even a core where power was condensed, not even a heart. Not even blood.

ㅡNot even a soul.

Complete annihilation.

“…”

I felt the surrounding energy, but nothing had changed. No special flow of power was felt either.

“…The unpleasant energy has disappeared.”

It was then.

That Andro spoke in a calm tone.

“Why… why did it disappear? What caused that intense energy to disappear? I can’t understand. What I don’t understand must be explored. Unlike before, my mind is clear. Good. Now I don’t feel any kind of pressure.”
“Oh.”

For a sword with a cracked blade, it seems to be in pretty good condition. He’s talking in a perfectly healthy voice, without any signs of suffering or pain like before.

“A clear mind. Explore, think, find out. Knowledge will become power, and power will allow you to gain more knowledge. Thus, I, Andromalius, will move towards infinity.”

A long-winded speech praising curiosity.

“Shut up.”
“What? Whose voice is that…”
“What?”

Did you forget my voice?

This guy’s inconsistency is too severe.

“Why is your blade broken?”
“What are you talking about? A blade?”
“I’m talking about you. You damn idiot, you’re a sword right now. Why is the blade broken?”
“I am a sword…? Those are incomprehensible words. Therefore, I, Andromalius, ask, who are you who pours a voice into my head?”
“What is this guy.”

Did he even forget that he was sealed in a sword?

“Who I am or whatever. I’m Cheonma Kim Kat, the one who sealed you in this sword.”
“Seal…?”

Anxiety settled in his voice.

“I… come to think of it, where is this…”
“You’re inside a demonic sword. You died and had your soul absorbed.”
“…”

A moment of silence.

“Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!”

Soon, a scream erupted.

This crazy screaming maniac. No, but damn it, why are all the guys around me just screaming and yelling? Is it because birds of a feather flock together, and that’s why they’re gathering around me? I don’t know, damn it.

“…”

Silence came after the intense scream.

“Hey. Wake up.”
“…”
“Ha, this guy.”

He’s fallen into a dormant state again.

“Damn it, really.”

And so, I was left alone in the dark space.

There was nothing nearby, and there were no spoils to speak of.

“Damn it, you ball-less bastard.”

I went through all this trouble and got nothing…! All I got this time were uncertain suspicions! And ancient knowledge that can’t be accurately verified!!!

“I literally did a dogshit job.”

But what can I do.

I stretched and looked up at the ceiling to go up. Now, damn it, let’s go back. I spent a lot of time in here.

“…”

But… something like this was hidden underground.

ㅡThe Necropolis.
ㅡThe Kobold Dungeon.

Suddenly, thoughts about those things flashed through my mind. I was already suspicious, but after killing the Titan prince here, my suspicion became clearer.

That place.

Perhaps similar beings were sealed somewhere beneath the Necropolis and the Kobold Dungeon? This is purely speculation, but those places were all somewhat related to heretics.

Perhaps the lich with ancient knowledge was trying to awaken the sealed ancient beings in order to plot something.

“This.”

It might be worth checking out.

When I was a pushover, even if something like that happened, I could only think, “Oh well,” but now that I’m strong, I can check everything.

Of course, it doesn’t seem like anything will be left there. Unlike this one, which was inside the city of Isvant, those were in remote places. Even if they were trying to take something, they would have taken everything.

But first, it’s time to go home.

And asking the young lady and the duke about the waterway at the banquet should come first.