Reset Life – Chapter 234

Chapter 234: It’s Over (4)

The guy slowly raised his upper body, and I quickly took a stance to knock him down. He can’t even die now?!

He gave an awkward smile.

“Ah, don’t be nervous. I can’t attack anyone in this state.”

“How did you come back to life?”

“It’s not that I came back to life, but rather that I’ve opened my eyes for a moment. There was a spell I had implanted in my body, and fortunately, it wasn’t released. It seems like the Shadow Stone couldn’t be released either, thanks to it being integrated with my body.”

“What kind of spell is it?”

Surely it’s not a resurrection spell that brings you back to life, right? Even if it’s just for a moment, if he attacks again……

“A will.”

“What?”

“You know, a spell for when you die suddenly or are assassinated. If there’s someone nearby, and if your body hasn’t decayed, it allows you to open your eyes for a short time and leave a will. Or you could write a will. It’s a technique that doesn’t exist in this world. Cough!”

And then he coughed up a mouthful of blood. It’s a difficult situation to accept so easily, but his words were true. A technique for leaving a will? There are all sorts of strange things.

He held his sword upside down and offered the hilt to me.

“I’ll return this. That was a splendid attack.”

“I’ll say thank you for now.”

There was nothing more grotesque than the sight of him grinning with a hole in his chest.

I took the sword and slung it over my shoulder. I was a little tired, but it seemed like I had enough strength left to walk out and hug my friends.

I asked Artshever,

“Any last words?”

“I’m too busy. I only have about 5 minutes left. It’s a will-leaving technique, so the duration can’t be long.”

“I guess so. So, what are your last words? Are you going to meditate and face death? If so, I’ll watch from the side.”

“No way. First, please help me up. I’m out of strength. Ah, of course, I can’t attack. It’s a restriction of the spell.”

His words were true, and I helped him up with a sour expression. He got up, straightened his back, stretched a little (Oh my. He’s doing everything.), loosened up his body, and then said,

“Congratulations. Now all you have to do is interfere with Referndi’s spell. You have about a day left, so you should be able to go with your colleagues. You know the location, right? It’s the basement of the detached palace. And do as you please with Referndi. If you’re going to spare her, tell her to ‘live a good life.’ If Sylvan is alive, tell him I hope he achieves his goal this time. And to Baius……”

No matter the situation, stopping a will isn’t desirable, but I raised my hand to stop him. Come to think of it, he had a message he wanted me to deliver.

“Baius said thank you.”

“Ah, is that so? Oh dear, this makes me feel guilty. I was about to tell him I was sorry. In my previous life, I interfered in his duel with the Spear King and manipulated the outcome.”

“If that’s the story…… I don’t want to tell him. Not for your sake, but for Baius’s.”

“Then tell him this: I hope he can finally have a pleasant drink with the Spear King this time.”

I don’t know what he means, but I nodded. Was Baius’s goal to fight the Spear King and then have a drink?

“Please tell my daughter and Levidian-ssi that I love them.”

“Am I crazy?”

I silently raised my middle finger. What kind of a ridiculous joke is this? He grinned as I expected and shook his head, saying,

“Just tell the other three people I killed that I’m sorry.”

“Ah, about that. Why did you kill them?”

“I wanted to make you companions.”

“What?”

He crossed his arms and stroked his chin. Then he shrugged.

“It’s okay to say it now. I haven’t been able to make friends sincerely for a while now. After experiencing so much death and life, I thought you would be the same. So, I tried to give you companions with personalities opposite to those who contracted with me…… but you were different.”

Ah, so that was it? I thought the composition was strangely balanced.

Referndi’s opposite is my grandmother, Sylvan’s opposite is Duke Ecoshian, and Baius’s opposite is Lime-hyung, right? They have different powers, but they are positioned to supplement that with influence or other things.

However, that’s because I trust my friends rather than relying on them.

Then there’s one left.

“What about that guy in Breedpo?”

“Of course, that idiot was disposable. He didn’t seem like he would last long just by looking at him. I killed him after he killed my grandmother. Fortunately, there was another parallel dimension with a similar history. In terms of order, it would be the third. Anyway, he was a pawn I sent out to emphasize the fact that time flows differently for you than in your previous life.”

“That intention certainly hit the mark. Damn it. Is there anything else?”

“No. I was quite careful before killing them. Anyway, the world will be safe with this. I would be grateful if you would think of me and miss me from time to time.”

“Don’t be grateful. I won’t think of you. Why would I think of you in the first place……?”

I had to stop talking. Slightly bluish energy was escaping from his body one by one. What is that? I’ve never seen anything like that come out when someone dies.

Artshever looked at his body and shrugged. He said nonchalantly,

“Ah, it seems to be starting.”

“What is?”

“The techniques I possess. They are leaving me. They are probably going to ourselves in other parallel dimensions. From the universe’s perspective, I stole them.”

“Ah, is that so? There are quite a lot.”

“There were many things. If I had the time, I would like to tell you about my life, but…… unfortunately, I don’t have much time. Still, I’m glad. There’s someone to watch me die at the very end.”

Artshever smiled brightly, and I also gave a faint smile. Indeed, the fact that I was alone when I died was quite heartbreaking. Death without anyone watching is truly lonely.

He turned his head and looked at the window near the ceiling, opening his mouth.

“If it were me, I would have given up in the end. I’ve lived so many lives. But you were different. It felt like you weren’t myself.”

“Of course. I’m not you.”

Artshever turned his head. He looked at me with a joyful smile. It was a genuine smile, different from the usual ceremonial one.

“In the end, you couldn’t become me.”

I nodded.

What I realized after coming this far is that I am not him, and he is not me. No matter how he originated from me and reached this point, it’s his life that fills him.

In the end, I cannot become him.

I said to the ‘complete stranger’,

“If you had continued to say something about myself until the end, ‘you’ would have been right even in death.”

“Please spare me that. It’s pitiful to be right even in death. I’m not a traitor, am I going to be beheaded even after death?”

“Tsk. Be grateful that I’m letting you die now. My original thought was to quarter you and then execute you again.”

“That’s quite merciless. So……”

At that moment, the world shook.

Rumble rumble rumble……!

Is it an earthquake? No, it’s more like a tremor than an earthquake? What’s happening all of a sudden?

I quickly lowered my stance and balanced myself. When I glanced at Artshever, he was looking up at the window.

“Damn it……!”

I also looked up at the window. Then I could see the sky that had completely turned red.

Wh, what is that?!

“Wh, wh, what does that mean?”

I couldn’t even speak properly because my body was shaking. The tremors intensified, and Artshever didn’t speak for a while. After some time, the tremors stopped, and he said,

“It seems like Referndi has twisted the fundamental again. The ritual has entered its final stage.”

“What?! Then how much time is left?!”

“At best, three hours. Damn it. That’s why I told her to fix that impatience……!”

The fact that he’s getting angry at the wrong thing is probably a problem with my soul.

I thought about using Levidian’s usual effective prescription – hitting the back of the head – but I didn’t want to do that to someone who was literally ‘dead’.

Besides, Levidian arrived, so I can leave it to her directly.

“Risel! Eh?”

Levidian had a bewildered expression. Of course, from her perspective, it would look like I had split into two.

Al, who appeared right after her, tilted his head and gave a sharp critique.

“Did you split?”

Hey, am I a single-celled organism?

The person who appeared next surprised me.

Baius? Why is he so fine?

“Oh, oh, it’s true. He split.”

Since the majority opinion is that I split, I guess I did. Hmm. This is why I hate majority rule.

I looked at Artshever, signaling him to explain, and he nodded, then covered the wound on his heart with his hand.

“Le, Levidian……! He’s Artshever……!”

“Ah? Then!”

Levidian hurriedly drew her sword. The gleaming blade cut through my heart coldly. I frowned and smacked the back of his head. I can’t stand this.

“Damn it, you bastard until the very end!”

“Eh?”

“Ouch…… Isn’t that too much for a dead person?”

“Damn it. Just die already! Hasn’t it been 5 minutes yet?!”

He smiled shamelessly and said,

“About 2 minutes left.”

“Damn. It’s awfully slow.”

Meanwhile, his techniques were still escaping from his body. If I could just get my hands on one or two of them, my life would be quite comfortable…… What am I thinking?

Levidian, completely bewildered, said,

“Who is who?”

“It’s me. Look at this.”

I raised Brandione and finished proving my identity. Artshever scratched his head and looked at Baius.

“But didn’t you fight? You look fine for someone who fought.”

“No, you see, there was a sudden earthquake……”

“I quickly prostrated myself on the ground.”

“Th, that’s a secret technique passed down from our hometown!”

Baius’s face turned red as he yelled. Was he always like this?

Anyway, I could guess that the fight had been interrupted due to the tremors just now, and Levidian had rushed over here in surprise.

I said to Levidian,

“The fight here is over. I won.”

“Ah……! Is that so?!”

“I’m sorry, Baius. I lost.”

“Is that so? That’s a shame. But how are you okay with a hole in your chest?”

“Okay? I’m already dead. I’m just moving to leave a will…… Referndi threw a tantrum again. I won’t be able to see the end.”

He shrugged. Then Al and Levidian widened their eyes as if asking what he meant. So, I had to explain to them that he was moving because of a technique to leave a will.

But once he dies, I’ll have to cut open his body and take out the Shadow Stone…… This is something I don’t want to do.

As I was thinking that, Artshever picked up a fragment of the blade that had fallen to the floor. Before I could even ask him what he was going to do, he cut open his own stomach.

“Eek?!”

Along with Levidian’s startled cry, a chilling sound of flesh being cut could be heard. He reached inside and pulled out a blood-soaked lump. He was quite calm for someone who had just cut open his own body.

He wiped it on his clothes and handed it to me. It’s the Shadow Stone.

“It’s okay since I don’t feel pain. Take it.”

“You…… you’re quite grotesque.”

“Because I’m dead.”

I took it and put it back into Brandione. With this, I can stop Referndi’s ritual.

Artshever said to Baius, who was still bewildered,

“Baius, if you have any strength left, please stop Referndi. And Risel, if you don’t mind, Baius and Sylvan……”

“Only your name will remain in the history books. If Sylvan is alive, I’ll let them go wherever they want. They don’t seem to have any grudge against me.”

“Thank you. Oh, more people are coming to say hello. And there’s no time.”

Four people approached from behind Levidian. No, five people. For some reason, Sylvan was on Lucy’s shoulder like a piece of luggage.

Aila’s eyes widened as she saw me and Artshever.

“Wh, who is who?!”

“Damn it! I’ll get rid of both of you!”

Even Aila was speechless at Lucy’s absurd remark.

The person who moved at that moment was, of course, my beloved Levidian. She pointed her sword at Lucy’s neck and said,

“I’ll eliminate you right then and there. It’s the one on the right.”

“Ha, hahaha. I, I see. I apologize.”

Namias held up the Essential Light, the divine symbol bestowed by the god, and aimed it at Artshever, then her eyes widened.

“He’s already dead……?”