101 – Permanent Death (5)
Looking at the white jade-like gloves, I solved my overflowing curiosity.
“First of all, the dagger you are using is not a perfect artifact.”
“It was very useful.”
“I’m not saying it doesn’t fit at all.”
And then, Cyclops followed the example of Kersia in the past.
“When Kersia holds that dagger, she can draw power to unimaginable realms. You’re not that far.”
I am using this dagger enough, but it seems to be an expression that it is not that far from the Cyclops’ point of view.
“Because I’m a wizard?”
“I’m a wizard only on the outside, but I know enough to use black magic.
“…”
I asked if the Cyclops might have been tricked by my stomach, but the Cyclops seemed to have already figured it out.
…it just feels like everyone knows it. That I am a black magician.
“Then, how strong are these gloves?”
“Second, the way to draw the power of the undead is a contract with a demon that throws their lives into a contract.”
“Ohh.”
I didn’t even see the scene where I signed the contract, but did my thoughts reach that far?
Certainly, the great blacksmith was right.
“Dealing with the devil is unstable and inefficient. The power gained from burning one life like a flame is not much.”
“It’s right.”
the full vitality of a person.
Compared to dedicating all of the lifespan and driving force of life contained therein, the devil only plays an auxiliary role.
Besides, it’s because I filter and filter the demons, most of them produce lethal side effects besides life.
If I hadn’t had the experience of dealing with countless demons, every time I traded with demons, I risked something other than my life.
“So what is it?”
After hearing this far, it seemed like I knew what kind of gloves Cyclops was aiming for.
If you mentioned trading with the devil, it must be to use my infinite life more efficiently.
I don’t know how efficient it will be.
Besides, isn’t it overlapping with the utility of the dagger?
“How to use it is simple. If you put on gloves and hold your hand tightly, it will activate right away.”
“It’s nice because it’s not a radical way of stabbing your hand with a dagger, but isn’t it an action that can be used in everyday life?”
“It’s something you can do if you don’t hold hands normally.”
I laughed at the carefree words of the Cyclops.
He just made this because he said he wasn’t going to use it.
“So what if I hold your hand?”
“One life per grip.”
“Every time you grab it? So you’re saying you can use your life multiple times?”
Cyclops nodded.
“It’s a concept of pulling in advance. You must sacrifice your life afterwards, otherwise the glove will forcibly exploit your life.”
“It’s so brutal.”
“Instead, immense power is given to you.”
it’s power
Giving powers that do not give either magic energy or mana was unfamiliar to me.
What kind of authority can you get with gloves?
I asked about another question.
“Then, how much can you use your life for?”
“Ask for that? hehehehe, about 10.”
10 lives.
It will take a long time to pay it all off.
However, you can expect the power that can be given as much.
“So, what is the authority you can obtain?”
“Awakening of the body.”
“Looks simple for a power, doesn’t it?”
“And isn’t that what you lack the most?”
He nodded.
Obviously, what I lacked was physical ability.
It’s questionable how much great physical ability it will give, but I’m not sure if it’s an artifact that’s as expected.
“You look like your expectations have cooled.”
“I wonder if it would be that good if it was just a physical awakening after risking my life.”
“A good body has good power, and once you use it, you will be able to feel the effect.”
That much was guaranteed, so I decided to wear gloves for now.
The glove itself was very luxurious, so it stuck to my hand and came in.
What I especially liked was that it covered the scars on the back of my hand in a very natural way.
At the same time, there are problems.
“By the way, how do you use a dagger?”
If the gloves cover the back of the hand, you cannot stab with a dagger.
You can’t always take it off and stab it.
“You can stab it like that.”
“Is there no need to hurt?”
“It’s a radical method? That’s why I made it possible to create demonic energy without getting hurt.”
…I think that’s the best ability?
Anyway, I nod my head and express my gratitude.
“thanks.”
“hehehehe, thank you very much, I made something good at best.”
However, the Cyclops was gradually getting wet with madness, as if he hadn’t put any heart into it.
The memories of the past, which had brought him to his senses for a moment, had spread like water, and there was no need to maintain even the remaining bits of reason in a situation where the relics had been created and explained.
Of course, that was the result.
He looks at his shaggy white beard and says.
He survived for a long time.
overlong.
“You’ll have to die someday, Cyclops.”
“Long life is like a curse. Immortals, don’t covet eternal life, it will eat itself.”
“I didn’t want immortality or immortality.”
This has always been a curse to me.
Before completely losing consciousness, he released his past one last time.
“My eternal life is a curse I received from the demon king.”
“Now?”
“If I was cursed with eternal life right now, would it be like this? In the past, when I was a member of the warrior party, it was a curse I received while fighting the demon king.”
So he survived even until the dwarves were exterminated.
But he denied extinction.
“Since I am not dead yet, the dwarves are not extinct. It is proof that the dwarves are superior to those dwarves. And even if I die, as long as I can survive on my own, I will continue to survive, leaving as many traces of the dwarves as possible on this continent. I wanted to…”
Cyclops smiled.
It was the first pure smile I had ever seen.
A smile that seemed to reveal everything.
“I’m a little tired now.”
“is it?”
“…So please. Kill me.”
Here I am silent.
“Insanity dilutes even my will to die. If I fall into madness again, I will continue to create something like a madman, and the demon king will thoroughly manage so that I do not die.”
“Then you’d have to commit suicide.”
“Don’t you know the executive contract?”
I tilted my head at his question.
“I know, but what does it matter?”
“…If you signed a contract with an executive, you cannot commit suicide. You have to become a slave until the Demon King wins.”
I think I know why I don’t know about this part.
To use the life of the Undead, countless times I would have to commit suicide.
But if there is suicide prevention, isn’t it ironic that the method is meaningless?
So, even though I had signed an executive contract before returning, I was unaware of the suicide prevention clause.
“This is the old man’s last request. Kill me.”
The death of the Cyclops wasn’t particularly bad for me.
Because the weapons and armor he made had a great influence on the increase in the power of the Demon King’s army.
It was safe to say that even if a high-ranking demon wore armor, it would become twice as strong.
So he nodded.
Before I leave, it’s okay to bring him death.
Cyclops fainted immediately after hearing my answer.
It seemed that he chose to remain defenseless as it is, rather than lose his mind and fall into madness and end up in a situation where he maintains his life without any purpose.
You could come and kill him whenever you wanted.
“…I’ll do it when the time comes.”
I turned around and left the smithy.
I saw Vero in the corner with his head bowed and curled up like a frightened hamster.
As soon as she saw my feet, she trembled.
“Hee, hee hee.”
“Did you hear everything?”
“Go, is it okay to kill the executive?”
“I’m leaving anyway, but it doesn’t matter.”
And there was something I could relate to.
Because it was my destiny
Because the Dark Magic Tower was collapsing when it expressed my mental world.
hit.
I’m breaking down.
It is a spirit that will completely collapse at every moment, now, and at the end.
The reason I’m still fine is because I forcibly prevented my mind from collapsing while being swallowed up by madness, and at the same time, the vessel called my mind grew.
However, the end of the bowl that was forcibly increased is obvious.
“I, too, should find a good place to die.”
don’t know when that will be
Might be 10 years from now.
It could be 100 years from now.
Will it be possible to remove the curse of immortality even then?
I couldn’t find out.
How to face true death
**
Some more time passed.
I thought I had everything ready.
The Demon King gave me more autonomy than I could have imagined, and I had a chance to make the most of it.
And the time has come to use that opportunity.
Hand over the pouch containing unfathomable riches to Vero.
“Are you confident enough to move alone?”
“Yes, yes!”
Even though he usually showed a timid appearance, he kept his mind straight when it was important.
If the demon king suddenly changed and attacked me, I wouldn’t have the confidence to escape completely with Vero in that situation.
So now that the position of executive is intact, I plan to let her escape.
She had to escape to the kingdom by traversing the long and long demon world alone.
And, I will join the party of warriors who are still staying at the border.
I don’t know if I can make it, but if I can’t, I’ll die anyway.
So I’ll trust her.