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"The king… he's… a monster?"
"No, that's impossible… how could it be?"
"Yes… I must be seeing things. The king couldn't possibly be a monster."
But looking at the writhing tentacles sprouting from Proum's body, the soldiers of the kingdom were frozen in disbelief.
At the same time…
Kureha slowly regained consciousness and saw everything unfold before her eyes.
Her pupils shrank. Her faith was shaken to a degree she had never imagined.
Elsewhere…
Freya, witnessing the scene, immediately took to the air and raised her voice:
"Loyal soldiers of the Georal Kingdom!
"You've all seen it yourselves—my father, King Proum, has long been dead.
"What stands before you now is nothing but a filthy monster.
"We followed Lord Edgar to defeat this abomination and bring the Georal Kingdom back to its proper path…"
Each word cut through the soldiers' defenses like a blade.
The truth was undeniable, right in front of them.
"Now, pick up your weapons and fight the enemy you were meant to face."
Murmurs rippled through the ranks: "She's right… the king is the monster."
"Princess Freya… she's the one who's right."
Unconsciously, every soldier turned their weapons against the king they had once sworn to serve.
After all, Proum had ruled the kingdom behind a façade of lies—and that illusion was now turning back to devour him.
"I never imagined… that this would all come out in front of so many."
Proum sighed, but his face twisted into something grotesque and horrifying.
"If that's the case… then I'll just have to kill you all."
"Even then… I will still be the king of this country."
His roar echoed for what seemed like an eternity.
Every inch of his body bulged unnaturally, as if countless lumps of flesh writhed under his skin.
Pft! Pft! Pft!
Endless tentacles burst from him, tearing through the air.
In just a few breaths, Proum had lost all semblance of human form, transforming into a grotesque creature the size of a small mountain.
"So this is your true form?"
Edgar shook his head, unimpressed. "I've seen plenty of monsters, but one this ugly? First time."
"Heh heh heh… You only get to talk like that now."
Proum sneered coldly as his tentacles swelled, blotting out the sky.
"Die."
Freed from human constraints, Proum's power had increased beyond comparison.
Terrifying magic radiated from him, shaking the very air.
Tentacles dozens of feet long swept in from all directions, surrounding Edgar, threatening to crush him into pulp.
But then…
Just as the tentacles were about to strike, Edgar's calm voice cut through the chaos. The attacking limbs stilled.
"Demon Spear—Infinite Lightning."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless bolts of lightning erupted, shattering Proum's tentacles into chunks of flying gore.
"Hahaha… useless!" Proum roared madly.
"I am truly immortal. Even if your power surpasses mine, what then?"
"How many times can you repeat that trick, hmm?"
"The one who dies will be you."
Pft! Pft! Pft!
The severed tentacles regenerated instantly, restored to their original form in a blink.
"Is that so?"
A crimson gauntlet flared on Edgar's hand, flames of pure heat igniting into the sky in the next instant.
The fire was vast and overwhelming, stretching across the heavens like it could burn the world itself.
The soldiers felt their bodies dry out in seconds as the flames blazed.
"What… what kind of fire is this?"
A flicker of fear crossed Proum's monstrous eyes.
Instinctively, he sensed the danger. This wasn't just a threat to the body—it cut to the very soul.
The tentacles bulged and twisted violently, trying to tear the flames apart.
But the moment they touched…
Nothing happened.
The tentacles vanished as if erased by some invisible brush.
"Killing me isn't going to be that easy."
Proum's scream was hysterical. His massive body couldn't dodge; he had no choice but to strike with all his might.
A surge of dark violet energy exploded from him, a pillar of power hundreds of feet tall, unstoppable in appearance.
Buzz…
The beam collided with Edgar's flames. The air itself seemed to ripple, wailing under the pressure and heat. Nearby buildings started to melt. It felt as if the entire world were dissolving.
Then…
The dark beam dispersed faster than the eye could follow.
Proum could only watch as the all-consuming flames closed in.
Silently…
His body began to dissolve, and even the ground beneath him vanished.
[Experience +]
"Level 62." Edgar glanced at his stats, a small smile crossing his face. This was an unexpected bonus.
The monster called Proum was gone.
With the kingdom's only heirs, Nolen and Freya, in hand, control of the kingdom had already fallen effortlessly into their hands.
In the grand hall of the palace…
"Everything… was a lie."
"The Jioral Kingdom isn't a shield for the people. It's a nation that threatened others with its power.
"Subhumans were treated like commodities, exploited and sold.
"And the king… was an ugly monster."
Kureha hugged her knees, lost and murmuring to herself.
"What's wrong with her?"
Edgar, having just entered the hall, was momentarily taken aback.
"Heh heh… I told her everything the kingdom had done so my master could recruit her as an ally," Nolen said, smiling.
"Nice work, Nolen."
"Hehe."
Nolen blushed slightly at Edgar's words. It had happened before, but it still made her a little shy. She nodded. "Okay… it's a deal."
Meanwhile, Freya clenched her fists in frustration.
Damn it. Why hadn't she thought of that? This little sister was just too sharp.
Tap tap tap!
Kureha, still dazed, heard footsteps and instinctively looked up.
A familiar yet distant figure came into view.
She stared blankly. "It's you… what is it?"
"Of course I have a reason."
Edgar smiled gently. "You don't need to feel so down.
"The kingdom's sins… aren't yours to bear."
"No, it's not like that…" Kureha muttered. "I… as someone…"
"No. Listen to me."
Edgar cut her off, serious. "What's done is done. You can't change the past.
"But now… why not try to help guide the kingdom back to the right path?"
"Back… to the right path?"
Kureha froze. Could someone like her, who had sinned, still have the right to help these people?
"..."
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