Lohann bled from his mouth, nostrils, eyes, and ears. Michael could tell that he was a dead man from that alone. In fact, he could veritably watch Lohann’s body slowly come undone, falling apart after the damage to the spiritual self.

It was over.

Lohann hurriedly opened his mouth and vomited blood before being able to speak a sentence in a raspy voice.

“I will never die. I’m not the only one willing to do what’s necessary to prevail.”

“Shut up.”

The man gave him a bloody frown.

“I want to leave the Dungeon!”

A bright flash enveloped his figure. In an instant, he was gone. Michael wasn’t worried. His allies were waiting outside and the man was already half-dead. Silently, he took in the view from the mountain peak. A few eagles still circled above him, but didn’t approach. A vast sea of nothingness stretched out into the horizon.

“…I wish to leave the Dungeon.”

Light enveloped him. Outside, he faced the sight of the dying Lohann being surrounded by more than twenty armed fighters. Viktor waved at him.

“I thought you’d like to do the honors.”

Michael stepped firmly. Lohann turned to him, trying to speak as he kept coughing up blood.

“Monster…! Monster!”

Viktor looked at him with a questioning gaze, but Michael merely gave him a dismissive wave. He drew a circle with his staff.

“Mana Sphere.”

The Sphere flew at Lohann. It destroyed his head completely.

The moment Lohann died, Michael felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He hadn’t even realized this burden until it was gone. At the same time, he was incredibly happy and relieved. He had finally killed the most dangerous person he had met so far. There would no longer be any senseless killings. Michael smiled to himself.

The corpse fell to the ground with a dull thud. The moment it hit the ground, its limbs fell apart. Viktor stared at the gruesome scene.

“What did you even do to him to make his body like that?”

“It’s complicated.”

Viktor shrugged.

“Well, Lohann’s dead. Our objective was achieved. We’ll be returning to Yellowbright. You should come with us; I’m sure Allison wants to see you.”

Michael nodded.

“I could use some rest. Let’s go.”

As they walked, the group gave one another high fives and boisterous laughter echoed. He smiled. Finally, the enemy they were after had been defeated. He could return to the Territory Wars and training. As his thoughts reached this point, Michael cast Whisper. Rose’s voice left the mouth.

“Dude! What the fuck happened? You suddenly stopped reaching out and we had no way of contacting you!”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

He sighed.

“Sorry. I made contact with Yellowbright’s organization and got too caught up in killing Lohann. It’s done. We’ll return to the Territory Wars soon.”

Rose let out a chuckle.

“Yeah, I had a feeling it was something like that. Good job. Thanks for everything. While you were away, I managed to get Bluestone’s teams mostly under control. We’re all just waiting for you to return.”

“I’ll drop by Yellowbright first.”

“Alright. It’s good to hear from you. Talk to you later.”

Michael dismissed the spell. A bit ahead of him, Viktor spoke.

“I’m glad you have allies in Bluestone.”

Michael simply nodded. Viktor continued to speak.

“Thank you. It’s all because of you. The Challengers failed to keep up with Lohann’s location; we would have required far more time to find and defeat him. I don’t know what you went through in the Dungeon, so I don’t even know if we would have been capable of defeating him at all. You’ve done a wonderful job.”

“Thanks. Just did what had to be done.”

Michael smiled, and so did Viktor. Their relief was palpable. Michael felt as if he had been stuck underwater and could now finally breathe fresh air.

The party made their way back to Yellowbright in a straight line. There was no longer any need to run around. After some time, they arrived at their destination. Michael let out a sigh of relief as he sighted the wooden buildings. Waiting at the entrance of the Village were a few figures he was familiar with.

…Mother.

She started running towards him, leaving behind the captains who were with her. Michael walked ahead of his group. The two quickly crossed the distance between them. Allison embraced him.

“…I’m glad you’re safe.”

It was as if there was a lot she wanted to say, but she had held back. Michael understood it. This was a public place. They could talk in private later.

“I’m alright, Mom.”

“…We’ll talk about it later.”

Viktor stepped forward, this time in front of all of his captains, and extended his hand for a handshake. Michael shook it. The tall man spoke.

“As I said before, I thank you in the name of the Challengers and everyone who was affected by Lohann. Many would have failed, which would only have resulted in more death and suffering.”

“Probably. In the end, it doesn’t matter anymore. We must keep looking forward now that our biggest enemy is gone.”

Viktor nodded, then spoke with a firm voice. It was a steadfast tone that didn’t allow for contestation.

“We won’t target Bluestone Village’s Territory for the remainder of the Territory Wars. It is the least we could do. Even if you decide to take some of our Territory, we won’t fight back.”

Michael blinked.

“What if I decide to take over too much of Yellowbright’s Territory?”

“I’m certain that you’ll be sensible. There’s no reason for our Villages to be enemies. We can target Greenwood or Redglow, and there’s also the Consumed Territory. I believe that we can build a good alliance.”

Next to Michael, Allison opened her mouth, ready to speak, but Michael stopped her. Her words died in her throat.

“I agree that we shouldn’t be enemies; my mother is part of your organization, after all. I’ll take your deal. I will focus on the Consumed Territory, so there’s no need to worry. Don’t break my trust.”

Viktor spoke in the same firm tone.

“We won’t.”

Michael nodded, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. After a few more conversations with the captains, he walked with Allison to her house in the Village. She spoke.

“…Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“Truly? Don’t lie to me, Michael.”

“I’m not lying. I’m happy that such a dangerous man is now dead.”

Allison frowned heavily.

“…Why are you speaking of killing someone in such a simple manner?”

Michael sighed inwardly. Not only was his mother still stuck in Earth’s mindset, but she was also the type of person who hated violence and would likely never understand killing.

“It was the only way.”

Strong rejection filled her face.

“There’s no situation where killing is the only way! We could have imprisoned him! Why add another death to your total?”

Michael sighed.

“…It was just the best course of action.”

The two of them stared at each other in silence. In the end, she relented.

“…I’m glad you’re safe.”

“I’m glad you’re alright, too.”

The two continued to talk. At the same time, Michael’s thoughts wandered. Now that Lohann was dead, he could focus on the Territory Wars in earnest. As he had told Viktor, he would concentrate on the Consumed Territory, and he would also look for more Dungeons.

It’s been some time since I focused on developing my personal strength.

He needed to Level Up and acquire more Skills. It was time for him to go back under Tairy’s guidance and properly become stronger. His eyes shone with determination. For the sake of not allowing another Lohann to surface, he needed power. For the sake of not allowing another man like Derek to coerce and manipulate others, he needed power. To protect his loved ones, he needed power. He clenched his fists.

It was time to turn over a new leaf. His story would continue.