Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 55

EP.55 Thank You, Thank You

They said that baseless rumors could spread like wildfire. Princess Karina bit her lip, remembering the recent rumors that had been circulating.

─ Commander Marpe of the Second Knights and Bishop Lea are plotting a rebellion.

Under normal circumstances, these rumors would have been dismissed as mere gossip, not even worth her attention. However, recent incidents and the discovery of evidence pointing to those two as prime suspects had made the situation more complicated. She was surrounded by people who feigned sympathy while secretly trying to extract information from her.

‘Idiots.’

If they thought about it for even a moment, they could figure out the truth. It was disappointing how people failed to see the bigger picture, focusing only on sensational details. She wanted to ignore it all and leave it be…

“Bishop Lea called the Holy Knights of the church and ran away after killing the investigators.”

A new piece of gossip had emerged, one that would only serve to further inflate the already growing suspicions of those idiots. Ignoring it was no longer an option.

‘… This is a real mess.’

Regardless of the facts, the reality was that Lea had killed the investigators and ran away. This would only fuel the rumors further. Karina sighed, realizing that everyone’s speculations would soon become ‘evidence.’

‘In any case, it would be best to make a statement as soon as possible before these rumors spread any further.’

Of course, consulting with the Church and issuing a joint statement would be wise. With that in mind, she decided to contact the Church and closed her eyes.

***

When Jeong-hyeon returned to the dormitory, Lucia, who had been lounging on the bed, jumped up in shock. For a moment, he wondered if she was some kind of frog to be able to jump that high. As she cast a healing spell on him, she pouted.

“Oh, come on! How did you get hurt again this time?”

Jeong-hyeon sighed and replied briefly.

“This isn’t my blood, it’s someone else’s.”

Lucia looked at him with a dumbfounded expression and asked again.

“What?”

Seeing her expression, Jeong-hyeon felt an urge to tease her a bit more. He decided to add some details the ‘truthful facts’ to play along while maintaining a straight face.

“By the way, the blood belongs to Erie.”

At the mention of Erie’s name, Lucia froze in place, blinking in bewilderment.

“… What?”

“I said it’s Erie’s blood. She’s the daughter of L’rusié and Esich’s sister.”

“… You’re joking, right?”

Lucia rubbed her arms as if she had heard a ghost story. To convince her that he was telling the truth, Jeong-hyeon turned to Miria, who was lounging.

“Miria, can you back me up? She doesn’t believe me.”

Miria sighed and responded to his request.

“… Surprisingly, it’s true.”

“What? Why?”

“Well… I don’t know why it’s true either. But it is, so there’s no need to doubt it.”

“……”

Lucia was so shocked that she stood there with her mouth hanging open, staring at him. Ignoring her bewildered gaze, he shifted back to the main topic.

“Anyway, I’ll be gone for a while. Can you take care of this sapling for me? Here’s the key.”

“Yes, yes, it’s not that difficult since it’s something I usually do anyway… But where are you going?”

“I’m heading to the Trial Chamber to level up.”

“What? You’ve leveled up already?”

He nodded at Lucia’s surprised reaction, and she spoke in awe.

“I’ve never seen anyone level up this quickly… It usually takes at least a few years, but you do it so fast.”

Well, that’s because most people spread their efforts over years, while he crammed everything into a few days. But he decided to leave that part unsaid and prepared to enter the Trial Chamber.

“Oh, and if you have time, could you buy some food and leave it in my room? Last time, I left in a rush and almost starved to death.”

“Oh, sure. I’ll get some right away.”

With everything taken care of, he picked up the Key of Growth and spoke.

“I’ll be back.”

With those final words, he stepped into the portal that appeared in mid-air.

***

Upon entering the Trial Chamber, a familiar message appeared, just as it had before.

*-*

[The promotion test begins.]

– Survive for 7 days.

*Warning – The total amount of divine power you possess will be significantly reduced.

*If you die during the test, it will reset, and you will be resurrected.

*Time flows very slowly inside the Trial Chamber.

*If you give up in the middle, you will never be able to level up again.

*-*

Most of the content was similar to the previous promotion test, but there were two key differences: the objective and the penalty.

‘The objective is understandable, but having my total divine power reduced is quite a blow.’

Since his combat style relies heavily on the use of divine power, having his total divine power drastically reduced would severely limit his combat effectiveness. This promotion test was likely to be significantly more difficult than the previous ones he had faced.

‘… Not that it’s a bad thing.’

Although he had improved since his first test, he still used divine power inefficiently. This seemed like a good opportunity to refine his techniques to use divine power more efficiently.

Deciding to focus on improving his personal skills rather than relying solely on divine power, Jeong-hyeon opened the subspace pouch.

‘Let’s start by downing these elixirs.’

He took out the two growth elixirs and the dragon’s blood he had previously acquired and consumed them immediately, signaling the start of his training.

As the trial began, monsters swarmed in from all sides without pause, in accordance with the trial’s instruction to ‘Survive.’ Jeong-hyeon looked at the countless monsters, estimating them to be in the thousands, perhaps even ten thousand, and let out a bitter laugh.

‘This is just too much.’

Did the Trial Chambers not understand the concept of moderation? He decided that if he ever met the creator of this chamber, he’d punch them in the face.

Raising his sword, he considered his divine power.

‘Let’s see… With the divine power, I’ll only have enough for two sword strikes.’

At least, the rosary’s amplification effect made it possible to perform two strikes. Without the rosary’s boost, he wouldn’t have been able to use his sword techniques effectively at all. Determined to conserve his power, he swung his sword at the rushing orcs.

Slash!

Instead of the usual explosive sound, there was the mundane noise of a blade hitting flesh. However, the orc’s tough skin prevented the sword from piercing deeply. Observing the disappointing weakness of his own strength, Jeong-hyeon could only smile ruefully.

‘They say your stats increase faster when you face stronger opponents, right?’

Having only fought opponents he could easily defeat before, he hadn’t had a real opportunity to improve his stats. Now, he was determined to make the most of this chance, his face beaming with joy.

“Thank you… Thank you…”

Seeing Jeong-hyeon’s genuine gratitude, the nearby orcs hesitated and took steps back.

“…?”

He had heard that orcs thrived in chaotic combat and were never intimidated by fear. So, why were they reacting this way? Questioning the accuracy of the rumors, Jeong-hyeon quickly swung his sword at the orc’s neck.

‘Oh.’

The surprise attack hit the orc’s neck, but its tough skin prevented a fatal blow. Realizing that basic strength alone wouldn’t be enough to kill it, he quickly twisted his body, wrenched out the sword, and then struck again.

“Guwaaah!”

This time, the strike seemed to have a significant impact. Satisfied, Jeong-hyeon prepared to swing his sword again when he noticed incoming resistance from another direction.

Whoosh!

The sound of a club cutting through the air reached his ears. As expected of a race known for their strength, the orcs’ attacks were formidable even with something as simple as swinging a club. Jeong-hyeon recognized the threat and prepared himself for the fight.

As Jeong-hyeon kept dodging the attacks, a thought crossed his mind.

‘No, this is a good chance to work on my Tough Skin skill.’

Realizing that taking hits would be more beneficial for his growth, he decided to stop dodging and let the attacks land.

‘It’s a bit disappointing, though. It would’ve been better if there were some swords or spears mixed in with the clubs.’

Still, it was only the first day. He believed things would change on the second day and smiled brightly at the thought.

‘And I should practice using divine power too.’

Determined to occasionally use his divine power, Jeong-hyeon turned his body towards the next wave of attackers.

***

[You have died.]

[The Trial Chamber will reset.]

(Deaths: 1)

Since he was allowing himself to be hit, he couldn’t last for long. Although his Tough Skin was at Advanced Level 5, his stamina stat wasn’t exceptionally high, which limited his endurance. However, he didn’t feel too bad—in fact, he felt quite good. The reason was simple…

[Your stats have increased!]

It had been a long time since he’d seen a stat increase message.

‘It’s so satisfying, it’s unreal.’

His stamina stat, which had barely increased because he hadn’t been taking hits, had gone up just from getting beaten for an hour or two. Jeong-hyeon found himself thinking that if all training were this rewarding, he could do it all day. Watching the orcs charging from afar, he waved his hand at them with a wide smile.

‘I’m so happy right now.’

If it weren’t for the responsibilities waiting for him outside, he would have wanted to live here for ten years. But with the upcoming awards ceremony and the need to collect the bait he’d set, he couldn’t afford to stay here too long. Jeong-hyeon sighed with regret.

‘So, let’s not waste a single moment.’

Every second counted, and he decided to train as efficiently as possible. As the orcs came charging at him, Jeong-hyeon also launched himself forward to meet them head-on.