Transmigrated to Game World with SSS Wife-Chapter 58: He’s a Person!!!
'Kill?'
Images of the altar mixed with Juls and Amelia's blood. The altar stood in between 6 candles, in a dark and desolate throne room without a king. Nick was back in this place, standing before the altar.
Beyond it, he could see 8 more like this. They stood like immovable objects, refusing to yield to anything. As if they were stopping something from reaching the empty black throne—or reaching it. 8 untouchable walls.
Seals.
That's what each of these were–seals. Seals of Annihilation, to be exact.
A concept that Nick knew for a fact wasn't a part of the game he knew. When he first saw this place, before entering the Special Dungeon, he had thought it was just a dream or nightmare.
But Amelia's blood wasn't fake; Juls' wasn't. A sea of crimson flowed within the First Seal, stopped only by some invisible walls created by the candles.
[The First Seal requires the blood of one of your original followers. Amelia or Juliana are available instantly, but Yck isn't too far away. A gentle reminder: Oblivion claims its desires, or it claims all]
...
Nick was sent out of the vision–or visit–just as fast as he had entered it. A tantalizing secret that was set right in his path, yet unattainable all the same.
He couldn't kill a person after all, could he? Even one like Yck...
"Nick... you won't let us die, right?"
Amelia's whisper was almost lost in the winds, yet it was as clear as if she shouted.
Defiance took root as Nick vehemently shook his head.
'No... no. Absolutely not.' None of them were going to die. Not even Yck... he's a PERSON!
There was some other way. There had to be.
He was literally a being of destruction. Ethos had taunted him with that fact the entire time he was in the Nightmare. If there was anything he was actually good at, it was supposed to be destruction.
So why couldn't he just destroy the seal?
The haunting answer revealed itself practically as soon as he asked the question.
'I'm not strong enough yet.'
Nick stood still amongst the endless darkness as the sun's bright rays shone through the carnage. Goblin bones stuck out from mutilated bodies; flesh squelched under the weight of bricks that hadn't yet finished their journey.
In just two strikes of his blade, he had done all of that damage–and he knew they were probably as strong as Yck.
It would be nothing to just walk up to him and kill him. Nothing.
Except the loss of his humanity—an annihilation of all that he was.
Suddenly, there was a ripple amongst the sea of darkness. Underneath the surface, he saw a land filled with crimson light. A perfect paradise.
Seconds later he felt the soft touch of Juls as she approached from behind, placing her hand on his shoulder. She came around the other side so that her arm rested on his neck and leaned in close, to the point they were nearly breathing the same air.
"Nick... there's only one person you can kill. Amelia... she can run your kingdom if nothing else. You can't hurt her."
Each word she spoke sent a small amount of air into his mouth, its life both agonizing and tantalizing.
Of course, he can't kill Amelia or Juls!
But...
Killing monsters was different from killing people! And he already knew it wouldn't stop there. Once that dam was destroyed, blood would rush forth.
If it's ok to kill Yck, it'll be ok to kill the next person and then the next and so on until he became a tyrant.
"Nick... I've known Yck for several years. We're not close, but he doesn't deserve to die." Nick shuddered as he heard Amelia speak. Unlike before, there was no fear in her voice—just clear resolve. She hated death more than she feared it.
And she was right. What did Yck deserve to die? Was being a coward enough to warrant his death?
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It's not like he actively chose danger or deliberately put Amelia in danger for his own gain. He was simply weak in a world that needed strength, and his response to that was a natural instinct to live.
But at the same time...
Neither Amelia nor Juls deserved to die, nor did he want them to. It was like Juliana had said—there's only one person he could kill.
"Let's go back home. We'll think more about this there."
...
The journey home was long and silent. The city was very close to the Forgotten Quadrant, but due to the latter's insane size, even just the outskirts of the city was a few hours of travel away.
Nick was sure he wasn't going to kill Yck, that he would find another way to level up.
However, there was one more person who could give advice—if Ugyr wasn't too busy making fun of him.
"Why would a king worry about the fate of his subject?" Before he could answer she leaned forward, cocking her head to the side as her tail flicked behind her.
"You are still a king, right?"
'Yes...'
Why wouldn't he be a king? Rulers can't be benevolent?
"Is it so wrong for a king to care about others?"
Ugyr gave the question some thought, placing a claw on the underside of her chin as she looked him intently in the eyes.
"Well, I don't see why they couldn't. But, well. Wouldn't you be doing the opposite here?"
She smiled as Nick shifted in his seat again, unsure but hearing the logic in her words anyway.
"Yes. Amelia and Juliana are directly your subjects. More than that, they do their best for you. Even more than that, you clearly care for them. So... why would the life of some insignificant man be enough to put them in jeopardy?"
'Because he's a person. He deserves life.'
Even as Nick tried to convince himself, he felt his own confidence in that affirmation waning. It was as Ugyr said– his valkyries deserved life more.
"Well, if you want to think about it Yck is going on another raid soon. They need a fifth member too."
Ugyr smiled as instant understanding crossed Nick's face. He may be naive, but at least he wasn't stupid.
Nick summoned his [Fang of Finality] from its hammerspace to take a look at its intricate design. Its ridges and divets were designed to slice perfectly through flesh and even bone.
Up until now, he only used it to kill monsters.
Was Yck really going to be the first human it claimed?
