WHAT! I Have To Kill Heaven's Son To Live!-Chapter 187: You Can Stop Pretending To Be Strong!

Children of the Black Sun—

That is what they call themselves, a name forged to inspire fear and dread across human lands.

But in truth, they are nothing more than demons wearing human skin.

They are the ones who have forsaken the way of humanity—abandoning honor, turning their backs on the light—to crawl into the shadows and sell their souls for power.

In exchange, they become thralls to the abyss.

Among the common folk, they are known by a simpler, truer name: Demon Worshippers.

They forge blood pacts with Evil Demons—offering the flesh and blood of innocent children as tribute.

And in return, they receive a bit of demonic power—strong enough to rival the powerful beings of this world.

Their ultimate goal was to bring demons—beings they believed superior to humans—into the mortal world, to let them descend and lead humanity into peace.

For that dream, they were willing to sacrifice anything.

Any means. Any lives.

’Fucking mindless lunatics...’ Reon scoffed inwardly.

’But they shouldn’t be surfacing this early... Unless... they’re still in the shadows, building strength. That must be why they handed the dirty work to these lowly bandits.’

His eyes narrowed.

’Demon-worshipping bastards... They’re cunning. They’ll build an organization strong enough to rival even an overlord sect or ancient clan—while the true powerhouses remain blind to the threat.’

’By the time they notice, it’ll be too late. The cult will have already planted spies in every major sect and noble family across the continent, waiting to plunge everything into chaos.’

’They become the main antagonistic force after the time skip...’

Pu Lan kept rambling, unaware of the fate tightening around his neck.

"...And that’s how we started expanding our stronghold and became feared throughout Ninzhou County—"

"Alright. That’s enough," Reon interrupted coldly. "You’ve said your part. Now, you can die."

A flicker of panic shot through Pu Lan’s eyes. "W-What?! But... you promised! A warrior who breaks his word can’t call himself honorable—!"

His voice died in his throat.

"I don’t give a damn about honor."

With a casual motion, Reon’s right hand sliced clean through Pu Lan’s neck.

The bandit’s head tumbled to the ground, his lifeless body collapsing soon after.

With a flick of his hand, Reon flung the blood from his fingers—expression calm, but his voice laced with steel.

"And what you did... even if forced, is unforgivable. A hundred children a week. Twelve hundred in three months. Each of you should have died twelve hundred times just to begin making up for it."

His jaw tightened with anger—at them, and at himself.

"...Maybe I should’ve had Cloudia trap your souls in an illusion... let you die again. And again. And again."

At that moment, a small figure emerged from the Inner Beast Domain.

Cloudia, in her petite fox form, fluttered down gracefully and perched on Reon’s shoulder, her silver tails swaying gently.

"Master," she said softly, "that would be impossible. I still can’t place so many people into one illusion at once. And besides... you’ve already avenged those children... there’s no need to feel so disheartened."

Reon sighed, her gentle words easing the heaviness in his heart.

"Yeah... you’re right. I just hope those kids can find peace in their next life."

"That’s my master," Cloudia said with a proud little grin, nuzzling his cheek.

Turning toward the children, Reon’s expression softened. He didn’t want their young eyes to witness the gruesome aftermath.

Gently, he guided them toward a nearby building that had been spared from destruction.

"You can open your eyes now," he said calmly.

One by one, the children blinked and looked up at him. A small girl with twin buns stepped forward, still trembling.

"B-Big Brother... who are you? A-And where are those scary men?"

Reon smiled and crouched to her level, placing a reassuring hand on her head.

"Those men? They’re gone now. You don’t need to worry about them ever again."

"Huh...?"

She didn’t understand, but his warmth seemed to calm her. A little relief returned to her frightened eyes.

"And just call me Brother Xue, alright?"

"Okay!" the girl replied with a sweet smile.

From the back, an older girl stepped forward—Mei Lin. Her eyes met Reon’s—and in an instant, recognition flickered across her face.

Silently, she approached him.

Reon gave her a small, knowing smile.

"We meet again, little one."

She looked down, her voice quiet, trembling with guilt and fear, yet she seemed emotionally stronger than the other kids.

"W-Why? Why did you come here? I told you to run... There are so many cruel, horrible people here. Now you’ll also—

Reon gently placed a finger on her lips, silencing her.

"You worry far too much for someone so young," he said, opening his clenched fist to reveal a small candy resting in his palm, the tension in the air easing with the simple gesture.

"It’s all over now. You can stop pretending to be strong. You’re allowed to be a child, Mei Lin."

Her eyes widened.

’What is he saying...? How can he smile like that when we’re all...’

But the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, she felt something warm bloom in her chest—something long forgotten.

’No one’s ever said that to me... Not since Mom and Dad died. I’ve been pretending for so long... Maybe now, I can just be myself again, even if it’s just for a moment.’

"Y-Yes... Thank you, Brother Xue."

She smiled—and her smile was like the first bloom of spring after a long, cruel winter.

’Oho... her smile’s damn cute,’ Reon thought with a light chuckle in his heart.

"Big Brother, me too!"

"Me too!"

The other children crowded around, their eyes wide with innocent hope.

"Yeah, yeah. You’ll all get something," Reon said, pulling out a pouch and handing candies to each of them.

Their eyes then landed on Cloudia, who tilted her head in confusion. The children ran to her, laughing and poking her soft fur.

She squeaked, half annoyed and half amused, as they played with her like a soft toy.

"Haha, they’re all so cute," Reon chuckled quietly, watching the playful chaos.

’Now, time to clean up the mess outside,’ he thought, slipping quietly out of the room.

Outside, Reon summoned a Fireball, letting it blaze over the pile of corpses.

’I wish I could absorb all their vitality...’ he mused. ’It would be a good boost—but that fourth art’s cooldown lasts fifteen days.’

’It’s a freaking awesome ability, but the long cooldown is a major drawback.’

’I even stored Miu Jiang’s body in my inventory because it’s valuable—items kept there stay much better preserved than in a Spatial Ring.’

’But these other corpses won’t fit, and they’re useless anyway since I won’t gain much vitality from them—their cultivation levels are too low.’

’Hmm... maybe I’ll just take Zu Fen’s..’

Once the flames had reduced the bodies to ash, Reon turned to head back inside.

But then—

He froze.

Behind him stood Mei Lin, her face pale and terror-stricken, eyes wide with fear.

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