Chapter 700

【 I LOVE YOU, ESTELLE 】

—

The roars of monsters and the sounds of battle echoed faintly in the distance.

Yet above it all, a hauntingly beautiful melody arose throughout the city, as if everyone were united in defiance against the cruel hand of fate that had been cast upon them.

Cypher at first only listened to them, but before he realized it, his own voice had joined the chorus, almost instinctively. His vision blurred at the edges, his mind teetering on the verge of reverie, drawn deep into the music that seemed to carry the collective will of the frost-elves.

He drew in a long, steady breath, letting it out slowly, with his fingers clenching until his knuckles whitened.

Although his heart was still heavy with questions about their past, and though countless mysteries from the preceding two days still remained unresolved, a singular clarity took root within him.

In that moment, amidst the echoing song and the distant chaos, Cypher made a resolute decision for himself:

—No matter what, I would save these elves.

He had always approached Elven Kingdom as a casual player, never one to delve deeply into its intricate storyline or to linger over the lives of its inhabitants.

Yet in this moment, for the first time and with an intensity that even surprised himself, Cypher felt a profound longing for their happiness.

He wished, with all his heart, that these elves could bask in the warmth of sunlight, taste the simple joys of delicious food, and live freely just like their fellow brethren did back in the Elven Forest.

More than anything, their song carried a weight of yearning that was impossible to ignore. In every note, Cypher could sense their hardships and suffering, their fragile hopes for a brighter future, and their unwavering devotion to the goddess.

Faced with such pure and earnest desire, he was certain that any player would have felt compelled to act and ensure that these elves were saved…

But… how can I do it?

Why haven’t I triggered a quest yet?

Was it because the system was malfunctioning?

For a moment, he even felt the impulse to self-PK himself, log out, and re-enter the game, hoping it might fix things and return everything back to normal.

However, remembering that he did not know how to return to this city after respawning, he restrained himself.

At the very least, he should refrain from doing anything drastic until the Black Tide had passed.

Or perhaps until that elder named Gando led him to the temple.

Perhaps once he reached the temple and revealed his real identity, everything would fall into place.

And once he exited the game and uploaded his auto-recorded video onto the forum, surely other players would understand the gravity of the situation here, and come to help.

At this point, Cypher did not care about getting any rewards anymore.

Yet just then, the sound of a harp string snapping cut the singing abruptly as the instrument fell onto the ground.

Startled, Cypher immediately turned toward Dorei and saw the older man suddenly curl up as his body began to tremble violently.

The frost-elf began coughing severely, each convulsion forcing black liquid out from his mouth that splattered against the floor. The swollen tumors on his face twitched erratically, as if countless worms were writhing just beneath the surface of his skin.

Dorei clawed at the ground, sharp nails digging deep into the floor as though he were trying to anchor himself. The pus-filled sores on his scalp split open one after another, with yellowish fluid seeping out and sliding down his face.

“Daddy!”

Estelle grasped Dorei’s clothes, her expression filled with worry and fear.

But this time, Dorei violently pushed her back, sending the little girl over a meter away before hitting the ground.

“Do… don’t come near me!”

Dorei growled the words through clenched teeth, his voice thick with pain and barely restrained panic.

Cypher’s expression shifted instantly, his instincts flaring. He tried to rise to his feet and help, but before he could move, he sensed something scorching against his waist.

Lowering his gaze, he saw that the silver dagger given to him by Elder Gando had begun to emit a bright, silvery glow. The mithril weapon, imbued with the [Purification] effect, was responding automatically, serving as a warning in the presence of creatures corrupted by the Abyss.

Cypher’s gaze snapped back to Dorei, noticing wisps of black miasma rising from his body.

“The power of the Abyss…”

He murmured in a grave tone.

The silent, stoic frost elf was being rapidly consumed by the power of the Abyss, the corruption spreading through him with terrifying speed.

What Cypher was witnessing now left no room for doubt.

At last, he understood the true meaning behind Elder Gando’s cryptic words spoken before their parting.

—Do not hesitate.

Dorei’s face twisted in unbearable agony, every muscle straining as if resisting an invisible force tearing him apart from within. A guttural, beast-like roar tore from his throat as his eyes slowly lost their original hue, turning a deep, bloodshot crimson.

The aura around him intensified, growing more volatile with each passing second.

“Daddy!”

Estelle struggled to her feet, her small body trembling as she looked at her father, panic and fear flooding her expression.

At the sound of her voice, a brief flicker of clarity returned to Dorei’s eyes.

He turned toward her, his gaze filled with guilt and a heartbreaking tenderness.

“I… I’m sorry…”

His voice wavered, heavy with regret.

“Estelle… I won’t be able to go stargazing with you anymore.”

Dorei panted heavily before turning his gaze toward Cypher, who stood frozen nearby.

“…Kill me.”

The words were forced out through clenched teeth, his entire body trembling as he spoke in a hoarse, urgent whisper that barely sounded human anymore.

Cypher opened his mouth, but his mind went blank.

“Please… kill… me. I don’t want… to become a monster…”

Dorei’s voice quivered, each broken syllable laced with desperation.

The tumors on his face writhed violently, and behind him, a demonic tail had begun to form.

Cypher tightened his grip on the mithril dagger, his vision blurring as panic set in. He frantically opened his inventory, scanning through every item and skill he possessed, desperately searching for something, anything at all, that might save the older man from this horrific fate.

System, even if there’s no reward, please, trigger a quest right now to save them!

Give me a hint, please! Anything which could point me in the right direction!

Cypher shouted in his heart.

Yet when he checked his system connectivity once more, it remained offline and unresponsive, devoid of any signal.

Gritting his teeth, he stepped forward and grabbed Dorei’s shoulders firmly, forcing the frost elf to face him despite the violent tremors wracking his body.

“Dorei, hold on. I am—”

He wanted to say, ‘I am the chosen one of the goddess.’ He wanted to reveal the truth, to cling to the hope that such a declaration might change something. But the words refused to leave his mouth, forcibly blocked by the system itself.

Cypher’s heart burned with anger.

Damn useless system!

Why now, of all times, did it choose to function like this, silencing me when it mattered most?

He exhaled deeply, forcing himself to calm down, and tried to speak again. Before he could, Dorei weakly raised his head and interrupted him.

“Kill… me.”

“This… is… the fate… of each of us.”

Dorei panted heavily, his voice trembling.

Cypher: “…”

He understood.

Having fought demons for so long, he knew the corruption of the Abyss all too well. He had witnessed its progression countless times, and once it began, it was irreversible.

There was no salvation waiting at the end of that path, only corruption, until one lost their mind entirely or became a demon consumed by madness.

Cypher exhaled slowly, forcing his breathing to steady.

“I understand.”

With that, he clenched his teeth and moved to strike, forcing himself to ignore the sharp pain in his chest. The glow of the dagger flared brightly as it pierced through, and Dorei let out a sharp, shuddering breath, his expression finally easing, as if a great burden had been lifted.

“Father! No!”

Estelle cried out in horror.

Dorei convulsed a few times, his gaze lingering on his daughter with an affection that transcended the grotesque deformities consuming him. He forced a fragile smile, and beneath the demonic features, a rare gentleness shone through his face.

“I… love… you, Estelle.”

“Don’t cry. Be strong.”

Then, a radiant light began to emanate from his body. The grotesque growths and demonic scales receded rapidly as his form began to fade.

“…My daughter… please…”

Cypher heard Dorei whisper this plea beside him.

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Dorei’s body dissolved into countless particles of light, before vanishing from sight entirely.

Like fireworks blooming in darkness, the sight was both ephemeral and eternal, breathtaking in its fleeting beauty.

“Father—!”

Estelle’s scream tore through the air.

She rushed to where her father had disappeared, desperately trying to grasp onto something.

Alas, the only thing for her to hold was the clothes on the ground which Dorei had left behind.

Trembling, Estelle gathered the tattered garments in her arms, expression etched with sorrow.

The frost elves’ song still echoing through the city, as if speaking in quiet, mournful tones.

Estelle knelt on the ground, gazing at the flickering lights outside, her eyes clouded with grief.

She spoke softly, joining the ethereal song once more.

Her voice was mournful, fragile, and beautiful.

Cypher dropped the mithril dagger to the ground.

He watched the girl holding the tattered clothes, singing the sorrowful melody, and for a long moment, he could not speak.

When the girl finished singing, she gazed silently at the garments before her and whispered:

“…I knew it. I knew this day would come…”

“Dad has just gone to be with Mother…”

“I will live strongly… I will definitely live strongly…”

“I will wait… for the day the Matriarch awakens…”

“I will not cry…”

“Dad… My Daddy has only returned to the embrace of the Matriarch…”

“Just like Mother…”

“They… they must be living happily in her divine kingdom right now…”

“They… they must be watching over me from the heavens, encouraging me…”

“I will not cry…”

Her voice grew ever softer.

Seeing her frail frame, a surge of compassion rose in Cypher’s chest.

He did not want to tell her that, according to the game’s lore, every soul corrupted by the Abyss loses the chance to return to their respective God’s divine kingdom and is purified into nothingness instead.

Watching Estelle kneel on the ground, her expression filled with sorrow, Cypher felt an irresistible impulse.

At that moment, the little girl’s figure seemed to merge, faintly, with his own sister in reality.

He could not help stepping forward and drawing Estelle into his arms, gently patting her back:

“If you want to cry… then cry.”

Her body trembled slightly.

She slowly lifted her head, misty eyes meeting his, and murmured:

“No… Dad would be disappointed…”

Seeing her struggle to hold back tears, Cypher drew a deep breath and said:

“No. I’ll shield you. He won’t see it.”

The girl trembled slightly.

“Really… he won’t see?”

Her voice quivered.

“Really,” Cypher said softly, with a tenderness he had never shown before.

The little girl was silent for a moment, then began to sob quietly.

Gradually, the sobs deepened into heart-wrenching cries.

She clutched Cypher’s clothes and cried aloud, unrestrained.

Her grief-laden wailing, interwoven with the sad, persistent song, stirred the softest part of Cypher’s heart.

He held her tightly, and before he realized it, his own eyes blurred with tears.

“I will save you all…”

“I will definitely save you all!”

He cried, yet his voice rang with unwavering determination.

Then, he suddenly lifted his head, eyes blazing crimson, holding the girl with one arm while clenching his fist with the other, raising it high, and shouted toward the storming sky outside the window:

“I—Cypher Shadowshade!”

“With…the…Goddess…”

His body trembled, as if trying to break free from some restraint.

The familiar sense of censorship returned, but a faint golden light began to swirl around him.

His expression became fierce, yet his gaze was steadier than ever.

He parted his lips slightly, veins bulging across his face:

“With…the Goddess…”

His voice faltered, as if something were trying to stop him.

Yet Cypher did not give up.

He struggled, the golden light around him intensifying, transforming into crackling bolts of lightning that spiraled around his body.

The energy in his heart surged, rising higher and higher…

The light grew dazzling, and Cypher felt his consciousness begin to blur…

Yet at the same time, the power within him grew stronger than ever.

At that moment, he felt that he could do it.

He drew a deep breath, bloodshot eyes wide, gritted his teeth, and in a dazzling cascade of golden light, trembled as he shouted once more:

“In the name of…”

“The Goddess…”

“As one of her Chosen Ones—”

“This I swear!”

Finally, he spoke the words he had longed to say.

A radiant pillar of light shot into the sky, emanating from Cypher’s body.

Accompanied by the soft, intermittent chimes of incoming messages from his friends, his vision… fell into darkness.

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