Chapter 393

It was only a few days ago that I brought Abel here.
It was the day I realized the existence of the Seed Vault and made a preliminary expedition to the Sea of Wraiths.
I saw some glowing mana nearby, so I did something and went in, and there he was, inside a pillar of ice the size of a house.
“It’s a bit of a dick move.
He was more like a chewing gum than a person, but he was surprisingly still breathing.
Letancier said he died fighting a giant, but somehow he managed to escape.
After much deliberation, I decided to keep Abel alive.
I asked Navarordje to melt the ice for me, as I was afraid I would accidentally kill it if I tried to slice it with a knife.
“I wish Elsia was still alive.
Suddenly, I missed Elsia.
It was the elf’s manual that gave the resistance a solid foundation, and it was the manual that saved Abel’s life as he lay dying.
Despite the loss of Cain, her lifelong benefactor and reason for living, she endeavored to help those who remained.
Unlike the asshole in front of you.
Abel remained silent.
“——.”
His amber eyes darted from side to side, scanning his surroundings.
The one face that was relatively intact was his father’s.
It was a funny situation.
The glass coffin in front of you was the place in the world where your father was originally placed.
“It doesn’t have to look like this.
However, Abel’s condition was much worse than his father’s when I met him.
Everything from his neck down was covered in horrific scars.
Necrotic flesh slithered down his left arm and right leg, which had been messily torn off.
All over his body, he was wired with various life-sustaining devices.
“This is the man—Priest of Nebula Clazier.”
Navarordze muttered.
Her crimson hair was standing on end.
I noticed that she was desperately holding back her anger.
In fact, I felt incredibly guilty asking them to melt the ice.
The cause of the loss of all children.
Abel, the one who made Chamchuck suffer, is the one you want to rip apart right now.
I stepped to the side and squeezed her hand.
“——Thanks.”
Navarordze clasped my hand.
It was soft but also incredibly hot.
My ragged breathing was slowly calming down.
Abel’s eyes darted in all directions before finally settling on me.
“You’re stuck with that idiot. Are you the son of Cain?”
“Oops. Right.”
“Really–I had a feeling you had a hidden child, but I didn’t realize it was still alive.”
Abel laughed in disbelief.
On this side of the world, as my father had intended, my sister’s identity would remain unknown until the end.
I’ve got 10 of those curses in my body and I don’t even know it.
Abel said.
“Why didn’t you kill me, it’s not like you don’t know who I am, what are you up to?”
“You’re quick. There’s something I need you to do before I die.”
“What?”
“We’re going to kill the king of the giants, and we’re going to crush their source, so cooperate.”
I just blurted it out cool.
Abel stiffened as if he were a wax figure.
How many seconds have passed.
“—Hooh.”
“Laughing?”
“Hmph–you’re going to kill the king?”
Suddenly, Abel started to growl.
I wasn’t surprised by this reaction, as it was expected.
He let out a sullen bass note, then threw his head back and burst out laughing.
“Hahahahaha, hahahaha, you’re going to get the king!”
It was a villainous laugh.
Blood gurgled from the wound with every jerk of his body.
I waited in silence for the laughter to stop.
“—Ah, you laughed too hard, but I’ll give you credit for intelligence. How did you figure that out?”
“I’m from a parallel world. And for your information, you’re pretty successful in that world, though not perfectly.”
“What nonsense are you talking about—— How pathetic. You think you can accomplish what even I couldn’t?”
“Yes.”
“Kkkkk, you must have woken me up to give me a good laugh before I die, and you’re living your life in such vain hope that you’ll be able to do so. It’s like a bad farce.”
Abel laughed again.
I didn’t understand what was so fun about being a specimen in a science experiment.
Just when I thought I had gotten you on topic.
“Navardose. How are your children?”
“—What?”
“Your clan held up pretty well, I didn’t think you’d be able to defeat them. You may have failed to farm your children, but you’ve lived a long life.”
Turning to Navarordze, Abel spoke up.
The corners of his mouth were raised with crusts pressed against them.
I was stunned.
I hadn’t even mediated the situation yet.
How dare you!
Navarrozze fumed.
My barely-subdued hair stood on end like flames.
The hand that wasn’t facing me shot toward Abel.
Reflexively, I threw myself at her and pulled her into a bear hug.
【Ronan—!】
“Sorry.”
【Let go. You must kill him. How dare he kill my children—]
“That was abusive, I know, and I’d love to change it right now, but I have to hold it in for now.”
I whispered, not releasing the force from my arm.
Navarordze’s hands were now engulfed in flames.
A moment too late, and Abel would have melted along with the glass tube.
【I, hear—.】
It was hard to breathe.
And it wasn’t just because my lungs were crushed against my chest.
In her rage, her body resembled a fiery mass of iron.
“I made a mistake, I didn’t bring him here.
It hurt, but it didn’t hurt.
Because she’s going to be in a lot more pain than I am.
Navarordze’s arm slowly lowered.
“Sorry.”
“I, I—.”
A tear rolled down Navarordze’s cheek.
I averted my gaze, feeling my heart breaking.
She buried her face in my chest and whimpered in her main voice.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done this—.”
“No, don’t apologize.”
“I couldn’t keep it together. I don’t know what’s wrong with me–the tears just won’t stop.”
“It’s a natural reaction. Just let it go. If you hold it in, it becomes a disease. Let it go naturally.”
I gently patted Navarordje on the back.
No words could describe the misery she was feeling.
Not only did he help save the enemy who killed his children, but he was also a reproach.
My mood was at its lowest point for a long time.
Abel, who was watching us, blurted out.
“Is the skit over?”
It was a sneering voice.
I let go of Navarordje and stand facing the glass tube.
In front of me was a machine with all sorts of buttons and gauges.
Without any hesitation, I pressed the black button.
A few of the bamboo sticks connected to Abel began to glow.
Suddenly, his body jerked violently.
“Crack!”
“Hey. Abel.”
“Kweeeeeeeeeeee!”
Abel didn’t answer.
Couldn’t would have been the correct word.
His face was flushed to the point of bursting.
His shrunken toes were a testament to the pain he was feeling.
“What do you think you’re doing—!”
“Stay on topic, asshole.”
“Off!”
I pressed the buttons in rapid succession.
With each click, Abel’s body flopped like a shrimp just out of the water.
Thanks again to Elsia.
I can’t believe I translated and wrote down all these little things.
The documentation describes it as “a way to interrogate a worthy opponent,” and it was indeed appropriate for the situation.
It’s amazing how futuristic technology can make you feel like every cell in your body is on fire without killing you.
“I’m the one who wants to rip your body to shreds right now, because you’re the asshole who got away with being raped by the Bald Legion and then turned into a self-serve ice cream because you’re too scared to die in peace.”
“Grrr… Ughhh…!!”
“Face it. You accomplished nothing. You betrayed your father and the men who trusted you with their lives, and you failed.”
“You’re–black, about me—”
“Shut up. Don’t start patting yourself on the back because it was the intended outcome, or because it’s a fitting end for an inferior race. I know the true purpose of your offspring: to steal the source of the bald ones and force the people of this star to change.”
“How the—! Argh!”
Abel looked up.
Of course, it didn’t last more than a few seconds, and I twisted around again.
Navarordze watched me with narrowed eyes.
The tears had stopped.
I hope this makes you feel better.
I said, holding the button down.
“Your methods are flawed, Abel. People destroy themselves, but they rise again. Your father and you should have stopped watching them.”
“You—! What the hell do you think you know—!”
“I know, I know, I know, let’s get back to business without all the unnecessary chatter.”
It was time well spent, now that Abel was awake.
If Adeshan had been there, it would have been a mind control punch, but unfortunately, she was not in this world.
My finger fell off the button.
Barely out of pain, Abel gasped for air.
“Huhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
“I’ll say it again. We’re going to kill the Bald Lord and destroy the Source, and to do that, we need you to open a pathway to it.”
“That’s not funny.”
“You can punch me if you want. But I’m going to press this button until you’re dead, probably against a rock or something, and then I’m going to leave and never come back.”
I tapped the button with my index finger.
Abel’s face contorted.
It looked like it was a terrible pain to watch him squirm.
“And you won’t live long anyway, you need flesh and blood to be cured, and your father is already dead. If you’re going to die, do something good and go to a hell that’s a little less hot.”
Given his behavior, heaven was out of the question.
After pushing it this far, I thought it was time to move on to the highlights.
I winked at Navarordze.
Recognizing the signal, she snapped her fingers.
Voila!
A Sacchaman portal opened in the ceiling.
Something big and round came crashing down.
Every single one of them was the size of a man.
That’s a lot.
“This.”
“My collection.”
Abel’s eyes widened.
The piles were all the heads of giants.
The Resistance, including myself, have been destroying roots and fissures to build up a supply of those we encounter.
“For your information, it’s not fake, and we can now fight them as equals.”
“How—how did this happen.”
Abel stuttered.
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
I’d faint if I realized I had so much more and didn’t take it out because I didn’t have room.
“You’re just the younger brother who got tormented by the older brother. Admit your failures, accept them, and—”
The glass tube was now completely surrounded by the giant’s head.
Dozens of bare, white scalps illuminated Abel’s pale face.
I told him what I knew, as I always do.
“He thought of you as his brother until the end.”
“——!”
With those words, he turned away.
The thick gates slammed shut with a heavy thud.
I walked back the way I came, hand in hand with Navarrozze.
She didn’t speak until they were close to the ground.
“—I’ve been through a lot. Child.”
“And your sister.”
“Sorry. That was hot, wasn’t it?”
Navarrozze asked, swiping at my chest.
It was as if they had only just realized that the fabric had deteriorated from the heat.
I shook my head in disbelief.
“It was warm.”
“Hoo hoo, you’re so good–I can see why Adeshan picked you.”
“How’s your sister, is she okay?”
“I don’t care anymore. But will that evil man really change his mind and help us? I honestly don’t know.”
“Let’s hope so. We can take back the world, but if we don’t uproot it, history will just repeat itself.”
You’ve done everything you can do.
Torture didn’t work on him, so the only possibility was to change his mind.
If Abel would just cooperate, things would be much easier.
I don’t know if it will work.
“Why don’t you go upstairs and take a nap with me?”
“I’m sorry, but–I can’t do it today, I have something planned.”
I was genuinely disappointed, but I couldn’t put it off any longer.
It was a rare sunny day in the Sea of Wraiths, where the weather is notoriously shitty.
Navarordze smirked.
“What to do?”
“Yes.”
I paused for a moment and then opened my mouth.
“I’m just going to step out for a minute. With my dad.”