Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 89

EP.89 Encounter

A hundred deaths.

Through the relentless cycle of death and reset, Jeong-hyeon gained two things.

The first was a collection of countless heroes’ corpses. Exploiting the reset mechanic upon death, he repeatedly died while stashing the corpses in his subspace. This allowed him to amass a considerable number of high-quality—if one could call them that—heroic remains.

‘If someone saw this, they’d think I was building an army of artificial beings.’

The sight of identical corpses piled up in his subspace was grotesque and surreal, but Jeong-hyeon paid it little mind. Instead, he turned his attention to the second thing he had obtained.

*

[Divine Requiem] (Lv: 1)

– Infuses the dead with a huge amount of divine power, allowing them to move temporarily.

*

It was essentially a divine version of necromancy. Unlike the undead summoned by traditional necromancers, these resurrected entities possessed divine attributes and retained the ability to use skills they had mastered in life.

However, there was a significant drawback.

‘The skill level is still too low. It consumes an absurd amount of divine power but only manages to produce zombie-like movements. No better than skeletons or basic undead.’

The potential was undeniable, though. With Jeong-hyeon’s practically limitless divine power, the inefficiency wasn’t a pressing issue. But as it stood, Divine Requiem was far from viable in actual combat.

‘For now, I’ll focus on leveling it up so they can at least use their skills.’

With that in mind, Jeong-hyeon prepared for another battle. Unsheathing his sword, he faced the ceaseless tide of fallen heroes, ready to keep fighting until there was nothing left to gain.

***

Meanwhile, the Pope arrived at the academy.

Known in the past as the Saint of Compassion, Iryne—a title that few remembered now—took measured steps into the old institution.

Clunk.

The wooden floor creaked underfoot as he walked down the dim hallway. The dark brown corridor bore scars of time, with its scratched walls and the faint scent of aged wood filling the air.

It had been years since his last visit, and while the place felt somewhat unfamiliar, it still carried the essence of his first encounter with it. A bittersweet nostalgia welled up inside him.

‘… It’s been so long.’

He longed for those youthful days when everything shone so brightly, when none of them knew what tragedies awaited. But he was acutely aware that such times could never return. So, he let himself feel the nostalgia but did nothing to chase it.

As the Pope lingered in his thoughts, taking in his surroundings, the Second Princess, Karina, appeared before him. Her presence was deliberate, her demeanor polite but firm as she greeted him.

“Welcome to the academy.”

Despite her formal tone, there was a palpable rawness to her presence. She was still young, her emotions too transparent, her control over them still unrefined. That mix of inexperience and sincerity struck a chord in the Pope, and he found himself smiling faintly at her.

Noticing his expression, Karina’s face hardened.

“Something amusing, Your Holiness?”

Her voice carried a sharp edge, more defensive than confrontational. It was clear she was on guard, her tone teetering on the line of hostility.

The Pope, now too old to engage in petty conflicts, simply responded with a gentle smile, his tone soothing.

“Amusing? Perhaps. I’m simply reminiscing about a time when everything was bathed in light. Being here brings back memories of the most radiant days of my life.”

Karina’s brow furrowed at his cryptic words, clearly unsure of how to respond. Her confusion was evident, her expression tightening as she studied him.

The Pope observed the Second Princess’s reaction for a moment, letting her simmer in her emotions. However, nostalgia and theatrics had their limits. He decided it was time to explain his purpose for being here.

“Esich, the Second Deputy Archmage. He was one of your closest confidants, wasn’t he, Princess Karina?”

At the mention of Esich’s name, Karina’s eyes widened in surprise. She turned her gaze toward the Pope, her astonishment giving way to wariness.

The Pope, unperturbed, gestured lightly toward the Paladin standing behind him.

“He is here.”

At the signal, the Paladin stepped forward, unceremoniously depositing Esich’s unconscious, bloodied body onto the floor. Blood pooled beneath the mage, staining the ground as the Paladin nonchalantly wiped his boot over the mark before retreating.

“…What is the meaning of this?” Karina’s voice trembled with restrained fury, her gaze darting between the Pope and the injured mage.

The Pope met her glare with a calm, unyielding expression.

“Consider it a warning. For crossing the line.”

“A warning?” she hissed. “The kingdom will not stand idle after this.”

“Oh, perhaps not. But even your kingdom cannot act against the Church without consequences.”

Karina faltered, her fists trembling at her sides as her anger gave way to silent frustration. She had no retort; the Church’s influence was too pervasive, its power too entrenched.

The Pope sighed inwardly, deciding that further posturing would be a waste of time. They had more pressing matters to attend to. With a brief glance toward his Paladin, he announced, “We’ll discuss this in a more fitting location. Come along, Your Highness.”

***

The group descended into a vast chamber deep beneath the academy. The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood, the walls and floor stained from countless confrontations. The Pope strode to the center of the space, where he paused to take in the grim surroundings.

As Karina stepped into the room, her unease was palpable. The Pope turned to meet her wary gaze, his voice calm yet firm.

“The Hero should have been revived around this time—or perhaps a new Hero would have emerged. That was the original plan. However…”

He trailed off, his tone hardening.

“It seems some force intervened, disrupting our expectations. Not only has the Hero awakened far earlier than anticipated, but he has grown immensely strong in a shockingly short time.”

Karina narrowed her eyes.

“What sort of force are you referring to?”

The Pope paused, considering his words.

“A force that defies logic. From the Hero’s perspective, it would appear as an impossible stroke of fortune. A deviation that worked entirely in his favor.”

Had events unfolded as planned, the Hero would have been sealed away—or worse, slain—before he could even begin to realize his potential. Yet now, the Hero had ascended to heights no one could have anticipated.

“The greatest concern,” the Pope continued, “is that in the brief window when we diverted our attention to deal with the Demon King, the Hero has become powerful enough that even the Church cannot easily challenge him.”

Karina’s breath hitched.

“You mean… he was the one who destroyed the Church’s headquarters?”

The Pope nodded solemnly.

“The divine power unleashed in that attack was immense, beyond what most could fathom. By my estimation, the Hero now ranks among the three strongest individuals alive.”

The Second Princess could scarcely believe it. For the Hero to grow so strong, so quickly—it defied reason. But the Pope showed no signs of doubt.

“Fortunately,” he added, a subtle smile tugging at his lips, “there’s no need to panic. The Hero may be powerful, but we’ve faced similar challenges before. The same methods used to kill the previous Hero, who became the Demon Lord, will suffice for this one as well.”

The Pope’s confidence was unsettling, but his words carried weight. He had clearly thought this through, and his next steps were already in motion.

“To that end,” he said, turning his attention fully to Karina, “I require your cooperation, Princess.”

Karina blinked.

“My cooperation?”

“Yes. Time is short, so I can’t go into exhaustive details now. But if you assist us, I promise that the throne will be yours. The Church will see to it.”

Karina’s breath caught. The promise of the throne was no small offer, but she knew better than to trust the Pope so easily. Still, the weight of his words and the gravity of the situation pressed heavily upon her.

According to the reports the Pope had reviewed, the Second Princess, Karina, was very obsessed with the throne. She harbored a deep trauma stemming from her status as the child of a concubine.

With this in mind, the Pope calculated that it wouldn’t take much to manipulate her. By carefully prodding at her insecurities, she could be persuaded to align with his plans.

He subtly signaled the cardinal waiting behind him to take over the conversation.

“Cardinal Zemen will explain the details to you. If you have any questions, direct them to him,” the Pope said, his tone calm yet final.

Without waiting for a response, he turned to the Paladin.

“Paladin.”

“Yes, Your Holiness.”

“Work with the Second Princess and the Cardinal to proceed with the preparations.”

The preparations referred to identifying the Hero’s weaknesses. This ranged from uncovering his convictions to taking those close to him hostage.

“Should the Hero possess a particularly malevolent personality, such tactics might prove ineffective,” the Pope mused. “But Heroes are typically willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their allies. By holding his companions as leverage, we can bring him to his knees.”

With this thought, the Pope decided that Karina, with her rumored animosity toward the Hero, would be a valuable asset. He left the task in the hands of the Cardinal and Paladin, offering them a simple “I’ll leave this to you” before turning and departing.

***

As soon as the Pope and his escorts exited, Cardinal Zemen flashed Karina a smooth smile, his tone light yet insidious.

“You don’t have to think about it too much. I can tell without even looking which of the two is stronger: an individual Hero or a Church that has been preparing to capture the Hero and the Demon King for a long time.”

Karina clenched her teeth, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly. After a tense pause, a sly smile crept onto her lips as though an idea had struck her.

“In that case, prove it to me,” she said.

“Prove it?”

Zemen echoed, tilting his head curiously.

“Yes,” Karina replied, her tone edged with mockery. “If you’re so confident, why not capture three key figures? Bring me First Princess Charlotte, the Saintess, and one of the top first-year students from the academy. That should suffice as evidence.”

Zemen’s expression flickered briefly, though he quickly masked his thoughts. Her proposal wasn’t particularly troublesome; they had intended to take hostages anyway. However, her insistence on these specific individuals piqued his curiosity.

‘Charlotte makes sense, but what connection could she possibly have to the Saintess or a first-year student?’

The reports suggested that Karina had little direct interaction with the Saintess or the student. Zemen couldn’t discern her motive, but he deemed it unimportant. A written agreement would bind her actions, and any hidden agenda she harbored would be dealt with once the Pope and the Duke arrived.

‘No matter what she’s plotting, the Pope’s presence will neutralize any threat.’

Deciding to proceed as instructed, Zemen handed over the dormitory access logs provided by the academy to the Paladin, detailing the whereabouts of the targets.

The Paladin nodded silently, his course of action set. Together with a detachment of Holy Knights, he departed for the royal residence where the targets were likely to be.

Karina, meanwhile, was left to her own thoughts, her fingers idly tracing the edge of her sword as Zemen watched her with veiled amusement.