The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing.

Chapter 584 A Game of Life, 6000 Years Ago!?
One person must sacrifice for the whole group; one person must sacrifice to save two.

If it would endanger others, one should be willing to sacrifice one's own life before that happens.

The location of the gathering must never be revealed.

Evan kept in mind the rules Rick had set and strictly followed them, but he was stopped by the boy in front of him.

Creatures unlike those of this world.

For some reason, Ivan had this feeling—he had seen them from afar in the shadows, and those powerful figures all had arrogant expressions on their faces, each one filled with murderous intent.

Everyone affected by the war, even the most innocent children, will show obvious hostility and malice.

Or perhaps we should ignore it?

After all, in the eyes of other races, humans are just fragile, insignificant bugs that can't cause any trouble.

"Hey you, even if I saved you, you don't have to rush to your death, do you? Or do you have that... peculiar suicidal tendency? Are you Osamu Dazai?"

The boy vented his frustrations.

Ivan didn't know who Dazai Osamu was, but since he chose to die without hesitation when he encountered the boy, he must have been a lowly human being.

"...That's strange. I should be using the language of this world, so why aren't you speaking? You were quite eloquent just now, saying things like choosing to die for your comrades and family. I thought that was really cool."

The Crimson Demon Clan is utterly defenseless against this.

Moreover, what happened just now wasn't some kind of chuunibyou (middle school syndrome) or anything like that; the middle-aged man in front of them was genuinely determined to die, buying time for his two companions to escape.

That makes him even more admirable.

The fact that this person in front of him remained silent was making Zun Zun feel somewhat troubled.

"But it's thanks to your shouting just now that I got your attention. Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Zun Zun, and I'm from another world."

People from another world?

Ivan's mind raced through the races that had appeared in the great war: gods, fantasy creatures, elves, and so on, but he had never heard of any races from another world.

This must be some incredible intelligence, but unfortunately there's no way to send it back.

When Zun Zun saw Ivan's eyes shift slightly, he knew that the other man was not an idiot without the ability to think, but his determination to die was a big problem.

"You just came from here, right? So, what's in here?"

While speaking, he secretly observed Ivan's expression.

If the three of them were hiding something here, or doing something bad, there should have been some reaction, but Ivan showed no expression at all.

Zun Zun did not believe that he was a well-trained soldier who could hide his emotions and subtle actions very well.

It seems they have achieved their goal.

Even so, he still went in to investigate.

This is a huge spaceship. Calling it a spaceship is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is much larger and more technologically advanced than an airship. It has a huge light screen and some sophisticated instruments. Although they are all damaged and cannot be used again, you can still vaguely see the technological advancements.

So that's how it is. Is it something like magic technology?

"Can you use this?"

Zun Zun pointed to this.

Ivan said nothing and made no move, but his lowered eyes said it all.

Hmm, it seems he can't use it.

It doesn't matter.

As a master of magical artifacts, he could repair this machine, though it might be a bit difficult, but he should be able to find some useful information. Even if he didn't understand the machine, he could figure it out with a little practice, something Yosuke Shimaki had taught him.

The so-called technologies are actually quite similar.

Even with the added benefit of magic, the fundamental principles remain the same, and the intervention of magic actually allows Zun Zun to get started more quickly.

Soon, the light screen lit up again.

Above it was a huge, map-like object, and a point of light was constantly flashing. Judging from the terrain, it should be the location of this airship.

It's likely that the people on the airship sent a signal before the crash, wanting to wait for rescue.

The airship's owner is not here now, which means either they have been successfully rescued, or they have been waiting for rescue but have chosen to use the airship to save themselves immediately—either way, Ivan and his group are definitely not the owners of the airship.

"Oh, is this some kind of unknown script? This is a bit of a headache."

While language barriers can be bridged with the help of celestial essences, written language requires learning from scratch. Although Venerable Zun's Godslayer physique grants him the ability to speak a thousand languages, he still needs a reference point.

"You understand this... never mind, I guess you don't."

If they understood, they wouldn't have abandoned the airship.

But now people are very curious about Ivan's identity. Are they scavengers? Thieves? Robbers? — This person is so indistinguishable that Zun Zun can't guess which world he is in.

I really wish I could be as distinctive as Aqua or Yosuke Shimaki.

"He hasn't said a word."

Zun Zun was also a little angry.

From being framed by the Demon King's castle to this inexplicable world, and from not getting a response no matter how kindly he spoke, his anger was on the verge of exploding.

The Red Demon Clan, always ready to find fault, are not exactly known for their good temper.

"Since you're not going to say anything, don't blame me."

Zun Zun extended his finger towards Yiwang.

Ivan closed his eyes.

He might be killed, but he felt no fear or pain; instead, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. This way, the human settlement wouldn't be exposed, and his wife and daughter would be safe.

Great.

"—Memory search." Ivan felt no pain when a finger was tapped on his forehead. When he opened his eyes, he saw an unbelievable scene.

It was truly a scene.

On the light screen in front of him, which was neither too big nor too small, his memories were being played continuously from a first-person perspective.

The war began irrationally, there was the joy of marrying his wife, the joy of his daughter's birth, and the answers to why he lived and why he died, and that one sentence—

"Ivan, I command you to die here."

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. It wasn't out of regret or fear, but the tears just kept flowing.

At the same time, Ivan also noticed the somewhat shocked expression on the boy's face beside him.

—Life is a game? 6000 years ago!?
Zun Zun then suddenly looked at Ivan.

Ivan was moved by the complex emotions conveyed in those red eyes—surprise, sympathy, heartache, and helplessness—he had never seen such eyes before.

Humans, the weakest of the population, struggle to survive; how can they possibly have the heart to sympathize with others?

This is the power of the strong.

However, those powerful beings never look at humans with such eyes; without exception, they are indifferent and dispensable—and it is precisely because of this that they are able to survive in the cracks.

"I never expected it to turn out like this. No wonder she tried to commit suicide as soon as we met... Ugh, my head hurts."

The boy sighed, rubbing his forehead.

His expressions were rich, but for some reason, Ivan felt that this unknown boy had the same temperament as Rick.

"Anyway..."

Zun Zun untied his bound hands.

"Let me reintroduce myself. My name is Zun Zun, and I am... a human."

"impossible!"

Ruined!
Ivan regretted speaking the moment he opened his mouth. He knew that some races possessed special magic that allowed them to mentally control others the instant they spoke, thereby extracting information.

But it doesn't really matter, since the other party has seen all my memories.

Even human settlements are known.

But Ivan wouldn't defend his mistake; it's just that Zun Zun's lies were too simplistic.

Humans are the weakest.

Unable to connect to the Elf Corridor, they are not qualified to use magic, and the boy in front of them just now used magic to save himself from the monster's jaws.

"I am from another world, someone from another world. Yes, I am human, but not from this world."

"Um???"

Ivan looked clearly puzzled.

He had to admit that his mind wasn't as sharp as their leader Rick's; if it were Rick, he would definitely understand what Zun Zun was saying.

But for some reason, the phrase "not a human from this world" made his heart skip a beat.

"So you don't really understand either... Never mind, you don't need to understand it too much. Just know..."

Zun Zun looked at Ivan with a complicated expression, then hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"As a fellow human being, I will help you."

The two suddenly disappeared from the spot.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Rick and Aray continued their journey in silence after losing Ivan. Indeed, in this perilous world, even crying was forbidden. All they needed to do was return to the settlement—

Rick touched his heart.

It's okay, the "lock" is still there.

The settlement the two were heading to required them to continue their journey through a desolate wilderness where blue-gray dust fell, venturing deeper into a snow-covered forest. It was located at the foot of a sharp, protruding rocky mountain, in a secluded cave.

From the outside, it looks no different from any other wild animal den, but once you go inside, you'll see decaying pillars and several old chandeliers hanging on them.

Rick took down one of the chandeliers, lit a tinderbox from his pocket, and made his way into the tunnel dug deep into the cave by the dim orange light.

that's it.

They were careful to avoid traps for wild animals, and as they went deeper, they came to see the outer wall, which was built of many sturdy logs.

This gate was built to prevent wolves and bears from accidentally wandering in while crossing the trap. Of course, if the intruders were of another race, its presence or absence would make no difference whatsoever.

Rick approached the door and knocked forcefully and rhythmically, then waited. Finally, with a creaking sound, the door slowly opened from the inside, and the boy in the fur coat peeked out.

"Welcome back, you've worked hard."

Rick and Aray simply nodded in response and then went through the door.

The interior of the cave is a spacious area.

This is a human settlement, a secret base that can accommodate nearly two thousand people.

Rick paused for a moment, touched his chest, and after sensing that the "lock" was secure, he expressionlessly climbed the wooden stairs and stepped into the settlement.

He was prepared to be reprimanded by Nina—Iwan's daughter—but what awaited him was—

"Hey, you're finally back."

Ivan was accompanied by his wife, who was holding their daughter in her arms, and he greeted him with a big smile.

"……ah!?"

Alec, who was also shrouded in sadness, made a sound that was hard not to laugh at, and the sadness abruptly stopped.

(End of this chapter)