A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

Then, the tenacity of Horp in the Middle Continent continues to inspire those who survive.

The later part of the Second Age was spent almost entirely in war, without a moment's respite.

The battle in this place has ended, but the battle in the next place has already begun.

Countless battles, and the end of those battles remains unclear.

Nobody knows when it will end, and when it does, nobody knows what it will be like.

Will the Iron race be completely wiped out, or will everyone successfully drive the Bronze race back to a distant place?

Initially, no one believed that the Black Iron race could drive away the Bronze race with their abilities.

But then Kalogaris appeared, a powerful figure who single-handedly repelled the vast army of the Bronze Age.

Carlogaris made it clear to people that the Bronze Age could be defeated.

Under his leadership, after more than twenty years of continuous fighting, the Bronze race was defeated.

Bronze-level experts have fallen, and more than half of their numbers have been killed.

The once incredibly powerful angels, demons, and sea creatures gradually declined and were eventually forced to retreat to distant lands.

The angels rolled back to heaven, the demons rolled back to the depths, and the sea creatures rolled back to the seabed.

This great hero of the Dark Iron race sat in the middle of an open space.

Beside him was a woman who looked to be about forty years old.

The woman kept her eyes closed and quietly leaned against Carlogaris.

Carlogaris is still so young, maintaining his peak condition of being in his twenties.

Although this woman was neither ugly nor lacking in charm.

But she can hardly be called a beauty, and some people will definitely feel that she is not worthy of such a great hero.

But no matter what others think, Carlogaris will always love her the most, his wife named Salom.

"It feels so good to go for a walk."

"I've forgotten what it feels like outside the city." Shalom, who couldn't see anything, wore a gentle smile.

Carlogaris gently touched a few strands of Shalom's hair that had fallen out.

“Yes, we can come out again in the future,” Carlogaris said.

The war has been won; there is no need for the Black Iron race to continue hiding.

Everyone gained freedom.

"Yes, two more people come out."

“It’s a pity we don’t have any children,” Salom said with a hint of regret.

“It’s alright, your presence is enough,” Carlogaris said softly.

Salom couldn't see anything; she must still think that Carlogaris was over forty years old, just like her.

However, the only one who kept getting older was Salom.

Time flew by, and before she knew it, Salom had fallen asleep.

Looking at the soundly sleeping Shalom, Kalogaris felt an unusual calm.

Carlogaris stared blankly at the green trees in the distance.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that Carlogaris' pupils sometimes converge and sometimes diverge, making them extremely unstable.

After transforming into a wild god, he continued to fight, making his condition very unstable.

After all these years, he finally understood the price of this power.

Then it will collapse, become a monster, and then destroy itself.

Neither the mortal body, spirit, nor will is sufficient to withstand the power of the divine source.

He didn't know when he would lose control and break down, turning into a monster and destroying everything around him.

The collapsed Aragami is the enemy of all living beings.

Anything that possesses the three elements will be an enemy hated by the Aragami.

In other words, if things continue like this, Kalogaris himself will destroy everything he has been protecting, including Shalom.

Carlogaris gently picked up Salom and walked toward Horp.

Decades ago, he said he would always protect Shalom, but Kalogaris realized that he could no longer keep that promise.

He returned to the familiar house.

Even with all the fame he had received, he still didn't move out of the house.

This house holds countless memories; it's a place where he can find peace.

He placed Shalom on the bed, then very, very quietly pushed open the door without making a sound.

The desolate god, whose every move could destroy the heavens and the earth, now dared not even take a step.

They were afraid of waking Salom.

"Carlogaris, why did you call me here?" Nimize asked irritably as Carlogaris came out of the house.

"You don't even cherish the time you have with your wife now, and you're still looking for your old friend, me." Nimiter, now the lord of Horp, manages the city very well.

However, when Carlogaris summoned him, he still managed to find time to come out of his busy schedule.

He looked at Carlogaris with a mocking expression. He knew perfectly well how much Carlogaris loved his wife; he guessed they had been making out just a few seconds ago.

That's why he teased the other person like that.

But Carlogaris did not laugh.

"Nimije, can you kill me?" Carlogaris asked after a moment's hesitation.

Once the Aragami's countdown to collapse continues, there is no way for him to commit suicide.

Whether it was instinct or some other factor, the Aragami, on the verge of collapse, was unable to end his own life.

That's why the scholar committed suicide beforehand; otherwise, it would have been too late.

Carlogaris is no longer able to do things himself.

“…” Nimiter’s expression froze for a long, long time before he fell into silence.

"Are you kidding me? This joke isn't funny." His expression was very serious.

However, he genuinely hoped that Carlogaris was just joking.

“I’m not joking.” Carlogaris’s expression was equally serious.

"Why? You need to give me a reason."

"Nimije, I'm about to turn into a monster."

"Is he about to become a monster..." Nimitz paused, then lowered his head.

"Is this the price you pay for suddenly becoming so strong?" He knew that Carlogaris had suddenly become strong decades ago; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to defeat those surging enemies that day.

Carlogaris offered no explanation, and Nemesis chose not to ask.

Nimitzer always believed that Carlogaris had become stronger on his own.

But... it turns out that power was obtained at a price.

At this moment, Nimitz wanted to mock his own naiveté.

"Ah, the price? I suppose so." Carlogaris stretched out his hand and tried to make a fist.

"What about Salom?"

"..." Carlogaris did not answer.

"I'm asking you! What about Shalom?!" Nimize grabbed Carlogaris's shoulder.

Nimitz was gripping really hard, with all his might, but Carlogaris felt nothing at all.

"I have no idea..."

"But I don't want to kill Shalom myself..."

“…” Nimiter hesitated, then finally withdrew his hand.

“Go tell everyone, I have no right to order the execution of a hero.” “What are you talking about! How could we possibly kill you!”

"Yes, you are our hero, you saved the whole world!"

"That's right, please calm down. No one wants you to die. No one wants a great hero to be killed."

Carlogaris is a savior. Some may be jealous of him, but the vast majority of people admire him.

He is a true hero in people's hearts.

Now this hero is asking the people he saved to kill him? How are they supposed to do that?

“I am still a hero now, but soon I will not be.” Carlogaris’s tone was filled with helplessness.

He knew this from the start; he knew no one would kill him.

But he had to die, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

He wasn't sure how long he could hold on; maybe a hundred years, maybe a day. Who could predict?

Kalogaris could not gamble the lives of everyone on a slim chance.

He didn't believe that his mortal will, mortal body, and mortal spirit could hold out for any length of time.

He only prayed that he would be killed before he could destroy everything with his own hands.

"No matter what you say, we would never kill you!!!" The crowd pleaded with Carlogaris, hoping he would think things through.

There must be a way to help him persevere.

Unfortunately, only Carlogaris, as the person directly involved, truly understood what the Divine Source was.

"I don't want to become a monster and hurt you."

“I don’t want to destroy everything I’m protecting, and most importantly… I don’t want the person I love most to die by my own hand,” Carlogaris said slowly, his face filled with determination.

He had no fear of death whatsoever.

If he hadn't been unable to commit suicide, he would have surely taken his own life.

The idea of ​​"suicide" being suppressed by a chaotic spiritual doctrine is probably one of the most terrible punishments for mortals who fantasize about controlling the rules of the world.

"How could this be! How could you be a monster!?"

"You are our hero, a great hero."

"The monsters are right here. It's impossible for the Black Iron race alone to repel the endless Bronze race," Carlogaris said expressionlessly.

"But!!! You are our hero!!"

"You saved everyone!"

People are pleading with Carlogaris.

Nimitri simply crossed his arms, closed his eyes, and listened silently to the entire conversation.

He didn't interrupt with a single word.

He was Carlogaris's close friend, and he understood the other's determination from the very beginning.

The decision has been made.

On a grander scale, Kalogaris did it for the sake of humanity; on a smaller scale, it was for the sake of Shalom.

He was great, and he was also very genuine.

People are important, but the one you love is just as important. Others may not understand why Carlogaris loves that ordinary blind girl so deeply.

Having become a hero, he could have easily been surrounded by countless beauties, but he didn't.

He returned to the small house and found his wife.

Just like before, he waited for his wife to light the lamp for him, feeling the long-lost warmth.

"Enough, shut up. Carlogaris has a lot more to say," Nimitze finally spoke, interrupting the crowd's discussion.