The opponent's beam struck the tip of his blade, slicing it off instantly, showing just how powerful it was.
However, Ren had already vanished from the spot.
In the game, he had developed agility and reflexes, and combined with his racial traits, his strength had reached terrifying levels.
With his speed and no shortage of mana, he had become a nightmare for any mage.
Non-targeted attacks rarely hit him, but targeted attacks had a weakness: if the power was high, the casting time was long, and if the casting time was short, the power was weak.
Meanwhile, at the inn, Keno woke up in the middle of the night.
She felt an emptiness and realized that Ren was gone.
The room still had isolation barriers, cutting off all outside sounds, and safety wards.
Clearly, someone had already left.
"Ren."
Keno quickly put on her robe, not even bothering with an outer coat, and rushed outside.
The area was empty.
She didn't know the exact location, but as long as she followed the mountains and headed upward, she would reach it.
Without hesitation, she ran toward the castle on the hill.
Ren, on the other hand, swung his sword again, tearing through the opponent's zombie armor.
New zombies quickly covered the armor again.
He had just tested his Ama no Murakumo on the opponent's leg, and it had sliced off both the leg and the armor.
This wouldn't do.
If it were the neck, the dragon would have already been dead.
Killing this thing was easy, but leaving it alive was difficult.
He had been fighting for quite some time already.
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord realized why the opponent had mentioned the Eight Greed Kings.
It was probably a player.
Judging by the performance, he was far stronger than the Eight Greed Kings.
Without hesitation, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord used Soulbreaker Breath.
Ren immediately sensed the danger.
If this attack hit him, he would likely die instantly.
"I didn't expect I'd need you here."
Ren pulled a shield from his backpack—a world-class item, the Thorned Shield, though not one of the top twenty.
It had five uses to block attacks beyond its normal capacity.
It could not be repaired, but its defense could withstand ninth-level magic.
It could resist tenth-level magic three times before consuming a use.
Only spells above the super-tier level could drain its defensive charges.
Its most remarkable feature was its stored counter-damage ability, reflecting up to 30% of damage.
Soulbreaker Breath arrived, the attack hitting the Thorned Shield.
Its immense power gave Keno a clear sense of direction.
She had never seen an attack of this level before.
Recalling their travels together, she wondered if she would have to face this alone again.
"Sorry, Dad, Mom, Natasha, I… I had abandoned the idea of saving you. I just wanted Ren to survive…" Keno sat by the broken door, hugging her knees, burying her head into them.
The Thorned Shield quickly absorbed all of the enemy's attacks. Seeing the number of attacks decrease, Ren activated its counter-damage.
Thirty percent of the damage caused the zombie armor to shatter, revealing the true body inside.
Its lower body resembled a feline, and its neck was long, giving it a very strange appearance.
"So this is really you, the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord." Ren held Ama no Murakumo across its neck. As long as it made a move, he could quickly sever its head.
"Another player? Haven't you already ruined this world enough?" The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord stared at Ren.
"Let me correct that. We just did what we thought was right. We aren't saints. At least the previous players brought hope to humanity, didn't they, former ruler?" Ren avoided contaminating it with his presence, not wanting to kill The Dragon Lord.
"What a joke… turning our world into this." The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord was furious.
"You've turned nearby towns into zombies over the past few years. Restore them, and I promise I won't bother you again." Ren ignored its anger.
"Hahaha… so that's why you came? Just for a bunch of useless ants?" The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord was confused. A single undead player, risking so much for other races—was it necessary?
"Can't communicate, huh? Then I'll ask another question. Do you want to live to revive these people, or die without reviving them? Which do you choose?" Ren said coldly, forcing himself to remain calm so his emotions wouldn't flare.
"I am the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord!" It struggled violently, even knowing a sword hung over its head.
Ren immediately unleashed the strongest skill of his Sword God profession, Heaven and Earth Slash.
With one strike, the struggling Elder Coffin Dragon Lord's head fell, its life ended. Even top-tier healing magic couldn't save it.
The Elder Coffin Dragon Lord had pride. Obeying Ren to live? That was impossible.
Resistance wasn't about reviving ants—it was about the dignity of being a dragon. If it compromised, even alive, it couldn't hold its head high.
"This is troublesome. Killing him seems to have made it impossible to lift the zombie curse." Ren put away Ama no Murakumo and scratched his head, realizing he had broken his promise.
After standing for a while and whipping the Elder Coffin Dragon Lord's corpse, Ren finally decided to leave.
He had a plan: find a world-class artifact—these items were extremely rare but undeniably effective.
Or wait for two hundred years, until the story reached a certain point, and see if Momoga could save the day.
Ren had originally planned to fly down directly, but he noticed a small figure curled up by the door. He hurried over to her.
The little body trembled slightly but didn't move, as if ready to face her fate.
"Keno, what are you doing crouching here?" Ren half-squatted and spoke softly.
Keno quickly lifted her head, tears in her eyes. "You big dummy! You should have told me if you were going into battle. If you hadn't stopped, I would have followed you there and at least wouldn't have worried so much."
"I'm sorry about that," Ren said sincerely. "And about our promise… I'm sorry too. It might be impossible to fulfill it for now."
Keno shook her head. "Ren, as long as you're okay, that's enough. I've studied so much, and I know the hope is slim, but I've thought it through. I…"
"There is still hope," Ren interrupted gently, not wanting her to say something so despairing. "World-class artifacts, my guild, everything here holds hope. Do you want to travel with me, to seek miracles and find a way to save them?" He reached out his hand.
"Yes." Keno nodded softly and placed her hand in his.
Because of their species, their hands were cold, but at that moment, Keno felt at ease. Even as an undead, she felt her face flush and her heart race.
"Let's go back. The real journey is ahead. It could take hundreds of years, so be prepared," Ren said with a smile.
"Mm." Keno smiled back, quietly grateful for having become an undead.
The two of them set off toward the place where they first met. The carriage was still there.
Their promise had failed miserably, and Ren felt a little defeated—after all, in the game, he was ranked among the top three players.
Along the way, Keno no longer felt sad. Happiness shone on her face as they walked, stopping and going at a leisurely pace. They arrived at the first town, which had also been Keno's home before.
**********
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