CHAPTER 164: CHAPTER 164: WE WON’T.

Chapter 164 – We Won’t

Morning came.

The scene of the battlefield was pure nightmare, thousands of corpses on the blackened muddy and slummy ground all in states more harrowing than others. The air was thick with blood, death, and rot, making it impossible to even stay here for too long.

But Asael and Kaden were still on that same battlefield, lying down on the muddy ground filled with black blood and corpses without care.

They were too tired to move, too tired to do anything. They just wanted to heal, just rest for a moment.

Kaden took out a couple of health potions from his enormous space ring for the two of them to drink, in order to heal faster. He also took out mana potions to restore their energy more quickly.

And right now, they were lying side by side, uncaring about the disgusting stench or the sight around them. Instead—

"Kaden my friend, now you’re lying to me. How come you killed more than half of the corrupted? That’s not logical," Asael said, complaining bitterly about Kaden’s supposed win.

"It’s actually logical. I have more skill abilities that cover a large area. So when I attack, I kill many at the same time, while you were going one by one. Heh!" Kaden scoffed at the end, clearly mocking him.

Asael’s lips twitched heavily. He wanted to refute, but he actually knew it was the truth.

Kaden could control blood and make it explode. And aside from that, his own blood was explosive. Add Soulbrand and Flame of Blood, so yeah... he was killing far more than Asael.

’I need more abilities like that.’

He clicked his tongue and stayed silent.

Kaden laughed. "Are you sulking? What are you, a child who can’t accept his loss?" he taunted, but Asael refused to give him the satisfaction of answering.

Kaden continued for a moment, then finally,

"As the winner, I have the right to demand something from you, right?" Kaden asked, eyes still staring at the bleak sky above.

Asael nodded. "Yes."

Kaden didn’t respond for a moment, then—

"You look like someone who has something dear to cherish," he said, glancing at the white necklace on Asael’s neck.

"Something that made you able to survive here for so long. I’m curious... what was it?" he asked before rapidly adding,

"If you feel uncomfortable sharing it, there’s no problem."

Asael simply shook his head with a smile. "There’s no problem. You’re a friend, after all," he said, before slowly grabbing his white necklace.

"Tell me, Kaden... what makes people determined to live?" he asked, his smile faint.

"Love. Vengeance. A goal to achieve..." Kaden said immediately. That was the only thing he could think of.

"Indeed. That’s the base of emotions that make people want to surpass themselves in any given situation. That’s why it’s important to have a goal. Otherwise, you’ll lose yourself along the way, not knowing what to do next."

"And sometimes, that goal can involve both love and vengeance... or one of them," Asael added, his voice turning melancholic, as if thinking about something from the past.

Kaden didn’t say anything. He let him take his time to open up. He just listened.

Asael smiled at his consideration, then continued.

"For me, it’s nothing too grand. I don’t know what type of guy I look like to you, but the only reason I did all I could to survive here, with the hope of getting out of this dungeon..."

"...is simply to return home and see my cute daughter," Asael said with a weak smile.

Instantly, Kaden’s eyes widened. He stood up abruptly from the ground and looked at Asael.

But the latter just continued, "This necklace is the only thing that reminds me of her. I brought two of them and gave one to my daughter, and kept one for myself."

He looked at Kaden. "That’s why I want to survive. I don’t know how much time has passed outside, but I pray to all the gods that time in this dungeon is faster... otherwise..."

He stopped there, not willing to think any further.

Can you imagine being trapped here while your daughter grows up without you? Without her father? How is she feeling? Does she know he’s trapped somewhere? Is she looking for him or did she stop caring?

These questions haunted him every day. But he did his best not to be overwhelmed by them.

It was a hard task when he was alone.

But now with Kaden here...

He smiled faintly.

...it became easier.

Kaden, meanwhile, was still surprised. How could he not be?

He was still a child, so the concept of having children was very surprising to him, especially looking at Asael, who looked no older than Daela.

He tilted his head. "How old were you when you had your daughter?" he asked suspiciously.

Asael immediately started coughing awkwardly as he looked to the other side, not willing to respond.

But Kaden wasn’t going to stop.

"Tell me, Asael... how old?" he asked again, more insistently.

Finally Asael gave in. "Maybe... 17?" he muttered in a low voice.

Kaden looked at him. He didn’t say anything. But he didn’t need to, his eyes were doing all the work.

He was judging. Hard.

Asael squirmed in embarrassment.

"Hey... I was a little open-minded at that time, okay? I was in my puberty phase, understand me," he said, trying to justify his point.

But Kaden only looked at him.

"How old were you when you entered this dungeon?" he asked again.

"I was 18. Inside this dungeon, years have passed. But my appearance barely changed. I look like somewhere around 20."

He paused.

"So I hope that time outside the dungeon is slower," he said with a soft smile.

Kaden didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have a child and couldn’t relate.

But...

"I have some people dear to me too, outside..." he started to speak, making Asael look at him.

"I have troublesome but loving parents waiting for me, I have a cute big sister who shows little emotion but I know she cares, and I have a big brother who is never present but the little I remember of him, makes me want to see him again."

He paused and looked at Asael, who was looking at him with a serious but at the same time emotional expression.

Kaden smiled faintly.

"I have also a charming girlfriend and a fiancée whom I barely interacted with."

At this, Asael seemed to want to give his opinion but stayed silent. But him too, didn’t need to say anything—his eyes were judging.

Kaden ignored his eyes and continued.

"See Asael? I still have so many things to do yet. I am not the strongest yet, I didn’t make my family better yet, and I didn’t do my duty as a fiancé to Rea yet. I have many things remaining. So do you."

He locked his blood-red eyes into his shadow eyes.

"Do you know what this means?" he asked.

Asael stayed silent for a moment before slowly opening his mouth,

"Do you need to ask this, my friend?" he said with a soft chuckle as he stood up from the ground.

"We have to survive and get out of this cursed dungeon," he added.

Kaden nodded with a smile and turned towards the corpses littered on the ground.

"Yes we have to. And, I’m eager to meet your daughter. I know I will be a cool uncle," he added with a smirk.

Asael smiled as he clenched his white necklace tightly.

"Well... as long as you don’t corrupt my daughter with your suicidal tendencies, it’ll be fine," he said with a taunting chuckle.

Kaden’s lips twitched.

"Asael, I’m more worried about her being corrupted by you instead," he replied, then raised his hands.

"I’m actually a good father," Asael defended himself.

But Kaden just shrugged.

"That’s what the bad ones say," he said, then immediately after,

"Synthesis."

Kaden combined all the bodies on the battlefield. A huge white light erupted and enveloped the corpses as the process began.

Asael looked at the scene for a moment, then—

"Kaden, my friend..." he said, voice low.

"Yes?"

"Don’t die here."

Kaden turned his head for a moment to look at him, then turned back, but his voice echoed behind him.

Calm. Resolute.

"I won’t."

...We won’t.

—End of Chapter 164—