CHAPTER 41

It doesn’t work.

I’ve freed them from Submissing Freedom but the Remaining Dough still wants to fight against us. Contractuary can’t stop the deepest level of enslavement: themselves. They should be able to see that the empire doesn’t care about them. They’ll be cattles for the rest of their lives. They chose that. I can’t stop them. The best I can do is let them choose for themselves. I’ll let everyone choose. If they want to be enslaved again, let it happen without any spell. In that way, they can pick their masters or revolt if they wanted to. I’m simply giving them the option to pick the next choice in their ongoing lives. If Nostrazeus culls down the number of Adventurers, then I’ll cull down forced slavery. Nostrazeus allows any Adventurers that can survive his initial attack. I’ll allow any slavery that was made with mutual agreement.

Speaking of Nostrazeus, what is he doing right now? Surely he’s still cutting down the numbers of new Adventurers. But if Sorcerous Lake sent a group to inform him of everything, would he change his lifestyle? Would he return back to Sorcerous Lake to catch up. I’ve only met him twice but I keep thinking about him. Maybe we’re both kindred spirits in this trying world.

Oh! I’m back! That was short. It was usually a bit longer than that. No matter. Lets see what’s going on right now.

Everyone is still alive. We still have 10 people in this village. Out of the six bike-turrets, three were destroyed. I don’t think that matters for now. If the Tyfobius exploded, the bike-turrets would be gone.

The third Contractuary had fully grown! Wow! If this goes on, I wonder how long it’ll take for them to spread all over the world? It might not be world peace, but it will be a world of choice. That will be my promise to this world.

Any Fey coming? No? It is peaceful for now. This is the best time for them to come right now. No? Nothing? This might be your last chance before the main event tomorrow. Anyone?

No Fey.

Then, goodbye to Fey. It was fun fighting you. Thank you for accompanying me in my short time in this world. Also, thank you to Demon for helping me to understand this world. I would’ve been lost if it wasn’t for you. Floating words, I’m thankful for you too. Without you, I might still be lost in my starting area.

DETAIL CHECK
You are welcome.

You can do that? All this time, I still learn something new about you.

Since there’s nothing else to do, everyone gets back inside the bunker. After closing the entrance, everyone sits together near the vertical farm. The anxiety for tomorrow grips everyone to their marrow. If there is anything to be said before the detonation, this is it.

“I’m sorry for barging through everyone’s lives,” I say. “If it wasn’t for me, you might still be living in peace.”

“Peace isn’t permanent,” says Nostrades.

“It can live anytime it wants in between struggles,” says Nostreidon.

I can’t argue with that.

“Besides, we were living in hiding before you fell into our cave.”

“We’re still hiding underground right now.”

That’s… actually correct.

I look at everyone else. “I’m sorry for dragging all of you along. You would’ve continue living together in Sorcerous Lake if it wasn’t for me.”

“Eh, it’s nothing,” says one of them. “We’re bored being there sharing our mind. Having privacy is cool too.”

“I can think on my own,” says another one. “I can be myself again.”

“I haven’t gotten this much exercise in decades,” says another one. “It’s good to move again.”

Dusk. Dawn.

All of us wake up from our sleep near the vertical farm. The first thing I check is the Tyfobius.

It’s coming.

“Brace for impact,” I say.

The bunker is shaking. From the ceiling to the walls to the floor to us. Everything is shaking. Earthquake comes from all direction. All of my senses are struggling to register reality. Even if I use the solid steam, it won’t matter if hundreds of tonnes of earth falls from the ceiling. All we can do is pray.

And we pray.

The earth answers our prayer by giving us back our stability.

The vertical farm is still there. Although, most of the plants fell to the floor. We can check it, but we have something else more important than that.

The entrance of the bunker is still locked. That’s good. Floating words. Any radiation?

DETAIL CHECK
Check failed.

I miss hearing that.

“Weapons please,” I say.

Everyone gives me their weapons. With Gravy-lead, I turn down the effects of gravity on these weapons as low as I can without making them float. With this, they can swing them faster.

“We should use Lapis Lazuli,” says Nostrades.

“Tracking won’t affect us since this is our last stand,” says Nostreidon.

As usual, I can’t argue with everything they said. I nod. At least, we’ll all look like we’re wearing the same uniform. If we’re going down today, might as well do it with the best gear around.

As everyone goes to get their armor, I see a silhouette just outside of my vision. I’ve seen this before. Is it during my childhood in World Number 1? I don’t think so. There is only one door to the bunker and it was never opened. We’ve scanned and searched every corner of this bunker everyday. There shouldn’t be anyone else besides us in here. Is this the aftereffect of Tyfobius?

My gang is here. They’re fully armored from head to toe. We’re all ready! Bring it!

I open the door. Hot air slowly creeps into our skin. I walk outside.

Barren.

The land is barren. Bike-turrets, gone. Buildings, gone. It’s like we’re living in an entirely different world. This must be what the Feys and Demons felt in their world. I’m expecting plants to grow, but there isn’t any. All that’s left is ashes of what used to be there. If it wasn’t for our memories, we couldn’t even associate the ashes with Bread Village.

One thing is still the same. The portal. It is the only anchor before and after Tyfobius.

This is good! It means that Contractuary can still grow here! All we have to do is wait for it.

If we can wait.

I checked the locations of the empire’s troops. It is not looking pretty. All of them are mobilizing to our location. They want to recapture the portal. They want to establish another military base around the portal. They want to destroy every Contractuaries that might grow from this land.

“This is it,” I say. “They are coming after us.”

“It was fun living like this,” says Nostrades.

“Let’s keep doing this after we’re done here,” says Nostreidon.

I can see a group of people in silver armors wielding silver weapons coming to us. In fact, they’re coming from every direction. We’re surrounded. There’s no escape. Even if we go to the bunker, we won’t have enough time to close the door. I still have to look at @@@ that my floating words keep spamming in my vision.

The final fight starts now.