Chapter 1221: A Pragmatic Solution

After Fromund used the cruel sun, almost nothing remained of the Kirani Colony. All the Kirani Bugs were now nameless piles of ash, and the larvae had been destroyed as well.

However, since they were insects, as long as their queen was alive, nothing was over yet. Moroya could rebuild everything; all she needed was time and energy.

Now, the most important thing was to survive. Every step was difficult for her, but it was better than Fromund, who didn’t even have the strength to stand up.

‘A little more… As soon as I absorb the Twilight Crystal… I’ll kill him… I have to do it.’

Unfortunately for Moroya, she was unaware that her fate had already been sealed.

Marhen’s eyes flashed as he emerged from the darkness for a moment to appear before Moroya.

She was too exhausted to react or defend herself. In that state, she was defenseless.

Without a word, just a cold stare, Marhen broke her neck in a heartbeat, ending her long life.

Thump.

Moroya’s body collapsed at Marhen’s feet, who looked at her as if she were one of the steps he had to climb to achieve his goals.

Naturally, Fromund was the most surprised of all. He decided that he had failed, that he had lost, and that Moroya would now kill him once she had absorbed the Twilight Crystal.

That is most likely what would have happened if Marhen had not suddenly appeared. His intentions remained a mystery, but from his point of view, everything made sense.

Step. Step. Step.

With unhurried steps, Marhen moved forward until he stopped directly in front of Fromund.

Then, Marhen held out his hand.

“Here. I’ll help you.”

Taken aback, Fromund gulped but accepted Marhen’s offer, rising with his support.

“You… Did you plan this from the beginning?”

Strangely enough, Marhen shook his head.

“Not exactly. I expected Bathild to be able to deal with Adam, and Moroya and I would kill you, Adam Vinter’s partner, but the situation didn’t turn out as I expected. Adam turned out to be much stronger than I thought, while Bathild was weaker. So I decided to help you.”

“Wait…” Fromund faltered. “What would have happened if I had lost? Would you have just watched Moroya kill me?”

In response, Marhen nodded calmly.

“Sure. I would have waited for the end of your fight and then attacked Moroya after your death. That way, she would be exhausted and wounded, ensuring an easy victory for me. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t my decision whether you lived or died, that was entirely up to you.”

Marhen’s last sentence immediately brought Fromund to a realization:

“That means… we’re not going to fight?”

Marhen shook his head as he looked up.

“No. You won, so you live. You don’t interfere with my new plans, unlike Moroya. No matter how your battle would have ended, I would have attacked Moroya in the end and killed her.”

After a few seconds of silence, Fromund smiled bitterly and stared at Marhen.

“Why?”

“Hmm?”

“Why are you doing this? Are you really that disappointed that Bathild couldn’t defeat Adam right away?”

Without hesitation, Fromund received a cold reply:

“Yes.”

Fromund gulped.

“But… I agree, there’s something else. It’s important for a leader to be strong, which is why monsters follow someone like Bathild. It’s the natural order of things, especially with the World Wipe looming.

“However, Fromund, there is one thing I will not tolerate. I would have been willing to fight alongside Bathild to the very end if she had tried to defeat Adam and claim her title as she wished. Instead, she used the power of another creature.”

Then, Marhen turned to Fromund. His eyes were full of contempt and malice, as if he were looking at a lowlife.

“Would anyone follow such a leader? It’s… It’s a humiliation I cannot accept, no matter how beneficial it would be for the Thunder Peaks.”

Strangely enough, Fromund completely understood Marhen’s position, even though they were a human and a monster.

No soldier in the army would want to follow a general who didn’t give his all to the cause and would use external sources of power to make his life easier. It showed that their leader was not whole, and that could not be a good thing.

“I get it. You have ambitions too. Hah, honestly, I respect that stance. If I were in your shoes, I would have done the same, although… You acted much smarter and more cunning.”

Marhen shrugged.

“Well, considering what I saw a minute ago, your ability… is a terrifying force. If I had fought alongside Moroya against you, who knows what would have happened? Maybe we would have been overconfident, and your sun would have burned us.”

Fromund chuckled briefly.

“Hahaha, you’re overestimating me. Most likely, you would have simply killed me. Against four Elders and hundreds of bugs, I wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

“Yes, you’re probably right.”

Then, a tremor reached the ground, repeating itself from time to time, reminding Fromund and Marhen that their battle was not the main one at the Corrupted Volcano.

No matter how massive the explosion from Fromund’s sun was, it did not affect the battle taking place on the surface.

Adam and Bathild continued to fight.

“Are you going to help her?” Fromund asked cautiously.

He knew there was nothing else he could do. Adam had to deal with Bathild himself, but Marhen was full of strength. He could attack Adam together with Bathild.

Marhen shook his head. “No. If she wins, I’ll accept it, and if she loses, the result will be the same. Either way, neither you nor I can influence what’s happening up there.”

“Hmm?” Fromund gave him a questioning look.

In response, Marhen sighed heavily.

“Come, I’ll show you what I mean. I’m afraid no one can stop them now. Only when one of them dies will it end.”

At the same time, unaware of Moroya’s death and Marhen’s new course of action, Adam and Bathild attacked each other, using every ounce of their strength to emerge victorious.