The red threads suddenly appeared, wrapping tightly around Leonard. Maya frowned. "What the hell? He’s losing control!"
Matthew’s expression wasn’t much better than Maya’s. Instinctively, he turned to look at Nerio—only to find Nerio already looking at him. Matthew stiffened. At this mont, he could not et Nerio’s gaze—the person he had once sworn to protect.
"AGHHHH, let go! Let go!"
Leonard roared, and with unimaginable strength, he tore through Maya’s red threads! Maya scread as fresh blood dripped from her fingertips. She clutched her wrist, pain flickering in her eyes as if it would spill over at any mont.
"Run, both of you!"
Matthew shouted at Taylor and Nerio before imdiately firing light arrows toward Leonard.
The light arrows pierced Leonard’s body quickly, but the damage they inflicted couldn’t keep up with the terrifying speed of his regeneration.
He lunged at Matthew, sending him flying before swiftly charging toward Taylor. Right now, deep inside him, he had only one thought—he needed to "consu" a human, a normal human!
Taylor watched as Leonard closed in at an unimaginable speed. Then, she glanced down at Nerio—and suddenly yanked him toward her, shielding him with her body.
[Did I see Nerio raise an eyebrow? Hahaha.]
[Maybe even Nerio didn’t expect Taylor to make that decision...]
[I’ve always thought Taylor was a good person, just a little too headstrong. The dungeon’s influence made her hard to deal with at tis, but this action proves her kindness.]
[Yeah, even under the dungeon’s influence, she always emphasized that they wouldn’t have made it this far without Nerio. Poor girl, hahaha.]
[Hahaha, poor girl indeed—because she doesn’t realize the one who needs protecting was never Nerio!]
The comnts brimd with schadenfreude as everyone braced for the inevitable bloodshed.
But the blood never ca.
Leonard froze. He stared at the boy standing before him.
The boy was at least 30 centiters shorter than Taylor, yet he instantly captured Leonard’s full attention.
Leonard panted heavily, the veins on his forehead and limbs bulging as if urging him to surrender to his instincts. His face contorted with pain as he fought against his craving for blood—but he remained rooted in place.
Matthew and the others watched in stunned silence, even the comnt section falling still.
[Wait a second, is Nerio saving Taylor? Is this kid a monster or not?]
[I still believe Nerio’s just pretending to be kind this whole ti, hahaha.]
Leonard’s crimson eyes fixated on Nerio’s pale, slender neck. His ragged breathing gradually steadied, though his glowing red pupils betrayed that his power was still active.
"Well done." Nerio smiled, his eyes curving slightly.
He raised a hand, and Leonard instinctively lowered his head, allowing Nerio to pat him—like rewarding an obedient pet gently.
Nerio withdrew his hand, glancing up at the glowing red numbers in the sky before looking back at Leonard. "Less than a minute left. Are you still hesitating?"
His words sent a ripple through the others.
[Damn it! If you wanted Leonard to decide, you shouldn’t have stopped him just now! The humans would’ve all been dead in three seconds!]
[Or Nerio could command Leonard right now. Does anyone else get how insane it is to see Leonard bowing his head? He’s beco Nerio’s dog!]
[Co on, don’t put it that way. He’s just a loyal knight, that’s all!]
[So people love to romanticize things...]
[Wait, I get it now. Nerio wants Leonard to stay rational and choose to wipe out all humans. That way, he’ll be an actual monster—because an uncontrollable beast is useless, right?]
[This is precisely the kind of brilliance I expect from Nerio!]
[A villain who loves pretending to the bitter end... Watching the humans sink into despair is just too funny, hahaha!]
[I’ve never seen a dungeon where the monster faction gets more viewers than the human side. You guys are exposing yourselves just because the villain is hot...]
Nerio gently tugged at his collar, revealing the pale skin of his neck and collarbones. Leonard swallowed instinctively, his eyes flickering toward the others.
Then, suddenly, he dropped to his knees before Nerio, his broad back slumping in defeat.
"I can’t... Nerio, I’m not a monster... You’re not a monster, Nerio..."
Tears fell from his eyes, landing on Nerio’s polished shoes.
Nerio lowered his gaze, expression unreadable. "You got my shoes dirty."
Leonard lost in his emotions, snapped back to reality. Panic flashed across his face as he hurriedly reached out to wipe the tears away—only to realize his hands were drenched in blood.
He clenched his fists as if summoning every ounce of courage, then looked up at Nerio and pleaded, "You were the one who told that, Nerio... I’m not a monster. Please... spare us, won’t you?"
Nerio stared at him for a long mont before shrugging. "Either you survive alone, or everyone dies. Is that such a hard choice?"
"I can’t kill you..."
[Oh, you’re saying he can kill everyone else but not Nerio? There’s no saving him—humanity is dood.]
[They made it here, only to be buried together.]
[The funniest part? They wouldn’t have even made it this far without Nerio.]
"I will serve you for the rest of my life. Please... let them go, won’t you?"
Leonard’s sudden words hung as if he had finally acknowledged Nerio’s true identity.
The other humans furrowed their brows, their eyes filled with panic, despair, and wariness. They stared at Nerio like the people outside the dungeon, just like the viewers. All of them were waiting for the boy’s answer.
Under countless expectant gazes, Nerio shrugged, his expression unreadable. "You’re strange. How could I possibly control this dungeon?"
Leonard pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes sinking into despair.
"Dingggggg!"
The countdown had reached zero.
A resounding bell echoed through the air at that exact mont, followed by the system’s announcent.
[10 minutes have passed. No one was chosen. Your fate has been sealed. This is the mont your lives co to an end!]
As the system’s voice rang out, the monster’s deafening roar followed.
Its cry darkened the skies, summoning violent whirlpools that churned above, ready to descend at any mont.
The monster’s gown began to swirl, carrying water and storms.
The humans struggled to stay on their feet, gazing upward in despair. At this point, they no longer thought of resistance—only of their impending deaths.
Leonard rose to his feet, his tall, slender fra shielding Nerio behind him. Even in his final monts, he refused to let Nerio die before him.
[lol, even now, Leonard still wants to protect Nerio? He’s utterly obsessed with him at this point.]
[If Nerio were a god, Leonard would be his high priest.]
"Thank you... for helping find myself, Nerio." Leonard’s voice was steady now, filled with an eerie calm.
For nearly twenty years, he had lived in both physical and ntal tornt. Now, standing on the edge of death, his only regret was a boy he had t less than three days ago.
"I wish we had t sooner."
Even if you weren’t human. Even if it ant my death would have co even sooner.
I still wouldn’t have regretted it.
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