The Hero with black hair and red eyes slightly curled his lips into a captivating yet dangerous smile. As the silk slipped down, under the firelight, the vast expanse of snow-like skin appeared particularly mesmerizing.
"This must be Grandpa's house. You never seemed to place full of books, but just as well, it's the perfect venue to correct your stupidity—"
Then, the girl who had been silent and lowering her head suddenly looked up. Her emerald eyes reflected the roaring flames, shining like bright gemstones.
The Hero lifted his leg to sprint, stepping directly on the coffee table, soaring through the air in front of the Ancient Hero with a face full of astonishment, and without hesitation, punched the other self!
In this realm of the spirit, where self-awareness resides, the Hero swung a punch but couldn't feel the familiar, surging power that once coursed through all his limbs.
Although unable to activate skills, the Hero's strength was more formidable than ever.
A deep thud echoed in the air, shaking the fire in the fireplace. The Depraved Hero flew backward, crashing hard into a nearby bookshelf, accompanied by a series of loud noises, as books avalanched down, completely burying her in a toppled book mountain.
Surveying the chaotic scene left in the wake of his punch, the Hero couldn't help but shiver a little, but his eyes gleamed with undeniable excitement.
A few seconds later, a jade-like hand emerged from the pile of books, veins bulging.
[Hero dealt 27 damage to the Depraved Hero]
[Depraved Hero took 27-12=15 damage, HP 112/127]
2. You actually hit me? ♛
"You, you actually hit me?"
The Depraved Hero crawled out of the book mountain in disarray, clutching the bruise on her chest, eyes wide with disbelief.
After all, looking exactly alike, it was hard to bear hitting her directly in the face.
But clearly, that soft layer provided little cushioning.
"How can you be so unreasonable! Has your brain been burnt by the curse?" the Depraved Hero pointed fiercely at the Hero.
Just on tiptoe, the Hero, who was preparing for a second sprint attack, tilted her head slightly and blinked in puzzlement at her accusation.
"Why can't I hit you?"
Under the Depraved Hero's scrutinizing gaze, the Hero's expression was confused.
"I can tell, you're not a good person." The girl with emerald eyes took on a serious expression, pointing back at the unruly "self" in front of her.
"Even if we look the same, it's clear that you're a bad person... maybe not even a person." She said firmly, her gaze unwavering, "So, I have to defeat you."
With that, she withdrew her finger, clenching it into a fist.
That incredibly serious expression rendered the Depraved Hero speechless.
The Ancient Hero beside them stifled a laugh, turning her head aside as her shoulders shook slightly.
"You, you... You arrogant and hypocritical human, don't you feel any shame at all?"
The Depraved Hero could no longer maintain that cool smile, her face filled with wrathful indignation, her hands trembling slightly.
"All you ever mention is goblins, goblins, but in this underground temple, where's any trace of goblins!?
"This sanctuary was built by humankind, and the passageway excavated by them, using their fellow humans from the city as sacrifices and food for magic creatures, trapping them in hell, just so they could cling to a few more moments of life!
"The goblin's evil pales in comparison to the filthiness within this sanctuary!"
The Depraved Hero stood barefoot on top of the book mountain, hands on her hips, looking down at the Hero, imposing and daunting.
"You've seen that terrifying scene with your own eyes, felt the evil of humankind firsthand, yet you're foolishly obsessed with goblins... Someone like you, claiming to be a hero, is truly laughable!"
A flurry of words were fired like cannonballs, their echoes lingering in the air, causing the surrounding firelight to dim.
The Hero stared dazedly at the enraged self before her, lips slightly parted as she hesitated over whether to respond.
"What, nothing to say? Your brain's not just muscle, is it?" the Depraved Hero sneered triumphantly.
"...Maybe what you said isn't wrong." The Hero scratched her head, a bit perplexed in her tone, "But all those people are already dead, and the sanctuary and city have been destroyed, right?"
She cautiously continued, watching herself fall silent,
"I can't go back and fight them... and look, isn't the main culprit the Devouring Curse Demon? If not for you, I would've already finished off that big scorpion outside..."
"Don't change the topic! That thing outside isn't the old Demon God, what we're discussing now is humankind's problem!" irritation made the Depraved Hero stomp her foot.
"What's the difference between the humans complicit under the Demon God's control and goblins? Even if everyone here has perished, isn't it true that in today's world, there are human beings more evil than goblins!? You're obsessed with exterminating goblins, ignoring humankind's sins, shouldn't humankind—"
"But among humans, there are good people too, and they're also fighting against evil humankind," the Hero naturally retorted, full of confusion on her face, pointing at the Ancient Hero.
"Look, such a big good person."
"Are there good ones among goblins too? Have you seen any?" The Hero's expression grew even more puzzled.