The music wasn’t playing, and the stage wasn’t decorated, but that didn’t stop Luna.
She was still dancing skillfully.
It was as if everything was fine.
Luna was a professional dancer, a genius, you could say.
And Kael acknowledged that.
But unfortunately, her fate was too tragic.
Time passed, and her movements became more professional and more graceful.
If there were any audiences here right now, they would definitely scream, begging Luna not to stop.
But unfortunately, there was no one here to say that.
And no one here to hold her life.
Finally, after more than 5 minutes, Luna stopped, and bowed deeply to the empty auditorium.
There was no applause.
And the atmosphere was extremely awkward.
However, she only felt happy, not awkward at all.
"I’m satisfied with everything."
Pulling out a knife, she then pointed it at her chest without hesitation.
The smile was still visible on her lips.
And still with those clear, innocent, and pure eyes as if Luna had never been tainted.
Blood began to flow out, and with it all her strength.
Like a puppet that no longer had a handler, she fell down, her mind becoming heavier.
Luna’s eyes also became hazy.
She was about to die.
The next moment, two lines of tears began to flow from the corners of Luna’s eyes.
"...I... don’t want to die..."
It wasn’t because she wanted to continue living, but because she realized that this revenge wasn’t enough.
She wanted those damn bastards to die too.
Luna wanted them to go to hell, to be tormented in pain forever.
"...But, it’s too late."
She had already begun to lose all control of her body.
And most of her senses had stopped working.
At that moment, Luna heard a strange voice in her head.
"...Who is it? Are you... a god? Or are you... here to take me to heaven?"
[I’m neither a god nor a shinigami.]
"...Then, who are you?"
[I am the Aether Core.]
A spherical object slowly appeared before her eyes, emitting a great light like the light of the sun.
[I can help you achieve your wish.]
[But to receive my help, you will also have to pay a heavy price.]
At this moment, all that entered Luna’s ears was that the [Aether Core] would help her in her revenge.
Like a blind person seeing the light for the first time, she muttered:
"What a wonderful performance."
Kael said, clapping his hands, at the same time, wiping away the non-existent tears in the corners of his eyes.
And then, when that emotional feeling disappeared, his eyes returned to their usual solemnity.
Looking at little Luna with an unfriendly gaze, Kael opened his mouth:
"So, what was your intention in showing me that?"
— Oh, you realized? Smart.
"Don’t be long-winded, get to the point."
Little Luna sneered, but very quickly, her expression turned serious.
— You probably realized that all those trapped in that illusion were the ones who had hurt me before, right?
— And destroying the [Aether Core] also meant destroying that illusion, and all those bastards would be able to escape.
— At the same time, my life would also end.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
Little Luna smiled slightly.
— It’s simple, you don’t have to do anything. Just live there forever, and if you want, I can give you and your companions the most comfortable life there.
Honestly speaking, Kael’s group could still escape safely when their time on the 25th floor ended.
But if that happened, they wouldn’t be able to obtain the [Aether Core].
And Kael wasn’t satisfied with that result.
"What was your purpose in accepting the help of the [Aether Core]?"
Little Luna tilted her head in confusion, but still answered his question.
Hearing this, Kael couldn’t help but let out a snort.
"Don’t lie to yourself, you did all this just to satisfy the pleasure of seeing others suffer.
"In that illusion, I found a diary that belonged to a dead person. And when I read it, I realized that he was a good person, not a bad person at all."
"He definitely didn’t participate in making your life miserable. If that’s the case, then why did you lock him in there?"
She wanted to justify herself, but couldn’t come up with any excuses. Content originally comes from Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"Moreover, my group just met you for the first time, and you locked us in there."
Kael knew that Luna wasn’t that kind of person from watching the drama on that stage.
If that’s the case, then there’s a high chance that she’s been corrupted by the [Aether Core].
So then... was the one talking to him [Aether Core], or was it Luna?
— Because... you guys attacked me first.
Little Luna’s voice trailed off..
"...Tell me the truth, how many innocent people have you trapped in that illusion?"
She didn’t respond, obviously.
"Besides, all the people you trapped have gone mad, that’s a great result, what more could you want?"
"So, destroy that illusion, please. You’re already dead, and it’s time for you to go where you belong, Luna."
Little Luna lowered her head.
Kael couldn’t see her expression.
— ...I won’t do that.
— I won’t destroy that illusion.
When those words were spoken, he was silent for a moment.
Then, a smirk appeared on his handsome face.
At this point, Kael was certain that this was the [Aether Core], not Luna.
And based on his gaming experience, the best way to escape from an illusion was to kill the boss that created the illusion.
Without hesitation, he turned his palm towards little Luna, not giving her a chance to react.
"Welcome to Death City and become my soldier. I heard it’s quite warm there, enjoy yourself."
[Authority of Gluttony.]
Not long after she was swallowed by the darkness, this reality began to crack.
Everything was returning to its original orbit.
"It’s time to go back."
With a smile, Kael looked towards the notification that had just been sent from the system.
[Congratulations, you have received the Artifact - Aether Core.]