The Final Boss Has Returned 104

Chapter 104

“Until now, you have lived and sacrificed for others. But what about yourself? Hey, Eugene. Start loving yourself from now on. Because a person who can’t love themselves and isn’t happy themselves can’t make others happy.”

Drakan’s words sounded incredibly sweet to Eugene’s ears.

It was an indulgence.

An indulgence that said it was okay to be honest with his desires, that there was nothing wrong with it!

The desires that lurked within Eugene, the ones he had suppressed under the name of ‘principles’ until now, began to stir.

I want to stay with everyone, just like this.

I don’t want to lose a single one of them.

I don’t want to destroy this guild.

I don’t want to destroy my only sanctuary with my own hands.

I want to be with my family-like comrades forever and ever.

Such desires began to boil deep within Eugene’s heart.

Love yourself!

Yes, in a way, those words made sense.

Until now, Eugene had lived for others, setting principles and living a life of sacrifice and giving.

Some might call him a pushover, but Eugene didn’t care.

But Drakan’s words also had a point.

A person who is not happy themselves cannot make others happy.

But despite that, Eugene couldn’t immediately agree with Drakan.

“But…… to inconvenience my comrades for my own happiness…… that…… that……”

Eugene couldn’t be as thoroughly selfish as Drakan.

He couldn’t pursue his own happiness at the expense of others.

But it was true that Eugene’s heart was wavering.

Maintaining the status quo.

That was the strongest desire Eugene had, and Drakan knew it well.

‘The fact that Eugene is even agonizing between principles and desires in the first place is proof of how great his desire is.’

Eugene!

The fact that he, who had never compromised on principles before, was agonizing like this now meant that Eugene himself had already half succumbed to his desires, and Drakan knew this well.

Now, it was time to give those desires a little push.

“Why do you think that would inconvenience your comrades?”

“Huh?”

“Are you the only one who cherishes your comrades? Do you think you’re the only one in your guild who wants to maintain the status quo?”

Flash.

Drakan’s words brought Eugene to his senses.

Looking at Eugene’s widening eyes, Drakan continued.

“I know a lot about you, your colleagues, and even your guild.”

At Drakan’s words, Eugene nodded slightly.

It was because he agreed with his words.

Since the two were rivals who had to defeat each other six years ago, gathering information about each other’s organizations and key figures was essential, so naturally, they knew each other and their surroundings very well.

“If I remember correctly, unlike me, who managed the organization based on interests, you guys ran the guild based on strong camaraderie and affection, and I think that’s still the case.”

Eugene nodded unconsciously at Drakan’s words.

He was right.

Drakan.

He formed relationships and managed the organization based on interests.

Because Drakan didn’t trust anyone in the organization, conversely, as soon as the tide began to turn, both the Guild Alliance and the Iron Blood Alliance quickly collapsed.

There were no crew members loyal enough to remain on a sinking ship, not in the Iron Blood Alliance.

This was because everyone, from the high-ranking executives to the low-ranking guild members, was bound by interests.

On the other hand, the Lightwing Guild led by Eugene himself was different.

Eugene ran the guild in a family-like form through camaraderie and affection instead of interests, and that has continued to this day.

In other words, Eugene already had a vague prediction of what Drakan would say next.

“In that situation, why haven’t those three confessed to you directly until now?”

If they truly liked him, they should have confessed.

But they haven’t yet.

And Drakan told Eugene another truth.

“That’s because they were also afraid. Like you, they were afraid that this reality would break.”

The moment he heard Drakan’s words, Eugene realized.

The fact that he wasn’t the only one who wanted to maintain the status quo.

That no one in the Lightwing Guild would want this sweet dream to end.

Of course, it was the truth.

But as always, the truth wasn’t always beautiful.

Drakan laughed inwardly.

Now, the moment had come to pull Eugene down from his position as a noble hero.

“It’s not just your happiness. It’s everyone’s happiness. For the sake of protecting that, it wouldn’t matter to tell a small, ‘white lie,’ would it? For everyone.”

If he chose one person, the other two would inevitably be hurt, and above all, even the insensitive Eugene was aware that this happy reality would inevitably shatter.

And Eugene didn’t want to wake up from this sweet dream.

The method Drakan suggested was simple.

If he wanted to protect reality as it was, he should pretend not to know or understand their feelings, just like he had done so far.

And that the guild members would want that too, so this was a ‘white lie,’ that’s what Drakan was saying.

At that moment, the desire that was wriggling in Eugene’s heart gained justification.

Yes.

This wasn’t selfish.

It was for the happiness of Elena, Verda, and Sharp, not for himself.

For their sake, for the sake of protecting their happiness, wouldn’t it be okay to exercise a little flexibility called a ‘white lie’?

Eugene’s gaze sank.

And Drakan looked at Eugene and said.

“Of course, this is just advice, not the answer.”

“Ah, no…… It was very helpful. Thank you.”

As he said, this wasn’t the answer.

But couldn’t it be the best answer?

Like the indecisive Eugene, he didn’t make a decision right away, but the monster called desire, which had already gained the excellent justification of a white lie, was gradually eroding Eugene’s heart little by little.

Looking at the light of desire gradually appearing in Eugene’s eyes, Drakan felt an incomparably satisfied feeling.

Drakan had already predicted it.

Eugene!

In the end, he wouldn’t be able to resist the desire that had already taken root in his heart!

And that Eugene, succumbing to desire, would become a time bomb for the Lightwing Guild.

‘All relationships eventually come to an end.’

He would pretend not to know their feelings, acting out a lie to maintain the current situation, just like he did in the past.

This solution, which Drakan beautifully packaged and handed to Eugene under the guise of a ‘white lie,’ was literally a temporary measure, like drinking seawater when thirsty.

When you drink seawater when you’re thirsty, you may temporarily quench your thirst, but eventually, you’ll experience even more severe thirst, and even dehydration, and in severe cases, you may even face death. The solution Drakan presented was the same.

Maintaining the status quo!

It was a dreamlike story, but just as there is no dream that lasts forever in the world, the moment it crosses a certain threshold, the current relationship surrounding Eugene will be completely and irrevocably shattered.

In such a situation, if the relationship is forcibly maintained in this way and eventually explodes after reaching its limit, the result will be more terrible than choosing someone right now.

That wasn’t all.

The moment it is revealed that Eugene is intentionally ignoring their feelings, the Lightwing Guild will no longer be able to exist as a guild.

That was the corruption Drakan had planned for Eugene, and that was the division of the Lightwing Guild he had designed.

And this was the reason why Drakan didn’t advise him to accept the feelings of one of them right away.

A bleak future where everyone, including Eugene, would end up with an unfavorable outcome, caught in the big bang of a love triangle!

Drakan beautifully paved the road to ruin with the asphalt of goodwill, and now Eugene has just stepped onto that paved road.

Drakan suppressed the laughter that was trying to rise due to the overflowing joy and maintained a straight face.

The seeds of destruction had already been sown, so now it was time to patiently wait like a farmer until the seeds sprouted, the stems rose, and finally, the flowers bloomed.

Drakan spoke to Eugene, who still had a dazed expression.

“Let’s get up now. I think we’ve had enough rest.”

“Ah, okay.”

At Drakan’s words, Eugene came to his senses and got up.

It was time to head back to the dungeon.

▄ ▄ ▄

That day.

After having a serious conversation with Eugene, I felt that I had gained a little more of his trust.

It was thanks to the heartfelt conversation we had by the campfire.

Anyway, since that day, both Eugene and I consciously avoided bringing up the subject again after Eugene had said, “Please keep this a secret from the others.”

And now, two days have passed in game time.

Finally, Eugene and I were able to reach our original destination.

[You have entered the Wolf’s Den.]

[Wolf’s Den]

– The Wolf’s Den is a new home built by the Lycansrope tribe, who went into hiding deep within Monster Land after the failed attempt to rebuild the Dark Empire over two thousand years ago.

For over two thousand years, the Lycansrope tribe lived peacefully together in the Wolf’s Den. However, after the Great Cataclysm, for some unknown reason, the Lycansrope tribe disappeared, and the Wolf’s Den was left in ruins due to the effects of the Great Cataclysm.

I closed the notification window that appeared before my eyes.

The Wolf’s Den wasn’t actually a den, despite its name.

To be precise, it was a small basin surrounded by rugged rocky mountains on all sides. The only passage leading to the Wolf’s Den was a tunnel carved into one of the rocky mountains, which was probably why the area was named ‘Wolf’s Den.’

Anyway, as soon as I passed through the tunnel, what I saw was a village of log houses that had collapsed as if they had been burned by something, and the ground was contaminated with a purplish color.

‘There aren’t even any monsters.’

The Wolf’s Den was completely silent, not even a single rat.

The fact that even the monsters I had seen so many times were nowhere to be found in the Wolf’s Den spoke volumes.

I got Eugene’s permission and searched the entire Wolf’s Den thoroughly, but there wasn’t a single clue that could lead us to the whereabouts of the Lycansrope tribe.

‘Then, is that dungeon the key after all?’

Now that the search of the entire Wolf’s Den had ended without any results, the only remaining clue was the huge dungeon gate that stood prominently in what appeared to be the village square.

“Have you finished searching?”

“Yes.”

I nodded at Eugene’s words and checked the information on the dungeon gate once again.

[Abandoned Temple]

[Grade: S]

[Recommended Level: 380~]

[A massive stone temple abandoned for an unknown purpose.]

[Unknown threats lurk in the darkness of the temple.]

[Restrictions]

[2-Player Raid: Only two people can enter this dungeon.]

After confirming the 2-player raid restriction, I stood in front of the gate and said to Eugene,

“So, should we start the broadcast now?”

Turning on the broadcast meant that we were about to start the dungeon raid!

Eugene understood the meaning immediately and nodded.

“Yes. Please turn it on on Drakan-nim’s channel.”

“Alright.”

After hearing Eugene’s reply, I manipulated the status window and immediately started the broadcast.

[Starting live streaming.]

With a short notification window and notifications that viewers were entering, I started with a greeting.

“It’s been a while, everyone. How have you been?”

“Hello, viewers. Is this our first time meeting here? I’m Eugene.”

The moment Eugene finished his greeting after mine.

The chat window literally exploded.