The Final Boss Has Returned 192

Chapter 192

“Drakan!!”

Eugene shouted, looking at Drakan in the distance, surrounded and guarded by elite troops.

His heart pounded at the fact that the enemy was finally within sight, at the fact that he could finally end this war.

However, the path from the ruined city center to the Gate of Light where Drakan stood was by no means easy.

“Die!”

“Protect Eugene-nim!”

Even now, enemy users were swarming towards Eugene like moths to a flame.

Of course, the elite guard composed of Over-Rankers and Rankers escorting Eugene blocked their attacks every time, but they weren’t without casualties.

The path from the city center to the Gate of Light was a blood path paved with the sacrifices of the users who followed Eugene, the Infinite Eugene Church believers who supported him until the very end.

The enemy attacks were endless, their numbers inexhaustible.

Eugene gritted his teeth as he looked at the dwindling number of users around him.

Every user who died, died for him.

For the sake of their sacrifice, Eugene vowed to defeat Drakan and bring peace to Ard World.

“You’ve finally made it this far, Eugene.”

Drakan responded to Eugene’s call.

Leading the Over-Rankers of the Dark Alliance, he faced Eugene head-on, who held his holy sword with a weary expression.

The moment Eugene saw Drakan’s face, he felt rage welling up from the depths of his heart.

Drakan.

He had deceived him, deceived the world.

Eugene felt betrayed by that fact.

And, for his former comrades—the Fist King, the Saintess, and the Divine Archer—who glared at him from beside Drakan, he felt regret.

After all, it was his fault for mishandling their relationships; they had left him because of his own mistakes.

Eugene forced himself to shake off the lingering feelings for his former comrades.

To achieve the greater good, to protect Ard World from Drakan’s grasp, he had to attack without hesitation, even if they were his former comrades.

He could talk to them after everything was over.

Thinking so, Eugene looked at Drakan and spoke.

“Let me ask you one thing first, Drakan. Why have you been pretending to be reformed, deceiving me, no, all the users?”

Drakan burst into laughter at Eugene’s question.

Laughing so hard he bent over, Drakan looked at Eugene and replied.

“I never deceived anyone.”

“Don’t lie!”

“I’m not lying.”

Drakan said, looking directly at Eugene.

“I’m no longer committing the atrocities of controlling and oppressing users like I used to. Moreover, I’m genuinely reflecting on that past even at this very moment. I keep thinking, why was I so foolish and wrong in the past?”

Eugene closed his lips.

As frustrating as it was, Drakan had indeed refrained from control and oppression so far, so as far as that was concerned, he was right.

Of course, Eugene now knew that it was never an act born out of good intentions.

‘It was a ploy to gain public favor.’

The truth that Drakan’s promise and subsequent actions of not repeating his past misdeeds were merely political maneuvers to gain the support of the users, dawned on Eugene only now, as he reached the final stage.

Ignoring Eugene’s inner thoughts, Drakan continued.

“So, I’ve been keeping the promise I made to you since the tutorial, not to repeat the misdeeds of the past. But deception? That’s a ridiculous accusation. And……”

“And?”

Drakan’s gaze fixed on Eugene.

“I have no obligation to humor your pointless conversation. Everyone, attack!”

Drakan ordered a surprise attack.

Drakan, he never felt the need to seriously engage in a conversation with Eugene from the beginning.

The only reason he had listened in the first place was to lull Eugene into a false sense of security.

As expected, Eugene was caught off guard by Drakan’s surprise attack order, but there was something else that would make him even more bewildered.

“Absolute Zero!”

“Hellfire!”

Ice Queen Yume and Magic King Rook!

Led by the two guild masters who had been escorting Eugene by his side, the users belonging to the Blue Phoenix and Arcane guilds simultaneously turned their blades against their supposed allies, the Holy Alliance forces.

Drakan.

The moment his persistent, covert attempts to recruit insiders through Death King Python finally bore fruit.

“Gah!”

“Ugh!”

Eugene’s side instantly fell into chaos, and countless users, caught off guard by the betrayal, met their deaths.

Among those who perished under the treacherous blades were even Over-Rankers.

“Y-Yume, you, you bitch…!”

Infinite Eugene Church Manager Raiden.

More commonly known in Ard World as the Over-Ranker, Mace King Raiden, he didn’t even have the chance to properly swing his mace before being hit directly by Ice Queen Yume’s surprise ultimate skill, Absolute Zero. His entire body rapidly froze over.

“Why…why…!”

Why did you betray us?

Looking at Raiden, who questioned her with his eyes, Yume sneered and replied.

“Because I have no loyalty to share defeat with you.”

No loyalty to share defeat with Eugene and his followers!

That was the sentiment shared by Ice Queen Yume and Magic King Rook, and by extension, all the users who joined from Troika to Lightwing Guild.

Although they were once members of the Five Eyes, they had already left the Five Eyes once, following the Sword Emperor.

Those who have betrayed before tend to find it easier to do so again.

And above all, Yume and Rook couldn’t tolerate being treated as subordinates under Verda and Eugene, taking orders in a vertical relationship, instead of being treated as equal allies like in the past.

Moreover, even if there was a chance of Drakan winning, the public opinion, no, the global opinion had already turned against them and shifted towards Drakan. It was safe to say that Eugene had virtually no chance of winning.

In such a situation, what solidified the wavering hearts of the two guild masters was the countermeasure Verda proposed.

The fact that the countermeasure, in a situation that was clearly hopeless, was a one-on-one duel, something the Sword Emperor had already failed at.

The moment they realized that Eugene had no chance of winning, they decided to betray him.

‘The fact that defeat is already certain is something only Eugene and his loyal followers don’t know.’

That’s what Yume and Rook thought.

In such a situation, Yume and Rook had no intention of sharing Eugene’s demise like Verda and the other loyalists who remained by his side. Nor did they have any intention of following Eugene’s foolish ideals to their own destruction.

However, if they remained passive, they might be swept away and perish alongside Eugene.

In their predicament, Drakan’s offer of defection, extended through their former comrade Death King Python, was nothing short of a lifeline.

That was the reason why Yume and Rook betrayed Eugene.

And the reason they betrayed the moment Drakan gave the order “Everyone, attack!” was because it was the prearranged signal agreed upon in whispers with Death King Python while they were marching towards Drakan alongside Eugene.

“Ice Fang.”

The ice magic summoned by Yume pierced through the head of Infinite Eugene Church’s leader, Raiden.

The moment Raiden met his demise.

“Infinite Lightning.”

Magic King Rook chanted a spell and summoned lightning, finishing off Judgment Guild’s Guild Master and Over-Ranker, Executor Pavel, who had been critically injured by ‘Hellfire’ and had remained loyal to Eugene.

However, the moment Drakan gave the order to attack, it wasn’t just the two traitors who moved.

Led by Flame Emperor Ignis, all the Over-Rankers on the Dark Alliance side, along with Drakan’s personal guard composed of Rankers, simultaneously attacked the enemy lines, coinciding with the betrayal of the two Over-Rankers.

“Absolute Defense!”

With the exception of Verda, who quickly cast her ultimate skill ‘Absolute Defense’ the moment the enemy moved, all the Over-Rankers on Eugene’s side met their demise due to the betrayal and surprise attack.

And that wasn’t all.

The Rankers of the Infinite Eugene Church and Judgment Guild, who had been fanatically loyal to Eugene and protected him until the very end, also crumbled under the unexpected betrayal and died in droves.

“What, what is the meaning of this…?”

Eugene was bewildered by the sight.

Yume and Rook.

He had never expected them to betray him.

Although not as close as his former comrades, they were still members of the Five Eyes and had been with him for a long time.

And naturally, Eugene believed in their goodwill.

They may have left the Five Eyes with the Sword Emperor, but he thought it was a temporary deviation, and that they would bury the past and move forward together now that they had returned.

But Eugene’s trust was once again ruthlessly betrayed and trampled upon.

Crack

Eugene gritted his teeth.

Rage and betrayal surged from the depths of his heart.

Now, only one person remained in Eugene’s sight.

The root cause of all this.

The villain who betrayed his goodwill, deceived the world, and even drove the people he trusted to betray him.

Eugene roared the name of his sworn enemy.

“Drakaaan!!!”

Hearing Eugene’s cry, Drakan smirked and cleaned his ear with his finger.

“You’re going to burst my eardrums. Tone it down a bit.”

Snap

Seeing Drakan’s attitude, Eugene’s last thread of reason snapped.

The suppressed rage, the hatred for the man who not only exploited his goodwill and deceived everyone but also drove the people he trusted to betray him, broke free and surged forth.

“You, you truly don’t know the meaning of the word ‘fair play’! How, how could you, how could you do something so despicable!! Even if you win this fight in such a disgraceful way, do you think the users watching this, the people of the world, will acknowledge your filthy victory!!”

Eugene’s booming voice echoed.

He was right.

Eugene and Drakan.

This final battle that would decide the fate of Ard World was being broadcast live worldwide through all broadcasting stations and Ard Live.

The number of viewers watching this confrontation through various channels had long surpassed 3 billion.

The previous Guinness World Record for viewership was 1.9 billion, a record that had been shattered long ago.

Nearly a third of the Earth’s population was currently watching this battle of the century.

In such a situation, Eugene delivered his own rebuke.

If Drakan won in such a cowardly, despicable, and dirty way, the people of the world would not acknowledge it.

Hearing this, Drakan chuckled and took a step towards Eugene.

“So, you’re saying that if we fought one-on-one, people would acknowledge my victory?”

“Yes.”

Eugene glared at Drakan with a face contorted with rage.

“Do you really think so?”

“Even now, if you want your cause, your victory to be properly acknowledged by all the users of Ard World, fight me one-on-one, fairly. It’s not, it’s not too late yet, Drakan.”

Eugene said, staring directly at Drakan.

He truly hated him, and the feeling of betrayal still seethed within him, but he couldn’t solve everything with rage.

Eugene now knew.

That what Drakan cared about most in the world was the public opinion of the users.

Eugene thought it probably stemmed from his experience of being forced to step down from power due to public pressure during the World Revolution.

So Eugene thought.

A one-on-one duel.

The only way to make it happen was to use the very ‘public opinion’ that Drakan cared about.

And Eugene believed.

This wasn’t just any duel, it was the final battle for the fate and hegemony of Ard World.

In this final battle, Eugene believed that people would desire a fair and square fight, not a victory achieved through such despicable and dirty means.

Just like during the World Revolution.

Hearing Eugene’s words, Drakan laughed and said.

“I thought so back then too, but you’re truly naive, Eugene.”

Naive?

Eugene’s eyebrows twitched at those words.

“Seeing is believing. Take a look for yourself, Eugene. This is the current public opinion of the users, no, the entire world.”

Saying so, Drakan shared the screen of the Ard Live chat window, updating in real time, with everyone, including Eugene.

[Ah lol betrayal lol. A plot twist I never saw coming lol. This stream is so entertaining lol. This is why I watch Drakan’s stream lol]

[I’ve endured enough! Get rid of the hypocritical, goody-two-shoes, clueless, and frustrating Eugene! OUT!!]

[I’d side with Drakan too. Who would take responsibility if you held onto a rotten rope and got your wrist cut off?]

[Honestly, seeing Eugene spout nonsense about fair play and being cowardly until the very end is disgusting;; I’m so glad I left the Eugene fanclub;; My intelligence has skyrocketed]

[Congrats to the person above for their intelligence upgrade and leaving the Eugene fanclub lol. Welcome to the enlightened side~]

[Some people would think Drakan actually committed murder lol. It’s just a game, seriously, the over-immersion is real lol. Eugene, can’t you read the room? Does fair play even matter right now?]

[Drakan-nim! Please quickly deliver justice to the hypocrite Eugene and usher in a new era!]

[Ah lol Look at Eugene, he still doesn’t get it even after coming this far lol. Public opinion has completely turned lol. No one’s on your side lol]

[Eugene, get a grip! You’re a nobody with nothing right now!!]

[Ah lol Why does Drakan have to fight fair and square one-on-one lol? Winning is all that matters, what’s this about winning fairly lol? The logic is insane lol. Eugene-nim, this is a game lol. Not reality lol]

[What kind of fiction is this? Winning is all that matters, and the stream is entertaining lol. It’s not like it’s boring lol. Some people would think they’re filming a movie right now;; Eugene’s lines are so cringe;;]

[No one cares about a fair and square one-on-one duel right now, Mr. Eugene? Do you understand? What people want right now is catharsis and the 4th Industrial Revolution lol]

[Relationship manipulation lol Chinese funding manipulation lol He didn’t even clarify anything lol And now he’s talking about fair play? lol Is that even something you can say right now??]

The revealed public opinion of the users was the complete opposite of what Eugene had imagined.

The users were enjoying the current situation, which Eugene described as ‘despicable, cowardly, and disgraceful,’ calling it ‘entertaining.’

The current public opinion was focused on how Drakan would achieve victory over Eugene, how Eugene would be defeated, and what the 4th Industrial Revolution, the era of science fiction, would look like after Drakan’s victory.

Instead of supporting the fair one-on-one duel that Eugene mentioned, the users ridiculed and mocked his opinion, calling him a hypocrite and bringing up the relationship manipulation scandal and the Chinese funding allegations.

Eugene’s expression hardened.

“This…this…this is…this is…unbelievable…unbelievable…”

Eugene felt a sense of despair, as if the entire world around him was collapsing.

From the World Revolution until now.

Eugene believed in the users.

Because whenever he showed his sincerity, they always supported him, and they always followed the path he claimed to be right.

Therefore, he believed that if he showed his ‘sincerity’ this time as well, the users would support him.

Because it was the ‘right’ path.

But not this time.

The users, the people of the world, were supporting Drakan, who was committing despicable and cowardly acts without a second thought, instead of him, who was walking the righteous path.

Eugene could no longer bear this reality, this cruel truth that betrayed his values.

He could not accept the reality of Drakan being supported by people all over the world, the horrific future where evil triumphed.

Unable to accept reality, Eugene’s mentality finally completely crumbled.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

Eugene let out a roar, raised his holy sword, and charged towards Drakan.

One-on-one, public opinion, none of it mattered anymore.

Drakan.

He would kill him here and now.

If he killed him, everything would return to normal.

His departed former comrades, the hearts of the users who turned their backs on him.

And the innocent Ard World.

Thinking so, Eugene charged towards Drakan.

At that moment.

“Assume your formations.”

As soon as Drakan’s order was given, all the remaining Over-Rankers on Drakan’s side quickly gathered around him.

“According to the plan we established beforehand, from this moment on…”

Looking at Eugene, who was charging towards him in a frenzy, Drakan declared.

“We begin the Hero Raid.”