Chapter 1 : Prologue [Part 1]

The battle ended on the second evening, but the rain continued relentlessly. Raindrops felt like painful lashes against the skin.

Loki's eyes struggled to open as the rain soaked him.

"Cough... Cough..."

Struggling to breathe, Loki raised his head. The battlefield was now eerily quiet, only the rain's sound filled the air.

His ears rang, drowning out everything except the rain hitting the ground.

As he looked around, the landscape resembled hell. The horizon stretched with a charred, red-purple wasteland, like blood and mud mixed together.

Limbs of humans and Chimera lay scattered on the ground, and puddles held the bodies of the fallen.

Human and Chimera blood mixed in the rain, creating a gruesome scene.

Fortunately, Loki spotted other humans in the distance. Some were fighting or tending to the wounded. He couldn't hear their words but understood their actions.

Breathing heavily, Loki wiped his dagger.

"What about her? Is she dead?"

His ears cleared a bit, allowing him to hear a voice from behind.

"To think you hid your true strength, impressive human."

Despite the heavy rain, the voice was clear but weak, like a dying candle. Loki turned, disgusted.

"You're not dead yet?"

[Keke, sorry to disappoint you, but I won't fall today.]

About 10 meters away stood the Chimera Ant Queen, a massive, grotesque creature with insect-like features, scarred and injured.

Loki tightened his grip on his dagger and approached, whistling at her appearance.

"Well, well, well, aren't you looking gorgeous today. Did you wear makeup?"

Despite her condition, the queen chuckled at his mockery.

[Keke, that was my plan, but you all arrived earlier than expected. I did find makeup in your purse after you betrayed us... Cough... Cough.]

She coughed violently, blood spilling from her mouth, and tried to cover it with her remaining hand, but a dagger suddenly pinned it to the ground.

A painful groan escaped her as she looked at her trapped hand.

"Sorry, can't risk any sudden moves from you."

Loki said it casually but secretly wiped his sweaty hand, his posture tense.

'Shit, I almost got careless.'

He scolded himself for nearly making a mistake. Despite her appearance, he couldn't forget.

How could he forget?

This single creature could defeat an entire army of Awakeners by herself.

With each flap of her four wings, she created tornadoes and caused deadly storms, killing hundreds. What made her truly frightening was her diverse abilities. You could never predict what she had up her sleeve.

"Fortunately, she got careless, and I was able to poison her."

But even poisoned, she still took many lives.

"If she was at her best..."

Just the thought sent shivers down his spine. Loki knew they couldn't beat her head-on, which is why he resorted to this tricky tactic, even though it came with sacrifices.

[Keke, no need to be so tense. I can't move anymore.]

"Do you take me for a fool? I won't believe you, Bug."

He looked at her bloody body, but on closer inspection, her wounds were slowly closing.

"Tch."

Loki clicked his tongue, knowing exactly what this was. It was one of the queen's abilities. Given time, she could not only stop the bleeding but also regenerate her lower body.

Thunk!

Loki kicked her lower body, but it only moved a few inches.

"Freakish monster."

Her regeneration had kept her fighting for two days, even while poisoned.

The queen didn't react much, lacking the energy.

[Keke, you're the abnormal one, human.]

By now, Loki knew she was on her last legs. All he had to do was pierce her heart and end the decades-long plague.

"Do you have any last words, giant bug?"

[Keke, you're determined to kill me, but can you do it in your condition?]

"Don't worry about me. You should worry about yourself and your children."

[Children?]

"Yeah, your three generals. Don't you see them as your children?"

[Are you talking about Leonix, Drakoth, and Nyx?]

"Yes, those guys. Despite their bravery, they didn't last long... Anyway, they're dead."

Fifty years ago, Chimera creatures suddenly appeared, and no one knew why.

They caused chaos everywhere they went, even causing the map of the continent to be redrawn because they destroyed so many kingdoms and countries.

The queen ruled over them all.

"Drakoth was brave but quick to anger. He was the first to fall, losing all his limbs before dying. Leonix was fried alive in magma and begged to be killed. Nyx, that shameless woman, begged for mercy and even tried to seduce our hero. But he didn't spare her and cut off her head. So, it's all over now."

Loki wanted to see the queen's face twisted with despair and agony. He held back from mentioning that Drakoth had killed five of their strongest Awakeners and many others before dying. Leonix had actually begged to spare the queen but later self-destructed when he saw the humans wouldn't budge, taking many lives. Nyx had tried to influence the hero but, realizing it failed, sacrificed her soul to make Awakeners fight each other.

However, the queen's face showed no anger, which didn't meet Loki's expectations.

[I see. It's fortunate.]

"What?"

[Their deaths mean humanity lost most of its capable people. There are no strong individuals left like you to stop what's coming. Humanity is doomed.]

Loki was surprised, stepping closer.

"How do you know that?"

[I know my generals. If they know they'll die, they'll take down as many as possible. Humans have a saying, 'Never corner a desperate monster.']

"Annoying race. What do you mean there are no strong ones left? As long as I'm here, we'll be fine."

Despite saying this, Loki didn't truly believe it, knowing his condition. But the queen seemed to know something.

[I know your time is ending.]

"Huh."

[Don't hide the truth with tricks. I know you're affected by the poison just like me.]

Loki trembled slightly, but he didn't panic, as he already knew this.

"Poor soul. Your friends didn't give you the right antidote. They didn't care about you, just saw you as a tool."

"Shut up!"

Loki stepped forward, placing his foot on the queen's head. Purple blood gushed out as she continued nonchalantly.

[Keke, how ruthless. Shouldn't you be a bit grateful to me for getting rid of your friend who made the poison? What's her name again? Ah, yes, Sea-]

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

Loki seemed frenzied as he kept kicking her head repeatedly. Purple blood splashed on his foot, but he paid it no mind. His mind was preoccupied.

'Why, why, why, why...'

Loki wasn't foolish; in fact, he was one of the smartest people around. His tactics and strategies had given humans the upper hand in this war.

He had betrayed humanity to infiltrate the ranks of the Chimera creatures. His betrayal was so convincing that he fooled the queen and became her Fourth general. He had told the people he trusted about his plans, and though some were hesitant, they knew sacrifices were needed to end the war.

So why?

This was what he couldn't understand. Why had they betrayed him?

When he first noticed the antidote wasn't working, he thought they'd made a mistake and given him the wrong one. But he had no time to dwell on it. The war had already begun, and the one who created the poison and antidote was dead.

During his fight against the Chimera creatures, these thoughts never left his mind because he knew that the longer it took, the more likely he would die. The antidote he had only suppressed the poison a little; it didn't purify it.

But what could he do? The poison's creator was dead, and he was still on the battlefield surrounded by monsters. He couldn't leave whenever he wanted. So he had to push this matter aside.

But the queen's words reminded him of the bitterness of betrayal, triggering him and making him lose control of his emotions.

After a while, he finally stopped stomping the queen's head, lifting his foot, blood dripping from his shoes.

[Cough... Cough.]

The queen coughed up blood, but her face showed no sign of anger. It was as if she didn't mind his brutal beating at all.

[Cough... How ruthless... Keke, but I guess these actions of yours and your expression suit your nickname better. Don't you think so, Loki the human butcher?]

Loki's face was distorted, a mix of anger, confusion, and hatred. Hearing what she said made him glare at her with piercing eyes.

[Don't tell me you didn't see this coming. Humans have a long history of sacrificing scapegoats, especially someone like you who has committed many sins and garnered a lot of hatred.]

Loki understood what she was talking about, but it only worsened his complex.

Humans have a tendency to find scapegoats or sacrificial figures during crises or conflicts. This behavior often arises from the need to assign blame, find a solution, or maintain a sense of control in difficult situations.

Throughout history, societies have repeatedly seen cases where individuals or groups are singled out as the cause of problems, allowing others to distance themselves from potential responsibility. Scapegoating can simplify complex issues by blaming a convenient target instead of addressing underlying complexities.

Sacrificing a scapegoat is also seen as a way to regain control or appease unknown forces causing trouble. By offering up an individual or group, people may hope to quell chaos and restore harmony, even if the root causes remain unaddressed.

"You seem more talkative today than usual. Is it because you know you're going to die and want to speak your mind, or are you trying to delay time to regenerate yourself?"

A black sword materialized in Loki's hand, held above the queen's heart.

"Enough with the chatter. It's getting tiresome."

The sword slowly pierced her thick and solid exoskeleton, but it stopped before reaching her heart.

"Seeing you so pitiful, I will allow you to say your last words."

[Cough... Keke, how generous.]

"Yes, I know I am."

[Keke, then let me give you a piece of information...]

When Loki heard what she said in a hushed tone, his eyes widened, and the black sword in his hand grew bigger.

"Y-you are lying."

His voice shook upon hearing her words.

[Keke, there's no reason for me to lie, and you can verify the authenticity of this information yourself.]

"No, you're lying, trying to manipulate me when I feel helpless."

The hand holding the sword trembled slightly, and his body shook.

[Keke, it's up to you to believe me or not. Or you can keep being delusional and bury this information in the back of your head like you always do when you face harsh truths.]

The trembling sword stopped and began descending again, heading straight for the queen's heart.

The queen opened her mouth slightly due to pain but didn't struggle, as if accepting her impending death.

Just as it was about to pierce her, a hand suddenly grabbed Loki's wrist, preventing him from moving further.