Uncertain fate

Now I know Bromrik's secret. Whenever I kill him, he can just sacrifice one of his slaves to come back to life. That's probably why he has so many slaves to begin with. Sophia mentioned that he had over a hundred slaves. If that is the case, then I just need to kill until he has no one else to sacrifice!

However, I only have ninety bullets left. It is simply not enough, even if I can one-tap him every time.

So, how should I solve this? 

The answer is clear: 

I need help. 

"Sophia!!!"

I put my Desert Eagle back and take out my other gun. 

Pew! 

The bullet flies towards Bromrik, but it isn't meant to kill. 

"Sophia! Kill that bastard!"

I shout my command. Up until now, Sophia and Yumi have been taking cover behind a massive stone pillar far away. Because Bromrik is so mad at me, he has seemingly forgotten about their existence. 

As the slave pact takes effect, Sophia dashes out of her hiding spot. The absolute command pushes her forward, her trembling hands grasping a hammer from a fallen slave on the battlefield.

"NO! Master, please!" Her voice is a raw, guttural cry. Tears streaming down her face as she's shouting for her life, "I can't... I can't do it! I'll die! MASTER!"

Through the master-slave bond, I can hear her heartbeats reverberate in my mind, a tempest of fear and disbelief. She is convinced I have been plunged into madness and desperation, willing to throw her into the jaws of death for my own escape.

But the truth is, that's not what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to win here, and save everyone!

As she got to Bromrik, who's now lying flat on the ground…

"MASTER! PLEASE!"

"JUST SHUT UP AND KILL THE DAMN GUY!"

"AAaaa!"

With a heart-wrenching scream, she raises the hammer and brings it crashing down onto that slavemaster's head.

Ploosh! 

As a mage, Sophia isn't very strong physically, but it is still more than enough to kill a defenseless man..

And of course, Bromrik's magic activates, sacrificing one of his own slaves. The blood and mushy flesh rejoins to form his ugly fat head again.

"Good! Now do it again!"

Plooosh!

"AGAIN!"

Plesh!

The sound of smashing flesh along with another sickening thud echoes through the air.

"Master, what's going on!?" Sophia shouts in panic and confusion, yet continues crushing Bromrik's head non stop. "Why I'm I not attacked? Why is he not reacting!?"

"Ha! Because he can't!" I shout. "Now, keep smashing his freaking head until he's truly dead!" 

Plop! 

Another squelching blow.

And soon, Sophia realizes my plan. Her horror immediately vanishes, and a terrifying smile plays on her bloody face instead. She keeps smashing and smashing. 

That bullet I fired earlier, it was a paralyzing bullet containing the most potent neuro-toxins that my lab had synthesized. Even in the smallest amount, it could block and damage nerves, leading to temporary full body paralysis. Sure, Bromrik can sacrifice his slaves to undo the damage, so what? That spell cannot purify his blood! And as the blood comes back, filled with neuro-toxic molecules, he will be instantly immobilized again, and Sophia will be there to deliver another death. 

Yep, with this vicious cycle of death. There's no way that bastard can escape anymore! He's now no more than a helpless bag of meat, getting smashed over and over again by Sophia.

But the most important thing lies in how a slave pact works.

As a paralyzed person cannot speak, Bromril simply could not give any command to his slave to come help him. So, the plan is simple. I will continue holding off the slaves' attacks. Meanwhile, Sophia is entirely free to kill their master until he runs out of slaves to sacrifice.

However, I cannot celebrate just yet.

Drip.

Drops of blood hit the ground, and it is mine. From my own nose, more and more blood is dripping out. The metallic scent gets into my mouth..

Same as Bromrik, I don't have that much time either. I'm already at my limit here.

Based on what I'm seeing, it will take 1 second for his revival magic to kick in, 1 second for the blood and flesh to return, and 1 second for Sophia to kill the guy again. That means it will take around 300 seconds to kill all the slaves.

That's over five minutes.

So for five minutes, I have to stay alive for Sophia to kill him completely. Or else, both she and I will be dead.

With another swift turn, I avoid death by a hair's breadth. The elves' attacks are still relentless. As combat slaves, they know neither fatigue nor pain, because the slave pact forces them to fight at full power as long as they can still breathe. There is no slowing down. Their attacks are always precise, swift, and deadly.

"Hah," I laugh, wiping my bloody nose. "Who will go down first? You? Or me?"

Suddenly, time speeds up again. Sapphire's temporal distortion is losing its effect.

<Warning: Power limit reached! Prolonging battle AI usage is dangerous!>

"SHIT! No, Sapphire! Overclock!"

<Are you sure? Anymore usage is extremely dangerous!>

"JUST DO IT!"

Overclocking my AI chip. I have to! The notification came much earlier than I would have preferred, but there is no other choice!

Normally, overclocking an AI chip implanted inside the brain is not humanly possible. This is because the person will experience all sorts of adverse effects, like intense dizziness, nausea, or passing out. This mechanism is to make sure that the brain will always be safe from its own self-destruction.

But I have much stronger mental fortitude than other people. I can overclock my AI chip as much as I want to, breaking all of its limits.

<TING! Overclocked. Two hundred percent!>

The world sharpens once again. My senses scream to life. 

The elves' attacks are once again dodgeable. 

But, resisting status doesn't mean my brain is indestructible. Along with the clarity is an ominous ringing in my ears, and an ethereal cacophony which seems out of place.

My brain…

At this pace, my brain is going to be fried sooner or later. That's because overclocking means going over the AI's limit. And what do machines generate a lot when they are overworking?

Heat.

An intense, blistering heat engulfs my head.

Brains do not have pain or thermal receptors. This means the brain itself cannot detect temperature changes.

However, the structures surrounding the brain do. So, basically, if I am feeling the heat going up inside my head like this, my actual brain temperature is already way, way too high.

Right now, I am just like a thinly stretched band, on the verge of snapping any moment.

And then, as I pass the five-minute mark…

One moon elf falls, lifeless, while the other, still breathing, lunges at me with daggers in hand.

But I cannot evade any longer. My body refuses to obey.

Damn it...

Is this how it all ends? Will I die here?

Such thoughts race through my mind.

Fate is such an asshole. I have tried so hard, even managed to get myself summoned into this damned world.

Just a little bit more…

Just a little bit more time, and I would be able to see her face again.

And yet, this is it. I have no more cards to play.

Sphhhlt!

The cold steel blade comes, piercing deep into my throat.

I'm so sorry… Anna…

Seems like… this is the end…

Big brother… is lost…

I can feel my body slammed onto the ground, and the ground is sprayed red by the color of my blood.

Sophia watches me in terror.

Ah, right, if I die, then she will die too…

Then…

"Re-lease…"

I mutter the words.

The master-slave bond has been severed. She's now free to go.

Ever since I met her, there has been this unexplainable feeling within my heart, and now, even in my final moments, I cannot ignore it. Despite her attempt to enslave us, something tells me I can trust her. That beneath it all, she is a good woman, with kindness buried deep within her.

So, before I depart this world, I want to set her free. There is no reason to drag her down with me. If she survives, perhaps she can care for Yumi in my place. That little girl, just yesterday, I promised to protect her, a promise I now realize I cannot fulfill.

Struggling to stay conscious, I hope for a few more seconds, but my vision begins to fade. Sophia's words reach me, but they are lost in the static that fills my ears.

Then, darkness envelops me…

… and my consciousness slips into the void.