Chapter 415: Tactical nukes (2)
The 30th Volume of Zenon Chronicles was rivaling tactical nukes.
Its content is more than enough to shock and terrify readers—even pushing them to despair.
As I mentioned before, the 30th volume primarily depicts the battle between the deranged Jin, who lost his mind after directly “consuming” Diabolos’s soul, and Zenon, who appears before him.
Having lost all human reason, Jin rampages like a wild beast.
For Zenon, this made him both easy and difficult to deal with.
Jin could no longer use his martial arts and magic, which were once his strengths, but his physical abilities had been greatly enhanced by Diabolos’s soul.
In other words, while dodging his attacks was relatively easy, a single effective hit could be fatal.
To make matters worse, even Jin’s weapon was in a miserable state. Due to his long journey without proper repairs, his weapon had become dull and broken.
Rather than a sword, it was more like a crude metal club that he swung wildly.
Despite that, each of his attacks carried immense destructive power, making it difficult even for Zenon to handle him.
Most importantly, Zenon could not attack Jin. If Jin had regained his sanity and begged for death, it would be a different story, but he was completely out of his mind.
‘If he is to regain his sanity… hmm…’
The only option was to hit him hard on the head.
Jin was currently fighting for dominance within himself against Diabolos’s soul.
This inner struggle was subtly reflected throughout his battle with Zenon.
At times, Jin muttered to himself, and Zenon, noticing this, tried to help as much as possible.
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For example, he would shout at Jin to remember Lily, to resist, and to reunite with her once more.
In a pivotal moment, the necklace that Lily had gifted Jin fell off during battle and came into his view—restoring his sanity completely.
‘A cliché, but well… there are no such clichés here anyway. Besides, this isn’t a happy ending—it’s a sad one.’
With Lily’s necklace, Jin finally regained his senses.
In other words, he had won the battle for control and completely absorbed Diabolos’s soul.
Zenon, realizing this, was momentarily relieved… but the relief was short-lived.
Diabolos’s soul had not been entirely destroyed. It had merely been absorbed and merged, meaning its presence still lingered.
To save Lily, Diabolos’s soul had to be completely eradicated.
With just those words, the fleeting sense of hope crumbled into despair once more.
‘And that’s not all.’
To make matters worse, Lily, whose heart had been impaled by a stake, regained consciousness.
The contamination disappeared when Diabolos’s soul was absorbed into Jin.
After hearing everything from Mary, Lily asked to be taken to where Jin was.
Since Mary was an elf, she could use teleportation to reach them quickly. Even if she couldn’t, there were many others willing to help.
Aware of this, Mary tried to dissuade her, saying that she still needed time to recover and that the only location she knew was where Zenon was.
‘In the end, both of them go together.’
Unlike Jin, who had left without a word, Zenon had left messages along the way.
Thanks to this, they quickly learned that he had headed to the Gray Desert.
But in hindsight, it might have been better if they had never gone.
This decision would become the source of their greatest sorrow—especially for Lily.
‘And so, Jin and Zenon resume their battle once again…!’
Jin, who had regained his sanity, and Zenon, who took the battle seriously in response to Jin’s request.
Just like when Sakran sacrificed himself, Zenon fought desperately, burdened by grief and despair.
However, the battle was anything but easy.
Even without Diabolos’s soul, Jin was already formidable. But now, he had absorbed the soul of a demon lord.
Diabolos wasn’t just an ordinary demon—he was a supreme one.
A special “vessel” had to be created to contain his power.
Jin couldn’t withstand Diabolos’s soul for long and eventually lost control once again.
His body, overloaded with mana, began releasing it in bursts.
The sky, already covered with dark clouds, grew even darker.
Then, as if wielding divine authority, lightning bolts rained down from above.
‘He should spread his demonic wings and dive in for an attack—make it as dramatic as possible.’
While Diabolos, the false final boss, had used relatively simple attack patterns, Jin was the complete opposite.
Having been inspired by the final bosses from the hardest games I used to play, his attack sequences were designed to be elaborate and spectacular.
Those who know, know. Yes, it’s that game, the very definition of “difficult.”
I still remember how I kept dying, mesmerized by the intricate patterns.
And then there was the battle music—reminiscent of a clash between gods, powerful and captivating.
‘But now that I’ve written it all out, it feels utterly insane.’
Jin had already defeated Gluttony effortlessly, and now, with Diabolos’s soul added into the mix, he seemed completely unbeatable.
Even Zenon knew better than to fight him head-on and focused entirely on evasion.
One solid hit, and he would be dead in an instant.
But Zenon’s greatest strength was not his combat prowess, but his keen observational skills.
He loved direct combat, but his mind worked incredibly fast.
And so, he devised a way to defeat Jin—a battle of endurance.
Jin’s body was already beginning to collapse under the overwhelming power.
‘Even those occasional mana bursts are part of this process.’
With this realization, Zenon chose a single strategy—guerrilla warfare.
It might not be the most honorable tactic, but it was highly effective against Jin, who had become a near-transcendent being.
Thus, the battle dragged on, with every minute feeling like an hour.
Zenon poured all of his focus into fighting Jin, when suddenly…
‘Lily and Mary arrive at that very moment.’
Watching from a distance, Lily and Mary had no idea why Zenon and Jin were fighting so fiercely.
But the battlefield itself made it impossible to approach recklessly.
The sky was filled with storm clouds, and lightning rained down like a torrential downpour.
On top of that, a massive sandstorm raged across the land.
Lily tried to push forward, but Mary held her back, warning her of the danger.
‘And then, Jin’s body finally collapses completely, bringing the battle to an end.’
The storm clouds and sandstorm dissipate, and the radiant sunlight bathes the land.
A brilliant sun, shining down brighter than anything else.
Exhausted, Jin gazes up at the sun—only to see another sun.
Lily, standing before him.
While Lily looked healthier than ever, Jin’s body was cracked like a drought-stricken land.
The two embraced, reaffirming their love one last time.
And then, Jin crumbled to dust, disappearing forever.
With his final words—”Thank you for loving me.”—Jin’s body disintegrated, scattering into the wind.
“Ahh… finally.”
With everything completed, I stretched my arms as I placed the final period on the 30th volume’s conclusion.
The manuscript ended up being longer than expected, but that didn’t matter.
I had successfully highlighted Jin’s dazzling attack patterns and Zenon’s brilliant strategy.
Most importantly, the final scene would undoubtedly bring readers to tears.
‘Now I just have to write the epilogue…’
Since epilogues are typically short, I was debating whether to include it in the 30th volume or reduce the price instead.
In any case, the long journey had finally reached its conclusion.
Now, all that remained was rest.
Up until now, my journey had been like traveling on foot, wandering from place to place.
But from now on, I planned to ride the wind on a sailing ship.
And with winter break just around the corner, it was the perfect time to rest.
‘Not that I’ll be slacking off, of course.’
Not only is there an epilogue, but there is also a side story. After neatly organizing the thick stack of manuscripts, I placed them in the mail.
There’s nothing but paper inside, yet why does it feel like I’ve just sent a nuclear bomb?
‘Considering its impact, it might as well be a nuclear bomb.’
Thinking about the readers who will be shedding tears of sorrow, I can’t help but smile.
My heart races, just like it did in my past life when I did something similar.
If you’re going to deliver a shocking twist, make sure it makes sense.
That way, even if it stings, people won’t get angry—just deeply saddened.
Writing a coherent story might seem easy, but it’s anything but. Making characters act as if they are real, living people is incredibly difficult.
After completely sealing the mail, I walked toward the entrance to send it off.
Using the teleportation device at the entrance, I could send the package directly to the mansion.
‘Father is at the mansion right now, so it should be fine.’
I had asked him for a favor—to make sure Mother doesn’t read the manuscript.
I especially emphasized this request this time. Given that the ending is practically a tactical nuke, it couldn’t be helped.
‘Now that the transmission is complete, I should…’
I’ll just write the beginning of the epilogue and then take a break.
★★★
The package sent from Isaac’s dormitory to the Michelle Mansion. Most of the time, it is received first by the head of the household.
Currently, Hawk was handling affairs at the Michelle Mansion.
In other words, the package that Isaac had just sent was now in his hands.
And now, Hawk was staring at his son’s mail with a rather serious expression, lost in thought.
‘Should I really deliver this…?’
Normally, he would have sent it straight to the publishing house, as Isaac had repeatedly requested.
But today, he was hesitating—for one reason only.
His beloved wife, Anna, had made a request.
She didn’t ask for much, just that she be allowed to see the manuscript for volume 30 first.
It was a request filled with meaning, making it impossible to ignore.
If it were up to him, he would have firmly refused.
But the way she had pleaded so earnestly left him unable to turn her down.
‘What should I do…?’
Should he prioritize his proud son’s request or his beloved wife’s?
Hawk scratched his furrowed brow, deliberating over and over.
No matter what he chose, someone would end up hurt.
This was a first for him—he had never faced such a difficult decision.
Honestly, dealing with the barbarians on the border was easier than this.
He let out a deep sigh.
‘…I’ll just have to ask her not to make it obvious.’
In the end, Hawk chose his wife.
His love for Anna had only grown stronger over time, not weaker.
Their newly born youngest daughter, Lily, was proof of that.
If they hadn’t practiced birth control, they would probably have had at least ten children by now.
He chuckled at the thought, shaking his head, and got up from his seat.
He would have to remind Anna to keep it discreet.
‘Son… I’m sorry.’
Hawk silently apologized to Isaac as he picked up the mail and walked toward Anna’s bedroom.
On the way, several knights greeted him energetically, but he only gave a half-hearted response.
The Imperial Palace had sent reinforcements to increase security, which was great, but the mansion wasn’t particularly spacious to begin with, making things feel a bit crowded.
‘It’s not like we can expand the mansion any further.’
Setting aside his endless work troubles for now, Hawk arrived at the bedroom door and cleared his throat.
Then, quietly grasping the doorknob, he stepped inside.
“You’re here?”
The moment he entered, his beloved wife came into view.
Despite her age, she hadn’t aged a bit—in fact, like fine wine, she had only grown more elegant over time.
Hawk couldn’t help but smile warmly at Anna’s beauty, but he quickly refocused and held out the package.
“Isaac just sent this. Looks like a manuscript.”
“Really? Thank you, dear. I appreciate it.”
“There’s no need to thank me. Just don’t let Isaac notice, okay? I don’t want my son holding a grudge against me.”
Anna clasped her hands together, deeply moved that Hawk had prioritized her request over their son’s.
It was proof of his love for her.
She felt her affection for Hawk grow even deeper as she carefully took the package.
Everything would be decided within these pages.
With that thought, Anna took a deep breath.
“…What if Jin really dies?”
Hawk cautiously asked in a worried tone.
He had been keeping up with The Chronicles of Zenon and knew how passionately Anna supported the Jin-Lily couple.
Even though he approached the story as mere entertainment, his concern for his wife was evident in his thoughtful question.
Anna smiled brightly and replied in her sweet, birdlike voice.
“It’s fine. I have a plan.”
“…You’re not going to exile him from the family, are you?”
“Aww, that wouldn’t be worth it. If we did that, our family would only suffer losses.
Although… if we did, the readers would probably cheer.”
Her words were sharp.
Hawk was momentarily at a loss for words.
She wasn’t wrong—Jin’s death would bring shock and outrage.
In fact, someone had reportedly thrown a rock at the publishing house’s window.
That alone showed how bad the public sentiment was.
“Stay with me until I finish reading. You will, right?”
“Of course. I have to take it to the publisher anyway.”
“Then…”
Anna nodded, determination filling her eyes.
Riiip—
Without hesitation, she tore open the package.
Inside was an exceptionally thick manuscript, far longer than expected.
It truly suited the final chapter of the series.
Everything would be decided within these pages.
Anna stared at the first page, tension visible in her posture.
Hawk stood beside her, waiting silently.
And then, moments later…
“Hic… Hic…!”
“…”
“That bastard! He really killed him! He actually killed him! Waaahhh…!”
Hawk silently patted Anna’s back as she burst into uncontrollable sobs, soaking his broad chest with tears.
He had expected this reaction, but he wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sympathize.
“Why couldn’t he just let them be happy…?! Why did he have to die…?! Huuuu…”
“…”
“Fine… If that’s how it is…! Hic! Then I… Hic! have something in mind too…!”
Anna’s large eyes were swollen from crying in such a short time.
It was a little amusing, but Hawk suppressed his laughter with great effort.
The important thing right now was comforting her.
Though before that, there was something he needed to confirm.
What she had just muttered was a bit concerning.
“Dear… You’re not planning revenge, are you?”
“Hic! It’s not revenge… Just a little… event.”
“…Then that’s fine.”
That was reassuring.
Since Anna had a playful side, Hawk decided to let it slide.
“Hic! Honey…”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask you for a favor? It’s not about Isaac… It’s about the territory.”
“What is it?”
If it was about the territory, he was willing to listen.
Hawk’s willingness made Anna sniffle before she spoke.
“Soon… a funeral procession will be coming.”
“…A funeral procession?”
“Yes… Please accept them.”
It was a difficult request to understand.
“…You can do that, right?”
“…As long as it doesn’t harm the territory.”
“There won’t be harm—Hic! If anything, it’ll boost tourism. I guarantee it.”
It was hard to refuse.