The world has begun to produce a lot of scum.
I have already decided to kill everyone in the city—every single person, young and old. I might not kill the women because of the damn promise I made to my mother.
I don't know where she is now, or what she's doing. Is she okay? How is the Demon King treating her? What does he want from her?
If he so much as touches a single hair on her head, I won't just kill him—I'll cut off his hands, disfigure his body, and torture him in the most horrifying ways.
If he even comes near her, I'll make him regret every day of his life and curse the luck that brought him into my path.
I was thinking about this with intense anger while Khaled moved beside me, mumbling some strange songs I had never heard before.
When I asked him about it, he said it was a song related to his tribe.
Khaled is a big fool, but he's entertaining. Every day, he tells me how he just wants a big house, a beautiful lover, and lots of money, but he also doesn't want a quiet life. He wants to live through many adventures and wars, spreading his name everywhere.
I think he talks a lot, but it doesn't matter—his words keep me from getting bored on the road.
I think we're getting close to the city of Pompeii.
On the way, we encountered a group of bandits. We killed them all and asked them about the city. One of them, after I cut off his fingers, told me that this city was once a place of justice and prosperity, but now, because of a gang that controls it and after a spider attack, it has become a city of debauchery and oppression. There's nothing left in it but old people, women, and children. We were going there to join the big gang in charge.
"I think we're going to have some fun," I said, smiling at Khaled.
"And I think we're going to kill everyone," he laughed loudly, as usual, after saying that.
But as we approached the city, I sensed someone coming toward us.
It was a woman, her entire body injured and covered in wounds. Despite that, nothing had taken away from her beauty.
As she got closer, I noticed something strange—she looked a lot like my mother, with the same beautiful eyes my mother has, and the same long hair. I approached her, as I was longing for my mother. I was close to dying this time.
When I saw her features, which made me miss my mother, I got very close to her.
When I did, she grabbed my hand tightly. At that moment, I felt that this desperate woman was my beautiful mother.
I couldn't control myself; I was on the verge of tears, but I wouldn't cry.
"My son," she said, tears filling her eyes.
I forgot everything when she said that and remembered my mother calling me "my son." My mother's image was deeply etched into my mind.
"My son, save my city," she said, pressing my hand tightly. She was in great pain, and her body was trembling.
So, I decided to give her some mercy.
I placed my hand on the large wound on her body and tried to heal it.
"Peacock of the Sky."
But instead of healing, a message appeared:
"You cannot heal; the condition has lost all life energy."
Damn it.
Damn it.
This woman had the will to come all this way with no energy left in her body.
Humans really surprise me sometimes with their determination and the fragile hope that resides in their broken hearts.
So, I decided to do something else for her as she was trembling in pain.
I whispered,
"Blood Poison."
I sent some poison into her body to let her die quickly without pain. I closed her eyes with my hand.
I don't know, but I felt like my heart was going to hurt a lot. Damn these feelings. If anything happens to my mother, I'll destroy this cursed world.
Khaled was watching me do this without speaking, and after I finished, he said in a quiet voice,
"Did you know this woman?"
"Yes," I said, looking into her eyes, which were just like my mother's. My hands were trembling, and my heart was pounding hard. The pain was tearing through my heart.
"What are we going to do now?"
"We will fulfill her last wish, but in our own way," I said, clenching my fist.
"All right, we'll do it our way," Khaled said, smiling.
When we reached the city and sneaked inside, I saw scum everywhere.
"Khaled, kill everything, but don't touch a child, an old person, or a woman. Kill everyone you encounter in the most brutal way possible."
When I finished saying that, Khaled started moving. He killed everyone who carried a weapon, cutting off their heads with ease.
As I moved forward, I didn't look back or around. When I saw someone carrying a weapon, I killed them with one strike of my sword.
As I moved, a small child called out to me after I had killed the one who was assaulting his mother.
"Sir, what's your name?" he asked, his eyes filled with tears.
"The Joker," I answered, looking into those eyes that had once made me a monster.
I wanted to reach the grand palace where I would carry out my own massacre.
But then I heard an old man's scream coming from a house, followed by the sound of a body hitting something.
So, I entered the house with the open door.
There was a girl on the ground, her clothes torn, crying, her eyes pale, but she was still beautiful and alluring.
And a man holding a large sword stood nearby.
The old man was ugly, closing his eyes in fear of the blow that was about to fall on him.
So, I drew my mana sword and pierced the man's gut.
After the man let out a scream and some groans, he tried to look back, but I didn't want to see his ugly face, so I cut off his head.
The old man had already opened his eyes.
He was looking at me with extreme fear and dread. I think he was scared because he was so close to death.
Why is Khaled taking so long? I don't know what that idiot is doing.
"Khaaaaaaleeed!" I raised my voice, calling for him, with some anger on my face.
But the old man in front of me spoke, trembling with fear,
"M… My name isn't Khaled, but if you want it to be, I'll make it my name from now on. Anyone who calls me otherwise, I'll curse and insult them."
He said that, his entire body trembling.
So, I couldn't help but laugh. This man was truly brave and smart.
He had tried to defend his daughter despite having no strength and was clever after hearing him say that.
At that moment, I noticed a large piece of cloth behind him, so I picked it up and placed it over his daughter's body.
Her eyes were hollow this time. I felt the same way I did when I thought about what others might do to my mother with the Demon King. I wanted to be kind to this woman.
I placed my hand on her beautiful hair and petted it gently, like one does with a cat. Then I turned my gaze to the little boy's eyes and said to her,
"My mother told me to respect women, so I promised myself never to rape or kill an innocent girl, no matter what happens. So don't worry, you're safe now. Take your father and go to the city of dust. I am the king there, and I will make sure you live a good life."
When I said that, Khaled appeared behind me, holding the large head of a giant man and playing with it.
I don't know what that madman did, but I don't want to imagine it. But I like it—his madness really appeals to me.
But he took too much time, so I was a little angry.
"Khaled, stop fooling around. We need to finish off the rest today."
When I said that, he threw the head in his hand to the ground.
He then stabbed the other head forcefully. The old man looked at us with intense fear, his eyes completely vacant and terrified.
Curses came from outside.
"Come out here, you bastards!"
"Come on, we'll kill you and rape you, you sons of whores…"
These voices came from outside.
Khaled looked at me and smiled, saying,
"I think our guests have arrived at the party, Joker."
I smiled back and said,
"Then we should welcome them."
I was about to leave the house when I heard the girl sitting there whispering,
"Thank you."
So, I looked at her and smiled.
When I stepped outside, I smiled even more. In front of me now were 500 heads that needed cutting.
So, I was very happy.
Among them was a blond-haired man.
His level was 53.
And he had 5 men with levels between 45 and 50.
So, I smiled even more.
I looked at Khaled, who was also smiling, and I understood what was on his mind.
I think we're going to witness a brutal massacre today.
"Warrior's Roar."
"Mana Swords."
Many swords formed around me, flying to kill many of them, but that damn Khaled was racing with those swords. He was killing many in one moment.
There were many people cheering my name from behind, but as long as I'm in this battle, I won't focus on anything but killing.
So, after releasing the swords,
"Super Speed."
I dashed forward with all the speed I could muster, drawing my beautiful black sword.
I, too, began swiftly beheading enemies.
I was racing Khalid in skillfully severing limbs.
Khalid was laughing, and I was smiling.
Everything was perfect.
The blood was truly a delightful thrill; everyone was terrified of me.
But I fixed my gaze on that blond-haired man—I wanted to kill him.
I really wanted to kill him.
"Decisive Strike," I said as I slashed a man in half, leaving his lower body in one place and the rest of his body in another.
"Thorns of the Earth," I called out, and large spikes emerged from the ground, piercing their bodies and pushing them out.
Khalid moved among the heads and vital points with strange speed. The longer the battle lasted, the faster he became, and the louder his laughter grew.
I found myself facing that damned blonde man.
But strangely, he didn't move; he didn't do anything. He knelt on the ground and bowed to me.
He began to plead, and when his followers saw him doing that, they all started to do the same.
I felt disgusted and bored with this wretched man.
There were more than 100 people bowing on the ground before us.
"Khalid, it's time to end the party. It's getting boring," I said, raising my hand.
I whispered, "Meteor Fire."
Whenever I activate this skill, everyone runs away except for Khalid. I don't know why he enjoys dodging the rocks that fall from the sky and crush heads—I think he sees it as training.
He was doing it here as well, but he also decapitated those who weren't hit.
I looked at this man, his clothes soaked in blood.
I hadn't killed him yet.
I raised my sword and drove it through his right hand, pinning him to the ground.
"Don't worry, I won't," I said as I looked at the scum before me.
My sword is a cunning one, after all, so it began draining all the energy within him.
When he felt his energy nearly depleted, he tried to move. I cut off his leg. I told you not to move from your spot.
The cheers grew louder.
So, I looked back and found Khalid smiling and laughing heartily.
There were many old people, women, and children cheering for us.
So, I called the boy who had asked for my name, along with a group of onlookers, including the old man whose daughter I had saved.
Everyone looked at me with gratitude.
I took out some daggers and knives from my domain.
"Do with him as you please," I said, looking at him.
Their eyes gleamed with a fierce light, like beasts who had waited for this moment for ages.
I looked at him and smiled widely.
"And I won't."
The first to stab his limbs was the brave old man who had defended his daughter and wasn't afraid of death.
Then others joined in, striking and stabbing his face and every part of his body.
He screamed with each blow.
Khalid laughed loudly.
"I promised I wouldn't, hahahahaha," I said, laughing along with him.
Everyone was laughing and happy that day—everyone in the city: the girls, the children, and the elderly.