The Star Of Depravity - Chapter 15

“I know,” was his only answer.

It was the reason why he decided to die.

The day she came inside his office and demanded to begin producing the shoes, Ervin started panicking.

He had too much to worry: the money, the employees’ salary, the filing for bankruptcy, his fiancee demanding that they see each other already, and his father’s re-occurring sickness.

He thought at that time that Seo-rin was right—he risked a lot when he considered her suggestion. He adhered to the mass production she desired, and everyone seemed hopeful when he announced it during the meeting.

Ervin felt the urgency, and at the same time, it was the first time his employees had looked to him as if he had been sent by a god— as if he was a hero instead of a villain.

But Ervin didn’t want it. It was another form of burden and agony mixed in one bowl, and the company didn’t have enough money for mass production.

What was he supposed to do? The question lingered in him whenever he attempted to close his eyes at night.

The investors wanted to pull out their money, and he only had the company’s personal stocks. And then there was his colleague who presented him a golden platter he didn’t think twice in accepting. But Ervin chose to believe that half of it originated from her.

“That’s why I—”

“—that’s why you killed yourself? In the middle of the pedestrian lane?” Seo-rin finished the sentence for him.

Ervin has no words left to say.

Was Seo-rin there when he died? How did she know that he got hit by a passing truck?

It made sense that she was still in the convenience store when it all happened. But something didn’t sit quite right.

Seo-rin tried to contain herself, but she was always the type of person who bursts before anyone would have the time to stop her.

“Let me tell you something,” she began, and Ervin had heard that tone from her before. She used it when she talked to him inside his office before the tragedy in their company struck.

“You didn’t do that to get away from what you’ve done. It’s not because you’re sorry—” Seo-rin inched forward, her once tense jaw loosening.

“You did that to escape from what you’ve done to your employees—to us,” Seo-rin positioned herself.

She opened her palms, and bright sparkles like fireflies inched closer to where she was. Then, it formed a sword when she gripped the handle, the blade shinning from the sun’s light, its sharp part aiming at Ervin’s head.

“We’re not yet done with Voidspawns!” informed a hovering Ronnie as she raised her hands from the Voidspawns clawing at her waning air-shield.

Ronnie knew her shield would shatter anytime now—like a cracking mirror, the shield she made with her wind shattered quickly, and the Voidspawns scrambled on who’d get first to her.

She directed her palms at them, and then they got blown away by Ronnie’s strong wind.

As if the two of them didn’t hear her, Ervin’s chest stung with an emotion he couldn’t directly express.

So was she technically blaming him for all his misery?

Ervin refutes the idea.

“It was you!” he growled like a beast, “if you hadn’t pressured me, I wouldn’t be here!” running while screaming, the water splashing beneath his feet, he carelessly swung his blade toward Seo-rin.

The pink, pale-haired woman countered him with her glowing blade, their eyes locking with each other, “Me?” she scoffed, “you’re the one who decided—” she swung her sword once more and attempted to cut Ervin on the shoulders, “—on what happens to your life!”

Seo-rin pressed her body to Ervin, and she peeked from behind their crossing blades.

“I merely suggested a solution, and I didn’t know you’re—”

Ervin didn’t let her finish as he advanced, the tip of his blade grazing Seo-rin’s neck.

Seo-rin attempted to leap away from him, but Ervin’s view blackened, and then it zoomed into the pumping purple light in front of him—it was Seo-rin’s beating heart.

He aimed his blade there, but Seo-rin bested death when she ducked and kneed Ervin in the shin.

“Shit…!” his legs gave up, and he kneeled on the water.

Air blocked Seo-rin from lurching toward Ervin as Ronnie landed once more between them.

“Stop, stop!” she cried out. “I can’t kill the monsters alone! I don’t know what to do anymore!” the redhead panicked, her chest heaving up and down.

Seo-rin glared at her—then she glared back at a shaking Ervin who kneeled before her.

“Please—” Ronnie walked to her, “we need to clear the monsters, and you know why.”

Ervin saw how Seo-rin masked her face emotionless from Ronnie’s words.

Then, she flew in the air once more, stabbing any monster that attempted to dig their sharp teeth in her cream-colored skin.

They know why? He asked inwardly.

Zyros only hummed at his question.

To Ervin, It didn’t make sense.

They should be able to have the freedom to choose whether they need to save those who need saving.

Does that mean the two of them decided to save Lestra over claiming their peace?

Unlike them, Ervin chose to save his own life—death was his peace.

Are there that many around here?

Ervin took this moment to roam his sight when the pain at the center of his legs subsided.

Seo-rin had really outdone herself in kicking his manhood to get him to think straight.

It’s a place infested with monsters. Perhaps a year or two, Zyros answered.

It looks like the Dark Deity also didn’t know what happened around this place.

No one seems to be living in the area anymore, so most probably, the people have already decided to move to another place, especially when it’s already infested with flesh-eating monsters.

Ervin slowly rose. He gripped his sword and faced the incoming monster.

Look close— 

Zyros warned, and this time, Ervin thinks it wouldn’t hurt if he listened.

He squinted his eyes, but the light coming from the sun made his head heavy.

Focus.

Ervin gritted his teeth. I’m trying, damn you…!

His eyes throbbed again. Swarming purple light came his way, and Ervin couldn’t believe he was seeing them!

He charged, impaling five Voidspawns that fell to their death.

Then, he turned around just in time to grab hold of the Voidspawn that attempted to stab its arm at his spine.

Meanwhile, Ronnie hovered in the air, her palms already pointed at the direction of the bat-like Voidspawns coming her way.

With accurate speed, she raised her shaking palms to them, and it cut through like a real blade—the monsters’ bodies severed in pieces.

On the other hand, Seo-rin disappeared fast—and reappeared. She materialized and then blurred, she emerged again when she was close to each monster before she stabbed their heads with her glowing sword.

When she leaped before the sun’s light, it hit her palms, her sword growing brighter, the yellow sparkles snaking on her arm as she released a beam of light that killed twenty more Voidspawns ahead.

Ervin estimated how many are still left—most probably a hundred more.

They’ve cleared the ones coming from the east and west.

Ronnie had mostly finished the ones on the south.

That means what was left of them are those coming from the north.

The Voidspawn Agmas loudly screeched as they flapped their bat-like wings toward the vessels. But before they’re able to reach them, an orange wave-like fire that moved with Ronnie’s wind ignited them, immediately turning the monsters into ashes.

When earlier it was raining blood, now, there was ashfall.

The monsters who didn’t burn had their wings blazing; their screech sounded like a thousand cars were trying to step-on the break all at once, making the vessels’ ears almost bleed from the unbearable sound.

Then, the monsters plummeted on the water like comets. They sizzled as smoke emanated from their burned bodies once they were engulfed by the swamp’s murky waters.

A group of monsters came at Ervin, and they attacked at both sides—the purple light pulsed, and he charged his sword, stabbing the Agmas in the head one by one—

Fire burst straight beside Ervin as several Voidspawn behind him lit up like roasted meat, the smell putrid and nauseating.

Ervin glanced from where it came—it was behind a willow tree from the east.

Then, the flame was aimed at where he was. It swirled like the wind, the heat scorched him, his sword blocking the attack.

That must have been Notris’ vessel, whispered Zyros.

Ervin made a clicking sound with his tongue. Why are you so unsure about it?

Zyros’s breath was felt near his ears. Are you questioning me, boy?

Boy. It was an insult that dug more profound than the sea.

It was the last thing Ervin wanted some entity calling him.

He wasn’t a boy—not in any way there is.

Ervin couldn’t stand properly anymore, and even though he was able to block the blazing fire with his blade, surely no sane human being could stand its heat.

He attempted to leap, but a Voidspawn with the head of a hyena attacked from above him—it opened its mouth—Ervin managed to avoid being bitten on the face, but the Agma grazed its sharp teeth on his shoulders.

The sting was bearable now than it did when he first experienced being cut.

Ervin rolled his shoulders to remove the stiffness he felt when the fire disappeared, the blood coming out from his hoodies’ sleeve.

When will this fighting end? Ervin heaved.

He knew his body well, and he can feel it giving-up, he was sure it wasn’t just him feeling the fatigue from all the fighting.

His stamina was at its limit.

He’d been through a lot since arriving at this place.

Ervin was basically revived, killed, and then revived again. He was stabbed, slashed, cut, and chased by Agmas.

The monsters’ numbers weren’t faltering, and according to Zyros, these were just a weak type of Agma.

He spat blood on the water, then wiped the back of his hand at his lips.

How the hell are these Deities expecting them to fight the stronger ones if the weak ones are already this exhausting to handle? 

Was that why they needed vessels? So that they wouldn’t have to do all the dirty and exhausting work in fighting off these flesh-eating monsters?

How fucking convenient, Ervin said as he looked at the sky.

They’re called Agma, boy, Zyros corrected him as he chuckled afterward at how insulted Ervin was toward his remark.

His laugh had always made Ervin either angry or depressed, and the sound had regularly left an uneasy feeling in his chest.

The wind came down on him, Ronnie headed straight to where he was.

She landed before Ervin, her fiery hair facing the direction of the flames that subsided.

“What was that?” Ronnie turned to him.

“I’m not sure,” Ervin answered shortly.

The Voidspawn Agmas that survived the firey attack grabbed hold of his foot, but Ervin felt too tired to stab him with his sword.