I, the Final Boss of the Beta Server!

Chapter 143: I Will Properly Repay Everything You Have Done for Me

Ten days later, Paradise.

Outside the Royal City, a carriage made its way along a winding path toward the capital.

This mountain road, which crossed through the entire hilly region, was somewhat rugged, and the carriage jolted quite a bit as it traveled.

Yet even so, it did not dampen the passengers’ excitement in the slightest.

“Today is the day mentioned in the proclamation issued by His Majesty Rast to the entire territory — the day when the Holy Rite begins, right?”

“That’s right. As soon as I received the proclamation, I set out with my family without delay, heading straight for the Royal City… It was a rush, but we made it here in time. Hopefully, we’ll make it.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve been to the Royal City before — we’re already quite close. Less than an hour’s journey remains. And according to the proclamation, the Holy Rite will begin at two this afternoon. We have plenty of time.”

“So, you’re all here for the Holy Rite as well?”

Someone glanced around at the other passengers in the carriage and asked.

“Of course… This is the first time in decades that Paradise has bestowed the Eternal Blessing on such a grand scale.”

“As long as one obtains the Eternal Protection, one can gain a long life, and be spared from the wars and catastrophes now ravaging the continent — shielded from the cults, the Iron Cross, and the beast tides…”

“This is a ticket to eternity. As long as we can receive such a blessing, then no matter what the cost, it is absolutely worth it.”

One passenger’s voice even held a hint of fanaticism. “As expected of His Majesty Rast.”

“It’s said that during the reign of Paradise’s former queen, Helen, there were many years when no large-scale blessings were granted.”

“And to think that His Majesty Rast, in only three years since ascending the throne, is willing to bestow blessings upon the entire realm of Paradise… The sheer scale of this blessing must be an immense burden on him.”

“I didn’t quite believe the stories others told about the new king before…”

“But now, it seems His Majesty Rast is truly the wise king praised by all of Paradise.”

As the passengers conversed, the atmosphere within the carriage gradually grew livelier.

Every person in this carriage was eagerly anticipating the approaching Holy Rite.

This was only natural.

It had been over a hundred years since the first year of the Cataclysmic Calendar, when the Iron Cross’s plague erupted from Deep Blue Port and swept across the entire continent.

And for those born after the beginning of the Cataclysmic Calendar, their lives had been overshadowed by overwhelming fear from the very start.

After all, no one knew—

Whether, in the next moment, the place they called home might be trampled underfoot by the colossal foot of some ancient beast.

A city that thrived in splendor a moment ago could, in the next, become a desolate wasteland.

In such precarious times, ordinary people could do little more than hide anxiously in their homes, quietly awaiting a future that was murky and devoid of light.

Originally, outside of Paradise, there had still been other options for the people.

They could travel to the towns along the Shattered Coast, beside the Watchtower, where the influence of the Shoreguards extended, and live in peace under their protection.

However, as time went on—

Rumors began to spread—

The defenses along the Shattered Coast were strained to the limit and might soon collapse.

And once the Shattered Coastline fell and the Shoreguards abandoned that line of defense, the forbidden creatures of the sea would be free to rampage unchecked along the coast.

At that time, the once-prosperous cities around the Watchtower would be reduced in an instant to barren ruins and wastelands.

Although these were still just unverified rumors,

When combined with the hurried movements of the Shoreguards recently, and the visibly growing tension in the air… even the most ordinary of citizens could clearly sense that these whispers might be far more than empty talk.

Even the Shoreguards’ headquarters at the Watchtower was no longer safe—

Naturally, Paradise became the final sanctuary and haven.

Countless displaced refugees saw it as their last hope, longing to receive the blessing and become citizens of Paradise, enjoying eternal protection.

At this very moment, countless refugees who had heard of the Holy Rite were pouring in from all directions of the continent toward Paradise’s Royal City.

And the passengers of this carriage were but a minuscule part of the multitude.

…

“Young lady—”

“Did you come to the Royal City for the Holy Rite as well?”

Inside the carriage, a noble-looking elderly lady asked in a gentle tone, “Are you here alone?”

“Did your parents not come with you?”

However, in response to those kind words—

The girl seated across from her, cloaked in a black robe that enveloped her petite figure, with her face hidden beneath the hood, simply nodded in silence.

“My parents have already passed away.”

“I’m not here to attend the Holy Rite.”

“I’ve come… to find someone.”

Hearing that the girl’s parents had passed away, the old woman’s voice grew even softer, tinged with sympathy.

“I’m sorry.”

“But since your parents are gone, you’ve come to Paradise to find someone… are you looking for relatives?”

Looking at the small-framed girl who kept her face hidden under the hood, the old woman couldn’t help but feel a surge of pity.

She had already imagined a tragic story: the girl’s parents had died, leaving her with no choice but to come alone to Paradise’s Royal City, seeking relatives to rely on.

“Still, your timing isn’t the best.”

“The Holy Rite is about to begin, and during this period a large number of Paradise’s citizens will flood into the Royal City. It won’t be easy to find the person you’re looking for.”

“If you don’t mind, you could stay at my home for a few days… Once the Holy Rite is over, you can continue your search then.”

The elderly woman clearly held a high status and influence within the Royal City, as shown by her confident offer.

However, in response to her invitation—

The hooded girl simply shook her head gently.

“Thank you, but no need.”

Her voice was pleasant, carrying a clear tone unique to young girls.

But if one listened closely, one could detect a faint hoarseness and suppression in her voice — as though… she had endured pain and suffering far beyond what someone her age should have known.

“The person I’m looking for is not hard to find in the Royal City.”

“In fact, one could say that everyone knows him.”

“And…”

The girl’s voice paused slightly.

For some reason, the originally crisp and pleasant tone now carried a faint and inexplicable depth.

“If I wait until the Holy Rite is over to find him.”

“Then everything will be far, far too late.”

Someone known to everyone in the Royal City?

The elderly lady with silver hair was momentarily stunned, unable to comprehend the meaning behind the girl’s words.

She was about to ask again—

But in the next moment—

The noisy chatter inside the carriage suddenly went silent.

The carriage crossed a hill along the winding path.

And at the end of that winding trail, to the northwest—

The magnificent city, bathed in the light of morning, grand and resplendent, suddenly came into full view.

The once-noisy carriage fell briefly silent.

Then, it erupted into waves of cheers.

After a long journey filled with hardships, they had finally arrived at Paradise’s Royal City, ready to partake in the approaching Holy Rite.

All the exhaustion from the trip was, at this moment, rewarded.

And among the cheers of the passengers—

Grey sat by the window, also gazing at the grand city veiled in the golden morning light.

A gust of wind from the wilderness blew in, lifting the hood that had covered her face, and a few strands of her grey hair fluttered with the wind.

“I’ve finally…”

“I’ve returned here again, Big Brother Rast.”

She whispered silently.

Three years ago, the Lost Paradise Plan carried out in Paradise’s Royal City had become an obsession engraved in Grey’s heart.

It haunted her in countless midnight dreams, leaving her restless and sleepless.

Over a thousand days and nights.

Grey didn’t know how many times she had dreamt of returning to that cliff swallowed by torrential rain.

In that raging downpour, the boy etched a mark of betrayal onto the Shoreguards’ winged emblem with his dagger— And the cold, unfamiliar gaze he cast her way…

Had become a recurring nightmare for Grey.

It reappeared before her eyes countless times, waking her in the dead of night.

However—

Even so.

During this long period, Grey had always suppressed her true feelings.

No matter how gut-wrenching or all-consuming that obsession was.

She forced herself not to seek out any information about Paradise, or even news about Big Brother Rast…

Because she knew, back then, she was still too immature, too weak— Unqualified to stand before that boy.

Even if she followed her heart and returned to Paradise to stand before Big Brother Rast again…

What awaited her would only be the exact same outcome as three years ago, on that stormy cliff—

Powerless to do anything, unable to change a thing.

Left to collapse in the muddy cliffside, crying helplessly, watching the things and people she cherished slip away from her fingers.

So Grey endured the overwhelming impulse to search for Big Brother Rast with tremendous willpower.

She endured three hellish years, walking a path that perhaps others could never achieve even in a lifetime.

And now—

Those hellish years had finally borne fruit.

She had finally caught up to the once-distant figure.

She had finally earned the right to stand before that person.

Grey continued to gaze toward the distant wilderness, at that grand Royal City drawing ever nearer, ever clearer.

A mysterious gleam shimmered in her emerald eyes.

Within her suddenly expanded spiritual sight, Grey could clearly sense—

Above the Royal City, countless tiny points of light were converging from all directions…

Those lights represented the faith of Paradise’s people.

And the point where they gathered—

Was the center of the Royal City, inside that grand palace—

Where Rast, now the King of the Underworld, currently resided.

“Big Brother Rast…”

“You once said—only power is the most eternal and reliable thing in this world.”

“No matter how lofty the ideals, no matter how sincere the beliefs, without enough power to support them, they are nothing but flowers in a mirror, the moon in the water…”

“Childish nonsense, meaningless illusions.”

“If that’s the case, then I shall grant your wish.”

The girl’s monologue vanished into the howling winds of the plains, unheard by anyone.

“If you’ve made the pursuit of power and immortality your lifelong creed… if you would betray companions and break all bonds to chase that highest goal—”

“Then I will stand at the peak.”

“And then…”

“I will properly repay everything you once did to me.”

…

Dozens of miles away from that carriage in the outskirts, at the heart of the Royal City.

Rast stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling glass window inside the throne hall, quietly overlooking the vast cityscape below.

In his pitch-black eyes flowed a faint, silvery light.

A small rune, composed of streams of 0s and 1s like black arcs of electricity, intertwined with his spiritual force and surged like a tide.

This was the verification rune of the “Key of Heaven,” also the necessary protocol to activate the forbidden weapon, “Sword of Zenith.”

In these ten days.

Rast had used the folded sub-dimension within the “Key of Heaven” to complete the single-user deployment of the forbidden weapon “Sword of Zenith,” without being noticed by anyone.

And at this moment—

On this stage named Paradise, named the Underworld Nation, all preparations were complete.

As if for a grand stage play, the set had been built, the actors had long applied their heavy makeup…

All that remained—was for the show to begin.

“Your Majesty Rast.”

A respectful voice rang out, echoing through the vast, silent palace.

“All preparations for the Holy Rite are complete.”

“We’re only waiting for two o’clock in the afternoon, and then the ceremony can begin at once.”

The servant’s eyes also held a trace of fanaticism.

As one of the Underworld Nation’s people, he too knew very well…

What it meant to bestow Eternal Blessing upon an entire nation.

As expected of the wise king he had chosen to serve.

“Yes, I understand.”

Rast maintained the posture of a ruler, nodding calmly.

He shifted his gaze away from the glass window and walked toward the outside of the palace.

“Then… let us begin.”

“The final dance… of Shoreguard ‘Rast.’”