Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss

Suicide Before Defeating the Final Boss – 86

EP.86 Level Up Part 1

Jeong-hyeon gazed at the spot where the Golden Goblin had vanished, feeling a twinge of regret. He wanted to follow it and witness the church’s destruction firsthand. However, there was no way to follow it, and even if there were, the chance of various problems arising was too high. He had to curb his curiosity and let the opportunity pass.

‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’

Setting aside his disappointment, he resolved to focus on strengthening himself.

‘Might as well level up while waiting for the Demon King’s reply.’

With Karina having crumbled more easily than expected, Jeong-hyeon had put off his level-up, but now it was time to proceed. He decided to pester Regina—who had become the student council president—whenever he could to rack up the necessary achievement points.

‘Then, as soon as the day breaks…’

He planned to track down Regina immediately and, for now, decided to rest for the night.

***

As soon as dawn broke, Jeong-hyeon entered the student council room, taking a seat close to Regina. Her clear discomfort was almost comical, but he ignored it, flipping through the reports.

‘Looks like she’s doing what I ordered.’

The preliminary investigation was progressing more thoroughly, and several students had already declared their intent to join the rebel group. This reaffirmed the unchanging truth: no matter how much someone’s reputation was tarnished, a luxurious background allowed them to rise again. He smiled with satisfaction.

‘Since this is progressing well, the remaining task is…’

To stir up some trouble and accumulate achievement points. With that in mind, Jeong-hyeon rose from his seat and called out to Regina.

“Regina.”

“…What is it?”

Noticing her displeased expression, he made his demand.

“Hand over the position of treasurer.”

Regina’s face twisted in a mix of confusion and surprise at his words. He repeated himself, more firmly this time.

“Immediately.”

The reason Jeong-hyeon demanded the seemingly unnecessary council position was simple: he suspected that gaining a special status within the academy might earn him achievement points.

‘If it works, it’s beneficial, and if it doesn’t, all I’ve done is issue a verbal command—no real loss.’

With confidence, he insisted.

“Do it.”

Regina bit her lip, trembling slightly before she responded in a low voice.

“…I can’t replace the treasurer without a valid reason. Even if there is one, it must go through the proper procedures and have the academy’s official certification. Doing it this way is just arbitrary…”

Realistically, Regina’s words were a hundred percent correct and rational. However, with the academy’s administration in disarray and classes barely functioning, talking about “proper procedures” at this point was laughable. After listening to her, Jeong-hyeon responded kindly.

Jeong-hyeon reminded himself that this girl had once been his enemy and that she was someone who would still gladly take his life if given the chance. With that thought, he drew his sword.

“Stop making excuses and get it done by any means necessary. That’s your job.”

He commanded coldly.

After pouring a healing potion—one he had received from Miria—over Regina’s thigh, he returned to his seat. He needed to steer the conversation back to the main topic after their earlier tangent. Watching Regina writhe in pain, he spoke again.

“Hand over the treasurer’s position.”

***

[Congratulations! You have earned an enormous amount of achievement points!]

(Achievements Completed)

(Unified Achievement) – I Run the Entire Academy!

Acquired Titles: Treasurer, Athletics Head, Volunteer Head, Disciplinary Officer, Secretary…

(Unified Achievement) – Goodbye, Everyone! I’m Casting Off All the Shackles and Constraints of This World to Pursue My Happiness!

Achievement: Resign from five or more positions simultaneously.

After obtaining every position worth claiming in the academy and subsequently resigning from them all, Jeong-hyeon triggered another massive achievement point bonus. Fortunately, merely having his name listed on the paperwork was enough for recognition.

Milking the system for all it was worth, he resigned from those positions once they had served their purpose, bringing in yet another flood of achievement points.

[You have leveled up!]

Leveling up this way turned out to be surprisingly easy.

‘Sweet.’

Tapping his foot in satisfaction. Earning this many achievement points with minimal effort felt incredibly rewarding.

‘Now, I just need to handle the actual leveling process.’

The prospect of enhancing his abilities after such a long time was already making him excited. He began preparing for what was to come.

‘Considering the maximum level is five, this means I only have two opportunities left to enter the Trial Chamber, including this one. I need to make the most of it.’

Resolving to seize every possible benefit from this opportunity, Jeong-hyeon solidified his determination.

***

The World Tree, the source of all life, had long since perished, its once-vivid leaves now a withered, crimson black. The once-prosperous elven village had withered with it, dying a slow, inevitable death.

Nothing in the desolate land exuded life anymore.

Amid this ruin, Daisy stood, silently watching the few remaining elves who clung to life.

“……”

‘So, life is this fragile and pitiful after all.’

Not so long ago, the elves had proudly referred to themselves as a noble and superior race. Now, they were no different from the beggars she had seen in the capital. The thought drew a hollow laugh from her lips.

‘In the end, all living beings are the same.’

Even though this realization came too late to make any difference, memories of their past cruelty toward the Hero resurfaced unbidden.

She couldn’t help but regret the times they had stood by idly or actively tormented him. As these bitter truths resurfaced and clouded her thoughts, two figures approached her, standing close and conversing among themselves.

“The Demon King’s army is still running rampant,” one of them said.

“Well, of course. The demons’ last hope lies in the academy,” the other replied.

“Ah, this is why the Demon King should’ve been dealt with later… Instead, everyone got too excited and used that prematurely, which got him killed.”

“Couldn’t be helped. It’s an ancient technique passed down through generations of self-sacrifice. Anyone who sees it would feel their blood boil.”

“Well, it’s lucky the outcome was favorable. If we hadn’t killed the Demon King…”

“Then we’d have no choice but to let the Hero take care of it.”

“Anyway… We’ve accomplished our immediate goal. It’s time we return and focus on capturing the next Demon King—or rather, the Hero.”

The mention of “Hero” drew a sarcastic smile from one of the men as he responded.

“As you command, Your Highness.”

“Let’s head back, then, and don’t forget, Daisy.”

Daisy nodded calmly, her voice measured.

“…When all this is over, we must bring the World Tree’s seed back to this place.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll gather everyone in the world if that’s what it takes to retrieve it.”

“…Good.”

“Then, shall we depart? Ah, but before that, what do you intend to do with the Demon King?”

The Pope asked, turning his gaze to Daisy.

Daisy’s eyes followed his, landing on the massive magical crystal in front of the withered World Tree. Trapped within was a woman with long black hair and crimson eyes. Even in death, she had been unable to close her eyes, her expression locked in a mix of anguish and defiance.

‘What a pitiful end for a Demon King.’

The thought struck Daisy even harder when she remembered the woman had once been the Hero of the previous generation.

Running her hand along the smooth surface of the crystal, Daisy closed her eyes, sensing a faint vibration that seemed almost alive.

‘Is she… still alive? No, that’s impossible.’

She had witnessed the Demon King’s death herself. Yet, the slightest possibility nagged at her mind. Carefully inspecting the crystal for cracks or signs of movement, she found none.

The Pope, standing nearby, chuckled softly.

“Are you worried she might come back to life?”

When Daisy gave a brief nod, the Pope patted her shoulder reassuringly.

“Don’t worry. We’ve confirmed her death multiple times.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Without an elixir to revive her, resurrection is utterly impossible.”

At the mention of an elixir, Daisy allowed herself a small laugh. Such a thing only existed in legends. Even if it did exist, who in their right mind would waste it on the Demon King?

Realizing how far-fetched the idea was, Daisy finally relaxed, nodding in agreement.

“You’re right. That would be absurd.”

“Then, shall we go? It’s time to bring everything to an end.”

With a final glance at the crystal, Daisy let go of her concerns and followed the Pope out.