After Pride cut the connection, Nick looked at the Fallen.
Nick hadn't heard anything that they said, and he couldn't be sure what Pride was planning.
Nick waited in silence for a couple of seconds as he analyzed the Fallen standing beside him.
'It isn't interacting with in any way, and it isn't doing anything. If Pride had given it a job, it would be moving around or talking to . Pride also can't tell it to kill since all of us know that it wouldn't be able to kill while I'm standing beside the green wall.'
'The only way to kill would be to lure away from the wall, but it isn't doing that.'
'If they wanted to let this entire matter rest, the Fallen would just leave. If they wanted to make use of , the Fallen would be talking to right now or trying to get to move away from the green wall.'
'Yet, the Fallen is just waiting in silence, doing nothing.'
'Pride also didn't seem distracted.'
'In fact, the only thing she really paid attention to during the conversation seed to be . She seed really annoyed that she couldn't deal with .'
'Is she actually doing it?'
'I an, I thought about such a possibility in theory, but I didn't think that it would actually happen.'
'Is she actually coming here to kill herself?'
'I think so.'
'If she sent sobody else to kill , the Fallen wouldn't need to wait here. She believes I fully follow her orders, and she would only need to tell to wait.'
'It might actually be the case that she's coming here to kill herself.'
Nick remained silent and waited.
Naturally, if Pride actually showed up, he would almost certainly be helpless in front of her.
Every Corruptor was a Peak Fallen, and they were all more powerful than normal Peak Fallen.
The Corruptors were also ancient.
Most likely, they had all been alive during the era of the Suffering Ones. They might have even been alive during the era of the Enlightened Ones.
This ant that they were, at least,a couple thousand years old.
Not even Shields could live for that long.
Only Specters could.
Although, the chances that they were actually alive during the era of the Enlightened Ones were low.
The reason was that the Enlightened Ones were crazily powerful and advanced.
Most likely, they had been the closest ones to getting rid of all Specters.
The evidence was not rock-solid, but it suggested that the Enlightened Ones had managed to capture at least a couple of Adversaries.
Additionally, the evidence also suggested that the Maw only ca to power during the era of the Suffering Ones, which ant that the Enlightened Ones had not been constrained to just seven Shields. 𝙍
Humanity had over ten Peak Protectors who were ready to beco Shields but couldn't due to the Maw.
If humanity gained another ten Shields, the power dynamic between the Specters and humans would not be as oppressive, where humans had to fight tooth and nail just to keep a city of humans alive.
If Nick hadn't seen the inhuman engineering and architecture of the machine, he might have believed that the green wall behind him had been created by the Enlightened Ones.
In terms of skill and technological achievent, the Enlightened Ones might have been able to create such a Force Specter trap.
It seed like the chances were the highest that all of the Seven Corruptors, the Trio of Destruction, Death, and the Maw ca to power during the era of the Suffering Ones.
The Suffering Ones truly had a fitting na.
There were also so theories that the Nightmare had appeared during that era, but the evidence wasn't conclusive.
It must have been horrible to live during the era of the Suffering Ones.
The Seven Corruptors, who had all possibly beco powerful during the era of the Suffering Ones, had had an insane amount of ti to beco stronger.
This was why they were much stronger than normal Peak Fallen.
Every Corruptor was bound to have so kind of attack or ability that could kill Force Specters.
If Nick went into the hole right now, he could escape from Pride.
No matter how powerful Pride was, she wasn't small enough to fit into the tiny hole that led to the actual machine.
Nick glanced at the Major Relay lying in front of the Fallen.
'If I escape now, it might warn Pride and stop her from coming,' Nick thought.
'I could destroy it and escape after that, but the fact that none of the Corruptors have been captured or killed ans that they are amazing at staying hidden. It's very likely that she will see that sothing isn't right and retreat without showing herself.'
Nick beca nervous.
He was betting his life here.
'If Pride attacks before showing herself, I will die.'
'Even if she shows herself, I might still die.'
Nick wrestled with his thoughts.
Fight or flight?
Risk or safety?
High reward or low reward?
Trust or suspicion?
Nick didn't want to take the risk.
If he stayed here in the open, he would lose control of his life.
He would have to put his life in the hands of others.
He had contacted Aegis earlier, and he knew that soone from Aegis was here.
However, Nick couldn't be sure who was here.
They were definitely at least as powerful as a Mid Protector since they could stay hidden from the Fallen.
But were they powerful enough to do anything against Pride?
Killing Pride might require at least three Peak Protectors.
Nick was not sure if sobody like that was here.
'Then, there's also that other thing…'
Nick noticed that another second had passed.
'Pride can be here any second now.'
'If I want to escape to safety, this would be my opportunity.'
'I have already killed a Peak Demon, and when Aegis notices that I'm running away, they will close the net around the Fallen as well. I have already contributed a lot. I don't need to contribute even more.'
'I don't need to put my life on the line any-'
And then, Nick's thoughts stopped as he rembered so things he had said in the past.
When he had been a Liaison, he had been willing to risk his life against many more powerful people who could kill him.
Had he needed to do that?
No.
What about when he decided to go back to Aegis and reveal his true status as a Specter?
That was also extrely dangerous.
Had he needed to do that?
No.
Yet, in both cases, he had done so.
'I have not yet redeed myself,' Nick thought. 'I have only helped about 200,000 people so far.'
'There are still 800,000 people left to go.'
Nick rembered his last na.
'But the old Champion of Light entrusted with saving all of humanity.'
'Wouldn't dying now be like selling a Specter? If I just invest more, I would gain much more out of this.'
If Nick were in his physical form, he would be gritting his teeth.
'What is this shit?!' he thought in anger. 'I am turning into the very people I swore to kill.'
'I have the power to change things, and I am trying to find justifications for not risking my life.'
'I am fighting for humanity!'
'Aegis is humanity!'
'I can fight for humanity, but I won't be able to truly save humanity without humanity's help.'
'I have to trust humanity!'
'I have to trust Aegis.'
'And if my life ends here, then my trust was misplaced.'
'But, at least, I will have done my best to redeem myself and will die without having been corrupted.'
'I will stay!'
Nick's doubts vanished, and he steeled himself.
About two minutes later, Nick felt a terrifying pressure.
Sothing was appearing in the dark of the cave.
It was a tall and slender woman with black hair. Her long dress clung to her body, and she seed to partially fuse with the shadows.
Her eyes were filled with pride, disregard, and disgust.
She was probably over three ters tall.
It was Pride.
Right now, Pride was focusing on Nick.
Then,she slowly moved closer without a word.
Nick could feel the pressure on his body increasing.
He couldn't move anymore!
It was like his Specter Core was being constrained by a clenching fist.
"You're worthless," Pride spoke coldly.
Nick's Specter Core shook.
The pressure increased.
Ti seed to stop.
A little girl appeared in front of Pride.
She held a sacrificial dagger in her hand.
Pride didn't move and just looked at her.
A black streak seed to cut across Pride's body.
"I'm willing to comply," Pride transmitted.
The Knife didn't answer.
Instead, she ramd the sacrificial dagger into her own abdon before violently moving it upward, splitting her torso into two pieces.
A fountain of blood shot out of her.
But at the sa ti, Pride's body fell into pieces.
Her black Specter Core beca visible before turning into black dust.
Pride had died.
The Knife was here.
As soon as Pride died, War noticed.
The Knife was now on the gaboard.
For the next couple of seconds, it didn't need to fear the Knife's sudden arrival on the battlefield.
The carefully balanced scales of conflict were tipped.
One second after Pride died, war broke out all across the world.
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