The SSS Beast King: Rebirth of the Legendary Predator
Chapter 52: By My Hand

Chapter 52: By My Hand

[You have no skill copied.]

I frowned, as ice started to set on my frigid skin. Due to the time limit, I knew my copied skill had disappeared long ago, but I still tried, hoping for a miracle. The stars in my eyes started to dim, as I slowly got closer and closer to the stairs of hell.

I wished I could say I belonged to the world above, but it had been my choice, and it now looks to me like it had the wrong answer to the system’s question.

If I could go back, I would have chosen to send my dearest person down below and me to heaven, but there was nothing like going back, if there was, I would have used it already.

My skills were useless in this situation, not only because they didn’t do anything to help, but because they weren’t allowed. Nothing for me to hold on to for dear life. Only my pride kept me alive. If I let go now, I would admit defeat to one of the heroes for the second time now. And that was not something I was going to do.

So I pushed through, staring at the cabin, which was now just a blurry image. Not because of the mist, but because I was losing my sight.

How many times was it now, that I was losing my senses to this scenario? The first was my ability to talk, taken for me to not interfere in the last round of the game. And now, my sight and many more to the cold weather. The only difference was this was my own doing.

And due to it, I now had to wait in the cold for every team to make their stupid decision. I tried heating my body up by doing exercises, but my muscles were all numb to even do anything, so I failed.

So I gave up, just letting nature take its course. I would say that I felt regret bottled up inside me from the decision I made, but I really couldn’t feel anything, not even my own touch.

This made me wonder what other bad decisions I had made until now. What if I had let my relationship with Dusk go, it would have turned out better. After all, he was just another chain binding me to my humanity.

If I had just forgotten him, maybe I wouldn’t have rushed this decision, and I wouldn’t have had to wait in these conditions, and instead in the warm cabin that was so far away.

But I should be proud right? I had sacrificed myself for another, even if it was a human, I had finally done something selfless. People say that is the best feeling... so why did I want to tear myself apart?

Was it because I hadn’t truly sacrificed myself? When I made this decision, did I really think about Anri, did I choose this for her, or had I only done it to win against that human? It wasn’t selflessness that drove me to that decision, but my competitive nature, that’s why I was feeling like this.

It made me sick, that a lowly human could make me think so irrationally. But I do wonder how he’s doing. Maybe he was also making a bad decision because of me.

[...]

I seemed confused looking at the rules of the system. They seemed vivid enough, leaving no room for interpretations, just a clear message. But there was something so strange with it, though I couldn’t figure it out.

What I knew was this seemed a little... too easy. I looked over at Eclipse, and I instantly understood by his gaze that he didn’t notice what I had. It looked like I had to play the bad guy if I wanted to use this plan.

I waited for when he wasn’t paying attention to me, and crossed the bridge. This was what I meant by easy. You just had to cross, and you saved both you and your teammate. I didn’t even consider this a loophole, it was too obvious to be something like that.

You could say it broke our trust, but really, I didn’t care in the slightest. Even in this cold weather, that guy would survive, he didn’t spend his whole childhood in the coldest country for nothing.

So that was why I didn’t feel any guilt leaving him behind, and by his look, he didn’t really care too much for my supposed betrayal. Like I said, this game was for children. Maybe you could overthink it, but really, it isn’t anything like stabbing your teammate in the back like you would think.

Even if we weren’t the first, there was no way there would only be one winner for the elimination game, if that was the case there would be no way for us to reach the sixth game.

So with no regret, I left Eclipse in the snow while I entered the cabin.

[Welcome Dusk! To the luxurious Cabin of Winners.]

"Oh please system, don’t overestimate yourself, this is just a normal cabin, nothing luxurious," I said mockingly to the system. Throughout my life, I have seen many different resorts, and by the age of five, I owned one more expensive than this. So maybe only to my standards was this mediocre, but I mean, I was a noble.

[The system scoffs at your comment, clearly angered by your attitude. It now wishes for yourdownfall.]

Never in my life have I seen a system more childish. Did I really hit a nerve by insulting this pathetic cabin? I can only sigh at this unbelievable turn of events.

Done with the system, I turned to look around, trying to see who else had finished, but... maybe I was just blind but there was no one.

[...]

[Congrats contestant Moon, you have placed second!]

Cold? Who was cold? Not me... my blood was absolutely boiling. I had lost? But how, I let go of myself to make a reckless decision and get it done, even if I got it wrong, which I did? So how, and who had beat me?... Not, I already knew who did. The copy can’t beat the original huh?

’Mental games were supposed to be mine, so how did you do it Dusk.’ I punched the snow, as I curled up in a ball, trying to hold myself together. ’If I really lost to him here, how am I supposed to win whenever the games get physical?’ There weren’t even skills, which was your strong point, and yet you still managed to defeat me.

I let out a psychotic laugh. ’I hope you chose the cabin, so the snow won’t kill you. The death of The Fourh will not be caused by anything like the snow.’

[...]

[Congrats contestant Dusk, you have placed first!]

With my mouth full of food I tried speaking, but after the first word came out, I just gave up and finished the food in my mouth. "As expected."

Truly, I already knew the moment I saw the empty cabin. And this theory only became more true when I saw Moon’s teammate come inside. Which, was a surprise to me, that Moon would really sacrifice himself. Or did he, or was he betrayed by this child?

It was amusing seeing her heart skip a beat whenever she saw me stuffing food inside my body. Maybe because she thought they had done it first, or maybe because I was trying to eat a whole chicken.

Of course, I wasn’t doing this without a reason. The food in the house wasn’t really that great, plus, we could only eat at set times, so there was no way I wouldn’t take the opportunity to feed myself for all that I lost back in the house waiting for the games to start.

Too bad you weren’t here, at least I would have had someone to compete with. Because I’m sure you would have done the same, which was one of the reasons why I started eating right away, to not leave you any. But I guess I was wrong about you, Moon.

You’re more of a scumbag than I thought. This is only a trick isn’t it, to make me lower my guard, and to gain the trust of your teammate. Well, it isn’t going to work.

But I do wonder, what are you doing right now? Is the snow cold? I hope it is, you deserve the worst in this world. You are the worst of the worst, someone who doesn’t care for others even for a second, someone who likes playing king and thinks of others as pawns. Well, if you really think of yourself as this pure white king, then I’ll be the black king.

And don’t you dare think of dying, you don’t deserve such a peaceful end. No, no, you won’t be killed by the snow.

[...]

’You will die by my hand, Dusk.’

"I’ll be the one to end you, Moon."