Castan stood dazed for a full minute.

Then slowly, he could feel the burning pain in his legs.

He slumped to the floor, unable to stand.

"You've lost. Give up, there's no reason for all this fight," Kieran's cold eyes bore down on him.

Castan looked up at Kieran. Seeing the young man reminded him of a face he had seen years back.

Even this scene.

It reminded him very clearly of the day he had lost his dad.

"There's no need for this fight, you say?" Castan asked. "Trust me, there is a very good reason."

Kieran felt a sudden chill from behind him.

He turned his gaze, and before he could react, several spikes rose from the earth.

They tore through his skin instantly.

The cold sensation of the metallic rods seeped into his blood.

His thick red blood slowly dripped down the rod.

"Hahahaha!" Castan's cold voice rang out. "I'm fighting so I won't have to see arrogant brats like you in my life again. You should have killed me when you had the chance."

Castan coldly stared at Kieran.

But to his surprise, the figure didn't react even from the several rods that drove into his skin.

Kieran just stood there, emotionless.

He wasn't writhing in pain like he expected.

He wasn't screaming.

He wasn't even moving.

He only stood there like a statue.

Castan's face switched from one of mockery to that of fear as he looked at the figure before him.

Kieran slowly tore himself out of the rods, a disappointed look on his face.

"I keep saying I don't want to kill you... But heck, you really want to die, don't you?" Kieran's voice was cold.

Like a grim reaper from the depths of hell.

Castan unconsciously shuffled his feet, moving back as much as he could from the figure.

Right then, he felt hot shackles wrap around his arm.

"Arrrgh!!" He shouted as he felt the searing heat burning into his skin.

He looked up desperately, fear gripping him.

He thought Kieran was truly going to kill him.

But to his surprise, Kieran wasn't even the one who used the shackles.

It was Alexa, who was walking towards the two, and by her side the large beast Bethar.

Kieran coughed, letting out ragged breaths.

"But like I said, I'm a man of my word... And unlike you, I'm not blinded by unnecessary hate," Kieran gritted his teeth.

Holding himself up with an arm.

Castan looked at Kieran with complicated feelings brewing in his chest.

"You idiot! Just end this already... Kill me!"

He didn't like it, the feeling of being looked down upon.

The feeling of being pitied.

He could see the look in Kieran's eyes.

And it annoyed him greatly.

'Man of your word, my foot!' he thought, gritting his teeth.

"Well, you've really caused me a lot of trouble. But I don't know if it means anything to you... but you still have someone who loves you. I can't take that away from you or that person. You both have no idea what you have." Kieran said, his voice grim.

Castan locked his gaze with Kieran, and he could see it.

Those dull eyes that didn't have anything but pain within them.

Yearning.

The eyes of someone who had already lost so much.

Eyes of pain.

'Why does he have such eyes?' Castan couldn't help but wonder to himself.

But deep down, a feeling of understanding stirred within him.

He had once seen his reflection in the mirror.

And he too had such hollowed eyes.

The eyes of loss.

His eyes became that way after he had lost his father.

But his weren't as deep as those of the figure before him.

'What did he lose?' Castan thought to himself.

"I want the two of you to cherish what you have. And that is why, I can't kill you," Kieran said, trailing his eyes back in the distance where Mira stood.

Castan also shifted his gaze to his sister.

He could see her eyes.

The hopeful look in her eyes, filled with warmth as tears streamed down her face.

"...And also, killing you won't benefit me in any way..." Kieran added with a light cough, staring down at the notification before him.

'I really want to know what the system will give me for that though,' Kieran felt his curiosity biting him on the inside.

But to his shock, he heard laughter from Castan.

"You're a terrible liar."

A gentle laughter that echoed with genuineness.

It wasn't hysterical.

It wasn't the laughter of the madman from minutes ago.

Even Alexa and Bethar stopped in shock as they heard his laughter.

"I don't know if you know this... but that system you see, I can also see it," Castan revealed.

Kieran shot a glance at Castan with a look of surprise.

And then he felt embarrassment wash over him, knowing what Castan meant.

Obviously, there was something to earn from killing him.

He had no idea that all the other candidates had access to the system.

He had initially thought it was something peculiar to him.

'At least now I know better.'

"...I give up."

Castan's next words snapped Kieran out of his daze.

{Ding!}

{You have defeated the Elf Tyrant!}

Kieran looked at Castan with a look of disbelief.

Castan let out a sigh.

He looked towards Mira.

"I loved my dad so much, and when he died... I thought I had nothing more to lose. And to remember him, I had to achieve the goals that he had set out for me to achieve...." Castan said, shifting his gaze back to Kieran.

"When I sensed the appearance of the Phoenix, I felt it was an opportunity to finally achieve my goal... And I tossed everything aside. I knew I was wrong from the start, but I kept convincing myself that it was the right thing to do... Because I felt this was what my father would want..."

Castan closed his eyes. "...But you've made me realize how wrong I was."

As he spoke, a small bright golden light came from his chest.

As it moved through the air, Kieran could feel the immense power within it.

"He would've wanted me to be a better leader than he was... He would've wanted me to take care of the people he failed to, and he would've wanted me to make better decisions than he did... And most importantly, take care of the family he left behind..."

The golden light slowly moved towards him, entering into his chest.

He felt warmth.

{Ding!}

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