Solo Cultivation in The Apocalypse

The walls of the room Hitori stood in were covered with paintings and other decorations. There was a red royal carpet spread over the floor and a king-sized bed beside Hitori.

Hitori glanced to his side, he saw fresh fruits that sat in a bowl, and different types of drinks placed by the side. He lifted his head and saw several servants waiting for him.

A person covered in a black ninja suit popped from the ground out of nowhere.  "Yo, my friend,"

"Yo, Daichi." Hitori did not take a look at Daichi. Daichi let out a small laugh when he greeted him.

Without wasting another second, Daichi ran out of the room. "Come on now, let us complete the remaining quests." Hitori watched from his spot till Daichi was out of the room.

"Yeah." He followed Daichi.

They both walked down the damn big hallways decorated with all kinds of stuff: paintings, flowers, posters, lights, and whatnot.

Daichi turned to the right and Hitori followed him. They walked down a narrow hallway, then stopped in front of a huge door.

Hitori had to move forward, knock on the huge door, and tell their game names in order to enter the room. "It is Ryu and Daichi the Assassin."

The game verified his identity. Four guards who stood near the doors opened the door and bowed when Hitori and Daichi walked in.

From the middle of the room. "Ryu…" came the broken voice of an old man, "my son…" he continued.

Hitori rushed to the bed's side. The NPC ministers who stood next to the old man quickly stepped back.

Hitori crossed the huge room and stopped near the old man lying on his king's bed– death bed, actually.

"Ryu…" he muttered once again. The man raised his arm slowly with struggle.

"Yes, father." He leaned down and grabbed the old man's rising hand.

"My son…" the old man kept staring at Hitori, "I will have to apologize. Even after all you have done for our kingdom, I still want you to fulfill my last wish…" such a typical code.

The man looked down and pulled a letter from underneath his covers, then he held the letter in front of Hitori.

"This letter…" he started, "I can trust no one with this letter but you," he spoke in his weak voice, "it is my last wish, Ryu. Please deliver this letter to my dear old friend, Saigo."

The old man stopped talking. Hitori took the letter in his hands and the man spoke once again, "I trust you, son."

"Yes, father," the man closed his eyes and went back to sleep with a relieved smile on his face.

Hitori turned to Daichi. They both came out of the castle and rode their horses down the kingdom after rejecting the help from their servants.

Just when they had reached the border of their kingdom, a small hut that rested in front of the dark forest came into their sight.

They both got off their horses, walked up to the hut, and knocked on the door. "Saigo-san, it is Ryu," Hitori called from the outside.

The next moment, they heard a click sound and the door opened. "Oh Ryu-Kun…" another old man with a strong body frame, masculine face, dark features, but a kind look on his face opened the door, "and Daichi the Assassin-Kun, please come in,"

He moved away and welcomed the two players in his hut. He walked to his hut's wooden kitchen counter. "What brought you two to this old man's hut?"

He asked as he stopped in front of a closet. Saigo pulled out two chinaware cups and presented them to the young players. "What would you like to drink?" he asked.

"A sweet potion, please," Daichi replied.

The man took his wand from the side of his light brown color robes. "Amai potion," he chanted with a swing of his wand, and a pink color liquid appeared in the glass. "Go ahead." He turned around after he put his wand inside.

Hitori lifted his cup and took a sip. "Saigo-san," Hitori placed his cup down, "Father has sent this letter for you." Saigo stopped whatever he was doing and turned around.

"That old man… I can not believe he is on his deathbed." Saigo turned. "We two cultivated together since we were teens, I never thought a time would come where we both will have to say our goodbyes."

Saigo walked up to Hitori, Hitori got up from his seat and handed him the letter. "Only if he had kept cultivating… he would have become an immortal like me…" he took the letter, "like you," he added, "and like your friend." He pointed the letter at both as he took their names.

He looked down and opened the letter. "Only if it was not for that damn traitor…" Saigo held the letter in his thick, muscular hands and started reading it.

After a few seconds, Saigo raised his head and looked at Hitori with tears in his eyes. "Thanks…"

Hitori nodded in response.

Saigo turned around and went inside his hut, he went deeper, cast a spell to unlock a secret door, and entered the secret room. Hitori and Daichi heard rumbling noises before Saigo stepped out of the secret room.

Hitori and Daichi's eyes were fixed on the two items Saigo had brought with him. "Soma has requested me to honor you with this sword." He walked up to Hitori and presented him with a greatsword. "It is not just a sword… It once belonged to the heavenly emperor's son. So, use it with care."

Hitori nodded as he grabbed the great sword in his hands. A message flashed in front of Hitori.

[Acquired level one hundred and seventy-nine Heavenly Emperor's son's greatsword- the Cultivated Excalibur]

"And as for you, Daichi the Assassin-Kun," he walked up to Daichi with a katana in his hands, "this now belongs to you,"

The cup dropped from Daichi's hands. "Oh. My. god." his hands would not stop shaking. "The legendary assassin's katana!!" he screamed in excitement.

Exactly at that moment, a message appeared in front of both of their screens.

[the last side quest has been completed]

[head back to King Soma in the castle]

After a few moments of enjoying their victory, it was time for them to head back. Hitori and Daichi waved back at Saigo as they both went away on their horses.

The big gates of the castle opened for them and they both entered the castle with their horses. As the system had told them, they both headed straight to the castle.

His father was sitting up straight against the back of his bed. "That sword looks good on you, son," he said.

Hitori nodded as he walked and stood beside his father. "Yes," he had to reply to move the story forward.

Soma patted his hand against a stool beside his bed. Hitori glanced at the stool before taking a sit.

"See, Ryu…" he placed his hand on Hitori's thigh, "the condition of this kingdom has covered a lot since the betrayal of your brother," he continued, "and after your mother's death," he said. "I am afraid, I do not have much time left with me," he dropped his head.

Hitori kept staring at the old man who was taking up a lot of his time instead of progressing the story quickly. "I understand." Well, true since his father stopped cultivating.

"But…" the old man said, "I can not die without leaving this kingdom in the hands of a capable individual," he glanced at Daichi, "you and your friend are my last hope… say, will you protect this kingdom?"

They both nodded. "Wes, sir!" Daichi shouted.

"The throne of this kingdom has been waiting for its next possessor for a while… I hereby declare you as the king of his kingdom, Ryu." he looked at Ryu with a smile, "as for you, Daichi the Assassin-Kun, that decision lies with Ryu now since he is the king."

"Thank you… father,"

"I hope you will protect and preserve this kingdom with loyalty, and courage." And as soon as Soma said those words, he froze.

Ding. The whole world in front of Hitori stopped moving. The king, the ministers, and Hitori himself could not move.

Another message flashed in front of them.

[Game over. You have completed the game's story mode]

[Congratulations! Your duo is the third in the world to complete the game!]