Bound To The Dead: The Deceptive Class-E Farmer
Chapter 92: The Last Vow

Chapter 92: The Last Vow

Isaac knelt beside the still body of the General.

Shatterclaw remained bowed, blades in the dirt, unmoving.

Hopper landed softly on his shoulder, wings folding tight. The buzz of the swarm had faded, replaced by a heavy silence. Broken locust wings drifted with the breeze, scattered pieces of a battle already fading into memory.

Isaac winced as he shifted. The bruises across his ribs throbbed, but the pain was manageable now. His cuts had stopped bleeding.

"He wasn’t my enemy," he said under his breath. "Not really."

He looked at the General one last time.

Shatterclaw had tested him, pushed him to his limit. Not out of hatred. But out of duty.

Isaac stood slowly.

He stepped forward and rested a hand on the General’s shoulder. It was hard and cold, more shell than flesh, but it felt... steady.

The swarm behind him hovered in place. Watching and waiting.

Isaac’s voice was low.

"You protected the swarm. You tested me, not to break me, but to see if I was ready. Thank you... for not making it easy."

The General didn’t respond.

The wind moved again.

Soft, still and respectful.

Then...

The being spoke. The voice was clear, warm and calm.

"What will you say to the one who served me longer than the stars remember?"

Isaac’s breath caught.

This wasn’t the end of a fight.

It was a farewell.

His chest tightened. He bowed his head.

The voice spoke again, this time not to him, but through him.

"You stood when others fell. You remembered when others forgot. And even after I was gone... you waited."

"You were more than my sword. You were my brother in the swarm."

"Rest now. Your duty is fulfilled.

And your name will fly with every wing that answers my call."

Isaac exhaled shakily.

He knelt again.

Placed his hand on the General’s shoulder.

His voice was quiet but steady.

"He wanted you to hear this... from me."

"You stood when others fell. You remembered when others forgot..."

His voice caught for a moment.

"...You were his brother in the swarm."

"Rest now. Your duty is fulfilled. And your name will fly with every wing that answers my call."

For a moment, there was no movement.

Then...

A soft chittering noise escaped from the General’s mandibles.

Not sharp. Not hostile.

It sounded... happiness and peace.

Like relief.

Then, the General does something unexpected.

Slowly, his bladed hands rose.

Then, without hesitation, he dug them into his own chest.

The plates of his carapace groaned under the pressure, splitting apart piece by piece. Not from pain. Not from panic.

This was something he had decided.

With a soft pull, he tore open his chest, revealing what lay within.

A glowing green core floated at the center, smooth, seed-shaped, the size of a grape. It pulsed like a steady heartbeat. Its light was calm. Pure.

The swarm didn’t react.

Hopper didn’t move.

No one dared to.

The General’s voice was soft now. Barely above a whisper.

"Take it..."

"The Swarm Crown Core. My legacy."

"Give it... to one who never left your side. One who would fall for you without a second thought."

"And they will become... a Swarm Titan."

He held nothing back. No hesitation. No pride. Only trust.

Isaac stepped forward. Slowly. His hand hovered over the glowing core.

He could feel its warmth, gentle, like a dying star still holding on.

But his fingers didn’t close.

He looked at the General.

At the locusts watching from the trees.

At Hopper... still perched quietly on his shoulder.

"He’s still alive," Isaac whispered. "He’s still looking at me."

"How can I take this... knowing what it will change?"

His hand trembled slightly.

The light from the core pulsed once more.

Faint. Warm. Like a heartbeat that was ready to stop.

Then, the being spoke again.

Sofft, like someone remembering a dear friend.

"He chose to kneel. Now let him sleep."

Isaac’s grip tightened around the glowing green core.

His breath hitched.

Then, the voice continued.

"This is my favor to ask, let my General rest. Free him from this war."

It wasn’t an order.

Just a quiet request.

A farewell someone had been waiting to give... for a very long time.

Isaac didn’t speak right away.

He looked at the kneeling General. Still as stone. Still watching him.

Then he whispered.

"I’ll remember you. Always."

His hand moved.

And he pulled the core free.

The moment it left the General’s chest, a soft hum echoed through the field.

No scream and struggle.

The General’s body began to fade.

Like dust caught in the morning light, it rose gently into the air, piece by piece.

The swarm bowed their heads. Hopper let out a soft chirp, eyes dim.

And Isaac stood still, clutching the core to his chest.

A part of the past has gone.

But not forgotten.

Isaac stood quietly, the glowing green core pulsing in his hand.

It was warm. Calm. Alive.

Isaac looked at hopper, the same locust who’d flown with him since the beginning.

"You’ve earned this," Isaac said softly. "More than anyone."

Hopper looked up at him. His antenna twitched. Then, without hesitation he stepped forward.

He ate the core.

After finishing it, everything changed.

Hopper’s wings shot open, then vanished into light.

His body began to glow, the green light spreading like cracks across his exoskeleton.

Then...

Crack.

His shell split.

Longer limbs.

Stronger joints.

His tiny body stretched upward, his insect shape growing into something far more powerful.

Not a beast. Not a monster.

A warrior.

The swarm in the trees buzzed softly in response, reverent, awed.

Hopper’s height surged, past Isaac’s waist... then his chest... until he stood almost eye-to-eye with him.

His body was lean and armored, built for speed and power.

His arms split and reformed, becoming long, curved scythe-like blades, perfectly shaped for slicing.

His face was still locust-like, but with a sharper edge. His eyes glowed a pale, steady green. His wings, now folded behind him like a cape, shimmered faintly.

Isaac didn’t move.

He could only watch.

The system chimed.

[Swarm Titan Created: Hopper – Vanguard Class]

[Unique Evolution Achieved: Crownbound Form]

[Skill Unlocked: Swarm Wall – Create a shield that absorbs 70% of incoming damage for 6 seconds.]

[New Passive: Titan Bond – All commands from the Swarm Commander are received instantly with double loyalty.]

Hopper lowered his head.

Then he knelt.

Right knee to the ground. Fist to the chest.

A soldier’s vow.

And for the first time Hopper spoke not through his mind but directly to him.

His voice was low. Rough. But clear.

"For the swarm... and for my commander."

Isaac’s throat tightened.

"...You really did grow up, huh," he muttered.

—-----

Then suddenly, the being spoke.

But this time... its tone had changed.

Deeper. Slower. A shadow beneath every word.

"This is why you came here. To know who I really am."

Isaac froze.

His fingers curled slightly over his chest.

"Now it’s time."

"Are you ready to know the truth about what you were fused with?"

The system blinked sharply in his vision.

[WARNING: Mental Overload Risk.]

The voice came again, quieter, but heavier.

"Steady yourself. Once you see... you will not be able to unsee."

Isaac gritted his teeth.

His heartbeat quickened.

Pain pressed under his ribs, blooming like heat in his chest.

He dropped to one knee, barely.

He didn’t speak.

Didn’t nod.

But the answer was already in his eyes.

He was ready.

Even if it broke him.