◈ 067. [STAGE 3] What follows (2)
“This city is mine, and I’m not giving it back!”
I stuck my tongue out.
“Since it was originally yours, so you ask for it back, eh? The candy-like power I once put in my mouth! You think I’m going to spit it back out? Illusions like fountains of oil!”
“…….”
“I have already covered it in spit, this city belongs to Prince Ash!”
Evangeline, who had a furious look on her face, stood still with her mouth open. Her eyes are wide with surprise.
Food.
A smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. Enough teasing.
“But, if you insist, if you want to assert your rights to the throne.”
I flicked Evangeline’s forehead with my fingertips.
“As a knight under my command, on the condition that you cooperate with me in defending this front.”
“Hmph…….”
“When you become an adult, a grown-up enough to be in charge of this city. Until then, you help me diligently, and if your heart hasn’t changed by then!”
I nodded heavily.
“The position of Marquis and the seat of Lord. I’ll give them both back to you then.”
“…….”
Evangeline’s mouth dropped open, then suddenly narrowed her brows.
“Three years.”
“Huh? What?”
“Three years! No, two and a half years, and I’ll be an adult, and I’ll see you then.”
Evangeline turned to me, looking subtly pleased, not sure if she was pissed off or just happy to have a challenge.
“I’ll be recognized by you, and I’ll inherit the title, the city, everything.”
Looking down at such a girl knight, I smiled, one corner of my mouth curling up.
“I’ll let you look forward to it. Evangeline Cross.”
I only have three years to play this game anyway.
After that, it doesn’t matter whether you return to the city or not. I’ll write you a bunch of empty checks.
We continued our snowball fight for a while, but eventually we both winced at our injuries and sat down in the gazebo.
We rested in the sun for a while without speaking,
“Senior. Can I ask you one more question?”
Evangeline opened her mouth cautiously. I nodded.
“Like what?”
“When I was little, my mom told me.”
Evangeline’s face was wistful as she recalled the old memory.
“That she knew that if she lived in this city, if she married Dad and had me…… sad and hard things would happen.”
“…….”
"And she chose this path knowingly. Because it is 'continuing’." (TLN: Weird text structure, I think it means continuing the 'road' > following your destiny?)
Evangeline shook her small head.
“What does she mean by ‘continuing’? What does that mean, that she chose to live in this city…… even though she knew it would end up like this?”
“…….”
“My mom said I’d find out when I grew up, but even now I’m not sure, so…….”
“Okay?”
I laced my fingers together and placed them on Evangeline’s pondering forehead.
Snap!
It bounced.
With one hundred percent sincerity, with all the force I could muster in my fingers.
“Ughhhh!”
Evangeline let out a monstrous scream, clutching her reddened forehead.
“What, what, why are you hitting me?! What are you doing! Why are you hitting me!”
“What is ‘continuing’?”
I raised my index finger and pointed straight at Evangeline.
Evangeline, who was looking at me with a blank stare, let out a yelp of venom.
“What? You can’t just hit me! And what is the connection between… and…”
My finger, pointing at Evangeline, doesn’t shake.
“……ah?”
Evangeline’s mouth slowly opens as she realizes the identity of ‘continuing’.
Yes.
“The ‘path’ your parents were trying to follow is right here.”
That’s right, Evangeline, I’m talking about you.
“…….”
I smiled at Evangeline, who was at a loss for words, and stood up.
“Welcome back to the Monster Front. Evangeline Cross.”
“…….”
“Get some rest. I’ll have you at my disposal from now on.”
Evangeline just sat there, holding her forehead, a dazed expression on her face.
Leaving the youngster to collect her thoughts, I left the courtyard.
The sun is shining. The weather is good.
As I surveyed the buds blooming in the courtyard garden, I muttered to myself.
“Spring is finally here…….”
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***
“…….”
Evangeline was still sitting in the courtyard gazebo with her head buried in her hands.
‘……I think I understand a little bit now.’
Evangeline could vaguely understand her mother’s will.
Her mother was determined.
She knew it would hurt to lose something she loved so much. Even knowing that perhaps she would probably die in return.
Nevertheless, she got married and had a daughter. She loved with all her might.
To connect the roads between people.
To pass on what is to be continued to the next generation.
If there is only one reason for humans to fight against monster, maybe that is it.
‘Everyone in this city is living with the same determination.’
Evangeline slowly raised her head and looked around.
She sensed the arrival of spring, the buds of life poking through the frozen earth.
The stalks grew and bore fruit, but eventually the flowers would wither under the frost and the leaves would rot under the frozen soil.
Eventually, spring will come again, and the buds will bloom again above the buried soil.
We all die someday.
What follows, surely, is here.
‘The Cross Family never left anything but death and dust.’
Evangeline clenched her fists in front of her chest.
‘Through death and dust, in the end, the Cross Family has left one last heir on this earth – Evangeline Cross.’
‘I think I understand a little bit, Mom. Dad.’
A faint smile crept across Evangeline’s lips.
‘Just a little, but I think I know.’
Because there is continuity. People live on the front lines here.
So, Evangeline, you will not stop, you will pave the way behind them.
That’s what the Cross family members have… no.
It’s what everyone who lives here has done every day.
Rising from her seat, Evangeline limped out of the courtyard on crutches.
Her body ached from her injuries, but her mind felt extremely refreshed.
It’s spring.
Finally, it’s spring.
***
[STAGE 3 – CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP – Ash (EX)]
[Level Up Characters]
– Ash (EX) Lv.20 (↑5) (1st class advancement is available!)
– Lucas (SSR) Lv.35 (↑2) (2nd class advancement available!)
– Evangeline (SSR) Lv.38 (↑2)
– Jupiter (SR) Lv.39 (↑1)
– Lily (R) Lv.23 (↑2)
– Damien (N) Lv.30 (↑3)
[Dead or Injured Characters]
– Ash (EX): Seriously injured
– Evangeline (SSR): Minor injuries
– Damien (N): Seriously injured
[Obtained Items]
– Golem Legion Gem: 110
– Golem Legion Armor Fragments: 182
– Mana Stone Golem Magic Core (SR): 5
[Stage clear reward has been sent. Please check your inventory].
– Grade N Reward Box: 3
– SSR Grade Reward Box: 1
>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE
>> [STAGE 4: The World on a Chessboard]
***
When I got back to my room, I saw the Stage 3 completion window in front of me.
‘Wow, I’m the stage MVP?’
My eyes widened at the unexpected result.
Apparently, I ate too much fruit in the orchard. I’m not even a combatant, and I’m getting the MVP.
‘Let’s see the other results one by one.’
Since I wasn’t able to participate in the defense battle this time, I thought I’d take a closer look at the details.
But then,
Boom!
A silver spark flashed across my neck, and I felt a stinging pain in my throat.
As I reflexively grabbed my neck, a system window popped up in front of me.
[???’s Necklace – Feature Unlocked].
An item that was displayed as ‘???’s necklace’ that was received as a reward for the tutorial stage.
The exact name of that necklace… It was finally showing up.
[Traitor’s Necklace (EX)]
– A necklace for a ‘player’ who rebels against fate.
– You can use the dedicated shop with the achievement points you have accumulated.
So, to put it simply, it seems that you can use the special shop with the accumulated achievement points.
“I’m not sure why it’s called the Traitor’s Necklace. “”
A player rebelling against fate?
I’ve never heard that before. I wonder if there’s some kind of hidden information.
“Hmm-“
After thinking about it for a while, I opened the achievement shop. Let’s see what’s there.
T-ring!
I opened the Achievement Shop and was greeted with a tutorial.
[Welcome to the Achievement Points Store!]
[With the achievement points you’ve collected, you can purchase various items and abilities that will help you in the game].
[Current Achievement Points: 1,000,000P]
[Purchase perks to suit your situation and add some fun to your gameplay!]
‘You sound like you’re enjoying yourself…… I wonder if you have anything useful to offer.’
As I muttered to myself, an advertisement popped up like a supermarket flyer.
[*Director’s Pick!*]
[Dark Event Tracker]
– Detects and notifies you when a dark event occurs on the stage.
– Price: 100,000P
[*The real director recommends it, so please buy it!*]
“…….”
It looks like Adder wrote this in desperation. Did he think it was a very necessary item……?
‘Dark event detection? ‘
What is a dark event? I’m hearing this for the first time.
I tapped to see detailed information about the perk.
[Dark Events]
– Occurs when a ??? of ?? intervenes in the game.
– Random events will occur on that stage, adversely affecting the player’s strategy.
I opened my eyes wide.
‘No way?’
I immediately purchased the Dark Event Tracker, even though it was quite expensive in points.
Flash!
The necklace flashed once, and the tracker was immediately added to the system.
I opened the system window and expanded the dark event log.
“Holy shit…….”
Just as expected.
All stages so far have been rigged by dark events.
Stage 1 designated the Living Armor, the worst monster corps in the early game.
Stage 2 is a hostile NPC invasion.
Stage 3 is the Monster Legion’s erratic behavior. To be more precise, diversion in a quick attack.
This dark event was the worst part of the stage so far.
“It’s clear now.”
I thought the game had suddenly gone crazy and the difficulty had jumped, but it hadn’t.
“None of this is a coincidence, someone is out to ruin this game with clear intentions.”
The malice I felt was not an illusion.
But why?
“Why are they trying to ruin this game? Why?”
I stared into the empty void.
This mysterious malice that hinders my capture…….
Who does it belong to?
[Translated by Mashine. Proofread by: WebTrashTranslation]
