◈ 067. [STAGE 3] Continuation (2)
“This city is already mine. I can’t give it back!”
I stuck out my tongue.
“Since it was originally yours, what if I asked for it back? The candy-like power I once put in my mouth! Did you think you would spit it out? Illusion is also an oil fountain!”
“… .”
“I already applied a lot of saliva! This city belongs to Prince Ash!”
Evangeline, whose expression has become stern, is still stiff with her mouth open. Both eyes were wide open in amazement.
food.
A smile leaked out of his lips. Shall I make fun of this?
“but! if you really wish If you want to claim your rights as the successor.”
I tapped Evangeline’s forehead with my fingertips.
“Under the condition that you cooperate in defending this front as a knight under my command.”
“omg… .”
“When you become an adult and a grown-up cool enough to take charge of this city. Until then, if you help me hard and your heart doesn’t change until then!”
I nodded heavily.
“The position of Marquis and the position of Lord. I will return them both then.”
“… .”
Evangeline couldn’t think of closing her open mouth, and suddenly narrowed her brows.
“Three years.”
“huh? what?”
“The next three years! No, I will become an adult in two and a half years. See you then.”
Evangeline spoke passionately to me with a subtly happy expression, whether it was because she was excited or because she had a new challenge to face.
“Be recognized by seniors! The title and the city will all be properly inherited.”
Looking down at such a girl knight, I curled up one corner of my mouth and smiled.
“Don’t expect it. Evangeline Cross.”
After all, this game is only 3 years old.
After that, it doesn’t matter whether you return the city or not. Please don’t overdo it with empty checks.
We continued to have a snowball fight for a while, but eventually both of them sat down in the pavilion, groaning about their injuries.
After resting in the sunlight for a while without saying anything,
he said, “Senior. Can I ask you one more question?”
Evangeline cautiously opened her mouth. I nodded.
“Like what?”
“My mother told me when I was little.”
Evangeline’s face was vague as she recalled old memories.
“If I live in this city, if I marry my dad and give birth to me… I knew something sad and difficult would happen.”
“… .”
“I chose this path knowingly. The reason is because of ‘continuing’.”
Evangeline shook her small head.
“What do you mean by continuing? What is that, even though Mom knows that this will end… … Did I choose to live in this city?”
“… .”
“My mom said she would find out when I grew up, but I still don’t know… .”
“okay?”
I put my fingers together and placed them on the struggling Evangeline’s forehead.
Fuck!
Bounced.
I put all the power that I can put 100% of my heart into my fingers.
“Ughhhh!”
Evangeline let out a monstrous scream, grabbed her red-hot forehead and squealed.
“What?! Why are you hitting me?! What! Why are you hitting me!”
“What is ‘continuing’?”
I raised my index finger and pointed straight at Evangeline.
Evangeline, who was looking at me blankly, let out a kyaak-poison.
“No what! Hitting and pointing fingers! So what follows… … yo. this… .”
My finger, pointing at Evangeline, does not shake.
“… ah?”
Only then did Evangeline realize the identity of ‘connected things’ and slowly opened her mouth.
okay.
“The ‘road’ your parents tried to follow is right here.”
Because that’s what I’m talking about you, Evangeline.
“… .”
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. From now on, I’ll do whatever I want.”
Evangeline just sat there with her forehead on her forehead and a blank expression.
I left the courtyard, leaving the little boy to organize his thoughts.
The sun is clear. The weather is good.
I muttered to myself as I inspected the buds blooming in the courtyard garden.
“Spring is finally here… .”
***
“… .”
Evangeline was still sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard with her head bowed.
‘… I think I know a little bit now.’
Evangeline could vaguely understand her mother’s will.
Mother was determined.
Even knowing that it hurts when you lose as much as you love. Even knowing that he would die miserably in return.
Nonetheless, she got married and had a daughter. I loved you with all my might.
To connect the roads between people.
To pass on what is to be continued to the next generation.
If there’s one reason humans fight against monsters, maybe it’s that.
‘Everyone in this city is living with the same determination.’
Evangeline slowly raised her head and looked around.
Sensing the arrival of spring, buds are blooming on the frozen ground throughout the winter.
Even if the stem is young and bears fruit, eventually the flowers will wither under the frost and the fallen leaves will rot under the frozen soil.
Spring will surely come again, and buds will bloom again on the buried soil.
Everyone dies someday.
What follows is clearly here.
‘The Cross family never left only death and dust.’
Evangeline clenched her fists in front of her chest.
Despite being covered in death and dust, the Cross family eventually left the last heir – Evangeline Cross.
‘I think I know a little bit, Mom. dad.’
A faint smile crept across Evangeline’s lips.
‘Very little, but I think I know.’
Because there is something going on. People live on the front lines here.
So, Evangeline will also pave the way behind it without stopping.
That’s what the Cross family members are… … no.
It’s what everyone who lives here does every day.
Evangeline got up and left the courtyard limping on crutches.
My whole body ached from the injury, but my heart was extremely refreshed.
It’s spring.
It is spring at last.
***
[STAGE 3 – CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP – Ash (EX)]
[Level Up Character]
– Ash (EX) Lv.20 (↑5) (1st job advancement possible!)
– Lucas (SSR) Lv.35 (↑2) (2nd job advancement is possible!)
– Evangeline (SSR) Lv.38 (↑2)
– Jupiter (SR) Lv.39 (↑1)
– Lily (R) Lv.23 (↑ 2)
– Damien (N) Lv.30 (↑3)
[Dead and Injured Characters]
– Ash (EX): Severe Injury
– Evangeline (SSR): Slight Injury
– Damien (N): Severe Injury
[Acquisition Item]
– Golem Legion Magic Stone: 110
– Golem Legion Armor Fragments: 182
– Manastone Golem Magic Core (SR): 5
[Stage clear reward has been paid. Please check your inventory.]
– N-rank reward box: 3 pieces
– SSR-level reward box: 1 piece
> > Get Ready For The Next STAGE
> > [STAGE 4: The world on the chessboard]
***
Come back to the room The stage 3 settlement window popped up in front of me.
‘Oh, I’m the stage MVP?’
My eyes widened at the unexpected result.
It must have been that he ate the previous fruits from the orchard. You’re not even a combatant, but you’re getting an MVP.
‘I have to see the other results one by one.’
Since I couldn’t directly participate in the defense this time, I was thinking of carefully examining the details.
But then
foul play!
Silver sparks flashed from his throat, and he felt a tingling pain in his throat.
As I reflexively grabbed my neck, a system window popped up in front of me.
[???’s necklace – function unlocking.]
The item that was displayed as ‘???’s necklace’ 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 the ‘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 store with the accumulated achievement points.
‘I don’t know why the name is a traitor’s necklace.’
A player rebelling against fate?
It’s the first time I’ve ever heard it Is there some kind of hidden information?
“Emm-”
After thinking about it for a while, I put it aside and opened the achievement shop. Let’s start by checking what it is.
Tring!
When I opened the Achievement Shop, a tutorial phrase came out.
[Welcome to the shop dedicated to achievement points!]
[You can purchase various items and abilities useful in the game with the achievement points you collect.] [
Current achievement points: 1000000P]
[Perks appropriate for the situation Buy it and add fun to game strategy!]
‘Sounds like fun… … Aren’t you just being sarcastic? I wonder if there’s anything useful.’
I mumbled inwardly, and then an advertisement that looked like a supermarket flyer popped out.
[※Director recommended!※]
[Dark event tracker]
– If a dark event occurs on the stage, it detects and notifies you in advance.
-Price: 100000P
[※Recommended by a real director, so please buy it!※]
“… .”
There is also a phrase that Ader seems to have written desperately. Did you think it was a very necessary item… … ?
‘Dark Event Detection?’
But what is a dark event? I’m hearing this for the first time.
I touched to see detailed information about the perk.
[Dark Event]
– Occurs when ??? of ??? intervenes in the game.
– Random events occur on the stage and adversely affect the player’s strategy.
I opened my eyes wide.
‘no way?’
The points were quite expensive, but I didn’t spare it and immediately bought the Dark Event Tracker.
Flash!
The necklace flashed once and the tracker function was immediately added to the system.
Open the system window and expand the dark event log (Log).
“Oh my god, what the fuck… .”
just as expected.
All of the stages so far have been triggered by dark events.
Stage 1 is designated as Living Armor, the worst monster corps in the early stages.
Stage 2 is hostile NPC intrusion.
Stage 3 is the abnormal behavior of the monster corps. To be precise, diversion in a quick attack.
The most dog-like part of the stage so far was because of this dark event.
‘Now it’s clear.’
I thought the game suddenly went crazy and the difficulty jumped out, but it wasn’t.
‘Everything is not a coincidence. Someone is trying to ruin this game with clear intentions.’
The malice I felt was not an illusion.
But why?
‘Why are you trying to ruin the game so much? why?’
I stared silently into the empty void.
This mysterious malice that hinders my attack… … .
Whose do you mean?
