The Traitor, Ricardo Liuhen Praha.
The battle with this guy shocked in many ways.
It was my first ti realizing that ‘weapon mastery’, not ‘specs’ like essence skills, high stats, or Aura, could have such a huge impact on a battle.
Whoosh!
Even his seemingly casual swings were all calculated, setting up his next move.
It was a level beyond simply being good at fighting.
Of course, that didn’t an I was in a desperate situation.
‘I don’t have to win.’
As long as I could stall for ti, it was my victory.
So I focused on observing his swordsmanship as I stalled.
‘I think I’m starting to see it.’
At first, I had to rely on my senses and reflexes to dodge and block his attacks, but as ti passed, I started to see it. How he was using his current move to set up his next one.
Whoosh!
He was aiming for my wrist to keep occupied.
The best option was to dodge back…
‘But he’s expecting that. Then my neck would be exposed.’
It was a checkmate.
Assuming [Flaless Spirit] was working properly.
Swoosh.
I deactivated [Gigantification], and my body shrank, and his sword grazed my wrist. But had he anticipated even this?
Whoosh!
His sword twisted like a snake and aid for my thigh.
Tadat.
I quickly retreated.
But he saw my movent and changed his sword’s trajectory without hesitation.
Towards Alia, who was unconscious.
‘Damn it…’
I quickly used [Transcendence] and [Eye of the Storm] to pull him towards .
Alia was safe now.
But…
Swaaaaaaaaaa!
…as if he had anticipated even this, he swung his sword as he was being dragged by the wind.
Well, I managed to avoid it…
‘What the hell, is his brain a supercomputer?’
The more I fought him, the more I felt like I was being played.
It felt like he could read my every move. I could understand how modern Go players felt when they were defeated by AI.
‘It would be really helpful if I could learn sothing from him.’
Although it wasn’t sothing I could learn just by watching, it wasn’t every day that I fought a swordsman of this caliber in a life-or-death battle, so I stalled for ti, trying to learn as much as I could.
After so ti…
‘The old man should be done by now…’
…I thought.
“Ugh…”
Alia groaned.
She wasn’t conscious yet, but it was a sign that her injuries were healing.
‘Okay, I can take him down 2v1 once Alia wakes up…’
That was probably why he had been targeting Alia whenever he had the chance, even while fighting .
He was a ruthless fighter who didn’t have any pride as a swordsman, as we could see from his fight against the Knight of Light.
He would run away if the situation beca unfavorable.
Without hesitation.
Like right now.
“…I won’t forget this.”
He judged that now was the best ti to escape, before Alia woke up.
Tadat.
He retreated, leaving behind a cliché villain line, and I didn’t follow him.
I didn’t show it, but I was almost out of MP.
I had been using [Swing] to match his strength every ti I blocked his sword, and I had been spamming [Transcendence], [Leap], and [Eye of the Storm] throughout the battle.
‘Well, then that’s settled…’
I approached Alia.
Her breathing was stable, and it seed like her severed arm would take a bit more ti to heal—
“Haha.”
I heard a voice behind .
I quickly turned around, and…
“You really defeated him alone?”
…Auril Gabis was looking at with an impressed expression.
_______________________
“It would have been much easier if you had helped.”
“I didn’t want to see him yet.”
“I see…”
I looked away, knowing that he wouldn’t give a reason.
There was sothing floating in the air next to Auril Gabis, as if he was using telekinesis.
No, it was a person.
Baby Alia, unconscious.
It seed like things had gone smoothly on that side since she was here…
‘But I have to confirm.’
I looked at Auril Gabis and asked,
“So… what happened?”
“It went well. He said my na at the end, just like you asked.”
“What about Laura?”
“Hmm, you’re suddenly being curt…”
“Haha, of course not. It’s a misunderstanding.”
The old man looked at suspiciously and then chuckled, as if it wasn’t important.
“Anyway, it’s the sa for this girl’s sister. I gave her the dicine and healed her, then sent her to the surface, just like you asked.”
He was efficient.
He said he threw her into the first carriage he saw and disguised it as an accident?
It would be evidence that she had lost her mories.
And he even put an ID card of soone around her age in her pocket…
“I think I know what you’re after. You didn’t do anything stupid, did you? Haha.”
“Of course not.”
It seed like there wouldn’t be any problems with her sister.
So I confird the next item on the agenda.
“But what happened to her sister?”
“Don’t worry. I told you, didn’t I? Subtle magic is my specialty. She’ll never realize that she saw a hallucination. Everything was real, except for her sister’s death.”
The part where Laura was crushed by the rock and stabbed herself in the neck was real. The only hallucination was that the potion stopped working when her heart stopped.
“But why did you have to reveal my na?”
“She said it happened that way in her mories.”
It was a necessary part of the script to eliminate any contradictions.
“Hmm, that’s true. You’re quite clever. I didn’t expect you to co up with such a brilliant idea.”
The old man looked at with admiration, but I felt a bitter taste in my mouth.
It was a ridiculous farce.
It felt like I was an actor following a script.
‘This is so inefficient.’
I still couldn’t understand it.
I wouldn’t have done it this way.
There was no need to pretend that Laura died…
…and there was no reason to bring Alia to Noark. I could have just sent her to the surface with her sister.
It could have been a happy ending for everyone.
But I had used this inefficient thod, a thod that made a young girl suffer for twenty years.
Because I went back in ti and t Auril Gabis.
Because I realized that there was no way to change what had already happened.
I had decided on the outco and then filled in the blanks.
‘Maybe…’
Maybe the question of which ca first, the chicken or the egg, was aningless from the beginning.
After all, what did it matter?
The egg laid by a chicken would eventually beco a chicken.
“You don’t seem happy.”
I honestly told Auril Gabis what I was thinking. He listened patiently and then patted my arm.
“I understand how you feel, but don’t think too much about it. You also gained a lot from this, didn’t you?”
It wasn’t a very helpful consolation.
Information that could only be obtained in the past, the buff Auril Gabis gave , Kraul’s Demon Crusher, a Double Numbered Item, and an Alia (SSR) Recruitnt Ticket.
I had definitely gained a lot, but…
“The world, the nation, and society are all maintained because everyone fulfills their roles. Think of this as your role.”
That made feel even more uneasy.
What the hell is the Fragnt of Records?
I wanted to ask more, but I didn’t have ti.
“Now that everything’s over, I think it’s ti for you to receive the reward we agreed on—”
I firmly cut off Auril Gabis as he subtly changed the subject.
“We’re not done yet.”
“Huh?”
“Give her to .”
There was one more thing I had to do.
______________________
Alia was being carried on soone’s back, running through the sewers, when she regained consciousness.
She wondered who it was, her mind still hazy.
“You’re awake?”
The voice brought her back to her senses.
No wonder his back felt so wide.
“Iron Mask…”
It was Iron Mask.
The one who, unlike the other clan mbers, had been kind to her and her sister, both in the labyrinth and outside.
And…
‘Emily’s companion.’
She didn’t know why, but Emily had been taking care of them all day. She wasn’t oblivious.
‘Why are they helping us…?’
She couldn’t understand.
But one thing was certain.
She and her sister would have been…
‘Been…?’
mories flooded back to her.
“Si, sister!”
“……?”
“Wh, what happened to her? She, she was right next to …! Didn’t you see her?”
“…You were the only one I found in the rubble.”
“Ah…”
Alia clenched her fists.
“Ah, ah…”
Her mind was spinning.
Iron Mask’s explanation of the situation sounded muffled.
“We’re going back to Noark now. The way out to the city is blocked… What, are you asleep?”
A deep, low voice echoed in her fading consciousness.
“…I’m sorry, I couldn’t save her.”
“…….”
“See you later.”
That was the last thing she rembered.
“This is…”
When she opened her eyes again, she was in a desolate cetery.
She could see Noark’s fortress in the distance, and the air slled of smoke.
And…
“…….”
…she was alone.
Iron Mask wasn’t there, and neither was Emily.
And her only sister was gone.
Swoosh.
Alia drew her dagger, as if possessed.
It was covered in blood.
“Si, sister…”
She realized it as she looked at the blood on the dagger.
What had happened today wasn’t a dream.
“Ah, ah…”
She heard a commotion as she sat there for a long ti.
“Over here! There’s soone here!”
“What the, who is she?”
“It’s one of Pelic Barker’s runners.”
“Let’s take her, she might know sothing.”
Alia was dragged into the city by the guards, and she finally realized…
“…….”
…that she was completely alone.
Her sister, who had always protected her, was gone.
She had to survive in this city alone.
______________________
“Seeing her like that makes feel bad. Like I did sothing wrong.”
What the hell, is he trying to act like a kind old man?
He doesn’t even an it.
“By the way, where’s your companion?”
“She’s still there.”
“You left an unconscious woman behind…”
“Don’t worry, she’ll wake up as soon as I leave.”
Hmm, if he says so.
I also felt relieved.
She could take care of herself, no matter what happened.
But I was curious about one thing.
“But why didn’t she co with you?”
Auril Gabis answered as if it was obvious.
“We have things to discuss.”
Ah, that…
‘I can’t refuse now…’
It’s human nature to act differently when you’re entering and leaving a bathroom.
Although I had made up my mind to give in, I couldn’t bring myself to say it.
“Are you planning to break your promise?”
Auril Gabis’ voice was gentle, but there was an underlying pressure.
“Your na.”
The old man took a step closer as I subtly avoided his gaze.
“Tell your na. Or you can take off your mask first. Hmm, right… it would be better to see your face first.”
His presence was intimidating.
Therefore…
“Wa, wait!”
…I hurriedly raised my hand and stopped him.
And I reached into my subspace pocket.
He asked, watching ,
“…Why are you searching your bag?”
Because I had sothing to try.
“The Fragnt of Records?”
He tilted his head as he saw the item I took out.
“Why do you have that?”
Why?
Because it was my last resort.
After all, the Lord had said,
[It’s the sa as when you arrived. You’ll be summoned back when you finish what you have to do here…]
The way to return to my original ti was to finish my ‘role’. I had judged that my remaining ‘role’ was to save Laura.
And that role was now complete.
In other words, if this worked, I could escape to the future without paying him.
Well, that was the plan…
‘Why isn’t it working?’
…but the Fragnt of Records didn’t react.
But could it be that my disappointnt showed on my face?
“…Haha, so that was your plan.”
The old man seed to have figured out my intentions, his eyes widening.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to be on good terms with you. That’s why I even did all those favors for you… but to think you were planning to betray until the very end.”
“It’s a misunderstanding… a misunderstanding. If we just talk calmly—”
“Enough. I know how to handle you now.”
‘Damn it.’
I involuntarily took a step back, and Auril Gabis gestured in the air.
Whoosh!
My body was pulled towards him by an invisible force, as if he was using [Eye of the Storm]. When I ca to my senses, I was standing right in front of him.
“Well, then let’s see your face first.”
He reached out towards my helt.
‘Damn it, I should have just taken it off myself.’
It was too late for regrets.
Thud.
That’s when, as his fingertips touched my helt…
…there’s light even in the darkest night.
Swaaaaaaaaaa!
The Fragnt of Records in my hand suddenly started emitting a bright white light.
‘Right, this is how you exploit an old man.’
I grinned as the world turned white.
“So, sorry about that. I was trying to keep my promise, but…”
“…You bastard!!”
“Don’t shout. What can I do? My role here is over.”
“Your na! Then at least tell your—”
Flash!
The light exploded, and Auril Gabis’s voice was cut off.
And…
Thud.
…my feet touched the ground.
The timing was tight, but my plan to exploit the old man had succeeded—
“Huh…”
But what the hell?
“Huh…?”
I froze as I looked around.
Everything was the sa.
The destroyed cetery.
The caretaker’s corpse.
And even the sll of smoke from the burning city.
Sothing should have changed if I had returned to my original ti, but everything was the sa.
Except…
“Where did the old man go?”
…for Auril Gabis, who was gone.
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