Ch.10Morning Drama – (End)

1.

A terrifying sound echoed inside my body, followed by excruciating pain.

CRACK!!

But I had to endure it.

Because Lactea,

The Emperor,

And Eclipse would be watching me.

“…Black Wolf, why would you?”

The Emperor was saying something,

But I couldn’t hear clearly through the pain.

The sword aimed at Reina’s neck had completely severed my back as I blocked it.

Skin, muscle, bone, and blood vessels were completely cut through, letting in the cool breeze.

How much time had passed like that?

【Supreme-grade Artifact – <Ring of Iasos (SS+)> activates.】

【<“Remember, no pain shall be able to kill you.”>】

Along with the familiar warm voice, I could feel my wound healing instantly.

Swoosh,

Swoosh.

As the pain disappeared, my fading consciousness gradually returned.

‘Without the Ring of Iasos, I would have died.’

I literally almost got slaughtered.

‘…Phew.’

Pretending to be fine on the outside, I finally overcame the pain and regained my senses.

“Captain!!”

Lactea, who had thrown off her mask and turned deathly pale, rushed toward me.

I almost flinched instinctively but quickly extended my hand to stop her.

“Enough. I’ll handle this myself. Just give me the notebook and pen, then stay back.”

“But your wound!!”

Yeah. Your handiwork.

I wanted to say that, but I just wanted to go back and rest, so I answered firmly.

“Lactea. Do I need to repeat myself?”

“…No. I apologize, Captain.”

Lactea bowed her head, following my order despite her visible anxiety.

Thanks to that, I finally had time, so I released the Emperor and stepped back.

The Emperor of Babylonia,

Reina Babylonia.

After analyzing the <Original Work>, <Setting Guide>, and <Black Wolf’s Memories>:

The Empire is completely corrupt.

-> Eclipse’s doing.

The Hero Party that went to defeat the Demon King pulled a betrayal and just returned.

-> The <Hero Party> was also deceived by Eclipse.

Some idiot bastards (probably the masterminds?) tried to interfere when someone was about to cut the Emperor’s throat.

-> The <Black Wolf> who noticed tried to protect the nation with the <Black Wolves> (and against corruption).

Kill all those bastards, kill the Emperor, fuck it just kill everyone and end it.

-> Eventually defeated by the <Hero Party> and <Eclipse>, resulting in a bad ending.

This was the conclusion.

In other words, Reina was:

‘An incompetent puppet of the hidden mastermind <Eclipse>.’

That was the result.

‘…If she wants to live, she should.’

I wrote a note with some information and slipped it into her pocket.

That was it.

“We’re leaving.”

“…Yes, Captain.”

I calmly escaped the horrific scene with the visibly dejected Lactea.

‘When we get back to the hideout, I’ll rest for about two days without doing anything.’

And during that rest, I’ll organize what I’ve gained and what needs to be done to make a plan.

One by one,

If I tackle things sequentially, nothing will be impossible.

.

.

.

【Congratulations!】

【Your choice has prevented Bad Ending – <5. Signs of Tyranny (A)>!】

【Number of Bad Endings prevented: [5 / 15]】

【Achieved 1/3 of all Bad Endings!】

【Rewards will be distributed!】

【Some information has been unlocked!】

【You are granted a grace period of <7 days> until the next Bad Ending <6.???> is set!】

2.

Reina was confused.

Why did my sister kill the knights?

Why did she try to kill me?

And,

“…Black Wolf, why did you save me?”

Reina, cradled in Black Wolf’s arms, looked up in bewilderment.

The black mask marked with a wolf emblem,

Eyes like the abyss visible through the holes,

The increasingly strong scent of blood.

【The target experiences overwhelming fear.】

【The effect of <Black Curtain黑幕(Ex)> is enhanced.】

Only then did Reina realize.

This person saved her because they wanted to kill her with their own hands.

“Ah….”

She could bear it when they were far apart, but face to face, it was death itself.

“P-please… spare me…”

She wanted to scream and run away, but her body, frozen with fear, wouldn’t allow even that, holding her ankles in place.

‘I should have come with <Yellow Dragon黃龍>…’

No,

That’s not it.

Even the Yellow Dragon, one of the continent’s Top 10, couldn’t face this being.

‘…Am I going to die?’

Just when her eyes were finally opening, when she was starting to catch Eclipse’s tail, when she could clear up the misunderstanding with the <Hero Party>.

‘…So meaninglessly?’

It’s regrettable, but what can be done?

“Captain!!”

“Enough. I’ll handle this myself. Just give me the notebook and pen, then stay back.”

“But your wound!!”

“…Lactea. Do I need to repeat myself?”

“…No. I apologize, Captain.”

Before a typhoon that devours everything,

Before a tsunami flooding the continent,

Before pouring lava,

‘What can a mere human do?’

As Reina, overwhelmed by the black monster before her, unconsciously closed her eyes,

Swoosh.

The looming shadow receded as the <Black Wolf> stepped back.

‘…Is this it?’

Like a wolf looking at its frightened prey, is he planning to enjoy a brief entertainment?

But the next moment.

“Open your eyes.”

After whispering that, Black Wolf wrote something in the notebook and put it in Reina’s pocket.

That was it.

“We’re leaving.”

“…Yes, Captain.”

Black Wolf turned around as if nothing had happened and disappeared with Lactea.

That exposed back.

‘He definitely took the hit for me…!’

She hurriedly turned to check the torn part but it was clean. The wound that had been deep enough to expose bone had long since healed.

Thud, thud, thud…

Only after the two monsters disappeared into the darkness did Reina stagger and lean against the wall.

‘Monsters…’

Monsters who could match not just the World’s Top 10, but even the <Hero Party>.

How long did she tremble alone?

-Open your eyes.

Rustle.

Reina, finally calming down, took out the note Black Wolf had left and read it.

『Trust no one easily.』

Written in neat handwriting,

An obvious piece of advice.

“Ha!”

Does she look so stupid that even a specially wanted criminal needs to give her advice?

As Reina smiled self-deprecatingly and was about to crumple the note and throw it away,

“…No, wait.”

Remembering something, she picked up a skewer stuck in a thug’s leg and began writing something on the back of the paper.

‘…The Yellow Dragon will surely.’

As the Emperor finished writing and was drying her signature,

The guards and royal guards, informed of the situation, rushed to the scene.

“Th-there!! Everyone…! Uwah!!”

“Get your head straight, you idiot!?”

“They can’t have gone far!! Some of you track the culprits!!”

“Royal guards, gather here!! The Emperor takes priority!!”

Thirteen knights with severed heads,

Flesh puppets standing behind them,

The lone surviving Emperor.

As everyone froze at the horrific scene, the Emperor, with a cold expression, called the captain of the royal guard.

“Deliver this to the <Yellow Dragon>.”

A note written in the thug’s blood.

The captain of the royal guard, who didn’t dare to open it, whispered:

“How should the request be made?”

Reina added with a proud smile:

“A designated request.”

Tell him the reward can be anything he desires.

3.

Another peaceful day at the <Black Wolves> hideout.

Barely two hours after the noisy dawn.

“Captain!!”

CLANK!

The old wooden door flung open as Ruby Red entered with a bright expression.

Lactea was training,

Luna was also training,

Han Lang was unconscious.

“Perfect. This way I can deliver it directly to the Captain without anyone noticing.”

Ruby, sensing this from their presence alone, muttered quietly before shouting more cheerfully.

“Captaaain!! Gift, gift!!”

The sound eventually woke Nahan, who had just fallen into a light sleep after barely suppressing his anxiety.

“…Keep it brief.”

“Yes! This!”

A golden letter was placed in Nahan’s hand as he stumbled down the stairs.

Yesterday’s completed request,

The <Gapelt Assassination>.

‘…What is this?’

After taking care of Gapelt (or what was left of him) because he was “cute,” did they already forget?

Pushing away the drowsiness-like questions, I looked at Ruby with confusion.

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

“…?”

What are you doing?

Feeling this could go on forever, I just asked directly.

“Is there something else?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if there’s something we didn’t finish yesterday.”

“Uh…? …Oh!”

Clap!

After thinking briefly, Ruby clapped her hands together and added with a bright expression:

“Of course, it’s a new request!”

“A new request?”

“Yes! A designated request from the Emperor for the strongest of the Top 10, the <Yellow Dragon>!”

Yellow Dragon黃龍.

A rising star in the mercenary world who suddenly appeared and proudly claimed first place among the world’s ten strongest.

‘…My recall of information is getting faster.’

As time passed, information from the <Original Work> and <Setting Guide> came back more vividly. Meanwhile, <Black Wolf’s> memories were returning somewhat slowly.

Anyway, after recalling information about the Yellow Dragon, I frowned and asked:

“So, why bring it to me?”

“…Huh?”

I’m Black Wolf, not Yellow Dragon.

Feeling sleepy again, I quietly turned around.

“I’m tired, so please leave. Deliver the letter properly to this Yellow Dragon person.”

“What?! B-but Captain, you are the Yell…!!”

Just as Ruby was about to blurt something out.

-As Yellow Dragon you’ll guard the sun, as Black Wolf you’ll guard the moon.

Black Wolf’s memory surfaced, so I quickly turned back and extended my hand to Ruby.

“Thanks for delivering it.”

“Huh?”

“I am the Yellow Dragon.”

…Shit.

“U-um, yes? Of course you are?”

This is like a morning drama.