Ch.15New Hero – (End)

# 1.

Hero.

One who excels in wisdom and talent, and is outstanding in bravery and courage.

Or, someone who accomplishes feats so difficult that they would be impossible for ordinary people, earning fervent respect from others.

And now, here.

Before the eyes of a man who once dreamed deeply of becoming a hero, who chose the life of a mercenary yet never lost his integrity until the end.

“Stand back.”

A new hero has appeared.

“Ah…!”

The hero’s name is Yellow Dragon.

A man who appeared like a comet five years ago and became the number one among the top ten in just three months.

He rarely showed himself, perhaps only accepting designated requests.

However, whenever he did appear, major problems plaguing the citizens would vanish completely, leading some to say:

“A hero…!!”

Just as Mud felt that same tingling sensation of awe he once experienced at the departure ceremony of the “Warrior,” he unconsciously whimpered:

“Oh shit, run away quickly…!!”

“…Huh?”

“We’ll both die at this rate, mister, please come to your senses and escape, I beg you…!!”

“…Huh?”

The hero’s muttering pierced his ears.

“It’s hard, it’s hard, it’s hard, it’s hard, it’s hard, it’s hard, I’m going to die for real…!!”

“Eek…!!”

Mud’s mind snapped to attention at the frenzied whispers only he could hear.

“Th-thank you…!!”

“For fuck’s sake, just go already…!!”

“Y-yes, sir!”

Mud straightened his awkwardly bowed back and hastily fled.

Mud thought to himself:

‘Heroes aren’t so different from us after all.’

They struggle just the same,

They fear just the same,

They… curse just the same.

But despite all that,

“What’s this? Are you also part of the ‘Eclipse’?”

“I’m Korean Eclipse.”

“…What?”

“Do you know kimchi?”

“…Huh?”

It’s because they always stand against injustice and carry out their will that they can be called heroes.

Tears streamed down his face, his heart overflowing with emotion.

If he managed to survive this time thanks to Lord Yellow Dragon, he would turn what just happened into the prologue of a great heroic tale.

So now.

He needed to announce the arrival of a new hero.

Crack!

Having barely escaped the terror of death, Mud shouted toward the cowering citizens:

“Everyone, don’t be afraid and wait!! The strongest of the continent’s top ten, the number one, Lord Yellow Dragon has come to protect us!!! Yes…!!”

Labored breath,

Burning throat,

Streaming sweat.

In that moment,

Mud, focused to the point of forgetting everything else, gathered all his strength and shouted once more:

“A new hero has been born!!!”

It might be a burdensome title for some, but you would surely appreciate it.

So Mud did not stop shouting for him:

“A new hero has appeared!!!”

So that after this incident,

Everyone would know his name.

# 2.

Meanwhile.

‘…Why is that crazy guy acting like that?’

Nahan, who had suddenly become a hero, quietly muttered as he watched Mud, who was now about 20 meters away:

“Please run faster with the energy you’re using to shout.”

Let me talk some trash and then bolt too.

In front of Nahan’s eyes, a red system window had appeared:

【Warning.】

【<Black Wolf> No.4. <Luna(S-)> is wearing <Hansen(S-)>’s mask.】

【The sleeping genius of dagger techniques dedicates himself to <Luna(S-)>’s dream.】

【*Luna’s dream: The death of <Yellow Dragon>.】

Luna, the protagonist of this message, approached Nahan with her hand held like a blade.

“Muttering to yourself again? You’ve been talking nonsense all this time, trying to stall for time, aren’t you?”

“If you knew that, couldn’t you have just let it slide?”

At Nahan’s calm tone, a look of regret appeared behind the mask.

“I was going to. Both the brother who ran away and the shining brother smell nice. But this time, I couldn’t help it.”

Behind the sincere, regretful voice, a brutal tone was added:

“It’s the captain’s orders.”

Emerald eyes curved into arcs and flowed out from behind the mask.

There was a glimpse of absolute loyalty, without a trace of doubt, like belief in a broken god.

‘Sub-quest condition #2: Don’t let anyone discover that <Black Wolf> is <Yellow Dragon>.’

In the plan Nahan had made with Dallan, the most important thing was to buy time.

Thanks to Iaso’s ring, his stamina had recovered a bit, so Nahan took a stance as if nothing was wrong and asked Luna:

“The captain’s orders? I thought you all moved in a pack, so it was an organization after all.”

“Nah. It’s not quite an organization. We’ve all been saved, and since he shows us the way forward, we follow voluntarily.”

“…I see.”

“That’s right.”

What Luna mentioned was information briefly referenced in the original work and setting guide.

But to understand it perfectly, he needed <Black Wolf>’s memories, and those memories only returned when related <events> occurred.

‘…Right now, survival, the sub-quest, and handling the Emperor’s designated request are most urgent.’

Nahan decided to think about it later.

After all, if he died now, everything would be pointless.

And right now.

There was something he was more curious about than anything else.

After glancing sideways to confirm something, Nahan asked Luna again:

“What kind of orders did you receive to carry out this massacre in the middle of the district?”

I definitely told them to just clean and repair the <Black Wolf> hideout, didn’t I?

“Hmm… I guess I can tell you? It’s not like we’re doing anything bad.”

No, that’s definitely very bad.

Suppressing his quivering lips, Nahan listened as Luna picked up Loren’s severed head and answered:

“Cleaning, and repairs.”

“What?”

Huh?

“These people are all with <Eclipse>… No, you wouldn’t know. Anyway, they’re all trash who feed on innocent people.”

Oh?

“The <Sewer Rats>, the <Fanatics>, all the ones we’ve killed. They were all somehow connected to those scumbags. We were just monitoring them and waiting, but recently the captain ordered us to <clean up>.”

“…Well. I think he might have literally meant ‘clean up’ rather than what you’re implying.”

“Pfft! What are you saying? That’s hilarious! <Clean up> has always been the captain’s code word! Why would we actually clean a hideout we’re just going to abandon anyway?!”

Oh dear?

“Anyway, try to understand. We usually just identified the definite targets and cleaned them up when ordered, but we made a mistake recently, so we’re being extra thorough.”

“…Mistake?”

“We tried to root them out, but we left some because we weren’t certain. Well, as you can see, we found plenty and cleaned them up.”

I really just meant actual cleaning though?

‘Wait. Then maybe…’

The Sewer Rats and all those bad endings I thought were prevented naturally—were they all these guys?

As if reading Nahan’s mind, Luna sighed and added:

“Somehow, for the past month, the captain has been telling us to <clean up> at every opportunity.”

That’s right.

It was me after all.

‘The bad endings—I’m supposed to be preventing them.’

Just as Nahan sighed quietly, realizing his situation once again:

Splash.

After tossing aside Loren’s head, Luna asked:

“Satisfied?”

“Satisfied with what?”

“You have no regrets before dying now, right?”

Splash.

Light feet stepped into the puddle of blood Loren had left behind.

‘…So that’s why she told me all this.’

Whatever information she shared, once he was dead, his lips would be sealed anyway.

‘What about Dallan?’

He quickly looked over to check on Dallan, but it seemed the other side was having communication issues too, as he appeared to be struggling.

‘The worst-case scenario we anticipated.’

Originally, the plan was for me to buy time while Dallan went to Lactea to make the <Black Wolf>’s will known and get the <Black Wolves> to retreat, but:

“Hey, this is frustrating! Listen, big guy!! Didn’t you hear what I just said?!”

“Cleaning. That is the first—oof!!”

BOOM!!

“Damn it, this is driving me crazy!!”

Dallan seemed to be struggling to convey his message properly, conscious of the citizens’ eyes on him.

In the end, Nahan checked the sub-quest details again to revise the plan:

─『Sub-Quest Activated!』─

◆ A New Hero.

: With <Warrior> departing on an <Expedition> and anxiety growing, the Babylonian Empire needs a new hero.

◆ Completion Conditions:

1. Drive away the <Black Wolves>.

2. Don’t reveal that <Black Wolf> is <Yellow Dragon>.

3. Survive.

◆ Reward:

: <Eclipse>’s attention.

◆ Failure & Rejection:

: <Yellow Dragon>’s extinction.

‘Indeed, among the three conditions, the most dangerous is number 2.’

Having made a decision, Nahan grabbed his greatsword with one hand and dragged it toward Luna.

【Warning.】

【<Black Wolf – Vice Captain> – <Lactea Babylonia(S+)> suspects your identity.】

I’ll tackle condition 2 first, which has the highest chance of failure.

Krrrk…

As the tip of the sword scraped against the ground with a dry sound, Luna unconsciously tensed.

‘…Yellow Dragon, they said?’

This person,

Is stronger than I imagined.

The golden strike that just grazed my neck is at least equal to myself with all restrictions removed.

No, perhaps…

‘…He might be as strong as Sister Lactea.’

Though Luna had been pretending to be relaxed during their conversation, in truth, she was experiencing one of the most tense moments of her life.

‘Without removing my restrictions, I can’t even guarantee victory.’

But without the captain present, she couldn’t freely remove her restrictions.

That’s why she had been waiting for Lactea to join, even leaking some information, but:

“……”

Lactea just leaned against the chimney, blankly staring at the man called <Yellow Dragon>.

Luna didn’t know.

That Lactea had already recognized the existence called <Yellow Dragon> as a being above herself.

That’s why she grew more and more afraid.

If she fought <Yellow Dragon> like this and died without Lactea’s help:

‘…I might never see the captain again.’

Just as her desperate emerald eyes were about to beg the golden eyes watching from the roof for help:

“You’re distracted.”

“…!”

The golden man had drawn closer.

Clank, clank, clank.

Along with the cold interlocking of armor, a terrible pressure enveloped Luna’s body.

“…Come any closer and I’ll kill you.”

“Shh. Focus on my words.”

“I said I’ll kill you.”

Despite the pressure that would have killed an ordinary person, the man approached silently.

Clank, clank, clank.

As the fragrant scent grew stronger and the brilliant light became clearer, the scars that once covered her face—now gone—began to itch.

“…I don’t like this.”

Swish.

Behind the mask, Luna’s pale pink lips, which had been rigid, slowly curled upward.

Someone watching might misunderstand, but Luna wasn’t smiling out of joy.

-Smile brightly, that’s how you survive.

-That’s right, smile a little more.

-Smile more brightly, until your mouth tears.

-That’s how you survive.

Because she had to survive.

-Don’t tremble, that’s how you survive.

-When it’s too hard, wear a mask and cry.

-Try and try again.

-Until someday you can smile even while wearing a mask.

She smiled involuntarily under Yellow Dragon’s pressure, reminded of the time when she had to smile brightly enough to satisfy that person in order to avoid death.

“I, I…!!”

Just as Luna, who was finding it hard even to breathe, was about to step back unconsciously:

Clank!

The golden man disappeared from before her eyes.

‘An ambush!!’

Hurriedly drawing up mana, Luna swung her hand toward the blind spot, but:

Swish!

She only sliced through the air sharply, failing to cut down Yellow Dragon.

A psychological attack using killing intent,

A surprise attack that broke through all defenses,

Even anticipating the counterattack:

‘I’ve lost.’

Soon the greatsword would fly from an unpredicted direction, and within a second, I would be bisected and breathe my last.

Swish.

Luna closed her eyes.

-Let’s live, Luna. So that there will never be people like us again.

I’m sorry, Captain.

I don’t think I can keep my promise.

‘If only I could hold the captain’s hand one last time before I die.’

Perhaps because death was imminent?

‘What’s going on? Where is Yellow Dragon?’

As death seemed to approach unusually slowly, Luna opened her tightly shut eyes, and:

“I want to live.”

Yellow Dragon’s voice came from… below.

“…?”

As Luna unconsciously lowered her head toward the sound, Yellow Dragon, flat on the ground with only his head raised, pleaded:

“Spare me.”

“…?”

“I’m begging you to spare me.”

Looking at Yellow Dragon, who had suddenly changed his attitude and was lying flat, Luna thought:

…What the hell is this guy?

“Are you upset because I spoke informally? If so, I apologize. Please spare me, Sister Luna.”

…What is really going on?

Unlike the confused Luna, Nahan smiled at the small status window that appeared inside his helmet:

【<Black Wolf – Vice Captain> – <Lactea Babylonia(S+)> withdraws her suspicion.】

Good.

I’ve bought one turn.

# 3.

【<Black Wolf – Vice Captain> – <Lactea Babylonia(S+)> withdraws her suspicion.】

“…The captain would never act like that.”

As soon as the status window appeared, the cold golden eyes moved away from me.

‘As expected, Lactea is the most dangerous.’

Even though no one suspected my identity because I was currently acting as Yellow Dragon, Lactea had been watching me from the moment I arrived.

I had escaped her suspicion by doing something Black Wolf would never do.

‘I need to be more careful around Lactea.’

Adding this newly discovered fact to my mental notes, I rose to my feet again.

“…What kind of trick is this?”

“The atmosphere was too tense, so I thought I’d play a little joke to ease the tension?”

“Ha…! To think that someone like you would…!! How dare you toy with me, I’ll kill you this time for sure!!”

Luna backed away warily, but from her attitude just now, I realized something:

‘She was terrified, thinking I was <Yellow Dragon>.’

<Black Wolf>, or <Yellow Dragon>.

To be honest, I am currently much weaker than either of those two beings.

I can fight to some extent with certain skills and artifacts, but I’m still just an ordinary person who has been transported into a novel.

Even with powerful skills and transcendent artifacts, I’d probably rank somewhere between C and B class overall.

The gap between someone who has lived their entire life in this world and someone who has lived their entire life in South Korea—this was a particularly large disadvantage in combat.

But because of that:

Just as the people of ‘this place’ dedicate themselves to swords and magic, I too had one ability I had dedicated my entire life to:

.

.

.

【Notice – <Acting> begins!】

【Stage 1 – <Analysis> completed!】

【Your understanding of the character – <Yellow Dragon> increases exponentially!】

.

.

.

“I hope you succeed this time.”

If you fail again out of fear,

“You really will die.”

As I drew my greatsword, immersing myself in the performance:

“Damn it…!! What exactly are you…?!”

Luna’s hands began to tremble.