Ch.9Morning Drama – (1)

1.

“Han, did you watch ‘I Put a Dot on My Eye and No One Recognized Me So I Got Revenge on Those Who Bullied Me, Became Successful, and Got Married, but My Fiancé Turned Out to Be My Brother’ yesterday?”

“Ugh, stop watching so much TV.”

“I don’t want to! What else is there to do in the hospital? But more importantly, how could someone keep such a birth secret so thoroughly hidden?”

The curious mutterings of my only friend, with a shocked expression.

Now I finally give a proper answer,

‘…That’s what I’d like to know.’

I’m curious too.

“Oh, sister?”

“It’s been a while, Reina. You still look terribly stupid, don’t you?”

How could such a birth secret be hidden even in the “original work” and “setting guide”?

‘To think Lactea was Reina’s sister.’

Now I notice it clearly written in the status window,

the surname “Babylonia” prominently attached after Lactea’s name.

I hadn’t properly checked it earlier, being in a rush after realizing she was the <Shadow Organization’s Leader>.

‘The older sister is the vice commander of the shadow organization, and the younger sister is the Empire’s Emperor.’

Is this what they call a dysfunctional family?

As I stood frozen, unable to breathe at the sudden makjang drama unfolding, the Emperor approached Lactea, not knowing what to do.

“Where have you been all this time…!! No, how are you even alive…? Clearly back then on that battlefield!!”

“Shh. Reina. It’s still dawn, isn’t it?”

“But!!”

The hostility fades from the Emperor’s golden eyes.

“It’s my sister…!”

If until now she was like a sharp blade, now she finally seems like an ordinary person.

Seeing her this shaken, it seems the sister relationship is real. If that’s the case, couldn’t I just run away without being immediately pursued?

School ties, regional ties, blood ties, smoking buddies.

It’s easy to receive special treatment if you’re connected by any of these four.

【Identification Complete.】

【Among the 13 knight guards present, the spy planted by <Eclipse> is…】

I’ve just finished using the status window to identify the spy planted by <Eclipse> near the Emperor.

‘Let’s quickly kill them all and escape.’

Surely she wouldn’t try to capture and kill her long-lost sister right after she’s returned?

As I unconsciously smiled at the seemingly lowered difficulty of the sub-quest,

The Emperor, who had finally reached Lactea, reached for her mask and muttered.

“…I need to confirm it.”

“Confirm what?”

“It was a battlefield where all four Demon Tribe Commanders were deployed. Even the <Hero’s Party> nearly got wiped out there. It’s impossible that only my sister survived.”

Snicker.

Behind the pitch-black mask, Lactea’s vicious smile seemed visible.

“Reina. Just because you’re incompetent and stupid doesn’t mean everyone else is, you know?”

“…Right. I’m incompetent and stupid, so I need to see for myself… I need to remove your mask and confirm if you’re really my sister.”

Swish.

Just as her stubborn hand was about to lift the mask engraved with the <Black Wolf> emblem,

Clang.

Evading her hand, Lactea moved the sword from her back to her waist and warned,

“Keep your hands off. The only one who can touch my body is the Commander.”

No way.

“Commander? You don’t mean Black Wolf?”

“Don’t speak of him so casually.”

“What? Sister, have you really gone mad!? What did that man do to you!?”

What the hell.

Whatever she’s thinking, there’s nothing like that in <Black Wolf>.

“Come to your senses. I’ll take responsibility and protect you, so come back to our side.”

“Protect me? You who already killed me once?”

“That was…!!”

“When you abandoned me and chose power, only the Commander embraced me.”

“Embraced? …Don’t tell me that trash…!!”

That’s not it.

As I stood there unable to explain myself while playing the role of the ultimate villain, red light began to flow from behind Lactea’s mask.

“…Trash?”

A voice devoid of playfulness,

filled only with killing intent.

I instinctively sensed it.

‘I must stop her.’

White Sword Ghost.

One of the monsters who would later terrify the entire continent under the name of <Black Wolf>.

Among those monsters, she was particularly cruel, even the <Hero’s Party> was reluctant to face her.

And,

among the <Black Wolf> members, the only one who could.

“Die.”

【Warning】

【Black Wolf Vice Commander – <White Sword Ghost Lactea> is releasing her <Restriction>.】

【Rank is changing.】

【<A+> → <S+>】

The woman who could release her soul’s <Restriction> without my permission as the Commander.

Rustle.

Brilliant platinum-colored killing intent spread endlessly from the ground where she stood.

Clatter!

Aaaahhhh!

Shhh!! Shh!! Please be quiet!!

The citizens who were peeking outside from their homes hurriedly closed their windows and hid,

“Ah, aah…! That’s…!”

“Move aside, I must be first…!”

“If I could touch it just once…!!”

The knights, drawn to the brilliant platinum ghostly aura, reached out toward the realm they had dreamed of.

【Name: Lactea Babylonia】

-Rank: S+ (Restriction Released)

-Alias: White Sword Ghost (Limitation Released)

-Information: Gifted the alias <Vice Commander – White Sword Ghost> in the secret organization <Black Wolf(?)>. Estimated rank after switching to this alias – <S+>.

The realm of <Unity of Person and Sword>,

where I am the sword and the sword is me.

That’s why the watching knights dreamed.

The dream that if they touched that brilliant sword aura, they too could reach the same realm.

But they didn’t know.

【Skills Possessed – Lactea Babylonia.】

-Passive: Equivalent Exchange(Ex).

-Skill 1: Ghost Wailing Sound(S+).

-Skill 2: (Access Restricted).

-Ultimate: (Access Restricted).

That they were already entranced by the Ghost Wailing Sound.

The cold sword aura only wanted to reach those who were entranced, while to others, it revealed the true face of a terrible monster that bewitches people and brings them to their end.

A world where only Lactea the caster, myself as the <Black Wolf> Commander, and the Emperor could see correctly.

“W-wait, sister!!”

The Emperor, anticipating what would happen, hurriedly drew her sword to block her path, but,

“Shh. I told you it’s still dawn, didn’t I?”

Lactea gave only a chilling smile, then naturally drew her sword and swung it.

Rustle.

Pure white sword aura leaked from the blade and flowed quickly toward the necks of the Emperor and knights.

The first to be touched were the knights’ necks.

“Ah, finally it touches me.”

“Now I too…”

“Can become as strong as I’ve dreamed…!”

Clunk.

In the eyes of the knights intoxicated with illusion, their ordinary world turned upside down.

Their falling heads, silent, resembled wings melting as they approached the sun.

“Huh…?”

Only then did the knights awaken from their dream to face reality with despair, but,

Thud.

Unable to even scream, they fell to the ground and looked at their own bodies still standing.

Thirteen gazes like that.

Soon all of them were dead.

【Condition Achieved!】

【Condition 3. <Kill the Knight Guards> succeeded! (13/3)!】

It was a horrific scene where thirteen people’s heads fell at once, but I remained calm.

【Identification Complete.】

【Among the 13 knight guards present, the spy planted by <Eclipse> is all 13 of them.】

‘Fortunate that there were no innocent people.’

No.

I wasn’t just calm, I was cold.

【Congratulations!】

【You have perfectly cleared the Sub-Quest – <For the Worst>!】

‘Now that the sub-quest is over, there’s no reason to stay here any longer.’

I needed to leave this place as soon as possible, return to the hideout, and figure out how to prevent the 15 events that would unfold.

‘So let’s escape first.’

If I get caught or end up killing the <Emperor>, I’ll fail the <Main Quest>.

Just as I was about to call out to Lactea after a moment’s deliberation,

“There are no exceptions.”

With a chilling voice, the swung sword aura headed toward the Emperor Reina’s neck.

“Stop, Lactea!!”

I shouted without time to think, but perhaps because she had struck with all her might?

“Commander!? Ah…!!”

The chilling and sharp strike had long since escaped Lactea’s control.

【Caution.】

【A condition is added to the <Main Quest>.】

【Condition 1. If the <Emperor> or <Hero> dies, the character – <Black Wolf> will be deleted.】

A sudden condition that seemed to push me to do something.

I instinctively realized. Though I didn’t know the exact identity yet, what the <System> wanted was the survival of the Emperor and the Hero.

Damn it,

what choice do I have?

Until I can secure a definite advantage, I have no choice but to do what the system says.

【Transcendent Artifact – <Ring of Iasos(SS+)> activates.】

【<“Remember, no pain can kill you.”>】

I touched Iasos’s ring and launched myself toward the Emperor without hesitation.

“What are you doing now…!!”

The Emperor, startled by my approach, tried to push me away despite her fear, but it was only a slight tremor that didn’t move me, and the moment I spread my arms and embraced her,

Crunch.

Along with the chilling sound from inside my body, terrible pain followed.