Chapter 12
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Episode 4 - Assassin [2]
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"Here we part ways."
"Yes, good luck."
Strangely, Balmung and Yuri were the most eager to say goodbye.
Contrary to their expectations, neither would achieve the outcome they desired.
'If you weren't a main character, I would have killed you long ago, but...'
I can't allow a character who will become strong enough in the future to die here.
Not now.
***
Upon entering the Detour and descending through the structures until reaching the depths, I lit a torch.
"Aren't you supposed to be able to see in the dark?"
Yuri asked, with one eyebrow raised.
"Ha, ha, of course. But you guys can't."
I responded with a calm smile, observing how the faint light of the torch danced on their faces.
Yuri and Clarisse shouldn't be able to see in the dark.
The reason was simple.
The attributes they possess aren't directly related to darkness.
According to my hypothesis, I have an affinity with that element. Yuri, although she leans more toward darkness, doesn't have true affinity with it. Clarisse, on the other hand, has an affinity with light.
Seth is different. His affinity is more tied to elements that don't belong to nature.
"Wow... you can see in the dark..."
Clarisse looked at me with shining eyes, like a child who had just discovered something amazing.
I smiled softly.
"Yes, so if you think you saw something moving in the dark, tell me. I'll check it for you."
It might not be a bad idea for Clarisse to be infatuated with me.
"N-no... I'm afraid of the dark..."
I knew it.
'Using Clarisse is too easy.'
From the beginning, Clarisse was strong enough, even stronger than Yuri. Her stats were high, her abilities powerful, and her personality was easy to manipulate.
And in the future... she would become even stronger.
'Having her as a reliable companion is a good idea.'
As long as her feelings remained directed toward me, of course.
'No doubt, she would never betray me.'
She was the best piece to move forward quickly.
'Flap, flap.'
Footsteps.
I stopped dead in my tracks.
My body tensed as I sharpened my hearing.
This Detour had monsters stronger than those in the previous one.
Many of them were above level 20. Without proper caution, they could kill you before you even noticed.
'Just two... at most.'
I heard four irregular footsteps.
Two enemies.
"They should be coming any moment now."
"What?"
Clarisse looked at me, confused.
"Monsters."
Yuri murmured as she raised her spear and pointed it forward.
The torchlight revealed the details of the corridor ahead of us.
Drip. Drip.
The sound of water falling from the rotting ceiling was the only thing breaking the silence.
And then...
"Wolves... no. Werewolves."
They walked upright on two legs, with muscular bodies covered in scars and soaked black fur.
Their eyes gleamed with rage in the darkness.
Upon detecting the light, both howled and lunged toward us.
"Clarisse, stay behind me."
I quickly patted her head, and she nodded, nervous.
I unsheathed my sword and pointed it at the werewolves.
Without taking my eyes off them, I cast a quick glance at Yuri.
I had to keep an eye on her. You never know.
'She could stab me in the back with that spear at any moment.'
I frowned and tightened my grip on the sword's hilt.
The werewolves leaped.
Yuri spun her spear with precision and struck one of them in the side, slamming it against the wall.
I seized the moment.
I rushed toward the second enemy and executed a precise thrust, slicing its abdomen. The flesh parted as if it were butter.
A jet of dark blood spurted from its body.
Ignoring it, I stabbed its head without hesitation.
Clank!
My sword pierced its skull with ease.
At that exact moment, a head flew past me.
Yuri had decapitated the other werewolf with a swift and accurate spin.
Her mastery of the spear was impeccable.
She didn't have a main weapon. She was skilled with all of them.
"They give a higher percentage than the monsters from the other Detour."
Yuri spoke as she wiped the blood from her spear.
"That's because their levels are higher. Didn't you know? The higher the level, the more percentage they give."
I responded in a relaxed tone.
It was a simple rule, but Yuri was never a fan of anime or novels. She could forget those details.
Sighing, I sheathed my sword and turned to Clarisse.
"Done."
She nodded with a shy smile.
"You two were awesome."
Yuri didn't smile, but she acknowledged the compliment.
"It wasn't a big deal, Clarisse. I've seen you fight, and you're better than me."
Though it wasn't obvious, Clarisse used a sword.
But not a physical one.
A magical sword.
An ability that allowed her to materialize a sword with her magical power.
The higher her level, the more powerful the sword would be.
If she reached SSS rank with enough magical power... her sword would also be of that rank.
'An incredible ability, though it consumes a lot of magical power.'
It was a great advantage. Even with that drawback, the power was worth it.
"But Clarisse, you should help too."
Yuri looked at her seriously.
She had rarely seen her fight.
Clarisse shrugged with a nervous smile.
"W-well... I'll help in the next fight."
"That's what I like to hear."
I nodded calmly.
"I think the same."
Yuri looked at me for a second, then spoke:
"Hey, Zeth... why don't we find a place to rest?"
A smile spread across my face.
"That's a great idea."
She seemed to be getting impatient.
'How sad, Yuri.'
***
Inside Detours like this, it was hard to distinguish day from night.
But, considering we had been down here for several hours, it was probably already getting dark on the surface.
We found a room. It was narrow, about eight square meters, with damp walls covered in ancient marks.
A small campfire in the center cast weak sparks, barely illuminating our silhouettes in that gloomy space.
It was a shame we couldn't sleep in a decent bed.
I sat against one of the walls. It was cold and damp, but I had already grown accustomed to such discomforts.
An awkward silence settled in the room.
Crack!
The burning wood in the campfire made a dull, dry sound, as if reminding us we were still alive.
In the midst of that atmosphere, Yuri slowly stood up. Her gaze turned toward Clarisse.
"Clarisse, if you need to use the bathroom..."
That was all she said.
Clarisse blinked once, then nodded timidly and followed her in silence.
Their footsteps faded, echoing in the corridor.
Of course, I knew exactly what Yuri planned to tell her.
'Help me kill Zeth.'
At first, it would be hard to convince Clarisse. But if Yuri insisted long enough... she might succeed.
'Maybe... if Clarisse weren't in love with me.'
Even if both girls tried to kill me, I doubted they would actually succeed. Though I couldn't let my guard down too much.
One had a stigma, and the other had high stats.
Both abilities were genuine threats.
'This will be interesting.'
With Clarisse on my side, I had a great advantage: she was a strong main character... but with a twisted personality.
Far too jealous.
That would complicate any relationships with other girls in the story. Or even any contact, for that matter.
After a few minutes, both returned.
Yuri came back with a neutral expression, but Clarisse avoided looking at me directly. She didn't seem disturbed, but she was a bit quieter.
My sword was leaning against the wall. Without saying a word, I took it and placed it beside me, keeping one hand on the hilt.
"All done?"
Both nodded.
So I gave them a calm smile.
"In that case, I'll rest for a bit. If something happens, you can wake me up."
I lay down on the stone floor, crossing one arm under my head as an improvised pillow. My eyes shifted toward Yuri.
"Because, if I fall asleep, it's hard to wake me up."
Yuri frowned for a second.
That expression of hers… I found it adorable, even now.
But it barely lasted. Yuri smiled, though it felt forced.
"Of course…"
She replied with a low, restrained voice.
I closed my eyes slowly, but kept all my senses alert.
I felt both girls also lying down, each in a corner of the room, while the campfire crackled with soft sounds.
The tension didn't dissipate, not with the fire nor with the silence.
***
"Hey, Seth… do you trust your companions?"
Seth was walking behind Balmung, who led the way in silence. At the question, he looked at him with a certain calm before answering.
"No. But I trust Zeth more."
Balmung turned his head slightly, one eyebrow arched.
"They're brothers… their names are similar."
Seth shook his head, without giving it much thought.
"No, it should be obvious. He has red eyes. I don't."
Both had black hair, similar height, and nearly identical builds. Even their faces shared features, but there were details that clearly set them apart.
Balmung let out a small sigh.
"I thought you were brothers. So… what do you think of Zeth?"
Seth paused for a moment, this time looking at him more closely.
"He's a mysterious guy."
"That's it? Just mysterious?"
"Yeah. Yuri fully distrusts him, but I don't see anything strange about him."
Balmung narrowed his eyes, as if that piece of information intrigued him.
"Yuri distrusts him?"
Seth nodded calmly.
Then Balmung, as if suddenly recalling something, said in a lower tone:
"And what would happen if Yuri tries to kill him?"
Seth stopped for a moment. His expression subtly changed, he furrowed his brow and looked at the ground. Balmung didn't miss that gesture.
"I noticed Yuri was eager to go with Zeth… plus, she was the one who chose him for her group."
Seth smiled softly, but without emotion.
"If that's the case, then I'm not worried."
Balmung raised an eyebrow. His thoughts were heading in the opposite direction. According to him, Yuri had already proven to be the strongest in the group, and now she had Clarisse on her side. If both teamed up against Zeth… was that really not a problem?
Seth's response left a bitter taste in his mouth. Still, he forced a smile.
"Then I have no reason to worry. Still, it's sad to think that one of us might die, isn't it?"
Balmung glanced at him over his shoulder. His eyes hid something.
Seth furrowed his brow. An unpleasant sensation began creeping up his spine.
He knew it instantly.
'You're a killer.'
That presence… that barely contained murderous intent… Seth had noticed it before. He had already suspected it.
Balmung wasn't an ordinary person.
He was a killer who murdered for pleasure.
Seth understood why he wanted to join their group: his goal was to eliminate the strongest members one by one. For certain psychopaths, killing a powerful opponent was glory. Seeing them kneel, humiliated, on the brink of death… it was like ecstasy.
'What a shame… someone as strong as him had to be a killer.'
Seth had long since grasped a simple but harsh truth:
'This world won't be easy to survive.'
If the strong worked together, maybe they could reach the end. But if they destroyed each other before that, no one would survive.
'We don't even know how many scenarios there are. Or what will happen when we finish the last one.'
Would the world be destroyed?
'No…'
He shook his head. There was a pattern.
'The scenarios are designed to save the world. Plus, the difficulty increases with each one.'
According to his hypothesis, the next scenario would be rank D.
The hierarchy of ranks, like in novels or webtoons, applied to these scenarios too.
'Rank F, E, D, C… up to SSS.'
That meant there were likely ten scenarios in total.
'Very likely.'
Seth sighed and looked at Balmung, who suddenly spoke:
"I'm sleepy. You, Seth?"
Seth realized he was also feeling some tiredness. Though down here the passage of time wasn't noticeable, it must already be night.
"What do you suggest?"
"Let's find a safe place."
They walked until they found a large stone hall, partially lit by old torches.
Seth sat far from Balmung, leaning his back against a column, his sword held between his hands.
Then he looked at him.
"You can sleep. I'll keep watch."
Balmung smiled calmly.
"Oh, how considerate of you. But I'll keep watch. I used to work as a nighttime security guard, so I'm used to it."
Seth shook his head.
"Then let's both keep watch."
Balmung fell silent.
'This bastard is tough…'
Internally, he clicked his tongue. Seth wasn't falling for any provocation.
"Fine, if that's what you prefer, I have no issue. But you should rest."
"I understand."
Seth nodded. A tense silence settled over the atmosphere. Both stared at each other, sizing one another up.
A crooked smile appeared on Balmung's face.
"You're tough."
And without further warning, Balmung lunged with his sword unsheathed toward Seth.
The blade sliced through the air.
But Seth reacted instantly, activating a skill and blocking the attack with his own sword.
'Clank!'
A curtain of sparks briefly illuminated the hall in a fleeting flash.