While playing, sometimes you had moments like this, an event where instead of fighting, you needed to meet some other alternative condition to solve the puzzle.
«Hmm ... »
Thinking about it now, if the goal was for us to withstand Hamsick's attacks, it wouldn't have been that difficult. Hamsick did not have any powerful single-target attacks. Even if he had them, the launch time would have taken long enough for us to defend against them.
An upgrade where my regeneration increases the more damage I take.
However, even with all that in mind, this mercenary corps had specialized for resistance, and Erwen, who was virtually out of commission due to her debuff, was able to provide damage from hers while using her Circuit. of Chaos.
Now everything seems meaningless...
We did everything we could to defeat him, but all we could do was hold on. I felt like we wasted our energy for nothing, but I decided to stay positive about it.
No, if you can defeat your enemy, you must defeat him.
Yes, my judgment was not wrong. So what if he could progress on this just by holding on? What I did was better because I could have made progress doing nothing. The reward earned for actively using your own methods would be greater than if you had not done so.
The birth.
«Really... I just wanted to help...»
«Hamsick.»
«...Speak, mortal.»
Hamsick, who had said I didn't even have the right to ask questions and treated me like I wasn't human, suddenly became polite. It was a change that would never have occurred if the stage had developed like us enduring for our beloved life and Hamsick showing us mercy in the end. In that case, he would have given us any object and left without giving us any explanation.
Well, that wasn't going to happen anymore.
«I understand you didn't do it with bad intentions, so tell me. What is this?» asked.
«If you feed it to that human girl over there, it will be of great help to her in the future».
«Don't talk about 'great help' or any vagueness. Just tell me what it does, and make sure it's accurate».
I realized it was some kind of elixir, but since I couldn't give Erwen an unknown orb, I pressured Hamsick to answer me.
The effect of the elixir that Hamsick told me was simple.
If she ate it, then those «abandoned»...
Then not only would the «monsters» not attack her, but she would gain a kind of commanding authority over them.
«But be careful. It won't work with those with a high soul quality like me». With that serious warning, Hamsick slowly stood up and headed towards the wall.
«Wait, where are you going?»
«You've received the answer you wanted, so our issue here is-»
«Not yet».
He looked at me questioningly.
Where did you think you were going without giving me my hidden reward?
It would be too much of a waste to let Hamsick go after trying so hard to master him in this way. Not that he expected Hamsick to hide any more such physical objects or devices, but nothing said that the rewards had to be physical. In this place, every piece of information was valuable.
«Who are you? Are you also a monster... one of the abandoned ones?»
And so, I began my interrogation.
«...I may seem that way in the eyes of a mortal.»
«Don't give me vague answers. Answer me properly».
«...I am. To be precise, I am one of those 'who dropped out'».
«Those who abandoned...?»
«We were the first to abandon our faith, and from there, we were able to escape the bonds and exist as independent beings».
The abandoned and those who abandoned.
After hearing the explanation, it was quite easy to deduce the difference between the two.
Whether they had intelligence or not.
Goblins, Kobolds and Orcs were part of those «who abandoned». Unlike most monsters, they had civilizations and lived in tribes in the forests or mountains. They even interacted with humans on rare occasions as well.
«However, today I realized this: There are things you can never give up, no matter how much you desperately want to».
«...What do you mean by that?»
«I told you that authority will not work with those who have a high quality of soul, but don't worry. They will never harm that human girl. Just like I didn't do it today...»
Something you could never give up, even if you wanted to.
Although it was not the answer to my question, I did not address it further and moved on to the next topic. I had one thing I needed to check above all else.
«Hamsick».
«Speak, mortal».
At that moment, Hamsick didn't even flinch at the name I had given him, and I asked my question carefully.
«I ask just in case... but is she the Witch of the Earth?».
«Witch?» Hamsick shook his head as if he had just heard something stupid. However, the answer he gave did not deny anything. «That human girl is nothing like a witch».
What Hamsick said next gave me certainty.
«She is a pitiful girl born with a brutal destiny»...
The flu.
It was really based on the Witch of the Earth...
***
Each crack had its own story.
Even when I played, I could deduce that there was some history in the background through all kinds of events and conversations that I could hear by chance, but I was certain of it after having that conversation with the old vampire.
The Bloody Citadel where the Corpse Golem and the Vampire appeared. That place, which I had visited countless times throughout my departure, was shaped by the story of someone's life. The White Temple and the Doppelganger Forest were probably the same in that sense.
A crack molded according to the story of a witch...
Instantly, I had no doubt that this was the most important moment of my countless adventures.
The story of the golden book I read in Hamsick's room also came to mind.
A long time ago, in a rural village, a brother and his sister lived happily. However, the older brother said that he would become a magician and left the town. The younger sister was very sad about it.
The simple story in the form of a diary entry could be summarized in just those three lines.
It's probably the witch's story.
Perhaps during this adventure, you could learn more about the witch and unravel more secrets of the maze.
Despite the avalanche of thoughts going on deep down, I continued to bombard Hamsick with all my questions.
However, Hamsick's gaze suddenly sharpened and he let out a small growl. «For».
«…¿To?»
Did you think he was your friend because he smiled at you while you talked to him?
As he seriously considered how he should interact with Hamsick in the future, Hamsick seemed to realize what he was thinking and quickly tried to make an excuse.
«It's not that...! The imperial army is coming here!»
«The imperial army...?»
«Don't even think about fighting them! Not even you will be able to survive fighting so many of them.»
Hmm... ¿era as?
I still didn't believe it was true, but Hamsick tried his best to persuade me.
«You may be fine, but what about that human girl? Do you think you will be able to protect her while facing so many of them?».
I couldn't refute that logic. Not to mention that Erwen had not yet recovered from the aftermath of using the Chaos Circuit.
«We'll have to get out of the cave and quickly», I said.
«It will probably be difficult. You are already surrounded...»
«Is that true, Erwen?»
«I can't say», he admitted. «I still haven't regained all my strength...».
«If I hadn't spent all my power just to fight you, I would have realized it sooner...».
Hamsick's emotions were carried in that murmur.
I understood that he was angry, but he said something that I couldn't ignore. «Are you saying this is my fault?».
«I didn't say that to try to blame! It doesn't matter, come here quickly!»
« ¿Hmm? »
«This is the only way you can get out of this cave safely!»
After pulling me towards the center of the open area, Hamsick waved his hand and a portal was created.
¡Vwoong!
I immediately realized that this portal was unstable.
«Where will we get out if we go through this?».
«I can't tell you. However... it won't be where you were trying to go».
Hmm, was there a different route than using the compass to get through the cave? I couldn't get an idea if it was a positive or negative change.
«Sir, what are you going to do?»
«Let's go in. I don't think Hamsick is trying to hurt us».
We had no choice. If Erwen was injured during her recovery, I couldn't do anything to help her.
After deciding and walking towards the portal, Hamsick suddenly called me. «Mercenary. I will leave that girl in your care».
Heh, I was wondering what he was going to say.
«I will», I responded with a mocking smile. «I would do it even if you didn't tell me».
With that, I grabbed Erwen's hand tightly and entered the portal.
I guess this is Chapter Three.
I opened my eyes, expectant of what awaited me.
[Special Condition Has Been Fulfilled-Wrong Path].
[You are transferred to the Plaza de la Gran Ciudad].
It was a huge square overflowing with thousands of people.
«¡Matadlos!»
«May the evil witch receive divine punishment...!»
We were kneeling on a gallows. To summarize the situation we were in, all four of our limbs were tied as we knelt.
Did they take all my equipment? Shit, I'll be able to get it back later, right?
All my precious equipment was gone, and in its place was a ragged cloth fluttering in the wind. Erwen was in a similar state next to me. For some reason, he looked a little older than before.
«Sir...!»
Now he looked to be about ten or twelve years old.
Between Erwen and I there was a nobleman who began to read our sins. From starting a rebellion to the murder of a nobleman, through massacres, arson, etc. Through these countless crimes declared against us, there was only one thing I focused on.
«This evil witch and her follower Bjorn Yandel, who has plunged the world into Chaos for over ten years, will now be executed for their crimes».
For more than ten years.
So much time passed... after leaving the cave?
Maybe all those crimes that the nobleman declared actually occurred during that time.
But Erwen is too young for that to be the case, right?
I still had some questions, but I've passed on them for now.
«Sir, what do we do?»
«Calm down. I'm thinking».
After comforting Erwen, I kept mulling over our situation in my mind.
Luckily, we still had some time. I thought that as soon as the nobleman finished reading our sins and left the stand, our execution would immediately begin, but it did not.
«With that, the message of imperial majesty will be given!»
A knight in plate armor shining in the light approached with a decent-sized scroll of parchment. Then he opened it as if he were going to make a royal decree while he began to read its contents.
«Citizens of the empire! We have endured and suffered a lot! During these long and arduous years. With the appearance of the evil witch, the world became hell...»
His voice was amplified by magic as he continued reading the emperor's message of congratulations and self-praise.
As I kept one ear open to hear what he was saying, I kept thinking of a method of escape.
Tap, tap.
But then, someone carefully hit me on the shoulder. Because my neck was also tied, I turned only my eyes to see who it was, and there stood a familiar face.
«It's been a while, Yandel».
«¿Tú eres...?»
«It seems like you remember me. Even though we've only seen each other once a decade ago».
Even if I said a decade or whatever, it had only been a few hours for me. He was the mercenary who had moved in with me during Chapter One. Unlike before, when traces of his youth remained, he now had wrinkles on his face with white strands in his hair.
«You haven't changed since that day. You're too young», he marveled. «Is this also a power you gained after becoming a follower of the witch?».
«You could say yes».
«When I first heard your name, I was very surprised. That you were the follower of the witch who plunged the world into Chaos... To be honest, I didn't believe it until I saw you here like this». When I was silent, he continued saying: «Did you know? Just to be here this day, this one day, I have given it my all».
«...Why did you do that?»
He didn't answer my question. «After you left, I joined the imperial army. It was still a hard life, being a soldier or a mercenary, but I was able to find stability. I met a woman I didn't deserve, married her and even had a son. It was a pretty happy time. A decade was enough to turn my entire life around, but time was also, in some ways, quite short».
His voice, calm at first, became harsher as he continued his story.
«Did you know? I don't have anything anymore. When Fort Nelbus fell to the army of monsters, I lost everything».
...Damn.
«Does that answer your question? The reason I had to be here.»
Even though I knew I hadn't, receiving such a direct display of aggression was enough to make my heart race with stress.
«I have heard that some sinners survive because the rope breaks, but don't worry... I have checked countless times».
With that, he took a step back as if he had said everything he needed and didn't talk to me anymore.
«Sir? I think our end is near...»
I could tell that our end was right in front of our faces even without her telling me.
The angry crowd roared as they burned with fury.
...No, what am I supposed to do here?
Recognizing that I would die if I stayed still, I tried to put as much force as possible into my body - perhaps enough to make some veins jump - but the ropes showed no signs of giving way.
Isn't this too unfair?.. too much?
At first, when he spoke to me from behind, I thought it would be a helpful NPC, but it wasn't.
Was he really going to die here? No, perhaps he would be transferred to the next Chapter after dying? I did not know. The only truth I knew was whether I knew it or not, that didn't mean I could grant my life here.
«¡Aaaaargh!»
I put all my strength into my body to resist. Still, the rope refused to break.
Se rasgó.
However, it loosened up a bit. Taking advantage of that small hope, I used the loosened space to struggle even more.
«Stop!» A soldier approached me to stop me from fighting so hard.
...It's the same type as before.
¡Crack!
Using the little movement I gained, I headbutted him.
«-¿Uh? Aaaack!»
He fell from the elevated platform.
«Kill them! Kill them! Kill them now!»
«¡Yes!»
The crowd became even more agitated when they saw what was happening at the top of the gallows. I ignored them and fought even harder to escape.
The knight who had read the emperor's message let out a loud sigh. Due to the amplification of the voice, the sigh echoed throughout the city square.
«Still, I guess the preparations were done on time».
Only then did I realize. That voice seemed very familiar to me.
«Sir Ervan found dead...!»
«That? So who is that person up there?!»
«¡Detenedle!»
With that, the knights shouted and hurriedly ran up the stairs.
«Start.»
At this moment, the floor of the square, on which there were thousands of people standing, began to glow.
Shine!
A mega magic was created, like I had never seen before in my life.
The knight abruptly took off his helmet and looked at us, the light of the square illuminating his figure.
«Now go. Do you know how much we have suffered because of you?».
Era the boss of the difference.