Nianbah successfully shook off the pursuers completely.
But he couldn’t survive.
The heart-corroding poison eventually forced him to the edge of a cliff.
He gave up on spending his remaining life on his own survival.
Instead, he decided to gather all his strength to create a Protector.
The Protector was completed just before his last breath.
Nianbah was embraced by his beloved wife and daughter.
The two quietly held him.
“Evelyn… please take care of our daughter. I’m sorry for leaving first.”
A moment later, the newly initialized Protector opened its eyes.
In the Protector’s gaze was Nianbah, who lay peacefully asleep.
“Initiating the Protector ‘Father’.”
“The mission of this entity is to protect the wife and daughter of the owner, Nianbah, from external threats: ‘Evelyn’ and ‘Alethea’.”
“It is also obligated to provide the necessary support and education as Alethea’s godfather.”
The Protector’s voice was mechanical.
And it truly was. Father was just a machine operating purely on rationality, devoid of emotions.
However, anyone listening to this voice would undoubtedly feel unease.
“So, I will ask. Where are Evelyn and Alethea, whom I must protect?”
“The only confirmed entities are the remains of the owner, Nianbah, and two unidentified corpses.”
“It is presumed that the unidentified corpses have been deceased for a long time.”
“Nianbah was alive when I was created, so logically, the remains cannot be the subjects of protection.”
…
“Please respond.”
“Where are the ones I must safeguard?”
“Is it correct that what you saw, Evelyn and Alethea, were alive?”
…
“The 331,347th communication. Requesting permission to end the protective mission.”
“… No response from the owner. Mission continues.”
*
After the bitter memories ended, a system message shimmered as if to tell me to decide whether to go out or not.
A blue portal leading out of the dungeon.
On the other hand, a red portal leading deeper into the abyss.
At this fork in the road, our choice seemed already made.
“Are we going deeper?”
“Of course, we have to check it out.”
Everyone here was a core gamer who dedicated significant time to the game.
Higher difficulty. More dangerous adventures. Ultimately, better rewards.
If someone wasn’t after these, they wouldn’t have even joined this party.
Sulbbang moved first, and soon everyone followed.
As the sight went dark for a moment, a new area appeared.
I… wasn’t pleased with the story of this dungeon.
*
“Warning. This entity ‘Father’ is responsible for protecting this Cradle.”
“Step back. Further approach will necessitate a violent suppression.”
As we moved down the long corridor, a red light flickered sporadically.
The alarm sound reminiscent of real-world sirens went, bee-beep.
It warned of an emergency, but no monsters appeared.
Instead, only the dry voice of the machine echoed.
“Intruder. What is your purpose in coming here?”
“There is no Evelyn or Alethea here. I am merely a Protector with nothing to guard.”
“Return. What remains here is merely the folly birthed from a madman.”
“There is nothing you seek in this Cradle of the Fallen.”
The deeper I went, the more I understood the cause of my discomfort.
A Protector born with nothing to protect.
A specter shackled by the past without any progression or meaning.
A fool pouring his finite life into a delusional dream.
It all didn’t seem that different from each other.
A heaviness settled in my chest.
As I wandered the empty corridor, my hand unconsciously brushed against a corner of the interface.
[Inbox – Permanent Storage]
– [Sigma e-Sports] Player Recruitment Proposal
– [AT] Proposal for Joining
– [Q Prime] Membership Proposal
– [青云] 加入职业电竞选手提案
– [Falcon] 選手契約提案書
Recruitment proposals written in every language.
Ever since winning the Arena… well, some had started piling up in my inbox even before that.
I struggled a bit translating each one.
In the end, I rejected them all.
Was it odd to consider this a “rejection” since it wasn’t entirely voluntary?
Yet, I was so happy to receive these pro offers.
Every time I looked at them, my heart sank and I couldn’t help but grin.
I kept them like precious trophies, cherishing them.
But reflecting on it calmly, it felt rather pathetic.
How dreary.
“Isn’t it time I make a decision soon?”
I know. It’s all lingering attachment.
Unable to forget what I’ve already discarded, what I’ve failed at — a Cradle of the Fallen.
Just like how the Protector of this dungeon received a mission it couldn’t fulfill, I was ensnared by an unachievable dream.
Now that I’ve won once,
Shouldn’t I peacefully let go of my attachment to the blade from here on?
If I study properly and get a job, I’ll likely lead a healthier life than now.
But could I call that “me”?
Frustration bubbled up,
I gripped the hilt of my dagger, pushing those emotions deep down.
I was incredibly good at that.
As long as I wasn’t directly wielding a sword, I could easily stuff away such unpleasant feelings.
It might burst out one day, but not today.
As we reached the end of the corridor, the Protector didn’t send out any troops.
At the vast entrance of the battlefield, we momentarily halted our steps.
“Nothing particularly stands out.”
“The battlefield looks spacious. Is there some area effect or big gimmick?”
“Considering what we’ve faced so far, it seems like it will just be a straightforward boss.”
The moment we set foot into the battlefield, the battle would start.
So we needed to gather any information we could beforehand.
With the twitching sensation in my ears bothering me, I decided to let fly the rabbit ears for now.
Not a single element could be confirmed aside from the appearance of the boss monster.
The basic weapon was dual swords. The Protector was around 2 meters tall and humanoid, that much I could tell.
An important note was that other weapons were floating nearby.
It seemed we were anticipating primarily close combat.
Having human weapons implied it would use them.
The overly spacious battlefield appeared completely empty, and there was no further information we could ascertain in advance.
So, one answer remained.
“Let’s proceed as per standard. Just in case, San-sae will observe the map pattern. If Sulbbang looks like he’s about to bite it as the tank, Dol-gwal will go berserk. The rest of us will regroup as needed.”
“And me?”
“The dealer… will just figure it out with me.”
That was the end of the orders.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward.
For some reason, the hand gripping the dagger felt unusually tense today.
*
“You really have come. The Protector ‘Father’ will fulfill its duty.”
“Since I activated, you are the first intruder here.”
“I do not understand. There is no value for me. What do you fight for?”
I don’t know, really.
The Protector aimed its blade at the leading Sulbbang.
A spear flew from somewhere on the map, colliding with the greatsword.
The parry failed, but the Warrior did not halt his advance.
Well, regardless, the health bar is going to explode.
The damage is pretty brutal.
I shouldn’t take a hit.
“Can you hold out?”
“Not at all!”
“Looks that way.”
But what can be done?
That’s the fate of all close combat warriors.
Regardless of Sulbbang’s health, there was nothing I could do right now.
I needed to move a bit ahead, so I leapt off Sulbbang’s shoulder, grabbing my greatsword.
As I tied a rope and ascended to join the rafters…
From above, I could see the battlefield situation clearly.
The Protector’s blade extended with a gray glow.
The ground touched by the light turned red and melted.
If left alone, our formation would end up like well-cooked fried chicken.
I quickly tossed a dagger towards the Protector’s ankle before dropping down.
The first target would definitely be the neck.
[The Song of Valor resonates.]
[All attack power +7%…]
[Caster: San-sae]
Whatever it is, creatures with two limbs and upright posture have weaknesses that end up in similar places.
The human body is ultimately shaped in the most efficient manner.
The essential view is best from a higher position.
To receive visual information intact, the brain occupies a centralized processing unit in the same location.
The best place to distribute power is, of course, the heart.
If it’s made to resemble a human, it’s only courteous for its weak spots to align with human characteristics.
“Fall back!”
Sulbbang and Dol-gwal retired immediately.
As I plunged my dagger downwards, shadows surged upward.
A few black blades impaled the Protector’s body, but my weapon couldn’t pierce its armor.
“Partial damage to the propulsion unit confirmed. Self-repair commencing.”
“Changing priority target.”
The black light flickered briefly across the floor.
Just as the instinctive urge took hold of me and I stepped back, gray blades shot up from the ground.
It was precisely the same skill I had used.
An unsettling premonition rang alarm bells in my head.
“Initial adaptation rate 4.41%. Classification: Assassin. Height approximately 5.12 feet. Weight…”
“W-Wait, shut that mouth!”
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